Dedication
To
Śrīla Prabhupāda
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja
My Spiritual Master
On the 26th Annual Ceremony of His
Appearance Day
He lives forever by his divine instructions and
the follower lives with him.
Preface
We
must know the present need of human society. And what is that need?
Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits to particular
countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle
Ages, and the world tendency is toward one state or one human society.
The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are
based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, of
the entire energy of living beings. The need is felt by great thinkers
to make this a successful ideology. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will fill this
need in human society. It begins, therefore, with the aphorism of
Vedānta philosophy janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1] to establish the ideal
of a common cause.
Human society, at the present moment, is not
in the darkness of oblivion. It has made rapid progress in the field of
material comforts, education and economic development throughout the
entire world. But there is a pinprick somewhere in the social body at
large, and therefore there are large-scale quarrels, even over less
important issues. There is need of a clue as to how humanity can become
one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural
presentation for the respiritualization of the entire human society.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
should be introduced also in the schools and colleges, for it is
recommended by the great student-devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja in order to
change the demoniac face of society.
kaumāra ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
(SB 7.6.1)
Disparity
in human society is due to lack of principles in a godless
civilization. There is God, or the Almighty One, from whom everything
emanates, by whom everything is maintained and in whom everything is
merged to rest. Material science has tried to find the ultimate source
of creation very insufficiently, but it is a fact that there is one
ultimate source of everything that be. This ultimate source is
explained rationally and authoritatively in the beautiful Bhāgavatam,
or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the transcendental
science not only for knowing the ultimate source of everything but also
for knowing our relation with Him and our duty toward perfection of the
human society on the basis of this perfect knowledge. It is powerful
reading matter in the Sanskrit language, and it is now rendered into
English elaborately so that simply by a careful reading one will know
God perfectly well, so much so that the reader will be sufficiently
educated to defend himself from the onslaught of atheists. Over and
above this, the reader will be able to convert others to accepting God
as a concrete principle.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with the
definition of the ultimate source. It is a bona fide commentary on the
Vedānta-sūtra by the same author, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and gradually it
develops into nine cantos up to the highest state of God realization.
The only qualification one needs to study this great book of
transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not
jump forward haphazardly like with an ordinary book. It should be gone
through chapter by chapter, one after another. The reading matter is so
arranged with its original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration,
SYNONYMS
, translation and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.
The
Tenth Canto is distinct from the first nine cantos because it deals
directly with the transcendental activities of the Personality of
Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One will be unable to capture the effects of the
Tenth Canto without going through the first nine cantos. The book is
complete in twelve cantos, each independent, but it is good for all to
read them in small installments one after another.
I must admit
my frailties in presenting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but still I am hopeful of
its good reception by the thinkers and leaders of society on the
strength of the following statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.11):
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yac
chṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
"On
the other hand, that literature which is full with descriptions of the
transcendental glories of the name, fame, form and pastimes of the
unlimited Supreme Lord is a transcendental creation meant to bring
about a revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization.
Such transcendental literatures, even though irregularly composed, are
heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest."
Oṁ tat sat
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Dated at Delhi
December 15, 1962
Introduction
The
conception of God and the conception of Absolute Truth are not on the
same level. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam hits on the target of the Absolute
Truth. The conception of God indicates the controller, whereas the
conception of the Absolute Truth indicates the summum bonum or the
ultimate source of all energies. There is no difference of opinion
about the personal feature of God as the controller because a
controller cannot be impersonal. Of course modern government,
especially democratic government, is impersonal to some extent, but
ultimately the chief executive head is a person, and the impersonal
feature of government is subordinate to the personal feature. So
without a doubt whenever we refer to control over others we must admit
the existence of a personal feature. Because there are different
controllers for different managerial positions, there may be many small
gods. According to the Bhagavad-gītā any controller who has some
specific extraordinary power is called a vibhūtimat sattva, or
controller empowered by the Lord. There are many vibhūtimat sattvas,
controllers or gods with various specific powers, but the Absolute
Truth is one without a second. This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam designates the
Absolute Truth or the summum bonum as the paraṁ satyam.
The
author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, first offers his
respectful obeisances unto the paraṁ satyam (Absolute Truth), and
because the paraṁ satyam is the ultimate source of all energies, the
paraṁ satyam is the Supreme Person. The gods or the controllers are
undoubtedly persons, but the paraṁ satyam from whom the gods derive
powers of control is the Supreme Person. The Sanskrit word īśvara
(controller) conveys the import of God, but the Supreme Person is
called the parameśvara, or the supreme īśvara. The Supreme Person, or
parameśvara, is the supreme conscious personality, and because He does
not derive any power from any other source, He is supremely
independent. In the Vedic literatures Brahmā is described as the
supreme god or the head of all other gods like Indra, Candra and
Varuṇa, but the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam confirms that even Brahmā is not
independent as far as his power and knowledge are concerned. He
received knowledge in the form of the Vedas from the Supreme Person who
resides within the heart of every living being. That Supreme
Personality knows everything directly and indirectly. Individual
infinitesimal persons, who are parts and parcels of the Supreme
Personality, may know directly and indirectly everything about their
bodies or external features, but the Supreme Personality knows
everything about both His external and internal features.
The
words janmādy asya [SB 1.1.1] suggest that the source of all
production, maintenance or destruction is the same supreme conscious
person. Even in our present experience we can know that nothing is
generated from inert matter, but inert matter can be generated from the
living entity. For instance, by contact with the living entity, the
material body develops into a working machine. Men with a poor fund of
knowledge mistake the bodily machinery to be the living being, but the
fact is that the living being is the basis of the bodily machine. The
bodily machine is useless as soon as the living spark is away from it.
Similarly, the original source of all material energy is the Supreme
Person. This fact is expressed in all the Vedic literatures, and all
the exponents of spiritual science have accepted this truth. The living
force is called Brahman, and one of the greatest ācāryas (teachers),
namely Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, has preached that Brahman is substance
whereas the cosmic world is category. The original source of all
energies is the living force, and He is logically accepted as the
Supreme Person. He is therefore conscious of everything past, present
and future, and also of each and every corner of His manifestations,
both material and spiritual. An imperfect living being does not even
know what is happening within his own personal body. He eats his food
but does not know how this food is transformed into energy or how it
sustains his body. When a living being is perfect, he is aware of
everything that happens, and since the Supreme Person is all-perfect,
it is quite natural that He knows everything in all detail.
Consequently the perfect personality is addressed in the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as Vāsudeva, or one who lives everywhere in full
consciousness and in full possession of His complete energy. All of
this is clearly explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the reader has
ample opportunity to study this critically.
In the modern age
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by
practical demonstration. It is easier to penetrate into the topics of
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam through the medium of Śrī Caitanya's causeless
mercy. Therefore a short sketch of His life and precepts is inserted
herein to help the reader understand the real merit of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
It is imperative that one learn the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the person Bhāgavatam. The person Bhāgavatam is
one whose very life is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in practice. Since Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is both
Bhagavān and Bhāgavatam in person and in sound. Therefore His process
of approaching the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is practical for all people of the
world. It was His wish that the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam be preached in every
nook and corner of the world by those who happened to take their birth
in India.
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the science of Kṛṣṇa, the
Absolute Personality of Godhead of whom we have preliminary information
from the text of the Bhagavad-gītā. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said
that anyone, regardless of what he is, who is well versed in the
science of Kṛṣṇa (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā) can become an
authorized preacher or preceptor in the science of Kṛṣṇa.
There
is a need for the science of Kṛṣṇa in human society for the good of all
suffering humanity of the world, and we simply request the leaders of
all nations to pick up this science of Kṛṣṇa for their own good, for
the good of society and for the good of all the world's people.
A short sketch of the life and teachings of Lord Caitanya, The Preacher of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
Lord
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the great apostle of love of God and the
father of the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord,
advented Himself at Śrīdhāma Māyāpura, a quarter in the city of
Navadvīpa in Bengal, on the Phālgunī Pūrṇimā evening in the year 1407
Śakābda (corresponding to February 1486 by the Christian calendar).
His
father, Śrī Jagannātha Miśra, a learned brāhmaṇa from the district of
Sylhet, came to Navadvīpa as a student because at that time Navadvīpa
was considered to be the center of education and culture. He domiciled
on the banks of the Ganges after marrying Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, a daughter
of Śrīla Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, the great learned scholar of Navadvīpa.
Jagannātha
Miśra had a number of daughters by his wife, Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, and most
of them expired at an early age. Two surviving sons, Śrī Viśvarūpa and
Viśvambhara, became at last the object of their paternal affection. The
tenth and youngest son, who was named Viśvambhara, later became known
as Nimāi Paṇḍita and then, after accepting the renounced order of life,
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
exhibited His transcendental activities for forty-eight years and then
disappeared in the year 1455 Śakābda at Purī.
For His first
twenty-four years He remained at Navadvīpa as a student and
householder. His first wife was Śrīmatī Lakṣmīpriyā, who died at an
early age when the Lord was away from home. When He returned from East
Bengal He was requested by His mother to accept a second wife, and He
agreed. His second wife was Śrīmatī Viṣṇupriyā Devī, who bore the
separation of the Lord throughout her life because the Lord took the
order of sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four, when Śrīmatī Viṣṇupriyā
was barely sixteen years old.
After taking sannyāsa, the Lord
made His headquarters at Jagannātha Purī due to the request of His
mother, Śrīmatī Śacīdevī. The Lord remained for twenty-four years at
Purī. For six years of this time He traveled continuously all over
India (and especially throughout southern India) preaching the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lord Caitanya not only preached the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam but propagated the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā as
well in the most practical way. In the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is
depicted as the Absolute Personality of Godhead, and His last teachings
in that great book of transcendental knowledge instruct that one should
give up all the modes of religious activities and accept Him (Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa) as the only worshipable Lord. The Lord then assured that all His
devotees would be protected from all sorts of sinful acts and that for
them there would be no cause for anxiety.
Unfortunately, despite
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's direct order and the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā,
less intelligent people misunderstand Him to be nothing but a great
historical personality, and thus they cannot accept Him as the original
Personality of Godhead. Such men with a poor fund of knowledge are
misled by many nondevotees. Thus the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā
were misinterpreted even by great scholars. After the disappearance of
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa there were hundreds of commentaries on the Bhagavad-gītā
by many erudite scholars, and almost every one of them was motivated by
self-interest.
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the selfsame Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This time, however, He appeared as a great devotee of the
Lord in order to preach to the people in general, as well as to
religionists and philosophers, about the transcendental position of Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, the primeval Lord and the cause of all causes. The essence of
His preaching is that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who appeared at Vrajabhūmi
(Vṛndāvana) as the son of the King of Vraja (Nanda Mahārāja), is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and is therefore worshipable by all.
Vṛndāvana-dhāma is nondifferent from the Lord because the name, fame,
form and place where the Lord manifests Himself are all identical with
the Lord as absolute knowledge. Therefore Vṛndāvana-dhāma is as
worshipable as the Lord. The highest form of transcendental worship of
the Lord was exhibited by the damsels of Vrajabhūmi in the form of pure
affection for the Lord, and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends
this process as the most excellent mode of worship. He accepts the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Purāṇa as the spotless literature for understanding
the Lord, and He preaches that the ultimate goal of life for all human
beings is to attain the stage of premā, or love of God.
Many
devotees of Lord Caitanya like Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrī Locana
dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Śrī Kavikarṇapūra, Śrī
Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī
Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī,
Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and in this latter age within two hundred
years, Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana, Śrī
Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī, Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrī Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura and at last Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura (our
spiritual master) and many other great and renowned scholars and
devotees of the Lord have prepared voluminous books and literatures on
the life and precepts of the Lord. Such literatures are all based on
the śāstras like the Vedas, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata
and other histories and authentic literatures approved by the
recognized ācāryas. They are unique in composition and unrivaled in
presentation, and they are full of transcendental knowledge.
Unfortunately the people of the world are still ignorant of them, but
when these literatures, which are mostly in Sanskrit and Bengali, come
to light the world and when they are presented before thinking people,
then India's glory and the message of love will overflood this morbid
world, which is vainly searching after peace and prosperity by various
illusory methods not approved by the ācāryas in the chain of disciplic
succession.
The readers of this small description of the life
and precepts of Lord Caitanya will profit much to go through the books
of Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura (Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata) and Śrīla
Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta). The early life of
the Lord is most fascinatingly expressed by the author of
Caitanya-bhāgavata, and as far as the teachings are concerned, they are
more vividly explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Now they are
available to the English-speaking public in our Teachings of Lord
Caitanya.
The Lord's early life was recorded by one of His chief
devotees and contemporaries, namely Śrīla Murāri Gupta, a medical
practitioner of that time, and the latter part of the life of Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu was recorded by His private secretary Śrī Dāmodara
Gosvāmī, or Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara, who was practically a constant
companion of the Lord at Purī. These two devotees recorded practically
all the incidents of the Lord's activities, and later on all the books
dealing with the Lord, which are above mentioned, were composed on the
basis of kaḍacās (notebooks) by Śrīla Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Murāri Gupta.
So
the Lord advented Himself on the Phālgunī Pūrṇimā evening of 1407
Śakābda, and it was by the will of the Lord that there was a lunar
eclipse on that evening. During the hours of eclipse it was the custom
of the Hindu public to take bath in the Ganges or any other sacred
river and chant the Vedic mantras for purification. When Lord Caitanya
was born during the lunar eclipse, all India was roaring with the holy
sound of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma,
Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. These sixteen names of the Lord are
mentioned in many Purāṇas and Upaniṣads, and they are described as the
Tāraka-brahma nāma of this age. It is recommended in the śāstras that
offenseless chanting of these holy names of the Lord can deliver a
fallen soul from material bondage. There are innumerable names of the
Lord both in India and outside, and all of them are equally good
because all of them indicate the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But
because these sixteen are especially recommended for this age, people
should take advantage of them and follow the path of the great ācāryas
who attained success by practicing the rules of the śāstras (revealed
scriptures).
The simultaneous occurrence of the Lord's
appearance and the lunar eclipse indicated the distinctive mission of
the Lord. This mission was to preach the importance of chanting the
holy names of the Lord in this age of Kali (quarrel). In this present
age quarrels take place even over trifles, and therefore the śāstras
have recommended for this age a common platform for realization, namely
chanting the holy names of the Lord. People can hold meetings to
glorify the Lord in their respective languages and with melodious
songs, and if such performances are executed in an offenseless manner,
it is certain that the participants will gradually attain spiritual
perfection without having to undergo more rigorous methods. At such
meetings everyone, the learned and the foolish, the rich and the poor,
the Hindus and the Muslims, the Englishmen and the Indians, and the
caṇḍālas and the brāhmaṇas, can all hear the transcendental sounds and
thus cleanse the dust of material association from the mirror of the
heart. To confirm the Lord's mission, all the people of the world will
accept the holy name of the Lord as the common platform for the
universal religion of mankind. In other words, the advent of the holy
name took place along with the advent of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
When
the Lord was on the lap of His mother, He would at once stop crying as
soon as the ladies surrounding Him chanted the holy names and clapped
their hands. This peculiar incident was observed by the neighbors with
awe and veneration. Sometimes the young girls took pleasure in making
the Lord cry and then stopping Him by chanting the holy name. So from
His very childhood the Lord began to preach the importance of the holy
name. In His early age Lord Śrī Caitanya was known as Nimāi. This name
was given by His beloved mother because the Lord took His birth beneath
a nimba tree in the courtyard of His paternal house.
When the
Lord was offered solid food at the age of six months in the
anna-prāśana ceremony, the Lord indicated His future activities. At
this time it was customary to offer the child both coins and books in
order to get some indication of the future tendencies of the child. The
Lord was offered on one side coins and on the other the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Lord accepted the Bhāgavatam instead of the
coins.
When He was a mere baby crawling in the yard, one day a
snake appeared before Him, and the Lord began to play with it. All the
members of the house were struck with fear and awe, but after a little
while the snake went away, and the baby was taken away by His mother.
Once He was stolen by a thief who intended to steal His ornaments, but
the Lord took a pleasure trip on the shoulder of the bewildered thief,
who was searching for a solitary place in order to rob the baby. It so
happened that the thief, wandering hither and thither, finally arrived
just before the house of Jagannātha Miśra and, being afraid of being
caught, dropped the baby at once. Of course the anxious parents and
relatives were glad to see the lost child.
Once a pilgrim
brāhmaṇa was received at the house of Jagannātha Miśra, and when he was
offering food to the Godhead, the Lord appeared before him and partook
of the prepared food. The eatables had to be rejected because the child
touched them, and so the brāhmaṇa had to make another preparation. The
next time the same thing happened, and when this happened repeatedly
for the third time, the baby was finally put to bed. At about twelve at
night when all the members of the house were fast asleep within their
closed rooms, the pilgrim brāhmaṇa offered his specially prepared foods
to the Deity, and, in the same way, the baby Lord appeared before the
pilgrim and spoiled his offerings. The brāhmaṇa then began to cry, but
since everyone was fast asleep, no one could hear him. At that time the
baby Lord appeared before the fortunate brāhmaṇa and disclosed His
identity as Kṛṣṇa Himself. The brāhmaṇa was forbidden to disclose this
incident, and the baby returned to the lap of His mother.
There
are many similar incidents in His childhood. As a naughty boy He
sometimes used to tease the orthodox brāhmaṇas who used to bathe in the
Ganges. When the brāhmaṇas complained to His father that He was
splashing them with water instead of attending school, the Lord
suddenly appeared before His father as though just coming from school
with all His school clothes and books. At the bathing ghāṭa He also
used to play jokes on the neighboring girls who engaged in worshiping
Śiva in hopes of getting good husbands. This is a common practice
amongst unmarried girls in Hindu families. While they were engaged in
such worship, the Lord naughtily appeared before them and said, "My
dear sisters, please give Me all the offerings you have just brought
for Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva is My devotee, and Pārvatī is My maidservant.
If you worship Me, then Lord Śiva and all the other demigods will be
more satisfied." Some of them refused to obey the naughty Lord, and He
would curse them that due to their refusal they would be married to old
men who had seven children by their previous wives. Out of fear and
sometimes out of love the girls would also offer Him various goods, and
then the Lord would bless them and assure them that they would have
very good young husbands and that they would be mothers of dozens of
children. The blessings would enliven the girls, but they used often to
complain of these incidents to their mothers.
In this way the
Lord passed His early childhood. When He was just sixteen years old He
started His own catuṣpāṭhī (village school conducted by a learned
brāhmaṇa). In this school He would simply explain Kṛṣṇa, even in
readings of grammar. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in order to please the Lord,
later composed a grammar in Sanskrit, in which all the rules of grammar
were explained with examples that used the holy names of the Lord. This
grammar is still current. It is known as Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa and is
prescribed in the syllabus of schools in Bengal.
During this
time a great Kashmir scholar named Keśava Kāśmīrī came to Navadvīpa to
hold discussions on the śāstras. The Kashmir paṇḍita was a champion
scholar, and he had traveled to all places of learning in India.
Finally he came to Navadvīpa to contest the learned paṇḍitas there. The
paṇḍitas of Navadvīpa decided to match Nimāi Paṇḍita (Lord Caitanya)
with the Kashmir paṇḍita, thinking that if Nimāi Paṇḍita were defeated,
they would have another chance to debate with the scholar, for Nimāi
Paṇḍita was only a boy. And if the Kashmir paṇḍita were defeated, then
they would even be more glorified because people would proclaim that a
mere boy of Navadvīpa had defeated a champion scholar who was famous
throughout India. It so happened that Nimāi Paṇḍita met Keśava Kāśmīrī
while strolling on the banks of the Ganges. The Lord requested him to
compose a Sanskrit verse in praise of the Ganges, and the paṇḍita
within a short time composed a hundred ślokas, reciting the verses like
a storm and showing the strength of his vast learning. Nimāi Paṇḍita at
once memorized all the ślokas without an error. He quoted the
sixty-fourth śloka and pointed out certain rhetorical and literary
irregularities. He particularly questioned the paṇḍita's use of the
word bhavānī-bhartuḥ. He pointed out that the use of this word was
redundant. Bhavānī means the wife of Śiva, and who else can be her
bhartā, or husband? He also pointed out several other discrepancies,
and the Kashmir paṇḍita was struck with wonder. He was astonished that
a mere student of grammar could point out the literary mistakes of an
erudite scholar. Although this matter was ended prior to any public
meeting, the news spread like wildfire all over Navadvīpa. But finally
Keśava Kāśmīrī was ordered in a dream by Sarasvatī, the goddess of
learning, to submit to the Lord, and thus the Kashmir paṇḍita became a
follower of the Lord.
The Lord was then married with great pomp
and gaiety, and at this time He began to preach the congregational
chanting of the holy name of, the Lord at Navadvīpa. Some of the
brāhmaṇas became envious of His popularity, and they put many
hindrances on His path. They were so jealous that they finally took the
matter before the Muslim magistrate at Navadvīpa. Bengal was then
governed by Pathans, and the governor of the province was Nawab Hussain
Shah. The Muslim magistrate of Navadvīpa took up the complaints of the
brāhmaṇas seriously, and at first he warned the followers of Nimāi
Paṇḍita not to chant loudly the name of Hari. But Lord Caitanya asked
His followers to disobey the orders of the Kazi, and they went on with
their saṅkīrtana (chanting) party as usual. The magistrate then sent
constables who interrupted a saṅkīrtana and broke some of the mṛdaṅgas
(drums). When Nimāi Paṇḍita heard of this incident He organized a party
for civil disobedience. He is the pioneer of the civil disobedience
movement in India for the right cause. He organized a procession of one
hundred thousand men with thousands of mṛdaṅgas and karatālas (hand
cymbals), and this procession passed over the roads of Navadvīpa in
defiance of the Kazi who had issued the order. Finally the procession
reached the house of the Kazi, who went upstairs out of fear of the
masses. The great crowds assembled at the Kazi's house displayed a
violent temper, but the Lord asked them to be peaceful. At this time
the Kazi came down and tried to pacify the Lord by addressing Him as
his nephew. He pointed out that Nīlāmbara Cakravartī referred to him as
an uncle, and consequently, Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, the mother of Nimāi
Paṇḍita, was his sister. He asked the Lord whether his sister's son
could be angry at His maternal uncle, and the Lord replied that since
the Kazi was His maternal uncle he should receive his nephew well at
his home. In this way the issue was mitigated, and the two learned
scholars began a long discussion on the Koran and Hindu śāstras. The
Lord raised the question of cow-killing, and the Kazi properly answered
Him by referring to the Koran. In turn the Kazi also questioned the
Lord about cow sacrifice in the Vedas, and the Lord replied that such
sacrifice as mentioned in the Vedas is not actually cow-killing. In
that sacrifice an old bull or cow was sacrificed for the sake of
receiving a fresh younger life by the power of Vedic mantras. But in
the Kali-yuga such cow sacrifices are forbidden because there are no
qualified brāhmaṇas capable of conducting such a sacrifice. In fact, in
Kali-yuga all yajñas (sacrifices) are forbidden because they are
useless attempts by foolish men. In Kali-yuga only the saṅkīrtana yajña
is recommended for all practical purposes. Speaking in this way, the
Lord finally convinced the Kazi, who became the Lord's follower. The
Kazi thenceforth declared that no one should hinder the saṅkīrtana
movement which was started by the Lord, and the Kazi left this order in
his will for the sake of progeny. The Kazi's tomb still exists in the
area of Navadvīpa, and Hindu pilgrims go there to show their respects.
The Kazi's descendants are residents, and they never objected to
saṅkīrtana, even during the Hindu-Muslim riot days.
This
incident shows clearly that the Lord was not a so-called timid
Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is a fearless devotee of the Lord, and for the
right cause he can take any step suitable for the purpose. Arjuna was
also a Vaiṣṇava devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and he fought valiantly for the
satisfaction of the Lord. Similarly, Vajrāṅgajī, or Hanumān, was also a
devotee of Lord Rāma, and he gave lessons to the nondevotee party of
Rāvaṇa. The principles of Vaiṣṇavism are to satisfy the Lord by all
means. A Vaiṣṇava is by nature a nonviolent, peaceful living being, and
he has all the good qualities of God, but when the nondevotee
blasphemes the Lord or His devotee, the Vaiṣṇava never tolerates such
impudency.
After this incident the Lord began to preach and
propagate His Bhāgavata-dharma, or saṅkīrtana movement, more
vigorously, and whoever stood against this propagation of the
yuga-dharma, or duty of the age, was properly punished by various types
of chastisement. Two brāhmaṇa gentlemen named Cāpala and Gopāla, who
also happened to be maternal uncles of the Lord, were inflicted with
leprosy by way of chastisement, and later, when they were repentant,
they were accepted by the Lord. In the course of His preaching work, He
used to send daily all His followers, including Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu
and Ṭhākura Haridāsa, two chief whips of His party, from door to door
to preach the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam All of Navadvīpa was surcharged with
His saṅkīrtana movement, and His headquarters were situated at the
house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and Śrī Advaita Prabhu, two of His chief
householder disciples. These two learned heads of the brāhmaṇa
community were the most ardent supporters of Lord Caitanya's movement.
Śrī Advaita Prabhu was the chief cause for the advent of the Lord. When
Advaita Prabhu saw that the total human society was full of
materialistic activities and devoid of devotional service, which alone
could save mankind from the threefold miseries of material existence,
He, out of His causeless compassion for the age-worn human society,
prayed fervently for the incarnation of the Lord and continually
worshiped the Lord with water of the Ganges and leaves of the holy
tulasī tree. As far as preaching work in the saṅkīrtana movement was
concerned, everyone was expected to do his daily share according to the
order of the Lord.
Once Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrīla Haridāsa
Ṭhākura were walking down a main road, and on the way they saw a
roaring crowd assembled. Upon inquiring from passers-by, they
understood that two brothers, named Jagāi and Mādhāi, were creating a
public disturbance in a drunken state. They also heard that these two
brothers were born in a respectable brāhmaṇa family, but because of low
association they had turned into debauchees of the worst type. They
were not only drunkards but also meat-eaters, woman-hunters, dacoits
and sinners of all description. Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu heard all of
these stories and decided that these two fallen souls must be the first
to be delivered. If they were delivered from their sinful life, then
the good name of Lord Caitanya would be even still more glorified.
Thinking in this way, Nityānanda Prabhu and Haridāsa pushed their way
through the crowd and asked the two brothers to chant the holy name of
Lord Hari. The drunken brothers became enraged upon this request and
attacked Nityānanda Prabhu with filthy language. Both brothers chased
them a considerable distance. In the evening the report of the
preaching work was submitted to the Lord, and He was glad to learn that
Nityānanda and Haridāsa had attempted to deliver such a stupid pair of
fellows.
The next day Nityānanda Prabhu went to see the
brothers, and as soon as He approached them one of them threw a piece
of earthen pot at Him. This struck Him on the forehead, and immediately
blood began to flow. But Nityānanda Prabhu was so kind that instead of
protesting this heinous act, He said, "It does not matter that you have
thrown this stone at Me. I still request you to chant the holy name of
Lord Hari."
One of the brothers, Jagāi, was astonished to see
this behavior of Nityānanda Prabhu, and he at once fell down at His
feet and asked Him to pardon his sinful brother. When Mādhāi again
attempted to hurt Nityānanda Prabhu, Jagāi stopped him and implored him
to fall down at His feet. In the meantime the news of Nityānanda's
injury reached the Lord, who at once hurried to the spot in a fiery and
angry mood. The Lord immediately invoked His Sudarśana cakra (the
Lord's ultimate weapon, shaped like a wheel) to kill the sinners, but
Nityānanda Prabhu reminded Him of His mission. The mission of the Lord
was to deliver the hopelessly fallen souls of Kali-yuga, and the
brothers Jagāi and Mādhāi were typical examples of these fallen souls.
Ninety percent of the population of this age resembles these brothers,
despite high birth and mundane respectability. According to the verdict
of the revealed scriptures, the total population of the world in this
age will be of the lowest śūdra quality, or even lower. It should be
noted that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never acknowledged the stereotyped
caste system by birthright; rather, He strictly followed the verdict of
the śāstras in the matter of one's svarūpa, or real identity.
When
the Lord was invoking His Sudarśana cakra and Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu
was imploring Him to forgive the two brothers, both the brothers fell
down at the lotus feet of the Lord and begged His pardon for their
gross behavior. The Lord was also asked by Nityānanda Prabhu to accept
these repenting souls, and the Lord agreed to accept them on one
condition, that they henceforward completely give up all their sinful
activities and habits of debauchery, both the brothers agreed and
promised to give up all their sinful habits, and the kind Lord accepted
them and did not again refer to their past misdeeds.
This is the
specific kindness of Lord Caitanya. In this age no one can say that he
is free from sin. It is impossible for anyone to say this. But Lord
Caitanya accepts all kinds of sinful persons on the one condition that
they promise not to indulge in sinful habits after being spiritually
initiated by the bona fide spiritual master.
There are a number
of instructive points to he observed in this incident of the two
brothers. In this Kali-yuga practically all people are of the quality
of Jagāi and Mādhāi. If they want to be relieved from the reactions of
their misdeeds, they must take shelter of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and
after spiritual initiation thus refrain from those things which are
prohibited in the śāstras. The prohibitory rules are dealt with in the
Lord's teachings to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
During His householder
life, the Lord did not display many of the miracles which are generally
expected from such personalities, but He did once perform a wonderful
miracle in the house of Śrīnivāsa Ṭhākura while saṅkīrtana was in full
swing. He asked the devotees what they wanted to eat, and when He was
informed that they wanted to eat mangoes, He asked for a seed of a
mango, although this fruit was out of season. When the seed was brought
to Him He sowed it in the yard of Śrīnivāsa, and at once a creeper
began to grow out of the seed. Within no time this creeper became a
full-grown mango tree heavy with more ripened fruits than the devotees
could eat. The tree remained in Śrīnivāsa's yard, and from then on the
devotees used to take as many mangoes from the tree as they wanted.
The
Lord had a very high estimation of the affections of the damsels of
Vrajabhūmi (Vṛndāvana) for Kṛṣṇa, and in appreciation of their
unalloyed service to the Lord, once Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted the
holy names of the gopīs (cowherd girls) instead of the names of the
Lord. At this time some of His students, who were also disciples, came
to see Him, and when they saw that the Lord was chanting the names of
the gopīs, they were astonished. Out of sheer foolishness they asked
the Lord why He was chanting the names of the gopīs and advised Him to
chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. The Lord, who was in ecstasy, was thus
disturbed by these foolish students. He chastised them and chased them
away. The students were almost the same age as the Lord, and thus they
wrongly thought of the Lord as one of their peers. They held a meeting
and resolved that they would attack the Lord if He dared to punish them
again in such a manner. This incident provoked some malicious talks
about the Lord on the part of the general public.
When the Lord
became aware of this, He began to consider the various types of men
found in society. He noted that especially the students, professors,
fruitive workers, yogīs, nondevotees, and different types of atheists
were all opposed to the devotional service of the Lord. "My mission is
to deliver all the fallen souls of this age," He thought, "but if they
commit offenses against Me, thinking Me to be an ordinary man, they
will not benefit. If they are to begin their life of spiritual
realization, they must some way or another offer obeisances unto Me."
Thus the Lord decided to accept the renounced order of life (sannyāsa)
because people in general were inclined to offer respects to a sannyāsī.
Five
hundred years ago the condition of society was not as degraded as it is
today. At that time people would show respects to a sannyāsī, and the
sannyāsī was rigid in following the rules and regulations of the
renounced order of life. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not very much in
favor of the renounced order of life in this age of Kali, but that was
only for the reason that very few sannyāsīs in this age are able to
observe the rules and regulations of sannyāsa life. Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu decided to accept the order and become an ideal sannyāsī so
that the general populace would show Him respect. One is duty-bound to
show respect to a sannyāsī, for a sannyāsī is considered to be the
master of all varṇas and āśramas.
While He was contemplating
accepting the sannyāsa order, it so happened that Keśava Bhāratī, a
sannyāsī of the Māyāvādī school and resident of Katwa (in Bengal),
visited Navadvīpa and was invited to dine with the Lord. When Keśava
Bhāratī came to His house, the Lord asked him to award Him the sannyāsa
order of life. This was a matter of formality. The sannyāsa order is to
be accepted from another sannyāsī. Although the Lord was independent in
all respects, still, to keep up the formalities of the śāstras, He
accepted the sannyāsa order from Keśava Bhāratī, although Keśava
Bhāratī was not in the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya (school).
After
consulting with Keśava Bhāratī, the Lord left Navadvīpa for Katwa to
formally accept the sannyāsa order of life. He was accompanied by Śrīla
Nityānanda Prabhu, Candraśekhara Ācārya, and Mukunda Datta. Those three
assisted Him in the details of the ceremony. The incident of the Lord's
accepting the sannyāsa order is very elaborately described in the
Caitanya-bhāgavata by Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.
Thus at the
end of His twenty-fourth year the Lord accepted the sannyāsa order of
life in the month of Māgha. After accepting this order He became a
full-fledged preacher of the Bhāgavata-dharma. Although He was doing
the same preaching work in His householder life, when He experienced
some obstacles to His preaching He sacrificed even the comfort of His
home life for the sake of the fallen souls. In His householder life His
chief assistants were Śrīla Advaita Prabhu and Śrīla Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura,
but after He accepted the sannyāsa order His chief assistants became
Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu, who was deputed to preach specifically in
Bengal, and the six Gosvāmīs (Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Jīva
Gosvāmī, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Raghunātha
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī), headed by Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana, who were deputed to
go to Vṛndāvana to excavate the present places of pilgrimage. The
present city of Vṛndāvana and the importance of Vrajabhūmi were thus
disclosed by the will of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The Lord,
after accepting the sannyāsa order, at once wanted to start for
Vṛndāvana. For three continuous days He traveled in the Rāḍha-deśa
(places where the Ganges does not flow). He was in full ecstasy over
the idea of going to Vṛndāvana. However, Śrīla Nityānanda diverted His
path and brought Him instead to the house of Advaita Prabhu in
Śāntipura. The Lord stayed at Śrī Advaita Prabhu's house for a few
days, and knowing well that the Lord was leaving His hearth and home
for good, Śrī Advaita Prabhu sent His men to Navadvīpa to bring mother
Śacī to have a last meeting with her son. Some unscrupulous people say
that Lord Caitanya met His wife also after taking sannyāsa and offered
her His wooden slipper for worship, but the authentic sources give no
information about such a meeting. His mother met Him at the house of
Advaita Prabhu, and when she saw her son in sannyāsa, she lamented. By
way of compromise, she requested her son to make His headquarters in
Purī so that she would easily be able to get information about Him. The
Lord granted this last desire of His beloved mother. After this
incident the Lord started for Purī, leaving all the residents of
Navadvīpa in an ocean of lamentation over His separation.
The
Lord visited many important places on the way to Purī. He visited the
temple of Gopīnāthajī, who had stolen condensed milk for His devotee
Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī. Since then Deity Gopīnāthajī is well known as
Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha. The Lord relished this story with great pleasure.
The propensity of stealing is there even in the absolute consciousness,
but because this propensity is exhibited by the Absolute, it loses its
perverted nature and thus becomes worshipable even by Lord Caitanya on
the basis of the absolute consideration that the Lord and His stealing
propensity are one and identical. This interesting story of Gopīnāthajī
is vividly explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja
Gosvāmī.
After visiting the temple of Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha of
Remuṇā at Balasore in Orissa, the Lord proceeded towards Purī and on
the way visited the temple of Sākṣi-gopāla, who appeared as a witness
in the matter of two brāhmaṇa devotees' family quarrel. The Lord heard
the story of Sākṣi-gopāla with great pleasure because He wanted to
impress upon the atheists that the worshipable Deities in the temples
approved by the great ācāryas are not idols, as alleged by men with a
poor fund of knowledge. The Deity in the temple is the arcā incarnation
of the Personality of Godhead, and thus the Deity is identical with the
Lord in all respects. He responds to the proportion of the devotee's
affection for Him. In the story of Sākṣi-gopāla, in which there was a
family misunderstanding by two devotees of the Lord, the Lord, in order
to mitigate the turmoil as well as to show specific favor to His
servitors, traveled from Vṛndāvana to Vidyānagara, a village in Orissa,
in the form of His arcā incarnation. From there the Deity was brought
to Cuttack, and thus the temple of Sākṣi-gopāla is even today visited
by thousands of pilgrims on the way to Jagannātha Purī. The Lord stayed
overnight there and began to proceed toward Purī. On the way, His
sannyāsa rod was broken by Nityānanda Prabhu [Cc. Madhya 1.97]. The
Lord became apparently angry with Him about this and went alone to
Purī, leaving His companions behind[Cc. Madhya 1.98].
At Purī,
when He entered the temple of Jagannātha, He became at once saturated
with transcendental ecstasy and fell down on the floor of the temple
unconscious. The custodians of the temple could not understand the
transcendental feats of the Lord, but there was a great learned paṇḍita
named Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, who was present, and he could understand
that the Lord's losing His consciousness upon entering the Jagannātha
temple was not an ordinary thing. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, who was the
chief appointed paṇḍita in the court of the King of Orissa, Mahārāja
Pratāparudra, was attracted by the youthful luster of Lord Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu and could understand that such a transcendental trance was
only rarely exhibited and only then by the topmost devotees who are
already on the transcendental plane in complete forgetfulness of
material existence. Only a liberated soul could show such a
transcendental feat, and the Bhaṭṭācārya, who was vastly learned, could
understand this in the light of the transcendental literature with
which he was familiar. He therefore asked the custodians of the temple
not to disturb the unknown sannyāsī. He asked them to take the Lord to
his home so He could be further observed in His unconscious state. The
Lord was at once carried to the home of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, who at
that time had sufficient power of authority due to his being the
sabhā-paṇḍita, or the state dean of faculty in Sanskrit literatures.
The learned paṇḍita wanted to scrutinizingly test the transcendental
feats of Lord Caitanya because often unscrupulous devotees imitate
physical feats in order to flaunt transcendental achievements just to
attract innocent people and take advantage of them. A learned scholar
like the Bhaṭṭācārya can detect such imposters, and when he finds them
out he at once rejects them.
In the case of Lord Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, the Bhaṭṭācārya tested all the symptoms in the light of the
śāstras. He tested as a scientist, not as a foolish sentimentalist. He
observed the movement of the stomach, the beating of the heart and the
breathing of the nostrils. He also felt the pulse of the Lord and saw
that all His bodily activities were in complete suspension. When he put
a small cotton swab before the nostrils, he found that there was a
slight breathing as the fine fibers of cotton moved slightly. Thus he
came to know that the Lord's unconscious trance was genuine, and he
began to treat Him in the prescribed fashion. But Lord Caitanya
Mahāprabhu could only be treated in a special way. He would respond
only to the resounding of the holy names of the Lord by His devotees.
This special treatment was unknown to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya because
the Lord was still unknown to him. When the Bhaṭṭācārya saw Him for the
first time in the temple, he simply took Him to be one of many pilgrims.
In
the meantime the companions of the Lord, who reached the temple a
little after Him, heard of the Lord's transcendental feats and of His
being carried away by the Bhaṭṭācārya. The pilgrims at the temple were
still gossiping about the incident. But by chance, one of these
pilgrims had met Gopīnātha Ācārya, who was known to Gadādhara Paṇḍita,
and from him it was learned that the Lord was lying in an unconscious
state at the residence of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, who happened to be
the brother-in-law of Gopīnātha Ācārya. All the members of the party
were introduced by Gadādhara Paṇḍita to Gopīnātha Ācārya, who took them
all to the house of Bhaṭṭācārya where the Lord was lying unconscious in
a spiritual trance. All the members then chanted loudly the holy name
of the Lord Hari as usual, and the Lord regained His consciousness.
After this, Bhaṭṭācārya received all the members of the party,
including Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, and asked them to become his guests
of honor. The party, including the Lord, went for a bath in the sea,
and the Bhaṭṭācārya arranged for their residence and meals at the house
of Kāśī Miśra. Gopīnātha Ācārya, his brother-in-law, also assisted.
There were some friendly talks about the Lord's divinity between the
two brothers-in-law, and in this argument Gopīnātha Ācārya, who knew
the Lord before, now tried to establish the Lord as the Personality of
Godhead, and the Bhaṭṭācārya tried to establish Him as one of the great
devotees. Both of them argued from the angle of vision of authentic
śāstras and not on the strength of sentimental vox populi. The
incarnations of God are determined by authentic śāstras and not by
popular votes of foolish fanatics. Because Lord Caitanya was an
incarnation of God in fact, foolish fanatics have proclaimed so many
so-called incarnations of God in this age without referring to
authentic scriptures. But Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya or Gopīnātha Ācārya
did not indulge in such foolish sentimentalism; on the contrary, both
of them tried to establish or reject His divinity on the strength of
authentic śāstras.
Later it was disclosed that Bhaṭṭācārya also
came from the Navadvīpa area, and it was understood from him that
Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, the maternal grandfather of Lord Caitanya,
happened to be a class fellow of the father of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.
In that sense, the young sannyāsī Lord Caitanya evoked paternal
affection from Bhaṭṭācārya. Bhaṭṭācārya was the professor of many
sannyāsīs in the order of the Śaṅkarācārya-sampradāya, and he himself
also belonged to that cult. As such, the Bhaṭṭācārya desired that the
young sannyāsī Lord Caitanya also hear from him about the teachings of
Vedānta.
Those who are followers of the Śaṅkara cult are
generally known as Vedāntists. This does not, however, mean that
Vedānta is a monopoly study of the Śaṅkara-sampradāya. Vedānta is
studied by all the bona fide sampradāyas, but they have their own
interpretations. But those in the Śaṅkara-sampradāya are generally
known to be ignorant of the knowledge of the Vedāntist Vaiṣṇavas. For
this reason the Bhaktivedanta title was first offered to the author by
the Vaiṣṇavas.
The Lord agreed to take lessons from Bhaṭṭācārya
on the Vedānta, and they sat together in the temple of Lord Jagannātha.
The Bhaṭṭācārya went on speaking continually for seven days, and the
Lord heard him with all attention and did not interrupt. The Lord's
silence raised some doubts in Bhaṭṭācārya's heart, and he asked the
Lord how it was that He did not ask anything or comment on his
explanations of Vedānta.
The Lord posed Himself before the
Bhaṭṭācārya as a foolish student and pretended that He heard the
Vedānta from him because the Bhaṭṭācārya felt that this was the duty of
a sannyāsī. But the Lord did not agree with his lectures. By this the
Lord indicated that the so-called Vedāntists amongst the
Śaṅkara-sampradāya, or any other sampradāya who do not follow the
instructions of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, are mechanical students of the
Vedānta. They are not fully aware of that great knowledge. The
explanation of the Vedānta-sūtra is given by the author himself in the
text of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One who has no knowledge of the Bhāgavatam
will hardly be able to know what the Vedānta says.
The
Bhaṭṭācārya, being a vastly learned man, could follow the Lord's
sarcastic remarks on the popular Vedāntist. He therefore asked Him why
He did not ask about any point which He could not follow. The
Bhaṭṭācārya could understand the purpose of His dead silence for the
days He heard him. This showed clearly that the Lord had something else
in mind; thus the Bhaṭṭācārya requested Him to disclose His mind.
Upon
this, the Lord spoke as follows: "My dear sir, I can understand the
meaning of the sūtras like janmādy asya yataḥ, śāstra-yonitvāt, and
athāto brahma jijñāsā of the Vedānta-sūtra, but when you explain them
in your own way it becomes difficult for Me to follow them. The purpose
of the sūtras is already explained in them, but your explanations are
covering them with something else. You do not purposely take the direct
meaning of the sūtras but indirectly give your own interpretations."
The
Lord thus attacked all Vedāntists who interpret the Vedānta-sūtra
fashionably, according to their limited power of thinking, to serve
their own purpose. Such indirect interpretations of the authentic
literatures like the Vedānta-sūtra are hereby condemned by the Lord.
The
Lord continued: "Śrīla Vyāsadeva has summarized the direct meanings of
the mantras in the Upaniṣads in the Vedānta-sūtra. Unfortunately you do
not take their direct meaning. You indirectly interpret them in a
different way.
"The authority of the Vedas is unchallengeable
and stands without any question of doubt. And whatever is stated in the
Vedas must be accepted completely, otherwise one challenges the
authority of the Vedas.
"The conchshell and cow dung are bone
and stool of two living beings. But because they have been recommended
by the Vedas as pure, people accept them as such because of the
authority of the Vedas."
The idea is that one cannot set his
imperfect reason above the authority of the Vedas. The orders of the
Vedas must be obeyed as they stand, without any mundane reasoning. The
so-called followers of the Vedic injunctions make their own
interpretations of the Vedic injunctions, and thus they establish
different parties and sects of the Vedic religion. Lord Buddha directly
denied the authority of the Vedas, and he established his own religion.
Only for this reason, the Buddhist religion was not accepted by the
strict followers of the Vedas. But those who are so-called followers of
the Vedas are more harmful than the Buddhists. The Buddhists have the
courage to deny the Vedas directly, but the so-called followers of the
Vedas have no courage to deny the Vedas, although indirectly they
disobey all the injunctions of the Vedas. Lord Caitanya condemned this.
The
examples given by the Lord of the conchshell and the cow dung are very
much appropriate in this connection. If one argues that since cow dung
is pure, the stool of a learned brāhmaṇa is still more pure, his
argument will not be accepted. Cow dung is accepted, and the stool of a
highly posted brāhmaṇa is rejected. The Lord continued:
"The
Vedic injunctions are self-authorized, and if some mundane creature
adjusts the interpretations of the Vedas, he defies their authority. It
is foolish to think of oneself as more intelligent than Śrīla
Vyāsadeva. He has already expressed himself in his sūtras, and there is
no need of help from personalities of lesser importance. His work, the
Vedānta-sūtra, is as dazzling as the midday sun, and when someone tries
to give his own interpretations on the self-effulgent sunlike
Vedānta-sūtra, he attempts to cover this sun with the cloud of his
imagination.
"The Vedas and Purāṇas are one and the same in
purpose. They ascertain the Absolute Truth, which is greater than
everything else. The Absolute Truth is ultimately realized as the
Absolute Personality of Godhead with absolute controlling power. As
such, the Absolute Personality of Godhead must be completely full of
opulence, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. Yet the
transcendental Personality of Godhead is astonishingly ascertained as
impersonal.
"The impersonal description of the Absolute Truth in
the Vedas is given to nullify the mundane conception of the absolute
whole. Personal features of the Lord are completely different from all
kinds of mundane features. The living entities are all individual
persons, and they are all parts and parcels of the supreme whole. If
the parts and parcels are individual persons, the source of their
emanation must not be impersonal. He is the Supreme Person amongst all
the relative persons.
"The Vedas inform us that from Him
[Brahman] everything emanates, and on Him everything rests. And after
annihilation, everything merges in Him only. Therefore, He is the
ultimate dative, causative and accommodating cause of all causes. And
these causes cannot be attributed to an impersonal object.
"The
Vedas inform us that He alone became many, and when He so desires He
glances over material nature. Before He glanced over material nature
there was no material cosmic creation. Therefore, His glance is not
material. Material mind or senses were unborn when the Lord glanced
over material nature. Thus evidence in the Vedas proves that beyond a
doubt the Lord has transcendental eyes and a transcendental mind. They
are not material. His impersonality therefore is a negation of His
materiality, but not a denial of His transcendental personality.
"Brahman
ultimately refers to the Personality of Godhead. Impersonal Brahman
realization is just the negative conception of the mundane creations.
Paramātmā is the localized aspect of Brahman within all kinds of
material bodies. Ultimately the Supreme Brahman realization is the
realization of the Personality of Godhead according to all evidence of
the revealed scriptures. He is the ultimate source of viṣṇu-tattvas.
"The
Purāṇas are also supplementary to the Vedas. The Vedic mantras are too
difficult for an ordinary man. Women, śūdras and the so-called
twice-born higher castes are unable to penetrate into the sense of the
Vedas. And thus the Mahābhārata as well as the Purāṇas are made easy to
explain the truths of the Vedas. In his prayers before the boy Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā said that there is no limit to the fortune of the
residents of Vrajabhūmi headed by Śrī Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodāmayī
because the eternal Absolute Truth has become their intimate relative.
"The
Vedic mantra maintains that the Absolute Truth has no legs and no hands
and yet goes faster than all and accepts everything that is offered to
Him in devotion. The latter statements definitely suggest the personal
features of the Lord, although His hands and legs are distinguished
from mundane hands and legs or other senses.
"Brahman,
therefore, is never impersonal, but when such mantras are indirectly
interpreted, it is wrongly thought that the Absolute Truth is
impersonal. The Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead is full of all
opulences, and therefore He has a transcendental form of full
existence, knowledge and bliss. How then can one establish that the
Absolute Truth is impersonal?
"Brahman, being full of opulences,
is understood to have manifold energies, and all these energies are
classified under three headings under the authority of Viṣṇu Purāṇa
[6.7.60], which says that the transcendental energies of Lord Viṣṇu are
primarily three. His spiritual energy and the energy of the living
entities are classified as superior energy, whereas the material energy
is an inferior one which is sprouted out of ignorance.
"The
energy of the living entities is technically called kṣetrajña energy.
This kṣetrajña-śakti, although equal in quality with the Lord, becomes
overpowered by material energy out of ignorance and thus suffers all
sorts of material miseries. In other words, the living entities are
located in the marginal energy between the superior (spiritual) and
inferior (material) energies, and in proportion to the living being's
contact with either the material or spiritual energies, the living
entity is situated in proportionately higher and lower levels of
existence.
"The Lord is beyond the inferior and marginal
energies as above mentioned, and His spiritual energy is manifested in
three different phases: as eternal existence, eternal bliss and eternal
knowledge. As far as eternal existence is concerned, it is conducted by
the sandhinī potency; similarly, bliss and knowledge are conducted by
the hlādhinī and saṁvit potencies respectively. As the supreme
energetic Lord, He is the supreme controller of the spiritual, marginal
and material energies. And all these different types of energies are
connected with the Lord in eternal devotional service.
"The
Supreme Personality of Godhead is thus enjoying in His transcendental
eternal form. Is it not astounding that one dares to call the Supreme
Lord nonenergetic? The Lord is the controller of all energies, and the
living entities are parts and parcels of one of the energies. Therefore
there is a gulf of difference between the Lord and the living entities.
How then can one say that the Lord and the living entities are one and
the same? In the Bhagavad-gītā also the living entities are described
as belonging to the superior energy of the Lord. According to the
principles of intimate correlation between the energy and the
energetic, both of them are nondifferent also. Therefore, the Lord and
the living entities are nondifferent as the energy and the energetic.
"Earth,
water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego are all inferior
energies of the Lord, but the living entities are different from all as
superior energy. This is the version of Bhagavad-gītā [7.4].
"The
transcendental form of the Lord is eternally existent and full of
transcendental bliss. How then can such a form be a product of the
material mode of goodness? Anyone, therefore, who does not believe in
the form of the Lord is certainly a faithless demon and as such is
untouchable, a not to be seen persona non grata fit to be punished by
the Plutonic king.
"The Buddhists are called atheists because
they have no respect for the Vedas, but those who defy the Vedic
conclusions, as above mentioned, under the pretense of being followers
of the Vedas, are verily more dangerous than the Buddhists.
"Śrī
Vyāsadeva very kindly compiled the Vedic knowledge in his
Vedānta-sūtra, but if one hears the commentation of the Māyāvāda school
(as represented by the Śaṅkara-sampradāya) certainly he will be misled
on the path of spiritual realization.
"The theory of emanations
is the beginning subject of the Vedānta-sūtra. All the cosmic
manifestations are emanations from the Absolute Personality of Godhead
by His inconceivable different energies. The example of the touchstone
is applicable to the theory of emanation. The touchstone can convert an
unlimited quantity of iron into gold, and still the touchstone remains
as it is. Similarly, the Supreme Lord can produce all manifested worlds
by His inconceivable energies, and yet He is full and unchanged. He is
pūrṇa [complete], and although an unlimited number of pūrṇas emanate
from Him, He is still pūrṇa.
"The theory of illusion of the
Māyāvāda school is advocated on the ground that the theory of emanation
will cause a transformation of the Absolute Truth. If that is the case,
Vyāsadeva is wrong. To avoid this, they have skillfully brought in the
theory of illusion. But the world or the cosmic creation is not false,
as maintained by the Māyāvāda school. It simply has no permanent
existence. A nonpermanent thing cannot be called false altogether. But
the conception that the material body is the self is certainly wrong.
"Praṇava
[oṁ], or the oṁkāra in the Vedas, is the primeval hymn. This
transcendental sound is identical with the form of the Lord. All the
Vedic hymns are based on this praṇava oṁkāra. Tat tvam asi is but a
side word in the Vedic literatures, and therefore this word cannot be
the primeval hymn of the Vedas. Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya has given more
stress on the side word tat tvam asi than on the primeval principle
oṁkāra."
The Lord thus spoke on the Vedānta-sūtra and defied all
the propaganda of the Māyāvāda school. The Bhaṭṭācārya tried to defend
himself and his Māyāvāda school by jugglery of logic and grammar, but
the Lord defeated him by His forceful arguments. He affirmed that we
are all related with the Personality of Godhead eternally and that
devotional service is our eternal function in exchanging the dealings
of our relations. The result of such exchanges is to attain premā, or
love of Godhead. When love of Godhead is attained, love for all other
beings automatically follows because the Lord is the sum total of all
living beings.
The Lord said that but for these three
items—namely, eternal relation with God, exchange of dealings with Him
and the attainment of love for Him—all that is instructed in the Vedas
is superfluous and concocted.
The Lord further added that the
Māyāvāda philosophy taught by Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya is an imaginary
explanation of the Vedas, but it had to be taught by him (Śaṅkarācārya)
because he was ordered to teach it by the Personality of Godhead. In
the Padma Purāṇa it is stated that the Personality of Godhead ordered
His Lordship Śiva to deviate the human race from Him (the Personality
of Godhead). The Personality of Godhead was to be so covered so that
people would be encouraged to generate more and more population. His
Lordship Śiva said to Devī: "In the Kali-yuga, I shall preach the
Māyāvāda philosophy, which is nothing but clouded Buddhism, in the garb
of a brāhmaṇa."
After hearing all these speeches of the Lord Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Bhaṭṭācārya was struck with wonder and awe and
regarded Him in dead silence. The Lord then encouraged him with
assurance that there was no cause to wonder. "I say that devotional
service unto the Personality of Godhead is the highest goal of human
life." He then quoted a śloka from the Bhāgavatam and assured him that
even the liberated souls who are absorbed in the spirit and spiritual
realization also take to the devotional service of the Lord Hari
because the Personality of Godhead has such transcendental qualities
that He attracts the heart of the liberated soul too.
Then the
Bhaṭṭācārya desired to listen to the explanation of the "ātmārāma"
śloka from the Bhāgavatam (1.7.10). The Lord first of all asked
Bhaṭṭācārya to explain it, and after that He would explain it. The
Bhaṭṭācārya then explained the śloka in a scholarly way with special
reference to logic. He explained the śloka in nine different ways
chiefly based on logic because he was the most renowned scholar of
logic of the time.
The Lord, after hearing the Bhaṭṭācārya,
thanked him for the scholarly presentation of the śloka, and then, at
the request of the Bhaṭṭācārya, the Lord explained the śloka in
sixty-four different ways without touching the nine explanations given
by the Bhaṭṭācārya.
Thus after hearing the explanation of the
ātmārāma śloka from the Lord, the Bhaṭṭācārya was convinced that such a
scholarly presentation is impossible for an earthly creature. Before
this, Śrī Gopīnātha Ācārya had tried to convince him of the divinity of
the Lord, but at the time he could not so accept Him. But the
Bhaṭṭācārya was astounded by the Lord's exposition of the Vedānta-sūtra
and explanations of the ātmārāma śloka, and thus he began to think that
he had committed a great offense at the lotus feet of the Lord by not
recognizing Him to be Kṛṣṇa Himself. He then surrendered unto Him,
repenting for his past dealings with Him, and the Lord was kind enough
to accept the Bhaṭṭācārya. Out of His causeless mercy, the Lord
manifested before him first as four-handed Nārāyaṇa and then again as
two-handed Lord Kṛṣṇa with a flute in His hand.
The Bhaṭṭācārya
at once fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord and composed many
suitable ślokas in praise of the Lord by His grace. He composed almost
one hundred ślokas in praise of the Lord. The Lord then embraced him,
and out of transcendental ecstasy the Bhaṭṭācārya lost consciousness of
the physical state of life. Tears, trembling, throbbing of the heart,
perspiration, emotional waves, dancing, singing, crying and all the
eight symptoms of trance were manifested in the body of the
Bhaṭṭācārya. Śrī Gopīnātha Ācārya became very glad and astonished by
this marvelous conversion of his brother-in-law by the grace of the
Lord.
Out of the hundred celebrated ślokas composed by the
Bhaṭṭācārya in praise of the Lord, the following two are most
important, and these two ślokas explain the mission of the Lord in gist.
1.
Let me surrender unto the Personality of Godhead who has appeared now
as Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is the ocean of all mercy and has
now come down to teach us material detachment, learning and devotional
service to Himself.
2. Since pure devotional service of the Lord
has been lost in the oblivion of time, the Lord has appeared to
renovate the principles, and therefore I offer my obeisances unto His
lotus feet.
The Lord explained the word mukti to be equivalent
to the word Viṣṇu, or the Personality of Godhead. To attain mukti, or
liberation from the bondage of material existence, is to attain to the
service of the Lord.
The Lord then proceeded towards South India
for some time and converted all He met on the way to become devotees of
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such devotees also converted many others to the cult of
devotional service, or to the Bhāgavata-dharma of the Lord, and thus He
reached the bank of the Godāvarī, where He met Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya,
the governor of Madras on behalf of Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the King of
Orissa. His talks with Rāmānanda Rāya are very important for higher
realization of transcendental knowledge, and the conversation itself
forms a small booklet. We shall, however, give herewith a summary of
the conversation.
Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was a self-realized soul,
although outwardly he belonged to a caste lower than the brāhmaṇa in
social status. He was not in the renounced order of life, and besides
that he was a high government servant in the state. Still, Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu accepted him as a liberated soul on the strength of the high
order of his realization of transcendental knowledge. Similarly, the
Lord accepted Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura, a veteran devotee of the Lord
coming from a Mohammedan family. And there are many other great
devotees of the Lord who came from different communities, sects and
castes. The Lord's only criterion was the standard of devotional
service of the particular person. He was not concerned with the outward
dress of a man; He was concerned only with the inner soul and its
activities. Therefore all the missionary activities of the Lord are to
be understood to be on the spiritual plane, and as such the cult of Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or the cult of Bhāgavata-dharma, has nothing to do
with mundane affairs, sociology, politics, economic development or any
such sphere of life. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the purely transcendental
urge of the soul.
When He met Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya on the bank of
the Godāvarī, the varṇāśrama-dharma followed by the Hindus was
mentioned by the Lord. Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya said that by following the
principles of varṇāśrama-dharma, the system of four castes and four
orders of human life, everyone could realize Transcendence. In the
opinion of the Lord, the system of varṇāśrama-dharma is superficial
only, and it has very little to do with the highest realization of
spiritual values. The highest perfection of life is to get detached
from the material attachment and proportionately realize the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. The Personality of Godhead
recognizes a living being who is progressing in that line. Devotional
service, therefore, is the culmination of the culture of all knowledge.
When Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared for the
deliverance of all fallen souls, He advised the deliverance of all
living entities as follows. The Supreme Absolute Personality of
Godhead, from whom all living entities have emanated, must be worshiped
by all their respective engagements, because everything that we see is
also the expansion of His energy. That is the way of real perfection,
and it is approved by all bona fide ācāryas past and present. The
system of varṇāśrama is more or less based on moral and ethical
principles. There is very little realization of the Transcendence as
such, and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected it as superficial and
asked Rāmānanda Rāya to go further into the matter.
Śrī
Rāmānanda Rāya then suggested renunciation of fruitive actions unto the
Lord. The Bhagavad-gītā (9.27) advises in this connection: "Whatever
you do, whatever you eat and whatever you give, as well as whatever you
perform in penance, offer to Me alone." This dedication on the part of
the worker suggests that the Personality of Godhead is a step higher
than the impersonal conception of the varṇāśrama system, but still the
relation of the living being and the Lord is not distinct in that way.
The Lord therefore rejected this proposition and asked Rāmānanda Rāya
to go further.
Rāya then suggested renunciation of the
varṇāśrama-dharma and acceptance of devotional service. The Lord did
not approve of this suggestion also for the reason that all of a sudden
one should not renounce his position, for that may not bring in the
desired result.
It was further suggested by Rāya that attainment
of spiritual realization freed from the material conception of life is
the topmost achievement for a living being. The Lord rejected this
suggestion also because on the plea of such spiritual realization much
havoc has been wrought by unscrupulous persons; therefore all of a
sudden this is not possible. The Rāya then suggested sincere
association of self-realized souls and hearing submissively the
transcendental message of the pastimes of the Personality of Godhead.
This suggestion was welcomed by the Lord. This suggestion was made
following in the footsteps of Brahmājī, who said that the Personality
of Godhead is known as ajita, or the one who cannot be conquered or
approached by anyone. But such ajita also becomes jita (conquered) by
one method, which is very simple and easy. The simple method is that
one has to give up the arrogant attitude of declaring oneself to be God
Himself. One must be very meek and submissive and try to live
peacefully by lending the ear to the speeches of the transcendentally
self-realized soul who speaks on the message of Bhāgavata-dharma, or
the religion of glorifying the Supreme Lord and His devotees. To
glorify a great man is a natural instinct for living beings, but they
have not learned to glorify the Lord. Perfection of life is attained
simply by glorifying the Lord in association with a self-realized
devotee of the Lord. The self-realized devotee is he who surrenders
unto the Lord fully and who does not have attachment for material
prosperity. Material prosperity and sense enjoyment and their
advancement are all activities of ignorance in human society. Peace and
friendship are impossible for a society detached from the association
of God and His devotees. It is imperative, therefore, that one
sincerely seek the association of pure devotees and hear them patiently
and submissively from any position of life. The position of a person in
the higher or lower status of life does not hamper one in the path of
self-realization. The only thing one has to do is to hear from a
self-realized soul with a routine program. The teacher may also deliver
lectures from the Vedic literatures, following in the footsteps of the
bygone ācāryas who realized the Absolute Truth. Lord Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu recommended this simple method of self-realization generally
known as Bhāgavata-dharma. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the perfect guide for
this purpose.
Above these topics discussed by the Lord and Śrī
Rāmānanda Rāya, there were still more elevated spiritual talks between
the two great personalities, and we purposely withhold those topics for
the present because one has to come to the spiritual plane before
further talks with Rāmānanda Rāya can be heard. We have presented
further talks of Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya with the Lord in another book
(Teachings of Lord Caitanya).
At the conclusion of this meeting,
Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was advised by the Lord to retire from service and
come to Purī so that they could live together and relish a
transcendental relationship. Some time later, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya
retired from the government service and took a pension from the King.
He returned to his residence in Purī, where he was one of the most
confidential devotees of the Lord. There was another gentleman at Purī
of the name Śikhi Māhiti, who was also a confidant like Rāmānanda Rāya.
The Lord used to hold confidential talks on spiritual values with three
or four companions at Purī, and He passed eighteen years in that way in
spiritual trance. His talks were recorded by His private secretary Śrī
Dāmodara Gosvāmī, one of the four most intimate devotees.
The
Lord extensively traveled all over the southern part of India. The
great saint of Mahārāṣṭra known as Saint Tukārāma was also initiated by
the Lord. Saint Tukārāma, after initiation by the Lord, overflooded the
whole of the Mahārāṣṭra Province with the saṅkīrtana movement, and the
transcendental flow is still rolling on in the southwestern part of the
great Indian peninsula.
The Lord excavated from South India two
very important old literatures, namely the Brahmā-saṁhitā and
Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta, and these two valuable books are authorized studies
for the person in the devotional line. The Lord then returned to Purī
after His South Indian tour.
On His return to Purī, all the
anxious devotees of the Lord got back their life, and the Lord remained
there with continued pastimes of His transcendental realizations. The
most important incident during that time was His granting audience to
King Pratāparudra. King Pratāparudra was a great devotee of the Lord,
and he considered himself to be one of the servants of the Lord
entrusted with sweeping the temple. This submissive attitude of the
King was very much appreciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The King
requested both Bhaṭṭācārya and Rāya to arrange his meeting with the
Lord. When, however, the Lord was petitioned by His two stalwart
devotees, He flatly refused to grant the request, even though it was
put forward by personal associates like Rāmānanda Rāya and Sārvabhauma
Bhaṭṭācārya. The Lord maintained that it is dangerous for a sannyāsī to
be in intimate touch with worldly money-conscious men and with women.
The Lord was an ideal sannyāsī. No woman could approach the Lord even
to offer respects. Women's seats were accommodated far away from the
Lord. As an ideal teacher and ācārya, He was very strict in the routine
work of a sannyāsī. Apart from being a divine incarnation, the Lord was
an ideal character as a human being. His behavior with other persons
was also above suspicion. In His dealing as ācārya, He was harder than
the thunderbolt and softer than the rose. One of His associates, Junior
Haridāsa, committed a great mistake by lustfully glancing at a young
woman. The Lord as Supersoul could detect this lust in the mind of
Junior Haridāsa, who was at once banished from the Lord's association
and was never accepted again, even though the Lord was implored to
excuse Haridāsa for the mistake. Junior Haridāsa afterwards committed
suicide due to being disassociated from the company of the Lord, and
the news of suicide was duly related to the Lord. Even at that time the
Lord was not forgetful of the offense, and He said that Haridāsa had
rightly met with the proper punishment.
On the principles of the
renounced order of life and discipline, the Lord knew no compromise,
and therefore even though He knew that the King was a great devotee, He
refused to see the King, only because the King was a dollar-and-cent
man. By this example the Lord wanted to emphasize the proper behavior
for a transcendentalist. A transcendentalist has nothing to do with
women and money. He must always refrain from such intimate relations.
The King was, however, favored by the Lord by the expert arrangement of
the devotees. This means that the beloved devotee of the Lord can favor
a neophyte more liberally than the Lord. Pure devotees, therefore,
never commit an offense at the feet of another pure devotee. An offense
at the lotus feet of the Lord is sometimes excused by the merciful
Lord, but an offense at the feet of a devotee is very dangerous for one
who actually wants to make progress in devotional service.
As
long as the Lord remained at Purī, thousands of His devotees used to
come to see Him during the Ratha-yātrā car festival of Lord Jagannātha.
And during the car festival, the washing of the Guṇḍicā temple under
the direct supervision of the Lord was an important function. The
Lord's congregational saṅkīrtana movement at Purī was a unique
exhibition for the mass of people. That is the way to turn the mass
mind towards spiritual realization. The Lord inaugurated this system of
mass saṅkīrtana, and leaders of all countries can take advantage of
this spiritual movement in order to keep the mass of people in a pure
state of peace and friendship with one another. This is now the demand
of the present human society all over the world.
After some time
the Lord again started on His tour towards northern India, and He
decided to visit Vṛndāvana and its neighboring places. He passed
through the jungles of Jharikhaṇḍa (Madhya Bhārata), and all the wild
animals also joined His saṅkīrtana movement. The wild tigers,
elephants, bears and deer all together accompanied the Lord, and the
Lord accompanied them in saṅkīrtana. By this He proved that by the
propagation of the saṅkīrtana movement (congregational chanting and
glorifying of the name of the Lord) even the wild animals can live in
peace and friendship, and what to speak of men who are supposed to be
civilized. No man in the world will refuse to join the saṅkīrtana
movement. Nor is the Lord's saṅkīrtana movement restricted to any
caste, creed, color or species. Here is direct evidence of His great
mission: He allowed even the wild animals to partake in His great
movement.
On His way back from Vṛndāvana He first came to
Prayāga, where He met Rūpa Gosvāmī along with his younger brother,
Anupama. Then He came down to Benares. For two months, He instructed
Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī in the transcendental science. The instruction to
Sanātana Gosvāmī is in itself a long narration, and full presentation
of the instruction will not be possible here. The main ideas are given
as follows.
Sanātana Gosvāmī (formerly known as Sākara Mallika)
was in the cabinet service of the Bengal government under the regime of
Nawab Hussain Shah. He decided to join with the Lord and thus retired
from the service. On His way back from Vṛndāvana, when He reached
Vārāṇasī, the Lord became the guest of Śrī Tapana Miśra and
Candraśekhara, assisted by a Mahārāṣṭra brāhmaṇa. At that time Vārāṇasī
was headed by a great sannyāsī of the Māyāvāda school named Śrīpāda
Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. When the Lord was at Vārāṇasī, the people in
general became more attracted to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu on account of
His mass saṅkīrtana movement. Wherever He visited, especially the
Viśvanātha temple, thousands of pilgrims would follow Him. Some were
attracted by His bodily features, and others were attracted by His
melodious songs glorifying the Lord.
The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs
designate themselves as Nārāyaṇa. Vārāṇasī is still overflooded with
many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. Some people who saw the Lord in His saṅkīrtana
party considered Him to be actually Nārāyaṇa, and this report reached
the camp of the great sannyāsī Prakāśānanda.
In India there is
always a kind of spiritual rivalry between the Māyāvāda and Bhāgavata
schools, and thus when the news of the Lord reached Prakāśānanda he
knew that the Lord was a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, and therefore he minimized
the value of the Lord before those who brought him the news. He
deprecated the activities of the Lord because of His preaching the
saṅkīrtana movement, which was in his opinion nothing but religious
sentiment. Prakāśānanda was a profound student of the Vedānta, and he
advised his followers to give attention to the Vedānta and not to
indulge in saṅkīrtana.
One devotee brāhmaṇa, who became a
devotee of the Lord, did not like the criticism of Prakāśānanda, and he
went to the Lord to express his regrets. He told the Lord that when he
uttered the Lord's name before the sannyāsī Prakāśānanda, the latter
strongly criticized the Lord, although the brāhmaṇa heard Prakāśānanda
uttering several times the name Caitanya. The brāhmaṇa was astonished
to see that the sannyāsī Prakāśānanda could not vibrate the sound Kṛṣṇa
even once, although he uttered the name Caitanya several times.
The
Lord smilingly explained to the devotee brāhmaṇa why the Māyāvādī
cannot utter the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. "The Māyāvādīs are offenders at
the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, although they utter always brahma, ātmā, or
caitanya, etc. And because they are offenders at the lotus feet of
Kṛṣṇa, they are actually unable to utter the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. The
name Kṛṣṇa and the Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa are identical. There is
no difference in the absolute realm between the name, form or person of
the Absolute Truth because in the absolute realm everything is
transcendental bliss. There is no difference between the body and the
soul for the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Thus He is different from
the living entity who is always different from his outward body.
Because of Kṛṣṇa's transcendental position, it is very difficult for a
layman to actually know the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, His holy
name and fame, etc. His name, fame, form and pastimes all are one and
the same transcendental identity, and they are not knowable by the
exercise of the material senses.
"The transcendental
relationship of the pastimes of the Lord is the source of still more
bliss than one can experience by realization of Brahman or by becoming
one with the Supreme. Had it not been so, then those who are already
situated in the transcendental bliss of Brahman would not have been
attracted by the transcendental bliss of the pastimes of the Lord."
After
this, a great meeting was arranged by the devotees of the Lord in which
all the sannyāsīs were invited, including the Lord and Prakāśānanda
Sarasvatī. In this meeting both the scholars (the Lord and
Prakāśānanda) had a long discourse on the spiritual values of the
saṅkīrtana movement, and a summary is given below.
The great
Māyāvādī sannyāsī Prakāśānanda inquired from the Lord as to the reason
for His preferring the saṅkīrtana movement to the study of the
Vedānta-sūtra. Prakāśānanda said that it is the duty of a sannyāsī to
read the Vedānta-sūtra. What caused the Lord to indulge in saṅkīrtana?
After
this inquiry, the Lord submissively replied: "I have taken to the
saṅkīrtana movement instead of the study of Vedānta because I am a
great fool." The Lord thus represented Himself as one of the numberless
fools of this age who are absolutely incapable of studying the Vedānta
philosophy. The fools' indulgence in the study of Vedānta has caused so
much havoc in society. The Lord thus continued: "And because I am a
great fool, My spiritual master forbade Me to play with Vedānta
philosophy. He said that it is better that I chant the holy name of the
Lord, for that would deliver Me from material bondage.
"In this
age of Kali there is no other religion but the glorification of the
Lord by utterance of His holy name, and that is the injunction of all
the revealed scriptures. And My spiritual master has taught Me one
śloka [from the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa]:
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. [Cc. Adi 17.21]
"So
on the order of My spiritual master, I chant the holy name of Hari, and
I am now mad after this holy name. Whenever I utter the holy name I
forget Myself completely, and sometimes I laugh, cry and dance like a
madman. I thought that I had actually gone mad by this process of
chanting, and therefore I asked My spiritual master about it. He
informed Me that this was the real effect of chanting the holy name,
which produces a transcendental emotion that is a rare manifestation.
It is the sign of love of God, which is the ultimate end of life. Love
of God is transcendental to liberation [mukti], and thus it is called
the fifth stage of spiritual realization, above the stage of
liberation. By chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa one attains the stage of
love of God, and it was good that fortunately I was favored with the
blessing."
On hearing this statement from the Lord, the Māyāvādī
sannyāsī asked the Lord what was the harm in studying the Vedānta along
with chanting the holy name. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī knew well that the
Lord was formerly known as Nimāi Paṇḍita, a very learned scholar of
Navadvīpa, and His posing as a great fool was certainly to some
purpose. Hearing this inquiry by the sannyāsī, the Lord smiled and
said, "My dear sir, if you do not mind, I will answer your inquiry."
All
the sannyāsīs there were very much pleased with the Lord for His honest
dealings, and they unanimously replied that they would not be offended
by whatever He replied. The Lord then spoke as follows:
"Vedānta-sūtra
consists of transcendental words or sounds uttered by the
transcendental Personality of Godhead. As such, in the Vedānta there
cannot be any human deficiencies like mistake, illusion, cheating or
inefficiency. The message of the Upaniṣads is expressed in the
Vedānta-sūtra, and what is said there directly is certainly glorified.
Whatever interpretations have been given by Śaṅkarācārya have no direct
bearing on the sūtra, and therefore such commentation spoils everything.
"The
word Brahman indicates the greatest of all, which is full with
transcendental opulences, superior to all. Brahman is ultimately the
Personality of Godhead, and He is covered by indirect interpretations
and established as impersonal. Everything that is in the spiritual
world is full of transcendental bliss, including the form, body, place
and paraphernalia of the Lord. All are eternally cognizant and
blissful. It is not the fault of the Ācārya Śaṅkara that he has so
interpreted Vedānta, but if someone accepts it, then certainly he is
doomed. Anyone who accepts the transcendental body of the Personality
of Godhead as something mundane certainly commits the greatest
blasphemy."
The Lord thus spoke to the sannyāsī almost in the
same way that He spoke to the Bhaṭṭācārya of Purī, and by forceful
arguments He nullified the Māyāvāda interpretations of the
Vedānta-sūtra. All the sannyāsīs there claimed that the Lord was the
personified Vedas and the Personality of Godhead. All the sannyāsīs
were converted to the cult of bhakti, all of them accepted the holy
name of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and they dined together with the Lord in
the midst of them. After this conversion of the sannyāsīs, the
popularity of the Lord increased at Vārāṇasī, and thousands of people
assembled to see the Lord in person. The Lord thus established the
primary importance of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata-dharma, and He defeated all
other systems of spiritual realization. After that everyone at Vārāṇasī
was overwhelmed with the transcendental saṅkīrtana movement.
While
the Lord was camping at Vārāṇasī, Sanātana Gosvāmī also arrived after
retiring from office. He was formerly one of the state ministers in the
government of Bengal, then under the regime of Nawab Hussain Shah. He
had some difficulty in getting relief from the state service, for the
Nawab was reluctant to let him leave. Nonetheless he came to Vārāṇasī,
and the Lord taught him the principles of devotional service. He taught
him about the constitutional position of the living being, the cause of
his bondage under material conditions, his eternal relation with the
Personality of Godhead, the transcendental position of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, His expansions in different plenary portions of
incarnations, His control of different parts of the universe, the
nature of His transcendental abode, devotional activities, their
different stages of development, the rules and regulations for
achieving the gradual stages of spiritual perfection, the symptoms of
different incarnations in different ages, and how to detect them with
reference to the context of revealed scriptures.
The Lord's
teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī form a big chapter in the text of Śrī
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and to explain the whole teachings in minute
details will require a volume in itself. These are treated in detail in
our book Teachings of Lord Caitanya.
At Mathurā, the Lord
visited all the important places; then He reached Vṛndāvana. Lord
Caitanya appeared in the family of a high-caste brāhmaṇa, and over and
above that as sannyāsī He was the preceptor for all the varṇas and
āśramas. But He used to accept meals from all classes of Vaiṣṇavas. At
Mathurā the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇas are considered to be in the lower status
of society, but the Lord accepted meals in the family of such a
brāhmaṇa also because His host happened to be a disciple of the
Mādhavendra Purī family.
At Vṛndāvana the Lord took bath in
twenty-four important bathing places and ghāṭas. He traveled to all the
twelve important vanas (forests). In these forests all the cows and
birds welcomed Him, as if He were their very old friend. The Lord also
began to embrace all the trees of those forests, and by doing so He
felt the symptoms of transcendental ecstasy. Sometimes He fell
unconscious, but He was made to regain consciousness by the chanting of
the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. The transcendental symptoms that were visible
on the body of the Lord during His travel within the forest of
Vṛndāvana were all unique and inexplicable, and we have just given a
synopsis only.
Some of the important places that were visited by
the Lord in Vṛndāvana were Kāmyavana, Ādīśvara, Pāvana-sarovara,
Khadiravana, Śeṣaśāyī, Khela-tīrtha, Bhāṇḍīravana, Bhadravana, Śrīvana,
Lauhavana, Mahāvana, Gokula, Kāliya-hrada, Dvādaśāditya, Keśī-tīrtha,
etc. When He saw the place where the rāsa dance took place, He at once
fell down in trance. As long as He remained at Vṛndāvana, He made His
headquarters at Akrūra-ghāṭa.
From Vṛndāvana His personal
servitor Kṛṣṇadāsa Vipra induced Him to go back to Prayāga to take bath
during the Māgha-melā. The Lord acceded to this proposal, and they
started for Prayāga. On the way they met with some Pathans, amongst
whom there was a learned Moulana. The Lord had some talks with the
Moulana and his companions, and the Lord convinced the Moulana that in
the Koran also there are descriptions of Bhāgavata-dharma and Kṛṣṇa.
All the Pathans were converted to His cult of devotional service.
When
He returned to Prayāga, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and his youngest brother met
Him near Bindu-mādhava temple. This time the Lord was welcomed by the
people of Prayāga more respectfully. Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, who resided on
the other bank of Prayāga in the village of Āḍāila, was to receive Him
at his place. but while going there the Lord jumped in the River
Yamunā. With great difficulty He was picked up in an unconscious state.
Finally He visited the headquarters of Vallabha Bhaṭṭa. This Vallabha
Bhaṭṭa was one of His chief admirers, but later on he inaugurated his
own party, the Vallabha-sampradāya.
On the bank of the
Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa at Prayāga for ten days continually the Lord
instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī in the science of devotional service to the
Lord. He taught the Gosvāmī the divisions of the living creatures in
the 8,400,000 species of life. Then He taught him about the human
species. Out of them He discussed the followers of the Vedic
principles, out of them the fruitive workers, out of them the empiric
philosophers, and out of them the liberated souls. He said that there
are only a few who are actually pure devotees of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī was the younger brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī, and when he
retired from service he brought with him two boat fulls of gold coins.
This means that he brought with him some hundreds of thousands of
rupees accumulated by the labor of his service. And before leaving home
for Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he divided the wealth as follows: fifty
percent for the service of the Lord and His devotees, twenty-five
percent for relatives and twenty-five percent for his personal needs in
case of emergency. In that way he set an example for all householders.
The
Lord taught the Gosvāmī about devotional service, comparing it to a
creeper, and advised him to protect the bhakti creeper most carefully
against the mad elephant offense against the pure devotees. In
addition, the creeper has to be protected from the desires of sense
enjoyment, monistic liberation and perfection of the haṭha-yoga system.
They are all detrimental on the path of devotional service. Similarly,
violence against living beings, and desire for worldly gain, worldly
reception and worldly fame are all detrimental to the progress of
bhakti, or Bhāgavata-dharma.
Pure devotional service must be
freed from all desires for sense gratification, fruitive aspirations
and culture of monistic knowledge. One must be freed from all kinds of
designations, and when one is thus converted to transcendental purity,
one can then serve the Lord by purified senses.
As long as there
is the desire to enjoy sensually or to become one with the Supreme or
to possess the mystic powers, there is no question of attaining the
stage of pure devotional service.
Devotional service is
conducted under two categories, namely primary practice and spontaneous
emotion. When one can rise to the platform of spontaneous emotion, he
can make further progress by spiritual attachment, feeling, love, and
many higher stages of devotional life for which there are no English
words. We have tried to explain the science of devotional service in
our book The Nectar of Devotion, based on the authority of
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Transcendental devotional service has five stages of reciprocation:
1. The self-realization stage just after liberation from material bondage is called the śānta, or neutral stage.
2.
After that, when there is development of transcendental knowledge of
the Lord's internal opulences, the devotee engages himself in the dāsya
stage.
3. By further development of the dāsya stage, a respectful
fraternity with the Lord develops, and above that a feeling of
friendship on equal terms becomes manifest. Both these stages are
called sākhya stage, or devotional service in friendship.
4. Above this is the stage of paternal affection toward the Lord, and this is called the vātsalya stage.
5.
And above this is the stage of conjugal love, and this stage is called
the highest stage of love of God, although there is no difference in
quality in any of the above stages. The last stage of conjugal love of
God is called the mādhurya stage.
Thus He instructed Rūpa
Gosvāmī in devotional science and deputed him to Vṛndāvana to excavate
the lost sites of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. After this,
the Lord returned to Vārāṇasī and delivered the sannyāsīs and
instructed the elder brother of Rūpa Gosvāmī. We have already discussed
this.
The Lord left only eight ślokas of His instructions in
writing, and they are known as the Śikṣāṣṭaka. All other literatures of
His divine cult were extensively written by the Lord's principal
followers, the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, and their followers. The cult
of Caitanya philosophy is richer than any other, and it is admitted to
be the living religion of the day with the potency for spreading as
viśva-dharma, or universal religion. We are glad that the matter has
been taken up by some enthusiastic sages like Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Gosvāmī Mahārāja and his disciples. We shall eagerly wait for the happy
days of Bhāgavata-dharma, or prema-dharma, inaugurated by the Lord Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The eight ślokas completed by the Lord are:
1
Glory
to the Śrī Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust
accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of
repeated birth and death. This saṅkīrtana movement is the prime
benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the
benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It
increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully
taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.
2
O my
Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings,
and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Kṛṣṇa and
Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your
transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for
chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to
easily approach You by chanting Your holy names, but I am so
unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.
3
One should
chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking
oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant
than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer
all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy
name of the Lord constantly.
4
O almighty Lord, I have no
desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I
want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional
service birth after birth.
5
O son of Mahārāja Nanda [Kṛṣṇa],
I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the
ocean of birth and death. please pick me up from this ocean of death
and place me as one of the atoms of Your lotus feet.
6
O my
Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing
constantly when I chant Your holy name? When will my voice choke up,
and when will the hairs of my body stand on end at the recitation of
Your name?
7
O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am
considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing
from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the
world in Your absence.
8
I know no one but Kṛṣṇa as my Lord,
and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly in His embrace or
makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely
free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord
unconditionally.
Krama Sandarbha By Jīva Gosvāmī
I offer respects to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
1. ajnāna-timirāndhasya jnānānjanaśalākayā cakṣurunmīlitam yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ
I
offer respects to my guru, by whom my eyes were opened with the
ointment of knowledge, when I was blinded by the darkness of ignorance.
2. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam naumi yasyaikasya prasādataḥ Ajnātān api jānāti sarvaḥ sarvāgamān api
I offer respects to Śrīmad-bhāgavatam, by whose mercy all people know all the Vedas, even though the Vedas are not understood.
3. śrī-bhāgavata-sandarbhān śrīmad-vaiṣṇavatoṣaṇīm dṛṣṭvā bhāgavata-vyākhyā likhyate ’tra yathā mati
According
to my discretion, I write an explanation of the Bhāgavatam, after
seeing the Sandarbhas and the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī commentary on
Bhāgavatam’s Tenth Canto.
4. yad atra skhalitam kincij jāyate ’navadhānataḥ jneyam na tat-tat-kartriiṇām samāhartur mamaiva tat
In
assembling this work, it should not be concluded that I will sometimes
stumble because of inattention to the authors of various commentaries.
5. yeṣām protsāhanenāsmi pravṛtto ’tyanta-sāhase te dīnānugraha-vyagrāḥ śaraṇam mama vaiṣṇavāḥ
Very
boldly I have begun this work, inspired by the Vaiṣṇavas who are most
merciful to the fallen and who are my shelter. In the beginning the
Sandarbha, eager to give benefit of Bhāgavatam to the people, through
verses of the Bhāgavatam, the author, endowed with great love for the
Lord, while internally and externally seeing thousands of great
devotees, praises the Lord called Śrī-krṣṇa-caitanya, the deity for
thousands of groups of devotees, who is as sweet as a thousand streams
of the Gangā with his rare prema for the lotus feet of his Lord,
himself in another form, which was the reason for his appearance,
giving a special meaning to the verse to indicate him as the
worshipable avatāra for devotees in Kali-yuga.
kṛṣṇavarṇa tviṣā kṛṣṇam sāngopāngāstrapārṣadam yajnaiḥ sankīrttanaprayair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ
The
intelligent people worship the Lord, black in color, but shining with
brilliance, who is accompanied by his associates, weapons, major and
minor limbs, chiefly through chanting. (SB 11.5.32)
This is a
verse describing the form of the Lord to be worshipped in Kali-yuga.
The detailed meaning can be found in that section of Bhāgavatam dealing
with yugāvatāras. The meaning is as follows:
antaḥ kṛṣṇam bahirgoram darśitāngādi-vaibhavam kalau sankīrtanādyaiḥ smaḥ kṛṣṇa-caitanyam āśritāḥ
People
in Kali-yuga take shelter of Kṛṣṇa-caitanya, who is internally Kṛṣṇa,
but externally golden, displaying his powers in his limbs, by
sankīrtana. His guru and preceding guru are praised:
1. jayatām mathurā-bhūmau śrīla-rūpasanātanau yau vilekhayatas tattva-jnāpakau pusti-kāmimām
May
Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana, living in Mathurā area, who revealed spiritual
truths for persons desiring nourishment, and who caused me to write,
remain victorious.
2. tau santoṣayatā santau śrīla-rūpa-sanātanau dākṣiṇātyena bhaṭṭena punar etad vivicyato
3. tasyādyam granthanālekham krānta-vyutkānta-khaṇditam paryālocyātha paryāyam kṛtvā likhati jīvakaḥ
I
have repeatedly examined the original composition, which was written by
Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, who greatly pleased Rūpa and Sanātana--parts of which
were in order, parts of which were out of order and parts of which were
incomplete. Putting it in a systematic order, I have written this work.
4. pūrvam yāny eva vākyāni dhṛtāny artha-viśeṣataḥ tāni mūla-krameṇāpi dhāryāṇi krama-labdhaye
I
have arranged explanations from the Sandarbhas, previously arranged
according to a particular subject, in the order that they appear in the
Bhāgavatam.
5. dhāryāṇy artha-viśeṣārtham adhṛtāny api kānicit tatretiśabdaḥ kartavyaḥ kvacid vyākhyā ca kevalā
Sometimes
the explanation of the Sandarbhas is not quoted in order to give a
particular meaning. Sometimes the explanation is indicated simply by
the word tatra (in that place in the Sandarbhas).
6. sthānan ca muhur ankābhyām jneyam sandarbha-vākyayoḥ tatrānkās tata āśabdāt tad ankādiṣv itīṣyatām
7. vyāśabdāt tad gata-vyākhyā gatam tad vākyam īyatām tathā punaś ceti śabdād anyatrāpīti dṛśyatām
8. yatra vyakhyāgatam vākya vyākhyānam tac chidākṛte dvau tatra praṇavau lekhyau tayor mathyan tu gṛhyatām
These verses describe markings which do not seem to be present in the available editions of the Krama Sandarbha.
9. yaḥ skandhādhyāyayor ankaḥ sa tu tac chedakaḥ sphuṭam na tatra praṇavopekṣāpiti sarvatra vīkṣyatām
The
marks for the divisions of the Cantos and chapters is clear. The
syllable om is not employed in those places. This is seen everywhere.
Having shown the purpose of the scripture in brief, the auspicious invocation is made.
yasya brahmeti sanjnām kvacid api nigame yāti cin-mātra-sattāpy amśo yasyāmśakaiḥ svair vibhavati vaśayann eva māyām pumāmś ca.
ekam yasyaiva rūpam vilasati parame vyomni nārāyaṇākhyam
sa śrīkṛṣṇo vidhattām Svayam iha bhagavān prema tat-pāda-bhājām.
May
Śrī-kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān Svayam, whose existence as pure consciousness is
defined in some scriptures as Brahman, whose amśa, the puruṣāvatāra,
controlling māyā, shines with his expansions, and one of whose forms
called Nārāyaṇa plays in Vaikuṇṭha, give prema to those who worship his
feet in this world! The six Sandarbhas were written to show sambandha
(how the work indicates Kṛṣṇa), abhidheya (worship) and prayojana
(prema). Now the seventh Sandarbha begins, in order to explain the
Bhāgavatam in the order of its verses, not to show sambandha, abhidheya
and prayojana.
śrī-bhāgavat-nidhy-arthā ṭīkā-dṛṣṭir adāyi yaiḥ śrī-dhara-svāmi-pādāms tān vande bhakti-eka-rakṣakān
I
offer respects to the feet of Śrīdhara Svāmī, which protect bhakti, by
which an understanding of his commentary, revealing the meaning of the
treasure of Bhagavān, was given.
svāmi-pādair na yad vyaktam yad vyaktam cāsphuṭam kvacit tatra tatra ca vijneyaḥ sandarbhaḥ krama-nāmakaḥ
The Krama Sandarbha is understood to explain what was not explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī, or which was explained unclearly.
athātra paribhāṣeyam jnātavyā yady apekṣyate mūlam sa-ṭīkam ankādyaiḥ paricchedyam sahānayā
If
one desires to understand the list of markings in this commentary, the
original verses with the commentaries will be identified by numbers
which accompany them.
ankā vākyānta evātra deyāḥ padyāntato na tu bahu-padyaika-vākyatve garbhānkā bindu-mastakāḥ
Numbers
will be given at the end of the statement, not at the beginning, to
give the verse reference. One explanation for many verses is indicated
by a mark with a dot above.
yasmin padye nāsti ṭīkā tad apy ankena yojayet
eka-padyānya-vākyatve sankhyā-śabdās tu kāntakāḥ
When
a verse has no commentary, one should connect it to others by its
number. If one verse has an explanation elsewhere, consult that
numbered verse.
bahu-padyaika-vākyatve ’py amī jneyās tathā-vidhāḥ yathārdhakam yugmakam ca trikam ity ādy ūdāhṛtiḥ
If
there is one explanation for many verses, they should be understood in
the same way. They may be half verses, pairs or three verses grouped
together.
Canto 1: Creation
1. Questions by the Sages
verses: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
TEXT - SB 1.1.1
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ
tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ
tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo 'mṛṣā
dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi
SYNONYMS
om—O
my Lord; namaḥ—offering my obeisances; bhagavate—unto the Personality
of Godhead; vāsudevāya—unto Vāsudeva (the son of Vasudeva), or Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, the primeval Lord; janma-ādi—creation, sustenance and
destruction; asya—of the manifested universes; yataḥ—from whom;
anvayāt—directly; itarataḥ—indirectly; ca—and; artheṣu—purposes;
abhijñaḥ—fully cognizant; sva-rāṭ—fully independent; tene—imparted;
brahma—the Vedic knowledge; hṛdā—consciousness of the heart; yaḥ—one
who; ādi-kavaye—unto the original created being; muhyanti—are
illusioned; yat—about whom; sūrayaḥ—great sages and demigods;
tejaḥ—fire; vāri—water; mṛdām—earth; yathā—as much as; vinimayaḥ—action
and reaction; yatra—whereupon; tri-sargaḥ—three modes of creation,
creative faculties; amṛṣā—almost factual; dhāmnā—along with all
transcendental paraphernalia; svena—self-sufficiently; sadā—always;
nirasta—negation by absence; kuhakam—illusion; satyam—truth;
param—absolute; dhīmahi—I do meditate upon.
TRANSLATION
O
my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of
Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause
of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the
manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all
manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause
beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto
the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great
sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by
the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on
water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily
manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear
factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which
is forever free from the illusory representations of the material
world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.
PURPORT
Obeisances
unto the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, directly indicate Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, who is the divine son of Vasudeva and Devakī. This fact will be
more explicitly explained in the text of this work. Śrī Vyāsadeva
asserts herein that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead,
and all others are His direct or indirect plenary portions or portions
of the portion. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has even more explicitly explained
the subject matter in his Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha. And Brahmā, the original
living being, has explained the subject of Śrī Kṛṣṇa substantially in
his treatise named Brahma-saṁhitā. In the Sāma-veda Upaniṣad, it is
also stated that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the divine son of Devakī. Therefore,
in this prayer, the first proposition holds that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the
primeval Lord, and if any transcendental nomenclature is to be
understood as belonging to the Absolute Personality of Godhead, it must
be the name indicated by the word Kṛṣṇa, which means the
all-attractive. In Bhagavad-gītā, in many places, the Lord asserts
Himself to be the original Personality of Godhead, and this is
confirmed by Arjuna, and also by great sages like Nārada, Vyāsa, and
many others. In the Padma Purāṇa, it is also stated that out of the
innumerable names of the Lord, the name of Kṛṣṇa is the principal one.
Vāsudeva indicates the plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead,
and all the different forms of the Lord, being identical with Vāsudeva,
are indicated in this text. The name Vāsudeva particularly indicates
the divine son of Vasudeva and Devakī. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is always meditated
upon by the paramahaṁsas, who are the perfected ones among those in the
renounced order of life.
Vāsudeva, or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the
cause of all causes. Everything that exists emanates from the Lord. How
this is so is explained in later chapters of this work. This work is
described by Mahāprabhu Śrī Caitanya as the spotless Purāṇa because it
contains the transcendental narration of the Personality of Godhead Śrī
Kṛṣṇa. The history of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also very glorious. It
was compiled by Śrī Vyāsadeva after he had attained maturity in
transcendental knowledge. He wrote this under the instructions of Śrī
Nāradajī, his spiritual master. Vyāsadeva compiled all Vedic
literatures, containing the four divisions of the Vedas, the
Vedānta-sūtras (or the Brahma-sūtras), the Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata,
and so on. But nevertheless he was not satisfied. His dissatisfaction
was observed by his spiritual master, and thus Nārada advised him to
write on the transcendental activities of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. These
transcendental activities are described specifically in the Tenth Canto
of this work. But, in order to reach to the very substance, one must
proceed gradually by developing knowledge of the categories.
It
is natural that a philosophical mind wants to know about the origin of
the creation. At night he sees the stars in the sky, and he naturally
speculates about their inhabitants. Such inquiries are natural for man
because man has a developed consciousness which is higher than that of
the animals. The author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives a direct answer to
such inquiries. He says that the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all
creations. He is not only the creator of the universe, but the
destroyer as well. The manifested cosmic nature is created at a certain
period by the will of the Lord. It is maintained for some time, and
then it is annihilated by His will. Therefore, the supreme will is
behind all cosmic activities. Of course, there are atheists of various
categories who do not believe in a creator, but that is due to a poor
fund of knowledge. The modern scientist, for example, has created space
satellites, and by some arrangement or other, these satellites are
thrown into outer space to fly for some time at the control of the
scientist who is far away. Similarly, all the universes with
innumerable stars and planets are controlled by the intelligence of the
Personality of Godhead.
In Vedic literatures, it is said that
the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, is the chief amongst all
living personalities. All living beings, beginning from the first
created being, Brahmā, down to the smallest ant, are individual living
beings. And above Brahmā, there are even other living beings with
individual capacities, and the Personality of Godhead is also a similar
living being. And He is an individual as are the other living beings.
But the Supreme Lord, or the supreme living being, has the greatest
intelligence, and He possesses supermost inconceivable energies of all
different varieties. If a man's brain can produce a space satellite,
one can very easily imagine how brains higher than man can produce
similarly wonderful things which are far superior. The reasonable
person will easily accept this argument, but there are stubborn
atheists who would never agree. Śrīla Vyāsadeva, however, at once
accepts the supreme intelligence as the parameśvara. He offers his
respectful obeisances unto the supreme intelligence addressed as the
para or the parameśvara or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that
parameśvara is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as admitted in Bhagavad-gītā and other
scriptures delivered by Śrī Vyāsadeva and specifically in this
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that there is no
other para-tattva (summum bonum) than Himself. Therefore, Śrī Vyāsadeva
at once worships the para-tattva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose transcendental
activities are described in the Tenth Canto.
Unscrupulous
persons go immediately to the Tenth Canto and especially to the five
chapters which describe the Lord's rāsa dance. This portion of the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the most confidential part of this great
literature. Unless one is thoroughly accomplished in the transcendental
knowledge of the Lord, one is sure to misunderstand the Lord's
worshipable transcendental pastimes called rāsa dance and His love
affairs with the gopīs. This subject matter is highly spiritual, and
only the liberated persons who have gradually attained to the stage of
paramahaṁsa can transcendentally relish this rāsa dance. Śrīla
Vyāsadeva therefore gives the reader the chance to gradually develop
spiritual realization before actually relishing the essence of the
pastimes of the Lord. Therefore, he purposely invokes a Gāyatrī mantra,
dhīmahi. This Gāyatrī mantra is meant for spiritually advanced people.
When one is successful in chanting the Gāyatrī mantra, he can enter
into the transcendental position of the Lord. One must therefore
acquire brahminical qualities or be perfectly situated in the quality
of goodness in order to chant the Gāyatrī mantra successfully and then
attain to the stage of transcendentally realizing the Lord, His name,
His fame, His qualities and so on.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the
narration of the svarūpa of the Lord manifested by His internal
potency, and this potency is distinguished from the external potency
which has manifested the cosmic world, which is within our experience.
Śrīla Vyāsadeva makes a clear distinction between the two in this
śloka. Śrī Vyāsadeva says herein that the manifested internal potency
is real, whereas the external manifested energy in the form of material
existence is only temporary and illusory like the mirage in the desert.
In the desert mirage there is no actual water. There is only the
appearance of water. Real water is somewhere else. The manifested
cosmic creation appears as reality. But reality, of which this is but a
shadow, is in the spiritual world. Absolute Truth is in the spiritual
sky, not the material sky. In the material sky everything is relative
truth. That is to say, one truth depends on something else. This cosmic
creation results from interaction of the three modes of nature, and the
temporary manifestations are so created as to present an illusion of
reality to the bewildered mind of the conditioned soul, who appears in
so many species of life, including the higher demigods, like Brahmā,
Indra, Candra, and so on. In actuality, there is no reality in the
manifested world. There appears to be reality, however, because of the
true reality which exists in the spiritual world, where the Personality
of Godhead eternally exists with His transcendental paraphernalia.
The
chief engineer of a complicated construction does not personally take
part in the construction, but he knows every nook and corner because
everything is done under his direction. He knows everything about the
construction, both directly and indirectly. Similarly, the Personality
of Godhead, who is the supreme engineer of this cosmic creation, knows
every nook and corner, although affairs are being carried out by
demigods. Beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, no one
is independent in the material creation. The hand of the Lord is seen
everywhere. All material elements as well as all spiritual sparks
emanate from Him only. And whatever is created in this material world
is but the interaction of two energies, the material and the spiritual,
which emanate from the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī
Kṛṣṇa. A chemist can manufacture water in the chemical laboratory by
mixing hydrogen and oxygen. But, in reality, the living entity works in
the laboratory under the direction of the Supreme Lord. And the
materials with which he works are also supplied by the Lord. The Lord
knows everything directly and indirectly, and He is cognizant of all
minute details, and He is fully independent. He is compared to a mine
of gold, and the cosmic creations in so many different forms are
compared to objects made from the gold, such as gold rings, necklaces
and so on. The gold ring and the gold necklace are qualitatively one
with the gold in the mine, but quantitatively the gold in the mine is
different. Therefore, the Absolute Truth is simultaneously one and
different. Nothing is absolutely equal with the Absolute Truth, but at
the same time, nothing is independent of the Absolute Truth.
Conditioned
souls, beginning from Brahmā, who engineers the entire universe, down
to the insignificant ant, are all creating, but none of them are
independent of the Supreme Lord. The materialist wrongly thinks that
there is no creator other than his own self. This is called māyā, or
illusion. Because of his poor fund of knowledge, the materialist cannot
see beyond the purview of his imperfect senses, and thus he thinks that
matter automatically takes its own shape without the aid of a superior
intelligence. This is refuted in this śloka by Śrīla Vyāsadeva: "Since
the complete whole or the Absolute Truth is the source of everything,
nothing can be independent of the body of the Absolute Truth." Whatever
happens to the body quickly becomes known to the embodied. Similarly,
the creation is the body of the absolute whole. Therefore, the Absolute
knows everything directly and indirectly that happens in the creation.
In
the śruti-mantra, it is also stated that the absolute whole or Brahman
is the ultimate source of everything. Everything emanates from Him, and
everything is maintained by Him. And at the end, everything enters into
Him. That is the law of nature. In the smṛti-mantra, the same is
confirmed. It is said that the source from which everything emanates at
the beginning of Brahmā's millennium and the reservoir to which
everything ultimately enters, is the Absolute Truth or Brahman.
Material scientists take it for granted that the ultimate source of the
planetary system is the sun, but they are unable to explain the source
of the sun. Herein, the ultimate source is explained. According to the
Vedic literatures, Brahmā, who may be compared to the sun, is not the
ultimate creator. It is stated in this śloka that Brahmā was taught
Vedic knowledge by the Personality of Godhead. One may argue that
Brahmā, being the original living being, could not be inspired because
there was no other being living at that time. Herein it is stated that
the Supreme Lord inspired the secondary creator, Brahmā, in order that
Brahmā could carry out his creative functions. So, the supreme
intelligence behind all creations is the Absolute Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
In Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa states that it is He only who
superintends the creative energy, prakṛti, which constitutes the
totality of matter. Therefore, Śrī Vyāsadeva does not worship Brahmā,
but the Supreme Lord, who guides Brahmā in his creative activities. In
this śloka, the particular words abhijñaḥ and svarāṭ are significant.
These two words distinguish the Supreme Lord from all the other living
entities. No other living entity is either abhijñaḥ or svarāṭ. That is,
no one is either fully cognizant or fully independent. Even Brahmā has
to meditate upon the Supreme Lord in order to create. Then what to
speak of great scientists like Einstein! The brains of such a scientist
are certainly not the products of any human being. Scientists cannot
manufacture such a brain, and what to speak of foolish atheists who
defy the authority of the Lord? Even Māyāvādī impersonalists who
flatter themselves that they can become one with the Lord are neither
abhijñaḥ or svarāṭ. Such impersonalists undergo severe austerities to
acquire knowledge to become one with the Lord. But ultimately they
become dependent on some rich disciple who supplies them with money to
build monasteries and temples. Atheists like Rāvaṇa or Hiraṇyakaśipu
had to undergo severe penances before they could flout the authority of
the Lord. But ultimately, they were rendered helpless and could not
save themselves when the Lord appeared before them as cruel death. This
is also the case with the modern atheists who also dare to flout the
authority of the Lord. Such atheists will be dealt with similarly, for
history repeats itself. Whenever men neglect the authority of the Lord,
nature and her laws are there to penalize them. This is confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā in the well-known verse yadā yadā hi dharmasya glāniḥ.
"Whenever there is a decline of dharma and a rise of adharma, O Arjuna,
then I incarnate Myself." (Bg. 4.7)
That the Supreme Lord is
all-perfect is confirmed in all śruti-mantras. It is said in the
śruti-mantras that the all-perfect Lord threw a glance over matter and
thus created all living beings. The living beings are parts and parcels
of the Lord, and He impregnates the vast material creation with seeds
of spiritual sparks, and thus the creative energies are set in motion
to enact so many wonderful creations. An atheist may argue that God is
no more expert than a watchmaker, but of course God is greater because
He can create machines in duplicate male and female forms. The male and
female forms of different types of machineries go on producing
innumerable similar machines without God's further attention. If a man
could manufacture such a set of machines that could produce other
machines without his attention, then he could approach the intelligence
of God. But that is not possible, for each machine has to be handled
individually. Therefore, no one can create as well as God. Another name
for God is asamaurdhva, which means that no one is equal to or greater
than Him. Paraṁ satyam, or the Supreme Truth, is He who has no equal or
superior. This is confirmed in the śruti-mantras. It is said that
before the creation of the material universe there existed the Lord
only, who is master of everyone. That Lord instructed Brahmā in Vedic
knowledge. That Lord has to be obeyed in all respects. Anyone who wants
to get rid of the material entanglement must surrender unto Him. This
is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā.
Unless one surrenders unto
the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, it is certain that he will be
bewildered. When an intelligent man surrenders unto the lotus feet of
Kṛṣṇa and knows completely that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes, as
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, then only can such an intelligent man
become a mahātmā, or great soul. But such a great soul is rarely seen.
Only the mahātmās can understand that the Supreme Lord is the primeval
cause of all creations. He is parama or ultimate truth because all
other truths are relative to Him. He is omniscient. For Him, there is
no illusion.
Some Māyāvādī scholars argue that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
was not compiled by Śrī Vyāsadeva. And some of them suggest that this
book is a modern creation written by someone named Vopadeva. In order
to refute such meaningless arguments, Śrī Śrīdhara Svāmī points out
that there is reference to the Bhāgavatam in many of the oldest
Purāṇas. This first śloka of the Bhāgavatam begins with the Gāyatrī
mantra. There is reference to this in the Matsya Purāṇa, which is the
oldest Purāṇa. In that Purāṇa, it is said with reference to the Gāyatrī
mantra in the Bhāgavatam that there are many narrations of spiritual
instructions beginning with the Gāyatrī mantra. And there is the
history of Vṛtrāsura. Anyone who makes a gift of this great work on a
full moon day attains to the highest perfection of life by returning to
Godhead. There is reference to the Bhāgavatam in other Purāṇas also,
where it is clearly stated that this work was finished in twelve
cantos, which include eighteen thousand ślokas. In the Padma Purāṇa
also there is reference to the Bhāgavatam in a conversation between
Gautama and Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. The king was advised therein to read
regularly Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam if he desired liberation from material
bondage. Under the circumstances, there is no doubt about the authority
of the Bhāgavatam. Within the past five hundred years, many erudite
scholars and ācāryas like Jīva Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Viśvanātha
Cakravartī, Vallabhācārya, and many other distinguished scholars even
after the time of Lord Caitanya made elaborate commentaries on the
Bhāgavatam. And the serious student would do well to attempt to go
through them to better relish the transcendental messages.
Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura specifically deals with the original and
pure sex psychology (ādi-rasa), devoid of all mundane inebriety. The
whole material creation is moving under the principle of sex life. In
modern civilization, sex life is the focal point for all activities.
Wherever one turns his face, he sees sex life predominant. Therefore,
sex life is not unreal. Its reality is experienced in the spiritual
world. The material sex life is but a perverted reflection of the
original fact. The original fact is in the Absolute Truth, and thus the
Absolute Truth cannot be impersonal. It is not possible to be
impersonal and contain pure sex life. Consequently, the impersonalist
philosophers have given indirect impetus to the abominable mundane sex
life because they have overstressed the impersonality of the ultimate
truth. Consequently, man without information of the actual spiritual
form of sex has accepted perverted material sex life as the all in all.
There is a distinction between sex life in the diseased material
condition and spiritual sex life.
This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will
gradually elevate the unbiased reader to the highest perfectional stage
of transcendence. It will enable him to transcend the three modes of
material activities: fruitive actions, speculative philosophy, and
worship of functional deities as inculcated in Vedic verses.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.1
The
cloud of Śrī-caitanya has rained a sweet shower of mercy, producing a
river of devotion to himself where the jīvas play like elephants in the
Gaṅgā. May the dark cloud of Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, made golden with a
flash of lightning, illuminate the sky of my mind!
I worship the
one absolute truth, Kṛṣṇa, who is eternal bliss and supreme
consciousness, (Nityānanda, Advaita-Caitanya), personified as the
eternal Bhāgavatam which is the complete form of Brahma-sutra, in its
most embellished form and who resides with eternal bhakti and the
eternal devotees in the eternal spiritual abode.[1]
I take
shelter of the eternal form, name and qualities of Kṛṣṇa known from
Bhāgavatam, which I studied for a long time by the mercy of guru. After
having studied the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī of Sanātana and after having
understood the conclusions of Lord Caitanya from the Sandarbhas of
Jīva, by the mercy of Śrīdhara Svāmī, I produce this commentary to show
the essence of Bhāgavatam.
I am not learned. Oh! I am rash in
this attempt! The cause, being either my own foolishness or the
causeless mercy of the Lord, gives rise to its manifestation, even in
an unqualified person. If its cause is my foolishness, it will produce
mockery, and if its cause is mercy of the Lord, it will produce bliss
with every word for the devotees.
I offer myself and everything
I have to the absolute Llord who is dearer than life to all the cowherd
men and women, and to the service of his dear devotees.
It is
not so surprising that this popularly read scripture has qualities of
the absolute entity brahman, comparable to the fruit of a desire tree,
a lamp and the sun. I praise this work which assumes the form of Mohinī
in the assembly of devas and demons, giving the sweet topics of the
Lord to the devotees, and denying them to the demons.
Svayam
Bhagavān, the sweet ocean of all auspicious qualities, the king holding
the greatest power, the most splendid sun, shone and then disappeared
at scheduled times over the earth. The meanings of the various
scriptures, Purāṇas and Itihāsas, placed in three groups just as men
are classified into three groups, are like night watchmen (guarding the
treasure of satisfaction of the heart), but through time, destiny, the
appearance of irregularity, and even laziness, some of the meanings
have fallen into deep sleep. Consequently, the great treasure -
satisfaction of the heart of all people and the authors of the works -
has been stolen by those who have appeared like thieves and given wrong
interpretations to those scriptures. This is understood from the
following:
jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte ’nuśāsataḥ
svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ
The
people in general are naturally inclined to enjoy, and you have
encouraged them in that way in the name of religion. This is verily
condemned and is quite unreasonable. SB 1.5.15
However, under these conditions the Lord makes his appearance:
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata |
abhutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham ||
Whenever there is destruction in dharma, O Bhārata, and a rise in adharma, I manifest my own body. BG 4.7
As
well, according to the Gītā, the Lord comes to save the devotees and
destroy the demons. (BG 4.8) Just as he appears for these purposes as
Matsya among the fish, as Varāha among the animals, as Haṁsa among the
birds, as svayam bhagavān Kṛṣṇa among humans, and as Upendra among the
devatās, so the Lord has now appeared as the crown jewel of the
scriptures, Śrīmad-bhāgavatam, among the Vedas, for restoring dharma
and delivering the devotees.
kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha |
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa purāṇārko ’dhunoditaḥ ||
This
Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just
after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to his own abode, accompanied by
religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the
dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from
this Purāṇa. SB 1.3.43
This indicates that Bhāgavatam is another
form of Kṛṣṇa, similar to the oneness of I and mine (Kṛṣṇa and the book
about Kṛṣṇa). Thus, it bears no comparison with other works. Kṛṣṇa has
appeared as Bhāgavatam through Śukadeva and Parīkṣit, and like the sun
among the planets, it shines among the Purāṇas. It has twelve forms
(volumes), just as the sun has twelve forms for each of the months of
the year. With eighteen-thousand verses like its leaves, it has
appeared like a desire tree to fulfill the goals of the great devotees.
First Explanation:
In
the beginning of the work, the author, Śrī-kṛṣna-dvaipāyana - the crown
jewel among ācāryas - invokes auspiciousness with meditation on his
cherished deity.
Param means “to the highest limit.” Satyam
means “that Supreme Lord who exists in all time and space.” Dhīmahi
means “let us worship or meditate on.” The plural indicates all the
jīvas continuing in time and space as part of one’s own group and thus
indicates teaching them meditation by these instructions. The meaning
of the sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.1) is indicated
from this since meditation alone is the result of inquiry.
The
Lord’s supreme power is indicated in this verse with janmādy asya
yataḥ. (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.2) (Let us meditate on the Supreme Lord) from
whom (yataḥ) arises creation, maintenance and destruction (janmādi) of
the universe (asya). Should they meditate on time, which causes all
this?
No. The Lord is the cause because he is the material and
efficient cause (anvyād itarataś ca). Anvayād itarataḥ (anvaya and its
opposite) can mean anvaya-vyatireka, which, in talking about causality,
can refer to cause and effect. The Lord in relation to the universe is
like the earth which, as a material cause, is inherent in the pot, and
the pot which, as an effect, is inherent in its material cause, the
earth. Thus this phrase means that the Lord is the material cause
(upādāna-kāraṇa). The word ca indicates the efficient cause
(nimitta-kāraṇa) which is time, because the Lord takes the form of time
to influence prakṛti. Thus the Lord is the cause (janma) by being the
material (anvayād itarataḥ) and the efficient cause (ca).
Or the
word anvaya (meaning inclusion or entrance into) can also indicate that
the Lord is the cause and destruction (janmādi) because everything
enters the Lord. The universes enter into the Lord at destruction (and
issues from him at the time of creation). Itarataḥ then indicates
divisions of matter taking place at the level of secondary creation
outside the Lord. That means that the Lord is the basis
(adhisthātṛ-kāraṇa) of the whole universe, just as water is the basis
of earth, and fire is the basis of water. Thus the Lord is that person
from whom creation, maintenance and destruction takes place because
everything is contained within him (anvayāt) and everything in the
secondary creation is outside him, but based on him (itarataḥ).
Or
the word anvaya (meaning sequence) can mean that the Lord is creation
and destruction (janmādi), because he is the whole sequence of
creation, maintenance and destruction. The Lord enters into the
universe, as the final agent of causality, in the process of creation;
he enters the universe as the final agent for dispensing results of
action in maintenance; and he enters the universe in the form of Śiva
as the final agent in the process of destruction. In this explanation,
it should be understood that the cause includes within itself the
effect, and the Lord as cause enters into the effect, the universe.
Thus the Lord is identified as creation, maintenance and destruction of
the universe. The universe itself is kept at a distance from the
svarūpa of the Lord by the use of the descriptive word itarataḥ
(different), since the creation, maintenance and destruction of the
universe is different from the Lord’s svarūpa-śakti. Ca indicates it is
non-different from the māyā-śakti. Thus anvayād itarataḥ ca means the
Lord is the creator, maintainer and destroyer since he is non-different
from the universe in its phases of creation, maintenance and
destruction, but this universe is different from his svarūpa, and
non-different from his māyā-śakti.
Thus in the first line the two Vedānta-sūtras, janmādy asya (1.1.2) and tat tu samanvayāt (1.1.3),[2] have been spoken.
“But
if the Supreme Lord is said to be the material cause of the universe,
he should be devoid of change. Therefore should one not say that the
Supreme Lord is the efficient and prakṛti is the material cause.” No.
It is not so. The śrutis say yaḥ sarvajñāh sarva-vit: he, who is
omniscient, knows all. (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 2.2.7) Sa īkṣata lokān: he
glanced over the worlds and then created (Aitareya Upaniṣad); and tad
aikṣata bahusyāṁ prajāyeya; he glanced and said, “Let me be many, Let
me create progeny.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.3) These verses indicate
that only a conscious entity is the cause of the universe, and thus the
Lord is both the material cause and the efficient cause of the
universe. Since prakṛti is a śakti of the Lord and the śakti and
possessor of the śakti are non-different, the Lord is the material
cause through prakṛti. But the Lord remains unchanged in spite of being
the material cause, because by his very nature he transcends prakṛti.
This is explained by the Lord:
prakṛtir yasyopādānam ādhāraḥ puruṣaḥ paraḥ |
sato ’bhivyañjakaḥ kālo brahma tat tritayaṁ tv aham ||
Prakrṭi
is the material cause, the puruṣa is the foundational cause. Time, the
indirect cause, is agitator of prakṛti. I am all three. SB 11.24.19
Scripture
does not state that prakṛti is the material cause independently. The
Lord, conscious of all things, is alone the cause of the universe by
his independence. Unconscious prakṛti is not the cause. Thus the verse
says that the Lord is fully conscious (abhijñaḥ) concerning all matters
relating to the creation and destruction of all real objects (artheṣu).
This statement illustrates the meaning of īkṣater nāśabdam: being
described in the scriptures, the Lord is not beyond the description of
words (though he remains beyond the material). (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.5)
The
meaning of the sūtra is this. The brahman which was discussed is the
cause of the universe. Why? Because of seeing; because of specialized
conclusions arising from seeing, or in other words, from hearing about
the Lord in the statements of śruti which describe him as the cause of
the universe. Therefore brahman is not indescribable. It is not that
the Lord cannot be proved by authoritative words. He can be proved by
the scriptures.
The śrutis state that the conscious Lord is the cause:
tad aikṣata bahu syām prajāyeya
He glanced at prakṛti. May I become many; let me create progeny. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.3
Sad eva saumyedam agra asīt
O gentle one! The eternal Lord existed before this universe. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.1
Ātmā vā idam eka evāgra asīt
The Lord existed before this universe. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 1.1.1
Tasmād vā etasmād ātmana ākāśaḥ sambhūta
From that Lord arose the ether. Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1
Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante
From the Lord all creatures arise. Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 1
And the smṛti says:
yataḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni bhavanty ādi-yugāgame |
yasmiṁś ca pralayaṁ yānti punar eva yuga-kṣaye ||
From the Lord all creatures arise at the beginning of the first yuga and in him they merge at the time of universal destruction.
One
may object that the mahat-tattva and other elements had not arisen so
that he could have a body which could perform actions. Therefore the
verse says that the Lord is independent (svarāṭ). He controls
everything by himself (svayam rājate) through his spiritual svarūpa
(non-different from himself). Thus the śruti says na tasya kāryam
kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate… svābhāvikī-jñāna-bala-kriya ca: In the Lord there
is no material cause and effect; he has his own inherent knowledge,
strength and action. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8)
One may object
that in the creation of the universe, one should understand that Lord
Brahmā has independent powers, for in the śruti it is said
hiraṇyagarbhaḥ samavartatāgre bhūtasya jātaḥ patir eka asīt: Brahmā was
born before other creatures; he alone existed. (Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad
6) Therefore Brahmā should be the object of worship. The verse answers
this objection in the second line. It is the Lord, satyam param, who
revealed (tene) the Vedas (brahma) — knowledge of himself — to Brahmā
(ādi-kavaye). Thus Brahmā is dependent on the Lord. One may object that
it is well known that Brahmā did not study the Vedas from anyone. That
is true. He received it in his mind (hṛdaye). This is stated in the
Bhāgavatam.
pracoditā yena purā sarasvatī vitanvatājasya satīṁ smṛtiṁ hṛdi
sva-lakṣaṇā prādurabhūt kilāsyataḥ sa me ṛṣīṇām ṛṣabhaḥ prasīdatām
May
the Lord, the best of the sages, be pleased with me! Inspired by him,
at the beginning of the kalpa, Sarasvatī, whose aim is to reveal Kṛṣṇa,
appeared from the mouth of Brahmā and revealed proper memory to carry
out creation in his heart. SB 2.4.22
As well sudṛṣṭaṁ hṛḍi me
tadaiva: why did I not see him in my heart at that time? (SB 10.14.15)
The meaning of the gāyatrī mantra was revealed to him by that method.
It is said in the Matsya Purāṇa (53.20):
yatrādhikṛtya gāyatrīṁ varṇyate dharma-vistaraḥ |
vṛtrāsura-vadhopetaṁ tad bhāgavatam iṣyate ||
He
spoke the Bhāgavatam where the killing of Vṛtrāsura is described and
where, after starting with gāyatrī, dharma is elaborately described.
In another Purāṇa it is said:
grantho ’ṣṭādaśa-sāhasro dvādaśa-skandha-saṁmitaḥ |
hayagrīva-brahma-vidyā yatra vṛtra-vadhas tathā |
gāyatryā ca samārambhas tad vai bhāgavataṁ viduḥ ||
The
Bhāgavatam is understood to be that work starting with gāyatrī mantra
in which there are eighteen thousand verses and twelve volumes, and in
which spiritual knowledge spoken by Hayagrīva and the killing of Vṛtra
are described.
Someone may argue: “Perhaps Brahmā realized the
truth of the Vedas on his own (from within the mind) just as a person
sometimes gets a realization during sleep.” To answer this argument,
then it is said that Brahmā, independently, does not have the power to
realize this knowledge, for even the greatly learned are bewildered
about this (yad sūrayaḥ muhyanti). This explains the following sūtra.
Etena netaro ’nupapatteḥ: a jīva is not described (in the mantra
"satyam jñānam anantam brahma"), because such an interpretation of the
mantra is illogical. (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.16)
There is another
objection. When we talk about meditation it indicates that we meditate
on an object that has a form. Forms are made of the three guṇas of
matter, and must be therefore temporary. This objection is answered in
the third line. It is like reversal; or one thing appearing as another
(vinimayaḥ), just as light may appear to be water, or water may appear
to be earth or earth in forms like glass may appear to be like water to
an ignorant person. In this way one falsely (mṛṣā) thinks that the
perfect, spiritual form of the Lord to be made of the three guṇas
(tri-sargaḥ). Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (1.33) says:
tam ekaṁ govindaṁ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaṁ vṛndāvana-sura-bhūruha- talāsīnam
I saw that one form of Govinda, a form of eternity, knowledge and bliss, seated at the base of desire tree in Vṛndāvana.
Rāma-tāpanī Upaniṣad says:
ardha-mātrātmako rāmo brahmānandaika-vigrahaḥ
Rāma is the half-syllable and form of spiritual bliss.
Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī Upaniṣad says:
ṛtaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ brahma puruṣaṁ nṛ-keśari-vigraham
The form of Nṛsiṁha is the supreme brahman, the puruṣa, knowledge and truth.
nirdoṣa-pūrṇa-guṇa-vigraha ātma-tantro
niścetanātmaka-śarīra-guṇaiś ca hīnaḥ |
ānanda-mātra-kara-pāda-mukhodarādiḥ ca |
The
Lord has a form full of faultless qualities, which is independent. He
is devoid of the qualities of lifeless, material bodies. All the parts
of his body such as hands, feet, head and belly are bliss alone.
Dhyāna-bindu Upaniṣad
nanda-vraja-janānandī sac-cidānanda-vigrahaḥ
Kṛṣṇa has a form of eternity, knowledge and bliss which gives joy to the people of Vraja. Brahmāṇda Purāṇa 2.36.25
sarve nityāḥ śāśvatāś ca dehās tasya parātmanaḥ |
hānopādāna-rahitā naiva prakṛti-jāḥ kvacit ||
The
bodies of the Lord are all eternal, unchanging, and devoid of faults.
They are never the product of matter. Mahā varāha Purāṇa.
This is also understood from the Bhāgavatam:
asyāpi deva vapuṣo mad-anugrahasya
svecchā-mayasya na tu bhūta-mayasya ko ’pi
neśe mahi tv avasituṁ manasāntareṇa
sākṣāt tavaiva kim utātma-sukhānubhūteḥ
My
dear Lord, neither I nor anyone else can estimate the potency of this
transcendental body of yours, which has shown such mercy to me and
which appears just to fulfill the desires of your pure devotees.
Although my mind is completely withdrawn from material affairs, I
cannot understand your personal form. How, then, could I possibly
understand the happiness you experience within yourself? SB 10.14.2
taṁ matvātmajam avyaktaṁ martya-liṅgam adhokṣajam
gopikolūkhale dāmnā babandha prākṛtaṁ yathā
Being
absolute, beyond relativity, he is free from distinctions between cause
and effect, although he is the cause and effect of everything. That
unmanifested person, who is beyond the perception of the senses, had
now appeared as a human child, and mother Yaśodā, considering him her
own ordinary child, bound Him to the wooden mortar with a rope. SB
10.9.14
tasmād idaṁ jagad aśeṣam asat-svarūpaṁ
svapnābham asta-dhiṣaṇaṁ puru-duḥkha-duḥkham
tvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanāv anante
māyāta udyad api yat sad ivāvabhāti
Therefore
this entire universe, which like a dream is by nature unreal,
nevertheless appears real, and thus it covers one’s consciousness and
assails one with repeated miseries. This universe appears real because
it is manifested by the potency of illusion emanating from you, whose
unlimited transcendental forms are full of eternal happiness and
knowledge. SB 10.14.22
tāvat prasanno bhagavān puṣkarākṣaḥ kṛte yuge
darśayām āsa taṁ kṣattaḥ śābdaṁ brahma dadhad vapuḥ
Then,
in the Satya-yuga, the lotus-eyed Supreme Personality of Godhead, being
pleased, showed himself to that Kardama Muni and displayed his
transcendental form, which can be understood only through the Vedas. SB
3.21.8
satya-jñānānantānanda- mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ
aspṛṣṭa-bhūri-māhātmyā api hy upaniṣad-dṛśām
The
viṣṇu-mūrtis all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and
bliss and existing beyond the influence of time. Their great glory was
not even to be touched by the jñānīs engaged in studying the Upaniṣads.
SB 10.13.54
Even the devotees in Śvetadvīpa and Vaikuṇṭha have
forms. These forms are not material, since the word atīndriya is used.
Nārāyaṇīya says:
anindriyā anāhārā aniṣpannāḥ sugandhinaḥ |
ekāntinas te puruṣāḥ śveta-dvīpa-nivāsinaḥ ||
The
inhabitants living in Śvetadvīpa, devoted completely to the Lord, are
all fragrant, beyond the material senses, without any need for material
food and without material movement. Mahābhārata 12.323.26
dehendriyāsu-hīnānāṁ vaikuṇṭha-pura-vāsinām
deha-sambandha-sambaddham etad ākhyātum arhasi
The
bodies of the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha are completely spiritual, having
nothing to do with the material body, senses or life air. Therefore,
kindly explain how associates of the Lord were cursed to descend in
material bodies like ordinary persons. SB 7.1.35
What doubt can
there be that their bodies are non-material? Some persons argue with
all these conclusions. In answer to this, the following is said.
Through the power of realization of the Lord fixed in the devotee’s
heart by the svarūpa-śakti, or through the Lord’s form shining with
power and sweetness increasing at every moment (dhāmnā), which belongs
only to the Lord and which is thus extraordinary (svena), throughout
all three phases of time (sadā), all false arguments (kuhakam) about
the Lord are negated (nirasta). This is indicated in tarko
’pratiṣṭhānāt: argumentation is not accepted concerning the Lord,
because it is insubstantial. (Vedānta-sutra 2.1.11) yam evaiṣa vṛṇute
tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām: the Lord reveals his
form to that person whom he chooses. (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3) The use
of the word svām to modify tanum indicates that the body of the Lord
arises from his svarūpa-śakti. That his mind and eyes are not material
is also understood from the statements bahu syām (let me become many)
and sa aikṣata (he glanced), since these senses are employed before the
agitation of prakṛti, which produces material mind and senses. As well
parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca
(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8) indicates that his knowledge, strength and
actions arise from his own nature (svābhāvikī), not prakṛti.
acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet |
prakṛtibhyaḥ paraṁ yac ca tad acintyasya lakṣaṇam ||
One
cannot use material reasoning on those things which are inconceivable.
Inconceivable refers to those things existing beyond prakṛti.
Mahābhārata 6.6.11
The potential mood indicates that material
arguments are forbidden to be used against the Lord. It is just as
strong as the prohibition: para-dārān na gacchet: one should not have
sex with other men’s wives. If the demons, who eagerly take up arrows
of logic aimed at the Lord, fall to hell, let them fall there. Enough
of their discussions!
Second explanation:
Let us meditate
on Kṛṣṇa who is known as Satya, who — through his abode Mathurā and by
revelation of his form to his devotees — destroys ignorance concerning
himself; whose body, though appearing to be material to the demons, is
not temporary at all; who, after appearing in Vasudeva’s house went to
Nanda’s house, knowing how to cheat Kaṁsa and who, knowing the
appearance of his devotee’s prema in Vraja, remained there because of
his own people, though he is in all cases independent; and who revealed
that the cows and calves were actually the supreme brahman to Brahmā by
his will — which bewilders even persons such as Nārada.
It is said in Bhāgavatam:
daśamasya viśuddhy-arthaṁ navānām iha lakṣaṇam
varṇayanti mahātmānaḥ śrutenārthena cāñjasā
The
great devotees such as Vidura and Maitreya describe properly the nine
topics in order to impart the highest knowledge of the tenth topic,
through the words of the SB 2.10.2
Since the Supreme Lord is
the aṅgī in relation to all other topics, and since Kṛṣṇa is the chief
form of the Lord, and since there is praise for his extraordinary
qualities, Kṛṣṇa should be indicated in the first verse. Thus a second
explanation of the first verse has arisen devoted only to Kṛṣṇa. This
is indicated at the beginning with the description of Kṛṣṇa’s birth.
(Satyam param dhīmahi is explained as Kṛṣṇa.)
satya-vrataṁ satya-paraṁ tri-satyaṁ satyasya yoniṁ nihitaṁ ca satye
satyasya satyam ṛta-satya-netraṁ satyātmakaṁ tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapannāḥ
O
Lord, You never deviate from your vow, which is always perfect because
whatever Yu decide is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by
anyone. Being present in the three phases of cosmic manifestation
—creation, maintenance and annihilation — you are the Supreme Truth.
Indeed, unless one is completely truthful, one cannot achieve your
favor, which therefore cannot be achieved by hypocrites. You are the
active principle, the real truth, in all the ingredients of creation,
and therefore you are known as antaryāmī, the inner force. You are
equal to everyone, and your instructions apply for everyone, for all
time. You are the beginning of all truth. Therefore, offering our
obeisances, we surrender unto you. Kindly give us protection. SB 10.2.26
Sañjaya, explaining the derivation of Kṛṣṇa’s names, explains why Kṛṣṇa is addressed as Satya:
satye pratiṣṭhitaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ satyam atra pratiṣṭhitam|
satyāt satyaṁ ca govindas tasmāt satyo hi nāmataḥ ||
Kṛṣṇa
is fixed in the highest truth, and truth is fixed in him. Because all
truth arises from him, Govinda is respected as truth or satya.
Mahābhārata 5.68.12
Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa also says satyaṁ śrī-kṛṣnaṁ
dhīmahi paraṁ brahma narākṛtī: we meditate upon Kṛṣṇa, the supreme
brahman with human form. And Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad says tasmāt kṛṣṇa
eva paro devas taṁ dhyāyet: therefore Kṛṣṇa is the supreme Lord, and
one should meditate on him.
Let us meditate on Kṛṣṇa, the jīvas’
ignorance of whom (kuhakam) is always destroyed by his abode called
Mathurā and by his form (svena dhāmnā) which can be seen by mercy even
today. The two causes are illustrated by the following two verses.
mathyate tu jagat sarvaṁ brahma-jñānena yena vā |
tat-sāra-bhūtaṁ yad yasyāṁ mathurā sā nigadyate ||
Mathurā
is defined as that place which excites the whole world as it is
non-different from the Lord, or that place in which the essence of
spiritual knowledge is extracted (mathyate).
śravaṇāt kīrtanād dhyānāt pūyante ’nte-vasāyinaḥ
tava brahma-mayasyeśa kim utekṣābhimarśinaḥ
O
Lord, even outcastes are purified by hearing and chanting your glories
and meditating upon you, the Absolute Truth. What then to speak of
those who see and touch you? SB 10.70.43
According to Amara-koṣa, dhāma means house, body, effulgence and influence.
“Whatever
is seen by the material eye is temporary. Because Kṛṣṇa’s form can be
seen in the material world it must be temporary.” The bodies made of
the three guṇas (tri-sargaḥ) by the combination of three visible
elements earth, water and air, are false (temporary). But the form
which created those three guṇas is not false (not temporary). The
transcendental body of the Lord, though seen by the demons with
material bodies, is seen by them without realization of its sweetness,
just as sugar candy has no sweet taste when eaten by a person afflicted
with jaundice.
This is because of the will of the Lord, arising
from him inconceivable svarūpa, which accomplished his various
pastimes. The devotees, however, can realize that form of sweetness by
the influence of the Lord’s inconceivable mercy.
ānarta-dhanva-kuru-jāṅgala-kaṅka-matsya-
pāñcāla-kunti-madhu-kekaya-kośalārṇāḥ
anye ca tan-mukha-sarojam udāra-hāsa-
snigdhekṣaṇaṁ nṛpa papur dṛśibhir nr-nāryaḥ
tebhyaḥ sva-vīkṣaṇa-vinaṣṭa-tamisra-dṛgbhyaḥ
kṣemaṁ tri-loka-gurur artha-dṛśaṁ ca yacchan
śṛṇvan dig-anta-dhavalaṁ sva-yaśo ’śubha-ghnaṁ
gītaṁ surair nṛbhir agāc chanakair videhān
The
men and women of Ānarta, Dhanva, Kuru-jāṅgala, Kaṅka, Matsya, Pañcāla,
Kunti, Madhu, Kekaya, Kośala, Arṇa and many other kingdoms drank with
their eyes the nectarean beauty of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotuslike face, which
was graced with generous smiles and affectionate glances. Simply by
glancing at those who came to see him, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master
of the three worlds, delivered them from the blindness of materialism.
As he thus endowed them with fearlessness and divine vision, he heard
demigods and men singing his glories, which purify the entire universe
and destroy all misfortune. Gradually, he reached Videha. SB 10.86.20-21
These verses show that by his mercy alone his great powers can be understood.
Nārāyaṇādhyātma says:
nityāvyakto ’pi bhagavān īkṣate nija-śaktitaḥ
tām ṛte paramānandaṁ kaḥ paśyetām itaṁ prabhum
Though
the lord is eternally invisible, he is seen by his own energy. Who can
see the Lord full of supreme bliss without that energy?
Here is an explanatory verse:
tataḥ svayaṁ prakāśatva-śaktyā svecchā-prakāśayā
so ’bhivyakto bhaven netre na netra-viṣayaḥ kṛtaḥ
Thus
by his self-manifesting energy, arising by his own will, the Lord, who
is not visible to the eye, becomes visible to the eyes.
The
śruti says tāsāṁ madhye sākṣāt brahma gopāla-purī hi: in the middle of
that expanse one can see the abode of Kṛṣṇa made of brahman.
(Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad) Thus the abodes of the Lord, also made of
spiritual matter become visible. Those who are knowledgeable by the
Lord’s mercy conclude that things like pots, which are seen and which
are not spiritual, are temporary.
Having explained that the
cause of the Lord’s appearance is his mercy, his pastimes are
described. I meditate upon Kṛṣṇa, who after his birth (janmādi yataḥ)
in Vāsudeva’s house showed the form of Viṣṇu, described his previous
appearances, etc. and later went (anu ayāt) elsewhere (itarataḥ), to
the house of Nanda. Why did he go? Knowing his own purposes (abhijñaḥ
artheṣu), such as, how to cheat Kaṁsa or knowing those who had revealed
forms with various types of prema such as vātsalaya in Vraja, he went
to Nanda’s house. But this does not mean that he is dependent on
others. He is independent, ruling over himself (svarāṭ=svena rājate).
Or svarāṭ can mean that he remained there in Vraja (virājate) because
of his relatives such as Nanda (svaiḥ).
Because of his
performing such pastimes under the control of prema of his devotees in
Vraja, one should not think that he is a fool. He revealed (tene) the
calves and cowherd boys to be brahman (brahma) even unto Lord Brahmā
(ādi-kavaye), by his will alone (hṛdā), by which, through his power of
yoga-māyā, even the intelligence of persons like Śiva and Nārada are
bewildered.
Or Kṛṣṇa by the statements of his svāṁśa form Matsya
revealed his form as impersonal brahman to Satyavrata (ādi-kavaye), who
was the wise man (kavi) and founder of his dynasty (ādi). This is
described in the following verse:
madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca paraṁ brahmeti śabditam |
vetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ me sampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi ||
By
my mercy, you will realize my power known as the impersonal Brahman,
which will be disclosed in your heart through questions and answers. SB
8.24.38
Śrīdhara Svāmī explains this verse as follows: you will
directly see (vetsyasi) this brahman, which will be by my mercy (me
ahugṛhītam); it will be explained at the beginning of the prayers of
the Personified Vedas (SB10.87.2) that the brahman is realized by the
Lord’s mercy alone.
Third explanation:
Let us meditate on
Kṛṣṇa, from whom arises madhura-rasa through meeting and separation;
who, as the hero, most skilful in everything related to rasa, is beyond
the material realm; who conveyed to Bharata Muni the same madhura-rasa,
about which other poets are bewildered; in whom alone arises the three
types of literary meaning, in extraordinary form; and who defeats the
withered arguers by the extraordinary influence of the experience of
madhura-rasa.
Another meaning is revealed in the verse, showing
the highest choice of Kṛṣṇa’s rasa, with the appearance of the highest
sweetness with the gopīs, even though he has other associates in śānta,
dāsya, sakhya and vātsalya.
tatrātiśuśubhe tābhir bhagavān devakī-sutaḥ
madhye maṇīnāṁ haimānāṁ mahā-marakato yathā
In
the midst of the dancing gopīs, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared most brilliant,
like an exquisite sapphire in the midst of golden ornaments. SB 10.33.6
Let
us meditate on Kṛṣṇa from whom appears the highest rasa śṛṅgāra-rasa
(janma ādyasya). Previously this rasa, though existing, had disappeared
because of the censure by conservative spiritual aspirants. By meeting
(anvayāt) and separation (itarataḥ) this rasa with the gopīs is
accomplished. Just as Bhīmasena is represented by the word Bhīma, so
the ādya-rasa is represented by the word ādya. Or because Bhāgavatam is
considered to the scriptural form of madhura-rasa (pibata bhāgavatam
rasam) by the proximity of the verses the word ādyasya can infer the
word rasasya as the object which is being described. The state created
by meeting and separation actually establishes the rasa as its
counterpart. Thus there is no worry that the original form of rasa is
degraded by this condition. Rather such a state indicates the secret
nature of this madhura-rasa.
Next there is an elaboration of the
vibhāva in the form of the ālambana. Kṛṣṇa is knowledgeable of, or
skilful in (abhijṇaḥ), all things suitable for rasa such as the sixty
four arts. But unlike material heroes such as Nala who are affected by
time and karma, Kṛṣṇa, the viṣaya of spiritual rasa, is independent and
spiritual (svarāṭ).
Rasa should not be accredited to other
persons. He alone conveyed the truth about ādi-rasa (brahma) through
his mind (hṛdā) unto Bharata Muni (ādi-kavaye), the famous exponent of
material rasa. This reveals that rasa originates only from Kṛṣṇa.
Amara-koṣa says that brahma can mean Vedas, truth or austerity.
In
this truth (yatra) the poets are bewildered because of the descriptions
with concentration on material heroes such as Nala. An example is
given. Just as one mistakes fire or earth for water, people think the
rasa directed only to the Lord should be directed to material persons.
There is no rasa in material heroes whose temporary bodies end in ashes
and worm waste. Rather, on consideration, in this there is a
contradiction to rasa — distaste or disgust — because of the perversion
of the object of love, vibhāva. The unintelligent describe rasa in such
persons.
In the Lord there is the creation of the three
meanings; literal, metaphorical and suggested, or creation of allusion
(dhvani), skill in composition (guṇa) and literary ornaments
(alaṅkarā). These are real (amṛṣā) and become amazing because of their
extraordinary nature in Kṛṣṇa. The life force of the material hero made
simply of proud words of poets is false
Some persons do not
accept rasa. By the amazing influence of the direct experience of
tasting madhura-rasa (dhāmnā) which is extraordinary (svena), Kṛṣṇa
defeats the withered Mīmāṁsakas.
Fourth explanation:
Without
deceit, in correct manner, aspiring for the highest goal, we meditate
on Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa from whom arises the height of madhura-rasa. By
giving up the other gopīs and following only her, as dhīra-lalita he
showed his expertise in the chief aspects of rasa and she exhibited
herself as an independent lover. Kṛṣṇa imparted through the heart to
Śukadeva, knower of this rasa from birth, the Bhāgavatam, by which the
devotees faint in ecstasy and undergo transformation, just as fire,
water and earth reverse their properties and by whose influence the
three śaktis remain eternally.
Among all the gopīs, the peak of
sweetness arises in the company of the queen of Vṛndāvana, the
principal gopī. This is indicated in the following verses:
kasyāḥ padāni caitāni yātāyā nanda-sūnunā
aṁsa-nyasta-prakoṣṭhāyāḥ kareṇoḥ kariṇā yathā
Here
we see the footprints of some gopī who must have been walking along
with the son of Nanda Mahārāja. He must have put his arm on her
shoulder, just as an elephant rests his trunk on the shoulder of an
accompanying she-elephant. SB 10.30.27
anayārādhito nūnaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
yan no vihāya govindaḥ prīto yām anayad rahaḥ
Certainly
this particular gopī has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful
Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since he was so pleased withhHer that
he abandoned the rest of us and brought her to a secluded place. SB
10.30.28
A meaning which indicates this should be found in the first verse of Bhāgavatam.
We
meditate upon the Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa from whom there is the appearance
(janma) of madhura-rasa (ādyasya). This means that these two are the
supreme receptacle of the art of madhura-rasa.
Giving up all
other gopī lovers (itarataḥ), he followed her alone and became obedient
to her (anvayāt). Itarataḥ has an ablative meaning (from others) and
indicates a suppressed indeclinable participle.[3] The following verse
shows how he followed only Rādhā.
atrāvaropitā kāntā puṣpa-hetor mahātmanā
atra prasūnāvacayaḥ priyārthe preyasā kṛtaḥ
And
over here that intelligent boy must have put her down to gather some
flowers. Just see how in this place dear Kṛṣṇa collected flowers for
his beloved. SB 10.30.31-32
Because he gave up other gopīs and
followed her alone, he is known as dhīra-lalita lover,[4] favorable for
cultivating rasa. He is thus called “one who is fully knowledgeable of
the chief rasas filled with madhura-rasa (artheṣu abhijñaḥ).” And
because he is dhīra-lalita, she alone remains with her lover (svarāṭ),
as a svādhīna-kāntā, a woman who controls Kṛṣṇa.
In order to
reveal all this, he imparted through the heart the Bhāgavatam (brahma)
containing as its essence the five chapters on rasa to Śukadeva, knower
of this tattva (kavaye) from his birth (ādi). The Bhāgavatam is called
brahma in the following verse. idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma purāṇaṁ
brahma-sammitam: this Bhāgavata Purāṇa is furnished with brahman. (SB
1.3.40) śuka-mukād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam: Bhāgavatam is sweetness
flowing from the mouth of Śuka. (SB 1.1.3) Śuka-vāg-amṛtābdhīnduḥ:
Kṛṣṇa is the moon rising from the sweet ocean of words of Śuka.
(Kṛṣṇa-astottara-śata-nāma-stora, Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa)
From hearing
the Bhāgavatam (yad) since it has rasa, the devotees faint in ecstasy
from tasting the rasa (yad sūrayaḥ muhyanti). Or because Rādhā and
Kṛṣṇa are the objects of their hearing and seeing, their close
associates (sūrayaḥ), though most wise, become bewildered. This means
that they take on qualities opposite their normal qualities, out of
ecstasy. And others are included in this ecstasy also. This is
illustrated through an example. Their ecstasy is just like earth, water
and fire reversing their properties. For instance the moon, a form of
fire, on seeing the rāsa-līlā of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, gave up its quality
of moving and became stunned like earth. Water, on hearing the sound of
the flute, became stunned like earth. Stones made of earth because
liquid like water.
By the influence of these two (yatra dhāmnā
svena) the creation of the three consorts (tri-sargaḥ) Śrī, Bhū and
Līlā; or the gopīs, the queens and Lakṣmīs; or the internal, external
and marginal potencies becomes factual (amṛsā). This means that the
consorts such as Śrī who have been manifested by Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, by
their influence, by their being the basis of the consorts, exist
eternally because of their eternal relationship. We meditate on them
without deceit, as in real forms (satyam) and as the most excellent
forms (param). Thus the object of worship (Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, viṣaya) of
the Bhāgavatam has been shown as the subject of the first verse.
Fifth explanation:
Let
us meditate on the most beneficial spiritual process which is beyond
the guṇas, which brings about the appearance of the Lord as Bhagavān
and by which there is realization of brahman and Paramātmā in the
processes of jñāna and yoga;which is complete knowledge, independent of
other processes; which was revealed by Nārada to Vyāsa, but which is
bewildering to even great sages; which is not mixed with the three
guṇas; and which defeats its opponents by its very nature of giving
direct experience of bliss.
The process of bhakti is indicated
by scriptures as the abhidheya by which the āśraya, Kṛṣṇa, can be
attained. It brings about the highest realization and attracts even
Kṛṣṇa. That bhakti then becomes the prayojana, prema. Thus bhakti-yoga
should also be considered as the subject of this verse. Because of
this, another meaning is included as an essential theme of this verse.
Thus it is said in the Twelfth Canto:
mṛṣā giras tā hy asatīr asat-kathā na kathyate yad bhagavān adhokṣajaḥ
tad eva satyaṁ tad u haiva maṅgalaṁ tad eva puṇyaṁ bhagavad-guṇodayam
Words
that do not describe the transcendental Lord but instead deal with
temporary matters are simply false, harsh and useless. Only those words
that manifest the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord are
actually truthful, auspicious and pure.
tad eva ramyaṁ ruciraṁ navaṁ navaṁ tad eva śaśvan manaso mahotsavam
tad eva śokārṇava-śoṣaṇaṁ nṛṇāṁ yad uttamaḥśloka-yaśo ’nugīyate
Those
words describing the glories of the all-famous Lord are attractive,
relishable and ever fresh. They are a perpetual festival for the mind,
and they dry up the ocean of misery. SB 12.12.49-50
Taking
bhakti as the subject of the verse, param, the best, then means “beyond
the three guṇas,” since bhakti is another form of the real substance
(vāstava-vastu). Satyam refers to bhakti-yoga which is full of the most
auspicious qualities beneficial for spiritual practitioners (sat).
Satyaṁ paraṁ dhimahi then means “let us meditate on transcendental
bhakti-yoga.”
lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam
It is filled with the qualities of bhakti-yoga, which is beyond the guṇas. SB 3.29.12
na hy aṅgopakrame dhvaṁso mad-dharmasyoddhavāṇv api
mayā vyavasitaḥ samyaṅ nirguṇatvād anāśiṣaḥ
O
Uddhava! Because I have personally established it, this process of
niṣkāma-bhakti is beyond the guṇas. Even by starting and not completing
the process, there is no destruction of results. SB 11.29.20
vijñāna-ghana ānanda-ghanaḥ sac-cidānandaika-rase bhakti-yoge tiṣṭhati
The
Lord full of knowledge and bliss is situated in bhakti-yoga which is
also eternity, knowledge and bliss. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 2.78
Then
the power of bhakti is described. From bhakti (yataḥ) there is an
appearance (janma) of the Supreme Lord (ādyasya) in the worshippers as
Bhagavān. As well, by the association of bhakti (anvayāt) there is
realization of the Supreme Lord as brahman and Paramātmā in other
processes (itarataḥ artheṣu) — niṣkāma-karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and
aṣṭāṅga-yoga.
“But it is well known that cultivation of pure
jñāna alone gives realization of brahman.” No. The Supreme Lord is
jñāna in complete form (abhijñaḥ). Because jñāna is in the mode of
sattva only, without the association (anvaya) of bhakti, there can be
no realization of brahman or Paramātmā.
Thus it is said:
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvara na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
Even
the stage of jñāna without the bondage of karma is not glorious because
it is devoid of bhakti to the Supreme Lord. What is the use of having
destroyed ignorance? What to speak of sakāma-karma which is suffering
during practice and perfection, and niṣkāma-karma, when not offered to
the Lord? SB 1.5.12
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram
Only by bhakti can a person know me as Brahman. Then, knowing me as Brahman by that bhakti, he merges with Me. BG 18.55
”Jñāna-yoga,
for realizing brahman, is dependent on bhakti, and bhakti, for
realizing Bhagavān, is dependent on jñāna.” To counteract this
argument, it is said that this bhakti-yoga reigns independently
(svarāṭ).” The king being independent is not dependent on anyone.
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ |
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṁ param ||
The
person desiring destruction of all desires, the person with all
desires, even the person with the intense desire for liberation, if he
has good intelligence, will worship the Supreme Lord with pure bhakti.
. SB 2.3.10
Tivreṇa bhakti-yogena means “by pure bhakti.” Bhakti
should remain unmixed with jñāna or other elements, just as the sun’s
rays remain untouched by the clouds.
yat karmabhir yat tapasā jñāna-vairāgyataś ca yat
yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair api
sarvaṁ mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ’ñjasā
svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathañcid yadi vāñchati
Everything
that can be achieved by karma, penance, jñāna, vairāgya, mystic yoga,
charity, dharma and all other auspicious means of perfecting life is
easily achieved by my devotee through bhakti. If somehow or other my
devotee desires Svarga, liberation, or residence in my abode, he easily
achieves such benedictions. SB 11.20.32-33
On the other hand mixed bhakti is prohibited for devotees:
tasmān mad-bhakti-yuktasya yogino vai mad-ātmanaḥ
na jñānaṁ na ca vairāgyaṁ prāyaḥ śreyo bhaved iha
Therefore,
for a devotee engaged in my loving service, with mind fixed on me, the
cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of
achieving the highest perfection within this world. SB 11.20.31
However
such pure bhakti cannot be attained without the mercy of devotees. This
is next stated in the verse. That bhakti was revealed (tene) by mercy
to Vyāsa (ādi-kavaye) by Nārada, who has Brahman (Kṛṣṇa) in his heart
(brahma-hṛdā).
“But how can we understand that even omniscient
Vyāsa’s knowledge of bhakti is dependent on another person (Nārada)?”
Even the sages such as Vasiṣṭa are bewildered about bhakti-yoga which
is beyond the guṇas. Because it is impossible for minds and
intelligences generated from the guṇas, to understand by themselves
about bhakti-yoga without the mercy of devotees, those persons only
attain ignorance (muhyanti). This is mentioned in the Haṁsa-guhya
prayers:
yac-chaktayo vadatāṁ vādināṁ vai vivāda-saṁvāda-bhuvo bhavanti
kurvanti caiṣāṁ muhur ātma-mohaṁ tasmai namo ’nanta-guṇāya bhūmne
I
offer respects to the great Lord of eternal qualities, whose material
energy is the cause of agreement and disagreement among those who make
philosophies and then argue with others, whose material energy
continually bewilders them as to the real nature of ātmā. SB 6.4.31
“But
bhakti is not completely beyond the guṇas. This is shown in the Third
Canto where bhakti is described as sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasika.” In
this bhakti (yatra) the idea that it is made of the three guṇas
(tri-sargaḥ) is unfounded (mṛṣā). Although milk is not made of fire,
water of dust in its natural state, it can become burned by fire,
diluted by water and contaminated with dirt. Similarly, bhakti-yoga,
beyond the three guṇas, is called sāttvika, rājasika or tāmasika only
because of the sattva, rajas and tamas possessed by persons practicing
bhakti.
“Many people will object if you say bhakti-yoga is
beyond the guṇas.” This bhakti-yoga defeats all the arguers because of
its very nature (dhāmnā svena) -- being filled with unprecedented
sweetness that can be realized by the devotees. This means that since
it is directly realized, it does not depend on any other proof to
defeat the arguers.
Bhāgavatam is compared to a lamp in the following two verses:
yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam
adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo ’ndham
saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyaṁ
taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām
I
surrender to the son of Vyāsa, the incomparable guru of all the sages,
who mercifully spoke the Purāṇa full of hidden meanings, the essence of
all the scriptures, the essence of hearing, for all the people of this
world, even in the future; who spoke the Bhāgavatam, which revealed the
excellence of rasa to Śukadeva, and which is the revealer of ātmā for
those desiring to cross dense ignorance with ease. SB 1.2.3
kasmai yena vibhāsito ’yam atulo jñāna-pradīpaḥ purā
tad-rūpeṇa ca nāradāya munaye kṛṣṇāya tad-rūpiṇā
yogīndrāya tad-ātmanātha bhagavad-rātāya kāruṇyatas
tac chuddhaṁ vimalaṁ viśokam amṛtaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi
I
meditate upon that pure, spotless Nārāyaṇa, who is free from suffering
and death and who previously revealed this incomparable lamp of
knowledge to Brahmā. Brahmā then spoke it to the sage Nārada, who
narrated it to Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. Śrīla Vyāsa revealed this
Bhāgavatam to the greatest of sages, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva
mercifully spoke it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. SB 12.13.19
Bhāgavatam is compared to the sun:
kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa purāṇārko ’dhunoditaḥ
Though
Kṛṣṇa, departing Dvārakā, arrived at Prabhāsa, and then disappeared
along with his six opulences, this Purāṇa, another form of the sun, has
now risen in Kali-yuga for those who have lost their knowledge. SB
1.3.43
Bhāgavatam is described as giving a tasty fruit in the
third verse of this chapter with nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
rasam: it is the matured fruit (of rasa) of the desire tree of the
Vedas. (SB 1.1.3)
Bhāgavatam is compared to Mohinī avatāra because it gives different results to different people:
ādi-madhyāvasāneṣu vairāgyākhyāna-saṁyutam
hari-līlā-kathā-vrātā-mṛtānandita-sat-suram
sarva-vedānta-sāraṁ yad brahmātmaikatva-lakṣaṇam
vastv advitīyaṁ tan-niṣṭhaṁ kaivalyaika-prayojanam
From
beginning to end, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of the Lord's pastimes
which give bliss to the devotees, endowed with a sense of renunciation.
This Bhāgavatam is the essence of all Vedānta philosophy because its
subject matter is one Brahman, a substance with no duality. The main
goal of the work is merging. SB 12.13.11-12
The first
explanation of this first verse of Bhāgavatam shows its nature as a
light (giving deliverance from misery through general understanding of
the Lord or adhyātmā). The second explanation shows it as the sun (more
powerful, destroying misconceptions of the demons, bringing joy to the
devotees). The third, fourth and fifth explanations show it is the
bestower of tasty fruit full of rasa (revealing madhura-rasa, Rādhā and
pure bhakti). The devotees, being the rightful recipients, are
considered to be like the devatās, since they receive the nectar in the
form of relishing the rarest taste of these five meanings. The
Bhāgavatam is considered to be like Mohinī, serving out these different
meanings of Bhāgavatam to the devotees.
Though all twelve cantos
of the Bhāgavatam are like the tasty fruit, the sun and the lamp, the
topics of creation and destruction (sarga and nirodha) and various
verses describing this are considered to be the lamp, since those
topics reveal only the general aspect of the Lord (adhyātmā). Secondary
creation (visarga), maintenance (sthāna), protection (poṣaṇa) and other
topics (ūti, manvantara, īśānukathā, and mukti) are considered to be
the sun since they reveal, in addition, the results of forbidden
practices for enjoyment and renunciation available in dharma, artha,
kāma, mokṣa and their unlimited sub-varieties. Topics dealing with the
appearance and pastimes of the Lord (āśraya) and his devotees, and with
bhakti and prema, are considered to be the tasty fruit of rasa. All the
topics however give joy to the devotees of the Lord by taking on a
meaning favorable for bhakti. The same topics however are like Mohinī
and take on a different meaning for bewildering the demonic group who
give meanings unfavorable for bhakti. One should not say that it is
unbefitting to eulogize the unfavorable meanings of the Bhāgavatam
which is directly filled with bhakti-rasa. The Supreme Lord is full of
all śaktis and so is the Bhāgavatam. Thus it takes meanings
corresponding to the minds of various types of persons (adhikāris of
this śāstra), for such revelation is befitting the person (the Lord)
who possesses all powers.
mallānām aśanir nṛṇāṁ nara-varaḥ strīṇāṁ smaro mūrtimān
gopānāṁ sva-jano ’satāṁ kṣiti-bhujāṁ śāstā sva-pitroḥ śiśuḥ
mṛtyur bhoja-pater virāḍ aviduṣāṁ tattvaṁ paraṁ yogināṁ
vṛṣṇīnāṁ para-devateti vidito raṅgaṁ gataḥ sāgrajaḥ
The
various groups of people in the arena regarded Kṛṣṇa in different ways
when He entered it with His elder brother. The wrestlers saw Kṛṣṇa as a
lightning bolt, the men of Mathurā as the best of males, the women as
Cupid in person, the cowherd men as their relative, the impious rulers
as a chastiser, His parents as their child, the King of the Bhojas as
death, the unintelligent as a material form, the yogīs as the Absolute
Truth and the Vṛṣṇis as their supreme worshipable Deity. SB 10.43.17
In
the above verse it is mentioned virāḍ aviduṣām: for the foolish he
appeared to be a material person. Thus everything is in agreement.
Jiva's tika || 1.1.1 ||
janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijnaḥ svarāṭ tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ |
tejo-vāri-mṛdām yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mṛṣā dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhīmahi ||
TRANSLATION
Let us meditate upon the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, who is the cause of
creation, maintenance and destruction of this universe, as the material
and efficient cause, since he is the only knower of all objects and the
only independent being; who revealed the Vedas to Brahmā within his
mind; who is difficult to understand even for the learned; whose body
is thought to be made of matter due to illusion just as one mistakes
fire, water and earth for each other; and who negates all false
arguments regarding his existence by possessing a transcendental,
inconceivable form, and by the strength of devotees’ experiencing him
though his svarūpa-śakti.
Śrīdhara Svāmī’s meaning is
explained. Param means the Supreme Lord. It does not indicate the
impersonal Brahman of the abheda-vādīs. We should meditate on the
Supreme Lord. The word satyam indicate satyam jnānam anantam brahma,
the qualities of the Supreme Lord.
atha kasmād ucyate brahma bṛmhati bṛhmayati ca
Why is he called Brahman? He increases and causes increase.
bṛhatvād brmhaṇatvāc ca yad brahma paramam viduḥ
They know the Lord as the supreme Brahman because he is great and nourishes others. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.12.57)
Thus
the word Brahman means the Supreme Lord full of all śaktis. The nature
of the Lord is indicated by the words tri-sarga mṛṣā: the world takes
shelter of him. An example is given. tejo-vāri-mṛdām: as one mistakes
earth for water etc., the jīva makes mistakes concerning the Supreme
Lord. Or he mistakes what is unconscious for what is conscious. Since
the perception takes place only by illusion of the jīva, the jīva
actually has no relationship with the material realm which causes his
ignorance. The jīva is in ignorance, like mistaking an illusion in the
desert to be water, but the Lord is a conscious entity full of
knowledge (abhijnaḥ). He is by nature full of knowledge: he is the
knower as his very nature (svarāṭ).
“If the individual is in
illusion, the sum total of consciousness should also be in illusion.”
But the Lord possesses the śakti of eternal knowledge as his very
nature (dhāmnā svena). That is explained later. If knowledge were only
an upādhi, the word svena (his own) would be meaningless. The Lord
defeats all illusion created by māyā (kuhakam). Arjuna says:
tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ māyām vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani
You
are the original Personality of Godhead who expands Himself all over
the creations and is transcendental to material energy. You have cast
away the effects of the material energy by dint of your spiritual
potency. You are always situated in eternal bliss and transcendental
knowledge. (SB 1.7.23)
Though the jīva, a conscious particle
of the Lord, is non-different from the Lord, he is the basis of
illusion. He is thus not the object of prayer like the Lord. The Lord
remains one entity, beyond the consciousness of the jīva.
Secondary
characteristics are given, to show how the Lord manifests the universe.
Janmādyasya yataḥ: from the Lord arises creation of the universe. The
world is not illusory like a mirage of water in the desert. If it were
illusory like a mirage, the statement would be useless. The Lord is the
cause of this manifestation. Anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu indicates
firstly that the Lord is understood to be the cause by logical
connection (anvayāt). Opposite statements which give opposite
meaning
are criticized. Such meanings are like flowers in the sky. A second
meaning is that the Lord is shown to be the cause (artha) and the
universe is his effect (artha), but the effect is dependent on the
cause. The effect follows after the cause. The cause and effect cannot
be equated. Thus śūnyavāda and arambhavāda are rejected.
Having
shown logical meanings for materialistic people, now for persons with
devotion, the śrutis (another meaning of anvayāt) are indicated,
according to sāstra-yonitvāt: the Lord is known through scriptures.
(Brahma-sūtra 1.1.3) yato vā imāni bhūtāni: From the Lord arise all
beings. Suitable statements in the negative can also be found. Katham
asataḥ saj jāyeta: how does the real arise from the unreal? (Chāndogya
Upaniṣad)
Since it is stated that thinking the Lord is
material is illusory, like seeing a mirage of water in the desert, the
claim that an unconscious entity or pradhāna is the cause of everything
is refuted. The Lord is thus called abhijnaḥ. He can never be
unconscious. He is at all times (abhi) the knower (jnaḥ). Since he at
all times thinks about everything, seeing everything, the verse
confirms the statement īkṣater nāśabdam: since the Lord glances or is
conscious, there is no proof that the cause of the universe is
unconscious. (Brahma-sutra 1.1.5)
Matter cannot be the cause
of the universe as is claimed by others. There is no proof in
scriptures, since scriptures state that the Lord glances to cause
creation. If the Lord glances he must be conscious. Pradhāna is
unconscious.
“The material world (tri-sarga) is unconscious.
Jīva which make such mistakes is consciousness, since he cause the
illusions. He should be called sarva-jna. He is described in statements
like bahu syām: I will become many. As in a dream the jīva thinks he is
the material body, by his imaginary knowledge.”
The conclusion
is given. This is not so. The jīva is not omniscient and cannot see
everything since his knowing is dependent on the Lord. This is
described in the Antaryāmī-śruti. By his knowledge jīva is able to
produce illusory knowledge. Does Brahmā have perfect knowledge? No, not
at all. The Lord gives him knowledge in his heart (tene brahma hṛdā ya
ādi-kavaye). By giving knowledge, he gives liberation. It is concluded
that the jīva and his knowledge is very different from the Lord and his
knowledge.
Satyam indicates that everything exists because of
the Lord’s existence. He gives existence to all else. He is the basis
of everything. He is untouched by all faults.
He
possesses all knowledge by his very nature. He is the ultimate doer and
giver of liberation. He is the form of eternal bliss and knowledge.
Thus he is supreme existence (satyam param). He should be the object of
meditation. Śārīraka-bhāsya accepts that the Lord has knowledge as his
nature, using statements like īkṣater nāśabdam. Without knowledge,
there would be no glancing before prakṛti became agitated. Two mantras
illustrate the Lord’s nature:
na tasya kāryam karaṇam ca
vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate parāsya śaktir vividhaiva
śrūyate svābhāvikī jnāna-bala-kriyā ca
He has no body and no
senses. No one is equal to him or higher. His supreme power is
manifold. His actions are naturally revealed with knowledge and
strength. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad
apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇoty akarṇaḥ sa vetti vedyam na ca tasya vettā tam āhur agryam puruṣam purāṇam
He
has no feet or hands, yet he is the swiftest runner and can grasp
anything. Though without eyes or ears, he sees and hears. Nobody knows
him, the Lord. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad
Advaita-vadis reason as
follows. “If something is to be known, there must be a knower. Since
the world is made of ignorance, since ignorance is indescribable by
being both existent and non-existent, and because the world is
perceived by the ignorant jīva through his ignorance, the world is not
real and being a knower of it is unreal. There is also absence of its
śakti.”
The Vaiṣṇavas speak, acknowledging their statement.
The falsity of the world is the jīvas perception. The Lord’s knowledge
is unfailing. By knowledge of the Lord, illusion is destroyed. His
existence is accepted. Just as the Lord’s position as the highest
cause, creating the universe etc., is accepted, his possession of
natural śaktis is accepted. Since one must accept a specific object as
the cause in manifesting a specific effect, the Lord is accepted as the
cause alone with his natural śaktis.
By intrinsic
knowledge beyond ignorance, personal qualities manifest in the Lord.
Thus it is said svābhāvikī jnānabalakriyā ca: the Lord has natural
knowledge, strength and actions. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad). This is the
Lord’s svarūpa-śakti. This accomplishes the Lord’s position as
Bhagavān.
The statement “He imparted knowledge to Brahmā
through the heart (tene brahm ahrdā ya ādi-kavaye) is confirmed by the
śruti asya mahato bhūtasya niḥśvasitam eta dyad ṛgveda: from the Lord’s
breathing arose the Ṛg Veda. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad) This breathing
is spiritual. Nāsad āsīn no sad āsīt tadānīm: at that time neither the
subtle nor the gross aspects of matter were present. (Ṛg Veda 10.129.1)
This indicates that the form of the existent (Lord) is not material.
This is indicated by saying that the Lord is never covered by matter,
as in the Second Canto, in describing Vaikuṇṭha.
pravartate
yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvam ca miśram na ca kāla-vikramaḥ na yatra
māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ
In that
personal abode of the Lord, the material modes of ignorance and passion
do not prevail, nor is there any of their influence in goodness. There
is no predominance of the influence of time, so what to speak of the
illusory, external energy; it cannot enter that region. Without
discrimination, both the demigods and the demons worship the Lord as
devotees. (SB 2.9.10)
iti sancintya Bhagavān mahā-kāruṇiko hariḥ darśayām āsa lokam svam gopānām tamasaḥ param
Thus
deeply considering the situation, the all-merciful Hari revealed to the
cowherd men his abode, which is beyond material darkness. (SB 10.28.14)
Even ātmārāmas attained the highest bliss on realizing the powers of the Lord’s śaktis.
ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame kurvanty ahaitukīm bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ
Some
sages who are ātmārāmas, beyond the scriptures, false ego and rules,
also practice unmotivated, pure bhakti to the master of pure bhakti,
Kṛṣṇa, since he possesses qualities attractive to even them. (SB
1.7.10)
Situated as the Lord’s rays by the Lord’s śakti,
having knowledge uncovered by the Lord’s māyā nitya-siddha jīvas
meditate on the Lord to perfect their knowledge. That is indicated by
the word dhīmahi, which hints at the gāyatrīmantra, as explained in
Matsya Purāṇa description of Bhāgavatam. Since the gāyatrī mantra is
the original form of all mantras it is not proper to pronounce the
whole gāyatrī. The one word clearly indicates that mantra.
Janmādy
asya yataḥ indicates the gāyatrī-mantra’s syllable om, since om also
indicates the Lord full of power to cause creation and destruction.
Yatra tri-sargo mṛṣā indicates bhūr bhuvaḥ svāḥ of the gāyatrī-mantra.
Both phrases indicate that the Lord is non-different from the three
worlds.
Svarāṭ indicates the supreme effulgence which
manifests the Lord (sāvitur bhargo). Tene brahma hrdā indicates a
prayer to inspire the intelligence (dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt). By the
Lord’s mercy one’s intellect becomes inspire to repeat the Vedas. Antas
tad-dharmopadeśāt: Paramātmā is the person in the eye and the sun,
because the teachings describe the Lord's qualities. Brahma-sūtra
1.1.20
One should meditate on this form which is infinite
bliss. The meaning of the gāyatrī as explained in Agni Purāṇa agrees
with Bhāgavatam’s conclusion. The explanation can be found in Tattva
Sandarbha. It will also be shown later here.
Tattva Sandarbha 20: yatrādhikṛtya gāyatrīm varṇyate dharma-vistaraḥ |
vṛtrāsura-vadhopetam
tad-bhāgavatam iṣyate || It is called the Bhāgavatam, which describes
the killing of Vṛtrāsura, and in which dharma is described in detail
after referring to the gāyatrī. Matsya Purāṇa 53.20
Dharma-vistāraḥ
in the quote from Matsya Purāṇa means a detailed description of the
highest dharma, bhakti. That is indicated in dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo
‘tra paramaḥ, the supreme dharma which completely rejects cheating, in
the second verse. This means Bhāgavatam presents meditation on the
Lord. This will be explained later.
The killing of Vṛtrāsura is mentioned to indicate that the character of Bhāgavatam is to describe the great devotees.
grantho’ṣṭādaśa-sāhasro dvādaśa-skandha-sammitaḥ |
hayagrīva-brahma-vidyā yatra vṛtra-vadhas tathā |
gāyatryā ca samārambhas tad vai bhāgavatam viduḥ ||
The
scripture has eighteen thousand verses and twelve volumes. In it, there
is Hayagrīva-brahma-vidyā and the killing of Vṛtrāsura. It begins with
the gāyatrī mantra. This is known as Bhāgavatam. Vāmana Purāṇa
Hayagrīva-brahma-vidyā
refers to the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca used in the killing of Vṛtrāsura. The
word Hayagrīva (horse neck) refers to Dadhīci who had a horse’s head.
He explained the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca which is known as brahma-vidyā. His
horse head is described in the Sixth Canto:
sa vā adhigato dadhyann aśvibhyām brahma niṣkalam yad vā aśvaśiro nāma tayor amaratām vyadhāt
Dadhīci
personally assimilated the spiritual science called Aśvaśira (horse
head) and then delivered it to the Aśvinī-kumāras. The Aśvinī-kumāras
then became jīvan-muktas, liberated even in this life. (SB 6.9.52)
The brahma-vidyā is described:
etac chrutvā tathovāca dadhyan ātharvaṇas tayoḥ |
pravargyam brahma-vidyām ca sat-kṛto’satya-śankitaḥ ||
Hearing
this, Dadhyaṇ Ātharvaṇas, being worshipped by the Āśvini-kumāras and
fearing untruthfulness, spoke Brahma-vidyā and prāṇa-vidyā to them.
In Skanda Purāṇa there are seen the same verses that are found in Matsya Purāṇa:
sārasvatasya kalpasya madhye ye syuḥ narāmarāḥ sad-vṛttāntodbhavam loke tac ca bhāgavatam smṛtam
That which describes the activities of dharma of men and devatās during the Sārasvata-kalpa is called the Bhāgavatam.
likhitvā tac ca yo dadyād dhema-simha-samanvitam |
prauṣṭha-padyām paurṇamāsyām sa yāti paramām gatim |
aṣṭādaśa-sahasrāṇi purāṇam tat prakīrtitam ||
The
person who writes out the Bhāgavatam and the gifts it, placing it on a
golden throne on the full moon of Bhadrā month, attains the highest
goal. It is
known as the Purāṇa with eighteen thousand verses. Matsya Purāṇa 53.22
Elsewhere also eighteen thousand verses are mentioned.
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the highest sattvika scripture since it is dear to the Lord and treasured by the devotees.
Gautama says to Ambarīṣa:
purāṇam tvam bhāgavatam paṭhase purato hareḥ |
caritam daitya-rājasya prahlādasya ca bhūpate ||
You should read in front of the deity Bhāgavatam, which contains the story of Prahlāda and the king of the demons. Padma Purāṇa
In glorifying Vyanjulī Mahā-dvādasī, this teaching is given:
rātrau tu jāgaraḥ kāryaḥ śrotavyā vaiṣṇavī kathā |
gītānām asahasram ca purāṇam śuka-bhāṣitam |
paṭhitavyam prayatnena hareḥ santoṣa-kāraṇam ||
One
should stay awake at night and hear about the Lord. One should
attentively recite Bhagavad Gītā, the thousand names of Viṣṇu, and the
Purāṇa spoken by Śukadeva, which pleases the Lord. Padma Purāṇa
In Skanda Purāṇa, Dvārakā-māhātmya, it is said:
śrīmad-bhāgavatam bhaktyā paṭhate hari-sannidhau |
jāgare tat-padam yāti kula-vṛnda-samanvitaḥ |
Reciting
Bhāgavatam with devotion near the deity while staying awake at night, a
person goes to Vaikuṇṭha with all his family. Skanda Purāṇa
Garuda Purāṇa says:
pūrṇaḥ so’yam atiśayaḥ |
artho’yam brahma-sūtrāṇām bhāratārtha-vinirṇayaḥ || gāyatrī-bhāṣya-rūpo’sau vedārtha-paribṛmhitaḥ |
purāṇānām sāma-rūpaḥ sākṣād-bhagavatoditaḥ || dvādaśa-skandha-yukto’yam śatavic-cheda-samyutaḥ |
grantho’ṣṭādaśa-sāhasraḥ śrīmad-bhāgavatābhidhaḥ ||
This
work is most complete. It expresses the meaning of the Brahma-sūtras
and Mahābhārata. It is the explanation of gāyatrī and reinforces the
meaning of the Vedas. It is the Sāma Veda among the Purāṇas and has
arisen directly from the Lord. It has twelve volumes and a hundred
divisions. It has eighteen thousand verses. It is called
Śrīmad-bhāgavatam.
It is the meaning of the Brahma-sūtras.
This means it is the natural commentary on the sutras. Previously it
appeared in his mind in a subtle form. Abbreviated, it appeared again
as the sutras. Later it appeared as Bhāgavatam with great details.
Though this is the self-evident commentary on the sūtras, other recent
commentaries made by independent thinking are to be respected if they
follow the Bhāgavatam.
Bhāgavatam gives the meaning of Mahābhārata (bhāratārtha-vinirṇayaḥ). (That meaning is described as follows.)
nirṇayaḥ sarva-śāstrāṇām bhāratam parikīrtitam |
bhāratam sarva-vedāś ca tulām āropitāḥ purā |
devair brahmādibhiḥ sarvair ṛṣibhiś ca samanvitaiḥ || vyāsasyaivājnayā tatra tv atiricyate bhāratam |
mahattvād bhāravattvāc ca mahābhāratam ucyate || 1.1.209
Mahābhārata
is famous as the conclusion of all scriptures. Previously Mahābhārata
was weighed on scales against all the Vedas by all devatās such as
Brahmā and all sages, on the order of Vyāsa, Mahābhārata surpassed the
Vedas on the scale. It is called Mahābhārata because it is huge and
weighty.
“Describing the meaning of Mahābhārata” means
Mahābhārata is the sum of all the Vedas as mentioned above and
Bhāgavatam has the same meaning as Mahābhārata
(bhāratasyārtha-vinirṇayaḥ).
Thus Bhāgavatam is the form of
the gāyatrī mantra. In the Twelfth Canto there is a prayer to the sun,
seen as Paramātmā (SB 12.6.67). This is not a fault, since the sun is
not regarded as independent. Later Śaunaka says:
teṣām nāmāni karmāṇi niyuktānām adhīśvaraiḥ brūhi naḥ śraddadhānānām vyūham sūryātmano hareḥ
The
associates of the sun-god, who serve their lord, are personal
expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari in His feature as
the presiding deity of the sun. (SB 12.1.28)
The Lord is not
only the deity residing in the sun. The word vareṇya in the gāyatrī
mantra and the word param in the first verse of Bhāgavatam indicate the
Lord endowed with the highest powers. This is also stated in the
explanation of gāyatrī given in Agni Purāṇa.
Paramātmā Sandarbha 105:
svargādyaiḥ krīdate devo yo hamsaḥ puruṣaḥ prabhuḥ dhyānena puruṣo 'yam ca draṣṭavyaḥ sūrya-maṇdale
The
Lord who is known as deva, Hamsa, puruṣa and prabhu, who plays in
Svarga and other places, should be seen in the sun by meditation.
satyam sadāśivam brahma viṣṇor yat paramam padam devasya savitur devo vareṇyam hi turīyakam
The
supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu or Savitā, which is also called Satyam,
Sadāśiva and Brahman is most excellent (vareṇyam), being the spiritual
place. (Agni Purāṇa)
śrīmad-bhāgavatābhidhaḥ (Garuda Purāṇa
quote): the Bhāgavatam explains about Bhagavān. The word śrīmat
indicates that like the name of the Lord and the Lord himself, the book
has intrinsic śakti. The ending mat indicates that the work possesses
this śakti at all times. Using the complete phrase is the proper name
of the work just as the word nīlopala is the proper name of a blue
lotus. Not doing so produces a fault of neglecting its important
aspect. The next verse refers to the work as such, and Śrīdhara Svāmī
also refers to the work in this way. Some people refer to the work as
Bhāgavatam just as Satyabhāmā is also called Bhāmā.
It makes
the meaning of the Vedas clear (vedārtha-paribṛmhitaḥ from the Garuda
Purāṇa quoted in the previous anuccheda). That was explained with the
words itihāsa-purāṇābhyām vedam samupabṛmhayet: one should make the
Vedas clear in meaning by the Itihāsas and Purāṇas. (Mahābhārata
1.1.267)
purāṇānām sāma-rūpaḥ (Garuda Purāṇa quote). It is the best among the Purāṇas just as Sāma Veda is the best among the Vedas.
Sākṣād bhagavatodita: it directly arose from the Lord. This statement is reiterated at the end:
kasmai
yena vibhāsito 'yam atulo jnāna-pradīpaḥ purā tad-rūpeṇa ca nāradāya
munaye kṛṣṇāya tad-rūpiṇā yogīndrāya tad-ātmanātha bhagavad-rātāya
kāruṇyatas tac chuddham vimalam viśokam amṛtam satyam param dhīmahi
I
meditate upon that pure, spotless Nārāyaṇa, who is free from suffering
and death and who previously revealed this incomparable lamp of
knowledge to Brahmā. Brahmā then spoke it to the sage Nārada, who
narrated it to Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa. Śrīla Vyāsa revealed this
Bhāgavatam to the greatest of sages, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva
mercifully spoke it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. (SB 12.13.19)
śata-viccheda-samyuta (endowed with a hundred divisions) will not be explained because of fear of enlarging the commentary.
In
this way Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is established the king of all scriptures.
Thus it is placed on a golden throne. Therefore one should study the
work, since it is the best. This is stated in Skanda Purāṇa.
śataśo’tha sahasraiś ca kim anyaiḥ śāstra-sangrahaiḥ |
na yasya tiṣṭhate gehe śāstram bhāgavatam kalau || katham sa vaiṣṇavo jneyaḥ śāstram bhāgavatam kalau |
gṛhe na tiṣṭhate yasya sa vipraḥ śvapacādhamaḥ || yatra yatra bhaved vipra śāstram bhāgavatam kalau |
tatra tatra harir yāti tridaśaiḥ saha nārada || yaḥ paṭhet prayato nityam ślokam bhāgavatam mune |
aṣṭādaśa-purāṇānām phalam prāpnoti mānavaḥ ||
For
a person who does not have Bhāgavatam in his house in Kali-yuga, what
is the use of hundreds and thousands of collections of other
scriptures? How can he be considered a devotee? The brāhmaṇa who does
not have Bhāgavatam in his house in Kali-yuga is lower than a dog
eater. O brāhmaṇa! Wherever there is Bhāgavatam, there the Lord comes
with the devatās! O Nārada! O sage! The person who recites daily the
verses of Bhāgavatam with attention attains the result of the eighteen
Purāṇas. (Skanda Purāṇa) Tattva Sandarbha 22: Since Bhāgavatam’s
outstanding qualities have been proved, it is established that persons
desiring the highest result should study Bhāgavatam.
Thus, because of the excellent of qualities mentioned, though there are various scriptures, it is said:
kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate dharma-jnānādibhiḥ saha |
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa purāṇārko ’dhunoditaḥ ||
Though
Kṛṣṇa left Dvārakā, arrived at Prabhāsa, and then disappeared along
with his six great qualities, this Purāṇa, another form of the sun, has
now risen in Kali-yuga for those who have lost their knowledge. (SB
1.3.43)
This means that other things cannot directly reveal an
object without the sun. (Similarly without Bhāgavatam other scriptures
cannot reveal the Lord directly.) The Tantra-bhāgavata, listed among
scriptures in Hayaśīrṣa-pancarātra, is a commentary on Bhāgavatam.
There are other commentaries on Bhāgavatam called Hanumad-bhāṣya,
Vāsanā-bhāṣya, Sambandhokti, Vidvat-kāma-dhenu, Tattva-dīpikā,
Bhāvārtha-dīpikā (Śrīdhara Svāmī), Paramahamsa-priyā and Śuka-hṛdaya.
There
are other recent works like Mukthā-phala, Hari-līlā, and
Bhakti-ratnāvalī written by great souls famous for their own ideas
(which comment on Bhāgavatam). Hemādri in Dāna-khaṇda speaks of
donating Purāṇas and praises Bhāgavatam by quoting from Matsya Purāṇa.
In the last section, Hemādri, discussing time, and in describing
Kali-yuga, quoting the following from Bhāgavatam, accepts the dharma of
Kali-yuga mentioned in Bhāgavatam:
kalim sabhājayanty āryā guṇa jnāḥ sāra-bhāginaḥ yatra sankīrtanenaiva sarva-svārtho ’bhilabhyate
Those
who are actually advanced in knowledge, who know quality, who have
accepted the best, praise Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all
perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of
sankīrtana. (SB 11.5.36)
Various verses are quoted from
Bhāgavatam to purify everyone from all the faults of Kali-yuga. This
shows Bhāgavatam is full of all good qualities. That can been in
statements like dharmaḥ projjhita-kaiṭavaḥ: the Bhāgavatam describes
the highest dharma, devoid of all cheating. (SB 1.1.2)
Hemādri in Mukhā-phala says:
vedāḥ purāṇam kāvyam ca prabhur mitram priyeva ca |
bodhayantīti hi prāhus trivṛd bhāgavatam punaḥ ||
They
say that the Vedas, Purāṇas and poetic works give understanding as the
master, friend and lover respectively. However Bhāgavatam gives
understanding as all three.
When it is said that Matsya or some other Purāṇa is the best, that is in comparison to other Purāṇas.
Paramātmā Sandarbhaa 104:
Garuda
Purāṇa says artho ‘ya brahma-sūtrāṇām: Bhagavatām gives the meaning of
the Brahma-sūtras. Since Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on the
Brahma-sūtras, the Bhāgavatam will first be explained in terms of the
Brahmasūtras.
athāto brahma-jijnāsa
Athāto brahma
jijnāsa (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.1) is explained in the last two lines of the
first verse. Though placed at the end of the Bhāgavatam verse, the
statement explains the first sūtra, since it is the grammatically the
first part of the statement. Brahma-jijnāsa is explained with param
dhīmahi: we should meditate on Bhagavān (param). By taking the
etymological meaning of Brahman in brahma-jijnāsa to mean the
greatest-- that which includes everything-- in the Bhāgavatam verse
param should mean Brahman in the highest sense(different from
impersonal Brahman): Bhagavān. The word brahma in Brahma-sūtra is
explained as param (supreme) in the first verse of Bhāgavatam in order
to show that Bhagavān is the root form, like the sun in relation to its
rays. Bhagavān by his nature is superior to or different from (param)
everything else. In Bhāgavatam, Bhagavān alone is regarded as supreme
since the puruṣa forms (Paramātmā) are his expansions and impersonal
Brahman lacks qualities, form and action found in Bhagavān.
Rāmānuja
says the following. “The word brahma means that which is endowed with
qualities of greatness in all places. Greatness means having no limit
at all to qualities by one’s nature. That is the main meaning. That
indicates only the Supreme Lord.” (Śrī-bhāṣya 1.1.1)
The
Pracetās say na ny antas tvad-vibhutīnām so’ nanta iti gīyase: you are
glorified as Ananta because you have no limit to your powers expressed
in other forms. (SB 4.30.31) This verse indicates that though there are
various unlimited, attractive forms, the Lord has a most astonishing
chief form (Kṛṣṇa) which is the
shelter of all these other
forms. Being established by this as having a form, Bhagavān is thus
proved to be Viṣṇu and similar forms, since the Viṣṇu forms are shown
to be superior to Brahmā and Śiva.
The word jijnāsa is now
explained to be the equivalent of “We should meditate (dhīmahi)” since
the purport of inquiring about Brahman is to meditate upon him. This is
stated by the Lord in Eleventh Canto:
śabda-brahmaṇi niṣṇāto na niṣṇāyāt pare yadi śramas tasya śrama-phalo hy adhenum iva rakṣataḥ
If
one is absorbed in Vedic scriptures concerning Brahman, but not
absorbed in (meditating on) the Supreme Lord, the result of one’s
effort is nullified. He is like a person who, desiring milk, maintains
a cow which does not bear calves. (SB 11.11.18)
According to
Rāmānuja, the word dhīmahi is the same as jijnāsa since jijnāsa means
“repeated meditation.” This means that this scripture named Bhāgavatam,
the essence of all the Vedas, accepts as its very principle that we
should meditate on this highest form of Bhagavān.
Dhīmahi is
in the plural (we should meditate) to indicate that everyone in all
times and places must necessarily meditate on Bhagavān, whose amśas are
the puruṣas and who acts as antaryāmī of infinite universes. By this
action (one person meditating on another) vivarta-vāda, based on the
existence of only one conscious being, is denied in this work.
“Meditating”
must be understood to mean that the Lord has a form, since it becomes
easy to meditate on a form and, with an easy method of attaining a
goal, what is difficult to practice becomes automatically less
attractive, giving no inclination to man. As well, the worshipper of
the form of the Lord is considered to be the best:
mayy āveśya mano ye mām nitya-yuktā upāsate |
śraddhayā parayopetās te me yuktatamā matāḥ ||
I
consider those who absorb their minds in me, who constantly desire to
associate with me, and who with firm faith worship me, to be the
quickest to attain me.
ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktam paryupāsate |
sarvatra-gam acintyam ca kūṭa-stham acalam dhruvam || sanniyamyendriya-grāmam sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ |
te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ ||
But
those who worship the ātmā, which is indescribable by words, beyond the
senses, pervading the body, inconceivable, unchanging in form, unmoving
and fixed, by completely subduing their senses, looking on all things
equally, and being intent on the welfare of all, attain me alone.
kleśo ’dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām |
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkham dehavadbhir avāpyate ||
Those
who are attached to the formless encounter extreme difficulties.
Concentrating on the invisible formless being brings suffering to those
who have bodies. (BG 12.3-5)
Brahmā describes this:
śreyaḥ-sṛtim
bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye teṣām asau
kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām
O Lord!
If fools give up bhakti, the all-inclusive path, and suffer to attain
realization of ātmā without bhakti, they simply attain suffering and
nothing else. They are like fools who beat empty husks. (SB 10.14.4)
It
has been proven that the highest form (svayam) of Bhagavān (Kṛṣṇa) is
the object of meditation, not Śiva or others. “Should meditate” in the
potential mood indicates a prayer to meditate, without looking at any
other process (we must meditate). The verb “meditate” indicates worship
of the Lord, represented by meditation, since Bhagavān is the highest
goal (worthy of worship). It reveals the natural position of the
highest form of Bhagavān.
It also indicates that Svayam
Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa has the most attractive form. Vedānām sāma-vedo ‘smi: of
the Vedas I (Kṛṣṇa) am the Sāma.(BG 10.22) Bṛhta-sāma tathā sāmnām: of
the Sāmas, I (Kṛṣṇa) am the Bṛhat-sāma. (BG 10.35) And Bṛhat-sāma says:
bṛhad dhāmam bṛhat pārthivam bṛhad antarīksam bṛhad divam bṛhad dhāmam bṛhadbhyo vāmam vāmebhyo vāma
The
Lord has a spiritual body. He is greater than anything made of earth.
He is greater than the sky and greater than the heavens. He has a
spiritual abode. He is more beautiful than any great or beautiful
object.
Thus the words brahma-jijnāsa have been explained (as param dhīmahi, worship of Svayam Bhagavān).
Now
the phrase athātaḥ will be explained to be equivalent of the word
satyam in the Bhāgavatam verse. Since the word ataḥ follows after the
word atha, atha has a causative meaning (because of this). Atha then
means “after understanding all about karma by Pūrva-mīmāmsa in
Karma-kāṇda previously studied.” Ataḥ then means “and after that,
because of some statements after studying and gathering the meaning to
some extent, studying Uttara-mīmāmsa philosophy in Brahmakāṇda, after
being purified with sattva characterized by qualities like peacefulness
from karmas, since the non-contradictory parts of karma are helpful,
and since there is necessary dependence of karma and jnāna--after
concluding that Uttara-mīmāmsa is the object of study from
understanding the arguments of Pūrva-mīmāmsa.”
There are the following statements:
tad yatheha karma-cito lokāḥ kṣiyante evam evāmutra puṇya-cito lokaḥ kṣīyate
Just
as places attained as a result of actions in this life perish, places
in a future life attained by pious acts of this life are also
destroyed. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.1.6 )
atha ya iha ātmānam anuvidya vrajanty etāmś ca satyān kāmāms teṣām sarveṣu lokeṣu kāma-cāro bhavati
Those
persons who depart from here while knowing ātmā and true desirable
objects wander at will in all worlds. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.1.6)
na ca punar āvartate
He does not return. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.15.1)
sa cānantyāya kalpate
He is qualified for eternal life. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9)
niranjanaḥ paramam sāmyam upaiti
The pure jīva attains likeness with the supreme Lord. (Muṇdaka Upaniṣad 3.1.3)
idam jnānam upāśritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ |
sarge ’pi nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti ca ||
Those
who have attained qualities similar to mine, by realizing this
knowledge through guru, do not take rebirth in this world, and do not
experience pain at the time of death. (BG 14.2)
These two
systems are described in Rāmānuja’s commentary. “It is said that karma,
known from the Mīmāmsa, understood from the first part of the Vedas,
gives very temporary results and that brahma-jnana, understood from the
later portion of the Vedas, gives unlimited, permanent results. It is
said that after learning karma in the first part (ataḥ), one should
then understand Brahman. The first commentator Baudhāyana has said: one
should know Brahman after understanding karma.”
In the story
of Puranjana, the meanings of the words pitṛhū (invoking the Pitṛs) and
devahū (invoking the Lord), which are names for the right and left
ears, make this conclusion clear. After understanding karma-kāṇda
completely, after understanding the unsteady nature and ultimately
sorrowful nature of the bliss of Svarga by considering it objectively
from some of the words of brahma-kāṇda, knowing truthfully that Brahman
is the highest permanent bliss becomes the cause of inquiry about
Brahman.
Having gained the correct meaning of athātaḥ (then
after studying karma and looking for permanent results), the
corresponding meaning is found in the word satyam of the Bhāgavatam
verse. Satyam means “unchanging existence under all conditions.” In
combination with param it expresses the meaning of Brahman found in the
śruti text satyam jnānam anantam brahma: Brahman is eternal existence,
unlimited and full of knowledge. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1.3)
This
means that everything else has temporary existence since its existence
depends on his will. Until now we have meditated on something with
temporary existence. Now however we should meditate on what permanently
exists (satyam param dhīmahi=athato brahma-jijnāsaḥ).
Next,
the supremacy (param) is explained with the word dhamnā. In the
context, the word dhāma means “by power or manifestation.”
Nānānartha-varga of
Amara-koṣa says dhāma means house,
body, effulgence or power. It does not mean the Lord’s svarūpa in this
verse. The word kuhaka means “cheating.” Kuhaka refers to the power of
māyā since it covers and bewilders the svarūpa of the jīva. Thus the
meaning is “we should meditate upon the eternal, highest form of
Bhagavān since the power of māyā (kuhakam) is eternally (sadā)
counteracted (nirasta) by his śakti taking the form of his power or
manifestation (svena dhāmnā).” It is said māyām vyudasya cic-caktyā:
māyā is rejected by the citśakti. (SB 1.7.23)
If the word
svena means “by itself, spontaneously,” the statement it would become
meaningless (since māyā is defeated by the Lord’s dhāma in the
sentence). If svena dhamnā were to mean “by his svarūpa,” the meaning
would be redundant. However one may explain it, the words svena dhāmnā
must mean “by his śakti” which is characterized by destroying illusion.
That is clear by use of the instrumental case (dhāmnā), which indicates
a means of most effective accomplishment.
That object which is
different from its effect known as māyā is the svarūpa of the Lord.
This is how the svarūpa of the Lord should be understood. Thus the
śrutis say satyam jnānam ānandam brahma: Brahman is existence,
knowledge and bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1.3) Vijnānam ānantam
brahma: Brahman is knowledge, unlimited nature and bliss.
(Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.9.28) The word satyam in the Bhāgavatam
verse thus hints at the authority of the śruti. Thus along with the
Lord’s svarūpa (satyam), the svarūpa-śakti is directly indicated by
dhāmnā svena. Thus the nature of Bhagavān (possessor of śakti) is made
clear.
The reason for the Lord being the chief existing being
is shown in the phrase beginning yatra. In lord Vāsudeva (yatra), who
is situated everywhere since he is Brahman (the greatest), the
creation, made of the three qualities --devatā, sense and sense object
(tri-sargaḥ)-- is situated, and that creation, belonging to the Lord,
is not false (amṛṣā), like the illusion of silver on seeing a shell.
The creation is real since it is situated in the Lord at all times as
stated in the śruti statement yato vā imāni jāyante: from the Lord
these beings are born. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.1.1) The world is real
because it is created by the Lord alone. Samjnā-mūrti-klptis tu trivṛt
kurvata upadeśāt: the Lord mixes the names and forms after making the
elements threefold, because that is the direct statement. (Brahma-sūtra
2.4.20)
The illusory nature is understood by an example (tejo-vāri-mrdām yathā
vinimayaḥ).
Just as placing parts of fire, water and earth in each other (for
manifesting the creation) is not illusory, being the creation of the
Lord, so the universe itself is not illusory. Imās tisro devatās trivrd
ekaikā bhavati: each of these becomes threefold. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad
6.3.4) Yad agne rohitam rupam tejasas tad-rupam yac chuklam tad-apam
yat krsnam tat prthivyah tad annasya: in fire is the red form of fire,
the white form of water and the black form of earth. (Chāndogya
Upaniṣad 6.4.1) Since the meaning is based on śruti, other meanings of
this phrase based on imagination are automatically rejected.
To
interpret the phrase to mean simply a combination of fire, water and
earth, modifying tri-sargaḥ, is not pleasing to those who know the
meaning of words. In combination with the word yathā (as if real) it
would mean that fire, water and air are like mirages. According to this
view, the universe would not have a real creation from Brahman but an
attributed or illusory creation that arises from mistaking one object
for another. This mistake (bhrama) arises from similarity between the
objects. Similarity creates a basis for one object being mistaken for
the other, by a difference in time. But one could mistake silver for
shell as well as mistaking shell for silver. (Similarly Brahman is
mistaken for the world, but the world could also be mistaken for
Brahman.) There is no rule that there can be only one object as a basis
of illusion. Many objects (instead of one Brahman) could create an
illusion of one object. For instance one could mistake a combination of
smoke, mountain and forest at a distance for one big cloud. (Thus the
illusion of the world could be created not by one Brahman, but by many
real entities.)
In this theory, this creation of three factors
from time appears to our perception without beginning. Brahman
manifests by itself by its pure consciousness. Though the jīva covered
by ignorance without beginning will mistake the creation to be real
because of similarity to a really existing Brahman, why could he not
identify with an illusory Brahman emanating from a real creation? But
if one did not discern Brahman as the basis, the whole theory would
fail.
Matter itself cannot mistake one object for another
(since it is insentient) and nor can pure consciousness (since it is
not aware of anything else except itself and should not fall into
ignorance). Brahman is pure consciousness according to the
impersonalists.
To prove their argument, they say that śruti
is the basis of proof. However, āropa means seeing something where it
is actually not present, but which exists elsewhere. Since this
condition does not exist in their theory (a world actually
existing elsewhere), it is impossible to impose the existence of an illusion of the world upon Brahman.
Since
the world arises from the Lord endowed with his śakti by taking the
literal meaning of śruti, the world actually exists in him, who is
everything. Therefore the creation is not an āropa or illusion imposed
on Brahman. The theory of āropa is completely false since the Lord is
never contaminated by anything, because he possesses inconceivable
śakti, as stated in dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakam. The world exists
because of the Lord’s existence. Thus it is said:
eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāraiṇī yathā: the Lord is like a
fire situated in one place which spreads its light. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa
1.22.56)
Thus the Lord is the chief existent being and the creation is not false. Śruti says:
satyasya satam iti tathā prāṇā vai satyam teṣām eva satyam
His name is the existent among all existent things. Jīvas are existent. He is the life of the jīvas.
This
quotation shows that the Lord is the highest existing entity, the root
cause, of all gross and subtle entities indicated by the word prāṇa.
They are also called satya or existing.
Janmādy asya yataḥ
After
indicating the Lord with his secondary characteristics (his effects),
to make it clear that Bhāgavatam is a commentary on the Brahma-sūtras,
the first sūtra is answered with janmādy asya yataḥ in the Bhāgavatam
verse. Janmādi (beginning with creation) means creation, maintenance
and destruction. It is a tad-guṇa-samvijnāna compound of the bahuvṛhi
type. Asya means “of the universe,” composed of doers and enjoyers from
Brahmā down to non-moving entities, the shelter of actions causes by
different times and places, which creates a variety inconceivable to
the mind. Yataḥ means “from the Lord,” who takes the form of upādāna
(material cause) by his inconceivable śakti and acts as the agent of
creation. “We should meditate on that supreme Lord (param dhīmahi) from
whom, acting as upādāna and agent, arise the creation, maintenance and
destruction of the universe.” Statements on this subject are the
following:
yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante, yena jātāni jīvanti, yat prayanty abhisamviśanti, tad vijijnāsasva tad brahma
Know
that it is Brahman from whom all these beings arise, by whom they live
and in they enter at destruction. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.1.1)
tat tejo ‘sṛjata
His power created the universe. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.3)
“Creation
and destruction” is a general description, and does not imply that the
Lord is limited to these actions. Thus one does not meditate on the
creation and destruction of the universe as the Lord himself. One
should meditate on Brahman as a pure being. Moreover, what is suggested
is that the Lord possesses all śaktis, satya-sankalpa ability, all
knowledge and all control, because he is the cause of the creation and
destruction of the universe which is endowed with qualities previously
described. Yaḥ sarvajnaḥ sarva-vid yasya jnāna-mayam tapah: from
Brahman, who is omniscient, knowing everything, whose austerity is
filled with knowledge, arose Brahman as food, which has name and form.
Sarvasya vaśī: the Lord controls everything. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad
4.4.22) Also it is indicated that by dint of being supreme, the Lord’s
svarūpa is devoid of all inferior or negative elements and endowed with
unlimited auspicious qualities like knowledge. Na taysa kāryam kāraṇam
ca vidyate: the Lord has no material senses or body. (Śvetāśvatara
Upaniṣad 3.19)
According to those who say that one should
inquire about an object with no qualities, it would not be suitable
that one should inquire about Brahman from whom the universe is
created, since the statement does not state the supreme greatness of
Brahman but rather states that he is the cause of creation and
destruction of the universe (his quality). However, the śrutis examined
in later sūtras do not prove a Brahman without qualities. Logical
argument also is not a proof for a Brahman without qualities, since one
must use qualities in referring to the object in the argument which
must necessarily ensue in the object to be proved. One cannot prove
Brahman without qualities by giving the example of a Brahman which is
responsible for an illusion of creation. The basis of illusion (bhrama)
is ignorance (ajnāna). This would mean that Brahman must be a witness
to ignorance. Witnessing can only mean a revelation of knowledge.
Revelation excludes anything unconscious by dint of its natural ability
to relate the self to another object. That ability means having
qualities. Without that, the ability to reveal objects cannot take
place. Thus the arguments for a Brahman without qualities are
meaningless. If one takes the phrase tejo-vāri mrdām to support the
idea that the universe is an illusion, then the phrase janmādy asya
yatah (from Brahman come creation and
destruction of the
universe) becomes meaningless. Therefore the Lord has qualities and
that is in the form of his śaktis. The antaranga, bahiranga and
taṭastha-śaktis were described. The direct cause of the creation of the
universe filled with change is the bahiranga-śakti. It is called māyā.
The taṭastha-śakti is represented by the persons who meditate upon
Brahman (satyam param dhīmahi). Though creation and destruction of the
universe takes place from amśas of Bhagavān-- from the puruṣa forms
(Paramātmā) endowed with the śakti called prakṛti, which is the
material cause (upādāna)--ultimately Bhagavān is the cause of the
universe. Similarly if something is created in one place within the
ocean, it is created within the whole ocean. prakṛtir yasyopādānam
ādhāraḥ puruṣaḥ paraḥ sato ’bhivyanjakaḥ kālo brahma tat tritayam tv
aham
Prakṛti is the material cause, the puruṣa is the
foundational cause. Time, the indirect cause, is the agitator of
prakṛti. I am all three. (SB 11.24.19)
Janmādy asya yataḥ also
indicates that the Lord has a form. He must have a form since he is the
source of unlimited śaktis which are the source of the śakti possessing
form which produces the universe possessing a form, since he is
accepted as the final cause. Though the Lord has a form, this does not
mean that he is born from someone else, since it is accepted that there
is one final cause. Otherwise there would be infinite regression.
Similarly the followers of sānkhya accept prakṛti as a final cause.
sa kāraṇam karanādhipādipo na cāsya kaścij janitā na cādhipaḥ
Brahman is the cause, the Lord of the lords of causes. He has no cause or ruler over him. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.9)
Infinite
regression is rejected in the śrutis. The Lord is proved to be the
ultimate cause because he has an intrinsic form which exists eternally
beyond prakṛti.
His form being proved, the supreme entity is
Bhagavān and no one else, with Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa and others as his forms.
In Dāna-dharma it is said:
yataḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni bhavanty ādi-yugāgame yasmimṣ ca pralayam yānti punar eva yuga-kṣaye
From Viṣṇu all entities arise at the beginning of the yuga and in him they merge the end of the yuga. (Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma 11)
It
is also said in the same section anirdeśya-vapuḥ śrīmān: Viṣṇu has an
indescribable form and is endowed with all beauty. (Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma
32) Skanda Purāṇa says:
sraṣṭā pātā ca samhartā sa eko harir
īśvaraḥ sraṣṭṛtvādikam anyeṣām dāru-yoṣāvad ucyate
eka-deṣa-kriyavattvān na tu sarvātnameritam sṛṣṭy-adikam samastam tu
viṣṇor eva param bhavet
Lord Viṣṇu is the creator, maintainer
and destroyer. Others who create (such as Brahmā) are like wooden
puppets since they create only limited portions, not everything. Viṣṇu
is the supreme creator of everything.
sa brāhmaṇa sṛjati sa rudreṇa vilāpayati
Nārāyaṇa creates through Brahmā and destroys through Śiva. (Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad)
nimittam param īśasya viśva-sarga-nirodhayoḥ hiraṇyagarbhaḥ śarvaś ca kālasyārūpiṇas tava
Even
Brahmā and Śiva act only as your instruments in cosmic creation and
annihilation, which are ultimately done by your formless aspect as
time. (SB 10.71.8)
They are the instrument (nimitta-mātram) of your (tava) śakti called time (kālasya), which has no form (arūpiṇaḥ).
ādyo ’vatāraḥ puruṣaḥ parasya kālaḥ svabhāvaḥ sad-asan manaś ca |
dravyam vikāro guṇa indriyāṇi virāṭ svarāṭ sthāsnu cariṣṇu bhūmnaḥ ||
Mahā-viṣṇu,
an expansion of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, is time, svabhāva, effect and
cause, mahat-tattva, the five gross elements, false ego, the three
guṇas, the senses, the universal form, the totality of jīvas, the
individual jīvas as nonmoving and moving beings. All of these are
related to the Supreme Lord. (SB 2.6.42)
paro mad-anyo jagatas tasthuṣaś ca otam protam paṭavad yatra viśvam
yad-amśato 'sya sthiti-janma-nāśā nasy otavad yasya vaśe ca lokaḥ
There
is a Lord of all moving and non-moving beings superior to me
(Yamarāja), whose portions create, maintain and destroy this universe,
in whom this universe exists like cloth with interwoven threads, and by
whom all people are controlled like oxen tied by the nose. (SB 6.3.12)
Here also the conclusion is that Bhagavān has various forms.
Śāstra-yonitvāt and tu samanvayāt
After
the supreme (param) has been described with secondary characteristics
(taṭastha-lakṣaṇa), those qualities are proved in two sūtras:
śāstra-yonitvāt and tat tu samanvayāt (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.3-4). The
meaning of the first sūtra is as follows. Why is Brahman the cause of
creation and destruction of the universe? Because scripture is the
source of knowledge (śāṣtra-yonitvāt). Scripture testifies yato vā
imāni bhūtāni: from the Lord arise all these beings. (Taittirīya
Upaniṣad 3.1.1) Logic is not the proof as it is in other philosophies.
Tarkāpratiṣthānāt (Brahma-sūtra 2.1.22) indicates that Brahman cannot
be proved by senses or the mind because Brahman is beyond the senses
and mind. However, the Buddhist philosophy (which does not promote
Brahman) will be refuted by logic alone in the second chapter of
Brahma-sūtra.
That logic is insubstantial in illustrated in
the following way. The Lord is not the doer or creator since the Lord
has no goal, just as a liberated soul has no goal in action. The jīva
is the creator of the world since the jīva causes effects, just as a
person creates a pot.
There is no time when different opinions
did not exist. The present time is no different since it belongs to
time. Because of this, one philosophy may infer a Lord by logic and
this may be defeated by different, contrary philosophy. Thus scripture
alone is the proof that there is a supreme Lord, a supreme controller,
known as para-brahman.
The scriptures testify that the Lord is
an ocean of various, unlimited, faultless, noble qualities, the
opposite of negative qualities, mixed with omniscience and
satya-sankalpa, different from all things seen by all other proofs. The
Lord has no trace of faults related to objects known by other proofs.
Thus it is concluded that the Lord has by his nature unlimited, eternal
forms.
Now the meaning of the second sūtra (Brahma-sūtra
1.1.4) is given. Why is Brahman proved by scriptures? Tat tu
samanvayāt. The word tu indicates a destruction of doubt. Brahman is
proved by the scriptures (tat), because this is established by both
positive and negative statements (statements of exclusion).
The positive statements are these:
satyam jnānam anantam brahma
Brahman is existence, knowledge and bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1.3)
ānando brahma
Brahman is bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.16.1)
ekam evādvitīyam brahma
Brahman is one without a second. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.1)
tat satyam sa ātmā
The Lord is eternal existence. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.8.7)
sad eva somyedam agra āsīt
O gentle one! Only the Lord existed before creation. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad6.2.1)
eko ha vai nārāyaṇa āsīt
Only Nārāyaṇa existed. (Maṇdukya Upaniṣad 1.1)
tad aikṣata bahu syām prajayeya
The Lord glanced, thinking, “May I become many; may I create progeny.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.3)
tasmād va etasmād ātmana ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ
From the Lord ether arose. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1.3)
tat tejo ‘śṛjata
The Lord’s power created the universe. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.3)
yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante
From the Lord all beings arose. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.1.1)
puruṣo ha vai nārāyaṇo ‘kāmayata atha nārāyanād ajo ‘jāyate yataḥ prajāḥ sarvāni bhūtāni
Lord Nārāyaṇa desired. From Nārāyaṇa Brahma was born. From him all the living beings were born. (Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad)
nārāyaṇam param brahma tattvam nārāyaṇaḥ param ṛtam satyam param brahma puruṣam kṛṣṇa-pingalam
Nārāyaṇa
is the supreme Brahman. Nārāyaṇa is the supreme principle. He is truth
and existence. He is the puruṣa, golden and black. (Mahā-nārāyaṇa
Upaniṣad 11.4)
Statements of exclusion are as follows.
katham asataḥ saj jāyeta
How can the sat arise from the asat? (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.2)
ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyād yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt
Who could breathe if the Lord were not bliss? (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7)
eko va vai nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā na ca śankaraḥ
First only Nārāyaṇa exists. Brahmā and Śiva did not exist. (Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad 1.1)
Correlation
(samanvaya) with other statements is also explained in such sūtras as
ānanda-mayo ‘bhyāsāt: the ānandamaya-puruṣa refers to the Lord, not the
jīva, because of repetition of the word Brahman at the beginning and
end of the passage. (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.12) Realizing that the Lord has a
form of the highest bliss, there is no lack of a goal, since one should
aim to achieve that highest blissful form.
The meaning of the
two sūtras just explained is explained in the first verse of Bhāgavatam
by the words anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu. That the Lord is the form from
whom creation of the universe takes place is perceived in the meaning
of
various Vedic statements (artheṣu) by positive
(anvayāt) and negative (itarataḥ) indications. He is the highest goal,
having a form of the highest bliss, which is proved by positive and
negative statements in śruti. That form previously established is
proved by śruti statements just quoted like eko ha vai nārāyaṇa āsīt:
only Nārāyaṇa existed in the beginning.
Ikṣater nāśabdam
(Brahma-sūṭra .1.1.5) is explained by the word abhijna in the
Bhāgavatam verse. The meaning of the sūtra is this. It is stated in
Chāndogya Upaniṣad sad eva somyedam agra āsīd ekam evādvitīyam brahma:
O gentle one, only one Brahman existed previously. Tad aikṣata bahu
syām prajāyaya: he desired, “Let me be many, may I create progeny.”
(Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.3) Prakṛti is proposed as the cause of the
universe but this is denied with īkṣater nāśabdam: pradhāna is not
proved by scriptural statement (aśabdam) to be the cause of the
universe. It is only inferred. Why is it not proved? Because of the
verb “see (īkṣā)” (indicating an omniscient person) which is related to
the word sat in the scriptures. This refers to tad aikṣata: the Lord
glanced. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad) It is not possible for prakṛti to glance.
Elsewhere as well creation involves glancing. sa aikṣata lokān nu sṛja:
the Lord glanced and created the planets. (Aitareya Upaniṣad 1.1.1-2)
Glancing here includes the Lord’s omniscience: the Lord contemplates
unlimited creations. Thus Bhāgavatam says he is abhijna, omniscient.
“Since
it is said that Brahman is one single entity without a second (having
no parts or senses), it is not possible that he glances.” He is svarāṭ:
he exists (rājate) with his own form (sva). Na tasya kāryam karaṇam ca
vidyate: he has no body and senses. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.19) At the
same time it is said svābhāvikī jnāna-bala-kriyā ca: ḥe has intrinsic
knowledge, strength and action. This means that he has a form capable
of glancing as his very nature (one with him). It will also be shown
later that the Lord breathes. That is confirmed here.
Now
another meaning of śāstra-yonitvāt (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.3) is explained.
How is the Lord the creator and destroyer of the universe? Why is the
creator not prakṛti, as stated in other tantras (such as sānkhya
works)? This is not accepted because of the statements of accepted
scripture in the form of the Vedas (śāstrayonitvāt). evam vā are asya
mahato bhūtasya niśvasitam etad yadṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāmavedo’tha
vāngirasa itihāsa-purāṇam vidyā upaniṣadaḥ ślokāḥ sūtrāṇy upasūtrāṇi
vyākhyānāni
The scriptures are the breathing of the supreme Lord. The scriptures consist of
the
Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, Atharva, the Itihāsas, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads, other
branches of knowledge, verses, sūtras, secondary sūtras and
commentaries. (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.10)
Here it is said
that Brahman is the source of scriptures containing infinite knowledge
of various subjects not available to all other pramāṇas. Thus Brahman
is stated to be the chief omniscient being. Without such omniscience no
one can create and destroy all the universes. Brahman alone (who is
scripture personified) has this quality and thus Brahman alone is the
cause of the universe, not prakṛti or a jīva.
This is further
described in the next phrase tene brahma hrdā ya ādikavaye. The Vedas
(brahma) manifested (tene) in Brahmā (ādikavaye) through Brahma’s
antaḥkaraṇa, not by words. The word brahma, meaning the greatest, also
indicates the Lord who has all knowledge. “Manifesting in the heart”
indicates that since the Lord has all śaktis, he acts as antaryāmī of
all beings. The word ādikavaye (unto Brahmā) indicates that the Lord is
the source of all scriptures since he alone is the source of
instruction to Brahma. Śruti says:
yo brahmāṇam vidadhāti
pūrvam yo vai vedāmś ca prahiṇoti tasmai tam ha devam
ātmā-buddhi-prakāśam mumukṣur vai śaraṇam aham prapadye
He
first created Brahmā and gave the Vedas to him. I surrender to the
Lord, the shelter of those desiring liberation, who inspires jīva’s
intelligence. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18)
The liberated jīva
is also not the cause of the universe. Even the devotees like Śeṣa
(sūrayaḥ) are bewildered about Brahman, in the form of the Vedas (yat
for yatra). All this indicates Bhagavān, the first form, with lotus
navel (from which Brahmā appears), who empowers Brahmā, and who
breathes out the Vedas during his sleep.
pracoditā yena purā sarasvatī vitanvatājasya satīm smṛtim hṛdi |
sva-lakṣaṇā prādurabhūt kilāsyataḥ sa me ṛṣīṇām ṛṣabhaḥ prasīdatām ||
May the Lord, the best of the sages, be pleased with me! Inspired by him, at the
beginning
of the kalpa, Sarasvatī, whose aim is to reveal Kṛṣṇa, appeared from
the mouth of Brahmā and revealed proper memory to carry out creation in
his heart. (SB 2.4.22)
There is another meaning to tat tu
samanvayāt (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.4). The reason for Brahman being the
source of scripture is explained by the sūtra. Because he knows the
final (sam) meaning (anvaya) of the Vedas, he is ascertained to be the
source of the scriptures. The jīva does not know the meaning and
pradhāna is unconscious. Sa vetti viśvam na hi tasya vettā: the Lord
knows the universe and no one knows him. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.19)
Expressing the opposite of the Lord knowing the meaning of the Vedas,
it is then stated that all jīvas lack knowledge of the Vedas: muhyanti
yat sūrayaḥ: the devotees and even Śeṣa are bewildered about
śabda-brahman. The Lord himself says:
kim vidhatte kim ācaṣṭe kim anūdya vikalpayet ity asyā hṛdayam loke nānyo mad veda kaścana
What
do the Vedas instruct as action? What is the final meaning of the
Vedas? What alternatives do the Vedas raise? No one except me or my
dear devotee knows the intended meaning of the Vedas. (SB 11.21.42)
In the above verse, the Vedas are stated to be directly the Lord.
The
meaning of the ten characteristics of the Purāṇa is seen in the
Bhāgavatam verse also. Sarga, visarga, sthāna, nirodha are indicated by
janmādy asya yataḥ. Manvantara and īśānukathā, which occur during
maintenance or sthāna, are included in it. Poṣana is indicated by tene
brahma hrdā. Ūti is indicated by muhyanti. Mukti of the jīvas which
occurs when the jīva approaches the Lord is indicated by his śakti
(dhāmnā) which destroys all illusions (nirasta-kuhaka). The āśraya is
indicated by satyam param.
It is clear from the previous
discussion that Kṛṣṇa alone is indicated, since he is discerned to have
the position of Svayam Bhagavān. Thus, from the first verse of
Bhāgavatam, which is the initial statement or upakrama, it is clear
that the form of Bhagavān, who has form and qualities, is the object of
meditation in all verses and statements of the work. That is a proper
conclusion since it is also made clear from other statements describing
his svarūpa.
yo ’syotprekṣaka ādi-madhya-nidhane yo ’vyakta-jīveśvaro yaḥ sṛṣṭvedam anupraviśya ṛṣiṇā cakre puraḥ śāsti tāḥ
yam sampadya jahāty ajām anuśayī suptaḥ kulāyam yathā tam kaivalya-nirasta-yonim abhayam dhyāyed ajasram harim
He
is the Lord who eternally watches over this universe, before, during
and after its manifestation. He is the master of both the unmanifest
material energy and the spirit soul. After sending forth the creation
he enters within it, accompanying each living entity. There he creates
the material bodies and then remains as their regulator. By
surrendering to him, the jīva covered with upādhis can escape the
embrace of illusion, just as a dreaming person forgets his own body.
One who wants liberation from fear should constantly meditate upon this
Lord, who destroys māyā by his pure svarūpa and gives freedom from
fear. (SB 10.87.50)
The same conclusion may be reached by many other statements such as dharmaḥ projjhita and kim vā parair:
dharmaḥ
projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām satām vedyam vāstavam atra
vastu śivadam tāpa-trayonmūlanam śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kim vā
parair īśvaraḥ sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis
tat-kṣaṇāt ||
The Supreme Lord becomes immediately captured in
the heart of the accomplished devotees by hearing Bhāgavatam and even
by those who have suddenly developed a desire to hear it. This does not
happened with other works. In the Bhāgavatam alone, created by the Lord
himself, is presented the real, permanent object which can be
understood by those without selfish intentions, and which bestows
auspiciousness and release from the material world of miseries. In the
Bhāgavatam alone is presented the process for attaining that highest
object, devoid of all material goals and liberation. (SB 1.1.2)
The upasamhāra or concluding statement should not stray far from the upakrama or introductory statement.
kasmai
yena vibhāsito 'yam atulo jnāna-pradīpaḥ purā tad-rūpeṇa ca nāradāya
munaye kṛṣṇāya tad-rūpiṇā yogīndrāya tad-ātmanātha bhagavad-rātāya
kāruṇyatas tac chuddham vimalam viśokam amṛtam satyam param dhīmahi
I
meditate upon that pure, spotless Lord who is free from suffering and
death and who previously revealed this incomparable lamp of knowledge
to Brahmā. Brahmā then spoke it to the sage Nārada, who narrated it to
Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana
Vyāsa. Śrīla Vyāsa revealed this
Bhāgavatam to the greatest of sages, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva
mercifully spoke it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. (SB 12.13.19)
Words
like kasmai yena vibhāsito ‘yam (the Lord who revealed the scripture to
Brahmā) correspond to what was described in the introductory verse. In
his commentary on ātmā-gṛhītir itaravad (Brahma-sūtra 3.3.17), Śankara
explains that the word sat in the introductory statement means ātmā
because of the word ātmā in the concluding statement. Similarly, in
this concluding verse it is shown that the speaker of the catuhślokī
(who spoke to Brahmā) is Bhagavān (and not Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, since
there must be correspondence with the introductory verse) and that
Bhagavān alone is the object of Vyāsa’s meditation. The work became
most attractive to Śukadeva because of this.
sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās
tad-vyudastānya-bhāvo 'py ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyam
vyatanuta kṛpayā yas tattva-dīpam purāṇam tam akhila-vṛjina-ghnam
vyāsa-sūnum nato 'smi
Let me offer my respectful obeisances
unto the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who destroys of all sin,
and who, though fixed in his own bliss with no distractions, became
attracted to the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and mercifully spread the Bhāgavatam
which describes Kṛṣṇa and reveals the rasa of his pastimes. (SB
12.12.69) Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 82:
In the same way, indicating
everything, the first verse of Bhāgavatam (janmādyasya yataḥ), making
the initial premise (upakrama), gives a definition of Kṛṣṇa, like the
definition of Bhagavān found in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa.
Narākṛti
param brahma: Kṛṣṇa is Brahman in human form (Sātvata-tantra) Param
śrī-kṛṣṇam dhīmahi: we meditate on the supreme lord Kṛṣṇa.
(Gopalatāpanī Upaniṣad)
Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa-lakṣaṇā is mentioned with the word satyam (param dhīmahi) for in explaining his name it is said:
satya-vratam
satya-param tri-satyam satyasya yonim nihitam ca satye satyasya satyam
ṛta-satya-netram satyātmakam tvām śaraṇam prapannāḥ
O
Lord, you are true to your promise, truth incarnate, pervading all
aspects of time with truth, before the creation, during its existence
and after its destruction. You are the revealer of sweet words and
truth. We surrender to you, the embodiment of truth. (SB 10.2.26)
satye pratiṣṭhitaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ satyam atra pratiṣṭhitam |
satyāt satyam ca govindas tasmāt satyo hi nāmataḥ ||
Kṛṣṇa is fixed in truth. Satyam is fixed in him. From Kṛṣṇa comes satya. Thus Govinda is named Satya. (Mahābhārata 5.68.12)
By
this definition of satya, the eternal nature of his form has been
shown. The taṭastha-lakṣaṇā is shown with the words dhāmnā svena. He
destroys the effects of māyā (kuhakam) at all times by his abode called
Mathurā which is his own svarūpa (svena).
mathyate tu jagat sarvam brahma jnānena yena vā |
tat-sāra-bhūtam yad yasyām mathurā sā nigadyate ||
The
place is called Mathurā because in that place, Bhagavān, who is most
excellent, the essence of the whole universe, is made manifest
(mathyate) by knowledge and by bhakti-yoga. (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad
2.63)
The first verse speaks about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Ādyasya
means he eternally (ādya –in the beginning) exists in Mathurā, Dvārakā
and Gokula as Vāsudeva and the son of Nanda but appears in this world
for some reason. From Vasudeva’s house where he was born (yataḥ janma)
he came (ayāt) to the house of Nanda (itarataḥ) in the mood of a son
(anu). The pronoun yaḥ should be understood here and the rest of the
verse.
Why did he come there? He came knowing (abhijnaḥ) his
purpose (artheṣu), such as cheating Kamsa or performing pastimes of
great bliss with the inhabitants of Gokula. He remained with the
inhabitants of Gokula (svarāṭ).
Though he is controlled by
their prema, his powers were unimpeded. He spread his power consisting
of the form of rasa consisting of Brahman, satya, jnāna and infinite
bliss (the calves and cowherd boys), just by his will (hṛdā) in order
to astonish Brahmā (ādi-kavaye). Because of these pastimes which are
most astonishing to the world (yat), his devotees (sūrayaḥ) lose
control due to the intense prema (muhyanti). The word yat is supplied
in the next clause as well. Because of these pastimes (yat) there seems
to be an exchange of qualities of
fire, water and earth.
For instance the light of the moon appears to change its qualities with
objects having no light. By the beauty of Rādhā’s face the moon becomes
devoid of light and objects near her become luminous by her effulgence.
Water which is liquid becomes solid and earth and rocks become liquid
on hearing the sound of the flute. In Kṛṣṇa (yatra) the manifestation
of Gokula, Mathurā and Dvārakā are real (amṛṣā). Vyāsa speaks the first
verse.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 186-187:
The manifestation of his svarūpa-śakti in Vṛndāvana is the Vraja gopīs.
ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ |
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto govindam ādi-puruṣam tam aham bhajāmi ||
I
worship the Supreme Lord Govinda who, though regarding all the
inhabitants as his very self, resides in Goloka exclusively with the
young gopīs, who are embodiments of madhura-rasa. He accepts them as
his wives, while they respond to his conjugal affection reciprocally.
(Brahma-samhitā 5.37)
Tābhiḥ refers to the gopīs since that is
how the word is used in the context of the mantra. Kalābhiḥ means “with
his śaktis.” They function as his very svarūpa (nija-rūpatayā). Because
of their previously described excellence, they are śakti. They are in
the category of Lakṣmī, since they are a manifestation of the highest
perfection. That is also stated elsewhere in Brahma-samhitā.
Lakṣmī-sahasraśata-sambhrama-sevyamānam: Govinda is served by hundreds
of thousands of Lakṣmīs. Śriyaḥ kāntāḥ kāntaḥ parama-puruṣaḥ: the
supreme person Kṛṣṇa and his beloved who expands as many Lakṣmīs exist
in Goloka.
In Svāyambhuva Agama, three special consorts are
designated as Śrī, Bhū and Līlā. The gopīs are superior to the Lakṣmīs
situated in Vaikuṇṭha. These gopīs are called the Lakṣmīs of Vṛndāvana.
The gopīs were nitya-siddhas. They had great status, being the
main special essences of the hlādinī-śakti. That is explained in the
verse from Brahmasamhitā. They were the chief persons with special
prema-rasa. Kṛṣṇa is endowed with unlimited acintya-śakti manifested
with the greatest depth. He manifested his highest joy in them. He
developed a desire to enjoy with them.
śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca bhagavān api tā rātṛīḥ śāradotphulla-mallikāḥ vīkṣya rantum manaś cakre yoga-māyām upāśritaḥ
Śrī
Kṛṣṇa is full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights
scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned his mind toward
loving affairs. To fulfill his purposes he employed his internal
potency. (SB 10.29.1)
Not only that, he reached the highest
level of joyful prema with them. trailokya-lakṣmy-eka-padam vapur
dadhat: his body, the exclusive abode of beauty and opulence within the
three worlds, shone brilliantly as the gopīs worshiped him. (SB
10.32.14)
tābhir vidhūta-śokābhir bhagavān acyuto vṛtaḥ vyarocatādhikam tāta puruṣaḥ śaktibhir yathā
Encircled
by the gopīs, who were now relieved of all distress, Kṛṣṇa, perfect in
himself, without fault, shone forth more splendidly than previously. My
dear King, Kṛṣṇa thus appeared like the Lord encircled by his spiritual
potencies. (SB 10.32.10)
tatrātiśuśubhe tābhir bhagavān devakī-sutaḥ madhye maṇīnām haimānām mahā-marakato yathā
In
the midst of the dancing gopīs, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared most brilliant,
like an exquisite sapphire in the midst of golden ornaments. (SB
10.33.6)
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 189:
Their names are given in Bhaviṣya Purāṇa Uttara-khaṇda, in a discussion between Kṛṣṇa and Yudhiṣṭhira concerning malla-dvādaśī.
gopī-nāmāni rājendra prādhānyena nibodha me |
gopālī pālikā dhanyā viśākhā dhyāna-niṣṭhikā |
rādhānurādhā somābhā tārakā daśamī tathā ||
Hear
from me the names of the principal gopīs, O king! The ten gopīs are
Gopālī (head of a group friendly with Candrāvalī), Pālikā (friendly
with Candrāvalī), Dhanyā (an unmarried gopī), Viśākhā (Rādhā’s sakhī
with her own group), and as well Dhaniṣṭhā (Lalitā’s sakhī), Rādhā,
Lalitā (Anurādhā), Candrāvalī (Somābhā, Rādhā’s chief competitor),
Tārakā (Rādhā’s sakhī, somewhat distant) or Daśamī.
Daśamī is
another name of Tārakā. In Skanda Purāṇa, Dvārakā-māhātmya, Lalitā
gives the names of eight gopīs: Lalitā, Śyāmalā, Dhanyā, Viśākhā,
Rādhā, Śaivyā, Padmā, and Bhadrā. Since the agamas state that the gopīs
number in the hundreds of millions one should understand that there are
other gopīs besides those mentioned, known through scriptures and by
common knowledge.
Among all the gopīs who are the functions of
the highest sweet prema, Śrī Rādhikā is the highest essence since she
is shown to be the pinnacle of the highest prema. This is revealed in
Prīti Sandarbha. She has the highest excellence of prema. All the other
śaktis such as aiśvarya, not too much respected, follow after her. In
Vṛndāvana, Śrī Rādhikā is Lakṣmī Svayam. To indicate her chief position
among the gopīs she is given the name “ruler of Vṛndāvana.” In the
discussion between Śaunaka and Nārada it is said:
vṛndāvanādhipatyam ca dattam tasyai pratyuṣyatā |
kṛṣṇenānyatra devī tu rādhā vṛndāvane vane ||
Pleased
with her, Lord Kṛṣṇa made Rādhā the queen of Vṛndāvana. In other places
she is Lakṣmī, but in Vṛndāvana forest she is Śrī Rādhā. (Padma Purāṇa
5.77.39)
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 189:
In Bṛhad-gautamīya-tantra Kṛṣna speaks to Balarāma:
sattvam tattvam paratvam ca tattva-trayam aham kila |
tri-tattva-rūpiṇī sāpi rādhikā mama vallabhā || prakṛteḥ para evāham sāpi mac-chakti-rūpiṇī |
sāttvikam rūpam āsthāya pūrṇo’ham brahma-cit-paraḥ || brahmaṇā prārthitaḥ samyak sambhavāmi yuge yuge |
tayā sārdham tvayā sārdham nāśāya devatā-druhām ||
I
am the three principles: sattva (effect), tattva (case) and paratva
(spiritual energy). The form of these three is Rādhikā my consort.I am
beyond prakṛti and she is my śakti. Situated in sattva I am complete,
engaged in the consciousness of Brahman. Requested by Brahmā, I appear
in the world in various yugas with Rādhā for destroying the enemies of
the devatās.
Sattvam means effect and tattvam means cause. Superior to that is para. I am these three.
devī kṛṣṇa-mayī proktā rādhikā para-devatā |
sarva-lakṣmī-mayī sarva-kāntiḥ sammohinī parā ||
Rādhā,
non-different from Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme devatā. All Lakṣmīs reside
within her. She has all beauty, bewilders everyone and is supreme.
(Gautamīyatantra)
Ṛk-pariśiṣṭa says rādhayā mādhavo devo
mādhavenaiva rādhikā vibhrājante janeṣvā: Rādhā shines with Kṛṣṇa and
Kṛṣṇa shines with Rādhā among the people, everywhere. ā indicates
“everywhere.”
In the first verse of Bhāgavatam this meaning is
also found. In that verse, a meaning showing the great powers of the
two should be found, just as previously other meanings were found. A
meaning indicating the highest sweetness should be found also. Anvayāt
means “he follows her since attachment to Rādhā, the form of his śakti
of the highest bliss, exists at all times, since she is his second form
(itaraś ca).She (yataḥ) alone is the cause (janma) of madhura-rasa
(ādi). That the two are the leaders of astonishing pastimes in
madhura-rasa is indicated. He is skillful (abhijnaḥ) at all types of
pastimes (artheṣu). And she shines by her own self (svarāṭ).
In
describing the astonishing forms of the two, the Lord must show great
mercy to me, Vyāsadeva. The Lord bestows śabda-brahma (tene brahma),
which describes the Lord’s pastimes through the heart to me, Veda-vyāsa
(adi-kavaye), who first began describing his pastimes. Simultaneous to
starting this endeavor he revealed in my heart that great Purāṇa
completely. This is explained in the Seventh Chapter of the First
Canto. The devotees like Śeṣa are bewildered about her beauty and
qualities (muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ). Starting to describe her, they cannot
understand. If she does not give mercy, I cannot describe even a drop
of her pastimes even though I have received the great mercy of Kṛṣṇa.
Only this much I could describe:
tais taiḥ padais tat-padavīm anvicchantyo ’grato’balāḥ vadhvāḥ padaiḥ su-pṛktāni vilokyārtāḥ samabruvan
The
gopīs began following Kṛṣṇa’s path, as shown by his many footprints,
but when they saw that these prints were thoroughly intermixed with
those of his dearest consort, they became perturbed and spoke. (SB
10.30.26)
Their astonishing forms are described. They
spread their beauty in such a way (yathā) that the elements exchange
their natures (vinimayah). The sentence is not complete in sanskṛt
(“They spread their beauty” is not written in the verse), because,
being defeated by their bhāva, Vyāsa could not describe it properly.
For instance, by the manifestation of beauty from their toe nails, the
moon light (tejaḥ) becomes dull like water or earth (vari-mṛdām),
losing its quality of brilliance. By contacting the sound of the flute,
river water rises up like flames of fire and becomes like earth or
stone-- motionless. Earth and stone by their flashing, abundant beauty
become bright like fire and by the sound of the flute become liquid
like water. All this is well known in descriptions of their pastimes.
While
she is present, the three śaktis Śrī, Bhū and Līlā (tri-sargaḥ) or the
manifestation of the three śaktis in the three places of Dvārakā,
Mathurā and Vṛndāvana become useless (mrṣā). Or in Vṛndāvana alone when
she is present three types of gopīs according to dealings in
rasa--suhṛd, udāsīna (neutral), and pratipakṣa (inimical) in relation
to the group leader-- are rendered useless. This means that in front of
the wealth of Rādhā’s qualities, all of them have no meaning for Kṛṣṇa.
We should meditate on them. The word tat is understood (but not
written in the last line) to correspond with yat previously mentioned
in the verse. The two persons are considered one (yat) because the
couple has attained non-difference by having the supreme bhakti-śakti
or by the intensity of the rasa of mahābhāva. It is in the neuter from
consideration of generality.
What is their nature? Through
their influence (dhāmnā svena), māyā (kuhakam) in the form of the
inimical party of Jaratī and others, an obstacle to their pastimes, is
always destroyed. They are nitya-siddha (satyam) by their natures just
described. Or, they have become fixed (satyam) in giving profuse bliss
without cessation by mutual gestures etc. They are superior to all
(param) since no one else can astonish the universe by such
unprecedented qualities and pastimes.
In this verse their
unique quality is described by different conditions with ease. When two
objects in an implied comparison have the same quality, it is the
ornament called prati-vastūpamā.In this verse there is a series of such
comparisons, called upamiti-mālā-prati-vastūpamā.
When two
objects are intimately connected together by suitability of qualities,
the ornament is called sama. By this ornament, the two are indicated to
become
one remarkable entity, surpassing all others
(param). By mutual sweetness of qualities, the couple has attained
sameness (sama). To whom will the pastimes of his lotus feet not give
pleasure, through the bounteous river of sweet nectar which gives life
to all jīvas? Spontaneously, inherently this object manifests itself
(svataḥ sambhavi).
prativastūpamā sā syād vākyayor gamya-sāmyayoḥ |
eko’pi dharmaḥ sāmānyo yatra nirdiśyate pṛthak ||
When
in two sentences or descriptions, a common attribute is expressed with
implied similarity in a different way in each sentence, it is called
prativastūpamā. (Sāhitya-darpaṇa 10.49)
This is seen in a series in this verse.
Praise of a suitable object by similarity is called sama. Sāhitya-darpaṇa
vastu vālankṛtir vāpi dvidhārthaḥ sambhavī svataḥ |
kaveḥ praudhokti-siddho vā tan-nibaddhasya veti ṣaṭ |
The
suggested sense of a word (dhvani) is of two types: based on an object
or an ornament. These two types may be inherent (svataḥ sambhavi),
established by the poet, or established by a character portrayed by the
poet. This makes six types.
ṣadbhis tair vyajyamānas tu vastv-alankāra-rūpakaḥ |
artha-śakty-udbhavo vyangyo yāti dvādaśa-bhedatām ||
These six types suggest either a fact or an ornament. Thus there are twelve division of poetic suggestion (dhvani). (258)
Kṛṣṇa
combined with Rādhā is his most astonishing manifestation, produced in
Śrī-vṛndāvana, which is also the most astonishing, intense
manifestation of Kṛṣna. Thus śruti says rādhayā mādhavo devaḥ: Kṛṣṇa
shines brilliantly with Rādhā. (Ṛk-pariśiṣṭa)
aham eva param rūpam nānyo jānāti kaścana |
jānāti rādhikā pārtha amśān arcanti devatāḥ ||
I am the supreme form. No one knows this form. Rādhā knows this form. The devatās worship my amśas. (Ādi Purāṇa)
Their eternal pastimes are described by Rūpa Gosvāmī:
vācā sūcita-śarvarī-rati-kalā-prāgalbhyayā rādhikām vrīdā-kuncita-locanām viracayann agre sakhīnām asau |
tad-vakṣo-ruha-citra-keli-makarī-pāṇditya-pāram gataḥ kaiśoram saphalī-karoti kalayan kunje vihāram hariḥ ||
Kṛṣṇa
made Rādhā lower her eyes in shame by boldly describing their pastimes
of the previous night in front of her friends. Taking that opportunity,
he displayed his skill by expertly drawing frolicking makaris on her
breasts. In this way Kṛṣṇa sported in the groves and fulfilled His
youthful years. (BRS 2.1.231)
Thus in four Sandarbhas,
sambandha has been explained. In that sambandha, the manifestation as
Rādhā and Mādhava is most attractive for the person establishing a
relationship. Śruti says rādhayā mādhavo deva: Mādhava is always with
Rādhā. For this purpose I have displayed all these arranged verses. The
sambandha is complete.
gaura-śyāma-rucojjvalābhir amalair akṣṇor vilāsotsavair nṛtyantībhir aśeṣa-mādana-kalā-vaidagdhya-digdhātmabhiḥ |
anyonya-priyatā-sudhā-parimala-stomonmadābhiḥ sadā rādhā-mādhava-mādhurībhir abhitaś cittam mamākrāmyatām ||
At
all times may my heart be overcome by the sweetness of Rādhā and
Mādhava, by the pure, abundant movements of their dancing eyes, by
their brilliant beauty of gold and black, completely anointed with
countless, clever skills of love, causing madness by the multitude of
fragrance and nectar of each other.
TEXT - SB 1.1.2
dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ
vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam
śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ
sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate 'tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt
SYNONYMS
dharmaḥ—religiosity;
projjhita—completely rejected; kaitavaḥ—covered by fruitive intention;
atra—herein; paramaḥ—the highest; nirmatsarāṇām—of the
one-hundred-percent pure in heart; satām—devotees;
vedyam—understandable; vāstavam—factual; atra—herein; vastu—substance;
śivadam—well-being; tāpa-traya—threefold miseries; unmūlanam—causing
uprooting of; śrīmat—beautiful; bhāgavate—the Bhāgavata Purāṇa;
mahā-muni—the great sage (Vyāsadeva); kṛte—having compiled; kim—what
is; vā—the need; paraiḥ—others; īśvaraḥ—the Supreme Lord; sadyaḥ—at
once; hṛdi—within the heart; avarudhyate—become compact; atra—herein;
kṛtibhiḥ—by the pious men; śuśrūṣubhiḥ—by culture; tat-kṣaṇāt—without
delay.
TRANSLATION
Completely rejecting all religious
activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa
propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees
who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished
from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold
miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage
Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God
realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one
attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this
culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.
PURPORT
Religion
includes four primary subjects, namely pious activities, economic
development, satisfaction of the senses, and finally liberation from
material bondage. Irreligious life is a barbarous condition. Indeed,
human life begins when religion begins. Eating, sleeping, fearing, and
mating are the four principles of animal life. These are common both to
animals and to human beings. But religion is the extra function of the
human being. Without religion, human life is no better than animal
life. Therefore, in human societies there is some form of religion
which aims at self-realization and which makes reference to man's
eternal relationship with God.
In the lower stages of human
civilization, there is always competition to lord it over the material
nature or, in other words, there is a continuous rivalry to satisfy the
senses. Driven by such consciousness, man turns to religion. He thus
performs pious activities or religious functions in order to gain
something material. But if such material gains are obtainable in other
ways, then so-called religion is neglected. This is the situation in
modern civilization. Man is thriving economically, so at present he is
not very interested in religion. Churches, mosques or temples are now
practically vacant. Men are more interested in factories, shops, and
cinemas than in religious places which were erected by their
forefathers. This practically proves that religion is performed for
some economic gains. Economic gains are needed for sense gratification.
Often when one is baffled in the pursuit of sense gratification, he
takes to salvation and tries to become one with the Supreme Lord.
Consequently, all these states are simply different types of sense
gratification.
In the Vedas, the above-mentioned four activities
are prescribed in the regulative way so that there will not be any
undue competition for sense gratification. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is
transcendental to all these sense gratificatory activities. It is
purely transcendental literature which can be understood only by the
pure devotees of the Lord who are transcendental to competitive sense
gratification. In the material world there is keen competition between
animal and animal, man and man, community and community, nation and
nation. But the devotees of the Lord rise above such competitions. They
do not compete with the materialist because they are on the path back
to Godhead where life is eternal and blissful. Such transcendentalists
are nonenvious and pure in heart. In the material world, everyone is
envious of everyone else, and therefore there is competition. But the
transcendental devotees of the Lord are not only free from material
envy, but are well-wishers to everyone, and they strive to establish a
competitionless society with God in the center. The contemporary
socialist's conception of a competitionless society is artificial
because in the socialist state there is competition for the post of
dictator. From the point of view of the Vedas or from the point of view
of common human activities, sense gratification is the basis of
material life. There are three paths mentioned in the Vedas. One
involves fruitive activities to gain promotion to better planets.
Another involves worshiping different demigods for promotion to the
planets of the demigods, and another involves realizing the Absolute
Truth and His impersonal feature and becoming one with Him.
The
impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth is not the highest. Above the
impersonal feature is the Paramātmā feature, and above this is the
personal feature of the Absolute Truth, or Bhagavān. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
gives information about the Absolute Truth in His personal feature. It
is higher than impersonalist literatures and higher than the
jñāna-kāṇḍa division of the Vedas. It is even higher than the
karma-kāṇḍa division, and even higher than the upāsanā-kāṇḍa division,
because it recommends the worship of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In the karma-kāṇḍa, there is competition to
reach heavenly planets for better sense gratification, and there is
similar competition in the jñāna-kāṇḍa and the upāsanā-kāṇḍa. The
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is superior to all of these because it aims at the
Supreme Truth which is the substance or the root of all categories.
From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one can come to know the substance as well as
the categories. The substance is the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord,
and all emanations are relative forms of energy.
Nothing is
apart from the substance, but at the same time the energies are
different from the substance. This conception is not contradictory.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explicitly promulgates this
simultaneously-one-and-different philosophy of the Vedānta-sūtra, which
begins with the "janmādy asya" [SB 1.1.1] sūtra.
This knowledge
that the energy of the Lord is simultaneously one with and different
from the Lord is an answer to the mental speculators' attempt to
establish the energy as the Absolute. When this knowledge is factually
understood, one sees the conceptions of monism and dualism to be
imperfect. Development of this transcendental consciousness grounded in
the conception of simultaneously-one-and-different leads one
immediately to the stage of freedom from the threefold miseries. The
threefold miseries are (1) those miseries which arise from the mind and
body, (2) those miseries inflicted by other living beings, and (3)
those miseries arising from natural catastrophes over which one has no
control. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with the surrender of the devotee
unto the Absolute Person. The devotee is fully aware that he is one
with the Absolute and at the same time in the eternal position of
servant to the Absolute. In the material conception, one falsely thinks
himself the lord of all he surveys, and therefore he is always troubled
by the threefold miseries of life. But as soon as one comes to know his
real position as transcendental servant, he at once becomes free from
all miseries. As long as the living entity is trying to master material
nature, there is no possibility of his becoming servant of the Supreme.
Service to the Lord is rendered in pure consciousness of one's
spiritual identity; by service one is immediately freed from material
encumbrances.
Over and above this, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a
personal commentation on the Vedānta-sūtra by Śrī Vyāsadeva. It was
written in the maturity of his spiritual life through the mercy of
Nārada. Śrī Vyāsadeva is the authorized incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, the
Personality of Godhead. Therefore, there is no question as to his
authority. He is the author of all other Vedic literatures, yet he
recommends the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam above all others. In other
Purāṇas there are different methods set forth by which one can worship
the demigods. But in the Bhāgavatam only the Supreme Lord is mentioned.
The Supreme Lord is the total body, and the demigods are the different
parts of that body. Consequently, by worshiping the Supreme Lord, one
does not need to worship the demigods. The Supreme Lord becomes fixed
in the heart of the devotee immediately. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has
recommended the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the spotless Purāṇa and
distinguishes it from all other Purāṇas.
The proper method for
receiving this transcendental message is to hear it submissively. A
challenging attitude cannot help one realize this transcendental
message. One particular word is used herein for proper guidance. This
word is śuśrūṣu. One must be anxious to hear this transcendental
message. The desire to sincerely hear is the first qualification.
Less
fortunate persons are not at all interested in hearing this
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The process is simple, but the application is
difficult. Unfortunate people find enough time to hear idle social and
political conversations, but when invited to attend a meeting of
devotees to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam they suddenly become reluctant.
Sometimes professional readers of the Bhāgavatam immediately plunge
into the confidential topics of the pastimes of the Supreme Lord, which
they seemingly interpret as sex literature. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant
to be heard from the beginning. Those who are fit to assimilate this
work are mentioned in this śloka: "One becomes qualified to hear
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam after many pious deeds." The intelligent person, with
thoughtful discretion, can be assured by the great sage Vyāsadeva that
he can realize the Supreme Personality directly by hearing
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Without undergoing the different stages of
realization set forth in the Vedas, one can be lifted immediately to
the position of paramahaṁsa simply by agreeing to receive this message.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.2
Since
Bhāgavatam is the essence of all scripture, and, among all scriptures,
shows what is beneficial and unbeneficial for the jīva, and since it
has discerned with conviction the root of all benefit, it laments for
the great diversity of recommendations of what is beneficial and
unbeneficial for the jīva, arising from people's different
qualifications and from different philosophical opinions. Bhāgavatam
gives bliss to all the listeners and thus allows everyone to achieve
the highest object completely. That is made clear in this verse.
Through
the hearing process, the Bhāgavatam (atra) which is most auspicious
(ṣrīmat), the Lord (īśvaraḥ), the shelter of all else, Śrī-kṛṣṇa, is
immediately brought under control and captured (avarudhyate) in the
heart by the accomplished persons (kṛtibhiḥ), the persons devoid of
selfishness (nirmatsarāṇām), who are mentioned in the verse as being
qualified for this scripture. This indicates that prema arises in the
devotees, since the Lord is brought under control only by prema.
Praṇaya-raśanayā dhṛtāṅghri-padmaḥ: the Lord’s lotus feet are tied by
ropes to the devotee. (SB 11.2.55)
na rodhayati māṁ yogo na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma eva ca
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo neṣṭā-pūrtaṁ na dakṣiṇā
vratāni yajñaś chandāṁsi tīrthāni niyamā yamāḥ
yathāvarundhe sat-saṅgaḥ sarva-saṅgāpaho hi mām
O
Uddhava! Only by associating with my pure devotees one can destroy
material attachment and attain me. One cannot attain me by
aṣṭāṅga-yoga, distinction of ātmā from body, practice nonviolence,
study of the Vedas, austerity, sannyāsa, sacrifices, charitable
projects, donations, vows, worship of devatās, secret mantras, holy
places, and observing prohibitions and rules. . SB 11.12.1-2
Kṛṣṇa
enters the hearts of even those who have suddenly developed the desire
to hear from the moment they begin listening. Since they develop the
desire to hear from that moment, even before having faith, it means
that they develop prema simply by hearing Bhāgavatam. Then how much
more quickly they would develop prema if they begin hearing with faith!
madhura-madhuram etan maṅgalaṁ maṅgalānāṁ
sakala-nigama-vallī-sat-phalaṁ cit-svarūpam
sakṛd api parigītaṁ śraddhayā helayā vā
bhṛguvara nara-mātraṁ tārayet kṛṣṇa-nāma
The
name of Kṛṣṇa is sweeter than the sweetest, the most auspicious of all
things auspicious, the highest fruit in the tree of all the Vedas, and
is composed entirely of pure consciousness. O best of Bhṛgu’s dynasty!
Heard once with faith or in negligence, it can deliver any human being.
Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa, Padma Purāṇa
This verse indicates the inconceivable power in the extraordinary words denoting Kṛṣṇa.
durūhādbhuta-vīrye ’smin śraddhā dūre ’stu pañcake |
yatra svalpo ’pi sambandhaḥ sad-dhiyāṁ bhāva-janmane ||
The
last five items have inconceivable and astonishing power. What to speak
of faith, where there is just a little relationship with these items,
persons who are devoid of offenses attain the level of bhāva. BRS
1.2.238
The verse from Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu shows that the
mind becomes fixed in the Lord. This is called the highest attainment
for the human being. And the Lord, becoming captured by the mind,
cannot leave. That imprisonment occurs immediately — this means without
even faith. Somehow this has the power to attract Kṛṣṇa completely.
Bhāgavatam thus should be understood to be a great science. And if the
two words sadhyaḥ and krṭibhiḥ are taken together, then it means Kṛṣṇa
is brought under control immediately for those who are accomplished or
qualified (kṛtibhiḥ); whereas it happens after a slight delay for those
who are not so qualified. Both types of persons, — the accomplished and
unaccomplished — are qualified for Bhāgavatam. Thus it is said:
pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayaṁ muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ
O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. SB 1.1.3
yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam
adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo ’ndham
saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyaṁ
taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi munīnām
I
surrender to the son of Vyāsa, the incomparable guru of all the sages,
who mercifully spoke the Purāṇa full of hidden meanings, the essence of
all the scriptures, the essence of hearing, for all the people of this
world, even in the future; who spoke the Bhāgavatam, which revealed the
excellence of rasa to Śukadeva, and which is the revealer of ātmā for
those desiring to cross dense ignorance with ease. SB 1.2.3
Tat-kṣaṇāt
can also mean because of Kṛṣṇa’s (tat) merriment or festival (kṣaṇāt)
he becomes caught in the devotee’s heart. Since Kṛṣṇa becomes supremely
blissful by being trapped in the heart filled with prema, this also
indicates that Kṛṣṇa is happy and filled with prema when the devotees
hear Bhāgavatam. This result is not achieved by any other scripture or
other practices (kiṁ vā paraiḥ).
Having described the excellent
results of this scripture, the verse describes the excellence of the
maker. Mahāmuni indicates that the Lord himself became the sage and
planned the work, for this is explained in the scriptures. The
Bhāgavatam was first revealed in abbreviated form by the Lord himself
in four verses.
kasmai yena vibhāsito ’yam atulo jñāna-pradīpaḥ purā
tad-rūpeṇa ca nāradāya munaye kṛṣṇāya tad-rūpiṇā
yogīndrāya tad-ātmanātha bhagavad-rātāya kāruṇyatas
tac chuddhaṁ vimalaṁ viśokam amṛtaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi
I
meditate upon that pure, spotless Nārāyaṇa, who is free from suffering
and death and who previously revealed this incomparable lamp of
knowledge to Brahmā. Brahmā then spoke it to the sage Nārada, who
narrated it to Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. Śrīla Vyāsa revealed this
Bhāgavatam to the greatest of sages, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva
mercifully spoke it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. SB 12.13.19
Having
then been revealed in full by Vyāsa, what is to be understood in this
work through hearing it? That object which is substantial, which is
fixed in the beginning middle and end of time (vāstavam) can be
understood (vedyam) by those without selfishness. And even those who
are selfish, by hearing this work, lose their selfishness. Even the
selfish will have enthusiasm for hearing it, for even such persons can
understand the work. This permanent object (vāstavam vastu) includes
the name, form, qualities of the Lord, his abodes such as Vaikuṇṭha,
his devotees and bhakti. Because other real objects (vastu), the things
of this world, are not permanent, it should be understood that though
both Vaikuṇṭha and the material world are real, Vaikuṇṭha is really
substantial (vāstavam) and the material world is not. Unreal objects
such as a flower in the sky are called avastu. What will happen with
gaining this knowledge of the permanently real? It gives auspiciousness
(śivadam) in the form of becoming an associate of the Lord with prema
as the desired result. It gives release from the three miseries or
liberation (tāpa-trayonmūlanam) as the unsought result.
In this
work what is recommend action to be undertaken? It vehemently rejects
(projjhita) that path which cheats, which deceives a person from the
real goal. In other words sakāma-karma is rejected. The prefix pra
(completely) indicates that path promising liberation is also rejected.
Niṣkāma-karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga with its limbs of sense and mind
control, and aṣṭāṅga-yoga are also rejected. But parama-dharma, pure
bhakti-yoga, is to be performed. It is called parama or supreme,
because bhakti is the best process, because it gives all types of
happiness (material happiness, liberation and prema) and because even
though it bestows the lesser benedictions, it remains uncontaminated.
Thus, this verse shows the action to be performed (abhidheya-tattva).
It will be shown later that anyone who is a human being can perform
bhakti:
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati
The
supreme occupation for all humanity is that by which men can attain to
loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional
service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the
self. SB 1.2.6
Repetition of atra (in this work) is employed for
emphasis. In this scripture and not in any other work, the Lord becomes
controlled by the devotees. In this scripture and not in any other
work, the substantial object is presented. In this work and no other
work, the highest dharma which rejects all cheating is presented. All
other yogas are excluded in this work alone. And it should be
understood that in describing what is presented only in the Bhāgavatam,
all things which are not yoga at all are also rejected.
Jiva's tika |1.1.2||
dharmaḥ
projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām satām vedyam vāstavam atra
vastu śivadam tāpa-trayonmūlanam śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kim vā
parair īśvaraḥ sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis
tat-kṣaṇāt |
TRANSLATION The Supreme Lord becomes
immediately captured in the heart of the accomplished devotees by
hearing Bhāgavatam and even by those who have suddenly developed a
desire to hear it. This does not happened with other works. In the
Bhāgavatam alone, created by the Lord himself, is presented the real,
permanent
object which can be understood by those without selfish intentions, and
which bestows auspiciousness and release from the material world of
miseries. In the Bhāgavatam alone is presented the process for
attaining that highest object, devoid of all material goals and
liberation.
Having shown how this work is different from
scriptures describing karma, jnāna and bhakti, its excellence is
gradually revealed.
Bhagavat Sandarbha 101:
Since
Bhāgavatam is the best, being the highest fruit on the desire tree of
the Vedas, Bhagavān, the highest tattva enunciated in the Bhāgavatam,
is the best, because he is the form of the most attractive knowledge.
Dharma
is described as follows. Sa vai pumsām paro dharmo yato bhaktir
adhokṣaje: the highest dharma is that by which bhakti to the Lord
arises. (SB 1.2.6)
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ |
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam ||
O
best of the brāhmaṇas! The complete perfection of dharma, according to
divisions of varṇāśrama by men, is pleasing the Lord. (SB 1.2.13)
According
to this, bhakti to the Lord is the highest dharma because the only aim
of dharma is to satisfy the Lord and dharma is defined as that which
produces pure bhakti. Because bhakti is the final goal of dharma, in
the Bhāgavatam that dharma which seeks other results (kaitavaḥ) is
completely (pra) rejected (ujjhitam). The word pra indicates that all
types of liberation like sālokya are also rejected. Since bhakti is the
only goal of dharma, it is for persons without envy (matsara). Persons
who desire material results cannot tolerate excellence in other people.
This also stands for persons without compassion who perform animal
sacrifices. Thus Bhāgavatam is meant for those with compassion. It is
also for devotees who follow sva-dharma (satām), for it is superior to
karmakāṇda and upāsanā-kāṇda (which promote dharma) since those
scriptures do not promote compassion and lack of envy to the same
degree. And direct bhakti such as chanting is of course minimized in
these scriptures. It is also superior to branches of jnāna-kāṇda. In
jnāna scriptures devoid of bhakti, the real truth which is presented in
Bhāgavatam cannot be ascertained. The truth is understood (vedyam
vastavam) in Bhāgavatam. This is the knowledge to be known:
śreyaḥ-sṛtim
bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye teṣām asau
kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām
O Lord!
If fools give up bhakti, the all-inclusive path, and suffer to attain
realization of ātmā without bhakti, they simply attain suffering and
nothing else. They are like fools who beat empty husks.( SB 10.14.4)
It gives realization of the highest bliss (śivadam). It destroys even the root of the three sufferings—ignorance.
It
is superior to meditating on Brahman. This is stated because some
persons think that one cannot gain the ultimate bliss without
liberation. And the cause of its excellence is not just in its being a
rare attainment. To indicate this, the svarūpa of the Bhāgavatam is
described. The work promotes Bhagavān (bhāgavatam) and is eternally
endowed (mat) with the Lord’s natural śakti (śrī) in the form of his
name etc. Thus the name of the work indicates what it contains as a
whole, just as “blue lotus” denotes a specific object. Otherwise it
would have the fault of having portions which present extraneous
topics. It is said grantho’ṣṭādaśa-sāhasraḥ śrīmad-bhāgavatābhidhaḥ:
the work called Śrīmadbhāgavatam has eighteen thousand verses. (Garuda
Purāṇa) The commentary says “Bhāgavatam is defined as a desire tree.”
Sometimes the work is simply called Bhāgavatam. That is like calling
Satyabhāmā by the name Bhāmā for short.
The reason for the
power of the work is the excellence of the author. The author is
Bhagavān (mahā-muneḥ), the crest jewel of powerful persons (mahā)
inclined to the highest contemplation (muni). Sa munir bhūtvā
samacintayat: becoming a sage, the Lord reflected. (Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad)
The Lord first revealed Bhāgavatam in abbreviated form in the
catuḥ-ślokī. Then he presented it fully in this manner.
kasmai
yena vibhāsito ’yam atulo jnāna-pradīpaḥ purā tad-rūpeṇa ca nāradāya
munaye kṛṣṇāya tad-rūpiṇā yogīndrāya tad-ātmanātha bhagavad-rātāya
kāruṇyatas tac chuddham vimalam viśokam amṛtam satyam param dhīmahi
I meditate upon that pure, spotless Nārāyaṇa, who is free from suffering and
death
and who previously revealed this incomparable lamp of knowledge to
Brahmā. Brahmā then spoke it to the sage Nārada, who narrated it to
Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa. Śrīla Vyāsa revealed this Bhāgavatam to the
greatest of sages, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva mercifully spoke it
to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. (SB 12.13.19)
There may be excellence in
other works generally, but a direct encounter with Bhagavān, the crest
jewel of puruṣārthas, the highest object of knowledge in all scriptures
concerning knowledge, is easily attained in Bhāgavatam. The work’s
exalted power is expressed.
Or kim vā paraiḥ can be taken as a
separate statement. What greatness is attained by other processes
described or undescribed--realizing Brahman or dharma mixed with
worship of the Lord with no material desire, leading even to
liberation? The Lord in one moment becomes steady in the heart for
persons who became successful by bhakti in successive steps of sādhana
(kṛtibhiḥ). The Lord is always steady in their hearts starting from the
moment that persons desire to hear.
Thus Bhāgavatam is the
best among all scriptures, distinct from what is propounded in
karma-kāṇda, upāsanā-kāṇda and jnāna-kāṇda, since its knowledge
attracts the Lord. Three times the word atra (in this work) is spoken
to emphasize the special quality of Bhāgavatam. Thus everyone should
hear Bhāgavatam.
TEXT - SB 1.1.3
nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam
pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayaṁ
muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ
SYNONYMS
nigama—the
Vedic literatures; kalpa-taroḥ—the desire tree; galitam—fully matured;
phalam—fruit; śuka—Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the original speaker of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; mukhāt—from the lips of; amṛta—nectar;
drava—semisolid and soft and therefore easily swallowable;
saṁyutam—perfect in all respects; pibata—do relish it; bhāgavatam—the
book dealing in the science of the eternal relation with the Lord;
rasam—juice (that which is relishable); ālayam—until liberation, or
even in a liberated condition; muhuḥ—always; aho—O; rasikāḥ—those who
are full in the knowledge of mellows; bhuvi—on the earth;
bhāvukāḥ—expert and thoughtful.
TRANSLATION
O expert and
thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the
desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī
Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful,
although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including
liberated souls.
PURPORT
In the two previous ślokas it
has been definitely proved that the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the sublime
literature which surpasses all other Vedic scriptures due to its
transcendental qualities. It is transcendental to all mundane
activities and mundane knowledge. In this śloka it is stated that
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not only a superior literature but is the ripened
fruit of all Vedic literatures. In other words, it is the cream of all
Vedic knowledge. Considering all this, patient and submissive hearing
is definitely essential. With great respect and attention, one should
receive the message and lessons imparted by the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The
Vedas are compared to the desire tree because they contain all things
knowable by man. They deal with mundane necessities as well as
spiritual realization. The Vedas contain regulated principles of
knowledge covering social, political, religious, economic, military,
medicinal, chemical, physical and metaphysical subject matter and all
that may be necessary to keep the body and soul together. Above and
beyond all this are specific directions for spiritual realization.
Regulated knowledge involves a gradual raising of the living entity to
the spiritual platform, and the highest spiritual realization is
knowledge that the Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all
spiritual tastes, or rasas.
Every living entity, beginning from
Brahmā, the first-born living being within the material world, down to
the insignificant ant, desires to relish some sort of taste derived
from sense perceptions. These sensual pleasures are technically called
rasas. Such rasas are of different varieties. In the revealed
scriptures the following twelve varieties of rasas are enumerated: (1)
raudra (anger), (2) adbhuta (wonder), (3) śṛṅgāra (conjugal love), (4)
hāsya (comedy), (5) vīra (chivalry), (6) dayā (mercy), (7) dāsya
(servitorship), (8) sakhya (fraternity), (9) bhayānaka (horror), (10)
bībhatsa (shock), (11) śānta (neutrality), (12) vātsalya (parenthood).
The
sum total of all these rasas is called affection or love. Primarily,
such signs of love are manifested in adoration, service, friendship,
paternal affection, and conjugal love. And when these five are absent,
love is present indirectly in anger, wonder, comedy, chivalry, fear,
shock and so on. For example, when a man is in love with a woman, the
rasa is called conjugal love. But when such love affairs are disturbed
there may be wonder, anger, shock, or even horror. Sometimes love
affairs between two persons culminate in ghastly murder scenes. Such
rasas are displayed between man and man and between animal and animal.
There is no possibility of an exchange or rasa between a man and an
animal or between a man and any other species of living beings within
the material world. The rasas are exchanged between members of the same
species. But as far as the spirit souls are concerned, they are one
qualitatively with the Supreme Lord. Therefore, the rasas were
originally exchanged between the spiritual living being and the
spiritual whole, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The spiritual
exchange or rasa is fully exhibited in spiritual existence between
living beings and the Supreme Lord.
The Supreme Personality of
Godhead is therefore described in the śruti-mantras, Vedic hymns, as
"the fountainhead of all rasas." When one associates with the Supreme
Lord and exchanges one's constitutional rasa with the Lord, then the
living being is actually happy.
These śruti-mantras indicate
that every living being has its constitutional position, which is
endowed with a particular type of rasa to be exchanged with the
Personality of Godhead. In the liberated condition only, this primary
rasa is experienced in full. In the material existence, the rasa is
experienced in the perverted form, which is temporary. And thus the
rasas of the material world are exhibited in the material form of
raudra (anger) and so on.
Therefore, one who attains full
knowledge of these different rasas, which are the basic principles of
activities, can understand the false representations of the original
rasas which are reflected in the material world. The learned scholar
seeks to relish the real rasa in the spiritual form. In the beginning
he desires to become one with the Supreme. Thus, less intelligent
transcendentalists cannot go beyond this conception of becoming one
with the spirit whole, without knowing of the different rasas.
In
this śloka, it is definitely stated that spiritual rasa, which is
relished even in the liberated stage, can be experienced in the
literature of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam due to its being the ripened fruit
of all Vedic knowledge. By submissively hearing this transcendental
literature, one can attain the full pleasure of his heart's desire. But
one must be very careful to hear the message from the right source.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is exactly received from the right source. It was
brought by Nārada Muni from the spiritual world and given to his
disciple Śrī Vyāsadeva. The latter in turn delivered the message to his
son Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī delivered the
message to Mahārāja Parīkṣit just seven days before the King's death.
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a liberated soul from his very birth. He was
liberated even in the womb of his mother, and he did not undergo any
sort of spiritual training after his birth. At birth no one is
qualified, neither in the mundane nor in the spiritual sense. But Śrī
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, due to his being a perfectly liberated soul, did not
have to undergo an evolutionary process for spiritual realization. Yet
despite his being a completely liberated person situated in the
transcendental position above the three material modes, he was
attracted to this transcendental rasa of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who is adored by liberated souls who sing Vedic hymns. The
Supreme Lord's pastimes are more attractive to liberated souls than to
mundane people. He is of necessity not impersonal because it is only
possible to carry on transcendental rasa with a person.
In the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the transcendental pastimes of the Lord are narrated,
and the narration is systematically depicted by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Thus the subject matter is appealing to all classes of persons,
including those who seek liberation and those who seek to become one
with the supreme whole.
In Sanskrit the parrot is also known as
śuka. When a ripened fruit is cut by the red beaks of such birds, its
sweet flavor is enhanced. The Vedic fruit which is mature and ripe in
knowledge is spoken through the lips of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who is
compared to the parrot not for his ability to recite the Bhāgavatam
exactly as he heard it from his learned father, but for his ability to
present the work in a manner that would appeal to all classes of men.
The
subject matter is so presented through the lips of Śrīla Śukadeva
Gosvāmī that any sincere listener that hears submissively can at once
relish transcendental tastes which are distinct from the perverted
tastes of the material world. The ripened fruit is not dropped all of a
sudden from the highest planet of Kṛṣṇaloka. Rather, it has come down
carefully through the chain of disciplic succession without change or
disturbance. Foolish people who are not in the transcendental disciplic
succession commit great blunders by trying to understand the highest
transcendental rasa known as the rāsa dance without following in the
footsteps of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who presents this fruit very carefully
by stages of transcendental realization. One should be intelligent
enough to know the position of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by considering
personalities like Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who deals with the subject so
carefully. This process of disciplic succession of the Bhāgavata school
suggests that in the future also Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has to be understood
from a person who is factually a representative of Śrīla Śukadeva
Gosvāmī. A professional man who makes a business out of reciting the
Bhāgavatam illegally is certainly not a representative of Śukadeva
Gosvāmī. Such a man's business is only to earn his livelihood.
Therefore one should refrain from hearing the lectures of such
professional men. Such men usually go to the most confidential part of
the literature without undergoing the gradual process of understanding
this grave subject. They usually plunge into the subject matter of the
rāsa dance, which is misunderstood by the foolish class of men. Some of
them take this to be immoral, while others try to cover it up by their
own stupid interpretations. They have no desire to follow in the
footsteps of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
One should conclude,
therefore, that the serious student of the rasa should receive the
message of Bhāgavatam in the chain of disciplic succession from Śrīla
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who describes the Bhāgavatam from its very beginning
and not whimsically to satisfy the mundaner who has very little
knowledge in transcendental science. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so carefully
presented that a sincere and serious person can at once enjoy the
ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge simply by drinking the nectarean juice
through the mouth of Śukadeva Gosvāmī or his bona fide representative.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.3
In
the previous verse (1.1.2) of the Bhāgavatam, the powers of Bhāgavatam
to capture the Lord in the heart were described. In this verse, the
sweetness of Bhāgavatam is described. Nigama refers to the Veda. The
Veda is a desire tree because it naturally gives fruit in the form of
various puruṣārthas (human goals — artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa) which
are desired by those who resort to it. However, because of its nature
as a tree (being magnanimous, fulfilling everyone’s desires), it also
gives the fruit known as the Bhāgavatam (since some people desire
that). Bhāgavatam also means that which belongs to Bhagavān as the
proprietor. This implies that he alone gives the scripture to his
devotees, and thus persons other than them do not have rights to it.
Galitam means that it falls down of its own accord when ripened on the
tree, not by force. Thus, it is completely full of sweetness. Even
after falling from a high position in the tree, it does not break, nor
does it lose its sweetness. That is because it comes down from the
highest position, from Nārāyaṇa, to the branch of Brahmā, then to the
lower branch of Nārada, then to Vyāsa, and finally to the mouth of
Śuka. Thus, without being damaged, it is endowed with liquid sweetness
like honey. The parrot, Śuka, has even made an opening in the fruit
with his beak for bringing out the sweetness. Moreover, having been
tasted by him, that fruit becomes even sweeter. Moreover, it remains
unbroken, coming down step-by-step from the branch of Sūta and others.
What is implied here is that without the guru-paramparā, one cannot
drink Bhāgavatam in its unbroken form--just by trying to taste it
through use of one’s limited intelligence.
How should the fruit
be consumed? That is explained. One should drink it, for this fruit is
the essence of taste (rasam), devoid of skin, seed and other
objectionable parts. Laya means liberation (sāyujya) or attaining the
conditions of sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya and sārūpya. The word ālayam
then means that the fruit extends beyond these types of liberation,
because Bhāgavatam is famous for glorifying the Lord’s pastimes. Or
laya can refer to the eighth sāttvika-bhāva called pralaya, fainting.
One should drink until one develops the eight symptoms up to the final
one, fainting. Though one will not be able to drink the nectar when one
has fainted, when the fainting wears off, one again awakens to
consciousness and begins drinking until one faints again. One cannot
give up drinking. Thus the word muhur (continuously) is used. Or muhur
can have another meaning. Though one has drunk it, by again drinking
it, one develops more relish for it. This is surprising (aho). O
knowers of rasa (rasikāḥ)! This refers only to the devotees, for they
develop rati (bhāva) which becomes the sthāyi-bhāva. In that position
they can taste the rasa of Bhāgavatam. Jñāna-yogīs and karma-yogīs
cannot claim this position. O auspicious persons (bhāvukāḥ)! You are
most auspicious and all others are inauspicious!
There is
another reading of bhāvukāḥ. This would mean “persons who perform
actions for tasting the beautiful.” Bhaṭṭanāyaka says that a permanent
emotion is established by actions relating to tasting the beautiful.
Taking this meaning, bhāvukāḥ indicates persons who appreciate the Lord
— who is rasa personified.
Starting with brahmavid āpnoti
param, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad describes the creation of the
annamaya-puruṣa after listing elements starting with ākāśa coming from
brahman. Different forms internal to the previous one are then
successively described: the annamaya-puruṣa, prāṇamaya-puruṣa,
manomaya-puruṣa, vijñānamaya-puruṣa and finally the ānandamaya-puruṣa
which is considered to be brahman. Brahma-sūtra (1.1.13) describes
this. ānandamayo ’bhyāsāt: from the repetition of the words, ānandamaya
refers to the Supreme Lord. But it also says ānanda ātmā brahma-puccham
pratiṣṭhā: impersonal brahman is only the tail of that
ānandamaya-puruṣa. (Taittitrīya Upaniṣad 2.5) The Lord is the basis of
that brahman. After that, the Upaniṣad says raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hy
evāyaṁ labdhānandī bhavati: the Lord is rasa; realizing the Lord one
attains bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7) But does saḥ refer to the
ānandamaya-puruṣa (the Lord) under discussion or to the brahma-puccham
(impersonal brahman)? This doubt cannot be considered, for after
discussion of the different puruṣas to have saḥ refer to the brahma-
puccha would break the structure of the progression expressed in the
text. The Lord of course is well known to be rasa, since he is filled
with bliss. The Lord is superior to the brahman, being its support.
Gītā says brahmaṇo hi pratiṣtḥā ’ham: I am the basis of the brahman.
(BG 14.27) This statement as well shows that Kṛṣṇa is superior to the
brahman.
mallānām aśanir nṛṇāṁ nara-varaḥ strīṇāṁ smaro mūrtimān
gopānāṁ sva-jano ’satāṁ kṣiti-bhujāṁ śāstā sva-pitroḥ śiśuḥ
mṛtyur bhoja-pater virāḍ aviduṣāṁ tattvaṁ paraṁ yogināṁ
vṛṣṇīnāṁ para-devateti vidito raṅgaṁ gataḥ sāgrajaḥ
The
various groups of people in the arena regarded Kṛṣṇa in different ways
when he entered it with his elder brother. The wrestlers saw Kṛṣṇa as a
lightning bolt, the men of Mathurā as the best of males, the women as
Cupid in person, the cowherd men as their relative, the impious rulers
as a chastiser, his parents as their child, the King of the Bhojas as
death, the unintelligent as the Supreme Lord’s universal form, the
yogīs as the Absolute Truth and the Vṛṣṇis as their supreme worshipable
deity. SB 10.43.17
Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that this verse
illustrates that Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, is the form of all rasas combined,
starting with madhura-rasa, because the verse describes that different
types of persons realized different rasas in Kṛṣṇa just on seeing him.
In other words, Kṛṣṇa is the form of all rasas. Thus, both Gītā and
Bhāgavatam proclaim Kṛṣṇa to be rasa. The jīva, attaining the Lord who
is rasa, attains the highest level of bliss, for, after this, the
discussion of bliss is concluded with the words ānandasya mīmāṁsā
bhavati: this concludes the examination of bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad
8.2) Or the meaning can be that other forms of the Lord, on seeing
Kṛṣṇa, become filled with bliss. This is evident in the following
verses.
dvijātmajā me yuvayor didṛkṣuṇā mayopanītā bhuvi dharma-guptaye
kalāvatīrṇāv avaner bharāsurān hatveha bhūyas tvarayetam anti me
[Lord
Mahā-Viṣṇu said:] I brought the brāhmaṇa’s sons here because I wanted
to see the two of you, my expansions, who have descended to the earth
to save the principles of religion. As soon as you finish killing the
demons, who burden the earth, quickly come back here to me. SB 10.89.58
yan martya-līlaupayikaṁ sva-yoga-māyā-balaṁ darśayatā gṛhītam
vismāpanaṁ svasya ca saubhagarddheḥ paraṁ padaṁ bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇāṅgam
Kṛṣṇa
possesses that form suitable for human pastimes to show the full
capacity of his yoga-māyā. That form astonishes even the Lord of
Vaikuṇṭha. It is the pinnacle of auspicious qualities and enhances the
beauty of his ornaments. SB 3.2.12
In any case Kṛṣṇa is rasa,
the fruit, but this fruit is not directly situated on the tree of the
Vedas. It has fallen down (galitam) nearby. This object, rasa, is not
on the tree itself. It is not to be searched out in the Vedas, but
rather it is found in the mouth of Śukadeva. One can say that Vyāsa,
knowing that this fruit was very tasty, took it and put it in the mouth
of his son out of affection. Śukha-mukhāt can also indicate a cause:
the rasa is sweeter because of coming from the mouth of Śukadeva. This
sweetness of rasa is shown in Śukadeva’s statements such as the
following:
yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca sakhā guruḥ suhṛdo daivam iṣṭam
Because
the devotees accept mMe as their friend, their relative, their son,
preceptor, benefactor and Supreme Deity, they cannot be deprived of
their possessions at any time. SB 3.25.38
Bhuvi then indicates
Vraja-bhumi. Bhāvukāḥ and rasikāḥ indicate the dear gopīs. O dear
relishers of Kṛṣṇa’s rasa, drink the sweetness of the rasa arising from
his form (bhāgavatam). Or pibata bhāgavatam rasam ālayam can mean
“relish rasa up to the point of embracing (ālayam) Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa’s
rasa is indestructible (amṛta) and flows away quickly from the mind and
eye (drava). Therefore drink that indestructible nectar in the form of
his lips. In that case, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam means
“rāgānuga-bhakti which is the fully ripened fruit (galitam) on the tree
of the Vedas.” This fully ripened fruit is rāgānuga-bhakti following
after the sentiments of the gopīs (which is the highest type of love).
This is an acceptable meaning because, as mentioned in the Bṛhad-vāmana
Purāṇa, the Vedas, taking up that type of bhakti, accepted the forms of
hundreds of thousands of gopīs, and drank the sweet rasa of his lips.
This very secret meaning can be seen in the the payers of the
Personified Vedas (SB 10.87).
Some persons explain the phrase
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham in another way. Certainly they do, but such
explanations should be regarded as incorrect since they are out of
context and fanciful. The explanation given here is correct.
māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
The
meaning of these verses is as follows. Though a person may question how
one can attain brahman by bhakti and how one can attain realization of
the one brahman without qualities by worship of the Lord, you can
attain realization of brahman by worshipping me, because (hi) I am the
shelter (pratiṣṭhā) of even the brahman, famous in the śrutis as the
shelter of everything. Pratiṣṭhā means “that in which something is
standing.” Pratiṣṭhā means shelter as well, in many śruti texts, such
as Taittirīya Upaniṣad. I am the shelter of liberation (amṛtasya). This
meaning is made clear by the word avyayasa (indestructible), since this
will exclude the amṛta of the heavenly planets. I am also the shelter
of bhakti (dharmasya) which is continuous (śāśvatasya), being present
as sādhana and as the result of sādhana (prema). I am the shelter of
prema (aikāntikasya sukhasya), the goal of sādhana-bhakti. Because
everything is dependent on me, by worshipping me with a desire for
merging into impersonal brahman, one can merge into the brahman and
attain the quality of brahman. In support of this, Viṣṇu Purāṇa
(6.7.76) says śubhāśrayasya cittasya sarvagasyācalātmanaḥ: Viṣṇu is the
shelter of all auspiciousness and the brahman.
According to
Śrīdhara Svāmī sarvagasyātmanah means that Viṣṇu is the shelter of even
the impersonal brahman (sarvagasya). This confirms what the Lord
himself says: brahmaṇo hi pratiṣthāham. Viṣṇu-dharma in describing
Naraka-dvādaśī says:
prakṛtau puruṣe caiva brahmaṇy api ca sa prabhuḥ
yathaika eva sarvātmā vāsudevo vyavasthitaḥ
Vāsudeva is situated as the soul of all things, in prakṛti, the puruṣa, and the brahman.
Also Viṣṇu-dharma in describing māsarkṣa worship says:
yathācyutas tvam parataḥ parasmāt sa brahmabhūtāt parataḥ parātmā
tathācyuta tvaṁ kuru vāñchitaṁ tam mamāpadaṁ cāpaharāprameya
Just
as Acyuta, Paramātmā, is superior to all others, he is superior to
brahman. Therefore unlimited Acyuta, you should fulfill my wish and
remove me from all dangers. Viṣṇu Dharma 26.13
In Hari-vaṁśa, the Lord says to Arjuna in the story where Mahaviṣṇu steals the sons of the brāhmaṇa:
tat param paramaṁ brahma sarvaṁ vibhajate jagat
mamaiva tad ghanaṁ tejo jñātum arhasi bhārata
This supreme brahman spreads throughout the whole universe. O Bhārata, understand that brahman is my condensed effulgence.
Brahma-saṁhitā says:
yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam |
tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi ||
I
worship the Supreme Lord Govinda, whose powerful form radiates
effulgence known as the undifferentiated, unlimited, all-encompassing
brahman, which is completely distinct from its powers displayed in
unlimited planets throughout billions of universes. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.40
The śruti text Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad says:
yo ’sau jāgrata svapna-suṣuptim atītya tūryātīto gopālas tasmai vai namo namaḥ
I offer repeated respects to Kṛṣṇa who is beyond the states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep and the brahman.
Jiva's tika || 1.1.3 ||
nigama-kalpa-taror
galitam phalam śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-samyutam pibata bhāgavatam rasam
ālayam muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ
TRANSLATION O knowers
of rasa! O fortunate souls! Constantly drink from the mouth of Śukadeva
the Bhāgavatam, the fruit of the tree of the Vedas, which has dropped
from the tree to this earth, which is immortal, liquid, which is the
essence of sweetness and which includes all types of liberation. Having
by indicating the superior nature of its contents while rejecting all
faults, another reason for Bhāgavatam’s superiority to the three kāṇdas
is given, indicating greater excellence than previously.
BRS 1.2.226:
O
paths to the highest bliss (bhāvukāḥ)! O men who appreciate the love of
the Supreme Lord (rasikāḥ)! You, situated on this earth (bhuvi), please
relish and internalize (pibata) the fruit called the Bhāgavatam, the
very form of rasa (rasam ālayam), which has dropped down (galitam) to
this earth, coming from the tree of the Vedas, which grows in Vaikuṇṭha
and gives all types of fruits on its branches and twigs. Ah, you have
attained that which cannot be easily attained (aho). By using the word
rasa as a modifier, the Bhāgavatam is described as having sweetness,
but the real intention is to proclaim that Bhāgavatam is completely
sweetness. It is sweetness alone and nothing else. The scripture called
the Bhāgavatam is indeed tasty or rasavat, but is designated by the
word rasa to indicate that it is solely composed of rasa or sweet
taste. Moreover, by the word Bhāgavatam (that which is related to
Bhagavān, the Lord) it is indicated that sweetness or rasa also belongs
to the Lord. Since the Bhāgavatam is the tadīya of the Lord (dear
object related to the Lord), rasa also is the tadīya of the Lord.
Bhāgavatam means “related to the Lord.” Thus, the words bhāgavatam
rasam can also mean “rasa or sweetness related to the Lord.” The
definition of rasa is indeed a relationship of pure affection for the
Lord. This is understood from the statement of results described from
reading the Bhāgavatam.
yasyām vai śrūyamāṇāyām kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe bhaktir utpadyate pumsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā
Simply
by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for
loving devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation,
illusion and fearfulness. (SB 1.7.7)
The word rasa is also
employed in the śruti to indicate directly Bhagavān, since He is
composed completely of rasa. The śruti says raso vai saḥ: he is rasa.
(Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1) This rasa is also the highest objective.
Rasam hy evāyam labdhvānandī bhavati: attaining that rasa (Bhagavān),
the jīva becomes blissful. And thus the word rasikāḥ used in this verse
indicates that realization of this rasa belongs to those persons who
have become accomplished in rasa only through long impressions in past
and present lives (since one has to realize the Lord to realize rasa).
The word galitam (fallen down and also liquid and dripping) indicates the
extremely
ripened state of a fruit, and concerning scriptures, it indicates its
very relishable nature as well as its success at bringing out the
meaning of scripture in the most skillful manner. The word rasam
(juice), used in describing a fruit, indicates that the fruit is
totally without skin, seed or other defects. Concerning scriptures, it
indicates that this scripture is without any inferior parts. Stating
that the Bhāgavatam is the supreme fruit of the tree of the Vedas
indicates that the Bhāgavatam is the highest goal of human endeavor.
Though the completely sweet fruit is excellent by its nature, in order
to convey its supreme position, another excellence is then described.
In describing the fruit, an analogy is given. Because of living in the
tree, the parrot astonishingly develops a very sweet mouth. The fruit
touched by that parrot’s sweet mouth becomes additionally sweet. In the
same way, the descriptions of the Lord touched by the mouth of highly
elevated devotees become even sweeter. Then, how much more sweet the
Bhāgavatam will become when it emanates from the mouth of Śukadeva, the
great king of all the greatest devotees! Having attained the
culmination of the highest taste, naturally a person can have no
satisfaction in anything else. Therefore, drink this, since this sweet
fruit includes even the bliss of liberation within it (ā means
“including” and laya means “liberation”). Later Śukadeva will say:
pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇya uttama-śloka-līlayā gṛhīta-cetā rājarṣe ākhyānam yad adhītavān
O
saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence
(liberation), yet I was still attracted by the delineation of the
pastimes of the Lord, who is described by enlightened verses. (SB
2.1.9)
By mentioning liberation (which is eternal and
inexhaustible), it is thus indicated that the taste intrinsic to the
Bhāgavatam will not diminish either with the passage of time or by an
increase in the number of people who relish it.
Alternatively,
there is another meaning of ālayam. (Thus ālayam can mean “leading up
to prema and including the stage of complete prema.”) This is because
in the Bhāgavatam there are two types of rasa, though both are filled
with affection for the Lord —that which is useful for leading up to the
topmost taste and, that, which is fully developed in taste for the
Lord. Thus, it is said in the Twelfth Canto: kathā imās te kathitā
mahīyasām vitāya lokeṣu yaśaḥ pareyuṣām |
vijnāna-vairāgya-vivakṣayā vibho
vaco-vibhūtīr na tu pāramārthyam ||
yat tūttamaḥ-śloka-guṇānuvādaḥ sangīyate ’bhīkṣṇam amangala-ghnaḥ |
tam eva nityam śṛṇuyād abhīkṣṇam kṛṣṇe’malām bhaktim abhīpsamānaḥ ||
O
mighty Parīkṣit, I have related to you the narrations of all these
great kings, who spread their fame throughout the world and then
departed. My real purpose was to teach transcendental knowledge and
renunciation. Stories of kings lend power and opulence to these
narrations but, in themselves, do not constitute the ultimate aspect of
knowledge. (SB 12.3.14)
The person who desires pure devotional
service to Lord Kṛṣṇa should hear the narrations of Lord Uttamaḥśloka’s
glorious qualities, the constant chanting of which destroys everything
inauspicious. The devotee should engage in such listening in regular
daily assemblies and should continue his hearing throughout the day.
(SB 12.3.15)
The verse, having described that Bhāgavatam has
the general nature of rasa, then indicates the more particular nature
of that rasa with the word amṛtam. Amṛta refers to sweetness or rasa of
the Lord’s pastimes. In the Twelfth Canto, this specialty of the
Bhāgavatam is mentioned:
ādi-madhyāvasāneṣu vairāgyākhyāna-samyutam hari-līlā-kathā-vrātā-mṛtānandita-sat-suram
From
beginning to end, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of narrations that
encourage renunciation of material life, as well as nectarean accounts
of Lord Hari’s transcendental pastimes, which give ecstasy to the
ātmārāmas who relish nectar. (SB 12.13.11)
The word sat refers
to the ātmārāmas. The same meaning is found in other places such as
ittham satām brahma-sukhānubhūtyā: He is the source of the brahman
effulgence for jnānīs (satām) desiring to merge into that effulgence.
(SB 10.12.11) These ātmārāmas are also called surāḥ in the verse
(sat-surāḥ), because they taste only nectar (as the devatās do).
Furthermore, one should equate the real sweetness of Bhāgavatam with
Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes (rasa=līlā) as indicated in the following quotation.
samsāra-sindhum ati-dustaram uttitīrṣor
nānyaḥ plavo bhagavataḥ puruṣottamasya līlā-kathā-rasa-niṣevaṇam antareṇa pumso bhaved vividha-duḥkha-davārditasya
For
a person who is suffering in the fire of countless miseries and who
desires to cross the insurmountable ocean of material existence, there
is no suitable boat except that of cultivating devotion to the
transcendental taste for the narrations of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead’s pastimes (līlā-kathā-rasa-niṣevaṇam.) (SB 12.4.40)
However,
by using the word drava (liquid, juice, essence) with amṛta, the
Bhāgavatam is described as having the very essence of sweet pastimes.
This should be explained as follows. Though the rasa composed of prīti
is the best, there is some distinction in this. There are two types of
experiencer of that rasa: those who are taught about rasa (they are
ordered to drink the nectar of Bhāgavatam) and those who are natural
experiencers, being participants in the pastimes of the Lord. Those who
are participants in the pastimes experience the rasa of the pastimes
and realize directly the essence of the rasa because they are
participating in those very pastimes. Those who are taught about rasa
experience rasa only to some degree, because of being outside the
pastimes. This being so, they should then drink (hear) that essence of
rasa — the pastimes filled with the experiences of direct participants,
identifying those experiences with their own realization of rasa. That
will have effect because the rasa of Bhāgavatam flows like a stream
(galitam) from the mouth of Śukadeva (as if he is a direct experiencer)
because he similarly identified with the experiences of the direct
participants in the pastimes. In this way, the highest state of rasa in
devotion to the Lord is expressed in the words of this verse. This is
also stated elsewhere:
sarva-vedānta-sāram hi śrī-bhāgavatam iṣyate tad-rasāmṛta-tṛptasya nānyatra syād ratiḥ kvacit
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
is declared to be the essence of all Vedānta philosophy. One who has
felt satisfaction from its nectarean mellow will never be attracted to
any other literature. (SB 12.13.15)
To indicate this, the word
bhāvukāḥ is explained as rasa-viśeṣa-bhāvanā-caturā (those skillful at
experiencing the most excellent rasa) in the commentary of Śrīdhara
Svāmī. Such persons are described in the Bhāgavatam:
na
vai jano jātu kathancanāvrajen mukunda-sevy anyavad anga samsṛtim
smaran mukundānghry-upagūhanam punar vihātum icchen na rasa-graho janaḥ
My dear Vyāsa, even though a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa sometimes
falls down somehow or other, he certainly does not undergo material
existence like others [fruitive workers, etc.] because a person who has
once relished the taste of the lotus feet of the Lord (rasa-grahaḥ) can
do nothing but remember that ecstasy again and again. (SB 1.5.19)
Bhāgavatam
is the form of pure rasa, the fruit on the desire tree situated in
Vaikuṇṭha. Hayaśīrṣa-pancarātra describes this while describing five
tattvas:
dravya-tattvam śṛṇu brahman pravakṣyāmi samāsataḥ |
sarva-bhoga-pradā yatra pādapāḥ kalpa-pādapāḥ || bhavanti tādṛśā vallyas tad-bhavam cāpi tādṛśam |
gandha-rūpam svādu-rūpam dravyam puṣpādikam ca yat || heyāmśānām abhāvāc ca rasa-rūpam bhaved dhi tat |
tvag-bījam caiva heyāmśam kaṭhināmśam ca yad bhavet || sarva tad bhautikam viddhi na hy abhūtamayam ca tat |
rasasya yogato brahman bhautikam svāduvad bhavet || tasmāt sādhyo raso brahman rasaḥ syād vyāpakaḥ paraḥ |
rasavad bhautikam dravyam atra syād rasa-rūpakam ||
Please
hear about the nature of the objects there. I will explain it in brief.
The trees are desire trees bestowing all enjoyment. The creepers are
similar. There are many flowers and fruits, the essence of fragrance,
taste and rasa since they have no inferior parts such as skin, seeds or
hard sections. Know that all this is not material. It is most
astonishing. Because of having rasa, Brahman appears full of taste like
material objects. Brahman is ultimately rasa. That supreme rasa spreads
everywhere. Because of spiritual rasa, material objects have rasa and
are celebrated as tasty.
TEXT - SB 1.1.4
naimiṣe 'nimiṣa-kṣetre
ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ
satraṁ svargāya lokāya
sahasra-samam āsata
SYNONYMS
naimiṣe—in
the forest known as Naimiṣāraṇya; animiṣa-kṣetre—the spot which is
especially a favorite of Viṣṇu (who does not close His eyelids);
ṛṣayaḥ—sages; śaunaka-ādayaḥ—headed by the sage Śaunaka;
satram—sacrifice; svargāya—the Lord who is glorified in heaven;
lokāya—and for the devotees who are always in touch with the Lord;
sahasra—one thousand; samam—years; āsata—performed.
TRANSLATION
Once,
in a holy place in the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya, great sages headed by
the sage Śaunaka assembled to perform a great thousand-year sacrifice
for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees.
PURPORT
The
prelude of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was spoken in the previous three
ślokas. Now the main topic of this great literature is being presented.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, after its first recitation by Śrīla Śukadeva
Gosvāmī, was repeated for the second time at Naimiṣāraṇya.
In
the Vāyavīya Tantra, it is said that Brahmā, the engineer of this
particular universe, contemplated a great wheel which could enclose the
universe. The hub of this great circle was fixed at a particular place
known as Naimiṣāraṇya. Similarly, there is another reference to the
forest of Naimiṣāraṇya in the Varāha Purāṇa, where it is stated that by
performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of demoniac people
is curtailed. Thus brāhmaṇas prefer Naimiṣāraṇya for such sacrificial
performances.
The devotees of Lord Viṣṇu offer all kinds of
sacrifices for His pleasure. The devotees are always attached to the
service of the Lord, whereas fallen souls are attached to the pleasures
of material existence. In Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that anything
performed in the material world for any reason other than for the
pleasure of Lord Viṣṇu causes further bondage for the performer. It is
enjoined therefore that all acts must be performed sacrificially for
the satisfaction of Viṣṇu and His devotees. This will bring everyone
peace and prosperity.
The great sages are always anxious to do
good to the people in general, and as such the sages headed by Śaunaka
and others assembled at this holy place of Naimiṣāraṇya with a program
of performing a great and continuous chain of sacrificial ceremonies.
Forgetful men do not know the right path for peace and prosperity.
However, the sages know it well, and therefore for the good of all men
they are always anxious to perform acts which may bring about peace in
the world. They are sincere friends to all living entities, and at the
risk of great personal inconvenience they are always engaged in the
service of the Lord for the good of all people. Lord Viṣṇu is just like
a great tree, and all others, including the demigods, men, Siddhas,
Cāraṇas, Vidyādharas and other living entities, are like branches,
twigs and leaves of that tree. By pouring water on the root of the
tree, all the parts of the tree are automatically nourished. Only those
branches and leaves which are detached cannot be so satisfied. Detached
branches and leaves dry up gradually despite all watering attempts.
Similarly, human society, when it is detached from the Personality of
Godhead like detached branches and leaves, is not capable of being
watered, and one attempting to do so is simply wasting his energy and
resources.
The modern materialistic society is detached from its
relation to the Supreme Lord. And all its plans which are being made by
atheistic leaders are sure to be baffled at every step. Yet they do not
wake up to this.
In this age, the congregational chanting of the
holy names of the Lord is the prescribed method for waking up. The ways
and means are most scientifically presented by Lord Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, and intelligent persons may take advantage of His teachings
in order to bring about real peace and prosperity. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is
also presented for the same purpose, and this will be explained more
specifically later in the text.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.4
Offering
my respects to my guru and to the ocean of mercy, Kṛṣṇa, I take shelter
of Śrī Śuka, the eye of the universe and master of the world.
My
eyes are covered by ignorance, but Śrīdhara Svāmī, who wrote
Bhāvārtha-dīpikā, being very merciful to me in producing this
commentary, is my means to success.
This commentary belonging to
the Lord, called “Giving bliss to the hearts of the devotees” has
arisen by the mercy of the ācāryas and my guru.
Facing the
listeners, the speaker invokes auspiciousness at the beginning of the
recital of Bhāgavatam by uttering oṁ. It is said:
oṁkāraś cātha-śabdaś ca dvāv etau brahmaṇaḥ purā
kaṇṭhaṁ bhittvā vinirjātau tena māṅgalikāv ubhau
In ancient times the words oṁ and atha were uttered by Brahmā. Thus, both words produce auspiciousness.
By
oṁ the speaker indicates that Bhāgavatam is an expansion of the meaning
of oṁ. Brahmā created a wheel in his mind. The rim of a wheel is called
a nemi. That place where the rim (nemi) fell off (śīryate) is called
nemiśa or naimiśa. Vāyu Purāṇa describes this:
etan manomayaṁ cakraṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ visṛjyate
yatrāsya śīryate nemiḥ sa desas tapasaḥ śubhaḥ
ity utkvā sūrya-saṅkāśaṁ cakram sṛṣtvā manomayam
praṇipatya mahādeva visasarja pitāmahaḥ
te ’pi hrṣṭatarā viprāḥ praṇamya jagatāṁ prabhum
prayayus tasya cakrasya yatra nemir vyaśīryata
tadvaṁ tena vikhyātaṁ naimiśaṁ muni-pūjitam
“This
mental wheel created by me will be released. The place where the rim
comes off will be favorable for performing austerities.” Having said
this, and having created the wheel brilliant like the sun in his mind
and offering his respects to it, Brahmā released that great deity, the
wheel. The rejoicing brāhmaṇas, offering respects to the lord of the
universe, then journeyed to the place where the rim of wheel fell off.
That forest became known as Naimiśa and is worshipped by the sages.
Various
devotees have personal desires to fulfill through various types of
bhakti. All the desires of all these persons upon which their minds,
free of distraction, have become fixed, can be fulfilled by immersion
in the topics of Bhāgavatam. The Bhāgavatam has been arranged to bring
out this point clearly at the very beginning, with the description of
the sages at Naimiśāraṇya.
Naimiśa can also be spelled Naimiṣa.
The meaning of Naimiṣa with a cerebral ṣ is found in the Varāha Purāṇa.
The Lord spoke to the sage Gauramukha:
evaṁ kṛtvā tato devo muniṁ gaurmukhaṁ tadā
uvāca nimiṣeṇedaṁ nihataṁ dānavaṁ balam
araṇye ’smiṁs tatas tv etan naimiṣāraṇya-saṁjñitam
bhaviṣyati yathārthaṁ vai brāhmaṇānāṁ viśeṣakam
Having
done that, the Lord then spoke to Gauramukha. The powerful demon was
killed in that forest (araṇya) quickly in a moment (nimiṣa). Thus this
place is called the Naimiṣāraṇya. It will be very suitable for
brāhmaṇas in the future.
By using this word with this meaning,
it is suggested that one should reside in this place for quickly
killing the enemies such as material desire. In the beginning Śaunaka
and the other sages were attached to sakāma-karma. Thus the verse
indicates they performed sacrifice for attaining Svarga. It is well
known however that by hearing and contemplating various Purāṇas and
other scriptures from Romaharṣaṇa, they became inquisitive about
spiritual life. By association with Sūta Gosvāmī (Ugraśravas) they
developed a small taste for bhakti. (Showing their inquisitiveness) it
is said:
karmaṇy asminn anāśvāse dhūma-dhūmrātmanāṁ bhavān
āpāyayati govinda-pāda-padmāsavaṁ madhu
You
let us, blackened by the smoke at this uncertain sacrifice, drink the
intoxicating nectar of the lotus feet of Govinda. SB 1.18.12
When
they took up bhakti, then their inquisitiveness became weakened, and
performance of sacrifice for attaining Svarga became false. That is
indicated in the following:
kalim āgatam ājñāya kṣetre ’smin vaiṣṇave vayam
āsīnā dīrgha-satreṇa kathāyāṁ sakṣaṇā hareḥ
Knowing
well that the age of Kali has already begun, we are assembled here in
this holy place to hear at great length the transcendental message of
the Lord and in this way perform sacrifice for the Lord. SB 1.1.21
The
power of bhakti is indicated by the cessation of attachment to
prescribed duties which arose in them from hearing Bhāgavatam. The
power of bhakti is also indicated by the appearance of complete
disinterest in impersonal liberation within Śukadeva.
pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇya uttama-śloka-līlayā
gṛhīta-cetā rājarṣe ākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān
O
saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet
I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord,
who is described by enlightened verses. SB 2.1.9
There is
another meaning to Svarga however. Svarga means “glorified (gīyate=ga)
in Svarga (svar).” Svargāya (who is praised in Svarga), like the name
Urugāya (who is greatly praised), indicates the Lord. His loka is
Vaikuṇṭha. Therefore svargāya lokāya means for “going to Vaikuṇṭha of
the Lord.” Animiṣa (not blinking) in this verse refers to Viṣṇu,
because in SB 1.1.21 quoted above, the sages themselves identify the
place as kṣetre ’smin vaiṣṇave, a place of Viṣṇu. They applied
themselves (āsata) to performing karma, pious prescribed actions
(satram) which were to last for a thousand years (samāḥ). Or the
sentence can mean “They performed (āsata) a sacrifice of killing
animals such as the agniṣṭoma (generally performed for going to
Svarga).” This use of the verb is similar to expressions such as “He
performs (nirvapati, he sprinkles) śrāddha rites to the Pitṛs on the
dark moon or “they perform (upayānti- they approach) the marriage of a
eight-year-old girl.” Thus the meaning of ās (to sit) can here mean
“perform” with suppression of the meaning of the original root.
TEXT - SB 1.1.5
ta ekadā tu munayaḥ
prātar huta-hutāgnayaḥ
sat-kṛtaṁ sūtam āsīnaṁ
papracchur idam ādarāt
SYNONYMS
te—the
sages; ekadā—one day; tu—but; munayaḥ—sages; prātaḥ—morning;
huta—burning; huta-agnayaḥ—the sacrificial fire; sat-kṛtam—due
respects; sūtam—Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī; āsīnam—seated on; papracchuḥ—made
inquiries; idam—on this (as follows); ādarāt—with due regards.
TRANSLATION
One
day, after finishing their morning duties by burning a sacrificial fire
and offering a seat of esteem to Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī, the great sages
made inquiries, with great respect, about the following matters.
PURPORT
Morning
is the best time to hold spiritual services. The great sages offered
the speaker of the Bhāgavatam an elevated seat of respect called the
vyāsāsana, or the seat of Śrī Vyāsadeva. Śrī Vyāsadeva is the original
spiritual preceptor for all men. And all other preceptors are
considered to be his representatives. A representative is one who can
exactly present the viewpoint of Śrī Vyāsadeva. Śrī Vyāsadeva
impregnated the message of Bhāgavatam unto Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and
Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī heard it from him (Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī). All bona
fide representatives of Śrī Vyāsadeva in the chain of disciplic
succession are to be understood to be gosvāmīs. These gosvāmīs restrain
all their senses, and they stick to the path made by the previous
ācāryas. The gosvāmīs do not deliver lectures on the Bhāgavatam
capriciously. Rather, they execute their services most carefully,
following their predecessors who delivered the spiritual message
unbroken to them.
Those who listen to the Bhāgavatam may put
questions to the speaker in order to elicit the clear meaning, but this
should not be done in a challenging spirit. One must submit questions
with a great regard for the speaker and the subject matter. This is
also the way recommended in Bhagavad-gītā. One must learn the
transcendental subject by submissive aural reception from the right
sources. Therefore these sages addressed the speaker Sūta Gosvāmī with
great respect.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.5
Huta‑hutāgnayaḥ munayaḥ means “the sages who had offered oblations (huta) into the sacrificial fires (hutāgnayaḥ).”
Jiva's tika ||1.1.4-5||
om naimiṣe ’nimiṣa-kṣetre ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ satram svargāya lokāya sahasra-samam āsata
TRANSLATION
At
the place called Naimiśāraṇya, the place of Viṣṇu, the sages headed by
Śaunaka applied themselves to a sacrifice lasting a thousand years for
attaining the planet of the Supreme Lord (or for going to the heavenly
planets).
The following verses of Bhāgavatam show the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa by questions and answers.
According
to Śrīdhara Svāmī, āsata means they sat (literally) or they performed.
Taking the meaning according to the root is not always possible. One
cannot depend simply on the endings also, disregarding the root. The
other meaning is “to do.” This is more suitable.
TEXT - SB 1.1.6
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ
tvayā khalu purāṇāni
setihāsāni cānagha
ākhyātāny apy adhītāni
dharma-śāstrāṇi yāny uta
SYNONYMS
ṛṣayaḥ—the
sages; ūcuḥ—said; tvayā—by you; khalu—undoubtedly; purāṇāni—the
supplements to the Vedas with illustrative narrations;
sa-itihāsāni—along with the histories; ca—and; anagha—freed from all
vices; ākhyātāni—explained; api—although; adhītāni—well read;
dharma-śāstrāṇi—scriptures giving right directions to progressive life;
yāni—all these; uta—said.
TRANSLATION
The sages said:
Respected Sūta Gosvāmī, you are completely free from all vice. You are
well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life, and in the
Purāṇas and the histories as well, for you have gone through them under
proper guidance and have also explained them.
PURPORT
A
gosvāmī, or the bona fide representative of Śrī Vyāsadeva, must be free
from all kinds of vices. The four major vices of Kali-yuga are (1)
illicit connection with women, (2) animal slaughter, (3) intoxication,
(4) speculative gambling of all sorts. A gosvāmī must be free from all
these vices before he can dare sit on the vyāsāsana. No one should be
allowed to sit on the vyāsāsana who is not spotless in character and
who is not freed from the above-mentioned vices. He not only should be
freed from all such vices, but must also be well versed in all revealed
scriptures or in the Vedas. The Purāṇas are also parts of the Vedas.
And histories like the Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa are also parts of the
Vedas. The ācārya or the gosvāmī must be well acquainted with all these
literatures. To hear and explain them is more important than reading
them. One can assimilate the knowledge of the revealed scriptures only
by hearing and explaining. Hearing is called śravaṇa, and explaining is
called kīrtana. The two processes of śravaṇa and kīrtana are of primary
importance to progressive spiritual life. Only one who has properly
grasped the transcendental knowledge from the right source by
submissive hearing can properly explain the subject.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.6
Itihāsāni refers to works such as Mahābhārata.
TEXT - SB 1.1.7
yāni veda-vidāṁ śreṣṭho
bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ
anye ca munayaḥ sūta
parāvara-vido viduḥ
SYNONYMS
yāni—all
that; veda-vidām—scholars of the Vedas; śreṣṭhaḥ—seniormost;
bhagavān—incarnation of Godhead; bādarāyaṇaḥ—Vyāsadeva; anye—others;
ca—and; munayaḥ—the sages; sūta—O Sūta Gosvāmī; parāvara-vidaḥ—amongst
the learned scholars, one who is conversant with physical and
metaphysical knowledge; viduḥ—one who knows.
TRANSLATION
Being
the eldest learned Vedāntist, O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are acquainted with
the knowledge of Vyāsadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you
also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and
metaphysical knowledge.
PURPORT
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a
natural commentation on the Brahma-sūtra, or the Bādarāyaṇi
Vedānta-sūtras. It is called natural because Vyāsadeva is author of
both the Vedānta-sūtras and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the essence of all
Vedic literatures. Besides Vyāsadeva, there are other sages who are the
authors of six different philosophical systems, namely Gautama, Kaṇāda,
Kapila, Patañjali, Jaimini and Aṣṭāvakra. Theism is explained
completely in the Vedānta-sūtra, whereas in other systems of
philosophical speculations, practically no mention is given to the
ultimate cause of all causes. One can sit on the vyāsāsana only after
being conversant in all systems of philosophy so that one can present
fully the theistic views of the Bhāgavatam in defiance of all other
systems. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī was the proper teacher, and therefore the
sages at Naimiṣāraṇya elevated him to the vyāsāsana. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is
designated herein as the Personality of Godhead because he is the
authorized empowered incarnation.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.7
Vidām
refers to persons who know. Parāvara-vidaḥ means persons who know both
the brahman with qualities and without qualities. Gurus should speak
the secret to the disciple who has affection (snigdhasya) for the
gurus. This is in the potential, and thus expresses the following idea.
Since you were a disciple having affection for your gurus, they must
certainly have revealed the secret to you and you must have understood
all those confidential subjects. While rejecting sages who extract
their own ideas from all these confidential topics and then speak, we
are asking you, the speaker of all authorized doctrines, about these
subjects.
TEXT - SB 1.1.8
vettha tvaṁ saumya tat sarvaṁ
tattvatas tad-anugrahāt
brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya
guravo guhyam apy uta
SYNONYMS
vettha—you
are well conversant; tvam—Your Honor; saumya—one who is pure and
simple; tat—those; sarvam—all; tattvataḥ—in fact; tat—their;
anugrahāt—by the favor of; brūyuḥ—will tell; snigdhasya—of the one who
is submissive; śiṣyasya—of the disciple; guravaḥ—the spiritual masters;
guhyam—secret; api uta—endowed with.
TRANSLATION
And
because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you
with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can
tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them.
PURPORT
The
secret of success in spiritual life is in satisfying the spiritual
master and thereby getting his sincere blessings. Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura has sung in his famous eight stanzas on the
spiritual master as follows: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the
lotus feet of my spiritual master. Only by his satisfaction can one
please the Personality of Godhead, and when he is dissatisfied there is
only havoc on the path of spiritual realization." It is essential,
therefore, that a disciple be very much obedient and submissive to the
bona fide spiritual master. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī fulfilled all these
qualifications as a disciple, and therefore he was endowed with all
favors by his learned and self-realized spiritual masters such as Śrīla
Vyāsadeva and others. The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya were confident that
Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī was bona fide. Therefore they were anxious to hear
from him.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.7-8||
yāni veda-vidām śreṣṭho bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ |
anye ca munayaḥ sūta parāvara-vido viduḥ ||
vettha tvam saumya tat sarvam tattvatas tad-anugrahāt |
brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya guravo guhyam apy uta ||
TRANSLATION
O Sūta Gosvāmī! Because you are submissive, by the mercy of the gurus,
you know all matters in truth which the Supreme Lord Vyāsa, best among
knowers, and other sages who know brahman with and without qualities
have understood The gurus should speak the secret to the disciple who
has affection for the gurus. You know the real meaning of the
scriptures (tattvataḥ). “But it is secret.” But gurus should speak the
secret to the affectionate disciple.
TEXT - SB 1.1.9
tatra tatrāñjasāyuṣman
bhavatā yad viniścitam
puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas
tan naḥ śaṁsitum arhasi
SYNONYMS
tatra—thereof;
tatra—thereof; añjasā—made easy; āyuṣman—blessed with a long duration
of life; bhavatā—by your good self; yat—whatever;
viniścitam—ascertained; puṁsām—for the people in general;
ekāntataḥ—absolutely; śreyaḥ—ultimate good; tat—that; naḥ—to us;
śaṁsitum—to explain; arhasi—deserve.
TRANSLATION
Please,
therefore, being blessed with many years, explain to us, in an easily
understandable way, what you have ascertained to be the absolute and
ultimate good for the people in general.
PURPORT
In
Bhagavad-gītā, worship of the ācārya is recommended. The ācāryas and
gosvāmīs are always absorbed in thought of the well-being of the
general public, especially their spiritual well-being. Spiritual
wellbeing is automatically followed by material well-being. The ācāryas
therefore give directions in spiritual well-being for people in
general. Foreseeing the incompetencies of the people in this age of
Kali, or the iron age of quarrel, the sages requested that Sūta Gosvāmī
give a summary of all revealed scriptures because the people of this
age are condemned in every respect. The sages, therefore, inquired of
the absolute good, which is the ultimate good for the people. The
condemned state of affairs of the people of this age is described as
follows.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.9
“Then
I will speak all things.” They reply with this verse, saying which
conclusions they want to hear among all the conclusions of scripture. O
long-living sage! This indicates that he studied and deliberated on the
scriptures for a long time. Tell us completely (ekāntataḥ), or from the
beginning (ablative sense “from one end”), concerning the highest goal
of mankind, that you discerned from looking at all the scriptures
(tatra tatra), in statements that can be understood at once (añjasā).
Śreya means that to which there is nothing greater, that which has no
equal, and that which is not included in something else when comparing
degrees of excellence. Later in the work it will be revealed that this
highest goal is prema, not Svarga or liberation, because prema brings
even Bhagavān under control. Among the forms brahman, Paramātmā and
Bhagavān, Bhagavān is the chief form.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.9||
tatra tatrānjasāyuṣman bhavatā yad viniścitam |
pumsām ekāntataḥ śreyas tan naḥ śamsitum arhasi ||
TRANSLATION
O long-lived sage! You should tell us at once in easy terms, and
thoroughly, the highest object for mankind that you have discerned in
all the scriptures.
Pumṣām includes the people of Kali-yuga in the future.
TEXT - SB 1.1.10
prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ
SYNONYMS
prāyeṇa—almost
always; alpa—meager; āyuṣaḥ—duration of life; sabhya—member of a
learned society; kalau—in this age of Kali (quarrel); asmin—herein;
yuge—age; janāḥ—the public; mandāḥ—lazy; sumanda-matayaḥ—misguided;
manda-bhāgyāḥ—unlucky; hi—and above all; upadrutāḥ—disturbed.
TRANSLATION
O
learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They
are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always
disturbed.
PURPORT
The devotees of the Lord are always
anxious for the spiritual improvement of the general public. When the
sages of Naimiṣāraṇya analyzed the state of affairs of the people in
this age of Kali, they foresaw that men would live short lives. In
Kali-yuga, the duration of life is shortened not so much because of
insufficient food but because of irregular habits. By keeping regular
habits and eating simple food, any man can maintain his health.
Overeating, over-sense gratification, overdependence on another's
mercy, and artificial standards of living sap the very vitality of
human energy. Therefore the duration of life is shortened.
The
people of this age are also very lazy, not only materially but in the
matter of self-realization. The human life is especially meant for
self-realization. That is to say, man should come to know what he is,
what the world is, and what the supreme truth is. Human life is a means
by which the living entity can end all the miseries of the hard
struggle for life in material existence and by which he can return to
Godhead, his eternal home. But, due to a bad system of education, men
have no desire for self-realization. Even if they come to know about
it, they unfortunately become victims of misguided teachers.
In
this age, men are victims not only of different political creeds and
parties, but also of many different types of sense-gratificatory
diversions, such as cinemas, sports, gambling, clubs, mundane
libraries, bad association, smoking, drinking, cheating, pilfering,
bickerings, and so on. Their minds are always disturbed and full of
anxieties due to so many different engagements. In this age, many
unscrupulous men manufacture their own religious faiths which are not
based on any revealed scriptures, and very often people who are
addicted to sense gratification are attracted by such institutions.
Consequently, in the name of religion so many sinful acts are being
carried on that the people in general have neither peace of mind nor
health of body. The student (brahmacārī) communities are no longer
being maintained, and householders do not observe the rules and
regulations of the gṛhastha-āśrama. Consequently, the so-called
vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs who come out of such gṛhastha-āśramas are
easily deviated from the rigid path. In the Kali-yuga the whole
atmosphere is surcharged with faithlessness. Men are no longer
interested in spiritual values. Material sense gratification is now the
standard of civilization. For the maintenance of such material
civilizations, man has formed complex nations and communities, and
there is a constant strain of hot and cold wars between these different
groups. It has become very difficult, therefore, to raise the spiritual
standard due to the present distorted values of human society. The
sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are anxious to disentangle all fallen souls, and
here they are seeking the remedy from Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.10
“You
should hear everything from my mouth. Then you can decide what the best
is.” The sages reply with this verse. O honorable sage, you who know
what is suitable for time and place! In Kali-yuga people are generally
short-lived. If they have long life by chance, then they are lazy to
investigate spiritual topics. Even if someone is not lazy then he is
unintelligent. Even if someone is intelligent, he is unfortunate, for
he is devoid of association with devotees to teach the highest actions.
Even if someone has that association of devotees, he is afflicted.
Under the control of affliction from sickness and other problems, he
does not get the time to hear from the mouth of the devotee, or even if
he does hear, he cannot discern the highest goal for the human being
and then carry out actions to attain it. Or the sequence of qualities
can mean that all people have all the bad qualities.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.10||
prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ |
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ ||
TRANSLATION
O worthy sage, capable of knowing what is beneficial at this time! In
Kali-yuga people are generally short-lived, lazy, unintelligent, devoid
of the good fortune of devotee association, and afflicted by various
problems.
The people of Kali-yuga are described. They have very little puṇya (mandabhāgyāḥ).
TEXT - SB 1.1.11
bhūrīṇi bhūri-karmāṇi
śrotavyāni vibhāgaśaḥ
ataḥ sādho 'tra yat sāraṁ
samuddhṛtya manīṣayā
brūhi bhadrāya bhūtānāṁ
yenātmā suprasīdati
SYNONYMS
bhūrīṇi—multifarious;
bhūri—many; karmāṇi—duties; śrotavyāni—to be learned; vibhāgaśaḥ—by
divisions of subject matter; ataḥ—therefore; sādho—O sage; atra—herein;
yat—whatever; sāram—essence; samuddhṛtya—by selection; manīṣayā—best to
your knowledge; brūhi—please tell us; bhadrāya—for the good of;
bhūtānām—the living beings; yena—by which; ātmā—the self;
suprasīdati—becomes fully satisfied.
TRANSLATION
There
are many varieties of scriptures, and in all of them there are many
prescribed duties, which can be learned only after many years of study
in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please select the
essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all
living beings, that by such instruction their hearts may be fully
satisfied.
PURPORT
Ātmā, or self, is distinguished from
matter and material elements. It is spiritual in constitution, and thus
it is never satisfied by any amount of material planning. All
scriptures and spiritual instructions are meant for the satisfaction of
this self, or ātmā. There are many varieties of approaches which are
recommended for different types of living beings in different times and
at different places. Consequently, the numbers of revealed scriptures
are innumerable. There are different methods and prescribed duties
recommended in these various scriptures. Taking into consideration the
fallen condition of the people in general in this age of Kali, the
sages of Naimiṣāraṇya suggested that Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī relate the
essence of all such scriptures because in this age it is not possible
for the fallen souls to understand and undergo all the lessons of all
these various scriptures in a varṇa and āśrama system.
The varṇa
and āśrama society was considered to be the best institution for
lifting the human being to the spiritual platform, but due to Kali-yuga
it is not possible to execute the rules and regulations of these
institutions. Nor is it possible for the people in general to
completely sever relations with their families as the varṇāśrama
institution prescribes. The whole atmosphere is surcharged with
opposition. And considering this, one can see that spiritual
emancipation for the common man in this age is very difficult. The
reason the sages presented this matter to Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī is explained
in the following verses.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.11
bhūrīṇi bhūri‑karmāṇi śrotavyāni vibhāgaśaḥ |
ataḥ sādho’tra yat sāraṁ samuddhṛtya manīṣayā |
brūhi bhadrāya bhūtānāṁ[5] yenātmā suprasīdati ||
The
sages request, “Please tell us the principal means among all the
processes for attaining the highest goal, which is easily executed by
people living in Kali-yuga.” Tell us the many practices worthy of
hearing about (bhūrīṇi srotavyāni), those which should be practiced,
which include many actions (bhūri-karmāṇi). Or tell us the scriptures
worthy of hearing because they explain the many practices for attaining
the highest goal, which themselves contain many actions, by which our
intelligence (ātmā) becomes satisfied. Later it will be explained that
these actions are hearing, chanting and other devotional acts.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.11||
bhūrīṇi bhūri-karmāṇi śrotavyāni vibhāgaśaḥ |
ataḥ sādho’tra yat sāram samuddhṛtya manīṣayā |
brūhi bhadrāya bhūtānām yenātmā suprasīdati ||
TRANSLATION
O learned sage! For the welfare of all living beings, please, after
extracting the essence of scriptures using your wisdom, describe the
practices worthy of hearing which include many actions, by which our
intelligence will be satisfied.
Śrotavyāni means scriptures, which should be heard.
TEXT - SB 1.1.12
sūta jānāsi bhadraṁ te
bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
devakyāṁ vasudevasya
jāto yasya cikīrṣayā
SYNONYMS
sūta—O
Sūta Gosvāmī; jānāsi—you know; bhadram te—all blessings upon you;
bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; sātvatām—of the pure devotees;
patiḥ—the protector; devakyām—in the womb of Devakī; vasudevasya—by
Vasudeva; jātaḥ—born of; yasya—for the purpose of; cikīrṣayā—executing.
TRANSLATION
All
blessings upon you, O Sūta Gosvāmī. You know for what purpose the
Personality of Godhead appeared in the womb of Devakī as the son of
Vasudeva.
PURPORT
Bhagavān means the Almighty God who is
the controller of all opulences, power, fame, beauty, knowledge and
renunciation. He is the protector of His pure devotees. Although God is
equally disposed to everyone, He is especially inclined to His
devotees. Sat means the Absolute Truth. And persons who are servitors
of the Absolute Truth are called sātvatas. And the Personality of
Godhead who protects such pure devotees is known as the protector of
the sātvatas. Bhadraṁ te, or "blessings upon you," indicates the sages'
anxiety to know the Absolute Truth from the speaker. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared to Devakī, the wife of
Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the symbol of the transcendental position wherein
the appearance of the Supreme Lord takes place.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.12
sūta jānāsi bhadraṁ te bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ |
devakyāṁ vasudevasya jāto yasya cikīrṣayā ||
Again
the sages request Sūta to speak about the practice of hearing and
chanting about Kṛṣṇa and Yaśodā. “All auspiciousness to you (bhadram
te)” is a blessing pronounced out of enthusiasm. Viṣṇu is called satvān
(possessor of sat) because he possesses all the devotees (sat) as his
expansions. The followers of Viṣṇu are then called sātvatas. Use of
sātvatām as the possessive plural instead of sātvatānām is poetic
license. Or the word sātvatām may be derived from the sautra root sāt,
which takes a causative meaning “giving pleasure” according to
anupasargālimpa. (Pāṇini 3.1.138) The noun sāt, “he who gives pleasure”
is Paramātmā, the Supreme Lord. Those who possess the Lord by service
are then called sātvataḥ or devotees. The possessive plural form is
sātvatām. Sātvatām patiḥ then means “Lord of the devotees.”
You
know for what purpose the Lord, master of the Yadus was born in Devakī,
wife of Vasudeva (vasudevasya). He appeared to broadcast his wonderful
qualities, not to relieve the burden of the earth. This is proved by
Kuntī’s conclusive statement:
bhave ’smin kliśyamānānām avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ
śravaṇa-smaraṇārhāṇi kariṣyann iti kecana
Some
say that you appeared to engage those suffering in the material world
due to their actions covered by ignorance and desire in hearing and
remembering about you to attain prema. SB 1.8.35
Jiva's tika ||1.1.12||
tan naḥ śuṣrūṣamāṇānām arhasy angānuvarṇitum |
yasyāvatāro bhūtānām kṣemāya ca bhavāya ca ||
TRANSLATION
O Sūta (anga)! You should describe that Lord to us, who are eager to
hear. The Lord made his appearance for the liberation and material
prosperity of all beings.
Krsna sandarbha 64:
Though
there are many avatāras and sources of avatāras (puruṣas), at the
beginning of the Purāṇa, the sages headed by Śaunaka indicate Kṛṣṇa as
supreme. What is most beneficial for mankind, what is the essence of
scripture, and what is most pleasing to the ātmā, which we asked about
previously in general, is, for us, the description of the pastimes of
Kṛṣṇa. This is expressed in the following:
sūta jānāsi bhadram te bhagavān sātvatām patiḥ |
devakyām vasudevasya jāto yasya cikīrṣayā ||
O
Sūta! Blessings to you! You know for what purpose the Lord, master of
the Yadus, appeared in Devakī, the wife of Vasudeva. (SB 1.1.12)
They
give blessings because of eagerness that arose simultaneously with
questions about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Bhagavān, lord of the Yadus, is the
avatārī, source of all avatāras.
TEXT - SB 1.1.13
tan naḥ śuśrūṣamāṇānām
arhasy aṅgānuvarṇitum
yasyāvatāro bhūtānāṁ
kṣemāya ca bhavāya ca
SYNONYMS
tat—those;
naḥ—unto us; śuśrūṣamāṇānām—those who are endeavoring for; arhasi—ought
to do it; aṅga—O Sūta Gosvāmī; anuvarṇitum—to explain by following in
the footsteps of previous ācāryas; yasya—whose; avatāraḥ—incarnation;
bhūtānām—of the living beings; kṣemāya—for good; ca—and;
bhavāya—upliftment; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
O Sūta Gosvāmī,
we are eager to learn about the Personality of Godhead and His
incarnations. Please explain to us those teachings imparted by previous
masters [ācāryas], for one is uplifted both by speaking them and by
hearing them.
PURPORT
The conditions for hearing the
transcendental message of the Absolute Truth are set forth herein. The
first condition is that the audience must be very sincere and eager to
hear. And the speaker must be in the line of disciplic succession from
the recognized ācārya. The transcendental message of the Absolute is
not understandable by those who are materially absorbed. Under the
direction of a bona fide spiritual master, one becomes gradually
purified. Therefore, one must be in the chain of disciplic succession
and learn the spiritual art of submissive hearing. In the case of Sūta
Gosvāmī and the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya, all these conditions are
fulfilled because Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī is in the line of Śrīla Vyāsadeva,
and the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are all sincere souls who are anxious to
learn the truth. Thus the transcendental topics of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's
superhuman activities, His incarnation, His birth, appearance or
disappearance, His forms, His names and so on are all easily
understandable because all requirements are fulfilled. Such discourses
help all men on the path of spiritual realization.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.13
tan naḥ śuṣrūṣamāṇānām arhasy aṅgānuvarṇitum |
yasyāvatāro bhūtānāṁ kṣemāya ca bhavāya ca ||
What
is the result of curiosity about Kṛṣṇa? We will feel ourselves
successful by hearing about him. The sentence in the second line
actually continues until verse 16, connected by the word yasya in this
verse with the correlative is tasya in verse 16. The Lord appeared for
the liberation (kṣemāya) and prosperity (bhavāya) of the living beings.
What else remains for him to do?
Jiva's tika ||1.1.13||
tan naḥ śuṣrūṣamāṇānām arhasy angānuvarṇitum |
yasyāvatāro bhūtānām kṣemāya ca bhavāya ca ||
O
Sūta! You should describe that Lord to us, who are eager to hear. The
Lord made his appearance for protection and material prosperity of all
beings.
Krsna sandarbha 65:
O Sūta (anga)! Generally
he appears for protection and prosperity. Describing Kṛṣṇa’s powers,
they reveal their enthusiasm to hear about his qualities.
TEXT - SB 1.1.14
āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ
yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan
tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta
yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam
SYNONYMS
āpannaḥ—being
entangled; saṁsṛtim—in the hurdle of birth and death; ghorām—too
complicated; yat—what; nāma—the absolute name; vivaśaḥ—unconsciously;
gṛṇan—chanting; tataḥ—from that; sadyaḥ—at once; vimucyeta—gets
freedom; yat—that which; bibheti—fears; svayam—personally; bhayam—fear
itself.
TRANSLATION
Living beings who are entangled in
the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by
even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is feared by
fear personified.
PURPORT
Vāsudeva, or Lord Kṛṣṇa, the
Absolute Personality of Godhead, is the supreme controller of
everything. There is no one in creation who is not afraid of the rage
of the Almighty. Great asuras like Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa, and
others who were very powerful living entities were all killed by the
Personality of Godhead. And the almighty Vāsudeva has empowered His
name with the powers of His personal Self. Everything is related to
Him, and everything has its identity in Him. It is stated herein that
the name of Kṛṣṇa is feared even by fear personified. This indicates
that the name of Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the name
of Kṛṣṇa is as powerful as Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. There is no difference
at all. Anyone, therefore, can take advantage of the holy names of Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa even in the midst of greatest dangers. The transcendental
name of Kṛṣṇa, even though uttered unconsciously or by force of
circumstances, can help one obtain freedom from the hurdle of birth and
death.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.14||
āpannaḥ samsṛtim ghorām yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan |
tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta yad bibheti svayam bhayam ||
TRANSLATION
His name, which fears personified fear, immediately liberates helpless
persons afflicted by the terrors of material existence.
Krsna sandarbha 66:
The
name of Kṛṣṇa (yan nāma) immediately frees person from samsāra (tataḥ)
since he is the avatārī, and all avatāras find their conclusion in him.
The great effects of his name, even more than Kṛṣṇa personally, are
described in Viṣṇu Purāṇa, in another way. There in prose, it says that
his names are the cause of all other names of the Lord. The name frees
one from samsāra because fear itself fears the name. This refers to
names like Vāsudeva, Dāmodara, Govinda, and Keśava.
TEXT - SB 1.1.15
yat-pāda-saṁśrayāḥ sūta
munayaḥ praśamāyanāḥ
sadyaḥ punanty upaspṛṣṭāḥ
svardhuny-āpo 'nusevayā
SYNONYMS
yat—whose;
pāda—lotus feet; saṁśrayāḥ—those who have taken shelter of; sūta—O Sūta
Gosvāmī; munayaḥ—great sages; praśamāyanāḥ—absorbed in devotion to the
Supreme; sadyaḥ—at once; punanti—sanctify; upaspṛṣṭāḥ—simply by
association; svardhunī—of the sacred Ganges; āpaḥ—water;
anusevayā—bringing into use.
TRANSLATION
O Sūta, those
great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the
Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with them, whereas
the waters of the Ganges can sanctify only after prolonged use.
PURPORT
Pure
devotees of the Lord are more powerful than the waters of the sacred
river Ganges. One can derive spiritual benefit out of prolonged use of
the Ganges waters. But one can be sanctified at once by the mercy of a
pure devotee of the Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that any person,
regardless of birth as śūdra, woman, or merchant, can take shelter of
the lotus feet of the Lord and by so doing can return to Godhead. To
take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord means to take shelter of the
pure devotees. The pure devotees whose only business is serving are
honored by the names Prabhupāda and Viṣṇupāda, which indicate such
devotees to be representatives of the lotus feet of the Lord. Anyone,
therefore, who takes shelter of the lotus feet of a pure devotee by
accepting the pure devotee as his spiritual master can be at once
purified. Such devotees of the Lord are honored equally with the Lord
because they are engaged in the most confidential service of the Lord,
for they deliver out of the material world the fallen souls whom the
Lord wants to return home, back to Godhead. Such pure devotees are
better known as vicelords according to revealed scriptures. The sincere
disciple of the pure devotee considers the spiritual master equal to
the Lord, but always considers himself to be a humble servant of the
servant of the Lord [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is the pure devotional
path.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.15||
yat-pāda-samśrayāḥ sūta munayaḥ praśamāyanāḥ |
sadyaḥ punanty upaspṛṣṭāḥ svardhuny-āpo ’nusevayā ||
TRANSLATION
His devotees, having taken shelter of his lotus feet and having fixed
their mind in the Lord, immediately purify others of all sins just by
their thinking of the devotees, whereas the waters of the Gangā purify
only by contact and direct service.
Krsna sandarbha 67:
Those
who have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa’s feet, whose intelligence is fixed on
Kṛṣṇa (praśamāyanāḥ), purify others. Śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddheḥ: śama
means having the intelligence fixed on me. (SB 11.19.36) This is
authoritative since it is spoken by the Lord himself. Praśama means
strong fixation since it is related to Kṛṣṇa, the full form of
Bhagavān. Praśamāyanāḥ means “those whose shelter or path is strongly
fixing their intelligence on Kṛṣṇa.” The sages are those whose minds
are attracted to the rasa of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, such as Śukadeva. Being
served just by being close to them (proximity), they purify those
persons immediately of sins and desires. But the water of the Gangā,
though it emanates from the feet of Vāmana directly and is another form
of the spiritual and pure Lord, purifies only by repeated, direct use,
not just by proximity. Even by direct service, the water does not
purify immediately. The purification is superior because of the
superiority of the devotees to the water. Therefore the devotees are
more glorious than the Gangā water. Tīrtham cakre nṛponam yad ajani
yaduṣu svaḥ-sarit pāda-śaucam: when the Lord descended among the Yadus,
his glories eclipsed the Ganges as a holy place. (SB 10.90.47) Śrīdhara
Svāmī’s commentary says “Previously Gangā was the supreme tīrtha. Now,
when Kṛṣṇa’s glories have appeared among the Yadus as a tīrtha, they
have made the Gangā less (unam), into a place to wash the feet.”
TEXT - SB 1.1.16
ko vā bhagavatas tasya
puṇya-ślokeḍya-karmaṇaḥ
śuddhi-kāmo na śṛṇuyād
yaśaḥ kali-malāpaham
SYNONYMS
kaḥ—who;
vā—rather; bhagavataḥ—of the Lord; tasya—His; puṇya—virtuous;
śloka-īḍya—worshipable by prayers; karmaṇaḥ—deeds;
śuddhi-kāmaḥ—desiring deliverance from all sins; na—not; śṛṇuyāt—does
hear; yaśaḥ—glories; kali—of the age of quarrel; mala-apaham—the agent
for sanctification.
TRANSLATION
Who is there, desiring
deliverance from the vices of the age of quarrel, who is not willing to
hear the virtuous glories of the Lord?
PURPORT
The age of
Kali is the most condemned age due to its quarrelsome features.
Kali-yuga is so saturated with vicious habits that there is a great
fight at the slightest misunderstanding. Those who are engaged in the
pure devotional service of the Lord, who are without any desire for
self-aggrandizement and who are freed from the effects of fruitive
actions and dry philosophical speculations are capable of getting out
of the estrangements of this complicated age. The leaders of the people
are very much anxious to live in peace and friendship, but they have no
information of the simple method of hearing the glories of the Lord. On
the contrary, such leaders are opposed to the propagation of the
glories of the Lord. In other words, the foolish leaders want to
completely deny the existence of the Lord. In the name of secular
state, such leaders are enacting various plans every year. But by the
insurmountable intricacies of the material nature of the Lord, all
these plans for progress are being constantly frustrated. They have no
eyes to see that their attempts at peace and friendship are failing.
But here is the hint to get over the hurdle. If we want actual peace,
we must open the road to understanding of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa and
glorify Him for His virtuous activities as they are depicted in the
pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.16
The
phrases saṁṣṛtim ghorām (terrifying material life), vivaśaḥ (helpless)
and sadyaḥ (immediately) indicate persons like Ajāmila. By the
utterance of even one name of the Lord, fear at its very root (svayam
bhayam, like svayam bhagavān), the form of Mahākāla, causing
destruction of the universe, becomes afraid. What then to speak of
death and Yama in charge of death? And what to speak of having fear of
lesser beings such as servants of Yama?
Those who take shelter
of the Lord’s two feet — the devotees — purify people of the
contamination of ignorance immediately, just by people remembering
those devotees. How much more purification will take place by seeing,
touching or serving those devotees! This is understood because of a
similar statement later:
Simply by our remembering you, our
houses become instantly sanctified. And what to speak of seeing you,
touching you, washing your holy feet and offering you a seat in our
home? SB 1.19.33
It should be understood that the waters of the
Gaṅgā purify by their direct presence, having been brought from a
distance place. Otherwise, there would be a contradiction to the
statement muktis tvad-darśanād eva na jāne snāna-jaṁ phalam: liberation
comes from seeing you; I do not know the result of taking bath. Also it
is said svardhunyā darśanād eva sādhūnāṁ ca smaraṇād api muktir: one
can attain liberation by seeing the Gaṅgā and by remembering the
devotees. Thus the superiority of the devotee is indicated. The water
of the Gaṅgā, flowing from the Lord’s feet, by having a relation with
the Lord, actually does purify, but being touched (upaśpṛṣṭāḥ, touched
upon). Sevayā means by actions such as worship, obeisances, etc. or it
can mean by respect in general. The particle nu (certainly) indicates a
difference from the previous statement (ie. “on the other hand”). Lack
of grammatical ending on the compound svardhuny-āpas is poetic license.
Śuddhi-kāmaḥ
means “one who desires satisfaction of the intellect” because it was
previously said yenātmā suprasīdati: by which the intelligence is
satisfied. Yaśaḥ or fame of the Lord means his extraordinary actions
such his victory over Śiva, Indra, Brahmā and others and his pastimes
such as the rāsa-līlā.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.16||
ko vā bhagavatas tasya puṇya-ślokedya-karmaṇaḥ |
śuddhi-kāmo na śṛṇuyād yaśaḥ kali-malāpaham ||
TRANSLATION
What person, desiring satisfaction of his intelligence, will not hear
the glories of the Lord, whose actions are praised by reputed persons?
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 68:
The
tenth canto verse’s purport is explained in the beginning. Though
already satisfied, he hears the glories of the Lord, because they
destroy the
contamination of Kali-yuga.
TEXT - SB 1.1.17
tasya karmāṇy udārāṇi
parigītāni sūribhiḥ
brūhi naḥ śraddadhānānāṁ
līlayā dadhataḥ kalāḥ
SYNONYMS
tasya—His;
karmāṇi—transcendental acts; udārāṇi—magnanimous; parigītāni—broadcast;
sūribhiḥ—by the great souls; brūhi—please speak; naḥ—unto us;
śraddadhānānām—ready to receive with respect; līlayā—pastimes;
dadhataḥ—advented; kalāḥ—incarnations.
TRANSLATION
His
transcendental acts are magnificent and gracious, and great learned
sages like Nārada sing of them. Please, therefore, speak to us, who are
eager to hear about the adventures He performs in His various
incarnations.
PURPORT
The Personality of Godhead is never
inactive as some less intelligent persons suggest. His works are
magnificent and magnanimous. His creations both material and spiritual
are all wonderful and contain all variegatedness. They are described
nicely by such liberated souls as Śrīla Nārada, Vyāsa, Vālmīki, Devala,
Asita, Madhva, Śrī Caitanya, Rāmānuja, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, Śrīdhara,
Viśvanātha, Baladeva, Bhaktivinoda, Siddhānta Sarasvatī and many other
learned and self-realized souls. These creations, both material and
spiritual, are full of opulence, beauty and knowledge, but the
spiritual realm is more magnificent due to its being full of knowledge,
bliss and eternity. The material creations are manifested for some time
as perverted shadows of the spiritual kingdom and can be likened to
cinemas. They attract people of less intelligent caliber who are
attracted by false things. Such foolish men have no information of the
reality, and they take it for granted that the false material
manifestation is the all in all. But more intelligent men guided by
sages like Vyāsa and Nārada know that the eternal kingdom of God is
more delightful, larger, and eternally full of bliss and knowledge.
Those who are not conversant with the activities of the Lord and His
transcendental realm are sometimes favored by the Lord in His
adventures as incarnations wherein He displays the eternal bliss of His
association in the transcendental realm. By such activities He attracts
the conditioned souls of the material world. Some of these conditioned
souls are engaged in the false enjoyment of material senses and others
in simply negating their real life in the spiritual world. These less
intelligent persons are known as karmīs, or fruitive workers, and
jñānīs, or dry mental speculators. But above these two classes of men
is the transcendentalist known as sātvata, or the devotee, who is busy
neither with rampant material activity nor with material speculation.
He is engaged in the positive service of the Lord, and thereby he
derives the highest spiritual benefit unknown to the karmīs and jñānīs.
As
the supreme controller of both the material and spiritual worlds, the
Lord has different incarnations of unlimited categories. Incarnations
like Brahmā, Rudra, Manu, Pṛthu and Vyāsa are His material qualitative
incarnations, but His incarnations like Rāma, Narasiṁha, Varāha and
Vāmana are His transcendental incarnations. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the
fountainhead of all incarnations, and He is therefore the cause of all
causes.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.17
Karmāṇi
refers to the activities of killing demons in common with other
avatāras. Udārāṇi (generous) means fulfilling the desires of the
devotees. Kalāḥ dadhataḥ means “of he who supports the forms of the
avatāras.” The constant presence of these avatāras during the time when
Kṛṣṇa appears indicates the completeness of Kṛṣṇa as avatārī.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.17|| tasya karmāṇy udārāṇi parigītāni sūribhiḥ |
brūhi naḥ śraddadhānānām līlayā dadhataḥ kalāḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Please tell us, full of faith, about the activities of the Lord who
brings the forms of all avatāras by his will-activities bestowing the
highest bliss to his devotees, which are glorified by the sages.
Kṛṣṇa sandarbha 69:
Because
of the above glories of Kṛṣṇa, they concluded. Please speak about the
activities, such as his birth, which give the highest bliss (udārāṇi).
He has appeared, bringing (dadhataḥ) his various amśas (kalāḥ) such as
the puruṣāvatāras effortlessly (līlayā) since he is by nature complete.
TEXT - SB 1.1.18
athākhyāhi harer dhīmann
avatāra-kathāḥ śubhāḥ
līlā vidadhataḥ svairam
īśvarasyātma-māyayā
SYNONYMS
atha—therefore;
ākhyāhi—describe; hareḥ—of the Lord; dhīman—O sagacious one;
avatāra—incarnations; kathāḥ—narratives; śubhāḥ—auspicious;
līlā—adventures; vidadhataḥ—performed; svairam—pastimes; īśvarasya—of
the supreme controller; ātma—personal; māyayā—energies.
TRANSLATION
O
wise Sūta, please narrate to us the transcendental pastimes of the
Supreme Godhead's multi-incarnations. Such auspicious adventures and
pastimes of the Lord, the supreme controller, are performed by His
internal powers.
PURPORT
For the creation, maintenance
and destruction of the material worlds, the Supreme Lord Personality of
Godhead Himself appears in many thousands of forms of incarnations, and
the specific adventures found in those transcendental forms are all
auspicious. Both those who are present during such activities and those
who hear the transcendental narrations of such activities are benefited.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.18
Śubha
means non-material. The Lord performs pastimes in the present which are
actually eternal in nature by his yoga-māyā potency (ātmā-māyayā).
Jiva's tika ||1.1.18||
athākhyāhi harer dhīmann avatāra-kathāḥ śubhāḥ |
līlā-vidadhataḥ svairam īśvarasyātma-māyayā ||
TRANSLATION
O intelligent sage! Narrate the non-material stories of avatāras of the
Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who performs his eternal pastimes independently by
his yoga-māyā potency.
Kṛṣṇa sandarbha 70:
Speak about
the main avatāras of Kṛṣṇa, as an accompanying narration, after
describing Kṛṣṇa. Hareḥ means “of Kṛṣṇa” due to the context. Avatāras
refers to puruṣāvatāras, guṇāvatāras, and līlāvatāras. Speak of their
pastimes (kathāḥ), such as creation and removing the burden of the
earth. He performs pastimes by his śakti, in the form of his will
(ātma-māyayā). Mahā-samhitā says ātmā-māyā tad icchā syād guṇamāyā
jadātmikā: ātmā māyā is the Lord’s will and guṇamāyā is material power.
TEXT - SB 1.1.19
vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma
uttama-śloka-vikrame
yac-chṛṇvatāṁ rasa-jñānāṁ
svādu svādu pade pade
SYNONYMS
vayam—we;
tu—but; na—not; vitṛpyāmaḥ—shall be at rest; uttama-śloka—the
Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by transcendental prayers;
vikrame—adventures; yat—which; śṛṇvatām—by continuous hearing;
rasa—humor; jñānām—those who are conversant with; svādu—relishing;
svādu—palatable; pade pade—at every step.
TRANSLATION
We
never tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of
Godhead, who is glorified by hymns and prayers. Those who have
developed a taste for transcendental relationships with Him relish
hearing of His pastimes at every moment.
PURPORT
There is
a great difference between mundane stories, fiction, or history and the
transcendental pastimes of the Lord. The histories of the whole
universe contain references to the pastimes of the incarnations of the
Lord. The Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata, and the Purāṇas are histories of
bygone ages recorded in connection with the pastimes of the
incarnations of the Lord and therefore remain fresh even after repeated
readings. For example, anyone may read Bhagavad-gītā or the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam repeatedly throughout his whole life and yet find in
them new light of information. Mundane news is static whereas
transcendental news is dynamic, inasmuch as the spirit is dynamic and
matter is static. Those who have developed a taste for understanding
the transcendental subject matter are never tired of hearing such
narrations. One is quickly satiated by mundane activities, but no one
is satiated by transcendental or devotional activities. Uttama-śloka
indicates that literature which is not meant for nescience. Mundane
literature is in the mode of darkness or ignorance, whereas
transcendental literature is quite different. Transcendental literature
is above the mode of darkness, and its light becomes more luminous with
progressive reading and realization of the transcendental subject
matter. The so-called liberated persons are never satisfied by the
repetition of the words ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Such artificial realization of
Brahman becomes hackneyed, and so to relish real pleasure they turn to
the narrations of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Those who are not so fortunate
turn to altruism and worldly philanthropy. This means the Māyāvāda
philosophy is mundane, whereas the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā and
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is transcendental.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.19
Uttama-śloka
means “he whose fame or good qualities are the best.” Or it came mean
“he who is praised by the best persons.” We are not completely
satisfied in hearing about the exploits of Uttama-śloka. We do not
consider that it is sufficient. In other words, we are completely
satisfied with whatever we have done in performing sacrifices and yoga.
Let us continue to hear about the activities of the Lord. Or the
sentence can mean “Let others be satisfied, but we are not.” That is
indicated by the word tu. The meaning is this. In three ways one knows
that one has had enough of something and is satisfied: by sufficiency
of quantity (as with food in the belly), by lack of awareness of the
taste, and by lack of relishing the object. In this verse, there is
insufficiency for the hearers (śṛṇvatām) because the exploits are not
directly present, being present only as sound in the ether contacting
the ear. Satisfaction is negated for a person who is not capable of
appreciating the taste or rasa, for a person who is just like an
animal. However the sages have appreciation of rasa (rasa-jṇānām). But
still they are not satisfied. Unlike chewed sugarcane which loses its
taste and becomes detestable, the topics of the Lord are most excellent
because of the increase in taste at every moment (pade pade) after
tasting. The sages have not lost taste, but are still dissatisfied. The
locative termination on pada pada (pade pade) indicates “at every
moment.”
TEXT - SB 1.1.20
kṛtavān kila karmāṇi
saha rāmeṇa keśavaḥ
atimartyāni bhagavān
gūḍhaḥ kapaṭa-mānuṣaḥ
SYNONYMS
kṛtavān—done
by; kila—what; karmāṇi—acts; saha—along with; rāmeṇa—Balarāma;
keśavaḥ—Śrī Kṛṣṇa; atimartyāni—superhuman; bhagavān—the Personality of
Godhead; gūḍhaḥ—masked as; kapaṭa—apparently; mānuṣaḥ—human being.
TRANSLATION
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, along with Balarāma, played like
a human being, and so masked He performed many superhuman acts.
PURPORT
The
doctrines of anthropomorphism and zoomorphism are never applicable to
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or the Personality of Godhead. The theory that a man becomes
God by dint of penance and austerities is very much rampant nowadays,
especially in India. Since Lord Rāma, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya
Mahāprabhu were detected by the sages and saints to be the Personality
of Godhead as indicated in revealed scriptures, many unscrupulous men
have created their own incarnations. This process of concocting an
incarnation of God has become an ordinary business, especially in
Bengal. Any popular personality with a few traits of mystic powers will
display some feat of jugglery and easily become an incarnation of
Godhead by popular vote. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was not that type of
incarnation. He was actually the Personality of Godhead from the very
beginning of His appearance. He appeared before His so-called mother as
four-armed Viṣṇu. Then, at the request of the mother, He became like a
human child and at once left her for another devotee at Gokula, where
He was accepted as the son of Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā Mātā.
Similarly, Śrī Baladeva, the counterpart of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was also
considered a human child born of another wife of Śrī Vasudeva. In
Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that His birth and deeds are
transcendental and that anyone who is so fortunate as to know the
transcendental nature of His birth and deeds will at once become
liberated and eligible to return to the kingdom of God. So knowledge of
the transcendental nature of the birth and deeds of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is
sufficient for liberation. In the Bhāgavatam, the transcendental nature
of the Lord is described in nine cantos, and in the Tenth Canto His
specific pastimes are taken up. All this becomes known as one's reading
of this literature progresses. It is important to note here, however,
that the Lord exhibited His divinity even from the lap of His mother,
that His deeds are all superhuman (He lifted Govardhana Hill at the age
of seven), and that all these acts definitely prove Him to be actually
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet, due to His mystic covering, He
was always accepted as an ordinary human child by His so-called father
and mother and other relatives. Whenever some herculean task was
performed by Him, the father and mother took it otherwise. And they
remained satisfied with unflinching filial love for their son. As such,
the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya describe Him as apparently resembling a human
being, but actually He is the supreme almighty Personality of Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.20
This
verse clarifies the activities of the Lord. Though Kṛṣṇa’s actions are
human because he is brahman in human form, his actions like lifting
Govardhana surpass the actions of humans. Those actions are impossible
for others living at that time. Thus his actions are describes as
“beyond human” (atimartyāni). But the Lord is hidden (gūḍhaḥ). The
reason is given. He is deceptive to the human beings (kapaṭa-mānuṣaḥ).
He is deceptive to materialistic persons such as Jarāsandha by
disguising himself as a brāhmaṇa to make a request, in order to help
his devotees. He is deceptive with the spiritual devotees — the gopīs
who were attracted to the sound of his flute, by giving them
instructions on proper conduct in order to increase the manifestation
of prema. Since the bewilderment of the demons is because of their
material ignorance and the bewilderment of the devotees like the gopīs
is because of their prema, the Lord does not actually cheat anyone. He
conceals himself in order to give instruction only. The formation of
kapaṭa-mānuṣaḥ follows the Varttika on Pāṇini 22.35 listing words
starting with gaḍu. In a bahu-vrīhi compound the locative case word is
placed first in the compound, but in words starting with gaḍu, the word
in the locative case is placed at the end. (The compound would normally
be mānuṣa-kapaṭa, deceptive to men, but by the exception it becomes
kapaṭa-mānuṣa.)
Jiva's tika ||1.1.20||
vayam tu na vitṛpyāma uttama-śloka-vikrame |
yac-chṛṇvatām rasa-jnānām svādu svādu pade pade ||
TRANSLATION
We are not fully satisfied with the exploits of the Lord whose fame is
the highest, because at every moment those exploits become more
relishable for the hearers who have knowledge of rasa.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 71:
“But
it is like eating sugar cane. It is not any special taste.” That is not
so. We are satisfied with yoga and sacrifices, but not with hearing
about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Acutely (vi) we are not satisfied with the
exploits of he who is most praised (uttama-śloka) since those pastimes
make Gangā insignificant (as described previously). It is never
sufficient hearing about him.
TEXT - SB 1.1.21
kalim āgatam ājñāya
kṣetre 'smin vaiṣṇave vayam
āsīnā dīrgha-satreṇa
kathāyāṁ sakṣaṇā hareḥ
SYNONYMS
kalim—the
age of Kali (iron age of quarrel); āgatam—having arrived;
ājñāya—knowing this; kṣetre—in this tract of land; asmin—in this;
vaiṣṇave—specially meant for the devotee of the Lord; vayam—we;
āsīnāḥ—seated; dīrgha—prolonged; satreṇa—for performance of sacrifices;
kathāyām—in the words of; sa-kṣaṇāḥ—with time at our disposal; hareḥ—of
the Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Knowing well that
the age of Kali has already begun, we are assembled here in this holy
place to hear at great length the transcendental message of Godhead and
in this way perform sacrifice.
PURPORT
This age of Kali
is not at all suitable for self-realization as was Satya-yuga, the
golden age, or Tretā- or Dvāpara-yugas, the silver and copper ages. For
self-realization, the people in Satya-yuga, living a lifetime of a
hundred thousand years, were able to perform prolonged meditation. And
in Tretā-yuga, when the duration of life was ten thousand years,
self-realization was attained by performance of great sacrifice. And in
the Dvāpara-yuga, when the duration of life was one thousand years,
self-realization was attained by worship of the Lord. But in the
Kali-yuga, the maximum duration of life being one hundred years only
and that combined with various difficulties, the recommended process of
self-realization is that of hearing and chanting of the holy name,
fame, and pastimes of the Lord. The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya began this
process in a place meant specifically for the devotees of the Lord.
They prepared themselves to hear the pastimes of the Lord over a period
of one thousand years. By the example of these sages one should learn
that regular hearing and recitation of the Bhāgavatam is the only way
for self-realization. Other attempts are simply a waste of time, for
they do not give any tangible results. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
preached this system of Bhāgavata-dharma, and He recommended that all
those who were born in India should take the responsibility of
broadcasting the messages of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, primarily the message of
Bhagavad-gītā. And when one is well established in the teachings of
Bhagavad-gītā, he can take up the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for
further enlightenment in self-realization.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.21
“Well
it is indeed surprising that persons such as you, absorbed in
ritualistic sacrifices, have enthusiasm for hearing about the glories
of Kṛṣṇa.” “Please understand that our interest in sacrifice has now
become a show only.” Sakṣaṇā means “having obtained the opportunity,”
or it can mean “with joy.”
Jiva's tika ||1.1.21||
kṛtavān kila karmāṇi saha rāmeṇa keśavaḥ |
atimartyāni bhagavān gūdhaḥ kapaṭa-mānuṣaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord Keśava, whose intentions remain concealed because he
is deceptive to mankind, performed non-human pastimes with Balarāma.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 72:
“How
does he become human and then perform non-human pastimes?” He is a
deceptive human (kapaṭa-mānuṣaḥ). The word mānuṣaḥ (human) means
“having a material body.” Therefore Kṛṣṇa’s body is deceptively
(kapaṭa) human. He has a remarkable human form since he performs
human-like pastimes using a human form, while the normal human form
cannot be Parabrahman. He does not refuse that form since it does not
impede his powers. That he is not a material being is confirmed in the
story of stealing the Syamantaka gem.
TEXT - SB 1.1.22
tvaṁ naḥ sandarśito dhātrā
dustaraṁ nistitīrṣatām
kaliṁ sattva-haraṁ puṁsāṁ
karṇa-dhāra ivārṇavam
SYNONYMS
tvam—Your
Goodness; naḥ—unto us; sandarśitaḥ—meeting; dhātrā—by providence;
dustaram—insurmountable; nistitīrṣatām—for those desiring to cross
over; kalim—the age of Kali; sattva-haram—that which deteriorates the
good qualities; puṁsām—of a man; karṇa-dhāraḥ—captain; iva—as;
arṇavam—the ocean.
TRANSLATION
We think that we have met
Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may accept you
as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult
ocean of Kali, which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human
being.
PURPORT
The age of Kali is very dangerous for the
human being. Human life is simply meant for self-realization, but due
to this dangerous age, men have completely forgotten the aim of life.
In this age, the life span will gradually decrease. People will
gradually lose their memory, finer sentiments, strength, and better
qualities. A list of the anomalies for this age is given in the Twelfth
Canto of this work. And so this age is very difficult for those who
want to utilize this life for self-realization. The people are so busy
with sense gratification that they completely forget about
self-realization. Out of madness they frankly say that there is no need
for self-realization because they do not realize that this brief life
is but a moment on our great journey towards self-realization. The
whole system of education is geared to sense gratification, and if a
learned man thinks it over, he sees that the children of this age are
being intentionally sent to the slaughterhouses of so-called education.
Learned men, therefore, must be cautious of this age, and if they at
all want to cross over the dangerous ocean of Kali, they must follow
the footsteps of the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya and accept Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī
or his bona fide representative as the captain of the ship. The ship is
the message of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the shape of Bhagavad-gītā or the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.22
Karṇadhāraḥ means a pilot of ship.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.22||
sa vai bhagavatā tena yuyudhe svāmīnātmanaḥ puruṣam prākṛtam matvā kupito nānubhāva-vit
TRANSLATION
Unaware of his true position and thinking him an ordinary man, Jāmbavān
angrily began fighting with the Supreme Lord, his master.
This
is also understood by amṛtam māyā-manuṣyasya vadasva vidvan: please
reveal the confidential activities of Kṛṣṇa, appearing in a human form
by his mercy. (SB 10.1.7) Since he is a false human, his real nature as
Bhagavān hidden (gūdhaḥ).
TEXT - SB 1.1.23
brūhi yogeśvare kṛṣṇe
brahmaṇye dharma-varmaṇi
svāṁ kāṣṭhām adhunopete
dharmaḥ kaṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ
SYNONYMS
brūhi—please
tell; yoga-īśvare—the Lord of all mystic powers; kṛṣṇe—Lord Kṛṣṇa;
brahmaṇye—the Absolute Truth; dharma—religion; varmaṇi—protector;
svām—own; kāṣṭhām—abode; adhunā—nowadays; upete—having gone away;
dharmaḥ—religion; kam—unto whom; śaraṇam—shelter; gataḥ—gone.
TRANSLATION
Since
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, the master of all mystic powers, has
departed for His own abode, please tell us to whom the religious
principles have now gone for shelter.
PURPORT
Essentially
religion is the prescribed codes enunciated by the Personality of
Godhead Himself. Whenever there is gross misuse or neglect of the
principles of religion, the Supreme Lord appears Himself to restore
religious principles. This is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8). Here the
sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are inquiring about these principles. The reply
to this question is given later. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the
transcendental sound representation of the Personality of Godhead, and
thus it is the full representation of transcendental knowledge and
religious principles.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.1.23
Kṛṣṇa
is the protector of dharma (dharma-vartmaṇi), acting like armor for
dharma. The cause is then mentioned. Yogeśvare (master of all yogas)
indicates Kṛṣṇa’s powers. Brahmaṇye (devoted to the righteous)
indicates his merciful nature. Svāṁ kāṣṭhām means his own sthiti or
maryādā. According to Amara-koṣa, kāṣṭhā means excellence, continuous
condition or direction and maryādā means righteousness and continuous
condition. That abode became invisible to worldly people after a
hundred and twenty-years after its appearance.
The six questions of the sages were:
1. You should explain what is most beneficial for humanity.
2. Tell us who have faith the essence of all the scriptures by which the intellect is pleased.
3. You should tell us, who desire to hear, the purpose of Kṛṣṇa’s appearance from Devakī.
4. Describe the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa who has all the avatāras within him.
5. Describe the stories of the avatāras.
6. Tell us the shelter of dharma now that Kṛṣṇa has departed.
It should be understood that the answers to these six questions along with some related matters constitutes the Bhāgavatam.
Jiva's tika ||1.1.23||
brūhi yogeśvare kṛṣṇe brahmaṇye dharma-varmaṇi |
svām kāṣṭhām adhunopete dharmaḥ kam śaraṇam gataḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Please tell us where dharma has taken shelter, now that Kṛṣṇa, master
of all yogas, devoted to the righteous, and the protector of dharma,
has entered his abode.
Svām kāṣṭham means his eternal abode.
Thus
end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, First Chapter, of
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Questions by the Sages."
2. Divinity and Divine Service
verses:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28-29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
TEXT - SB 1.2.1
vyāsa uvāca
iti sampraśna-saṁhṛṣṭo
viprāṇāṁ raumaharṣaṇiḥ
pratipūjya vacas teṣāṁ
pravaktum upacakrame
SYNONYMS
vyāsaḥ
uvāca—Vyāsa said; iti—thus; sampraśna—perfect inquiries;
saṁhṛṣṭaḥ—perfectly satisfied; viprāṇām—of the sages there;
raumaharṣaṇiḥ—the son of Romaharṣaṇa, namely Ugraśravā;
pratipūjya—after thanking them; vacaḥ—words; teṣām—their; pravaktum—to
reply to them; upacakrame—attempted.
TRANSLATION
Ugraśravā
[Sūta Gosvāmī], the son of Romaharṣaṇa, being fully satisfied by the
perfect questions of the brāhmaṇas, thanked them and thus attempted to
reply.
PURPORT
The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya asked Sūta Gosvāmī six questions, and so he is answering them one by one.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.1
In
the second chapter there is a description of three items: the process
(abhidheya), bhakti; the goal (prayojanam), prema; and the object of
worship, the Supreme Lord Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa.
The son of Romaharṣaṇa was Ugraśravas (also called Sūta).
Jiva's tika ||1.2.1||
vyāsa uvāca— iti sampraśna-samhṛṣṭo viprāṇām raumaharṣaṇiḥ |
pratipūjya vacas teśām pravaktum upacakrame ||
TRANSLATION
The son of Romaharṣaṇa (Sūta or Ugraśravas), delighted at the questions
of the sages, respecting their words, began to speak.
Six questions were asked. Two questions start from SB 1.1.9 and end with SB 1.1-12:
tatra tatrānjasāyuṣman bhavatā yad viniścitam pumsām ekāntataḥ śreyas tan naḥ śamsitum arhasi
Please,
therefore, being blessed with many years, explain to us, in an easily
understandable way, what you have ascertained to be the absolute and
ultimate good for the people in general. (SB 1.1.9)
sūta jānāsi bhadram te bhagavān sātvatām patiḥ devakyām vasudevasya jāto yasya cikīrṣayā
All
blessings upon you, O Sūta Gosvāmī. You know for what purpose the
Personality of Godhead appeared in the womb of Devakī as the son of
Vasudeva.
(SB 1.1.12) Two questions are concerned the
purpose of Kṛṣṇa’s appearance and Kṛṣṇa’ activities. 1.19-20 are
explanations of those questions. The answer to both those questions is
in the following verse of the second chapter. Protecting the planets is
also his activity;
bhāvayaty eṣa sattvena lokān vai loka-bhāvanaḥ līlāvatārānurato deva-tiryan-narādiṣu
Thus
the Lord of the universes maintains all planets inhabited by demigods,
men and lower animals. Assuming the roles of incarnations, He performs
pastimes to reclaim those in the mode of pure goodness. (SB 1.2.34)
In
the first chapter six questions are asked. In the second chapter four
questions are answered (the above two and the next two). The question
concerning the Lord’s actions of creating the material world (verse
1.1.17) are answered in verse 1.2.30 and other verses. The answer to
the fourth question (What is most beneficial for humanity?) is not seen
elsewhere.
The question concerning avatāras (verse 1.1.18) is
answered in the third chapter. The question concerning the shelter of
dharma (verse 1.1.23) is answered in the third chapter, verse 43.
||1.2.1|| sūta uvāca yam pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyam dvaipāyano viraha-kātara ājuhāva |
putreti tan-mayatayā taravo ’bhinedus tam sarva-bhūta-hṛdayam munim ānato’smi ||
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: I offer my respects to the sage Śukadeva, who has entered
the mind of all beings, and to whom Vyāsa, his father, cried out with
pain of separation “O son!” when Śukadeva, without even undergoing
samskāras, left home and could not be brought back. Even the trees,
being attached to Śukadeva, called out “O son!”
At the beginning, Sūta offers respects to his guru Śukadeva and remembers his
good
qualities, in two verses. Vyāsa identified completely with Paramātmā
(tanmayatayā). By meditation Vyāsa became one with the antaryāmī of all
beings. Because of that absorption, it is mentioned later that he was
able to follow Śukadeva (1.4.5) Though Śukadeva was not interested in
answering his father, antaryāmī answered sympathetically through the
trees.
Or being detached because of being fixed in Brahman,
the father did not have affection. But the trees developed affection.
Thus the trees, absorbed in Śukadeva with affection, faced him (abhi)
and called out (neduḥ). What to speak of other jīvas. This means that
Śukadeva had great powers. All living beings’ hearts were attracted to
him (sarva-bhūta-hrdayam). Citsukha’s version has anapetam instead of
anupetam.
TEXT - SB 1.2.2
sūta uvāca
yaṁ pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyaṁ
dvaipāyano viraha-kātara ājuhāva
putreti tan-mayatayā taravo 'bhinedus
taṁ sarva-bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munim ānato 'smi
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ—Sūta
Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; yam—whom; pravrajantam—while going away for the
renounced order of life; anupetam—without being reformed by the sacred
thread; apeta—not undergoing ceremonies; kṛtyam—prescribed duties;
dvaipāyanaḥ—Vyāsadeva; viraha—separation; kātaraḥ—being afraid of;
ājuhāva—exclaimed; putra iti—O my son; tat-mayatayā—being absorbed in
that way; taravaḥ—all the trees; abhineduḥ—responded; tam—unto him;
sarva—all; bhūta—living entities; hṛdayam—heart; munim—sage; ānataḥ
asmi—offer obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī
said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away
to take up the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], leaving home without
undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed
by the higher castes, his father, Vyāsadeva, fearing separation from
him, cried out, "O my son!" Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed
in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved
father.
PURPORT
The institution of varṇa and āśrama
prescribes many regulative duties to be observed by its followers. Such
duties enjoin that a candidate willing to study the Vedas must approach
a bona fide spiritual master and request acceptance as his disciple.
The sacred thread is the sign of those who are competent to study the
Vedas from the ācārya, or the bona fide spiritual master. Śrī Śukadeva
Gosvāmī did not undergo such purificatory ceremonies because he was a
liberated soul from his very birth.
Generally, a man is born as
an ordinary being, and by the purificatory processes he is born for the
second time. When he sees a new light and seeks direction for spiritual
progress, he approaches a spiritual master for instruction in the
Vedas. The spiritual master accepts only the sincere inquirer as his
disciple and gives him the sacred thread. In this way a man becomes
twice-born, or a dvija. After qualifying as a dvija one may study the
Vedas, and after becoming well versed in the Vedas one becomes a vipra.
A vipra, or a qualified brāhmaṇa, thus realizes the Absolute and makes
further progress in spiritual life until he reaches the Vaiṣṇava stage.
The Vaiṣṇava stage is the postgraduate status of a brāhmaṇa. A
progressive brāhmaṇa must necessarily become a Vaiṣṇava, for a Vaiṣṇava
is a self-realized, learned brāhmaṇa.
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was
a Vaiṣṇava from the beginning; therefore, there was no need for him to
undergo all the processes of the varṇāśrama institution. Ultimately the
aim of varṇāśrama-dharma is to turn a crude man into a pure devotee of
the Lord, or a Vaiṣṇava. Anyone, therefore, who becomes a Vaiṣṇava
accepted by the first-class Vaiṣṇava, or uttama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava, is
already considered a brāhmaṇa, regardless of his birth or past deeds.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted this principle and recognized Śrīla
Haridāsa Ṭhākura as the ācārya of the holy name, although Ṭhākura
Haridāsa appeared in a Mohammedan family. In conclusion, Śrīla Śukadeva
Gosvāmī was born a Vaiṣṇava, and, therefore, brahminism was included in
him. He did not have to undergo any ceremonies. Any lowborn person—be
he a Kirāta, Hūṇa, Āndhra, Pulinda, Pulkaśa, Ābhīra, Śumbha, Yavana,
Khasa or even lower—can be delivered to the highest transcendental
position by the mercy of Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was the
spiritual master of Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī, who therefore offers his
respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī before he begins his
answers to the questions of the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.2
Here
Sūta begins to reflect. I will speak the answer to the questions, the
essence of all the scriptures, the very substance. They have asked for
the essence which will please their intellects (yenātmā suprasīdati SB
1.1.11). If their intellects are not satisfied with this, what will
happen? Therefore among all the essences, I should seek out that which
is pleasing to the intellect as decided by the most righteous persons.
Even though some righteous persons will say that the intellect is
pleased with Sāṅkhya, some will say the intellect is pleased with
Mīmāṁsa, or with the Upaniṣads, or the Vedānta-sūtras which discern the
conclusion of the Upaniṣads, all that cannot be admitted. Among the
sages, the chief is Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana-vyāsa, who knows all the
philosophies, who wrote the Vedānta-sūtras, and whose vision is based
on clarity of mind. I should speak that scripture, which remained
steady, without objections from anyone, since it gave pleasure to all
the sages, after withstanding the tests of all the great luminaries,
the greatest philosophers present in the assembly gathered around King
Parīkṣit. I should speak that scripture which is pure like the
jāmbūnada river. I should speak the Bhāgavatam. Therefore I should
surrender to Śrī-śukadeva, the speaker of the Bhāgavatam. He thus
begins reciting this verse.
Śukadeva had departed, leaving
everything (pravrajantam). Though he was nearby, Vyāsa could not catch
him (anupetam). He had not received his sacred thread (apeta-kṛtyam)
Vyāsa called out the protracted words, “O son!” But not only his father
had great affection for him. Padma Purāṇa says:
yenārcito haris tena tarpitāni jaganty api |
rajyanti jantavas tatra jangamāḥ sthāvarā api ||
He who worships the Lord pleases all living entities. All moving and non- moving beings are controlled by him.[6]
Thus
even the trees lamented. Being completely attached to Śukadeva
(tan-mayatayā) the trees, since they were facing him, called out in the
form of echoes “O son!” When a person is attached to something he is
said to be tan-maya. Thus strī-maya means a person who is attached to
women. This affection for a person who resides in the mind of all
living beings, like the attraction for the all-attractive deity of the
Lord, is not a material illusion. Thus it is not a fault if Vyāsa
seemed to lose his sense of discrimination.
Or there is another
meaning. The trees, as another form of Śukadeva (tan-mayatayā), called
out in echo, “O son!” to answer Vyāsa. If I am your son, then you are
also my son. Illusion is the cause of thinking “I am the father, you
are the son. Who is the son of whom? Who is the father of whom?”
Enlightening Vyāsa about this truth, they hint “Why are you bewildered?”
For
establishing attachment to Śukadeva, it is then described that he had
entered into the minds of all living entities (sarva-bhūta-hṛdayam
munim) by the power of his yoga. That being so, let him also enter my
heart and speak the Bhāgavatam through my mouth! He who can enter into
the dull trees and pacify his father by answering back can also enter
my heart and please the intellects of all the hearers by the
Bhāgavatam. Implied here is the rule that at the time of lecturing,
other speakers of Bhāgavatam should also meditate in this way.
TEXT - SB 1.2.3
yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam
adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham
saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyaṁ
taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—he
who; sva-anubhāvam—self-assimilated (experienced); akhila—all around;
śruti—the Vedas; sāram—cream; ekam—the only one;
adhyātma—transcendental; dīpam—torchlight; atititīrṣatām—desiring to
overcome; tamaḥ andham—deeply dark material existence; saṁsāriṇām—of
the materialistic men; karuṇayā—out of causeless mercy; āha—said;
purāṇa—supplement to the Vedas; guhyam—very confidential; tam—unto him;
vyāsa-sūnum—the son of Vyāsadeva; upayāmi—let me offer my obeisances;
gurum—the spiritual master; munīnām—of the great sages.
TRANSLATION
Let
me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [Śuka], the spiritual master
of all sages, the son of Vyāsadeva, who, out of his great compassion
for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest
regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement
to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it
by experience.
PURPORT
In this prayer, Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī
practically summarizes the complete introduction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural supplementary commentary on the
Vedānta-sūtras. The Vedānta-sūtras, or the Brahma-sūtras, were compiled
by Vyāsadeva with a view to presenting just the cream of Vedic
knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on this cream.
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a thoroughly realized master of the
Vedānta-sūtra, and consequently he also personally realized the
commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy
upon bewildered materialistic men who want to cross completely over
nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge.
There
is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy. No
materialistic creature—be he the great Brahmā or an insignificant
ant—can be happy. Everyone tries to make a permanent plan for
happiness, but everyone is baffled by the laws of material nature.
Therefore the materialistic world is called the darkest region of God's
creation. Yet the unhappy materialists can get out of it simply by
desiring to get out. Unfortunately they are so foolish that they do not
want to escape. Therefore they are compared to the camel who relishes
thorny twigs because he likes the taste of the twigs mixed with blood.
He does not realize that it is his own blood and that his tongue is
being cut by the thorns. Similarly, to the materialist his own blood is
as sweet as honey, and although he is always harassed by his own
material creations, he does not wish to escape. Such materialists are
called karmīs. Out of hundreds of thousands of karmīs, only a few may
feel tired of material engagement and desire to get out of the
labyrinth. Such intelligent persons are called jñānīs. The
Vedānta-sūtra is directed to such jñānīs. But Śrīla Vyāsadeva, being
the incarnation of the Supreme Lord, could foresee the misuse of the
Vedānta-sūtra by unscrupulous men, and, therefore, he personally
supplemented the Vedānta-sūtra with the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. It is clearly
said that this Bhāgavatam is the original commentary on the
Brahma-sūtras. Śrīla Vyāsadeva also instructed the Bhāgavatam to his
own son, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who was already at the liberated stage
of transcendence. Śrīla Śukadeva realized it personally and then
explained it. By the mercy of Śrīla Śukadeva, the
Bhāgavata-vedānta-sūtra is available for all those sincere souls who
want to get out of material existence.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the
one unrivaled commentary on Vedānta-sūtra. Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya
intentionally did not touch it because he knew that the natural
commentary would be difficult for him to surpass. He wrote his
Śārīraka-bhāṣya, and his so-called followers deprecated the Bhāgavatam
as some "new" presentation. One should not be misled by such propaganda
directed against the Bhāgavatam by the Māyāvāda school. From this
introductory śloka, the beginning student should know that
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the only transcendental literature meant for those
who are paramahaṁsas and completely freed from the material disease
called malice. The Māyāvādīs are envious of the Personality of Godhead
despite Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya's admission that Nārāyaṇa, the Personality
of Godhead, is above the material creation. The envious Māyāvādī cannot
have access to the Bhāgavatam, but those who are really anxious to get
out of this material existence may take shelter of this Bhāgavatam
because it is uttered by the liberated Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. It is
the transcendental torchlight by which one can see perfectly the
transcendental Absolute Truth realized as Brahman, Paramātmā and
Bhagavān.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.3
He
says that the reason for Śukadeva inspiring Sūta is his mercy. He
should not only deliver Parīkṣit, but he should also deliver all the
persons born in this world in the future. At that moment, Sūta
remembered all the future generations. And for those who desire to
cross (atititīrṣatām) the dense (andham) ignorance (tamaḥ) with great
ease (ati), the Bhāgavatam causes revelation (dīpam) of the jīva
(adhyātma) — he who controls (adhi) the elements of the body such as
mahattattva. This refers to the secondary result of the
Bhāgavatam—destruction of ignorance—for the desirers of liberation. For
the pure devotees, Bhāgavatam contains the essence of all the śrutis,
of all the Upaniṣads, and taking another meaning of śruti, Bhāgavatam
is the essence for those who relish with the ear (śruti) by hearing.
This is indicated by 1.1.3, where Bhāgavatam is said to be the ripened
fruit of the tree of the Vedas. For Śukadeva as well (sva), Bhāgavatam
revealed the power of abundant rasa (anubhāvam). Thus it is said:
sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās tad-vyudastānya-bhāvo
’py ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyam
vyatanuta kṛpayā yas tattva-dīpaṁ purāṇaṁ
tam akhila-vṛjina-ghnaṁ vyāsa-sūnuṁ nato ’smi
Let
me offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the son of
Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who destroys of all sin, and who, though
fixed in his own bliss with no distractions, became attracted to the
pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, and mercifully spread the Bhāgavatam which describes
Kṛṣṇa, and reveals the rasa of his pastimes. SB 12.12.69
It is
also said harer guṇākṣipta-matir: his mind also became attracted to the
qualities of the Lord by studying Bhāgavatam. (SB 1.7.11)
pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇya uttama-śloka-līlayā
gṛhīta-cetā rājarṣe ākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān
O
saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet
I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord,
who is described by enlightened verses. SB 2.1.9
Or svānubhāvam
can mean “that which produced Śukadeva’s power.” This explanation
indicates that Bhāgavatam made Śukadeva superior to all other sages.
Ekam means incomparable, without a second. Śukadeva became the guru of
all the sages such as Nārada and Vyāsa who were seated in the assembly
of Parīkṣit and taught them Bhāgavatam as if it had not been heard
before. The Bhāgavatam must be taught to them as well. The
Tattva-sandarbha has pointed this out.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.3||
yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatām tamo ’ndham |
samsāriṇām karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyam tam vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi gurum munīnām ||
TRANSLATION
I surrender to the son of Vyāsa, the incomparable guru of all the
sages, who mercifully spoke the Purāṇa full of hidden meanings, the
essence of all the scriptures, the essence of hearing, for all the
people of this world, even in the future; who spoke the Bhāgavatam,
which revealed the excellence of rasa to Śukadeva, and which is the
revealer of ātmā for those desiring to cross dense ignorance with ease.
Śukadeva did not search out his father, who was
Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana. It is understood that he was completely absorbed in
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, filled with descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. That
is explained in this verse. It is a statement expressing Sūta’s
surrender to his guru to begin the composition. This statement is the
same as the concluding statement:
sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās
tad-vyudastānya-bhāvo 'py ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyam
vyatanuta kṛpayā yas tattva-dīpam purāṇam tam akhila-vṛjina-ghnam
vyāsa-sūnum nato 'smi
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva
Gosvāmī,
who destroys of all sin, and who, though fixed in his own bliss with no
distractions, became attracted to the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and mercifully
spread the Bhāgavatam which describes Kṛṣṇa and reveals the rasa of his
pastimes. (SB 12.12.69)
Bhāgavatam is the supreme secret.
hitvā sva-śiṣyān pailādīn bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ mahyam putrāya śāntāya param guhyam idam jagau
The
incarnation of Godhead Vedavyāsa, rejecting his disciples, headed by
Paila, revealed through words Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the greatest secret,
to me because I was free from all material desires. (SB 9.22.22)
I
surrender to the guru of sages, the son of Vyāsa. The work was
previously described as kim vā parair īśvara: it has special powers. It
was also described as the topmost fruit on the tree of the Vedas, the
essence of the śruti. As Gangā is the greatest of rivers, Bhāgavatam is
the greatest of Purāṇas. It reveals the most secret, attractive
pastimes (tattva-dīpam) of Kṛṣṇa. He held this work in his heart.
Why
did he reveal the work? He was most merciful to persons who desire to
cross ignorance. Though they do not know the secret of Kṛṣṇa’s
attractive pastimes filled with rasa, he revealed that to them. What
great mercy! This mercy arose from his nature, because of realizing
those pastimes, though he was previously enjoying in the self. Kṛṣṇa
describes such a person:
bhajato 'pi na vai kecid bhajanty abhajataḥ kutaḥ ātmārāmā hy āpta-kāmā akṛta-jnā guru-druhaḥ
There
are those individuals who are spiritually self-satisfied, materially
fulfilled or by nature ungrateful or simply envious of superiors. Such
persons will not love even those who love them, what to speak of those
who are inimical. (SB 10.32.19)
TEXT - SB 1.2.4
nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya
naraṁ caiva narottamam
devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ
tato jayam udīrayet
SYNONYMS
nārāyaṇam—the
Personality of Godhead; namaḥ-kṛtya—after offering respectful
obeisances; naram ca eva—and Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi; nara-uttamam—the supermost
human being; devīm—the goddess; sarasvatīm—the mistress of learning;
vyāsam—Vyāsadeva; tataḥ—thereafter; jayam—all that is meant for
conquering; udīrayet—be announced.
TRANSLATION
Before
reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest,
one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead,
Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto
mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva,
the author.
PURPORT
All the Vedic literatures and the
Purāṇas are meant for conquering the darkest region of material
existence. The living being is in the state of forgetfulness of his
relation with God due to his being overly attracted to material sense
gratification from time immemorial. His struggle for existence in the
material world is perpetual, and it is not possible for him to get out
of it by making plans. If he at all wants to conquer this perpetual
struggle for existence, he must reestablish his eternal relation with
God. And one who wants to adopt such remedial measures must take
shelter of literatures such as the Vedas and the Purāṇas. Foolish
people say that the Purāṇas have no connection with the Vedas. However,
the Purāṇas are supplementary explanations of the Vedas intended for
different types of men. All men are not equal. There are men who are
conducted by the mode of goodness, others who are under the mode of
passion and others who are under the mode of ignorance. The Purāṇas are
so divided that any class of men can take advantage of them and
gradually regain their lost position and get out of the hard struggle
for existence. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī shows the way of chanting the
Purāṇas. This may be followed by persons who aspire to be preachers of
the Vedic literatures and the Purāṇas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the
spotless Purāṇa, and it is especially meant for those who desire to get
out of the material entanglement permanently.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.4
After
offering respectful obeisances unto the presiding deities Nara-nārāyaṇa
Ṛṣi, unto the subject of the work Kṛṣṇa, unto the śakti of the work
Sarasvatī, and unto the sage entristed with the work Śrīla Vyāsadeva,
one should utter "Jaya."
Having offered respects to guru, Sūta
offers respects to devatā, presiding deity, etc. Nara-nārāyaṇa are
designated as the presiding deities of this work since they have
authority over the place.[7]The devatā or subject of the Bhāgavatam is
Kṛṣṇa (narottamam). Sarasvatī is the śakti.[8] The word ca indicates
the ṛṣi (sage) of the work, Vyāsa.[9] Some editions have the word
vyāsam instead of caiva. That makes the meaning clear. The bīja is oṁ
and the meter is predominantly gāyatrī, since the first verse of
Bhāgavatam begins with oṁ and reference to gāyatrī. Having offered
respects to these persons, one should utter “Jaya.” This is a verb
form, calling out to Kṛṣṇa with raised hands. (Jaya Śrī-kṛṣṇa! Victory
to Kṛṣṇa!) By using the potential case, Sūta teaches other sages of the
Purāṇas to do the same. Jaya also refers to this scripture because one
can conquer saṁsāra by studying it. So the meaning would be “One should
then speak the Bhāgavatam (jayam). In this verse, since the verb form
namaskṛtya indicates that another action immediately follows, the word
tataḥ with the meaning of “next, then” would be superfluous. Therefore
tataḥ describes the subject of the sentence. Tataḥ is a past participle
of tan (to spread words, to speak). Thus tato jayam udīrayet means “the
speaker should utter jaya.” This is the opinion of some.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.4|| nārāyaṇam namaskṛtya naram caiva narottamam |
devīm sarasvatīm vyāsam tato jayam udīrayet ||
TRANSLATION After offering respectful obeisances unto the presiding deities Nara-nārāyaṇa
Ṛṣi,
unto the subject of the work Kṛṣṇa, unto the śakti of the work
Sarasvatī, and unto the sage entristed with the work Śrīla Vyāsadeva,
one should utter "Jaya."
Nara and Nārāyaṇa are the presiding
deities of this scripture. The word ca indicates that Kṛṣṇa is also the
presiding deity of the work. Sarasvatī is the śakti of the work. The
word caiva (sometimes found instead of vyāsam) indicates the sage
Vyāsa. The bīja is pranava (om). It was said om naimiśe (SB 1.1.4). The
meter is gāyatrī, since the work begins in that meter.
TEXT - SB 1.2.5
munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ
bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam
yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno
yenātmā suprasīdati
SYNONYMS
munayaḥ—O
sages; sādhu—this is relevant; pṛṣṭaḥ—questioned; aham—myself;
bhavadbhiḥ—by all of you; loka—the world; maṅgalam—welfare;
yat—because; kṛtaḥ—made; kṛṣṇa—the Personality of Godhead;
sampraśnaḥ—relevant question; yena—by which; ātmā—self;
suprasīdati—completely pleased.
TRANSLATION
O sages, I
have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are worthy because
they relate to Lord Kṛṣṇa and so are of relevance to the world's
welfare. Only questions of this sort are capable of completely
satisfying the self.
PURPORT
Since it has been stated
hereinbefore that in the Bhāgavatam the Absolute Truth is to be known,
the questions of the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are proper and just, because
they pertain to Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
Absolute Truth. In Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) the Personality of Godhead
says that in all the Vedas there is nothing but the urge for searching
after Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus the questions that pertain to Kṛṣṇa are the
sum and substance of all the Vedic inquiries.
The whole world is
full of questions and answers. The birds, beasts and men are all busy
in the matter of perpetual questions and answers. In the morning the
birds in the nest become busy with questions and answers, and in the
evening also the same birds come back and again become busy with
questions and answers. The human being, unless he is fast asleep at
night, is busy with questions and answers. The businessmen in the
market are busy with questions and answers, and so also the lawyers in
the court and the students in the schools and colleges. The legislators
in the parliament are also busy with questions and answers, and the
politicians and the press representatives are all busy with questions
and answers. Although they go on making such questions and answers for
their whole lives, they are not at all satisfied. Satisfaction of the
soul can only be obtained by questions and answers on the subject of
Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa is our most intimate master, friend, father or son
and object of conjugal love. Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, we have created so many
objects of questions and answers, but none of them are able to give us
complete satisfaction. All things—but Kṛṣṇa—give temporary satisfaction
only, so if we are to have complete satisfaction we must take to the
questions and answers about Kṛṣṇa. We cannot live for a moment without
being questioned or without giving answers. Because the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam deals with questions and answers that are related to
Kṛṣṇa, we can derive the highest satisfaction only by reading and
hearing this transcendental literature. One should learn the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and make an all-around solution to all problems
pertaining to social, political or religious matters. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
and Kṛṣṇa are the sum total of all things.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.5
It
has been said previously (1.2.1) that Sūta respects the words of the
sages. This verse describes that respect. O sages (munayaḥ)! The
questions are very good because I have been asked about what is
auspicious for the world. Why is that good? You have asked questions
about Kṛṣṇa, all sorts of questions about Kṛṣṇa (sampraśnaḥ). And why
is that good? By such questions about Kṛṣṇa the intellect becomes
satisfied. It is my experience that by such question about Kṛṣṇa alone
immediately the intellect becomes satisfied.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.5||
munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo ’ham bhavadbhir loka-mangalam |
yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yenātmā suprasīdati ||
O
sages! You have asked good questions about what is beneficial for the
world, because you have asked questions all about Kṛṣṇa, by which the
intellect is immediately satisfied. (SB 1.2.5)
Krsna Sandarbha 73:
Sūta,
being satisfied (SB 1.2.1), after offering respects (SB 1.2.2), begins
the Purāṇa by speaking. The commentary of Śrīdhara Svāmī says:
Since
it was said their words are worshipable, Sūta worships their statements
in this verse. O sages! You have inquired from me very well since this
is auspicious for the worlds--because you have asked about Kṛṣṇa. A
question concerning extracting the essence of all scripture means
talking about Kṛṣṇa.
In later verses the words adhokṣaja,
sātvatām pati, and Vāsudeva indicate Kṛṣṇa as the main subject. The
sages asked about what was best (śreyaḥ) for humans. The answer is that
topics about Kṛṣṇa are best for them since they are auspicious for all
people (loka-mangalam). The cause is that they please the ātmā (yenātmā
suprasīdati).
TEXT - SB 1.2.6
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that;
vai—certainly; puṁsām—for mankind; paraḥ—sublime; dharmaḥ—occupation;
yataḥ—by which; bhaktiḥ—devotional service; adhokṣaje—unto the
Transcendence; ahaitukī—causeless; apratihatā—unbroken; yayā—by which;
ātmā—the self; suprasīdati—completely satisfied.
TRANSLATION
The
supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can
attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such
devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely
satisfy the self.
PURPORT
In this statement, Śrī Sūta
Gosvāmī answers the first question of the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya. The
sages asked him to summarize the whole range of revealed scriptures and
present the most essential part so that fallen people or the people in
general might easily take it up. The Vedas prescribe two different
types of occupation for the human being. One is called the
pravṛtti-mārga, or the path of sense enjoyment, and the other is called
the nivṛtti-mārga, or the path of renunciation. The path of enjoyment
is inferior, and the path of sacrifice for the supreme cause is
superior. The material existence of the living being is a diseased
condition of actual life. Actual life is spiritual existence, or
brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20] existence, where life is eternal, blissful
and full of knowledge. Material existence is temporary, illusory and
full of miseries. There is no happiness at all. There is just the
futile attempt to get rid of the miseries, and temporary cessation of
misery is falsely called happiness. Therefore, the path of progressive
material enjoyment, which is temporary, miserable and illusory, is
inferior. But devotional service to the Supreme Lord, which leads one
to eternal, blissful and all-cognizant life, is called the superior
quality of occupation. This is sometimes polluted when mixed with the
inferior quality. For example, adoption of devotional service for
material gain is certainly an obstruction to the progressive path of
renunciation. Renunciation or abnegation for ultimate good is certainly
a better occupation than enjoyment in the diseased condition of life.
Such enjoyment only aggravates the symptoms of disease and increases
its duration. Therefore devotional service to the Lord must be pure in
quality, i.e., without the least desire for material enjoyment. One
should, therefore, accept the superior quality of occupation in the
form of the devotional service of the Lord without any tinge of
unnecessary desire, fruitive action and philosophical speculation. This
alone can lead one to perpetual solace in His service.
We have
purposely denoted dharma as occupation because the root meaning of the
word dharma is "that which sustains one's existence." A living being's
sustenance of existence is to coordinate his activities with his
eternal relation with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the central
pivot of living beings, and He is the all-attractive living entity or
eternal form amongst all other living beings or eternal forms. Each and
every living being has his eternal form in the spiritual existence, and
Kṛṣṇa is the eternal attraction for all of them. Kṛṣṇa is the complete
whole, and everything else is His part and parcel. The relation is one
of the servant and the served. It is transcendental and is completely
distinct from our experience in material existence. This relation of
servant and the served is the most congenial form of intimacy. One can
realize it as devotional service progresses. Everyone should engage
himself in that transcendental loving service of the Lord, even in the
present conditional state of material existence. That will gradually
give one the clue to actual life and please him to complete
satisfaction.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.6
This
verse answers the second question of the sages: what is the final
essence of all the scriptures. That essence is highest dharma for
anyone who is a human being (puṁsām), meaning hearing and chanting
about the Lord. It is said:
etāvān eva loke ’smin puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ
bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ
That
is the only means for attainment of the final perfection of life.
Therefore persons whose minds are fixed on the Lord engage in the
intensive practice of devotional service. SB 6.3.22
By this
statement, The word para along with dharma in the present verse can
indicate only bhakti-yoga. Etavān eva indicates exclusion of other
processes as para-dharma. The essence of scripture is bhakti-yoga by
which prema-bhakti (yataḥ bhaktiḥ) appears. It arises without cause
(ahaitukī). Mixed bhakti is excluded in this definition (since it has
cause). “But you are really evading the truth here (saying that prema
is not caused by sādhana-bhakti).” No. Dharma consisting of hearing and
chanting about the Lord is called sādhana-bhakti, and in the mature
state it is called prema. Both are called bhakti, for it is said
bhaktyā sañjātayā bhaktyā bibhraty utpulakāṁ tanum: the devotee
possesses a body with ecstatic symptoms by prema developed through
sādhana-bhakti. (SB 11.3.31) In the verse being discussed, the former
bhakti (paro dharmo) is the cause of the later type of bhakti (yato
bhaktir adhokṣaje), just as an unripe mango is the cause of a ripe
mango. Considering one the cause of the other because of the difference
in taste is simply a conception for understanding the different
strengths of bhakti, though sādhana-bhakti and prema are not actually
different things. The various states of infancy, youth and adulthood in
one person are actually not conditions of cause and results of that
cause (since the person remains). On the other hand, when pots, cloth
and cooked rise arise, the original names and forms of mud, thread and
raw rice disappear. One cannot compare these examples to bhakti and
prema.
One also not say that the famous cause of bhakti is
association of devotees, for association of devotees is part of bhakti.
It is the second stage, as understood from the statement ādau śraddhā
tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ’tha bjajana-kriyā. (BRS 1.3.11) And later it will be
said:
śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
O
twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed
from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains
affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva. SB 1.2.16
Such
things as charity, vows, austerity, sacrifices, and selfless
performance of duties are to some degree causes of bhakti in
sattva-guṇa, practiced as an aṅga of jñāna. But they are not causes of
pure bhakti, because it is said:
yaṁ na yogena sāṅkhyena dāna-vrata-tapo-’dhvaraiḥ |
vyākhyā-svādhyāya-sannyāsaiḥ prāpnuyād yatnavān api ||
Even
though one engages with great endeavor in the mystic yoga system,
philosophical speculation, charity, vows, penances, ritualistic
sacrifices, teaching of Vedic mantras to others, personal study of the
Vedas, or the renounced order of life, still one cannot achieve Me. SB
11.12.9
Nor can it even be said that the mercy of the Lord is
the cause of pure bhakti, for it is non-final cause, making one search
out a further cause. One cannot say that the Lord’s mercy is absolute,
without further cause, for then it would mean the Lord is unjust and
prejudiced in choosing to give mercy without reason to certain
individuals and not to others. However if one says that the cause of
bhakti is the mercy of the devotee, it is not so incorrect. Though the
uttama-bhaktas do not make distinctions and are thus not prejudiced,
one does see the madhyama-bhakta making distinctions between the Lord,
the devotee, the innocent and the demon. Thus because the Lord is
dependent on the devotee, the Lord’s mercy follows after the mercy of
the devotee. That is the correct conclusion.
But then how is
bhakti said to be without cause (ahaitukum) in this verse? Because the
Lords mercy is included in the mercy of the devotee, and because that
mercy is included in association with devotees, and because devotee
association is an aṅga of bhakti, bhakti is said to be without cause
(since an aṅga of bhakti causes bhakti). Moreover the cause of
devotee’s mercy is but the bhakti present in the heart of the devotee,
because without that bhakti in his heart there is no possibility of his
mercy arising. In all ways therefore, bhakti is the cause of bhakti.
Therefore bhakti is said to be without cause. From the point of view of
bhakti, the devotee, bhakti, the Lord, and his mercy are not separate
items. Even though bhakti appears by bhakti (thus being
self-manifesting), it does not negate the fact that bhakti’s
self-manifesting nature comes from the Lord.
This bhakti cannot be prevented by anything (apratihatā). This is mentioned in the following verse:
mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa mayi sarva-guhāśaye
mano-gatir avicchinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso ’mbudhau
Just
as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such
devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows
towards the Supreme Lord. SB 3.29.11
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has also
said sarvathā dhvaṁsa-rahitaṁ saty api dhvaṁsa-kāraṇe: bhakti is
without destruction, though it is the cause of destruction of
obstacles. (Ujjvala-nīla-maṇi 14.63) Apratihatā can also mean that this
prema-bhakti is not contaminated by jñāna or karma. By that bhakti
(yayā) the mind (ātmā) becomes completely satisfied (suprasīdati).
Because of the impossibility of the mind being satisfied with the
presence of material desires, it is evident that this bhakti being
discussed is without any material desires.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.6||
sa vai pumsām paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje |
ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati ||
The
supreme dharma for all human beings (ie. sādhana-bhakti) is that by
which prema-bhakti to the Lord arises, which is not caused by anything
other than itself, cannot be obstructed, and which satisfies the mind
completely.
Bhakti Sandarbha 3:
In order to make
understood the highest position of Bhāgavatam, the essence of all
scriptures, the ultimate benefit for fall, characterized with bhakti
for Kṛṣṇa, the subject of one of the questions, from this verse till
verse 22 the speaker describes the highest position of bhakti, the only
means of making the Lord appear.
At the beginning of the great
Purāṇa the question was asked: please declare the final essence of all
scriptures. In answer to this Sūta spoke the above verse. From this
dharma, taste for hearing the topics of the Lord (adhokṣaje bhaktiḥ)
arises. That is the meaning, since later in verse 8 this will be shown
by a negative statement:
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ pumsām viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ |
notpādayed yadi ratim śrama eva hi kevalam ||
Varṇāśrama-dharma of the human being, which does not produce attraction for topics of the Lord, is only wasted effort. (1.2.8)
That
dharma is undertaken in order to please the Lord (SB 1.2.13). It is the
best of all (paraḥ) since it not only concerned with renouncing. It
does not distinguish whether one is averse to matter. Nārada says:
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitam na śobhate jnānam alam niranjanam |
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitam karma yad apy akāraṇam ||
Even
the stage of jnāna without the bondage of karma is not glorious if it
is devoid of bhakti to the Supreme Lord. What is the use of having
destroyed ignorance? What then to speak of sakāma-karma which causes
suffering, both during practice and at the stage perfection, and
niṣkāma-karma, when not offered to the Lord? (SB 1.5.12)
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ |
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam ||
O
best of the brāhmaṇas! The complete perfection of dharma, according to
divisions of varṇāśrama by men, is pleasing the Lord. (SB 1.2.13)
Saḥ
means “this alone is the best”. Bhakti is distinct from dharma
described in the text. The svarūpa qualities of bhakti are described.
It is causeless (ahaitukī), devoid of other goals or motives, since it
is by its nature the very form of happiness (sought by other methods).
It is impossible to obstruct this bhakti since no other object exists
which gives higher bliss. When a taste for bhakti develops, by that
bhakti, bhakti-yoga characterized by hearing and chanting, begins. When
a taste for bhakti develops, by that bhakti, bhakti-yoga characterized
by hearing and chanting, begins.
TEXT - SB 1.2.7
vāsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
SYNONYMS
vāsudeve—unto
Kṛṣṇa; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead; bhakti-yogaḥ—contact
of devotional service; prayojitaḥ—being applied; janayati—does produce;
āśu—very soon; vairāgyam—detachment; jñānam—knowledge; ca—and; yat—that
which; ahaitukam—causeless.
TRANSLATION
By rendering
devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one
immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.
PURPORT
Those
who consider devotional service to the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to be
something like material emotional affairs may argue that in the
revealed scriptures, sacrifice, charity, austerity, knowledge, mystic
powers and similar other processes of transcendental realization are
recommended. According to them, bhakti, or the devotional service of
the Lord, is meant for those who cannot perform the high-grade
activities. Generally it is said that the bhakti cult is meant for the
śūdras, vaiśyas and the less intelligent woman class. But that is not
the actual fact. The bhakti cult is the topmost of all transcendental
activities, and therefore it is simultaneously sublime and easy. It is
sublime for the pure devotees who are serious about getting in contact
with the Supreme Lord, and it is easy for the neophytes who are just on
the threshold of the house of bhakti. To achieve the contact of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a great science, and it is
open for all living beings, including the śūdras, vaiśyas, women and
even those lower than the lowborn śūdras, so what to speak of the
high-class men like the qualified brāhmaṇas and the great self-realized
kings. The other high-grade activities designated as sacrifice,
charity, austerity, etc., are all corollary factors following the pure
and scientific bhakti cult.
The principles of knowledge and
detachment are two important factors on the path of transcendental
realization. The whole spiritual process leads to perfect knowledge of
everything material and spiritual, and the results of such perfect
knowledge are that one becomes detached from material affection and
becomes attached to spiritual activities. Becoming detached from
material things does not mean becoming inert altogether, as men with a
poor fund of knowledge think. Naiṣkarma means not undertaking
activities that will produce good or bad effects. Negation does not
mean negation of the positive. Negation of the nonessentials does not
mean negation of the essential. Similarly, detachment from material
forms does not mean nullifying the positive form. The bhakti cult is
meant for realization of the positive form. When the positive form is
realized, the negative forms are automatically eliminated. Therefore,
with the development of the bhakti cult, with the application of
positive service to the positive form, one naturally becomes detached
from inferior things, and he becomes attached to superior things.
Similarly, the bhakti cult, being the supermost occupation of the
living being, leads him out of material sense enjoyment. That is the
sign of a pure devotee. He is not a fool, nor is he engaged in the
inferior energies, nor does he have material values. This is not
possible by dry reasoning. It actually happens by the grace of the
Almighty. In conclusion, one who is a pure devotee has all other good
qualities, namely knowledge, detachment, etc., but one who has only
knowledge or detachment is not necessarily well acquainted with the
principles of the bhakti cult. Bhakti is the supermost occupation of
the human being.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.7
What
form does that satisfaction of the mind take? This satisfaction of the
mind is filled with knowledge and experience of the form, qualities and
sweetness of the Lord, which cause complete disgust with all inferior
objects. That is explained in this verse. This bhakti is endowed
(yojitaḥ) in an excellent manner (pra for prakarṣeṇa), with dāsya,
sakhya and other loving emotions. Another meaning of bhakti-yogaḥ
prayojitaḥ is “bhakti-yoga has been made the only goal (prayojana).”
Separate endeavor for attaining knowledge and detachment are not
necessary in the practice of bhakti, for bhakti itself produces them.
Very quickly (āśu) at the time of performing bhakti, they are attained,
for it is said:
bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra caiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ|
prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣud-apāyo ’nu-ghāsam ||
Devotion,
direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other
things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure,
nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and
increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating. SB 11.2.42
There
is an objection that if one possesses knowledge, one attains
liberation. In answer to this, the verse says that this knowledge is
ahaitukam, without motivation for liberation. Ahaitukam comes from
hetu, meaning cause or purpose, just as one can say “He lives for
eating.” This means “He lives with the goal of eating.” Thus in this
verse jnānam ahaitukam means “knowledge without the goal of
liberation.” Therefore by practicing bhakti in which knowledge also
manifests without the goal of liberation, the liberation of merging
does not take place. Knowledge in this case means knowledge and
experience of the Lord’s form, qualities and sweetness.
Thus it is said in the Fourth Canto:
vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ samāhitaḥ |
sadhrīcīnena vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca janayiṣyati ||
The stage of prema-bhakti completely dedicated to Vāsudeva, produces complete jñāna and vairāgya. SB 4.29.37
One
should practice bhakti with only that goal in mind (sadhrīcīnena),
devoid of desire for liberation or other goals. The next verse shows
that this type of bhakti is the cause of another type of bhakti.
so ’cirād eva rājarṣe syād acyuta-kathāśrayaḥ |
śṛṇvataḥ śraddadhānasya nityadā syād adhīyataḥ ||
O
saintly king! One who hears and studies with faith very soon attains
the shelter topics of the Lord to attain prema. SB 4.29.38
Thus
it is established in this verse that bhakti alone functions as both the
cause and the goal (and not knowledge or detachment).
Jiva's tika ||1.2.7||
vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ |
janayaty āśu vairāgyam jnānam ca yad ahaitukam ||
Bhakti
dedicated to Lord Kṛṣṇa, endowed with special moods, quickly produces
detachment from material goals and knowledge of the Lord devoid of the
desire for liberation.
Bhakti Sandarbha 4:
As is
stated in SB 5.18.12 (yasyāsti bhaktir bhavabaty akincanā), by bhakti
one develops knowledge of the Lord’s svarūpa. Detachment from all else
follows after this.
Bhakti quickly (āśu)—just by hearing
slightly--produces knowledge which is beyond dry logic (ahaitukam) as
stated in the Upaniṣads.
TEXT - SB 1.2.8
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
SYNONYMS
dharmaḥ—occupation;
svanuṣṭhitaḥ—executed in terms of one's own position; puṁsām—of
humankind; viṣvaksena—the Personality of Godhead (plenary portion);
kathāsu—in the message of; yaḥ—what is; na—not; utpādayet—does produce;
yadi—if; ratim—attraction; śramaḥ—useless labor; eva—only;
hi—certainly; kevalam—entirely.
TRANSLATION
The
occupational activities a man performs according to his own position
are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for
the message of the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
There
are different occupational activities in terms of man's different
conceptions of life. To the gross materialist who cannot see anything
beyond the gross material body, there is nothing beyond the senses.
Therefore his occupational activities are limited to concentrated and
extended selfishness. Concentrated selfishness centers around the
personal body—this is generally seen amongst the lower animals.
Extended selfishness is manifested in human society and centers around
the family, society, community, nation and world with a view to gross
bodily comfort. Above these gross materialists are the mental
speculators who hover aloft in the mental spheres, and their
occupational duties involve making poetry and philosophy or propagating
some ism with the same aim of selfishness limited to the body and the
mind. But above the body and mind is the dormant spirit soul whose
absence from the body makes the whole range of bodily and mental
selfishness completely null and void. But less intelligent people have
no information of the needs of the spirit soul.
Because foolish
people have no information of the soul and how it is beyond the purview
of the body and mind, they are not satisfied in the performance of
their occupational duties. The question of the satisfaction of the self
is raised herein. The self is beyond the gross body and subtle mind. He
is the potent active principle of the body and mind. Without knowing
the need of the dormant soul, one cannot be happy simply with emolument
of the body and mind. The body and the mind are but superfluous outer
coverings of the spirit soul. The spirit soul's needs must be
fulfilled. Simply by cleansing the cage of the bird, one does not
satisfy the bird. One must actually know the needs of the bird himself.
The
need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the limited
sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for complete freedom.
He wants to get out of the covered walls of the greater universe. He
wants to see the free light and the spirit. That complete freedom is
achieved when he meets the complete spirit, the Personality of Godhead.
There is a dormant affection for God within everyone; spiritual
existence is manifested through the gross body and mind in the form of
perverted affection for gross and subtle matter. Therefore we have to
engage ourselves in occupational engagements that will evoke our divine
consciousness. This is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine
activities of the Supreme Lord, and any occupational activity which
does not help one to achieve attachment for hearing and chanting the
transcendental message of Godhead is said herein to be simply a waste
of time. This is because other occupational duties (whatever ism they
may belong to) cannot give liberation to the soul. Even the activities
of the salvationists are considered to be useless because of their
failure to pick up the fountainhead of all liberties. The gross
materialist can practically see that his material gain is limited only
to time and space, either in this world or in the other. Even if he
goes up to the Svargaloka, he will find no permanent abode for his
hankering soul. The hankering soul must be satisfied by the perfect
scientific process of perfect devotional service.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.8
Why
is dharma in the form of varṇāśrama not considered to be paro dharma?
This verse answers. That dharma undertaken by men—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas,
vaiśyas and śūdras which does not produce attraction for talks about
the Supreme Lord is completely useless. The śruti says karmaṇā
pirtṛ-loke: by performance of varṇāśrama duties one goes to Pitṛ-loka
in the material world. (Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.5) Performance of
varṇāśrama duties does not produce attraction for the Lord. This is
clear from Nārada’s statements in the Fourth Canto:
kiṁ janmabhis tribhir veha śaukra-sāvitra-yājñikaiḥ
karmabhir vā trayī-proktaiḥ puṁso ’pi vibudhāyuṣā
Without
that service what is the use of taking three births by semen,
upanayanam and initiation. What is the use of ritual acts mentioned in
the Vedas? What is the use of the lifespan of a devatā for a human? SB
4.31.10
kiṁ vā yogena sāṅkhyena nyāsa-svādhyāyayor api
kiṁ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca na yatrātma-prado hariḥ
What
is the use of yoga, sāṅkhya, sannyāsa, study of the Vedas, other
auspicious acts, in which the Lord does not give realization of
himself? SB 4.31.12
Because it does not produce attraction for
topics about the Lord it is merely useless endeavor. Because of the
temporary nature of the results of performing varṇāśrama duties such as
attainment of Pitṛ-loka, one should give up those duties (sva-dharma)
and perform the paro dharma mentioned in the previous verse consisting
of hearing and chanting about the Lord.
However it is also said:
asmil̐ loke vartamānaḥ sva-dharma-stho ’naghaḥ śuciḥ |
jñānaṁ viśuddham āpnoti mad-bhaktiṁ ca yadṛcchayā ||
One
who is situated in his prescribed duty, free from sinful activities and
cleansed of material contamination, in this very life obtains
transcendental knowledge or, by fortune, devotional service unto Me. SB
11.20.11
The Lord himself says that karma is the cause of bhakti. How can you say that bhakti is without cause?
That
is true. It can be explained in that statement that karma gives rise to
jñāna, but does not directly produce bhakti. That is understood from
the use of the word yadṛcchayā (by itself) in the verse. Pure bhakti is
independent (yadṛcchayā), indifferent to other processes. If by good
fortune it happens to appear in a person, then he attains attraction
for the Lord’s topics. The meaning of yadṛcchayā is “by itself.” By
explaining the verse in another way, the self-manifesting nature of
bhakti would be lost. Therefore such meanings are rejected. Thus even
niṣkāma-karma is not the cause of bhakti. That is said in the present
verse. Paro dharma is understood from verse 1.2.6 (sa vai puṁsām paro
dharmaḥ). All dharmas other than that, undertaken as one’s duties
(svanuṣṭhitaḥ), even if they are niṣkāma, and which do not produce
affection (ratim) for topics about the Lord, are only useless labor.
The word yadi here indicates disgust generated from the wasted labor.
Medinī says yadi indicates disgust or doubt.
Or yadi can be used
to express doubt where no doubt exists as in the example yadi vedāḥ
pramāṇam: if the Vedas are proof. Or in the sentence dhatte padam tvam
avitā yadi vighna-mūrdhni: You, the protector, place your foot on the
head of obstacles, yadi expresses certainty. This is how Śrīdhara Svāmī
explains yadi.
Another meaning is as follows. It is said that
from this varṇāśrama sometimes attraction for topics of the Lord does
arise. That is true. Because one cannot attain the results of dharma
without such affection for the Lord’s topics, that affection is present
but that is an appearance only, not genuine. If activities of
varṇāśrama-dharma, whether kāmya (for fulfilling personal desires) or
nitya (daily obligations), do not produce affection for the Lord’s
topics, they are a waste of labor (for no material results will come).
For farmers, agriculture must generate affection for the king;
otherwise they cannot attain its results. Intelligent people, seeing
that there will be no results without attraction for those topics,
perform dharma that produces affection for the topics of the Lord. If
the foolish perform the duties without producing affection for topics
of the Lord, they labor for nothing. Just as it is wasted labor if one
cannot attain the results of farming because of lack of loyalty to the
king, it is wasted labor if one cannot get the results of Svarga and
knowledge because of lack of devotion to the Lord.
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvara na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
Knowledge
of self-realization, even though free from all material affinity, does
not look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. What,
then, is the use of fruitive activities, which are naturally painful
from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are not
utilized for the devotional service of the Lord? SB 1.5.12
Just
as affection for the king arises only because of attachment to
agriculture, so attraction to topics of the Lord arises only because of
attachment to varṇāśrama- dharma and its material results. Therefore
that attachment to the topics of the Lord is not genuine. Prahlāda has
expressed a pure relationship:
ahaṁ tv akāmas tvad-bhaktas tvaṁ ca svāmy anapāśrayaḥ
nānyathehāvayor artho rāja-sevakayor iva
I
am your servant, not desiring benefits, and you are my master, without
dependence on service. Our relationship should not be anything
else--like that of king and servant. . SB 7.10.6
Jiva's tika ||1.2.8||
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ pumsām viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed yadi ratim śrama eva hi kevalam
The
occupational activities a man performs according to his own position
are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for
the message of the Supreme Lord.
Bhakti Sandarbha 4:
If
dharma, by not taking support of Vāsudeva, does not produce taste for
descriptions of the Lord’s pastimes (kathāsu), it will not produce
results (śramaḥ). This is stated because taste for the Lord’s topics is
best and, in every case, the first result. Taste for other types of
worship of the Lord is also indicated by this. The word eva indicates
the temporary nature of Svarga and other results
of karma
for enjoyment. The word hi indicates that there is suitable proof in
śruti. For instance it is said tad yatheha karma-jito lokaḥ kṣīyate:
the results of karma are temporary. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.1.6)The word
kevala indicates that the results of dharma which produce detachment
and liberation are also not to be attained and as well indicate the
temporary nature of siddhis.
Some proofs indicated by the word hi are as follows:
yasya deva parābhaktiḥ yathā deva tathā gurau tasyaite kathitāḥ hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
One
who has devotion to the guru as much as he has for the Lord manifests
knowledge of the scriptures. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6. 23 )
śreyaḥ-sṛtim
bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye teṣām asau
kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām
O Lord!
If fools give up bhakti, the all-inclusive path, and suffer to attain
realization of ātmā without bhakti, they simply attain suffering and
nothing else. They are like fools who beat empty husks. (SB 10.14.4)
ye
’nye ’ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa param padam tataḥ patanty adho
’nādṛta-yuṣmad-anghrayaḥ
O lotus-eyed Lord, although
nondevotees, having impure intelligence because of not having devotion
to you, think that they are liberated and become jīvanmuktas after
severe austerities and penances, they fall down from their position of
imagined superiority because they have no regard for the lotus feet of
you and your devotees. (SB 10.2.32)
The above two verses
indicate that bhakti is independent and jnāna and vairāgya are
dependent. Thus what is stated is: dharma which results in bhakti is
successful.
TEXT - SB 1.2.9
dharmasya hy āpavargyasya
nārtho 'rthāyopakalpate
nārthasya dharmaikāntasya
kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ
SYNONYMS
dharmasya—occupational
engagement; hi—certainly; āpavargyasya—ultimate liberation; na—not;
arthaḥ—end; arthāya—for material gain; upakalpate—is meant for;
na—neither; arthasya—of material gain; dharma-eka-antasya—for one who
is engaged in the ultimate occupational service; kāmaḥ—sense
gratification; lābhāya—attainment of; hi—exactly; smṛtaḥ—is described
by the great sages.
TRANSLATION
All occupational
engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should
never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages,
one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never
use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.
PURPORT
We
have already discussed that pure devotional service to the Lord is
automatically followed by perfect knowledge and detachment from
material existence. But there are others who consider that all kinds of
different occupational engagements, including those of religion, are
meant for material gain. The general tendency of any ordinary man in
any part of the world is to gain some material profit in exchange for
religious or any other occupational service. Even in the Vedic
literatures, for all sorts of religious performances an allurement of
material gain is offered, and most people are attracted by such
allurements or blessings of religiosity. Why are such so-called men of
religion allured by material gain? Because material gain can enable one
to fulfill desires, which in turn satisfy sense gratification. This
cycle of occupational engagements includes so-called religiosity
followed by material gain and material gain followed by fulfillment of
desires. Sense gratification is the general way for all sorts of fully
occupied men. But in the statement of Sūta Gosvāmī, as per the verdict
of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this is nullified by the present śloka.
One
should not engage himself in any sort of occupational service for
material gain only. Nor should material gain be utilized for sense
gratification. How material gain should be utilized is described as
follows.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.9
There
are four types of persons in this world: karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs and
bhaktas. It is said dharmād arthaś ca kāmaś ca sa kim arthaṁ na
sevyate: from performance of dharma comes artha and kāma. Can dharma
not be used for any purpose? (Mahābhārata 18.5.49) Thus, the result of
performance of dharma is artha, acquisition of material results. The
result of material acquisition is desire, kāma. The result of kāma is
pleasure of the senses. When the senses are pleased, for further gain
of pleasure, one executes the sequence starting with dharma again. This
is true for the karmīs, but does not apply to the jñānīs, yogīs and
devotees. That is explained in this verse.
Dharma in this verse
refers to control of mind and senses (śama, dama etc.) for the jñānī,
to yama and niyama etc. for the yogīs and to hearing, chanting and
other devotional processes for the devotee. Though the material results
appear by executing all these processes, they are not suitable as the
goal (arthāya na kalpate), for after examining the nature of material
gain, one becomes detached from it. That is indicated in text by the
word āpavargyasya. Apavargya means “having the goal of apavarga.” The
vowel is lengthened without a change in meaning, as in such words as
svarga. Thus from apavarga comes apavargya and then āpavargya. It
should be understood that by these processes apavarga is the
concomitant result of practice. That apavarga is liberation for the
jñānī and yogī, and prema-bhakti for the devotee.
yathā-varṇa-vidhānam apavargaś cāpi bhavati
yo
’sau bhagavati sarva-bhūtātmany anātmye ’nirukte ’nilayane paramātmani
vāsudeve ’nanya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakṣaṇo
nānā-gati-nimittāvidyā-granthi-randhana-dvāreṇa yadā hi
mahā-puruṣa-puruṣa-prasaṅgaḥ.
In Bhārata-varṣa the many
destinations--heavenly, human and hellish--are prescribed to all
people, because people take birth according to actions in sattva, rajas
and tamas. All these goals are prescribed for the self according to the
quality of action, as indicated in the Vedas. Liberation is then
achieved. SB 5.19.19-20
sa vai mahā-bhāgavataḥ parīkṣid yenāpavargākhyam adabhra-buddhiḥ
jñānena vaiyāsaki-śabditena bheje khagendra-dhvaja-pāda-mūlam
O
Sūta Gosvāmī, please describe those topics of the Lord by which
Mahārāja Parīkṣit, whose intelligence was fixed on liberation
(apavarga), attained the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of
Garuḍa, the king of birds. Those topics were vibrated by the son of
Vyāsa [Śrīla Śukadeva]. SB 1.18.16
As well, in Skanda Purāṇa it is said:
niścalā tvayi bhaktir yā saiva muktir janārdana |
muktā eva hi bhaktās te tava viṣṇo yato hare ||
O
Janārdana! O Lord! O Viṣṇu! That bhakti which is fixed on you is called
liberation, because your devotees are certainly liberated.
Therefore
the desire of the avid practitioner should not be for attaining
material results (arthasya kamo labhāya na). This is because, for the
avid practitioner of apavarga-dharma, the practice itself has its own
results. In certain actions the jñānīs use material assets which are
favorable for śama and dama and the yogīs uses material assets which
are favorable for yama and niyama. The devotee uses material assets for
service to the Lord and his devotees. This is clear.
TEXT - SB 1.2.10
kāmasya nendriya-prītir
lābho jīveta yāvatā
jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā
nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ
SYNONYMS
kāmasya—of
desires; na—not; indriya—senses; prītiḥ—satisfaction; lābhaḥ—gain;
jīveta—self-preservation; yāvatā—so much so; jīvasya—of the living
being; tattva—the Absolute Truth; jijñāsā—inquiries; na—not;
arthaḥ—end; yaḥ ca iha—whatsoever else; karmabhiḥ—by occupational
activities.
TRANSLATION
Life's desires should never be
directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy
life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry
about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's
works.
PURPORT
The completely bewildered material
civilization is wrongly directed towards the fulfillment of desires in
sense gratification. In such civilization, in all spheres of life, the
ultimate end is sense gratification. In politics, social service,
altruism, philanthropy and ultimately in religion or even in salvation,
the very same tint of sense gratification is ever-increasingly
predominant. In the political field the leaders of men fight with one
another to fulfill their personal sense gratification. The voters adore
the so-called leaders only when they promise sense gratification. As
soon as the voters are dissatisfied in their own sense satisfaction,
they dethrone the leaders, The leaders must always disappoint the
voters by not satisfying their senses. The same is applicable in all
other fields; no one is serious about the problems of life. Even those
who are on the path of salvation desire to become one with the Absolute
Truth and desire to commit spiritual suicide for sense gratification.
But the Bhāgavatam says that one should not live for sense
gratification. One should satisfy the senses only insomuch as required
for self-preservation, and not for sense gratification. Because the
body is made of senses, which also require a certain amount of
satisfaction, there are regulative directions for satisfaction of such
senses. But the senses are not meant for unrestricted enjoyment. For
example, marriage or the combination of a man with a woman is necessary
for progeny, but it is not meant for sense enjoyment. In the absence of
voluntary restraint, there is propaganda for family planning, but
foolish men do not know that family planning is automatically executed
as soon as there is search after the Absolute Truth. Seekers of the
Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements in sense
gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth
are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. In every
sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the
Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because
he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification. And what
that Absolute Truth is is explained as follows.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.10
The
pleasure of the senses (indriya-pritiḥ) arising from enjoying senses
objects is not the goal (lābhaḥ). Rather, as long as one lives (yāvatā
jiveta) one should work for the fulfillment of life (apavarga). The
pleasure of the senses from enjoyment for the jñānīs or the yogīs
consisting of the secondary results that appear along with the desired
results is designated as “results of action.” Since jñāna and yoga are
transformations of niṣkāma-karma, they perceive whatever happiness and
distress they experience as results of karma. For the devotees, the
pleasure of the senses from sense objects which accompany bhakti
however are not called fruits of action (karma) since bhakti is not a
transformation of karma. The devotees, however, perceive happiness to
be the result of bhakti only. They regard suffering as the mercy of the
Lord:
yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ |
tato ’dhanaṁ tyajanty asya svajanā duḥkha-duḥkhitam ||
If
I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then
the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him.
In this way he suffers one distress after another. SB 10.88.8
Taking
this statement of the Lord into consideration, according to the
particular case, the devotee’s suffering should be regarded as direct
action of the Lord or a result of devotional offenses. The goal of life
(jīvasya) is inquiry into the highest truth (tattva-jijñāsā). What is
accomlished (iha) by performance of karmas, such as attaining Svarga,
is not the goal.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.9-10||
dharmasya hy āpavargyasya nārtho ’rthāyopakalpate |
nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ ||
Material
results are not suitable as the goal for the person dedicated to bhakti
(apavarga). Attainment of material assets is not the desire of the
person who is dedicated to the higher path.
kāmasya nendriya-prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā |
jīvasya tattva-jijnāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ ||
For
one who desires apavarga (bhakti), sense pleasure attained from
enjoying sense objects is not the goal as long as one lives. The goal
of the jīva in dharma is inquiry into the highest truth. What is
accomplished by prescribed duties is not the goal.
Bhakti Sandarbha 5-6:
Others
think that the goal of dharma is material objects. The result of these
objects is fulfillment of desire and the result of fulfillment of
desire is pleasure of the senses. That pleasure gives rise to more acts
of dharma. That is rejected in two verses. Apavarga means bhakti
according to SB 5.19.19-20:
apavargaś cāpi bhavati. yo 'sau
bhagavati sarva-bhūtātmany anātmye 'nirukte 'nilayane paramātmani
vāsudeve 'nanya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakṣaṇo
nānā-gatinimittāvidyā-granthi-randhana-dvāreṇa yadā hi
mahā-puruṣa-puruṣa-prasangaḥ
Liberation is then achieved. That
liberation, whose essential nature is unmotivated bhakti-yoga to the
Lord full of qualities, who attracts the minds of all beings, who is
not the object of merging, who is not described by material words, who
remains beyond destruction of the universe, who is the most excellent
ātmā, who is the son of Vasudeva, takes place by destruction of the
knot of ignorance which causes various material goals, when there is
association with devotees of the Lord.
Skanda Purāṇa says:
niścalā tvayi bhaktir yā saiva muktir janārdana |
muktā eva hi bhaktās te tava viṣṇo yato hare ||
O
Janardana! O Lord! Unswerving bhakti to you is liberation (mukti or
apavarga) since those who are liberated are devotees of Viṣṇu.
Thus apavarga means “that which produces bhakti.”
||1.2.10||
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnānam advayam |
brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate ||
TRANSLATION
The knowers of truth call this truth advayam-jnānam, the supreme
conscious being, who is called brahman by the jnānīs, Paramātmā by the
yogīs and Bhagavān by the devotees.
Bhakti Sandarbha 5-6:
Rather,
it is inquire about the truth only (tattva-jijnāsa). Knowledge of this
truth, which is a secondary result of bhakti, is the highest result of
karma.
TEXT - SB 1.2.11
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
brahmeti paramātmeti
bhagavān iti śabdyate
SYNONYMS
vadanti—they
say; tat—that; tattva-vidaḥ—the learned souls; tattvam—the Absolute
Truth; yat—which; jñānam—knowledge; advayam—nondual; brahma iti—known
as Brahman; paramātmā iti—known as Paramātmā; bhagavān iti—known as
Bhagavān; śabdyate—it so sounded.
TRANSLATION
Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.
PURPORT
The
Absolute Truth is both subject and object, and there is no qualitative
difference there. Therefore, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are
qualitatively one and the same. The same substance is realized as
impersonal Brahman by the students of the Upaniṣads, as localized
Paramātmā by the Hiraṇyagarbhas or the yogīs, and as Bhagavān by the
devotees. In other words, Bhagavān, or the Personality of Godhead, is
the last word of the Absolute Truth. Paramātmā is the partial
representation of the Personality of Godhead, and impersonal Brahman is
the glowing effulgence of the Personality of Godhead, as the sun rays
are to the sun-god. Less intelligent students of either of the above
schools sometimes argue in favor of their own respective realization,
but those who are perfect seers of the Absolute Truth know well that
the above three features of the one Absolute Truth are different
perspective views seen from different angles of vision.
As it is
explained in the first śloka of the First Chapter of the Bhāgavatam,
the Supreme Truth is self-sufficient, cognizant and free from the
illusion of relativity. In the relative world the knower is different
from the known, but in the Absolute Truth both the knower and the known
are one and the same thing. In the relative world the knower is the
living spirit or superior energy, whereas the known is inert matter or
inferior energy. Therefore, there is a duality of inferior and superior
energy, whereas in the absolute realm both the knower and the known are
of the same superior energy. There are three kinds of energies of the
supreme energetic. There is no difference between the energy and
energetic, but there is a difference of quality of energies. The
absolute realm and the living entities are of the same superior energy,
but the material world is inferior energy. The living being in contact
with the inferior energy is illusioned, thinking he belongs to the
inferior energy. Therefore there is the sense of relativity in the
material world. In the Absolute there is no such sense of difference
between the knower and the known, and therefore everything there is
absolute.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.11
What
is that highest truth (tattvam)? This verse explains. It is
advaya-jñānam. And what is jñānam? It is called brahman. What the
jñānīs call brahman is jñānam. According to them it is without form,
without distinction of knower and known, a condition of consciousness
alone.
This jñānam is called Paramātmā by the yogīs. This jñānam
is advaitam because of oneness between him and his śaktis--jīva and
prakṛti, because as cause he pervades the effect, this universe, the
prison-like abode, and because Paramātmā is non-different from his form
and abodes through particularization of his consciousness aspect.
According to the yogīs, the form of Paramātmā is still pure jñāna
because his form is also the same knowledge. Even though he is pure
jñāna, Paramātmā is also the shelter of particularization of jñāna,
because he performs functions such as acting as the witness. Paramātmā
is just like the sun or a lamp. Though the sun is the very form of
light, it is also the possessor of luminosity. Thus there is no
contradiction. Paramātmā is understood to have a form as shown in the
following verse:
kecit sva-dehāntar-hṛdayāvakāśe prādeśa-mātraṁ puruṣaṁ vasantam
catur-bhujaṁ kañja-rathāṅga-śaṅkha-gadā-dharaṁ dhāraṇayā smaranti
Others
conceive of the Personality of Godhead residing within the body in the
region of the heart and measuring only eight inches, with four hands
carrying a lotus, a wheel of a chariot, a conch shell and a club
respectively. SB 2.2.8
This jñānam is called Bhagavān by the
devotees. He is called advayam because material energy is the śakti
(and śakti and śaktimān are one); because he is completely different
from the jīvas in illusion (advayam meaning unique); because the jīvas
are distinct aṁśas or parts of the whole (identity of part and whole);
and because no one is in the same position as the Lord (advayam meaning
having no equal). According to the devotees, though Bhagavān is pure
jñāna, as the yogīs and jñānīs agree, he has a form possessing the six
qualities described by the word bhaga, which is non-material, because
the form is pure consciousness. Thus it is said in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:
aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ |
jñāna-vairāggyayoś caiva ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā ||
Bhaga
of six parts is defined as: complete control, complete influence,
complete excellent qualities of body, mind and words, complete beauty
or wealth, complete knowledge, and complete detachment from worldly
affairs. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.74
jñāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-vīrya-tejāṁsy aśeṣataḥ |
bhagavac-chabda-vācyāni vinā heyair guṇādibhiḥ ||
The
word Bhagavān means to be endowed with unlimited knowledge, sense
power, bodily strength, power of control, influence and beauty without
inferior guṇas. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.79
Though he is situated within
and without in various forms of pure consciousness with two or four
hands, and though there is eternally a difference between himself and
the jīva as served and servant, he is still advaya or one. That the
difference between jīva and the Lord is eternal is stated in the Skanda
Purāṇa: na cyavante hi mad-bhaktā mahatyāṁ pralayād api: my devotees
are not destroyed even at the time of pralaya. The word advayam negates
any conception of difference, since one must consider non-difference
between the Lord and his śaktis, spiritual actions, and abodes.
The
jñānī who selects the general form of the Lord is qualified for
brahman. The yogī who accepts the Lord as the soul within all beings,
who possesses qualities, and who is different from the jīva, is
qualified for realizing Paramātmā. The devotee who accepts the Lord —
who possesses an inconceivable and infinite form of knowledge and
bliss, with infinite qualities and pastimes — is qualified for
realizing Bhagavān. Actually he alone exists. This is shown in the
following verses:
aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām
yan-mitraṁ paramānandaṁ pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam
How
greatly fortunate are Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherd men and all the other
inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi! There is no limit to their good fortune,
because the Absolute Truth, the source of transcendental bliss, the
eternal Supreme Brahman, has become their friend. SB 10.14.32
kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya haraye paramātmane
praṇata-kleśa-nāśāya govindāya namo namaḥ
Again
and again we offer our obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, Hari, the son of
Vasudeva. That Supreme Paramātmā, Govinda, vanquishes the suffering of
all who surrender to Him. SB 10.73.16
madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca paraṁ brahmeti śabditam
vetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ me sampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi
By
my mercy, you will realize my power known as the impersonal Brahman,
which will be disclosed in your heart through questions and answers. SB
8.24.38
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham
I am the basis of brahman. BG 14.27
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ krṭsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat
I pervade this universe by my one portion, Paramātmā. BG 10.42
This
is also shown by the attainment of prema for the worshippers of
Bhagavān. Because the worshippers of brahman and Paramātmā do not
attain prema, it can be seen that Bhagavān is the root of the other
forms, though Bhagavān is both brahman and Paramātmā. The yogī
worshipping Paramātmā is superior to the jñānīs who worship the
brahman. But the worshipper of Bhagavān is superior to the yogīs. This
hierarchy is seen in the Gītā:
tapasvibhyo ’dhiko yogī jñānibhyo ’pi mato ’dhikaḥ |
karmibhyaś cādhiko yogī tasmād yogī bhavārjuna ||
yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā |
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ ||
According
to me, the yogī is better than the tapasvī, better than the jñānī, and
better than the karma-yogī. Therefore be a yogī, Arjuna. But I consider
he who worships me with faith, with mind attached to me, to be greater
than all types of yogīs. BG 6.46-47
Rāmānujācārya explains that the possessive case (of the yogīs--yogīnām) actually means the ablative case (than the yogīs).
Jiva's tika ||1.2.11||
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnānam advayam |
brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate ||
The
knowers of truth call this truth advayam-jnānam, the supreme conscious
being, called Brahman by the jnānīs, Paramātmā by the yogīs and
Bhagavān by the devotees.
Śrīdhāra Svāmī explains that knowers
of tattva disagree on the subject since they call it by different
names. They have no disagreement concerning the object named, but on
the name or qualities ascribed to it.
Tattva Sandarbha 51:
What
is the form of that entity (vastu)? This entity is a single form of
consciousness (jnānam). It is without a second (advaitam) because it is
assisted by its own śakti; because by its own eternal nature (svayam
siddha) there is no other entity similar to or different from it; and
because, without him as the supreme shelter, the śaktis cannot exist or
function. Tattvam means the form of the highest happiness, since tattva
denotes the highest puruṣārtha. Thus this highest entity must be
eternal as well.
Bhagavat Sandarbha 1:
brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate
Advaya-jnāna is called Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. (SB 1.2.11)
In
other places in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and in other scriptures as well, this
one tattva is designated as three: sometimes as Brahman, sometimes as
Paramātmā and sometimes as Bhagavān. This does not refer to the jīva
according to the knowledge that Vyāsa obtained in samādhi. This is
explained in the text itself. First Brahman and Bhagavān will be
discussed in this Sandarbha. The three realizations are placed in a
specific order to indicate the grade of excellence.
The
meaning is this. The one continuous entity whose very nature is bliss
(advaya-jnānam) is called Brahman when there is a sense of oneness
(rather than variety)caused by the possessor of the śakti without
distinguishable śaktis, or when that truth appears in a general way in
the consciousness which is unable to grasp variety in the svarūpa-śakti
of the Lord--when paramahamsas who have realized bliss, while rejecting
the pleasures of Brahma-loka, have attained oneness with that tattva by
their sādhana.
That tattva called Bhagavān is explained as
having a distinction of the śaktis from the possessor of the śakti,
though the two are non-different, or as a manifestation of the
principal form possessing śaktis which maintain the Lord’s
inconceivable qualities by the śakti emanating from his svarūpa.
Devotee paramahamsas, who include within their great bliss of realizing
Bhagavān the bliss of experiencing Brahman, realize this form by the
internal and external senses endowed with bhakti, which is endowed with
the Lord’s hlādinī and samvit śaktis, which are most effective for
allowing that realization.
Thus Jada-bharata says:
jnānam
viśuddham paramārtham ekam anantaram tv abahir brahma satyam pratyak
praśāntam bhagavac-chabda-samjnam yad vāsudevam kavayo vadanti
The
wise say that the truth is beyond the guṇas, contains everything
including liberation, is one without a second, is all-pervading, is
Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, and is Vāsudeva. (SB 5.12.11)
Manu speaks to Dhruva:
tvam pratyag-ātmani tadā bhagavaty ananta ānanda-mātra upapanna-samasta-śaktau bhaktim vidhāya paramām śanakair avidyā-
granthim vibhetsyasi mamāham iti prarūdham
When
you were five years old, by performing pure devotion to the Lord, who
is the soul within, unlimited, full of bliss, and endowed with all
energies, you gradually cut the strong knot of ignorance concerning I
and mine. (SB 4.11.30)
The verse shows that Bhagavān is bliss
itself (ānanda-mātre), endowed with all śaktis
(upapanna-samasta-śaktau). It is clear from this that Bhagavān is an
indivisible entity appearing with full manifestation including these
śaktis, whereas Brahman is an incomplete manifestation, without
appearance of those śaktis. This will be considered in detail later.
The word Bhagavān is explained in Viṣṇu Purāṇa:
yat tad avyaktam ajaram acintyam ajam akṣayam |
anirdeśyam arūpam ca pāṇi-pādādy-asamyutam || vibhum sarva-gatam nityam bhūta-yonim akāraṇam |
vyāpy-avyāptam yataḥ sarvam tad vai paśyanti sūrayaḥ || tad brahma paramam dhāma tad dhyeyam mokṣa-kānkṣiṇām |
śruti-vākyoditam sūkṣmam tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam || tad etad bhagavad-vācyam svarūpam paramātmanaḥ |
vācako bhagavac-chabdas tasyādyasyākṣarātmanaḥ ||
This
akṣara, the Lord, is invisible, without old age, inconceivable, without
birth, without decay, indefinable, without material form and without
hands or feet. He is powerful, all-pervasive, eternal, the cause of all
beings, without cause, pervading everything but not pervaded, from
which everything arises. The wise know this Lord. The supreme abode is
Brahman. It is the object of meditation for persons desiring
liberation. What is described in the scriptures is this most subtle,
supreme abode of Viṣṇu. The very svarūpa of Brahman is called Bhagavān,
the form of the supreme ātmā. The word Bhagavān denotes the first
imperishable being.
sambharteti tathā bhartā bhakāro’rtha-dvayānvitaḥ |
netā gamayitā sraṣṭā gakārārthas tathā mune || aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ |
jnāna-vairāgyayoś caiva ṣaṇṇām bhaga itīnganā || vasanti tatra bhūtāni bhūtātmany akhilātmani |
sa ca bhūteṣv aśeṣeṣu vakārārthas tato’vyayaḥ ||
The syllable bha means the bestower and the maintainer. The syllable ga means
the
giver of prema, creator of qualities in the devotee and the cause of
going to Vaikuṇṭha. The six bhagas are complete control, influence,
good qualities, wealth, knowledge and renunciation. The syllable va
means the indestructible Lord in whom all beings dwell and who dwells
in all beings.
jnāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-vīrya-tejāmsy aśeṣataḥ |
bhagavac-chabda-vācyāni vinā heyair guṇādibhiḥ ||
The
word bhagavān means that he is complete with power of mind
(omniscience), power of senses, power of body, influence, control, and
beauty, and is devoid of all inferior qualities. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.79)
TEXT - SB 1.2.12
tac chraddadhānā munayo
jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ
bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
SYNONYMS
tat—that;
śraddadhānāḥ—seriously inquisitive; munayaḥ—sages; jñāna—knowledge;
vairāgya—detachment; yuktayā—well equipped with; paśyanti—see;
ātmani—within himself; ca—and; ātmānam—the Paramātmā; bhaktyā—in
devotional service; śruta—the Vedas; gṛhītayā—well received.
TRANSLATION
The
seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and
detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional
service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.
PURPORT
The
Absolute Truth is realized in full by the process of devotional service
to the Lord, Vāsudeva, or the Personality of Godhead, who is the
full-fledged Absolute Truth. Brahman is His transcendental bodily
effulgence, and Paramātmā is His partial representation. As such,
Brahman or Paramātmā realization of the Absolute Truth is but a partial
realization. There are four different types of human beings—the karmīs,
the jñānīs, the yogīs and the devotees. The karmīs are materialistic,
whereas the other three are transcendental. The first-class
transcendentalists are the devotees who have realized the Supreme
Person. The second-class transcendentalists are those who have
partially realized the plenary portion of the absolute person. And the
third-class transcendentalists are those who have barely realized the
spiritual focus of the absolute person. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā
and other Vedic literatures, the Supreme Person is realized by
devotional service, which is backed by full knowledge and detachment
from material association. We have already discussed the point that
devotional service is followed by knowledge and detachment from
material association. As Brahman and Paramātmā realization are
imperfect realizations of the Absolute Truth, so the means of realizing
Brahman and Paramātmā, i.e., the paths of jñāna and yoga, are also
imperfect means of realizing the Absolute Truth. Devotional service,
which is based on the foreground of full knowledge combined with
detachment from material association and which is fixed by the aural
reception of the Vedānta-śruti, is the only perfect method by which the
seriously inquisitive student can realize the Absolute Truth.
Devotional service is not, therefore, meant for the less intelligent
class of transcendentalist. There are three classes of devotees, namely
first, second, and third class. The third-class devotees, or the
neophytes, who have no knowledge and are not detached from material
association, but who are simply attracted by the preliminary process of
worshiping the Deity in the temple, are called material devotees.
Material devotees are more attached to material benefit than
transcendental profit. Therefore, one has to make definite progress
from the position of material devotional service to the second-class
devotional position. In the second-class position, the devotee can see
four principles in the devotional line, namely the Personality of
Godhead, His devotees, the ignorant and the envious. One has to raise
himself at least to the stage of a second-class devotee and thus become
eligible to know the Absolute Truth.
A third-class devotee,
therefore, has to receive the instructions of devotional service from
the authoritative sources of Bhāgavata. The number one Bhāgavata is the
established personality of devotee, and the other Bhāgavatam is the
message of Godhead. The third-class devotee therefore has to go to the
personality of devotee in order to learn the instructions of devotional
service. Such a personality of devotee is not a professional man who
earns his livelihood by the business of Bhāgavatam. Such a devotee must
be a representative of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, like Sūta Gosvāmī, and must
preach the cult of devotional service for the all-around benefit of all
people. A neophyte devotee has very little taste for hearing from the
authorities. Such a neophyte devotee makes a show of hearing from the
professional man to satisfy his senses. This sort of hearing and
chanting has spoiled the whole thing, so one should be very careful
about the faulty process. The holy messages of Godhead, as inculcated
in the Bhagavad-gītā or in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are undoubtedly
transcendental subjects, but even though they are so, such
transcendental matters are not to be received from the professional
man, who spoils them as the serpent spoils milk simply by the touch of
his tongue.
A sincere devotee must, therefore, be prepared to
hear the Vedic literature like the Upaniṣads, Vedānta and other
literatures left by the previous authorities or Gosvāmīs, for the
benefit of his progress. Without hearing such literatures, one cannot
make actual progress. And without hearing and following the
instructions, the show of devotional service becomes worthless and
therefore a sort of disturbance in the path of devotional service.
Unless, therefore, devotional service is established on the principles
of śruti, smṛti, purāṇa or pañcarātra authorities, the make-show of
devotional service should at once be rejected. An unauthorized devotee
should never be recognized as a pure devotee. By assimilation of such
messages from the Vedic literatures, one can see the all-pervading
localized aspect of the Personality of Godhead within his own self
constantly. This is called samādhi.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.12
This
verse describes the practice to realize that tattva. The sages
(munayaḥ) — the jñānīs cultivating contemplation, the yogīs and the
devotees — see that jñāna of three forms by bhakti. Those who conceive
of jñāna as brahman realize (paśyanti) the jīva (ātmānam) as the Lord
(ātmani). (tat tvam asi: You, jīva, are that, the Lord.) Those who
conceive of the Lord as Paramātmā see through meditation the lord in
the heart (ātmānam) in their heart (ātmani). Those who conceive of
Bhagavān see Bhagavān (ātmānam) in the mind (ātmani) and also directly
in front of them (ca), and taste the sweetness of the Lord with their
very eyes. The sages realize their form of the Lord by bhakti, which is
first heard from the guru (śruta) and then practiced (gṛhītayā).
The
word bhaktyā is used with its conventional meaning, indicating hearing
and chanting about the Supreme Lord, Bhagavān. The worshippers of
brahman and Paramātmā must also perform bhakti directed to Bhagavān in
order to perfect their own sādhanas. Jñāna and vairāgya mentioned in
this verse are the two sādhanas for the jñānīs and yogīs only. For the
devotee these two arise only from bhakti and indicate the loving nature
of bhakti (because he loves the Lord he strives to know the Lord and
shows distaste for everything else), since separate cultivation of
jñāna and vairāgya are forbidden in pure bhakti:
tasmān mad-bhakti-yuktasya yogino vai mad-ātmanaḥ |
na jñānaṁ na ca vairāgyaṁ prāyaḥ śreyo bhaved iha ||
Therefore,
for a devotee engaged in my loving service, with mind fixed on me, the
cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of
achieving the highest perfection within this world. SB 11.20.31
Or
by mentioning jñāna, vairāgya and bhakti, the verse can express the
idea that the devotees can realize through bhakti all the three aspects
of the Lord: brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Some who have that
particular faith (tac craddhadhānāḥ) develop the desire to realize all
the three forms. Then, by bhakti, they can see all the three forms.
Thus the goals of the sādhanas of jñāna and yoga for realizing brahman
and Paramātmā will be accomplished only by bhakti.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.12||
tac chraddadhānā munayo jnāna-vairāgya-yuktayā |
paśyanty ātmani cātmānam bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā ||
TRANSLATION
The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge
and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional
service after hearing from guru.
That tattva manifested in three ways is realized directly through bhakti. That is explained in this verse.
Bhakti Sandarbha 7:
By
bhakti, in the form of prema--the culmination of having a taste for
topics of the Lord--the devotees see this truth in his pure
consciousness (ātmani). What to speak of knowing it, they directly
perceive or realize it. This truth is the shelter of the svarūpa-śakti,
jīva-śakti and māyā-śaktis (ātmānam). This bhakti is served by jnāna
and vairāgya, which arise from it. The sages see and attain this entity
in either of two ways: without manifestation of its śaktis or with
manifestation of its śaktis.
TEXT - SB 1.2.13
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā
varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
SYNONYMS
ataḥ—so;
pumbhiḥ—by the human being; dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ—O best among the twice-born;
varṇa-āśrama—the institution of four castes and four orders of life;
vibhāgaśaḥ—by the division of; svanuṣṭhitasya—of one's own prescribed
duties; dharmasya—occupational; saṁsiddhiḥ—the highest perfection;
hari—the Personality of Godhead; toṣaṇam—pleasing.
TRANSLATION
O
best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest
perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for
one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is
to please the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Human
society all over the world is divided into four castes and four orders
of life. The four castes are the intelligent caste, the martial caste,
the productive caste and the laborer caste. These castes are classified
in terms of one's work and qualification and not by birth. Then again
there are four orders of life, namely the student life, the
householder's life, the retired and the devotional life. In the best
interest of human society there must be such divisions of life,
otherwise no social institution can grow in a healthy state. And in
each and every one of the abovementioned divisions of life, the aim
must be to please the supreme authority of the Personality of Godhead.
This institutional function of human society is known as the system of
varṇāśrama-dharma, which is quite natural for the civilized life. The
varṇāśrama institution is constructed to enable one to realize the
Absolute Truth. It is not for artificial domination of one division
over another. When the aim of life, i.e., realization of the Absolute
Truth, is missed by too much attachment for indriya-prīti, or sense
gratification, as already discussed hereinbefore, the institution of
the varṇāśrama is utilized by selfish men to pose an artificial
predominance over the weaker section. In the Kali-yuga, or in the age
of quarrel, this artificial predominance is already current, but the
saner section of the people know it well that the divisions of castes
and orders of life are meant for smooth social intercourse and
high-thinking self-realization and not for any other purpose.
Herein
the statement of Bhāgavatam is that the highest aim of life or the
highest perfection of the institution of the varṇāśrama-dharma is to
cooperate jointly for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. This is
also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.13).
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.13
ataḥ pumbhir dvija‑śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama‑vibhāgaśaḥ |
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari‑toṣaṇam ||
Verse
1.2.8 has already stated that varṇāśrama duties (dharmaḥ svānuṣṭhitaḥ)
are wasted endeavor. And even jñāna and yoga, devoid of bhakti, are
wasted endeavor.
śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām
My
dear Lord, devotional service unto You is the best path for
self-realization. If someone gives up that path and engages in the
cultivation of speculative knowledge, he will simply undergo a
troublesome process and will not achieve his desired result. As a
person who beats an empty husk of wheat cannot get grain, one who
simply speculates cannot achieve self-realization. His only gain is
trouble. SB 10.14.4
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvara na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
Knowledge
of self-realization, even though free from all material affinity, does
not look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. What,
then, is the use of fruitive activities, which are naturally painful
from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are not
utilized for the devotional service of the Lord? SB 1.5.12
pureha bhūman bahavo ’pi yoginas tvad-arpitehā nija-karma-labdhayā
vibudhya bhaktyaiva kathopanītayā prapedire ’ñjo ’cyuta te gatiṁ parām
O
almighty Lord, in the past many yogīs in this world achieved the
platform of devotional service by offering all their endeavors unto You
and faithfully carrying out their prescribed duties. Through such
devotional service, perfected by the processes of hearing and chanting
about You, they came to understand You, O infallible one, and could
easily surrender to You and achieve Your supreme abode. SB 10.14.5
From
this chapter it has already been understood that only by pure bhakti,
unmixed with karma, jñāna or yoga, the mind becomes satisfied.
A
doubt arises. Is there not some worry in giving up jñāna and yoga? And
in not doing nitya-karmas, is there not the calamity of great sin in
omission of action, and ending up in hell? This verse answers. Though
jñāna and yoga have some attraction, they depend on getting their
results by performance of bhakti. But bhakti gives its results without
the assistance of jñāna or yoga at all. Therefore if one pleases the
Lord by bhakti only, that is the perfection of dharma. The person who
does not get for the most part perfection even though performing all
the rules and regulations of karma attains perfection directly through
bhakti, even though he does not perform the karmas. This is understood
from the Lord’s own words:
yat karmabhir yat tapasā jñāna-vairāgyataś ca yat |
yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair api ||
sarvaṁ mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ’ñjasā |
svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathañcid yadi vāñchati ||
Everything
that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge,
detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means
of perfecting life is easily achieved by my devotee through loving
service unto me. If somehow or other my devotee desires promotion to
heaven, liberation, or residence in my abode, he easily achieves such
benedictions. SB 11.20.32.-33
Thus the idea that the devotee incurs sin by not performing karmas is discarded.
If
dharma is perfected by bhakti, will the performer of dharma still
obtain the results of dharma? Yes. If one performs dharma with material
desires, one will attain those desires, but if one performs dharma
without material desires, one will not attain material results.
Gopāla-tāpanī śruti says:
bhaktir asya bhajanam |
tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenaivāmuṣmin manaḥ- kalpanam |
etad eva ca naiṣkarmyam ||
Bhakti
is worship of the Lord, concentrating the mind on Him, renouncing all
material desires for enjoyment (upādhi) in this world and the next. It
destroys all karmas. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.15
According to
the following verse, since all dharmas are perfected by bhakti, the
necessity of the devotees performing dharma is rejected.
yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā
As
pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches,
twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach
enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the
Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically
satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality. SB
4.31.14
The Lord himself says:
tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā |
mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate ||
As
long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened
his taste for devotional service by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ one has to
act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions. SB
11.20.9
ājñāyaivaṁ guṇān doṣān mayādiṣṭān api svakān
dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān māṁ bhajeta sa tu sattamaḥ
Having
taken complete shelter at My lotus feet, however, a saintly person
ultimately renounces such ordinary religious duties and worships Me
alone. He is thus considered to be the best among all living entities.
SB 11.11.32
And in the Gītā the Lord says:
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
Give up all dharma and just surrender to me. BG 18.66
Based
on these verses, the meaning of the verse yathā toror mūla-niśecanena
is as follows. Just as worship of the Lord takes the place of
worshiping all devatās, and satisfaction of the Lord is the perfection
of performance of varṇāśrama duties, when the Lord is satisfied with
his worship, the goal of performing one’s duties including worship of
devatās is automatically achieved. In the example, by watering the root
of the tree the watering of the branches and leaves takes place
automatically. When the pure devotees of Bengal or other places perform
a few karmas out of obligation because of pressure from family
traditions, this is actually not performance of karmas, and does not
give karmic results, because they do not have faith in the worship of
devatās. The Lord says:
aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛtaṁ ca yat |
asad ity ucyate pārtha na ca tat pretya no iha ||
O
son of Pṛthā, whatever is offered in the fire, whatever is given in
charity, whatever is undertaken as austerity, but which is done without
faith, is called asat since it bears no result now or in the next life.
BG 17.28
Jiva's tika ||1.2.13||
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ |
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam ||
TRANSLATION
O best of the brāhmaṇas! The complete perfection of dharma, according
to divisions of varṇāśrama by men, is pleasing the Lord.
Bhakt Sandarbha 7:
The
words śruta-gṛthītayā, munayaḥ and śraddadhānā show that bhakti is hard
to attain. By hearing the conclusions of all scriptures from an
authorized guru, one attains it. Thus, hearing from the guru is
understood to be the most necessary practice for the individual.
bhagavān brahma kārtsnyena trir anvīkṣya manīṣayā |
tad adhyavasyat kūṭa-stho ratir ātman yato bhavet ||
The
unchanging Brahmā reviewed three times the Vedas completely with his
intelligence (manana), and determined that process which produces prema
in the self. (SB 2.2.34)
If there is qualification for
contemplation (manana)and then absorption in contemplation, which make
one give up all other conflicting thoughts, then those with faith can
develop bhakti through worship.
Śruti explains the same fact.
Ātmā vāre draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavya: the Lord should
be seen, heard, thought of (manana) and worshipped. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka
Upaniṣad 2.4.4.6) Nididhyāsanam means worship, and seeing means meeting
directly.
That rare bhakti is attained even from performing
one’s dharma if dharma is endowed with pleasing the Lord. Pleasing the
Lord is the highest result of dharma.
The goal of dharma which
is undertaken faultlessly with great effort (su anuṣṭhitasya) is
ultimately to please the Lord. Using dharma to gain Svarga is most
unsuitable.
TEXT - SB 1.2.14
tasmād ekena manasā
bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
SYNONYMS
tasmāt—therefore;
ekena—by one; manasā—attention of the mind; bhagavān—the Personality of
Godhead; sātvatām—of the devotees; patiḥ—protector; śrotavyaḥ—is to be
heard; kīrtitavyaḥ—to be glorified; ca—and; dhyeyaḥ—to be remembered;
pūjyaḥ—to be worshiped; ca—and; nityadā—constantly.
TRANSLATION
Therefore,
with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify,
remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector
of the devotees.
PURPORT
If realization of the Absolute
Truth is the ultimate aim of life, it must be carried out by all means.
In any one of the above-mentioned castes and orders of life, the four
processes, namely glorifying, hearing, remembering and worshiping, are
general occupations. Without these principles of life, no one can
exist. Activities of the living being involve engagements in these four
different principles of life. Especially in modern society, all
activities are more or less dependent on hearing and glorifying. Any
man from any social status becomes a well-known man in human society
within a very short time if he is simply glorified truly or falsely in
the daily newspapers. Sometimes political leaders of a particular party
are also advertised by newspaper propaganda, and by such a method of
glorification an insignificant man becomes an important man—within no
time. But such propaganda by false glorification of an unqualified
person cannot bring about any good, either for the particular man or
for the society. There may be some temporary reactions to such
propaganda, but there are no permanent effects. Therefore such
activities are a waste of time. The actual object of glorification is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has created everything
manifested before us. We have broadly discussed this fact from the
beginning of the "janmādy asya" [SB 1.1.1] śloka of this Bhāgavatam.
The tendency to glorify others or hear others must be turned to the
real object of glorification-the Supreme Being. And that will bring
happiness.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.14
tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ |
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
Because
of this, one should worship the Supreme Lord with the mind devoid of
the desire to perform karma and jñāna (ekena manasā).
Jiva's tika ||1.2.14||
tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān sātvatām patiḥ |
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
TRANSLATION
Therefore, with mind dedicated only to bhakti, devoid of karma and
jnāna, one should constantly hear about, glorify and meditate upon the
Supreme Lord — the master of the devotees. (SB 1.2.14)
According to Śrīdhara Svāmī dharma devoid of bhakti, consisting of having a
taste for hearing and chanting, is useless.
Bhakti Sandarbha 9:
The
goal of dharma which is undertaken faultlessly with great effort (su
anuṣṭhitasya) is ultimately to please the Lord. Using dharma to gain
Svarga is most unsuitable. If the result of dharma consisting of
pleasing the Lord is bhakti with taste for hearing, which brings about
jnāna and vairāgya, which follow after the practice of bhakti, then, it
should be concluded that bhakti alone consisting of hearing etc. must
be performed.
What is the use of involving oneself in karma?
Ekena means “with mind devoid of enthusiasm for karma or other
processes.” “Hearing and chanting” means hearing and chanting the
Lord’s names and qualities.
TEXT - SB 1.2.15
yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ
karma-granthi-nibandhanam
chindanti kovidās tasya
ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim
SYNONYMS
yat—which;
anudhyā—remembrance; asinā—sword; yuktāḥ—being equipped with;
karma—reactionary work; granthi—knot; nibandhanam—interknit;
chindanti—cut; kovidāḥ—intelligent; tasya—His; kaḥ—who; na—not;
kuryāt—shall do; kathā—messages; ratim—attention.
TRANSLATION
With
sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of
reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead.
Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?
PURPORT
The
contact of the spiritual spark with material elements creates a knot
which must be cut if one wants to be liberated from the actions and
reactions of fruitive work. Liberation means freedom from the cycle of
reactionary work. This liberation automatically follows for one who
constantly remembers the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of
Godhead. This is because all the activities of the Supreme Lord (His
līlā) are transcendental to the modes of the material energy. They are
all-attractive spiritual activities, and therefore constant association
with the spiritual activities of the Supreme Lord gradually
spiritualizes the conditioned soul and ultimately severs the knot of
material bondage.
Liberation from material bondage is,
therefore, a by-product of devotional service. Attainment of spiritual
knowledge is not sufficient to insure liberation. Such knowledge must
be overcoated with devotional service so that ultimately the devotional
service alone predominates. Then liberation is made possible. Even the
reactionary work of the fruitive workers can lead one to liberation
when it is overcoated with devotional service. Karma overcoated with
devotional service is called karma-yoga. Similarly, empirical knowledge
overcoated with devotional service is called jñāna-yoga. But pure
bhakti-yoga is independent of such karma and jñāna because it alone can
not only endow one with liberation from conditional life but also award
one the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Therefore,
any sensible man who is above the average man with a poor fund of
knowledge must constantly remember the Personality of Godhead by
hearing about Him, by glorifying Him, by remembering Him and by
worshiping Him always, without cessation. That is the perfect way of
devotional service. The Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, who were authorized by
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to preach the bhakti cult, rigidly followed
this rule and made immense literatures of transcendental science for
our benefit. They have chalked out ways for all classes of men in terms
of the different castes and orders of life in pursuance of the
teachings of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and similar other authoritative
scriptures.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.15
yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ karma-granthi-nibandhanam |
chindanti kovidās tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim ||
The qualification for bhakti is faith in topics of the Lord. This is illustrated in the following verses:
tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā
mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate
As
long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened
his taste for devotional service by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB
7.5.23] one has to act according to the regulative principles of the
Vedic injunctions. SB 11.20.9
śraddhālur mat-kathāḥ śṛṇvan su-bhadrā loka-pāvanīḥ
gāyann anusmaran karma janma cābhinayan muhuḥ
mad-arthe dharma-kāmārthān ācaran mad-apāśrayaḥ
labhate niścalāṁ bhaktiṁ mayy uddhava sanātane
A
person with natural faith should constantly hear topics about me,
should sing and remember my topics which purify the world, and enact my
exploits and birth. He should perform dharma, kāma and artha as service
to me. Having taken shelter of me, he will attain permanent bhakti to
me, whose form is permanent. SB 11.11.23-24
jāta-śraddho mat-kathāsu nirviṇṇaḥ sarva-karmasu
veda duḥkhātmakān kāmān parityāge ’py anīśvaraḥ
tato bhajeta māṁ prītaḥ śraddhālur dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
juṣamāṇaś ca tān kāmān duḥkhodarkāṁś ca garhayan
Having
developed faith in topics about me and being disgusted with all karmas,
he knows that all enjoyments are filled with misery. But he is unable
to given them up. Still, with affection for me, with faith and
determination, he will continue worshipping me, at the same time SB
11.20.27-28
How does that faith arise? This verse answers.
Remembrance of the Lord is a sword. Equipped with that sword (asinā),
persons cut the bondage caused by the knot of false ego which ties one
up with karma.
Or another meaning is as follows. People tie up
small amounts of money in knots of their clothing for the purpose of
daily eating by dividing up their savings and spending a little each
day. This knot of money for enjoyment is compared to the karmas
allotted in this life for enjoyment. Thus the sword of remembering the
Lord cuts this knot of prārabdha-karma.
Who will not have
attraction for topics concerning the Lord, whose remembrance cuts the
knots of karma? Attraction for those topics arises suddenly (in all
people, before having faith)! The verse indicates that a person who is
more qualified, who has faith, will be even more attracted.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.15||
yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ karma-granthi-nibandhanam |
chindanti kovidās tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim ||
TRANSLATION
Who will not develop attraction for topics of the Lord, remembrance of
whom, like a sword, will cut the knots of karma?
Bhakti Sandarbha 10:
A
glorification of hearing is given to develop a taste for hearing the
Lord’s topics. This is the first step---with indifference to the
performance of karma and other processes which are difficult--
described in order to show the easy stages of bhakti up to the final
stage (prema).
By the sword of remembrance of the Lord persons
with discrimination (kovidaḥ), with controlled minds, cut the knot of
karma and ahankāra which binds one to various bodies. Who would not
develop attraction for topics of this Lord, which deliver one from the
greatest suffering?
TEXT - SB 1.2.16
śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya
vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ
puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
SYNONYMS
śuśrūṣoḥ—one
who is engaged in hearing; śraddadhānasya—with care and attention;
vāsudeva—in respect to Vāsudeva; kathā—the message; ruciḥ—affinity;
syāt—is made possible; mahat-sevayā—by service rendered to pure
devotees; viprāḥ—O twice-born; puṇya-tīrtha—those who are cleansed of
all vice; niṣevaṇāt—by service.
TRANSLATION
O twice-born
sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all
vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for
hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.
PURPORT
The conditioned
life of a living being is caused by his revolting against the Lord.
There are men called deva, or godly living beings, and there are men
called asuras, or demons, who are against the authority of the Supreme
Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā (Sixteenth Chapter) a vivid description of
the asuras is given in which it is said that the asuras are put into
lower and lower states of ignorance life after life and so sink to the
lower animal forms and have no information of the Absolute Truth, the
Personality of Godhead. These asuras are gradually rectified to God
consciousness by the mercy of the Lord's liberated servitors in
different countries according to the supreme will. Such devotees of God
are very confidential associates of the Lord, and when they come to
save human society from the dangers of godlessness, they are known as
the powerful incarnations of the Lord, as sons of the Lord, as servants
of the Lord or as associates of the Lord. But none of them falsely
claim to be God themselves. This is a blasphemy declared by the asuras,
and the demoniac followers of such asuras also accept pretenders as God
or His incarnation. In the revealed scriptures there is definite
information of the incarnation of God. No one should be accepted as God
or an incarnation of God unless he is confirmed by the revealed
scriptures.
The servants of God are to be respected as God by
the devotees who actually want to go back to Godhead. Such servants of
God are called mahātmās, or tīrthas, and they preach according to
particular time and place. The servants of God urge people to become
devotees of the Lord. They never tolerate being called God. Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu was God Himself according to the indication of the
revealed scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. People who
knew Him to be God addressed Him as God, but He used to block His ears
with His hands and chant the name of Lord Viṣṇu. He strongly protested
against being called God, although undoubtedly He was God Himself. The
Lord behaves so to warn us against unscrupulous men who take pleasure
in being addressed as God.
The servants of God come to propagate
God consciousness, and intelligent people should cooperate with them in
every respect. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more
than by directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He
sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants
risk everything for the service of the Lord and so are very dear to the
Lord. The Lord declares in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.69) that no one is
dearer to Him than one who risks everything to preach His glory. By
serving the servants of the Lord, one gradually gets the quality of
such servants, and thus one becomes qualified to hear the glories of
God. The eagerness to hear about God is the first qualification of a
devotee eligible for entering the kingdom of God.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.16
Hear
how attraction for topics of the Lord arises! It arises by service to
the great devotees, caused by the good fortune of mercy of those great
devotees. By that one develops faith (śraddadhānasya). By faith one
takes shelter of the feet of pure guru (puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevanāt).
According to Amara-koṣa, tīrtha means water worshipped by sages, guru,
path and cause. Being eager to hear those topics (śuśrūṣoḥ), he
develops taste for those topics.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.16|| śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ |
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt ||
TRANSLATION O brāhmaṇas! Attraction for topics concerning Kṛṣṇa will arise by service to the
great devotees, followed by faith, by surrender to the feet of the pure guru, and by the desire to hear.
Śrīdhara
Svāmī explains this verse. One method is by serving holy places. By
that one attains service to devotees. But there is direct method also:
yat-pāda-samśrayāḥ sūta munayaḥ praśamāyanāḥ sadyaḥ punanty upaspṛṣṭāḥ svardhuny-āpo 'nusevayā
O
Sūta, those great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus
feet of the Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with
them, whereas the waters of the Ganges can sanctify only after
prolonged use. (SB 1.1.15)
na hy am-mayāni tīrthāni na devā mṛc-chilā-mayāḥ te punanty uru-kālena darśanād eva sādhavaḥ
No
one can deny that there are holy places with sacred rivers, or that the
demigods appear in deity forms made of earth and stone. But these
purify the soul only after a long time, whereas saintly persons purify
just by being seen. (SB 10.48.31) Bhakti sandarbha 11:
“But
those who are unfortunate cannot develop taste for the Lord’s topics.”
Five verses, explaining an easy method, teach bhakti up to the stage of
niṣṭhā after starting the process.
It is said:
bhuvi
puru-puṇya-tīrtha-sadanāny ṛṣayo vimadās ta uta bhavat-padāmbuja-hṛdo
’gha-bhid-anghri-jalāḥ dadhati sakṛn manas tvayi ya ātmani nitya-sukhe
na punar upāsate puruṣa-sāra-harāvasathān
Sages free from
false pride live on this earth by frequenting the sacred pilgrimage
sites. Because such devotees keep your lotus feet within their hearts,
the water that washes their feet destroys all sins. Having turned their
minds toward you, the ever-blissful soul of all existence, they no
longer dedicate themselves to serving family life at home, which simply
robs a man of his good qualities. (SB 10.87.35)
Generally
taste develops by association with great devotees (mahat-sangaḥ). By
serving holy tīrthas one can serve great devotees. By serving great
devotees, taste for the Lord’s topics develops. If one goes to a holy
place for other purposes, one may meet devotees who wander to holy
tīrthas or who live there, and one may perform service in the form of
seeing, touching and conversing. By that, one develops faith in
worshipping the Lord. One then develops the desire to hear what these
devotees are discussing together when they spontaneously speak about
the Lord. From hearing, taste for the topics develops. Hearing from
great devotees has immediate effect. Thus it is said:
satām
prasangān mama vīrya-samvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati
From
association with the best devotees, topics of my glorious pastimes
become directly realized, bringing the devotee to niṣṭhā. Then the
topics become an elixir for the heart and ears at the stage of ruci. By
taste for these topics, āsakti, bhāva and then prema for the Lord who
is the destroyer of material life, quickly develop in sequence. (SB
3.25.25)
TEXT - SB 1.2.17
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
SYNONYMS
śṛṇvatām—those
who have developed the urge to hear the message of; sva-kathāḥ—His own
words; kṛṣṇaḥ—the Personality of Godhead; puṇya—virtues;
śravaṇa—hearing; kīrtanaḥ—chanting; hṛdi antaḥ sthaḥ—within one's
heart; hi—certainly; abhadrāṇi—desire to enjoy matter;
vidhunoti—cleanses; suhṛt—benefactor; satām—of the truthful.
TRANSLATION
Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in
everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses
desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has
developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves
virtuous when properly heard and chanted.
PURPORT
Messages
of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa are nondifferent from Him.
Whenever, therefore, offenseless hearing and glorification of God are
undertaken, it is to be understood that Lord Kṛṣṇa is present there in
the form of transcendental sound, which is as powerful as the Lord
personally. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His Śikṣāṣṭaka, declares
clearly that the holy name of the Lord has all the potencies of the
Lord and that He has endowed His innumerable names with the same
potency. There is no rigid fixture of time, and anyone can chant the
holy name with attention and reverence at his convenience. The Lord is
so kind to us that He can be present before us personally in the form
of transcendental sound, but unfortunately we have no taste for hearing
and glorifying the Lord's name and activities. We have already
discussed developing a taste for hearing and chanting the holy sound.
It is done through the medium of service to the pure devotee of the
Lord.
The Lord is reciprocally respondent to His devotees. When
He sees that a devotee is completely sincere in getting admittance to
the transcendental service of the Lord and has thus become eager to
hear about Him, the Lord acts from within the devotee in such a way
that the devotee may easily go back to Him. The Lord is more anxious to
take us back into His kingdom than we can desire. Most of us do not
desire at all to go back to Godhead. Only a very few men want to go
back to Godhead. But anyone who desires to go back to Godhead, Śrī
Kṛṣṇa helps in all respects.
One cannot enter into the kingdom
of God unless one is perfectly cleared of all sins. The material sins
are products of our desires to lord it over material nature. It is very
difficult to get rid of such desires. Women and wealth are very
difficult problems for the devotee making progress on the path back to
Godhead. Many stalwarts in the devotional line fell victim to these
allurements and thus retreated from the path of liberation. But when
one is helped by the Lord Himself, the whole process becomes as easy as
anything by the divine grace of the Lord.
To become restless in
the contact of women and wealth is not an astonishment, because every
living being is associated with such things from remote time,
practically immemorial, and it takes time to recover from this foreign
nature. But if one is engaged in hearing the glories of the Lord,
gradually he realizes his real position. By the grace of God such a
devotee gets sufficient strength to defend himself from the state of
disturbances, and gradually all disturbing elements are eliminated from
his mind.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.17
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ |
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām ||
Then
from hearing with taste, one begins to hear and chant. Then Kṛṣṇa,
being situated within, destroys the sins (abhadrāṇi) in the heart.[10]
Kṛṣṇa being situated within refers to the process of smaraṇam,
remembering.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.17||
śṛṇvatām sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ |
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām ||
TRANSLATION
Kṛṣṇa, who purifies by the processes of hearing and chanting, who is
the benefactor of the devotees who hear about him, enters the hearts of
the devotees and destroys their sins.
Bhakti Sandarbha 12:
The Lord, entering by the topics, and remaining in the thoughts (antaḥsthaḥ), destroys desires (abhadrāṇi).
TEXT - SB 1.2.18
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
SYNONYMS
naṣṭa—destroyed;
prāyeṣu—almost to nil; abhadreṣu—all that is inauspicious;
nityam—regularly; bhāgavata—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the pure devotee;
sevayā—by serving; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead;
uttama—transcendental; śloke—prayers; bhaktiḥ—loving service;
bhavati—comes into being; naiṣṭhikī—irrevocable.
TRANSLATION
By
regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of
service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is
almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of
Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an
irrevocable fact.
PURPORT
Here is the remedy for
eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart which are
considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy
is the association of the Bhāgavatas. There are two types of
Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the devotee Bhāgavata. Both
the Bhāgavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of
them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhāgavata
is as good as the book Bhāgavata because the devotee Bhāgavata leads
his life in terms of the book Bhāgavata and the book Bhāgavata is full
of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees,
who are also Bhāgavatas. Bhāgavata book and person are identical.
The
devotee Bhāgavata is a direct representative of Bhagavān, the
Personality of Godhead. So by pleasing the devotee Bhāgavata one can
receive the benefit of the book Bhāgavata. Human reason fails to
understand how by serving the devotee Bhāgavata or the book Bhāgavata
one gets gradual promotion on the path of devotion. But actually these
are facts explained by Śrīla Nāradadeva, who happened to be a
maidservant's son in his previous life. The maidservant was engaged in
the menial service of the sages, and thus he also came into contact
with them. And simply by associating with them and accepting the
remnants of foodstuff left by the sages, the son of the maidservant got
the chance to become the great devotee and personality Śrīla
Nāradadeva. These are the miraculous effects of the association of
Bhāgavatas. And to understand these effects practically, it should be
noted that by such sincere association of the Bhāgavatas one is sure to
receive transcendental knowledge very easily, with the result that he
becomes fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. The more progress
is made in devotional service under the guidance of the Bhāgavatas, the
more one becomes fixed in the transcendental loving service of the
Lord. The messages of the book Bhāgavata, therefore, have to be
received from the devotee Bhāgavata, and the combination of these two
Bhāgavatas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress on and on.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.18
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā |
bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī ||
Bhāgavata-sevayā
means by service to the devotees of Bhagavān and service to (such as
hearing) the Śrīmad-bhāgavatam. By serving the devotees and Bhāgavatam,
the major portion of nāmāparādhas (abhadreṣu) becomes weak.[11] This
weakening of aparādhas continues till the stage of rati (bhāva).
Naiṣṭhikī refers to niṣṭhā, where the mind can easily concentrate on
the Lord. When the anarthas are for the most part destroyed, the
devotee attains the stage of niṣṭhā.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.18||
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityam bhāgavata-sevayā |
bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī ||
TRANSLATION
As the impediments to bhakti become generally destroyed by constant
service to the devotees and Bhāgavatam, the stage of niṣṭhitā bhakti to
Bhagavān, who is praised by the greatest sages, becomes established.
Bhakti Sandarbha 13:
Even
though impurities are not completely destroyed (naṣṭa-prayeṣu), bhakti
can be performed steadily. In the process of jnāna however, steady
performance requires complete destruction of impurities. This shows the
unimpeded nature of bhakti. Bhakti in the form of meditation becomes
constant (naiṣṭikī) by service to the devotees or to Bhāgavatam.
TEXT - SB 1.2.19
tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
SYNONYMS
tadā—at
that time; rajaḥ—in the mode of passion; tamaḥ—the mode of ignorance;
bhāvāḥ—the situation; kāma—lust and desire; lobha—hankering;
ādayaḥ—others; ca—and; ye—whatever they are; cetaḥ—the mind; etaiḥ—by
these; anāviddham—without being affected; sthitam—being fixed;
sattve—in the mode of goodness; prasīdati—thus becomes fully satisfied.
TRANSLATION
As
soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the
effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust,
desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is
established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.
PURPORT
A
living being in his normal constitutional position is fully satisfied
in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called brahma-bhūta [SB
4.30.20] or ātmā-nandī, or the state of self-satisfaction. This
self-satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool.
The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance, whereas the
self-satisfied ātmānandī is transcendental to the material state of
existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as one is fixed
in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not
inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul.
The soul's
activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the
diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire,
hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional
service becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of
passion and ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of
goodness, and he makes further progress to rise to the position of
Vāsudeva, or the state of unmixed sattva, or śuddha-sattva. Only in
this śuddha-sattva state can one always see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye by dint of
pure affection for the Lord.
A devotee is always in the mode of
unalloyed goodness; therefore he harms no one. But the nondevotee,
however educated he may be, is always harmful. A devotee is neither
foolish nor passionate. The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be
devotees of the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees
by outward dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good
qualities of God. Quantitatively such qualifications may be different,
but qualitatively both the Lord and His devotee are one and the same.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.19
tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye |
ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati ||
The
mind is not transformed (anāviddham) by the agitations of lust, greed
and other qualities such as anger, illusion, and hatred, which arise
from (bhāvāḥ) rajas and tamas. This means that by lack of taste for
material objects, the state of ruci —
the appearance of relishing of hearing, chanting and other processes —
arises.
In the previous state, the mind was pierced by the sharp arrows of lust
and greed etc. How could the mind be satisfied in that state? How could
the mind attain real taste for chanting in that state? A person
afflicted with pain cannot relish food. After this, the mind becomes
fixed (sthitam) in the śuddha-sattva deity of the Lord (sattve). This
is the stage of āsakti.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.19||
tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye |
ceta etair anāviddham sthitam sattve prasīdati ||
TRANSLATION
The mind becomes unaffected by lust, greed, anger, hatred and illusion
which arise from rajas and tamas. Then the mind becomes fixed in the
form of the Lord at the stage of āsakti and becomes satisfied.
Bhakti
Sandarhba 14: tri-bhuvana-vibhava-hetave ’py akuṇṭhasmṛtir
ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt na calati bhagavat-padāravindāl
lava-nimiṣārdham api yaḥ sa vaiṣṇavāgryaḥ
He, whose
remembrance is not lured by dominion over the three worlds, and who
does not move for half a second from the Lord’s lotus feet which are
sought by the devatās who also meditate on the Lord, is the best of
devotees. (SB 11.2.53)
By destruction of all desires, ones
heart becomes merged in śuddha-sattva and is thus suitable for direct
perception (sākṣātkāra) of the Lord. The mind, uncontaminated by rajas
and tamas, by kāma and lobhā, becomes situated in śuddha-sattva and is
satisfied.
TEXT - SB 1.2.20
evaṁ prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ
bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ
mukta-saṅgasya jāyate
SYNONYMS
evam—thus;
prasanna—enlivened; manasaḥ—of the mind; bhagavat-bhakti—the devotional
service of the Lord; yogataḥ—by contact of; bhagavat—regarding the
Personality of Godhead; tattva—knowledge; vijñānam—scientific;
mukta—liberated; saṅgasya—of the association; jāyate—becomes effective.
TRANSLATION
Thus
established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has
been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains
positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the
stage of liberation from all material association.
PURPORT
In
the Bhagavad-gītā (7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of
ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection in life.
Mostly men are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and
thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and
sleep. Out of many such manlike animals, there is actually a man who
knows the responsibility of human life and thus tries to make life
perfect by following the prescribed duties. And out of many thousands
of such persons who have thus attained success in human life, one may
know scientifically about the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In the
same Bhagavad-gītā (18.55) it is also said that scientific knowledge of
Śrī Kṛṣṇa is understood only by the process of devotional service
(bhakti-yoga).
The very same thing is confirmed herein in the
above words. No ordinary man, or even one who has attained success in
human life, can know scientifically or perfectly the Personality of
Godhead. Perfection of human life is attained when one can understand
that he is not the product of matter but is in fact spirit. And as soon
as one understands that he has nothing to do with matter, he at once
ceases his material hankerings and becomes enlivened as a spiritual
being. This attainment of success is possible when one is above the
modes of passion and ignorance, or, in other words, when one is
actually a brāhmaṇa by qualification. A brāhmaṇa is the symbol of
sattva-guṇa, or the mode of goodness. And others, who are not in the
mode of goodness, are either kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras or less than
the śūdras. The brahminical stage is the highest stage of human life
because of its good qualities. So one cannot be a devotee unless one at
least qualifies as a brāhmaṇa. The devotee is already a brāhmaṇa by
action. But that is not the end of it. As referred to above, such a
brāhmaṇa has to become a Vaiṣṇava in fact to be actually in the
transcendental stage. A pure Vaiṣṇava is a liberated soul and is
transcendental even to the position of a brāhmaṇa. In the material
stage even a brāhmaṇa is also a conditioned soul because although in
the brahminical stage the conception of Brahman or transcendence is
realized, scientific knowledge of the Supreme Lord is lacking. One has
to surpass the brahminical stage and reach the vasudeva stage to
understand the Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. The science of the
Personality of Godhead is the subject matter for study by the
postgraduate students in the spiritual line. Foolish men, or men with a
poor fund of knowledge, do not understand the Supreme Lord, and they
interpret Kṛṣṇa according to their respective whims. The fact is,
however, that one cannot understand the science of the Personality of
Godhead unless one is freed from the contamination of the material
modes, even up to the stage of a brāhmaṇa. When a qualified brāhmaṇa
factually becomes a Vaiṣṇava, in the enlivened state of liberation he
can know what is actually the Personality of Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.20
By
this method, with the development of āśakti, with worship of Kṛṣṇa at
every moment, rati then appears (prasanna-manasaḥ). Without rati, there
could never be constant detachment from objects of material enjoyment,
and without constant detachment, there could never be satisfaction of
the mind. Then prema to Bhagavān appears (bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ).
From that arises realization (vijñānam) of the Lord’s form, qualities,
pastimes, powers and sweetness. The desired result of bhakti has thus
been explained. Accompanying results were previously mentioned with
janayaty āśu variāgyam jñānam ca yad ahaitukam. Here also they are
mentioned with the phrase “appearance of vairāgya” (mukta-saṅgasya).
Jiva's tika ||1.2.20||
evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ |
bhagavat-tattva-vijnānam mukta-sangasya jāyate ||
TRANSLATION
Then
the mind becomes joyful and satisfied on attaining rati. Finally prema
develops, accompanied by the appearance of complete detachment. The
devotee then experiences the Lord’s form, qualities, pastimes, powers
and sweetness.
Bhakti Sandarbha 15:
From the
previously mentioned method one develops a satisfied mind. From
performing bhakti-yoga in which one is detached from all desires
(muktasangasya) one develops realization (vijnānam) of the Lord
internally or externally, without having to meditate.
TEXT - SB 1.2.21
bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś
chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ
kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi
dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare
SYNONYMS
bhidyate—pierced;
hṛdaya—heart; granthiḥ—knots; chidyante—cut to pieces; sarva—all;
saṁśayāḥ—misgivings; kṣīyante—terminated; ca—and; asya—his;
karmāṇi—chain of fruitive actions; dṛṣṭe—having seen; eva—certainly;
ātmani—unto the self; īśvare—dominating.
TRANSLATION
Thus
the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces.
The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as
master.
PURPORT
Attaining scientific knowledge of the
Personality of Godhead means seeing one's own self simultaneously. As
far as the identity of the living being as spirit self is concerned,
there are a number of speculations and misgivings. The materialist does
not believe in the existence of the spirit self, and empiric
philosophers believe in the impersonal feature of the whole spirit
without individuality of the living beings. But the transcendentalists
affirm that the soul and the Supersoul are two different identities,
qualitatively one but quantitatively different. There are many other
theories, but all these different speculations are at once cleared off
as soon as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is realized in truth by the process of
bhakti-yoga. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is like the sun, and the materialistic
speculations about the Absolute Truth are like the darkest midnight. As
soon as the Kṛṣṇa sun is arisen within one's heart, the darkness of
materialistic speculations about the Absolute Truth and the living
beings is at once cleared off. In the presence of the sun, the darkness
cannot stand, and the relative truths that were hidden within the dense
darkness of ignorance become clearly manifested by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa,
who is residing in everyone's heart as the Supersoul.
In the
Bhagavad-gītā (10.11) the Lord says that in order to show special favor
to His pure devotees, He personally eradicates the dense darkness of
all misgivings by switching on the light of pure knowledge within the
heart of a devotee. Therefore, because of the Personality of Godhead's
taking charge of illuminating the heart of His devotee, certainly a
devotee, engaged in His service in transcendental love, cannot remain
in darkness. He comes to know everything of the absolute and the
relative truths. The devotee cannot remain in darkness, and because a
devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is
certainly perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the
Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of approach. Perfect
knowledge is called paramparā, or deductive knowledge coming down from
the authority to the submissive aural receiver who is bona fide by
service and surrender. One cannot challenge the authority of the
Supreme and know Him also at the same time. He reserves the right of
not being exposed to such a challenging spirit of an insignificant
spark of the whole, a spark subjected to the control of illusory
energy. The devotees are submissive, and therefore the transcendental
knowledge descends from the Personality of Godhead to Brahmā and from
Brahmā to his sons and disciples in succession. This process is helped
by the Supersoul within such devotees. That is the perfect way of
learning transcendental knowledge.
This enlightenment perfectly
enables the devotee to distinguish spirit from matter because the knot
of spirit and matter is untied by the Lord. This knot is called
ahaṅkāra, and it falsely obliges a living being to become identified
with matter. As soon as this knot is loosened, therefore, all the
clouds of doubt are at once cleared off. One sees his master and fully
engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord,
making a full termination of the chain of fruitive action. In material
existence, a living being creates his own chain of fruitive work and
enjoys the good and bad effects of those actions life after life. But
as soon as he engages himself in the loving service of the Lord, he at
once becomes free from the chain of karma. His actions no longer create
any reaction.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.21
The
knot in the heart, ignorance, is cut. This is a reflexive verb form
(karma-kartari) which indicates that destruction of ignorance is not
the main result sought in bhakti. All doubts, such as thinking that the
attainment is impossible, are destroyed. Having seen the Lord, who is
the soul (ātmani), all karmas are destroyed. Or the Lord, being in the
mind (ātmani), and then being seen directly, all karmas are destroyed.
Thus both the sphurti of the Lord in the mind and direct appearance to
the eyes are indicated.
satāṁ kṛpā mahat-sevā śraddhā guru-padāśrayaḥ |
bhajaneṣu spṛhā bhaktir anarthāpagamas tataḥ |
niṣṭhā rucir athāsaktī ratiḥ premātha darśanam |
harer mādhuryānubhava ity arthāḥ syuś caturdaśe
The
fourteen steps are as follows: mercy of devotees, service to devotees,
faith, surrender to guru, desire for worship (or hearing), bhakti,
clearance of anarthas, niṣṭhā, ruci, āsakti, rati, prema, seeing the
Lord, and experiencing the Lord’s sweetness. [12]
Jiva's tika ||1.2.21||
bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś chidyante sarva-samśayāḥ |
kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare ||
TRANSLATION
Ignorance is cut and all doubts are destroyed. On seeing the Lord in
the mind and with the eyes, all karmas are diminished.
Bhakti Sandarbha 16:
The secondary result of directly perceiving the Lord, whose natural form is the highest bliss, is described.
Ahankāra
(hṛdaya-granthiḥ) is destroyed. All doubts about seeing the Lord are
destroyed for those who hear about him and meditate on him. By hearing,
thoughts about the non-existence of the Lord are destroyed. By
meditation, mistaken thoughts concerning the Lord are destroyed.
However, by direct perception of the Lord, thoughts about non-existence
of the Lord and contrary thoughts are both destroyed. Karmas are
diminished (kṣīyante). A shadow (ābhāsa) of karma remains by the will
of the Lord.
TEXT - SB 1.2.22
ato vai kavayo nityaṁ
bhaktiṁ paramayā mudā
vāsudeve bhagavati
kurvanty ātma-prasādanīm
SYNONYMS
ataḥ—therefore;
vai—certainly; kavayaḥ—all transcendentalists; nityam—from time
immemorial; bhaktim—service unto the Lord; paramayā—supreme; mudā—with
great delight; vāsudeve—Śrī Kṛṣṇa; bhagavati—the Personality of
Godhead; kurvanti—do render; ātma—self; prasādanīm—that which enlivens.
TRANSLATION
Certainly,
therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been
rendering devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead,
with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to
the self.
PURPORT
The speciality of devotional service
unto the Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is specifically
mentioned herein. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the svayaṁ-rūpa Personality of
Godhead, and all other forms of Godhead, beginning from Śrī Baladeva,
Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Nārāyaṇa and extending
to the puruṣa-avatāras, guṇa-avatāras, līlā-avatāras, yuga-avatāras and
many other thousands of manifestations of the Personality of Godhead,
are Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's plenary portions and integrated parts. The living
entities are separated parts and parcels of the Personality of Godhead.
Therefore Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa is the original form of Godhead, and He is the
last word in the Transcendence. Thus He is more attractive to the
higher transcendentalists who participate in the eternal pastimes of
the Lord. In forms of the Personality of Godhead other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa
and Baladeva, there is no facility for intimate personal contact as in
the transcendental pastimes of the Lord at Vrajabhūmi. The
transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa are not newly accepted, as
argued by some less intelligent persons; His pastimes are eternal and
are manifested in due course once in a day of Brahmājī, as the sun
rises on the eastern horizon at the end of every twenty-four hours.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.22
By saying “with great joy” it is indicated that even at the stage of sādhana-bhakti there are no difficulties.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.22||
ato vai kavayo nityam bhaktim paramayā mudā |
vāsudeve bhagavati kurvanty ātma-prasādanīm ||
TRANSLATION Thus with great joy the wise constantly perform bhakti to Lord Kṛṣṇa, which purifies the mind.
Bhakti Sandarbha 17:
Showing
the conduct of the devotees, the topic is summarized. The wise perform
bhakti which purifies the mind (ātma-prasādanīm). That is not the only
quality of bhakti. It is performed with the greatest joy (paramayā
mudā). The performance of bhakti does not give suffering either during
sādhana or perfection as in the case of performance karmas. Rather it
gives happiness in sādhana and perfection. Thus the wise perform bhakti
at all times, during sādhana and in perfection.
TEXT - SB 1.2.23
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair
yuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte
sthity-ādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ
śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ
SYNONYMS
sattvam—goodness;
rajaḥ—passion; tamaḥ—the darkness of ignorance; iti—thus; prakṛteḥ—of
the material nature; guṇāḥ—qualities; taiḥ—by them; yuktaḥ—associated
with; paraḥ—transcendental; puruṣaḥ—the personality; ekaḥ—one; iha
asya—of this material world; dhatte—accepts; sthiti-ādaye—for the
matter of creation, maintenance and destruction, etc.; hari—Viṣṇu, the
Personality of Godhead; viriñci—Brahmā; hara—Lord Śiva; iti—thus;
saṁjñāḥ—different features; śreyāṁsi—ultimate benefit; tatra—therein;
khalu—of course; sattva—goodness; tanoḥ—form; nṛṇām—of the human being;
syuḥ—derived.
TRANSLATION
The transcendental Personality
of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material
nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the
material world's creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the
three qualitative forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Of these three, all
human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the
quality of goodness.
PURPORT
That Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by His
plenary parts, should be rendered devotional service, as explained
above, is confirmed by this statement. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and all His
plenary parts are viṣṇu-tattva, or the Lordship of Godhead. From Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, the next manifestation is Baladeva. From Baladeva is Saṅkarṣaṇa,
from Saṅkarṣaṇa is Nārāyaṇa, from Nārāyaṇa there is the second
Saṅkarṣaṇa, and from this Saṅkarṣaṇa the Viṣṇu puruṣa-avatāras. The
Viṣṇu or the Deity of the quality of goodness in the material world is
the puruṣa-avatāra known as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu or Paramātmā. Brahmā is
the deity of rajas (passion), and Śiva of ignorance. They are the three
departmental heads of the three qualities of this material world.
Creation is made possible by the goodness of Viṣṇu, and when it
requires to be destroyed, Lord Śiva does it by the tāṇḍavanṛtya. The
materialists and the foolish human beings worship Brahmā and Śiva
respectively. But the pure transcendentalists worship the form of
goodness, Viṣṇu, in His various forms. Viṣṇu is manifested by His
millions and billions of integrated forms and separated forms. The
integrated forms are called Godhead, and the separated forms are called
the living entities or the jīvas. Both the jīvas and Godhead have their
original spiritual forms. Jīvas are sometimes subjected to the control
of material energy, but the Viṣṇu forms are always controllers of this
energy. When Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead, appears in the material
world, He comes to deliver the conditioned living beings who are under
the material energy. Such living beings appear in the material world
with intentions of being lords, and thus they become entrapped by the
three modes of nature. As such, the living entities have to change
their material coverings for undergoing different terms of
imprisonment. The prison house of the material world is created by
Brahmā under instruction of the Personality of Godhead, and at the
conclusion of a kalpa the whole thing is destroyed by Śiva. But as far
as maintenance of the prison house is concerned, it is done by Viṣṇu,
as much as the state prison house is maintained by the state. Anyone,
therefore, who wishes to get out of this prison house of material
existence, which is full of miseries like repetition of birth, death,
disease and old age, must please Lord Viṣṇu for such liberation. Lord
Viṣṇu is worshiped by devotional service only, and if anyone has to
continue prison life in the material world, he may ask for relative
facilities for temporary relief from the different demigods like Śiva,
Brahmā, Indra and Varuṇa. No demigod, however, can release the
imprisoned living being from the conditioned life of material
existence. This can be done only by Viṣṇu. Therefore, the ultimate
benefit may be derived from Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.23
It
has just been explained that one should perform bhakti alone rather
than karma or jñāna. Similarly one should worship Bhagavān alone,
giving up worship of the devatās. That Lord, though one, appears in
many forms as avatāra for pastimes. Thus the Tenth Canto says
bahu-mūrty-eka-mūrtikam: he is one form and many forms. (SB 10.40.7)
The avatāras are of two types: those which are related to the cit-śakti
and those related to the māyā-śakti. Those which are related to the
cit-śakti, such as Matsya and Kūrma are to be worshipped. Those which
are related to the māyā-śakti, through sattva, rajas and tamas, are
Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva. Among them, Viṣṇu is to be worshipped. That is
stated in this verse.
Even though there is only one puruṣa or
ādi-puruṣa in this universe, for creation, maintenance and destruction
(sthity-ādaye) of the universe (asya), the Lord, joined with sattva,
rajas and tamas, accepts the names Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva. The sandhi
in hareti is poetic license. The Lord is described as parama (beyond)
because though he is linked with the guṇas, by his inconceivable energy
he is situated separately from them, untouched by them. Among those
forms, Viṣṇu will bestow the desired results to the devotees
(śreyāṁsi). Viṣṇu is addressed as sattva-tanoḥ. By seeing verse 25 in
this chapter this can only mean that Viṣṇu possesses a body of
viśuddha-sattva, not material sattva. Otherwise there would be a
contradiction to other statements in śruti and smṛti :
Sākṣī cetā kevalo nirguṇaś ca
Viṣṇu is the one conscious witness, beyond the guṇas. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.11
Sattvādayo na santīśe yatra ca prākṛtā gunā
In Viṣṇu there are no material guṇas. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.9.44
Harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
Viṣṇu is devoid of the guṇas; he is the person beyond matter. SB 10.88.5
Though
Viṣṇu is involved with the material sattva-guṇa, he is not at all
contaminated by it. Viṣṇu would not take up a material body of sattva,
since sattva has the qualities of revelation or knowledge and
indifference to enjoyment. Sattva should not eclipse the spiritual
manifestation of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Rajas is agitating and
causes addition (creation); and tamas is obscuring and causes
subtraction (destruction). Thus rajas and tamas will disturb and cover
bliss. Thus Brahma and Śiva accept bodies of rajas and tamas because
those guṇas eclipse bliss. They have bodies composed of guṇas, whereas
Viṣṇu does not. This is the logical explanation.
Viṣṇu is
without guṇas since by being the manifest form of sattva, he accepts
proximity to sattva. Thus he carries the function of protecting the
universe but does this with no contamination of the qualities of
material sattva. One cannot say that his existence beyond the guṇas is
negated by his participation in the world, because he does not possess
material sattva by relationship of contact or inherence. He is situated
in sattva only by being next to it. It should be understood however
that his protection of the devotees does not arise from sattva but from
śuddha-sattva of his svarūpa.
Brahmā is a jīva, since he is
Hiraṇyagarbha (with a material body made of mahat-tattva). The
distinction between the supreme brahman and Brahmā is based on the
context of descriptions of Brahmā, just as the identity of brahman is
confirmed the context. Netaro ’nupapatter: the supreme brahman is not a
jīva by the context of the discussion in Upaniṣads. Only because of the
powers conferred by the supreme Lord on Brahmā situated in rajas, he is
considered an avatāra.
bhāsvān yathāśma-śakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ
svīyam kiyat prakaṭayaty api tadvad atra |
brahmā ya eṣa jagad-aṇḍa-vidhāna-kartā
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi ||
I
worship the supreme lord Govinda who becomes Brahmā, the creator of the
universe (by bestowing his powers to that jīva), just as the sun
displays a small portion of its powers of heat and light in all the sun
stones which represent it. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.49
Because Śiva is not a jīva, he is considered to be the Supreme Lord associated with the guṇas. Thus it is said:
kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt
sañjāyate na hi tataḥ pṛthag asti hetoḥ |
yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi ||
I
worship the supreme lord Govinda who becomes the form of Śiva who is
said to be non-different from Govinda, but who is also different
because of his contact with the transformations of prakṛti, just as
milk becomes yogurt, which can be said to be non-different from its
cause, but acts in a different manner. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.45
Some
say that, of Brahmā and Śiva, Śiva is īśvara or the supreme lord.
Others say that he is connected with the guṇas. They explain as
follows. It should be understood that yoga means connection by
proximity, by contact and by supervision. The puruṣa, connected with
the guṇas only as the supervisor, is devoid of guṇas, being situated in
his svarūpa. Brahmā and Śiva however are connected to rajas and tamas
by contact, and therefore called sa-guṇa, endowed with the guṇas.[13]
Being related to sattva-guṇa only by proximity, the puruṣa in the form
of Kśīrodakaśāyī-viṣṇu is devoid of guṇas, being situated in his
svarūpa. Thus it is said:
yogo niyāmakatayā guṇaiḥ sambandha ucyate |
ataḥ sa tair na yujyate tatra svāṁśaḥ parasya yaḥ ||
The
relationship of the puruṣa with the guṇas is that of being their
controller. Among the three, he who is the svāṁśa of svayaṁ-rūpa Kṛṣṇa,
is not bound by the guṇas. Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.2.18
Jiva's tika ||1.2.23||
sattvam rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair yuktaḥ parama-puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte |
sthity-ādaye hari-virinci-hareti samjnāḥ śreyāmsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nriiṇām syuḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The one supreme puruṣa, accepting the guṇas of prakṛti known as sattva,
rajas and tamas, for creation, maintenance and destruction, is called
Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva. The best results for the devotees will come
from Viṣṇu with śuddhasattva body.
Bhakti Sandarbha 18:
In
this way, it is concluded that one should give up efforts in karma,
jnāna and vairāgya and perform bhakti to the Lord. One should also not
worship devatās, which is part of karma, what to speak of worshipping
other living entities. This is explained in seven verses. Brahmā and
Śiva should not be worshipped by persons desiring the highest goal.
Though they are guṇāvatāras of the Lord, they are not directly
Parabrahman like Viṣṇu. They lack the advantage of pure sattva, and
have a prominence of rajas and tamas.
Paramātmā Sandarbha 12:
Though
there is one supreme person, when related to the guṇas, he accepts
designations as Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva. That means he appears as these
three persons. Though he accepts these designations among them, the
best results (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa and bhakti) arise from Viṣṇu,
the deity in charge of sattva (sattva-tanoḥ).
The meaning is
this. When Brahmā and Śiva are worshipped out of great foolishness by a
person with material coverings, dharma, artha and kāma, which
arise
from rajas and tamas, do not give much happiness. When these Brahmā and
Śiva are worshipped by a person without material conceptions, the
person can gain liberation--but not directly and not immediately. By
repeatedly searching out and discovering that these forms are amśas of
Paramātmā, liberation arises-from Paramātmā. Brahmā and Śiva do not
give the best results since they do not reveal directly the form of
Paramātmā.
Worshipping Viṣṇu with material ideas, dharma,
artha and kāma give happiness since sattva brings about auspiciousness.
However, worshipping Viṣṇu without material desires (niṣkāma--without
artha, dharma and kāma) produces liberation, since it is said sattva
sanjāyate jnānam: knowledge arises from sattva. (BG 14.17) Kaivalyam
sāttvikam jnānam: knowledge concerning the jīva apart from the body is
in sattva. (SB 11.25.24)
Skanda Purāṇa says:
bandhako bhava-pāśena bhava-pāśāc ca mocakaḥ kaivalyadaḥ param brahma viṣṇur eva sanātanaḥ
Viṣṇu
binds the jīvas with the ropes of the material world and liberates the
jīva from the same ropes. Eternal Viṣṇu, the supreme Brahman, is the
giver of liberation.
But by completely giving up designations
(being without upādhi), the fifth goal, bhakti appears, since the Lord
appears in the form of Paramātmā. Thus all auspicious results are
obtained from Viṣṇu.
TEXT - SB 1.2.24
pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas
tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ
tamasas tu rajas tasmāt
sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam
SYNONYMS
pārthivāt—from
earth; dāruṇaḥ—firewood; dhūmaḥ—smoke; tasmāt—from that; agniḥ—fire;
trayī—Vedic sacrifices; mayaḥ—made of; tamasaḥ—in the mode of
ignorance; tu—but; rajaḥ—the mode of passion; tasmāt—from that;
sattvam—the mode of goodness; yat—which; brahma—the Absolute Truth;
darśanam—realization.
TRANSLATION
Firewood is a
transformation of earth, but smoke is better than the raw wood. And
fire is still better, for by fire we can derive the benefits of
superior knowledge [through Vedic sacrifices]. Similarly, passion
[rajas] is better than ignorance [tamas], but goodness [sattva] is best
because by goodness one can come to realize the Absolute Truth.
PURPORT
As
explained above, one can get release from the conditioned life of
material existence by devotional service to the Personality of Godhead.
It is further comprehended herein that one has to rise to the platform
of the mode of goodness (sattva) so that one can be eligible for the
devotional service of the Lord. But if there are impediments on the
progressive path, anyone, even from the platform of tamas, can
gradually rise to the sattva platform by the expert direction of the
spiritual master. Sincere candidates must, therefore, approach an
expert spiritual master for such a progressive march, and the bona
fide, expert spiritual master is competent to direct a disciple from
any stage of life: tamas, rajas or sattva.
It is a mistake,
therefore, to consider that worship of any quality or any form of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally beneficial. Except Viṣṇu, all
separated forms are manifested under the conditions of material energy,
and therefore the forms of material energy cannot help anyone to rise
to the platform of sattva, which alone can liberate a person from
material bondage.
The uncivilized state of life, or the life of
the lower animals, is controlled by the mode of tamas. The civilized
life of man, with a passion for various types of material benefits, is
the stage of rajas. The rajas stage of life gives a slight clue to the
realization of the Absolute Truth in the forms of fine sentiments in
philosophy, art and culture with moral and ethical principles, but the
mode of sattva is a still higher stage of material quality, which
actually helps one in realizing the Absolute Truth. In other words,
there is a qualitative difference between the different kinds of
worshiping methods as well as the respective results derived from the
predominating deities, namely Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Hara.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.24
Tamas,
rajas and sattva have the respective qualities of obscuring, agitating
and revealing knowledge. Of these sattva is the best because it is not
unfavorable for śuddha-sattva. This is shown through an example.
Superior to wood — which is devoid of the quality of action and unable
to reveal its nature (being unconscious) — is smoke. Smoke has an
active nature. Superior to smoke however is fire, which has the
qualities of action and revelation. It is called trayīmayaḥ (related to
the Vedas) because it is used in rituals mentioned in the Vedas. Rajas,
which is agitating, is superior to tamas which is inert. Sattva, being
devoid of inertia and agitation, is superior since it gives a vision of
brahman.
sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṁ rajaso lobha eva ca
pramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato ’jñānam eva ca
Knowledge arises from sattva. Greed arises from rajas. Inattention, confusion and ignorance arise from tamas. BG 14.17
It
is not obstructive to śuddha-sattva and does not cover it. It does not
interfere with seeing brahman. It is thus an assistant in spiritual
life. Without bhakti however, seeing the Lord (or even impersonal
brahman) is impossible. This is confirmed later in the Bhāgavatam.
It
is said of the Lord’s form ānando brahmaṇo rūpam: the supreme lord has
a form of bliss. The guṇas of māyā - tamas, rajas and sattva - cannot
act independently of him. Māyā paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamānā: māyā
flees from the Lord, being ashamed. (SB 2.7.47) Thus it is by the will
of the lord, by his touch alone, that ānanda becomes qualified by
agitation in the form of Brahmā. Being qualified by revelation, ānanda
becomes Viṣṇu and being qualified with obscuration, ānanda becomes
Śiva. Since there is no damage when ānanda is combined with revelation
(sattva), Viṣṇu is worthy of worship.
Because one can realize
fire through wood but not through smoke, tamas should be considered
superior to rajas. In deep sleep (tamas) one has realization of oneness
with ātmā. Thus some persons argue that between Brahmā and Śiva, Śiva
is better.
These three are equal in that they are all avatāras
of the Lord. They are unequal in that Viṣṇu is not covered by the
guṇas, whereas Brahmā and Śiva are. This is how the contrary statements
of difference and non-difference of the Purāṇas can be harmonized.
The
śruti says asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ: the ātmā is not contaminated by the
guṇas. (Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.3.15) Though both Paramātmā and
jīvātmā are by their constitution devoid of the guṇas, because
Paramātmā is the supreme lord, an ocean of cit, because he is
independent in his actions, he remains ātmārāma, self enjoying, not
subject to birth in the world, without diminution of his knowledge of
himself, even though, by his will, he contacts the guṇas and thus is in
possession the effects of the guṇas such as anger. However the jīva,
because he is only a particle of cit, having very little ability of
knowledge and because he is controlled by the Lord and not independent,
and has very little power, he loses his knowledge of his real nature
and takes birth in this world by contacting the guṇas where the guṇas
act upon him.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.24||
pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ |
tamasas tu rajas tasmāt sattvam yad brahma-darśanam ||
TRANSLATION
Smoke is superior to dull wood, and fire, sacred to the Vedas, is
superior to smoke. Similarly rajas is superior to tamas, and sattva is
superior to rajas, since it is favorable for realizing the Lord.
Paramātma Sandarbha 13:
Some
rebellious persons resist this conclusion, based on statements saying
that the three are non-different. To that we answer as follows. Though
they are in different positions (in regards to guṇas) one supreme
puruṣa is the controller.
Thus it is impossible to take them as different. Such statements of non-difference are true in that sense.
But
difference is unavoidable, because Brahmā and Śiva are different by
being indirect means of realizing Brahman compared to Viṣṇu who is the
direct means of liberation. An example is given. Smoke from fire is
superior to the wood (dāruṇaḥ), used to kindle the fire for sacrifice,
which is inert like earth (pārthivān), and not related to fire like
smoke. It is devoid of manifesting action related to Vedic duties.
Smoke is related to the Vedas in that it is to a greater degree the
place of appearance of Vedic duties-- more than wood. Superior to the
smoke is the fire, directly the place of Vedic actions. Similarly
rajoguṇa endowed with some sattva, represented by smoke, which enables
one to see Brahman (brahma-darśanam) is superior to tamoguṇa, remote
from sattva-guṇa, represented by wood. Rajoguṇa allows one to see
Brahman in the sense that it reveals the Vedic actions, which represent
the appearance of the Lord. The word tu indicates that, compared to
tamas, which is fully destructive, rajas gives a slight understanding
of Brahman in the form of a slight manifestation of shadow qualities,
since rajas is the cause of covered jnāna. Complete realization of
Brahman is not possible since rajas causes agitation. Sattva,
represented by the fire, is directly the means of seeing Brahman: it is
the means of realizing the form and qualities of Brahman directly since
sattva is pure and peaceful by nature.
Thus, Brahmā and Śiva are indirect means of attaining the Lord and Viṣṇu is the direct means. Vāmana Purāṇa says:
brahma-viṣṇv-īśa-rūpāṇi
trīṇi viṣṇor mahātmanaḥ brahmaṇi brahma-rūpaḥ sa śiva-rūpaḥ śive
sthitaḥ pṛthag eva sthito devo viṣṇu-rūpī janārdanaḥ
The three
forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva arise from the great Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu takes
the form of Brahmā within Brahmā and the form of Śiva within Śiva. The
form of Viṣṇu is however situated separately.
śivaḥ śakti-yutaḥ śaśvat tri-lingo guṇa-samvṛtaḥ vaikārikas taijasaś ca tāmasaś cety aham tridhā
Śiva
is always united with his personal energy, material nature. Manifesting
himself in three features in response to the entreaties of nature’s
three modes, he thus embodies the threefold principle of material ego
in goodness, passion and ignorance.
tato vikārā abhavan ṣodaśāmīṣu kancana upadhāvan vibhūtīnām sarvāsām aśnute gatim
The
sixteen elements have evolved as transformations of that false ego.
When a devotee of Śiva worships his manifestation in any one of these
elements, the devotee obtains all sorts of corresponding enjoyable
opulences.
harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ sa sarva-dṛg upadraṣṭā tam bhajan nirguṇo bhavet
The
Lord, however, has no connection with the material modes. He is the
Supreme Lord, the all-seeing eternal witness, who is transcendental to
material nature. One who worships him becomes similarly free from the
material modes. (SB 10.88.3-5)
Śruti also says:
puruṣo ha vai narayano 'kamayata. atha narayanād ajo 'jayata. yatah prajāh sarvani bhutani
The
puruṣa, who is Viṣṇu, desired. Then from Nārāyaṇa Brahmā was born. From
Brahmā came all the living beings. Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad
nārāyaṇaḥ param brahma tattvam nārāyaṇaḥ param ṛtam satyam param brahma puruṣam kṛṣṇa-pingalam
Nārāyaṇa
(the puruṣāvatāra) is the supreme Brahman. Nārāyaṇa is the real object.
The supreme Brahman is eternal truth. He is a person with a dark
complexion. (Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad)
eko narayana asin na
brahmā na ca śankarah. sa munir bhutva samacintayat tata eva vyajāyanta
viśvo hiraṇyagarbho 'gnir varuṇa-rudrendrah
One Nārāyaṇa
(Paramātmā) existed in the beginning. Brahmā and Śiva did not exist.
Being silent, he meditated. From him arose the universe, Brahmā, Agni,
Varuṇa, Śiva and Indra. (Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad)
It is clear that
Viṣṇu is to be worshipped in the inspection of the three fire altars.
Difference is accepted in the anukramaṇika-sutras. Only oneness is
considered as Soma, Dattta and Durvāsā.
Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇi 10.89.20:
Since
Bhāgavatam clearly shows the supreme position of Viṣṇu, the faults
proclaimed in other scriptures if one sees difference between Viṣṇu and
Śiva are the opinions of non-Vaiṣṇavas, since those scriptures are not
for Vaiṣṇavas. The opposite is stated in Vaiṣṇava scriptures.
yas tu nārāyaṇam devam brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvenaiva vīkṣeta sa pāṣaṇdī bhaved dhruvam
One who considers Nārāyaṇa on a level with great devatās like Brahmā and Śiva is immediately listed among nonbelievers.
In
Viṣṇu-dharmottara there is the story of Viṣvaksena, a devotee brāhmaṇa.
While wandering the earth he met by good fortune a head of a village.
deva-karmaṇy
aśaktir me tāta pujaya sangakaram devatāyanatam gatvā yatra tāta
pratiṣṭhitam lingam asti susreśasya mahādevasya nirmalam evam uktaḥ
praty uvāca vayam ekāntinaḥ śrutāḥ pūjayāmaś ca naivānyam tasmāt tvam
gaccha māciram
I cannot perform worship. You should worship
Śiva . Go to his temple where there is a pure linga of Śiva installed.
When he said this, the brāhmaṇa said, “I am a devoted brāhmaṇa. I do
not worship anyone except Viṣṇu. Therefore you should go to that temple
without delay.”
The son of the village leader was about to cut
off the head of Viṣvaksena. Not desiring to die by his hand, Viṣvaksena
then began to consider. “Let it be. I will go.” Going to the linga, he
offered flowers while saying “Respects to Narasimha.” Hearing this, the
son again wanted to cut off his head. Nṛsimha burst out of the linga
and cut off the heads of the village leader’s son and his followers.
In
Skanda Purāṇa, Śiva says śiva-śāstreṣu tad grāhyam bhagavat-śāstra-yogi
yat: one should accept from the scriptures dealing with Śiva what does
not contradict the scriptures dealing with Bhagavān.
Paramātman Sandarbha 17:
sankhyam yogaś ca sanātane dve vedāś ca sarve nikhile 'pi rājan sarvaiḥ samastair ṛṣibhir nirukto nārāyaṇo viśvam idam purāṇam
O king! Sānkhya, yoga and all the Vedas are eternal. All the sages proclaim Nārāyaṇa.
Bhakti Sandarbha 106: yas tu viṣṇum parityajya mohād anyam upāsate |
sa hema-rāśim utsṛjya pāmśu-rāśim jighṛkṣati ||
One
who gives up Viṣṇu and out of illusion worships someone else is like a
person who gives up a pile of gold and accepts a pile of dust.
(Mahābhārata)
avismitam tam paripūrṇa-kāmam svenaiva lābhena samam praśāntam vinopasarpaty aparam hi bāliśaḥ śva-lāngulenātititarti sindhum
The
great fool who tries to cross the ocean of samsāra by holding onto a
dog’s tail approaches anyone except the Lord, for whom nothing is
astonishing to accomplish, who is full in his desires with a perfect
form, and who is gentle with his devotees. (SB 6.9.22)
Hari-vamśa says:
harir ekaḥ sadā dhyeyo bhavadbhiḥ sattva-samṣrayaiḥ viṣnum-mantram sadā viprāḥ paṭhadhvam dhyāta keśavam
Only
Viṣṇu should be the object of meditation for you who have taken shelter
of sattva. The brāhmaṇas should recite Viṣṇu mantras and meditate on
Viṣṇu.
Bhakti Sandarbha 106: anupanīta-śatam ekam ekenopanītena tat-samam |
upanīta-śatam ekam ekena gṛhasthena tat-samam |
gṛhastha-śatam ekam ekena vānaprasthena tat samam |
vānaprastha-śatam ekam ekena yatinā tat samam |
yatīnām tu śatam pūrṇam ekam ekena rudra-jāpakena tat-samam |
rudra-jāpaka-śatam ekam ekena atharva-śiraḥ-śikhādhyāpakena tat-samam |
atharvaśiraḥ-śikhādhyāpaka-śatam ekam ekena tāpanīyopaniṣad-adhyāpakena tat-samam |
tāpanīyopaniṣad-adhyāpaka-śatam ekam ekena mantrarājādhyāpakena tat-samam |
A
person with a sacred thread is worth one hundred without a thread. One
householder is equal to a hundred persons with threads. One vanaprastha
is equal to a hundred householders. One sannyāsī is equal to a hundred
vanaprasthas. One worshipper of Śiva is equal to a hundred sannyāsīs.
One knower of the atharva-śira is equal to a hundred Śiva worshippers.
One who studies the Nṛsimha-tāpanī Upaniṣad is equal to a hundred
persons who study the atharvaśiras. One who chants the Nṛsimha mantra
is equal to a hundred students of the Upaniṣad. (Nṛsimha-tāpanī
Upaniṣad 5.8)
janmāntarasahasreṣu samārādhya vṛṣadhvajam vaiṣṇavatvam labhed dhīmān sarvvapāpakṣaye sat
The intelligent person who worships Viṣṇu for a thousand births becomes a devotee and destroys all sins. Varāha Purāṇa
trayāṇām eka-bhāvānām yo na paśyati vai bhidām sarva-bhūtātmanām brahman sa śāntim adhigacchati
One
who does not consider Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva or the living entities in
general to be separate from the Supreme, and who knows Brahman,
actually realizes peace; others do not. (SB 4.7.54)
Compared to Viṣṇu, others are not independent.
sṛjāmi tan-niyukto ’ham haro harati tad-vaśaḥ |
viśvam puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti tri-śakti-dhṛk ||
I
create under his order, and Śiva destroys under his order. Holding his
three energies, he protects the universe as the Paramātmā. (SB 2.6.32)
brahmā bhavo ’ham api yasya kalāḥ kalāyāḥ
Great devatās like Brahmā and Śiva, and even the goddess of fortune and I, are simply parts of his parts. (SB 10.68.37)
yac-chauca-niḥsṛta-sarit-pravarodakena
tīrthena mūrdhny adhikṛtena śivaḥ śivo ’bhūt dhyātur
manaḥ-śamala-śaila-nisṛṣṭa-vajram dhyāyec ciram bhagavataś
caraṇāravindam
One should meditate continually upon the
Lord’s lotus feet from which the Gangā flows and gives extra blessings
to Lord Śiva on his head, and whose thunderbolt is released upon
mountains of sin in the meditator’s mind. (SB 3.28.22)
śivasya śrī-viṣṇor ya iha guṇa-nāmādi-sakalam dhiyā bhinnam paśyet sa khalu hari-nāmāhita-karaḥ
The person who sees non-different between Śiva and Viṣnu is an offender to the name. (Padma Purāṇa)
The
word śrī with Viṣṇu indicates that Viṣṇu is endowed with all śaktis.
Since Visṇu is all pervading, his name is non-different from him. One
who thinks that Śiva’s qualities are independent (bhinnam) of Viṣṇu is
an offender.
na te mayy acyute ’je ca bhidām aṇv api cakṣate nātmanaś ca janasyāpi tad yuṣmān vayam īmahi
These
devotees do not differentiate between Viṣṇu, Brahmā and me, nor do they
differentiate between themselves and other living beings. But
surpassing that conception we worship you pure Vaiṣṇavas. (SB
12.10.20-22)
Surpassing them (tat), we worship you--Mārkaṇdeya and others, who are pure Vaiṣṇavas.
Śiva speaks to the Pracetas:
atha bhāgavatā yūyam priyāḥ stha bhagavān yathā na mad bhāgavatānām ca preyān anyo ’sti karhicit
You
devotees are dear to me just as the Supreme Lord is dear to me. The
devotees hold me dear, just as they hold the Lord dear. (SB 4.24.30)
Śiva describes Mārkaṇdeya as a pure Vaiṣṇava:
naivecchaty āśiṣaḥ kvāpi brahmarṣir mokṣam apy uta bhaktim parām bhagavati labdhavān puruṣe ’vyaye
Surely
this saintly brāhmaṇa does not desire any benediction, not even
liberation, for he has attained pure devotional service unto the
inexhaustible Lord. (SB 12.10.6)
Because Śiva appeared in his
heart, Mārkaṇdeya speaks of Śiva as non-different from the Lord when
his samādhi breaks. (SB 12.10.13) In the end, Śiva distinguishes the
Lord from himself.(SB 12.10.20)
In śruti it is said:
yam kāmaye tam ugram kṛṇomi tam brahāṇam tam ṛṣim tam sumedhām
I make whomever I desire into Śiva; I make whomever I desire into Brahmā or a sage. (Ṛg Veda 10.125.05.2)
Therefore there is no fault in worshipping Brahmā and Śiva as servants of Viṣṇu.
Sa
ādi-devo jagatām paro guru: Brahmā is the original devatā, the
instructor of bhakti for the world. (SB 2.9.5) And Śiva is the greatest
Vaiṣṇava, greater than Brahmā: vaiṣṇavānām yathā śambhuḥ. (SB 12.13.16)
tataḥ sampūjya śirasā vavande parameṣṭhinam bhavam prajāpatīn devān
prahrādo bhagavat-kalāḥ
Prahlāda, a portion of the Lord, then worshiped the Prajāpatis, Brahmā, and Śiva, and bowed down with his head. (SB 7.10.32)
Yudhiṣṭhira said:
kratu-rājena govinda rājasūyena pāvanīḥ yakṣye vibhūtīr bhavatas tat sampādaya naḥ prabho
O
Govinda, I desire to worship your auspicious, opulent expansions by the
Rājasūya sacrifice, the king of Vedic ceremonies. Please make our
endeavor a success, my Lord. (SB 10.72.3)
Because of worshipping Śiva as an independent form, his followers could notavoid Bḥṛgu’s curse:
tasyaivam vadataḥ śāpam śrutvā dvija-kulāya vai bhṛguḥ pratyasṛjac chāpam brahma-daṇdam duratyayam
When
Nandīśvara had spoken, Bhṛgu, hearing the curse, uttered a brāhmaṇa’s
curse in response, on behalf of the brāhmaṇas, which was difficult to
avoid.
bhava-vrata-dharā ye ca ye ca tān samanuvratāḥ
pāṣaṇdinas te bhavantu sac-chāstra-paripanthinaḥ
Let
those who take vows to satisfy Lord Śiva and who follows such persons
become heretics and become obstacles to the genuine scriptures. (SB
4.2.27-28)
Bhava-vrata means those who worship Śiva according
to the Vedas. The word pāṣaṇda already has been applied to those not
following the Vedas. The curse applies to even those following the
Vedas. Thus it is a fault to worship Śiva independently since
Bhāgavatam mentions in the same section that the Lord is the root of
the Vedas.
Attaining the Lord by independent worship of devatās is denied in the Gītā:
ye ’py anya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ |
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam ||
Those who are devoted to other gods and with faith worship them worship me by the wrong method, O son of Kuntī.
aham hi sarva-yajnānām bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca |
na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaś cyavanti te ||
I am the enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Those who do not know me as such continue to take birth.
yānti deva-vratā devān pitriin yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ |
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām ||
The
worshippers of the devatās go to the devatās, and the worshippers of
the Pitṛs go to the Pitṛs. The worshippers of ghosts go to the ghosts,
and worshippers of me come to me. (BG 9.23-25)
Some good qualities arise by worshipping the followers of the Lord (devatās). It is also an offense to disrespect them.
Padma Purāṇa says:
harir eva sadārādhyaḥ sarva-deveśvareśvaraḥ |
itare brahma-rudrādyā nāvajneyāḥ kadācana ||
The supreme Lord should always be worshipped. One should not disrespect Brahmā, Śiva and others.
yo mām samarcayen nityam ekāntam bhāvam āśritaḥ |
vinindan devam īśānam sa yāti narakam dhruvam ||
He who worships me constantly with pure devotion but criticizes Śiva goes to hell for certain. (Kūrma Purāṇa )
Gautamīya-tantra says:
gopālam pūjayed yas tu nindayed anya-devatām |
astu tāvat paro dharmaḥ pūrva-dharmo’pi naśyati ||
If
a person who worships Kṛṣṇa criticizes the devatās whatever dharma he
has accomplished is destroyed, what to speak of attaining dharma in the
future.
hayaśīrṣā mām pathi deva-helanāt
May Hayagrīva protect me from disrespecting the devatās when going on a path. (SB 6.8.17)
It is a great fault to disrespect Śiva. Nandīśvara gave a curse in the Fourth Canto:
vidyā-buddhir avidyāyām karmamayyām asau jadaḥ samsarantv iha ye cāmum anu śarvāvamāninam
The
curses are suitable because he takes ignorance in the form of karma as
knowledge, and he is foolish. Let those who follow Dakṣa, who insulted
Śiva, take repeated birth and death in this world. (SB 4.2.24)
For more information on this one should consult Paramātmā and Bhakti Sandarbhas. Paramātmā Sandarbha 13:
It is said in Brahma-samhitā:
bhāsvān yathāśma-śakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ svīyam kiyat prakaṭayaty api tadvad atra |
brahmā ya eṣa jagad-aṇda-vidhāna-kartā govindam ādi-puruṣam tam aham bhajāmi ||
I worship the Supreme Lord Govinda who becomes Brahmā, the creator of the
universe
(by bestowing his powers to that jīva), just as the sun displays a
small portion of its powers of heat and light in all the sun stones
which represent it.
kṣīram yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt sanjāyate na hi tataḥ pṛthag asti hetoḥ |
yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād govindam ādi-puruṣam tam aham bhajāmi ||
I
worship the Supreme Lord Govinda who becomes the form of Śiva who is
said to be non-different from Govinda, but who is also different
because of his contact with the transformations of prakṛti, just as
milk becomes yogurt, which can be said to be non-different from its
cause, but acts in a different manner.
dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya dīpāyate vivṛta-hetu-samāna-dharmā |
yas tādṛg eva hi ca viṣṇutayā vibhāti govindam ādi-puruṣam tam aham bhajāmi ||
I
worship the Supreme Lord Govinda who expands as Kṣīrodakaśāyī-viṣṇu
(through Mahāviṣṇu and Garbodakaśāyī-viṣṇu), who is non-different from
him, just as a large lamp lights up a second lamp, which lights up a
third lamp -which illuminates with the same quality of light as the
original lamp.
One should not think that Brahman becomes
directly transformed though the word vikāra is used in the verse
explaining Śiva, since direct transformation of Brahman is rejected in
all cases.
Ṣrutes tu śabda-mūlavāt: the defects of the agent
do not apply to Brahman because of scriptural statements, which are the
only proof concerning inconceivable subjects. Brahma-sūtra 2.1.27
It is said:
bṛhad
upalabdham etad avayanty avaśeṣatayā yata udayāstam-ayau vikṛter mṛdi
vāvikṛtāt ata ṛṣayo dadhus tvayi mano-vacanācaritam katham ayathā
bhavanti bhuvi datta-padāni nṛṇām
Some define you as matter
since it remains after destruction of the universe. It is like the
transformation of clay into a pot. Some śrutis testify that the
universe appears and disappears while Brahman remains unchanged. Some
of the śrutis
take you to be the mind, words and actions
of this world, but, by indicating you in terms of material objects like
pots, such a statement appears to be ignorance to us. (SB 10.87.15)
The
three examples given in Brahma-samhitā should be understood as follows.
The sun, representing the Lord, reveals himself a little in the sun
stone, which represents Brahmā. The Lord, represented by milk, is not
fully present in the person known as Śiva, who is represented by
yogurt. However the Lord (original flame) is fully revealed in the form
of Viṣṇu (guṇāvatāra) represented by a second flame.
TEXT - SB 1.2.25
bhejire munayo 'thāgre
bhagavantam adhokṣajam
sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ kṣemāya
kalpante ye 'nu tān iha
SYNONYMS
bhejire—rendered
service unto; munayaḥ—the sages; atha—thus; agre—previously;
bhagavantam—unto the Personality of Godhead; adhokṣajam—the
Transcendence; sattvam—existence; viśuddham—above the three modes of
nature; kṣemāya—to derive the ultimate benefit; kalpante—deserve;
ye—those; anu—follow; tān—those; iha—in this material world.
TRANSLATION
Previously
all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead
due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They
worshiped Him to become free from material conditions and thus derive
the ultimate benefit. Whoever follows such great authorities is also
eligible for liberation from the material world.
PURPORT
The
purpose of performing religion is neither to profit by material gain
nor to get the simple knowledge of discerning matter from spirit. The
ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from
material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental
world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. Laws of
religion, therefore, are directly enacted by the Personality of
Godhead, and except for the mahājanas, or the authorized agents of the
Lord, no one knows the purpose of religion. There are twelve particular
agents of the Lord who know the purpose of religion, and all of them
render transcendental service unto Him. Persons who desire their own
good may follow these mahājanas and thus attain the supreme benefit.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.25
Thus
(ataḥ), the sages in ancient times worshipped the Supreme Lord, who is
viśuddha-sattva. Viśuddha-sattva means having a body composed of the
cit-śakti arising from his svarūpa (not material sattva), because the
śruti says vidyāvidyābhyāṁ bhinnam: the Lord is neither material
knowledge (sattva) nor ignorance. (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 2.20)
Furthermore the smṛti says chāyātapau yatra na gṛdhra-pakṣau: in the
Lord there is no ignorance or knowledge which causes prejudice towards
the jīva. (SB 8.5.27) satya-jñānānantānanda-mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ: the
viṣṇu-mūrtis all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and
bliss and existing beyond the influence of time. (SB 10.13.54) Because
the body of Viṣṇu is beyond māyā, one cannot say that viśuddha-sattva
means the vidyā arising from māyā-śakti. The persons who follow after
(anu) these sages are qualified for liberation (kṣemāya) in this world
(iha).
Jiva's tika ||1.2.25||
bhejire munayo ’thāgre bhagavantam adhokṣajam |
sattvam viśuddham kṣemāya kalpante ye ’nu tān iha ||
TRANSLATION
Therefore the ancient sages worshipped Supreme Lord, beyond the
material senses, composed of viśuddha-sattva. Those who follow the
sages attain liberation in this world.
Bhakti Sandarbha 18:
This
verse gives proof of the proper conduct in bhakti to the Lord: worship
of devatāṣ is rejected. The lord has a form which is viśuddha-sattva,
beyond material sattva. This is explained in Bhagavat Sandarbha.
TEXT - SB 1.2.26
mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān
hitvā bhūta-patīn atha
nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā
bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ
SYNONYMS
mumukṣavaḥ—persons
desiring liberation; ghora—horrible, ghastly; rūpān—forms like that;
hitvā—rejecting; bhūta-patīn—demigods; atha—for this reason;
nārāyaṇa—the Personality of Godhead; kalāḥ—plenary portions;
śāntāḥ—all-blissful; bhajanti—do worship; hi—certainly;
anasūyavaḥ—nonenvious.
TRANSLATION
Those who are serious
about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet
they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship
only the all-blissful forms of Lord Viṣṇu and His plenary portions.
PURPORT
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the original person of
the Viṣṇu categories, expands Himself in two different categories,
namely integrated plenary portions and separated parts and parcels. The
separated parts and parcels are the servitors, and the integrated
plenary portions of viṣṇu-tattvas are the worshipful objects of service.
All
demigods who are empowered by the Supreme Lord are also separated parts
and parcels. They do not belong to the categories of viṣṇu-tattva. The
viṣṇu-tattvas are living beings equally as powerful as the original
form of the Personality of Godhead, and They display different
categories of power in consideration of different times and
circumstances. The separated parts and parcels are powerful by
limitation. They do not have unlimited power like the viṣṇu-tattvas.
Therefore, one should never classify the viṣṇu-tattvas, or the plenary
portions of Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead, in the same
categories with the parts and parcels. If anyone does so he becomes at
once an offender by the name pāṣaṇḍī. In the age of Kali many foolish
persons commit such unlawful offenses and equalize the two categories.
The
separated parts and parcels have different positions in the estimation
of material powers, and some of them are like Kāla-bhairava,
Śmaśāna-bhairava, Śani, Mahākālī and Caṇḍikā. These demigods are
worshiped mostly by those who are in the lowest categories of the mode
of darkness or ignorance. Other demigods, like Brahmā, Śiva, Sūrya,
Gaṇeśa and many similar deities, are worshiped by men in the mode of
passion, urged on by the desire for material enjoyment. But those who
are actually situated in the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) of material
nature worship only viṣṇu-tattvas. Viṣṇu-tattvas are represented by
various names and forms, such as Nārāyaṇa, Dāmodara, Vāmana, Govinda
and Adhokṣaja.
The qualified brāhmaṇas worship the viṣṇu-tattvas
represented by the śālagrāma-śilā, and some of the higher castes like
the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas also generally worship the viṣṇu-tattvas.
Highly
qualified brāhmaṇas situated in the mode of goodness have no grudges
against the mode of worship of others. They have all respect for other
demigods, even though they may look ghastly, like Kāla-bhairava or
Mahākālī. They know very well that those horrible features of the
Supreme Lord are all different servitors of the Lord under different
conditions, yet they reject the worship of both horrible and attractive
features of the demigods, and they concentrate only on the forms of
Viṣṇu because they are serious about liberation from the material
conditions. The demigods, even to the stage of Brahmā, the supreme of
all the demigods, cannot offer liberation to anyone. Hiraṇyakaśipu
underwent a severe type of penance to become eternal in life, but his
worshipful deity, Brahmā, could not satisfy him with such blessings.
Therefore Viṣṇu, and none else, is called mukti-pāda, or the
Personality of Godhead who can bestow upon us mukti, liberation. The
demigods, being like other living entities in the material world, are
all liquidated at the time of the annihilation of the material
structure. They are themselves unable to get liberation, and what to
speak of giving liberation to their devotees. The demigods can award
the worshipers some temporary benefit only, and not the ultimate one.
It
is for this reason only that candidates for liberation deliberately
reject the worship of the demigods, although they have no disrespect
for any one of them.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.26
Bhūta-patīn
as well as meaning forms of Śiva, also indicates Pitṛs, Brahmā and
others. Anasūyavaḥ means they do not criticize those devatās.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.26||
mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān hitvā bhūta-patīn atha |
nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Rejecting the frightful forms Śiva or others devatās, persons desirous
of liberation (what to speak of the devotees), without criticizing
those devatās, worship the avatāras of Nārāyaṇa.
Bhakti Sandarbha 19:
Some
persons worship devatās such as Śiva. This is because they have
material desires. But persons desiring liberation do not worship them.
What to speak of persons dedicated solely to the highest goal through
bhakti.
TEXT - SB 1.2.27
rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ
sama-śīlā bhajanti vai
pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn
śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ
SYNONYMS
rajaḥ—the
mode of passion; tamaḥ—the mode of ignorance; prakṛtayaḥ—of that
mentality; sama-śīlāḥ—of the same categories; bhajanti—do worship;
vai—actually; pitṛ—the forefathers; bhūta—other living beings;
prajeśa-ādīn—controllers of cosmic administration; śriyā—enrichment;
aiśvarya—wealth and power; prajā—progeny; īpsavaḥ—so desiring.
TRANSLATION
Those
who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers,
other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic
activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited
with women, wealth, power and progeny.
PURPORT
There is
no need to worship demigods of whatsoever category if one is serious
about going back to Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20, 23) it is
clearly said that those who are mad after material enjoyment approach
the different demigods for temporary benefits, which are meant for men
with a poor fund of knowledge. We should never desire to increase the
depth of material enjoyment. Material enjoyment should be accepted only
up to the point of the bare necessities of life and not more or less
than that. To accept more material enjoyment means to bind oneself more
and more to the miseries of material existence. More wealth, more women
and false aristocracy are some of the demands of the materially
disposed man because he has no information of the benefit derived from
Viṣṇu worship. By Viṣṇu worship one can derive benefit in this life as
well as in life after death. Forgetting these principles, foolish
people who are after more wealth, more wives and more children worship
various demigods. The aim of life is to end the miseries of life and
not to increase them.
For material enjoyment there is no need to
approach the demigods. The demigods are but servants of the Lord. As
such, they are duty-bound to supply necessities of life in the form of
water, light, air, etc. One should work hard and worship the Supreme
Lord by the fruits of one's hard labor for existence, and that should
be the motto of life. One should be careful to execute occupational
service with faith in God in the proper way, and that will lead one
gradually on the progressive march back to Godhead.
Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, when He was personally present at Vrajadhāma, stopped the
worship of the demigod Indra and advised the residents of Vraja to
worship by their business and to have faith in God. Worshiping the
multidemigods for material gain is practically a perversity of
religion. This sort of religious activity has been condemned in the
very beginning of the Bhāgavatam as kaitava-dharma. There is only one
religion in the world to be followed by one and all, and that is the
Bhāgavata-dharma, or the religion which teaches one to worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and no one else.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.27
Prakṛtayaḥ
means (having the nature of). These natures are similar to those of the
Pitṛs, Śiva and other devatās. Śriyā, in the instrumental case, means
“along with wealth.”
Jiva's tika ||1.2.27||
rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ sama-śīlā bhajanti vai |
pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Desirers of progeny and power along with wealth, having natures of
rajas and tamas, corresponding to the natures of their deities, worship
the Pitṛs, Śiva, Brahmā and others.
Bhakti Sandarbha 20:
“A
person with material desires can worship Viṣṇu. Why does he worship the
devatās?” They have natures similar to the Pitṛs etc, since they have
natures of rajas and tamas. Because of similar natures they are
inclined to worship those devatās.
TEXT - SB 1.2.28-29
vāsudeva-parā vedā
vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ
vāsudeva-parā yogā
vāsudeva-parāḥ kriyāḥ
vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānaṁ
vāsudeva-paraṁ tapaḥ
vāsudeva-paro dharmo
vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ
SYNONYMS
vāsudeva—the
Personality of Godhead; parāḥ—the ultimate goal; vedāḥ—revealed
scriptures; vāsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; parāḥ—for worshiping;
makhāḥ—sacrifices; vāsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; parāḥ—the means
of attaining; yogāḥ—mystic paraphernalia; vāsudeva—the Personality of
Godhead; parāḥ—under His control; kriyāḥ—fruitive activities;
vāsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; param—the supreme;
jñānam—knowledge; vāsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; param—best;
tapaḥ—austerity; vāsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; paraḥ—superior
quality; dharmaḥ—religion; vāsudeva—the Personality of Godhead;
parāḥ—ultimate; gatiḥ—goal of life.
TRANSLATION
In the
revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the
Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to
please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are
ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all
severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is
rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life.
PURPORT
That
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is the only object of worship is
confirmed in these two ślokas. In the Vedic literature there is the
same objective: establishing one's relationship and ultimately reviving
our lost loving service unto Him. That is the sum and substance of the
Vedas. In the Bhagavad-gītā the same theory is confirmed by the Lord in
His own words: the ultimate purpose of the Vedas is to know Him only.
All the revealed scriptures are prepared by the Lord through His
incarnation in the body of Śrīla Vyāsadeva just to remind the fallen
souls, conditioned by material nature, of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of
Godhead. No demigod can award freedom from material bondage. That is
the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. Impersonalists who have no
information of the Personality of Godhead minimize the omnipotency of
the Supreme Lord and put Him on equal footing with all other living
beings, and for this act such impersonalists get freedom from material
bondage only with great difficulty. They can surrender unto Him only
after many, many births in the culture of transcendental knowledge.
One
may argue that the Vedic activities are based on sacrificial
ceremonies. That is true. But all such sacrifices are also meant for
realizing the truth about Vāsudeva. Another name of Vāsudeva is Yajña
(sacrifice), and in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated that all
sacrifices and all activities are to be conducted for the satisfaction
of Yajña, or Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead. This is the case also
with the yoga systems. Yoga means to get into touch with the Supreme
Lord. The process, however, includes several bodily features such as
āsana, dhyāna, prāṇāyāma and meditation, and all of them are meant for
concentrating upon the localized aspect of Vāsudeva represented as
Paramātmā. Paramātmā realization is but partial realization of
Vāsudeva, and if one is successful in that attempt, one realizes
Vāsudeva in full. But by ill luck most yogīs are stranded by the powers
of mysticism achieved through the bodily process. Ill-fated yogīs are
given a chance in the next birth by being placed in the families of
good learned brāhmaṇas or in the families of rich merchants in order to
execute the unfinished task of Vāsudeva realization. If such fortunate
brāhmaṇas and sons of rich men properly utilize the chance, they can
easily realize Vāsudeva by good association with saintly persons.
Unfortunately, such preferred persons are captivated again by material
wealth and honor, and thus they practically forget the aim of life.
This
is also so for the culture of knowledge. According to Bhagavad-gītā
there are eighteen items in culturing knowledge. By such culture of
knowledge one becomes gradually prideless, devoid of vanity,
nonviolent, forbearing, simple, devoted to the great spiritual master,
and self-controlled. By culture of knowledge one becomes unattached to
hearth and home and becomes conscious of the miseries due to death,
birth, old age and disease. And all culture of knowledge culminates in
devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. Therefore,
Vāsudeva is the ultimate aim in culturing all different branches of
knowledge. Culture of knowledge leading one to the transcendental plane
of meeting Vāsudeva is real knowledge. Physical knowledge in its
various branches is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā as ajñāna, or the
opposite of real knowledge. The ultimate aim of physical knowledge is
to satisfy the senses, which means prolongation of the term of material
existence and thereby continuance of the threefold miseries. So
prolonging the miserable life of material existence is nescience. But
the same physical knowledge leading to the way of spiritual
understanding helps one to end the miserable life of physical existence
and to begin the life of spiritual existence on the plane of Vāsudeva.
The
same applies to all kinds of austerities. Tapasya means voluntary
acceptance of bodily pains to achieve some higher end of life. Rāvaṇa
and Hiraṇyakaśipu underwent a severe type of bodily torture to achieve
the end of sense gratification. Sometimes modern politicians also
undergo severe types of austerities to achieve some political end. This
is not actually tapasya. One should accept voluntary bodily
inconvenience for the sake of knowing Vāsudeva because that is the way
of real austerities. Otherwise all forms of austerities are classified
as modes of passion and ignorance. passion and ignorance cannot end the
miseries of life. Only the mode of goodness can mitigate the threefold
miseries of life. Vasudeva and Devakī, the so-called father and mother
of Lord Kṛṣṇa, underwent penances to get Vāsudeva as their son. Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living beings (Bg. 14.4). Therefore He
is the original living being of all other living beings. He is the
original eternal enjoyer amongst all other enjoyers. Therefore no one
can be His begetting father, as the ignorant may think. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
agreed to become the son of Vasudeva and Devakī upon being pleased with
their severe austerities. Therefore if any austerities have to be done,
they must be done to achieve the end of knowledge, Vāsudeva.
Vāsudeva
is the original Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As explained
before, the original Personality of Godhead expands Himself by
innumerable forms. Such expansion of forms is made possible by His
various energies. His energies are also multifarious, and His internal
energies are superior and external energies inferior in quality. They
are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.4-6) as the parā and the aparā
prakṛtis. So His expansions of various forms which take place via the
internal energies are superior forms, whereas the expansions which take
place via the external energies are inferior forms. The living entities
are also His expansions. The living entities who are expanded by His
internal potency are eternally liberated persons, whereas those who are
expanded in terms of the material energies are eternally conditioned
souls. Therefore, all culture of knowledge, austerities, sacrifice and
activities should be aimed at changing the quality of the influence
that is acting upon us. For the present, we are all being controlled by
the external energy of the Lord, and just to change the quality of the
influence, we must endeavor to cultivate spiritual energy. In the
Bhagavad-gītā it is said that those who are mahātmās, or those whose
minds have been so broadened as to be engaged in the service of Lord
Kṛṣṇa, are under the influence of the internal potency, and the effect
is that such broadminded living beings are constantly engaged in the
service of the Lord without deviation. That should be the aim of life.
And that is the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. No one should
bother himself with fruitive activities or dry speculation about
transcendental knowledge. Everyone should at once engage himself in the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. Nor should one worship
different demigods who work as different hands of the Lord for
creation, maintenance or destruction of the material world. There are
innumerable powerful demigods who look over the external management of
the material world. They are all different assisting hands of Lord
Vāsudeva. Even Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā are included in the list of
demigods, but Lord Viṣṇu, or Vāsudeva, is always transcendentally
situated. Even though He accepts the quality of goodness of the
material world, He is still transcendental to all the material modes.
The following example will clear that matter more explicitly. In the
prison house there are the prisoners and the managers of the prison
house. Both the managers and the prisoners are bound by the laws of the
king. But even though the king sometimes comes in the prison, he is not
bound by the laws of the prison house. The king is therefore always
transcendental to the laws of the prison house, as the Lord is always
transcendental to the laws of the material world.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.28-29
vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ |
vāsudeva-parā yoga vāsudeva-parāḥ kriyāḥ ||
vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānaṁ vāsudeva-paraṁ tapaḥ |
vāsudeva-paro dharmo vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ ||
“But Pitṛs and devatās are said to worshippable by the Vedas. What is wrong with them?”
The Vedas have as their purport Vāsudeva.
ālena naṣṭā pralaye vāṇīyaṁ veda-saṁjñitā
mayādau brahmaṇe proktā dharmo yasyāṁ mad-ātmakaḥ
By
the influence of time, the Vedic knowledge was lost at the time of
annihilation. Therefore, when the subsequent creation took place, I
spoke to Brahmā the Vedic knowledge in which bhakti is the essence. SB
11.14.3
kiṁ vidhatte kim ācaṣṭe kim anūdya vikalpayet
ity asyā hṛdayaṁ loke nānyo mad veda kaścana
What
do the Vedas instruct as action? What is the final meaning of the
Vedas? What alternatives do the Vedas raise? No one except me or my
dear devotee knows the intended meaning of the Vedas. SB 11.21.42
māṁ vidhatte ’bhidhatte māṁ vikalpyāpohyate tv aham
etāvān sarva-vedārthaḥ śabda āsthāya māṁ bhidām
māyā-mātram anūdyānte pratiṣidhya prasīdati
The
Vedas indicate bhakti as the action, and indicate me as the meaning. I
am the meaning of all the Vedas. I, as karma and jñāna, am proposed and
rejected as alternatives. The Vedas, taking shelter of me, proposing
karma and jñāna and then rejecting them as māyā, become happy by giving
the devotees bliss. SB 11.21.43
Thus these people, not knowing the purport of the Vedas, worship the Pitṛs and others.
“But it is clearly seen that the Vedas are concerned with sacrifice and yoga.” That is true.
svaṁ lokaṁ na vidus te vai yatra devo janārdanaḥ
āhur dhūmra-dhiyo vedaṁ sakarmakam atad-vidaḥ
Those
who are less intelligent accept the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies as all
in all. They do not know that the purpose of the Vedas is to understand
one’s own home, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead lives. Not
being interested in their real home, they are illusioned and search
after other homes. SB 4.29.48
Thus according to the words of
Nārada, sacrifice and yoga are not meaning of the Vedas. The Lord
himself says dharmo yasyāṁ mad-ātmakaḥ: I Myself am the religious
principles enunciated in the Vedas. (SB 11.14.3) Devahūti says
aho bata śva-paco ’to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā brahmānūcur nāma gṛṇanti ye te
How
astonishing! The outcaste on the tip of whose tongue is your name is
the guru! All those who chant your name, most respectable, have
completed all austerities, all sacrifices, all bathing and all study of
the Vedas. SB 3.33.7
Nārada, in saying yathā taror
mūla-niṣecanena (SB 4.31.14), has indicated that Vāsudeva is the
conclusion of the Vedas. Thus it is clear that the meaning of all the
Vedas is simply devotion to Bhagavān alone.
Or, all sacrifices
are dedicated to Vāsudeva can mean that the sacrifices worship Indra
and others as the limbs of Vāsudeva. This is well known in the story of
Bharata.[14] Yoga is dedicated to meditation of the Lord. This is well
known from the story of Kapila. All karmas are dependent on the Lord
since they cannot bestow results without including worship of the Lord.
Jñāna and tapas are also dependent on the Lord for results. Since
karma-yoga has already been mentioned by the words vāsudeva-parā
kriyaḥ, vāsudeva-paro dharmaḥ means parama-dharma, the actions of
bhakti such as hearing and chanting. These are all dedicated to
Vāsudeva. Paro dharma and the goal (gati), prema and liberation, are
dependent on Vāsudeva alone for results.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.28-29||
vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ |
vāsudeva-parā yoga vāsudeva-parāḥ kriyāḥ || vāsudeva-param jnānam vāsudeva-param tapaḥ |
vāsudeva-paro dharmo vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Vāsudeva is the purport of the Vedas. Vāsudeva is the object of all
sacrifices. Yoga, varṇāśrama, knowledge and austerities are all
dependent on Vāsudeva. Bhakti is dependent on Vāsudeva. Prema and
liberation are dependent on Vāsudeva.
It was already stated
that Vāsudeva should be worshipped. The conclusion of all scriptures is
this alone. That is expressed in two verses. Since yoga and other
processes are to some degree assistants of bhakti, they mainly indicate
bhakti.
It is understood that the Vedas deal with karma-kāṇda. But some parts are dedicated directly to bhakti.
yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ yathā deve tathā gurau |
tasyaite kathitā hyarthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ ||
For
the person who has bhakti for the Lord and bhakti for guru as much as
the Lord, the meaning of scripture is revealed. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad
6.23)
TEXT - SB 1.2.30
sa evedaṁ sasarjāgre
bhagavān ātma-māyayā
sad-asad-rūpayā cāsau
guṇamayāguṇo vibhuḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that;
eva—certainly; idam—this; sasarja—created; agre—before; bhagavān—the
Personality of Godhead; ātma-māyayā—by His personal potency; sat—the
cause; asat—the effect; rūpayā—by forms; ca—and; asau—the same Lord;
guṇa-maya—in the modes of material nature; aguṇaḥ—transcendental;
vibhuḥ—the Absolute.
TRANSLATION
In the beginning of the
material creation, that Absolute Personality of Godhead [Vāsudeva], in
His transcendental position, created the energies of cause and effect
by His own internal energy.
PURPORT
The position of the
Lord is always transcendental because the causal and effectual energies
required for the creation of the material world were also created by
Him. He is unaffected, therefore, by the qualities of the material
modes. His existence, form, activities and paraphernalia all existed
before the material creation. He is all-spiritual and has nothing to do
with the qualities of the material world, which are qualitatively
distinct from the spiritual qualities of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.30
The
creator of all those who are recommended for worship such as Pitṛs,
Śiva and Brahmā is Vāsudeva alone. Thus he is worthy of worship. The
Lord is without guṇas, but he creates the universe using matter
composed of guṇas and material cause and effect (sad-asad-rūpayā).
Jiva's tika ||1.2.30||
sa evedam sasarjāgre bhagavān ātma-māyayā |
sad-asad-rūpayā cāsau guṇamayāguṇo vibhuḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The powerful Lord alone, devoid of material guṇas, previously created
this universe by his material energy composed of material guṇas and
endowed with cause and effect.
Having shown that bhakti is the
means, Sūta establishes the consistency of all scriptures which were
previously explained (Bhagavān is supreme). Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary
says, “It is seen in all scriptures that the supreme principle is
engaged in creating the material world, entering it and regulating it.
How can all scriptures indicate Vāsudeva?” Four verses explain.
This
creation means processes starting from the manifestation of
mahat-tattva up to Brahmā. The Lord’s entrance into the world is
described in later verses.
TEXT - SB 1.2.31
tayā vilasiteṣv eṣu
guṇeṣu guṇavān iva
antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti
vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ
SYNONYMS
tayā—by
them; vilasiteṣu—although in the function; eṣu—these; guṇeṣu—the modes
of material nature; guṇavān—affected by the modes; iva—as if;
antaḥ—within; praviṣṭaḥ—entered into; ābhāti—appears to be;
vijñānena—by transcendental consciousness; vijṛmbhitaḥ—fully
enlightened.
TRANSLATION
After creating the material
substance, the Lord [Vāsudeva] expands Himself and enters into it. And
although He is within the material modes of nature and appears to be;
one of the created beings, He is always fully enlightened in His
transcendental position.
PURPORT
The living entities are
separated parts and parcels of the Lord, and the conditioned living
entities, who are unfit for the spiritual kingdom, are strewn within
the material world to enjoy matter to the fullest extent. As Paramātmā
and eternal friend of the living entities, the Lord, by one of His
plenary portions, accompanies the living entities to guide them in
their material enjoyment and to become witness to all activities. While
the living entities enjoy the material conditions, the Lord maintains
His transcendental position without being affected by the material
atmosphere. In the Vedic literatures (śruti) it is said that there are
two birds in one tree. One of them is eating the fruit of the tree,
while the other is witnessing the actions. The witness is the Lord, and
the fruit-eater is the living entity. The fruit-eater (living entity)
has forgotten his real identity and is overwhelmed in the fruitive
activities of the material conditions, but the Lord (Paramātmā) is
always full in transcendental knowledge. That is the difference between
the Supersoul and the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul, the
living entity, is controlled by the laws of nature, while the
Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, is the controller of the material energy.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.31
The
Lord is the inner soul of all that he created. This is explained in
three verses. The Lord entered the jīvas covered with guṇas (guṇeṣu),
made to manifest (vilasiteṣu) by māyā (tayā). The Lord appears to be
associating with the guṇas (guṇavān). But this is not actually so,
because he is excels in power by his cit-śakti (vijñānena).
Jiva's tika ||1.2.31|| tayā vilasiteṣv eṣu guṇeṣu guṇavān iva |
antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti vijnānena vijṛmbhitaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord entered into the jīvas covered by the guṇas, manifested by
material māyā. He appears to be in contact with the guṇas, but he is
strengthened by his spiritual potency.
This verse refers to the puruṣa situated within the universe.
TEXT - SB 1.2.32
yathā hy avahito vahnir
dāruṣv ekaḥ sva-yoniṣu
nāneva bhāti viśvātmā
bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān
SYNONYMS
yathā—as
much as; hi—exactly like; avahitaḥ—surcharged with; vahniḥ—fire;
dāruṣu—in wood; ekaḥ—one; sva-yoniṣu—the source of manifestation; nānā
iva—like different entities; bhāti—illuminates; viśva-ātmā—the Lord as
Paramātmā; bhūteṣu—in the living entities; ca—and; tathā—in the same
way; pumān—the Absolute Person.
TRANSLATION
The Lord, as
Supersoul, pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He
appears to be of many varieties, though He is the absolute one without
a second.
PURPORT
Lord Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, by one of His plenary parts expands Himself all over the
material world, and His existence can be perceived even within the
atomic energy. Matter, antimatter, proton, neutron, etc., are all
different effects of the Paramātmā feature of the Lord. As from wood,
fire can be manifested, or as butter can be churned out of milk, so
also the presence of the Lord as Paramātmā can be felt by the process
of legitimate hearing and chanting of the transcendental subjects which
are especially treated in the Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads and
Vedānta. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the bona fide explanation of these Vedic
literatures. The Lord can be realized through the aural reception of
the transcendental message, and that is the only way to experience the
transcendental subject. As fire is kindled from wood by another fire,
the divine consciousness of man can similarly be kindled by another
divine grace. His Divine Grace the spiritual master can kindle the
spiritual fire from the woodlike living entity by imparting proper
spiritual messages injected through the receptive ear. Therefore one is
required to approach the proper spiritual master with receptive ears
only, and thus divine existence is gradually realized. The difference
between animality and humanity lies in this process only. A human being
can hear properly, whereas an animal cannot.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.32
Just
as fire is always situated (avahitaḥ) in pieces of wood, so the soul of
the universe, antaryāmī Viṣṇu, is situated in all living entities
(bhūteṣu). If fire is made to appear in pieces of wood by friction, it
burns up those pieces of wood. Similarly by practices of hearing and
chanting Paramātmā is made to appear and removes the covering of māyā
on the jīva. This is indicated by the example.
Jiva'a tika ||1.2.32||
yathā hy avahito vahnir dāruṣv ekaḥ sva-yoniṣu |
nāneva bhāti viśvātmā bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān ||
TRANSLATION
Just as one fire, situated in pieces of wood as its natural place of
manifestation, blazes forth as many fires, the one Supreme Lord, the
soul of the universe, Paramātmā, situated in all living beings,
manifests as many.
This verse refers to the puruṣa situated in all beings.
TEXT - SB 1.2.33
asau guṇamayair bhāvair
bhūta-sūkṣmendriyātmabhiḥ
sva-nirmiteṣu nirviṣṭo
bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān
SYNONYMS
asau—that
Paramātmā; guṇa-mayaiḥ—influenced by the modes of nature;
bhāvaiḥ—naturally; bhūta—created; sūkṣma—subtle; indriya—senses;
ātmabhiḥ—by the living beings; sva-nirmiteṣu—in His own creation;
nirviṣṭaḥ—entering; bhuṅkte—causes to enjoy; bhūteṣu—in the living
entities; tat-guṇān—those modes of nature.
TRANSLATION
The
Supersoul enters into the bodies of the created beings who are
influenced by the modes of material nature and causes them to enjoy the
effects of these modes by the subtle mind.
PURPORT
There
are 8,400,000 species of living beings beginning from the highest
intellectual being, Brahmā, down to the insignificant ant, and all of
them are enjoying the material world according to the desires of the
subtle mind and gross material body. The gross material body is based
on the conditions of the subtle mind, and the senses are created
according to the desire of the living being. The Lord as Paramātmā
helps the living being to get material happiness because the living
being is helpless in all respects in obtaining what he desires. He
proposes, and the Lord disposes. In another sense, the living beings
are parts and parcels of the Lord. They are therefore one with the
Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā the living beings in all varieties of bodies
have been claimed by the Lord as His sons. The sufferings and
enjoyments of the sons are indirectly the sufferings and enjoyments of
the father. Still the father is not in any way affected directly by the
suffering and enjoyment of the sons. He is so kind that He constantly
remains with the living being as Paramātmā and always tries to convert
the living being towards the real happiness.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.33
That
soul of the universe, Paramātmā, with conditions made of the guṇas in
the form of sense objects (bhūta-sukṣma), senses and mind (ātmā),
having entered into the bodies of living entities such as devatās and
animals created by himself, enjoys those sense objects which correspond
to the guṇas (tad-gunān). The Lord does not enjoy happiness of material
sense objects. Thus the sentence means that, without the Paramātmā, the
jīvas cannot act as enjoyers. Or it means that the Paramātmā enjoys
through the jīva, because the jīva is the taṭastha-śakti of the Lord.
Or the verb enjoys may be taken in a causal sense. Thus it means that
the Paramātmā lets the jīvas enjoy the sense objects.
Jiva's tika ||1.2.33|| asau guṇamayair bhāvair bhūta-sūkṣmendriyātmabhiḥ |
sva-nirmiteṣu nirviṣṭo bhunkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord as Paramātmā, having entered all the bodies with material
sense objects, senses and mind, which have been created by the Lord,
makes the jīvas enjoy the sense objects colored by the guṇas.
This verse shows that the Lord engages in various pastimes within the world.
TEXT - SB 1.2.34
bhāvayaty eṣa sattvena
lokān vai loka-bhāvanaḥ
līlāvatārānurato
deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu
SYNONYMS
bhāvayati—maintains;
eṣaḥ—all these; sattvena—in the mode of goodness; lokān—all over the
universe; vai—generally; loka-bhāvanaḥ—the master of all the universes;
līlā—pastimes; avatāra—incarnation; anurataḥ—assuming the role;
deva—the demigods; tiryak—lower animals; nara-ādiṣu—in the midst of
human beings.
TRANSLATION
Thus the Lord of the universes
maintains all planets inhabited by demigods, men and lower animals.
Assuming the roles of incarnations, He performs pastimes to reclaim
those in the mode of pure goodness.
PURPORT
There are
innumerable material universes, and in each and every universe there
are innumerable planets inhabited by different grades of living
entities in different modes of nature. The Lord (Viṣṇu) incarnates
Himself in each and every one of them and in each and every type of
living society. He manifests His transcendental pastimes amongst them
just to create the desire to go back to Godhead. The Lord does not
change His original transcendental position, but He appears to be
differently manifested according to the particular time, circumstances
and society.
Sometimes He incarnates Himself or empowers a
suitable living being to act for Him, but in either case the purpose is
the same: the Lord wants the suffering living being to go back home,
back to Godhead. The happiness which the living beings are hankering
for is not to be found within any corner of the innumerable universes
and material planets. The eternal happiness which the living being
wants is obtainable in the kingdom of God, but the forgetful living
beings under the influence of the material modes have no information of
the kingdom of God. The Lord, therefore, comes to propagate the message
of the kingdom of God, either personally as an incarnation or through
His bona fide representative as the good son of God. Such incarnations
or sons of God are not making propaganda for going back to Godhead only
within the human society. Their work is also going on in all types of
societies, amongst demigods and those other than human beings.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.2.34
It
has been described that the Lord appears as many forms when he enters
all the living beings. However the lord is without limitation or
material contamination in all his forms. He appears in many forms with
his svarūpa in his eternal pastimes. Bhāvayati means “he protects.” Or
it means “he bestows them with prema (bhāva).” This verse describes the
normal goal of all avatāras.[15] Loka-bhāvanaḥ here means “creator of
the universe” instead of “protector of the worlds,” to avoid redundant
meaning, since bhāvayati lokan already means “he protects the worlds.”
Thus
end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Second Chapter, of
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Divinity and Divine Service."
Jiva's tika ||1.2.34|| bhāvayaty eṣa sattvena lokān vai loka-bhāvanaḥ |
līlāvatārānurato deva-tiryan-narādiṣu ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord, creator of the universe, absorbing himself in the forms of
various līlāvatāras as devatās, animals and humans, protects the worlds
through his role as the controller of sattva-guṇa.
The verse
speaks of Viṣṇu. The previous verses have shown the Lord as Paramātmā
among the three forms of Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. The Brahman
and Bhagavān features will be shown later.
3. Kṛṣṇa Is the Source of All Incarnations
verses:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44
TEXT - SB 1.3.1
sūta uvāca
jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ
bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ
sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam
ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Sūta said; jagṛhe—accepted; pauruṣam—plenary portion as the
puruṣa incarnation; rūpam—form; bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead;
mahat-ādibhiḥ—with the ingredients of the material world;
sambhūtam—thus there was the creation of; ṣoḍaśa-kalam—sixteen primary
principles; ādau—in the beginning; loka—the universes; sisṛkṣayā—on the
intention of creating.
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: In the
beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the
universal form of the puruṣa incarnation and manifested all the
ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the
creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the
purpose of creating the material universe.
PURPORT
The
Bhagavad-gītā states that the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa
maintains these material universes by extending His plenary expansions.
So this puruṣa form is the confirmation of the same principle. The
original Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva, or Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is famous
as the son of King Vasudeva or King Nanda, is full with all opulences,
all potencies, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all
renunciation. Part of His opulences are manifested as impersonal
Brahman, and part of His opulences are manifested as Paramātmā. This
puruṣa feature of the same Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the
original Paramātmā manifestation of the Lord. There are three puruṣa
features in the material creation, and this form, who is known as the
Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the first of the three. The others are known
as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, which we shall
know one after another. The innumerable universes are generated from
the skin holes of this Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and in each one of the
universes the Lord enters as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.
In the
Bhagavad-gītā it is also mentioned that the material world is created
at certain intervals and then again destroyed. This creation and
destruction is done by the supreme will because of the conditioned
souls, or the nitya-baddha living beings. The nitya-baddha, or the
eternally conditioned souls, have the sense of individuality or
ahaṅkāra, which dictates them sense enjoyment, which they are unable to
have constitutionally. The Lord is the only enjoyer, and all others are
enjoyed. The living beings are predominated enjoyers. But the eternally
conditioned souls, forgetful of this constitutional position, have
strong aspirations to enjoy. The chance to enjoy matter is given to the
conditioned souls in the material world, and side by side they are
given the chance to understand their real constitutional position.
Those fortunate living entities who catch the truth and surrender unto
the lotus feet of Vāsudeva after many, many births in the material
world join the eternally liberated souls and thus are allowed to enter
into the kingdom of Godhead. After this, such fortunate living entities
need not come again within the occasional material creation. But those
who cannot catch the constitutional truth are again merged into the
mahat-tattva at the time of the annihilation of the material creation.
When the creation is again set up, this mahat-tattva is again let
loose. This mahat-tattva contains all the ingredients of the material
manifestations, including the conditioned souls. Primarily this
mahat-tattva is divided into sixteen parts, namely the five gross
material elements and the eleven working instruments or senses. It is
like the cloud in the clear sky. In the spiritual sky, the effulgence
of Brahman is spread all around, and the whole system is dazzling in
spiritual light. The mahat-tattva is assembled in some corner of the
vast, unlimited spiritual sky, and the part which is thus covered by
the mahat-tattva is called the material sky. This part of the spiritual
sky, called the mahat-tattva, is only an insignificant portion of the
whole spiritual sky, and within this mahat-tattva there are innumerable
universes. All these universes are collectively produced by the
Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, called also the Mahā-Viṣṇu, who simply throws His
glance to impregnate the material sky.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.1
sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā ||
The
third chapter is an answer to the request (by the sages) to describe
the various avatāras. This chapter explains that the Lord in one form
alone makes his appearances and performs activities.
At the end
of the previous chapter it was said that the Lord was absorbed in
various līlāvatāras. What pastimes and what avatāras are these? Sūta
begins by describing the puruṣāvatāras in five verses. Pauruṣam means
with the form of a man, or defined as a puruṣa. “By saying that the
Lord accepts this form, it means that it did not exist before. That
means it is a temporary form.” Therefore the form is described as
sambhūtam, samyag bhūtam: existing continuously. It is always situated
in its svarūpa which is the highest truth, param satyam. The Lord
accepted this form of the puruṣa who eternally exists for creating the
universes. He accepts a form which already exists. One never sees a
sentence such as “He accepted the pot” where the pot did not previously
exist. Similarly we say, “The king accepted the general because he
desired victory.” Amara-koṣa says yukte kṣmād āvṛte bhūtaṁ prāṇy-atīte
same triṣv: bhūta means joined with, elements like earth, composed of,
a living being, in the past, in all three genders.
The same word
sambhūta should be applied to the person described in verse 6 with sa
eva prathamaṁ deva and other places as well. With a desire for creating
the worlds collectively and individually by mahat-tattva, ahaṅkara and
other elements, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha accepted the form of the puruṣa
who is like the full moon with sixteen digits (ṣodāsa-kalam), being
full of forms like Matsya and Kūrma. Kalā means a sixteenth part
according to the dictionary and ṣoḍaśa-kala means having sixteen parts.
This refers to the form of Mahā-viṣṇu, the first puruṣa, a portion of
Saṅkarṣaṇa, lying on the Kāraṇa Ocean, who glances over prakṛti, This
is confirmed by the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.121).
Jiva's tika ||1.3.1||
jagṛhe pauruṣam rūpam bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ |
sambhūtam ṣodaśa-kalam ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā ||
TRANSLATION
First of all, the Supreme Lord, with a desire for creating the worlds,
manifested the form of the eternal first puruṣa, full like the moon,
who was united with mahat-tattva and other elements.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 1:
“Previously
one entity was described as three—Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. What
are the qualities of Brahman? Is there some distinction of Brahman from
Bhagavān and Paramātmā? Since there are many forms of the Supreme Lord,
which is the form of Bhagavān and which is the form of Paramātmā? What
are the svarūpas of these two?” When Śaunaka and the sages asked these
questions, Sūta replied by first describing Bhagavān and Paramātmā,
starting with the following:
The Lord manifested (jagṛhe) the
form of the puruṣa (pauruṣam) before creating mahat-tattva and
manifesting the jīvas. Why? He did this in order to manifest the places
for the total (samaṣṭi) and individual jīvas (vyaṣṭi) as the universe
(lokasisṛkṣayā).
All these forms are real. Sambhūtam
mahad-ādibhiḥ (SB 1.3.1) means “united with mahat-tattva etc.” The
elements like mahat-tattva were within the puruṣa, for it is said
(concerning the night of Brahmā):
so ’ntaḥ śarīre ’rpita-bhūta-sūkṣmaḥ kālātmikām śaktim udīrayāṇaḥ uvāsa tasmin salile pade sve yathānalo dāruṇi ruddha-vīryaḥ
Garbhodakaśāyī
Viṣṇu, containing within himself the jīvas with their subtle bodies,
after having discharged his energy of time to destroy the three worlds,
resides in his abode below Pātālaloka within the water, just as fire
resides within wood with its energy concealed. (SB 3.8.11)
It
is well known that sam combined with bhavati means “to be united” as in
the phrase sambhūyāmbhodhim abhyeti mahā nadyā nagāpāgeti: the great
river approaches and unites with the ocean. (Śiṣupala-vadha) (This is
the explanation of sambhūtam mahad-ādibhiḥ (SB 1.3.1) mentioned above.)
The form described in SB 1.3.1 is the first of the three puruṣa
forms described in Brahma-samhitā as Sankarṣaṇa who lies on the Kāraṇa
Ocean, since he is responsible for creation of mahat-tattva. He
manifested (jagṛhe) this form for creation and destruction of the
universe. In order to respect his power in other situations (as
Bhagavān rather than Paramātmā) he is described as being full of all
śaktis (śodaśa-kalam). Śodaṣa-kalam means perfect, with sixteen parts
(full moon). Though he is the ocean of svarūpa-śakti, he is the creator
and destroyer of universes by the actions of māyā, through proximity
(rather than contact). Being the expansion of Bhagavān, he is said to
engage only with his svarūpaśakti.
TEXT - SB 1.3.2
yasyāmbhasi śayānasya
yoga-nidrāṁ vitanvataḥ
nābhi-hradāmbujād āsīd
brahmā viśva-sṛjāṁ patiḥ
SYNONYMS
yasya—whose;
ambhasi—in the water; śayānasya—lying down; yoga-nidrām—sleeping in
meditation; vitanvataḥ—ministering; nābhi—navel; hrada—out of the lake;
ambujāt—from the lotus; āsīt—was manifested; brahmā—the grandfather of
the living beings; viśva—the universe; sṛjām—the engineers;
patiḥ—master.
TRANSLATION
A part of the puruṣa lies down
within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of His body
sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem, Brahmā,
the master of all engineers in the universe, becomes manifest.
PURPORT
The
first puruṣa is the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From His skin holes
innumerable universes have sprung up. In each and every universe, the
puruṣa enters as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is lying within the half
of the universe which is full with the water of His body. And from the
navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has sprung the stem of the lotus flower,
the birthplace of Brahmā, who is the father of all living beings and
the master of all the demigod engineers engaged in the perfect design
and working of the universal order. Within the stem of the lotus there
are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, and the earthly planets
are situated in the middle. Upwards there are other, better planetary
systems, and the topmost system is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka.
Downwards from the earthly planetary system there are seven lower
planetary systems inhabited by the asuras and similar other
materialistic living beings.
From Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu there is
expansion of the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the collective Paramātmā
of all living beings. He is called Hari, and from Him all incarnations
within the universe are expanded.
Therefore, the conclusion is
that the puruṣa-avatāra is manifested in three features—first the
Kāraṇodakaśāyī who creates aggregate material ingredients in the
mahat-tattva, second the Garbhodakaśāyī who enters in each and every
universe, and third the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu who is the Paramātmā of
every material object, organic or inorganic. One who knows these
plenary features of the Personality of Godhead knows Godhead properly,
and thus the knower becomes freed from the material conditions of
birth, death, old age and disease, as it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā,
In this śloka the subject matter of Mahā-Viṣṇu is summarized. The
Mahā-Viṣṇu lies down in some part of the spiritual sky by His own free
will. Thus He lies on the ocean of kāraṇa, from where He glances over
His material nature, and the mahat-tattva is at once created. Thus
electrified by the power of the Lord, the material nature at once
creates innumerable universes, just as in due course a tree decorates
itself with innumerable grown fruits. The seed of the tree is sown by
the cultivator, and the tree or creeper in due course becomes
manifested with so many fruits. Nothing can take place without a cause.
The Kāraṇa Ocean is therefore called the Causal Ocean. Kāraṇa means
"causal." We should not foolishly accept the atheistic theory of
creation. The description of the atheists is given in the
Bhagavad-gītā. The atheist does not believe in the creator, but he
cannot give a good theory to explain the creation. Material nature has
no power to create without the power of the puruṣa, just as a prakṛti,
or woman, cannot produce a child without the connection of a puruṣa, or
man. The puruṣa impregnates, and the prakṛti delivers. We should not
expect milk from the fleshy bags on the neck of a goat, although they
look like breastly nipples. Similarly, we should not expect any
creative power from the material ingredients; we must believe in the
power of the puruṣa, who impregnates prakṛti, or nature. Because the
Lord wished to lie down in meditation, the material energy created
innumerable universes at once, in each of them the Lord lay down, and
thus all the planets and the different paraphernalia were created at
once by the will of the Lord. The Lord has unlimited potencies, and
thus He can act as He likes by perfect planning, although personally He
has nothing to do. No one is greater than or equal to Him. That is the
verdict of the Vedas.
Jiva'a tika ||1.3.2||
yasyāmbhasi śayānasya yoga-nidrām vitanvataḥ |
nābhi-hradāmbujād āsīd brahmā viśva-sṛjām patiḥ ||
TRANSLATION
After Garbhodakaśāyī-viṣṇu lay on the water and went into trance,
Brahmā, lord of the universal creation, appeared from the lotus in the
water of his navel. (SB 1.3.2)
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 2:
This
refers to the Puruṣa form who lies on the Garbhodaka ocean in a
sleeping condition during destruction (after the day of Brahmā).
TEXT - SB 1.3.3
yasyāvayava-saṁsthānaiḥ
kalpito loka-vistaraḥ
tad vai bhagavato rūpaṁ
viśuddhaṁ sattvam ūrjitam
SYNONYMS
yasya—whose;
avayava—bodily expansion; saṁsthānaiḥ—situated in; kalpitaḥ—is
imagined; loka—planets of inhabitants; vistaraḥ—various; tat vai—but
that is; bhagavataḥ—of the Personality of Godhead; rūpam—form;
viśuddham—purely; sattvam—existence; ūrjitam—excellence.
TRANSLATION
It
is believed that all the universal planetary systems are situated on
the extensive body of the puruṣa, but He has nothing to do with the
created material ingredients. His body is eternally in spiritual
existence par excellence.
PURPORT
The conception of the
virāṭ-rūpa or viśva-rūpa of the Supreme Absolute Truth is especially
meant for the neophyte who can hardly think of the transcendental form
of the Personality of Godhead. To him a form means something of this
material world, and therefore an opposite conception of the Absolute is
necessary in the beginning to concentrate the mind on the power
extension of the Lord. As stated above, the Lord extends His potency in
the form of the mahat-tattva, which includes all material ingredients.
The extension of power by the Lord and the Lord Himself personally are
one in one sense, but at the same time the mahat-tattva is different
from the Lord. Therefore the potency of the Lord and the Lord are
simultaneously different and nondifferent. The conception of the
virāṭ-rūpa, especially for the impersonalist, is thus nondifferent from
the eternal form of the Lord. This eternal form of the Lord exists
prior to the creation of the mahat-tattva, and it is stressed here that
the eternal form of the Lord is par excellence spiritual or
transcendental to the modes of material nature. The very same
transcendental form of the Lord is manifested by His internal potency,
and the formation of His multifarious manifestations of incarnations is
always of the same transcendental quality, without any touch of the
mahat-tattva.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.3
yasyāmbhasi śayānasya yoga-nidrāṁ vitanvataḥ |
nābhi-hradāmbujād āsīd brahmā viśva-sṛjāṁ patiḥ ||
yasyāvayava-saṁsthānaiḥ kalpito loka-vistaraḥ |
tad vai bhagavato rūpaṁ viśuddhaṁ sattvam ūrjitam ||
That
puruṣa entering into each universe situated in his hair holes, lay down
on the Garbhodaka water which he created there and went into a state of
trance (yoga-nidrām). The planets from Pāṭala to Satya-loka
(loka-vistaraḥ) are imagined to be situated at particular places on his
limbs (avayava-saṁsthānaiḥ). This form is Padmanābha,
Garbhodakaśāyī-viṣṇu, a portion of Pradyumna. The form mentioned in the
previous chapter hari-viriñca-hareti saṁjñā (SB 1.2.23) refers to the
third puruṣa Kṣīrodakaśāyī, an expansion of Aniruddha.
The first
form Mahā-viṣṇu is the inner soul of prakṛti. The second form
Garbhodakaśāyī is the inner soul of the collective jīvas in each
universe. The third form, Kṣīrodakaśāyī, is the inner soul of each
jīva. The three acting as inner souls are expansions of Saṅkarṣaṇa,
Pradyumna and Aniruddha. It is said:
ekaṁ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ dvitīyaṁ tv aṇḍa-saṁsthitam |
tṛtīyaṁ sarva-bhūtasthaṁ tāni jñātvā vimucyate ||
The
first is the creator of mahat-tattva. The second form is situated in
the universe. The third form is situated in all living entities. One
who knows these forms is liberated. Sātvata Tantra
This is the
order of the activities of Mahā-viṣṇu related to this topic. When he
developed the desire to lie down again in a particular place, he lay
down in the Kāraṇa ocean. He then glanced at his energy prakṛti as soon
as it came out with his breathing. By that glance, making his intention
known, accomplishing merely by the power of his desire, he produced the
mahat-tattva and other elements spontaneously, and after creating the
universe out of the elements, Garbhodakaśāyī master of the universe,
was informed, “O master enter it and go to sleep.” Entering into the
universe, Garbhodakaśāyī went to sleep for a second. After he again
entered the universe, he then rejected the universe as a useless
sleeping place, since it is material. Then again, Garbhodakaśāyī is
made to sleep in a new universe for the life time of Brahmā. It is said
in the Third Canto:
kālo ’yaṁ dvi-parārdhākhyo nimeṣa upacaryate
avyākṛtasyānantasya hy anāder jagad-ātmanaḥ
The
duration of the two parts of Brahmā’s life, as above mentioned, is
calculated to be equal to one nimeṣa [less than a second] for the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unchanging and unlimited and is
the cause of all causes of the universe. SB 3.11.38
These forms
are all spiritual. This form is pure sattva, devoid of rajas and tamas
(viśuddham sattvam) and excellent (ūrjitam), completely spiritual, made
of eternity, knowledge and bliss.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.3|| yasyāvayava-samsthānaiḥ kalpito loka-vistaraḥ tad vai bhagavato rūpam viśuddham sattvam ūrjitam
TRANSLATION
It is believed that all the universal planetary systems are situated on
the extensive body of the puruṣa, but He has nothing to do with the
created material ingredients. His body is eternally in spiritual
existence par excellence.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 2:
He makes
his appearance (vyaktatvam) from Pradyumna. Pradyumna is not
distinguished from Aniruddha since he is non-different from his son.
For it is said viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāni: there are three forms of Viṣṇu.
That
action is explained in the commentary on SB 2.6.39: this first form,
the puruṣa avatāra, acts for creation. In the commentary on SB 2.6.42
it is said: the puruṣa of the great Lord (parasya bhumnaḥ) stimulates
prakṛti. The puruṣa or pastime form of the Lord who has a thousand
heads (sahasra-śriṣā in Ṛg Veda 10.90.1) is the ādya avatāra (first
puruṣa avatāra). One should also see the
commentary on SB
3.20.12. This form is not the universal form. This indicates that
Bhagavān, or Vāsudeva is different from the puruṣa forms.
The
two forms (Bhagavān and Paramātmā) are generally described as having
the same svarūpa. Tad vai bhagavato rūpam viśuddham sattvam ūrjitam:
this form of Bhagavān is pure sattva and strength. (SB 1.3.3) The
puruṣa is a form of Bhagavān because both manifest pure sattva and
because both have nondifference in terms of śakti and svarūpa. Nātaḥ
param parama yad bhavataḥ svarūpam: I do not see that this is different
from your svarūpa. (SB 3.9.3) Viśuddham means “devoid of any insentient
portion” since that form is a function of the svarūpa-śakti. Ūrjitam
means strong in all ways since he has a form of the highest bliss.
Śruti says ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyāt yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt: if
the infinite Lord did not exist, who could inhale or exhale? The Lord
alone is the cause of bliss for the jīva. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1)
If the puruṣa form is full of bliss, what to speak of Bhagavān?
Having
described two types of place and actions of the puruṣa, the forms are
described to be similar in appearance in SB 1.3.4. Though there are
differences, the two forms of puruṣa are regarded as one.
TEXT - SB 1.3.4
paśyanty ado rūpam adabhra-cakṣuṣā
sahasra-pādoru-bhujānanādbhutam
sahasra-mūrdha-śravaṇākṣi-nāsikaṁ
sahasra-mauly-ambara-kuṇḍalollasat
SYNONYMS
paśyanti—see;
adaḥ—the form of the puruṣa; rūpam—form; adabhra—perfect; cakṣuṣā—by
the eyes; sahasra-pāda—thousands of legs; ūru—thighs; bhuja-ānana—hands
and faces; adbhutam—wonderful; sahasra—thousands of; mūrdha—heads;
śravaṇa—ears; akṣi—eyes; nāsikam—noses; sahasra—thousands;
mauli—garlands; ambara—dresses; kuṇḍala—earrings; ullasat—all glowing.
TRANSLATION
The
devotees, with their perfect eyes, see the transcendental form of the
puruṣa who has thousands of legs, thighs, arms and faces-all
extraordinary. In that body there are thousands of heads, ears, eyes
and noses. They are decorated with thousands of helmets and glowing
earrings and are adorned with garlands.
PURPORT
With our
present materialized senses we cannot perceive anything of the
transcendental Lord. Our present senses are to be rectified by the
process of devotional service, and then the Lord Himself becomes
revealed to us. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed that the
transcendental Lord can be perceived only by pure devotional service.
So it is confirmed in the Vedas that only devotional service can lead
one to the side of the Lord and that only devotional service can reveal
Him. In the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is said that the Lord is always
visible to the devotees whose eyes have been anointed with the tinge of
devotional service. So we have to take information of the
transcendental form of the Lord from persons who have actually seen Him
with perfect eyes smeared with devotional service. In the material
world also we do not always see things with our own eyes; we sometimes
see through the experience of those who have actually seen or done
things. If that is the process for experiencing a mundane object, it is
more perfectly applicable in matters transcendental. So only with
patience and perseverance can we realize the transcendental subject
matter regarding the Absolute Truth and His different forms. He is
formless to the neophytes, but He is in transcendental form to the
expert servitor.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.4
Those who have reached perfection by bhakti see this form. Adabhra means “not scant,” spiritual.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.4|| paśyanty ado rūpam adabhra-cakṣuṣā sahasra-pādoru-bhujānanādbhutam |
sahasra-mūrdha-śravaṇākṣi-nāsikam sahasra-mauly-ambara-kuṇdalollasat ||
TRANSLATION
With spiritual eyes, the devotees see this amazing form with thousands
of legs and arms, thousands of heads, ears, eyes and noses, shining
with thousands of crowns, earrings and clothes.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 2:
Having
described two types of place and actions of the puruṣa, the forms are
described to be similar in appearance in SB 1.3.4. Though there are
differences, the two forms of puruṣa are regarded as one.
They see this form of the puruṣa (adaḥ) , through devotional eyes (adabhracakṣuṣā).
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā
O Arjuna, this supereme puruṣa is attained through pure devotion. (BG 8.22)
bhaktir evainam nayati bhaktir evainam darśayati
Bhakti leads to the Lord. Bhaki alone shows the Lord. (Māthara śruti)
The
first puruṣa endowed with a thousand feet is described in Paramātmā
Sandarbha. The second puruṣa is described in the Third Canto and Ninth
Canto:
prekṣām kṣipantam haritopalādreḥ sandhyābhra-nīver
uru-rukma-mūrdhnaḥ ratnodadhārauṣadhi-saumanasya vana-srajo
veṇu-bhujānghripānghreḥ
The luster of the transcendental body
of the Lord mocked the beauty of the coral mountain. The coral mountain
is very beautifully dressed by the evening sky, but the yellow dress of
the Lord mocked its beauty. There is gold on the summit of the
mountain, but the Lord's helmet, bedecked with jewels, mocked it. The
mountain's waterfalls, herbs, etc., with a panorama of flowers, seem
like garlands, but the Lord's gigantic body, and His hands and legs,
decorated with jewels, pearls, tulasī leaves and flower garlands,
mocked the scene on the mountain. (SB 3.8.24)
parārdhya-keyūra-maṇi-pravekaparyasta-dordaṇda-sahasra-śākham avyakta-mūlam bhuvanānghripendram ahīndra-bhogair adhivīta-valśam
As
a sandalwood tree is decorated with fragrant flowers and branches, the
Lord's body was decorated with valuable jewels and pearls. He was the
self-situated tree, the Lord of all others in the universe. And as a
sandalwood tree is covered with many snakes, so the Lord's body was
also covered by the hoods of Ananta. (SB 3.8.29)
carācarauko bhagavan-mahīdhram ahīndra-bandhum salilopagūdham kirīṭa-sāhasra-hiraṇya-śṛngam āvirbhavat kaustubha-ratna-garbham
Like
a great mountain, the Lord stands as the abode for all moving and
nonmoving living entities. He is the friend of the snakes because Lord
Ananta is His friend. As a mountain has thousands of golden peas, so
the Lord was seen with the thousands of golden-helmeted hoods of
Ananta-nāga; and as a mountain is sometimes filled with jewels, so also
His transcendental body was fully decorated with valuable jewels. As a
mountains is sometimes submerged in the ocean water, so the Lord is
sometimes submerged in the water of devastation. (SB 3.8.30)
sahasra-śirasaḥ pumso nābhi-hrada-saroruhāt jātasyāsīt suto dhātur atriḥ pitṛ-samo guṇaiḥ
Lord
Viṣṇu [Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu] is also known as Sahasra-śīrṣā Puruṣa.
From the lake of His navel sprang a lotus, on which Lord Brahmā was
generated. Atri, the son of Lord Brahmā, was as qualified as his
father. (SB 9.14.2)
TEXT - SB 1.3.5
etan nānāvatārāṇāṁ
nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam
yasyāṁśāṁśena sṛjyante
deva-tiryaṅ-narādayaḥ
SYNONYMS
etat—this
(form); nānā—multifarious; avatārāṇām—of the incarnations;
nidhānam—source; bījam—seed; avyayam—indestructible; yasya—whose;
aṁśa—plenary portion; aṁśena—part of the plenary portion;
sṛjyante—create; deva—demigods; tiryak—animals; nara-ādayaḥ—human
beings and others.
TRANSLATION
This form [the second
manifestation of the puruṣa] is the source and indestructible seed of
multifarious incarnations within the universe. From the particles and
portions of this form, different living entities, like demigods, men
and others, are created.
PURPORT
The puruṣa, after
creating innumerable universes in the mahat-tattva, entered in each of
them as the second puruṣa, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. When He saw that
within the universe there was only darkness and space, without a
resting place, He filled half of the universe with water from His own
perspiration and laid Himself down on the same water. This water is
called Garbhodaka. Then from His navel the stem of the lotus flower
sprouted, and on the flower petals the birth of Brahmā, or the master
engineer of the universal plan, took place. Brahmā became the engineer
of the universe, and the Lord Himself took charge of the maintenance of
the universe as Viṣṇu. Brahmā was generated from rajo-guṇa of prakṛti,
or the mode of passion in nature, and Viṣṇu became the Lord of the mode
of goodness. Viṣṇu, being transcendental to all the modes, is always
aloof from materialistic affection. This has already been explained.
From Brahmā there is Rudra (Śiva), who is in charge of the mode of
ignorance or darkness. He destroys the whole creation by the will of
the Lord. Therefore all three, namely Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, are
incarnations of the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Brahmā the other
demigods like Dakṣa, Marīci, Manu and many others become incarnated to
generate living entities within the universe. This Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu
is glorified in the Vedas in the hymns of Garbha-stuti, which begin
with the description of the Lord as having thousands of heads, etc. The
Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the Lord of the universe, and although He
appears to be lying within the universe, He is always transcendental.
This also has already been explained. The Viṣṇu who is the plenary
portion of the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the Supersoul of the universal
life, and He is known as the maintainer of the universe or
Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. So the three features of the original puruṣa are
thus understood. And all the incarnations within the universe are
emanations from this Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.
In different millennia
there are different incarnations, and they are innumerable, although
some of them are very prominent, such as Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Rāma,
Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana and many others. These incarnations are called līlā
incarnations. Then there are qualitative incarnations such as Brahmā,
Viṣṇu, and Śiva (or Rudra) who take charge of the different modes of
material nature.
Lord Viṣṇu is nondifferent from the Personality
of Godhead. Lord Śiva is in the marginal position between the
Personality of Godhead and the living entities, or jīvas. Brahmā is
always a jīva-tattva. The highest pious living being, or the greatest
devotee of the Lord, is empowered with the potency of the Lord for
creation, and he is called Brahmā. His power is like the power of the
sun reflected in valuable stones and jewels. When there is no such
living being to take charge of the post of Brahmā, the Lord Himself
becomes a Brahmā and takes charge of the post.
Lord Śiva is not
an ordinary living being. He is the plenary portion of the Lord, but
because Lord Śiva is in direct touch with material nature, he is not
exactly in the same transcendental position as Lord Viṣṇu. The
difference is like that between milk and curd. Curd is nothing but
milk, and yet it cannot be used in place of milk.
The next
incarnations are the Manus. Within one day's duration of the life of
Brahmā (which is calculated by our solar year as 4,300,000 x 1,000
years) there are fourteen Manus. Therefore there are 420 Manus in one
month of Brahmā and 5,040 Manus in one year of Brahmā. Brahmā lives for
one hundred years of his age, and therefore there are 5,040 x 100 or
504,000 Manus in the duration of Brahmā's life. There are innumerable
universes, with one Brahmā in each of them, and all of them are created
and annihilated during the breathing time of the puruṣa. Therefore one
can simply imagine how many millions of Manus there are during one
breath of the puruṣa.
The Manus who are prominent within this
universe are as follows: Yajña as Svāyambhuva Manu, Vibhu as Svārociṣa
Manu, Satyasena as Uttama Manu, Hari as Tāmasa Manu, Vaikuṇṭha as
Raivata Manu, Ajita as Cākṣuṣa Manu, Vāmana as Vaivasvata Manu (the
present age is under the Vaivasvata Manu), Sārvabhauma as Sāvarṇi Manu,
Ṛṣabha as Dakṣasāvarṇi Manu, Viṣvaksena as Brahma-sāvarṇi Manu,
Dharmasetu as Dharma-sāvarṇi Manu, Sudhāmā as Rudra-sāvarṇi Manu,
Yogeśvara as Deva-sāvarṇi Manu, and Bṛhadbhānu as Indra-sāvarṇi Manu.
These are the names of one set of fourteen Manus covering 4,300,000,000
solar years as described above.
Then there are the yugāvatāras,
or the incarnations of the millennia. The yugas are known as
Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga. The incarnations of
each yuga are of different color. The colors are white, red, black and
yellow. In the Dvāpara-yuga, Lord Kṛṣṇa in black color appeared, and in
the Kali-yuga Lord Caitanya in yellow color appeared.
So all the
incarnations of the Lord are mentioned in the revealed scriptures.
There is no scope for an imposter to become an incarnation, for an
incarnation must be mentioned in the śāstras. An incarnation does not
declare Himself to be an incarnation of the Lord, but great sages agree
by the symptoms mentioned in the revealed scriptures. The features of
the incarnation and the particular type of mission which He has to
execute are mentioned in the revealed scriptures.
Apart from the
direct incarnations, there are innumerable empowered incarnations. They
are also mentioned in the revealed scriptures. Such incarnations are
directly as well as indirectly empowered. When they are directly
empowered they are called incarnations, but when they are indirectly
empowered they are called vibhūtis. Directly empowered incarnations are
the Kumāras, Nārada, Pṛthu, Śeṣa, Ananta, etc. As far as vibhūtis are
concerned, they are very explicitly described in the Bhagavad-gītā in
the Vibhūti-yoga chapter. And for all these different types of
incarnations, the fountainhead is the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.5
Previously
it was said that the Lord was complete with sixteen parts. This verse
shows that. Though he acts as the source (bījam), he is equal to many
seeds. Therefore he is called a storeroom or treasure (nidhānam). He is
the aṁśī, the source of the avatāras who will be discussed in this
chapter. And he is eternal (avyayam). His part is Brahmā and Brahmā’s
parts are Marīci and others. By them, the Lord creates the devatās and
others. The devatās are considered the Lord’s vibhūtis.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.5||
etan nānāvatārāṇām nidhānam bījam avyayam |
yasyāmśāmśena sṛjyante deva-tiryan-narādayaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
He is the indestructible source of various avatāras. His expansion is
Brahmā and Brahmā’s expansions are Marīci and others. Through them the
Lord creates the devatās, animals and human beings.
In in
order to make Bhagavān clear, his being the source of various avatāras
arising from the second puruṣa, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is described in
this verse. Situated within the universe (etat), he is the eternal
shelter of all (nidhānam) as the ocean is the shelter of all water
bodies. He is without destruction (avyayam) and the source of birth
(bījam).
TEXT - SB 1.3.6
sa eva prathamaṁ devaḥ
kaumāraṁ sargam āśritaḥ
cacāra duścaraṁ brahmā
brahmacaryam akhaṇḍitam
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that;
eva—certainly; prathamam—first; devaḥ—Supreme Lord; kaumāram—named the
Kumāras (unmarried); sargam—creation; āśritaḥ—under; cacāra—performed;
duścaram—very difficult to do; brahmā—in the order of Brahman;
brahmacaryam—under discipline to realize the Absolute (Brahman);
akhaṇḍitam—unbroken.
TRANSLATION
First of all, in the
beginning of creation, there were the four unmarried sons of Brahmā
[the Kumāras], who, being situated in a vow of celibacy, underwent
severe austerities for realization of the Absolute Truth.
PURPORT
The
creation of the material world is effected, maintained and then again
annihilated at certain intervals. So there are different names of the
creations in terms of the particular types of Brahmā, the father of the
living beings in the creation. The Kumāras, as above mentioned,
appeared in the Kaumāra creation of the material world, and to teach us
the process of Brahman realization, they underwent a severe type of
disciplinary action as bachelors. These Kumāras are empowered
incarnations. And before executing the severe type of disciplinary
actions, all of them became qualified brāhmaṇas. This example suggests
that one must first acquire the qualifications of a brāhmaṇa, not
simply by birth but also by quality, and then one can undergo the
process of Brahman realization.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.6
Now
the avatāras starting with the Kumāras are described. Padmanābha,
Garbhodakaśāyī, who carries out creation of the devatās and others
through portions of his portion, Brahmā, made his appearance in the
Kumāras (kaumāram sargam āśritaḥ). Becoming brāhmaṇas (brahmā) they
undertook vows of abstinence (brahmacaryam cacāra). This means that
they preached this by their conduct to the world. The words first,
second, etc. are only enumerating the avatāras and not indicating the
exact chronology of the avatāras’ appearances.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.6||
sa eva prathamam devaḥ kaumāram sargam āśritaḥ |
cacāra duścaram brahmā brahmacaryam akhaṇditam ||
TRANSLATION
Garbhodakaśāyī first made his appearance in the Kumāras. Becoming
brāhmaṇas, they undertook continuous, severe vows of brahmacarya.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 6:
Speaking
of the avatāras in detail, Sūta enumerates in twenty verses the
appearance of the original form and the expansions in order to say that
they are one.
Devaḥ refers to the puruṣa who was described as
having a thousand feet, and who lies on the water. This is in agreement
with the conclusion (upasamhāra) ete cāmśa-kalāḥ pumsaḥ: these are
amśas and kalās of the puruṣa. Kaumaram refers to the four Kumāras
TEXT - SB 1.3.7
dvitīyaṁ tu bhavāyāsya
rasātala-gatāṁ mahīm
uddhariṣyann upādatta
yajñeśaḥ saukaraṁ vapuḥ
SYNONYMS
dvitīyam—the
second; tu—but; bhavāya—for the welfare; asya—of this earth;
rasātala—of the lowest region; gatām—having gone; mahīm—the earth;
uddhariṣyan—lifting; upādatta—established; yajñeśaḥ—the proprietor or
the supreme enjoyer; saukaram—hoggish; vapuḥ—incarnation.
TRANSLATION
The
supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices accepted the incarnation of a boar
[the second incarnation], and for the welfare of the earth He lifted
the earth from the nether regions of the universe.
PURPORT
The
indication is that for each and every incarnation of the Personality of
Godhead, the particular function executed is also mentioned. There
cannot be any incarnation without a particular function, and such
functions are always extraordinary. They are impossible for any living
being to perform. The incarnation of the boar was to take the earth out
of Pluto's region of filthy matter. Picking up something from a filthy
place is done by a boar, and the all-powerful Personality of Godhead
displayed this wonder to the asuras, who had hidden the earth in such a
filthy place. There is nothing impossible for the Personality of
Godhead, and although He played the part of a boar, by the devotees He
is worshiped, staying always in transcendence.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.7
His
activity is described by the words “he lifted up the earth for its
welfare.” In each case the avatāra and his activity has been mentioned.
TEXT - SB 1.3.8
tṛtīyam ṛṣi-sargaṁ vai
devarṣitvam upetya saḥ
tantraṁ sātvatam ācaṣṭa
naiṣkarmyaṁ karmaṇāṁ yataḥ
SYNONYMS
tṛtīyam—the
third one; ṛṣi-sargam—the millennium of the ṛṣis; vai—certainly;
devarṣitvam—incarnation of the ṛṣi amongst the demigods; upetya—having
accepted; saḥ—he; tantram—exposition of the Vedas; sātvatam—which is
especially meant for devotional service; ācaṣṭa—collected;
naiṣkarmyam—nonfruitive; karmaṇām—of work; yataḥ—from which.
TRANSLATION
In
the millennium of the ṛṣis, the Personality of Godhead accepted the
third empowered incarnation in the form of Devarṣi Nārada, who is a
great sage among the demigods. He collected expositions of the Vedas
which deal with devotional service and which inspire nonfruitive action.
PURPORT
The
great Ṛṣi Nārada, who is an empowered incarnation of the Personality of
Godhead, propagates devotional service all over the universe. All great
devotees of the Lord all over the universe and in different planets and
species of life are his disciples. Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the compiler of the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is also one of his disciples. Nārada is the author
of Nārada-pañcarātra, which is the exposition of the Vedas particularly
for the devotional service of the Lord. This Nārada-pañcarātra trains
the karmīs, or the fruitive workers, to achieve liberation from the
bondage of fruitive work. The conditioned souls are mostly attracted by
fruitive work because they want to enjoy life by the sweat of their own
brows. The whole universe is full of fruitive workers in all species of
life. The fruitive works include all kinds of economic development
plans. But the law of nature provides that every action has its
resultant reaction, and the performer of the work is bound up by such
reactions, good or bad. The reaction of good work is comparative
material prosperity, whereas the reaction of bad work is comparative
material distress. But material conditions, either in so-called
happiness or in so-called distress, are all meant ultimately for
distress only. Foolish materialists have no information of how to
obtain eternal happiness in the unconditional state. Śrī Nārada informs
these foolish fruitive workers how to realize the reality of happiness.
He gives direction to the diseased men of the world how one's present
engagement can lead one to the path of spiritual emancipation. The
physician directs the patient to take treated milk in the form of curd
for his sufferings from indigestion due to his taking another milk
preparation. So the cause of the disease and the remedy of the disease
may be the same, but it must be treated by an expert physician like
Nārada. The Bhagavad-gītā also gives the same solution of serving the
Lord by the fruits of one's labor. That will lead one to the path of
naiṣkarmya, or liberation.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.8
The
Lord making his appearance among the sages as Nārada, made the
Pañcarātra texts (tantram sātvatam). From these one can learn that
devotional activities (karmaṇām) will liberate one from the bondage of
karma (naiṣkarmyam).
Jiva's tika ||1.3.8||
tṛtīyam ṛṣi-sargam vai devarṣitvam upetya saḥ |
tantram sātvatam ācaṣṭa naiṣkarmyam karmaṇām yataḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord, making his appearance among the sages as Nārada, produced the
Pancarātra scriptures from which one learns how devotional activities
free one from the bondage of karma.
Becoming a sage, becoming
Nārada (devarṣitvam), he produced the Vaiṣṇava (sātvatam) Pancarātra
scriptures (tantram), from which (yataḥ) the activities (karmanām) of
devotees performing bhakti, which produce freedom from karma, being
separated from karma (naiṣkarmyam) by being free from the bondage of
karma, is made clear.
TEXT - SB 1.3.9
turye dharma-kalā-sarge
nara-nārāyaṇāv ṛṣī
bhūtvātmopaśamopetam
akarod duścaraṁ tapaḥ
SYNONYMS
turye—in
the fourth of the line; dharma-kalā—wife of Dharmarāja; sarge—being
born of; nara-nārāyaṇau—named Nara and Nārāyaṇa; ṛṣī—sages;
bhūtvā—becoming; ātma-upaśama—controlling the senses; upetam—for
achievement of; akarot—undertook; duścaram—very strenuous;
tapaḥ—penance.
TRANSLATION
In the fourth incarnation, the
Lord became Nara and Nārāyaṇa, the twin sons of the wife of King
Dharma. Thus He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the
senses.
PURPORT
As King Ṛṣabha advised His sons, tapasya,
or voluntary acceptance of penance for realization of the
Transcendence, is the only duty of the human being; it was so done by
the Lord Himself in an exemplary manner to teach us. The Lord is very
kind to the forgetful souls. He therefore comes Himself and leaves
behind necessary instructions and also sends His good sons as
representatives to call all the conditioned souls back to Godhead.
Recently, within the memory of everyone, Lord Caitanya also appeared
for the same purpose: to show special favor to fallen souls of this age
of iron industry. The incarnation of Nārāyaṇa is worshiped still at
Badarī-nārāyaṇa, on the range of the Himalayas.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.9
Turye
means fourth. Dharma-kalā, part of Dharma, refers to the wife of
Dharma, since the śṛuti says ardho vā eṣa ātmano yat patnī: the wife is
half of oneself. Appearing in her (sarge) he became the two sages. They
are considered one avatāra.
TEXT - SB 1.3.10
pañcamaḥ kapilo nāma
siddheśaḥ kāla-viplutam
provācāsuraye sāṅkhyaṁ
tattva-grāma-vinirṇayam
SYNONYMS
pañcamaḥ—the
fifth one; kapilaḥ—Kapila; nāma—of the name; siddheśaḥ—the foremost
amongst the perfect; kāla—time; viplutam—lost; provāca—said;
āsuraye—unto the brāhmaṇa named Āsuri; sāṅkhyam—metaphysics;
tattva-grāma—the sum total of the creative elements;
vinirṇayam—exposition.
TRANSLATION
The fifth incarnation,
named Lord Kapila, is foremost among perfected beings. He gave an
exposition of the creative elements and metaphysics to Āsuri Brāhmaṇa,
for in course of time this knowledge had been lost.
PURPORT
The
sum total of the creative elements is twenty-four in all. Each and
every one of them is explicitly explained in the system of Sāṅkhya
philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy is generally called metaphysics by the
European scholars. The etymological meaning of sāṅkhya is "that which
explains very lucidly by analysis of the material elements." This was
done for the first time by Lord Kapila, who is said herein to be the
fifth in the line of incarnations.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.10
Āsuri is the name of a brāhmaṇa.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.10||
pancamaḥ kapilo nāma siddheśaḥ kāla-viplutam |
provācāsuraye sānkhyam tattva-grāma-vinirṇayam ||
TRANSLATION
Fifth, he became Kapila, best of the perfected beings, and spoke to
Āsuri brāhmaṇa the philosophy of Sānkhya, which defines the various
principles of existence, which had become lost with time.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 10:
Kapila spoke to the brāhmaṇa named Āsuri
TEXT - SB 1.3.11
ṣaṣṭham atrer apatyatvaṁ
vṛtaḥ prāpto 'nasūyayā
ānvīkṣikīm alarkāya
prahlādādibhya ūcivān
SYNONYMS
ṣaṣṭham—the
sixth one; atreḥ—of Atri; apatyatvam—sonship; vṛtaḥ—being prayed for;
prāptaḥ—obtained; anasūyayā—by Anasūyā; ānvīkṣikīm—on the subject of
transcendence; alarkāya—unto Alarka; prahlāda-ādibhyaḥ—unto Prahlāda
and others; ūcivān—spoke.
TRANSLATION
The sixth
incarnation of the puruṣa was the son of the sage Atri. He was born
from the womb of Anasūyā, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on
the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlāda and others [Yadu,
Haihaya, etc.].
PURPORT
The Lord incarnated Himself as
Dattātreya, the son of Ṛṣi Atri and Anasūyā. The history of the birth
of Dattātreya as an incarnation of the Lord is mentioned in the
Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa in connection with the story of the devoted wife. It
is said there that Anasūyā, the wife of Ṛṣi Atri, prayed before the
Lords Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva as follows: "My lords, if you are pleased
with me, and if you desire me to ask from you some sort of blessings,
then I pray that you combine together to become my son." This was
accepted by the lords, and as Dattātreya the Lord expounded the
philosophy of the spirit soul and especially instructed Alarka,
Prahlāda, Yadu, Haihaya, etc.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.11
Being
selected by Anasūyā, the wife of Atri, he became her son. This is
described in the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa in the story of the pativrata:
anasūyābravīn natvā devān brahmeśa-keśavān |
yūyaṁ yadi prasannā me varārhā yadi vāpy aham |
prasādābhimukho bhūtvā mama putratvam eṣyatha ||
Offering
respects, Anasūyā spoke to the Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu. If you are
pleased with me, and consider me worthy of blessing, being merciful,
you should become my son.
Ānvīkṣikīm means knowledge of the ātmā.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.11||
ṣaṣṭham atrer apatyatvam vṛtaḥ prāpto ’nasūyayā |
ānvīkṣikīm alarkāya prahlādādibhya ūcivān ||
TRANSLATION
Being requested by Anasūyā, the wife of Atri, the Lord became her son
as Dattātreya and taught knowledge of the soul to Alarka, Prahlāda and
others.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 11:
Atri prayed to have a son
similar to the Lord. This is the meaning of the statement that Anasūya
requested the Lord. Because of her direct prayer, the Lord himself
agreed to become her son. It is said in Brahmāṇda Purāṇa in the story
of chaste women:
anasūyābravīn natvā devān brahmeśa-keśavān |
yūyam yadi prasannā me varārhā yadi vāpy aham |
prasādābhimukho bhūtvā mama putratvam eṣyatha ||
Offering
respects, Anasūya spoke to Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. If you are pleased
with me and I am worthy of a blessing, be merciful and appear before me
as my son.
Ānvīkṣikīm means ātmā-vidyā (knowledge of the soul). Dattātreya is an avatāra of Viṣṇu.
TEXT - SB 1.3.12
tataḥ saptama ākūtyāṁ
rucer yajño 'bhyajāyata
sa yāmādyaiḥ sura-gaṇair
apāt svāyambhuvāntaram
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—after
that; saptame—the seventh in the line; ākūtyām—in the womb of Ākūti;
ruceḥ—by Prajāpati Ruci; yajñaḥ—the Lord's incarnation as Yajña;
abhyajāyata—advented; saḥ—He; yāma-ādyaiḥ—with Yāma and others;
sura-gaṇaiḥ—with demigods; apāt—ruled; svāyambhuva-antaram—the change
of the period of Svāyambhuva Manu.
TRANSLATION
The
seventh incarnation was Yajña, the son of Prajāpati Ruci and his wife
Ākūti. He controlled the period during the change of the Svāyambhuva
Manu and was assisted by demigods such as His son Yama.
PURPORT
The
administrative posts occupied by the demigods for maintaining the
regulations of the material world are offered to the highly elevated
pious living beings. When there is a scarcity of such pious living
beings, the Lord incarnates Himself as Brahmā, Prajāpati, Indra, etc.,
and takes up the charge. During the period of Svāyambhuva Manu (the
present period is of Vaivasvata Manu) there was no suitable living
being who could occupy the post of Indra, the King of the Indraloka
(heaven) planet. The Lord Himself at that time became Indra. Assisted
by His own sons like Yama and other demigods, Lord Yajña ruled the
administration of the universal affairs.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.12
The
Yamas were Yajña’s sons. With the assistance of the devatās named the
Yamas, he gave protection during the reign of Svāyambhuva. At that time
he became Indra.
TEXT - SB 1.3.13
aṣṭame merudevyāṁ tu
nābher jāta urukramaḥ
darśayan vartma dhīrāṇāṁ
sarvāśrama-namaskṛtam
SYNONYMS
aṣṭame—the
eighth of the incarnations; merudevyām tu—in the womb of Merudevī, the
wife of; nābheḥ—King Nābhi; jātaḥ—took birth; urukramaḥ—the
all-powerful Lord; darśayan—by showing; vartma—the way; dhīrāṇām—of the
perfect beings; sarva—all; āśrama—orders of life; namaskṛtam—honored by.
TRANSLATION
The
eighth incarnation was King Ṛṣabha, son of King Nābhi and his wife
Merudevī. In this incarnation the Lord showed the path of perfection,
which is followed by those who have fully controlled their senses and
who are honored by all orders of life.
PURPORT
The
society of human being is naturally divided into eight by orders and
statuses of life—the four divisions of occupation and four divisions of
cultural advancement. The intelligent class, the administrative class,
the productive class and the laborer class are the four divisions of
occupation. And the student life, the householder's life, retired life
and renounced life are the four statuses of cultural advancement
towards the path of spiritual realization. Out of these, the renounced
order of life, or the order of sannyāsa, is considered the highest of
all, and a sannyāsī is constitutionally the spiritual master for all
the orders and divisions. In the sannyāsa order also there are four
stages of upliftment toward perfection. These stages are called
kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya, and paramahaṁsa. The paramahaṁsa
stage of life is the highest stage of perfection. This order of life is
respected by all others. Mahārāja Ṛṣabha, the son of King Nābhi and
Merudevī, was an incarnation of the Lord, and He instructed His sons to
follow the path of perfection by tapasya, which sanctifies one's
existence and enables one to attain the stage of spiritual happiness
which is eternal and ever increasing. Every living being is searching
after happiness, but no one knows where eternal and unlimited happiness
is obtainable. Foolish men seek after material sense pleasure as a
substitute for real happiness, but such foolish men forget that
temporary so-called happiness derived from sense pleasures is also
enjoyed by the dogs and hogs. No animal, bird or beast is bereft of
this sense pleasure. In every species of life, including the human form
of life, such happiness is immensely obtainable. The human form of
life, however, is not meant for such cheap happiness. The human life is
meant for attaining eternal and unlimited happiness by spiritual
realization. This spiritual realization is obtained by tapasya, or
undergoing voluntarily the path of penance and abstinence from material
pleasure. Those who have been trained for abstinence in material
pleasures are called dhīra, or men undisturbed by the senses. Only
these dhīras can accept the orders of sannyāsa, and they can gradually
rise to the status of the paramahaṁsa, which is adored by all members
of society. King Ṛṣabha propagated this mission, and at the last stage
He became completely aloof from the material bodily needs, which is a
rare stage not to be imitated by foolish men, but to be worshiped by
all.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.13
Ṛṣabha was born from the son of Āgnīdhra named Nābhi.
TEXT - SB 1.3.14
ṛṣibhir yācito bheje
navamaṁ pārthivaṁ vapuḥ
dugdhemām oṣadhīr viprās
tenāyaṁ sa uśattamaḥ
SYNONYMS
ṛṣibhiḥ—by
the sages; yācitaḥ—being prayed for; bheje—accepted; navamam—the ninth
one; pārthivam—the ruler of the earth; vapuḥ—body; dugdha—milking;
imām—all these; oṣadhīḥ—products of the earth; viprāḥ—O brāhmaṇas;
tena—by; ayam—this; saḥ—he; uśattamaḥ—beautifully attractive.
TRANSLATION
O
brāhmaṇas, in the ninth incarnation, the Lord, prayed for by sages,
accepted the body of a king [Pṛthu] who cultivated the land to yield
various produces, and for that reason the earth was beautiful and
attractive.
PURPORT
Before the advent of King Pṛthu,
there was great havoc of maladministration due to the vicious life of
the previous king, the father of Mahārāja Pṛthu. The intelligent class
of men (namely the sages and the brāhmaṇas) not only prayed for the
Lord to come down, but also dethroned the previous king. It is the duty
of the king to be pious and thus look after the all-around welfare of
the citizens. Whenever there is some negligence on the part of the king
in discharging his duty, the intelligent class of men must dethrone
him. The intelligent class of men, however, do not occupy the royal
throne, because they have much more important duties for the welfare of
the public. Instead of occupying the royal throne, they prayed for the
incarnation of the Lord, and the Lord came as Mahārāja Pṛthu. Real
intelligent men, or qualified brāhmaṇas, never aspire for political
posts. Mahārāja Pṛthu excavated many produces from the earth, and thus
not only did the citizens become happy to have such a good king, but
the complete sight of the earth also became beautiful and attractive.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.14
Pārthivam
vapuḥ means the body of a king, Pṛthu. Pārthavam is another version,
which means relating to Pṛthu. “Herbs” is representative of other
things also. He milked all things from the earth. Dugdha should
actually be adugdha. This form is poetic license. Because of that he is
considered the most desirable of the avatāras (uśattamaḥ). Uśa means
desired or dear.
TEXT - SB 1.3.15
rūpaṁ sa jagṛhe mātsyaṁ
cākṣuṣodadhi-samplave
nāvy āropya mahī-mayyām
apād vaivasvataṁ manum
SYNONYMS
rūpam—form;
saḥ—He; jagṛhe—accepted; mātsyam—of a fish; cākṣuṣa—Cākṣuṣa;
udadhi—water; samplave—inundation; nāvi—on the boat; āropya—keeping on;
mahī—the earth; mayyām—drowned in; apāt—protected;
vaivasvatam—Vaivasvata; manum—Manu, the father of man.
TRANSLATION
When
there was a complete inundation after the period of the Cākṣuṣa Manu
and the whole world was deep within water, the Lord accepted the form
of a fish and protected Vaivasvata Manu, keeping him up on a boat.
PURPORT
According
to Śrīpāda Śrīdhara Svāmī, the original commentator on the Bhāgavatam,
there is not always a devastation after the change of every Manu. And
yet this inundation after the period of Cākṣuṣa Manu took place in
order to show some wonders to Satyavrata. But Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī has
given definite proofs from authoritative scriptures (like
Viṣṇu-dharmottara, Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, Harivaṁśa, etc.) that there is
always a devastation after the end of each and every Manu. Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī has also supported Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, and he
(Śrī Cakravartī) has also quoted from Bhāgavatāmṛta about this
inundation after each Manu. Apart from this, the Lord, in order to show
special favor to Satyavrata, a devotee of the Lord, in this particular
period, incarnated Himself.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.15
During
Cākṣuṣa manvantara there was a flood of water. Another version has
cākṣuṣāntara-samplave. The earth acted as a boat (nāvi mahī-mayyām).
Matsya protected (apād) the person who would be Vaivasvata-manu.
Śrīdhara Svāmī says though there is not a flood at the end of this
manvantara, an illusory flood was shown to Satyavrata for fun. However
in Viṣṇu-dharmottara, Vajra asks Mārkaṇḍeya, “What happens at the end
of the manvantara?” Mārkaṇḍeya says:
ūrmi-mālī mahā-vegaḥ sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati |
bhūrlokam āśritaṁ sarvaṁ tadā naśyati yādava ||
na vinaśyanti rājendra viśrutāḥ kula-parvatāḥ |
naur bhūtvā tu mahā-devī yadu-kulodvaha |
dhārayaty atha bījāni sarvāṇy evāviśeṣataḥ || [1.75.5-6, 9 |
O
Vajra, the great Lord, in the form of water, greatly agitated with
countless waves, covers the earth and the lower planets with water. O
Yādava! All things on the earth planet are destroyed at that time. Only
the famous mountains are not destroyed, O best of kings! At that time,
the earth personified, taking the form of a boat, protects all the
seeds without discrimination, O offspring of the Yadu family!
This
explains that there is destruction at the end of the manvantara. In
Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta, Rūpa Gosvāmī also states that there is a
devastation by water after every manvantara. In his comments on some
verses of Hari-vaṁśa as well he says the same. The verse mentions the
Cākṣuṣa-manvantara. Because Satyavrata was a great devotee of Matsya,
and Matsya was attracted to his devotee, Matsya appeared at this time.
The following verse illustrates how the Lord is controlled by his
devotee.
svacchandopātta-dehāya viśuddha-jñāna-mūrtaye
sarvasmai sarva-bījāya sarva-bhūtātmane namaḥ
Unto
Him who assumes transcendental bodies according to the desires of His
devotees, unto Him whose form is itself pure consciousness, unto Him
who is everything, who is the seed of everything and who is the Soul of
all creatures, I offer my obeisances. SB 10.27.11
Therefore this particular narration is representative of events that take place after every manvantara.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.15|| rūpam sa jagṛhe mātsyam cākṣuṣodadhi-samplave |
nāvy āropya mahī-mayyām apād vaivasvatam manum ||
TRANSLATION
When there was an inundation after the period of the Cākṣuṣa Manu, the
Lord accepted the form of a fish and protected Vaivasvata Manu, placing
him on a boat formed from the earth.
Kṛṣṇa sandarbha 15:
When
there was a flood during Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, the Lord showed his form
as a fish. He protected Satyavrata who became the future Vaivasvata
Manu. It is said there is destruction after each manvantara. In the
first kaṇda of Viṣṇu Dharmottra when Vajra asked what happens at the
end of a manvantara, Mārkandeya answers:
ūrmi-mālī mahā-vegaḥ sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati |
bhūrlokam āśritam sarvam tadā naśyati yādava || na vinaśyanti rājendra viśrutāḥ kula-parvatāḥ |
naur bhūtvā tu mahā-devī yadu-kulodvaha |
dhārayaty atha bījāni sarvāṇy evāviśeṣataḥ ||
O
Vajra, the great Lord, in the form of water, greatly agitated with
countless waves, covers the earth and the lower planets. O Yādava! All
things on the earth planet are destroyed at that time. Only the famous
mountains are not destroyed, O best of kings! At that time, the earth
personified, taking the form of a boat, protects all the seeds without
discrimination, O offspring of the Yadu family! (Viṣnu-dharmottara
1.75.5-6, 9)
This also becomes clear in the commentary on the
topic of destruction of manvantaras in Hari-vamśa. Thus the flood after
Cākṣuṣa manvantara also indicates a flood after Vaivasvata manvantara.
TEXT - SB 1.3.16
surāsurāṇām udadhiṁ
mathnatāṁ mandarācalam
dadhre kamaṭha-rūpeṇa
pṛṣṭha ekādaśe vibhuḥ
SYNONYMS
sura—the
theists; asurāṇām—of the atheists; udadhim—in the ocean;
mathnatām—churning; mandarācalam—the Mandarācala Hill;
dadhre—sustained; kamaṭha—tortoise; rūpeṇa—in the form of;
pṛṣṭhe—shell; ekādaśe—the eleventh in the line; vibhuḥ—the great.
TRANSLATION
The
eleventh incarnation of the Lord took the form of a tortoise whose
shell served as a pivot for the Mandarācala Hill, which was being used
as a churning rod by the theists and atheists of the universe.
PURPORT
Once
both the atheists and the theists were engaged in producing nectar from
the sea so that all of them could become deathless by drinking it. At
that time the Mandarācala Hill was used as the churning rod, and the
shell of Lord Tortoise, the incarnation of Godhead, became the resting
place (pivot) of the hill in the seawater.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.16
The devatās and demons churned the ocean to receive nectar. Kamaṭha means turtle.
TEXT - SB 1.3.17
dhānvantaraṁ dvādaśamaṁ
trayodaśamam eva ca
apāyayat surān anyān
mohinyā mohayan striyā
SYNONYMS
dhānvantaram—the
incarnation of Godhead named Dhanvantari; dvādaśamam—the twelfth in the
line; trayodaśamam—the thirteenth in the line; eva—certainly; ca—and;
apāyayat—gave to drink; surān—the demigods; anyān—others; mohinyā—by
charming beauty; mohayan—alluring; striyā—in the form of a woman.
TRANSLATION
In
the twelfth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Dhanvantari, and in the
thirteenth He allured the atheists by the charming beauty of a woman
and gave nectar to the demigods to drink.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.17
Dhānvantaram
dvādaśamam means that the form of Dhanvantari is the twelfth avatāra.
His activity was bringing a pot of nectar. The use of dvādaśamam
instead of dvādaśam is poetic license. Taking the thirteenth form, he
let the devatās drink nectar. What was his form? As the woman Mohinī,
he bewildered the demons (anyān).
Jiva's tika ||1.3.17||
dhānvantaram dvādaśamam trayodaśamam eva ca |
apāyayat surān anyān mohinyā mohayan striyā ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord took the form of Dhanvantari as the twelfth avatāra and taking
the thirteenth form as a woman Mohinī he let the devatās drink nectar
and bewildered the demons.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 17:
The
Lord took the form (verb understood from next verse) of Dhavantari, the
twelfth and Mohinī, the thirteenth. He made the devatās drink the
nectar (noun understood). What was his form? He appeared as Mohinī, a
woman and bewildered those other than the devatās. He brought the
nectar in the form of Dhanvantari. Ajita is a third avatāra involved in
this pastime.
TEXT - SB 1.3.18
caturdaśaṁ nārasiṁhaṁ
bibhrad daityendram ūrjitam
dadāra karajair ūrāv
erakāṁ kaṭa-kṛd yathā
SYNONYMS
caturdaśam—the
fourteenth in the line; nāra-siṁham—the incarnation of the Lord as
half-man and half-lion; bibhrat—advented; daitya-indram—the king of the
atheists; ūrjitam—strongly built; dadāra—bifurcated; karajaiḥ—by the
nails; ūrau—on the lap; erakām—canes; kaṭa-kṛt—carpenter; yathā—just
like.
TRANSLATION
In the fourteenth incarnation, the Lord
appeared as Nṛsiṁha and bifurcated the strong body of the atheist
Hiraṇyakaśipu with His nails, just as a carpenter pierces cane.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.18
Erakā is a type of grass without joints.
TEXT - SB 1.3.19
pañcadaśaṁ vāmanakaṁ
kṛtvāgād adhvaraṁ baleḥ
pada-trayaṁ yācamānaḥ
pratyāditsus tri-piṣṭapam
SYNONYMS
pañcadaśam—the
fifteenth in the line; vāmanakam—the dwarf brāhmaṇa; kṛtvā—by
assumption of; agāt—went; adhvaram—arena of sacrifice; baleḥ—of King
Bali; pada-trayam—three steps only; yācamānaḥ—begging;
pratyāditsuḥ—willing at heart to return; tri-piṣṭapam—the kingdom of
the three planetary systems.
TRANSLATION
In the fifteenth
incarnation, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf-brāhmaṇa [Vāmana] and
visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Mahārāja Bali. Although at
heart He was willing to regain the kingdom of the three planetary
systems, He simply asked for a donation of three steps of land.
PURPORT
The
Almighty God can bestow upon anyone the kingdom of the universe from a
very small beginning, and similarly, He can take away the kingdom of
the universe on the plea of begging a small piece of land.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.19
Pratyāditṣuḥ means “he desired to snatch away.”
Jiva's tika ||1.3.19||
pancadaśam vāmanakam kṛtvāgād adhvaram baleḥ |
pada-trayam yācamānaḥ pratyāditsus tri-piṣṭapam ||
TRANSLATION Taking the form of Vāmana as fifteenth avatāra, the Lord went to sacrifice of
Bali, begging three steps of land, but desiring to steal the heavenly kingdom from him.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 19:
Appearing (kṛtvā) as Vāmana, he went to Bali’s sacrifice.
TEXT - SB 1.3.20
avatāre ṣoḍaśame
paśyan brahma-druho nṛpān
triḥ-sapta-kṛtvaḥ kupito
niḥ-kṣatrām akaron mahīm
SYNONYMS
avatāre—in
the incarnation of the Lord; ṣoḍaśame—the sixteenth; paśyan—seeing;
brahma-druhaḥ—disobedient to the orders of the brāhmaṇas; nṛpān—the
kingly order; triḥ-sapta—thrice seven times; kṛtvaḥ—had done;
kupitaḥ—being engaged; niḥ—negation; kṣatrām—the administrative class;
akarot—did perform; mahīm—the earth.
TRANSLATION
In the
sixteenth incarnation of the Godhead, the Lord [as Bhṛgupati]
annihilated the administrative class [kṣatriyas] twenty-one times,
being angry with them because of their rebellion against the brāhmaṇas
[the intelligent class].
PURPORT
The kṣatriyas, or the
administrative class of men, are expected to rule the planet by the
direction of the intelligent class of men, who give direction to the
rulers in terms of the standard śāstras, or the books of revealed
knowledge. The rulers carry on the administration according to that
direction. Whenever there is disobedience on the part of the kṣatriyas,
or the administrative class, against the orders of the learned and
intelligent brāhmaṇas, the administrators are removed by force from the
posts, and arrangement is made for better administration.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.20
Triḥ-sapta-kṛtvaḥ
means twenty-one times (3x7). Kṛtvaḥ is used as a suffix after numerals
to indicate counting of repeated actions. Also numerals with the suffix
suc such as triḥ indicate repeated actions. (Pāṇini 5.4.17-18)
Jiva's tika ||1.3.20||
avatāre ṣodaśame paśyan brahma-druho nṛpān |
triḥ-sapta-kṛtvaḥ kupito niḥ-kṣatrām akaron mahīm ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord, appearing as Paraśurāma, the sixteenth avatāra, became angry
on seeing the kings harassing the brāhmaṇas, and twenty-one times he
annihilated the kṣatriyas from the earth.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 20:
As the avatāra Paraśurāma, he rid the earth of the kings.
TEXT - SB 1.3.21
tataḥ saptadaśe jātaḥ
satyavatyāṁ parāśarāt
cakre veda-taroḥ śākhā
dṛṣṭvā puṁso 'lpa-medhasaḥ
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter;
saptadaśe—in the seventeenth incarnation; jātaḥ—advented;
satyavatyām—in the womb of Satyavatī; parāśarāt—by Parāśara Muni;
cakre—prepared; veda-taroḥ—of the desire tree of the Vedas;
śākhāḥ—branches; dṛṣṭvā—be seeing; puṁsaḥ—the people in general;
alpa-medhasaḥ—less intelligent.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter,
in the seventeenth incarnation of Godhead, Śrī Vyāsadeva appeared in
the womb of Satyavatī through Parāśara Muni, and he divided the one
Veda into several branches and subbranches, seeing that the people in
general were less intelligent.
PURPORT
Originally the
Veda is one. But Śrīla Vyāsadeva divided the original Veda into four,
namely Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva, and then again they were explained in
different branches like the Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata. Vedic language
and the subject matter are very difficult for ordinary men. They are
understood by the highly intelligent and self-realized brāhmaṇas. But
the present age of Kali is full of ignorant men. Even those who are
born by a brāhmaṇa father are, in the present age, no better than the
śūdras or the women. The twice-born men, namely the brāhmaṇas,
kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, are expected to undergo a cultural purificatory
process known as saṁskāras, but because of the bad influence of the
present age the so-called members of the brāhmaṇa and other high-order
families are no longer highly cultured. They are called the
dvija-bandhus, or the friends and family members of the twice-born. But
these dvija-bandhus are classified amongst the śūdras and the women.
Śrīla Vyāsadeva divided the Vedas into various branches and subbranches
for the sake of the less intelligent classes like the dvija-bandhus,
śūdras and women.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.21
Alpa-medhasaḥ means “having small knowledge.”
Jiva's tika ||1.3.21||
tataḥ saptadaśe jātaḥ satyavatyām parāśarāt |
cakre veda-taroḥ śākhā dṛṣṭvā pumso ’lpa-medhasaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord, born from Parāśara in the womb of Satyavatī as the
seventeenth avatāra, seeing the meager intelligence of the people,
divided the tree of the Vedas. (SB 1.3.21)
The seventeeth avatāra is described. The meaning is clear.
TEXT - SB 1.3.22
nara-devatvam āpannaḥ
sura-kārya-cikīrṣayā
samudra-nigrahādīni
cakre vīryāṇy ataḥ param
SYNONYMS
nara—human
being; devatvam—divinity; āpannaḥ—having assumed the form of; sura—the
demigods; kārya—activities; cikīrṣayā—for the purpose of performing;
samudra—the Indian Ocean; nigraha-ādīni—controlling, etc.; cakre—did
perform; vīryāṇi—superhuman prowess; ataḥ param—thereafter.
TRANSLATION
In
the eighteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Rāma. In order to
perform some pleasing work for the demigods, He exhibited superhuman
powers by controlling the Indian Ocean and then killing the atheist
King Rāvaṇa, who was on the other side of the sea.
PURPORT
The
Personality of Godhead Śrī Rāma assumed the form of a human being and
appeared on the earth for the purpose of doing some pleasing work for
the demigods or the administrative personalities to maintain the order
of the universe. Sometimes great demons and atheists like Rāvaṇa and
Hiraṇyakaśipu and many others become very famous due to advancing
material civilization by the help of material science and other
activities with a spirit of challenging the established order of the
Lord. For example, the attempt to fly to other planets by material
means is a challenge to the established order. The conditions of each
and every planet are different, and different classes of human beings
are accommodated there for particular purposes mentioned in the codes
of the Lord. But, puffed up by tiny success in material advancement,
sometimes the godless materialists challenge the existence of God.
Rāvaṇa was one of them, and he wanted to deport ordinary men to the
planet of Indra (heaven) by material means without consideration of the
necessary qualifications. He wanted a staircase to be built up directly
reaching the heavenly planet so that people might not be required to
undergo the routine of pious work necessary to enter that planet. He
also wanted to perform other acts against the established rule of the
Lord. He even challenged the authority of Śrī Rāma, the Personality of
Godhead, and kidnapped His wife, Sītā. Of course Lord Rāma came to
chastise this atheist, answering the prayer and desire of the demigods.
He therefore took up the challenge of Rāvaṇa, and the complete activity
is the subject matter of the Rāmāyaṇa. Because Lord Rāmacandra was the
Personality of Godhead, He exhibited superhuman activities which no
human being, including the materially advanced Rāvaṇa, could perform.
Lord Rāmacandra prepared a royal road on the Indian Ocean with stones
that floated on the water. The modern scientists have done research in
the area of weightlessness, but it is not possible to bring in
weightlessness anywhere and everywhere. But because weightlessness is
the creation of the Lord by which He can make the gigantic planets fly
and float in the air, He made the stones even within this earth to be
weightless and prepared a stone bridge on the sea without any
supporting pillar. That is the display of the power of God.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.22
Nara-devatvam
refers to Rāma. Taking the form of Rāma, he performed actions such as
controlling the ocean. Since this can be seen even today at Setubandha,
it indicates his show of great power. Thus it is mentioned here as the
chief among all his activities.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.22||
nara-devatvam āpannaḥ sura-kārya-cikīrṣayā |
samudra-nigrahādīni cakre vīryāṇy ataḥ param ||
The
Lord, taking the kingly form of Rāma, performed brave actions such as
controlling the ocean with a desire to help the devatās.
As
the eighteenth avatāra (ataḥ param), the Lord took the form of a king
(naradevatvam) as Rāma. He is directly the puruṣa since in Skanda
Purāṇa, Rāma- gītā, it is said that he showed the universal form and
was praised by Viṣṇu, Śiva and Brahmā.
TEXT - SB 1.3.23
ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime
vṛṣṇiṣu prāpya janmanī
rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti bhuvo
bhagavān aharad bharam
SYNONYMS
ekonaviṁśe—in
the nineteenth; viṁśatime—in the twentieth also; vṛṣṇiṣu—in the Vṛṣṇi
dynasty; prāpya—having obtained; janmanī—births; rāma—Balarāma;
kṛṣṇau—Śrī Kṛṣṇa; iti—thus; bhuvaḥ—of the world; bhagavān—the
Personality of Godhead; aharat—removed; bharam—burden.
TRANSLATION
In
the nineteenth and twentieth incarnations, the Lord advented Himself as
Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa in the family of Vṛṣṇi [the Yadu dynasty],
and by so doing He removed the burden of the world.
PURPORT
The
specific mention of the word bhagavān in this text indicates that
Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa are original forms of the Lord. This will be further
explained later. Lord Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation of the puruṣa, as we
learned from the beginning of this chapter. He is directly the original
Personality of Godhead, and Balarāma is the first plenary manifestation
of the Lord. From Baladeva the first phalanx of plenary expansions,
Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna, expands. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
is Vāsudeva, and Baladeva is Saṅkarṣaṇa.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.23
The
word should be viṁśatitame instead of viṁśatime, but the syllable ta is
dropped for metrical reasons. The Lord, appearing in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty
as the nineteenth and twentieth avatāras, named Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa
(rāma-kṛsṇau), relieved the burden of the earth.
Jivas tika ||1.3.23||
ekonavimśe vimśatime vṛṣṇiṣu prāpya janmanī |
rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti bhuvo bhagavān aharad bharam ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord appeared in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty in the two forms of Balarāma and
Kṛṣṇa as the nineteenth and twentieth avatāras and relieved the burden
of the earth.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 23:
The word Bhagavān
here indicates the direct appearance of Bhagavān, not from the puruṣa
named Aniruddha. The word Bhagavān distinguishes Kṛṣṇa from others.
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are both addressed as Bhagavān since Kṛṣṇa is
directly Bhagavān and Balarāma is his direct expansion. They both
relieved the earth of its burden. Thus even Balarāma is also rejected
as an expansion of Aniruddha since Kṛṣṇa manifests Vāsudeva and
Balarāma manifests Sankarṣaṇa.
TEXT - SB 1.3.24
tataḥ kalau sampravṛtte
sammohāya sura-dviṣām
buddho nāmnāñjana-sutaḥ
kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter;
kalau—the age of Kali; sampravṛtte—having ensued; sammohāya—for the
purpose of deluding; sura—the theists; dviṣām—those who are envious;
buddhaḥ—Lord Buddha; nāmnā—of the name; añjana-sutaḥ—whose mother was
Añjanā; kīkaṭeṣu—in the province of Gayā (Bihar); bhaviṣyati—will take
place.
TRANSLATION
Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga,
the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjanā, in the province
of Gayā, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the
faithful theist.
PURPORT
Lord Buddha, a powerful
incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, appeared in the province of
Gayā (Bihar) as the son of Añjanā, and he preached his own conception
of nonviolence and deprecated even the animal sacrifices sanctioned in
the Vedas. At the time when Lord Buddha appeared, the people in general
were atheistic and preferred animal flesh to anything else. On the plea
of Vedic sacrifice, every place was practically turned into a
slaughterhouse, and animal-killing was indulged in unrestrictedly. Lord
Buddha preached nonviolence, taking pity on the poor animals. He
preached that he did not believe in the tenets of the Vedas and
stressed the adverse psychological effects incurred by animal-killing.
Less intelligent men of the age of Kali, who had no faith in God,
followed his principle, and for the time being they were trained in
moral discipline and nonviolence, the preliminary steps for proceeding
further on the path of God realization. He deluded the atheists because
such atheists who followed his principles did not believe in God, but
they kept their absolute faith in Lord Buddha, who himself was the
incarnation of God. Thus the faithless people were made to believe in
God in the form of Lord Buddha. That was the mercy of Lord Buddha: he
made the faithless faithful to him.
Killing of animals before
the advent of Lord Buddha was the most prominent feature of the
society. People claimed that these were Vedic sacrifices. When the
Vedas are not accepted through the authoritative disciplic succession,
the casual readers of the Vedas are misled by the flowery language of
that system of knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gītā a comment has been made
on such foolish scholars (avipaścitaḥ). The foolish scholars of Vedic
literature who do not care to receive the transcendental message
through the transcendental realized sources of disciplic succession are
sure to be bewildered. To them, the ritualistic ceremonies are
considered to be all in all. They have no depth of knowledge. According
to the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: the
whole system of the Vedas is to lead one gradually to the path of the
Supreme Lord. The whole theme of Vedic literature is to know the
Supreme Lord, the individual soul, the cosmic situation and the
relation between all these items. When the relation is known, the
relative function begins, and as a result of such a function the
ultimate goal of life or going back to Godhead takes place in the
easiest manner. Unfortunately, unauthorized scholars of the Vedas
become captivated by the purificatory ceremonies only, and natural
progress is thereby checked.
To such bewildered persons of
atheistic propensity, Lord Buddha is the emblem of theism. He therefore
first of all wanted to check the habit of animal-killing. The
animal-killers are dangerous elements on the path going back to
Godhead. There are two types of animal-killers. The soul is also
sometimes called the "animal" or the living being. Therefore, both the
slaughterer of animals and those who have lost their identity of soul
are animal-killers.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit said that only the
animal-killer cannot relish the transcendental message of the Supreme
Lord. Therefore if people are to be educated to the path of Godhead,
they must be taught first and foremost to stop the process of
animal-killing as above mentioned. It is nonsensical to say that
animal-killing has nothing to do with spiritual realization. By this
dangerous theory many so-called sannyāsīs have sprung up by the grace
of Kali-yuga who preach animal-killing under the garb of the Vedas. The
subject matter has already been discussed in the conversation between
Lord Caitanya and Maulana Chand Kazi Shaheb. The animal sacrifice as
stated in the Vedas is different from the unrestricted animal-killing
in the slaughterhouse. Because the asuras or the so-called scholars of
Vedic literatures put forward the evidence of animal-killing in the
Vedas, Lord Buddha superficially denied the authority of the Vedas.
This rejection of the Vedas by Lord Buddha was adopted in order to save
people from the vice of animal-killing as well as to save the poor
animals from the slaughtering process of their big brothers who clamor
for universal brotherhood, peace, justice and equity. There is no
justice when there is animal-killing. Lord Buddha wanted to stop it
completely, and therefore his cult of ahiṁsā was propagated not only in
India but also outside the country.
Technically Lord Buddha's
philosophy is called atheistic because there is no acceptance of the
Supreme Lord and because that system of philosophy denied the authority
of the Vedas. But that is an act of camouflage by the Lord. Lord Buddha
is the incarnation of Godhead. As such, he is the original propounder
of Vedic knowledge. He therefore cannot reject Vedic philosophy. But he
rejected it outwardly because the sura-dviṣa, or the demons who are
always envious of the devotees of Godhead, try to support cow-killing
or animal-killing from the pages of the Vedas, and this is now being
done by the modernized sannyāsīs. Lord Buddha had to reject the
authority of the Vedas altogether. This is simply technical, and had it
not been so he would not have been so accepted as the incarnation of
Godhead. Nor would he have been worshiped in the transcendental songs
of the poet Jayadeva, who is a Vaiṣṇava ācārya. Lord Buddha preached
the preliminary principles of the Vedas in a manner suitable for the
time being (and so also did Śaṅkarācārya) to establish the authority of
the Vedas. Therefore both Lord Buddha and Ācārya Śaṅkara paved the path
of theism, and Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, specifically Lord Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, led the people on the path towards a realization of going
back to Godhead.
We are glad that people are taking interest in
the nonviolent movement of Lord Buddha. But will they take the matter
very seriously and close the animal slaughterhouses altogether? If not,
there is no meaning to the ahiṁsā cult.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was
composed just prior to the beginning of the age of Kali (about five
thousand years ago), and Lord Buddha appeared about twenty-six hundred
years ago. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lord Buddha is foretold.
Such is the authority of this clear scripture. There are many such
prophecies, and they are being fulfilled one after another. They will
indicate the positive standing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is without
trace of mistake, illusion, cheating and imperfection, which are the
four flaws of all conditioned souls. The liberated souls are above
these flaws; therefore they can see and foretell things which are to
take place on distant future dates.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.24
Ajina-sūtaḥ is another version. Kīkaṭeṣu means “in the area of Gayā.”
TEXT - SB 1.3.25
athāsau yuga-sandhyāyāṁ
dasyu-prāyeṣu rājasu
janitā viṣṇu-yaśaso
nāmnā kalkir jagat-patiḥ
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter;
asau—the same Lord; yuga-sandhyāyām—at the conjunction of the yugas;
dasyu—plunderers; prāyeṣu—almost all; rājasu—the governing
personalities; janitā—will take His birth; viṣṇu—named Viṣṇu;
yaśasaḥ—surnamed Yaśā; nāmnā—in the name of; kalkiḥ—the incarnation of
the Lord; jagat-patiḥ—the Lord of the creation.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter,
at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the creation will take His
birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Viṣṇu Yaśā. At
this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers.
PURPORT
Here
is another foretelling of the advent of Lord Kalki, the incarnation of
Godhead. He is to appear at the conjunction of the two yugas, namely at
the end of Kali-yuga and the beginning of Satya-yuga. The cycle of the
four yugas, namely Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali, rotates like the
calendar months. The present Kali-yuga lasts 432,000 years, out of
which we have passed only 5,000 years after the Battle of Kurukṣetra
and the end of the regime of King Parīkṣit. So there are 427,000 years
balance yet to be finished. Therefore at the end of this period, the
incarnation of Kalki will take place, as foretold in the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The name of His father, Viṣṇu Yaśā, a learned
brāhmaṇa, and the village Śambhala are also mentioned. As above
mentioned, all these foretellings will prove to be factual in
chronological order. That is the authority of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.25
Kalki will appear from the brāhmaṇa named Viṣṇu-yaśas.
TEXT - SB 1.3.26
avatārā hy asaṅkhyeyā
hareḥ sattva-nidher dvijāḥ
yathāvidāsinaḥ kulyāḥ
sarasaḥ syuḥ sahasraśaḥ
SYNONYMS
avatārāḥ—incarnations;
hi—certainly; asaṅkhyeyāḥ—innumerable; hareḥ—of Hari, the Lord;
sattva-nidheḥ—of the ocean of goodness; dvijāḥ—the brāhmaṇas; yathā—as
it is; avidāsinaḥ—inexhaustible; kulyāḥ—rivulets; sarasaḥ—of vast
lakes; syuḥ—are; sahasraśaḥ—thousands of.
TRANSLATION
O brāhmaṇas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water.
PURPORT
The
list of incarnations of the Personality of Godhead given herein is not
complete. It is only a partial view of all the incarnations. There are
many others, such as Śrī Hayagrīva, Hari, Haṁsa, Pṛśnigarbha, Vibhu,
Satyasena, Vaikuṇṭha, Sārvabhauma, Viṣvaksena, Dharmasetu, Sudhāmā,
Yogeśvara, Bṛhadbhānu and others of the bygone ages. Śrī Prahlāda
Mahārāja said in his prayer, "My Lord, You manifest as many
incarnations as there are species of life, namely the aquatics, the
vegetables, the reptiles, the birds, the beasts, the men, the demigods,
etc., just for the maintenance of the faithful and the annihilation of
the unfaithful. You advent Yourself in this way in accordance with the
necessity of the different yugas. In the Kali-yuga You have incarnated
garbed as a devotee." This incarnation of the Lord in the Kali-yuga is
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There are many other places, both in the
Bhāgavatam and in other scriptures, in which the incarnation of the
Lord as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is explicitly mentioned. In the
Brahma-saṁhitā also it is said indirectly that although there are many
incarnations of the Lord, such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Matsya, Kūrma
and many others, the Lord Himself sometimes incarnates in person. Lord
Kṛṣṇa and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are not, therefore,
incarnations, but the original source of all other incarnations. This
will be clearly explained in the next śloka. So the Lord is the
inexhaustible source for innumerable incarnations which are not always
mentioned. But such incarnations are distinguished by specific
extraordinary feats which are impossible to be performed by any living
being. That is the general test to identify an incarnation of the Lord,
directly and indirectly empowered. Some incarnations mentioned above
are almost plenary portions. For instance, the Kumāras are empowered
with transcendental knowledge. Śrī Nārada is empowered with devotional
service. Mahārāja Pṛthu is an empowered incarnation with executive
function. The Matsya incarnation is directly a plenary portion. So the
innumerable incarnations of the Lord are manifested all over the
universes constantly, without cessation, as water flows constantly from
waterfalls.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.26
This
verse summarizes all the avatāras since some like Hayagrīva and Haṁsa
were not mentioned in this list. A comparison is made with a treasure
house (sattva-nidheḥ) or an ocean of pure śuddha-sattva forms of
eternity, knowledge and bliss, because the forms cannot be counted.
Avidāsinaḥ means inexhaustible. Normally by giving out water, a lake
becomes exhausted. Countless avatāras arise from the Lord like
thousands of small streams (kulyāh), natural torrents, flowing from an
inexhaustible lake. Asaṅkhyeyā means not countable. However there is
another meaning: not well known (asamyak khyāta). Some like the
puruṣāvatāras are well known. Others are not so well known. Prahlāda
has said:
itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair
lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān |
dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ
channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam ||
In
this way, by appearing in various incarnations as a human being, an
animal, a great saint, a demigod, a fish or a tortoise, you maintain
the worlds, kill those who cause disturbance and protect dharma in all
the yugas. Great Lord! Since you will appear covered in Kali-yuga, you
are called Tri-yuga. SB 7.9.38
Channaḥ indicates that the avatāra is not well known.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.26||
avatārā hy asankhyeyā hareḥ sattva-nidher dvijāḥ |
yathāvidāsinaḥ kulyāḥ sarasaḥ syuḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Unlimited avatāras arise from the Lord, the treasure house of pure
goodness, just as thousands of small rivers flow from an inexhaustible
lake.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 26:
All the others not
mentioned, such as Hayagrīva, Hari, Hamsa, Prśnigarbha, Vibhu,
Satyasena, Vaikuntha, Ajita, Sārvabhauma, Viśvaksena, Dharmasetu,
Sudhāmā, Yogeśvara, Bṛhadbhānu and the yuga avataras such as Śukla are
now collectively mentioned.
The Lord is a treasure of the
śakti which reveals sattva (sattva-nidheḥ). An example is given. The
avatāras are like thousands of rivers emanating from a lake which does
not dry up (avidāsinaḥ sarasaḥ). Among these amśa avatāras there is
some distinction. The Kumāras endowed with jnāna and Nārada endowed
with bhakti are śaktyāmśāveśa forms, endowed with a portion of the
Lord’s
śakti. Pṛthu and others are endowed with kriyā-śakti. For this reason,
these forms (though they are jīvas) sometimes say “I am Bhagavān.”
Others like Matsya are directly amśāvataṛas. This means that, though
they are directly Bhagavān, they are eternally endowed with śaktis and
qualities of limited scope because they have a permanent desire for
that particular quality.
These various forms are illustrated in Brahma-samhitā:
rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu |
kṛṣṇaḥ svayam samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo govindam ādi-puruṣam tam aham bhajāmi ||
I
worship the Supreme Lord Govinda who, though appearing in the worlds in
eternal forms such as Rāma and Nṛsimha with their characteristic
powers, also appears personally in the supreme form of Kṛṣṇa with the
most attractive pastimes. (Brahma-samhitā 5.39)
TEXT - SB 1.3.27
ṛṣayo manavo devā
manu-putrā mahaujasaḥ
kalāḥ sarve harer eva
saprajāpatayaḥ smṛtāḥ
SYNONYMS
ṛṣayaḥ—all
the sages; manavaḥ—all the Manus; devāḥ—all the demigods;
manu-putrāḥ—all the descendants of Manu; mahā-ojasaḥ—very powerful;
kalāḥ—portion of the plenary portion; sarve—all collectively; hareḥ—of
the Lord; eva—certainly; sa-prajāpatayaḥ—along with the Prajāpatis;
smṛtāḥ—are known.
TRANSLATION
All the ṛṣis, Manus,
demigods and descendants of Manu, who are especially powerful, are
plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord. This
also includes the Prajāpatis.
PURPORT
Those who are
comparatively less powerful are called vibhūti, and those who are
comparatively more powerful are called āveśa incarnations.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.27
Having described the avatāras, now the vibhūtis are described.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.27||
ṛṣayo manavo devā manu-putrā mahaujasaḥ |
kalāḥ sarve harer eva saprajāpatayaḥ smṛtāḥ ||
TRANSLATION
All sages, Manus, devatās, powerful humans (sons of Manu), along with
Brahmā’s sons, are also considered to be vibhūtis of the Lord.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 27:
The
vibhūtis of the Lord are described. Kalāḥ refers to vibhūtis. If they
manifest very little of the Lord’s śakti they are called vibhūtis. If
they manifest great śakti they are called āveśa forms.
TEXT - SB 1.3.28
ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge
SYNONYMS
ete—all
these; ca—and; aṁśa—plenary portions; kalāḥ—portions of the plenary
portions; puṁsaḥ—of the Supreme; kṛṣṇaḥ—Lord Kṛṣṇa; tu—but;
bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; svayam—in person; indra-ari—the
enemies of Indra; vyākulam—disturbed; lokam—all the planets;
mṛḍayanti—gives protection; yuge yuge—in different ages.
TRANSLATION
All
of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or
portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the
original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever
there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to
protect the theists.
PURPORT
In this particular stanza
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is distinguished from other
incarnations. He is counted amongst the avatāras (incarnations) because
out of His causeless mercy the Lord descends from His transcendental
abode. Avatāra means "one who descends." All the incarnations of the
Lord, including the Lord Himself, descend on the different planets of
the material world as also in different species of life to fulfill
particular missions. Sometimes He comes Himself, and sometimes His
different plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, or His
differentiated portions directly or indirectly empowered by Him,
descend on this material world to execute certain specific functions.
Originally the Lord is full of all opulences, all prowess, all fame,
all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. When they are partly
manifested through the plenary portions or parts of the plenary
portions, it should be noted that certain manifestations of His
different powers are required for those particular functions. When in
the room small electric bulbs are displayed, it does not mean that the
electric powerhouse is limited by the small bulbs. The same powerhouse
can supply power to operate large-scale industrial dynamos with greater
volts. Similarly, the incarnations of the Lord display limited powers
because so much power is needed at that particular time.
For
example, Lord Paraśurāma and Lord Nṛsiṁha displayed unusual opulence by
killing the disobedient kṣatriyas twenty-one times and killing the
greatly powerful atheist Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was so powerful
that even the demigods in other planets would tremble simply by the
unfavorable raising of his eyebrow. The demigods in the higher level of
material existence many, many times excel the most well-to-do human
beings, in duration of life, beauty, wealth, paraphernalia, and in all
other respects. Still they were afraid of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Thus we can
simply imagine how powerful Hiraṇyakaśipu was in this material world.
But even Hiraṇyakaśipu was cut into small pieces by the nails of Lord
Nṛsiṁha. This means that anyone materially powerful cannot stand the
strength of the Lord's nails. Similarly, Jāmadagnya displayed the
Lord's power to kill all the disobedient kings powerfully situated in
their respective states. The Lord's empowered incarnation Nārada and
plenary incarnation Varāha, as well as indirectly empowered Lord
Buddha, created faith in the mass of people. The incarnations of Rāma
and Dhanvantari displayed His fame, and Balarāma, Mohinī and Vāmana
exhibited His beauty. Dattātreya, Matsya, Kumāra and Kapila exhibited
His transcendental knowledge. Nara and Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣis exhibited His
renunciation. So all the different incarnations of the Lord indirectly
or directly manifested different features, but Lord Kṛṣṇa, the primeval
Lord, exhibited the complete features of Godhead, and thus it is
confirmed that He is the source of all other incarnations. And the most
extraordinary feature exhibited by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was His internal
energetic manifestation of His pastimes with the cowherd girls. His
pastimes with the gopīs are all displays of transcendental existence,
bliss and knowledge, although these are manifested apparently as sex
love. The specific attraction of His pastimes with the gopīs should
never be misunderstood. The Bhāgavatam relates these transcendental
pastimes in the Tenth Canto. And in order to reach the position to
understand the transcendental nature of Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the
gopīs, the Bhāgavatam promotes the student gradually in nine other
cantos.
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī's statement, in
accordance with authoritative sources, Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of all
other incarnations. It is not that Lord Kṛṣṇa has any source of
incarnation. All the symptoms of the Supreme Truth in full are present
in the person of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and in the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord
emphatically declares that there is no truth greater than or equal to
Himself. In this stanza the word svayam is particularly mentioned to
confirm that Lord Kṛṣṇa has no other source than Himself. Although in
other places the incarnations are described as bhagavān because of
their specific functions, nowhere are they declared to be the Supreme
Personality. In this stanza the word svayam signifies the supremacy as
the summum bonum.
The summum bonum Kṛṣṇa is one without a
second. He Himself has expanded Himself in various parts, portions and
particles as svayaṁ-rūpa, svayam-prakāśa, tad-ekātmā, prābhava,
vaibhava, vilāsa, avatāra, āveśa, and jīvas, all provided with
innumerable energies just suitable to the respective persons and
personalities. Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have
carefully analyzed the summum bonum Kṛṣṇa to have sixty-four principal
attributes. All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess only
some percentages of these attributes. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of
the attributes cent percent. And His personal expansions such as
svayam-prakāśa, tad-ekātmā up to the categories of the avatāras who are
all viṣṇu-tattva, possess up to ninety-three percent of these
transcendental attributes. Lord Śiva, who is neither avatāra nor āveśa
nor in between them, possesses almost eighty-four percent of the
attributes. But the jīvas, or the individual living beings in different
statuses of life, possess up to the limit of seventy-eight percent of
the attributes. In the conditioned state of material existence, the
living being possesses these attributes in very minute quantity,
varying in terms of the pious life of the living being. The most
perfect of living beings is Brahmā, the supreme administrator of one
universe. He possesses seventy-eight percent of the attributes in full.
All other demigods have the same attributes in less quantity, whereas
human beings possess the attributes in very minute quantity. The
standard of perfection for a human being is to develop the attributes
up to seventy-eight percent in full. The living being can never possess
attributes like Śiva, Viṣṇu or Lord Kṛṣṇa. A living being can become
godly by developing the seventy-eight-percent transcendental attributes
in fullness, but he can never become a God like Śiva, Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.
He can become a Brahmā in due course. The godly living beings who are
all residents of the planets in the spiritual sky are eternal
associates of God in different spiritual planets called Hari-dhāma and
Maheśa-dhāma. The abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa above all spiritual planets is
called Kṛṣṇaloka or Goloka Vṛndāvana, and the perfected living being,
by developing seventy-eight percent of the above attributes in
fullness, can enter the planet of Kṛṣṇaloka after leaving the present
material body.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.28
Are
all these avatāras equal or are they graded? This verse answers. Those
avatāras previously described (ete) and those not described (ca), are
aṁśas (Matsya, Kūrma etc.) and some of whom are kalā (Kumāras, Nārada,
etc., āveśāvatāras) of the first puruṣa described (Mahā-viṣṇu). Thus it
is said in Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta
jñāna-śakty-ādi-kalayā yatrāviṣṭo janārdanaḥ |
ta āveśā nigadyante jīvā eva mahattamāḥ ||
vaikuṇṭhe’pi yathā śeṣo nāradaḥ sanakādayaḥ |:
Exalted
jīvas empowered by the Lord with portions of his powers such as
knowledge are called āveśa forms. Examples existing even in Vaikuṇṭha
are Śeṣa, Nārada and the Kumāras. (Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.1.18-19)
Padma Purāṇa says:
Āviṣṭo bhūt kumāreṣu nārade ca harir vibhuḥ |
The Supreme Lord invested his powers in the Kumāras and Nārada.
āviveśa pṛthuṁ devaḥ śaṅkhī cakrī caturbhujaḥ ||
etat te kathitaṁ devi jāmadagner mahātmanaḥ |
śaktyāveśāvatārasya caritaṁ śārṅgiṇaḥ prabhoḥ ||
kaler ante ca samprāpte kalkinaṁ brahma-vādinam |
anupraviśya kurute vāsudevo jagat-sthitim ||
The
Lord with four hands holding the conch and cakra entered into Pṛthu, O
goddess! The activities of the great soul Parāśurāma, a
śaktyāveśāvatāra of the Supreme Lord, holder of the bow, has been
described.
At the end of Kali-yuga, Vāsudeva enters into Kalki,
a teacher of spiritual matters, and protects the world. Entering in
Kali-yuga into those jīvas who have previously appeared, the Lord
carries out his desired activities. Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.4.37, 39, 42
The
Kumāras and Nārada are invested with śakti of jñāna and bhakti. Pṛthu
and others are invested with kriyā-śakti--action. Some are invested
with great powers and others with little power. Included in the first
type with great powers are Kumāras and Nārada. They are called
avatāras. Others with less power such as Marīci, and the Manus, are
called vibhūtis. But he who was called the twentieth avatāra, Kṛṣṇa is
bhagavān, not an aṁśa. Nor is he an aṁśī puruṣāvatāra. He is bhagavān.
The avatārī, bhagavān is the source of the puruṣa was already stated in
the verse jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ: Bhagavān
accepted the form of the puruṣa. (SB 1.3.1) Thus bhagavān is different
from the puruṣa. It is said:
anuvādam anuktvā tu na vidheyam udīrayet
na hy alabdhāspadaṁ kiñcit kutracit pratitiṣṭhati
One should not state a predicate before its subject, for it cannot thus stand without proper support. Ekādaśī-tattva
Thus
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān means that Kṛṣṇa (the subject) fulfills completely
the qualities inherent in bhagavān, the predicate. It does not mean
that Kṛṣṇa is another form of bhagavān. Thus it means that Kṛṣṇa alone
is bhagavān, the basis of every other form. This is made clear by the
word svayam. This means that Kṛṣṇa is superior to the puruṣāvatāra
called bhagavān and even to Mahā-nārāyaṇa. Thus in the Chāndogya
Upaniṣad it is said jyāyāṁś ca pūruṣaḥ: the puruṣa is greater than
that; sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: everything is brahman; yat prāṇā
ādityā: the prāṇas are the Ādityas. Having said this, everything is
summarized by saying kṛṣṇāya devakī-putrāya: this puruṣa sacrifice is
subservient to Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.17.6) By
this it is understood that Kṛṣṇa is superior to the puruṣa.
But
Kṛṣṇa is counted among the avatāras, because he appears in Mathurā and
other places situated on the earth planet, performs pastimes like a
human, shows mercy to the people of the material world, and appears and
disappears. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad thus says:
sa hovācābja-yonir
yo ’vatārāṇāṁ madhye śreṣṭho ’vatāraḥ ko bhavati yena lokās tuṣṭā
bhavanti, yaṁ smṛtvā muktā asmāt saṁsārāt taranti |
kathaṁ āsyāvatārasya brahmatā bhavati
Brahmā
said: who is the best among all the avatāras, by which all the people
are satisfied, whom remembering, they become liberated from this world?
How is this avatāra the supreme brahman?
“But how can you
establish that Kṛṣṇa is the complete form of God on the basis of this
one statement, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam? There are countless
statements which refute this such as the following:
yadoś ca dharma-śīlasya nitarāṁ muni-sattama
tatrāṁśenāvatīrṇasya viṣṇor vīryāṇi śaṁsa naḥ
O
best of munis, you have also described the descendants of Yadu, who
were very pious and strictly adherent to religious principles. Now, if
you will, kindly describe the wonderful, glorious activities of the
expansion of Lord Viṣṇu, who appeared in that Yadu dynasty. SB 10.1.2
diṣṭyāmba te kukṣi-gataḥ paraḥ pumān
aṁśena sākṣād bhagavān bhavāya naḥ
mābhūd bhayaṁ bhoja-pater mumūrṣor
goptā yadūnāṁ bhavitā tavātmajaḥ
O
mother Devakī, by your good fortune and ours, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead Himself, as an expansion, is now within your womb. Therefore
you need not fear Kaṁsa, who has decided to be killed by the Lord. Your
eternal son, Kṛṣṇa, will be the protector of the entire Yadu dynasty.
SB 10.2.41
tāv imau vai bhagavato harer aṁśāv ihāgatau
bhāra-vyayāya ca bhuvaḥ kṛṣṇau yadu-kurūdvahau
That
Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, whose a partial expansion is Kṛṣṇa, has now appeared
in the dynasties of Yadu and Kuru, in the forms of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna
respectively, to mitigate the burden of the world. SB 4.1.59
At
t In the beginning of Bhāgavatam, this chapter concerning the
mysterious appearance of the Lord (janma guhyaṁ bhagavato, SB 1.3.29)
is called a sūtra, since it threads together (sūc) statements
concerning all the avatāras. And in this chapter, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ
puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam is a paribhāṣā-sūtra, which supplies a
general definition for the whole work. Thus, wherever avatāras are
described in the Bhāgavatam, others should be known as expansions of
the puruṣāvatāra, but Kṛṣṇa should be known as svayam bhagavān. This
conclusion is prevalent everywhere in the Bhāgavatam. It has been said:
paribhāṣā hy eka-deśasthā sakalaṁ śāstram abhiprakāśayati yathā veśma-pradīpa
The paribhāṣā statement, situated in one place, lights up the whole scripture, just as a lamp lights up the whole house.
This
sūtra appears once in the work and is not continually repeated. Though
there are millions of statements in the scripture, this sūtra controls
them all like a king. Thus statements which contradict the sūtra must
be explained so that they agree with the sūtra. That is because these
contrary statements are weak, since they belong to secondary subjects
in the work, and because the sūtra’s statement is strong, being
supported by śruti. Thus these statements should be harmonized with the
sūtra by giving them another meaning, according to the rule
śruti-liṅga-vākya-prakaraṇa-sthāna-samākhyānāṁ samavāye pāradaurbalyam
artha-viprakarṣād; where there is a combination of direct statements,
inference, rules, discussion, philosophical stances, and
interpretations, the later statements are considered progressively
weaker in authority, because of their possibility of contrary meaning.
(Jaiminī-sūtra 3.3.14) This is not just deference to a rule. Śrīdhara
Svāmī has reconciled things in this way in many places.
Since
there are many different avatāras such as Matsya and Kūrma, and Kṛṣṇa
himself has two-armed and four-armed forms, and as well displays ages
such as kaumāra and kaiśora, and they are all said to be eternal, does
that mean that there are many Gods? No. The Tenth Canto says
bahu-mūrty-eka-mūrtikam: he is one God manifested as many. (SB 10.40.7)
The jīva at different times shows different temporary forms with less
or more power, but the one Supreme Lord who pervades everything, by his
inconceivable energy, can simultaneously have infinite eternal forms
which are not different from him. The jīvas show infinite variety
simply because there are infinite jīvas. The Lord shows infinite
variety of forms by being one person. Thus when the jīva sees the Lord
he perceives the Lord as if there are many Lords, like jīvas.
The
supreme lord, bliss alone, knowledge alone, and all pervading,
manifests aṁśī and aṁśa. Is it possible for the indivisible Lord to be
divided and subdivided? Mahā-varāha Purāṇa says:
sarve nityāḥ śāśvatāś ca dahās tasya parātmanaḥ |
hānopādāna-rahitā naiva prakṛtijāḥ kvacit ||
paramānanda-sandohā jñāna-mātrāś ca sarvataḥ |
sarve sarva-guṇaiḥ pūrṇā sarva-doṣa-vivarjitāḥ ||
All
the forms of the Lord are eternal, appearing constantly within the
material world with bodies of Paramātmā, without any destructible
elements made of prakṛti. They are completely filled with the highest
bliss and knowledge, full of all good qualities and devoid of all
faults.
This is true, but though the aṁśa forms are perfect and
complete, they are called aṁśa because they display only various
degrees of the lord’s qualities such as sweetness, power, and mercy.
According to the particular goal, lesser powers are shown, in the forms
known as aṁśa. Real completeness means fully displaying all the powers
in full. This takes place in the aṁśī. In Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta it is
said:
śakter vyaktis tathāvyaktis tāratamyasya kāraṇam ||
śaktiḥ samāpi pūryādi-dāhe dīpāgni-puñjayoḥ |
śītādy-ārti-kṣayenāgni-puñjād eva sukhaṁ bhavet ||
The
manifestation and non-manifestation of śakti is the cause of grading
the aṁśī and the aṁśa. Though the śakti of the lamp and the bonfire is
the same in that both can burn down a town, only from the bonfire one
obtains comfort because it destroys cold and other types of suffering.
Thus
the difference between different forms because of display of complete
or partial features has been experienced by the great realized devotees.
āsīnam urvyāṁ bhagavantam ādyaṁ
saṅkarṣaṇaṁ devam akuṇṭha-sattvam |
vivitsavas tattvam ataḥ parasya
kumāra-mukhyā munayo ’nvapṛcchan ||
svam eva dhiṣṇyaṁ bahu mānayantaṁ
yad vāsudevābhidham āmananti ||
Some
time ago, being inquisitive to know, Sanat-kumāra, the chief of the
boy-saints, accompanied by other great sages, inquired exactly like you
about the truths regarding Vāsudeva, the Supreme, from Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa,
who is seated at the bottom of the universe. At that time Lord
Saṅkarṣaṇa was meditating upon His Supreme Lord, whom the learned
esteem as Lord Vāsudeva. SB 3.8.3-4
There is nothing
contradictory if there are differences between the aṁśī and aṁśa, since
the Lord is spiritual substance. Varāha Purāṇa says svāṁśaś cātha
vibhinnāṁśa iti dvedhāṁśa iṣyate: there are two types of aṁśas, the
expansions of the Lord and the jīvas. Śrīdhara Svāmī says, “Though the
forms such as Matsya possess all powers and all knowledge since they
are avatāras, according to the circumstances they display certain
amounts of knowledge and action, and the Lord enters into the Kumāras,
Nārada and others by his expansions or parts of his expansions. There
is an ancient explanatory verse:
nṛsiṁho jāmadagnyaś ca kalkiḥ puruṣa eva ca |
bhagavattve ca tatrāder aiśvaryasya prakāśakāḥ ||
nārado ’tha tathā vyāso varāho buddha eva ca |
dharmāṇām eva vaividhyād amī dharma-pradarśakāḥ ||
rāmo dhanvantarir yajñaḥ pṛthuḥ kīrti-pradarśinaḥ |
balarāmo mohinī ca vāmanaḥ śrī-pradhānakāḥ ||
dattātreyaś ca matsyaś ca kumāraḥ kapilas tathā |
jñāna-pradarśakā ete vijñātavyā manīṣibhiḥ ||
nārāyaṇo naraś ceti kūrmaś ca ṛṣabhas tathā |
vairāgya-darśino jñeyās tat-tat-karmānusārataḥ ||
kṛṣṇaḥ pūrṇa-ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-mādhuryāṇāṁ mahodadhiḥ |
antarbhūta-samastāvatāro nikhila-śaktimān ||
Nṛsiṁha,
Parāśurāma, Kalki, and the puruṣāvatāras show the power of the Lord.
Nārada, Vyāsa, Varāha, and Buddha show dharma, because they preach
various paths of dharma. Rāma, Dhanvantari, Yajña and Pṛthu display
fame. Balarāma, Mohinī and Vāmana display beauty. Dattātreya, Matsya,
the Kumāras and Kapila display knowledge which should be known by the
wise. Nara-nārāyaṇa, Kūrma and Ṛṣabha display detachment by their
respective actions. Kṛṣṇa is the great ocean of complete sweetness and
complete display of the six aiśvaryas mentioned in the other forms
above. He contains all avatāras within himself, and is the possessor of
all śaktis.
The verse mentions the goal common to all the
avatāras. The avatāras create happiness (mṛḍayanti) in the world
whenever (yuge yuge) it is afflicted (vyākulam) by the demons (indrāri)
and their ideas.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.28||
ete cāmśa-kalāḥ pumsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam |
indrāri-vyākulam lokam mṛdayanti yuge yuge ||
TRANSLATION
All avatāras mentioned and not mentioned here, who are portions of the
puruṣa or are empowered jīvas, create happiness in the world whenever
it is afflicted by the demons and their ideas. But Kṛṣṇa is the
ultimate form of Bhagavān.
Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 28:
Bhagavān
who was just described as Paramātmā (garbhodakaśayī) and his expansions
is again described with a form. Ete refers to those previous mentioned.
The word ca indicates those not specifically mentioned. These forms
mentioned are amśas of the puruṣa (pumsaḥ) first described. Some of the
amśas are actual amśas, of two types: direct amśa forms of the Lord or
portions of the amśas. Others are called amśas because of being endowed
with a portion of the Lord’s śakti (śaktyāveśa). Others are the
vibhūtis (kalāḥ). But he who was listed as the twentieth avatāra,
Kṛṣṇa, is Bhagavān. This means “the form of Bhagavān who is the source
of even the puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa alone.” It is said anuvādam anuktvaiva na
vidheyam udīrayed: without stating the subject the predicate should not
be supplied. Thus the meaning of kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān is that Kṛṣṇa alone
has the quality of being Bhagavān. He is the source of all avatāras. It
does not mean that Bhagavān manifests Kṛṣṇa. This is further explained
by the word svayam. Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān himself (svayam), not manifested
from Bhagavān and not superimposed upon Bhagavān.
The doubt
may arise, “Is he not included in the list of avatāras?” Paurvāparye
pūrva-daurbalyam prakṛtivad: in a list of items, the previous ones are
weaker than the later ones as in the case of prakṛti sacrifices.
(Jaiminī Mīmāmśa-sūtra 6.5.54) Yady udgātā vicchidyād adakṣiṇena yajeta
yadi pratihartā sarvasvadakṣiṇena: if the udgatā priest (chanter of
Sāma Veda) drops with waist cloth of the priest in front while
circumambulating the fire after the sacrifice, the sacrifice should be
repeated, and no donation should be given. If the pratihartā (chanter
of Ṛg Veda) drops the waist cloth of the priest in front of him while
circumambulating the fire, the sacrifice should be repeated with full
donation given to the priest. If the two priests one after the other
drop the waist cloth the sacrifice must be repeated with full donation,
according to the latter rule.
When two contradictory methods
of atonement are described without any way of combining them (eg if
both udgatā and pratihartā fail to perform circumambulation properly),
the one mentioned later (in the same scripture) is taken as the method.
Or the phrase kṛṣṇas tu invalidates the previous section. The
same logic is used in explaining the Upaniṣads according to Sankāra’s
commentary on śruty-ādibalīyastvāc ca na bādhaḥ (Brahma-sūtra 3.3.50)
Even though the words occurs in another section on action, the words te
ahite vidyācita are understood in the section on the fire called
manaścit. Also, not using the word Bhagavān elsewhere at all, it is
used in relation to Kṛṣṇa in SB 1.3.23
Though he is listed
with the avatāras, Svayam Bhagavān, situated in his svarūpa, sometimes
becomes visible to all people, nourishing sweetness with his birth
pastimes etc., in order to cause intense astonishing bliss to his own
associates. It is said:
rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu |
kṛṣṇaḥ svayam samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo govindam ādi-puruṣam tam aham bhajāmi ||
I
worship the Supreme Lord Govinda who, though appearing in the worlds in
eternal forms such as Rāma and Nṛsimha with their characteristic
powers, also appears personally in the supreme form of Kṛṣṇa with the
most attractive pastimes. (Brahma-samhitā 5.39)
The word
avatāra means forms of the Lord that descend into the material world.
Even Balarāma is accepted as Bhagavān because he helps Kṛṣṇa. The word
tu (but) distinguishes Bhagavān from the amśas and kalās and from the
puruṣa forms. Or the word tu is for emphasis. Sāvadhāraṇā śrutir
balavati: a word used for emphasis makes the word stronger. This means
that Mahā-nārāyaṇa and others are subordinate to Svayam Bhagavān.
The
words pumṣaḥ and bhagavān are used in this verse to refer to statement
at the beginning of the chapter about the puruṣa and bhagavān. The word
pumsaḥ is similar to the word puruṣa at the beginning of the chapter.
One word or a word with the same sounds is used by the wise in order to
eliminate any lack of clarity in meaning in the first statement and the
present verse. Similarly in the section on jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice, the
word jyoti is used to indicate jyotiṣtoma. Vasante vasante ca jyotiśā
yajeta: one should sacrifice every spring with a jyotiṣṭoma.
The
followers of Madhva however have the word sva instead of the word ca in
their text. They thus say the meaning is “Those mentioned are avatāras.
They are the main form. What is their svarūpa? They are svāmśa and
kalās. They are not separated amśas like jīvas.”
svāmśaś cātha vibhinnāmśa iti dvedhāmśa iṣyate |
amśino yat tu sāmarthyam yat svarūpam yathā sthitiḥ || tad eva nāṇumātro’pi bhedaḥ svāmśāmśinoḥ kvacit |
vibhinnāmśo’lpa-śaktiḥ syāt kincit sāmarthya-mātra-yuk ||
There
are two types of amśas: svāmśa and vibhinnāmśa. The svāmśa does not
differ at all from the amśī in powers, nature and position. The
vibhinnāmśa has little power and only some ability. (Varāha Purāṇa)
The
following should be said. The amśa forms have the powers of the amśī.
They should be considered one entity. The example of the lake and many
rivers was given (SB 1.3.26). Because the source is ever undiminished,
they also are undiminished at all times. Thus since the Bhagavān is
undiminished, so are his amśas. But like the lake and the river, there
is also difference. Since Vāsudeva and Aniruddha are the same,
sometimes it is stated that the manifestation of Vāsudeva occurs
through Aniruddha. This is however contrary to śruti. There are
differences between the avatārī (Kṛṣṇa) and the avatāra.
āsīnam
urvyām bhagavantam ādyam sankarṣaṇam devam akuṇṭha-sattvam vivitsavas
tattvam ataḥ parasya kumāra-mukhyā munayo ’nvapṛcchan
One time
the sages headed by Sanat-kumāra, being philosophically inquisitive,
with a desire to know the nature of Vāsudeva, asked questions to
Sankarṣaṇa who has indestructible knowledge, who was situated below
Pātālaloka.
svam eva dhiṣṇyam bahu mānayantam yad vāsudevābhidham āmananti pratyag-dhṛtākṣāmbuja-kośam īṣad unmīlayantam vibudhodayāya
Worshipping
the form of Vāsudeva, his own shelter, who is praised by the wise,
Sankarṣaṇa slightly opened his lotus eyes concentrated deep in
meditation, for giving benefit to the sages. (SB 3.8.3-4)
Here
it says that Vāsudeva is superior to Sankārṣaṇa. The phrase kṛṣṇas tu
would become meaningless if they were completely the same. The
intention is made clear with the words bhagavān svayam. The word svayam
is made clear by prakāśādivan naiva paraḥ: the avatāras are not like
jīvas but are the Lord, just as the sun and the fire fly are called
light but are different from it. (Brahma-sūtra 2.3.44) This indicates
that the amśī and amśa are different. Though they are different from
Bhagavān, Matsya and others are not like jīvas. Similarly the sun and
the fire fly are both amśas of light, but they are not the same. Thus
since difference has been proved, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam has been
correctly explained.
The second part of the verse indrārī
vyakulam lokam mṛdayanti yuge yuge is not connected with the first
sentences since the word tu indicates a separate statement and the
words used complete the meaning by themselves. The word ca instead of
tu would also produce the same meaning. The previously mentioned
avatāras rescue (mṛdayanti) the planets afflicted by demons. More
particulars can be learned from Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha.
TEXT - SB 1.3.29
janma guhyaṁ bhagavato
ya etat prayato naraḥ
sāyaṁ prātar gṛṇan bhaktyā
duḥkha-grāmād vimucyate
SYNONYMS
janma—birth;
guhyam—mysterious; bhagavataḥ—of the Lord; yaḥ—one; etat—all these;
prayataḥ—carefully; naraḥ—man; sāyam—evening; prātaḥ—morning;
gṛṇan—recites; bhaktyā—with devotion; duḥkha-grāmāt—from all miseries;
vimucyate—gets relief from.
TRANSLATION
Whoever carefully
recites the mysterious appearances of the Lord, with devotion in the
morning and in the evening, gets relief from all miseries of life.
PURPORT
In
the Bhagavad-gītā the Personality of Godhead has declared that anyone
who knows the principles of the transcendental birth and activities of
the Lord will go back to Godhead after being relieved from this
material tabernacle. So simply knowing factually the mysterious way of
the Lord's incarnation in this material world can liberate one from
material bondage. Therefore the birth and activities of the Lord, as
manifested by Him for the welfare of the people in general, are not
ordinary. They are mysterious, and only by those who carefully try to
go deep into the matter by spiritual devotion is the mystery
discovered. Thus one gets liberation from material bondage. It is
advised therefore that one who simply recites this chapter of
Bhāgavatam, describing the appearance of the Lord in different
incarnations, in sincerity and devotion, can have insight into the
birth and activities of the Lord. The very word vimukti, or liberation,
indicates that the Lord's birth and activities are all transcendental;
otherwise simply by reciting them one could not attain liberation. They
are therefore mysterious, and those who do not follow the prescribed
regulations of devotional service are not entitled to enter into the
mysteries of His births and activities.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.29
This describes the results of glorifying the avatāras. Guhyam means very concealed or mysterious. Gṛṇan means “glorifying.”
Jiva's tika ||1.3.29||
janma guhyam bhagavato ya etat prayato naraḥ |
sāyam prātar gṛṇan bhaktyā duḥkha-grāmād vimucyate ||
TRANSLATION
The pure person who chants with devotion the glories of the Lord’s
appearance, which is mysterious, becomes free from all sorrows.
The meaning is clear.
TEXT - SB 1.3.30
etad rūpaṁ bhagavato
hy arūpasya cid-ātmanaḥ
māyā-guṇair viracitaṁ
mahadādibhir ātmani
SYNONYMS
etat—all
these; rūpam—forms; bhagavataḥ—of the Lord; hi—certainly; arūpasya—of
one who has no material form; cit-ātmanaḥ—of the Transcendence;
māyā—material energy; guṇaiḥ—by the qualities; viracitam—manufactured;
mahat-ādibhiḥ—with the ingredients of matter; ātmani—in the self.
TRANSLATION
The
conception of the virāṭ universal form of the Lord, as appearing in the
material world, is imaginary. It is to enable the less intelligent [and
neophytes] to adjust to the idea of the Lord's having form. But
factually the Lord has no material form.
PURPORT
The
conception of the Lord known as the viśva-rūpa or the virāṭ-rūpa is
particularly not mentioned along with the various incarnations of the
Lord because all the incarnations of the Lord mentioned above are
transcendental and there is not a tinge of materialism in their bodies.
There is no difference between the body and self as there is in the
conditioned soul. The virāṭ-rūpa is conceived for those who are just
neophyte worshipers. For them the material virāṭ-rūpa is presented, and
it will be explained in the Second Canto. In the virāṭ-rūpa the
material manifestations of different planets have been conceived as His
legs, hands, etc. Actually all such descriptions are for the neophytes.
The neophytes cannot conceive of anything beyond matter. The material
conception of the Lord is not counted in the list of His factual forms.
As Paramātmā, or Supersoul, the Lord is within each and every material
form, even within the atoms, but the outward material form is but an
imagination, both for the Lord and for the living being. The present
forms of the conditioned souls are also not factual. The conclusion is
that the material conception of the body of the Lord as virāṭ is
imaginary. Both the Lord and the living beings are living spirits and
have original spiritual bodies.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.30
“The
universal form of the Lord has been recommended as the first type of
worship in the Second Canto and other places with such verses as
pātālam etasya hi pāda-mūlam: Pātāla is the base of his feet. (SB
2.1.26) Why is this not considered an avatāra of the Lord?” This verse
answers.
This material realm, composed of collective and
individual universes, is a material form of the Lord who has a
spiritual form of consciousness (cid-ātmanaḥ), and is devoid of a
material form (arūpasya). This material form is composed of the
material guṇas and the elements from mahat-tattva to earth
(mahadādibhiḥ) situated on the paramātmā as its basis (ātmani). In
other words this universal form composed of matter is not counted among
the avatāras such as Matsya and Kūrma composed of viśuddha-sattva.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.30||
etad rūpam bhagavato hy arūpasya cid-ātmanaḥ |
māyā-guṇair viracitam mahadādibhir ātmani ||
TRANSLATION
This material realm, composed of the material guṇas and the elements
from mahat-tattva to earth and with the Paramātmā as its basis, is a
material form of the Lord who has a spiritual form of consciousness and
is devoid of a material form.
Having taught the direct forms
of the Lord and the empowered forms as well, he teaches about the form
imposed on the Lord according to scriptures for worship. This is a form
of the universe made of māyā’s guṇas, not related to the form of the
Lord which is not related to matter (arūpasya). It is produced in jīva
(ātmani), by a relationship with the jīva, and not by relationship with
Paramātmā.
TEXT - SB 1.3.31
yathā nabhasi meghaugho
reṇur vā pārthivo 'nile
evaṁ draṣṭari dṛśyatvam
āropitam abuddhibhiḥ
SYNONYMS
yathā—as
it is; nabhasi—in the sky; megha-oghaḥ—a mass of clouds; reṇuḥ—dust;
vā—as well as; pārthivaḥ—muddiness; anile—in the air; evam—thus;
draṣṭari—to the seer; dṛśyatvam—for the purpose of seeing; āropitam—is
implied; abuddhibhiḥ—by the less intelligent persons.
TRANSLATION
Clouds
and dust are carried by the air, but less intelligent persons say that
the sky is cloudy and the air is dirty. Similarly, they also implant
material bodily conceptions on the spirit self.
PURPORT
It
is further confirmed herein that with our material eyes and senses we
cannot see the Lord, who is all spirit. We cannot even detect the
spiritual spark which exists within the material body of the living
being. We look to the outward covering of the body or subtle mind of
the living being, but we cannot see the spiritual spark within the
body. So we have to accept the living being's presence by the presence
of his gross body. Similarly, those who want to see the Lord with their
present material eyes or with the material senses are advised to
meditate on the gigantic external feature called the virāṭ-rūpa. For
instance, when a particular gentleman goes in his car, which can be
seen very easily, we identify the car with the man within the car. When
the President goes out in his particular car, we say, "There is the
President." For the time being we identify the car with the President.
Similarly, less intelligent men who want to see God immediately without
necessary qualification are shown first the gigantic material cosmos as
the form of the Lord, although the Lord is within and without. The
clouds in the sky and the blue of the sky are better appreciated in
this connection. Although the bluish tint of the sky and the sky itself
are different, we conceive of the color of the sky as blue. But that is
a general conception for the laymen only.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.31
To
what can this be compared? Just as a group of clouds are attributed to
the sky or particles of dust are attributed to the air, so this
universal form is attributed to the Lord. It is like a man on a
pedestal being called “the pedestal.” The universal form, situated in
the Lord is called the Lord. This is the meaning. What is seen
(dṛśyatvam), what is controlled by the Lord, is attributed to be the
seer or the controller, the Lord (draṣṭari) who is actually invisible,
by foolish people (abuddhibhiḥ). Though sky and air are invisible, we
see the sky because it is blue or the air because it is dusty. The
adventitious qualities of cloud and dust which are visible are
attributed to be the sky and air which are actually invisible, because
they become visible through the clouds and dust. Thus the meaning here
is that the Lord, visible as the universe, is thus worshipped by the
yogīs situated at the beginning stage of practice.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.31||
yathā nabhasi meghaugho reṇur vā pārthivo’nile |
evam draṣṭari dṛśyatvam āropitam abuddhibhiḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Just as unintelligent people attribute clouds to be the sky and
particles of dust are attributed to be the air, so unintelligent people
see the universe, the visible form of the Lord as the Lord.
What
is this form? It will be described later (SB 2.1.26) with Pātāla
constituting its feet. Parts of the universe are imposed on the limbs
of the Lord for worship.
TEXT - SB 1.3.32
ataḥ paraṁ yad avyaktam
avyūḍha-guṇa-bṛṁhitam
adṛṣṭāśruta-vastutvāt
sa jīvo yat punar-bhavaḥ
SYNONYMS
ataḥ—this;
param—beyond; yat—which; avyaktam—unmanifested; avyūḍha—without formal
shape; guṇa-bṛṁhitam—affected by the qualities; adṛṣṭa—unseen;
aśruta—unheard; vastutvāt—being like that; saḥ—that; jīvaḥ—living
being; yat—that which; punaḥ-bhavaḥ—takes birth repeatedly.
TRANSLATION
Beyond
this gross conception of form is another, subtle conception of form
which is without formal shape and is unseen, unheard and unmanifest.
The living being has his form beyond this subtlety, otherwise he could
not have repeated births.
PURPORT
As the gross cosmic
manifestation is conceived as the gigantic body of the Lord, so also
there is the conception of His subtle form, which is simply realized
without being seen, heard or manifested. But in fact all these gross or
subtle conceptions of the body are in relation with the living beings.
The living being has his spiritual form beyond this gross material or
subtle psychic existence. The gross body and psychic functions cease to
act as soon as the living being leaves the visible gross body. In fact,
we say that the living being has gone away because he is unseen and
unheard. Even when the gross body is not acting when the living being
is in sound sleep, we know that he is within the body by his breathing.
So the living being's passing away from the body does not mean that
there is no existence of the living soul. It is there, otherwise how
can he repeat his births again and again?
The conclusion is that
the Lord is eternally existent in His transcendental form, which is
neither gross nor subtle like that of the living being; His body is
never to be compared to the gross and subtle bodies of the living
being. All such conceptions of God's body are imaginary. The living
being has his eternal spiritual form, which is conditioned only by his
material contamination.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.32
Just
as yogīs worship the visible form of the universe as the Lord, even
though it is material, oher yogīs worship a subtle form of the universe
as the Lord, even though it is also material. These forms are described
later:
amunī bhagavad-rūpe mayā te hy anuvarṇite
ubhe api na gṛhṇanti māyā-sṛṣṭe vipaścitaḥ
The wise do not accept these two forms of the Lord described by me since they are composed of matter. SB 2.10.35
indrādayo bāhava āhur usrāḥ karṇau diśaḥ śrotram amuṣya śabdaḥ
nāsatya-dasrau paramasya nāse ghrāṇo ’sya gandho mukham agnir iddhaḥ
The
devatās such as Indra are his arms. The devatās of the directions and
the organ for hearing arise from his ears. Sound arises from his organ
of hearing. The Aśvinis and the organ for smelling arise from his
nostrils. Fragrance arises from his organ of smelling. Flaming fire is
his mouth. SB 2.1.29
vijñāna-śaktiṁ mahim āmananti sarvātmano ’ntaḥ-karaṇaṁ giritram
aśvāśvatary-uṣṭra-gajā nakhāni sarve mṛgāḥ paśavaḥ śroṇi-deśe
They
say that mahat-tattva is his citta. Rudra is his false ego. Horses,
mules, camels and elephants are his nails. All animals are his hips. SB
2.1.35
The subtle form is different from the gross form of the
universe. It is actually invisible or subtle (avayktam) because it is
devoid of specific forms (avyūḍha-guṇa-bṛṁhitam); it does not have
evolved hands and feet. Why? It is not like things with form, like you,
I or Indra who can be seen and heard (adṛsṭāśruta-vastutvāt). What is
the proof of its existence? The subtle body is the proof. The word jīva
should be understood to mean the imposition on the jīva of the subtle
body.
“The gross body of the jīva is his false designation for
enjoyment in this world. Why do we need to make another false
designation?” Because by this subtle body the jīva takes repeated
births, involving leaving a body, entering a body and remaining in a
body. This would be impossible without the subtle body.
These
forms are attributed to be the Lord, but are not actually the Lord,
because both the gross and subtle bodies are material and their souls
are the jīvas individually and collectively. It is said:
virāḍ hiraṇyagarbhaś ca kāraṇaṁ cety upādhayaḥ |
īśasya yantribhir hīnaṁ turīyaṁ tat pracakṣate ||
And the Bhāgavatam says that both these forms should not be worshipped as quoted above with amuni bhagavad-rūpe. (SB 2.10.35)
Jiva's tika ||1.3.32||
ataḥ param yad avyaktam avyūdha-guṇa-vyūhitam |
adṛṣṭāśruta-vastutvāt sa jīvo yat punar-bhavaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Superior to the gross universal form is that form which is invisible,
devoid of the specific bodily parts, since it cannot be seen or heard.
This is like the subtle body of the jīva, which in the instrument of
rebirth for the jīva.
As there is a gross form of the
universe, there is also a subtle form. That is described in this verse.
There is another form (param) other than the gross form. It is very
subtle (avyaktam) in form. The cause of its subtleness is that it is
invisible (adṛṣṭa). It is unseen by others and also unheard by others.
This is because qualities like sound etc. are difficult to detect
(avyūdha). Because of this form (yat), being an amśa of the Lord, the
jīva takes repeated births. This form is also made of material guṇas,
as mentioned in verse 1.3.30. As with the gross form, this form is
imagined, for purposes of worship. It said:
amunī bhagavad-rūpe mayā te hy anuvarṇite ubhe api na gṛhṇanti māyā-sṛṣṭe vipaścitaḥ
Neither
of the above forms of the Lord, as just described unto you from the
material angle of vision, is accepted by the pure devotees of the Lord
who know him well. (SB 3.10.35)
TEXT - SB 1.3.33
yatreme sad-asad-rūpe
pratiṣiddhe sva-saṁvidā
avidyayātmani kṛte
iti tad brahma-darśanam
SYNONYMS
yatra—whenever;
ime—in all these; sat-asat—gross and subtle; rūpe—in the forms of;
pratiṣiddhe—on being nullified; sva-saṁvidā—by self-realization;
avidyayā—by ignorance; ātmani—in the self; kṛte—having been imposed;
iti—thus; tat—that is; brahma-darśanam—the process of seeing the
Absolute.
TRANSLATION
Whenever a person experiences, by
self-realization, that both the gross and subtle bodies have nothing to
do with the pure self, at that time he sees himself as well as the Lord.
PURPORT
The
difference between self-realization and material illusion is to know
that the temporary or illusory impositions of material energy in the
shape of gross and subtle bodies are superficial coverings of the self.
The coverings take place due to ignorance. Such coverings are never
effective in the person of the Personality of Godhead. Knowing this
convincingly is called liberation, or seeing the Absolute. This means
that perfect self-realization is made possible by adoption of godly or
spiritual life. Self-realization means becoming indifferent to the
needs of the gross and subtle bodies and becoming serious about the
activities of the self. The impetus for activities is generated from
the self, but such activities become illusory due to ignorance of the
real position of the self. By ignorance, self-interest is calculated in
terms of the gross and subtle bodies, and therefore a whole set of
activities is spoiled, life after life. When, however, one meets the
self by proper culture, the activities of the self begin. Therefore a
man who is engaged in the activities of the self is called jīvan-mukta,
or a liberated person even in the conditional existence.
This
perfect stage of self-realization is attained not by artificial means,
but under the lotus feet of the Lord, who is always transcendental. In
the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that He is present in everyone's heart,
and from Him only all knowledge, remembrance or forgetfulness take
place. When the living being desires to be an enjoyer of material
energy (illusory phenomena), the Lord covers the living being in the
mystery of forgetfulness, and thus the living being misinterprets the
gross body and subtle mind to be his own self. And by culture of
transcendental knowledge, when the living being prays to the Lord for
deliverance from the clutches of forgetfulness, the Lord, by His
causeless mercy, removes the living being's illusory curtain, and thus
he realizes his own self. He then engages himself in the service of the
Lord in his eternal constitutional position, becoming liberated from
the conditioned life. All this is executed by the Lord either through
His external potency or directly by the internal potency.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.33
If
this is actually all material how can we see brahman? This verse
answers. These two material forms gross and subtle are removed. This
means that the non-material form of the lord is not removed. These
forms are removed by the realization (samvidā) of the Lord’s devotees
(sva). Why are these to forms not situated in the Lord? These forms are
imposed on the jīva by ignorance, and are not situated in the Lord. It
is said:
dehāhaṅkāraṇād dehādhyāso jīve hy avidyayā |
na tathā jagad-adhyāsaḥ paramātmani yujyate ||
The imposition of body exists in the jīva by ignorance, by identifying with the body.
In
this manner, the universe is not imposed upon the Paramātmā. With the
removal of these two material forms, one can seen brahman.
Jivas's tika ||1.3.33||
yatreme sad-asad-rūpe pratiṣiddhe sva-samvidā |
avidyayātmani kṛte iti tad brahma-darśanam ||
TRANSLATION When the gross and subtle material forms, which are impositions on the soul in
ignorance, are removed by the realization of the devotees, one can realize brahman.
These
forms are not related to the svarūpa of the jīva or Bhagavān. Brahman
described in the previous chapter is mentioned in two verses. The gross
and subtle forms are removed by svarūpa-jnāna of the jīva
(sva-samvidā). These forms are not situated in the ātmā, but imposed on
the ātmā by ignorance. Knowledge of svarūpa is not enough. The
knowledge must take shelter of Brahman. Realization of the jīva’s
svarūpa, which negates as false the relationship with māyā produced by
ignorance becomes realization of Brahman by ātmā’s identity with it.
This is a special type of jivanmukta.
Prīti Sandarbha 4:
The characteristics of this impersonal liberation are described by Kapila in four verses (SB 3.28.35-38).
muktāśrayam
yarhi nirviṣayam viraktam nirvāṇam ṛcchati manaḥ sahasā yathārciḥ
ātmānam atra puruṣo ’vyavadhānam ekam anvīkṣate
pratinivṛtta-guṇa-pravāhaḥ
When the mind of the foolish yogī,
still under the shelter of the Lord, becomes devoid of material objects
and is detached from all material objects, that mind suddenly gets
tamed, just as a flame weakens without oil and wick. The jīva, having
destroyed misconceptions of his body, then sees Paramātmā without
coverings. (SB 3.28.35)
He does not enjoy because he is not
covered by prārabdha-karmas at all. It is said tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka
ekatvam anupaśyata: for one who sees oneness in all beings and attains
him, what delusion can exist? (Īśopaniṣad 7)
TEXT - SB 1.3.34
yady eṣoparatā devī
māyā vaiśāradī matiḥ
sampanna eveti vidur
mahimni sve mahīyate
SYNONYMS
yadi—if,
however; eṣā—they; uparatā—subsided; devī māyā—illusory energy;
vaiśāradī—full of knowledge; matiḥ—enlightenment; sampannaḥ—enriched
with; eva—certainly; iti—thus; viduḥ—being cognizant of; mahimni—in the
glories; sve—of the self; mahīyate—being situated in.
TRANSLATION
If
the illusory energy subsides and the living entity becomes fully
enriched with knowledge by the grace of the Lord, then he becomes at
once enlightened with self-realization and thus becomes situated in his
own glory.
PURPORT
Because the Lord is the absolute
Transcendence, all of His forms, names, pastimes, attributes,
associates and energies are identical with Him. His transcendental
energy acts according to His omnipotency. The same energy acts as His
external, internal and marginal energies, and by His omnipotency He can
perform anything and everything through the agency of any of the above
energies. He can turn the external energy into internal by His will.
Therefore by His grace the external energy, which is employed in
illusioning those living beings who want to have it, subsides by the
will of the Lord in terms of repentance and penance for the conditioned
soul. And the very same energy then acts to help the purified living
being make progress on the path of self-realization. The example of
electrical energy is very appropriate in this connection. The expert
electrician can utilize the electrical energy for both heating and
cooling by adjustment only. Similarly, the external energy, which now
bewilders the living being into continuation of birth and death, is
turned into internal potency by the will of the Lord to lead the living
being to eternal life. When a living being is thus graced by the Lord,
he is placed in his proper constitutional position to enjoy eternal
spiritual life.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.34
Vaiśāradī
refers to the Lord who is skilful (viśārada) at understanding what is
beneficial for his devotees. He thinks, “Let this jīva see me.” If the
merciful desire of the Lord arises, then he acts in this way. There is
no other way. yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute
tanuṁ svām: the Lord reveals himself unto that person whom he alone
chooses. (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3) Or vaiśāradī matiḥ can mean “the
person who thinks of the Lord.” Thus the first line means “If Māyā-devī
withdraws her influence, then the Lord favors the devotee” or “When
Māyā withdraws her influence, the jīva thinks of the Lord.” The person,
thinking in this way or endowed with the Lord’s mercy, is well
furnished (sampannaḥ), whereas others are poor. The wise understand
that he who is situated in this glorious position (sve mahimni) is
worthy of worship (mahīyate).
Jiva's tika ||1.3.34||
yady eṣoparatā devī māyā vaiśāradī matiḥ |
sampanna eveti vidur mahimni sve mahīyate ||
TRANSLATION
When māya or ignorance weakens, the Lord bestows his mercy on the jīva.
The jīva becomes endowed with this treasure. The wise understand that,
being situated in this glorious position, this person is worthy of
worship.
The final state of liberation, characterized by
realization of Brahman, is described. This shining (devī) knowledge
(matiḥ), being situated as a jīvanmukta (eṣā), bestowed by the Lord (is
viśāradī). The function of māyā, which gives vidyā, situated in sattva,
become absent (uparatā). The wise understand that with the extinction
of this obstacle one is endowed with the bliss of Brahman. He becomes
highly revered (mahīyate) because of the wealth of his svarūpa
(mahimni).
TEXT - SB 1.3.35
evaṁ janmāni karmāṇi
hy akartur ajanasya ca
varṇayanti sma kavayo
veda-guhyāni hṛt-pateḥ
SYNONYMS
evam—thus;
janmāni—birth; karmāṇi—activities; hi—certainly; akartuḥ—of the
inactive; ajanasya—of the unborn; ca—and; varṇayanti—describe; sma—in
the past; kavayaḥ—the learned; veda-guhyāni—undiscoverable by the
Vedas; hṛt-pateḥ—of the Lord of the heart.
TRANSLATION
Thus
learned men describe the births and activities of the unborn and
inactive, which is undiscoverable even in the Vedic literatures. He is
the Lord of the heart.
PURPORT
Both the Lord and the
living entities are essentially all spiritual. Therefore both of them
are eternal, and neither of them has birth and death. The difference is
that the so-called births and disappearances of the Lord are unlike
those of the living beings. The living beings who take birth and then
again accept death are bound by the laws of material nature. But the
so-called appearance and disappearance of the Lord are not actions of
material nature, but are demonstrations of the internal potency of the
Lord. They are described by the great sages for the purpose of
self-realization. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord that
His so-called birth in the material world and His activities are all
transcendental. And simply by meditation on such activities one can
attain realization of Brahman and thus become liberated from material
bondage. In the śrutis it is said that the birthless appears to take
birth. The Supreme has nothing to do, but because He is omnipotent,
everything is performed by Him naturally, as if done automatically. As
a matter of fact, the appearance and disappearance of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and His different activities are all
confidential, even to the Vedic literatures. Yet they are displayed by
the Lord to bestow mercy upon the conditioned souls. We should always
take advantage of the narrations of the activities of the Lord, which
are meditations on Brahman in the most convenient and palatable form.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.35
Evam
means “thus rejecting these two material forms.” Although the Lord is
not born he is also born, according to the śruti text ajāyamāno
bahudhābhijāyate: not being born, the Lord appears as many.
(Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad) The Lord is not the doer, but performs
actions. According to śruti text na cāsya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate:
the Lord has no senses and no body. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8) And as
well śruti says svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca: by his nature the
Lord’s actions are endowed with knowledge and strength. (Śvetāśvatara
Upaniṣad 6.8)
“But one also sees birth and actions of the jīva,
who actually has no birth and no material actions.” That is true. But
the jīva’s birth and actions are related to matter, and the Lord’s
birth and actions are without relation to matter at all. This is the
difference. These facts about the Lord’s birth and actions are
established in the all Vedas because they are the highest, most
excellent truths (veda-guhyāni.) This means that the facts about the
jīva are different, being inferior, because his birth and actions are
related to matter. The Gītā also says janma-karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo
vetti tattvataḥ: he who remembers my birth and actions as non-material
does not take birth.(BG 4.9) Referring to the Lord as hṛt-pateḥ (Lord
in the heart, Paramātmā) indicates that the universal form is not
considered among the avatāras, since it does not reside in the heart.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.35||
evam ca janmāni karmāṇi hy akartur ajanasya ca |
varṇayanti sma kavayo veda-guhyāni hṛt-pateḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Thus, rejecting the two versions of the universal form, the wise
glorify the highest subject of the Vedas--the birth and birth and
activities of the Supreme Lord, who resides in the hearts of all beings
(unlike the universal form), who has no material birth and no material
activities (unlike the jīva).
Having shown Bhagavān,
realization of Brahman has been shown. “If realization of Brahman gives
liberation, why is kīrtana alone said to give liberation from samsāra
as in verse 1.3.29?”
Just as the wealth of realization of
Brahman and the destruction of avidyā arise as previously described,
the wise describe the births and activities of the Lord of the heart,
who is beyond everyone’s intelligence, devoid of material birth and
activities. The birth and activities become the direct acquisition of
the sādhakas, when avidyā and realization of Brahman cease. This is the
secret of the Vedas. The Lord says: janma karma ca me divyam evam yo
vetti tattvataḥ tyaktvā deham punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjune
The inclination to attraction to the Lord arises with rejection of fixation in Brahman for Śukadeva and others. (BG 4.9)
sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās
tad-vyudastānya-bhāvo 'py ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyam
vyatanuta kṛpayā yas tattva-dīpam purāṇam tam akhila-vṛjina-ghnam
vyāsa-sūnum nato 'smi
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva
Gosvāmī,
who destroys of all sin, and who, though fixed in his own bliss with no
distractions, became attracted to the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and mercifully
spread the Bhāgavatam which describes Kṛṣṇa and reveals the rasa of his
pastimes. (SB 12.12.69)
By concentration on the Lord as with
Brahman, suffering ceases, and direct realization of the Lord’s birth
and activities takes place. Any different meaning gives rise to
difficulty of explaining the context of the statement.
TEXT - SB 1.3.36
sa vā idaṁ viśvam amogha-līlaḥ
sṛjaty avaty atti na sajjate 'smin
bhūteṣu cāntarhita ātma-tantraḥ
ṣāḍ-vargikaṁ jighrati ṣaḍ-guṇeśaḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—the
Supreme Lord; vā—alternately; idam—this; viśvam—manifested universes;
amogha-līlaḥ—one whose activities are spotless; sṛjati—creates; avati
atti—maintains and annihilates; na—not; sajjate—is affected by;
asmin—in them; bhūteṣu—in all living beings; ca—also; antarhitaḥ—living
within; ātma-tantraḥ—self-independent; ṣāṭ-vargikam—endowed with all
the potencies of His opulences; jighrati—superficially attached, like
smelling the fragrance; ṣaṭ-guṇa-īśaḥ—master of the six senses.
TRANSLATION
The
Lord, whose activities are always spotless, is the master of the six
senses and is fully omnipotent with six opulences. He creates the
manifested universes, maintains them and annihilates them without being
in the least affected. He is within every living being and is always
independent.
PURPORT
The prime difference between the
Lord and the living entities is that the Lord is the creator and the
living entities are the created. Here He is called the amogha-līlaḥ,
which indicates that there is nothing lamentable in His creation. Those
who create disturbance in His creation are themselves disturbed. He is
transcendental to all material afflictions because He is full with all
six opulences, namely wealth, power, fame, beauty, knowledge and
renunciation, and thus He is the master of the senses. He creates these
manifested universes in order to reclaim the living beings who are
within them suffering threefold miseries, maintains them, and in due
course annihilates them without being the least affected by such
actions. He is connected with this material creation very
superficially, as one smells odor without being connected with the
odorous article. Nongodly elements, therefore, can never approach Him,
despite all endeavors.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.36
There
are many other remarkable qualities of the Lord. First his unlimited
power is described. From far off, the Lord senses the six sense objects
(ṣāḍ-vargikam), but is not attached to them. Why? He is the master of
the six senses (ṣad-guṇeśaḥ). Or he is the master of the six auspicious
qualities (aiśvarya, vīrya, yaśas etc.) Thus he experiences happiness
arising from these six qualities.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.36||
sa vā idam viśvam amogha-līlaḥ sṛjaty avaty atti na sajjate’smin |
bhūteṣu cāntarhita ātma-tantraḥ ṣād-vargikam jighrati ṣad-guṇeśaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The independent Lord, who has spotless pastimes, who has entered into
all beings, creates, maintains and destroys this universe. Being the
master of the six qualities, he contacts the six sense objects (sound,
touch, form, taste, smell and thought) without being affected.
The
pure bliss of the Lord, devoid of material association is described. He
who is the lord of six great qualities (ṣad-guṇeśaḥ) deals with the six
types of service, since he is non-different from their variety. This
refers to the happiness of the devotees derived from bhakti.
tat
te 'rhattama namaḥ stuti-karma-pūjāḥ karma smṛtiś caraṇayoḥ śravaṇam
kathāyām samsevayā tvayi vineti ṣad-angayā kim bhaktim janaḥ
paramahamsa-gatau labheta
Therefore, O Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the best of all persons to whom prayers are offered, I offer
my respectful obeisances unto you because without rendering six kinds
of devotional service unto You—offering prayers, dedicating all the
results of activities, worshiping you, working on your behalf, always
remembering your lotus feet and hearing about Your glories—who can
achieve that which is meant for the paramahamsas? (SB 7.9.50)
According
to Prahlāda the Lord there are six types of service. The Lord seeks out
and tastes the happiness of prema bhakti arising from those actions.
Verse 37 derides those who do not appreciate the Lord. Verse 38 and 39
describes the pure bhakti necessary to realize the Lord and his
activities.
TEXT - SB 1.3.37
na cāsya kaścin nipuṇena dhātur
avaiti jantuḥ kumanīṣa ūtīḥ
nāmāni rūpāṇi mano-vacobhiḥ
santanvato naṭa-caryām ivājñaḥ
SYNONYMS
na—not;
ca—and; asya—of Him; kaścit—anyone; nipuṇena—by dexterity; dhātuḥ—of
the creator; avaiti—can know; jantuḥ—the living being; kumanīṣaḥ—with a
poor fund of knowledge; ūtīḥ—activities of the Lord; nāmāni—His names;
rūpāṇi—His forms; manaḥ-vacobhiḥ—by dint of mental speculation or
deliverance of speeches; santanvataḥ—displaying; naṭa-caryām—a dramatic
action; iva—like; ajñaḥ—the foolish.
TRANSLATION
The
foolish with a poor fund of knowledge cannot know the transcendental
nature of the forms, names and activities of the Lord, who is playing
like an actor in a drama. Nor can they express such things, neither in
their speculations nor in their words.
PURPORT
No one can
properly describe the transcendental nature of the Absolute Truth.
Therefore it is said that He is beyond the expression of mind and
speech. And yet there are some men, with a poor fund of knowledge, who
desire to understand the Absolute Truth by imperfect mental speculation
and faulty description of His activities. To the layman His activities,
appearance and disappearance, His names, His forms, His paraphernalia,
His personalities and all things in relation with Him are mysterious.
There are two classes of materialists, namely the fruitive workers and
the empiric philosophers. The fruitive workers have practically no
information of the Absolute Truth, and the mental speculators, after
being frustrated in fruitive activities, turn their faces towards the
Absolute Truth and try to know Him by mental speculation. And for all
these men, the Absolute Truth is a mystery, as the jugglery of the
magician is a mystery to children. Being deceived by the jugglery of
the Supreme Being, the nondevotees, who may be very dexterous in
fruitive work and mental speculation, are always in ignorance. With
such limited knowledge, they are unable to penetrate into the
mysterious region of transcendence. The mental speculators are a little
more progressive than the gross materialists or the fruitive workers,
but because they are also within the grip of illusion, they take it for
granted that anything which has form, a name and activities is but a
product of material energy. For them the Supreme Spirit is formless,
nameless and inactive. And because such mental speculators equalize the
transcendental name and form of the Lord with mundane names and form,
they are in fact in ignorance. With such a poor fund of knowledge,
there is no access to the real nature of the Supreme Being. As stated
in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord is always in a transcendental position, even
when He is within the material world. But ignorant men consider the
Lord one of the great personalities of the world, and thus they are
misled by the illusory energy.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.37
The
Lord cannot be understood by material knowledge. By skill in jñāna or
yoga (nipuṇena) no ignorant person (kumanīṣa jantuḥ) can understand the
pastimes (ūtīh), names and forms of the Lord through material mind and
speech, since the lord is beyond mind and words. He who is devoid of
bhakti, the jñānī, says that any object with the name and form is
illusory. That notion is indicated by the word kumanīṣa (person with
bad intelligence). The Lord broadcasts (santanvataḥ) these names and
forms when he repeatedly appears in the world by his mercy. An example
of ignorance is given. The person ignorant of drama cannot understand
the names and forms indicated by the actor through theatrical gestures
of the hands and poetic words indicating the moon or the lotus. Thus he
does not appreciate the drama and says there is no rasa. The person in
knowledge directly experiences the rasa, which pervades all his senses
and heart.
TEXT - SB 1.3.38
sa veda dhātuḥ padavīṁ parasya
duranta-vīryasya rathāṅga-pāṇeḥ
yo 'māyayā santatayānuvṛttyā
bhajeta tat-pāda-saroja-gandham
SYNONYMS
saḥ—He
alone; veda—can know; dhātuḥ—of the creator; padavīm—glories;
parasya—of the transcendence; duranta-vīryasya—of the greatly powerful;
ratha-aṅga-pāṇeḥ—of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who bears in His hand the wheel of a
chariot; yaḥ—one who; amāyayā—without reservation; santatayā—without
any gap; anuvṛttyā—favorably; bhajeta—renders service; tat-pāda—of His
feet; saroja-gandham—fragrance of the lotus.
TRANSLATION
Only
those who render unreserved, uninterrupted, favorable service unto the
lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who carries the wheel of the chariot in His
hand, can know the creator of the universe in His full glory, power and
transcendence.
PURPORT
Only the pure devotees can know
the transcendental name, form and activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa due to their
being completely freed from the reactions of fruitive work and mental
speculation. The pure devotees have nothing to derive as personal
profit from their unalloyed service to the Lord. They render incessant
service to the Lord spontaneously, without any reservation. Everyone
within the creation of the Lord is rendering service to the Lord
indirectly or directly. No one is an exception to this law of the Lord.
Those who are rendering service indirectly, being forced by the
illusory agent of the Lord, are rendering service unto Him unfavorably.
But those who are rendering service unto Him directly under the
direction of His beloved agent are rendering service unto Him
favorably. Such favorable servitors are devotees of the Lord, and by
the grace of the Lord they can enter into the mysterious region of
transcendence by the mercy of the Lord. But the mental speculators
remain in darkness all the time. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord
Himself guides the pure devotees toward the path of realization due to
their constant engagement in the loving service of the Lord in
spontaneous affection. That is the secret of entering into the kingdom
of God. Fruitive activities and speculation are no qualifications for
entering.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.38
understood by bhakti.
TEXT - SB 1.3.39
atheha dhanyā bhagavanta itthaṁ
yad vāsudeve 'khila-loka-nāthe
kurvanti sarvātmakam ātma-bhāvaṁ
na yatra bhūyaḥ parivarta ugraḥ
SYNONYMS
atha—thus;
iha—in this world; dhanyāḥ—successful; bhagavantaḥ—perfectly cognizant;
ittham—such; yat—what; vāsudeve—unto the Personality of Godhead;
akhila—all-embracing; loka-nāthe—unto the proprietor of all the
universes; kurvanti—inspires; sarva-ātmakam—one hundred percent;
ātma—spirit; bhāvam—ecstasy; na—never; yatra—wherein; bhūyaḥ—again;
parivartaḥ—repetition; ugraḥ—dreadful.
TRANSLATION
Only
by making such inquiries in this world can one be successful and
perfectly cognizant, for such inquiries invoke transcendental ecstatic
love unto the Personality of Godhead, who is the proprietor of all the
universes, and guarantee cent-percent immunity from the dreadful
repetition of birth and death.
PURPORT
The inquiries of
the sages headed by Śaunaka are herewith praised by Sūta Gosvāmī on the
merit of their transcendental nature. As already concluded, only the
devotees of the Lord can know Him to a considerable extent, and no one
else can know Him at all, so the devotees are perfectly cognizant of
all spiritual knowledge. The Personality of Godhead is the last word in
Absolute Truth. Impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā (Supersoul)
are included in the knowledge of the Personality of Godhead. So one who
knows the Personality of Godhead can automatically know all about Him,
His multipotencies and His expansions. So the devotees are
congratulated as being all-successful. A cent-percent devotee of the
Lord is immune to the dreadful material miseries of repeated birth and
death.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.39
Sūta
speaks to Śaunaka and the sages, who were lamenting, “Since we are
without bhakti, let us become the object of criticism!” According to
Vaiṣṇava-nirukti, sarvajñāḥ vetti vidyām avidyāṁ ca sa vācyo bhagavān:
the word bhagavān means he who knows knowledge and ignorance. Thus in
this verse bhagavantaḥ means knowledgeable sages rather than great
devotees, since they were not so advanced. When persons concentrate
their minds completely (sarvātmakam ātmabhāvam) on Vāsudeva, there is
no more repetition of birth and death (parivarta).
TEXT - SB 1.3.40
idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma
purāṇaṁ brahma-sammitam
uttama-śloka-caritaṁ
cakāra bhagavān ṛṣiḥ
niḥśreyasāya lokasya
dhanyaṁ svasty-ayanaṁ mahat
SYNONYMS
idam—this;
bhāgavatam—book containing the narration of the Personality of Godhead
and His pure devotees; nāma—of the name; purāṇam—supplementary to the
Vedas; brahma-sammitam—incarnation of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; uttama-śloka—of
the Personality of Godhead; caritam—activities; cakāra—compiled;
bhagavān—incarnation of the Personality of Godhead; ṛṣiḥ—Śrī Vyāsadeva;
niḥśreyasāya—for the ultimate good; lokasya—of all people;
dhanyam—fully successful; svasti-ayanam—all-blissful; mahat—all-perfect.
TRANSLATION
This
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and it is
compiled by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the incarnation of God. It is meant for
the ultimate good of all people, and it is all-successful, all-blissful
and all-perfect.
PURPORT
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
declared that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless sound representation of
all Vedic knowledge and history. There are selected histories of great
devotees who are in direct contact with the Personality of Godhead.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the literary incarnation of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and is
therefore nondifferent from Him. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be worshiped
as respectfully as we worship the Lord. Thereby we can derive the
ultimate blessings of the Lord through its careful and patient study.
As God is all light, all bliss and all perfection, so also is
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We can have all the transcendental light of the
Supreme Brahman, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, from the recitation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
provided it is received through the medium of the transparent spiritual
master. Lord Caitanya's private secretary Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara
Gosvāmī advised all intending visitors who came to see the Lord at Purī
to make a study of the Bhāgavatam from the person Bhāgavatam Person
Bhāgavatam is the self-realized bona fide spiritual master, and through
him only can one understand the lessons of Bhāgavatam in order to
receive the desired result. One can derive from the study of the
Bhāgavatam all benefits that are possible to be derived from the
personal presence of the Lord. It carries with it all the
transcendental blessings of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa that we can expect from His
personal contact.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.40
“O
Sūta! What novel scripture, unheard before this time, are you
reciting?” To this, Suta replies in this verse. Brahma means equal to
Kṛṣṇa. Rṣiḥ refers to Vyāsa.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.40||
idam bhāgavatam nāma purāṇam brahma-sammitam |
uttama-śloka-caritam cakāra bhagavān ṛṣiḥ |
niḥśreyasāya lokasya dhanyam svasty-ayanam mahat ||
TRANSLATION
The Suprreme Lord Vyāsa wrote the greatest, most auspicious Purāṇa
called Bhāgavatam, which bestows all human goals, is non-different from
Kṛṣṇa, and describes the activities and qualities of the Lord, for the
highest benefit of the world.
This verse shows Bhāgavatam to
be the essence of all scripture because of its descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s
pastimes. The work is equivalent to Kṛṣṇa himself, parabrahman in human
form (brahma-sammitam). Verse 43 also equates Bhāgavatam with Kṛṣṇa as
his form in Kali-yuga. The work contains all puruṣārthas (dhanyam). It
is thus most auspicious (svastyayanam) and the best of all (mahat).
TEXT - SB 1.3.41
tad idaṁ grāhayām āsa
sutam ātmavatāṁ varam
sarva-vedetihāsānāṁ
sāraṁ sāraṁ samuddhṛtam
SYNONYMS
tat—that;
idam—this; grāhayām āsa—made to accept; sutam—unto his son;
ātmavatām—of the self-realized; varam—most respectful; sarva—all;
veda—Vedic literatures (books of knowledge); itihāsānām—of all the
histories; sāram—cream; sāram—cream; samuddhṛtam—taken out.
TRANSLATION
Śrī
Vyāsadeva delivered it to his son, who is the most respected among the
self-realized, after extracting the cream of all Vedic literatures and
histories of the universe.
PURPORT
Men with a poor fund
of knowledge only accept the history of the world from the time of
Buddha, or since 600 B.C., and prior to this period all histories
mentioned in the scriptures are calculated by them to be only imaginary
stories. That is not a fact. All the stories mentioned in the Purāṇas
and Mahābhārata, etc., are actual histories, not only of this planet
but also of millions of other planets within the universe. Sometimes
the history of planets beyond this world appear to such men to be
unbelievable. But they do not know that different planets are not equal
in all respects and that therefore some of the historical facts derived
from other planets do not correspond with the experience of this
planet. Considering the different situation of different planets and
also time and circumstances, there is nothing wonderful in the stories
of the Purāṇas, nor are they imaginary. We should always remember the
maxim that one man's food is another man's poison. We should not,
therefore, reject the stories and histories of the Purāṇas as
imaginary. The great ṛṣis like Vyāsa had no business putting some
imaginary stories in their literatures.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
historical facts selected from the histories of different planets have
been depicted. It is therefore accepted by all the spiritual
authorities as the Mahā-Purāṇa. The special significance of these
histories is that they are all connected with activities of the Lord in
a different time and atmosphere. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the topmost
personality of all the self-realized souls, and he accepted this as the
subject of studies from his father, Vyāsadeva. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is the
great authority, and the subject matter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam being so
important, he delivered the message first to his great son Śrīla
Śukadeva Gosvāmī. It is compared to the cream of the milk. Vedic
literature is like the milk ocean of knowledge. Cream or butter is the
most palatable essence of milk, and so also is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for
it contains all palatable, instructive and authentic versions of
different activities of the Lord and His devotees. There is no gain,
however, in accepting the message of Bhāgavatam from the unbelievers,
atheists and professional reciters who make a trade of Bhāgavatam for
the laymen. It was delivered to Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he had
nothing to do with the Bhāgavata business. He did not have to maintain
family expenses by such trade. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should therefore be
received from the representative of Śukadeva, who must be in the
renounced order of life without family encumbrance. Milk is undoubtedly
very good and nourishing, but when it is touched by the mouth of a
snake it is no longer nourishing; rather, it becomes a source of death.
Similarly, those who are not strictly in the Vaiṣṇava discipline should
not make a business of this Bhāgavatam and become a cause of spiritual
death for so many hearers. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that the
purpose of all the Vedas is to know Him (Lord Kṛṣṇa), and
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself in the form of recorded
knowledge. Therefore, it is the cream of all the Vedas, and it contains
all historical facts of all times in relation with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is
factually the essence of all histories.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.41
Vyāsa
affectionately fed the Bhāgavatam, the essence of the essence of the
Vedas, like butter appearing from churning yogurt, to his son Śukadeva.
This indicates that his effort of churning the Vedas was successful.
And Śukadeva, though the best of the self-realized souls (ātmavatām
varam), took it with greed, because of its wonderful taste.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.41||
tad idam grāhayām āsa sutam ātmavatām varam |
sarva-vedetihāsānām sāram sāram samuddhṛtam ||
TRANSLATION
Vyāsa had his son Śukadeva, best of the self-controlled, study this
scripture, which is the very essence of all the Vedas and histories.
This
Purāṇa filled with Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes was accepted by Śukadeva, guru for
persons realized in Brahman as the most excellent. This verse is an
example of the attraction for Kṛṣṇa’s birth and activities, mentioned
in verse 35.
pariniṣṭhito 'pi nairguṇya uttama-śloka-līlayā gṛhīta-cetā rājarṣe ākhyānam yad adhītavān
O
saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet
I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord,
who is described by enlightened verses. (SB 2.1.9)
veda-gupto muniḥ kṛṣṇo yato 'ham idam adhyagām
hitvā sva-śiṣyān pailādīn bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ
The
incarnation of Godhead Vedavyāsa, rejecting his disciples, headed by
Paila, instructed Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to me because I was free from all
material desires. (SB 9.22.22)
Therefore the work filled with
the Lord’s birth and activities will definitely destroy all suffering,
but will also bestow the highest benefit. It is thus the essence of all
Itihāsas and the Vedas.
TEXT - SB 1.3.42
sa tu saṁśrāvayām āsa
mahārājaṁ parīkṣitam
prāyopaviṣṭaṁ gaṅgāyāṁ
parītaṁ paramarṣibhiḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—the
son of Vyāsadeva; tu—again; saṁśrāvayām āsa—make them audible;
mahā-rājam—unto the emperor; parīkṣitam—of the name Parīkṣit;
prāya-upaviṣṭam—who sat until death without food or drink; gaṅgāyām—on
the bank of the Ganges; parītam—being surrounded; parama-ṛṣibhiḥ—by
great sages.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of
Vyāsadeva, in his turn delivered the Bhāgavatam to the great Emperor
Parīkṣit, who sat surrounded by sages on the bank of the Ganges,
awaiting death without taking food or drink.
PURPORT
All
transcendental messages are received properly in the chain of disciplic
succession. This disciplic succession is called paramparā. Unless
therefore Bhāgavatam or any other Vedic literatures are received
through the paramparā system, the reception of knowledge is not bona
fide. Vyāsadeva delivered the message to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and from
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Sūta Gosvāmī received the message. One should
therefore receive the message of Bhāgavatam from Sūta Gosvāmī or from
his representative and not from any irrelevant interpreter.
Emperor
Parīkṣit received the information of his death in time, and he at once
left his kingdom and family and sat down on the bank of the Ganges to
fast till death. All great sages, ṛṣis, philosophers, mystics, etc.,
went there due to his imperial position. They offered many suggestions
about his immediate duty, and at last it was settled that he would hear
from Śukadeva Gosvāmī about Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus the Bhāgavatam was spoken
to him.
Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, who preached Māyāvāda philosophy
and stressed the impersonal feature of the Absolute, also recommended
that one must take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for
there is no hope of gain from debating. Indirectly Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya
admitted that what he had preached in the flowery grammatical
interpretations of the Vedānta-sūtra cannot help one at the time of
death. At the critical hour of death one must recite the name of
Govinda. This is the recommendation of all great transcendentalists.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī had long ago stated the same truth, that at the end
one must remember Nārāyaṇa. That is the essence of all spiritual
activities. In pursuance of this eternal truth, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was
heard by Emperor Parīkṣit, and it was recited by the able Śukadeva
Gosvāmī. And both the speaker and the receiver of the messages of
Bhāgavatam were duly delivered by the same medium.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.42
Prāyopaviṣtam
(literally “sitting till death”) means “sitting down while fasting till
death.” It is like the expression go-dohanam āste; he sits until the
milking of the cow is finished. Medinī says prāyo maraṇānaśane mṛtyau
bāhulyayor: prāyo means fasting till death, death, majority and similar.
TEXT - SB 1.3.43
kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate
dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa
purāṇārko 'dhunoditaḥ
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇe—in
Kṛṣṇa's; sva-dhāma—own abode; upagate—having returned; dharma—religion;
jñāna—knowledge; ādibhiḥ—combined together; saha—along with; kalau—in
the Kali-yuga; naṣṭa-dṛśām—of persons who have lost their sight;
eṣaḥ—all these; purāṇa-arkaḥ—the Purāṇa which is brilliant like the
sun; adhunā—just now; uditaḥ—has arisen.
TRANSLATION
This
Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just
after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by
religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the
dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from
this Purāṇa.
PURPORT
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has His eternal
dhāma, or abode, where He eternally enjoys Himself with His eternal
associates and paraphernalia. And His eternal abode is a manifestation
of His internal energy, whereas the material world is a manifestation
of His external energy. When He descends on the material world, He
displays Himself with all paraphernalia in His internal potency, which
is called ātma-māyā. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that He
descends by His own potency (ātma-māyā). His form, name, fame,
paraphernalia, abode, etc., are not, therefore, creations of matter. He
descends to reclaim the fallen souls and to reestablish codes of
religion which are directly enacted by Him. Except for God, no one can
establish the principles of religion. Either He or a suitable person
empowered by Him can dictate the codes of religion. Real religion means
to know God, our relation with Him and our duties in relation with Him
and to know ultimately our destination after leaving this material
body. The conditioned souls, who are entrapped by the material energy,
hardly know all these principles of life. Most of them are like animals
engaged in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. They are mostly
engaged in sense enjoyment under the pretension of religiosity,
knowledge or salvation. They are still more blind in the present age of
quarrel, or Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga the population is just a royal
edition of the animals. They have nothing to do with spiritual
knowledge or godly religious life. They are so blind that they cannot
see anything beyond the jurisdiction of the subtle mind, intelligence
or ego, but they are very much proud of their advancement in knowledge,
science and material prosperity. They can risk their lives to become a
dog or hog just after leaving the present body, for they have
completely lost sight of the ultimate aim of life. The Personality of
Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared before us just a little prior to the
beginning of Kali-yuga, and He returned to His eternal home practically
at the commencement of Kali-yuga. While He was present, He exhibited
everything by His different activities. He spoke the Bhagavad-gītā
specifically and eradicated all pretentious principles of religiosity.
And prior to His departure from this material world, He empowered Śrī
Vyāsadeva through Nārada to compile the messages of the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and thus both the Bhagavad-gītā and the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are like torchbearers for the blind people of this
age. In other words, if men in this age of Kali want to see the real
light of life, they must take to these two books only, and their aim of
life will be fulfilled. Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of the
Bhāgavatam. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the summum bonum of life, Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa personified. We must therefore accept Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the
direct representation of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One who can see Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
can see also Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in person. They are identical.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.43
What
more can be said? You asked where dharma has taken shelter (SB 1.1.23)
Please understand the answer now. Kṛṣṇa having departed from his abode
Dvārakā (sva-dhāma), arrived at (upagate) Prabhāsa, and then
disappeared along with his six powers such as dharma and jñāna. The
details are not mentioned clearly because the pastime of Kṛṣṇa’s
disappearance causes disturbance to the devotee. Naṣṭa-dṛṣām refers to
persons who have lost knowledge. The word dṛk (sight) suggests a verse
at the end of the Eleventh Canto:
apaśyatas tvac-caraṇāmbujaṁ prabho dṛṣṭiḥ praṇaṣṭā tamasi praviṣṭā
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śāntiṁ yathā niśāyām uḍupe praṇaṣṭe
Just
as on a moonless night people are merged into darkness and cannot find
their way, now that I have lost sight of Your lotus feet, my Lord, I
have lost my vision and am wandering blindly in darkness. I cannot tell
my direction, nor can I find any peace. SB 11.30.43
From that,
the following inference can be made. Kṛṣṇa is the sun, and Mathurā is
like the Sunrise Mountain. Prabhāsa is the Sunset Mountain. The
righteous persons are like cakravāka birds which mourn in the night and
rejoice in the day. The evil persons are like fog. Darkness is the
totality of sins. The devotees are like a grove of lotuses. Kṛṣṇa is
clearly compared to the sun in the following verse:
kṛṣṇa-dyumaṇi nimloce gīrṇeṣv ajagareṇa ha
kiṁ nu naḥ kuśalaṁ brūyāṁ gata-śrīṣu gṛheṣv aham
My
dear Vidura, the sun of the world, Lord Kṛṣṇa, has set, and our house
has now been swallowed by the great snake of time. What can I say to
you about our welfare? SB 3.2.7
Though the sun of Kṛṣṇa has set, the sun of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa has risen. A form corresponding to the sun becomes the sun.
Jiva's tika ||1.3.43||
kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate dharma-jnānādibhiḥ saha |
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa purāṇārko ’dhunoditaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Though Kṛṣṇa left Dvārakā, arrived at Prabhāsa, and then disappeared
along with his six great qualities, this Purāṇa, another form of the
sun, has now risen in Kali-yuga for those who have lost their
knowledge.
Bhāgavatam cannot be compared to other scriptures.
It is another form of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa along with his eternal place of
pastimes disappeared, along with knowledge of the Lord and bhakti, the
highest dharma. Dharma kaitavaprojjhitaḥ: this dharma is devoid of
cheating (SB 1.1.2)
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitam na
śobhate jnānam alam niranjanam kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na
cārpitam karma yad apy akāraṇam
Knowledge of self-realization,
even though free from all material affinity, does not look well if
devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. What, then, is the use
of fruitive activities, which are naturally painful from the very
beginning and transient by nature, if they are not utilized for the
devotional service of the Lord? (SB 1.5.12)
For persons in
Kali-yuga who are devoid of bhakti and knowledge of the Lord, this
Purāṇa is like the sun. Other scriptures may be compared to lamps. But
Bhāgavatam is like the sun. It has manifested as another form of Kṛṣṇa,
since it reveals bhakti and knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. Like the sun it
stimulates the hearer.
TEXT - SB 1.3.44
tatra kīrtayato viprā
viprarṣer bhūri-tejasaḥ
ahaṁ cādhyagamaṁ tatra
niviṣṭas tad-anugrahāt
so 'haṁ vaḥ śrāvayiṣyāmi
yathādhītaṁ yathā-mati
SYNONYMS
tatra—there;
kīrtayataḥ—while reciting; viprāḥ—O brāhmaṇas; vipra-ṛṣeḥ—from the
great brāhmaṇa-ṛṣi; bhūri—greatly; tejasaḥ—powerful; aham—I; ca—also;
adhyagamam—could understand; tatra—in that meeting; niviṣṭaḥ—being
perfectly attentive; tat-anugrahāt—by his mercy; saḥ—that very thing;
aham—I; vaḥ—unto you; śrāvayiṣyāmi—shall let you hear; yathā-adhītam
yathā-mati—as far as my realization.
TRANSLATION
O
learned brāhmaṇas, when Śukadeva Gosvāmī recited Bhāgavatam there [in
the presence of Emperor Parīkṣit], I heard him with rapt attention, and
thus, by his mercy, I learned the Bhāgavatam from that great and
powerful sage. Now I shall try to make you hear the very same thing as
I learned it from him and as I have realized it.
PURPORT
One
can certainly see directly the presence of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the pages
of Bhāgavatam if one has heard it from a self-realized great soul like
Śukadeva Gosvāmī. One cannot, however, learn Bhāgavatam from a bogus
hired reciter whose aim of life is to earn some money out of such
recitation and employ the earning in sex indulgence. No one can learn
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam who is associated with persons engaged in sex life.
That is the secret of learning Bhāgavatam Nor can one learn Bhāgavatam
from one who interprets the text by his mundane scholarship. One has to
learn Bhāgavatam from the representative of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and no
one else, if one at all wants to see Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the pages. That
is the process, and there is no alternative. Sūta Gosvāmī is a bona
fide representative of Śukadeva Gosvāmī because he wants to present the
message which he received from the great learned brāhmaṇa. Śukadeva
Gosvāmī presented Bhāgavatam as he heard it from his great father, and
so also Sūta Gosvāmī is presenting Bhāgavatam as he had heard it from
Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Simple hearing is not all; one must realize the text
with proper attention. The word niviṣṭa means that Sūta Gosvāmī drank
the juice of Bhāgavatam through his ears. That is the real process of
receiving Bhāgavatam. One should hear with rapt attention from the real
person, and then he can at once realize the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa in
every page. The secret of knowing Bhāgavatam is mentioned here. No one
can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in
mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not
pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. But somehow or other if
someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very
beginning one can assuredly see Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in person in the pages
of Bhāgavatam.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.3.44
Sitting
at one place in the assembly (tatra niviṣṭaḥ), getting his mercy, I
learned (adhyāgamam) this scripture from Śukadeva (viprarṣeḥ), who
recited it in the assembly (tatra). That Sūta was present there is
understood from the following:
imāṁ vakṣyaty asau sūta ṛṣibhyo naimiṣālaye
dīrgha-satre kuru-śreṣṭha sampṛṣṭaḥ śaunakādibhiḥ
O
best of the Kurus, the same Sūta Gosvāmī who is sitting before us will
speak this Bhāgavatam to the sages assembled in the great sacrifice at
Naimiṣāraṇya. This he will do when questioned by the members of the
assembly, headed by Śaunaka. SB 12.4.43
I do not concoct
anything (yathādhītam) but follow Śukadeva who understood everything,
grasping its full extent with his intelligence (yathā matiḥ).
Thus
end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Third Chapter, of
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Kṛṣṇa Is the Source of All
Incarnations."
4. The Appearance of Śrī Nārada
verses: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17-18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28-29, 30, 31, 32, 33
TEXT - SB 1.4.1
vyāsa uvāca
iti bruvāṇaṁ saṁstūya
munīnāṁ dīrgha-satriṇām
vṛddhaḥ kula-patiḥ sūtaṁ
bahvṛcaḥ śaunako 'bravīt
SYNONYMS
vyāsaḥ—Vyāsadeva;
uvāca—said; iti—thus; bruvāṇam—speaking; saṁstūya—congratulating;
munīnām—of the great sages; dīrgha—prolonged; satriṇām—of those engaged
in the performance of sacrifice; vṛddhaḥ—elderly; kula-patiḥ—head of
the assembly; sūtam—unto Sūta Gosvāmī; bahu-ṛcaḥ—learned; śaunakaḥ—of
the name Śaunaka; abravīt—addressed.
TRANSLATION
On
hearing Sūta Gosvāmī speak thus, Śaunaka Muni, who was the elderly,
learned leader of all the ṛṣis engaged in that prolonged sacrificial
ceremony, congratulated Sūta Gosvāmī by addressing him as follows.
PURPORT
In
a meeting of learned men, when there are congratulations or addresses
for the speaker, the qualifications of the congratulator should be as
follows. He must be the leader of the house and an elderly man. He must
be vastly learned also. Śrī Śaunaka Ṛṣi had all these qualifications,
and thus he stood up to congratulate Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī when he expressed
his desire to present Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam exactly as he heard it from
Śukadeva Gosvāmī and also realized it personally. Personal realization
does not mean that one should, out of vanity, attempt to show one's own
learning by trying to surpass the previous ācārya. He must have full
confidence in the previous ācārya, and at the same time he must realize
the subject matter so nicely that he can present the matter for the
particular circumstances in a suitable manner. The original purpose of
the text must be maintained. No obscure meaning should be screwed out
of it, yet it should be presented in an interesting manner for the
understanding of the audience. This is called realization. The leader
of the assembly, Śaunaka, could estimate the value of the speaker, Śrī
Sūta Gosvāmī, simply by his uttering yathādhītam and yathā-mati, and
therefore he was very glad to congratulate him in ecstasy. No learned
man should be willing to hear a person who does not represent the
original ācārya. So the speaker and the audience were bona fide in this
meeting where Bhāgavatam was being recited for the second time. That
should be the standard of recitation of Bhāgavatam, so that the real
purpose can be served without difficulty. Unless this situation is
created, Bhāgavatam recitation for extraneous purposes is useless labor
both for the speaker and for the audience.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.1
In
the Fourth chapter the excellence of the speaker and the hearer of the
Bhāgavatam are declared. Also, the mercy that Vyāsa received and its
previous absence are described.
Because he was the eldest by age
(vrḍdhaḥ), superior by family lineage (kula-pati) and superior by
knowledge acquired through studying the Veda (bahvrcaḥ), Śaunaka was
chosen by the sages to ask the questions.
TEXT - SB 1.4.2
śaunaka uvāca
sūta sūta mahā-bhāga
vada no vadatāṁ vara
kathāṁ bhāgavatīṁ puṇyāṁ
yad āha bhagavāñ chukaḥ
SYNONYMS
śaunakaḥ—Śaunaka;
uvāca—said; sūta sūta—O Sūta Gosvāmī; mahā-bhāga—the most fortunate;
vada—please speak; naḥ—unto us; vadatām—of those who can speak;
vara—respected; kathām—message; bhāgavatīm—of the Bhāgavatam;
puṇyām—pious; yat—which; āha—said; bhagavān—greatly powerful; śukaḥ—Śrī
Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
TRANSLATION
Śaunaka said: O Sūta
Gosvāmī, you are the most fortunate and respected of all those who can
speak and recite. Please relate the pious message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
which was spoken by the great and powerful sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
PURPORT
Sūta
Gosvāmī is twice addressed herein by Śaunaka Gosvāmī out of great joy
because he and the members of the assembly were eager to hear the text
of Bhāgavatam uttered by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. They were not interested in
hearing it from a bogus person who would interpret in his own way to
suit his own purpose. Generally the so-called Bhāgavatam reciters are
either professional readers or so-called learned impersonalists who
cannot enter into the transcendental personal activities of the Supreme
Person. Such impersonalists twist some meanings out of Bhāgavatam to
suit and support impersonalist views, and the professional readers at
once go to the Tenth Canto to misexplain the most confidential part of
the Lord's pastimes. Neither of these reciters are bona fide persons to
recite Bhāgavatam. Only one who is prepared to present Bhāgavatam in
the light of Śukadeva Gosvāmī and only those who are prepared to hear
Śukadeva Gosvāmī and his representative are bona fide participants in
the transcendental discussion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.2
He addresses Sūta twice out of joy. Yat stands for yam.
TEXT - SB 1.4.3
kasmin yuge pravṛtteyaṁ
sthāne vā kena hetunā
kutaḥ sañcoditaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
kṛtavān saṁhitāṁ muniḥ
SYNONYMS
kasmin—in
which; yuge—period; pravṛttā—was begun; iyam—this; sthāne—in the place;
vā—or; kena—on what; hetunā—ground; kutaḥ—wherefrom;
sañcoditaḥ—inspired by; kṛṣṇaḥ—Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa;
kṛtavān—compiled; saṁhitām—Vedic literature; muniḥ—the learned.
TRANSLATION
In
what period and at what place was this first begun, and why was this
taken up? From where did Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, the great sage, get
the inspiration to compile this literature?
PURPORT
Because
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the special contribution of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, there
are so many inquiries by the learned Śaunaka Muni. It was known to them
that Śrīla Vyāsadeva had already explained the text of the Vedas in
various ways up to the Mahābhārata for the understanding of less
intelligent women, śūdras and fallen members of the family of
twice-born men. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is transcendental to all of them
because it has nothing to do with anything mundane. So the inquiries
are very intelligent and relevant.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.3
Kutaḥ
here is a sārva-vibhakti (applicable to all cases of nouns). The suffix
taḥ indicates “from.” It means “by whom.” Kṛṣṇa refers to Vyāsa.
TEXT - SB 1.4.4
tasya putro mahā-yogī
sama-dṛṅ nirvikalpakaḥ
ekānta-matir unnidro
gūḍho mūḍha iveyate
SYNONYMS
tasya—his;
putraḥ—son; mahā-yogī—a great devotee; sama-dṛk—equibalanced;
nirvikalpakaḥ—absolute monist; ekānta-matiḥ—fixed in monism or oneness
of mind; unnidraḥ—surpassed nescience; gūḍhaḥ—not exposed;
mūḍhaḥ—stunted; iva—like; iyate—appears like.
TRANSLATION
His
[Vyāsadeva's] son was a great devotee, an equibalanced monist, whose
mind was always concentrated in monism. He was transcendental to
mundane activities, but being unexposed, he appeared like an ignorant
person.
PURPORT
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a liberated
soul, and thus he remained always alert not to be trapped by the
illusory energy. In the Bhagavad-gītā this alertness is very lucidly
explained. The liberated soul and the conditioned soul have different
engagements. The liberated soul is always engaged in the progressive
path of spiritual attainment, which is something like a dream for the
conditioned soul. The conditioned soul cannot imagine the actual
engagements of the liberated soul. While the conditioned soul thus
dreams about spiritual engagements, the liberated soul is awake.
Similarly, the engagement of a conditioned soul appears to be a dream
for the liberated soul. A conditioned soul and a liberated soul may
apparently be on the same platform, but factually they are differently
engaged, and their attention is always alert, either in sense enjoyment
or in self-realization. The conditioned soul is absorbed in matter,
whereas the liberated soul is completely indifferent to matter. This
indifference is explained as follows.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.4
Śukadeva
was realized in impersonal knowledge (nirvikalpakaḥ) and his attention
ended in one point (ekānta-matiḥ). He had dispelled all ignorance
(unnidraḥ). Nidrā is equated with ignorance as in yā niśā
sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī: the man of knowledge is awake in
what is night for all beings (BG 2.69). He appeared to be (iyate) a
fool.
TEXT - SB 1.4.5
dṛṣṭvānuyāntam ṛṣim ātmajam apy anagnaṁ
devyo hriyā paridadhur na sutasya citram
tad vīkṣya pṛcchati munau jagadus tavāsti
strī-pum-bhidā na tu sutasya vivikta-dṛṣṭeḥ
SYNONYMS
dṛṣṭvā—by
seeing; anuyāntam—following; ṛṣim—the sage; ātmajam—his son; api—in
spite of; anagnam—not naked; devyaḥ—beautiful damsels; hriyā—out of
shyness; paridadhuḥ—covered the body; na—not; sutasya—of the son;
citram—astonishing; tat vīkṣya—by seeing that; pṛcchati—asking;
munau—unto the muni (Vyāsa); jagaduḥ—replied; tava—your; asti—there
are; strī-pum—male and female; bhidā—differences; na—not; tu—but;
sutasya—of the son; vivikta—purified; dṛṣṭeḥ—of one who looks.
TRANSLATION
While
Śrī Vyāsadeva was following his son, beautiful young damsels who were
bathing naked covered their bodies with cloth, although Śrī Vyāsadeva
himself was not naked. But they had not done so when his son had
passed. The sage inquired about this, and the young ladies replied that
his son was purified and when looking at them made no distinction
between male and female. But the sage made such distinctions.
PURPORT
In
the Bhagavad-gītā (5.18) it is said that a learned sage looks equally
on a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a caṇḍāla (dog-eater), a dog or a cow
due to his spiritual vision. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained that
stage. Thus he did not see a male or female; he saw all living entities
in different dress. The ladies who were bathing could understand the
mind of a man simply by studying his demeanor, just as by looking at a
child one can understand how innocent he is. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a
young boy sixteen years old, and therefore all the parts of his body
were developed. He was naked also, and so were the ladies. But because
Śukadeva Gosvāmī was transcendental to sex relations, he appeared very
innocent. The ladies, by their special qualifications, could sense this
at once, and therefore they were not very concerned about him. But when
his father passed, the ladies quickly dressed. The ladies were exactly
like his children or grandchildren, yet they reacted to the presence of
Vyāsadeva according to the social custom because Śrīla Vyāsadeva played
the part of a householder. A householder has to distinguish between a
male and female, otherwise he cannot be a householder. One should,
therefore, attempt to know the distinction between body and soul
without any attachment for male and female. As long as such distinction
is there, one should not try to become a sannyāsī like Śukadeva
Gosvāmī. At least theoretically one must be convinced that a living
entity is neither male nor female. The outward dress is made of matter
by material nature to attract the opposite sex and thus keep one
entangled in material existence. A liberated soul is above this
perverted distinction. He does not distinguish between one living being
and another. For him they are all one and the same spirit. The
perfection of this spiritual vision is the liberated stage, and Śrīla
Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained that stage. Śrīla Vyāsadeva was also in the
transcendental stage, but because he was in the householder's life, he
did not pretend to be a liberated soul, as a matter of custom.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.5
This
verse shows Śukadeva’s absorption in brahman (nirvikalpakaḥ). Seeing
Vyāsa with clothing on, who was following his son as he left home, the
women, who were playing in the water, became bashful, and put their
clothing on. They did not do so on seeing Śukadeva, his son. That is
astonishing. “Aah! The women were not bashful on seeing my naked, young
son looking everywhere. On the other hand, seeing me, an old man
wearing clothes, who did not even look at them, since I understood that
women were playing in the water, they became bashful. I will ask them
the reason.” When he asked, they said, “You make distinctions, thinking
‘this is a man, or this is a woman.’ Your son does not do this.” How
did this situation arise? Your son has pure eyes (vivkta-dṛṣṭeḥ). We
young women, skilful in the arts, have the power to know the inner
truth of men and women just by looking at their eyes.”
Jiva's tika ||1.4.5||
dṛṣṭvānuyāntam ṛṣim ātmajam apy anagnam devyo hriyā paridadhur na sutasya citram |
tad vīkṣya pṛcchati munau jagadus tavāsti strī-pum-bhidā na tu sutasya vivikta-dṛṣṭeḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The young women playing in the water, on seeing the clothed Vyāsa,
pursuing his naked son who had left home, became bashful and put on
their clothing. Vyāsa was astonished that they were not embarrassed
when his naked son passed by. When Vyāsa asked them the reason, they
replied, “You make distinctions of male and female and he does not. He
has pure eyes.”
Vyāsadeva was clothed. The women should not
have glanced as he approached, regarding him as a person who should
follow rules and should not have dressed themselves. His son was devoid
of clothing. They should have clothed themselves. However, on seeing
Vyāsa they clothed themselves. This astonished Vyāsa. He though they
must not have seen his son. Or perhaps they looked at him with longing.
Concluding that they must have seen him, he asked them in order to
destroy their concealing their feelings.
TEXT - SB 1.4.6
katham ālakṣitaḥ pauraiḥ
samprāptaḥ kuru-jāṅgalān
unmatta-mūka-jaḍavad
vicaran gaja-sāhvaye
SYNONYMS
katham—how;
ālakṣitaḥ—recognized; pauraiḥ—by the citizens; samprāptaḥ—reaching;
kuru-jāṅgalān—the Kuru-jāṅgala provinces; unmatta—mad; mūka—dumb;
jaḍavat—stunted; vicaran—wandering; gaja-sāhvaye—Hastināpura.
TRANSLATION
How
was he [Śrīla Śukadeva, the son of Vyāsa] recognized by the citizens
when he entered the city of Hastināpura [now Delhi], after wandering in
the provinces of Kuru and Jāṅgala, appearing like a madman, dumb and
retarded?
PURPORT
The present city of Delhi was formerly
known as Hastināpura because it was first established by King Hastī.
Gosvāmī Śukadeva, after leaving his paternal home, was roaming like a
madman, and therefore it was very difficult for the citizens to
recognize him in his exalted position. A sage is not, therefore,
recognized by sight, but by hearing. One should approach a sādhu or
great sage not to see but to hear him. If one is not prepared to hear
the words of a sādhu, there is no profit. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a sādhu
who could speak on the transcendental activities of the Lord. He did
not satisfy the whims of ordinary citizens. He was recognized when he
spoke on the subject of Bhāgavatam, and he never attempted jugglery
like a magician. Outwardly he appeared to be a retarded, dumb madman,
but in fact he was the most elevated transcendental personality.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.6
Kuru-jāṅgala is the name of a province. Gaja-sāhvaye means “in the place named after the elephant — Hastināpura.”
TEXT - SB 1.4.7
kathaṁ vā pāṇḍaveyasya
rājarṣer muninā saha
saṁvādaḥ samabhūt tāta
yatraiṣā sātvatī śrutiḥ
SYNONYMS
katham—how
is it; vā—also; pāṇḍaveyasya—of the descendant of Pāṇḍu (Parīkṣit);
rājarṣeḥ—of the king who was a sage; muninā—with the muni; saha—with;
saṁvādaḥ—discussion; samabhūt—took place; tāta—O darling;
yatra—whereupon; eṣā—like this; sātvatī—transcendental; śrutiḥ—essence
of the Vedas.
TRANSLATION
How did it so happen that King
Parīkṣit met this great sage, making it possible for this great
transcendental essence of the Vedas [Bhāgavatam] to be sung to him?
PURPORT
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
is stated here as the essence of the Vedas. It is not an imaginary
story as it is sometimes considered by unauthorized men. It is also
called Śuka-saṁhitā, or the Vedic hymn spoken by Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī,
the great liberated sage.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.7
Pāṇḍaveyasya refers to Parīkṣit. Muninā refers to Śukadeva. Śrutiḥ refers to the scripture.
Jiva's tika ||1.4.7||
katham vā pāṇdaveyasya rājarṣer muninā saha |
samvādaḥ samabhūt tāta yatraiṣā sātvatī śrutiḥ ||
TRANSLATION How did the conversation of Parīkṣit with Śukadeva arise, through which this Vaiṣṇava scripture appeared?
Śrutiḥ here means the essence of the Vedas.
TEXT - SB 1.4.8
sa go-dohana-mātraṁ hi
gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām
avekṣate mahā-bhāgas
tīrthī-kurvaṁs tad āśramam
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he
(Śukadeva Gosvāmī); go-dohana-mātram—only for the time of milking the
cow; hi—certainly; gṛheṣu—in the house; gṛha-medhinām—of the
householders; avekṣate—waits; mahā-bhāgaḥ—the most fortunate;
tīrthī—pilgrimage; kurvan—transforming; tat āśramam—the residence.
TRANSLATION
He
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī] was accustomed to stay at the door of a householder
only long enough for a cow to be milked. And he did this just to
sanctify the residence.
PURPORT
Śukadeva Gosvāmī met
Emperor Parīkṣit and explained the text of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He was
not accustomed to stay at any householder's residence for more than
half an hour (at the time of milking the cow), and he would just take
alms from the fortunate householder. That was to sanctify the residence
by his auspicious presence. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is an ideal
preacher established in the transcendental position. From his
activities, those who are in the renounced order of life and dedicated
to the mission of preaching the message of Godhead should learn that
they have no business with householders save and except to enlighten
them in transcendental knowledge. Such asking for alms from the
householder should be for the purpose of sanctifying his home. One who
is in the renounced order of life should not be allured by the glamor
of the householder's worldly possessions and thus become subservient to
worldly men. For one who is in the renounced order of life, this is
much more dangerous than drinking poison and committing suicide.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.8
Śukadeva
must have remained a long time with Parīkṣit in order to explain this
work. It could not be otherwise. On the pretext of begging alms, he
would wait in a house for only the time it took to milk a cow. However,
he actually purified their houses. He went there to give all the jīvas
the spiritual goal of life.
Jiva's tika ||1.4.8||
sa go-dohana-mātram hi gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām |
avekṣate mahā-bhāgas tīrthī-kurvams tad āśramam ||
TRANSLATION
The great devotee would wait in the houses of married couples only as
long as it took to milk a cow, purifying the inhabitants by giving
spiritual benefit.
He viewed (avekṣate) the houses. This however was only a semblance of
prārabdha-karma,
since he was not at all attracted to family life. He was not aware of
distinctions between man and woman. By his pure nature he made the
places into tīrthas.
TEXT - SB 1.4.9
abhimanyu-sutaṁ sūta
prāhur bhāgavatottamam
tasya janma mahāścaryaṁ
karmāṇi ca gṛṇīhi naḥ
SYNONYMS
abhimanyu-sutam—the
son of Abhimanyu; sūta—O Sūta; prāhuḥ—is said to be;
bhāgavata-uttamam—the first-class devotee of the Lord; tasya—his;
janma—birth; mahā-āścaryam—very wonderful; karmāṇi—activities; ca—and;
gṛṇīhi—please speak to; naḥ—us.
TRANSLATION
It is said
that Mahārāja Parīkṣit is a great first-class devotee of the Lord and
that his birth and activities are all wonderful. Please tell us about
him.
PURPORT
The birth of Mahārāja Parīkṣit is wonderful
because in the womb of his mother he was protected by the Personality
of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. His activities are also wonderful because he
chastised Kali, who was attempting to kill a cow. To kill cows means to
end human civilization. He wanted to protect the cow from being killed
by the great representative of sin. His death is also wonderful because
he got previous notice of his death, which is wonderful for any mortal
being, and thus he prepared himself for passing away by sitting down on
the bank of the Ganges and hearing the transcendental activities of the
Lord. During all the days he heard Bhāgavatam, he did not take food or
drink, nor did he sleep a moment. So everything about him is wonderful,
and his activities are worth hearing attentively. Desire is expressed
herein to hear about him in detail.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.9
Gṛṇīhi means “please tell.”
TEXT - SB 1.4.10
sa samrāṭ kasya vā hetoḥ
pāṇḍūnāṁ māna-vardhanaḥ
prāyopaviṣṭo gaṅgāyām
anādṛtyādhirāṭ-śriyam
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he;
samrāṭ—the Emperor; kasya—for what; vā—or; hetoḥ—reason; pāṇḍūnām—of
the sons of Pāṇḍu; māna-vardhanaḥ—one who enriches the family;
prāya-upaviṣṭaḥ—sitting and fasting; gaṅgāyām—on the bank of the
Ganges; anādṛtya—neglecting; adhirāṭ—acquired kingdom; śriyam—opulences.
TRANSLATION
He
was a great emperor and possessed all the opulences of his acquired
kingdom. He was so exalted that he was increasing the prestige of the
Pāṇḍu dynasty. Why did he give up everything to sit down on the bank of
the Ganges and fast until death?
PURPORT
Mahārāja
Parīkṣit was the Emperor of the world and all the seas and oceans, and
he did not have to take the trouble to acquire such a kingdom by his
own effort. He inherited it from his grandfathers Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira
and brothers. Besides that, he was doing well in the administration and
was worthy of the good names of his forefathers. Consequently there was
nothing undesirable in his opulence and administration. Then why should
he give up all these favorable circumstances and sit down on the bank
of the Ganges, fasting till death? This is astonishing, and therefore
all were eager to know the cause.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.10
Adhirāṭ
means “ruling as the chief.” It refers to Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers.
Parīkṣit inherited their wealth, but became disinterested in it.
TEXT - SB 1.4.11
namanti yat-pāda-niketam ātmanaḥ
śivāya hānīya dhanāni śatravaḥ
kathaṁ sa vīraḥ śriyam aṅga dustyajāṁ
yuvaiṣatotsraṣṭum aho sahāsubhiḥ
SYNONYMS
namanti—bow
down; yat-pāda—whose feet; niketam—under; ātmanaḥ—own; śivāya—welfare;
hānīya—used to bring about; dhanāni—wealth; śatravaḥ—enemies;
katham—for what reason; saḥ—he; vīraḥ—the chivalrous; śriyam—opulences;
aṅga—O Sūta Gosvāmī; dustyajām—insuperable; yuvā—in full youth;
aiṣata—desired; utsraṣṭum—to give up; aho—exclamation; saha—with;
asubhiḥ—life.
TRANSLATION
He was such a great emperor
that all his enemies would come and bow down at his feet and surrender
all their wealth for their own benefit. He was full of youth and
strength, and he possessed insuperable kingly opulences. Why did he
want to give up everything, including his life?
PURPORT
There
was nothing undesirable in his life. He was quite a young man and could
enjoy life with power and opulence. So there was no question of
retiring from active life. There was no difficulty in collecting the
state taxes because he was so powerful and chivalrous that even his
enemies would come to him and bow down at his feet and surrender all
wealth for their own benefit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a pious king. He
conquered his enemies, and therefore the kingdom was full of
prosperity. There was enough milk, grains and metals, and all the
rivers and mountains were full of potency. So materially everything was
satisfactory. Therefore, there was no question of untimely giving up
his kingdom and life. The sages were eager to hear about all this.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.11
Pāda-niketam
means “foot-stool.” Ha means “clearly.” Parīkṣit was young, not old but
desired (aiṣata) to give up all the wealth, along with even his life
airs (asubhiḥ).
TEXT - SB 1.4.12
śivāya lokasya bhavāya bhūtaye
ya uttama-śloka-parāyaṇā janāḥ
jīvanti nātmārtham asau parāśrayaṁ
mumoca nirvidya kutaḥ kalevaram
SYNONYMS
śivāya—welfare;
lokasya—of all living beings; bhavāya—for flourishing; bhūtaye—for
economic development; ye—one who is; uttama-śloka-parāyaṇāḥ—devoted to
the cause of the Personality of Godhead; janāḥ—men; jīvanti—do live;
na—but not; ātma-artham—selfish interest; asau—that;
para-āśrayam—shelter for others; mumoca—gave up; nirvidya—being freed
from all attachment; kutaḥ—for what reason; kalevaram—mortal body.
TRANSLATION
Those
who are devoted to the cause of the Personality of Godhead live only
for the welfare, development and happiness of others. They do not live
for any selfish interest. So even though the Emperor [Parīkṣit] was
free from all attachment to worldly possessions, how could he give up
his mortal body, which was shelter for others?
PURPORT
Parīkṣit
Mahārāja was an ideal king and householder because he was a devotee of
the Personality of Godhead. A devotee of the Lord automatically has all
good qualifications. And the Emperor was a typical example of this.
Personally he had no attachment for all the worldly opulences in his
possession. But since he was king for the all-around welfare of his
citizens, he was always busy in the welfare work of the public, not
only for this life, but also for the next. He would not allow
slaughterhouses or killing of cows. He was not a foolish and partial
administrator who would arrange for the protection of one living being
and allow another to be killed. Because he was a devotee of the Lord,
he knew perfectly well how to conduct his administration for everyone's
happiness—men, animals, plants and all living creatures. He was not
selfishly interested. Selfishness is either self-centered or
self-extended. He was neither. His interest was to please the Supreme
Truth, Personality of Godhead. The king is the representative of the
Supreme Lord, and therefore the king's interest must be identical with
that of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord wants all living beings to
be obedient to Him and thereby become happy. Therefore the king's
interest is to guide all subjects back to the kingdom of God. Hence the
activities of the citizens should be so coordinated that they can at
the end go back home, back to Godhead. Under the administration of a
representative king, the kingdom is full of opulence. At that time,
human beings need not eat animals. There are ample food grains, milk,
fruit and vegetables so that the human beings as well as the animals
can eat sumptuously and to their heart's content. If all living beings
are satisfied with food and shelter and obey the prescribed rules,
there cannot be any disturbance between one living being and another.
Emperor Parīkṣit was a worthy king, and therefore all were happy during
his reign.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.12
Those
surrendered to the Lord live for the auspiciousness of the world
(lokasya sivāya) in two ways: for extinguishing material life (bhavāya)
and for giving material wealth (bhūtaye). Bhavāya literally means “for
material life” but here it means “the devotees live for helping people
give up their material life” in the manner that smoke is used to
smother mosquitoes. Or the dative case bhavāya may express a missing
infinite: bhavāya saṁhartum (they live to extinguish material life.)[17]
Parāśṛayam
means helping others. One should not give up something upon which
others depend for life, even though one may be personally detached from
it.
TEXT - SB 1.4.13
tat sarvaṁ naḥ samācakṣva
pṛṣṭo yad iha kiñcana
manye tvāṁ viṣaye vācāṁ
snātam anyatra chāndasāt
SYNONYMS
tat—that;
sarvam—all; naḥ—unto us; samācakṣva—clearly explain; pṛṣṭaḥ—questioned;
yat iha—herein; kiñcana—all that; manye—we think; tvām—you; viṣaye—in
all subjects; vācām—meanings of words; snātam—fully acquainted;
anyatra—except; chāndasāt—portion of the Vedas.
TRANSLATION
We
know that you are expert in the meaning of all subjects, except some
portions of the Vedas, and thus you can clearly explain the answers to
all the questions we have just put to you.
PURPORT
The
difference between the Vedas and the Purāṇas is like that between the
brāhmaṇas and the parivrājakas. The brāhmaṇas are meant to administer
some fruitive sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas, but the
parivrājakācāryas, or learned preachers, are meant to disseminate
transcendental knowledge to one and all. As such, the parivrājakācāryas
are not always expert in pronouncing the Vedic mantras, which are
practiced systematically by accent and meter by the brāhmaṇas who are
meant for administering Vedic rites. Yet it should not be considered
that the brāhmaṇas are more important than the itinerant preachers.
They are one and different simultaneously because they are meant for
the same end, in different ways.
There is no difference also
between the Vedic mantras and what is explained in the Purāṇas and
Itihāsa. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, it is mentioned in the
Mādhyandina-śruti that all the Vedas, namely the Sāma, Atharva, Ṛg,
Yajur, Purāṇas, Itihāsas, Upaniṣads, etc., are emanations from the
breathing of the Supreme Being. The only difference is that the Vedic
mantras are mostly begun with praṇava oṁkāra, and it requires some
training to practice the metric pronunciation of the Vedic mantras. But
that does not mean that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is of less importance than
the Vedic mantras. On the contrary, it is the ripened fruit of all the
Vedas, as stated before. Besides that, the most perfectly liberated
soul, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is absorbed in the studies of the
Bhāgavatam, although he is already self-realized. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī is
following his footsteps, and therefore his position is not the least
less important because he was not expert in chanting Vedic mantras with
metric pronunciation, which depends more on practice than actual
realization. Realization is more important than parrotlike chanting.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.13
Snatam
vācām means “having full ability to say.” Anyatra chāndasāt means
“other than the statements of the Vedas, since you are not qualified
for that.” One should not worry that Bhāgavatam is therefore inferior
to the Vedas, because of Sūta’s particular qualification. All persons
are qualified for the final fruit of the tree of all the Vedas, the
Bhāgavatam, and Bhāgavatam, being the fruit of the tree of the Vedas,
is the essence of all śrutis.
Jiva's tika ||1.4.13||
tat sarvam naḥ samācakṣva pṛṣṭo yad iha kincana |
manye tvām viṣaye vācām snātam anyatra chāndasāt ||
TRANSLATION
Please explain to us whatever I have asked you on this subject. I think
that you are most capable of explaining all subjects, except some
portions of the Veda.
In this statement, Vedas and Purāṇas are
considered different and non-different, like brāhmaṇas and parivārakas.
In Mādhyandina-śruti, the Vedas, Itihāsas and Purāṇas are said to be
without human authorship.
evam vā are ’sya mahato bhūtasya
niḥśvasitam etad yad ṛgvedo yajurvvedaḥ sāmavedo ’tharvvāngirasa
itihāsaḥ purāṇam vidyā upaniṣad The Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva Vedas,
the Itihāsas, Purāṇas and Upaniṣads are the breathing of the Supreme
Lord. (Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.10)
The Purāṇas are
mentioned in the recitation of Brahma-yajna (daily recitation of the
Vedas). The following is recited during that ritual.
yad-brāhmaṇānītihāsapurāṇāni: the Brāhmaṇas, Itihāsas and Purāṇas.
(Yajur Veda Āraṇyaka)
Here however chandas refers to works
including the syllable om. Reciting these works requires qualification.
But there is also difference in pronunciation in the Vedas. They
require proper svara and lengthening of vowels. Sūta would avoid those
works, since he was not qualified for them.
There may arise a
doubt that the Purāṇas are then inferior. But Bhāgavatam is the highest
fruit on the tree of all the Vedas. Everyone is qualified for studying
it. Śukadeva, the crest jewel of ātmārāmas, was absorbed in Bhāgavatam,
which contains more bhakti to the Lord than all sacrifices.
TEXT - SB 1.4.14
sūta uvāca
dvāpare samanuprāpte
tṛtīye yuga-paryaye
jātaḥ parāśarād yogī
vāsavyāṁ kalayā hareḥ
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ—Sūta
Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; dvāpare—in the second millennium; samanuprāpte—on
the advent of; tṛtīye—third; yuga—millennium; paryaye—in the place of;
jātaḥ—was begotten; parāśarāt—by Parāśara; yogī—the great sage;
vāsavyām—in the womb of the daughter of Vasu; kalayā—in the plenary
portion; hareḥ—of the Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Sūta
Gosvāmī said: When the second millennium overlapped the third, the
great sage [Vyāsadeva] was born to Parāśara in the womb of Satyavatī,
the daughter of Vasu.
PURPORT
There is a chronological
order of the four millenniums, namely Satya, Dvāpara, Tretā and Kali.
But sometimes there is overlapping. During the regime of Vaivasvata
Manu, there was an overlapping of the twenty-eighth round of the four
millenniums, and the third millennium appeared prior to the second. In
that particular millennium, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa also descends, and because
of this there was some particular alteration. The mother of the great
sage was Satyavatī the daughter of the Vasu (fisherman), and the father
was the great Parāśara Muni. That is the history of Vyāsadeva's birth.
Every millennium is divided into three periods, and each period is
called a sandhyā. Vyāsadeva appeared in the third sandhyā of that
particular age.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.14
In
answer to the questions mentioned in verse 3 “in which yuga, at what
place” a short account of Vyāsa’s birth and activities is now
presented. According to Amara-koṣa, paryaya means a lapse. With a lapse
of many yuga cycles (yuga-paryaye), in Dvāpara-yuga, when Kṛṣṇa
appeared, Vyāsa was born. It will be explained that Kṛṣṇa appeared in
Dvāpara-yuga of the twenty-eighth cycle of yugas in
Vaivasvata-manvantara. All yugas are divided into three parts: the
beginning portion (saṇdhyā-rūpa), the middle portion (yuga-rūpa) and
the end portion (sandhyāṁśa-rūpa). Tṛtīye refers to the third part of
Dvāpara-yuga.[18] Vyāsa was born from Satyavatī who was the daughter of
Uparicara Vasu. Thus vāsavyām means “in the womb of Satyavatī.”
Jiva's tika ||1.4.14||
sūta uvāca— dvāpare samanuprāpte tṛtīye yuga-paryaye |
jātaḥ parāśarād yogī vāsavyām kalayā hareḥ ||
TRANSLATION Sūta said: Vyāsa was born in the womb of Satyavatī as a portion of the Lord
when the third part of Dvāpara-yuga arrived in the passing of yugas.
Trītiye
yuga-paryaye means when the three yugas passed, and the third part of
Dvāparā had arrived, after Vaivasvata Manvantara had started. Paryaya
means to passing or lapsing according to Amara-koṣa.
TEXT - SB 1.4.15
sa kadācit sarasvatyā
upaspṛśya jalaṁ śuciḥ
vivikta eka āsīna
udite ravi-maṇḍale
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he;
kadācit—once; sarasvatyāḥ—on the bank of the Sarasvatī; upaspṛśya—after
finishing morning ablutions; jalam—water; śuciḥ—being purified;
vivikte—concentration; ekaḥ—alone; āsīnaḥ—being thus seated; udite—on
the rise; ravi-maṇḍale—of the sun disc.
TRANSLATION
Once
upon a time he [Vyāsadeva], as the sun rose, took his morning ablution
in the waters of the Sarasvatī and sat alone to concentrate.
PURPORT
The
River Sarasvatī is flowing in the Badarikāśrama area of the Himalayas.
So the place indicated here is Śamyāprāsa in Badarikāśrama, where Śrī
Vyāsadeva is residing.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.15
Upaspṛśya means “having sipped water (ācamana).” The verse is part of a sentence which ends in verse 18.
Jiva's tika ||1.4.15||
sa kadācit sarasvatyā upaspṛśya jalam śuciḥ |
vivikta eka āsīna udite ravi-maṇdale ||
TRANSLATION
At one time, Vyāsa, performing ācamana with water from the Sarasvatī
River, being purified, sat alone in an isolated spot while the sun
rose.
Vyāsa was situated in Badarikāśrama since Sarasvatī
River is mentioned. It is also called Śamyāprāśa. ||1.4.20||
ṛg-yajuḥ-sāmātharvākhyā vedāś catvāra uddhṛtāḥ |
itihāsa-purāṇam ca pancamo veda ucyate ||
TRANSLATION He divided the Veda into the Ṛg, Yajus, Sāma and Atharvā. Histories and Purāṇas are called the fifth Veda.
ṛg-vedam bhagavo’dhyemi yajur-vedam sāma-vedam ātharvaṇam caturtham itihāsam purāṇam pancamam vedānām vedam
I
studied the Ṛg Veda, Yajur, Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, the Itihāsas
and Purāṇas, the fifth of Veda. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.1.2,
Sāma-kautumīya-śākhā)
vedān adhyāpayāmāsa mahābhārata-pancamān
He studied the Vedas and the Mahābhārata, the fifth Veda. (Mahābhārata 12.340.11)
Mahābhārata is considered equal to the Vedas, otherwise it would not be included in the list.
itihāsa-purāṇāni pancamam vedam īśvaraḥ sarvebhya eva vaktrebhyaḥ sasṛje sarva-darśanaḥ
Brahmā,
who has faces in all directions, created the fifth Veda composed of the
Purāṇas and Itihāsas from all of his mouths. (SB 3.12.39)
Sūta says in Vāyu Purāṇa:
eka āsīd yajur vedas tam caturdhā vyakalpayat |
cāturhotram abhūt tasmims tena yajnam akalpayat || ādhvaryavam yajurbhis tu ṛgbhir hotram tathaiva ca |
audgātram sāmabhiś caiva brahmatvam cāy atharvabhiḥ ||
There
was one Yajur Veda. He divided it into four. Four priests arose. By
that he created sacrifice. The priests were the Adhvarya for the Yajur
texts, the hotra for the Ṛg texts, The udgātra for the Sāma texts and
the Brahma for the Atharva texts.
ākhyānaiś cāpy upākhyānair gāthābhir dvija-sattamāḥ |
purāṇa-samhitāś cakre purāṇārtha-viśāradaḥ || yac chiṣṭam tu yajurveda iti śāstrārtha-nirṇayaḥ |
O
best of the brāhmaṇas! Knowledgeable of the meaning of the Purāṇas,
Vyāsa created all the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata, by describing the five
elements, ancient events and songs. This is the remnant of the Yajur
Veda. This defines the meaning of scripture. (Vāyu Purāṇa 60.21-22)
Skanda and Agni Purāṇas also state the same.
TEXT - SB 1.4.16
parāvara-jñaḥ sa ṛṣiḥ
kālenāvyakta-raṁhasā
yuga-dharma-vyatikaraṁ
prāptaṁ bhuvi yuge yuge
SYNONYMS
para-avara—past
and future; jñaḥ—one who knows; saḥ—he; ṛṣiḥ—Vyāsadeva; kālena—in the
course of time; avyakta—unmanifested; raṁhasā—by great force;
yuga-dharma—acts in terms of the millennium; vyatikaram—anomalies;
prāptam—having accrued; bhuvi—on the earth; yuge yuge—different ages.
TRANSLATION
The
great sage Vyāsadeva saw anomalies in the duties of the millennium.
This happens on the earth in different ages, due to unseen forces in
the course of time.
PURPORT
The great sages like
Vyāsadeva are liberated souls, and therefore they can see clearly past
and future. Thus he could see the future anomalies in the Kali age, and
accordingly he made arrangement for the people in general so that they
can execute a progressive life in this age, which is full of darkness.
The people in general in this age of Kali are too much interested in
matter, which is temporary. Because of ignorance they are unable to
evaluate the assets of life and be enlightened in spiritual knowledge.
TEXT - SB 1.4.17-18
bhautikānāṁ ca bhāvānāṁ
śakti-hrāsaṁ ca tat-kṛtam
aśraddadhānān niḥsattvān
durmedhān hrasitāyuṣaḥ
durbhagāṁś ca janān vīkṣya
munir divyena cakṣuṣā
sarva-varṇāśramāṇāṁ yad
dadhyau hitam amogha-dṛk
SYNONYMS
bhautikānām
ca—also of everything that is made of matter; bhāvānām—actions;
śakti-hrāsam ca—and deterioration of natural power; tat-kṛtam—rendered
by that; aśraddadhānān—of the faithless; niḥsattvān—impatient due to
want of the mode of goodness; durmedhān—dull-witted; hrasita—reduced;
āyuṣaḥ—of duration of life; durbhagān ca—also the unlucky; janān—people
in general; vīkṣya—by seeing; muniḥ—the muni; divyena—by
transcendental; cakṣuṣā—vision; sarva—all; varṇa-āśramāṇām—of all the
statuses and orders of life; yat—what; dadhyau—contemplated;
hitam—welfare; amogha-dṛk—one who is fully equipped in knowledge.
TRANSLATION
The
great sage, who was fully equipped in knowledge, could see, through his
transcendental vision, the deterioration of everything material, due to
the influence of the age. He could also see that the faithless people
in general would be reduced in duration of life and would be impatient
due to lack of goodness. Thus he contemplated for the welfare of men in
all statuses and orders of life.
PURPORT
The unmanifested
forces of time are so powerful that they reduce all matter to oblivion
in due course. In Kali-yuga, the last millennium of a round of four
millenniums, the power of all material objects deteriorates by the
influence of time. In this age the duration of the material body of the
people in general is much reduced, and so is the memory. The action of
matter has also not so much incentive. The land does not produce food
grains in the same proportions as it did in other ages. The cow does
not give as much milk as it used to give formerly. The production of
vegetables and fruits is less than before. As such, all living beings,
both men and animals, do not have sumptuous, nourishing food. Due to
want of so many necessities of life, naturally the duration of life is
reduced, the memory is short, intelligence is meager, mutual dealings
are full of hypocrisy and so on.
The great sage Vyāsadeva could
see this by his transcendental vision. As an astrologer can see the
future fate of a man, or an astronomer can foretell the solar and lunar
eclipses, those liberated souls who can see through the scriptures can
foretell the future of all mankind. They can see this due to their
sharp vision of spiritual attainment.
And all such
transcendentalists, who are naturally devotees of the Lord, are always
eager to render welfare service to the people in general. They are the
real friends of the people in general, not the so-called public leaders
who are unable to see what is going to happen five minutes ahead. In
this age the people in general as well as their so-called leaders are
all unlucky fellows, faithless in spiritual knowledge and influenced by
the age of Kali. They are always disturbed by various diseases. For
example, in the present age there are so many TB patients and TB
hospitals, but formerly this was not so because the time was not so
unfavorable. The unfortunate men of this age are always reluctant to
give a reception to the transcendentalists who are representatives of
Śrīla Vyāsadeva and selfless workers always busy in planning something
which may help everyone in all statuses and orders of life. The
greatest philanthropists are those transcendentalists who represent the
mission of Vyāsa, Nārada, Madhva, Caitanya, Rūpa, Sarasvatī, etc. They
are all one and the same. The personalities may be different, but the
aim of the mission is one and the same, namely, to deliver the fallen
souls back home, back to Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.17-18
parāvara-jñaḥ sa ṛṣiḥ kālenāvyakta-raṁhasā |
yuga-dharma-vyatikaraṁ prāptaṁ bhuvi yuge yuge ||
bhautikānāṁ ca bhāvānāṁ śakti-hrāsaṁ ca tat-kṛtam |
aśraddadhānān niḥsattvān durmedhān hrasitāyuṣaḥ ||
durbhagāṁś ca janān vīkṣya munir divyena cakṣuṣā |
sarva-varṇāśramāṇāṁ yad dadhyau hitam amogha-dṛk ||
He
knows the past and the future (parāvara-jñaḥ). He saw that there was
destruction of the dharmas of the yugas with time
(yuga-dharma-vyatikaram). There was decrease in strength of the body
conditions (bhautikānām bhāvānām), caused by time (tat-kṛtam). The
people were filled with rajas and tamas (niḥsattvān).
TEXT - SB 1.4.19
cātur-hotraṁ karma śuddhaṁ
prajānāṁ vīkṣya vaidikam
vyadadhād yajña-santatyai
vedam ekaṁ catur-vidham
SYNONYMS
cātuḥ—four;
hotram—sacrificial fires; karma śuddham—purification of work;
prajānām—of the people in general; vīkṣya—after seeing;
vaidikam—according to Vedic rites; vyadadhāt—made into;
yajña—sacrifice; santatyai—to expand; vedam ekam—only one Veda;
catuḥ-vidham—in four divisions.
TRANSLATION
He saw that
the sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas were means by which the people's
occupations could be purified. And to simplify the process he divided
the one Veda into four, in order to expand them among men.
PURPORT
Formerly
there was only the Veda of the name Yajur, and the four divisions of
sacrifices were there specifically mentioned. But to make them more
easily performable, the Veda was divided into four divisions of
sacrifice, just to purify the occupational service of the four orders.
Above the four Vedas, namely Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva, there are
the Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata, Saṁhitās, etc., which are known as the
fifth Veda. Śrī Vyāsadeva and his many disciples were all historical
personalities, and they were very kind and sympathetic toward the
fallen souls of this age of Kali. As such, the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata
were made from related historical facts which explained the teaching of
the four Vedas. There is no point in doubting the authority of the
Purāṇas and Mahābhārata as parts and parcels of the Vedas. In the
Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.1.4), the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata, generally
known as histories, are mentioned as the fifth Veda. According to Śrīla
Jīva Gosvāmī, that is the way of ascertaining the respective values of
the revealed scriptures.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.19
Vyāsa
considered that Vedic rites were purifying (śuddham) for all people who
were not qualified for jñāna, yoga or bhakti. These sacrifices were
accomplished by four priests, the hotā (reciter of Ṛg-veda, offerer of
oblations), udgātā (reciter of Sāma-veda, corrector of irregularity),
adhvaryu (reciter of Yajur-veda, preparer of items for sacrifice), and
the brahmā (reciter of Atharva-Veda, knower of all Vedas, supervisor).
Santatyai means “for continuation.”
TEXT - SB 1.4.20
ṛg-yajuḥ-sāmātharvākhyā
vedāś catvāra uddhṛtāḥ
itihāsa-purāṇaṁ ca
pañcamo veda ucyate
SYNONYMS
ṛg-yajuḥ-sāma-atharva-ākhyāḥ—the
names of the four Vedas; vedāḥ—the Vedas; catvāraḥ—four; uddhṛtāḥ—made
into separate parts; itihāsa—historical records (Mahābhārata); purāṇam
ca—and the Purāṇas; pañcamaḥ—the fifth; vedaḥ—the original source of
knowledge; ucyate—is said to be.
TRANSLATION
The four
divisions of the original sources of knowledge [the Vedas] were made
separately. But the historical facts and authentic stories mentioned in
the Purāṇas are called the fifth Veda.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.20
He divided the Veda into the Ṛg, Yajus, Sāma and Atharvā. Histories and Purāṇas are called the fifth Veda.
TEXT - SB 1.4.21
tatrarg-veda-dharaḥ pailaḥ
sāmago jaiminiḥ kaviḥ
vaiśampāyana evaiko
niṣṇāto yajuṣām uta
SYNONYMS
tatra—thereupon;
ṛg-veda-dharaḥ—the professor of the Ṛg Veda; pailaḥ—the ṛṣi named
Paila; sāma-gaḥ—that of the Sāma Veda; jaiminiḥ—the ṛṣi named Jaimini;
kaviḥ—highly qualified; vaiśampāyanaḥ—the ṛṣi named Vaiśampāyana;
eva—only; ekaḥ—alone; niṣṇātaḥ—well versed; yajuṣām—of the Yajur Veda;
uta—glorified.
TRANSLATION
After the Vedas were divided
into four divisions, Paila Ṛṣi became the professor of the Ṛg Veda,
Jaimini the professor of the Sāma Veda, and Vaiśampāyana alone became
glorified by the Yajur Veda.
PURPORT
The different Vedas were entrusted to different learned scholars for development in various ways.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.21
tatrarg-veda-dharaḥ pailaḥ sāmago jaiminiḥ kaviḥ |
vaiśampāyana evaiko niṣṇāto yajuṣām uta ||
atharvāṅgirasām āsīt sumantur dāruṇo muniḥ |
itihāsa-purāṇānāṁ pitā me romaharṣaṇaḥ ||
Dāruṇaḥ means “inclined to incantations and magic.”
TEXT - SB 1.4.22
atharvāṅgirasām āsīt
sumantur dāruṇo muniḥ
itihāsa-purāṇānāṁ
pitā me romaharṣaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
atharva—the
Atharva Veda; aṅgirasām—unto the ṛṣi Aṅgirā; āsīt—was entrusted;
sumantuḥ—also known as Sumantu Muni; dāruṇaḥ—seriously devoted to the
Atharva Veda; muniḥ—the sage; itihāsa-purāṇānām—of the historical
records and the Purāṇas; pitā—father; me—mine; romaharṣaṇaḥ—the ṛṣi
Romaharṣaṇa.
TRANSLATION
The Sumantu Muni Aṅgirā, who was
very devotedly engaged, was entrusted with the Atharva Veda. And my
father, Romaharṣaṇa, was entrusted with the Purāṇas and historical
record
PURPORT
In the śruti-mantras also it is stated
that Aṅgirā Muni, who strictly followed the rigid principles of the
Atharva Vedas, was the leader of the followers of the Atharva Vedas.
Jiva's tika ||1.4.21-22||
tatrarg-veda-dharaḥ pailaḥ sāmago jaiminiḥ kaviḥ |
vaiśampāyana evaiko niṣṇāto yajuṣām uta || atharvāngirasām āsīt sumantur dāruṇo muniḥ |
itihāsa-purāṇānām pitā me romaharṣaṇaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
For the Vedas, Paila became responsible for the Ṛg-veda, wise Jaimini
chanted the Sama-veda, Vaiśampāyana became learned in the Yajur-veda,
the sage Sumantu, inclined to incantations, became learned in the
Atharva-veda and my father Romaharṣaṇa became learned in the histories
and Purāṇas. Persons like Pippala should be included along with
Vaiśampāyana. Atharvāngirasām refers to the Atharva Veda.
TEXT - SB 1.4.23
ta eta ṛṣayo vedaṁ
svaṁ svaṁ vyasyann anekadhā
śiṣyaiḥ praśiṣyais tac-chiṣyair
vedās te śākhino 'bhavan
SYNONYMS
te—they;
ete—all these; ṛṣayaḥ—learned scholars; vedam—the respective Vedas;
svam svam—in their own entrusted matters; vyasyan—rendered;
anekadhā—many; śiṣyaiḥ—disciples; praśiṣyaiḥ—grand-disciples;
tat-śiṣyaiḥ—great grand-disciples; vedāḥ te—followers of the respective
Vedas; śākhinaḥ—different branches; abhavan—thus became.
TRANSLATION
All
these learned scholars, in their turn, rendered their entrusted Vedas
unto their many disciples, grand-disciples and great grand-disciples,
and thus the respective branches of the followers of the Vedas came
into being.
PURPORT
The original source of knowledge is
the Vedas. There are no branches of knowledge, either mundane or
transcendental, which do not belong to the original text of the Vedas.
They have simply been developed into different branches, They were
originally rendered by great, respectable and learned professors. In
other words, the Vedic knowledge, broken into different branches by
different disciplic successions, has been distributed all over the
world. No one, therefore, can claim independent knowledge beyond the
Vedas.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.23
Vyasyan means divided.
TEXT - SB 1.4.24
ta eva vedā durmedhair
dhāryante puruṣair yathā
evaṁ cakāra bhagavān
vyāsaḥ kṛpaṇa-vatsalaḥ
SYNONYMS
te—that;
eva—certainly; vedāḥ—the book of knowledge; durmedhaiḥ—by the less
intellectual; dhāryante—can assimilate; puruṣaiḥ—by the man; yathā—as
much as; evam—thus; cakāra—edited; bhagavān—the powerful; vyāsaḥ—the
great sage of Vyāsa; kṛpaṇa-vatsalaḥ—very kind to the ignorant mass.
TRANSLATION
Thus
the great sage Vyāsadeva, who is very kind to the ignorant masses,
edited the Vedas so they might be assimilated by less intellectual men.
PURPORT
The
Veda is one, and the reasons for its divisions in many parts are
explained herewith. The seed of all knowledge, or the Veda, is not a
subject matter which can easily be understood by any ordinary man.
There is a stricture that no one should try to learn the Vedas who is
not a qualified brāhmaṇa. This stricture has been wrongly interpreted
in so many ways. A class of men, who claim brahminical qualification
simply by their birthright in the family of a brāhmaṇa, claim that the
study of the Vedas is a monopoly of the brāhmaṇa caste only. Another
section of the people take this as an injustice to members of other
castes, who do not happen to take birth in a brāhmaṇa family. But both
of them are misguided. The Vedas are subjects which had to be explained
even to Brahmājī by the Supreme Lord. Therefore the subject matter is
understood by persons with exceptional qualities of goodness. Persons
who are in the modes of passion and ignorance are unable to understand
the subject matter of the Vedas. The ultimate goal of Vedic knowledge
is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. This Personality is very
rarely understood by those who are in the modes of passion and
ignorance. In the Satya-yuga everyone was situated in the mode of
goodness. Gradually the mode of goodness declined during the Tretā and
Dvāpara-yugas, and the general mass of people became corrupt. In the
present age the mode of goodness is almost nil, and so for the general
mass of people, the kindhearted, powerful sage Śrīla Vyāsadeva divided
the Vedas in various ways so that they may be practically followed by
less intelligent persons in the modes of passion and ignorance. It is
explained in the next śloka as follows.
TEXT - SB 1.4.25
strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ
trayī na śruti-gocarā
karma-śreyasi mūḍhānāṁ
śreya evaṁ bhaved iha
iti bhāratam ākhyānaṁ
kṛpayā muninā kṛtam
SYNONYMS
strī—the
woman class; śūdra—the laboring class; dvija-bandhūnām—of the friends
of the twice-born; trayī—three; na—not; śruti-gocarā—for understanding;
karma—in activities; śreyasi—in welfare; mūḍhānām—of the fools;
śreyaḥ—supreme benefit; evam—thus; bhavet—achieved; iha—by this;
iti—thus thinking; bhāratam—the great Mahābhārata; ākhyānam—historical
facts; kṛpayā—out of great mercy; muninā—by the muni; kṛtam—is
completed.
TRANSLATION
Out of compassion, the great sage
thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal
of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the
Mahābhārata for women, laborers and friends of the twice-born.
PURPORT
The
friends of the twice-born families are those who are born in the
families of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, or the spiritually
cultured families, but who themselves are not equal to their
forefathers. Such descendants are not recognized as such, for want of
purificatory achievements. The purificatory activities begin even
before the birth of a child, and the seed-giving reformatory process is
called Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. One who has not undergone such
Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, or spiritual family planning, is not accepted as
being of an actual twice-born family. The Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is
followed by other purificatory processes, out of which the sacred
thread ceremony is one. This is performed at the time of spiritual
initiation. After this particular saṁskāra, one is rightly called
twice-born. One birth is calculated during the seed-giving saṁskāra,
and the second birth is calculated at the time of spiritual initiation.
One who has been able to undergo such important saṁskāras can be called
a bona fide twice-born.
If the father and the mother do not
undertake the process of spiritual family planning and simply beget
children out of passion only, their children are called dvija-bandhus.
These dvija-bandhus are certainly not as intelligent as the children of
the regular twice-born families. The dvija-bandhus are classified with
the śūdras and the woman class, who are by nature less intelligent. The
śūdras and the woman class do not have to undergo any saṁskāra save and
except the ceremony of marriage.
The less intelligent classes of
men, namely women, śūdras and unqualified sons of the higher castes,
are devoid of necessary qualifications to understand the purpose of the
transcendental Vedas. For them the Mahābhārata was prepared. The
purpose of the Mahābhārata is to administer the purpose of the Vedas,
and therefore within this Mahābhārata the summary Veda of Bhagavad-gītā
is placed. The less intelligent are more interested in stories than in
philosophy, and therefore the philosophy of the Vedas in the form of
the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva and Lord
Kṛṣṇa are both on the transcendental plane, and therefore they
collaborated in doing good to the fallen souls of this age. The
Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. It is the first
book of spiritual values, as the Upaniṣads are. The Vedānta philosophy
is the subject matter for study by the spiritual graduates. Only the
post-graduate spiritual student can enter into the spiritual or
devotional service of the Lord. It is a great science, and the great
professor is the Lord Himself in the form of Lord Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. And persons who are empowered by Him can initiate others in
the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.25
The dvīja-bandhus do not belong to the three upper classes. Karma-śreyasi means “in the best sādhana.”
TEXT - SB 1.4.26
evaṁ pravṛttasya sadā
bhūtānāṁ śreyasi dvijāḥ
sarvātmakenāpi yadā
nātuṣyad dhṛdayaṁ tataḥ
SYNONYMS
evam—thus;
pravṛttasya—one who is engaged in; sadā—always; bhūtānām—of the living
beings; śreyasi—in the ultimate good; dvijāḥ—O twice-born; sarvātmakena
api—by all means; yadā—when; na—not; atuṣyat—become satisfied;
hṛdayam—mind; tataḥ—at that.
TRANSLATION
O twice-born
brāhmaṇas, still his mind was not satisfied, although he engaged
himself in working for the total welfare of all people.
PURPORT
Śrī
Vyāsadeva was not satisfied with himself, although he had prepared
literatures of Vedic value for the all-around welfare of the general
mass of people. It was expected that he would be satisfied by all such
activities, but ultimately he was not satisfied.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.26
evaṁ pravṛttasya sadā bhūtānāṁ śreyasi dvijāḥ |
sarvātmakenāpi yadā nātuṣyad dhṛdayaṁ tataḥ ||
nātiprasīdad dhṛdayaḥ sarasvatyās taṭe śucau |
vitarkayan vivikta-stha idaṁ covāca dharma-vit ||
Sarvātmakena
means the same as sarvātmanā (by the whole). Na ati prasīdad hrḍayaḥ
means “he whose heart was not completely pleased.” Because of
dissatisfaction in his heart he began to conjecture (vitarkayan). He
spoke to himself internally.
TEXT - SB 1.4.27
nātiprasīdad dhṛdayaḥ
sarasvatyās taṭe śucau
vitarkayan vivikta-stha
idaṁ covāca dharma-vit
SYNONYMS
na—not;
atiprasīdat—very much satisfied; hṛdayaḥ—at heart; sarasvatyāḥ—of the
River Sarasvatī; taṭe—on the bank of; śucau—being purified;
vitarkayan—having considered; vivikta-sthaḥ—situated in a lonely place;
idam ca—also this; uvāca—said; dharma-vit—one who knows what religion
is.
TRANSLATION
Thus the sage, being dissatisfied at
heart, at once began to reflect, because he knew the essence of
religion, and he said within himself:
PURPORT
The sage
began to search out the cause of not being satisfied at heart.
Perfection is never attained until one is satisfied at heart. This
satisfaction of heart has to be searched out beyond matter.
TEXT - SB 1.4.28-29
dhṛta-vratena hi mayā
chandāṁsi guravo 'gnayaḥ
mānitā nirvyalīkena
gṛhītaṁ cānuśāsanam
bhārata-vyapadeśena
hy āmnāyārthaś ca pradarśitaḥ
dṛśyate yatra dharmādi
strī-śūdrādibhir apy uta
SYNONYMS
dhṛta-vratena—under
a strict disciplinary vow; hi—certainly; mayā—by me; chandāṁsi—the
Vedic hymns; guravaḥ—the spiritual masters; agnayaḥ—the sacrificial
fire; mānitāḥ—properly worshiped; nirvyalīkena—without pretense;
gṛhītam ca—also accepted; anuśāsanam—traditional discipline;
bhārata—the Mahābhārata; vyapadeśena—by compilation of; hi—certainly;
āmnāya-arthaḥ—import of disciplic succession; ca—and;
pradarśitaḥ—properly explained; dṛśyate—by what is necessary;
yatra—where; dharma-ādiḥ—the path of religion; strī-śūdra-ādibhiḥ
api—even by women, śūdras, etc.; uta—spoken.
TRANSLATION
I
have, under strict disciplinary vows, unpretentiously worshiped the
Vedas, the spiritual master and the altar of sacrifice. I have also
abided by the rulings and have shown the import of disciplic succession
through the explanation of the Mahābhārata, by which even women, śūdras
and others [friends of the twice-born] can see the path of religion.
PURPORT
No
one can understand the import of the Vedas without having undergone a
strict disciplinary vow and disciplic succession. The Vedas, spiritual
masters and sacrificial fire must be worshiped by the desiring
candidate. All these intricacies of Vedic knowledge are systematically
presented in the Mahābhārata for the understanding of the woman class,
the laborer class and the unqualified members of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or
vaiśya families. In this age, the Mahābhārata is more essential than
the original Vedas.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.28-29
bhārata-vyapadeśena hy āmnāyārthaś ca pradarśitaḥ |
dṛśyate yatra dharmādi strī-śūdrādibhir apy uta ||
tathāpi bata me daihyo hy ātmā caivātmanā vibhuḥ |
asampanna ivābhāti brahma-varcasy asattamaḥ ||
My
soul situated in the body (daiyaḥ), though complete with austerity and
knowledge (vibhuḥ) by nature (ātmanā), feels incomplete (asampanna);
and not only incomplete, but also inferior (asattama) even though
endowed with power arising from the excellent results derived by
hearing and studying the Vedas. Another version of the text has
uśattama (most pleased with). In either case, as part of a compound,
the suffix vī can be added with the meaning “possessing.”
TEXT - SB 1.4.30
tathāpi bata me daihyo
hy ātmā caivātmanā vibhuḥ
asampanna ivābhāti
brahma-varcasya sattamaḥ
SYNONYMS
tathāpi—although;
bata—defect; me—mine; daihyaḥ—situated in the body; hi—certainly;
ātmā—living being; ca—and; eva—even; ātmanā—myself; vibhuḥ—sufficient;
asampannaḥ—wanting in; iva ābhāti—it appears to be; brahma-varcasya—of
the Vedāntists; sattamaḥ—the supreme.
TRANSLATION
I am feeling incomplete, though I myself am fully equipped with everything required by the Vedas.
PURPORT
Undoubtedly
Śrīla Vyāsadeva was complete in all the details of Vedic achievements.
Purification of the living being submerged in matter is made possible
by the prescribed activities in the Vedas, but the ultimate achievement
is different. Unless it is attained, the living being, even though
fully equipped, cannot be situated in the transcendentally normal
stage. Śrīla Vyāsadeva appeared to have lost the clue and therefore
felt dissatisfaction.
Jiva's tika ||1.4.30||
bhārata-vyapadeśena hy āmnāyārthaś ca pradarśitaḥ |
dṛśyate yatra dharmādi strī-śūdrādibhir apy uta || tathāpi bata me daihyo hy ātmā caivātmanā vibhuḥ |
asampanna ivābhāti brahma-varcasy asattamaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Through the Mahābhārata, in which dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa for the
women, śūdras, what to speak of the higher castes, is seen, I have
clearly shown the meaning of the Vedas. But still, my soul situated in
the body, though powerful with austerity and knowledge by nature,
appears incomplete and inferior, even though endowed with power arising
from studying the Vedas.
Though I was complete with knowledge
etc. I felt as if I had not obtained some treasure from the Lord
(ātmanā). This is explained later by Nārada in SB 1.5.3.9. Another
version has uśattama instead of asattamaḥ.
TEXT - SB 1.4.31
kiṁ vā bhāgavatā dharmā
na prāyeṇa nirūpitāḥ
priyāḥ paramahaṁsānāṁ
ta eva hy acyuta-priyāḥ
SYNONYMS
kim
vā—or; bhāgavatāḥ dharmāḥ—devotional activities of the living beings;
na—not; prāyeṇa—almost; nirūpitāḥ—directed; priyāḥ—dear;
paramahaṁsānām—of the perfect beings; te eva—that also; hi—certainly;
acyuta—the infallible; priyāḥ—attractive.
TRANSLATION
This
may be because I did not specifically point out the devotional service
of the Lord, which is dear both to perfect beings and to the infallible
Lord.
PURPORT
The dissatisfaction which was being felt by
Śrīla Vyāsadeva is expressed herein in his own words. This was felt for
the normal condition of the living being in the devotional service of
the Lord. Unless one is fixed in the normal condition of service,
neither the Lord nor the living being can become fully satisfied. This
defect was felt by him when Nārada Muni, his spiritual master, reached
him. It is described as follows.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.31
Vyāsā
begins to intuit the reason for his dissatisfaction. Prāyana means
abundantly. The word te refers to the paramahaṁsas. It is not possible
to explain the word bhāgavatā dharmā as jñāna. It is bhakti only for it
is later said:
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
The
use of words in which, though not perfectly composed, there are the
names of the Lord and descriptions of his glories which devotes hear,
sing, and again receive, destroys the sins of all people. SB 1.5.11
And
thus the word paramahaṁsānām refers only to the devotees, not to the
jñānīs. Bhāgavatam should always be connected with the devotees who are
called paramahaṁsas. It should never be taken as the property of the
jñānīs.
bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ yaśo bhagavato ’malam
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṁ khilam
You
have not actually broadcast the sublime and spotless glories of the
Personality of Godhead. That philosophy which does not satisfy the
transcendental senses of the Lord is considered worthless. SB 1.5.8
Jiva's tika ||1.4.31||
kim vā bhāgavatā dharmā na prāyeṇa nirūpitāḥ |
priyāḥ paramahamsānām ta eva hy acyuta-priyāḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Perhaps the path of bhakti pleasing to the most elevated devotees has
not been sufficiently described. And the elevated devotees alone are
dear to the Lord.
He himself explains the reason for dissatisfaction. Devotees are dear to him.
TEXT - SB 1.4.32
tasyaivaṁ khilam ātmānaṁ
manyamānasya khidyataḥ
kṛṣṇasya nārado 'bhyāgād
āśramaṁ prāg udāhṛtam
SYNONYMS
tasya—his;
evam—thus; khilam—inferior; ātmānam—soul; manyamānasya—thinking within
the mind; khidyataḥ—regretting; kṛṣṇasya—of Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa;
nāradaḥ abhyāgāt—Nārada came there; āśramam—the cottage; prāk—before;
udāhṛtam—said.
TRANSLATION
As mentioned before, Nārada
reached the cottage of Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa on the banks of the
Sarasvatī just as Vyāsadeva was regretting his defects.
PURPORT
The
vacuum felt by Vyāsadeva was not due to his lack of knowledge.
Bhāgavata-dharma is purely devotional service of the Lord to which the
monist has no access. The monist is not counted amongst the
paramahaṁsas (the most perfect of the renounced order of life).
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of narrations of the transcendental
activities of the Personality of Godhead. Although Vyāsadeva was an
empowered divinity, he still felt dissatisfaction because in none of
his works were the transcendental activities of the Lord properly
explained. The inspiration was infused by Śrī Kṛṣṇa directly in the
heart of Vyāsadeva, and thus he felt the vacuum as explained above. It
is definitely expressed herewith that without the transcendental loving
service of the Lord, everything is void; but in the transcendental
service of the Lord, everything is tangible without any separate
attempt at fruitive work or empiric philosophical speculation.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.32
Khilam
means “vile.” Vyāsa’s hermitage was on the bank of the Sarasvatī as
previously described (prāg udāhṛtam). Lacking complete knowledge and
being dissatisfied are impossible for Vyāsa, since he is an avatāra of
the Lord. Therefore it should be understood that these conditions were
strongly produced by Kṛṣṇa himself in order to manifest the Bhāgavatam,
the crest jewel of all the scriptures, which is non-different from him.
Similarly, even Balarāma’s knowledge became covered by Kṛṣṇa for the
beauty of the pastimes in bewildering Brahmā. The Bhāgavatam became
manifest by the instructions of Nārada; however it should be understood
that the even the chief goal of human endeavor, liberation, is achieved
only by bhakti, and not by any other method.
yat karmabhir yat tapasā jñāna-vairāgyataś ca yat
yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair apisarvaṁ
mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ’ñjasā
svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathañcid yadi vāñchati
kiṁ vā yogena sāṅkhyena nyāsa-svādhyāyayor api
kiṁ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca na yatrātma-prado hariḥ
What
is the use of yoga, sāṅkhya, sannyāsa, study of the Vedas, other
auspicious acts, in which the Lord does not give realization of
himself? SB 4.31.12
Thus the unique meaning of all the scriptures becomes visible to all people by bhakti.
TEXT - SB 1.4.33
tam abhijñāya sahasā
pratyutthāyāgataṁ muniḥ
pūjayām āsa vidhivan
nāradaṁ sura-pūjitam
SYNONYMS
tam
abhijñāya—seeing the good fortune of his (Nārada's) arrival; sahasā—all
of a sudden; pratyutthāya—getting up; āgatam—arrived at;
muniḥ—Vyāsadeva; pūjayām āsa—worship; vidhi-vat—with the same respect
as offered to Vidhi (Brahmā); nāradam—to Nārada; sura-pūjitam—worshiped
by the demigods.
TRANSLATION
At the auspicious arrival of
Śrī Nārada, Śrī Vyāsadeva got up respectfully and worshiped him, giving
him veneration equal to that given to Brahmājī, the creator.
PURPORT
Vidhi
means Brahmā, the first created living being. He is the original
student as well as professor of the Vedas. He learned it from Śrī Kṛṣṇa
and taught Nārada first. So Nārada is the second ācārya in the line of
spiritual disciplic succession. He is the representative of Brahmā, and
therefore he is respected exactly like Brahmā, the father of all vidhis
(regulations); similarly all other successive disciples in the chain
are also equally respected as representatives of the original spiritual
master.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.4.33
Vidhivat means like Brahmā. Vat can mean “like” according to the dictionary. Vat is compounded with vidhi.
Thus
end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Fourth Chapter, of
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Appearance of Śrī Nārada."
5. Nārada's Instructions on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for Vyāsadeva
verses:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40
TEXT - SB 1.5.1
sūta uvāca
atha taṁ sukham āsīna
upāsīnaṁ bṛhac-chravāḥ
devarṣiḥ prāha viprarṣiṁ
vīṇā-pāṇiḥ smayann iva
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ—Sūta;
uvāca—said; atha—therefore; tam—him; sukham āsīnaḥ—comfortably seated;
upāsīnam—unto one sitting nearby; bṛhat-śravāḥ—greatly respected;
devarṣiḥ—the great ṛṣi among the gods; prāha—said; viprarṣim—unto the
ṛṣi among the brāhmaṇas; vīṇā-pāṇiḥ—one who carries a vīṇā in his hand;
smayan iva—apparently smiling.
TRANSLATION
Sūta Gosvāmī
said: Thus the sage amongst the gods [Nārada], comfortably seated and
apparently smiling, addressed the ṛṣi amongst the brāhmaṇas [Vedavyāsa].
PURPORT
Nārada
was smiling because he well knew the great sage Vedavyāsa and the cause
of his disappointment. As he will explain gradually, Vyāsadeva's
disappointment was due to insufficiency in presenting the science of
devotional service. Nārada knew the defect, and it was confirmed by the
position of Vyāsa.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.1
sūta uvāca—
atha taṁ sukham āsīna upāsīnaṁ bṛhac-chravāḥ |
devarṣiḥ prāha viprarṣiṁ vīṇā-pāṇiḥ smayann iva ||
In
the Fifth chapter, showing the uselessness of jñāna and karma, Nārada
teaches Vyāsa about bhakti with its chief component kīrtana.
Welcoming
his guest, Vyāsa was worshipping (upāsīnam) him by offering āsana,
arghya, pādya and other items. A slight smile appeared on Nārada’s
lips, which shows that he, knowing everything, was internally pleased
with Vyāsa. It was not possible for him to hide his smile by pretending
something else, because of the interesting questions he would pose.
TEXT - SB 1.5.2
nārada uvāca
pārāśarya mahā-bhāga
bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā
parituṣyati śārīra
ātmā mānasa eva vā
SYNONYMS
nāradaḥ—Nārada;
uvāca—said; pārāśarya—O son of Parāśara; mahā-bhāga—the greatly
fortunate; bhavataḥ—your; kaccit—if it is; ātmanā—by the
self-realization of; parituṣyati—does it satisfy; śārīraḥ—identifying
the body; ātmā—self; mānasaḥ—identifying the mind; eva—certainly;
vā—and.
TRANSLATION
Addressing Vyāsadeva, the son of
Parāśara, Nārada inquired: Are you satisfied by identifying with the
body or the mind as objects of self-realization?
PURPORT
This
was a hint by Nārada to Vyāsadeva regarding the cause of his
despondency. Vyāsadeva, as the descendant of Parāśara, a greatly
powerful sage, had the privilege of having a great parentage which
should not have given Vyāsadeva cause for despondency. Being a great
son of a great father, he should not have identified the self with the
body or the mind. Ordinary men with a poor fund of knowledge can
identify the body as self or the mind as self, but Vyāsadeva should not
have done so. One cannot be cheerful by nature unless one is factually
seated in self-realization, which is transcendental to the material
body and mind.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.2
nārada uvāca
pārāśarya mahā-bhāga bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā |
parituṣyati śārīra ātmā mānasa eva vā ||
Śārīraḥ
ātmā here means “identifying oneself with the body.” Is this self
satisfied with the body (ātmanā)? Is your self identifying with the
mind (mānasa ātmā) satisfied with the mind (ātmanā)? Kaccid means “or
not.” Addressing Vyāsa as the most fortunate son of Parāśara, Nārada
suggests that if Vyāsa possesses such powerful ancestry, how could he
lament? Thus he implies disappointment in Vyāsa.
TEXT - SB 1.5.3
jijñāsitaṁ susampannam
api te mahad-adbhutam
kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ
sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam
SYNONYMS
jijñāsitam—fully
inquired; susampannam—well versed; api—in spite of; te—your;
mahat-adbhutam—great and wonderful; kṛtavān—prepared; bhāratam—the
Mahābhārata; yaḥ tvam—what you have done; sarva-artha—including all
sequences; paribṛṁhitam—elaborately explained.
TRANSLATION
Your
inquiries were full and your studies were also well fulfilled, and
there is no doubt that you have prepared a great and wonderful work,
the Mahābhārata, which is full of all kinds of Vedic sequences
elaborately explained.
PURPORT
The despondency of
Vyāsadeva was certainly not due to his lack of sufficient knowledge
because as a student he had fully inquired about the Vedic literatures,
as a result of which the Mahābhārata is compiled with full explanation
of the Vedas.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.3
jijñāsitaṁ susampannam api te mahad-adbhutam |
kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam ||
You cannot say that the source of your dissatisfaction is lack of scriptural knowledge, because you wrote the Mahābhārata.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.3||
jijnāsitam susampannam api te mahad-adbhutam |
kṛtavān bhāratam yas tvam sarvārtha-paribṛmhitam ||
TRANSLATION
You wrote the most astonishing Mahābhārata, complete with all
instructions on artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa. All that one desires to
know is presented perfectly in this work.
Matsya Purāṇa says something contrary:
aṣṭādaśa-purāṇāni kṛtvā satyavatī-sutaḥ |
bhāratākhyānam akhilam cakre tad-upabṛmhitam ||;
Having written the eighteen Purāṇas, Vyāsa wrote Mahābhārata, filled with the same contents.
One sees a solution to the contradiction in the seventh chapter:
sa samhitām bhāgavatīm kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-niratam muniḥ
Having
already made the Bhāgavatam, the sage Vyāsa revised it and taught it to
his son Śukadeva who had realized brahman. (SB 1.7.8)
He first wrote the contents in general. After instructions from Nārada, organized it according to his instructions (anukramya).
TEXT - SB 1.5.4
jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca
brahma yat tat sanātanam
tathāpi śocasy ātmānam
akṛtārtha iva prabho
SYNONYMS
jijñāsitam—deliberated
fully well; adhītam—the knowledge obtained; ca—and; brahma—the
Absolute; yat—what; tat—that; sanātanam—eternal; tathāpi—in spite of
that; śocasi—lamenting; ātmānam—unto the self; akṛta-arthaḥ—undone;
iva—like; prabho—my dear sir.
TRANSLATION
You have fully
delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman as well as the knowledge
derived therefrom. Why should you be despondent in spite of all this,
thinking that you are undone, my dear prabhu?
PURPORT
The
Vedānta-sūtra, or Brahma-sūtra, compiled by Śrī Vyāsadeva is the full
deliberation of the impersonal absolute feature, and it is accepted as
the most exalted philosophical exposition in the world. It covers the
subject of eternity, and the methods are scholarly. So there cannot be
any doubt about the transcendental scholarship of Vyāsadeva. So why
should he lament?
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.4
Nor
can you say that the reason for lamentation is lack of realized
knowledge, because you have investigated and made conclusions in the
Vedānta-sūtras about the eternal brahman that spreads everywhere in
impersonal form. Not only did you inquire about brahman (jijñāsitam),
but you have understood and realized (adhītam) that brahman. Śrīdhara
Svāmī says adhītam means understood or attained.
TEXT - SB 1.5.5
vyāsa uvāca
asty eva me sarvam idaṁ tvayoktaṁ
tathāpi nātmā parituṣyate me
tan-mūlam avyaktam agādha-bodhaṁ
pṛcchāmahe tvātma-bhavātma-bhūtam
SYNONYMS
vyāsaḥ—Vyāsa;
uvāca—said; asti—there is; eva—certainly; me—mine; sarvam—all;
idam—this; tvayā—by you; uktam—uttered; tathāpi—and yet; na—not;
ātmā—self; parituṣyate—does pacify; me—unto me; tat—of which;
mūlam—root; avyaktam—undetected; agādha-bodham—the man of unlimited
knowledge; pṛcchāmahe—do inquire; tvā—unto you; ātma-bhava—self-born;
ātma-bhūtam—offspring.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Vyāsadeva said:
All you have said about me is perfectly correct. Despite all this, I am
not pacified. I therefore question you about the root cause of my
dissatisfaction, for you are a man of unlimited knowledge due to your
being the offspring of one [Brahmā] who is self-born [without mundane
father and mother].
PURPORT
In the material world
everyone is engrossed with the idea of identifying the body or the mind
with the self. As such, all knowledge disseminated in the material
world is related either with the body or with the mind, and that is the
root cause of all despondencies. This is not always detected, even
though one may be the greatest erudite scholar in materialistic
knowledge. It is good, therefore, to approach a personality like Nārada
to solve the root cause of all despondencies. Why Nārada should be
approached is explained below.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.5
vyāsa uvāca—
asty eva me sarvam idaṁ tvayoktaṁ
tathāpi nātmā parituṣyate me |
tan-mūlam avyaktam agādha-bodhaṁ
pṛcchāma he tvātma-bhavātma-bhūtam ||
I
ask you the cause (tan-mūlam) which is hard to understand (me
avyaktam). The particle he indicates that he does not know. I ask you
because you were born (bhūtam) from the body (ātma) of Brahmā
(ātma-bhava). The power derived from the lineage of your father is the
cause of your having great unfathomable knowledge (agādha-bodham).
TEXT - SB 1.5.6
sa vai bhavān veda samasta-guhyam
upāsito yat puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
parāvareśo manasaiva viśvaṁ
sṛjaty avaty atti guṇair asaṅgaḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—thus;
vai—certainly; bhavān—yourself; veda—know; samasta—all-inclusive;
guhyam—confidential; upāsitaḥ—devotee of; yat—because; puruṣaḥ—the
Personality of Godhead; purāṇaḥ—the oldest; parāvareśaḥ—the controller
of the material and spiritual worlds; manasā—mind; eva—only; viśvam—the
universe; sṛjati—creates; avati atti—annihilates; guṇaiḥ—by the
qualitative matter; asaṅgaḥ—unattached.
TRANSLATION
My
lord! Everything that is mysterious is known to you because you worship
the creator and destroyer of the material world and the maintainer of
the spiritual world, the original Personality of Godhead, who is
transcendental to the three modes of material nature.
PURPORT
A
person who is cent-percent engaged in the service of the Lord is the
emblem of all knowledge. Such a devotee of the Lord in full perfection
of devotional service is also perfect by the qualification of the
Personality of Godhead. As such, the eightfold perfections of mystic
power (aṣṭa-siddhi) constitute very little of his godly opulence. A
devotee like Nārada can act wonderfully by his spiritual perfection,
which every individual is trying to attain. Śrīla Nārada is a
cent-percent perfect living being, although not equal to the
Personality of Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.6
sa vai bhavān veda samasta-guhyam
upāsito yat puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ |
parāvareśo manasaiva viśvaṁ
sṛjaty avaty atti guṇair asaṅgaḥ ||
You
have described me as the son of Parāśara, with a great lineage, with
knowledge of the four Vedas and realization of brahman. But you are the
son of Brahmā, omniscient (agādha-bodham), and worshipper of the
Supreme Lord. In all ways you thus surpass me! That is understood when
Vyāsa says “You worship the Supreme Lord (purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ upāsitaḥ).”
The words starting with parāvareśaḥ (lord of cause and effect) further
describe that Supreme Lord. That Lord (saḥ) is certainly (vai) you
(bhavān), since you, Nārada, are an avatāra of the Lord. Therefore you
know the whole secret and the secret behind all things (samasta-guhyam).
TEXT - SB 1.5.7
tvaṁ paryaṭann arka iva tri-lokīm
antaś-caro vāyur ivātma-sākṣī
parāvare brahmaṇi dharmato vrataiḥ
snātasya me nyūnam alaṁ vicakṣva
SYNONYMS
tvam—Your
Goodness; paryaṭan—traveling; arkaḥ—the sun; iva—like; tri-lokīm—the
three worlds; antaḥ-caraḥ—can penetrate into everyone's heart; vāyuḥ
iva—as good as the all-pervading air; ātma—self-realized;
sākṣī—witness; parāvare—in the matter of cause and effect; brahmaṇi—in
the Absolute; dharmataḥ—under disciplinary regulations; vrataiḥ—in vow;
snātasya—having been absorbed in; me—mine; nyūnam—deficiency;
alam—clearly; vicakṣva—search out.
TRANSLATION
Like the
sun, Your Goodness can travel everywhere in the three worlds, and like
the air you can penetrate the internal region of everyone. As such, you
are as good as the all-pervasive Supersoul. Please, therefore, find out
the deficiency in me, despite my being absorbed in transcendence under
disciplinary regulations and vows.
PURPORT
Transcendental
realization, pious activities, worshiping the Deities, charity,
mercifulness, nonviolence and studying the scriptures under strict
disciplinary regulations are always helpful.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.7
The
original person, the supreme lord, has descended as you to give benefit
to the world. Today, please help me. You wander throughout the three
worlds like the sun, which sees everything and like the life air which
moves within, knowing the actions of the intellect (ātma-sākṣī). I am
well versed by proper method (dharmataḥ) in the supreme brahman (para
brahmaṇi), and in the statements of the Veda (avare brahmaṇi) by rules
of study (vrataiḥ). Dharma refers to “method” in this verse because
Yājñavalkya says:
ijyācāra-damāhiṁsā-dāna-svādhyāya-karmaṇām |
ayaṁ tu paramo dharmo yad-yogenātma-darśanam ||
The
supreme dharma by which method one can realize ātma consists of
worship, proper conduct, control of the senses, non-violence, charity,
and study. Yājñavalkya-smṛti 1.8
This is sufficient (alam), but it is still insufficient (nyūnam)! Please consider all this.
TEXT - SB 1.5.8
śrī-nārada uvāca
bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ
yaśo bhagavato 'malam
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta
manye tad darśanaṁ khilam
SYNONYMS
śrī-nāradaḥ—Śrī
Nārada; uvāca—said; bhavatā—by you; anudita-prāyam—almost not praised;
yaśaḥ—glories; bhagavataḥ—of the Personality of Godhead;
amalam—spotless; yena—by which; eva—certainly; asau—He (the Personality
of Godhead); na—does not; tuṣyeta—be pleased; manye—I think; tat—that;
darśanam—philosophy; khilam—inferior.
TRANSLATION
Śrī
Nārada said: You have not actually broadcast the sublime and spotless
glories of the Personality of Godhead. That philosophy which does not
satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord is considered worthless.
PURPORT
The
eternal relation of an individual soul with the Supreme Soul
Personality of Godhead is constitutionally one of being the eternal
servitor of the eternal master. The Lord has expanded Himself as living
beings in order to accept loving service from them, and this alone can
satisfy both the Lord and the living beings. Such a scholar as
Vyāsadeva has completed many expansions of the Vedic literatures,
ending with the Vedānta philosophy, but none of them have been written
directly glorifying the Personality of Godhead. Dry philosophical
speculations even on the transcendental subject of the Absolute have
very little attraction without directly dealing with the glorification
of the Lord. The Personality of Godhead is the last word in
transcendental realization. The Absolute realized as impersonal Brahman
or localized Supersoul, Paramātmā, is less productive of transcendental
bliss than the supreme personal realization of His glories.
The
compiler of the Vedānta-darśana is Vyāsadeva himself. Yet he is
troubled, although he is the author. So what sort of transcendental
bliss can be derived by the readers and listeners of Vedānta which is
not explained directly by Vyāsadeva, the author? Herein arises the
necessity of explaining Vedānta-sūtra in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
by the self-same author.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.8
śrī-nārada uvāca—
bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ yaśo bhagavato ’malam |
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṁ khilam ||
You
have not described much at all (anudita-prāyam) about the spotless
glories of the Lord—the superior position of bhagavān’s forms above all
other forms, and the supreme attractiveness of his pastimes and bhakti.
“But I have produced the brahma-mīmāṁsa scripture, the vedānta-darṣana.”
“I
consider that darśana scripture to be deficient (khilam). You are the
writer of Vedānta and if your mind is dissatisfied with this, then how
will those who continually study this darśana be satisfied? You are the
proof that this darśana is insufficient.”
Jiva's tika ||1.5.8||
śrī-nārada uvāca— bhavatānudita-prāyam yaśo bhagavato ’malam |
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanam khilam ||
TRANSLATION
Nārada said: You have not sufficiently described the glories of the
spotless Lord Kṛṣṇa. Because your mind could never be satisfied with
Vedānta, I think that writing the Vedānta-sūtras is insufficient.
I
think writing Brahma-sūtras is insufficient since it lacks descriptions
of Kṛṣṇa’s glories and instead presents brahma-jnāna. It lacks a
presentation of the full entity called Bhagavān.
TEXT - SB 1.5.9
yathā dharmādayaś cārthā
muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ
na tathā vāsudevasya
mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ
SYNONYMS
yathā—as
much as; dharma-ādayaḥ—all four principles of religious behavior;
ca—and; arthāḥ—purposes; muni-varya—by yourself, the great sage;
anukīrtitāḥ—repeatedly described; na—not; tathā—in that way;
vāsudevasya—of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa; mahimā—glories;
hi—certainly; anuvarṇitaḥ—so constantly described.
TRANSLATION
Although,
great sage, you have very broadly described the four principles
beginning with religious performances, you have not described the
glories of the Supreme Personality, Vāsudeva.
PURPORT
The
prompt diagnosis of Śrī Nārada is at once declared. The root cause of
the despondency of Vyāsadeva was his deliberate avoidance of glorifying
the Lord in his various editions of the Purāṇas. He has certainly, as a
matter of course, given descriptions of the glories of the Lord (Śrī
Kṛṣṇa) but not as many as given to religiosity, economic development,
sense gratification and salvation. These four items are by far inferior
to engagement in the devotional service of the Lord. Śrī Vyāsadeva, as
the authorized scholar, knew very well this difference. And still
instead of giving more importance to the better type of engagement,
namely, devotional service to the Lord, he had more or less improperly
used his valuable time, and thus he was despondent. From this it is
clearly indicated that no one can be pleased substantially without
being engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. In the
Bhagavad-gītā this fact is clearly mentioned.
After liberation,
which is the last item in the line of performing religiosity, etc., one
is engaged in pure devotional service. This is called the stage of
self-realization, or the brahma-bhūta stage [SB 4.30.20]. After
attainment of this brahma-bhūta stage, one is satisfied. But
satisfaction is the beginning of transcendental bliss. One should
progress by attaining neutrality and equality in the relative world.
And passing this stage of equanimity, one is fixed in the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. This is the instruction of
the Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gītā. The conclusion is that
in order to maintain the status quo of the brahma-bhūta stage, as also
to increase the degree of transcendental realization, Nārada
recommended to Vyāsadeva that he (Vyāsadeva) should now eagerly and
repeatedly describe the path of devotional service. This would cure him
from gross despondency.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.9
yathā dharmādayaś cārthā muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ |
na tathā vāsudevasya mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ ||
“But I have described the wonderful qualities and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in the Padma Purāṇa and others as well.”
The
word ca here means “though.” You have not described the glories of
Vāsudeva as much as you have described artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa as
the goals of human life (arthā) even though they are much inferior to
the glories of Vāsudeva. Though Vāsudeva is the crest jewel of human
goals, you have not described him as the goal of human endeavor. Though
you have described the glories of Kṛṣṇa abundantly in many places, they
have been described only as a means of getting mokṣa. How can you mind
be satisfied when there is a lack of regard for that which should have
been given the most regard?
“But I have described bhakti to be higher than liberation in many places in other scriptures.
anyatra puṇya-tīrtheṣu muktir eva mahā-phalam |
muktaiḥ prārthyā harer bhaktir mathurāyāṁ ca labhyata
Liberation
is the highest goal in visiting other holy places, but devotion to the
Lord, prayed for by the liberated souls, can be obtained at Mathurā.
Padma Purāṇa
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati |
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām ||
One who attains brahman, equal to all living entities, does not lament or desire. He then attains pure devotion to me. BG 18.54”
“But
you have not done so repeatedly (na anuvarṇitaḥ). You must do so,
because it is said that the meaning of scriptures is revealed by
repetition as in ānandamayo ’bhyāsāt: the ānandamaya-puruṣa is the
supreme lord because of repetition of words to indicate this
(Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.13). Your mind will be satisfied only when you
describe very clearly with repetition the glories of the Lord, since
those glories alone are finally the most excellent.”
Jiva's tika ||1.5.9||
yathā dharmādayaś cārthā muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ |
na tathā vāsudevasya mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
O venerable sage! You have not repeatedly described the glories of
Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa to the extent that you have glorified dharma, artha,
kāma and mokṣa.
You have not glorified Kṛṣṇa as much as (tathā) you glorified dharma etc.
TEXT - SB 1.5.10
na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo
jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit
tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasā
na yatra haṁsā niramanty uśik-kṣayāḥ
SYNONYMS
na—not;
yat—that; vacaḥ—vocabulary; citra-padam—decorative; hareḥ—of the Lord;
yaśaḥ—glories; jagat—universe; pavitram—sanctified;
pragṛṇīta—described; karhicit—hardly; tat—that; vāyasam—crows;
tīrtham—place of pilgrimage; uśanti—think; mānasāḥ—saintly persons;
na—not; yatra—where; haṁsāḥ—all-perfect beings; niramanti—take
pleasure; uśik-kṣayāḥ—those who reside in the transcendental abode.
TRANSLATION
Those
words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone can
sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are considered by
saintly persons to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows. Since
the all-perfect persons are inhabitants of the transcendental abode,
they do not derive any pleasure there.
PURPORT
Crows and
swans are not birds of the same feather because of their different
mental attitudes. The fruitive workers or passionate men are compared
to the crows, whereas the all-perfect saintly persons are compared to
the swans. The crows take pleasure in a place where garbage is thrown
out, just as the passionate fruitive workers take pleasure in wine and
woman and places for gross sense pleasure. The swans do not take
pleasure in the places where crows are assembled for conferences and
meetings. They are instead seen in the atmosphere of natural scenic
beauty where there are transparent reservoirs of water nicely decorated
with stems of lotus flowers in variegated colors of natural beauty.
That is the difference between the two classes of birds.
Nature
has influenced different species of life with different mentalities,
and it is not possible to bring them up into the same rank and file.
Similarly,
there are different kinds of literature for different types of men of
different mentality. Mostly the market literatures which attract men of
the crow's categories are literatures containing refused remnants of
sensuous topics. They are generally known as mundane talks in relation
with the gross body and subtle mind. They are full of subject matter
described in decorative language full of mundane similes and
metaphorical arrangements. Yet with all that, they do not glorify the
Lord. Such poetry and prose, on any subject matter, is considered
decoration of a dead body. Spiritually advanced men who are compared to
the swans do not take pleasure in such dead literatures, which are
sources of pleasure for men who are spiritually dead. These literatures
in the modes of passion and ignorance are distributed under different
labels, but they can hardly help the spiritual urge of the human being,
and thus the swanlike spiritually advanced men have nothing to do with
them. Such spiritually advanced men are called also mānasa because they
always keep up the standard of transcendental voluntary service to the
Lord on the spiritual plane. This completely forbids fruitive
activities for gross bodily sense satisfaction or subtle speculation of
the material egoistic mind.
Social literary men, scientists,
mundane poets, theoretical philosophers and politicians who are
completely absorbed in the material advancement of sense pleasure are
all dolls of the material energy. They take pleasure in a place where
rejected subject matters are thrown. According to Svāmī Śrīdhara, this
is the pleasure of the prostitute-hunters.
But literatures which
describe the glories of the Lord are enjoyed by the paramahaṁsas who
have grasped the essence of human activities.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.10
glorification of the Vāsudeva.
A
work whose verses do not proclaim the glories of the Lord — which
purify even the whole world composed of speakers and listeners, what to
speak of the author — is actually like a dead body. It is very impure
without describing the glories of the Lord which are like life itself,
even though it may be endowed with qualities and poetic ornaments
((citra-padam) and is also a cause for surprise or dismay (another
meaning of citra).
It is considered to be (uśanti) a place for
crows, a hole filled with various left-over foods, which is desired by
persons filled with lust, who are like crows. It is a place where the
swans of Mānasa-sarovara (mānasā haṁsā) or the devotees situated in the
mind of the Lord absolutely (ni for nitarām) never enjoy (ramanti).
sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham
mad-anyat te na jānanti nāhaṁ tebhyo manāg api
Saints
are my heart, and only I am their hearts. They do not know anyone but
me, and therefore I do not recognize anyone besides them as mine. SB
9.4.68
Or mānasāḥ can mean “those who destroy (sā) respect
(māna) for those words since they find no pleasure in them. Or mānasāḥ
can mean the mental sons of Brahmā such as the Kumāras. The Kumāras
proclaim (mānasāḥ uśanti) this. Uśik means pleasant and kśaya means
lake in the case of reference to the swans, or it can mean abode. Thus
uśik-kṣayāḥ means those possessing the abode of the Lord. This would
refer to the Kumāras who were free to enter the Lord’s abode.
The
word vacaḥ means statements, what is spoken. Therefore statements like
the following would appear to make Bhāgavatam a place for the crows.
nābhāgo nabhagāpatyaṁ yaṁ tataṁ bhrātaraḥ kavim
yaviṣṭhaṁ vyabhajan dāyaṁ brahmacāriṇam āgatam
The
brothers gave to their youngest learned brother Nābhāga their father
Nabhaga as his share of the property when he returned from brahmacārī
life. SB 9.4.1
And it may be argued that none of the Purāṇas
written by Vyāsa should be considered as a place of crows, since
nothing there is completely devoid of the glories of the Lord. To this
however it can be said:
kali-mala-saṁhati-kālano ’khileśo
harir itaratra na gīyate hy abhīkṣṇam
iha tu punar bhagavān aśeṣa-mūrtiḥ
paripaṭhito ’nu-padaṁ kathā-prasaṅgaiḥ
Nārāyaṇa,
the soul of the universal form, who annihilates the accumulated sins of
the Kali age, is not glorified much in other works. But Bhagavān, with
unlimited forms, is abundantly and constantly described throughout the
various narrations of this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. SB 12.12.66
Taking
this verse and the next verse in the Bhāgavatam into consideration, the
word vacaḥ should mean the general import of the discussion, rather
than each sentence. That being the case, the chapters and stories of
Bhāgavatam are all ornaments to the glories of the Lord. In other
Purāṇas, however many of the stories are devoid of the glories of the
lord and are therefore the place of the crows. Thus there is no
contradiction.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.10||
na yad vacaś citra-padam harer yaśo jagat-pavitram pragṛṇīta karhicit |
tad vāyasam tīrtham uśanti mānasā na yatra hamsā niramanty uśik-kṣayāḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Works whose attractive verses do not sing at all the glories of the
Lord, which purify not only the author but the whole world, are
considered by the devotees who have captured the mind of the Lord to be
the place for crows, in which swans, living in pleasant lakes, take no
enjoyment at all.
The work has no relationship with Kṛṣṇa. It
is heavily criticized. Words which do not glorify the Lord even a
little bit (pra-gṛnīta) at any place in the work (karhicit) are the
place of crows.
TEXT - SB 1.5.11
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
SYNONYMS
tat—that;
vāk—vocabulary; visargaḥ—creation; janatā—the people in general;
agha—sins; viplavaḥ—revolutionary; yasmin—in which; prati-ślokam—each
and every stanza; abaddhavati—irregularly composed; api—in spite of;
nāmāni—transcendental names, etc.; anantasya—of the unlimited Lord;
yaśaḥ—glories; aṅkitāni—depicted; yat—what; śṛṇvanti—do hear;
gāyanti—do sing; gṛṇanti—do accept; sādhavaḥ—the purified men who are
honest.
TRANSLATION
On the other hand, that literature
which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the
name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a
different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward
bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world's
misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though
imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who
are thoroughly honest.
PURPORT
It is a qualification of
the great thinkers to pick up the best even from the worst. It is said
that the intelligent man should pick up nectar from a stock of poison,
should accept gold even from a filthy place, should accept a good and
qualified wife even from an obscure family and should accept a good
lesson even from a man or from a teacher who comes from the
untouchables. These are some of the ethical instructions for everyone
in every place without exception. But a saint is far above the level of
an ordinary man. He is always absorbed in glorifying the Supreme Lord
because by broadcasting the holy name and fame of the Supreme Lord, the
polluted atmosphere of the world will change, and as a result of
propagating the transcendental literatures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
people will become sane in their transactions. While preparing this
commentation on this particular stanza of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we have a
crisis before us. Our neighboring friend China has attacked the border
of India with a militaristic spirit. We have practically no business in
the political field, yet we see that previously there were both China
and India, and they both lived peacefully for centuries without ill
feeling. The reason is that they lived those days in an atmosphere of
God consciousness, and every country, over the surface of the world,
was God-fearing, pure-hearted and simple, and there was no question of
political diplomacy. There is no cause of quarrel between the two
countries China and India over land which is not very suitable for
habitation, and certainly there is no cause for fighting on this issue.
But due to the age of quarrel, Kali, which we have discussed, there is
always a chance of quarrel on slight provocation. This is due not to
the issue in question, but to the polluted atmosphere of this age:
systematically there is propaganda by a section of people to stop
glorification of the name and fame of the Supreme Lord. Therefore,
there is a great need for disseminating the message of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all over the world. It is the duty of every
responsible Indian to broadcast the transcendental message of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam throughout the world to do all the supermost good as
well as to bring about the desired peace in the world. Because India
has failed in her duty by neglecting this responsible work, there is so
much quarrel and trouble all over the world. We are confident that if
the transcendental message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is received only by the
leading men of the world, certainly there will be a change of heart,
and naturally the people in general will follow them. The mass of
people in general are tools in the hands of the modern politicians and
leaders of the people. If there is a change of heart of the leaders
only, certainly there will be a radical change in the atmosphere of the
world. We know that our honest attempt to present this great literature
conveying transcendental messages for reviving the God consciousness of
the people in general and respiritualizing the world atmosphere is
fraught with many difficulties. Our presenting this matter in adequate
language, especially a foreign language, will certainly fail, and there
will be so many literary discrepancies despite our honest attempt to
present it in the proper way. But we are sure that with all our faults
in this connection the seriousness of the subject matter will be taken
into consideration, and the leaders of society will still accept this
due to its being an honest attempt to glorify the Almighty God. When
there is fire in a house, the inmates of the house go out to get help
from the neighbors who may be foreigners, and yet without knowing the
language the victims of the fire express themselves, and the neighbors
understand the need, even though not expressed in the same language.
The same spirit of cooperation is needed to broadcast this
transcendental message of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam throughout the polluted
atmosphere of the world. After all, it is a technical science of
spiritual values, and thus we are concerned with the techniques and not
with the language. If the techniques of this great literature are
understood by the people of the world, there will be success.
When
there are too many materialistic activities by the people in general
all over the world, there is no wonder that a person or a nation
attacks another person or nation on slight provocation. That is the
rule of this age of Kali or quarrel. The atmosphere is already polluted
with corruption of all description, and everyone knows it well. There
are so many unwanted literatures full of materialistic ideas of sense
gratification. In many countries there are bodies appointed by the
state to detect and censor obscene literature. This means that neither
the government nor the responsible leaders of the public want such
literature, yet it is in the marketplace because the people want it for
sense gratification. The people in general want to read (that is a
natural instinct), but because their minds are polluted they want such
literatures. Under the circumstances, transcendental literature like
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will not only diminish the activities of the corrupt
mind of the people in general, but also it will supply food for their
hankering after reading some interesting literature. In the beginning
they may not like it because one suffering from jaundice is reluctant
to take sugar candy, but we should know that sugar candy is the only
remedy for jaundice. Similarly, let there be systematic propaganda for
popularizing reading of the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
which will act like sugar candy for the jaundicelike condition of sense
gratification. When men have a taste for this literature, the other
literatures, which are catering poison to society, will then
automatically cease.
We are sure, therefore, that everyone in
human society will welcome Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, even though it is now
presented with so many faults, for it is recommended by Śrī Nārada, who
has very kindly appeared in this chapter.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.11
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api |
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yac
chṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ ||
Having
expressed the negative side, now the positive is expressed. The
production and use of words or stories (tad-vāg-visargaḥ) which destroy
the sins of all people, which are sometimes composed strictly and
sometimes carelessly, but with sparse ornaments in the verses
(prati-śḷokam abaddhavati), contain names and descriptions of the
Lord’s glories. The devotees hear, and having heard, sing, and having
sung, again they hear, since they are not fully satiated.
Or if
a speaker is present, they hear the glories. If a hearer is present
they speak the glories (gṛhanti). And, otherwise, they spontaneously
sing the glories. Śridhara Svāmī explains that abaddhavati can also
mean ungrammatical language.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.11||
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api |
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’nkitāni yac chṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The use of words in which, though not perfectly composed, there are the
names of the Lord and descriptions of his glories which devotes hear,
sing, and again receive, destroys the sins of all people.
Now
the opposite is stated. Having praised the glories of the Lord,
statements of glorification are praised. Use of words by ordinary
people, containing the Lord’s names destroy sin. Though the
descriptions (prati-ślokam) may not perfecting express the meaning,
giving only some understanding, they contain the names of the Lord,
which to a small degree describe the Lord’s glories. They are not
skillful in describing the Lord. Just chanting in nāmābhasa destroys
all sins. Such is the power of the name of the Lord that devotees
performing sādhana, devoid of cheating desires, absorbed in the highest
bliss, cultivate in various ways (such as hearing and singing) the
glories of the Lord, which are filled with elementary use of words.
TEXT - SB 1.5.12
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
SYNONYMS
naiṣkarmyam—self-realization,
being freed from the reactions of fruitive work; api—in spite of;
acyuta—the infallible Lord; bhāva—conception; varjitam—devoid of;
na—does not; śobhate—look well; jñānam—transcendental knowledge;
alam—by and by; nirañjanam—free from designations; kutaḥ—where is;
punaḥ—again; śaśvat—always; abhadram—uncongenial; īśvare—unto the Lord;
na—not; ca—and; arpitam—offered; karma—fruitive work; yat api—what is;
akāraṇam—not fruitive.
TRANSLATION
Knowledge of
self-realization, even though free from all material affinity, does not
look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. What,
then, is the use of fruitive activities, which are naturally painful
from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are not
utilized for the devotional service of the Lord?
PURPORT
As
referred to above, not only ordinary literatures devoid of the
transcendental glorification of the Lord are condemned, but also Vedic
literatures and speculation on the subject of impersonal Brahman when
they are devoid of devotional service. When speculation on the
impersonal Brahman is condemned on the above ground, then what to speak
of ordinary fruitive work, which is not meant to fulfill the aim of
devotional service. Such speculative knowledge and fruitive work cannot
lead one to the goal of perfection. Fruitive work, in which almost all
people in general are engaged, is always painful either in the
beginning or at the end. It can be fruitful only when made subservient
to the devotional service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is
confirmed that the result of such fruitive work may be offered for the
service of the Lord, otherwise it leads to material bondage. The bona
fide enjoyer of the fruitive work is the Personality of Godhead, and
thus when it is engaged for the sense gratification of the living
beings, it becomes an acute source of trouble.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.12
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam |
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam ||
Not
only are the words important. If there is no bhakti, the work is
useless. The realization coming from the words of the Vedas is useless
without bhakti, what to speak of mere scriptural knowledge, and what to
speak of niṣkāma-karma. And so much more, sakāma-karma is useless
without bhakti. Even knowledge devoid of fruitive intentions does not
appear wonderful without bhakti, in which one thinks of the Lord who
has a form of knowledge and bliss (acyuta-bhāva). Even if bhakti is
present in jñāna and one thinks that the Lord and bhakti are mixed with
māyā, then that does not produce liberation. Though devoid of ignorance
(nirañjanam), though one has realized knowledge, what is the use of
that knowledge (alam)? What then to speak of unrealized scriptural
knowledge! One should not say that you can achieve liberation just by
destroying ignorance. By the inconceivable energy of the Lord, the
destroyed ignorance again arises. The Pariśiṣtā-vacanam of the
Vāsanā-bhāṣya says:
jīvan-muktā api punar bandhanaṁ yānti karmabhiḥ |
yady acintya-mahā-śaktau bhagavaty aparādhinaḥ |
Even
the liberated persons again get bound by karma if they commit offense
against the Lord, possessor of great, inconceivable powers.
There it also says:
jīvan-muktā prapadyante kvacit saṁsāra-vāsanām |
yogino na vilipyante karmabhir bhagavat-parāḥ ||
Liberated souls sometimes are subjected to birth and death, but the yogīs who surrender to the Lord are not touched by karma.
Thus
the effect of jñāna is destruction of karma. jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi
bhasmasāt kurute ’rjuna: O Arjuna, by the fire of knowledge all karmas
are burned to ashes. (BG 4.33) But that is not so wonderful because it
is also said concerning rathayātrā in Viṣṇu-bhakti-candrodaya of
another Purāṇa:
nānuvrajati yo mohād vrajantaṁ jagad-īśvaram |
jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāpi sa bhaved brahma-rākṣasaḥ ||
He
who does not follow the Lord in his chariot when he moves becomes a
brahma-rakṣasa even though he has destroyed all karmas with the fire of
knowledge.
It will also be said later āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ
padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho ’nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: after reaching the
height of liberation with great difficulty, again they fall down
because they do not worship the lotus feet of the Lord. (SB 10.2.32)
Since
jñāna is devoid of real bhakti to the Lord, the offense caused by
thinking that the Lord is material is unavoidable. If such jñāna devoid
of bhakti is useless, what then to speak of karma which is filled with
desires for enjoyment and which causes suffering (abhadram) at all
times (śaśvat)--during practice and at the time of receiving the
result. And even if the karma is without the goal of enjoyment
(akāraṇam), because it is not offered to the Lord it is not successful.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.12||
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitam na śobhate jnānam alam niranjanam |
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitam karma yad apy akāraṇam ||
TRANSLATION
Even the stage of jnāna without the bondage of karma is not glorious if
it is devoid of bhakti to the Supreme Lord. What is the use of having
destroyed ignorance? What then to speak of sakāma-karma which causes
suffering, both during practice and at the stage perfection, and
niṣkāma-karma, when not offered to the Lord?
Since
brahma-jnāna is inferior to bhakti characterized by describing the
Lord’s glories, sakāma and niṣkāma karma are definitely less. That is
expressed in this verse.
TEXT - SB 1.5.13
atho mahā-bhāga bhavān amogha-dṛk
śuci-śravāḥ satya-rato dhṛta-vrataḥ
urukramasyākhila-bandha-muktaye
samādhinānusmara tad-viceṣṭitam
SYNONYMS
atho—therefore;
mahā-bhāga—highly fortunate; bhavān—yourself; amogha-dṛk—the perfect
seer; śuci—spotless; śravāḥ—famous; satya-rataḥ—having taken the vow of
truthfulness; dhṛta-vrataḥ—fixed in spiritual qualities; urukramasya—of
the one who performs supernatural activities (God); akhila—universal;
bandha—bondage; muktaye—for liberation from; samādhinā—by trance;
anusmara—think repeatedly and then describe them;
tat-viceṣṭitam—various pastimes of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
O
Vyāsadeva, your vision is completely perfect. Your good fame is
spotless. You are firm in vow and situated in truthfulness. And thus
you can think of the pastimes of the Lord in trance for the liberation
of the people in general from all material bondage.
PURPORT
People
in general have a taste for literatures by instinct. They want to hear
and read from the authorities something about the unknown, but their
taste is exploited by unfortunate literatures which are full of subject
matter for satisfaction of the material senses. Such literatures
contain different kinds of mundane poems and philosophical
speculations, more or less under the influence of māyā, ending in sense
gratification. These literatures, although worthless in the true sense
of the term, are variously decorated to attract the attention of the
less intelligent men. Thus the attracted living entities are more and
more entangled in material bondage without hope of liberation for
thousands and thousands of generations. Śrī Nārada Ṛṣi, being the best
amongst the Vaiṣṇavas, is compassionate toward such unfortunate victims
of worthless literatures, and thus he advises Śrī Vyāsadeva to compose
transcendental literature which is not only attractive but can also
actually bring liberation from all kinds of bondage. Śrīla Vyāsadeva or
his representatives are qualified because they are rightly trained to
see things in true perspective. Śrīla Vyāsadeva and his representatives
are pure in thought due to their spiritual enlightenment, fixed in
their vows due to their devotional service, and determined to deliver
the fallen souls rotting in material activities. The fallen souls are
very eager to receive novel informations every day, and the
transcendentalists like Vyāsadeva or Nārada can supply such eager
people in general with unlimited news from the spiritual world. In the
Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the material world is only a part of the
whole creation and that this earth is only a fragment of the whole
material world.
There are thousands and thousands of literary
men all over the world, and they have created many, many thousands of
literary works for the information of the people in general for
thousands and thousands of years. Unfortunately none of them have
brought peace and tranquillity on the earth. This is due to a spiritual
vacuum in those literatures; therefore the Vedic literatures,
especially the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are
specifically recommended to suffering humanity to bring about the
desired effect of liberation from the pangs of material civilization,
which is eating the vital part of human energy. The Bhagavad-gītā is
the spoken message of the Lord Himself recorded by Vyāsadeva, and the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the transcendental narration of the activities of
the same Lord Kṛṣṇa, which alone can satisfy the hankering desires of
the living being for eternal peace and liberation from miseries.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, therefore, is meant for all the living beings all
over the universe for total liberation from all kinds of material
bondage. Such transcendental narrations of the pastimes of the Lord can
be described only by liberated souls like Vyāsadeva and his bona fide
representatives who are completely merged in the transcendental loving
service of the Lord. Only to such devotees do the pastimes of the Lord
and their transcendental nature become automatically manifest by dint
of devotional service. No one else can either know or describe the acts
of the Lord, even if they speculate on the subject for many, many
years. The descriptions of the Bhāgavatam are so precise and accurate
that whatever has been predicted in this great literature about five
thousand years ago is now exactly happening. Therefore, the vision of
the author comprehends past, present and future. Such liberated persons
as Vyāsadeva are perfect not only by the power of vision and wisdom,
but also in aural reception, in thinking, feeling and all other sense
activities. A liberated person possesses perfect senses, and with
perfect senses only can one serve the sense proprietor, Hṛṣīkeśa, Śrī
Kṛṣṇa the Personality of Godhead. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, therefore, is the
perfect description of the all-perfect Personality of Godhead by the
all-perfect personality Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the compiler of the Vedas.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.13
atho mahā-bhāga bhavān amogha-dṛk
śuci-śravāḥ satya-rato dhṛta-vrataḥ |
urukramasyākhila-bandha-muktaye
samādhinānusmara tad-viceṣṭitam ||
Love
for Acyuta is most cherished by you since it is topmost. That is
attained by chanting and hearing his name, pastimes, etc. The names of
Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are famous. How are his pastimes attractive to you?
Please teach the world about those pastimes. Your knowledge is useful
(amogha-dṛk). Your character is pure (śuci-sravāḥ). You are devoted to
truth (satya-rataḥ) and determined in your vows (dhṛta-vrataḥ).
Remember with fixed attention (samādhinā) the various pastimes of the
Lord which give liberation for all people or give liberation from all
bondage. The word “remember” is used because the pastimes appear
spontaneously in the pure mind filled with devotion, since they are all
self-revealing, infinite, most confidential, and impossible to speak or
receive by any other means. After recollecting the pastimes, please
recite them to us. One must also have productive knowledge and pure
character. It cannot be otherwise. Because you are a person with pure
eyes (amogha-dṛk) and with pure ears (śuci-sravāḥ), you have seen some
pastimes with your eyes and heard some with your ears. And by attached
mind (satya-rataḥ) and determined intelligence (dhṛta-vrataḥ), you
should remember with concentrated attention at this moment some very
confidential pastimes which cannot be seen or heard but which you have
observed. After remembering them, please tell them to us. Anusmara is
in the second person instead of saying “one should remember” because of
the distinctiveness of the statement.
TEXT - SB 1.5.14
tato 'nyathā kiñcana yad vivakṣataḥ
pṛthag dṛśas tat-kṛta-rūpa-nāmabhiḥ
na karhicit kvāpi ca duḥsthitā matir
labheta vātāhata-naur ivāspadam
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—from
that; anyathā—apart; kiñcana—something; yat—whatsoever;
vivakṣataḥ—desiring to describe; pṛthak—separately; dṛśaḥ—vision;
tat-kṛta—reactionary to that; rūpa—form; nāmabhiḥ—by names; na
karhicit—never; kvāpi—any; ca—and; duḥsthitā matiḥ—oscillating mind;
labheta—gains; vāta-āhata—troubled by the wind; nauḥ—boat; iva—like;
āspadam—place.
TRANSLATION
Whatever you desire to
describe that is separate in vision from the Lord simply reacts, with
different forms, names and results, to agitate the mind as the wind
agitates a boat which has no resting place.
PURPORT
Śrī
Vyāsadeva is the editor of all descriptions of the Vedic literatures,
and thus he has described transcendental realization in different ways,
namely by fruitive activities, speculative knowledge, mystic power and
devotional service. Besides that, in his various Purāṇas he has
recommended the worship of so many demigods in different forms and
names. The result is that people in general are puzzled how to fix
their minds in the service of the Lord; they are always disturbed about
finding the real path of self-realization. Śrīla Nāradadeva is
stressing this particular defect in the Vedic literatures compiled by
Vyāsadeva, and thus he is trying to emphasize describing everything in
relation with the Supreme Lord, and no one else. In fact, there is
nothing existent except the Lord. The Lord is manifested in different
expansions. He is the root of the complete tree. He is the stomach of
the complete body. Pouring water on the root is the right process to
water the tree, as much as feeding the stomach supplies energy to all
parts of the body. Therefore, Śrīla Vyāsadeva should not have compiled
any Purāṇas other than the Bhāgavata Purāṇa because a slight deviation
from that may create havoc for self-realization. If a slight deviation
can create such havoc, then what to speak of deliberate expansion of
the ideas separate from the Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead. The
most defective part of worshiping demigods is that it creates a
definite conception of pantheism, ending disastrously in many religious
sects detrimental to the progress of the principles of the Bhāgavatam,
which alone can give the accurate direction for self-realization in
eternal relation with the Personality of Godhead by devotional service
in transcendental love. The example of the boat disturbed by whirling
wind is suitable in this respect. The diverted mind of the pantheist
can never reach the perfection of self-realization, due to the
disturbed condition of the selection of object.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.14
tato ’nyathā kiñcana yad vivakṣataḥ
pṛthag dṛśas tat-kṛta-rūpa-nāmabhiḥ |
na karhicit kvāpi ca duḥsthitā matir
labheta vātāhata-naur ivāspadam ||
The
positive statement having been made, the negative version is now
expressed. Some people desire to speak about topics other than the
pastimes of the Lord. Having desired, they speak, and having spoken
someone hears from them. And this causes a different type of vision.
For persons having a vision of objects other than the lord’s pastimes
resulting from desire to speak about other things, the intelligence,
disturbed by words (nāmabhiḥ) describing other objects (rūpa) produced
by the different vision, at no time and at no place can attain its
destination. It is like a boat beaten by the wind. Being turned about
by the wind and going in various directions, struck by the wind, it
sinks. Similarly the intelligence is destroyed because of skilful
words, poetry, karma and jñāna.
TEXT - SB 1.5.15
jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte 'nuśāsataḥ
svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ
yad-vākyato dharma itītaraḥ sthito
na manyate tasya nivāraṇaṁ janaḥ
SYNONYMS
jugupsitam—verily
condemned; dharma-kṛte—for the matter of religion;
anuśāsataḥ—instruction; svabhāva-raktasya—naturally inclined;
mahān—great; vyatikramaḥ—unreasonable; yat-vākyataḥ—under whose
instruction; dharmaḥ—religion; iti—it is thus; itaraḥ—the people in
general; sthitaḥ—fixed; na—do not; manyate—think; tasya—of that;
nivāraṇam—prohibition; janaḥ—they.
TRANSLATION
The people
in general are naturally inclined to enjoy, and you have encouraged
them in that way in the name of religion. This is verily condemned and
is quite unreasonable. Because they are guided under your instructions,
they will accept such activities in the name of religion and will
hardly care for prohibitions.
PURPORT
Śrīla Vyāsadeva's
compilation of different Vedic literatures on the basis of regulated
performances of fruitive activities as depicted in the Mahābhārata and
other literature is condemned herewith by Śrīla Nārada. The human
beings, by long material association, life after life, have a natural
inclination, by practice, to endeavor to lord it over material energy.
They have no sense of the responsibility of human life. This human form
of life is a chance to get out of the clutches of illusory matter. The
Vedas are meant for going back to Godhead, going back home. To revolve
in the cycle of transmigration in a series of lives numbering 8,400,000
is an imprisoned life for the condemned conditioned souls. The human
form of life is a chance to get out of this imprisoned life, and as
such the only occupation of the human being is to reestablish his lost
relationship with God. Under the circumstances, one should never be
encouraged in making a plan for sense enjoyment in the name of
religious functions. Such diversion of the human energy results in a
misguided civilization. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is the authority in Vedic
explanations in the Mahābhārata, etc., and his encouragement in sense
enjoyment in some form or other is a great barrier for spiritual
advancement because the people in general will not agree to renounce
material activities which hold them in material bondage. At a certain
stage of human civilization when such material activities in the name
of religion (as sacrificing animals in the name of yajña) were too much
rampant, the Lord incarnated Himself as Buddha and decried the
authority of the Vedas in order to stop animal sacrifice in the name of
religion. This was foreseen by Nārada, and therefore he condemned such
literatures. The flesh-eaters still continue to perform animal
sacrifice before some demigod or goddess in the name of religion
because in some of the Vedic literatures such regulated sacrifices are
recommended. They are so recommended to discourage flesh-eating, but
gradually the purpose of such religious activities is forgotten, and
the slaughterhouse becomes prominent. This is because foolish
materialistic men do not care to listen to others who are actually in a
position to explain the Vedic rites.
In the Vedas it is
distinctly said that the perfection of life is never to be attained
either by voluminous work, or by accumulation of wealth or even by
increasing the population. But it is so attained only by renunciation.
The materialistic men do not care to listen to such injunctions.
According to them, the so-called renounced order of life is meant for
those who are unable to earn their livelihood because of some corporeal
defects, or for persons who have failed to achieve prosperity in family
life.
In histories like the Mahābhārata, of course, there are
topics on transcendental subjects along with material topics. The
Bhagavad-gītā is there in the Mahābhārata. The whole idea of the
Mahābhārata culminates in the ultimate instructions of the
Bhagavad-gītā, that one should relinquish all other engagements and
should engage oneself solely and fully in surrendering unto the lotus
feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. But men with materialistic tendencies are more
attracted to the politics, economics and philanthropic activities
mentioned in the Mahābhārata than to the principal topic, namely the
Bhagavad-gītā. This compromising spirit of Vyāsadeva is directly
condemned by Nārada, who advises him to directly proclaim that the
prime necessity of human life is to realize one's eternal relation with
the Lord and thus surrender unto Him without delay.
A patient
suffering from a particular type of malady is almost always inclined to
accept eatables which are forbidden for him. The expert physician does
not make any compromise with the patient by allowing him to take
partially what he should not at all take. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is
also said that a man attached to fruitive work should not be
discouraged from his occupation, for gradually he may be elevated to
the position of self-realization. This is sometimes applicable for
those who are only dry empiric philosophers without spiritual
realization. But those who are in the devotional line need not be
always so advised.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.15
jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte ’nuśāsataḥ
svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ |
yad-vākyato dharma itītaraḥ sthito
na manyate tasya nivāraṇaṁ janaḥ ||
“I
wrote the Mahābhārata and other works so that people could hear the
glories of the Lord, but I have first presented material happiness in
these works in order to promote scriptures to materialistic persons who
do not want bhakti. But that is not my real intention. The proof is
Vidura’s words:
munir vivakṣur bhagavad-guṇānāṁ sakhāpi te bhāratam āha kṛṣṇaḥ |
yasminn nṛṇāṁ grāmya-sukhānuvādair matir gṛhītān hareḥ kathāyām ||
O
sage! Your friend Vedavyāsa desiring to describe the qualities of the
Lord, wrote Mahābhārata. In that work he attracted men's attention to
topics of the Lord through topics about material happiness. SB 3.5.12
That
is true. As Vidura said, in order to make people accept worship of the
Lord (dharma-kṛte) you have taught what is condemned, karma
(jugupsitam). A great disturbance has come about for materialistic
people who are attached to enjoy from impressions arising for sense
objects (svabhāva-raktasya) because you have taught material dharma.
But though your intention was to help them, you have actually injured
them. How? Because materially minded men (prākṛtaḥ) ascertaining what
you explained to be the correct path (dharma iti)—thinking that it is
not a fault to offer meat to the devatās and pitṛs, do not consider
giving up that path, and do not consider what is actually to be done:
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam vraja. They think that this
statement is not part of the path you have outlined for enjoyment.
Bhaṭṭa has said the following in relation to a different topic:
tatraivaṁ śakyate vaktuṁ ye’nye paṅgv-ādayo narāḥ |
gṛhasthatvaṁ na śakyante kartuṁ teṣām ayaṁ vidhiḥ ||
naiṣṭhika-brahmacaryaṁ vā parivrājakatāthavā |
tair avaśyaṁ gṛhītavyā tenādāv etad ucyate ||
It
should be said that this instruction is for those who cannot follow
household life such as disabled persons. Such persons only must take
vows of permanent brahmacarya or sannyāsa. Thus this is explained in
the beginning.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.15||
jugupsitam dharma-kṛte ’nuśāsataḥ svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ |
yad-vākyato dharma itītaraḥ sthito na manyate tasya nivāraṇam janaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
You have created a great disturbance by teaching a condemned subject to
people attached to material enjoyment in order to make them accept
dharma. Thinking that what you have taught is real dharma, they do not
consider giving it up.
Describing in detail kāmya-karma, which
is criticized by Bhārata and others and which make glories of the Lord
secondary, produces complete attachment to those karmas in the people.
That is expressed in this verse. You have taught (śāsataḥ) kāmya-karma,
which is always (anu) condemned (jugupsitam), in order to lead the
people to bhakti, to produce niṣkāma-dharma leading to bhakti
(dharma-kṛte), to people full of material desires by their nature, from
beginningless impressions of senses objects (svabhāva-raktasya).
In
spreading this teaching, this will produce great injustice (mahān
vyatikramaḥ) to the Vedas by ignoring the real meaning of the Vedas.
But the fault is not with some person who constantly speaks badly after
hearing a little, with great attachment to enjoyment, but with you. How
could you speak such words?
“Does one not see such absorption in
kāmya-karma even in the Vedas?” That is explained in the second part of
the verse. From such explanations, people become fixed in the idea that
dharma is different from the Vedas which are difficult to understand,
what to speak of the Purāṇas and Itihāsas numbering in the millions in
Brahma-loka, which were compiled by Vyāsa by his will. They do not
think of giving those ideas up as false explanations, even though such
explanations are meagre in comparison to many explanations to the
contrary.
Since one sees even your disciples like Jaiminī
making other ascertainments, giving up dharma either pravṛtti or
nivṛtti dharma, you should describe only the glories of the Lord, which
attains what is desirable--destroying all misfortunes.
nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-’bhirāmāt ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt
Except
for a killer, what person would ever cease hearing glorification of the
qualities of the famous Lord, sung profusely by liberated souls, by
persons desiring relief from material suffering, and by persons
desiring pleasure for the ear and mind? (SB 10.1.4)
na buddhi-bhedam janayed ajnānām karma-sanginām |
joṣayet sarva-karmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran ||
The
wise man should not disturb the intelligence of the ignorant attached
to results of their work. Engaging in all work with detachment, the
wise man should engage them in activity. (BG 3.26)
This is a statement concerning teaching of jnāna, not the glories of bhakti.
Ajita says:
svayam niḥśreyasam vidvān na vakty ajnāya karma hi |
na rāti rogiṇo’pathyam vānchato ‘pi bhiṣaktamaḥ ||
One
who knows the highest good will never instruct a foolish person to
engage in material enjoyment, just as an experienced physician does not
give his patient food injurious to his health, even if the patient
desires it. (SB 6.9.50)
All people should be taught the highest faith.
TEXT - SB 1.5.16
vicakṣaṇo 'syārhati vedituṁ vibhor
ananta-pārasya nivṛttitaḥ sukham
pravartamānasya guṇair anātmanas
tato bhavān darśaya ceṣṭitaṁ vibhoḥ
SYNONYMS
vicakṣaṇaḥ—very
expert; asya—of him; arhati—deserves; veditum—to understand; vibhoḥ—of
the Lord; ananta-pārasya—of the unlimited; nivṛttitaḥ—retired from;
sukham—material happiness; pravartamānasya—those who are attached to;
guṇaiḥ—by the material qualities; anātmanaḥ—devoid of knowledge in
spiritual value; tataḥ—therefore; bhavān—Your Goodness; darśaya—show
the ways; ceṣṭitam—activities; vibhoḥ—of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
The
Supreme Lord is unlimited. Only a very expert personality, retired from
the activities of material happiness, deserves to understand this
knowledge of spiritual values. Therefore those who are not so well
situated, due to material attachment, should be shown the ways of
transcendental realization, by Your Goodness, through descriptions of
the transcendental activities of the Supreme Lord.
PURPORT
Theological
science is a difficult subject, especially when it deals with the
transcendental nature of God. It is not a subject matter to be
understood by persons who are too much attached to material activities.
Only the very expert, who have almost retired from materialistic
activities by culture of spiritual knowledge, can be admitted to the
study of this great science. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated
that out of many hundreds and thousands of men only one person deserves
to enter into transcendental realization. And out of many thousands of
such transcendentally realized persons, only a few can understand the
theological science specifically dealing with God as a person. Śrī
Vyāsadeva is therefore advised by Nārada to describe the science of God
directly by relating His transcendental activities. Vyāsadeva is
himself a personality expert in this science, and he is unattached to
material enjoyment. Therefore he is the right person to describe it,
and Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, is the right person to
receive it.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the topmost theological
science, and therefore it can react on the laymen as medicinal doses.
Because it contains the transcendental activities of the Lord, there is
no difference between the Lord and the literature. The literature is
the factual literary incarnation of the Lord. So the laymen can hear
the narration of the activities of the Lord. Thereby they are able to
associate with the Lord and thus gradually become purified from
material diseases. The expert devotees also can discover novel ways and
means to convert the nondevotees in terms of particular time and
circumstance. Devotional service is dynamic activity, and the expert
devotees can find out competent means to inject it into the dull brains
of the materialistic population. Such transcendental activities of the
devotees for the service of the Lord can bring a new order of life to
the foolish society of materialistic men. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
and His subsequent followers exhibited expert dexterity in this
connection. By following the same method, one can bring the
materialistic men of this age of quarrel into order for peaceful life
and transcendental realization.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.16
vicakṣaṇo ’syārhati vedituṁ vibhor
ananta-pārasya nivṛttitaḥ sukham |
pravartamānasya guṇair anātmanas
tato bhavān darśaya ceṣṭitaṁ vibhoḥ ||
Please condemn other paths and describe the glories of the Lord only!
It
was said in the previous verse that the people devoid of proper
discrimination (itaraḥ janaḥ) were certain that you recommended the
material path. Now, those people who have discernment (vicakṣaṇaḥ) can
understand the happiness of the Lord, giving up material pleasure
(nivṛttitaḥ), since the Lord is beyond time (ananta-pārasya) and
measurement whereas material pleasure is very limited. Understanding
that the happiness of the Lord is unlimited, he will perform bhakti for
attaining that happiness. By seeing the preference of the discerning
person for bhakti the undiscerning person will also take up the
process. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ: whatever
actions the superior person performs others will follow. (BG 3.21) For
this reason (tataḥ) describe those pastimes of the Lord. Show the
pastimes of the Lord in order to liberate those who are devoid of
discrimination (anātmanaḥ), pushed by the guṇas of material nature. O
Lord! This address to the Lord implies: “This is possible because that
even such a person, giving up all else and performing pure bhakti will
attain your bliss.”
Or the verse has another meaning. “But if
the people do not think of giving up their path, even now if I follow
your instruction and preach bhakti with rejection of all else, they
will reject this scripture.” No, it is not so. In this world not all
people are undiscerning. Discerning people do exist (vicakṣaṇaḥ) and
they can understand the happiness of the Lord who is devoid of an end
by time (ananta-pārasya) -- who is even now existing (pra +
vartamānasya). Things which are temporary can be measured. He has a
body without material guṇas (guṇaiḥ anātmanaḥ), a body of eternity,
knowledge and bliss — which is not possible to measure.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.16||
vicakṣaṇo ’syārhati veditum vibhor ananta-pārasya nivṛttitaḥ sukham |
pravartamānasya guṇair anātmanas tato bhavān darśaya ceṣṭitam vibhoḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The wise person, giving up material happiness, can realize the
happiness of the Lord who is beyond measure and then take to bhakti,
setting an example for others. Describe the pastimes of the Lord for
those materialists who are pushed by the guṇas of matter.
He
teaches clearly the glories of the Lord previously mentioned. You are
intelligent (vicakṣaṇaḥ). O powerful one (vibho). Because you are
intelligent you should know about happiness related to the Lord
(vibhoḥ)—bhakti. Because of this (tataḥ), you should speak about the
pastimes of the Lord to persons devoid of spiritual intelligence
(anātmanaḥ) pursuing material happiness, influenced by the sense
objects (guṇaiḥ)
nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-’bhirāmāt ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt
Except
for a killer, what person would ever cease hearing glorification of the
qualities of the famous Lord, sung profusely by liberated souls, by
persons desiring relief from material suffering, and by persons
desiring pleasure for the ear and mind? (SB 10.1.4)
By
attaining that spiritual happiness easily they can give up material
happiness. Another version has bhavan in the vocative. O respected
person! The person who is intelligent should know the happiness of
bhakti, after performing worship and giving up material enjoyment.
Śukadeva’s main qualification is stated as follows:
sa samhitām bhāgavatīm kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam |
śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-niratam muniḥ ||
Having
already made the Bhāgavatam, the sage Vyāsa revised it and taught it to
his son Śukadeva who had realized Brahman. (SB 1.7.8)
hitvā sva-śiṣyān pailādīn bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ mahyam putrāya śāntāya param guhyam idam jagau
The
incarnation of Godhead Vedavyāsa, ignoring his disciples headed by
Paila, instructed Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to me because I was free from all
material desires. (SB 9.22.23)
However according to
nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ one should benefit even persons engaged in material
activities by showing the activities of the Lord.
TEXT - SB 1.5.17
tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
SYNONYMS
tyaktvā—having
forsaken; sva-dharmam—one's own occupational engagement;
caraṇa-ambujam—the lotus feet; hareḥ—of Hari (the Lord); bhajan—in the
course of devotional service; apakvaḥ—immature; atha—for the matter of;
patet—falls down; tataḥ—from that place; yadi—if; yatra—whereupon;
kva—what sort of; vā—or (used sarcastically); abhadram—unfavorable;
abhūt—shall happen; amuṣya—of him; kim—nothing; kaḥ vā arthaḥ—what
interest; āptaḥ—obtained; abhajatām—of the nondevotee;
sva-dharmataḥ—being engaged in occupational service.
TRANSLATION
One
who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional
service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage,
yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a
nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain
anything.
PURPORT
As far as the duties of mankind are
concerned, there are innumerable duties. Every man is duty-bound not
only to his parents, family members, society, country, humanity, other
living beings, the demigods, etc., but also to the great philosophers,
poets, scientists, etc. It is enjoined in the scriptures that one can
relinquish all such duties and surrender unto the service of the Lord.
So if one does so and becomes successful in the discharge of his
devotional service unto the Lord, it is well and good. But it so
happens sometimes that one surrenders himself unto the service of the
Lord by some temporary sentiment, and in the long run, due to so many
other reasons, he falls down from the path of service by undesirable
association. There are so many instances of this in the histories.
Bharata Mahārāja was obliged to take his birth as a stag due to his
intimate attachment to a stag. He thought of this stag when he died. As
such, in the next birth he became a stag, although he did not forget
the incident of his previous birth. Similarly, Citraketu also fell down
due to his offenses at the feet of Śiva. But in spite of all this, the
stress is given here to surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Lord,
even if there is a chance of falling down, because even though one
falls down from the prescribed duties of devotional service, he will
never forget the lotus feet of the Lord. Once engaged in the devotional
service of the Lord, one will continue the service in all
circumstances. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that even a small
quantity of devotional service can save one from the most dangerous
position. There are many instances of such examples in history. Ajāmila
is one of them. Ajāmila in his early life was a devotee, but in his
youth he fell down. Still he was saved by the Lord at the end.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.17
tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi |
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto ’bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ ||
“But Bhagavad-gītā says:
na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed ajñānāṁ karma-saṅginām |
yojayet sarva-karmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran ||
The
wise man should not disturb the intelligence of the ignorant attached
to results of work. Engaging in all work himself with detachment, he
should engage them in activity. BG 3.26
Thus it is forbidden to give up karma.”
That
is true. This instruction is given to one who is teaching jñāna to
another person. Practicing jñāna depends on inner purification, and
that purification depends on niṣkāma-karma. This is not an instruction
for one teaching another person about bhakti, for bhakti is
independently powerful, not depending on prior inner purification. Lord
Ajita says:
svayaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ vidvān na vakty ajñāya karma hi |
na rāti rogiṇo ’pathyaṁ vāñchato ’pi bhiṣaktamaḥ ||
One
who knows the highest good will never instruct a foolish person to
engage in material enjoyment, just as an experienced physician gives
his patient eat food injurious to his health, even if the patient
desires it. SB 6.9.50
Therefore the Lord says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66) and as well:
dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān māṁ bhajeta sa tu sattamaḥ
Having
taken complete shelter at My lotus feet, however, a saintly person
ultimately renounces such ordinary religious duties and worships Me
alone. He is thus considered to be the best among all living entities.
SB 11.11.32
From the strength of these statements one should
teach only bhakti to the Lord, while giving up attachment to daily and
periodic duties in varṇāśrama. With this intention the verse is spoken.
Even
in the beginning stage of bhakti, practice of karma is forbidden.
Having given up ones dharma (tyaktvā svadharmān) even at the beginning
stages of bhakti, a person who worships the lotus feet of the Lord will
incur no sin by giving up that dharma. This is understood also from the
following:
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam
Anyone
who has taken shelter at the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of
liberation, giving up all kinds of obligation, and has taken to the
path in all seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the
demigods, sages, general living entities, family members, humankind or
forefathers. SB 11.5.41
And if the person dies without being
qualified to attain the Lord, or (vā), if while alive falls down
because of sinful acts, being attached to material pleasures, even
then, there is no misfortune incurred by having given up karmas,
because the impressions created by bhakti are indestructible, and
remain in subtle form. In such a state one should not revert to
performance of karma. Is there any misfortune somewhere (yatra kva), in
his next life? No there is no misfortune at all. Vā indicates a remote
possibility of falling. It is stated as a concession to the opponent
(tuṣyatu durjana nyāya). His falling after leaving the present body is
actually not a fall—one does not take a low body because of omitting
karmas. This is shown by the following statement of the Lord:
na hy aṅgopakrame dhvaṁso mad-dharmasyoddhavāṇv api
mayā vyavasitaḥ samyaṅ nirguṇatvād anāśiṣaḥ
O
Uddhava! Because I have personally established it, this process of
niṣkāma-bhakti is beyond the guṇas. Even by starting and not completing
the process, there is no destruction of results. SB 11.29.20
This
is because certainly the sprout of bhakti, being productive, will
eventually bear leaves, flowers and fruit. Instead of the present or
future verb, the past tense is used (abhūt). This implies a criticism
of all those who object (by showing that the fact is already proven).
And what is gained from performing all of one’s karmas (sva-dharmataḥ)
by persons who do not worship the Lord (abhajatām).
Jiva's tika ||1.5.17||
tyaktvā sva-dharmam caraṇāmbujam harer bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi |
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kim ko vārtha āpto ’bhajatām sva-dharmataḥ ||
TRANSLATION
If a person having given up his duties in varṇāśrama, begins the
worship of the Lord’s lotus feet, and happens to deviate or not reach
perfection, there is no misfortune for him at all in the future. But
what does the person who follows all duties of varṇāśrama but does not
worship the Lord gain?
This verse shows that even giving up
sva-dharma is not a fault. A person who gives up his dharma and
worships the Lord does not incur sin (abhadram).
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇām pitriiṇām na kinkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇam śaraṇyam gato mukundam parihṛtya kartam
O
King! One who has given up all varṇāśrama duties and has taken full
shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who offers shelter to all, is not
a debtor to or servant of the devatās, great sages, ordinary living
beings, relatives or Pitṛs. (SB 11.5.41)
If he is not
qualified to attain the Lord by short lifespan or attains the Lord in
another body because of offense (Citraketu) or acts as a fool
(Bhārata), and even when he does not have bhakti, his rejection of
sva-dharma is not a fault, since
bhakti’s impressions
remain uninterrupted. In any circumstance, there is no fault or sin.
What is the gain for non-devotees? At all times it is impermanent.
TEXT - SB 1.5.18
tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ
tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā
SYNONYMS
tasya—for
that purpose; eva—only; hetoḥ—reason; prayateta—should endeavor;
kovidaḥ—one who is philosophically inclined; na labhyate—is not
obtained; yat—what; bhramatām—wandering; upari adhaḥ—from top to
bottom; tat—that; labhyate—can be obtained; duḥkhavat—like the
miseries; anyataḥ—as a result of previous work; sukham—sense enjoyment;
kālena—in course of time; sarvatra—everywhere; gabhīra—subtle;
raṁhasā—progress.
TRANSLATION
Persons who are actually
intelligent and philosophically inclined should endeavor only for that
purposeful end which is not obtainable even by wandering from the
topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest planet [Pātāla]. As far
as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned, it can be
obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time we
obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.
PURPORT
Every
man everywhere is trying to obtain the greatest amount of sense
enjoyment by various endeavors. Some men are busy engaged in trade,
industry, economic development, political supremacy, etc., and some of
them are engaged in fruitive work to become happy in the next life by
attaining higher planets. It is said that on the moon the inhabitants
are fit for greater sense enjoyment by drinking soma-rasa, and the
Pitṛloka is obtained by good charitable work. So there are various
programs for sense enjoyment, either during this life or in the life
after death. Some are trying to reach the moon or other planets by some
mechanical arrangement, for they are very anxious to get into such
planets without doing good work. But it is not to happen. By the law of
the Supreme, different places are meant for different grades of living
beings according to the work they have performed. By good work only, as
prescribed in the scriptures, can one obtain birth in a good family,
opulence, good education and good bodily features. We see also that
even in this life one obtains a good education or money by good work.
Similarly, in our next birth we get such desirable positions only by
good work. Otherwise, it would not so happen that two persons born in
the same place at the same time are seen differently placed according
to previous work. But all such material positions are impermanent. The
positions in the topmost Brahmaloka and in the lowest Pātāla are also
changeable according to our own work. The philosophically inclined
person must not be tempted by such changeable positions. He should try
to get into the permanent life of bliss and knowledge where he will not
be forced to come back again to the miserable material world, either in
this or that planet. Miseries and mixed happiness are two features of
material life, and they are obtained in Brahmaloka and in other lokas
also. They are obtained in the life of the demigods and also in the
life of the dogs and hogs. The miseries and mixed happiness of all
living beings are only of different degree and quality, but no one is
free from the miseries of birth, death, old age and disease. Similarly,
everyone has his destined happiness also. No one can get more or less
of these things simply by personal endeavors. Even if they are
obtained, they can be lost again. One should not, therefore, waste time
with these flimsy things; one should only endeavor to go back to
Godhead. That should be the mission of everyone's life.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.18
tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ |
tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā ||
“But
the śrutis say karmaṇā pitṛ-loka: by karma one goes to Pitṛ-loka (Bṛhad
Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.5); and apām somam amṛtā abhūma: we drank soma and
became immortal. (Ṛg Veda 8.48.3) These encourage people to seek
happiness of Svarga in the next life. The mercantile people encourage
others to seek happiness in this life. How can one promote bhakti for
people by rejecting one’s dharma and consequently the happiness in this
and next life?
True, but the wise are not deluded by this at
all. That is expressed in this verse. A person with discrimination
(kovidaḥ) should endeavor for that cause which is not attained by the
jīvas wandering up to Brahma-loka or down to non-moving bodies. But
there material happiness is attained without endeavor (anyataḥ), due to
ancient karmas, even being born as pigs or being born in hell, just as
distress is also attained without endeavor (duḥkhavat). It is said:
aprārthitāni duḥkhāni yathaivāyānti dehinām |
sukhāny api tathā manye dainyam atrātiricyate ||
Just
as one does not pray for misery, and it nevertheless comes to all
creatures, in the same way happiness predominates over suffering.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.18||
tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ |
tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham kālena sarvatra gabhīra-ramhasā ||
TRANSLATION
The wise man strives for that happiness which is not attained by jīvas
wandering from Brahma-loka to the lowest species. Material happiness is
attained in all cases without endeavor, by the law of karma, just like
distress, through the force of fast moving time.
The wise
person strives for that which is valuable. What is attained by karma is
only a dull imitation of what is really valuable. Whatever is attained
is temporary. Therefore one should not strive for it by karmas. That
happiness or distress is attained through enjoyment of previous karmas
(kālena).
TEXT - SB 1.5.19
na vai jano jātu kathañcanāvrajen
mukunda-sevy anyavad aṅga saṁsṛtim
smaran mukundāṅghry-upagūhanaṁ punar
vihātum icchen na rasa-graho janaḥ
SYNONYMS
na—never;
vai—certainly; janaḥ—a person; jātu—at any time; kathañcana—somehow or
other; āvrajet—does not undergo; mukunda-sevī—the devotee of the Lord;
anyavat—like others; aṅga—O my dear; saṁsṛtim—material existence;
smaran—remembering; mukunda-aṅghri—the lotus feet of the Lord;
upagūhanam—embracing; punaḥ—again; vihātum—willing to give up;
icchet—desire; na—never; rasa-grahaḥ—one who has relished the mellow;
janaḥ—person.
TRANSLATION
My dear Vyāsa, even though a
devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa sometimes falls down somehow or other, he
certainly does not undergo material existence like others [fruitive
workers, etc.] because a person who has once relished the taste of the
lotus feet of the Lord can do nothing but remember that ecstasy again
and again.
PURPORT
A devotee of the Lord automatically
becomes uninterested in the enchantment of material existence because
he is rasa-graha, or one who has tasted the sweetness of the lotus feet
of Lord Kṛṣṇa. There are certainly many instances where devotees of the
Lord have fallen down due to uncongenial association, just like
fruitive workers, who are always prone to degradation. But even though
he falls down, a devotee is never to be considered the same as a fallen
karmī. A karmī suffers the result of his own fruitive reactions,
whereas a devotee is reformed by chastisement directed by the Lord
Himself. The sufferings of an orphan and the sufferings of a beloved
child of a king are not one and the same. An orphan is really poor
because he has no one to take care of him, but a beloved son of a rich
man, although he appears to be on the same level as the orphan, is
always under the vigilance of his capable father. A devotee of the
Lord, due to wrong association, sometimes imitates the fruitive
workers. The fruitive workers want to lord it over the material world.
Similarly, a neophyte devotee foolishly thinks of accumulating some
material power in exchange for devotional service. Such foolish
devotees are sometimes put into difficulty by the Lord Himself. As a
special favor, He may remove all material paraphernalia. By such
action, the bewildered devotee is forsaken by all friends and
relatives, and so he comes to his senses again by the mercy of the Lord
and is set right to execute his devotional service.
In the
Bhagavad-gītā it is also said that such fallen devotees are given a
chance to take birth in a family of highly qualified brāhmaṇas or in a
rich mercantile family. A devotee in such a position is not as
fortunate as one who is chastised by the Lord and put into a position
seemingly of helplessness. The devotee who becomes helpless by the will
of the Lord is more fortunate than those who are born in good families.
The fallen devotees born in a good family may forget the lotus feet of
the Lord because they are less fortunate, but the devotee who is put
into a forlorn condition is more fortunate because he swiftly returns
to the lotus feet of the Lord, thinking himself helpless all around.
Pure
devotional service is so spiritually relishable that a devotee becomes
automatically uninterested in material enjoyment. That is the sign of
perfection in progressive devotional service. A pure devotee
continuously remembers the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and does not
forget Him even for a moment, not even in exchange for all the opulence
of the three worlds.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.19
na vai jano jātu kathañcanāvrajen
mukunda-sevy anyavad aṅga saṁsṛtim |
smaran mukundāṅghry-upagūhanaṁ punar
vihātum icchen na rasa-graho janaḥ ||
This
verse elaborates the point that there is no misfortune for the devotee.
Even if overcome because of poor determination, the person who serves
Mukunda neverna jātu), returns to saṁsāra, the place for enjoying the
results of karma, whereas those practicing karma (anyavat) return. That
is because he does not experience happiness and distress from karmas,
since he experiences only the fruit of happiness and distress directly
given by the Lord.
tvad avagamī na vetti bhavad-uttha-śubhāśubhayor
When
a person realizes You, he no longer cares about his good and bad
fortune arising from past pious and sinful acts, since it is You alone
who control this good and bad fortune. SB 10.87.40
Na karma-bandhanam janma vaiṣṇavānām ca vidyate
The Vaiṣṇavas do not have rebirth caused by karma. Padma Purāṇa
Remembering
from previous practice alone the mental embrace (upagūhanam) of the
Lord’s lotus feet, he has no desire to give that up. The verse does not
say “remembering his lotus feet” but rather “remembering the embrace of
his lotus feet.” And the word “again” is used. The implication of these
two words is that even though he may give up by his own choice the
worship, once, twice or three times because of poor determination,
after some time, by remembering his previous state of bliss from
remembering the Lord and also remembering his present state of distress
from not remembering the Lord, he repents. “Oh! Oh! What have I
foolishly done? Let that be. I will not again abandon worship of Lord.”
He again begins worshipping the Lord.
The verse also uses the
phrase “does not desire to give up” instead of “does not give up.” This
implies that he desires that he be devoid of pride in his practice. The
accomplishment is in the hands of the Lord. The cause of not desiring
to give up is then mentioned. Rasa-graha means one who is eager for
tasting, or one who has a taste which is something like a ghost which
cannot be given up, “haunted by rasa.” The meaning is then that worship
after the stages of niṣthā, ruci and āsakti, becomes actual rasa at the
stage of rati. However, even from the first day of worshipping the
Lord, there is certainly a portion of tasting rasa in a very covered
form. Thus it is said:
bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra caiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ
prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣud-apāyo ’nu-ghāsam
Devotion,
direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other
things-these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter
of Kṛṣṇa, in the same way that pleasure, fullness of the stomach and
relief from hunger are experienced simultaneously, with each bite, for
a person engaged in eating. SB 11.2.42
Jiva's tika ||1.5.19||
na vai jano jātu kathancanāvrajen mukunda-sevy anyavad anga samsṛtim |
smaran mukundānghry-upagūhanam punar vihātum icchen na rasa-graho janaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Oh! The person who serves Mukunda will never under any condition return
to the material world, unlike practitioners of other processes.
Remembering the embrace of the Lord’s lotus feet, eager for that taste
he has experienced, he will not desire to give up those feet again.
“Is
not the goal of human life just to destroy samsāra?” That also happens.
Details are given. The person eager for the rasa of bhakti never
returns to samsāra.
tri-bhuvana-vibhava-hetave 'py akuṇṭhasmṛtir ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt na calati bhagavat-padāravindāl
lava-nimiṣārdham api yaḥ sa vaiṣṇavāgryaḥ
He,
whose remembrance is not lured by dominion over the three worlds, and
who does move for half a minute or half a second from the Lord’s lotus
feet which are sought by the devatās who also meditate on the Lord, is
the best of devotees. (SB 11.2.53)
na pārameṣṭhyam na
mahendra-dhiṣṇyam na sārvabhaumam na rasādhipatyam na yoga-siddhīr
apunar-bhavam vā mayy arpitātmecchati mad vinānyat
One who has
fixed his consciousness on me desires neither the position or abode of
Brahmā or Indra, nor an empire on the earth, nor sovereignty in the
lower planetary systems, nor the eightfold perfection of yoga, nor
liberation. Such a person desires me alone. (SB 11.14.14)
TEXT - SB 1.5.20
idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaro
yato jagat-sthāna-nirodha-sambhavāḥ
tad dhi svayaṁ veda bhavāṁs tathāpi te
prādeśa-mātraṁ bhavataḥ pradarśitam
SYNONYMS
idam—this;
hi—all; viśvam—cosmos; bhagavān—the Supreme Lord; iva—almost the same;
itaraḥ—different from; yataḥ—from whom; jagat—the worlds; sthāna—exist;
nirodha—annihilation; sambhavāḥ—creation; tat hi—all about;
svayam—personally; veda—know; bhavān—your good self; tathā api—still;
te—unto you; prādeśa-mātram—a synopsis only; bhavataḥ—unto you;
pradarśitam—explained.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord
Personality of Godhead is Himself this cosmos, and still He is aloof
from it. From Him only has this cosmic manifestation emanated, in Him
it rests, and unto Him it enters after annihilation. Your good self
knows all about this. I have given only a synopsis.
PURPORT
For
a pure devotee, the conception of Mukunda, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is both
personal and impersonal. The impersonal cosmic situation is also
Mukunda because it is the emanation of the energy of Mukunda. For
example, a tree is a complete unit, whereas the leaves and the branches
of the tree are emanated parts and parcels of the tree. The leaves and
branches of the tree are also the tree, but the tree itself is neither
the leaves nor the branches. The Vedic version that the whole cosmic
creation is nothing but Brahman means that since everything is
emanating from the Supreme Brahman, nothing is apart from Him.
Similarly, the part-and-parcel hands and legs are called the body, but
the body as the whole unit is neither the hands nor the legs. The Lord
is the transcendental form of eternity, cognition and beauty. And thus
the creation of the energy of the Lord appears to be partially eternal,
full of knowledge and beautiful also. The captivated conditioned souls
under the influence of the external energy, māyā, are therefore
entrapped in the network of the material nature. They accept this as
all in all, for they have no information of the Lord who is the
primeval cause. Nor have they information that the parts and parcels of
the body, being detached from the whole body, are no longer the same
hand or leg as when attached to the body. Similarly, a godless
civilization detached from the transcendental loving service of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is just like a detached hand or leg.
Such parts and parcels may appear like hands and legs, but they have no
efficiency. The devotee of the Lord, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, knows this very
well. He is further advised by Śrīla Nārada to expand the idea so that
the entrapped conditioned souls may take lessons from him to understand
the Supreme Lord as the primeval cause.
According to the Vedic
version, the Lord is naturally fully powerful, and thus His supreme
energies are always perfect and identical with Him. Both the spiritual
and the material skies and their paraphernalia are emanations of the
internal and external energies of the Lord. External energy is
comparatively inferior, whereas the internal potency is superior. The
superior energy is living force, and therefore she is completely
identical, but the external energy, being inert, is partially
identical. But both the energies are neither equal to nor greater than
the Lord, who is the generator of all energies; such energies are
always under His control, exactly as electrical energy, however
powerful it may be, is always under the control of the engineer.
The
human being and all other living beings are products of His internal
energies. Thus the living being is also identical with the Lord. But he
is never equal or superior to the Personality of Godhead. The Lord and
living beings are all individual persons. With the help of the material
energies the living beings are also creating something, but none of
their creations are equal or superior to the creations of the Lord. The
human being may create a small playful sputnik and may throw it into
outer space, but that does not mean that he can create a planet like
the earth or moon and float it in the air as the Lord does. Men with a
poor fund of knowledge claim to be equal to the Lord. They are never
equal to the Lord. This is never to be. The human being, after
attaining complete perfection, may achieve a large percentage of the
qualities of the Lord (say up to seventy-eight percent), but it is
never possible to surpass the Lord or to become equal with Him. In a
diseased condition only, the foolish being claims to be one with the
Lord and thus becomes misled by the illusory energy. The misguided
living beings, therefore, must accept the supremacy of the Lord and
agree to render loving service to Him. For this they have been created.
Without this, there cannot be any peace or tranquillity in the world.
Śrīla Vyāsadeva is advised by Śrīla Nārada to expand this idea in the
Bhāgavatam. In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same idea is explained:
surrender fully unto the lotus feet of the Lord. That is the only
business of the perfect human being.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.20
idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaro
yato jagat-sthāna-nirodha-sambhavāḥ |
tad dhi svayaṁ veda bhavāṁs tathāpi te
prādeśa-mātraṁ bhavataḥ pradarśitam ||
Having
taught about bhakti, now Nārada teaches about knowledge of the
worshippable Lord which is necessary for the devotees. This universe is
like the Lord: it exists, has life, and a form of bliss, but it is not
the Lord’s form of eternity, knowledge and bliss. This is because the
Lord’s qualities like existence are eternal, whereas the universes
quality of existence is temporary, because the Lord is different from
the universe (itaraḥ). How is the Lord like the universe and also
different from it? From the Lord, who is the possessor of māyā-śakti,
arises the maintenance, destruction and creation of the universe. The
universe is described as a form of the Lord in small portion (like the
Lord), because it is an effect of the Lord. Because the Lord is the
cause, he is different. Because brahman is the cause, the universe is
also designated as brahman in the śruti: sarvam khalv idam brahma: this
universe is brahman. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1) You know all this
spontaneously (svayam) because you are an avatāra of the Lord. Thus I
have shown only a small portion, ten fingers (prādeśa-mātram) of bhakti
and knowledge of the powers of the Lord who measures more than ten
million times a hundred trillion, in order to fulfill the statement
ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who has a teacher knows. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad
6.14.2) Amara-kośa says prādeśa-tāla-gokarṇās tarjany-ādi-yute tate:
prādeśa, tāla and gokarṇa mean a measure from the thumb to the end of
the forefinger.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.20||
idam hi viśvam bhagavān ivetaro yato jagat-sthāna-nirodha-sambhavāḥ |
tad dhi svayam veda bhavāms tathāpi te prādeśa-mātram bhavataḥ pradarśitam ||
TRANSLATION
This universe is the Lord but the Lord is also different from the
universe for from him arises the maintenance, destruction and creation
of the universe. You know this naturally since you are an avatāra of
the Lord. Thus I have shown to you a small portion of bhakti and
knowledge concerning the Lord’s power.
“It is said in śruti
that everything is Brahman. Brahman is also one form of Bhagavān. How
can Bhagavān be everything?” This verse answers.
This universe
is like Bhagavān but not Bhagavān, since he is different from it
(itaraḥ). How is the universe like Bhagavān, and yet Bhagavān is
different from it? By him the universe is created, maintained and
destroyed. It is considered as some portion of the Lord since it is his
effect. But since the Lord is the cause, he is considered different.
Śruti says na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: no one is equal to or
greater than the Lord. (Śvetāśvatara Upanisad) Since you are
omniscient, you also know the reasons for your dissatisfaction. But I
have shown you a little of this. The differing explanation given in
Paramātma Sandarbha is not so acceptable.
TEXT - SB 1.5.21
tvam ātmanātmānam avehy amogha-dṛk
parasya puṁsaḥ paramātmanaḥ kalām
ajaṁ prajātaṁ jagataḥ śivāya tan
mahānubhāvābhyudayo 'dhigaṇyatām
SYNONYMS
tvam—yourself;
ātmanā—by your own self; ātmānam—the Supersoul; avehi—search out;
amogha-dṛk—one who has perfect vision; parasya—of the Transcendence;
puṁsaḥ—the Personality of Godhead; paramātmanaḥ—of the Supreme Lord;
kalām—plenary part; ajam—birthless; prajātam—have taken birth;
jagataḥ—of the world; śivāya—for the well-being; tat—that;
mahā-anubhāva—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa;
abhyudayaḥ—pastimes; adhigaṇya-tām—describe most vividly.
TRANSLATION
Your
Goodness has perfect vision. You yourself can know the Supersoul
Personality of Godhead because you are present as the plenary portion
of the Lord. Although you are birthless, you have appeared on this
earth for the well-being of all people. Please, therefore, describe the
transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa
more vividly.
PURPORT
Śrīla Vyāsadeva is the empowered
plenary portion incarnation of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He
descended by his causeless mercy to deliver the fallen souls in the
material world. The fallen and forgotten souls are detached from the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. The living entities are
parts and parcels of the Lord, and they are eternally servitors of the
Lord. All the Vedic literatures, therefore, are put into systematic
order for the benefit of the fallen souls, and it is the duty of the
fallen souls to take advantage of such literatures and be freed from
the bondage of material existence. Although formally Śrīla Nārada Ṛṣi
is his spiritual master, Śrīla Vyāsadeva is not at all dependent on a
spiritual master because in essence he is the spiritual master of
everyone else. But because he is doing the work of an ācārya, he has
taught us by his own conduct that one must have a spiritual master,
even though he be God Himself. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Śrī Rāma and Lord
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all incarnations of Godhead, accepted formal
spiritual masters, although by Their transcendental nature They were
cognizant of all knowledge. In order to direct people in general to the
lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He Himself in the incarnation of
Vyāsadeva is delineating the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.21
tvam ātmanātmānam avehy amogha-dṛk
parasya puṁsaḥ paramātmanaḥ kalām |
ajaṁ prajātaṁ jagataḥ śivāya tan
mahānubhāvābhyudayo ’dhigaṇyatām ||
This
verse explains how Vyāsa knows spontaneously. O person with useful
knowledge (amogha-dṛk)! Therefore (tat) please describe (gaṇyatām) more
fully (adhikam) the most auspicious glories (abhyudayaḥ) of the mighty
Lord (mahānubhāva)
Jiva's tika ||1.5.21||
tvam ātmanātmānam avehy amogha-dṛk parasya pumsaḥ paramātmanaḥ kalām |
ajam prajātam jagataḥ śivāya tan mahānubhāvābhyudayo ’dhigaṇyatām ||
TRANSLATION
You possess useful knowledge! Please understand spontaneously that you
were born as a portion of the supreme person, paramātmā, for the
benefit of the world. Therefore please describe the glories of the all
powerful Lord.
O you who possess perfect knowledge! Understand
by yourself that you are an amśa of the supreme Lord. Understand also
the Lord who, though unborn (ajam), has appeared (prajātam) as Kṛṣṇa.
Understanding both these facts, the pastimes (abhyudayaḥ) of Kṛṣṇa, who
shows greater powers than all the avatāras and their sources, should be
described (adhigaṇyatām). Though you are also the Lord, do not show
māyā, your form of ignorance.
TEXT - SB 1.5.22
idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā
sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ
avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito
yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam
SYNONYMS
idam—this;
hi—certainly; puṁsaḥ—of everyone; tapasaḥ—by dint of austerities;
śrutasya—by dint of study of the Vedas; vā—or; sviṣṭasya—sacrifice;
sūktasya—spiritual education; ca—and; buddhi—culture of knowledge;
dattayoḥ—charity; avicyutaḥ—infallible; arthaḥ—interest; kavibhiḥ—by
the recognized learned person; nirūpitaḥ—concluded; yat—what;
uttamaśloka—the Lord, who is described by choice poetry;
guṇa-anuvarṇanam—description of the transcendental qualities of.
TRANSLATION
Learned
circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the
advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas,
sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the
transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice
poetry.
PURPORT
Human intellect is developed for
advancement of learning in art, science, philosophy, physics,
chemistry, psychology, economics, politics, etc. By culture of such
knowledge the human society can attain perfection of life. This
perfection of life culminates in the realization of the Supreme Being,
Viṣṇu. The śruti therefore directs that those who are actually advanced
in learning should aspire for the service of Lord Viṣṇu. Unfortunately
persons who are enamored by the external beauty of viṣṇu-māyā do not
understand that culmination of perfection or self-realization depends
on Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu-māyā means sense enjoyment, which is transient and
miserable. Those who are entrapped by viṣṇu-māyā utilize advancement of
knowledge for sense enjoyment. Śrī Nārada Muni has explained that all
paraphernalia of the cosmic universe is but an emanation from the Lord
out of His different energies because the Lord has set in motion, by
His inconceivable energy, the actions and reactions of the created
manifestation. They have come to be out of His energy, they rest on His
energy, and after annihilation they merge into Him. Nothing is,
therefore, different from Him, but at the same time the Lord is always
different from them.
When advancement of knowledge is applied in
the service of the Lord, the whole process becomes absolute. The
Personality of Godhead and His transcendental name, fame, glory, etc.,
are all nondifferent from Him. Therefore, all the sages and devotees of
the Lord have recommended that the subject matter of art, science,
philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology and all other branches of
knowledge should be wholly and solely applied in the service of the
Lord. Art, literature, poetry, painting, etc., may be used in
glorifying the Lord. The fiction writers, poets and celebrated
litterateurs are generally engaged in writing of sensuous subjects, but
if they turn towards the service of the Lord they can describe the
transcendental pastimes of the Lord. Vālmīki was a great poet, and
similarly Vyāsadeva is a great writer, and both of them have absolutely
engaged themselves in delineating the transcendental activities of the
Lord and by doing so have become immortal. Similarly, science and
philosophy also should be applied in the service of the Lord. There is
no use presenting dry speculative theories for sense gratification.
Philosophy and science should be engaged to establish the glory of the
Lord. Advanced people are eager to understand the Absolute Truth
through the medium of science, and therefore a great scientist should
endeavor to prove the existence of the Lord on a scientific basis.
Similarly, philosophical speculations should be utilized to establish
the Supreme Truth as sentient and all-powerful. Similarly, all other
branches of knowledge should always be engaged in the service of the
Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same is affirmed. All "knowledge"
not engaged in the service of the Lord is but nescience. Real
utilization of advanced knowledge is to establish the glories of the
Lord, and that is the real import. Scientific knowledge engaged in the
service of the Lord and all similar activities are all factually
hari-kīrtana, or glorification of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.22
idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā
sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ |
avicyuto ’rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito
yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam ||
I
have said that one becomes successful by bhakti, after giving up all
dharmas. Now, if some devotee has some desire for some dharmas, those
dharmas will be produced by bhakti. That is now explained. The
unfailing cause (avicyutaḥ arthaḥ) of men’s austerity and the other
items of dharma has been described to be narrating the qualities of the
Lord. Medinī says:
artho viṣayānarthayor dhana-kāraṇa-vastuni |
abhidheye ca śabdānāṁ nivṛttau ca prayojane ||
Artha means an object of the senses, obstacle, wealth, cause, thing, meaning of a word, prevention and goal.
The
results of austerity and other acts are achieved by bhakti according to
the statement of the Lord and thus what is their necessity?
yat karmabhir yat tapasā jñāna-vairāgyataś ca yat
yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair api
sarvaṁ mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ’ñjasā
svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathañcid yadi vāñchati
Everything
that can be achieved by karma, penance, jñāna, vairāgya, mystic yoga,
charity, dharma and all other auspicious means of perfecting life is
easily achieved by my devotee through bhakti. If somehow or other my
devotee desires Svarga, liberation, or residence in my abode, he easily
achieves such benedictions. SB 11.20.32-33
smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur vismartavyo na jātucit |
sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ ||
One
should always remember Viṣṇu and never forget Him. All injunctions and
prohibitions are dependent on these two principles. Padma Purāṇa
According
to this, all dharmas are unnecessary. Or another meaning is because
performance of bhakti to the Lord is the conclusion of all the
scriptural statements recommending austerity, studying the Vedas etc.,
chanting the Lord’s name is the unmistakably mentioned process. And in
his commentary on the Lord’s words dharmo yasyāṁ mad-ātmakaḥ (SB
11.14.3) Madhusūdana Sarasvatī says that the purport of all scriptural
statements is the Supreme Lord.
TEXT - SB 1.5.23
ahaṁ purātīta-bhave 'bhavaṁ mune
dāsyās tu kasyāścana veda-vādinām
nirūpito bālaka eva yogināṁ
śuśrūṣaṇe prāvṛṣi nirvivikṣatām
SYNONYMS
aham—I;
purā—formerly; atīta-bhave—in the previous millennium; abhavam—became;
mune—O muni; dāsyāḥ—of the maidservant; tu—but; kasyāścana—certain;
veda-vādinām—of the followers of Vedānta; nirūpitaḥ—engaged;
bālakaḥ—boy servant; eva—only; yoginām—of the devotees; śuśrūṣaṇe—in
the service of; prāvṛṣi—during the four months of the rainy season;
nirvivikṣatām—living together.
TRANSLATION
O muni, in the
last millennium I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged
in the service of brāhmaṇas who were following the principles of
Vedānta. When they were living together during the four months of the
rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service.
PURPORT
The
wonder of an atmosphere surcharged with devotional service to the Lord
is briefly described herein by Śrī Nārada Muni. He was the son of the
most insignificant parentage. He was not properly educated. Still,
because his complete energy was engaged in the service of the Lord, he
became an immortal sage. Such is the powerful action of devotional
service. The living entities are the marginal energy of the Lord, and
therefore they are meant for being properly utilized in the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. When this is not done, one's
situation is called māyā. Therefore the illusion of māyā is at once
dissipated as soon as one's full energy is converted in the service of
the Lord instead of in sense enjoyment. From the personal example of
Śrī Nārada Muni in his previous birth, it is clear that the service of
the Lord begins with the service of the Lord's bona fide servants. The
Lord says that the service of His servants is greater than His personal
service. Service of the devotee is more valuable than the service of
the Lord. One should therefore choose a bona fide servant of the Lord
constantly engaged in His service, accept such a servant as the
spiritual master and engage himself in his (the spiritual master's)
service. Such a spiritual master is the transparent medium by which to
visualize the Lord, who is beyond the conception of the material
senses. By service of the bona fide spiritual master, the Lord consents
to reveal Himself in proportion to the service rendered. Utilization of
the human energy in the service of the Lord is the progressive path of
salvation. The whole cosmic creation becomes at once identical with the
Lord as soon as service in relation with the Lord is rendered under the
guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. The expert spiritual master
knows the art of utilizing everything to glorify the Lord, and
therefore under his guidance the whole world can be turned into the
spiritual abode by the divine grace of the Lord's servant.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.23
ahaṁ purātīta-bhave ’bhavaṁ mune
dāsyās tu kasyāścana veda-vādinām |
nirūpito bālaka eva yogināṁ
śuśrūṣaṇe prāvṛṣi nirvivikṣatām ||
There
is no cause for pure bhakti other than the fortunate mercy of the
devotees of the Lord. Austerity and other processes are not the cause.
To illustrate this Nārada recounts a previous birth. In a previous
kalpa (day of Brahmā) in a previous birth (atīta-bhave) I was born from
a maid servant of some studiers of the Vedas. I was engaged (nirūpitaḥ)
in serving those persons having bhakti-yoga and who desired to stay in
one place (nirvivikṣatām) during the rainy season. That they also
practiced bhakti-yoga is understood later from the following verse:
tatrānvahaṁ kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ pragāyatām anugraheṇāśṛṇavaṁ manoharāḥ
tāḥ śraddhayā me ’nupadaṁ viśṛṇvataḥ priyaśravasy aṅga mamābhavad ruciḥ
O
Vyāsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great
Vedāntists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of
Lord Kṛṣṇa And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the
Personality of Godhead increased at every step. SB 1.5.26
TEXT - SB 1.5.24
te mayy apetākhila-cāpale 'rbhake
dānte 'dhṛta-krīḍanake 'nuvartini
cakruḥ kṛpāṁ yadyapi tulya-darśanāḥ
śuśrūṣamāṇe munayo 'lpa-bhāṣiṇi
SYNONYMS
te—they;
mayi—unto me; apeta—not having undergone; akhila—all kinds of;
cāpale—proclivities; arbhake—unto a boy; dānte—having controlled the
senses; adhṛta-krīḍanake—without being accustomed to sporting habits;
anuvartini—obedient; cakruḥ—did bestow; kṛpām—causeless mercy;
yadyapi—although; tulya-darśanāḥ—impartial by nature; śuśrūṣamāṇe—unto
the faithful; munayaḥ—the muni followers of the Vedānta;
alpa-bhāṣiṇi—one who does not speak more than required.
TRANSLATION
Although
they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedānta blessed
me with their causeless mercy. As far as I was concerned, I was
self-controlled and had no attachment for sports, even though I was a
boy. In addition, I was not naughty, and I did not speak more than
required.
PURPORT
In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says,
"All the Vedas are searching after Me." Lord Śrī Caitanya says that in
the Vedas the subject matters are only three, namely to establish the
relation of the living entities with the Personality of Godhead,
perform the relative duties in devotional service and thus achieve the
ultimate goal, back to Godhead. As such, vedānta-vādīs, or the
followers of the Vedānta, indicate the pure devotees of the Personality
of Godhead. Such vedānta-vādīs, or the bhakti-vedāntas, are impartial
in distributing the transcendental knowledge of devotional service. To
them no one is enemy or friend; no one is educated or uneducated. No
one is especially favorable, and no one is unfavorable. The
bhakti-vedāntas see that the people in general are wasting time in
false sensuous things. Their business is to get the ignorant mass of
people to reestablish their lost relationship with the Personality of
Godhead. By such endeavor, even the most forgotten soul is roused up to
the sense of spiritual life, and thus being initiated by the
bhakti-vedāntas, the people in general gradually progress on the path
of transcendental realization. So the vedānta-vādīs initiated the boy
even before he became self-controlled and was detached from childish
sporting, etc. But before the initiation, he (the boy) became more and
more advanced in discipline, which is very essential for one who wishes
to make progress in the line. In the system of varṇāśrama-dharma, which
is the beginning of actual human life, small boys after five years of
age are sent to become brahmacārī at the guru's āśrama, where these
things are systematically taught to boys, be they king's sons or sons
of ordinary citizens. The training was compulsory not only to create
good citizens of the state, but also to prepare the boy's future life
for spiritual realization. The irresponsible life of sense enjoyment
was unknown to the children of the followers of the varṇāśrama system.
The boy was even injected with spiritual acumen before being placed by
the father in the womb of the mother. Both the father and the mother
were responsible for the boy's success in being liberated from the
material bondage. That is the process of successful family planning. It
is to beget children for complete perfection. Without being
self-controlled, without being disciplined and without being fully
obedient, no one can become successful in following the instructions of
the spiritual master, and without doing so, no one is able to go back
to Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.24
te mayy apetākhila-cāpale ’rbhake
dānte ’dhṛta-krīḍanake ’nuvartini |
cakruḥ kṛpāṁ yadyapi tulya-darśanāḥ
śuśrūṣamāṇe munayo ’lpa-bhāṣiṇi |
Nārada
had controlled senses (dānte), had given up childish play
(adhṛta-kṛiḍanake). Those sages saw equally good-tempered and
bad-tempered, those who are praiseworthy and those who are to be
criticized, those who have good conduct and those who are sinful
(tulya-darśanāḥ), and thus they should not show mercy to one and reject
in disgust another. However, they showed mercy to me. Though great
devotees such as Bharata and Prahlāda see equally, they also show some
partiality concerning giving mercy. Their first show of mercy did not
depend on Nārada’s good qualities and show of respect. He developed the
good qualities by their mercy. Then those qualities became the cause of
further mercy. It must be explained that the cause of their mercy was
not due to seeing qualities. If one says that though they had equal
vision, they showed mercy because he showed good qualities, then their
equal vision would be contradicted by their seeing good and bad
qualities. One should not explain in this way because then the first
mercy would be prejudiced.
There are two types of mercy;
affected by seeing material qualities and not affected by seeing
material qualities. The first type of mercy is explained as follows.
All persons in the material world have mercy caused by qualities. If
they see qualities they show mercy, if the qualities are absent, they
withdraw mercy. And if they see bad qualities, they show hatred. The
second type of mercy is as follows. Those who are beyond the influence
of material world show mercy without such causes, without dependence on
seeing material qualities, since they see everything in the material
world as the same.
Śukadeva has said:
girayo mumucus toyaṁ kvacin na mumucuḥ śivam
yathā jñānāmṛtaṁ kale jñānino dadate na vā
During
this season the mountains sometimes released their pure water and
sometimes did not, just as experts in transcendental science sometimes
give the nectar of transcendental knowledge and sometimes do not. SB
10.20.36
In this manner sometimes these persons show mercy to
some person. When hardness of the heart caused by guṇas is destroyed
and becomes soft by devotion to the Lord, mercy will appear in the
heart.
śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā prema-sūryāṁśu-sāmya-bhāk |
rucibhiś citta-māsṛṇya-kṛd asau bhāva ucyate ||
That
part of bhakti is called bhāva, whose essence is saṁvit and hlādinī
śakti, which is one ray of the sun of prema which will soon rise in the
heart, and which softens the heart with desires to meet, serve, and
exchange love with the Lord. Bhaki-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.3.1
The
first four stages of bhakti are understood here: mercy of the devotees,
service to devotees, faith, and taking shelter of guru.
TEXT - SB 1.5.25
ucchiṣṭa-lepān anumodito dvijaiḥ
sakṛt sma bhuñje tad-apāsta-kilbiṣaḥ
evaṁ pravṛttasya viśuddha-cetasas
tad-dharma evātma-ruciḥ prajāyate
SYNONYMS
ucchiṣṭa-lepān—the
remnants of foodstuff; anumoditaḥ—being permitted; dvijaiḥ—by the
Vedāntist brāhmaṇas; sakṛt—once upon a time; sma—in the past;
bhuñje—took; tat—by that action; apāsta—eliminated; kilbiṣaḥ—all sins;
evam—thus; pravṛttasya—being engaged; viśuddha-cetasaḥ—of one whose
mind is purified; tat—that particular; dharmaḥ—nature; eva—certainly;
ātma-ruciḥ—transcendental attraction; prajāyate—was manifested.
TRANSLATION
Once
only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so
doing all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became
purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the
transcendentalist became attractive to me.
PURPORT
Pure
devotion is as much infectious, in a good sense, as infectious
diseases. A pure devotee is cleared from all kinds of sins. The
Personality of Godhead is the purest entity, and unless one is equally
pure from the infection of material qualities, one cannot become a pure
devotee of the Lord. The bhakti-vedāntas as above mentioned were pure
devotees, and the boy became infected with their qualities of purity by
their association and by eating once the remnants of the foodstuff
taken by them. Such remnants may be taken even without permission of
the pure devotees. There are sometimes pseudodevotees, and one should
be very much cautious about them. There are many things which hinder
one from entering devotional service. But by the association of pure
devotees all these obstacles are removed. The neophyte devotee becomes
practically enriched with the transcendental qualities of the pure
devotee, which means attraction for the Personality of Godhead's name,
fame, quality, pastimes, etc. Infection of the qualities of the pure
devotee means to imbibe the taste of pure devotion always in the
transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead. This
transcendental taste at once makes all material things distasteful.
Therefore a pure devotee is not at all attracted by material
activities. After the elimination of all sins or obstacles on the path
of devotional service, one can become attracted, one can have
steadiness, one can have perfect taste, one can have transcendental
emotions, and at last one can be situated on the plane of loving
service of the Lord. All these stages develop by the association of
pure devotees, and that is the purport of this stanza.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.25
After
getting permission from them to do so, I ate one time some rice stuck
to one of their dishes. By that all obstacles to bhakti were destroyed
(tad-apāsta-klibiṣaḥ). Having taken their food, I developed without
effort bhakti in the form of hearing, chanting and remembering the Lord
continually. Having developed a tendency for bhakti after eating the
devotees’ food (evaṁ pravṛttasya), which applies to anyone else as
well, I inevitably developed a taste (ruciḥ prajāyate) for hearing and
chanting (tad-dharme) in the mind (ātma). By this verse five stages of
bhakti should be understood: desire for worship (spṛhā), bhakti,
anartha-nivṛtti, niṣṭhā and ruci.[19]
TEXT - SB 1.5.26
tatrānvahaṁ kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ pragāyatām
anugraheṇāśṛṇavaṁ manoharāḥ
tāḥ śraddhayā me 'nupadaṁ viśṛṇvataḥ
priyaśravasy aṅga mamābhavad ruciḥ
SYNONYMS
tatra—thereupon;
anu—every day; aham—I; kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ—narration of Lord Kṛṣṇa's
activities; pragāyatām—describing; anugraheṇa—by causeless mercy;
aśṛṇavam—giving aural reception; manaḥ-harāḥ—attractive; tāḥ—those;
śraddhayā—respectfully; me—unto me; anupadam—every step;
viśṛṇvataḥ—hearing attentively; priyaśravasi—of the Personality of
Godhead; aṅga—O Vyāsadeva; mama—mine; abhavat—it so became; ruciḥ—taste.
TRANSLATION
O
Vyāsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great
Vedāntists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of
Lord Kṛṣṇa And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the
Personality of Godhead increased at every step.
PURPORT
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, is attractive not only
in His personal features, but also in His transcendental activities. It
is so because the Absolute is absolute by His name, fame, form,
pastimes, entourage, paraphernalia, etc. The Lord descends on this
material world out of His causeless mercy and displays His various
transcendental pastimes as a human being so that human beings attracted
towards Him become able to go back to Godhead. Men are naturally apt to
hear histories and narrations of various personalities performing
mundane activities, without knowing that by such association one simply
wastes valuable time and also becomes addicted to the three qualities
of mundane nature. Instead of wasting time, one can get spiritual
success by turning his attention to the transcendental pastimes of the
Lord. By hearing the narration of the pastimes of the Lord, one
contacts directly the Personality of Godhead, and, as explained before,
by hearing about the Personality of Godhead, from within, all
accumulated sins of the mundane creature are cleared. Thus being
cleared of all sins, the hearer gradually becomes liberated from
mundane association and becomes attracted to the features of the Lord.
Nārada Muni has just explained this by his personal experience. The
whole idea is that simply by hearing about the Lord's pastimes one can
become one of the associates of the Lord. Nārada Muni has eternal life,
unlimited knowledge and unfathomed bliss, and he can travel all over
the material and spiritual worlds without restriction. One can attain
to the highest perfection of life simply by attentive hearing of the
transcendental pastimes of the Lord from the right sources, as Śrī
Nārada heard them from the pure devotees (bhakti-vedāntas) in his
previous life. This process of hearing in the association of the
devotees is especially recommended in this age of quarrel (Kali).
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.26
Śraddha
here indicates the tenth stage āsakti. At every moment or at hearing
every word, I developed rati (bhāva) for Kṛṣṇa, whose qualities are
pleasing to hear (priya-śravasi). Ruci should here mean rati, the
eleventh stage, since the stage of ruci has already been mentioned in
the previous verse.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.26||
tatrānvaham kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ pragāyatām anugraheṇāśṛṇavam manoharāḥ |
tāḥ śraddhayā me ’nupadam viśṛṇvataḥ priya-śravasy anga mamābhavad ruciḥ ||
TRANSLATION
By the mercy of the sages who were chanting about the attractive
pastimes of Kṛṣṇa daily, I heard about Kṛṣṇa in that place with āsakti.
Hearing constantly, I then developed rati for Kṛṣṇa.
They sang about Kṛṣṇa’s birth and other pastimes.
yena yenāvatāreṇa bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ karoti karṇa-ramyāṇi mano-jnāni ca naḥ prabho
yac-chṛṇvato
’paity aratir vitṛṣṇā sattvam ca śuddhyaty acireṇa pumsaḥ bhaktir harau
tat-puruṣe ca sakhyam tad eva hāram vada manyase cet
O
Lord! Hearing about the Lord – who is full of all qualities, who is the
destroyer of suffering and the attractor of the senses, who through his
appearance causes pleasure to the ears and great attraction to the mind
– destroys all disinterest in the topics about him and all thirst for
material enjoyment, and produces prema for the attractive Lord and
friendship with the devotees. Please speak of the Lord’s pastimes if
you think I am qualified. (SB 10.7.1-2)
I developed rati for the glories of the Lord dear to all people (priya-śravasi).
TEXT - SB 1.5.27
tasmiṁs tadā labdha-rucer mahā-mate
priyaśravasy askhalitā matir mama
yayāham etat sad-asat sva-māyayā
paśye mayi brahmaṇi kalpitaṁ pare
SYNONYMS
tasmin—it
being so; tadā—at that time; labdha—achieved; ruceḥ—taste; mahā-mate—O
great sage; priyaśravasi—upon the Lord; askhalitā matiḥ—uninterrupted
attention; mama—mine; yayā—by which; aham—I; etat—all these;
sat-asat—gross and subtle; sva-māyayā—one's own ignorance; paśye—see;
mayi—in me; brahmaṇi—the Supreme; kalpitam—is accepted; pare—in the
Transcendence.
TRANSLATION
O great sage, as soon as I got
a taste for the Personality of Godhead, my attention to hear of the
Lord was unflinching. And as my taste developed, I could realize that
it was only in my ignorance that I had accepted gross and subtle
coverings, for both the Lord and I are transcendental.
PURPORT
Ignorance
in material existence is compared to darkness, and in all Vedic
literatures the Personality of Godhead is compared to the sun. Wherever
there is light there cannot be darkness. Hearing of the Lord's pastimes
is itself transcendental association with the Lord because there is no
difference between the Lord and His transcendental pastimes. To become
associated with the supreme light is to dissipate all ignorance. By
ignorance only, the conditioned soul wrongly thinks that both he and
the Lord are products of material nature. But in fact the Personality
of Godhead and the living beings are transcendental, and they have
nothing to do with the material nature. When ignorance is removed and
it is perfectly realized that there is nothing existing without the
Personality of Godhead, then nescience is removed. Since the gross and
subtle bodies are emanations from the Personality of Godhead, the
knowledge of light permits one to engage both of them in the service of
the Lord. The gross body should be engaged in acts of rendering service
to the Lord (as in bringing water, cleansing the temple or making
obeisances, etc.). The path of arcanā, or worshiping the Lord in the
temple, involves engaging one's gross body in the service of the Lord.
Similarly, the subtle mind should be engaged in hearing the
transcendental pastimes of the Lord, thinking about them, chanting His
name, etc. All such activities are transcendental. None of the gross or
subtle senses should otherwise be engaged. Such realization of
transcendental activities is made possible by many, many years of
apprenticeship in the devotional service, but simply attraction of love
for the Personality of Godhead, as it was developed in Nārada Muni, by
hearing, is highly effective.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.27
Having
attained an excellent taste, my intelligence became steadily fixed in
the Lord. By that intelligence I saw the gross and subtle body
(sad-asat) existing in me by the influence of the Lord’s material
energy to be established in Kṛṣṇa (brahmaṇi). The gross body became
fixed in offering respects, carrying the Lord’s water pot and other
actions, not in material actions for oneself. The subtle body with
senses such as ear, eye, mind and intelligence became fixed in tasting
the sweetness of the lord’s qualities and form, not in material objects
for one’s own pleasure. Previously the eye and mind were not fixed in
the Lord even by exerting much effort. That is not the case now. With
the development of rati, the mind and other senses, giving up the
practice of fixing themselves on their material sense objects to which
they had been long accustomed, became automatically fixed only on the
Lord. Thus “I see” here means “directly experience.”
Jiva's tika ||1.5.27||
tasmims tadā labdha-rucer mahā-mate priyaśravasy askhalitā matir mama |
yayāham etat sad-asat sva-māyayā paśye mayi brahmaṇi kalpitam pare ||
TRANSLATION
Having attained an excellent taste for the Lord, my intelligence did
not waver from the Lord. By my intelligence, I directly experienced
that individual and totality of jīvas created by the Lord’s material
energy were fixed only in the Supreme Lord.
Seeing the falsity
of material projections, I contemplated the form and qualities of the
Lord. This is expressed in two verses. By that concentration I knew the
universe containing individual jīvas and the mass of jīvas, produced by
the māyā of the Lord, to be made by the Lord’s māyā to be fixed in the
individual jīvas and I understood the universe with the totality of
jīvas made to be fixed in Brahman (pare). My relationship with these
aspects of the universe no longer remained.
TEXT - SB 1.5.28
itthaṁ śarat-prāvṛṣikāv ṛtū harer
viśṛṇvato me 'nusavaṁ yaśo 'malam
saṅkīrtyamānaṁ munibhir mahātmabhir
bhaktiḥ pravṛttātma-rajas-tamopahā
SYNONYMS
ittham—thus;
śarat—autumn; prāvṛṣikau—rainy season; ṛtū—two seasons; hareḥ—of the
Lord; viśṛṇvataḥ—continuously hearing; me—myself; anusavam—constantly;
yaśaḥ amalam—unadulterated glories; saṅkīrtyamānam—chanted by;
munibhiḥ—the great sages; mahā-ātmabhiḥ—great souls; bhaktiḥ—devotional
service; pravṛttā—began to flow; ātma—living being; rajaḥ—mode of
passion; tama—mode of ignorance; upahā—vanishing.
TRANSLATION
Thus
during two seasons-the rainy season and autumn-I had the opportunity to
hear these great-souled sages constantly chant the unadulterated
glories of the Lord Hari. As the flow of my devotional service began,
the coverings of the modes of passion and ignorance vanished.
PURPORT
Transcendental
loving service for the Supreme Lord is the natural inclination of every
living being. The instinct is dormant in everyone, but due to the
association of material nature the modes of passion and ignorance cover
this from time immemorial. If, by the grace of the Lord and the
great-souled devotees of the Lord, a living being becomes fortunate
enough to associate with the unadulterated devotees of the Lord and
gets a chance to hear the unadulterated glories of the Lord, certainly
the flow of devotional service takes place like the flow of a river. As
the river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure devotional
service flows by the association of pure devotees till it reaches the
ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love of God. Such a flow of
devotional service cannot stop. On the contrary, it increases more and
more without limitation. The flow of devotional service is so potent
that any onlooker also becomes liberated from the influence of the
modes of passion and ignorance. These two qualities of nature are thus
removed, and the living being is liberated, being situated in his
original position.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.28
Extending
over two seasons (four months) I heard constantly (anusavam). Premā
(bhaktiḥ) which destroys (apahā) rajas and tamas in all jīvas (ātma)
then appeared. It is implied here that there was destruction of rajas
and tamas in others as well who realized devotion to the Lord. This is
the twelfth stage of bhakti. Direct vision of the Lord and the
experience of sweetness will be explained in the next chapter.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.28||
ittham śarat-prāvṛṣikāv ṛtū harer viśṛṇvato me ’nusavam yaśo ’malam |
sankīrtyamānam munibhir mahātmabhir bhaktiḥ pravṛttātma-rajas-tamopahā ||
TRANSLATION
In this way, for the two seasons of monsoon and autumn, I constantly
heard the pure glories of the Lord chanted by the generous sages. I
then developed prema, which destroys rajas and tamas in the jīvas.
What
was his activities? Bhakti or rati which destroys rajas and tamas
manifested. It constantly existed like a river (pra-vṛttāḥ).
TEXT - SB 1.5.29
tasyaivaṁ me 'nuraktasya
praśritasya hatainasaḥ
śraddadhānasya bālasya
dāntasyānucarasya ca
SYNONYMS
tasya—his;
evam—thus; me—mine; anuraktasya—attached to them;
praśritasya—obediently; hata—freed from; enasaḥ—sins; śraddadhānasya—of
the faithful; bālasya—of the boy; dāntasya—subjugated;
anucarasya—strictly following the instructions; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
I
was very much attached to those sages. I was gentle in behavior, and
all my sins were eradicated in their service. In my heart I had strong
faith in them. I had subjugated the senses, and I was strictly
following them with body and mind.
PURPORT
These are the
necessary qualifications of a prospective candidate who can expect to
be elevated to the position of a pure unadulterated devotee. Such a
candidate must always seek the association of pure devotees. One should
not be misled by a pseudodevotee. He himself must be plain and gentle
to receive the instructions of such a pure devotee. A pure devotee is a
completely surrendered soul unto the Personality of Godhead. He knows
the Personality of Godhead as the supreme proprietor and all others as
His servitors. And by the association of pure devotees only, one can
get rid of all sins accumulated by mundane association. A neophyte
devotee must faithfully serve the pure devotee, and he should be very
much obedient and strictly follow the instructions. These are the signs
of a devotee who is determined to achieve success even in the existing
duration of life.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.29
They
gave knowledge to me who had developed prema-bhakti for the Lord (tasya
evam anuraktasya). This knowledge was revealed directly by the Lord,
son of Devakī (bhagavatoditam). Jñāna-śāstra has a prevalence of
monistic jñāna. Confidential scripture (śāstra-guhyam) consists of a
predominance of jñana mixed with some bhakti. More confidential
scripture (śāstra-guhyataram) is that which predominantly bhakti with a
little mixture of jñāna. Most confidential scripture
(śāstra-guhyatamam) is pure bhakti, which was given to Uddhava and
Brahmā in the Bhāgavatam and to Arjuna in the Gītā by the Lord.
Contemplating that they would depart the next day (gamiṣyantaḥ), the
sages taught (anvavocan) him the most confidential knowledge, pure
bhakti.
TEXT - SB 1.5.30
jñānaṁ guhyatamaṁ yat tat
sākṣād bhagavatoditam
anvavocan gamiṣyantaḥ
kṛpayā dīna-vatsalāḥ
SYNONYMS
jñānam—knowledge;
guhyatamam—most confidential; yat—what is; tat—that; sākṣāt—directly;
bhagavatā uditam—propounded by the Lord Himself; anvavocan—gave
instruction; gamiṣyantaḥ—while departing from; kṛpayā—by causeless
mercy; dīna-vatsalāḥ—those who are very kind to the poor and meek.
TRANSLATION
As
they were leaving, those bhakti-vedāntas, who are very kind to
poor-hearted souls, instructed me in that most confidential subject
which is instructed by the Personality of Godhead Himself.
PURPORT
A
pure Vedāntist, or a bhakti-vedānta, instructs followers exactly
according to the instructions of the Lord Himself. The Personality of
Godhead, both in the Bhagavad-gītā and in all other scriptures, has
definitely instructed men to follow the Lord only. The Lord is the
creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything. The whole manifested
creation is existing by His will, and by His will when the whole show
is finished He will remain in His eternal abode with all His
paraphernalia. Before the creation He was there in the eternal abode,
and after the annihilation He will continue to remain. He is not,
therefore, one of the created beings. He is transcendental. In the
Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that long, long before the instruction was
imparted to Arjuna, the same was instructed to the sun-god, and in
course of time, the same instruction, being wrongly handled and being
broken, was again instructed to Arjuna because he was His perfect
devotee and friend. Therefore, the instruction of the Lord can be
understood by the devotees only and no one else. The impersonalist, who
has no idea of the transcendental form of the Lord, cannot understand
this most confidential message of the Lord. The expression "most
confidential" is significant here because knowledge of devotional
service is far, far above knowledge of impersonal Brahman. Jñānam means
ordinary knowledge or any branch of knowledge. This knowledge develops
up to the knowledge of impersonal Brahman. Above this, when it is
partially mixed with devotion, such knowledge develops to knowledge of
Paramātmā, or the all-pervading Godhead. This is more confidential. But
when such knowledge is turned into pure devotional service and the
confidential part of transcendental knowledge is attained, it is called
the most confidential knowledge. This most confidential knowledge was
imparted by the Lord to Brahmā, Arjuna, Uddhava, etc.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.29-30||
tasyaivam me ’nuraktasya praśritasya hatainasaḥ |
śraddadhānasya bālasya dāntasyānucarasya ca || jnānam guhyatamam yat tat sākṣād bhagavatoditam |
anvavocan gamiṣyantaḥ kṛpayā dīna-vatsalāḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Though I was a boy, I had developed prema for the Lord. I was humble,
sinless, filled with faith, sense-controlled, and was willing to serve.
The sages, most affectionate to the fallen, as they were about to
depart, taught me the most confidential knowledge of pure bhakti, which
was taught by the Lord himself.
After that they taught me
something else, the highest secret. This refers to the catuḥ-ślokī
filled with jnāna and vijnāna, since those verse known as secret teach
only bhakti. These verses came from the Lord originally.
purā mayā proktam ajāya nābhye padme niṣaṇṇāya mamādi-sarge jnānam param man-mahimāvabhāsam yat sūrayo bhāgavatam vadanti
Previously
at the beginning of creation, I spoke to Brahmā sitting on his lotus in
lake of my navel the highest knowledge--which reveals my pastimes, and
which the devotees call the four essential verses of Bhāgavatam. (SB
3.4.13)
These verses concerning bhakti were more secret that brahma-jnāna.
TEXT - SB 1.5.31
yenaivāhaṁ bhagavato
vāsudevasya vedhasaḥ
māyānubhāvam avidaṁ
yena gacchanti tat-padam
SYNONYMS
yena—by
which; eva—certainly; aham—I; bhagavataḥ—of the Personality of Godhead;
vāsudevasya—of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; vedhasaḥ—of the supreme creator;
māyā—energy; anubhāvam—influence; avidam—easily understood; yena—by
which; gacchanti—they go; tat-padam—at the lotus feet of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
By
that confidential knowledge, I could understand clearly the influence
of the energy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the creator, maintainer and
annihilator of everything. By knowing that, one can return to Him and
personally meet Him.
PURPORT
By devotional service or by
the most confidential knowledge, one can understand very easily how the
different energies of the Lord are working. One part of energy is
manifesting the material world; the other (superior) part of His energy
is manifesting the spiritual world. And the via medium energy is
manifesting the living entities who are serving either of the
above-mentioned energies. The living entities serving material energy
are struggling hard for existence and happiness, which is presented to
them as illusion. But those in the spiritual energy are placed under
the direct service of the Lord in eternal life, complete knowledge and
perpetual bliss. The Lord desires, as He has directly said in the
Bhagavad-gītā, that all conditioned souls, rotting in the kingdom of
material energy, come back to Him by giving up all engagements in the
material world. This is the most confidential part of knowledge. But
this can be understood only by the pure devotees, and only such
devotees enter the kingdom of God to see Him personally and serve Him
personally. The concrete example is Nārada Himself, who attained this
stage of eternal knowledge and eternal bliss. And the ways and means
are open to all, provided one agrees to follow in the footsteps of Śrī
Nārada Muni. According to śruti, the Supreme Lord has unlimited
energies (without effort by Him), and these are described under three
principal headings, as above mentioned.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.31
yenaivāhaṁ bhagavato vāsudevasya vedhasaḥ |
māyānubhāvam avidaṁ yena gacchanti tat-padam ||
By
this knowledge of Bhāgavatam, I understood the influence or effect of
the Lord’s cit-śakti, the kṛpa-śakti, the acit-śakti of three guṇas,
and the influence of the knowledge of the Lord’s powers and sweetness
(māyānubhāvam).
triguṇātmikātha jñānaṁ ca viṣṇu-śaktis tathaiva ca |
māyā-śabdena bhaṇyate śabda-tattvārtha-vedibhir ||
Those
who know the true meaning of words say that māyā means what is made of
the three guṇas of matter, knowledge and the śakti of Viṣṇu.
Śabda-mahodadhi
Nirghaṇṭu says māyā ca vayunaṁ jñānam: māyā
means knowledge. Trikāṇḍa-śeṣa of the Amara-koṣa says māyā syāc
chambarī-buddhyor: māyā means a maidservant of Ṣambara and
intelligence. Viśva-kośa says māyā dambhe kṛpāyāṁ ca: māyā means deceit
and mercy. The Lord is endowed with his eternal śakti arising from his
svarūpa, which is called māyā. In a commentary, Madhva quotes the
following śruti text:
svarūpa-bhūtayā nitya-śaktyā māyākhyayā yutaḥ
ato māyā-mayaṁ viṣṇuṁ pravadanti sanātanam
They
call the eternal Viṣṇu māyā-mayam, because he is endowed with his
eternal śakti arising from his svarūpa, which is called māyā.
Later in the Bhāgavatam the word māyā may mean cit-śakti, acit-śakti, knowledge or mercy according to the context.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.31||
yenaivāham bhagavato vāsudevasya vedhasaḥ |
māyānubhāvam avidam yena gacchanti tat-padam ||
TRANSLATION
By this knowledge I understood the influence of the spiritual and
material energies of the creator Lord Vāsudeva. By this understanding
the devotees attain the Lord’s abode.
I understood māyā
(māyānubhavam), with negative meaning. However, māyā according to me
refers to the cit-śakti, with a positive meaning. Through the cit-
śakti
the devotees attain the Lord’s lotus feet, directly serving the Lord
with the highest affection. This is explained in verse 39 and one sees
the highest perfection he attained as Nārada.
TEXT - SB 1.5.32
etat saṁsūcitaṁ brahmaṁs
tāpa-traya-cikitsitam
yad īśvare bhagavati
karma brahmaṇi bhāvitam
SYNONYMS
etat—this
much; saṁsūcitam—decided by the learned; brahman—O brāhmaṇa Vyāsa;
tāpa-traya—three kinds of miseries; cikitsitam—remedial measures;
yat—what; īśvare—the supreme controller; bhagavati—unto the Personality
of Godhead; karma—one's prescribed activities; brahmaṇi—unto the great;
bhāvitam—dedicated.
TRANSLATION
O Brāhmaṇa Vyāsadeva, it
is decided by the learned that the best remedial measure for removing
all troubles and miseries is to dedicate one's activities to the
service of the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead [Śrī Kṛṣṇa].
PURPORT
Śrī
Nārada Muni personally experienced that the most feasible and practical
way to open the path of salvation or get relief from all miseries of
life is to hear submissively the transcendental activities of the Lord
from the right and bona fide sources. This is the only remedial
process. The entire material existence is full of miseries. Foolish
people have manufactured, out of their tiny brains, many remedial
measures for removing the threefold miseries pertaining to the body and
mind, pertaining to the natural disturbances and in relation with other
living beings. The whole world is struggling very hard to exist out of
these miseries, but men do not know that without the sanction of the
Lord no plan or no remedial measure can actually bring about the
desired peace and tranquillity. The remedial measure to cure a patient
by medical treatment is useless if it is not sanctioned by the Lord. To
cross the river or the ocean by a suitable boat is no remedial measure
if it is not sanctioned by the Lord. We should know for certain that
the Lord is the ultimate sanctioning officer, and we must therefore
dedicate our attempts to the mercy of the Lord for ultimate success or
to get rid of the obstacles on the path of success. The Lord is
all-pervading, all-powerful, omniscient and omnipresent. He is the
ultimate sanctioning agent of all good or bad effects. We should,
therefore, learn to dedicate our activities unto the mercy of the Lord
and accept Him either as impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā or the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. It does not matter what one is. One
must dedicate everything in the service of the Lord. If one is a
learned scholar, scientist, philosopher, poet, etc., then he should
employ his learning to establish the supremacy of the Lord. Try to
study the energy of the Lord in every sphere of life. Do not decry Him
and try to become like Him or take His position simply by fragmental
accumulation of knowledge. If one is an administrator, statesman,
warrior, politician, etc., then one should try to establish the Lord's
supremacy in statesmanship. Fight for the cause of the Lord as Śrī
Arjuna did. In the beginning, Śrī Arjuna, the great fighter, declined
to fight, but when he was convinced by the Lord that the fighting was
necessary, Śrī Arjuna changed his decision and fought for His cause.
Similarly, if one is a businessman, an industrialist, an agriculturist,
etc., then one should spend his hard-earned money for the cause of the
Lord. Think always that the money which is accumulated is the wealth of
the Lord. Wealth is considered to be the goddess of fortune (Lakṣmī),
and the Lord is Nārāyaṇa, or the husband of Lakṣmī. Try to engage
Lakṣmī in the service of Lord Nārāyaṇa and be happy. That is the way to
realize the Lord in every sphere of life. The best thing is, after all,
to get relief from all material activities and engage oneself
completely in hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. But in
case of the absence of such an opportunity, one should try to engage in
the service of the Lord everything for which one has specific
attraction, and that is the way of peace and prosperity. The word
saṁsūcitam in this stanza is also significant. One should not think for
a moment that the realization of Nārada was childish imagination only.
It is not like that. It is so realized by the expert and erudite
scholars, and that is the real import of the word saṁsūcitam.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.32
etat saṁsūcitaṁ brahmaṁs tāpa-traya-cikitsitam |
yad īśvare bhagavati karma brahmaṇi bhāvitam ||
Having
had me practice bhakti beyond the modes of nature, and experience
prema, and taught the Bhāgavatam which was spoken by the Lord, who is
the direct speaker of bhakti, they taught me the process of jñāna which
gives rise to knowledge and the goal of liberation, even though I did
not request it. Considering that the question of jñāna may arise when
the boy grows older, they then taught me jñana indirectly for the
purpose of developing indifference to the world. That is explained in
this verse.
Since it was not my goal they spoke indirectly about
it (saṁsūcitam). What did they speak about? They explained the remedy
for, or destruction of, the three miseries in which actions are offered
(bhāvitam) to the Paramātmā (īśvare), to Bhagavān with six opulences or
to the impersonal brahman.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.32||
etat samsūcitam brahmams tāpa-traya-cikitsitam |
yad īśvare bhagavati karma brahmaṇi bhāvitam ||
TRANSLATION
O brāhman! They indirectly explained the destruction of the three types
of miseries, in which actions are offered to Paramātmā, Bhagavān and
the impersonal brahman.
Through the story of Nārada, it was
stated that the highest good is hearing the glories of the Lord from a
great devotee having no material attachments. It was stated in verse 22
as well that descriptions of the Lord produce perfection of austerity
and study etc. By hearing those descriptions, the Lord makes his
appearance to persons who are attached to him. In order to establish
the Lord’s glories generally, he glorifies activities offered to three
forms of the highest tattva, Paramātmā (īśvara), Bhagavān or Brahman in
three verses. The knowledge was described by knowers of scripture
(samśūcitam).
TEXT - SB 1.5.33
āmayo yaś ca bhūtānāṁ
jāyate yena suvrata
tad eva hy āmayaṁ dravyaṁ
na punāti cikitsitam
SYNONYMS
āmayaḥ—diseases;
yaḥ ca—whatever; bhūtānām—of the living being; jāyate—become possible;
yena—by the agency; suvrata—O good soul; tat—that; eva—very;
hi—certainly; āmayam—disease; dravyam—thing; na—does it not;
punāti—cure; cikitsitam—treated with.
TRANSLATION
O good soul, does not a thing, applied therapeutically, cure a disease which was caused by that very same thing?
PURPORT
An
expert physician treats his patient with a therapeutic diet. For
example, milk preparations sometimes cause disorder of the bowels, but
the very same milk converted into curd and mixed with some other
remedial ingredients cures such disorders. Similarly, the threefold
miseries of material existence cannot be mitigated simply by material
activities. Such activities have to be spiritualized, just as by fire
iron is made red-hot, and thereby the action of fire begins. Similarly,
the material conception of a thing is at once changed as soon as it is
put into the service of the Lord. That is the secret of spiritual
success. We should not try to lord it over the material nature, nor
should we reject material things. The best way to make the best use of
a bad bargain is to use everything in relation with the supreme
spiritual being. Everything is an emanation from the Supreme Spirit,
and by His inconceivable power He can convert spirit into matter and
matter into spirit. Therefore a material thing (so-called) is at once
turned into a spiritual force by the great will of the Lord. The
necessary condition for such a change is to employ so-called matter in
the service of the spirit. That is the way to treat our material
diseases and elevate ourselves to the spiritual plane where there is no
misery, no lamentation and no fear. When everything is thus employed in
the service of the Lord, we can experience that there is nothing except
the Supreme Brahman. The Vedic mantra that "everything is Brahman" is
thus realized by us.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.33
āmayo yaś ca bhūtānāṁ jāyate yena suvrata |
tad eva hy āmayaṁ dravyaṁ na punāti cikitsitam ||
“How
can karma, the cause of saṁsāra, destroy the three miseries?” In two
verses, examples are given to show that by different combinations, the
destruction can occur. That ghee or some other substance which causes
disease (āmayaḥ) when infused (cikitsitam) with medicines (dravyam)
does not protect the disease (na punāti), but destroys the disease. The
word na punāti (it does not purify) here means “it does not protect.”
TEXT - SB 1.5.34
evaṁ nṛṇāṁ kriyā-yogāḥ
sarve saṁsṛti-hetavaḥ
ta evātma-vināśāya
kalpante kalpitāḥ pare
SYNONYMS
evam—thus;
nṛṇām—of the human being; kriyā-yogāḥ—all activities; sarve—everything;
saṁsṛti—material existence; hetavaḥ—causes; te—that; eva—certainly;
ātma—the tree of work; vināśāya—killing; kalpante—become competent;
kalpitāḥ—dedicated; pare—unto the Transcendence.
TRANSLATION
Thus
when all a man's activities are dedicated to the service of the Lord,
those very activities which caused his perpetual bondage become the
destroyer of the tree of work.
PURPORT
Fruitive work
which has perpetually engaged the living being is compared to the
banyan tree in the Bhagavad-gītā, for it is certainly very deeply
rooted. As long as the propensity for enjoying the fruit of work is
there, one has to continue the transmigration of the soul from one body
or place to another, according to one's nature of work. The propensity
for enjoyment may be turned into the desire for serving the mission of
the Lord, By doing so, one's activity is changed into karma-yoga, or
the way by which one can attain spiritual perfection while engaging in
the work for which he has a natural tendency. Here the word ātmā
indicates the categories of all fruitive work. The conclusion is that
when the result of all fruitive and other work is dovetailed with the
service of the Lord, it will cease to generate further karma and will
gradually develop into transcendental devotional service, which will
not only cut off completely the root of the banyan tree of work but
will also carry the performer to the lotus feet of the Lord.
The
summary is that one has to, first of all, seek the association of pure
devotees who not only are learned in the Vedānta but are self-realized
souls and unalloyed devotees of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of
Godhead. In that association, the neophyte devotees must render loving
service physically and mentally without reservation. This service
attitude will induce the great souls to be more favorable in bestowing
their mercy, which injects the neophyte with all the transcendental
qualities of the pure devotees. Gradually this is developed into a
strong attachment to hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord,
which makes him able to catch up the constitutional position of the
gross and subtle bodies and beyond them the knowledge of pure soul and
his eternal relation with the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead.
After the relation is ascertained by establishment of the eternal
relation, pure devotional service to the Lord begins gradually
developing into perfect knowledge of the Personality of Godhead beyond
the purview of impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā. By such
puruṣottama-yoga, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, one is made
perfect even during the present corporeal existence, and one exhibits
all the good qualities of the Lord to the highest percentage. Such is
the gradual development by association of pure devotees.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.34
evaṁ nṛṇāṁ kriyā-yogāḥ sarve saṁsṛti-hetavaḥ |
ta evātma-vināśāya kalpante kalpitāḥ pare ||
All
the actions in karma-yoga (kriyā-yogāḥ) - daily duties, duties to
fulfill specific desires, periodic duties, and desireless duties - when
offered to the Supreme Lord become capable of destroying karma
(ātma-vināśāya).
Jiva's tika ||1.5.34||
evam nṛṇām kriyā-yogāḥ sarve samsṛti-hetavaḥ |
ta evātma-vināśāya kalpante kalpitāḥ pare ||
TRANSLATION
In the same way, all types of karma-yoga performed by men, which are
normally causes of continued rebirth in this world, are able to destroy
karma when offered to the Supreme Lord.
Ātmā-vināśāya means destroying types of karma.
TEXT - SB 1.5.35
yad atra kriyate karma
bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam
jñānaṁ yat tad adhīnaṁ hi
bhakti-yoga-samanvitam
SYNONYMS
yat—whatever;
atra—in this life or world; kriyate—does perform; karma—work;
bhagavat—unto the Personality of Godhead; paritoṣaṇam—satisfaction of;
jñānam—knowledge; yat tat—what is so called; adhīnam—dependent;
hi—certainly; bhakti-yoga—devotional; samanvitam—dovetailed with
bhakti-yoga.
TRANSLATION
Whatever work is done here in
this life for the satisfaction of the mission of the Lord is called
bhakti-yoga, or transcendental loving service to the Lord, and what is
called knowledge becomes a concomitant factor.
PURPORT
The
general and popular notion is that by discharging fruitive work in
terms of the direction of the scriptures one becomes perfectly able to
acquire transcendental knowledge for spiritual realization. Bhakti-yoga
is considered by some to be another form of karma. But factually
bhakti-yoga is above both karma and jñāna. Bhakti-yoga is independent
of jñāna or karma; on the other hand, jñāna and karma are dependent on
bhakti-yoga. This kriyā-yoga or karma-yoga, as recommended by Śrī
Nārada to Vyāsa, is specifically recommended because the principle is
to satisfy the Lord. The Lord does not want His sons, the living
beings, to suffer the threefold miseries of life. He desires that all
of them come to Him and live with Him, but going back to Godhead means
that one must purify himself from material infections. When work is
performed, therefore, to satisfy the Lord, the performer becomes
gradually purified from the material affection. This purification means
attainment of spiritual knowledge. Therefore knowledge is dependent on
karma, or work, done on behalf of the Lord. Other knowledge, being
devoid of bhakti-yoga or satisfaction of the Lord, cannot lead one back
to the kingdom of God, which means that it cannot even offer salvation,
as already explained in connection with the stanza naiṣkarmyam apy
acyuta-bhāva-varjitam (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.12). The conclusion is
that a devotee engaged in the unalloyed service of the Lord,
specifically in hearing and chanting of His transcendental glories,
becomes simultaneously spiritually enlightened by the divine grace, as
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.35
yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam |
jñānaṁ yat tad adhīnaṁ hi bhakti-yoga-samanvitam ||
That
karma which is offered to the Lord is a sādhana of jñāna, because it
causes purification to the level of sattva-guṇa. That knowledge
generated from (tad-adhīnam) karma which is without desire and which is
pleasing to the Lord because of being offering to the Lord, is endowed
with bhakti, since jñāna devoid of bhakti will not yield liberation.
Such jñāna is condemned in many places:
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
Knowledge
of self-realization, even though free from all material affinity, does
not look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. SB
1.5.12
Jiva's tika ||1.5.35||
yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam |
jnānam yat tad adhīnam hi bhakti-yoga-samanvitam ||
TRANSLATION
That knowledge which arises from karma, which is pleasing to the Lord
because of being offered to him, is endowed with bhakti.
The
Lord who is very satisfied is highly glorified. Bhakti-yoga refers to
hearing and chanting about the Lord. That bhāgavata knowledge endowed
with bhaktiyoga is dependent on bhakti. That means such knowledge is
the definite result.
TEXT - SB 1.5.36
kurvāṇā yatra karmāṇi
bhagavac-chikṣayāsakṛt
gṛṇanti guṇa-nāmāni
kṛṣṇasyānusmaranti ca
SYNONYMS
kurvāṇāḥ—while
performing; yatra—thereupon; karmāṇi—duties; bhagavat—the Personality
of Godhead; śikṣayā—by the will of; asakṛt—constantly; gṛṇanti—takes
on; guṇa—qualities; nāmāni—names; kṛṣṇasya—of Kṛṣṇa;
anusmaranti—constantly remembers; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
While
performing duties according to the order of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, one constantly remembers Him, His names and His
qualities.
PURPORT
An expert devotee of the Lord can mold
his life in such a way that while performing all kinds of duties either
for this or the next life, he can constantly remember the Lord's name,
fame, qualities, etc. The order of the Lord is distinctly there in the
Bhagavad-gītā: one should work only for the Lord in all spheres of
life. In every sphere of life the Lord should be situated as the
proprietor. According to the Vedic rites, even in the worship of some
demigods like Indra, Brahmā, Sarasvatī and Gaṇeśa, the system is that
in all circumstances the representation of Viṣṇu must be there as
yajñeśvara, or the controlling power of such sacrifices. It is
recommended that a particular demigod be worshiped for a particular
purpose, but still the presence of Viṣṇu is compulsory in order to make
the function proper.
Apart from such Vedic duties, even in our
ordinary dealings (for example, in our household affairs or in our
business or profession) we must consider that the result of all
activities must be given over to the supreme enjoyer, Lord Kṛṣṇa. In
the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord has declared Himself to be the supreme
enjoyer of everything, the supreme proprietor of every planet and the
supreme friend of all beings. No one else but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa can claim
to be the proprietor of everything within His creation. A pure devotee
remembers this constantly, and in doing so he repeats the
transcendental name, fame and qualities of the Lord, which means that
he is constantly in touch with the Lord. The Lord is identical with His
name, fame, etc., and therefore to be associated with His name, fame,
etc., constantly, means actually to associate with the Lord.
The
major portion of our monetary income, not less than fifty percent, must
be spent to carry out the order of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Not only should we give
the profit of our earning to this cause, but we must also arrange to
preach this cult of devotion to others because that is also one of the
orders of the Lord. The Lord definitely says that no one is more dear
to Him than one who is always engaged in the preaching work of the
Lord's name and fame all over the world. The scientific discoveries of
the material world can also be equally engaged in carrying out His
order. He wants the message of the Bhagavad-gītā to be preached amongst
His devotees. It may not be so done amongst those who have no credit of
austerities, charity, education, etc. Therefore, the attempt must go on
to convert unwilling men to become His devotees. Lord Caitanya has
taught a very simple method in this connection. He has taught the
lesson for preaching the transcendental message through singing,
dancing and refreshment. As such, fifty percent of our income may be
spent for this purpose. In this fallen age of quarrel and dissension,
if only the leading and wealthy persons of society agree to spend fifty
percent of their income in the service of the Lord, as it is taught by
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there is absolute certainty of converting
this hell of pandemonium to the transcendental abode of the Lord. No
one will disagree to partake in a function where good singing, dancing
and refreshment are administered. Everyone will attend such a function,
and everyone is sure to feel individually the transcendental presence
of the Lord. This alone will help the attendant associate with the Lord
and thereby purify himself in spiritual realization. The only condition
for successfully executing such spiritual activities is that they must
be conducted under the guidance of a pure devotee who is completely
free from all mundane desires, fruitive activities and dry speculations
about the nature of the Lord. No one has to discover the nature of the
Lord. It is already spoken by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā
especially and in all other Vedic literatures generally. We have simply
to accept them in toto and abide by the orders of the Lord. That will
guide us to the path of perfection. One can remain in his own position.
No one has to change his position, especially in this age of variegated
difficulties. The only condition is that one must give up the habit of
dry speculation aimed at becoming one with the Lord. And after giving
up such lofty puffed-up vanities, one may very submissively receive the
orders of the Lord in the Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavatam from the lips of
a bona fide devotee whose qualification is mentioned above. That will
make everything successful, without a doubt.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.36
kurvāṇā yatra karmāṇī bhagavac-chikṣayāsakṛt |
gṛṇanti guṇa-nāmāni kṛṣṇasyānusmaranti ca ||
It
has just been said that by karma-yoga mixed with bhakti
(bhakti-miśra-karma) one achieves jñāna mixed with bhakti, which aims
at liberation. Now it is said that sometimes, some people, who practice
niṣkāma-karma mixed with bhakti, can develop bhakti mixed with karma
(karma-miśra-bhakti) by association with devotees having
karma-miśra-bhakti.
When persons in karma-yoga perform actions
according to the lord’s instructions, by unexpected association of
devotees, some perform bhakti consisting of chanting and remembering.
The instruction of the Lord is:
yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat |
yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam ||
Whatever
you do, whatever you eat, whatever you sacrifice, whatever you give,
whatever austerity you perform, offer it to Me, O son of Kuntī. BG 9.27
It
is not befitting to explain this teaching of the Lord to be directed to
the karma-yogī since this verse falls in the section on bhakti. The
karma-yogī offers only Vedic karmas to the Lord in order that the
results will come to him. The devotees however, understanding that
their very selves belong only to the Lord, take Vedic, mundane, and
daily duties, which are impelled by the Lord, and offer them all
completely to the Lord. There is a great difference between these two
persons. This is how the Gītā verse is explained by Śrī Rāmānujācārya.
This is indicated by including the phrase “whatever you eat.” Because
of the use of the present tense in the verb kurvāṇāḥ (while doing
karmas according to the Lord’s instructions) and because the main verb
(chanting and remembering) indicates that they simultaneously perform
bhakti, the whole sentence refers to bhakti as the principle action
mixed with karma. By karma-miśra-bhakti one achieves
jñāna-miśra-bhakti. From that one achieves rati for the Lord along with
liberation. This is called śānta-bhakti. This is understood from the
following verse:
ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ
Some
sages who are ātmārāmas, beyond the scriptures, false ego and rules,
also practice unmotivated, pure bhakti to the master of pure bhakti,
Kṛṣṇa, since he possesses qualities attractive to even them. SB 1.7.10
Jiva's tika ||1.5.36||
kurvāṇā yatra karmāṇī bhagavac-chikṣayāsakṛt |
gṛṇanti guṇa-nāmāni kṛṣṇasyānusmaranti ca ||
TRANSLATION
When those engaged in karma continuously perform those activities
according to the instruction of the Lord, they also chant and remember
the qualities and names of Kṛṣṇa.
How is this done? This verse
answers. The Lord teaches this in statements like yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
(BG 9.27). Persons doing activities to please the Lord do them
constantly with natural taste. Examples are Śaunaka and others.
TEXT - SB 1.5.37
oṁ namo bhagavate tubhyaṁ
vāsudevāya dhīmahi
pradyumnāyāniruddhāya
namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca
SYNONYMS
oṁ—the
sign of chanting the transcendental glory of the Lord; namaḥ—offering
obeisances unto the Lord; bhagavate—unto the Personality of Godhead;
tubhyam—unto You; vāsudevāya—unto the Lord, the son of Vasudeva;
dhīmahi—let us chant; pradyumnāya, aniruddhāya and saṅkarṣaṇāya—all
plenary expansions of Vāsudeva; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
Let us all chant the glories of Vāsudeva along with His plenary expansions Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Saṅkarṣaṇa.
PURPORT
According
to Pañcarātra, Nārāyaṇa is the primeval cause of all expansions of
Godhead. These are Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
Vāsudeva and Saṅkarṣaṇa are on the middle left and right, Pradyumna is
on the right of Saṅkarṣaṇa, and Aniruddha is on the left of Vāsudeva,
and thus the four Deities are situated. They are known as the four
aides-de-camp of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
This is a Vedic hymn or mantra
beginning with oṁkāra praṇava, and thus the mantra is established by
the transcendental chanting process, namely, oṁ namo dhīmahi, etc.
The
purport is that any transaction, either in the field of fruitive work
or in empiric philosophy, which is not ultimately aimed at
transcendental realization of the Supreme Lord, is considered to be
useless. Nāradajī has therefore explained the nature of unalloyed
devotional service by his personal experience in the development of
intimacy between the Lord and the living entity by a gradual process of
progressive devotional activities. Such a progressive march of
transcendental devotion for the Lord culminates in the attainment of
loving service of the Lord, which is called premā in different
transcendental variegatedness called rasas (tastes). Such devotional
service is also executed in mixed forms, namely mixed with fruitive
work or empiric philosophical speculations.
Now the question
which was raised by the great ṛṣis headed by Śaunaka regarding the
confidential part of Sūta's achievement through the spiritual masters
is explained herein by the chanting of this hymn consisting of
thirty-three letters. And this mantra is addressed to the four Deities,
or the Lord with His plenary expansions. The central figure is Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa because the plenary portions are His aides-de-camp. The most
confidential part of the instruction is that one should always chant
and remember the glories of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, along with His different plenary portions expanded as
Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Those expansions are the
original Deities for all other truths, namely either viṣṇu-tattva or
śakti-tattvas.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.37
oṁ namo bhagavate tubhyaṁ vāsudevāya dhīmahi |
pradyumnāyāniruddhāya namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca ||
It
has been explained that both jñāna and karma without bhakti are
condemned completely (SB 1.5.12). It has also been said in three verses
(SB 1.5.17-19) that pure bhakti beyond the guṇas is the supreme
process. The whole process from the first appearance of pure bhakti to
its increase up to prema has also been described in six verses (SB
1.5.23-28). Then according to qualification, bhakti-miśra-jñāna was
permitted (SB 1.5.35), and karma-miśra-bhakti was mentioned as superior
to that (SB 1.5.36). Now in two verses, desiring to teach his personal
mantra received from the gurus, Nārada first creates faith in those
mantras. This is according to the statement brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya
guravo guhyam apy uta: the gurus should speak the secret to the
disciple who has affection for the gurus. (SB 1.1.8)
This mantra
has thirty-three syllables. Its devatā is bhagavān, who consists of
four forms. By placing the members out of order, one can understand
that this is a listing of the members of Kṛṣna’s caturvyūha rather than
the one in Vaikuṇṭha (Kṛsṇa, Balarāma and Kṛsṇa’s son and grandson),
with his son Pradyumna and his grandson Aniruddha placed next to
Vāsudeva (Krṣna) Or this the order of persons mentioned in the mantra
can be taken as a statement of creation (Pradyumna), maintenance
(Aniruddha) and destruction (Saṅkarṣaṇa). Let us meditate upon offering
respects (namo dhīmahi). This means let us offer respects in the mind.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.37||
om namo bhagavate tubhyam vāsudevāya dhīmahi |
pradyumnāyāniruddhāya namaḥ sankarṣaṇāya ca ||
TRANSLATION
I offer respects to you, Bhagavān Kṛsṇa. Let us respect Vāsudeva,
Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Saṇkarṣaṇa (Balarāma) in our minds.
He
teaches a mantra he obtained in this life from Nārāyaṇa, the speaker of
Pancarātra, starting with om. The devatā of the mantra is Bhagavān with
four forms. Vāsudeva and Sankarṣaṇa are in the middle to the left and
right sides. Pradyumna is to the right of Sankarṣaṇa. Aniruddha is to
the left of Vāsudeva. In the verse the order is opposite (with
Sankarṣaṇa coming last) to show how they surround Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa’s son
and grandson, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are placed close (to Vāsudeva).
TEXT - SB 1.5.38
iti mūrty-abhidhānena
mantra-mūrtim amūrtikam
yajate yajña-puruṣaṁ
sa samyag darśanaḥ pumān
SYNONYMS
iti—thus;
mūrti—representation; abhidhānena—in sound; mantra-mūrtim—form
representation of transcendental sound; amūrtikam—the Lord, who has no
material form; yajate—worship; yajña—Viṣṇu; puruṣam—the Personality of
Godhead; saḥ—he alone; samyak—perfectly; darśanaḥ—one who has seen;
pumān—person.
TRANSLATION
Thus he is the actual seer who
worships, in the form of transcendental sound representation, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who has no material form.
PURPORT
Our
present senses are all made of material elements, and therefore they
are imperfect in realizing the transcendental form of Lord Viṣṇu. He is
therefore worshiped by sound representation via the transcendental
method of chanting. Anything which is beyond the scope of experience by
our imperfect senses can be realized fully by the sound representation.
A person transmitting sound from a far distant place can be factually
experienced. If this is materially possible, why not spiritually? This
experience is not a vague impersonal experience. It is actually an
experience of the transcendental Personality of Godhead, who possesses
the pure form of eternity, bliss and knowledge.
In the Amarakośa
Sanskrit dictionary the word mūrti carries import in twofold meanings,
namely, form and difficulty. Therefore amūrtikam is explained by Ācārya
Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura as meaning "without difficulty." The
transcendental form of eternal bliss and knowledge can be experienced
by our original spiritual senses, which can be revived by chanting of
the holy mantras, or transcendental sound representations. Such sound
should be received from the transparent agency of the bona fide
spiritual master, and the chanting may be practiced by the direction of
the spiritual master. That will gradually lead us nearer to the Lord.
This method of worship is recommended in the pāñcarātrika system, which
is both recognized and authorized. The pāñcarātrika system has the most
authorized codes for transcendental devotional service. Without the
help of such codes, one cannot approach the Lord, certainly not by dry
philosophical speculation. The pāñcarātrika system is both practical
and suitable for this age of quarrel. The Pañcarātra is more important
than the Vedānta for this modern age.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.38
iti mūrty-abhidhānena mantra-mūrtim amūrtikam |
yajate yajña-puruṣaṁ sa samyag darśanaḥ pumān ||
One
worships using the four names indicating the four forms starting with
Vāsudeva. One should worship the Lord, who is the subject of the
dhyāna-mantra (mantra-mūrtim),with the sixteen items of worship while
uttering vāsudevāya namaḥ etc. according to the rules of Pañcarātra. By
chanting the mantra, the deity makes his appearance. Or mantra-mūrti
can mean the deity whose body is the mantra. That Lord does not have a
material form (amūrtikam). Amūrtikam can also mean that the Lord who is
not hard, but rather soft with mercy. Amara-kosa says mūrtiḥ
kāṭhinya-kāyayor: mūrti means hard and body. Yajña-puruṣam means “the
Lord who should be worshipped.” He is pleasant to behold
(samyag-darśanaḥ). This means that when others see that worshipper,
they become successful. Or darśanaḥ can mean knowledge. One who
worships the lord has complete knowledge. Or darśanaḥ can mean “by
which something is seen.” That means scripture which denotes bhakti,
such as the Pañcarātra, which is most wholesome (samyak), because it is
satisfying to the soul. One who worships the Lord possesses the
complete scriptural conclusion. This does not refer to scriptures
devoid of bhakti, which are not wholesome but deficient.
bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ yaśo bhagavato ’malam |
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṁ khilam ||
You
have not sufficiently described the glories of the spotless Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Because your mind could never be satisfied with Vedānta, I think that
writing the Vedānta-sūtras is insufficient. SB 1.5.8
This means
“Though you wrote the Vedānta-darśana, your mind is not satisfied
completely, but I became fully satisfied in mind by writing the
Pañcarātra.”
Jiva's tika ||1.5.38||
iti mūrty-abhidhānena mantra-mūrtim amūrtikam |
yajate yajna-puruṣam sa samyag darśanaḥ pumān ||
TRANSLATION
Using this mantra indicating the four forms, one worships the deity who
is the subject of the dhyāna-mantra, the Lord contemplated during
worship. That person is worthy of being seen.
One worships the
Lord, the form described in the mantra (mantra-mūrtim), a form devoid
of matter (amūrtikam). The form to be contemplated during worship
(yajna-puruṣam), who is seen directly (darśanaḥ pumān). He is not like
Brahman, which is not seen.
TEXT - SB 1.5.39
imaṁ sva-nigamaṁ brahmann
avetya mad-anuṣṭhitam
adān me jñānam aiśvaryaṁ
svasmin bhāvaṁ ca keśavaḥ
SYNONYMS
imam—thus;
sva-nigamam—confidential knowledge of the Vedas in respect to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; brahman—O brāhmaṇa (Vyāsadeva);
avetya—knowing it well; mat—by me; anuṣṭhitam—executed; adāt—bestowed
upon me; me—me; jñānam—transcendental knowledge; aiśvaryam—opulence;
svasmin—personal; bhāvam—intimate affection and love; ca—and;
keśavaḥ—Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
O brāhmaṇa, thus by the
Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa I was endowed first with the transcendental
knowledge of the Lord as inculcated in the confidential parts of the
Vedas, then with the spiritual opulences, and then with His intimate
loving service.
PURPORT
Communion with the Lord by
transmission of the transcendental sound is nondifferent from the whole
spirit Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is a completely perfect method for
approaching the Lord. By such pure contact with the Lord, without
offense of material conceptions (numbering ten), the devotee can rise
above the material plane to understand the inner meaning of the Vedic
literatures, including the Lord's existence in the transcendental
realm. The Lord reveals His identity gradually to one who has
unflinching faith, both in the spiritual master and in the Lord. After
this, the devotee is endowed with mystic opulences, which are eight in
number. And above all, the devotee is accepted in the confidential
entourage of the Lord and is entrusted with specific service of the
Lord through the agency of the spiritual master. A pure devotee is more
interested in serving the Lord than in showing an exhibition of the
mystic powers dormant in him. Śrī Nārada has explained all these from
his personal experience, and one can obtain all the facilities which
Śrī Nārada obtained by perfecting the chanting process of the sound
representation of the Lord. There is no bar for chanting this
transcendental sound by anyone, provided it is received through
Nārada's representative, coming down by the chain of disciplic
succession, or the paramparā system.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.39
imaṁ sva-nigamaṁ brahmann avetya mad-anuṣṭhitam |
adān me jñānam aiśvaryaṁ svasmin bhāvaṁ ca keśavaḥ ||
Sva-nigamam
(nigama—going within) means instructions given by the Lord, given in
his own confidential version of the Vedas (Pañcarātra). First the Lord
gave realization of Himself (jñānam). Then he gave powers, such as
aṇima and other siddhis. Then knowing that I was unattached to those
powers, the Lord gave me great prema for him (svasmin bhāvam adāt). The
intelligent persons can understand that then Vyāsa prayed to Nārada,
“Please teach me this mantra” and then learned this same mantra.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.39||
imam sva-nigamam brahmann avetya mad-anuṣṭhitam |
adān me jnānam aiśvaryam svasmin bhāvam ca keśavaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
O brāhmana! The Lord, knowing that I had undertaken the highest
instructions given by him, gave me realization of himself, then
powerful siddhis, and finally prema for him.
He knew I had
undertaken instructions which were his confidential supreme knowledge
(sva-nigamam). First he gave me realization of himself (jnānam), then
powers aṇima (aiśvaryam), then prema to him (bhāvam) since he was
unattached to those two.
TEXT - SB 1.5.40
tvam apy adabhra-śruta viśrutaṁ vibhoḥ
samāpyate yena vidāṁ bubhutsitam
prākhyāhi duḥkhair muhur arditātmanāṁ
saṅkleśa-nirvāṇam uśanti nānyathā
SYNONYMS
tvam—your
good soul; api—also; adabhra—vast; śruta—Vedic literatures;
viśrutam—have heard also; vibhoḥ—of the Almighty; samāpyate—satisfied;
yena—by which; vidām—of the learned; bubhutsitam—who always desire to
learn transcendental knowledge; prākhyāhi—describe; duḥkhaiḥ—by
miseries; muhuḥ—always; ardita-ātmanām—suffering mass of people;
saṅkleśa—sufferings; nirvāṇam—mitigation; uśanti na—do not get out of;
anyathā—by other means.
TRANSLATION
Please, therefore,
describe the Almighty Lord's activities which you have learned by your
vast knowledge of the Vedas, for that will satisfy the hankerings of
great learned men and at the same time mitigate the miseries of the
masses of common people who are always suffering from material pangs.
Indeed, there is no other way to get out of such miseries.
PURPORT
Śrī
Nārada Muni from practical experience definitely asserts that the prime
solution of all problems of material work is to broadcast very widely
the transcendental glories of the Supreme Lord. There are four classes
of good men, and there are four classes of bad men also. The four
classes of good men acknowledge the authority of the Almighty God, and
therefore such good men (1) when they are in difficulty, (2) when they
are in need of money, (3) when they are advanced in knowledge and (4)
when they are inquisitive to know more and more about God, intuitively
take shelter of the Lord. As such, Nāradajī advises Vyāsadeva to
broadcast the transcendental knowledge of God in terms of the vast
Vedic knowledge which he had already attained.
As far as the bad
men are concerned, they are also four in number: (1) those who are
simply addicted to the mode of progressive fruitive work and thus are
subjected to the accompanying miseries, (2) those who are simply
addicted to vicious work for sense satisfaction and so suffer the
consequence, (3) those who are materially very much advanced in
knowledge, but who suffer because they do not have the sense to
acknowledge the authority of the Almighty Lord, and (4) the class of
men who are known as atheists and who therefore purposely hate the very
name of God, although they are always in difficulty.
Śrī
Nāradajī advised Vyāsadeva to describe the glories of the Lord just to
do good to all eight classes of men, both good and bad.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is therefore not meant for any particular class of
men or sect. It is for the sincere soul who actually wants his own
welfare and peace of mind.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.5.40
tvam apy adabhra-śruta viśrutaṁ vibhoḥ
samāpyate yena vidāṁ bubhutsitam |
prākhyāhi duḥkhair muhur arditātmanāṁ
saṅkleśa-nirvāṇam uśanti nānyathā ||
O
knower of many scriptures (adabhra-śruta)! O omniscient one! Please
relate the glories (viśrutam) of the Lord. By understanding them, the
desire of the knowers who want to know will be satisfied. This means
that those who become devoted solely to these confidential scriptures
which have the sweet taste of the lord’s glories will not have a desire
for jñāna. Those with intelligence do not consider that the calamity of
the jīvas afflicted by suffering can be removed by any other means.
Jiva's tika ||1.5.40||
tvam apy adabhra-śruta viśrutam vibhoḥ samāpyate yena vidām bubhutsitam |
prākhyāhi duḥkhair muhur arditātmanām sankleśa-nirvāṇam uśanti nānyathā ||
O
omniscient Vyāsa! Explain the glories of Kṛṣṇa, by which the curiosity
of persons already having so much knowledge will be satisfied. The wise
do not consider that there is any other way to destroy the afflictions
of the jīvas tormented by suffering.
Since all I attained was
caused by hearing about the Lord’s qualities and hearing about the Lord
is the highest result of all activities like austerity etc. you should
explain the Lord’s glories.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta
purports of the First Canto, Fifth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
entitled "Nārada's Instructions on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for Vyāsadeva."
6. Conversation Between Nārada and Vyāsadeva
verses:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38
TEXT - SB 1.6.1
sūta uvāca
evaṁ niśamya bhagavān
devarṣer janma karma ca
bhūyaḥ papraccha taṁ brahman
vyāsaḥ satyavatī-sutaḥ
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Sūta said; evam—thus; niśamya—hearing; bhagavān—the powerful
incarnation of God; devarṣeḥ—of the great sage among the gods;
janma—birth; karma—work; ca—and; bhūyaḥ—again; papraccha—asked;
tam—him; brahman—O brāhmaṇas; vyāsaḥ—Vyāsadeva; satyavatī-sutaḥ—the son
of Satyavatī.
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: O brāhmaṇas, thus
hearing all about Śrī Nārada's birth and activities, Vyāsadeva, the
incarnation of God and son of Satyavatī, inquired as follows.
PURPORT
Vyāsadeva
was further inquisitive to know about the perfection of Nāradajī, and
therefore he wanted to know about him more and more. In this chapter
Nāradajī will describe how he was able to have a brief audience with
the Lord while he was absorbed in the transcendental thought of
separation from the Lord and when it was very painful for him.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.1
In
the sixth chapter, Nārada describes how he went to the forest to see
the Lord and hearing his words, later received a spiritual body.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.1||
sūta uvāca— evam niśamya bhagavān devarṣer janma karma ca |
bhūyaḥ papraccha tam brahman vyāsaḥ satyavatī-sutaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: O brāhmaṇa Śaunaka! The powerful Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī,
after hearing about Nārada’s birth and activities, again asked him
questions.
Sūta again asks to get detailed knowledge.
TEXT - SB 1.6.2
vyāsa uvāca
bhikṣubhir vipravasite
vijñānādeṣṭṛbhis tava
vartamāno vayasy ādye
tataḥ kim akarod bhavān
SYNONYMS
vyāsaḥ
uvāca—Śrī Vyāsadeva said; bhikṣubhiḥ—by the great mendicants;
vipravasite—having departed for other places; vijñāna—scientific
knowledge in transcendence; ādeṣṭṛbhiḥ—those who had instructed;
tava—of your; vartamānaḥ—present; vayasi—of the duration of life;
ādye—before the beginning of; tataḥ—after that; kim—what; akarot—did;
bhavān—your good self.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Vyāsadeva said:
What did you [Nārada] do after the departure of the great sages who had
instructed you in scientific transcendental knowledge before the
beginning of your present birth?
PURPORT
Vyāsadeva
himself was the disciple of Nāradajī, and therefore it was natural to
be anxious to hear what Nārada did after initiation from the spiritual
masters. He wanted to follow in Nārada's footsteps in order to attain
to the same perfect stage of life. This desire to inquire from the
spiritual master is an essential factor to the progressive path. This
process is technically known as sad-dharma-pṛcchā.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.2
Vipravasite means “departing from there.” Lack of samprasāraṇa (viproṣite) is poetic license.
Since I am your disciple, I desire to know. Therefore I am asking
Jiva's tika ||1.6.2||
vyāsa uvāca— bhikṣubhir vipravasite vijnānādeṣṭṛbhis tava |
vartamāno vayasy ādye tataḥ kim akarod bhavān ||
TRANSLATION Vyāsa said: When the mendicants who had taught you that knowledge departed, being of young age, what did you do?
When the mendicants departed in a special manner (vipravāse), what did you do?
TEXT - SB 1.6.3
svāyambhuva kayā vṛttyā
vartitaṁ te paraṁ vayaḥ
kathaṁ cedam udasrākṣīḥ
kāle prāpte kalevaram
SYNONYMS
svāyambhuva—O
son of Brahmā; kayā—under what condition; vṛttyā—occupation;
vartitam—was spent; te—you; param—after the initiation; vayaḥ—duration
of life; katham—how; ca—and; idam—this; udasrākṣīḥ—did you quit;
kāle—in due course; prāpte—having attained; kalevaram—body.
TRANSLATION
O
son of Brahmā, how did you pass your life after initiation, and how did
you attain this body, having quit your old one in due course?
PURPORT
Śrī
Nārada Muni in his previous life was just an ordinary maidservant's
son, so how he became so perfectly transformed into the spiritual body
of eternal life, bliss and knowledge is certainly important. Śrī
Vyāsadeva desired him to disclose the facts for everyone's satisfaction.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.3
Son
of Brahmā! How did you spend the rest of your life? In what manner did
you give up that body as the son of the maidservant at the time of
death?
Idam kalevaram (this body) refers to the body born from the maidservant. How did you give up that body?
Jiva's tika ||1.6.3|| svāyambhuva kayā vṛttyā vartitam te param vayaḥ |
katham cedam udasrākṣīḥ kāle prāpte kalevaram ||
TRANSLATION
Son of Brahmā! How did you spend the rest of your life? In what manner
did you give up that body as the son of the maidservant at the time of
death?
In what manner did you give up the body you were possessing at that time (idam)?
TEXT - SB 1.6.4
prāk-kalpa-viṣayām etāṁ
smṛtiṁ te muni-sattama
na hy eṣa vyavadhāt kāla
eṣa sarva-nirākṛtiḥ
SYNONYMS
prāk—prior;
kalpa—the duration of Brahmā's day; viṣayām—subject matter; etām—all
these; smṛtim—remembrance; te—your; muni-sattama—O great sage; na—not;
hi—certainly; eṣaḥ—all these; vyavadhāt—made any difference;
kālaḥ—course of time; eṣaḥ—all these; sarva—all; nirākṛtiḥ—annihilation.
TRANSLATION
O
great sage, time annihilates everything in due course, so how is it
that this subject matter, which happened prior to this day of Brahmā,
is still fresh in your memory, undisturbed by time?
PURPORT
As
spirit is not annihilated even after the annihilation of the material
body, so also spiritual consciousness is not annihilated. Śrī Nārada
developed this spiritual consciousness even when he had his material
body in the previous kalpa. Consciousness of the material body means
spiritual consciousness expressed through the medium of a material
body. This consciousness is inferior, destructible and perverted. But
superconsciousness of the supramind in the spiritual plane is as good
as the spirit soul and is never annihilated.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.4
Na
vyavadhāta means “did not separate” but the implication is “time did
not separate your from the memory, and did not destroy the memory.”
Vyavadhāt without the augment “a” (vyavādhāt) is poetic license.
Nirākṛtiḥ means destruction.
TEXT - SB 1.6.5
nārada uvāca
bhikṣubhir vipravasite
vijñānādeṣṭṛbhir mama
vartamāno vayasy ādye
tata etad akāraṣam
SYNONYMS
nāradaḥ
uvāca—Śrī Nārada said; bhikṣubhiḥ—by the great sages;
vipravasite—having departed for other places; vijñāna—scientific
spiritual knowledge; ādeṣṭṛbhiḥ—those who imparted unto me; mama—mine;
vartamānaḥ—present; vayasi ādye—before this life; tataḥ—thereafter;
etat—this much; akāraṣam—performed.
TRANSLATION
Śrī
Nārada said: The great sages, who had imparted scientific knowledge of
transcendence to me, departed for other places, and I had to pass my
life in this way.
PURPORT
In his previous life, when
Nāradajī was impregnated with spiritual knowledge by the grace of the
great sages, there was a tangible change in his life, although he was
only a boy of five years. That is an important symptom visible after
initiation by the bona fide spiritual master. Actual association of
devotees brings about a quick change in life for spiritual realization.
How it so acted upon the previous life of Śrī Nārada Muni is described
by and by in this chapter.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.5
The
verb form akāraṣam instead of akārṣam is for meter. It is said
mūrdha-rephāri-kalpyante chando-bhaṅga-bhayād iha: for fear of
disrupting the meter, cerebral consonants and “r” are separated.
TEXT - SB 1.6.6
ekātmajā me jananī
yoṣin mūḍhā ca kiṅkarī
mayy ātmaje 'nanya-gatau
cakre snehānubandhanam
SYNONYMS
eka-ātmajā—having
only one son; me—my; jananī—mother; yoṣit—woman by class;
mūḍhā—foolish; ca—and; kiṅkarī—maidservant; mayi—unto me; ātmaje—being
her offspring; ananya-gatau—one who has no alternative for protection;
cakre—did it; sneha-anubandhanam—tied by affectionate bondage.
TRANSLATION
I
was the only son of my mother, who was not only a simple woman but a
maidservant as well. Since I was her only offspring, she had no other
alternative for protection: she bound me with the tie of affection.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.6
She had only one son - myself (ekātmajā).
TEXT - SB 1.6.7
sāsvatantrā na kalpāsīd
yoga-kṣemaṁ mamecchatī
īśasya hi vaśe loko
yoṣā dārumayī yathā
SYNONYMS
sā—she;
asvatantrā—was dependent; na—not; kalpā—able; āsīt—was;
yoga-kṣemam—maintenance; mama—my; icchatī—although desirous; īśasya—of
providence; hi—for; vaśe—under the control of; lokaḥ—everyone;
yoṣā—doll; dāru-mayī—made of wood; yathā—as much as.
TRANSLATION
She
wanted to look after my maintenance properly, but because she was not
independent, she was not able to do anything for me. The world is under
the full control of the Supreme Lord; therefore everyone is like a
wooden doll in the hands of a puppet master.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.7
Because she was dependent on others, she could not (na kalpā) protect me.
TEXT - SB 1.6.8
ahaṁ ca tad-brahma-kule
ūṣivāṁs tad-upekṣayā
dig-deśa-kālāvyutpanno
bālakaḥ pañca-hāyanaḥ
SYNONYMS
aham—I;
ca—also; tat—that; brahma-kule—in the school of the brāhmaṇas;
ūṣivān—lived; tat—her; upekṣayā—being dependent on; dik-deśa—direction
and country; kāla—time; avyutpannaḥ—having no experience; bālakaḥ—a
mere child; pañca—five; hāyanaḥ—years old.
TRANSLATION
When
I was a mere child of five years, I lived in a brāhmaṇa school. I was
dependent on my mother's affection and had no experience of different
lands.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.8
Tad-apekṣayā means “with the expectation that she would not give me up.”
TEXT - SB 1.6.9
ekadā nirgatāṁ gehād
duhantīṁ niśi gāṁ pathi
sarpo 'daśat padā spṛṣṭaḥ
kṛpaṇāṁ kāla-coditaḥ
SYNONYMS
ekadā—once
upon a time; nirgatām—having gone away; gehāt—from home; duhantīm—for
milking; niśi—at night; gām—the cow; pathi—on the path; sarpaḥ—snake;
adaśat—bitten; padā—on the leg; spṛṣṭaḥ—thus struck; kṛpaṇām—the poor
woman; kāla-coditaḥ—influenced by supreme time.
TRANSLATION
Once
upon a time, my poor mother, when going out one night to milk a cow,
was bitten on the leg by a serpent, influenced by supreme time.
PURPORT
That
is the way of dragging a sincere soul nearer to God. The poor boy was
being looked after only by his affectionate mother, and yet the mother
was taken from the world by the supreme will in order to put him
completely at the mercy of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.9
Duhantīm means “to milk.”
TEXT - SB 1.6.10
tadā tad aham īśasya
bhaktānāṁ śam abhīpsataḥ
anugrahaṁ manyamānaḥ
prātiṣṭhaṁ diśam uttarām
SYNONYMS
tadā—at
that time; tat—that; aham—I; īśasya—of the Lord; bhaktānām—of the
devotees; śam—mercy; abhīpsataḥ—desiring; anugraham—special
benediction; manyamānaḥ—thinking in that way; prātiṣṭham—departed;
diśam uttarām—in the northern direction.
TRANSLATION
I
took this as the special mercy of the Lord, who always desires
benediction for His devotees, and so thinking, I started for the north.
PURPORT
Confidential
devotees of the Lord see in every step a benedictory direction of the
Lord. What is considered to be an odd or difficult moment in the
mundane sense is accepted as special mercy of the Lord. Mundane
prosperity is a kind of material fever, and by the grace of the Lord
the temperature of this material fever is gradually diminished, and
spiritual health is obtained step by step. Mundane people misunderstand
it.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.10
Considering
the death of my mother (tat) as the mercy of the Lord, I departed
(prātiṣṭham) to the north. He did so without performing her funeral
rites. Use of parasmaipadam verb is poetic license.
TEXT - SB 1.6.11
sphītāñ janapadāṁs tatra
pura-grāma-vrajākarān
kheṭa-kharvaṭa-vāṭīś ca
vanāny upavanāni ca
SYNONYMS
sphītān—very
flourishing; jana-padān—metropolises; tatra—there; pura—towns;
grāma—villages; vraja—big farms; ākarān—mineral fields (mines);
kheṭa—agricultural lands; kharvaṭa—valleys; vāṭīḥ—flower gardens;
ca—and; vanāni—forests; upavanāni—nursery gardens; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
After
my departure, I passed through many flourishing metropolises, towns,
villages, animal farms, mines, agricultural lands, valleys, flower
gardens, nursery gardens and natural forests.
PURPORT
Man's
activities in agriculture, mining, farming, industries, gardening,
etc., were all on the same scale as they are now, even previous to the
present creation, and the same activities will remain as they are, even
in the next creation. After many hundreds of millions of years, one
creation is started by the law of nature, and the history of the
universe repeats itself practically in the same way. The mundane
wranglers waste time with archaeological excavations without searching
into the vital necessities of life. After getting an impetus in
spiritual life, Śrī Nārada Muni, even though a mere child, did not
waste time for a single moment with economic development, although he
passed towns and villages, mines and industries. He continually went on
to progressive spiritual emancipation. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the
repetition of history which happened some hundreds of millions of years
ago. As it is said herein, only the most important factors of history
are picked up to be recorded in this transcendental literature.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.11
Four
verses are connected together with the following general structure;
leaving behind the inhabited areas, I continued walking, and saw a
large forest. Pura means capital cities. According to Bhṛgu:
viprāś ca vipra-bhṛtyāś ca yatra caiva vasanti te |
sa tu grāma iti proktaḥ śūdrāṇāṁ vāsa eva ca ||
That place where brāhmaṇas and their servants live is called grāma. It also refers to a living place of śūdras.
Vraja
means cow sheds. Ākarān means mines, from which jewels are dug. Kheta
means farming village. Kharvaṭa means villages on the sides of
mountains. Or Bhṛgu says:
ekato yatra tu grāmo nagaraṁ caikataḥ sthitam |
miśraṁ tu kharvaṭaṁ nāma nadī-giri-samāśrayam ||
When villages and towns situated on rivers or mountains become mixed together as one it is called kharvaṭa.
Vāṭīḥ
means gardens of flowers and betel. Vanāni refers to groups of trees
growing together by themselves. Upavanāni refers to groups of trees
which were planted.
TEXT - SB 1.6.12
citra-dhātu-vicitrādrīn
ibha-bhagna-bhuja-drumān
jalāśayāñ chiva-jalān
nalinīḥ sura-sevitāḥ
citra-svanaiḥ patra-rathair
vibhramad bhramara-śriyaḥ
SYNONYMS
citra-dhātu—valuable
minerals like gold, silver and copper; vicitra—full of variegatedness;
adrīn—hills and mountains; ibha-bhagna—broken by the giant elephants;
bhuja—branches; drumān—trees; jalāśayān śiva—health-giving;
jalān—reservoirs of water; nalinīḥ—lotus flowers; sura-sevitāḥ—aspired
to by the denizens of heaven; citra-svanaiḥ—pleasing to the heart;
patra-rathaiḥ—by the birds; vibhramat—bewildering;
bhramara-śriyaḥ—decorated by drones.
TRANSLATION
I passed
through hills and mountains full of reservoirs of various minerals like
gold, silver and copper, and through tracts of land with reservoirs of
water filled with beautiful lotus flowers, fit for the denizens of
heaven, decorated with bewildered bees and singing birds.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.12
citra-dhātu-vicitrādrīn ibha-bhagna-bhuja-drumān
jalāśayāñ chiva-jalān nalinīḥ sura-sevitāḥ
citra-svanaiḥ patra-rathair vibhramad bhramara-śriyaḥ
nala-veṇu-śara-stamba-kuśa-kīcaka-gahvaram
eka evātiyāto ’ham adrākṣaṁ vipinaṁ mahat
ghoraṁ pratibhayākāraṁ vyālolūka-śivājiram
There
were mountains resplendent with silver and gold and trees whose
branches were broken by elephants. There were ponds with auspicious
water and lakes (naliṇīḥ). What type of lakes were they? The lakes were
beautified with bees wandering here and there roused by the sounds of
birds (patra-rathaiḥ). The grammatical sense of these verses is
“Passing all these towns and lakes, I saw a dense forest.” Stamba means
clumps of grass. Amara-koṣa explains veṇavaḥ kīcakās te sūrye svananty
aniloddhatā: kīcaka is hollow bamboo which makes noise when blown by
the wind. Ghoram means repulsive because of its fearsome form. It was
the playground (ajīram) of snakes, owls and jackals. I did not have
surprise or fear in seeing those surprising and fearsome things,
because my mind was absorbed in tasting the sweetness of the Lord at
that time.
TEXT - SB 1.6.13
nala-veṇu-śaras-tanba-
kuśa-kīcaka-gahvaram
eka evātiyāto 'ham
adrākṣaṁ vipinaṁ mahat
ghoraṁ pratibhayākāraṁ
vyālolūka-śivājiram
SYNONYMS
nala—pipes;
veṇu—bamboo; śaraḥ—pens; tanba—full of; kuśa—sharp grass; kīcaka—weeds;
gahvaram—caves; ekaḥ—alone; eva—only; atiyātaḥ—difficult to go through;
aham—I; adrākṣam—visited; vipinam—deep forests; mahat—great;
ghoram—fearful; pratibhaya-ākāram—dangerously; vyāla—snakes;
ulūka—owls; śiva—jackals; ajiram—playgrounds.
TRANSLATION
I
then passed alone through many forests of rushes, bamboo, reeds, sharp
grass, weeds and caves, which were very difficult to go through alone.
I visited deep, dark and dangerously fearful forests, which were the
play yards of snakes, owls and jackals.
PURPORT
It is the
duty of a mendicant (parivrājakācārya) to experience all varieties of
God's creation by traveling alone through all forests, hills, towns,
villages, etc., to gain faith in God and strength of mind as well as to
enlighten the inhabitants with the message of God. A sannyāsī is
duty-bound to take all these risks without fear, and the most typical
sannyāsī of the present age is Lord Caitanya, who traveled in the same
manner through the central Indian jungles, enlightening even the
tigers, bears, snakes, deer, elephants and many other jungle animals.
In this age of Kali, sannyāsa is forbidden for ordinary men. One who
changes his dress to make propaganda is a different man from the
original ideal sannyāsī. One should, however, take the vow to stop
social intercourse completely and devote life exclusively to the
service of the Lord. The change of dress is only a formality. Lord
Caitanya did not accept the name of a sannyāsī, and in this age of Kali
the so-called sannyāsīs should not change their former names, following
in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya. In this age, devotional service of
hearing and repeating the holy glories of the Lord is strongly
recommended, and one who takes the vow of renunciation of family life
need not imitate the parivrājakācārya like Nārada or Lord Caitanya, but
may sit down at some holy place and devote his whole time and energy to
hear and repeatedly chant the holy scriptures left by the great ācāryas
like the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana.
TEXT - SB 1.6.14
pariśrāntendriyātmāhaṁ
tṛṭ-parīto bubhukṣitaḥ
snātvā pītvā hrade nadyā
upaspṛṣṭo gata-śramaḥ
SYNONYMS
pariśrānta—being
tired; indriya—bodily; ātmā—mentally; aham—I; tṛṭ-parītaḥ—being
thirsty; bubhukṣitaḥ—and hungry; snātvā—taking a bath; pītvā—and
drinking water also; hrade—in the lake; nadyāḥ—of a river;
upaspṛṣṭaḥ—being in contact with; gata—got relief from;
śramaḥ—tiredness.
TRANSLATION
Thus traveling, I felt
tired, both bodily and mentally, and I was both thirsty and hungry. So
I took a bath in a river lake and also drank water. By contacting
water, I got relief from my exhaustion.
PURPORT
A
traveling mendicant can meet the needs of body, namely thirst and
hunger, by the gifts of nature without being a beggar at the doors of
the householders. The mendicant therefore does not go to the house of a
householder to beg but to enlighten him spiritually.
TEXT - SB 1.6.15
tasmin nirmanuje 'raṇye
pippalopastha āśritaḥ
ātmanātmānam ātmasthaṁ
yathā-śrutam acintayam
SYNONYMS
tasmin—in
that; nirmanuje—without human habitation; araṇye—in the forest;
pippala—banyan tree; upasthe—sitting under it; āśritaḥ—taking shelter
of; ātmanā—by intelligence; ātmānam—the Supersoul; ātma-stham—situated
within myself; yathā-śrutam—as I had heard it from the liberated souls;
acintayam—thought over.
TRANSLATION
After that, under the
shadow of a banyan tree in an uninhabited forest I began to meditate
upon the Supersoul situated within, using my intelligence, as I had
learned from liberated souls.
PURPORT
One should not
meditate according to one's personal whims. One should know perfectly
well from the authoritative sources of scriptures through the
transparent medium of a bona fide spiritual master and by proper use of
one's trained intelligence for meditating upon the Supersoul dwelling
within every living being. This consciousness is firmly developed by a
devotee who has rendered loving service unto the Lord by carrying out
the orders of the spiritual master. Śrī Nāradajī contacted bona fide
spiritual masters, served them sincerely and got enlightenment rightly.
Thus he began to meditate.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.15
Sitting
(āśritaḥ) at the base of an aśvattha tree (pippalopasthe), in the
manner I had heard from the mendicants (yathā śrutam), not surpassing
the meditation using the mantra given, using my intelligence (ātmanā),
I contemplated Paramātmā (ātmānam) who was situated in my mind, and who
resided there permanently because I had developed prema.
TEXT - SB 1.6.16
dhyāyataś caraṇāmbhojaṁ
bhāva-nirjita-cetasā
autkaṇṭhyāśru-kalākṣasya
hṛdy āsīn me śanair hariḥ
SYNONYMS
dhyāyataḥ—thus
meditating upon; caraṇa-ambhojam—the lotus feet of the localized
Personality of Godhead; bhāva-nirjita—mind transformed in
transcendental love for the Lord; cetasā—all mental activities
(thinking, feeling and willing); autkaṇṭhya—eagerness; aśru-kala—tears
rolled down; akṣasya—of the eyes; hṛdi—within my heart; āsīt—appeared;
me—my; śanaiḥ—without delay; hariḥ—the Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
As
soon as I began to meditate upon the lotus feet of the Personality of
Godhead with my mind transformed in transcendental love, tears rolled
down my eyes, and without delay the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa
appeared on the lotus of my heart.
PURPORT
The word bhāva
is significant here. This bhāva stage is attained after one has
transcendental affection for the Lord. The first initial stage is
called śraddhā, or a liking for the Supreme Lord, and in order to
increase that liking one has to associate with pure devotees of the
Lord. The third stage is to practice the prescribed rules and
regulations of devotional service. This will dissipate all sorts of
misgivings and remove all personal deficiencies that hamper progress in
devotional service.
When all misgivings and personal
deficiencies are removed, there is a standard faith in transcendental
matter, and the taste for it increases in greater proportion. This
stage leads to attraction, and after this there is bhāva, or the prior
stage of unalloyed love for God. All the above different stages are but
different stages of development of transcendental love. Being so
surcharged with transcendental love, there comes a strong feeling of
separation which leads to eight different kinds of ecstasies. Tears
from the eyes of a devotee is an automatic reaction, and because Śrī
Nārada Muni in his previous birth attained that stage very quickly
after his departure from home, it was quite possible for him to
perceive the actual presence of the Lord, which he tangibly experienced
by his developed spiritual senses without material tinge.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.16
As
I meditated in the mind (hṛdi) with the mind (cetasā) conquered by
prema (bhāva-nirjita), the Lord step by step made his appearance before
me (āsīt). Or śanaiḥ (gradually) can mean that first he appeared in the
heart, and then he appeared in the three functions of the mind—nose,
ear and eye, so that I could experience the fragrance of his body, the
sound of his ankle bells and the beauty of his face. What happened to
me? I had tears in my eyes because of longing.
TEXT - SB 1.6.17
premātibhara-nirbhinna-
pulakāṅgo 'tinirvṛtaḥ
ānanda-samplave līno
nāpaśyam ubhayaṁ mune
SYNONYMS
premā—love;
atibhara—excessive; nirbhinna—especially distinguished; pulaka—feelings
of happiness; aṅgaḥ—different bodily parts; ati-nirvṛtaḥ—being fully
overwhelmed; ānanda—ecstasy; samplave—in the ocean of; līnaḥ—absorbed
in; na—not; apaśyam—could see; ubhayam—both; mune—O Vyāsadeva.
TRANSLATION
O
Vyāsadeva, at that time, being exceedingly overpowered by feelings of
happiness, every part of my body became separately enlivened. Being
absorbed in an ocean of ecstasy, I could not see both myself and the
Lord.
PURPORT
Spiritual feelings of happiness and intense
ecstasies have no mundane comparison. Therefore it is very difficult to
give expression to such feelings. We can just have a glimpse of such
ecstasy in the words of Śrī Nārada Muni. Each and every part of the
body or senses has its particular function. After seeing the Lord, all
the senses become fully awakened to render service unto the Lord
because in the liberated state the senses are fully efficient in
serving the Lord. As such, in that transcendental ecstasy it so
happened that the senses became separately enlivened to serve the Lord.
This being so, Nārada Muni lost himself in seeing both himself and the
Lord simultaneously.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.17
His
limbs were covered with distinct goose bumps because of the excessive
prema. This indicates that all his limbs developed the symptoms of
prema at that time. The phrase can also mean that he was covered with
goose bumps erupting so much that the prema was difficult to bear. He
then fainted out of bliss (ānanda-samplave līnaḥ). I did not see myself
or the Lord (ubhayam).
Jiva's tika ||1.6.17||
dhyāyataś caraṇāmbhojam bhāva-nirjita-cetasā |
autkaṇṭhyāśru-kalākṣasya hṛdy āsīn me śanair hariḥ ||
TRANSLATION
As I meditated on the lotus feet of the Lord with a mind conquered by
prema, with tears in my eyes from longing, step by step the Lord made
his appearance in my mind.
By meditating, gradually the Lord appeared in my heart, by fragrance, then sound, then sight etc.
TEXT - SB 1.6.18
rūpaṁ bhagavato yat tan
manaḥ-kāntaṁ śucāpaham
apaśyan sahasottasthe
vaiklavyād durmanā iva
SYNONYMS
rūpam—form;
bhagavataḥ—of the Personality of Godhead; yat—as it is; tat—that;
manaḥ—of the mind; kāntam—as it desires; śuca-apaham—vanishing all
disparity; apaśyan—without seeing; sahasā—all of a sudden; uttasthe—got
up; vaiklavyāt—being perturbed; durmanāḥ—having lost the desirable;
iva—as it were.
TRANSLATION
The transcendental form of
the Lord, as it is, satisfies the mind's desire and at once erases all
mental incongruities. Upon losing that form, I suddenly got up, being
perturbed, as is usual when one loses that which is desirable.
PURPORT
That
the Lord is not formless is experienced by Nārada Muni. But His form is
completely different from all forms of our material experience. For the
whole duration of our life we go see different forms in the material
world, but none of them is just apt to satisfy the mind, nor can any
one of them vanish all perturbance of the mind. These are the special
features of the transcendental form of the Lord, and one who has once
seen that form is not satisfied with anything else; no form in the
material world can any longer satisfy the seer. That the Lord is
formless or impersonal means that He has nothing like a material form
and is not like any material personality.
As spiritual beings,
having eternal relations with that transcendental form of the Lord, we
are, life after life, searching after that form of the Lord, and we are
not satisfied by any other form of material appeasement. Nārada Muni
got a glimpse of this, but having not seen it again he became perturbed
and stood up all of a sudden to search it out. What we desire life
after life was obtained by Nārada Muni, and losing sight of Him again
was certainly a great shock for him.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.18
Suddenly not seeing the Lord, I became roused. Like a man who has lost a treasure, I became despondent (durmanā).
TEXT - SB 1.6.19
didṛkṣus tad ahaṁ bhūyaḥ
praṇidhāya mano hṛdi
vīkṣamāṇo 'pi nāpaśyam
avitṛpta ivāturaḥ
SYNONYMS
didṛkṣuḥ—desiring
to see; tat—that; aham—I; bhūyaḥ—again; praṇidhāya—having concentrated
the mind; manaḥ—mind; hṛdi—upon the heart; vīkṣamāṇaḥ—waiting to see;
api—in spite of; na—never; apaśyam—saw Him; avitṛptaḥ—without being
satisfied; iva—like; āturaḥ—aggrieved.
TRANSLATION
I
desired to see again that transcendental form of the Lord, but despite
my attempts to concentrate upon the heart with eagerness to view the
form again, I could not see Him any more, and thus dissatisfied, I was
very much aggrieved.
PURPORT
There is no mechanical
process to see the form of the Lord. It completely depends on the
causeless mercy of the Lord. We cannot demand the Lord to be present
before our vision, just as we cannot demand the sun to rise whenever we
like. The sun rises out of his own accord; so also the Lord is pleased
to be present out of His causeless mercy. One should simply await the
opportune moment and go on discharging his prescribed duty in
devotional service of the Lord. Nārada Muni thought that the Lord could
be seen again by the same mechanical process which was successful in
the first attempt, but in spite of his utmost endeavor he could not
make the second attempt successful. The Lord is completely independent
of all obligations. He can simply be bound up by the tie of unalloyed
devotion. Nor is He visible or perceivable by our material senses. When
He pleases, being satisfied with the sincere attempt of devotional
service depending completely on the mercy of the Lord, then He may be
seen out of His own accord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.19
Praṇidhāya means “having fixed.”
TEXT - SB 1.6.20
evaṁ yatantaṁ vijane
mām āhāgocaro girām
gambhīra-ślakṣṇayā vācā
śucaḥ praśamayann iva
SYNONYMS
evam—thus;
yatantam—one who is engaged in attempting; vijane—in that lonely place;
mām—unto me; āha—said; agocaraḥ—beyond the range of physical sound;
girām—utterances; gambhīra—grave; ślakṣṇayā—pleasing to hear;
vācā—words; śucaḥ—grief; praśamayan—mitigating; iva—like.
TRANSLATION
Seeing
my attempts in that lonely place, the Personality of Godhead, who is
transcendental to all mundane description, spoke to me with gravity and
pleasing words, just to mitigate my grief.
PURPORT
In the
Vedas it is said that God is beyond the approach of mundane words and
intelligence. And yet by His causeless mercy one can have suitable
senses to hear Him or to speak to Him. This is the Lord's inconceivable
energy. One upon whom His mercy is bestowed can hear Him. The Lord was
much pleased with Nārada Muni, and therefore the necessary strength was
invested in him so that he could hear the Lord. It is not, however,
possible for others to perceive directly the touch of the Lord during
the probationary stage of regulative devotional service. It was a
special gift for Nārada. When he heard the pleasing words of the Lord,
the feelings of separation were to some extent mitigated. A devotee in
love with God feels always the pangs of separation and is therefore
always enwrapped in transcendental ecstasy.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.20
The
Lord is beyond the description of words (girām agocaraḥ) as stated by
the śruti: yato vāco nivartante: the Lord, from whom words return
without attaining him. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.4.1) The Lord who cannot
be approached by words spoke to me. I had an experience of his sweet
sounding words by my ears. Because Nārada had bhakti arising from
vaidhi-sādhana, he had realization of the sweetness of the Lord’s
fragrance, beauty and speech in his present body. The complete
experience with all other types of sweetness (touch, taste etc.), would
be experienced in the future in his spiritual body (siddha-deha). By
this (his sweet words), the Lord removed all types of lamentation and
suffering which had arisen by not seeing Him. The word iva (somewhat)
is used because his love in longing, caused by separation, had not been
fully satisfied.
TEXT - SB 1.6.21
hantāsmiñ janmani bhavān
mā māṁ draṣṭum ihārhati
avipakva-kaṣāyāṇāṁ
durdarśo 'haṁ kuyoginām
SYNONYMS
hanta—O
Nārada; asmin—this; janmani—duration of life; bhavān—yourself; mā—not;
mām—Me; draṣṭum—to see; iha—here; arhati—deserve; avipakva—immature;
kaṣāyāṇām—material dirt; durdarśaḥ—difficult to be seen; aham—I;
kuyoginām—incomplete in service.
TRANSLATION
O Nārada
[the Lord spoke], I regret that during this lifetime you will not be
able to see Me anymore. Those who are incomplete in service and who are
not completely free from all material taints can hardly see Me.
PURPORT
The
Personality of Godhead is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as the most
pure, the Supreme and the Absolute Truth. There is no trace of a tinge
of materiality in His person, and thus one who has the slightest tinge
of material affection cannot approach Him. The beginning of devotional
service starts from the point when one is freed from at least two forms
of material modes, namely the mode of passion and the mode of
ignorance. The result is exhibited by the signs of being freed from
kāma (lust) and lobha (covetousness). That is to say, one must be freed
from the desires for sense satisfaction and avarice for sense
gratification. The balanced mode of nature is goodness. And to be
completely freed from all material tinges is to become free from the
mode of goodness also. To search the audience of God in a lonely forest
is considered to be in the mode of goodness. One can go out into the
forest to attain spiritual perfection, but that does not mean that one
can see the Lord personally there. One must be completely freed from
all material attachment and be situated on the plane of transcendence,
which alone will help the devotee get in personal touch with the
Personality of Godhead. The best method is that one should live at a
place where the transcendental form of the Lord is worshiped. The
temple of the Lord is a transcendental place, whereas the forest is a
materially good habitation. A neophyte devotee is always recommended to
worship the Deity of the Lord (arcanā) rather than go into the forest
to search out the Lord. Devotional service begins from the process of
arcanā, which is better than going out in the forest. In his present
life, which is completely freed from all material hankerings, Śrī
Nārada Muni does not go into the forest, although he can turn every
place into Vaikuṇṭha by his presence only. He travels from one planet
to another to convert men, gods, Kinnaras, Gandharvas, ṛṣis, munis and
all others to become devotees of the Lord. By his activities he has
engaged many devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja and many
others in the transcendental service of the Lord. A pure devotee of the
Lord, therefore, follows in the footsteps of the great devotees like
Nārada and Prahlāda and engages his whole time in glorifying the Lord
by the process of kīrtana. Such a preaching process is transcendental
to all material qualities.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.21
What
did he say? Oh! (hanta) This is an address made out of affection. In
this birth, having the body of a practitioner, you cannot see me. I am
invisible (durdarśaḥ) to those faulty practitioners of yoga (kuyoginām)
whose contaminations such as lust have not been burned up.[24] The
intention here is to say “But I showed myself to you. Therefore you are
not a faulty practitioner.”
TEXT - SB 1.6.22
sakṛd yad darśitaṁ rūpam
etat kāmāya te 'nagha
mat-kāmaḥ śanakaiḥ sādhu
sarvān muñcati hṛc-chayān
SYNONYMS
sakṛt—once
only; yat—that; darśitam—shown; rūpam—form; etat—this is; kāmāya—for
hankerings; te—your; anagha—O virtuous one; mat—Mine; kāmaḥ—desire;
śanakaiḥ—by increasing; sādhuḥ—devotee; sarvān—all; muñcati—gives away;
hṛt-śayān—material desires.
TRANSLATION
O virtuous one,
you have only once seen My person, and this is just to increase your
desire for Me, because the more you hanker for Me, the more you will be
freed from all material desires.
PURPORT
A living being
cannot be vacant of desires. He is not a dead stone. He must be
working, thinking, feeling and willing. But when he thinks, feels and
wills materially, he becomes entangled, and conversely when he thinks,
feels and wills for the service of the Lord, he becomes gradually freed
from all entanglement. The more a person is engaged in the
transcendental loving service of the Lord, the more he acquires a
hankering for it. That is the transcendental nature of godly service.
Material service has satiation, whereas spiritual service of the Lord
has neither satiation nor end. One can go on increasing his hankerings
for the loving transcendental service of the Lord, and yet he will not
find satiation or end. By intense service of the Lord, one can
experience the presence of the Lord transcendentally. Therefore seeing
the Lord means being engaged in His service because His service and His
person are identical. The sincere devotee should go on with sincere
service of the Lord. The Lord will give proper direction as to how and
where it has to be done. There was no material desire in Nārada, and
yet just to increase his intense desire for the Lord, he was so advised.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.22
“But just show yourself once more to me!”
Seeing
me only once, not many times, is enough to produce desire for me
(kāmāya). By only slight increase in longing, prema will not develop to
the state of youthfulness in a person having somewhat weak prema. My
rule is that I show myself one time only to a person practicing in his
present body (in his sādhaka-deha) who has developed prema. The infant
state of prema in the sādhaka’s body matures to a youthful state in the
siddha-deha by an increase of prema arising from longing in separation.
That youthful prema allows the devotee to see me constantly and serve
me directly. I alone, and not my devotee, know the process of
fulfilling the desires of my devotee. You, who simply desire me
(mat-kāmaḥ), even without having seen me, will become free from all
desires for material enjoyment (hṛccayān). This statement does not
actually apply to Nārada since he did not have any material desires,
being at the level of prema already. But saying this, the Lord shows
the nature of devotion. Additionally by saying this, the Lord increases
the humility of Nārada.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.22||
hantāsmin janmani bhavān mā mām draṣṭum ihārhati |
avipakva-kaṣāyāṇām durdarśo ’ham kuyoginām ||
TRANSLATION
Oh! In this body you will not be able to see me again. But lax
practitioners who still have some contamination cannot see me at all.
It
was said bhaktiḥ pravṛttātma-rajas-tamopahā: I then developed prema,
which destroys rajas and tamas in the jīvas. (SB 1.5.28) He had
sattvika contamination such as attachment to living in the forest.
vanam tu sāttviko vāso grāmo rājasa ucyate tāmasam dyūta-sadanam man-niketam tu nirguṇam
Residence
in the forest is in the mode of goodness, residence in a town is in the
mode of passion, residence in a gambling house displays the quality of
ignorance, and residence in a place where I reside is beyond the guṇas.
(SB 11.25.25)
The Lord did not appear, in order increase his longing. Jiva's tika ||1.6.22|| sakṛd yad darśitam rūpam etat kāmāya te ’nagha |
mat-kāmaḥ śanakaiḥ sādhu sarvān muncati hṛc-chayān ||
TRANSLATION
O sinless Nārada! I showed myself once to produce a desire in you to
see me. The devotee so desiring me gradually becomes freed of all
material desires.
That is explained in this verse. By that longing, the contamination will be destroyed. Hṛc-chayān means “other desires.”
TEXT - SB 1.6.23
sat-sevayādīrghayāpi
jātā mayi dṛḍhā matiḥ
hitvāvadyam imaṁ lokaṁ
gantā maj-janatām asi
SYNONYMS
sat-sevayā—by
service of the Absolute Truth; adīrghayā—for some days; api—even;
jātā—having attained; mayi—unto Me; dṛḍhā—firm; matiḥ—intelligence;
hitvā—having given up; avadyam—deplorable; imam—this; lokam—material
worlds; gantā—going to; mat-janatām—My associates; asi—become.
TRANSLATION
By
service of the Absolute Truth, even for a few days, a devotee attains
firm and fixed intelligence in Me. Consequently he goes on to become My
associate in the transcendental world after giving up the present
deplorable material worlds.
PURPORT
Serving the Absolute
Truth means rendering service unto the Absolute Personality of Godhead
under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, who is a
transparent via medium between the Lord and the neophyte devotee. The
neophyte devotee has no ability to approach the Absolute Personality of
Godhead by the strength of his present imperfect material senses, and
therefore under the direction of the spiritual master he is trained in
transcendental service of the Lord. And by such training, even for some
days, the neophyte devotee gets intelligence in such transcendental
service, which leads him ultimately to get free from perpetual
inhabitation in the material worlds and to be promoted to the
transcendental world to become one of the liberated associates of the
Lord in the kingdom of God.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.23
By
serving the devotees for even a short time (adīrghayā) you developed
strong intelligence in me. Giving up the low body (avadyam lokam), you
will become my associate (maj-janatām).
Jiva's tika ||1.6.23|| sat-sevayādīrghayāpi jātā mayi dṛdhā matiḥ |
hitvāvadyam imam lokam gantā maj-janatām asi ||
TRANSLATION
By serving the devotees for even a short time, your intelligence became
firmly fixed in me. When you give up this body of low birth, you will
become my associate.
He previously stated his mind became fixed in the Lord (askhalita-matiḥ --SB 1.5.27). The result is described in this verse.
TEXT - SB 1.6.24
matir mayi nibaddheyaṁ
na vipadyeta karhicit
prajā-sarga-nirodhe 'pi
smṛtiś ca mad-anugrahāt
SYNONYMS
matiḥ—intelligence;
mayi—devoted to Me; nibaddhā—engaged; iyam—this; na—never;
vipadyeta—separate; karhicit—at any time; prajā—living beings; sarga—at
the time of creation; nirodhe—also at the time of annihilation;
api—even; smṛtiḥ—remembrance; ca—and; mat—Mine; anugrahāt—by the mercy
of.
TRANSLATION
Intelligence engaged in My devotion
cannot be thwarted at any time. Even at the time of creation, as well
as at the time of annihilation, your remembrance will continue by My
mercy.
PURPORT
Devotional service rendered to the
Personality of Godhead never goes in vain. Since the Personality of
Godhead is eternal, intelligence applied in His service or anything
done in His relation is also permanent. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said
that such transcendental service rendered unto the Personality of
Godhead accumulates birth after birth, and when the devotee is fully
matured, the total service counted together makes him eligible to enter
into the association of the Personality of Godhead. Such accumulation
of God's service is never vanquished, but increases till fully matured.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.24
Your
concentration on me will not perish because it has been fixed upon me
by prema. Because I am eternal, the remembrance of me is also eternal.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.24||
matir mayi nibaddheyam na vipadyeta karhicit |
prajā-sarga-nirodhe ’pi smṛtiś ca mad-anugrahāt ||
TRANSLATION
Your intelligence being absorbed in me will never be destroyed. Even at
the time of creation and destruction of the living entities, by my
mercy, your memory of the previous kalpa will not be destroyed.
“What
is to be done when that intelligence is later destroyed?” The
intelligence will never be destroyed. What to speak of your memory
concerning your previous birth.
TEXT - SB 1.6.25
etāvad uktvopararāma tan mahad
bhūtaṁ nabho-liṅgam aliṅgam īśvaram
ahaṁ ca tasmai mahatāṁ mahīyase
śīrṣṇāvanāmaṁ vidadhe 'nukampitaḥ
SYNONYMS
etāvat—thus;
uktvā—spoken; upararāma—stopped; tat—that; mahat—great;
bhūtam—wonderful; nabhaḥ-liṅgam—personified by sound; aliṅgam—unseen by
the eyes; īśvaram—the supreme authority; aham—I; ca—also; tasmai—unto
Him; mahatām—the great; mahīyase—unto the glorified; śīrṣṇā—by the
head; avanāmam—obeisances; vidadhe—executed; anukampitaḥ—being favored
by Him.
TRANSLATION
Then that supreme authority,
personified by sound and unseen by eyes, but most wonderful, stopped
speaking. Feeling a sense of gratitude, I offered my obeisances unto
Him, bowing my head.
PURPORT
That the Personality of
Godhead was not seen but only heard does not make any difference. The
Personality of Godhead produced the four Vedas by His breathing, and He
is seen and realized through the transcendental sound of the Vedas.
Similarly, the Bhagavad-gītā is the sound representation of the Lord,
and there is no difference in identity. The conclusion is that the Lord
can be seen and heard by persistent chanting of the transcendental
sound.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.25
Mahad-bhutam
is a name of the Lord in the neuter gender. The śruti says asya mahato
bhūtasya niḥśvasitam etad yad ṛg-veda: the breathing of the Lord called
Mahadbhūta is the Ṛg-veda. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka upaniṣad) Since his
breathing is the four Vedas, his words are the highest proof. Since he
gave blessings even to me, the low born son of a maid servant, he is
called the one Supreme Lord (īśvaram—one who is capable). Since the
lord left a trace in the ether in the form of his speaking to Nārada,
he is called (nabho-liṅgam). He is called aliṅgam because he is not
visible to the eyes.
TEXT - SB 1.6.26
nāmāny anantasya hata-trapaḥ paṭhan
guhyāni bhadrāṇi kṛtāni ca smaran
gāṁ paryaṭaṁs tuṣṭa-manā gata-spṛhaḥ
kālaṁ pratīkṣan vimado vimatsaraḥ
SYNONYMS
nāmāni—the
holy name, fame, etc.; anantasya—of the unlimited; hata-trapaḥ—being
freed from all formalities of the material world; paṭhan—by recitation,
repeated reading, etc.; guhyāni—mysterious; bhadrāṇi—all benedictory;
kṛtāni—activities; ca—and; smaran—constantly remembering; gām—on the
earth; paryaṭan—traveling all through; tuṣṭa-manāḥ—fully satisfied;
gata-spṛhaḥ—completely freed from all material desires; kālam—time;
pratīkṣan—awaiting; vimadaḥ—without being proud; vimatsaraḥ—without
being envious.
TRANSLATION
Thus I began chanting the holy
name and fame of the Lord by repeated recitation, ignoring all the
formalities of the material world. Such chanting and remembering of the
transcendental pastimes of the Lord are benedictory. So doing, I
traveled all over the earth, fully satisfied, humble and unenvious.
PURPORT
The
life of a sincere devotee of the Lord is thus explained in a nutshell
by Nārada Muni by his personal example. Such a devotee, after his
initiation by the Lord or His bona fide representative, takes very
seriously chanting of the glories of the Lord and traveling all over
the world so that others may also hear the glories of the Lord. Such
devotees have no desire for material gain. They are conducted by one
single desire: to go back to Godhead. This awaits them in due course on
quitting the material body. Because they have the highest aim of life,
going back to Godhead, they are never envious of anyone, nor are they
proud of being eligible to go back to Godhead. Their only business is
to chant and remember the holy name, fame and pastimes of the Lord and,
according to personal capacity, to distribute the message for others'
welfare without motive of material gain.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.26
Kṛtāni
refers to the Lord’s pastimes. Kālam pratīkṣan (expecting the time)
means “When will that time come when I will become an associate of the
Lord?” I had no pride or selfishness since I always thought “Who is
more fallen than I?”
TEXT - SB 1.6.27
evaṁ kṛṣṇa-mater brahman
nāsaktasyāmalātmanaḥ
kālaḥ prādurabhūt kāle
taḍit saudāmanī yathā
SYNONYMS
evam—thus;
kṛṣṇa-mateḥ—one who is fully absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa; brahman—O
Vyāsadeva; na—not; āsaktasya—of one who is attached; amala-ātmanaḥ—of
one who is completely free from all material dirt; kālaḥ—death;
prādurabhūt—become visible; kāle—in the course of time;
taḍit—lightning; saudāmanī—illuminating; yathā—as it is.
TRANSLATION
And
so, O Brāhmaṇa Vyāsadeva, in due course of time I, who was fully
absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa and who therefore had no attachments,
being completely freed from all material taints, met with death, as
lightning and illumination occur simultaneously.
PURPORT
To
be fully absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa means clearance of material
dirts or hankerings. As a very rich man has no hankerings for small
petty things, so also a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is guaranteed to
pass on to the kingdom of God, where life is eternal, fully cognizant
and blissful, naturally has no hankerings for petty material things,
which are like dolls or shadows of the reality and are without
permanent value. That is the sign of spiritually enriched persons. And
in due course of time, when a pure devotee is completely prepared, all
of a sudden the change of body occurs which is commonly called death.
And for the pure devotee such a change takes place exactly like
lightning, and illumination follows simultaneously. That is to say a
devotee simultaneously changes his material body and develops a
spiritual body by the will of the Supreme. Even before death, a pure
devotee has no material affection, due to his body's being
spiritualized like a red-hot iron in contact with fire.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.27
At
the time of dissolving my subtle and gross bodies (kāle), the time
(kālaḥ) that I was waiting for expectantly for a long time made its
appearance. That is the meaning. It is like saying “The time when the
king went was the time he arrived.” It is said that the intelligence,
even when identified with the Lord completely, being non-different,
still has the ability to make distinctions. But this case was
different. Intelligence could not make a distinction. Suddenly the two
times (disappearance of the material body and attainment of the
spiritual body) simultaneously made their appearance, connected closely
like subject and predicate. An example is given. It is like the
simultaneity of lightning with another flash of lightning. Just as
sometimes lightning appears at the same time as another flash of
lightning, similarly at the exact time of giving up my material body,
the time of receiving my spiritual body as an associate also occurred.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.27||
nāmāny anantasya hata-trapaḥ paṭhan guhyāni bhadrāṇi kṛtāni ca smaran |
gām paryaṭams tuṣṭa-manā gata-spṛhaḥ kālam pratīkṣan vimado vimatsaraḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Giving up shyness, I began to chant the names of the unlimited Lord,
and to remember his most excellent, hidden pastimes. I wandered the
earth with satisfied mind, without material desires, without pride or
selfishness, waiting for that time.
He remembered, according
to his qualification, but did not publicly reveal Kṛṣṇa excellent
pastimes which were confidential (guhyāni), pastimes at the highest
level of prema with the gopīs. Being satisfied in mind, devoid of other
desires, more than previously being without pride or selfishness. I
remained, waiting for the time of his mercy (kālam).
TEXT - SB 1.6.28
prayujyamāne mayi tāṁ
śuddhāṁ bhāgavatīṁ tanum
ārabdha-karma-nirvāṇo
nyapatat pāñca-bhautikaḥ
SYNONYMS
prayujyamāne—having
been awarded; mayi—on me; tām—that; śuddhām—transcendental;
bhāgavatīm—fit for associating with the Personality of Godhead;
tanum—body; ārabdha—acquired; karma—fruitive work;
nirvāṇaḥ—prohibitive; nyapatat—quit; pāñca-bhautikaḥ—body made of five
material elements.
TRANSLATION
Having been awarded a
transcendental body befitting an associate of the Personality of
Godhead, I quit the body made of five material elements, and thus all
acquired fruitive results of work [karma] stopped.
PURPORT
Informed
by the Personality of Godhead that he would be awarded a transcendental
body befitting the Lord's association, Nārada got his spiritual body as
soon as he quitted his material body. This transcendental body is free
from material affinity and invested with three primary transcendental
qualities, namely eternity, freedom from material modes, and freedom
from reactions of fruitive activities. The material body is always
afflicted with the lack of these three qualities. A devotee's body
becomes at once surcharged with the transcendental qualities as soon as
he is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. It acts like the
magnetic influence of a touchstone upon iron. The influence of
transcendental devotional service is like that. Therefore change of the
body means stoppage of the reaction of three qualitative modes of
material nature upon the pure devotee. There are many instances of this
in the revealed scriptures. Dhruva Mahārāja and Prahlāda Mahārāja and
many other devotees were able to see the Personality of Godhead face to
face apparently in the same body. This means that the quality of a
devotee's body changes from material to transcendence. That is the
opinion of the authorized Gosvāmīs via the authentic scriptures. In the
Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that beginning from the indra-gopa germ up to
the great Indra, King of heaven, all living beings are subjected to the
law of karma and are bound to suffer and enjoy the fruitive results of
their own work. Only the devotee is exempt from such reactions, by the
causeless mercy of the supreme authority, the Personality of Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.28
The
Lord previously promised hitvāvadyam imaṁ lokaṁ gantā maj-janatām asi:
giving up this low body you will become my associate. (SB 1.6.23) At
the time of being made to accept a body which was śuddha-sattva
(śuddhām) because it was not a material body and because it belonged to
the Lord (bhāgavatīṁ), my material body (pāñca-bhautikaḥ) fell away.
Giving up my material body and attaining a spiritual body were
simultaneous, like the expression “I am walking while the cows are
being milked.” The Lord’s own words were hitvāvadyam imaṁ lokam. The
use of the verb form hitvā (giving up the material body) in this case
indicates simultaneously giving up the material body while receiving
the spiritual body. It is said:
kvacit tulya-kāle ’pi upaviśya bhuṅkte ṛṇat-kṛtya patati cakṣuḥ saṁmīlya hasati mukhaṁ vyādāya svapitīty ādikam upasaṅkhyeyam
There
are examples in which the participles indicate simultaneous actions as
in sitting down and eating, assuming debts and falling from esteem,
closing the eyes and laughing, lowering the head and falling asleep.
Bhāṣā-vṛtti
Śrīdhara Svāmī says anena pārṣada-tanūnām
akarmārabdhatvaṁ śuddhatvaṁ nityatvam ity ādi sūcitaṁ bhavati: what is
said in this verse is that the bodies of the associates of the Lord are
pure, without prārabdha-karmas, and eternal. The bahuvrīhi compound
ārabdha-karma-nirvāṇaḥ means that he had destroyed the karmas like fire
burning wood. But this means that the prārabdha-karmas were not
destroyed just now, but previously for that is accomplished by sādhana.
Prārabdha-karmas do not remain with the devotees who have developed
prema-bhakti. For those practicing pure bhakti, destruction of
prārabhda-karmas takes place during sādhana-bhakti. It will be said in
the story of Priyavrata:
naivaṁ-vidhaḥ puruṣa-kāra urukramasya puṁsāṁ tad-aṅghri-rajasā jita-ṣaḍ-guṇānām
citraṁ vidūra-vigataḥ sakṛd ādadīta yan-nāmadheyam adhunā sa jahāti tanvam
Such
power is not surprising from persons who have conquered the six senses
by the dust from the lotus feet of the Lord, since even an outcaste
becomes immediately free of bondage of karma by chanting the Lord's
name once. SB 5.1.35
Here is the meaning of the verse. This is
not so amazing for such a type of person. What should be amazing? Even
an outcaste (vidūra-vigataḥ) who chants the name of the Lord once, now,
at the time of accepting the name, gives up his body (tanvam). Since we
do not see anyone giving up their body simultaneously with chanting,
“body” here means his prārabdha-karmas which are being experienced in
the present body. This is the opinion of some. Others say by the
association of bhakti, like a touchstone, the body made of the three
guṇas becomes free of the guṇas, as seen in the case of Dhruva. Thus,
giving up the body means giving the body made of three guṇas. This will
be explained later at the beginning of the rāsa dance with jahur
guṇa-mayaṁ dehaṁ sadyaḥ prakṣīṇa-bandhanāḥ: free of bondage, those
gopīs abandoned their gross material bodies made of guṇas. (SB 10.29.11)
But
others say that sometimes the Lord shows devotees, literally, giving up
their bodies in order that the opinion of others not be negated. Thus
Nārada, who had developed prema already, gave up his body. However it
should be understood that he had already destroyed his prārabdha-karmas
during his practice of bhakti. Śrī-Rūpa Gosvāmī explains this:
yad brahma-sākṣāt-kṛti-niṣṭhayāpi vināśam āyāti vinā na bhogaiḥ |
apaiti nāma sphuraṇena tat te prārabdha-karmeti virauti vedaḥ ||
The
Vedas declare that although meditation on impersonal Brahman cannot
bring freedom from past karma, O Holy Name, your appearance at once
makes all prārabdha-karma disappear. Nāmāṣṭaka 4
If the intended
meaning was “when Nārada’s prārabdha-karmas, were destroyed, his body
fell away” the phrase would expressed as prārabdha-karma-nirvāṇe
nyapatat pāñcabhautika. But this grammatical structure has not been
used and instead a bahuvrīhi compound has been used. Thus the meaning
is a general statement “for the devotees, the body which has had its
prārabhda-karmas destroyed will fall away.”
Jiva's tika ||1.6.28||
evam kṛṣṇa-mater brahman nāsaktasyāmalātmanaḥ |
kālaḥ prādurabhūt kāle tadit saudāmanī yathā ||
TRANSLATION
O brāhmaṇa Vyāsa! Concentrating only on Kṛṣṇa, not attached to material
enjoyment and pure in mind, the time of receiving my spiritual body
occurred simultaneously with that of giving up my material body, like
lightning flashing simultaneously with lightning.
The time of
mercy (kālaḥ) arrived (prādurabhūt) when the prārabdha-karmas were
destroyed (kale). Receiving the spiritual body was like a lightning
flash (tadit-saudāminī) which occurs simultaneously with destruction of
a drought. The repetition of words meaning the same thing
(tadit-saudāminī) is like the word go-balivardha.
TEXT - SB 1.6.29
kalpānta idam ādāya
śayāne 'mbhasy udanvataḥ
śiśayiṣor anuprāṇaṁ
viviśe 'ntar ahaṁ vibhoḥ
SYNONYMS
kalpa-ante—at
the end of Brahmā's day; idam—this; ādāya—taking together;
śayāne—having gone to lie down; ambhasi—in the causal water;
udanvataḥ—devastation; śiśayiṣoḥ—lying of the Personality of Godhead
(Nārāyaṇa); anuprāṇam—breathing; viviśe—entered into; antaḥ—within;
aham—I; vibhoḥ—of Lord Brahmā.
TRANSLATION
At the end of
the millennium, when the Personality of Godhead Lord Nārāyaṇa lay down
within the water of devastation, Brahmā began to enter into Him along
with all creative elements, and I also entered through His breathing.
PURPORT
Nārada
is known as the son of Brahmā, as Lord Kṛṣṇa is known as the son of
Vasudeva. The Personality of Godhead and His liberated devotees like
Nārada appear in the material world by the same process. As it is said
in the Bhagavad-gītā, the birth and activities of the Lord are all
transcendental. Therefore, according to authorized opinion, the birth
of Nārada as the son of Brahmā is also a transcendental pastime. His
appearance and disappearance are practically on the same level as that
of the Lord. The Lord and His devotees are therefore simultaneously one
and different as spiritual entities. They belong to the same category
of transcendence.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.29
“If
you have an eternal body, then why are you known to be born from Brahmā
in this Svāyambhuva-manvantara? It is said utsaṅgān nārado jajñe:
Nārada was born from the deliberation of Brahmā, which is the best part
of the body. (SB 3.12.23)”
That is true. Just as the Lord for
his particular pastimes enters the womb of Devakī, from the pastimes of
being the son of Brahmā, at the end of the previous kalpa (Brahmā’s
previous day), I entered the body of Brahmā. When Brahmā withdrew the
three worlds (idam ādāya), I entered along with his breathing into
Brahmā who desired to go to sleep in Nārāyaṇa (śayāṇe), who was
sleeping in the water of the only ocean (udantavaḥ).
tato ’vatīrya viśvātmā deham āviśya cakriṇaḥ |
avāpa vaiṣṇavīṁ nidrām ekībhūyātha viṣṇunā ||
Having
appeared, Brahmā, entering the body of Viṣṇu, becoming one with Viṣṇu,
then went into Viṣṇu’s spiritual sleep. Kūrma Purāṇa
Another
version has svāyane instead of śayāne. This means “in his controller,
who is the water.” The expression equates Nārāyaṇa with the water,
because he is non-different from it.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.29||
prayujyamāne mayi tām śuddhām bhāgavatīm tanum |
ārabdha-karma-nirvāṇo nyapatat pānca-bhautikaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of the
Lord, the body made of five material elements, with karmas relating to
the present body, fell away.
Having attained a body which was
portion of the Lord’s effulgence (bhāgavatīm) and untouched by matter
(śuddham), his present body as well as his subtle body fell away since,
being fixed in the Lord, his prārabdha-karma also was destroyed.
Śrīdhara Svāmī agrees with this, saying he attained a pure eternal
condition without prārabdha-karma, having the body of the Lord’s
associate.
TEXT - SB 1.6.30
sahasra-yuga-paryante
utthāyedaṁ sisṛkṣataḥ
marīci-miśrā ṛṣayaḥ
prāṇebhyo 'haṁ ca jajñire
SYNONYMS
sahasra—one
thousand; yuga—4,300,000 years; paryante—at the end of the duration;
utthāya—having expired; idam—this; sisṛkṣataḥ—desired to create again;
marīci-miśrāḥ—ṛṣis like Marīci; ṛṣayaḥ—all the ṛṣis; prāṇebhyaḥ—out of
His senses; aham—I; ca—also; jajñire—appeared.
TRANSLATION
After
4,300,000,000 solar years, when Brahmā awoke to create again by the
will of the Lord, all the ṛṣis like Marīci, Aṅgirā, Atri and so on were
created from the transcendental body of the Lord, and I also appeared
along with them.
PURPORT
The duration of a day in the
life of Brahmā is 4,320,000,000 solar years. This is stated also in the
Bhagavad-gītā. So for this period Brahmājī rests in yoga-nidrā within
the body of the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the generator of Brahmā. Thus
after the sleeping period of Brahmā, when there is again creation by
the will of the Lord through the agency of Brahmā, all the great ṛṣis
again appear from different parts of the transcendental body, and
Nārada also appears. This means that Nārada appears in the same
transcendental body, just as a man awakes from sleep in the same body.
Śrī Nārada is eternally free to move in all parts of the transcendental
and material creations of the Almighty. He appears and disappears in
his own transcendental body, which is without distinction of body and
soul, unlike conditioned beings.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.30
At
the end of thousand yuga cycles means “at the end of the previous kalpa
and the beginning of this kalpa.” Marīci and other sages (marīci-miśrā)
and I were born from the senses of Brahmā.[25] Jajñire instead of
jajñimaha is poetic license.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.30||
kalpānta idam ādāya śayāne ’mbhasy udanvataḥ |
śiśayiṣor anuprāṇam viviśe ’ntar aham vibhoḥ ||
TRANSLATION
At the end of the kalpa when Brahmā withdrew the universe with his
breathing, I entered into Brahmā who desired to sleep in Nārāyaṇa, who
was lying in the water of the only ocean.
Entering Brahmā was a pastime only.
TEXT - SB 1.6.31
antar bahiś ca lokāṁs trīn
paryemy askandita-vrataḥ
anugrahān mahā-viṣṇor
avighāta-gatiḥ kvacit
SYNONYMS
antaḥ—in
the transcendental world; bahiḥ—in the material world; ca—and;
lokān—planets; trīn—three (divisions); paryemi—travel;
askandita—unbroken; vrataḥ—vow; anugrahāt—by the causeless mercy;
mahā-viṣṇoḥ—of the Mahā-Viṣṇu (Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu); avighāta—without
restriction; gatiḥ—entrance; kvacit—at any time.
TRANSLATION
Since
then, by the grace of the almighty Viṣṇu, I travel everywhere without
restriction both in the transcendental world and in the three divisions
of the material world. This is because I am fixed in unbroken
devotional service of the Lord.
PURPORT
As stated in the
Bhagavad-gītā, there are three divisions of the material spheres,
namely the ūrdhva-loka (topmost planets), madhya-loka (midway planets)
and adho-loka (downward planets). Beyond the ūrdhva-loka planets, that
is to say above the Brahmaloka, are the material coverings of the
universes, and above that is the spiritual sky, which is unlimited in
expansion, containing unlimited self-illuminated Vaikuṇṭha planets
inhabited by God Himself along with His associates, who are all
eternally liberated living entities. Śrī Nārada Muni could enter all
these planets in both the material and spiritual spheres without
restriction, as much as the almighty Lord is free to move personally in
any part of His creation. In the material world the living beings are
influenced by the three material modes of nature, namely goodness,
passion and ignorance. But Śrī Nārada Muni is transcendental to all
these material modes, and thus he can travel everywhere unrestricted.
He is a liberated spaceman. The causeless mercy of Lord Viṣṇu is
unparalleled, and such mercy is perceived by the devotees only by the
grace of the Lord. Therefore, the devotees never fall down, but the
materialists, i.e., the fruitive workers and the speculative
philosophers, do fall down, being forced by their respective modes of
nature. The ṛṣis, as above mentioned, cannot enter into the
transcendental world like Nārada. This fact is disclosed in the
Narasiṁha Purāṇa. Ṛṣis like Marīci are authorities in fruitive work,
and ṛṣis like Sanaka and Sanātana are authorities in philosophical
speculations. But Śrī Nārada Muni is the prime authority for
transcendental devotional service of the Lord. All the great
authorities in the devotional service of the Lord follow in the
footsteps of Nārada Muni in the order of the Nārada-bhakti-sūtra, and
therefore all the devotees of the Lord are unhesitatingly qualified to
enter into the kingdom of God, Vaikuṇṭha.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.31
I
am not like Marīci and other sages with material bodies, under the
influence of their own karmas, involved in karma-yoga, nor like the
Kumāras, involved in jñāna. I am above the paths of material engagement
and renunciation; I worship the Lord, and exist independently. This is
expressed in this verse. Those who are karma-yogīs do not go beyond the
universe. Those who have attained brahman by very difficult austerities
do not go into the material universe out of fear of the bondage of
karma. But I, fixed in continuous devotion to the Lord, travel outside
and inside the universe. Or outside can mean “I travel outside the
universe to Vaikuṇṭha.” Thus it is said:
sanakādyā nivṛttākhye te ca dharme niyojitāḥ |
pravṛttākhye marīcādyā muktaikaṁ nāradaṁ munim ||
The
Kumāras are on the path of detachment and Marīci and others are engaged
in the path of material life. Only Nārada is liberated. Narasiṁha Purāṇa
Jiva's tika ||1.6.31||
sahasra-yuga-paryante utthāyedam sisṛkṣataḥ |
marīci-miśrā ṛṣayaḥ prāṇebhyo ’ham ca jajnire ||
TRANSLATION
At the end of thousand yuga cycles, Brahmā awoke and Marīci, other
sages and I appeared from the senses of Brahmā, who desired to create
the universe again.
Sahasra-yuga means a thousand yuga cycles
of four yugas. Jajnire should actually be jajnimahe. Just as Marīci and
others awoke from sleep at the end of Brahmā’s night, Nārada also
awoke. This is called their birth. One should consider that Nārada is
eternal in all times in all Vaikuṇṭhas. Though he cannot really take
birth, sometimes a special jīva with great fortune attains a form of
eternal Nārada (sārūpyam) and then he appears in this manner.
TEXT - SB 1.6.32
deva-dattām imāṁ vīṇāṁ
svara-brahma-vibhūṣitām
mūrcchayitvā hari-kathāṁ
gāyamānaś carāmy aham
SYNONYMS
deva—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead (Śrī Kṛṣṇa); dattām—gifted by;
imām—this; vīṇām—a musical stringed instrument; svara—singing meter;
brahma—transcendental; vibhūṣitām—decorated with;
mūrcchayitvā—vibrating; hari-kathām—transcendental message;
gāyamānaḥ—singing constantly; carāmi—do move; aham—I.
TRANSLATION
And
thus I travel, constantly singing the transcendental message of the
glories of the Lord, vibrating this instrument called a vīṇā, which is
charged with transcendental sound and which was given to me by Lord
Kṛṣṇa.
PURPORT
The musical stringed instrument called the
vīṇā, which was handed to Nārada by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is described in the
Liṅga Purāṇa, and this is confirmed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. This
transcendental instrument is identical with Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Nārada
because all of them are of the same transcendental category. Sound
vibrated by the instrument cannot be material, and therefore the
glories and pastimes which are broadcast by the instrument of Nārada
are also transcendental, without a tinge of material inebriety. The
seven singing meters, namely ṣa (ṣaḍja), ṛ (ṛṣabha), gā (gāndhāra), ma
(madhyama), pa (pañcama), dha (dhaivata) and ni (niṣāda), are also
transcendental and specifically meant for transcendental songs. As a
pure devotee of the Lord, Śrī Nāradadeva is always fulfilling his
obligation to the Lord for His gift of the instrument, and thus he is
always engaged in singing His transcendental glories and is therefore
infallible in his exalted position. Following in the footsteps of Śrīla
Nārada Muni, a self-realized soul in the material world should also
properly use the sound meters, namely ṣa, ṛ, gā, mā, etc., in the
service of the Lord by constantly singing the glories of the Lord, as
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.32
Nārada’s
paraphernalia, not available to any other person in the material world,
is also constantly with him at all times wherever he goes. That is
explained in two verses. The vīṇa was given by Kṛṣṇa. This is narrated
in the Liṅga Purāṇa. Svara refers to the seven notes of the scale.
Because they manifest brahman (the Lord) they are called brahma
(svara-brahma). Mūrcchayaitvā means that he played music filled with
mūrcchana, ālāpa and other expressive modes.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.32||
antar bahiś ca lokāms trīn paryemy askandita-vrataḥ |
anugrahān mahā-viṣṇor avighāta-gatiḥ kvacit ||
TRANSLATION
With continuous worship of the Lord, by the grace of Mahā-viṣṇu, I
travel outside and inside the universe with no obstacles at all.
Fixed
in firm devotion to the Lord (askandita-vrataḥ) I travel inside the
three worlds and sometimes (outside) even to Vaikuṇṭha.
TEXT - SB 1.6.33
pragāyataḥ sva-vīryāṇi
tīrtha-pādaḥ priya-śravāḥ
āhūta iva me śīghraṁ
darśanaṁ yāti cetasi
SYNONYMS
pragāyataḥ—thus
singing; sva-vīryāṇi—own activities; tīrtha-pādaḥ—the Lord, whose lotus
feet are the source of all virtues or holiness; priya-śravāḥ—pleasing
to hear; āhūtaḥ—called for; iva—just like; me—to me; śīghram—very soon;
darśanam—sight; yāti—appears; cetasi—on the seat of the heart.
TRANSLATION
The
Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose glories and activities are pleasing to
hear, at once appears on the seat of my heart, as if called for, as
soon as I begin to chant His holy activities.
PURPORT
The
Absolute Personality of Godhead is not different from His
transcendental name, form, pastimes and the sound vibrations thereof.
As soon as a pure devotee engages himself in the pure devotional
service of hearing, chanting and remembering the name, fame and
activities of the Lord, at once He becomes visible to the
transcendental eyes of the pure devotee by reflecting Himself on the
mirror of the heart by spiritual television. Therefore a pure devotee
who is related with the Lord in loving transcendental service can
experience the presence of the Lord at every moment. It is a natural
psychology in every individual case that a person likes to hear and
enjoy his personal glories enumerated by others. That is a natural
instinct, and the Lord, being also an individual personality like
others, is not an exception to this psychology because psychological
characteristics visible in the individual souls are but reflections of
the same psychology in the Absolute Lord. The only difference is that
the Lord is the greatest personality of all and absolute in all His
affairs. If, therefore, the Lord is attracted by the pure devotee's
chanting of His glories, there is nothing astonishing. Since He is
absolute, He can appear Himself in the picture of His glorification,
the two things being identical. Śrīla Nārada chants the glorification
of the Lord not for his personal benefit but because the glorifications
are identical with the Lord. Nārada Muni penetrates into the presence
of the Lord by the transcendental chanting.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.33
Priya-śravāḥ
means that Kṛṣṇa goes wherever his glories are sung, since he is
attracted to that.[26] Tīrtha-pāda means that wherever the Lord goes
becomes a holy place. The Lord actually is controlled by bhakti, and
thus appears without being called. Therefore the verse says that he
comes as if being called.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.33||
deva-dattām imām vīṇām svara-brahma-vibhūṣitām |
mūrcchayitvā hari-kathām gāyamānaś carāmy aham ||
TRANSLATION
Playing mūrcchanas and ālāpas on the vīṇa given by the Lord, using the
seven sacred notes of the scale, I wander about singing the glories of
the Lord.
I play the vīṇā given by Kṛṣṇa (deva-dattam). The
story of how Kṛṣṇa gave him the vīṇā is recounted in the Linga Purāṇa.
The notes are spiritual (svara-brahma) and have the power to
immediately reveal Kṛṣṇa.
svara-brahmaṇi nirbhāta- hṛṣīkeśa-padāmbuje akhaṇdam cittam āveśya lokān anucaran muniḥ
Nārada
travelled through the planets, while absorbed continuously in the lotus
feet of the Lord, whom he revealed through seven notes of spiritual
sound. (SB 6.5.22)
He wanders about looking for Kṛṣṇa, since he remembers that Kṛṣṇa gave him the vīṇā.
TEXT - SB 1.6.34
etad dhy ātura-cittānāṁ
mātrā-sparśecchayā muhuḥ
bhava-sindhu-plavo dṛṣṭo
hari-caryānuvarṇanam
SYNONYMS
etat—this;
hi—certainly; ātura-cittānām—of those whose minds are always full of
cares and anxieties; mātrā—objects of sense enjoyment; sparśa—senses;
icchayā—by desires; muhuḥ—always; bhava-sindhu—the ocean of nescience;
plavaḥ—boat; dṛṣṭaḥ—experienced; hari-carya—activities of Hari, the
Personality of Godhead; anuvarṇanam—constant recitation.
TRANSLATION
It
is personally experienced by me that those who are always full of cares
and anxieties due to desiring contact of the senses with their objects
can cross the ocean of nescience on a most suitable boat-the constant
chanting of the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
The
symptom of a living being is that he cannot remain silent even for some
time. He must be doing something, thinking of something or talking
about something. Generally the materialistic men think and discuss
about subjects which satisfy their senses. But as these things are
exercised under the influence of the external, illusory energy, such
sensual activities do not actually give them any satisfaction. On the
contrary, they become full with cares and anxieties. This is called
māyā, or what is not. That which cannot give them satisfaction is
accepted as an object for satisfaction. So Nārada Muni, by his personal
experience, says that satisfaction for such frustrated beings engaged
in sense gratification is to chant always the activities of the Lord.
The point is that the subject matter only should be changed. No one can
check the thinking activities of a living being, nor the feeling,
willing or working processes. But if one wants actual happiness, one
must change the subject matter only. Instead of talking of the politics
of a dying man, one might discuss the politics administered by the Lord
Himself. Instead of relishing activities of the cinema artists, one can
turn his attention to the activities of the Lord with His eternal
associates like the gopīs and Lakṣmīs. The almighty Personality of
Godhead, by His causeless mercy, descends on the earth and manifests
activities almost on the line of the worldly men, but at the same time
extraordinarily, because He is almighty. He does so for the benefit of
all conditioned souls so that they can turn their attention to
transcendence. By doing so, the conditioned soul will gradually be
promoted to the transcendental position and easily cross the ocean of
nescience, the source of all miseries. This is stated from personal
experience by such an authority as Śrī Nārada Muni. And we can have the
same experience also if we begin to follow in the footsteps of the
great sage, the dearmost devotee of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.34
This
verse summarizes the topic being discussed. For those whose minds are
afflicted by the desire for enjoyment (sparśa) of sense objects
(mātrā), which is an ocean, the boat (bhava-sindhu-plavaḥ) for crossing
that ocean is praising the Lord’s activities. I have directly seen
(experienced) that (dṛṣtaḥ). There is no proof necessary. Because
kīrtana is the main aṅga out of many aṅgas of bhakti, it is mentioned.
However the statement should mean that all aṅgas of bhakti will be
effective.
Jiva's tika ||1.6.34||
pragāyataḥ sva-vīryāṇi tīrtha-pādaḥ priya-śravāḥ |
āhūta iva me śīghram darśanam yāti cetasi ||
TRANSLATION
When I sing his glories, the Lord who makes any place that he touches
holy, and who is attracted to those who sing his glories, quickly
appears in my heart, as if being called.
The Lord is attached
to those who sing about him (priya-śravāḥ). He sings, not for his own
fame, but with expectation of the Lord’s mercy for all beings. “May all
beings become happy.” The form of the Lord who gave him the vīṇā
appears in his heart.
TEXT - SB 1.6.35
yamādibhir yoga-pathaiḥ
kāma-lobha-hato muhuḥ
mukunda-sevayā yadvat
tathātmāddhā na śāmyati
SYNONYMS
yama-ādibhiḥ—by
the process of practicing self-restraint; yoga-pathaiḥ—by the system of
yoga (mystic bodily power to attain the godly stage); kāma—desires for
sense satisfaction; lobha—lust for satisfaction of the senses;
hataḥ—curbed; muhuḥ—always; mukunda—the Personality of Godhead;
sevayā—by the service of; yadvat—as it is; tathā—like that; ātmā—the
soul; addhā—for all practical purposes; na—does not; śāmyati—be
satisfied.
TRANSLATION
It is true that by practicing
restraint of the senses by the yoga system one can get relief from the
disturbances of desire and lust, but this is not sufficient to give
satisfaction to the soul, for this [satisfaction] is derived from
devotional service to the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Yoga
aims at controlling the senses. By practice of the mystic process of
bodily exercise in sitting, thinking, feeling, willing, concentrating,
meditating and at last being merged into transcendence, one can control
the senses. The senses are considered like venomous serpents, and the
yoga system is just to control them. On the other hand, Nārada Muni
recommends another method for controlling the senses in the
transcendental loving service of Mukunda, the Personality of Godhead.
By his experience he says that devotional service to the Lord is more
effective and practical than the system of artificially controlling the
senses. In the service of the Lord Mukunda, the senses are
transcendentally engaged. Thus there is no chance of their being
engaged in sense satisfaction. The senses want some engagement. To
check them artificially is no check at all because as soon as there is
some opportunity for enjoyment, the serpentlike senses will certainly
take advantage of it. There are many such instances in history, just
like Viśvāmitra Muni's falling a victim to the beauty of Menakā. But
Ṭhākura Haridāsa was allured at midnight by the well-dressed Māyā, and
still she could not induce that great devotee into her trap.
The
whole idea is that without devotional service of the Lord, neither the
yoga system nor dry philosophical speculation can ever become
successful. Pure devotional service of the Lord, without being tinged
with fruitive work, mystic yoga or speculative philosophy, is the
foremost procedure to attain self-realization. Such pure devotional
service is transcendental in nature, and the systems of yoga and jñāna
are subordinate to such a process. When the transcendental devotional
service is mixed with a subordinate process, it is no longer
transcendental but is called mixed devotional service. Śrīla Vyāsadeva,
the author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, will gradually develop all these
different systems of transcendental realization in the text.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.35
Though
it is ascertained that the state of bhakti is real liberation, yoga and
jñana mixed with bhakti will not pacify the ātmā as much as pure
bhakti. Ātmā is not pacified by yoga (yoga-pathaiḥ) as much as by
serving Mukunda directly (addhā). It is established that yoga and other
processes without bhakti are futile
pureha bhūman bahavo ’pi yoginas tvad-arpitehā nija-karma-labdhayā
vibudhya bhaktyaiva kathopanītayā prapedire ’ñjo ’cyuta te gatiṁ parām
O
almighty Lord, in the past many yogīs in this world achieved the
platform of devotional service by offering all their endeavors unto You
and faithfully carrying out their prescribed duties. Through such
devotional service, perfected by the processes of hearing and chanting
about You, they came to understand You, O infallible one, and could
easily surrender to You and achieve Your supreme abode. SB 10.14.5
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvara na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
Even
the stage of jñāna without the bondage of karma is not glorious if it
is devoid of bhakti to the Supreme Lord. What is the use of having
destroyed ignorance? What then to speak of sakāma-karma which causes
suffering, both, during practice and at the stage perfection, and
niṣkāma-karma, when not offered to the Lord? SB 1.5.12
Therefore
this verse must only refer to yoga and other processes mixed with
bhakti, since they otherwise would give no results at all. And even if
these processes pacify the ātmā to some extent, they do not pacify it
to the extent that pure bhakti alone - serving Mukunda without these
processes - does. These mixed processes will not satisfy ātmā
completely:
bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ yaśo bhagavato ’malam
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṁ khilam
You
have not sufficiently described the glories of the spotless Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Because your mind could never be satisfied with Vedānta, I think that
writing the Vedānta-sūtras is insufficient. SB 1.5.8
Though
bhakti is described later as a means of liberation, three types of
bhakti are seen: pure bhakti (kevala), mixed bhakti but with bhakti
being predominant (prādhānya) and mixed bhakti but with bhakti being
secondary (guṇa-bhāva). Kevala-bhakti is illustrated in verses such as
tyaktvā sva-dharmam (SB 1.5.17) and ahaṁ purātīta-bhava (SB 1.5.23).
Prādhānya-bhakti is illustrated in the following:
kurvāṇā yatra karmāṇi bhagavac-chikṣayāsakṛt
gṛṇanti guṇa-nāmāni kṛṣṇasyānusmaranti ca
When
those engaged in karma continuously perform those activities according
to the instruction of the Lord, they also chant and remember the
qualities and names of Kṛṣṇa. SB 1.5.36
Guṇa-bhāva-bhakti is illustrated as follows:
yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam
jñānaṁ yat tad adhīnaṁ hi bhakti-yoga-samanvitam
That
jñāna which arises from karma which is pleasing to the Lord because of
being offered to him is endowed with bhakti. SB 1.5.35
Kevala-bhakti,
practiced by a person who is niṣkāma, also called as ananya-bhakti,
śuddha-bhakti, nirguṇa-bhakti, uttama-bhaklti and akiṇcana-bhakti,
gives prema as a result. Prādhānya-bhakti, classified as
karma-miśra-bhakti, jñāna-miśra-bhakti, and yoga-miśra-bhakti
andpracticed by those who are śānta, produces rati (bhāva) and
liberation for some. If one of these persons gets the association of a
person with dāsya-bhāva or other sentiments, because of the
predominance of bhakti desiring dāsya or other sentiments, that person
will achieve prema from that dāsya or other bhāva with a prominence of
reverential (aiśvarya) mood. In guṇa-bhāva-bhakti, bhakti does not
reveal is own results and name. It is only an assistant of karma, jñāna
and yoga which cannot produce results without bhakti’s presence. Bhakti
in this case is only secondary (taṭashta). Bhakti-miśra-karma,
bhakti-miśra-jñāna and bhakti-miśra-yoga produce liberation. Thus in
this scripture, only two types of bhakti are accepted: kevala and
pradhānībhūtā. All this Nārada instructed to Vyāsa, who explains this
in the Twelfth Canto.
TEXT - SB 1.6.36
sarvaṁ tad idam ākhyātaṁ
yat pṛṣṭo 'haṁ tvayānagha
janma-karma-rahasyaṁ me
bhavataś cātma-toṣaṇam
SYNONYMS
sarvam—all;
tat—that; idam—this; ākhyātam—described; yat—whatever; pṛṣṭaḥ—asked by;
aham—me; tvayā—by you; anagha—without any sins; janma—birth;
karma—activities; rahasyam—mysteries; me—mine; bhavataḥ—your; ca—and;
ātma—self; toṣaṇam—satisfaction.
TRANSLATION
O Vyāsadeva,
you are freed from all sins. Thus I have explained my birth and
activities for self-realization, as you asked. All this will be
conducive for your personal satisfaction also.
PURPORT
The
process of devotional activities from the beginning to the stage of
transcendence is all duly explained to satisfy the inquiries of
Vyāsadeva. He has explained how the seeds of devotional service were
sown by transcendental association and how they gradually developed by
hearing the sages. The result of such hearing is detachment from
worldliness, so much so that even a small boy could receive the death
news of his mother, who was his only caretaker, as the blessing of God.
And at once he took the opportunity to search out the Lord. A sincere
urge for having an interview with the Lord was also granted to him,
although it is not possible for anyone to see the Lord with mundane
eyes. He also explained how by execution of pure transcendental service
one can get rid of the fruitive action of accumulated work and how he
transformed his material body into a spiritual one. The spiritual body
is alone able to enter into the spiritual realm of the Lord, and no one
but a pure devotee is eligible to enter into the kingdom of God. All
the mysteries of transcendental realization are duly experienced by
Nārada Muni himself, and therefore by hearing such an authority one can
have some idea of the results of devotional life, which are hardly
delineated even in the original texts of the Vedas. In the Vedas and
Upaniṣads there are only indirect hints to all this. Nothing is
directly explained there, and therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the mature
fruit of all the Vedic trees of literatures.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.36
Sarvam
here refers to the appearance of Nārada’s bhakti, its types, growth and
result; the activities of the devotee; destruction of prārabdha-karma;
how the devotee leaves his body; achieving a spiritual body without
karmas. It is called secret (rahasyam) because it is not understood by
those who study Vedānta.
TEXT - SB 1.6.37
sūta uvāca
evaṁ sambhāṣya bhagavān
nārado vāsavī-sutam
āmantrya vīṇāṁ raṇayan
yayau yādṛcchiko muniḥ
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ—Sūta
Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; evam—thus; sambhāṣya—addressing;
bhagavān—transcendentally powerful; nāradaḥ—Nārada Muni; vāsavī—named
Vāsavī (Satyavatī); sutam—son; āmantrya—inviting; vīṇām—instrument;
raṇayan—vibrating; yayau—went; yādṛcchikaḥ—wherever willing; muniḥ—the
sage.
TRANSLATION
Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus addressing
Vyāsadeva, Śrīla Nārada Muni took leave of him, and vibrating on his
vīṇā instrument, he left to wander at his free will.
PURPORT
Every
living being is anxious for full freedom because that is his
transcendental nature. And this freedom is obtained only through the
transcendental service of the Lord. Illusioned by the external energy,
everyone thinks that he is free, but actually he is bound up by the
laws of nature. A conditioned soul cannot freely move from one place to
another even on this earth, and what to speak of one planet to another.
But a full-fledged free soul like Nārada, always engaged in chanting
the Lord's glory, is free to move not only on earth but also in any
part of the universe, as well as in any part of the spiritual sky. We
can just imagine the extent and unlimitedness of his freedom, which is
as good as that of the Supreme Lord. There is no reason or obligation
for his traveling, and no one can stop him from his free movement.
Similarly, the transcendental system of devotional service is also
free. It may or may not develop in a particular person even after he
undergoes all the detailed formulas. Similarly, the association of the
devotee is also free. One may be fortunate to have it, or one may not
have it even after thousands of endeavors. Therefore, in all spheres of
devotional service, freedom is the main pivot. Without freedom there is
no execution of devotional service. The freedom surrendered to the Lord
does not mean that the devotee becomes dependent in every respect. To
surrender unto the Lord through the transparent medium of the spiritual
master is to attain complete freedom of life.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.37
Āmantrya
means taking leave. Yādṛcchikaḥ means that Nārada moves about without a
motive. Bhakti is also yādṛcchikī, and so is the devotee. Giving
association to Vyāsa is also yādṛcchika. Long live these three types of
causelessness concerning devotion.
TEXT - SB 1.6.38
aho devarṣir dhanyo 'yaṁ
yat-kīrtiṁ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ
gāyan mādyann idaṁ tantryā
ramayaty āturaṁ jagat
SYNONYMS
aho—all
glory to; devarṣiḥ—the sage of the gods; dhanyaḥ—all success; ayam
yat—one who; kīrtim—glories; śārṅga-dhanvanaḥ—of the Personality of
Godhead; gāyan—singing; mādyan—taking pleasure in; idam—this;
tantryā—by means of the instrument; ramayati—enlivens;
āturam—distressed; jagat—world.
TRANSLATION
All glory and
success to Śrīla Nārada Muni because he glorifies the activities of the
Personality of Godhead, and so doing he himself takes pleasure and also
enlivens all the distressed souls of the universe.
PURPORT
Śrī
Nārada Muni plays on his instrument to glorify the transcendental
activities of the Lord and to give relief to all miserable living
entities of the universe. No one is happy here within the universe, and
what is felt as happiness is māyā's illusion. The illusory energy of
the Lord is so strong that even the hog who lives on filthy stool feels
happy. No one can be truly happy within the material world. Śrīla
Nārada Muni, in order to enlighten the miserable inhabitants, wanders
everywhere. His mission is to get them back home, back to Godhead. That
is the mission of all genuine devotees of the Lord following the
footsteps of that great sage.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.6.38
This verse reveals astonishment. Tantryā means “with the vīṇa.”
Thus
end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Sixth Chapter, of
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Conversation Between Nārada and Vyāsa."
7. The Son of Droṇa Punished
verses:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53-54, 55, 56,
57, 58
TEXT - SB 1.7.1
śaunaka uvāca
nirgate nārade sūta
bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ
śrutavāṁs tad-abhipretaṁ
tataḥ kim akarod vibhuḥ
SYNONYMS
śaunakaḥ—Śrī
Śaunaka; uvāca—said; nirgate—having gone; nārade—Nārada Muni; sūta—O
Sūta; bhagavān—the transcendentally powerful; bādarāyaṇaḥ—Vedavyāsa;
śrutavān—who heard; tat—his; abhipretam—desire of the mind;
tataḥ—thereafter; kim—what; akarot—did he do; vibhuḥ—the great.
TRANSLATION
Ṛṣi
Śaunaka asked: O Sūta, the great and transcendentally powerful
Vyāsadeva heard everything from Śrī Nārada Muni. So after Nārada's
departure, what did Vyāsadeva do?
PURPORT
In this chapter
the clue for describing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is picked up as Mahārāja
Parīkṣit is miraculously saved in the womb of his mother. This was
caused by Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā), Ācārya Droṇa's son, who killed the five
sons of Draupadī while they were asleep, for which he was punished by
Arjuna. Before commencing the great epic Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī
Vyāsadeva realized the whole truth by trance in devotion.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.1
In
the seventh chapter Vyāsa sees the meaning of all scriptures while in
trance. The withdrawal of the brahmāstra and the punishment of
Aśvatthāmā are also told.
TEXT - SB 1.7.2
sūta uvāca
brahma-nadyāṁ sarasvatyām
āśramaḥ paścime taṭe
śamyāprāsa iti prokta
ṛṣīṇāṁ satra-vardhanaḥ
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ—Śrī
Sūta; uvāca—said; brahma-nadyām—on the bank of the river intimately
related with Vedas, brāhmaṇas, saints, and the Lord;
sarasvatyām—Sarasvatī; āśramaḥ—cottage for meditation; paścime—on the
west; taṭe—bank; śamyāprāsaḥ—the place named Śamyāprāsa; iti—thus;
proktaḥ—said to be; ṛṣīṇām—of the sages; satra-vardhanaḥ—that which
enlivens activities.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Sūta said: On the
western bank of the River Sarasvatī, which is intimately related with
the Vedas, there is a cottage for meditation at Śamyāprāsa which
enlivens the transcendental activities of the sages.
PURPORT
For
spiritual advancement of knowledge a suitable place and atmosphere are
definitely required. The place on the western bank of the Sarasvatī is
especially suitable for this purpose. And there is the āśrama of
Vyāsadeva at Śamyāprāsa. Śrīla Vyāsadeva was a householder, yet his
residential place is called an āśrama. An āśrama is a place where
spiritual culture is always foremost. It does not matter whether the
place belongs to a householder or a mendicant. The whole varṇāśrama
system is so designed that each and every status of life is called an
āśrama. This means that spiritual culture is the common factor for all.
The brahmacārīs, the gṛhasthas, the vānaprasthas and the sannyāsīs all
belong to the same mission of life, namely, realization of the Supreme.
Therefore none of them are less important as far as spiritual culture
is concerned. The difference is a matter of formality on the strength
of renunciation. The sannyāsīs are held in high estimation on the
strength of practical renunciation.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.2
Brahma-nadyām
can mean river of the Vedas, of the brāhmaṇas, of austerity, of the
Lord. Amara-koṣa says vedas tattvaṁ tapo brahma brahmā vipraḥ
prajāpatir: the word brahma can mean Veda, truth, austerity, the
brahman, Lord Brahmā, a brāhmaṇa, and a progenitor.
TEXT - SB 1.7.3
tasmin sva āśrame vyāso
badarī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍite
āsīno 'pa upaspṛśya
praṇidadhyau manaḥ svayam
SYNONYMS
tasmin—in
that (āśrama); sve—own; āśrame—in the cottage; vyāsaḥ—Vyāsadeva;
badarī—berry; ṣaṇḍa—trees; maṇḍite—surrounded by; āsīnaḥ—sitting; apaḥ
upaspṛśya—touching water; praṇidadhyau—concentrated; manaḥ—the mind;
svayam—himself.
TRANSLATION
In that place, Śrīla
Vyāsadeva, in his own āśrama, which was surrounded by berry trees, sat
down to meditate after touching water for purification.
PURPORT
Under
instructions of his spiritual master Śrīla Nārada Muni, Vyāsadeva
concentrated his mind in that transcendental place of meditation.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.3
Nārada
had instructed Vyāsa to remember the pastimes of the Lord continually
in samādhi (SB 1.5.13). Thus he sat and concentrated using his mind.
TEXT - SB 1.7.4
bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak praṇihite 'male
apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ
māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam
SYNONYMS
bhakti—devotional
service; yogena—by the process of linking up; manasi—upon the mind;
samyak—perfectly; praṇihite—engaged in and fixed upon; amale—without
any matter; apaśyat—saw; puruṣam—the Personality of Godhead;
pūrṇam—absolute; māyām—energy; ca—also; tat—His; apāśrayam—under full
control.
TRANSLATION
Thus he fixed his mind, perfectly
engaging it by linking it in devotional service [bhakti-yoga] without
any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Absolute Personality of
Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full control.
PURPORT
Perfect
vision of the Absolute Truth is possible only by the linking process of
devotional service. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. One
can perfectly realize the Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead only by
the process of devotional service, and one can enter into the kingdom
of God by such perfect knowledge. Imperfect realization of the Absolute
by the partial approach of the impersonal Brahman or localized
Paramātmā does not permit anyone to enter into the kingdom of God. Śrī
Nārada advised Śrīla Vyāsadeva to become absorbed in transcendental
meditation on the Personality of Godhead and His activities. Śrīla
Vyāsadeva did not take notice of the effulgence of Brahman because that
is not absolute vision. The absolute vision is the Personality of
Godhead, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.19): vāsudevaḥ
sarvam iti. In the Upaniṣads also it is confirmed that Vāsudeva, the
Personality of Godhead, is covered by the golden glowing hiraṇmayena
pātreṇa veil of impersonal Brahman, and when that curtain is removed by
the mercy of the Lord the real face of the Absolute is seen. The
Absolute is mentioned here as the puruṣa, or person. The Absolute
Personality of Godhead is mentioned in so many Vedic literatures, and
in the Bhagavad-gītā, the puruṣa is confirmed as the eternal and
original person. The Absolute Personality of Godhead is the perfect
person. The Supreme Person has manifold energies, out of which the
internal, external and marginal energies are specifically important.
The energy mentioned here is the external energy, as will be clear from
the statements of her activities. The internal energy is there along
with the Absolute Person as the moonlight is there with the moon. The
external energy is compared to darkness because it keeps the living
entities in the darkness of ignorance. The word apāśrayam suggests that
this energy of the Lord is under full control. The internal potency or
superior energy is also called māyā, but it is spiritual māyā, or
energy exhibited in the absolute realm. When one is under the shelter
of this internal potency, the darkness of material ignorance is at once
dissipated. And even those who are ātmārāma, or fixed in trance, take
shelter of this māyā, or internal energy. Devotional service, or
bhakti-yoga, is the function of the internal energy; thus there is no
place for the inferior energy, or material energy, just as there is no
place for darkness in the effulgence of spiritual light. Such internal
energy is even superior to the spiritual bliss attainable in the
conception of impersonal Brahman. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā
that the impersonal Brahman effulgence is also an emanation from the
Absolute Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The parama-puruṣa cannot be
anyone except Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, as will be explained in the later
ślokas.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.4
Praṇihite
means “without movement.” The cause was that the mind was purified by
bhakti (bhakti-yogena amale). He saw the perfect form of the puruṣa.
This means Kṛṣṇa, because it will later be said kṛṣṇe parama-puruṣe (SB
1.7.7). Instead of pūrṇam, pūrvam is also seen. Pūrvam means “I alone
existed in the beginning.”
This confirms the Lord as the supreme
person as mentioned in Vedic texts. The word pūrṇam indicates the
cit-śakti arising from his svarūpa and all his aṁśas and kalās. Thus
Vyāsa saw the brahman in its full form. If a person says that he saw
the full moon it means that a person saw the moon’s fullness with all
phases of the moon. But he did not see the external energy māyā which
has opposite qualities. Thus māyā is mentioned separately with the
words māyāṁ ca. This energy took shelter behind (apāśrayam) the Lord,
since this is described later with the following:
vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe ’muyā
vimohitā vikatthante mamāham iti durdhiyaḥ
The ignorant jīvas, bewildered by māyā who is ashamed to stand in sight of the Lord, boast about "I" and "mine." 2.5.13
Jiva's tika ||1.7.4||
bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite ’male |
apaśyat puruṣam pūrṇam māyām ca tad-apāśrayam ||
TRANSLATION
In that mind which was undisturbed because it was pure from the
performance of bhakti, he saw Lord Kṛṣṇa, complete with all his
energies and spiritual expansions, and also saw māyā who took shelter
behind the Lord.
Tattva Sandarbha 30-31:
Bhakti means prema as in the following:
astv evam anga bhagavān bhajatām mukundo muktim dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam
The Lord gives liberation but not prema to those who worship him. (SB 5.6.18)
Praṇihite
means “fixed.” Nārada instructed samādhinānusmara tad-viceṣṭitam:
remember with attention the pastimes of the Lord. (SB 1.5.13) The words
pūṛṇam puruṣam (complete person), according to mukta-pragraha-vṛtti
(tending to the highest meaning), means Kṛṣṇa, for it is said:
bhagavān iti śabdo’yam tathā puruṣa ity api |
vartate nirupādhiś ca vāsudeve’khilātmani ||
The
words Bhagavān and puruṣa, when indicating someone devoid of all
upādhis, mean Vāsudeva, the soul of all beings. (Padma Purāṇa)
kāma-kāmo yajet somam akāmaḥ puruṣam param ||
The
person desiring sense gratification should worship Soma. The person
desiring to destroy all material desires should worship the Supreme
Lord.
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ |
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣam param ||
The
person desiring destruction of all desires, the person with all
desires, and even the person with an intense desire for liberation, if
he has good intelligence, will worship the Supreme Lord with pure
bhakti. (SB 2.3.9-10)
In verse 9, puruṣam refers to Paramātmā,
who is related to prakṛti. In verse 10 puruṣam means Svayam Bhagavān,
who is free of upādhis, being complete. This is according to Śrīdhara
Svāmī’s commentary. Thus the meaning is that Vyāsa saw Svayam Bhagavān
Kṛṣṇa (puruṣam pūrṇam).
yayā sammohito jīva ātmānam tri-guṇātmakam |
paro ’pi manute ’nartham tat-kṛtam cābhipadyate ||
Bewildered
by that māyā, the jīva, though separate from the three guṇas, considers
himself made of the three guṇas and takes on material existence created
by the guṇas.
anarthopaśamam sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje |
lokasyājānato vidvāmś cakre sātvata-samhitām ||
And
Vyāsa saw bhakti-yoga to the Lord which effectively destroys jīva’s
samsāra. Learned Vyāsa then wrote the Bhāgavatam for ignorant people.
yasyām vai śrūyamāṇāyām kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe |
bhaktir utpadyate pumsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā ||
By
hearing Bhāgavatam, bhakti for the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa appears. Hearing
it also destroys lamentation, illusion and fear in the human being.
sa samhitām bhāgavatīm kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam |
śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-niratam muniḥ ||
Having
already made the Bhāgavatam, the sage Vyāsa revised it at this time and
taught it to his son Śukadeva who had realized Brahman. (SB 1.7.4-8)
Śaunaka asks: sa vai nivṛtti-nirataḥ sarvatropekṣako muniḥ |
kasya vā bṛhatīm etām ātmārāmaḥ samabhyasat ||
Śukadeva
was fixed in the Brahman, indifferent to everything, and enjoying in
the self. Why did he study this elaborate work? (SB 1.7.9)
Sūta replies: ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame |
kurvanty ahaitukīm bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ ||
Some
sages who are ātmārāmas, beyond the scriptures, false ego and rules,
also practice unmotivated, pure bhakti to the master of pure bhakti,
Kṛṣṇa, since he possesses qualities attractive to even them.
harer guṇākṣipta-matir bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ |
adhyagān mahad ākhyānam nityam viṣṇu-jana-priyaḥ ||
Śukadeva,
the son of Vyāsa, whose mind became distracted from trance by the
qualities of Kṛṣṇa, and who became attracted to the Vaiṣṇavas, studied
this great Bhāgavatam. (SB 1.7.10-11)
Instead of puruṣam
pūrṇam sometimes puruṣam pūrvam is seen. This refers to śruti which
says pūrvam evāham ihāsam iti tat-puruṣasya puruṣatvam: it is said “In
the beginning I alone existed in this world.” Because the Lord was the
only person (puruṣasya) existing previously (pūrvam), he is called the
puruṣa. (Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 1.23.1) This indicates Bhagavān.
Seeing the puruṣam pūrṇam means that Vyāsa saw the Lord endowed with his
svarūpa-śakti, just as “He saw the full moon” means “He saw the moon with its bright light.” Thus it said:
tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ |
māyām vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani ||
You
are the original Lord, the controller, beyond material energy. You are
situated in your spiritual form, being one with your spiritual energy
(cicchaktyā), and separate from the material energy. (SB 1.7.23)
Therefore,
since māyā is inferior to the svarūpa-śakti, it is said that māyā took
shelter of the Lord as an inferior (māyām ca tad-apāśrayām). She was
standing concealed. This indicates that māyā does not arise from his
svarūpa. Māyā paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamānā: māyā, being ashamed,
cannot stand before the Lord. (SB 2.7.47)
The svarūpa-śakti
(as bhakti) will be explained with anarthopaśamam sākṣād bhakti-yogam
adhokṣaje: Vyāsa saw bhakti-yoga to the Lord which effectively destroys
jīva’s samsāra. (SB 1.7.6) Also see ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy
urukrame kurvanty ahaitukīm bhaktim. (SB 1.7.10) The power of
bhaktiyoga mentioned in the first text is understood to be the function
of the svarūpaśakti since it is the defeater of māyā. In the second
verse (SB 1.7.10), bhakti’s qualities act as the highest function of
the svarūpa-śakti (prema) to minimize the bliss of Brahman. The puruṣa
who oversees māyā is an amśa of Bhagavān. Brahman is not mentioned
separately since, as the Lord’s manifestation without qualities, it is
included within Bhagavān. As previously (anuccheda 29) sambandha-tattva
is indicated by this.
TEXT - SB 1.7.5
yayā sammohito jīva
ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam
paro 'pi manute 'narthaṁ
tat-kṛtaṁ cābhipadyate
SYNONYMS
yayā—by
whom; sammohitaḥ—illusioned; jīvaḥ—the living entities; ātmānam—self;
tri-guṇa-ātmakam—conditioned by the three modes of nature, or a product
of matter; paraḥ—transcendental; api—in spite of; manute—takes it for
granted; anartham—things not wanted; tat—by that; kṛtam ca—reaction;
abhipadyate—undergoes thereof.
TRANSLATION
Due to this
external energy, the living entity, although transcendental to the
three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a material product
and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries.
PURPORT
The
root cause of suffering by the materialistic living beings is pointed
out with remedial measures which are to be undertaken and also the
ultimate perfection to be gained. All this is mentioned in this
particular verse. The living being is by constitution transcendental to
material encagement, but he is now imprisoned by the external energy,
and therefore he thinks himself one of the material products. And due
to this unholy contact, the pure spiritual entity suffers material
miseries under the modes of material nature. The living entity
misunderstands himself to be a material product. This means that the
present perverted way of thinking, feeling and willing, under material
conditions, is not natural for him. But he has his normal way of
thinking, feeling and willing. The living being in his original state
is not without thinking, willing and feeling power. It is also
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that the actual knowledge of the
conditioned soul is now covered by nescience. Thus the theory that a
living being is absolute impersonal Brahman is refuted herein. This
cannot be, because the living entity has his own way of thinking in his
original unconditional state also. The present conditional state is due
to the influence of the external energy, which means that the illusory
energy takes the initiative while the Supreme Lord is aloof. The Lord
does not desire that a living being be illusioned by external energy.
The external energy is aware of this fact, but still she accepts a
thankless task of keeping the forgotten soul under illusion by her
bewildering influence. The Lord does not interfere with the task of the
illusory energy because such performances of the illusory energy are
also necessary for reformation of the conditioned soul. An affectionate
father does not like his children to be chastised by another agent, yet
he puts his disobedient children under the custody of a severe man just
to bring them to order. But the all-affectionate Almighty Father at the
same time desires relief for the conditioned soul, relief from the
clutches of the illusory energy. The king puts the disobedient citizens
within the walls of the jail, but sometimes the king, desiring the
prisoners' relief, personally goes there and pleads for reformation,
and on his doing so the prisoners are set free. Similarly, the Supreme
Lord descends from His kingdom upon the kingdom of illusory energy and
personally gives relief in the form of the Bhagavad-gītā, wherein He
personally suggests that although the ways of illusory energy are very
stiff to overcome, one who surrenders unto the lotus feet of the Lord
is set free by the order of the Supreme. This surrendering process is
the remedial measure for getting relief from the bewildering ways of
the illusory energy. The surrendering process is completed by the
influence of association. The Lord has suggested, therefore, that by
the influence of the speeches of saintly persons who have actually
realized the Supreme, men are engaged in His transcendental loving
service. The conditioned soul gets a taste for hearing about the Lord,
and by such hearing only he is gradually elevated to the platform of
respect, devotion and attachment for the Lord. The whole thing is
completed by the surrendering process. Herein also the same suggestion
is made by the Lord in His incarnation of Vyāsadeva. This means that
the conditioned souls are being reclaimed by the Lord both ways, namely
by the process of punishment by the external energy of the Lord, and by
Himself as the spiritual master within and without. Within the heart of
every living being the Lord Himself as the Supersoul (Paramātmā)
becomes the spiritual master, and from without He becomes the spiritual
master in the shape of scriptures, saints and the initiator spiritual
master. This is still more explicitly explained in the next śloka.
Personal
superintendence of the illusory energy is confirmed in the Vedas (the
Kena Upaniṣad) in relation to the demigods' controlling power. Herein
also it is clearly stated that the living entity is controlled by the
external energy in a personal capacity. The living being thus subject
to the control of external energy is differently situated. It is clear,
however, from the present statement of Bhāgavatam that the same
external energy is situated in the inferior position before the
Personality of Godhead, or the perfect being. The perfect being, or the
Lord, cannot be approached even by the illusory energy, who can only
work on the living entities. Therefore it is sheer imagination that the
Supreme Lord is illusioned by the illusory energy and thus becomes a
living being. If the living being and the Lord were in the same
category, then it would have been quite possible for Vyāsadeva to see
it, and there would have been no question of material distress on the
part of the illusioned being, for the Supreme Being is fully cognizant.
So there are so many unscrupulous imaginations on the part of the
monists to endeavor to put both the Lord and the living being in the
same category. Had the Lord and the living beings been the same, then
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī would not have taken the trouble to describe the
transcendental pastimes of the Lord, for they would all be
manifestations of illusory energy.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the
summum bonum remedy for suffering humanity in the clutches of māyā.
Śrīla Vyāsadeva therefore first of all diagnosed the actual disease of
the conditioned souls, i.e., their being illusioned by the external
energy. He also saw the perfect Supreme Being, from whom illusory
energy is far removed, though He saw both the diseased conditioned
souls and also the cause of the disease. And the remedial measures are
suggested in the next verse. Both the Supreme Personality of Godhead
and the living beings are undoubtedly qualitatively one, but the Lord
is the controller of the illusory energy, whereas the living entity is
controlled by the illusory energy. Thus the Lord and the living beings
are simultaneously one and different. Another point is distinct herein:
that eternal relation between the Lord and the living being is
transcendental, otherwise the Lord would not have taken the trouble to
reclaim the conditioned souls from the clutches of māyā. In the same
way, the living entity is also required to revive his natural love and
affection for the Lord, and that is the highest perfection of the
living entity. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam treats the conditioned soul with an
aim to that goal of life.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.5
In
order to describe the sweetness of the Lord’s form, qualities and
pastimes, one needs to see the Lord. But what was the purpose of
Vyāsa’s seeing māyā? This verse explains. How can the jīva afflicted by
the material disease naturally taste the sweetness which is necessary
for beginning to learn Bhāgavatam? There can be no prescription for
cure without first seeing the disease. Without that how can the patient
be treated with proper medicine and food? Thus it is necessary to see
both māyā and the jīva. Bewildered by the covering and bewildering
potencies of māyā upon his svarūpa, the jīva, though separate from the
three guṇas, thinks himself made of matter, and accepts material
existence (anartham) – a body - created by that identification.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.5||
yayā sammohito jīva ātmānam tri-guṇātmakam |
paro ’pi manute ’nartham tat-kṛtam cābhipadyate ||
TRANSLATION
Bewildered by that māyā, the jīva, though separate from the three
guṇas, considers himself made of the three guṇas and takes on material
existence created by the guṇas.
Tattva Sandarbha 32:
The abhidheya and prayojana are established. He saw the different of jīva from
the
Lord. Vyāsa saw the essential difference between the Lord and the jīva.
This difference establishes the abhidheya and māyayā sammohito jīvaḥ:
jīva was bewildered by that māyā. Though the jīva is superior to matter
made of the three guṇas, since he is conscious in nature, he thinks
himself to be body made of the three guṇas. The obstacle created by
that conception leads to the suffering of samsāra. Though actually a
conscious entity, he identifies with the body because of māyā’s
influence. This shows that the jīva has svarūpa-bhūta-jnāna, knowledge
as his svarūpa (knowledge is inherent in his nature as jīva), just as
fire by its nature of being a flame (svarūpa) reveals itself and other
things.
Gītā says:
nādatte kasyacit pāpam na caiva sukṛtam vibhuḥ |
ajnānenāvṛtam jnānam tena muhyanti jantavaḥ ||
The
perfect Lord is not responsible for the sinful or pious acts of the
jīvas. But since their knowledge is covered by their hostility to the
Lord the living entities are bewildered by that ignorance and blame the
Lord. (BG 5.15)
Therefore the idea that the jīva is Brahman in
a state of upādhis and that by destroying the upādhis there is
liberation in Brahman is refuted. Māyā is the agent of bewildering the
jīva. The Lord is neutral in this matter. It is said:
vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe ’muyā |
vimohitā vikatthante mamāham iti durdhiyaḥ ||
The ignorant jīvas, bewildered by māyā who is ashamed to stand in sight of the Lord, boast about “I” and “mine.” (SB 2.5.13)
Since
it is said that māyā is ashamed to stand before the Lord, her action of
bewildering the jīva is not pleasing to the Lord. Though she knows
this, not tolerating the jīvas’ beginningless aversion to the Lord in
the form of ignorance of the Lord, she covers jīva’s svarūpa and makes
him think he is something else.
bhayam dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet tam bhaktyaikayeśam guru-devate ātmā
For
the jīva averse to the Lord, there will be samsāra consisting of
identity with body and lack of identity with the soul, because of his
absorption in the material
coverings on the soul, arising
from the Lord’s māyā. Therefore, the intelligent person, taking guru as
his Lord and very self, should fully worship the Lord with pure bhakti.
(SB 11.2.37)
Tattva Sandarbha 33:
The Lord does not
interfere with the skillful actions of māyā, the controller of the
material world, who has been his devotee without beginning. Desiring
that the jīvas become favorable to him out of fear of māyā, the Lord
teaches:
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā |
mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etām taranti te ||
My
māyā, made of the guṇas, fit for the jīva’s pleasure, is hard to
surpass, but those who surrender to me alone can cross over this māyā.
(BG 7.14)
satām prasangān mama vīrya-samvido bhavanti
hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā
ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati
From association with the best
devotees, topics of my glorious pastimes become directly realized,
bringing the devotee to niṣṭhā. Then the topics become an elixir for
the heart and ears at the stage of ruci. By taste for these topics,
āsakti, bhāva and then prema for the Lord who is the destroyer of
material life, quickly develop in sequence. (SB 3.25.25)
The
Lord, as ācārya, later teaches this particularly through his form of
Vyāsa, a līlāvatāra. Vyāsa saw bhakti which destroys māyā (anarthas
anarthopaśamam). Thus there are coordinated functions of the māyā and
the Lord concerning bewilderment of the jīva and desiring to make the
jīva favorable.
“Māyā is a śakti and a śakti has ability to
act. Śakti is merely a quality. Why then does māyā have the particular
quality of being ashamed (if she is just an insentient śakti)?”
Scriptures describe that there are controlling deities of these śaktis.
One should see the discussion between Indra and Māyā (who is
personified as a person) in Kena Upaniṣad. Now let us return to the
topic.
That the jīva, though a conscious entity, is different
from the Lord is shown in SB 1.7.4-5: māyā takes shelter behind the
Lord and she bewilders the jīva.
Tattva Sandarbha 35:
It
is illogical to say that the same Brahman or consciousness which
becomes endowed with vidyā (knowledge) when giving shelter to māyā
(becoming īśvara) then becomes overpowered by avidyā (ignorance) when
subjected to māyā (as jīva). It is understood that there difference
between īśvara and jīva. From the verses quoted from Bhāgavatam, it is
understood that the svarūpas of īsvara and jīva are different, being
different in the abilities of their svarūpas.
Tattva Sandarbha 36:
Jīva and Brahman cannot become separate by an arrangement of reflection or bifurcation through different upādhis.
If
Brahman has as its real nature the quality of not being subjected to
anything else, it is impossible for Brahman, not subject to anything,
to be subjected to bifurcation by upādhis.
That which is
without qualities cannot be subject to reflection, since something
without qualities can have no relationship to upādhis. That which is
all pervading cannot be subject to reflection, since it cannot be
differentiated into object and reflection (since it extends everywhere
as one entity). That which is without limbs (having no form) cannot be
subject to reflection because it is invisible. A portion of light
within the sky interrupted by an upādhis becomes a reflection. The sky
itself cannot be seen as a reflection.
Tattva Sandarbha 38:
If
there is actual bifurcation of Brahman, that cannot be given up merely
by knowledge of jīva being none other than Brahman. If you say that the
cause of jīva being separate from Brahman is the power of Brahman
itself, that is our view.
Tattva Sandarbha 39:
But if
the upādhi is unreal, then bifurcation of Brahman or reflection of
Brahman must be unreal since it cannot actually occur. Jīva’s existence
being insubstantial like a dream cannot be proved by showing upādhis on
real object like pots restricting part of the sky or reflecting part of
the sky, since it is impossible to make a connection (by analogy)
between something which occurs with something which does not occur.
Thus these explanations are all a manifestation of ignorance. It is
impossible to establish these concepts of bifurcation and reflection,
which cannot logically exist.
Tattva Sandarbha 40:
This
philosophy ends in two elements: Brahman and ignorance. Brahman is pure
since it can never be subjected to ignorance, being consciousness alone
at all times. Because of a relationship with ignorance, which is
impurity, jīva arises. Then īśvara arises from Brahman giving shelter
to māyā produced by jīva’s ignorance. Other jīvas arise by Brahman
being the subject of that same māyā. Thus Brahman is filled with
contradictions. Ignorance exists in the pure consciousness and vidyā
exists in an entity called īśvara, an upādhi created by that ignorance.
Though appearing to be a thoughtful theory, it is actually cheating.
The contradictions should be considered.
Tattva Sandarbha 41:
If
the conclusion were ultimately non-difference of the Lord and the jīva
in Bhāgavatam, it would be stated that Vyāsa had seen that by ignorance
of Brahman, the one Brahman would become different (producing jīva) and
that by knowledge, suffering caused by difference disappeared. Since
the Lord’s pastimes would become completely unreal, this conception is
contrary to the heart of Śukadeva.
Tattva Sandarbha 42:
Scriptural
statements concerning jīva as a limitation or reflection of Brahman are
employed with gauṇya-vṛrti (secondary meaning) to show similarity. The
argument and conclusion are stated in the following:
ambuvad agrahaṇāt tu na tathātvam
There
is no similarity because one does not see distance between the Lord and
the jīva as one sees distance between the sun and water to cause the
reflection. (Brahma-sūtra 3.2.19)
vṛddhi-hrāsa-bhāktvam antarbhāvād ubhaya-sāmanjasyodevam
The
comparison with the sun is accepted in the sense that it illustrates
the nature of greatness of the Lord and dependence of the jīva, since
this is included in the scriptural conclusion and harmonizes the
elements of the comparison. (Brahma-
sūtra 3.2.20)
Tattva Sandarbha 43:
Thus
scriptures speaking of non-difference of Brahman and jīva should be
coordinated with the conclusion that Vyāsa experienced in samādhi. Both
the jīva and the Lord are conscious entities. By the acintya-śakti of
the Lord, natural to him, which makes the impossible possible, there
can be both difference and non-difference of jīva and Brahman. Thus
contradiction is avoided. This is understood by comparing the jīva to a
particle in the ray of the sun which represents the Lord.
Tattva Sandarbha 44-45:
Since
jīva is bewildered by māyā and Brahman is the shelter of māyā, they are
established as different. That ultimately means that Brahman (the Lord)
should be worshipped. Thus the abhidheya is established.
Since
the Lord gives instructions for everyone’s benefit, since he destroys
all suffering, since he is the highest svarūpa among all beings, like
the sun in relation to its rays, and since he is endowed with more
qualities than anyone else, the Lord is the suitable object of the
highest prema. Thus the prayojana is established.
TEXT - SB 1.7.6
anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād
bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
lokasyājānato vidvāṁś
cakre sātvata-saṁhitām
SYNONYMS
anartha—things
which are superfluous; upaśamam—mitigation; sākṣāt—directly;
bhakti-yogam—the linking process of devotional service; adhokṣaje—unto
the Transcendence; lokasya—of the general mass of men; ajānataḥ—those
who are unaware of; vidvān—the supremely learned; cakre—compiled;
sātvata—in relation with the Supreme Truth; saṁhitām—Vedic literature.
TRANSLATION
The
material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him,
can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service.
But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned
Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the
Supreme Truth.
PURPORT
Śrīla Vyāsadeva saw the
all-perfect Personality of Godhead. This statement suggests that the
complete unit of the Personality of Godhead includes His parts and
parcels also. He saw, therefore, His different energies, namely the
internal energy, the marginal energy and the external energy. He also
saw His different plenary portions and parts of the plenary portions,
namely His different incarnations also, and he specifically observed
the unwanted miseries of the conditioned souls, who are bewildered by
the external energy. And at last he saw the remedial measure for the
conditioned souls, namely, the process of devotional service. It is a
great transcendental science and begins with the process of hearing and
chanting the name, fame, glory, etc., of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Revival of the dormant affection or love of Godhead does not
depend on the mechanical system of hearing and chanting, but it solely
and wholly depends on the causeless mercy of the Lord. When the Lord is
fully satisfied with the sincere efforts of the devotee, He may endow
him with His loving transcendental service. But even with the
prescribed forms of hearing and chanting, there is at once mitigation
of the superfluous and unwanted miseries of material existence. Such
mitigation of material affection does not wait for development of
transcendental knowledge. Rather, knowledge is dependent on devotional
service for the ultimate realization of the Supreme Truth.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.6
He
also saw the medicine for that disease. He saw bhakti-yoga which
destroys material existence. One should understand the stages in seeing
it. First he saw the Lord. By the use of the word pūrṇa, it should be
understood that Vyāsa saw the Lord with his aṁśas, the puruṣa and
guṇāvatāras. Without his aṁśas how can the Lord be considered complete?
Pūrṇa means complete. Thus Vyāsa saw the complete form of the Lord. He
saw his cit-śakti with many varieties such as Vimalā and Utkarṣiṇī
which are manifestations of his beauty. He then saw the external energy
māyā-śakti behind the Lord. He saw in the Lord, bhakti - the chief
element of the cit-śakti – which ismore powerful than all others and
which can destroy the illusion caused by māyā and which arises from the
actions of his anugrahā-śakti (mercy), and which controls even the
Lord. Having seen all this, he then wrote the Vaiṣṇava scripture called
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, which reveals all of this for the ignorant people.
īśaḥ svatantraś cit-sindhuḥ sarva-vyāpyaika eva hi |
jīvo ’dhīnaś cit-kaṇo ’pi svopādhir vyāpi-śaktikaḥ ||
aneko ’vidyayopāttas tyaktāvidyo ’pi karhicit |
māyā tv acit-pradhānaṁ cāvidyāvidyeti sā tridhā ||
The
Lord is independent, an ocean of consciousness, and all-pervading. The
jīva is dependent, a particle of consciousness, subject to mistaking
his identity and pervasive with limitation. They are many in number,
are covered with ignorance, and sometimes have ignorance removed. Māyā
has three divisions: unconscious material substance, ignorance and
knowledge.
The characteristics and proofs of the Lord, the jīva,
māyā, the universe, and his svarūpa-śakti called bhakti will be clearly
explained in the commentary on the prayers of the Vedas (SB 10.87).
Jiva's tika ||1.7.6||
anarthopaśamam sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje |
lokasyājānato vidvāmś cakre sātvata-samhitām ||
TRANSLATION
And Vyāsa saw bhakti-yoga to the Lord which effectively destroys jīva’s
samsāra. Learned Vyāsa then wrote the Bhāgavatam for ignorant people.
Tattva Sandarbha 43:
Since
Vyāsa saw the abhidheya as bhakti which destroys māyā, he advocated the
Sātvata-samhitā called Bhāgavatam in order to promote bhakti as the
abhidheya.
anarthopaśamam sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje |
lokasyājānato vidvāmś cakre sātvata-samhitām ||
And
Vyāsa saw bhakti-yoga to the Lord which effectively destroys jīva’s
samsāra. Learned Vyāsa then wrote the Bhāgavatam for ignorant people.
(SB 1.7.6)
Bhakti-yoga here means sādhana-bhakti consisting of
hearing, chanting and other actions rather than prema. Performance of
sādhana-bhakti depends on instruction whereas prema depends on the
Lord’s mercy. Since the performance of sādhana is a cause of the Lord’s
mercy, and includes in it the result called prema, sādhana directly
destroys jīva’s samsāra (anarthopaśamam). The destruction of samsāra
does not depend on anything else.
yat karmabhir yat tapasā jnāna-vairāgyataś ca yat yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair api
sarvam mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ’njasā svargāpavargam mad-dhāma kathancid yadi vānchati
Everything
that can be achieved by karma, penance, jnāna, vairāgya, mystic yoga,
charity, dharma and all other auspicious means of perfecting life is
easily achieved by my devotee through bhakti. If somehow or other my
devotee desires Svarga, liberation, or residence in my abode, he easily
achieves such benedictions. (SB 11.20.32-33)
Jnāna and other processes depend on bhakti:
śreyaḥ-sṛtim
bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye teṣām asau
kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām
O Lord!
If fools give up bhakti, the all-inclusive path, and suffer to attain
realization of ātmā without bhakti, they simply attain suffering and
nothing else. They are like fools who beat empty husks. (SB 10.14.4)
Or
another meaning is that sādhana-bhakti destroys suffering of samsāra
directly, without interruption. The destruction of bewilderment and
false identity however is accomplished by bhakti’s result, prema.
Śrīdhara quotes Viṣṇu Svāmī: the jīva filled with lamentation and fear
arising from perceiving in terms of I and mine because of his body,
which is false knowledge arising from his knowledge, is nourished by
the Lord’s māyā.
TEXT - SB 1.7.7
yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyāṁ
kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe
bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ
śoka-moha-bhayāpahā
SYNONYMS
yasyām—this
Vedic literature; vai—certainly; śrūyamāṇāyām—simply by giving aural
reception; kṛṣṇe—unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; parama—supreme; pūruṣe—unto the
Personality of Godhead; bhaktiḥ—feelings of devotional service;
utpadyate—sprout up; puṁsaḥ—of the living being; śoka—lamentation;
moha—illusion; bhaya—fearfulness; apahā—that which extinguishes.
TRANSLATION
Simply
by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for
loving devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation,
illusion and fearfulness.
PURPORT
There are various
senses, of which the ear is the most effective. This sense works even
when a man is deep asleep. One can protect himself from the hands of an
enemy while awake, but while asleep one is protected by the ear only.
The importance of hearing is mentioned here in connection with
attaining the highest perfection of life, namely, getting free from
three material pangs. Everyone is full of lamentation at every moment,
he is after the mirage of illusory things, and he is always afraid of
his supposed enemy. These are the primary symptoms of material disease.
And it is definitely suggested herein that simply by hearing the
message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one gets attachment for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and as soon as this is effected the
symptoms of the material diseases disappear. Śrīla Vyāsadeva saw the
all-perfect Personality of Godhead, and in this statement the
all-perfect Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is clearly confirmed.
The
ultimate result of devotional service is to develop genuine love for
the Supreme Personality. Love is a word which is often used in relation
with man and woman. And love is the only word that can be properly used
to indicate the relation between Lord Kṛṣṇa and the living entities.
The living entities are mentioned as prakṛti in the Bhagavad-gītā, and
in Sanskrit prakṛti is a feminine object. The Lord is always described
as the parama-puruṣa, or the supreme male personality. Thus the
affection between the Lord and the living entities is something like
that between the male and the female. Therefore the term love of
Godhead is quite appropriate.
Loving devotional service to the
Lord begins with hearing about the Lord. There is no difference between
the Lord and the subject matter heard about Him. The Lord is absolute
in all respects, and thus there is no difference between Him and the
subject matter heard about Him. Therefore, hearing about Him means
immediate contact with Him by the process of vibration of the
transcendental sound. And the transcendental sound is so effective that
it acts at once by removing all material affections mentioned above. As
mentioned before, a living entity develops a sort of complexity by
material association, and the illusory encagement of the material body
is accepted as an actual fact. Under such false complexity, the living
beings under different categories of life become illusioned in
different ways. Even in the most developed stage of human life, the
same illusion prevails in the form of many isms and divides the loving
relation with the Lord and thereby divides the loving relation between
man and man. By hearing the subject matter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this
false complexity of materialism is removed, and real peace in society
begins, which politicians aspire for so eagerly in so many political
situations. The politicians want a peaceful situation between man and
man, and nation and nation, but at the same time, because of too much
attachment for material domination, there is illusion and fearfulness.
Therefore the politicians' peace conferences cannot bring about peace
in society. It can only be done by hearing the subject matter described
in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī
Kṛṣṇa. The foolish politicians may go on holding peace and summit
conferences for hundreds of years, but they will fail to achieve
success. Until we reach the stage of reestablishing our lost relation
with Kṛṣṇa, the illusion of accepting the body as the self will
prevail, and thus fearfulness will also prevail. As for the validity of
Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are hundreds and
thousands of evidences from revealed scriptures, and there are hundreds
and thousands of evidences from personal experiences of devotees in
various places like Vṛndāvana, Navadvīpa and Purī. Even in the Kaumudī
dictionary the
SYNONYMS
of Kṛṣṇa are given as the son of
Yaśodā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead Parabrahman. The
conclusion is that simply by hearing the Vedic literature
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one can have direct connection with the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thereby one can attain the
highest perfection of life by transcending worldly miseries, illusion
and fearfulness. These are practical tests for one who has actually
given a submissive hearing to the readings of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.7
yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyāṁ kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe |
bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā ||
This
verse shows that Bhāgavatam produces prema. Simply by hearing it, prema
arises. What to speak then of the greater effect if one engages others
in hearing it! And what greater effect speaking it must have! And what
even greater effect will engaging others in speaking it produce! Bhakti
here means prema. Because it has been said īśvaraḥ sadyo hṛdy
avarudhyate ‘tra kṛtibhiḥ: the Supreme Lord becomes immediately
captured in the heart of the accomplished devotees by hearing
Bhāgavatam and even by those who have suddenly developed a desire to
hear it. (SB 1.1.2); and because the Lord is captured in the heart only
by the result of sādhana-bhakti. Destruction fo saṁsāra- is an unsought
result for the devotees. Nevertheless the devotees also achieve this.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.7||
yasyām vai śrūyamāṇāyām kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe |
bhaktir utpadyate pumsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā ||
TRANSLATION
By hearing Bhāgavatam, bhakti for the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa appears.
Hearing it also destroys lamentation, illusion and fear in the human
being.
Tattva Sandarbha 47:
In order to make the
prayojana clear and in order to indicate that the pūrṇapuruṣa is the
svarūpa of Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsa explains other realizations in samādhi, through
indicating the result of studying the book.
yasyām vai śrūyamāṇāyām kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe |
bhaktir utpadyate pumsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā ||
By
hearing Bhāgavatam, prema for the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa appears. Hearing
it also destroys lamentation, illusion and fear in the human being. (SB
1.7.7)
By hearing, prema (bhaktiḥ) appears (utpadyate) since
prema is the result of sādhana of hearing. Secondary results of prema
are mentioned: destruction of lamentation, fear and illusion. With the
appearance of prema, the impressions (samskāra) of these are destroyed.
Ṛṣabha says:
evam manaḥ karma-vaśam prayunkte avidyayātmany upadhīyamāne prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat
Thus,
karmas make the mind fixed upon further action. Since the jīva is
engaged in action by ignorance, having accepted a subtle body, as long
as he does not have devotion for me, Vāsudeva, he will not be liberated
from the body. (SB 5.5.6)
This verse uses the words
parama-pūruṣe to explain pūṛnam puruṣam mentioned previously. What form
is that? It is Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇe). This means Kṛṣṇa is Svayam Bhagavān. This
form becomes the first object of realization, just by hearing his name,
for countless people--for those who have realized thousands of
scriptures and those in the line of succession who were famous in the
Middle Ages. Kṛṣṇa’s form is such that just by hearing the first
syllable of his name, it becomes a mantra which turns a person towards
him. That is the purpose in mentioned Kṛṣṇa’s name. The writer of
Nāma-kaumudī says:
kṛṣṇa-śabdasya tamāla-śyāmala-tviṣi yaśodāyāḥ stanandhaye para-brahmaṇi rūdhiḥ
The
word Kṛṣṇa has the conventional meaning--the supreme Brahman in the
form of Yaśodā’s son, having the complexion of a tamāla tree.
TEXT - SB 1.7.8
sa saṁhitāṁ bhāgavatīṁ
kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam
śukam adhyāpayām āsa
nivṛtti-nirataṁ muniḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that;
saṁhitām—Vedic literature; bhāgavatīm—in relation with the Personality
of Godhead; kṛtvā—having done; anukramya—by correction and repetition;
ca—and; ātma-jam—his own son; śukam—Śukadeva Gosvāmī; adhyāpayām
āsa—taught; nivṛtti—path of self realization; niratam—engaged;
muniḥ—the sage.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Vyāsadeva,
after compiling the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and revising it, taught it to his
own son, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who was already engaged in
self-realization.
PURPORT
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the
natural commentation on the Brahma-sūtras compiled by the same author.
This Brahma-sūtra, or Vedānta-sūtra, is meant for those who are already
engaged in self-realization. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so made that one
becomes at once engaged in the path of self-realization simply by
hearing the topics. Although it is especially meant for the
paramahaṁsas, or those who are totally engaged in self-realization, it
works into the depths of the hearts of those who may be worldly men.
Worldly men are all engaged in sense gratification. But even such men
will find in this Vedic literature a remedial measure for their
material diseases. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a liberated soul from the very
beginning of his birth, and his father taught him Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Amongst mundane scholars, there is some diversity of opinion as to the
date of compilation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is, however, certain from
the text of the Bhāgavatam that it was compiled before the
disappearance of King Parīkṣit and after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
When Mahārāja Parīkṣit was ruling the world as the King of
Bhārata-varṣa, he chastised the personality of Kali. According to
revealed scriptures and astrological calculation, the age of Kali is in
its five thousandth year. Therefore, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled not
less than five thousand years ago. Mahābhārata was compiled before
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the Purāṇas were compiled before Mahābhārata.
That is an estimation of the date of compilation of the different Vedic
literatures. The synopsis of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was given before the
detailed description under instruction of Nārada. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is
the science for following the path of nivṛtti-mārga. The path of
pravṛtti-mārga was condemned by Nārada. That path is the natural
inclination for all conditioned souls. The theme of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
is the cure of the materialistic disease of the human being, or
stopping completely the pangs of material existence.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.8
sa saṁhitāṁ bhāgavatīṁ kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam |
śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-nirataṁ muniḥ ||
Because
he had realized the superiority of prema, his goal, over realization of
the bliss of brahman, he taught Bhāgavatam to Śuka so that he also
could see the superiority of the bliss of prema. In this world, if the
father has experienced something blissful, he will attempt to have his
son experience this also. That is explained in this verse.
First
Vyāsa had made an abbreviated scripture about bhakti, but on the advice
of Nārada, he rearranged it (anukramya), purified it, giving most
prominence to bhakti to Kṛṣṇa.
Nārada gave his instructions
after the disappearance of Kṛṣṇa and before Parīkṣit punished Kali,
because at that time itself there was a tendency towards irreligion
even among the followers of religion and adherents of scripture since
the power of Kali manifested even at the beginning of his control.
Because of this, Vyāsa was dissatisfied in his heart. This is shown in
the following verse:
jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte ’nuśāsataḥ svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ
yad-vākyato dharma itītaraḥ sthito na manyate tasya nivāraṇaṁ janaḥ
You
have created a great disturbance by teaching what is condemned to
people attached to material enjoyment in order make them accept dharma.
Thinking that what you have taught is real dharma, they do not consider
giving it up. SB 1.5.15
It is understood that before the
beginning of Kali-yuga he would not have been dissatisfied in heart.
Now at this time, he revised the Bhāgavatam which was previously
written. When it is said kṛsṇe svadhāmopagate, ... purāṇo ’rkto
’dhunotditaḥ (SB 1.3.43), this refers to the revised Bhāgavatam, the
present one. EWhen it is said that the present Bhāgavatam is another
Bhāgavatam and that the Bhāgavatam is among the eighteen Purāṇas, it
refers to the same Bhāgavatam, the present one... Nivṛtti-niratam means
that Śukadeva had realized brahman.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.8||
sa samhitām bhāgavatīm kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam |
śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-niratam muniḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Having already made the Bhāgavatam, the sage Vyāsa revised it and
taught it to his son Śukadeva who had realized brahman.
Tattva Sandarbha 48:
Vyāsa
realized this prayojana (prema) to be much greater that realization of
the bliss of Brahman since he taught Śukadeva this scripture so that he
could attain this bliss of prema. Previously Śukadeva was absorbed in
the bliss of Brahman.
sa samhitām bhāgavatīm kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam |
śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-niratam muniḥ ||
Having
already made the Bhāgavatam, the sage Vyāsa revised it and taught it to
his son Śukadeva who had realized Brahman. (SB 1.7.8)
Kṛtvānukramya
means that first Vyāsa composed Bhāgavatam in a condensed version and
later, on instructions of Nārada, expanded it methodically. It is said
that Bhāgavatam was written after Mahābhārata in Bhāgavatam and it is
said elsewhere that Mahābhārata was written after the eighteen Purāṇas.
The above information solves the contradiction. Śukadeva was completely
(niratam) absorbed in bliss of Brahman (nivṛtti). Though fixed in
Brahman, Vyāsa taught him this work.
TEXT - SB 1.7.9
śaunaka uvāca
sa vai nivṛtti-nirataḥ
sarvatropekṣako muniḥ
kasya vā bṛhatīm etām
ātmārāmaḥ samabhyasat
SYNONYMS
śaunakaḥ
uvāca—Śrī Śaunaka asked; saḥ—he; vai—of course; nivṛtti—on the path of
self-realization; nirataḥ—always engaged; sarvatra—in every respect;
upekṣakaḥ—indifferent; muniḥ—sage; kasya—for what reason; vā—or;
bṛhatīm—vast; etām—this; ātma-ārāmaḥ—one who is pleased in himself;
samabhyasat—undergo the studies.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śaunaka
asked Sūta Gosvāmī: Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī was already on the path of
self-realization, and thus he was pleased with his own self. So why did
he take the trouble to undergo the study of such a vast literature?
PURPORT
For
the people in general the highest perfection of life is to cease from
material activities and be fixed on the path of self-realization. Those
who take pleasure in sense enjoyment, or those who are fixed in
material bodily welfare work, are called karmīs. Out of thousands and
millions of such karmīs, one may become an ātmārāma by
self-realization. Ātmā means self, and ārāma means to take pleasure.
Everyone is searching after the highest pleasure, but the standard of
pleasure of one may be different from the standard of another.
Therefore, the standard of pleasure enjoyed by the karmīs is different
from that of the ātmārāmas. The ātmārāmas are completely indifferent to
material enjoyment in every respect. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī had already
attained that stage, and still he was attracted to undergo the trouble
of studying the great Bhāgavatam literature. This means that
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a postgraduate study even for the ātmārāmas, who
have surpassed all the studies of Vedic knowledge.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.9
Kasya vā means “for what reason.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.10
sūta uvāca
ātmārāmāś ca munayo
nirgranthā apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim
ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Sūta Gosvāmī said; ātmārāmāḥ—those who take pleasure in ātmā
(generally, spirit self); ca—also; munayaḥ—sages; nirgranthāḥ—freed
from all bondage; api—in spite of; urukrame—unto the great adventurer;
kurvanti—do; ahaitukīm—unalloyed; bhaktim—devotional service;
ittham-bhūta—such wonderful; guṇaḥ—qualities; hariḥ—of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
All
different varieties of ātmārāmas [those who take pleasure in ātmā, or
spirit self], especially those established on the path of
self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage,
desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of
Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities
and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.
PURPORT
Lord
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained this ātmārāma śloka very vividly
before His chief devotee Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. He points out eleven
factors in the śloka, namely (1) ātmārāma, (2) munayaḥ, (3) nirgrantha,
(4) api, (5) ca, (6) urukrama, (7) kurvanti, (8) ahaitukīm, (9)
bhaktim, (10) ittham-bhūta-guṇaḥ and (11) hariḥ. According to the
Viśva-prakāśa Sanskrit dictionary, there are seven
SYNONYMS
for
the word ātmārāma, which are as follows: (1) Brahman (the Absolute
Truth), (2) body, (3) mind, (4) endeavor, (5) endurance, (6)
intelligence and (7) personal habits.
The word munayaḥ refers to
(1) those who are thoughtful, (2) those who are grave and silent, (3)
ascetics, (4) the persistent, (5) mendicants, (6) sages and (7) saints.
The
word nirgrantha conveys these ideas: (1) one who is liberated from
nescience, (2) one who has no connection with scriptural injunction,
i.e., who is freed from the obligation of the rules and regulations
mentioned in the revealed scriptures like ethics, Vedas, philosophy,
psychology and metaphysics (in other words the fools, illiterate,
urchins, etc., who have no connection with regulative principles), (3)
a capitalist, and also (4) one who is penniless.
According to
the Śabda-kośa dictionary, the affix ni is used in the sense of (1)
certainty, (2) counting, (3) building, and (4) forbiddance, and the
word grantha is used in the sense of wealth, thesis, vocabulary, etc.
The
word urukrama means "the one whose activities are glorious." Krama
means "step." This word urukrama specifically indicates the Lord's
incarnation as Vāmana, who covered the whole universe by immeasurable
steps. Lord Viṣṇu is powerful, and His activities are so glorious that
He has created the spiritual world by His internal potency and the
material world by His external potency. By His all-pervading features
He is everywhere present as the Supreme Truth, and in His personal
feature He is always present in His transcendental abode of Goloka
Vṛndāvana, where He displays His transcendental pastimes in all
variegatedness. His activities cannot be compared to anyone else's, and
therefore the word urukrama is just applicable to Him only.
According
to Sanskrit verbal arrangement, kurvanti refers to doing things for
someone else. Therefore, it means that the ātmārāmas render devotional
service unto the Lord not for personal interest but for the pleasure of
the Lord, Urukrama.
Hetumeans "causal." There are many causes
for one's sense satisfaction, and they can be chiefly classified as
material enjoyment, mystic powers and liberation, which are generally
desired by progressive persons. As far as material enjoyments are
concerned, they are innumerable, and the materialists are eager to
increase them more and more because they are under the illusory energy.
There is no end to the list of material enjoyments, nor can anyone in
the material universe have all of them. As far as the mystic powers are
concerned, they are eight in all (such as to become the minutest in
form, to become weightless, to have anything one desires, to lord it
over the material nature, to control other living beings, to throw
earthly globes in outer space, etc.). These mystic powers are mentioned
in the Bhāgavatam. The forms of liberation are five in number.
Therefore,
unalloyed devotion means service to the Lord without desire for the
above-mentioned personal benefits. And the powerful Personality of
Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa can be fully satisfied by such unalloyed devotees
free from all sorts of desires for personal benefit.
Unalloyed
devotional service of the Lord progresses in different stages. Practice
of devotional service in the material field is of eighty-one different
qualities, and above such activities is the transcendental practice of
devotional service, which is one and is called sādhana-bhakti. When
unalloyed practice of sādhana-bhakti is matured into transcendental
love for the Lord, the transcendental loving service of the Lord begins
gradually developing into nine progressive stages of loving service
under the headings of attachment, love, affection, feelings, affinity,
adherence, following, ecstasy, and intense feelings of separation.
The
attachment of an inactive devotee develops up to the stage of
transcendental love of God. Attachment of an active servitor develops
up to the stage of adherence, and that for a friendly devotee develops
up to the stage of following, and the same is also the case for the
paternal devotees. Devotees in conjugal love develop ecstasy up to the
stage of intense feelings of separation. These are some of the features
of unalloyed devotional service of the Lord.
According to
Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, the import of the word ittham-bhūta is "complete
bliss." Transcendental bliss in the realization of impersonal Brahman
becomes comparable to the scanty water contained in the pit made by a
cow's hoof. It is nothing compared with the ocean of bliss of the
vision of the Personality of Godhead. The personal form of Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that it comprehends all attraction, all bliss
and all tastes (rasas). These attractions are so strong that no one
wants to exchange them for material enjoyment, mystic powers and
liberation. There is no need of logical arguments in support of this
statement, but out of one's own nature one becomes attracted by the
qualities of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. We must know for certain that the
qualities of the Lord have nothing to do with mundane qualities. All of
them are full of bliss, knowledge and eternity. There are innumerable
qualities of the Lord, and one is attracted by one quality while
another is attracted by another.
Great sages, such as the four
bachelor-devotees Sanaka, Sanātana, Sananda and Sanat-kumāra, were
attracted by the fragrance of flowers and tulasī leaves anointed with
the pulp of sandalwood offered at the lotus feet of the Lord.
Similarly, Śukadeva Gosvāmī was attracted by the transcendental
pastimes of the Lord. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was already situated in the
liberated stage, yet he was attracted by the pastimes of the Lord. This
proves that the quality of His pastimes has nothing to do with material
affinity. Similarly, the young cowherd damsels were attracted by the
bodily features of the Lord, and Rukmiṇī was attracted by hearing about
the glories of the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa attracts even the mind of the
goddess of fortune. He attracts, in special cases, the minds of all
young girls. He attracts the minds of the elderly ladies by paternal
affection. He attracts the mind of the male in the humors of servitude
and friendship.
The word hari conveys various meanings, but the
chief import of the word is that He (the Lord) vanquishes everything
inauspicious and takes away the mind of the devotee by awarding pure
transcendental love. By remembering the Lord in acute distress one can
be free from all varieties of miseries and anxieties. Gradually the
Lord vanquishes all obstacles on the path of devotional service of a
pure devotee, and the result of nine devotional activities, such as
hearing and chanting, becomes manifested.
By His personal
features and transcendental attributes, the Lord attracts all
psychological activities of a pure devotee. Such is the attractive
power of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The attraction is so powerful that a pure devotee
never hankers for any one of the four principles of religion. These are
the attractive features of the transcendental attributes of the Lord.
And adding to this the words api and ca, one can increase the imports
unlimitedly. According to Sanskrit grammar there are seven
SYNONYMS
for the word api.
So
by interpreting each and every word of this śloka, one can see
unlimited numbers of transcendental qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa that
attract the mind of a pure devotee.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.10
Nirgranthā can mean those who are freed from scriptures. For, it is said:
yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati |
tadā gantāsi nirvedaṁ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca ||
When
your intelligence has completely crossed the denseness of illusion, you
will be indifferent to all that has been heard and all that will be
heard. BG 2.52
Or grantha can mean “knot of false ego.” Thus
nirgranthāḥ means “those who are free of the knot of false ego.” It is
said bhidyate hṛdaya-grantiḥ: the knot of false ego is cut. (SB 1.2.21)
Or granthā can mean “bondage.” Thus nirgranthāḥ can mean “those freed
from the bondage of rules and prohibitions.” It said cared
vidhi-gocaraḥ: he moves about beyond the rules. (SB 11.18.28)
Such
persons perform bhakti without seeking results (ahaitukīm). Bhakti
produces jñāna but is superior to jñāna. Therefore it is called best or
uru. Therefore urukrama means “the Lord who produces the best method,
bhakti.”
Can bhakti deliver the liberated? Can the Bhāgavatam, a
scripture on bhakti, deliver those who have surpassed scriptures? Can a
work discussing a server and the served (the Lord) deliver those who
have given up all identities of ego? Can the rules of bhakti described
in the Bhāgavatam deliver those who have given up all rules and
prohibitions? To destroy all such protests, the verse says
itttam-bhūta-guṇa: the Lord has such attractive qualities that even
ātmārāmas become attracted. Because of their practice with predominance
of bhakti or even just by mercy alone, the Lord gave mercy to the
Kumāras, thinking “Let them realize my qualities.” Vyāsa gave mercy to
Śukadeva, thinking “Let him realize Kṛṣṇa’s qualities.” The Lord or the
devotees may give mercy to some other ātmārāmas in the same way. Having
attained that qualification for realizing the Lord’s qualities, these
ātmārāmas perform unmotivated bhakti. Other ātmārāmas perform bhakti
with the goal of merging into brahman. The word ahaitukī cannot be
applied to their bhakti. Concerning them it is said:
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati |
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām ||
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ |
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram ||
Having
attained the state of brahman, being a pure soul, the ātmārāma does not
lament the loss of what he had nor does he desire what he does not
have, and looks upon all beings as equal. He then manifests
prema-bhakti. Only by bhakti can a person know me as brahman. Then,
knowing me as brahman by that bhakti, he merges with me. BG 18.54-55
Jiva's tika ||1.7.10||
ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame |
kurvanty ahaitukīm bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Sūta
said; Some sages who are ātmārāmas, beyond the scriptures, false ego
and rules, also practice unmotivated, pure bhakti to the master of pure
bhakti, Kṛṣṇa, since he possesses qualities attractive to even them.
Clarifying
the realization of Vyāsa which he had attained during samādhi by the
question of Śaunaka (how could Śukadeva become attracted to anything
other than Brahman), Sūta explains the reason, citing the experience of
all ātmārāmas.
ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame |
kurvanty ahaitukīm bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ ||
Sages
who are ātmārāmas, beyond the scriptures, false ego and rules, also
practice unmotivated, pure bhakti to the master of pure bhakti, Kṛṣṇa,
since he possesses qualities attractive to even them. (SB 1.7.10)
Tattva Sandarbha 49:
Nirgrantha
means “beyond rules and prohibitions” or “free of the knot of
ahankāra.” Ahaitukīm means “without searching for results.” Ātmārāmas
beyond rules perform unmotivated bhakti. The Lord has the quality of
attracting ātmārāmas (itthambhūta-guṇaḥ)
TEXT - SB 1.7.11
harer guṇākṣipta-matir
bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ
adhyagān mahad ākhyānaṁ
nityaṁ viṣṇu-jana-priyaḥ
SYNONYMS
hareḥ—of
Hari, the Personality of Godhead; guṇa—transcendental attribute;
ākṣipta—being absorbed in; matiḥ—mind; bhagavān—powerful;
bādarāyaṇiḥ—the son of Vyāsadeva; adhyagāt—underwent studies;
mahat—great; ākhyānam—narration; nityam—regularly; viṣṇu-jana—devotees
of the Lord; priyaḥ—beloved.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva
Gosvāmī, son of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, was not only transcendentally
powerful. He was also very dear to the devotees of the Lord. Thus he
underwent the study of this great narration [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam].
PURPORT
According
to Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a liberated soul
even within the womb of his mother. Śrīla Vyāsadeva knew that the
child, after his birth, would not stay at home. Therefore he
(Vyāsadeva) impressed upon him the synopsis of the Bhāgavatam so that
the child could be made attached to the transcendental activities of
the Lord. After his birth, the child was still more educated in the
subject of the Bhāgavatam by recitation of the actual poems.
The
idea is that generally the liberated souls are attached to the feature
of impersonal Brahman with a monistic view of becoming one with the
supreme whole. But by the association of pure devotees like Vyāsadeva,
even the liberated soul becomes attracted to the transcendental
qualities of the Lord. By the mercy of Śrī Nārada, Śrīla Vyāsadeva was
able to narrate the great epic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and by the mercy
of Vyāsadeva, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was able to grasp the import. The
transcendental qualities of the Lord are so attractive that Śrīla
Śukadeva Gosvāmī became detached from being completely absorbed in
impersonal Brahman and positively took up the personal activity of the
Lord.
Practically he was thrown from the impersonal conception
of the Absolute, thinking within himself that he had simply wasted so
much time in devoting himself to the impersonal feature of the Supreme,
or in other words, he realized more transcendental bliss with the
personal feature than the impersonal. And from that time, not only did
he himself become very dear to the viṣṇu-janas, or the devotees of the
Lord, but also the viṣṇu-janas became very dear to him. The devotees of
the Lord, who do not wish to kill the individuality of the living
entities and who desire to become personal servitors of the Lord, do
not very much like the impersonalists, and similarly the
impersonalists, who desire to become one with the Supreme, are unable
to evaluate the devotees of the Lord. Thus from time immemorial these
two transcendental pilgrims have sometimes been competitors. In other
words, each of them likes to keep separate from the other because of
the ultimate personal and impersonal realizations. Therefore it appears
that Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī also had no liking for the devotees. But
since he himself became a saturated devotee, he desired always the
transcendental association of the viṣṇu-janas, and the viṣṇu-janas also
liked his association, since he became a personal Bhāgavata. Thus both
the son and the father were completely cognizant of transcendental
knowledge in Brahman, and afterwards both of them became absorbed in
the personal features of the Supreme Lord. The question as to how
Śukadeva Gosvāmī was attracted by the narration of the Bhāgavatam is
thus completely answered by this śloka.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.11
By
the mercy of Nārada, Vyāsa realized the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s qualities.
By the mercy of Vyāsa, Śukadeva realized the same sweetness even more.
That is explained in this verse.
Śukadeva’s mind was disturbed
by the qualities of Kṛṣṇa (harer guṇākṣipta-matiḥ). He thought, “My
intelligence is unfortunate, because though the Lord’s qualities are so
sweet, up until now that intelligence has been engaged uselessly in
realizing brahman.” He held not only the ātmārāmas dear, but also the
Vaiṣṇavas dear because of the attraction to their discussions about
Kṛṣṇa (viṣṇu-jana-priyaḥ). Or the Vaiṣṇavas held him dear.
Vyāsa
made Śukadeva who was in continual trance in a lonely forest hear
selected verses from the Bhāgavatam which described Kṛṣṇa’s qualities
through some of his followers. By the power of those verses, his trance
was broken. His mind, attracted to the sweetness, broke the trance.
Knowing these verses were from the Bhāgavatam because of his
omniscience, and knowing that his father was the source of revealing
those verses, he went to Vyāsa and learned Bhāgavatam. This story is
told in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa. After conquering father and son,
Vyāsa and Śukadeva, crest jewels of brahman realization, bhakti made
them like an umbrella which gives relief to the whole world. Those who
do not consider bhakti in this way, being led astray, are like thieves
who deserve the punishment of Yama.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.11||
harer guṇākṣipta-matir bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ |
adhyagān mahad ākhyānam nityam viṣṇu-jana-priyaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva, the son of Vyāsa, whose mind became distracted from trance by
the qualities of Kṛṣṇa, and who became attracted to the Vaiṣṇavas,
studied this great Bhāgavatam.
Tattva Sandarbha 49:
Śukadeva’s
mind was agitated previously by qualities of Kṛṣṇa which he heard to a
small degree from Vyāsadeva. He later studied the Bhāgavatam, though it
was very large. He became affectionate to the devotees or they became
affectionate to him (viṣṇu-jana-priyaḥ), with friendly conversations.
The
meaning is this. According to Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, previously,
starting from his stay in the womb of his mother, Śukadeva was aware
that Kṛṣṇa
personally could ward off māyā. Vyāsadeva
brought Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa showed himself to Śukadeva in the womb. Since
māyā was thus removed, thinking himself successful, Śukadeva came out
of the womb and left the house. In order to control him, Vyāsa taught
him Bhāgavatam, which produces nothing except attraction to Kṛṣṇa.
Making him hear particular verses which revealed Kṛṣṇa’s great
qualities, Vyāsa agitated his mind. Then he made him study the full
Bhāgavatam. This shows the greatness of Bhāgavatam. It has been shown
that the speaker Śukadeva and Vedavyāsa had the same heart. Thus
according to the heart of the speaker one should study the meaning of
Bhāgavatam at all times. There is no other way. If one studies in
another way, one will be led astray. That is indicated.
TEXT - SB 1.7.12
parīkṣito 'tha rājarṣer
janma-karma-vilāpanam
saṁsthāṁ ca pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṁ
vakṣye kṛṣṇa-kathodayam
SYNONYMS
parīkṣitaḥ—of
King Parīkṣit; atha—thus; rājarṣeḥ—of the King who was the ṛṣi among
the kings; janma—birth; karma—activities; vilāpanam—deliverance;
saṁsthām—renunciation of the world; ca—and; pāṇḍu-putrāṇām—of the sons
of Pāṇḍu; vakṣye—I shall speak; kṛṣṇa-kathā-udayam—that which gives
rise to the transcendental narration of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Sūta Gosvāmī thus addressed the
ṛṣis headed by Śaunaka: Now I shall begin the transcendental narration
of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and topics of the birth, activities and
deliverance of King Parīkṣit, the sage amongst kings, as well as topics
of the renunciation of the worldly order by the sons of Pāṇḍu.
PURPORT
Lord
Kṛṣṇa is so kind to the fallen souls that He personally incarnates
Himself amongst the different kinds of living entities and takes part
with them in daily activities. Any historical fact old or new which has
a connection with the activities of the Lord is to be understood as a
transcendental narration of the Lord. Without Kṛṣṇa, all the
supplementary literatures like the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata are simply
stories or historical facts. But with Kṛṣṇa they become transcendental,
and when we hear of them we at once become transcendentally related
with the Lord. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also a Purāṇa, but the special
significance of this Purāṇa is that the activities of the Lord are
central and not just supplementary historical facts. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
is thus recommended by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the spotless
Purāṇa. There is a class of less intelligent devotees of the Bhāgavata
Purāṇa who desire to relish at once the activities of the Lord narrated
in the Tenth Canto without first understanding the primary cantos. They
are under the false impression that the other cantos are not concerned
with Kṛṣṇa, and thus more foolishly than intelligently they take to the
reading of the Tenth Canto. These readers are specifically told herein
that the other cantos of the Bhāgavatam are as important as the Tenth
Canto. No one should try to go into the matters of the Tenth Canto
without having thoroughly understood the purport of the other nine
cantos. Kṛṣṇa and His pure devotees like the Pāṇḍavas are on the same
plane. Kṛṣṇa is not without His devotees of all the rasas, and the pure
devotees like the Pāṇḍavas are not without Kṛṣṇa. The devotees and the
Lord are interlinked, and they cannot be separated. Therefore talks
about them are all kṛṣṇa-kathā, or topics of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.12
The
question of how a great yogī like Śukadeva became inclined to hear
Bhāgavatam has now been answered. Now the other question of how
Parīkṣit heard the Bhāgavatam while fasting till death and other topics
such as his astonishing birth will be explained. Vilāpanam means death.
Or it can mean talks about the Lord, since the verb lap means to talk.
The suffix lyuṭ (the letters ana) is added at the end. Saṁsthām means a
walk till death. These topics give rise to talks about Kṛṣṇa, since
they relate to the aim of the Bhāgavatam.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.12||
parīkṣito ’tha rājarṣer janma-karma-vilāpanam |
samsthām ca pāṇdu-putrāṇām vakṣye kṛṣṇa-kathodayam ||
TRANSLATION
I will speak about the birth, activities and death of King Parīkṣit,
and the death march of the Pāṇdavas, which will give rise to
discussions about Kṛṣṇa.
The topics give rise to talks about
Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣna-kathodayam). This indicates that the main effort is topics
of Kṛṣṇa which were the subject of inquiry.
TEXT - SB 1.7.13-14
yadā mṛdhe kaurava-sṛñjayānāṁ
vīreṣv atho vīra-gatiṁ gateṣu
vṛkodarāviddha-gadābhimarśa-
bhagnoru-daṇḍe dhṛtarāṣṭra-putre
bhartuḥ priyaṁ drauṇir iti sma paśyan
kṛṣṇā-sutānāṁ svapatāṁ śirāṁsi
upāharad vipriyam eva tasya
jugupsitaṁ karma vigarhayanti
SYNONYMS
yadā—when;
mṛdhe—in the battlefield; kaurava—the party of Dhṛtarāṣṭra;
sṛñjayānām—of the party of the Pāṇḍavas; vīreṣu—of the warriors;
atho—thus; vīra-gatim—the destination deserved by the warriors;
gateṣu—being obtained; vṛkodara—Bhīma (the second Pāṇḍava);
āviddha—beaten; gadā—by the club; abhimarśa—lamenting; bhagna—broken;
uru-daṇḍe—spinal cord; dhṛtarāṣṭra-putre—the son of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra;
bhartuḥ—of the master; priyam—pleasing; drauṇiḥ—the son of Droṇācārya;
iti—thus; sma—shall be; paśyan—seeing; kṛṣṇā—Draupadī; sutānām—of the
sons; svapatām—while sleeping; śirāṁsi—heads; upāharat—delivered as a
prize; vipriyam—pleasing; eva—like; tasya—his; jugupsitam—most heinous;
karma—act; vigarhayanti—disapproving.
TRANSLATION
When
the respective warriors of both camps, namely the Kauravas and the
Pāṇḍavas, were killed on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra and the dead
warriors obtained their deserved destinations, and when the son of
Dhṛtarāṣṭra fell down lamenting, his spine broken, being beaten by the
club of Bhīmasena, the son of Droṇācārya [Aśvatthāmā] beheaded the five
sleeping sons of Draupadī and delivered them as a prize to his master,
foolishly thinking that he would be pleased. Duryodhana, however,
disapproved of the heinous act, and he was not pleased in the least.
PURPORT
Transcendental
topics of the activities of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
begin from the end of the battle at Kurukṣetra, where the Lord Himself
spoke about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore, both the
Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are transcendental topics of Lord
Kṛṣṇa. The Gītā is kṛṣṇa-kathā, or topics of Kṛṣṇa, because it is
spoken by the Lord, and the Bhāgavatam is also kṛṣṇa-kathā because it
is spoken about the Lord. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted everyone
to be informed of both kṛṣṇa-kathās by His order. Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya
is Kṛṣṇa Himself in the garb of a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore the
versions of both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu are
identical. Lord Caitanya desired that all who are born in India
seriously understand such kṛṣṇa-kathās and then after full realization
preach the transcendental message to everyone in all parts of the
world. That will bring about the desired peace and prosperity of the
stricken world.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.13-14
yadā mṛdhe kaurava-sṛñjayānāṁ vīreṣv atho vīra-gatiṁ gateṣu |
vṛkodarāviddha-gadābhimarśa-bhagnoru-daṇḍe dhṛtarāṣṭra-putre ||
bhartuḥ priyaṁ drauṇir iti sma paśyan kṛṣṇā-sutānāṁ svapatāṁ śirāṁsi |
upāharad vipriyam eva tasya jugupsitaṁ karma vigarhayanti ||
A
story is now told in order to show how Parīkṣit, even in the womb, was
able to see Kṛṣṇa. When Aśvatthāmā (drauṇiḥ) beheaded the sons of
Draupadī, the mother began to weep. The sentence extends for three
verses. Kaurava refers to Duryodhana’s party. Sṛñjaya refers to the
Pāṇḍavas’ party since Dhrṣtādyumna of the Sṛñjaya family was their
general. Vīra-gatim means liberation or svarga by the method described
by Bhīṣma. Vṛkodarāviddha-gadābhimarśa means by the blow inflicted by
the club thrown by Bhīma.
Thinking that Duryodhana would be
pleased (priyam) he presented the heads of the sleeping sons of the
Pāṇḍavas to him. Actually Duryodhana was not pleased with this action
(vipriyam). After feeling joy that his enemies had been killed, he
began to lament since he understood that his enemies such as Bhīma had
not been killed on seeing the gift, that children had been killed, and
that the Kuru dynasty had been destroyed. Thus he died with both joy
and sorrow. Therefore here it said “All people condemned this horrible
act.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.15
mātā śiśūnāṁ nidhanaṁ sutānāṁ
niśamya ghoraṁ paritapyamānā
tadārudad vāṣpa-kalākulākṣī
tāṁ sāntvayann āha kirīṭamālī
SYNONYMS
mātā—the
mother; śiśūnām—of the children; nidhanam—massacre; sutānām—of the
sons; niśamya—after hearing; ghoram—ghastly; paritapyamānā—lamenting;
tadā—at that time; arudat—began to cry; vāṣpa-kala-ākula-akṣī—with
tears in the eyes; tām—her; sāntvayan—pacifying; āha—said;
kirīṭamālī—Arjuna.
TRANSLATION
Draupadī, the mother of
the five children of the Pāṇḍavas, after hearing of the massacre of her
sons, began to cry in distress with eyes full of tears. Trying to
pacify her in her great loss, Arjuna spoke to her thus:
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.15
Arjuna is called kirīṭamalī because he accepted many crowns, or because he had a garland in his crown.
TEXT - SB 1.7.16
tadā śucas te pramṛjāmi bhadre
yad brahma-bandhoḥ śira ātatāyinaḥ
gāṇḍīva-muktair viśikhair upāhare
tvākramya yat snāsyasi dagdha-putrā
SYNONYMS
tadā—at
that time only; śucaḥ—tears in grief; te—your; pramṛjāmi—shall wipe
away; bhadre—O gentle lady; yat—when; brahma-bandhoḥ—of a degraded
brāhmaṇa; śiraḥ—head; ātatāyinaḥ—of the aggressor; gāṇḍīva-muktaiḥ—shot
by the bow named Gāṇḍīva; viśikhaiḥ—by the arrows; upāhare—shall
present to you; tvā—yourself; ākramya—riding on it; yat—which;
snāsyasi—take your bath; dagdha-putrā—after burning the sons.
TRANSLATION
O
gentle lady, when I present you with the head of that brāhmaṇa, after
beheading him with arrows from my Gāṇḍīva bow, I shall then wipe the
tears from your eyes and pacify you. Then, after burning your sons'
bodies, you can take your bath standing on his head.
PURPORT
An
enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a
sudden with deadly weapons, plunders wealth or usurps agricultural
fields, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor. Such an
aggressor, though he be a brāhmaṇa or a so-called son of a brāhmaṇa,
has to be punished in all circumstances. When Arjuna promised to behead
the aggressor named Aśvatthāmā, he knew well that Aśvatthāmā was the
son of a brāhmaṇa, but because the so-called brāhmaṇa acted like a
butcher, he was taken as such, and there was no question of sin in
killing such a brāhmaṇa's son who proved to be a villain.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.16
Śucaḥ
means sorrows. I will remove your sorrows when (yat) I present to you
using the arrows released from my bow the head of the lowest of
brāhmaṇas (brahma-bandhoh), the agressor who had a weapon in his hand
(ātatāyinaḥ). According to the smṛti scriptures there are six
aggressors:
agnido garadaś caiva śastra-pāṇir dhanāpahaḥ |
kṣetra-dārāpahārī ca ṣaḍ ete ātatāyina ||
There
are six aggressors: the arsonist, poisoner, holder of weapons, the
stealer of wealth, the stealer of property, and the stealer of others’
wives. Vasiṣṭha Smṛti 3.19
TEXT - SB 1.7.17
iti priyāṁ valgu-vicitra-jalpaiḥ
sa sāntvayitvācyuta-mitra-sūtaḥ
anvādravad daṁśita ugra-dhanvā
kapi-dhvajo guru-putraṁ rathena
SYNONYMS
iti—thus;
priyām—unto the dear; valgu—sweet; vicitra—variegated; jalpaiḥ—by
statements; saḥ—he; sāntvayitvā—satisfying; acyuta-mitra-sūtaḥ—Arjuna,
who is guided by the infallible Lord as a friend and driver;
anvādravat—followed; daṁśitaḥ—being protected by kavaca;
ugra-dhanvā—equipped with furious weapons; kapi-dhvajaḥ—Arjuna;
guru-putram—the son of the martial teacher; rathena—getting on the
chariot.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna, who is guided by the
infallible Lord as friend and driver, thus satisfied the dear lady by
such statements. Then he dressed in armor and armed himself with
furious weapons, and getting into his chariot, he set out to follow
Aśvatthāmā, the son of his martial teacher.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.17
Acyuta-mitra-sūtaḥ means who had Kṛṣṇa as his friend and charioteer. Daṁśitaḥ means “putting on armor.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.18
tam āpatantaṁ sa vilakṣya dūrāt
kumāra-hodvigna-manā rathena
parādravat prāṇa-parīpsur urvyāṁ
yāvad-gamaṁ rudra-bhayād yathā kaḥ
SYNONYMS
tam—him;
āpatantam—coming over furiously; saḥ—he; vilakṣya—seeing; dūrāt—from a
distance; kumāra-hā—the murderer of the princes;
udvigna-manāḥ—disturbed in mind; rathena—on the chariot;
parādravat—fled; prāṇa—life; parīpsuḥ—for protecting; urvyām—with great
speed; yāvat-gamam—as he fled; rudra-bhayāt—by fear of Śiva; yathā—as;
kaḥ—Brahmā (or arkaḥ—Sūrya).
TRANSLATION
Aśvatthāmā, the
murderer of the princes, seeing from a great distance Arjuna coming at
him with great speed, fled in his chariot, panic stricken, just to save
his life, as Brahmā fled in fear from Śiva.
PURPORT
According
to the reading matter, either kaḥ or arkaḥ, there are two references in
the Purāṇas. Kaḥ means Brahmā, who once became allured by his daughter
and began to follow her, which infuriated Śiva, who attacked Brahmā
with his trident. Brahmājī fled in fear of his life. As far as arkaḥ is
concerned, there is a reference in the Vāmana Purāṇa. There was a demon
by the name Vidyunmālī who was gifted with a glowing golden airplane
which traveled to the back of the sun, and night disappeared because of
the glowing effulgence of this plane. Thus the sun-god became angry,
and with his virulent rays he melted the plane. This enraged Lord Śiva.
Lord Śiva then attacked the sun-god, who fled away and at last fell
down at Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), and the place became famous as Lolārka.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.18
When
Brahmā (kaḥ) became desirous of his daughter, taking the form of a
deer, he fled in fear from Śiva. In the same manner Aśvatthāmā fled
from Arjuna. In another version the word arka (sun) is used instead of
kaḥ. This is a story from the Vāmana Purāṇa. A demon named Vidyunmālī,
a follower of Śiva, pursued the sun on a golden chariot given by Śiva.
Due to the effulgence from the chariot, night disappeared. The sun
became angry and melted the chariot with his heat and made it fall from
the sky. Śiva appeared and the sun fled in fear. The sun fell down at
Vārāṇasī, and became known as Lolārka (unsteady sun).
TEXT - SB 1.7.19
yadāśaraṇam ātmānam
aikṣata śrānta-vājinam
astraṁ brahma-śiro mene
ātma-trāṇaṁ dvijātmajaḥ
SYNONYMS
yadā—when;
aśaraṇam—without being alternatively protected; ātmānam—his own self;
aikṣata—saw; śrānta-vājinam—the horses being tired; astram—weapon;
brahma-śiraḥ—the topmost or ultimate (nuclear); mene—applied;
ātma-trāṇam—just to save himself; dvija-ātma-jaḥ—the son of a brāhmaṇa.
TRANSLATION
When
the son of the brāhmaṇa [Aśvatthāmā] saw that his horses were tired, he
considered that there was no alternative for protection outside of his
using the ultimate weapon, the brahmāstra [nuclear weapon].
PURPORT
In
the ultimate issue only, when there is no alternative, the nuclear
weapon called the brahmāstra is applied. The word dvijātmajaḥ is
significant here because Aśvatthāmā, although the son of Droṇācārya,
was not exactly a qualified brāhmaṇa. The most intelligent man is
called a brāhmaṇa, and it is not a hereditary title. Aśvatthāmā was
also formerly called the brahma-bandhu, or the friend of a brāhmaṇa.
Being a friend of a brāhmaṇa does not mean that one is a brāhmaṇa by
qualification. A friend or son of a brāhmaṇa, when fully qualified, can
be called a brāhmaṇa and not otherwise. Since Aśvatthāmā's decision is
immature, he is purposely called herein the son of a brāhmaṇa.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.19
He
saw that he had no protector (aśaraṇam). He considered that the
brahmāstra would be a method of protecting himself (ātma-trāṇam). The
word dvijātmajaḥ (son of a brāhmaṇa) indicates that he was
short-sighted.
TEXT - SB 1.7.20
athopaspṛśya salilaṁ
sandadhe tat samāhitaḥ
ajānann api saṁhāraṁ
prāṇa-kṛcchra upasthite
SYNONYMS
atha—thus;
upaspṛśya—touching in sanctity; salilam—water; sandadhe—chanted the
hymns; tat—that; samāhitaḥ—being in concentration; ajānan—without
knowing; api—although; saṁhāram—withdrawal; prāṇa-kṛcchre—life being
put in danger; upasthite—being placed in such a position.
TRANSLATION
Since
his life was in danger, he touched water in sanctity and concentrated
upon the chanting of the hymns for throwing nuclear weapons, although
he did not know how to withdraw such weapons.
PURPORT
The
subtle forms of material activities are finer than grosser methods of
material manipulation. Such subtle forms of material activities are
effected through purification of sound. The same method is adopted here
by chanting hymns to act as nuclear weapons.
TEXT - SB 1.7.21
tataḥ prāduṣkṛtaṁ tejaḥ
pracaṇḍaṁ sarvato diśam
prāṇāpadam abhiprekṣya
viṣṇuṁ jiṣṇur uvāca ha
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter;
prāduṣkṛtam—disseminated; tejaḥ—glare; pracaṇḍam—fierce; sarvataḥ—all
around; diśam—directions; prāṇa-āpadam—affecting life;
abhiprekṣya—having observed it; viṣṇum—unto the Lord; jiṣṇuḥ—Arjuna;
uvāca—said; ha—in the past.
TRANSLATION
Thereupon a
glaring light spread in all directions. It was so fierce that Arjuna
thought his own life in danger, and so he began to address Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.21||
tataḥ prāduṣkṛtam tejaḥ pracaṇdam sarvato diśam |
prāṇāpadam abhiprekṣya viṣṇum jiṣṇur uvāca ha ||
TRANSLATION Seeing that the fierce fire manifesting in all directions was a danger to life, Arjuna spoke to Kṛṣṇa.
Sarvato
diśam means “everywhere.” Diśam in the singular accusative indicates a
type. The meaning is “in all places of the directions.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.22
arjuna uvāca
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bāho
bhaktānām abhayaṅkara
tvam eko dahyamānānām
apavargo 'si saṁsṛteḥ
SYNONYMS
arjunaḥ
uvāca—Arjuna said; kṛṣṇa—O Lord Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa—O Lord Kṛṣṇa; mahā-bāho—He
who is the Almighty; bhaktānām—of the devotees; abhayaṅkara—eradicating
the fears of; tvam—You; ekaḥ—alone; dahyamānānām—those who are
suffering from; apavargaḥ—the path of liberation; asi—are; saṁsṛteḥ—in
the midst of material miseries.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said:
O my Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, You are the almighty Personality of Godhead. There
is no limit to Your different energies. Therefore only You are
competent to instill fearlessness in the hearts of Your devotees.
Everyone in the flames of material miseries can find the path of
liberation in You only.
PURPORT
Arjuna was aware of the
transcendental qualities of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as he had already
experienced them during the Kurukṣetra War, in which both of them were
present. Therefore, Arjuna's version of Lord Kṛṣṇa is authoritative.
Kṛṣṇa is almighty and is especially the cause of fearlessness for the
devotees. A devotee of the Lord is always fearless because of the
protection given by the Lord. Material existence is something like a
blazing fire in the forest, which can be extinguished by the mercy of
the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master is the mercy representative of
the Lord. Therefore, a person burning in the flames of material
existence may receive the rains of mercy of the Lord through the
transparent medium of the self-realized spiritual master. The spiritual
master, by his words, can penetrate into the heart of the suffering
person and inject knowledge transcendental, which alone can extinguish
the fire of material existence.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.22
You are the form of liberation (apavargaḥ). You deliver us from material existence. Therefore why not deliver me from this fire?
TEXT - SB 1.7.23
tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād
īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
māyāṁ vyudasya cic-chaktyā
kaivalye sthita ātmani
SYNONYMS
tvam
ādyaḥ—You are the original; puruṣaḥ—the enjoying personality;
sākṣāt—directly; īśvaraḥ—the controller; prakṛteḥ—of material nature;
paraḥ—transcendental; māyām—the material energy; vyudasya—one who has
thrown aside; cit-śaktyā—by dint of internal potency; kaivalye—in pure
eternal knowledge and bliss; sthitaḥ—placed; ātmani—own self.
TRANSLATION
You
are the original Personality of Godhead who expands Himself all over
the creations and is transcendental to material energy. You have cast
away the effects of the material energy by dint of Your spiritual
potency. You are always situated in eternal bliss and transcendental
knowledge.
PURPORT
The Lord states in the Bhagavad-gītā
that one who surrenders unto the lotus feet of the Lord can get release
from the clutches of nescience. Kṛṣṇa is just like the sun, and māyā or
material existence is just like darkness. Wherever there is the light
of the sun, darkness or ignorance at once vanishes. The best means to
get out of the world of ignorance is suggested here. The Lord is
addressed herein as the original Personality of Godhead. From Him all
other Personalities of Godhead expand. The all-pervasive Lord Viṣṇu is
Lord Kṛṣṇa's plenary portion or expansion. The Lord expands Himself in
innumerable forms of Godhead and living beings, along with His
different energies. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original primeval Lord from
whom everything emanates. The all-pervasive feature of the Lord
experienced within the manifested world is also a partial
representation of the Lord. Paramātmā, therefore, is included within
Him. He is the Absolute Personality of Godhead. He has nothing to do
with the actions and reactions of the material manifestation because He
is far above the material creation. Darkness is a perverse
representation of the sun, and therefore the existence of darkness
depends on the existence of the sun, but in the sun proper there is no
trace of darkness. As the sun is full of light only, similarly the
Absolute Personality of Godhead, beyond the material existence, is full
of bliss. He is not only full of bliss, but also full of transcendental
variegatedness. Transcendence is not at all static, but full of dynamic
variegatedness. He is distinct from the material nature, which is
complicated by the three modes of material nature. He is parama, or the
chief. Therefore He is absolute. He has manifold energies, and through
His diverse energies He creates, manifests, maintains and destroys the
material world. In His own abode, however, everything is eternal and
absolute. The world is not conducted by the energies or powerful agents
by themselves, but by the potent all-powerful with all energies.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.23
māyāṁ vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani ||
“I
am your cousin and equal to you. Do not speak like this!” Arjuna
replies with this verse. You are beyond prakṛti. “By prakṛti do you
mean ignorance or māyā?” Distancing your self from māyā composed of
both vidyā and avidyā, unfortunate because it is your external śakti,
you are situated in your spiritual form along with your auspicious
cit-śakti arising from your svarūpa who is like your principal queen.
“But
since I am the cause of the spiritual energy I am different from it.
How can it be situated in my form?” It is one with you (kaivalye).
Though it is with you, it is one with you, because it is your
svarūpa-śakti. Factually you are situated in spiritual form. This
cit-śakti arising from your svarūpa is always non-different from you,
and is situated in the form of your body, senses and associates. Śruti
says parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca:
the Lord has many intrinsic energies called knowledge, strength and
action. Māyā is only a shadow and remains in the form of the material
world composed of three guṇas and knowledge and ignorance, because it
does not arise from your svarūpa.
It (Māyā) is different from
you, though it is somewhat non-different from you, being your śakti.
Thus this śakti is different and non-different from you. The idea that
māyā is the only śakti is rejected.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.23|| tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ |
māyām vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani ||
TRANSLATION You are the original Lord, the controller, beyond material energy. You are
situated in your spiritual form, being one with your spiritual energy, and separate from the material energy.
Bhagavat Sandarbha 21:
He
shows the special śakti since destruction of the creation caused by
māyā is also caused by māyā. You yourself (sākṣāt) are Bhagavān, the
first puruṣa (ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ). You are also the antaryāmī puruṣa
(īśvaraḥ). You do not associate with prakṛti (prakṛteḥ paraḥ) as
Bhagavān or Paramātmā.
“How can one experience the bliss of
kaivalya if Brahman is defined as Bhagavān? If he is the controller of
prakṛti as īśvara, how can he not associate with prakṛti?” You keep
this ābhāsa-śakti far away by your fixed svarūpa-śakti, and by your
svarūpa-śakti you are situated in your svarūpa (ātmani) which is full
of its own experience of bliss (kaivalye).
kālenātmānubhāvena sāmyam nītāsu śaktiṣu sattvādiṣv ādi-puruṣaḥ pradhāna-puruṣeśvaraḥ
parāvarāṇām parama āste kaivalya-samjnitaḥ kevalānubhavānanda- sandoho nirupādhikaḥ
When
he brought his energies such as sattva to equilibrium by his powerful
energy of time, the Lord, who enjoys in himself, who is the controller
of prakṛti and the jīvas, who is worshipped by liberated and
conditioned jīvas, remained in the form of complete bliss called
kaivalya, without māyā. (SB 11.9.17-18)
It is also said svayam
upalabdha-nija-sukhānubhavo bhavān: you experience happiness within
yourself. (SB 6.9.33) The word sandoha (profusion of bliss) indicates
variety, which arises because of variety in the śakti. This is the
svarūpaśakti. Prakṛti refers to the māyā composed of three guṇas.
Śrīdhara Svāmī has described the three śaktis in that way.
Devahūti
says: param pradhānam puruṣam mahāntam kālam kavim tri-vṛtam loka-pālam
ātmānubhūtyānugata-prapancam svacchanda-śaktim kapilam prapadye
I surrender unto Kapila, whose other form is prakṛti, who is also the jīva, the
mahat-tattva,
time, sūtra, ahankāra, the devatās of the directions, the universe
inhabited by your internal energy, and the possessor of independent
energies. (SB 3.24.33)
I surrender to the Lord (param) who is
in this position because he has his independent śaktis
(svacchanda-śaktim). The śakti is described. You are prakṛti
(pradhānam). You are the puruṣa (the controller of prakṛti). You are
mahat-tattva (mahāntam) and time, the agitator of prakṛti and
mahat-tattva. You are ahankāra (tri-vṛtam) which produces the planets
and their protectors. After describing the forms produced by māyā, the
forms are described as merging into him by the citśakti. I offer
respects to the Lord in whom the world is merged by his cit-śakti
(ātmānubhūtyā) and who is omniscient (kavim), the witness of the
manifestation of pradhāna.
The puruṣa is included in māyā as its controller. Factually the puruṣa is beyond māyā. Kapila says:
anādir ātmā puruṣo nirguṇaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ pratyag-dhāmā svayam-jyotir viśvam yena samanvitam
This
ātmā is the puruṣa, who is eternal, without material qualities, since
he is beyond prakṛti. That puruṣa is beyond the senses, has a spiritual
abode, and is self-manifesting. From him this universe, owned by him,
appears. (SB 3.26.3)
One can consult Bhagavat Sandarebh for further details.
In
reference to this verse quoted earlier, there is another meaning. Māyā
is forbidden in Vaikuṇṭha directly by the spiritual śakti. You are
situated in your own expansion (ātmani), Vaikuṇṭha. How do you do that?
You keep māyā far away by your cit-śakti, which always exists there.
Śukadeva forbids māyā in Vaikuṇṭha:
pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvam ca miśram na ca kāla-vikramaḥ |
na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ ||
In
Vaikuṇṭha there are no rajas or tamas, and no sattva mixed with rajas
and tamas. There is no influence of time. There is no influence of māyā
at all, what to speak of its products such as material elements. In
Vaikuṇṭha the inhabitants
are fully dedicated to the Lord and are worshipable by the devas, asuras and devotees. (SB 2.9.10)
According to Padma Purāṇa, mokṣa, parampadam, lingam, amṛtam and viṣṇumandiram are
SYNONYMS
for Vaikuṇṭha.
TEXT - SB 1.7.24
sa eva jīva-lokasya
māyā-mohita-cetasaḥ
vidhatse svena vīryeṇa
śreyo dharmādi-lakṣaṇam
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that
Transcendence; eva—certainly; jīva-lokasya—of the conditioned living
beings; māyā-mohita—captivated by the illusory energy; cetasaḥ—by the
heart; vidhatse—execute; svena—by Your own; vīryeṇa—influence;
śreyaḥ—ultimate good; dharma-ādi—four principles of liberation;
lakṣaṇam—characterized by.
TRANSLATION
And yet, though
You are beyond the purview of the material energy, You execute the four
principles of liberation characterized by religion and so on for the
ultimate good of the conditioned souls.
PURPORT
The
Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy, descends
on the manifested world without being influenced by the material modes
of nature. He is eternally beyond the material manifestations. He
descends out of His causeless mercy only to reclaim the fallen souls
who are captivated by the illusory energy. They are attacked by the
material energy, and they want to enjoy her under false pretexts,
although in essence the living entity is unable to enjoy. One is
eternally the servitor of the Lord, and when he forgets this position
he thinks of enjoying the material world, but factually he is in
illusion. The Lord descends to eradicate this false sense of enjoyment
and thus reclaim conditioned souls back to Godhead. That is the
all-merciful nature of the Lord for the fallen souls.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.24
Saḥ here means “you, even though situated in your spiritual energy.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.25
tathāyaṁ cāvatāras te
bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā
svānāṁ cānanya-bhāvānām
anudhyānāya cāsakṛt
SYNONYMS
tathā—thus;
ayam—this; ca—and; avatāraḥ—incarnation; te—Your; bhuvaḥ—of the
material world; bhāra—burden; jihīrṣayā—for removing; svānām—of the
friends; ca ananya-bhāvānām—and of the exclusive devotees;
anudhyānāya—for remembering repeatedly; ca—and; asakṛt—fully satisfied.
TRANSLATION
Thus
You descend as an incarnation to remove the burden of the world and to
benefit Your friends, especially those who are Your exclusive devotees
and are rapt in meditation upon You.
PURPORT
It appears
that the Lord is partial to His devotees. Everyone is related with the
Lord. He is equal to everyone, and yet He is more inclined to His own
men and devotees. The Lord is everyone's father. No one can be His
father, and yet no one can be His son. His devotees are His kinsmen,
and His devotees are His relations. This is His transcendental pastime.
It has nothing to do with mundane ideas of relations, fatherhood or
anything like that. As mentioned above, the Lord is above the modes of
material nature, and thus there is nothing mundane about His kinsmen
and relations in devotional service.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.25
In this way, rejecting māyā, in your spiritual form (tathā), you appear in this world (ayam avatāraḥ).
Jiva's tika ||1.7.25||
tathāyam cāvatāras te bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā |
svānām cānanya-bhāvānām anudhyānāya cāsakṛt ||
TRANSLATION
You appear in this world in this way, in your spiritual form, with a
desire to relieve the burden of the earth and to give continuous
happiness to your dedicated devotees by letting them worship you.
Bhagavat Sandarbha 49:
Just
as with other avatāras and the puruṣāvatāras, so this avatāra, your
manifestation as Kṛṣṇa, Svayam Bhagavān, appeared in order to relieve
the burden of the earth (bhuvaḥ) who has great bhakti and to give
happiness of worshipping you constantly (anudhyānāya) to the devotees.
TEXT - SB 1.7.26
kim idaṁ svit kuto veti
deva-deva na vedmy aham
sarvato mukham āyāti
tejaḥ parama-dāruṇam
SYNONYMS
kim—what
is; idam—this; svit—does it come; kutaḥ—wherefrom; vā iti—be either;
deva-deva—O Lord of lords; na—not; vedmi—do I know; aham—I;
sarvataḥ—all around; mukham—directions; āyāti—coming from;
tejaḥ—effulgence; parama—very much; dāruṇam—dangerous.
TRANSLATION
O
Lord of lords, how is it that this dangerous effulgence is spreading
all around? Where does it come from? I do not understand it.
PURPORT
Anything
that is presented before the Personality of Godhead should be so done
after due presentation of respectful prayers. That is the standard
procedure, and Śrī Arjuna, although an intimate friend of the Lord, is
observing this method for general information.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.26
Having praised Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna then informs Kṛṣṇa of the matter at hand.
TEXT - SB 1.7.27
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
vetthedaṁ droṇa-putrasya
brāhmam astraṁ pradarśitam
naivāsau veda saṁhāraṁ
prāṇa-bādha upasthite
SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; uvāca—said; vettha—just know from Me;
idam—this; droṇa-putrasya—of the son of Droṇa; brāhmam astram—hymns of
the brāhma (nuclear) weapon; pradarśitam—exhibited; na—not; eva—even;
asau—he; veda—know it; saṁhāram—retraction; prāṇa-bādhe—extinction of
life; upasthite—being imminent.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Know from Me that this is the act of the
son of Droṇa. He has thrown the hymns of nuclear energy [brahmāstra],
and he does not know how to retract the glare. He has helplessly done
this, being afraid of imminent death.
PURPORT
The
brahmāstra is similar to the modern nuclear weapon manipulated by
atomic energy. The atomic energy works wholly on total combustibility,
and so the brahmāstra also acts. It creates an intolerable heat similar
to atomic radiation, but the difference is that the atomic bomb is a
gross type of nuclear weapon, whereas the brahmāstra is a subtle type
of weapon produced by chanting hymns. It is a different science, and in
the days gone by such science was cultivated in the land of
Bhārata-varṣa. The subtle science of chanting hymns is also material,
but it has yet to be known by the modern material scientists. Subtle
material science is not spiritual, but it has a direct relationship
with the spiritual method, which is still subtler. A chanter of hymns
knew how to apply the weapon as well as how to retract it. That was
perfect knowledge. But the son of Droṇācārya, who made use of this
subtle science, did not know how to retract. He applied it, being
afraid of his imminent death, and thus the practice was not only
improper but also irreligious. As the son of a brāhmaṇa, he should not
have made so many mistakes, and for such gross negligence of duty he
was to be punished by the Lord Himself.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.27
The
word pradarśitam (shown) implies “You have seen this weapon. Do you not
recognize it? Why are you asking me?” He does not know how to withdraw
it (na veda saṁhāram). Then why did he use it? He used it to protect
his own life.
TEXT - SB 1.7.28
na hy asyānyatamaṁ kiñcid
astraṁ pratyavakarśanam
jahy astra-teja unnaddham
astra-jño hy astra-tejasā
SYNONYMS
na—not;
hi—certainly; asya—of it; anyatamam—other; kiñcit—anything;
astram—weapon; prati—counter; avakarśanam—reactionary; jahi—subdue it;
astra-tejaḥ—the glare of this weapon; unnaddham—very powerful;
astra-jñaḥ—expert in military science; hi—as a matter of fact;
astra-tejasā—by the influence of your weapon.
TRANSLATION
O
Arjuna, only another brahmāstra can counteract this weapon. Since you
are expert in the military science, subdue this weapon's glare with the
power of your own weapon.
PURPORT
For the atomic bombs
there is no counterweapon to neutralize the effects. But by subtle
science the action of a brahmāstra can be counteracted, and those who
were expert in the military science in those days could counteract the
brahmāstra. The son of Droṇācārya did not know the art of counteracting
the weapon, and therefore Arjuna was asked to counteract it by the
power of his own weapon.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.28
“But
the fire can be counteracted by the water weapon.” Nothing can stop
this weapon (pratyavakarśanam). Since you know all about weapons, you
must destroy the fire of this weapon with the fire of your brahmāstra.
TEXT - SB 1.7.29
sūta uvāca
śrutvā bhagavatā proktaṁ
phālgunaḥ para-vīra-hā
spṛṣṭvāpas taṁ parikramya
brāhmaṁ brāhmāstraṁ sandadhe
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ—Sūta
Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; śrutvā—after hearing; bhagavatā—by the Personality
of Godhead; proktam—what was said; phālgunaḥ—another name of Śrī
Arjuna; para-vīra-hā—the killer of the opposing warrior; spṛṣṭvā—after
touching; āpaḥ—water; tam—Him; parikramya—circumambulating; brāhmam—the
Supreme Lord; brāhma-astram—the supreme weapon; sandadhe—acted on.
TRANSLATION
Śrī
Sūta Gosvāmī said: Hearing this from the Personality of Godhead, Arjuna
touched water for purification, and after circumambulating Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, he cast his brahmāstra weapon to counteract the other one.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.29
Tam refers to Kṛṣṇa. For destroying Aśvatthāma’s weapon (brāhmāya) he aimed his weapon.
TEXT - SB 1.7.30
saṁhatyānyonyam ubhayos
tejasī śara-saṁvṛte
āvṛtya rodasī khaṁ ca
vavṛdhāte 'rka-vahnivat
SYNONYMS
saṁhatya—by
combination of; anyonyam—one another; ubhayoḥ—of both; tejasī—the
glares; śara—weapons; saṁvṛte—covering; āvṛtya—covering; rodasī—the
complete firmament; kham ca—outer space also; vavṛdhāte—increasing;
arka—the sun globe; vahni-vat—like fire.
TRANSLATION
When
the rays of the two brahmāstras combined, a great circle of fire, like
the disc of the sun, covered all outer space and the whole firmament of
planets.
PURPORT
The heat created by the flash of a
brahmāstra resembles the fire exhibited in the sun globe at the time of
cosmic annihilation. The radiation of atomic energy is very
insignificant in comparison to the heat produced by a brahmāstra. The
atomic bomb explosion can at utmost blow up one globe, but the heat
produced by the brahmāstra can destroy the whole cosmic situation. The
comparison is therefore made to the heat at the time of annihilation.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.30
The
fires of the two brahmāstras, surrounded with arrows, increased,
covering heaven and earth (rodasi). It was like the combination of the
sun and the fire emanating from Saṅkarṣaṇa’s mouth at the time of
devastation.
TEXT - SB 1.7.31
dṛṣṭvāstra-tejas tu tayos
trīl lokān pradahan mahat
dahyamānāḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ
sāṁvartakam amaṁsata
SYNONYMS
dṛṣṭvā—thus
seeing; astra—weapon; tejaḥ—heat; tu—but; tayoḥ—of both; trīn—three;
lokān—planets; pradahat—blazing; mahat—severely; dahyamānāḥ—burning;
prajāḥ—population; sarvāḥ—all over; sāṁvartakam—the name of the fire
which devastates during the annihilation of the universe;
amaṁsata—began to think.
TRANSLATION
All the population
of the three worlds was scorched by the combined heat of the weapons.
Everyone was reminded of the sāṁvartaka fire which takes place at the
time of annihilation.
PURPORT
The three worlds are the
upper, lower and intermediate planets of the universe. Although the
brahmāstra was released on this earth, the heat produced by the
combination of both weapons covered all the universe, and all the
populations on all the different planets began to feel the heat
excessively and compared it to that of the sāṁvartaka fire. No planet,
therefore, is without living beings, as less intelligent materialistic
men think.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.31
Tayoḥ refers to Aśvatthāmā and Arjuna. Sāṁvartakam is the fire of final destruction.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.31||
dṛṣṭvāstra-tejas tu tayos trīl lokān pradahan mahat |
dahyamānāḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ sāmvartakam amamsata ||
TRANSLATION
Seeing the great fire of their two weapons burning up the three worlds,
all the citizens, afflicted by the heat, thought that this was the fire
of final destruction.
The great fire began to burn up
(pradahat) the three worlds. Just about to be burned (dahyamānāḥ) all
the people thought it was the samvartaka. The present case is used for
events in the near future. (Pāṇini 3.3.131).
TEXT - SB 1.7.32
prajopadravam ālakṣya
loka-vyatikaraṁ ca tam
mataṁ ca vāsudevasya
sañjahārārjuno dvayam
SYNONYMS
prajā—the
people in general; upadravam—disturbance; ālakṣya—having seen it;
loka—the planets; vyatikaram—destruction; ca—also; tam—that; matam
ca—and the opinion; vāsudevasya—of Vāsudeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa;
sañjahāra—retracted; arjunaḥ—Arjuna; dvayam—both the weapons.
TRANSLATION
Thus
seeing the disturbance of the general populace and the imminent
destruction of the planets, Arjuna at once retracted both brahmāstra
weapons, as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa desired.
PURPORT
The theory
that the modern atomic bomb explosions can annihilate the world is
childish imagination. First of all, the atomic energy is not powerful
enough to destroy the world. And secondly, ultimately it all rests on
the supreme will of the Supreme Lord because without His will or
sanction nothing can be built up or destroyed. It is foolish also to
think that natural laws are ultimately powerful. Material nature's law
works under the direction of the Lord, as confirmed in the
Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord says there that natural laws work under His
supervision. The world can be destroyed only by the will of the Lord
and not by the whims of tiny politicians. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa desired that
the weapons released by both Drauṇi and Arjuna be withdrawn, and it was
carried out by Arjuna at once. Similarly, there are many agents of the
all-powerful Lord, and by His will only can one execute what He desires.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.32
Loka means of the earth and other planets. Vyatikaram means destruction.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.32||
prajopadravam ālakṣya loka-vyatikaram ca tam |
matam ca vāsudevasya sanjahārārjuno dvayam ||
TRANSLATION
Seeing the danger to the inhabitants of the universe and the
destruction of the planets, and understanding the will of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna
withdrew the two weapons.
First the Lord ordered Arjuna to ward
off the enemy’s weapon by his weapon, not destroy it. Then it was not
possible to destroy only the enemy’s weapon. Thus he merged the two
weapons together to destroy them both. When there was danger because of
the two merged weapons, after acting according to his order, he gave
permission to Arjuna who had hesitated to destroy them both.
TEXT - SB 1.7.33
tata āsādya tarasā
dāruṇaṁ gautamī-sutam
babandhāmarṣa-tāmrākṣaḥ
paśuṁ raśanayā yathā
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereupon;
āsādya—arrested; tarasā—dexterously; dāruṇam—dangerous;
gautamī-sutam—the son of Gautamī; babandha—bound up; amarṣa—angry;
tāmra-akṣaḥ—with copper-red eyes; paśum—animal; raśanayā—by ropes;
yathā—as it were.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna, his eyes blazing in
anger like two red balls of copper, dexterously arrested the son of
Gautamī and bound him with ropes like an animal.
PURPORT
Aśvatthāmā's
mother, Kṛpī, was born in the family of Gautama. The significant point
in this śloka is that Aśvatthāmā was caught and bound up with ropes
like an animal. According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, Arjuna was obliged to
catch this son of a brāhmaṇa like an animal as a part of his duty
(dharma). This suggestion by Śrīdhara Svāmī is also confirmed in the
later statement of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Aśvatthāmā was a bona fide son of
Droṇācārya and Kṛpī, but because he had degraded himself to a lower
status of life, it was proper to treat him as an animal and not as a
brāhmaṇa.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.33
Aśvatthāmā was the son of Kṛpī, who came from the Gautama gotra. Thus she is called gautamī.
TEXT - SB 1.7.34
śibirāya ninīṣantaṁ
rajjvā baddhvā ripuṁ balāt
prāhārjunaṁ prakupito
bhagavān ambujekṣaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
śibirāya—on
the way to the military camp; ninīṣantam—while bringing him; rajjvā—by
the ropes; baddhvā—bound up; ripum—the enemy; balāt—by force;
prāha—said; arjunam—unto Arjuna; prakupitaḥ—in an angry mood;
bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; ambuja-īkṣaṇaḥ—who looks with His
lotus eyes.
TRANSLATION
After binding Aśvatthāmā, Arjuna
wanted to take him to the military camp. The Personality of Godhead Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, looking on with His lotus eyes, spoke to angry Arjuna.
PURPORT
Both
Arjuna and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa are described here in an angry mood, but
Arjuna's eyes were like balls of red copper whereas the eyes of the
Lord were like lotuses. This means that the angry mood of Arjuna and
that of the Lord are not on the same level. The Lord is Transcendence,
and thus He is absolute in any stage. His anger is not like the anger
of a conditioned living being within the modes of qualitative material
nature. Because He is absolute, both His anger and pleasure are the
same. His anger is not exhibited in the three modes of material nature.
It is only a sign of His bent of mind towards the cause of His devotee
because that is His transcendental nature. Therefore, even if He is
angry, the object of anger is blessed. He is unchanged in all
circumstances.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.34
Kṛṣṇa
speaks strongly in five verses to Arjuna, who was filled with
lamentation and anger, to show the world Arjuna’s standard of justice.
Though Kṛṣṇa was angry, he is still described as lotus-eyed. Thus his
anger was only external.
TEXT - SB 1.7.35
mainaṁ pārthārhasi trātuṁ
brahma-bandhum imaṁ jahi
yo 'sāv anāgasaḥ suptān
avadhīn niśi bālakān
SYNONYMS
mā
enam—never unto him; pārtha—O Arjuna; arhasi—ought to; trātum—give
release; brahma-bandhum—a relative of a brāhmaṇa; imam—him; jahi—kill;
yaḥ—he (who has); asau—those; anāgasaḥ—faultless; suptān—while
sleeping; avadhīt—killed; niśi—at night; bālakān—the boys.
TRANSLATION
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Arjuna, you should not show mercy by releasing this
relative of a brāhmaṇa [brahma-bandhu], for he has killed innocent boys
in their sleep.
PURPORT
The word brahma-bandhu is
significant. A person who happens to take birth in the family of a
brāhmaṇa but is not qualified to be called a brāhmaṇa is addressed as
the relative of a brāhmaṇa, and not as a brāhmaṇa. The son of a
high-court judge is not virtually a high-court judge, but there is no
harm in addressing a high-court judge's son as a relative of the
Honorable Justice. Therefore, as by birth only one does not become a
high-court judge, so also one does not become a brāhmaṇa simply by
birthright but by acquiring the necessary qualifications of a brāhmaṇa.
As the high-court judgeship is a post for the qualified man, so also
the post of a brāhmaṇa is attainable by qualification only. The śāstra
enjoins that even if good qualifications are seen in a person born in a
family other than that of a brāhmaṇa, the qualified man has to be
accepted as a brāhmaṇa, and similarly if a person born in the family of
a brāhmaṇa is void of brahminical qualification, then he must be
treated as a non-brāhmaṇa or, in better terms, a relative of a
brāhmaṇa. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the supreme authority of all religious
principles, the Vedas, has personally pointed out these differences,
and He is about to explain the reason for this in the following ślokas.
TEXT - SB 1.7.36
mattaṁ pramattam unmattaṁ
suptaṁ bālaṁ striyaṁ jaḍam
prapannaṁ virathaṁ bhītaṁ
na ripuṁ hanti dharma-vit
SYNONYMS
mattam—careless;
pramattam—intoxicated; unmattam—insane; suptam—asleep; bālam—boy;
striyam—woman; jaḍam—foolish; prapannam—surrendered; viratham—one who
has lost his chariot; bhītam—afraid; na—not; ripum—enemy; hanti—kill;
dharma-vit—one who knows the principles of religion.
TRANSLATION
A
person who knows the principles of religion does not kill an enemy who
is careless, intoxicated, insane, asleep, afraid or devoid of his
chariot. Nor does he kill a boy, a woman, a foolish creature or a
surrendered soul.
PURPORT
An enemy who does not resist is
never killed by a warrior who knows the principles of religion.
Formerly battles were fought on the principles of religion and not for
the sake of sense gratification. If the enemy happened to be
intoxicated, asleep, etc., as above mentioned, he was never to be
killed. These are some of the codes of religious war. Formerly war was
never declared by the whims of selfish political leaders; it was
carried out on religious principles free from all vices. Violence
carried out on religious principles is far superior to so-called
nonviolence.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.36
Mattam
means intoxicated because of liquor etc. Pramattam means inattentive.
Unmattam means crazy because of planetary influences or disturbance of
vāta in the body.
TEXT - SB 1.7.37
sva-prāṇān yaḥ para-prāṇaiḥ
prapuṣṇāty aghṛṇaḥ khalaḥ
tad-vadhas tasya hi śreyo
yad-doṣād yāty adhaḥ pumān
SYNONYMS
sva-prāṇān—one's
own life; yaḥ—one who; para-prāṇaiḥ—at the cost of others' lives;
prapuṣṇāti—maintains properly; aghṛṇaḥ—shameless; khalaḥ—wretched;
tat-vadhaḥ—killing of him; tasya—his; hi—certainly; śreyaḥ—well-being;
yat—by which; doṣāt—by the fault; yāti—goes; adhaḥ—downwards; pumān—a
person.
TRANSLATION
A cruel and wretched person who
maintains his existence at the cost of others' lives deserves to be
killed for his own well-being, otherwise he will go down by his own
actions.
PURPORT
A life for a life is just punishment for
a person who cruelly and shamelessly lives at the cost of another's
life. Political morality is to punish a person by a death sentence in
order to save a cruel person from going to hell. That a murderer is
condemned to a death sentence by the state is good for the culprit
because in his next life he will not have to suffer for his act of
murder. Such a death sentence for the murderer is the lowest possible
punishment offered to him, and it is said in the smṛti-śāstras that men
who are punished by the king on the principle of a life for a life are
purified of all their sins, so much so that they may be eligible for
being promoted to the planets of heaven. According to Manu, the great
author of civic codes and religious principles, even the killer of an
animal is to be considered a murderer because animal food is never
meant for the civilized man, whose prime duty is to prepare himself for
going back to Godhead. He says that in the act of killing an animal,
there is a regular conspiracy by the party of sinners, and all of them
are liable to be punished as murderers exactly like a party of
conspirators who kill a human being combinedly. He who gives
permission, he who kills the animal, he who sells the slaughtered
animal, he who cooks the animal, he who administers distribution of the
foodstuff, and at last he who eats such cooked animal food are all
murderers, and all of them are liable to be punished by the laws of
nature. No one can create a living being despite all advancement of
material science, and therefore no one has the right to kill a living
being by one's independent whims. For the animal-eaters, the scriptures
have sanctioned restricted animal sacrifices only, and such sanctions
are there just to restrict the opening of slaughterhouses and not to
encourage animal-killing. The procedure under which animal sacrifice is
allowed in the scriptures is good both for the animal sacrificed and
the animal-eaters. It is good for the animal in the sense that the
sacrificed animal is at once promoted to the human form of life after
being sacrificed at the altar, and the animal-eater is saved from
grosser types of sins (eating meats supplied by organized
slaughterhouses which are ghastly places for breeding all kinds of
material afflictions to society, country and the people in general).
The material world is itself a place always full of anxieties, and by
encouraging animal slaughter the whole atmosphere becomes polluted more
and more by war, pestilence, famine and many other unwanted calamities.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.37
Killing him as punishment is best (tad-vadhaḥ śreyaḥ). Smṛti says:
rājabhir dhṛta-daṇḍas tu kṛtvā pāpāni mānavāḥ |
vidhūta-kalmaṣā yānti svargaṁ sukṛtino yathā ||
Those who have committed sin, if punished by the king, become freed of that sin and go to Svarga like the pious.
If he is not killed, because of that sin (yad) he goes to hell.
TEXT - SB 1.7.38
pratiśrutaṁ ca bhavatā
pāñcālyai śṛṇvato mama
āhariṣye śiras tasya
yas te mānini putra-hā
SYNONYMS
pratiśrutam—it
is promised; ca—and; bhavatā—by you; pāñcālyai—unto the daughter of the
King of Pāñcāla (Draupadī); śṛṇvataḥ—which was heard; mama—by Me
personally; āhariṣye—must I bring; śiraḥ—the head; tasya—of him;
yaḥ—whom; te—your; mānini—consider; putra-hā—the killer of your sons.
TRANSLATION
Furthermore, I have personally heard you promise Draupadī that you would bring forth the head of the killer of her sons.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.38
O warrior! This sinner, aggressor, killer of relatives, disgrace to his family, who has displeased Duryodhana, should be killed.
TEXT - SB 1.7.39
tad asau vadhyatāṁ pāpa
ātatāyy ātma-bandhu-hā
bhartuś ca vipriyaṁ vīra
kṛtavān kula-pāṁsanaḥ
SYNONYMS
tat—therefore;
asau—this man; vadhyatām—will be killed; pāpaḥ—the sinner;
ātatāyī—assaulter; ātma—own; bandhu-hā—killer of sons; bhartuḥ—of the
master; ca—also; vipriyam—having not satisfied; vīra—O warrior;
kṛtavān—one who has done it; kula-pāṁsanaḥ—the burnt remnants of the
family.
TRANSLATION
This man is an assassin and murderer
of your own family members. Not only that, but he has also dissatisfied
his master. He is but the burnt remnants of his family. Kill him
immediately.
PURPORT
The son of Droṇācārya is condemned
here as the burnt remnants of his family. The good name of Droṇācārya
was very much respected. Although he joined the enemy camp, the
Pāṇḍavas held him always in respect, and Arjuna saluted him before
beginning the fight. There was nothing wrong in that way. But the son
of Droṇācārya degraded himself by committing acts which are never done
by the dvijas, or the twice-born higher castes. Aśvatthāmā, the son of
Droṇācārya, committed murder by killing the five sleeping sons of
Draupadī, by which he dissatisfied his master Duryodhana, who never
approved of the heinous act of killing the five sleeping sons of the
Pāṇḍavas. This means that Aśvatthāmā became an assaulter of Arjuna's
own family members, and thus he was liable to be punished by him. In
the śāstras, he who attacks without notice or kills from behind or sets
fire to another's house or kidnaps one's wife is condemned to death.
Kṛṣṇa reminded Arjuna of these facts so that he might take notice of
them and do the needful.
TEXT - SB 1.7.40
sūta uvāca
evaṁ parīkṣatā dharmaṁ
pārthaḥ kṛṣṇena coditaḥ
naicchad dhantuṁ guru-sutaṁ
yadyapy ātma-hanaṁ mahān
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ—Sūta
Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; evam—this; parīkṣatā—being examined; dharmam—in
the matter of duty; pārthaḥ—Śrī Arjuna; kṛṣṇena—by Lord Kṛṣṇa;
coditaḥ—being encouraged; na aicchat—did not like; hantum—to kill;
guru-sutam—the son of his teacher; yadyapi—although;
ātma-hanam—murderer of sons; mahān—very great.
TRANSLATION
Sūta
Gosvāmī said: Although Kṛṣṇa, who was examining Arjuna in religion,
encouraged Arjuna to kill the son of Droṇācārya, Arjuna, a great soul,
did not like the idea of killing him, although Aśvatthāmā was a heinous
murderer of Arjuna's family members.
PURPORT
Arjuna was a
great soul undoubtedly, which is proved here also. He is encouraged
herein personally by the Lord to kill the son of Droṇa, but Arjuna
considers that the son of his great teacher should be spared, for he
happens to be the son of Droṇācārya, even though he is an unworthy son,
having done all sorts of heinous acts whimsically for no one's benefit.
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa encouraged Arjuna outwardly just to test Arjuna's sense of
duty. It is not that Arjuna was incomplete in the sense of his duty,
nor was Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa unaware of Arjuna's sense of duty. But Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa put to test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense
of duty. The gopīs were put to such tests as well. Prahlāda Mahārāja
also was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out successful in
the respective tests by the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.40
Though
incited by Kṛṣṇa who was testing Arjuna’s sense of justice, Arjuna did
not want to kill him, even though he had killed his son (ātma-hanam),
because he was intelligent (mahān) - he knew the nature of Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa’s nature is that, though he is omniscient, he tests the devotees
in this way in order to show their sense of justice to others. He tests
Arjuna, possessor of dharma, by showing vīra and raudra rasas when he
says “You should not release him.” (SB 1.7.35)
In the same way
he tested the gopīs, possessors of prema, by showing karma and jñāna in
such verses as bhartuḥ śuśrūṣaṇaṁ strīṇāṁ paro dharmaḥ: the highest
religious duty for a woman is to sincerely serve her husband (SB
10.29.24); bhavatīnāṁ viyogo me na hi sarvātmanā kvacit: you are never
actually separated from me, for I am the Soul of all creation (SB
10.47.29); ahaṁ hi sarva-bhūtānām ādir anto ’ntaraṁ bahiḥ: dear ladies,
I am the beginning and end of all created beings and exist both within
and without them. (SB 10.82.45)
He also tested Pṛthu, Prahlāda
and others, who were filled with devotion, by showing or promising
enjoyment and powers to them. Varaṁ ca mat kañcana mānavendra vṛṇīṣva:
dear Pṛthu, you may therefore ask from me any benediction you like. (SB
4.20.16) Varaṁ vṛṇīṣvābhimataṁ kāma-pūro ’smy ahaṁ nṛṇām: it is my
pastime to fulfill the desires of all living beings, and therefore you
may ask from me any benediction that you desire to be fulfilled. (SB
7.9.52) Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti: though I offer these benedictions, they
do not accept. (SB 3.29.13 )
Even his siddha devotees test
others. Thus Śukadeva tests Parīkṣit. In the Sixth Canto, he tests his
knowledge of siddhānta when he speaks of regular atonements when
Parīkṣit asks the method of getting free of sin. In the Ninth Canto,
Śukadeva tests Parīkṣit’s eagerness for Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes by summarizing
those pastimes, and in the Twelfth Canto, he tests his steadiness in
bhakti by talking of brahma-jñāna. The real meaning is not always in
the directly observed events.
TEXT - SB 1.7.41
athopetya sva-śibiraṁ
govinda-priya-sārathiḥ
nyavedayat taṁ priyāyai
śocantyā ātma-jān hatān
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter;
upetya—having reached; sva—own; śibiram—camp; govinda—one who enlivens
the senses (Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa); priya—dear; sārathiḥ—the charioteer;
nyavedayat—entrusted to; tam—him; priyāyai—unto the dear;
śocantyai—lamenting for; ātma-jān—own sons; hatān—murdered.
TRANSLATION
After
reaching his own camp, Arjuna, along with his dear friend and
charioteer [Śrī Kṛṣṇa], entrusted the murderer unto his dear wife, who
was lamenting for her murdered sons.
PURPORT
The
transcendental relation of Arjuna with Kṛṣṇa is of the dearmost
friendship. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord Himself has claimed Arjuna as
His dearmost friend. Every living being is thus related with the
Supreme Lord by some sort of affectionate relation, either as servant
or as friend or as parent or as an object of conjugal love. Everyone
thus can enjoy the company of the Lord in the spiritual realm if he at
all desires and sincerely tries for it by the process of bhakti-yoga.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.41
He offered Aśvatthāmā to her saying, “I have brought you the killer of your sons.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.42
tathāhṛtaṁ paśuvat pāśa-baddham
avāṅ-mukhaṁ karma-jugupsitena
nirīkṣya kṛṣṇāpakṛtaṁ guroḥ sutaṁ
vāma-svabhāvā kṛpayā nanāma ca
SYNONYMS
tathā—thus;
āhṛtam—brought in; paśu-vat—like an animal; pāśa-baddham—tied with
ropes; avāk-mukham—without a word in his mouth; karma—activities;
jugupsitena—being heinous; nirīkṣya—by seeing; kṛṣṇā—Draupadī;
apakṛtam—the doer of the degrading; guroḥ—the teacher; sutam—son;
vāma—beautiful; svabhāvā—nature; kṛpayā—out of compassion;
nanāma—offered obeisances; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Sūta
Gosvāmī said: Draupadī then saw Aśvatthāmā, who was bound with ropes
like an animal and silent for having enacted the most inglorious
murder. Due to her female nature, and due to her being naturally good
and well-behaved, she showed him due respects as a brāhmaṇa.
PURPORT
Aśvatthāmā
was condemned by the Lord Himself, and he was treated by Arjuna just
like a culprit, not like the son of a brāhmaṇa or teacher. But when he
was brought before Śrīmatī Draupadī, she, although begrieved for the
murder of her sons, and although the murderer was present before her,
could not withdraw the due respect generally offered to a brāhmaṇa or
to the son of a brāhmaṇa. This is due to her mild nature as a woman.
Women as a class are no better than boys, and therefore they have no
discriminatory power like that of a man. Aśvatthāmā proved himself to
be an unworthy son of Droṇācārya or of a brāhmaṇa, and for this reason
he was condemned by the greatest authority, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and yet a
mild woman could not withdraw her natural courtesy for a brāhmaṇa.
Even
to date, in a Hindu family a woman shows proper respect to the brāhmaṇa
caste, however fallen and heinous a brahma-bandhu may be. But the men
have begun to protest against brahma-bandhus who are born in families
of good brāhmaṇas but by action are less than śūdras.
The
specific words used in this śloka are vāma-svabhāvā, "mild and gentle
by nature." A good man or woman accepts anything very easily, but a man
of average intelligence does not do so. But, anyway, we should not give
up our reason and discriminatory power just to be gentle. One must have
good discriminatory power to judge a thing on its merit. We should not
follow the mild nature of a woman and thereby accept that which is not
genuine. Aśvatthāmā may be respected by a good-natured woman, but that
does not mean that he is as good as a genuine brāhmaṇa.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.42
Tathā
āhrṭam means “brought in this manner.” Karma-jugupsitena means “because
of his repulsion to that act.” Apakṛtam (wrongful act) should be
apakāriṇam “the person who has done wrong.” She looked with compassion
on him. Vāma means virtuous. She also offered her respects.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.42||
tathāhṛtam paśuvat pāśa-baddham avān-mukham karma-jugupsitena |
nirīkṣya kṛṣṇāpakṛtam guroḥ sutam vāma-svabhāvā kṛpayā nanāma ca ||
TRANSLATION
Draupadī, of noble nature, looked with compassion upon wicked
Aśvatthāmā, son of a guru, brought before her tied up like an animal,
with downcast face because of his shameful crime, and also offered him
her respects.
Two verses are taken together. Apakṛtam (wrongful act) should be apakāriṇam “the person who has done wrong.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.43
uvāca cāsahanty asya
bandhanānayanaṁ satī
mucyatāṁ mucyatām eṣa
brāhmaṇo nitarāṁ guruḥ
SYNONYMS
uvāca—said;
ca—and; asahantī—being unbearable for her; asya—his; bandhana—being
bound; ānayanam—bringing him; satī—the devoted; mucyatām mucyatām—just
get him released; eṣaḥ—this; brāhmaṇaḥ—a brāhmaṇa; nitarām—our;
guruḥ—teacher.
TRANSLATION
She could not tolerate
Aśvatthāmā's being bound by ropes, and being a devoted lady, she said:
Release him, for he is a brāhmaṇa, our spiritual master.
PURPORT
As
soon as Aśvatthāmā was brought before Draupadī, she thought it
intolerable that a brāhmaṇa should be arrested like a culprit and
brought before her in that condition, especially when the brāhmaṇa
happened to be a teacher's son.
Arjuna arrested Aśvatthāmā
knowing perfectly well that he was the son of Droṇācārya. Kṛṣṇa also
knew him to be so, but both of them condemned the murderer without
consideration of his being the son of a brāhmaṇa. According to revealed
scriptures, a teacher or spiritual master is liable to be rejected if
he proves himself unworthy of the position of a guru or spiritual
master. A guru is called also an ācārya, or a person who has personally
assimilated all the essence of śāstras and has helped his disciples to
adopt the ways. Aśvatthāmā failed to discharge the duties of a brāhmaṇa
or teacher, and therefore he was liable to be rejected from the exalted
position of a brāhmaṇa. On this consideration, both Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and
Arjuna were right in condemning Aśvatthāmā. But to a good lady like
Draupadī, the matter was considered not from the angle of śāstric
vision, but as a matter of custom. By custom, Aśvatthāmā was offered
the same respect as offered to his father. It was so because generally
the people accept the son of a brāhmaṇa as a real brāhmaṇa, by
sentiment only. Factually the matter is different. A brāhmaṇa is
accepted on the merit of qualification and not on the merit of simply
being the son of a brāhmaṇa.
But in spite of all this, Draupadī
desired that Aśvatthāmā be at once released, and it was all the same a
good sentiment for her. This means that a devotee of the Lord can
tolerate all sorts of tribulation personally, but still such devotees
are never unkind to others, even to the enemy. These are the
characteristics of one who is a pure devotee of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.43
mucyatāṁ mucyatām eṣa brāhmaṇo nitarāṁ guruḥ ||
The
word ca with uvāca indicates “she spoke with reverence.” She is called
satī or noble because she could not tolerate his bondage. She was thus
nobler than Parīkṣit and Arjuna towards those who were offenders to the
devotees.
TEXT - SB 1.7.44
sarahasyo dhanur-vedaḥ
savisargopasaṁyamaḥ
astra-grāmaś ca bhavatā
śikṣito yad-anugrahāt
SYNONYMS
sa-rahasyaḥ—confidential;
dhanuḥ-vedaḥ—knowledge in the art of manipulating bows and arrows;
sa-visarga—releasing; upasaṁyamaḥ—controlling; astra—weapons;
grāmaḥ—all kinds of; ca—and; bhavatā—by yourself; śikṣitaḥ—learned;
yat—by whose; anugrahāt—mercy of.
TRANSLATION
It was by
Droṇācārya's mercy that you learned the military art of throwing arrows
and the confidential art of controlling weapons.
PURPORT
Dhanur-veda,
or military science, was taught by Droṇācārya with all its confidential
secrets of throwing and controlling by Vedic hymns. Gross military
science is dependent on material weapons, but finer than that is the
art of throwing the arrows saturated with Vedic hymns, which act more
effectively than gross material weapons like machine guns or atomic
bombs. The control is by Vedic mantras, or the transcendental science
of sound. It is said in the Rāmāyaṇa that Mahārāja Daśaratha, the
father of Lord Śrī Rāma, used to control arrows by sound only. He could
pierce his target with his arrow by only hearing the sound, without
seeing the object. So this is a finer military science than that of the
gross material military weapons used nowadays. Arjuna was taught all
this, and therefore Draupadī wished that Arjuna feel obliged to Ācārya
Droṇa for all these benefits. And in the absence of Droṇācārya, his son
was his representative. That was the opinion of the good lady Draupadī.
It may be argued why Droṇācārya, a rigid brāhmaṇa, should be a teacher
in military science. But the reply is that a brāhmaṇa should become a
teacher, regardless of what his department of knowledge is. A learned
brāhmaṇa should become a teacher, a priest and a recipient of charity.
A bona fide brāhmaṇa is authorized to accept such professions.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.44
Sa-rahasyaḥ
means “with secret mantras.” In mentioning that the father taught how
to throw and withdraw the weapon, she implies “If you had not learned
how to throw and withdraw the brahmāstra from his father, how could you
now bind him up and bring him here?” The son is considered a
representative of the father according to the saying ātmā vai jāyate
putraḥ: one is born again as one’s son.[27] The wife is considered half
of the husband according to the śruti text ardho vā eśa ātmano
yat-patnī: the wife is half of oneself. (Black Yajur-veda,
Baudhāyana-śrauta-sūtra 29.89.381.2) She did not follow her husband to
death because she had a son (vīra-sūḥ).
TEXT - SB 1.7.45
sa eṣa bhagavān droṇaḥ
prajā-rūpeṇa vartate
tasyātmano 'rdhaṁ patny āste
nānvagād vīrasūḥ kṛpī
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he;
eṣaḥ—certainly; bhagavān—lord; droṇaḥ—Droṇācārya; prajā-rūpeṇa—in the
form of his son Aśvatthāmā; vartate—is existing; tasya—his; ātmanaḥ—of
the body; ardham—half; patnī—wife; āste—living; na—not;
anvagāt—undertook; vīrasūḥ—having the son present; kṛpī—the sister of
Kṛpācārya.
TRANSLATION
He [Droṇācārya] is certainly still
existing, being represented by his son. His wife Kṛpī did not undergo a
satī with him because she had a son.
PURPORT
The wife of
Droṇācārya, Kṛpī, is the sister of Kṛpācārya. A devoted wife, who is
according to revealed scripture the better half of her husband, is
justified in embracing voluntary death along with her husband if she is
without issue. But in the case of the wife of Droṇācārya, she did not
undergo such a trial because she had her son, the representative of her
husband. A widow is a widow only in name if there is a son of her
husband existing. So in either case Aśvatthāmā was the representative
of Droṇācārya, and therefore killing Aśvatthāmā would be like killing
Droṇācārya. That was the argument of Draupadī against the killing of
Aśvatthāmā.
TEXT - SB 1.7.46
tad dharmajña mahā-bhāga
bhavadbhir gauravaṁ kulam
vṛjinaṁ nārhati prāptuṁ
pūjyaṁ vandyam abhīkṣṇaśaḥ
SYNONYMS
tat—therefore;
dharma-jña—one who is aware of the principles of religion;
mahā-bhāga—the most fortunate; bhavadbhiḥ—by your good self;
gauravam—glorified; kulam—the family; vṛjinam—that which is painful;
na—not; arhati—does deserve; prāptum—for obtaining; pūjyam—the
worshipable; vandyam—respectable; abhīkṣṇaśaḥ—constantly.
TRANSLATION
O
most fortunate one who knows the principles of religion, it is not good
for you to cause grief to glorious family members who are always
respectable and worshipful.
PURPORT
A slight insult for a
respectable family is sufficient to invoke grief. Therefore, a cultured
man should always be careful in dealing with worshipful family members.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.46
The relatives of your guru (gauravam kulam) should not attain suffering by you, because they are to be worshipped.
TEXT - SB 1.7.47
mā rodīd asya jananī
gautamī pati-devatā
yathāhaṁ mṛta-vatsārtā
rodimy aśru-mukhī muhuḥ
SYNONYMS
mā—do
not; rodīt—make cry; asya—his; jananī—mother; gautamī—the wife of
Droṇa; pati-devatā—chaste; yathā—as has; aham—myself; mṛta-vatsā—one
whose child is dead; ārtā—distressed; rodimi—crying; aśru-mukhī—tears
in the eyes; muhuḥ—constantly.
TRANSLATION
My lord, do
not make the wife of Droṇācārya cry like me. I am aggrieved for the
death of my sons. She need not cry constantly like me.
PURPORT
Sympathetic
good lady as she was, Śrīmatī Draupadī did not want to put the wife of
Droṇācārya in the same position of childlessness, both from the point
of motherly feelings and from the respectable position held by the wife
of Droṇācārya.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.47
Mā rodīt should be mā roditu “let her not cry.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.48
yaiḥ kopitaṁ brahma-kulaṁ
rājanyair ajitātmabhiḥ
tat kulaṁ pradahaty āśu
sānubandhaṁ śucārpitam
SYNONYMS
yaiḥ—by
those; kopitam—enraged; brahma-kulam—the order of the brāhmaṇas;
rājanyaiḥ—by the administrative order; ajita—unrestricted; ātmabhiḥ—by
oneself; tat—that; kulam—family; pradahati—is burnt up; āśu—within no
time; sa-anubandham—together with family members; śucā-arpitam—being
put into grief.
TRANSLATION
If the kingly administrative
order, being unrestricted in sense control, offends the brāhmaṇa order
and enrages them, then the fire of that rage burns up the whole body of
the royal family and brings grief upon all.
PURPORT
The
brāhmaṇa order of society, or the spiritually advanced caste or
community, and the members of such highly elevated families, were
always held in great esteem by the other, subordinate castes, namely
the administrative kingly order, the mercantile order and the laborers.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.48
Sānubandham
means “with their associates.” Śucārptiam means “spread with
lamentation (śucā).” The brāhmaṇas will destroy the kṣatriya families.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.48||
yaiḥ kopitam brahma-kulam rājanyair ajitātmabhiḥ |
tat kulam pradahaty āśu sānubandham śucārpitam ||
TRANSLATION
Angered by the uncontrolled warriors, the brāhmaṇas will quickly
destroy the warrior class and their associates who then will become
full of lamentation.
TEXT - SB 1.7.49
sūta uvāca
dharmyaṁ nyāyyaṁ sakaruṇaṁ
nirvyalīkaṁ samaṁ mahat
rājā dharma-suto rājñyāḥ
pratyanandad vaco dvijāḥ
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Sūta Gosvāmī said; dharmyam—in accordance with the principles of
religion; nyāyyam—justice; sa-karuṇam—full of mercy;
nirvyalīkam—without duplicity in dharma; samam—equity; mahat—glorious;
rājā—the King; dharma-sutaḥ—son; rājñyāḥ—by the Queen;
pratyanandat—supported; vacaḥ—statements; dvijāḥ—O brāhmaṇas.
TRANSLATION
Sūta
Gosvāmī said: O brāhmaṇas, King Yudhiṣṭhira fully supported the
statements of the Queen, which were in accordance with the principles
of religion and were justified, glorious, full of mercy and equity, and
without duplicity.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, who was
the son of Dharmarāja, or Yamarāja, fully supported the words of Queen
Draupadī in asking Arjuna to release Aśvatthāmā. One should not
tolerate the humiliation of a member of a great family. Arjuna and his
family were indebted to the family of Droṇācārya because of Arjuna's
learning the military science from him. If ingratitude were shown to
such a benevolent family, it would not be at all justified from the
moral standpoint. The wife of Droṇācārya, who was the half body of the
great soul, must be treated with compassion, and she should not be put
into grief because of her son's death. That is compassion. Such
statements by Draupadī are without duplicity because actions should be
taken with full knowledge. The feeling of equality was there because
Draupadī spoke out of her personal experience. A barren woman cannot
understand the grief of a mother. Draupadī was herself a mother, and
therefore her calculation of the depth of Kṛpī's grief was quite to the
point. And it was glorious because she wanted to show proper respect to
a great family.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.49
The
good quality of her words is seen in the previous six verses. Her words
were faithful to dharma:release him because the brāhmāna is always our
guru. (SB 1.7.43) Her words were filled with correctness: his father
taught you the military arts. (SB 1.7.44) Her words were full of mercy:
the wife is half the husband. (SB 1.7.45) Her words expressed
unwillingness to cause pain to others: do not cause suffering to the
family of your guru. (SB 1.7.46) Her words expressed sense of calmness,
allaying suffering: do not let her cry like me. (SB 1.7.47) Her harsh
words express generosity, desiring to benefit the hearer: the angry
brāhmaṇas will destroy the kṣatriyas. (SB 1.7.48)
TEXT - SB 1.7.50
nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca
yuyudhāno dhanañjayaḥ
bhagavān devakī-putro
ye cānye yāś ca yoṣitaḥ
SYNONYMS
nakulaḥ—Nakula;
sahadevaḥ—Sahadeva; ca—and; yuyudhānaḥ—Sātyaki; dhanañjayaḥ—Arjuna;
bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; devakī-putraḥ—the son of Devakī,
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; ye—those; ca—and; anye—others; yāḥ—those; ca—and;
yoṣitaḥ—ladies.
TRANSLATION
Nakula and Sahadeva [the
younger brothers of the King] and also Sātyaki, Arjuna, the Personality
of Godhead Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa, son of Devakī, and the ladies and others all
unanimously agreed with the King.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.50
They all agreed with her words. Yuyudhāna means Sātyaki.
TEXT - SB 1.7.51
tatrāhāmarṣito bhīmas
tasya śreyān vadhaḥ smṛtaḥ
na bhartur nātmanaś cārthe
yo 'han suptān śiśūn vṛthā
SYNONYMS
tatra—thereupon;
āha—said; amarṣitaḥ—in an angry mood; bhīmaḥ—Bhīma; tasya—his;
śreyān—ultimate good; vadhaḥ—killing; smṛtaḥ—recorded; na—not;
bhartuḥ—of the master; na—nor; ātmanaḥ—of his own self; ca—and;
arthe—for the sake of; yaḥ—one who; ahan—killed; suptān—sleeping;
śiśūn—children; vṛthā—without purpose.
TRANSLATION
Bhīma,
however, disagreed with them and recommended killing this culprit who,
in an angry mood, had murdered sleeping children for no purpose and for
neither his nor his master's interest.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.51
Bhīma
favored killing Aśvatthāmā and Draupadī favored releasing him. The Lord
assumed four arms to keep the two parties apart. Kṛṣṇa smiled slightly
as if saying, „ O friend! Today I will test the sharpness of your
intelligence.” He smiled and did not laugh.
TEXT - SB 1.7.52
niśamya bhīma-gaditaṁ
draupadyāś ca catur-bhujaḥ
ālokya vadanaṁ sakhyur
idam āha hasann iva
SYNONYMS
niśamya—just
after hearing; bhīma—Bhīma; gaditam—spoken by; draupadyāḥ—of Draupadī;
ca—and; catuḥ-bhujaḥ—the four-handed (Personality of Godhead);
ālokya—having seen; vadanam—the face; sakhyuḥ—of His friend; idam—this;
āha—said; hasan—smiling; iva—as it.
TRANSLATION
Caturbhuja
[the four-armed one], or the Personality of Godhead, after hearing the
words of Bhīma, Draupadī and others, saw the face of His dear friend
Arjuna, and He began to speak as if smiling.
PURPORT
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa had two arms, and why He is designated as four-armed is
explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Both Bhīma and Draupadī held opposite
views about killing Aśvatthāmā. Bhīma wanted him to be immediately
killed, whereas Draupadī wanted to save him. We can imagine Bhīma ready
to kill while Draupadī is obstructing him. And in order to prevent both
of them, the Lord discovered another two arms. Originally, the primeval
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa displays only two arms, but in His Nārāyaṇa feature He
exhibits four. In His Nārāyaṇa feature He resides with His devotees in
the Vaikuṇṭha planets, while in His original Śrī Kṛṣṇa feature He
resides in the Kṛṣṇaloka planet far, far above the Vaikuṇṭha planets in
the spiritual sky. Therefore, if Śrī Kṛṣṇa is called caturbhujaḥ, there
is no contradiction. If need be He can display hundreds of arms, as He
exhibited in His viśva-rūpa shown to Arjuna. Therefore, one who can
display hundreds and thousands of arms can also manifest four whenever
needed.
When Arjuna was perplexed about what to do with
Aśvatthāmā, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as the very dear friend of Arjuna,
voluntarily took up the matter just to make a solution. And He was
smiling also.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.52||
niśamya bhīma-gaditam draupadyāś ca catur-bhujaḥ |
ālokya vadanam sakhyur idam āha hasann iva ||
TRANSLATION
Hearing the words of Bhīma and Draupadī, Kṛṣṇa with four hands looked
towards his friend Arjuna while smiling and spoke.
Bhīma
favored killing Aśvatthāmā and Draupadī favored releasing him. The Lord
assumed four arms to keep the two parties apart. Or both parties have
been
instructed by me. He showed his powers in order that they follow his orders.
TEXT - SB 1.7.53-54
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
brahma-bandhur na hantavya
ātatāyī vadhārhaṇaḥ
mayaivobhayam āmnātaṁ
paripāhy anuśāsanam
kuru pratiśrutaṁ satyaṁ
yat tat sāntvayatā priyām
priyaṁ ca bhīmasenasya
pāñcālyā mahyam eva ca
SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān—the
Personality of Godhead; uvāca—said; brahma-bandhuḥ—the relative of a
brāhmaṇa; na—not; hantavyaḥ—to be killed; ātatāyī—the aggressor;
vadha-arhaṇaḥ—is due to be killed; mayā—by Me; eva—certainly;
ubhayam—both; āmnātam—described according to rulings of the authority;
paripāhi—carry out; anuśāsanam—rulings; kuru—abide by; pratiśrutam—as
promised by; satyam—truth; yat tat—that which; sāntvayatā—while
pacifying; priyām—dear wife; priyam—satisfaction; ca—also;
bhīmasenasya—of Śrī Bhīmasena; pāñcālyāḥ—of Draupadī; mahyam—unto Me
also; eva—certainly; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
The Personality
of Godhead Sri Kṛṣṇa said: A friend of a brāhmaṇa is not to be killed,
but if he is an aggressor he must be killed. All these rulings are in
the scriptures, and you should act accordingly. You have to fulfill
your promise to your wife, and you must also act to the satisfaction of
Bhīmasena and Me.
PURPORT
Arjuna was perplexed because
Aśvatthāmā was to be killed as well as spared according to different
scriptures cited by different persons. As a brahma-bandhu, or a
worthless son of a brāhmaṇa, Aśvatthāmā was not to be killed, but he
was at the same time an aggressor also. And according to the rulings of
Manu, an aggressor, even though he be a brāhmaṇa (and what to speak of
an unworthy son of a brāhmaṇa), is to be killed. Droṇācārya was
certainly a brāhmaṇa in the true sense of the term, but because he
stood in the battlefield he was killed. But although Aśvatthāmā was an
aggressor, he stood without any fighting weapons. The ruling is that an
aggressor, when he is without weapon or chariot, cannot be killed. All
these were certainly perplexities. Besides that, Arjuna had to keep the
promise he had made before Draupadī just to pacify her. And he also had
to satisfy both Bhīma and Kṛṣṇa, who advised killing him. This dilemma
was present before Arjuna, and the solution was awarded by Kṛṣṇa.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.53-54
No
brāhmaṇa should be killed. But Manu has said that if an aggressor
approaches with the desire to kill, he can be killed, even if he is
learned in Vedānta. Follow both of these instructions ordered by me,
the maker of scriptures. Since Aśvatthāmā is still considered a
brāhmaṇa, and since he is not an aggressor since he does not have a
weapon in his hands, he should not be killed. That is my opinion. I
told you previously to kill the fallen brāhmaṇa, but that was only to
test you. Therefore, do not kill the fallen brāhmaṇa, but free him.
Then I have said that the knower of dharma does not kill the enemy who
is frightened or without a chariot, and also I have said it is best to
kill him. But do not be the cause of killing him. His killing should
take the form of being bound up. That is the real meaning of my words.
You
made a promise to bring Drauapadī the head of Aśvatthāmā. Thus you
should cut off his head. You should also please Bhīma. You should also
please Draupadī who does not want him killed. You should also please me
and others because they are dear to me (indicated by ca).
Jiva's tika ||1.7.54||
kuru pratiśrutam satyam yat tat sāntvayatā priyām |
priyam ca bhīmasenasya pāncālyā mahyam eva ca ||
TRANSLATION
You must fulfill your promise to Draupadī so that she is pacified. You
must also act to please Bhīma, Draupadī, me and others.
Śrīdhara Svāmī says “You must fulfill your promise and (ca) the desires of Bhīma and others.”
TEXT - SB 1.7.55
sūta uvāca
arjunaḥ sahasājñāya
harer hārdam athāsinā
maṇiṁ jahāra mūrdhanyaṁ
dvijasya saha-mūrdhajam
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ—Sūta
Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; arjunaḥ—Arjuna; sahasā—just at that time;
ājñāya—knowing it; hareḥ—of the Lord; hārdam—motive; atha—thus;
asinā—by the sword; maṇim—the jewel; jahāra—separated; mūrdhanyam—on
the head; dvijasya—of the twice-born; saha—with; mūrdhajam—hairs.
TRANSLATION
Just
then Arjuna could understand the motive of the Lord by His equivocal
orders, and thus with his sword he severed both hair and jewel from the
head of Aśvatthāmā.
PURPORT
Contradictory orders of
different persons are impossible to carry out. Therefore a compromise
was selected by Arjuna by his sharp intelligence, and he separated the
jewel from the head of Aśvatthāmā. This was as good as cutting off his
head, and yet his life was saved for all practical purposes. Here
Aśvatthāmā is indicated as twice-born. Certainly he was twice-born, but
he fell down from his position, and therefore he was properly punished.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.55
Understanding
Kṛṣṇa’s intention (hārdam) Arjuna then acted. “I made the promise to
cut off his head. Kṛṣṇa has said that I have to fulfill that promise.
He has also said I should please Draupadī. Therefore I cannot cut off
his head. It is not impossible. I should fulfill both directions.
Therefore somehow I must do that.” This was what he discerned. He then
cut off the jewel on his head (maṇiṁ mūrdhanyam) along with his hair.
The jewel is situated on his head and thus represents his head. Thus it
also means “head.” Therefore cutting off his jewel is cutting off his
head. But in the literal sense, his head will not be cut off. Thus
Aśvatthāmā was killed and not killed.
Jiva's tika ||1.7.55||
sūta uvāca— arjunaḥ sahasājnāya harer hārdam athāsinā |
maṇim jahāra mūrdhanyam dvijasya saha-mūrdhajam ||
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: Suddenly understanding Kṛṣṇa’s intention, Arjuna cut off the
jewel on Aśvatthāmā’s head along with his hair.
“Kill the
brahma-bandhu” was Kṛṣṇa’s instruction. “A brahma-bandhu should not be
killed.” This was śruti. He was a brahma-bandhu, since he had committed
murder. It is a rule that a murderer should be killed. His instruction
to kill a person who approaches with the desire to kill was secretly a
test for Arjuna. In this case it meant killing an elevated person. This
would negate the other instruction. Killing the son of Droṇa, who was
elevated, fulfilling his promise to Draupadī, was permitted, but
killing a bound person was not. Killing of course is permitted if done
according to rules. Bhīṣma admits that he also was a killer. (SB
1.9.38) The order to follow his instruction was “Kill this
brahma-bandhu.” The solution to simultaneously fulfill Kṛṣṇa’s three
orders and his conflicting promises to Draupadī and Bhīma was that he
would cut off his jewel.
TEXT - SB 1.7.56
vimucya raśanā-baddhaṁ
bāla-hatyā-hata-prabham
tejasā maṇinā hīnaṁ
śibirān nirayāpayat
SYNONYMS
vimucya—after
releasing him; raśanā-baddham—from the bondage of ropes;
bāla-hatyā—infanticide; hata-prabham—loss of bodily luster; tejasā—of
the strength of; maṇinā—by the jewel; hīnam—being deprived of;
śibirāt—from the camp; nirayāpayat—drove him out.
TRANSLATION
He
[Aśvatthāmā] had already lost his bodily luster due to infanticide, and
now, moreover, having lost the jewel from his head, he lost even more
strength. Thus he was unbound and driven out of the camp.
PURPORT
Thus
being insulted, the humiliated Aśvatthāmā was simultaneously killed and
not killed by the intelligence of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.
TEXT - SB 1.7.57
vapanaṁ draviṇādānaṁ
sthānān niryāpaṇaṁ tathā
eṣa hi brahma-bandhūnāṁ
vadho nānyo 'sti daihikaḥ
SYNONYMS
vapanam—cleaving
the hairs from the head; draviṇa—wealth; adānam—forfeiting;
sthānāt—from the residence; niryāpaṇam—driving away; tathā—also;
eṣaḥ—all these; hi—certainly; brahma-bandhūnām—of the relatives of a
brāhmaṇa; vadhaḥ—killing; na—not; anyaḥ—any other method; asti—there
is; daihikaḥ—in the matter of the body.
TRANSLATION
Cutting
the hair from his head, depriving him of his wealth and driving him
from his residence are the prescribed punishments for the relative of a
brāhmaṇa. There is no injunction for killing the body.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.57
One should execute dharma according to the scriptures as the verse indicates.
TEXT - SB 1.7.58
putra-śokāturāḥ sarve
pāṇḍavāḥ saha kṛṣṇayā
svānāṁ mṛtānāṁ yat kṛtyaṁ
cakrur nirharaṇādikam
SYNONYMS
putra—son;
śoka—bereavement; āturāḥ—overwhelmed with; sarve—all of them;
pāṇḍavāḥ—the sons of Pāṇḍu; saha—along with; kṛṣṇayā—with Draupadī;
svānām—of the kinsmen; mṛtānām—of the dead; yat—what; kṛtyam—ought to
be done; cakruḥ—did perform; nirharaṇa-ādikam—undertakable.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter,
the sons of Pāṇḍu and Draupadī, overwhelmed with grief, performed the
proper rituals for the dead bodies of their relatives.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.7.58
Nirharaṇa means “going for burning.”
Thus
end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Seventh Chapter, of
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Son of Droṇa Punished."
8. Prayers by Queen Kuntī and Parīkṣit Saved
verses:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52
TEXT - SB 1.8.1
sūta uvāca
atha te samparetānāṁ
svānām udakam icchatām
dātuṁ sakṛṣṇā gaṅgāyāṁ
puraskṛtya yayuḥ striyaḥ
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Sūta said; atha—thus; te—the Pāṇḍavas; samparetānām—of the dead;
svānām—of the relatives; udakam—water; icchatām—willing to have;
dātum—to deliver; sa-kṛṣṇāḥ—along with Draupadī; gaṅgāyām—on the
Ganges; puraskṛtya—putting in the front; yayuḥ—went; striyaḥ—the women.
TRANSLATION
Sūta
Gosvāmī said: Thereafter the Pāṇḍavas, desiring to deliver water to the
dead relatives who had desired it, went to the Ganges with Draupadī.
The ladies walked in front.
PURPORT
To date it is the
custom in Hindu society to go to the Ganges or any other sacred river
to take bath when death occurs in the family. Each of the family
members pours out a potful of the Ganges water for the departed soul
and walks in a procession, with the ladies in the front. The Pāṇḍavas
also followed the rules more than five thousand years ago. Lord Kṛṣṇa,
being a cousin of the Pāṇḍavas, was also amongst the family members.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.1
In
the Eighth Chapter Kṛṣṇa protects Parīkṣit from the brahmāstra when he
is in the womb, Kuntī offers prayers to Kṛṣṇa and Yudhiṣṭhira laments.
There is a rule that the women should go in front during the funeral rites.
TEXT - SB 1.8.2
te ninīyodakaṁ sarve
vilapya ca bhṛśaṁ punaḥ
āplutā hari-pādābja-
rajaḥ-pūta-sarij-jale
SYNONYMS
te—all
of them; ninīya—having offered; udakam—water; sarve—every one of them;
vilapya—having lamented; ca—and; bhṛśam—sufficiently; punaḥ—again;
āplutāḥ—took bath; hari-pādābja—the lotus feet of the Lord; rajaḥ—dust;
pūta—purified; sarit—of the Ganges; jale—in the water.
TRANSLATION
Having
lamented over them and sufficiently offered Ganges water, they bathed
in the Ganges, whose water is sanctified due to being mixed with the
dust of the lotus feet of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.2
Ninīya means “having given.”
TEXT - SB 1.8.3
tatrāsīnaṁ kuru-patiṁ
dhṛtarāṣṭraṁ sahānujam
gāndhārīṁ putra-śokārtāṁ
pṛthāṁ kṛṣṇāṁ ca mādhavaḥ
SYNONYMS
tatra—there;
āsīnam—sitting; kuru-patim—the King of the Kurus;
dhṛtarāṣṭram—Dhṛtarāṣṭra; saha-anujam—with his younger brothers;
gāndhārīm—Gāndhārī; putra—son; śoka-artām—overtaken by bereavement;
pṛthām—Kuntī; kṛṣṇām—Draupadī; ca—also; mādhavaḥ—Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
There
sat the King of the Kurus, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, along with his younger
brothers and Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī, Kuntī and Draupadī, all overwhelmed
with grief. Lord Kṛṣṇa was also there.
PURPORT
The Battle
of Kurukṣetra was fought between family members, and thus all affected
persons were also family members like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and
brothers, Kuntī, Draupadī, Subhadrā, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī and her
daughters-in-law, etc. All the principal dead bodies were in some way
or other related with each other, and therefore the family grief was
combined. Lord Kṛṣṇa was also one of them as a cousin of the Pāṇḍavas
and nephew of Kuntī, as well as brother of Subhadrā, etc. The Lord,
therefore, was equally sympathetic toward all of them, and therefore he
began to pacify them befittingly.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.3
Kuru-patim refers to Yudhiṣṭhira. Sahānujam refers to Bhīma and his brothers. Kṛṣṇa consoled them along with the sages.
TEXT - SB 1.8.4
sāntvayām āsa munibhir
hata-bandhūñ śucārpitān
bhūteṣu kālasya gatiṁ
darśayan na pratikriyām
SYNONYMS
sāntvayām
āsa—pacified; munibhiḥ—along with the munis present there;
hata-bandhūn—those who lost their friends and relatives; śucārpitān—all
shocked and affected; bhūteṣu—unto the living beings; kālasya—of the
supreme law of the Almighty; gatim—reactions; darśayan—demonstrated;
na—no; pratikriyām—remedial measures.
TRANSLATION
Citing
the stringent laws of the Almighty and their reactions upon living
beings, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the munis began to pacify those who were
shocked and affected.
PURPORT
The stringent laws of
nature, under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot
be altered by any living entity. The living entities are eternally
under the subjugation of the almighty Lord. The Lord makes all the laws
and orders, and these laws and orders are generally called dharma or
religion. No one can create any religious formula. Bona fide religion
is to abide by the orders of the Lord. The Lord's orders are clearly
declared in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everyone should follow Him only or His
orders, and that will make all happy, both materially and spiritually.
As long as we are in the material world, our duty is to follow the
orders of the Lord, and if by the grace of the Lord we are liberated
from the clutches of the material world, then in our liberated stage
also we can render transcendental loving service unto the Lord. In our
material stage we can see neither ourselves nor the Lord for want of
spiritual vision. But when we are liberated from material affection and
are situated in our original spiritual form we can see both ourselves
and the Lord face to face. Mukti means to be reinstated in one's
original spiritual status after giving up the material conception of
life. Therefore, human life is specifically meant for qualifying
ourselves for this spiritual liberty. Unfortunately, under the
influence of illusory material energy, we accept this spot-life of only
a few years as our permanent existence and thus become illusioned by
possessing so-called country, home, land, children, wife, community,
wealth, etc., which are false representations created by māyā
(illusion). And under the dictation of māyā, we fight with one another
to protect these false possessions. By cultivating spiritual knowledge,
we can realize that we have nothing to do with all this material
paraphernalia. Then at once we become free from material attachment.
This clearance of the misgivings of material existence at once takes
place by association with the Lord's devotees, who are able to inject
the transcendental sound into the depths of the bewildered heart and
thus make one practically liberated from all lamentation and illusion.
That is a summary of the pacifying measures for those affected by the
reaction of stringent material laws, exhibited in the forms of birth,
death, old age and disease, which are insoluble factors of material
existence. The victims of war, namely, the family members of the Kurus,
were lamenting the problems of death, and the Lord pacified them on the
basis of knowledge.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.4||
tatrāsīnam kuru-patim dhṛtarāṣṭram sahānujam |
gāndhārīm putra-śokārtām pṛthām kṛṣṇām ca mādhavaḥ || sāntvayām āsa munibhir hata-bandhūn śucārpitān |
bhūteṣu kālasya gatim darśayan na pratikriyām ||
TRANSLATION
Kṛṣṇa along with the sages then consoled Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers,
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndharī, Kuntī and Draupadī, lamenting the loss of their
sons, all of whom were overcome with grief by the death of their
relatives, who were all seated there, by showing the relentless
movement of time upon all entities.
Kṛṣṇa used the sages to console Yudhiṣṭhira.
TEXT - SB 1.8.5
sādhayitvājāta-śatroḥ
svaṁ rājyaṁ kitavair hṛtam
ghātayitvāsato rājñaḥ
kaca-sparśa-kṣatāyuṣaḥ
SYNONYMS
sādhayitvā—having
executed; ajāta-śatroḥ—of one who has no enemy; svam rājyam—own
kingdom; kitavaiḥ—by the clever (Duryodhana and party); hṛtam—usurped;
ghātayitvā—having killed; asataḥ—the unscrupulous; rājñaḥ—of the
queen's; kaca—bunch of hair; sparśa—roughly handled; kṣata—decreased;
āyuṣaḥ—by the duration of life.
TRANSLATION
The clever
Duryodhana and his party cunningly usurped the kingdom of Yudhiṣṭhira,
who had no enemy. By the grace of the Lord, the recovery was executed,
and the unscrupulous kings who joined with Duryodhana were killed by
Him. Others also died, their duration of life having decreased for
their rough handling of the hair of Queen Draupadī.
PURPORT
In
the glorious days, or before the advent of the age of Kali, the
brāhmaṇas, the cows, the women, the children and the old men were
properly given protection.
1. The protection of the brāhmaṇas
maintains the institution of varṇa and āśrama, the most scientific
culture for attainment of spiritual life.
2. The protection of
cows maintains the most miraculous form of food, i.e., milk for
maintaining the finer tissues of the brain for understanding higher
aims of life.
3. The protection of women maintains the chastity
of society, by which we can get a good generation for peace,
tranquillity and progress of life.
4. The protection of children
gives the human form of life its best chance to prepare the way of
liberty from material bondage. Such protection of children begins from
the very day of begetting a child by the purificatory process of
garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, the beginning of pure life.
5. The protection of the old men gives them a chance to prepare themselves for better life after death.
This
complete outlook is based on factors leading to successful humanity as
against the civilization of polished cats and dogs. The killing of the
above-mentioned innocent creatures is totally forbidden because even by
insulting them one loses one's duration of life. In the age of Kali
they are not properly protected, and therefore the duration of life of
the present generation has shortened considerably. In the Bhagavad-gītā
it is stated that when the women become unchaste for want of proper
protection, there are unwanted children called varṇa-saṅkara. To insult
a chaste woman means to bring about disaster in the duration of life.
Duḥśāsana, a brother of Duryodhana, insulted Draupadī, an ideal chaste
lady, and therefore the miscreants died untimely. These are some of the
stringent laws of the Lord mentioned above.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.5
The
kings’ lives were destroyed by grabbing Draupadī’s hair and other
sinful acts. The horse sacrifices were actually carried out later. This
is a summary of events without chronology.
TEXT - SB 1.8.6
yājayitvāśvamedhais taṁ
tribhir uttama-kalpakaiḥ
tad-yaśaḥ pāvanaṁ dikṣu
śata-manyor ivātanot
SYNONYMS
yājayitvā—by
performing; aśvamedhaiḥ—yajña in which a horse is sacrificed; tam—him
(King Yudhiṣṭhira); tribhiḥ—three; uttama—best; kalpakaiḥ—supplied with
proper ingredients and performed by able priests; tat—that; yaśaḥ—fame;
pāvanam—virtuous; dikṣu—all directions; śata-manyoḥ—Indra, who
performed one hundred such sacrifices; iva—like; atanot—spread.
TRANSLATION
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa caused three well-performed Aśvamedha-yajñas [horse
sacrifices] to be conducted by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and thus caused his
virtuous fame to be glorified in all directions, like that of Indra,
who had performed one hundred such sacrifices.
PURPORT
This
is something like the preface to the performances of Aśvamedha-yajña by
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. The comparison of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to the
King of heaven is significant. The King of heaven is thousands and
thousands of times greater than Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira in opulence, yet
the fame of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was not less. The reason is that
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was a pure devotee of the Lord, and by His grace
only was King Yudhiṣṭhira on the level of the King of heaven, even
though he performed only three yajñas whereas the King of heaven
performed hundreds. That is the prerogative of the devotee of the Lord.
The Lord is equal to everyone, but a devotee of the Lord is more
glorified because he is always in touch with the all-great. The sun
rays are equally distributed, but still there are some places which are
always dark. This is not due to the sun but to the receptive power.
Similarly, those who are cent percent devotees of the Lord get the
full-fledged mercy of the Lord, which is always equally distributed
everywhere.
TEXT - SB 1.8.7
āmantrya pāṇḍu-putrāṁś ca
śaineyoddhava-saṁyutaḥ
dvaipāyanādibhir vipraiḥ
pūjitaiḥ pratipūjitaḥ
SYNONYMS
āmantrya—inviting;
pāṇḍu-putrān—all the sons of Pāṇḍu; ca—also; śaineya—Sātyaki;
uddhava—Uddhava; saṁyutaḥ—accompanied; dvaipāyana-ādibhiḥ—by the ṛṣis
like Vedavyāsa; vipraiḥ—by the brāhmaṇas; pūjitaiḥ—being worshiped;
pratipūjitaḥ—the Lord also reciprocated equally.
TRANSLATION
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa then prepared for His departure. He invited the sons of
Pāṇḍu, after having been worshiped by the brāhmaṇas, headed by Śrīla
Vyāsadeva. The Lord also reciprocated greetings.
PURPORT
Apparently
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was a kṣatriya and was not worshipable by the brāhmaṇas.
But the brāhmaṇas present there, headed by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, all knew
Him to be the Personality of Godhead, and therefore they worshiped Him.
The Lord reciprocated the greetings just to honor the social order that
a kṣatriya is obedient to the orders of the brāhmaṇas. Although Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa was always offered the respects due the Supreme Lord from all
responsible quarters, the Lord never deviated from the customary usages
between the four orders of society. The Lord purposely observed all
these social customs so that others would follow Him in the future.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.7
Śaineyaḥ means Sātyaki, the grandson of Śini.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.7||
āmantrya pāṇdu-putrāmś ca śaineyoddhava-samyutaḥ |
dvaipāyanādibhir vipraiḥ pūjitaiḥ pratipūjitaḥ || gantum kṛtamatir brahman dvārakām ratham āsthitaḥ |
upalebhe ’bhidhāvantīm uttarām bhaya-vihvalām ||
TRANSLATION
O Śaunaka! Having spoken to the Pāṇdavas, having worshipped the sages
such as Vyāsa and have been worshipped by them, Kṛṣṇa, desiring to go
to Dvārakā, while seated on his chariot with Sātyaki and Uddhava, saw
Uttarā, shaking with fear, running towards him.
Having described in summary, again the subject is described.
TEXT - SB 1.8.8
gantuṁ kṛtamatir brahman
dvārakāṁ ratham āsthitaḥ
upalebhe 'bhidhāvantīm
uttarāṁ bhaya-vihvalām
SYNONYMS
gantum—just
desiring to start; kṛtamatiḥ—having decided; brahman—O brāhmaṇa;
dvārakām—towards Dvārakā; ratham—on the chariot; āsthitaḥ—seated;
upalebhe—saw; abhidhāvantīm—coming hurriedly; uttarām—Uttarā;
bhaya-vihvalām—being afraid.
TRANSLATION
As soon as He seated Himself on the chariot to start for Dvārakā, He saw Uttarā hurrying toward Him in fear.
PURPORT
All
the members of the family of the Pāṇḍavas were completely dependent on
the protection of the Lord, and therefore the Lord protected all of
them in all circumstances. The Lord protects everyone, but one who
depends completely upon Him is especially looked after by the Lord. The
father is more attentive to the little son who is exclusively dependent
on the father.
TEXT - SB 1.8.9
uttarovāca
pāhi pāhi mahā-yogin
deva-deva jagat-pate
nānyaṁ tvad abhayaṁ paśye
yatra mṛtyuḥ parasparam
SYNONYMS
uttarā
uvāca—Uttarā said; pāhi pāhi—protect, protect; mahā-yogin—the greatest
mystic; deva-deva—the worshipable of the worshiped; jagat-pate—O Lord
of the universe; na—not; anyam—anyone else; tvat—than You;
abhayam—fearlessness; paśye—do I see; yatra—where there is;
mṛtyuḥ—death; parasparam—in the world of duality.
TRANSLATION
Uttarā
said: O Lord of lords, Lord of the universe! You are the greatest of
mystics. Please protect me, for there is no one else who can save me
from the clutches of death in this world of duality.
PURPORT
This
material world is the world of duality, in contrast with the oneness of
the absolute realm. The world of duality is composed of matter and
spirit, whereas the absolute world is complete spirit without any tinge
of the material qualities. In the dual world everyone is falsely trying
to become the master of the world, whereas in the absolute world the
Lord is the absolute Lord, and all others are His absolute servitors.
In the world of duality everyone is envious of all others, and death is
inevitable due to the dual existence of matter and spirit. The Lord is
the only shelter of fearlessness for the surrendered soul. One cannot
save himself from the cruel hands of death in the material world
without having surrendered himself at the lotus feet of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.9
Other
than you (tvad) I see no one who can give fearlessness. Death is mutual
(parasparam) in the sense that one person causes another’s death, and
someone else causes his death.
TEXT - SB 1.8.10
abhidravati mām īśa
śaras taptāyaso vibho
kāmaṁ dahatu māṁ nātha
mā me garbho nipātyatām
SYNONYMS
abhidravati—coming
towards; mām—me; īśa—O Lord; śaraḥ—the arrow; tapta—fiery; ayasaḥ—iron;
vibho—O great one; kāmam—desire; dahatu—let it burn; mām—me; nātha—O
protector; mā—not; me—my; garbhaḥ—embryo; nipātyatām—be aborted.
TRANSLATION
O
my Lord, You are all-powerful. A fiery iron arrow is coming towards me
fast. My Lord, let it burn me personally, if You so desire, but please
do not let it burn and abort my embryo. Please do me this favor, my
Lord.
PURPORT
This incident took place after the death of
Abhimanyu, the husband of Uttarā. Abhimanyu's widow, Uttarā, should
have followed the path of her husband, but because she was pregnant,
and Mahārāja Parīkṣit, a great devotee of the Lord, was lying in
embryo, she was responsible for his protection. The mother of a child
has a great responsibility in giving all protection to the child, and
therefore Uttarā was not ashamed to express this frankly before Lord
Kṛṣṇa. Uttarā was the daughter of a great king, the wife of a great
hero, and student of a great devotee, and later she was the mother of a
good king also. She was fortunate in every respect.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.10
“You
are praying for your life even though you are now without your husband
Abhimanyu. Are you not ashamed?” I am not praying for my life. I am
praying for my son’s life.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.10||
abhidravati mām īśa śaras taptāyaso vibho |
kāmam dahatu mām nātha mā me garbho nipātyatām ||
TRANSLATION
O powerful Lord! This arrow of burning iron is pursuing me. O Lord! Let
it burn me up! But let it not kill my child!
Those to whom such an arrow was directed could see it.
TEXT - SB 1.8.11
sūta uvāca
upadhārya vacas tasyā
bhagavān bhakta-vatsalaḥ
apāṇḍavam idaṁ kartuṁ
drauṇer astram abudhyata
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Sūta Gosvāmī said; upadhārya—by hearing her patiently;
vacaḥ—words; tasyāḥ—her; bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead;
bhakta-vatsalaḥ—He who is very much affectionate towards His devotees;
apāṇḍavam—without the existence of the Pāṇḍavas' descendants;
idam—this; kartum—to do it; drauṇeḥ—of the son of Droṇācārya;
astram—weapon; abudhyata—understood.
TRANSLATION
Sūta
Gosvāmī said: Having patiently heard her words, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is
always very affectionate to His devotees, could at once understand that
Aśvatthāmā, the son of Droṇācārya, had thrown the brahmāstra to finish
the last life in the Pāṇḍava family.
PURPORT
The Lord is
impartial in every respect, but still He is inclined towards His
devotees because there is a great necessity of this for everyone's
wellbeing. The Pāṇḍava family was a family of devotees, and therefore
the Lord wanted them to rule the world. That was the reason He
vanquished the rule of the company of Duryodhana and established the
rule of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Therefore, He also wanted to protect
Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who was lying in embryo. He did not like the idea
that the world should be without the Pāṇḍavas, the ideal family of
devotees.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.11
Aśvatthāmā wanted to make the world (idam) without the Pāṇḍavas (apāṇḍavam).
Jiva's tika ||1.8.11||
upadhārya vacas tasyā bhagavān bhakta-vatsalaḥ |
apāṇdavam idam kartum drauṇer astram abudhyata ||
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: Hearing Uttarā’s words, Kṛṣṇa, affectionate to his devotees,
understood that Aśvatthāmā had released a brahmāstra to rid the world
of the Pāṇdavas.
Kṛṣṇa attentively heard her words, since he was affection to the devotees (bhakta-vatsalaḥ).
TEXT - SB 1.8.12
tarhy evātha muni-śreṣṭha
pāṇḍavāḥ pañca sāyakān
ātmano 'bhimukhān dīptān
ālakṣyāstrāṇy upādaduḥ
SYNONYMS
tarhi—then;
eva—also; atha—therefore; muni-śreṣṭha—O chief amongst the munis;
pāṇḍavāḥ—all the sons of Pāṇḍu; pañca—five; sāyakān—weapons;
ātmanaḥ—own selves; abhimukhān—towards; dīptān—glaring; ālakṣya—seeing
it; astrāṇi—weapons; upādaduḥ—took up.
TRANSLATION
O
foremost among the great thinkers [munis] [Śaunaka], seeing the glaring
brahmāstra proceeding towards them, the Pāṇḍavas took up their five
respective weapons.
PURPORT
The brahmāstras are finer
than the nuclear weapons. Aśvatthāmā discharged the brahmāstra simply
to kill the Pāṇḍavas, namely the five brothers headed by Mahārāja
Yudhiṣṭhira and their only grandson, who was lying within the womb of
Uttarā. Therefore the brahmāstra, more effective and finer than the
atomic weapons, was not as blind as the atomic bombs. When the atomic
bombs are discharged they do not discriminate between the target and
others. Mainly the atomic bombs do harm to the innocent because there
is no control. The brahmāstra is not like that. It marks out the target
and proceeds accordingly without harming the innocent.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.12
The Pāṇḍavas only saw this and no one else could.
TEXT - SB 1.8.13
vyasanaṁ vīkṣya tat teṣām
ananya-viṣayātmanām
sudarśanena svāstreṇa
svānāṁ rakṣāṁ vyadhād vibhuḥ
SYNONYMS
vyasanam—great
danger; vīkṣya—having observed; tat—that; teṣām—their; ananya—no other;
viṣaya—means; ātmanām—thus inclined; sudarśanena—by the wheel of Śrī
Kṛṣṇa; sva-astreṇa—by the weapon; svānām—of His own devotees;
rakṣām—protection; vyadhāt—did it; vibhuḥ—the Almighty.
TRANSLATION
The
almighty Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, having observed that a
great danger was befalling His unalloyed devotees, who were fully
surrendered souls, at once took up His Sudarśana disc to protect them.
PURPORT
The
brahmāstra, the supreme weapon released by Aśvatthāmā, was something
similar to the nuclear weapon but with more radiation and heat. This
brahmāstra is the product of a more subtle science, being the product
of a finer sound, a mantra recorded in the Vedas. Another advantage of
this weapon is that it is not blind like the nuclear weapon because it
can be directed only to the target and nothing else. Aśvatthāmā
released the weapon just to finish all the male members of Pāṇḍu's
family; therefore in one sense it was more dangerous than the atomic
bombs because it could penetrate even the most protected place and
would never miss the target. Knowing all this, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa at once
took up His personal weapon to protect His devotees, who did not know
anyone other than Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord has clearly
promised that His devotees are never to be vanquished. And He behaves
according to the quality or degree of the devotional service rendered
by the devotees. Here the word ananya-viṣayātmanām is significant. The
Pāṇḍavas were cent percent dependent on the protection of the Lord,
although they were all great warriors themselves. But the Lord neglects
even the greatest warriors and also vanquishes them in no time. When
the Lord saw that there was no time for the Pāṇḍavas to counteract the
brahmāstra of Aśvatthāmā, He took up His weapon even at the risk of
breaking His own vow. Although the Battle of Kurukṣetra was almost
finished, still, according to His vow, He should not have taken up His
own weapon. But the emergency was more important than the vow. He is
better known as the bhakta-vatsala, or the lover of His devotee, and
thus He preferred to continue as bhakta-vatsala than to be a worldly
moralist who never breaks his solemn vow.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.13
The
brahmāstra cannot be counteracted by any weapon except another
brahmāstra. Arjuna had counteracted one brahmāstra with one of his
previously. Now Aśvatthāmā had released five separate brahmāstras for
each of the Pāṇḍavas. This was difficult to counteract because it would
take time to release five brahmāstras. Considering (vīkṣya) the
unavoidable danger, though the Lord had renounced all weapons, he
protected his devotees, even if he had to break his own promise, in
order to preserve his unique quality of having affection for his
devotees.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.13||
vyasanam vīkṣya tat teṣām ananya-viṣayātmanām |
sudarśanena svāstreṇa svānām rakṣām vyadhād vibhuḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord, seeing the danger to the Pāṇdavas who were dedicated only to
him, protected them with his own weapon - the Sudarśana.
They could not quickly counteract the danger (vyasanam).
TEXT - SB 1.8.14
antaḥsthaḥ sarva-bhūtānām
ātmā yogeśvaro hariḥ
sva-māyayāvṛṇod garbhaṁ
vairāṭyāḥ kuru-tantave
SYNONYMS
antaḥsthaḥ—being
within; sarva—all; bhūtānām—of the living beings; ātmā—soul;
yoga-īśvaraḥ—the Lord of all mysticism; hariḥ—the Supreme Lord;
sva-māyayā—by the personal energy; āvṛṇot—covered; garbham—embryo;
vairāṭyāḥ—of Uttarā; kuru-tantave—for the progeny of Mahārāja Kuru.
TRANSLATION
The
Lord of supreme mysticism, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, resides within everyone's heart
as the Paramātmā. As such, just to protect the progeny of the Kuru
dynasty, He covered the embryo of Uttarā by His personal energy.
PURPORT
The
Lord of supreme mysticism can simultaneously reside within everyone's
heart, or even within the atoms, by His Paramātmā feature, His plenary
portion. Therefore, from within the body of Uttarā He covered the
embryo to save Mahārāja Parīkṣit and protect the progeny of Mahārāja
Kuru, of whom King Pāṇḍu was also a descendant. Both the sons of
Dhṛtarāṣṭra and those of Pāṇḍu belonged to the same dynasty of Mahārāja
Kuru; therefore both of them were generally known as Kurus. But when
there were differences between the two families, the sons of
Dhṛtarāṣṭra were known as Kurus whereas the sons of Pāṇḍu were known as
Pāṇḍavas. Since the sons and grandsons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were all killed
in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, the last son of the dynasty is designated
as the son of the Kurus.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.14
As
the paramātmā Kṛṣṇa was situated within Uttarā already (antaḥsthaḥ),
but by the power of his yoga (yogeśvaraḥ) he entered as Kṛṣṇa and
covered the embryo. “Covered” means he protected it, for continuation
of the Kuru family (kuru-tantave). He used his yoga-māyā potency
(sva-māyayā), so that even Uttarā was unaware of what he did. Kuru here
means the Pāṇḍavas since they were also in the Kuru family.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.14|| antaḥsthaḥ sarva-bhūtānām ātmā yogeśvaro hariḥ |
sva-māyayāvṛṇod garbham vairāṭyāḥ kuru-tantave ||
TRANSLATION
The Lord, master of yoga, the soul dwelling within all beings, covered
the embryo of Parīkṣit within Uttarā, in order to preserve the family
of the Pāṇdavas, using his yoga-māyā.
He was situated within
as Paramātmā (sarva-bhūtānam ātmā). How can he also be situated
externally? He is the master of yoga. He covered the embryo by his
mercy (māyā). His mercy is shown: he wanted to preserve the family of
the Pāṇdavas (kuru-tantave).
TEXT - SB 1.8.15
yadyapy astraṁ brahma-śiras
tv amoghaṁ cāpratikriyam
vaiṣṇavaṁ teja āsādya
samaśāmyad bhṛgūdvaha
SYNONYMS
yadyapi—although;
astram—weapon; brahma-śiraḥ—supreme; tu—but; amogham—without check;
ca—and; apratikriyam—not to be counteracted; vaiṣṇavam—in relation with
Viṣṇu; tejaḥ—strength; āsādya—being confronted with; samaśāmyat—was
neutralized; bhṛgu-udvaha—O glory of the family of Bhṛgu.
TRANSLATION
O
Śaunaka, although the supreme brahmāstra weapon released by Aśvatthāmā
was irresistible and without check or counteraction, it was neutralized
and foiled when confronted by the strength of Viṣṇu [Lord Kṛṣṇa].
PURPORT
In
the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the brahmajyoti, or the glowing
transcendental effulgence, is resting on Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In other
words, the glowing effulgence known as brahma-tejas is nothing but the
rays of the Lord, just as the sun rays are rays of the sun disc. So
this Brahma weapon also, although materially irresistible, could not
surpass the supreme strength of the Lord. The weapon called brahmāstra,
released by Aśvatthāmā, was neutralized and foiled by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa by
His own energy; that is to say, He did not wait for any other's help
because He is absolute.
TEXT - SB 1.8.16
mā maṁsthā hy etad āścaryaṁ
sarvāścaryamaye 'cyute
ya idaṁ māyayā devyā
sṛjaty avati hanty ajaḥ
SYNONYMS
mā—do
not; maṁsthāḥ—think; hi—certainly; etat—all these; āścaryam—wonderful;
sarva—all; āścarya-maye—in the all-mysterious; acyute—the infallible;
yaḥ—one who; idam—this (creation); māyayā—by His energy;
devyā—transcendental; sṛjati—creates; avati—maintains;
hanti—annihilates; ajaḥ—unborn.
TRANSLATION
O brāhmaṇas,
do not think this to be especially wonderful in the activities of the
mysterious and infallible Personality of Godhead. By His own
transcendental energy, He maintains and annihilates all material
things, although He Himself is unborn.
PURPORT
The
activities of the Lord are always inconceivable to the tiny brain of
the living entities. Nothing is impossible for the Supreme Lord, but
all His actions are wonderful for us, and thus He is always beyond the
range of our conceivable limits. The Lord is the all-powerful,
all-perfect Personality of Godhead. The Lord is cent percent perfect,
whereas others, namely Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā, Śiva, the demigods and all
other living beings, possess only different percentages of such
perfection. No one is equal to or greater than Him. He is unrivaled.
TEXT - SB 1.8.17
brahma-tejo-vinirmuktair
ātmajaiḥ saha kṛṣṇayā
prayāṇābhimukhaṁ kṛṣṇam
idam āha pṛthā satī
SYNONYMS
brahma-tejaḥ—the
radiation of the brahmāstra; vinirmuktaiḥ—being saved from;
ātma-jaiḥ—along with her sons; saha—with; kṛṣṇayā—Draupadī;
prayāṇa—outgoing; abhimukham—towards; kṛṣṇam—unto Lord Kṛṣṇa;
idam—this; āha—said; pṛthā—Kuntī; satī—chaste, devoted to the Lord.
TRANSLATION
Thus
saved from the radiation of the brahmāstra, Kuntī, the chaste devotee
of the Lord, and her five sons and Draupadī addressed Lord Kṛṣṇa as He
started for home.
PURPORT
Kuntī is described herein as
satī, or chaste, due to her unalloyed devotion to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Her
mind will now be expressed in the following prayers for Lord Kṛṣṇa. A
chaste devotee of the Lord does not look to others, namely any other
living being or demigod, even for deliverance from danger. That was all
along the characteristic of the whole family of the Pāṇḍavas. They knew
nothing except Kṛṣṇa, and therefore the Lord was also always ready to
help them in all respects and in all circumstances. That is the
transcendental nature of the Lord. He reciprocates the dependence of
the devotee. One should not, therefore, look for help from imperfect
living beings or demigods, but one should look for all help from Lord
Kṛṣṇa, who is competent to save His devotees. Such a chaste devotee
also never asks the Lord for help, but the Lord, out of His own accord,
is always anxious to render it.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.17
Kṛṣṇayā means “with Draupadī.” Satī means a devotee.
TEXT - SB 1.8.18
kunty uvāca
namasye puruṣaṁ tvādyam
īśvaraṁ prakṛteḥ param
alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām
antar bahir avasthitam
SYNONYMS
kuntī
uvāca—Śrīmatī Kuntī said; namasye—let me bow down; puruṣam—the Supreme
Person; tvā—You; ādyam—the original; īśvaram—the controller;
prakṛteḥ—of the material cosmos; param—beyond; alakṣyam—the invisible;
sarva—all; bhūtānām—of living beings; antaḥ—within; bahiḥ—without;
avasthitam—existing.
TRANSLATION
Śrīmatī Kuntī said: O
Kṛṣṇa, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original
personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world.
You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are
invisible to all.
PURPORT
Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī was quite
aware that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead, although He
was playing the part of her nephew. Such an enlightened lady could not
commit a mistake by offering obeisances unto her nephew. Therefore, she
addressed Him as the original puruṣa beyond the material cosmos.
Although all living entities are also transcendental, they are neither
original nor infallible. The living entities are apt to fall down under
the clutches of material nature, but the Lord is never like that. In
the Vedas, therefore, He is described as the chief among all living
entities (nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)).
Then again He is addressed as īśvara, or the controller. The living
entities or the demigods like Candra and Sūrya are also to some extent
īśvara, but none of them is the supreme īśvara, or the ultimate
controller. He is the parameśvara, or the Supersoul. He is both within
and without. Although He was present before Śrīmatī Kuntī as her
nephew, He was also within her and everyone else. In the Bhagavad-gītā
(15.15) the Lord says, "I am situated in everyone's heart, and only due
to Me one remembers, forgets and is cognizant, etc. Through all the
Vedas I am to be known because I am the compiler of the Vedas, and I am
the teacher of the Vedānta." Queen Kuntī affirms that the Lord,
although both within and without all living beings, is still invisible.
The Lord is, so to speak, a puzzle for the common man. Queen Kuntī
experienced personally that Lord Kṛṣṇa was present before her, yet He
entered within the womb of Uttarā to save her embryo from the attack of
Aśvatthāmā's brahmāstra. Kuntī herself was puzzled about whether Śrī
Kṛṣṇa is all-pervasive or localized. In fact, He is both, but He
reserves the right of not being exposed to persons who are not
surrendered souls. This checking curtain is called the māyā energy of
the Supreme Lord, and it controls the limited vision of the rebellious
soul. It is explained as follows.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.18
Understanding
everything that Kṛṣṇa had done recently, Kuntī was unable to tolerate
the agitation caused by the great respect that arose in her heart. Thus
she began praising Kṛṣṇa.
“But I am your nephew. Why are you offering respects?”
“But you are the Supreme Lord (puruṣam).”
“Of course I am a man (puruṣam). There is no doubt about that!”
“You are the first one (ādyam).”
“Well, all bodies come and go. All souls are original (ādya).”
“But you are supreme (īśvaraḥ).”
“Oh, in Svarga, Indra and the moon god, and on earth the kings are controllers (iśvara).”
“But you are superior to prakṛti.”
“Am I the puruṣa within, Paramātmā?”
”No, you are imperceptible (alakṣyam). The Paramātmā is subject to revelation by use of intelligence and other means.”
“Am I the imperceptible brahman?
“No, you are situated internally and externally.”
Jiva's tika ||1.8.18||
kunty uvāca namasye puruṣam tvādyam īśvaram prakṛteḥ param |
alakṣyam sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam ||
TRANSLATION
I offer my respects to you, the Supreme Person, the original one, the
controller, beyond the control of prakṛti, unseen by material senses,
and existing inside and outside of all living beings.
The statement continues into the next verse. I offer respects to you who are covered by a screen of māyā.
TEXT - SB 1.8.19
māyā-javanikācchannam
ajñādhokṣajam avyayam
na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā
naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā
SYNONYMS
māyā—deluding;
javanikā—curtain; ācchannam—covered by; ajñā—ignorant;
adhokṣajam—beyond the range of material conception (transcendental);
avyayam—irreproachable; na—not; lakṣyase—observed; mūḍha-dṛśā—by the
foolish observer; naṭaḥ—artist; nāṭya-dharaḥ—dressed as a player;
yathā—as.
TRANSLATION
Being beyond the range of limited
sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered
by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish
observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.
PURPORT
In
the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa affirms that less intelligent persons
mistake Him to be an ordinary man like us, and thus they deride Him.
The same is confirmed herein by Queen Kuntī. The less intelligent
persons are those who rebel against the authority of the Lord. Such
persons are known as asuras. The asuras cannot recognize the Lord's
authority. When the Lord Himself appears amongst us, as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha,
Varāha or in His original form as Kṛṣṇa, He performs many wonderful
acts which are humanly impossible. As we shall find in the Tenth Canto
of this great literature, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa exhibited His humanly
impossible activities even from the days of His lying on the lap of His
mother. He killed the Pūtanā witch, although she smeared her breast
with poison just to kill the Lord. The Lord sucked her breast like a
natural baby, and He sucked out her very life also. Similarly, He
lifted the Govardhana Hill, just as a boy picks up a frog's umbrella,
and stood several days continuously just to give protection to the
residents of Vṛndāvana. These are some of the superhuman activities of
the Lord described in the authoritative Vedic literatures like the
Purāṇas, Itihāsas (histories) and Upaniṣads. He has delivered wonderful
instructions in the shape of the Bhagavad-gītā. He has shown marvelous
capacities as a hero, as a householder, as a teacher and as a
renouncer. He is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by such
authoritative personalities as Vyāsa, Devala, Asita, Nārada, Madhva,
Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Jīva Gosvāmī, Viśvanātha
Cakravartī, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī and all other authorities of the
line. He Himself has declared as much in many places of the authentic
literatures. And yet there is a class of men with demoniac mentality
who are always reluctant to accept the Lord as the Supreme Absolute
Truth. This is partially due to their poor fund of knowledge and
partially due to their stubborn obstinacy, which results from various
misdeeds in the past and present. Such persons could not recognize Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa even when He was present before them. Another difficulty is
that those who depend more on their imperfect senses cannot realize Him
as the Supreme Lord. Such persons are like the modern scientist. They
want to know everything by their experimental knowledge. But it is not
possible to know the Supreme Person by imperfect experimental
knowledge. He is described herein as adhokṣaja, or beyond the range of
experimental knowledge. All our senses are imperfect. We claim to
observe everything and anything, but we must admit that we can observe
things under certain material conditions only, which are also beyond
our control. The Lord is beyond the observation of sense perception.
Queen Kuntī accepts this deficiency of the conditioned soul, especially
of the woman class, who are less intelligent. For less intelligent men
there must be such things as temples, mosques or churches so that they
may begin to recognize the authority of the Lord and hear about Him
from authorities in such holy places. For less intelligent men, this
beginning of spiritual life is essential, and only foolish men decry
the establishment of such places of worship, which are required to
raise the standard of spiritual attributes for the mass of people. For
less intelligent persons, bowing down before the authority of the Lord,
as generally done in the temples, mosques or churches, is as beneficial
as it is for the advanced devotees to meditate upon Him by active
service.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.19
Since
internally, you protected the child in the womb of Uttarā and
externally you protect us by being near us, should I understand that
you are all pervading? I do not know. That is expressed in this verse.
“You are covered by the curtain (javanikā) of māyā.”
“Then māyā covers me?”
“It
is like the fool who thinks that the sun is covered by a cloud. I see
you as covered because my vision is covered by māyā, because you are
beyond sense knowledge (adhokṣajam). Sense knowledge (akṣajam jñānam)
is situated below you (adhaḥ). I do not have the power to contact you,
since my knowledge arises from my senses, like the knowledge of a fool.
But even if despicable people like me do not know you, there is no loss
for you. You remain unaffected by this (avyayam).
“But you see me
directly and praise me. You know that I am beyond prakṛti. Then why do
you criticize yourself as being ignorant?”
Though the dancer is
endowed with rhythms and dance steps suitable to the rasa, the ignorant
spectator, ignorant of the scriptures delineating performance, sees
only a dancer dancing. Though he sees, he does not really see.
Similarly though I see you, I really do not see you. The word tathā
(similarly) should be understood from the context. Though you protect
the Pāṇḍavas, your devotees, since you are the soul within all of us
constantly, you personally counteracted a weapon of Aśvatthāmā meant
for killing the Pāṇḍavas. Though you promised not to use weapons, you
took up a weapon. Though you protect the righteous, you had Bhīṣma and
other righteous persons destroyed. Though you are most affectionate to
Draupadī and Subhadrā, you let their sons be killed. I do not know the
truth about your pastimes.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.19|| māyā-javanikācchannam ajnādhokṣajam avyayam |
na lakṣyase mūdha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā ||
TRANSLATION
I do not know you, covered by the screen of māyā, beyond the knowledge
of the material senses, and unaffected, just as the puppeteer behind
the screen moving the puppets is not understood by the eyes of the
ignorant.
You are not seen. The cause is the covering of māyā
and being beyond the senses of the ignorant. He cannot be seen by the
unqualified, even if he is in front of them (covering of māyā). And he
is beyond the knowledge of the senses by his nature. Though he is
situated everywhere, he is unaffected, not depleted by being spread
everywhere. The māyā is explained: you are not seen. The explanation
continues in the next verse.
TEXT - SB 1.8.20
tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ
munīnām amalātmanām
bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ
kathaṁ paśyema hi striyaḥ
SYNONYMS
tathā—besides
that; paramahaṁsānām—of the advanced transcendentalists; munīnām—of the
great philosophers or mental speculators; amala-ātmanām—those whose
minds are competent to discern between spirit and matter;
bhakti-yoga—the science of devotional service; vidhāna-artham—for
executing; katham—how; paśyema—can observe; hi—certainly; striyaḥ—women.
TRANSLATION
You
Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional
service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental
speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between
matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?
PURPORT
Even
the greatest philosophical speculators cannot have access to the region
of the Lord. It is said in the Upaniṣads that the Supreme Truth, the
Absolute Personality of Godhead, is beyond the range of the thinking
power of the greatest philosopher. He is unknowable by great learning
or by the greatest brain. He is knowable only by one who has His mercy.
Others may go on thinking about Him for years together, yet He is
unknowable. This very fact is corroborated by the Queen, who is playing
the part of an innocent woman. Women in general are unable to speculate
like philosophers, but they are blessed by the Lord because they
believe at once in the superiority and almightiness of the Lord, and
thus they offer obeisances without reservation. The Lord is so kind
that He does not show special favor only to one who is a great
philosopher. He knows the sincerity of purpose. For this reason only,
women generally assemble in great number in any sort of religious
function. In every country and in every sect of religion it appears
that the women are more interested than the men. This simplicity of
acceptance of the Lord's authority is more effective than showy
insincere religious fervor.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.20
I
am hopeless as a woman. Can even the omniscient sages, paramahaṁsas,
who worship you with attraction for your sweet pastimes, being ignorant
of the truth about your pastimes, know the intricacies of your
pastimes? That is expressed in this verse.
Amalātmanām refers to
those who are free from the contamination of material guṇas, liberated
souls in this life. How can we see you, who are the object of
bhakti-yoga practice (bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham) for the paramahaṁsas?
That the paramahaṁsas worship the Lord has been explained in the verse
ātmārāmas ca munayaḥ. (SB 1.7.10)
Jiva's tika ||1.8.20||
tathā paramahamsānām munīnām amalātmanām |
bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham katham paśyema hi striyaḥ ||
TRANSLATION How can we women hope to see you, the object of bhakti for the omniscient, liberated sages?
This
being so (tathā), how can we women hope to see you, the goal available
by prema to ātmārāmas (paramahamsānām) among all the pure sages
(amalātmanām munīnām).
TEXT - SB 1.8.21
kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya
devakī-nandanāya ca
nanda-gopa-kumārāya
govindāya namo namaḥ
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇāya—the
Supreme Lord; vāsudevāya—unto the son of Vasudeva;
devakī-nandanāya—unto the son of Devakī; ca—and; nanda-gopa—Nanda and
the cowherd men; kumārāya—unto their son; govindāya—unto the
Personality of Godhead, who enlivens the cows and the senses;
namaḥ—respectful obeisances; namaḥ—obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Let
me therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has
become the son of Vasudeva, the pleasure of Devakī, the boy of Nanda
and the other cowherd men of Vṛndāvana, and the enlivener of the cows
and the senses.
PURPORT
The Lord, being thus
unapproachable by any material assets, out of unbounded and causeless
mercy descends on the earth as He is in order to show His special mercy
upon His unalloyed devotees and to diminish the upsurges of the
demoniac persons. Queen Kuntī specifically adores the incarnation or
descent of Lord Kṛṣṇa above all other incarnations because in this
particular incarnation He is more approachable. In the Rāma incarnation
He remained a king's son from His very childhood, but in the
incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, although He was the son of a king, He at once
left the shelter of His real father and mother (King Vasudeva and Queen
Devakī) just after His appearance and went to the lap of Yaśodāmāyī to
play the part of an ordinary cowherd boy in the blessed Vrajabhūmi,
which is very sanctified because of His childhood pastimes. Therefore
Lord Kṛṣṇa is more merciful than Lord Rāma. He was undoubtedly very
kind to Kuntī's brother Vasudeva and the family. Had He not become the
son of Vasudeva and Devakī, Queen Kuntī could not claim Him to be her
nephew and thus address Kṛṣṇa in parental affection. But Nanda and
Yaśodā are more fortunate because they could relish the Lord's
childhood pastimes, which are more attractive than all other pastimes.
There is no parallel to His childhood pastimes as exhibited at
Vrajabhūmi, which are the prototypes of His eternal affairs in the
original Kṛṣṇaloka described as the cintāmaṇi-dhāma in the
Brahma-saṁhitā [Bs. 5.29]. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa descended Himself at
Vrajabhūmi with all His transcendental entourage and paraphernalia. Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore confirmed that no one is as fortunate as
the residents of Vrajabhūmi, and specifically the cowherd girls, who
dedicated their everything for the satisfaction of the Lord. His
pastimes with Nanda and Yaśodā and His pastimes with the cowherd men
and especially with the cowherd boys and the cows have caused Him to be
known as Govinda. Lord Kṛṣṇa as Govinda is more inclined to the
brāhmaṇas and the cows, indicating thereby that human prosperity
depends more on these two items, namely brahminical culture and cow
protection. Lord Kṛṣṇa is never satisfied where these are lacking.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.21
Among
all the avatāras you are the best. Though all those who have prema are
fortunate, my brother Vasudeva was most fortunate, since you selected
him as your father. That is the significance of the word Vāsudeva, son
of Vasudeva. And your mother, endowed with even more prema is most
fortunate. You made her more successful than all others by situating
yourself in her womb alone. Thus Kuntī addresses Kṛṣṇa as
devakī-nandana: he who gives joy to Devakī. Nanda, endowed with more
prema is most fortunate. You let him alone experience the sweetness of
your infant (kumāra) pastimes (nanda-gopa-kumāra). Yaśodā with abundant
prema is most fortunate. This will be explained in verse 31. The
pastimes of your kaiśora age have even more sweetness than the kaumāra
pastimes. Thus Kuntī addresses Kṛṣṇa as Govinda. Kṛṣṇa got the name
Govinda at the beginning of his kaiśora age after he was bathed by the
Surabhi cow. You take possession (vinda) of all the senses (go) of all
people. The enjoyers of this form of Kṛṣṇa are not mentioned because of
their extraordinary nature, the esoteric nature of this love and the
lack of qualification of others to taste it.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.21||
kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya devakī-nandanāya ca |
nanda-gopa-kumārāya govindāya namo namaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
I repeatedly offer respects to Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, who gave joy
to Devakī, who was the child of Nanda and satisfier of the senses of
the gopīs.
Though that is so, you always give us happiness and remove our suffering. Remembering this, she offers respects.
TEXT - SB 1.8.22
namaḥ paṅkaja-nābhāya
namaḥ paṅkaja-māline
namaḥ paṅkaja-netrāya
namas te paṅkajāṅghraye
SYNONYMS
namaḥ—all
respectful obeisances; paṅkaja-nābhāya—unto the Lord who has a specific
depression resembling a lotus flower in the center of His abdomen;
namaḥ—obeisances; paṅkaja-māline—one who is always decorated with a
garland of lotus flowers; namaḥ—obeisances; paṅkaja-netrāya—one whose
glance is as cooling as a lotus flower; namaḥ te—respectful obeisances
unto You; paṅkaja-aṅghraye—unto You, the soles of whose feet are
engraved with lotus flowers (and who are therefore said to possess
lotus feet).
TRANSLATION
My respectful obeisances are
unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a
lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers,
whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with
lotuses.
PURPORT
Here are some of the specific symbolical
marks on the spiritual body of the Personality of Godhead which
distinguish His body from the bodies of all others. They are all
special features of the body of the Lord. The Lord may appear as one of
us, but He is always distinct by His specific bodily features. Śrīmatī
Kuntī claims herself unfit to see the Lord because of her being a
woman. This is claimed because women, śūdras (the laborer class) and
the dvija-bandhus, or the wretched descendants of the higher three
classes, are unfit by intelligence to understand transcendental subject
matter concerning the spiritual name, fame, attributes, forms, etc., of
the Supreme Absolute Truth. Such persons, although they are unfit to
enter into the spiritual affairs of the Lord, can see Him as the
arcā-vigraha, who descends on the material world just to distribute
favors to the fallen souls, including the above-mentioned women, śūdras
and dvija-bandhus. Because such fallen souls cannot see anything beyond
matter, the Lord condescends to enter into each and every one of the
innumerable universes as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who grows a lotus
stem from the lotuslike depression in the center of His transcendental
abdomen, and thus Brahmā, the first living being in the universe, is
born. Therefore, the Lord is known as the Paṅkajanābhi. The
Paṅkajanābhi Lord accepts the arcā-vigraha (His transcendental form) in
different elements, namely a form within the mind, a form made of wood,
a form made of earth, a form made of metal, a form made of jewel, a
form made of paint, a form drawn on sand, etc. All such forms of the
Lord are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, and there
should be a soothing atmosphere in the temple of worship to attract the
burning attention of the nondevotees always engaged in material
wranglings. The meditators worship a form within the mind. Therefore,
the Lord is merciful even to the women, śūdras and dvija-bandhus,
provided they agree to visit the temple of worship in different forms
made for them. Such temple visitors are not idolaters, as alleged by
some men with a poor fund of knowledge. All the great ācāryas
established such temples of worship in all places just to favor the
less intelligent, and one should not pose himself as transcending the
stage of temple worship while one is actually in the category of the
śūdras and the women or less. One should begin to see the Lord from His
lotus feet, gradually rising to the thighs, waist, chest and face. One
should not try to look at the face of the Lord without being accustomed
to seeing the lotus feet of the Lord. Śrīmatī Kuntī, because of her
being the aunt of the Lord, did not begin to see the Lord from the
lotus feet because the Lord might feel ashamed, and thus Kuntīdevī,
just to save a painful situation for the Lord, began to see the Lord
just above His lotus feet, i.e., from the waist of the Lord, gradually
rising to the face, and then down to the lotus feet. In the round,
everything there is in order.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.22
I
am also counted among the fortunate, for you give happiness to my eyes.
My eyes, receiving the sight of your navel, garland, eyes and feet,
become pleasantly cool.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.22||
namaḥ pankaja-nābhāya namaḥ pankaja-māline |
namaḥ pankaja-netrāya namas te pankajānghraye ||
TRANSLATION I offer respects to you, with lotus navel, wearing a lotus garland, having lotus eyes, and lotus feet.
He
reveals his nature which gives happiness and destroys suffering, like a
lotus’s effulgence shines by its own limbs. He has a lotus-like navel.
His feet are like two lotuses.
TEXT - SB 1.8.23
yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī
kaṁsena ruddhāticiraṁ śucārpitā
vimocitāhaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho
tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipad-gaṇāt
SYNONYMS
yathā—as
it were; hṛṣīkeśa—the master of the senses; khalena—by the envious;
devakī—Devakī (the mother of Śrī Kṛṣṇa); kaṁsena—by King Kaṁsa;
ruddhā—imprisoned; ati-ciram—for a long time; śuca-arpitā—distressed;
vimocitā—released; aham ca—also myself; saha-ātma-jā—along with my
children; vibho—O great one; tvayā eva—by Your Lordship; nāthena—as the
protector; muhuḥ—constantly; vipat-gaṇāt—from a series of dangers.
TRANSLATION
O
Hṛṣīkeśa, master of the senses and Lord of lords, You have released
Your mother, Devakī, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the
envious King Kaṁsa, and me and my children from a series of constant
dangers.
PURPORT
Devakī, the mother of Kṛṣṇa and sister
of King Kaṁsa, was put into prison along with her husband, Vasudeva,
because the envious King was afraid of being killed by Devakī's eighth
son (Kṛṣṇa). He killed all the sons of Devakī who were born before
Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa escaped the danger of child-slaughter because He was
transferred to the house of Nanda Mahārāja, Lord Kṛṣṇa's foster father.
Kuntīdevī, along with her children, was also saved from a series of
dangers. But Kuntīdevī was shown far more favor because Lord Kṛṣṇa did
not save the other children of Devakī, whereas He saved the children of
Kuntīdevī. This was done because Devakī's husband, Vasudeva, was
living, whereas Kuntīdevī was a widow, and there was none to help her
except Kṛṣṇa. The conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa endows more favor to a
devotee who is in greater dangers. Sometimes He puts His pure devotees
in such dangers because in that condition of helplessness the devotee
becomes more attached to the Lord. The more the attachment is there for
the Lord, the more success is there for the devotee.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.23
You protected me when I was helpless as if I were your mother.
O
Hṛṣīkeśa, master of the senses! You alone know my heart since you are
master of the senses. I was rescued from danger along with my sons. You
showed special mercy to me (since you did not protect her (Devakī’s)
other children). What was the reason? I was more afflicted with
suffering by my karmas (śucārpitā). I was suffering even more than
Devakī. I was saved by you, my master (nāthena). She had a husband
(nātha), Vasudeva and thus had the possibility of having more children.
And since you were the crest jewel among all children, what need was
there for her previous inferior children who were not saved? Moreover,
I was again and again saved from a host of dangers, whereas she was
saved from one little danger caused by Kaṁsa. She had not even a trace
of danger since she was happy with repeated expectations that the
Supreme Lord would be born from her womb. And after you were born, she
had no danger at all. I was in all ways wretched. You were merciful to
me because you are the friend of the most fallen. I was not like
fortunate Devakī who had prema for you.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.23||
yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī kamsena ruddhāticiram śucārpitā |
vimocitāham ca sahātmajā vibho tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipad-gaṇāt ||
TRANSLATION
O master of the senses! O Lord! Just as you protected Devakī imprisoned
by evil Kamsa one time, you, my master, released me along with my sons
repeatedly from even greater dangers, since I was afflicted with great
suffering.
She shows his nature of removing suffering. She shows partiality to Balarāma elsewhere, but helping her sons was Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
TEXT - SB 1.8.24
viṣān mahāgneḥ puruṣāda-darśanād
asat-sabhāyā vana-vāsa-kṛcchrataḥ
mṛdhe mṛdhe 'neka-mahārathāstrato
drauṇy-astrataś cāsma hare 'bhirakṣitāḥ
SYNONYMS
viṣāt—from
poison; mahā-agneḥ—from the great fire; puruṣa-ada—the man-eaters;
darśanāt—by combating; asat—vicious; sabhāyāḥ—assembly;
vana-vāsa—exiled to the forest; kṛcchrataḥ—sufferings; mṛdhe
mṛdhe—again and again in battle; aneka—many; mahā-ratha—great generals;
astrataḥ—weapons; drauṇi—the son of Droṇācārya; astrataḥ—from the
weapon of; ca—and; āsma—indicating past tense; hare—O my Lord;
abhirakṣitāḥ—protected completely.
TRANSLATION
My dear
Kṛṣṇa, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a
great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings
during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals
fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of Aśvatthāmā.
PURPORT
The
list of dangerous encounters is submitted herein. Devakī was once put
into difficulty by her envious brother, otherwise she was well. But
Kuntīdevī and her sons were put into one difficulty after another for
years and years together. They were put into trouble by Duryodhana and
his party due to the kingdom, and each and every time the sons of Kuntī
were saved by the Lord. Once Bhīma was administered poison in a cake,
once they were put into the house made of shellac and set afire, and
once Draupadī was dragged out, and attempts were made to insult her by
stripping her naked in the vicious assembly of the Kurus. The Lord
saved Draupadī by supplying an immeasurable length of cloth, and
Duryodhana's party failed to see her naked. Similarly, when they were
exiled in the forest, Bhīma had to fight with the man-eater demon
Hiḍimbā Rākṣasa, but the Lord saved him. So it was not finished there.
After all these tribulations, there was the great Battle of Kurukṣetra,
and Arjuna had to meet such great generals as Droṇa, Bhīṣma and Karṇa,
all powerful fighters. And at last, even when everything was done away
with, there was the brahmāstra released by the son of Droṇācārya to
kill the child within the womb of Uttarā, and so the Lord saved the
only surviving descendant of the Kurus, Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.24
In
this verse she shows the variety of dangers. Viṣād refers to the giving
of poison to Bhīma. Mahāgneḥ means from the burning of the house of
lac. Puruṣāda means the rākṣasas like Hiḍimbā. Asat-sabhāyāḥ refers to
the gambling match.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.24||
viṣān mahāgneḥ puruṣāda-darśanād asat-sabhāyā vana-vāsa-kṛcchrataḥ |
mṛdhe mṛdhe ’neka-mahārathāstrato drauṇy-astrataś cāsma hare ’bhirakṣitāḥ ||
TRANSLATION
You saved us from Bhīma getting poisoned, from the burning house of
lac, from the sight of rākṣasas like Hidimbā, from the gambling den,
from the assembly of demons, from the hardships of living in the
forest, from unlimited weapons thrown by great warriors in countless
battlefields, and from the brahmāstra of Aśvatthāmā.
He saves her in the assembly of demons by supplying Draupadī cloth.
TEXT - SB 1.8.25
vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat
tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam
SYNONYMS
vipadaḥ—calamities;
santu—let there be; tāḥ—all; śaśvat—again and again; tatra—there;
tatra—and there; jagat-guro—O Lord of the universe; bhavataḥ—Your;
darśanam—meeting; yat—that which; syāt—is; apunaḥ—not again;
bhava-darśanam—seeing repetition of birth and death.
TRANSLATION
I
wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we
could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no
longer see repeated births and deaths.
PURPORT
Generally
the distressed, the needy, the intelligent and the inquisitive, who
have performed some pious activities, worship or begin to worship the
Lord. Others, who are thriving on misdeeds only, regardless of status,
cannot approach the Supreme due to being misled by the illusory energy.
Therefore, for a pious person, if there is some calamity there is no
other alternative than to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.
Constantly remembering the lotus feet of the Lord means preparing for
liberation from birth and death. Therefore, even though there are
so-called calamities, they are welcome because they give us an
opportunity to remember the Lord, which means liberation.
One
who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, which are accepted
as the most suitable boat for crossing the ocean of nescience, can
achieve liberation as easily as one leaps over the holes made by the
hoofs of a calf. Such persons are meant to reside in the abode of the
Lord, and they have nothing to do with a place where there is danger in
every step.
This material world is certified by the Lord in the
Bhagavad-gītā as a dangerous place full of calamities. Less intelligent
persons prepare plans to adjust to those calamities without knowing
that the nature of this place is itself full of calamities. They have
no information of the abode of the Lord, which is full of bliss and
without trace of calamity. The duty of the sane person, therefore, is
to be undisturbed by worldly calamities, which are sure to happen in
all circumstances. Suffering all sorts of unavoidable misfortunes, one
should make progress in spiritual realization because that is the
mission of human life. The spirit soul is transcendental to all
material calamities; therefore, the so-called calamities are called
false. A man may see a tiger swallowing him in a dream, and he may cry
for this calamity. Actually there is no tiger and there is no
suffering; it is simply a case of dreams. In the same way, all
calamities of life are said to be dreams. If someone is lucky enough to
get in contact with the Lord by devotional service, it is all gain.
Contact with the Lord by any one of the nine devotional services is
always a forward step on the path going back to Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.25
These
dangers are a great blessing to me. O guru of the universe! To give
benefit to us, you destroy unsteadiness caused by intoxication with
material comfort by giving the ointment of dangers arising out of your
mercy. Through those dangers (yad) we can see you. By seeing you, we no
longer will see the suffering of material existence.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.25||
vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra jagad-guro |
bhavato darśanam yat syād apunar bhava-darśanam ||
TRANSLATION
O guru of the universe! May we have dangers in such situations
continually, because in those dangers we will see you, and by that we
will gain release from this material world.
Dangers in which
there is seeing you will produce extraordinary conditions that cannot
be produced again (apunarbhavam) because of their sweemtess.
TEXT - SB 1.8.26
janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir
edhamāna-madaḥ pumān
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai
tvām akiñcana-gocaram
SYNONYMS
janma—birth;
aiśvarya—opulence; śruta—education; śrībhiḥ—by the possession of
beauty; edhamāna—progressively increasing; madaḥ—intoxication;
pumān—the human being; na—never; eva-ever; arhati—deserves;
abhidhātum—to address in feeling; vai—certainly; tvām—You;
akiñcana-gocaram—one who is approached easily by the materially
exhausted man.
TRANSLATION
My Lord, Your Lordship can
easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted.
One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve
himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and
bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.
PURPORT
Being
materially advanced means taking birth in an aristocratic family and
possessing great wealth, an education and attractive personal beauty.
All materialistic men are mad after possessing all these material
opulences, and this is known as the advancement of material
civilization. But the result is that by possessing all these material
assets one becomes artificially puffed up, intoxicated by such
temporary possessions. Consequently, such materially puffed up persons
are incapable of uttering the holy name of the Lord by addressing Him
feelingly, "O Govinda, O Kṛṣṇa." It is said in the śāstras that by once
uttering the holy name of the Lord, the sinner gets rid of a quantity
of sins that he is unable to commit. Such is the power of uttering the
holy name of the Lord. There is not the least exaggeration in this
statement. Actually the Lord's holy name has such powerful potency. But
there is a quality to such utterances also. It depends on the quality
of feeling. A helpless man can feelingly utter the holy name of the
Lord, whereas a man who utters the same holy name in great material
satisfaction cannot be so sincere. A materially puffed up person may
utter the holy name of the Lord occasionally, but he is incapable of
uttering the name in quality. Therefore, the four principles of
material advancement, namely (1) high parentage, (2) good wealth, (3)
high education and (4) attractive beauty, are, so to speak,
disqualifications for progress on the path of spiritual advancement.
The material covering of the pure spirit soul is an external feature,
as much as fever is an external feature of the unhealthy body. The
general process is to decrease the degree of the fever and not to
aggravate it by maltreatment. Sometimes it is seen that spiritually
advanced persons become materially impoverished. This is no
discouragement. On the other hand, such impoverishment is a good sign
as much as the falling of temperature is a good sign. The principle of
life should be to decrease the degree of material intoxication which
leads one to be more and more illusioned about the aim of life. Grossly
illusioned persons are quite unfit for entrance into the kingdom of God.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.26
The security of the material world is actually a danger. Abhidhātum means “to say the names of the Lord.”
Jiva's tika ||1.8.26||
janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān |
naivārhaty abhidhātum vai tvām akincana-gocaram ||
TRANSLATION
A man swelling with pride because of birth, power, learning or money,
cannot chant your names. You are available to those who have nothing
except you.
Wealth in persons like me is an obstacle to a relationship with you.
TEXT - SB 1.8.27
namo 'kiñcana-vittāya
nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye
ātmārāmāya śāntāya
kaivalya-pataye namaḥ
SYNONYMS
namaḥ—all
obeisances unto You; akiñcana-vittāya—unto the property of the
materially impoverished; nivṛtta—completely transcendental to the
actions of the material modes; guṇa—material modes; vṛttaye—affection;
ātma-ārāmāya—one who is self-satisfied; śāntāya—the most gentle;
kaivalya-pataye—unto the master of the monists; namaḥ—bowing down.
TRANSLATION
My
obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially
impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of
the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You
are the most gentle and are master of the monists.
PURPORT
A
living being is finished as soon as there is nothing to possess.
Therefore a living being cannot be, in the real sense of the term, a
renouncer. A living being renounces something for gaining something
more valuable. A student sacrifices his childish proclivities to gain
better education. A servant gives up his job for a better job.
Similarly, a devotee renounces the material world not for nothing but
for something tangible in spiritual value. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana
Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and others gave up their
worldly pomp and prosperity for the sake of the service of the Lord.
They were big men in the worldly sense. The Gosvāmīs were ministers in
the government service of Bengal, and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was
the son of a big zamindar of his time. But they left everything to gain
something superior to what they previously possessed. The devotees are
generally without material prosperity, but they have a very secret
treasure-house in the lotus feet of the Lord. There is a nice story
about Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. He had a touchstone with him, and this
stone was left in a pile of refuse. A needy man took it, but later on
wondered why the valuable stone was kept in such a neglected place. He
therefore asked him for the most valuable thing, and then he was given
the holy name of the Lord. Akiñcana means one who has nothing to give
materially. A factual devotee, or mahātmā, does not give anything
material to anyone because he has already left all material assets. He
can, however, deliver the supreme asset, namely the Personality of
Godhead, because He is the only property of a factual devotee. The
touchstone of Sanātana Gosvāmī, which was thrown in the rubbish, was
not the property of the Gosvāmī, otherwise it would not have been kept
in such a place. This specific example is given for the neophyte
devotees just to convince them that material hankerings and spiritual
advancement go ill together. Unless one is able to see everything as
spiritual in relation with the Supreme Lord, one must always
distinguish between spirit and matter. A spiritual master like Śrīla
Sanātana Gosvāmī, although personally able to see everything as
spiritual, set this example for us only because we have no such
spiritual vision.
Advancement of material vision or material
civilization is a great stumbling block for spiritual advancement. Such
material advancement entangles the living being in the bondage of a
material body followed by all sorts of material miseries. Such material
advancement is called anartha, or things not wanted. Actually this is
so. In the present context of material advancement one uses lipstick at
a cost of fifty cents, and there are so many unwanted things which are
all products of the material conception of life. By diverting attention
to so many unwanted things, human energy is spoiled without achievement
of spiritual realization, the prime necessity of human life. The
attempt to reach the moon is another example of spoiling energy because
even if the moon is reached, the problems of life will not be solved.
The devotees of the Lord are called akiñcanas because they have
practically no material assets. Such material assets are all products
of the three modes of material nature. They foil spiritual energy, and
thus the less we possess such products of material nature, the more we
have a good chance for spiritual progress.
The Supreme
Personality of Godhead has no direct connection with material
activities. All His acts and deeds, which are exhibited even in this
material world, are spiritual and without affection for the modes of
material nature. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that all His acts,
even His appearance and disappearance in and out of the material world,
are transcendental, and one who knows this perfectly shall not take his
birth again in this material world, but will go back to Godhead.
The
material disease is due to hankering after and lording it over material
nature. This hankering is due to an interaction of the three modes of
nature, and neither the Lord nor the devotees have attachment for such
false enjoyment. Therefore, the Lord and the devotees are called
nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛtti. The perfect nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛtti is the Supreme Lord
because He never becomes attracted by the modes of material nature,
whereas the living beings have such a tendency. Some of them are
entrapped by the illusory attraction of material nature.
Because
the Lord is the property of the devotees, and the devotees are the
property of the Lord reciprocally, the devotees are certainly
transcendental to the modes of material nature. That is a natural
conclusion. Such unalloyed devotees are distinct from the mixed
devotees who approach the Lord for mitigation of miseries and poverty
or because of inquisitiveness and speculation. The unalloyed devotees
and the Lord are transcendentally attached to one another. For others,
the Lord has nothing to reciprocate, and therefore He is called
ātmārāma, self-satisfied. Self-satisfied as He is, He is the master of
all monists who seek to merge into the existence of the Lord. Such
monists merge within the personal effulgence of the Lord called the
brahmajyoti, but the devotees enter into the transcendental pastimes of
the Lord, which are never to be misunderstood as material.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.27
Those
who do not have anything materially speaking (akiñcana), but possess
only you who have a body of complete knowledge and bliss, are alone
your unalloyed devotees. They are the abodes of prema, and are thus
like treasures, who should be hidden from everyone. I offer respects to
you who possess these treasures of the akiñcanas (akiñcana-vittāya).
But akiñcanas are poor. That is true. The devotees of the Lord do not
have the wealth arising from the guṇas of māyā (nivṛtta). They have the
Lord who is devoid of all material enjoyment (nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye).
The Lord’s attachment to the akiñcana-bhaktas was described. Now, his
detachment from others is shown (ātmārāmāya). If the devotee makes
offense to the Lord, the Lord does not become angry. He remains
peaceful (śāntāya), showing mercy to his devotee. He also assists those
devotees interested in liberation (kaivalya-pataye).
Jiva's tika ||1.8.27||
namo ’kincana-vittāya nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye |
ātmārāmāya śāntāya kaivalya-pataye namaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
I offer my respects to he whose treasure is unalloyed devotees, who is
devoid of material interest, who is disinterested in those who are not
devotees, who forgives his devotees, and helps the devotee desiring
liberation.
“Can being the treasure of penniless people really
be glorified?” You are devoid of material interest
(nivṛrta-guṇa-vṛttaye) but have the wealth in the form of devotees
(akincana-vittāya). That is the best wealth. The devotees’ disinterest
in matter is better than having all material things. The Lord is takes
pleasure in himself but takes more pleasure in the devotees
(ātmārāmāya). Thus he is peaceful (śāntāya).
TEXT - SB 1.8.28
manye tvāṁ kālam īśānam
anādi-nidhanaṁ vibhum
samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra
bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ
SYNONYMS
manye—I
consider; tvām—Your Lordship; kālam—the eternal time; īśānam—the
Supreme Lord; anādi-nidhanam—without beginning and end;
vibhum—all-pervading; samam—equally merciful; carantam—distributing;
sarvatra—everywhere; bhūtānām—of the living beings; yat mithaḥ—by
intercourse; kaliḥ—dissension.
TRANSLATION
My Lord, I
consider Your Lordship to be eternal time, the supreme controller,
without beginning and end, the all-pervasive one. In distributing Your
mercy, You are equal to everyone. The dissensions between living beings
are due to social intercourse.
PURPORT
Kuntīdevī knew
that Kṛṣṇa was neither her nephew nor an ordinary family member of her
paternal house. She knew perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa is the primeval Lord
who lives in everyone's heart as the Supersoul, Paramātmā. Another name
of the Paramātmā feature of the Lord is kāla, or eternal time. Eternal
time is the witness of all our actions, good and bad, and thus
resultant reactions are destined by Him. It is no use saying that we do
not know why and for what we are suffering. We may forget the misdeed
for which we may suffer at this present moment, but we must remember
that Paramātmā is our constant companion, and therefore He knows
everything, past, present and future. And because the Paramātmā feature
of Lord Kṛṣṇa destines all actions and reactions, He is the supreme
controller also. Without His sanction not a blade of grass can move.
The living beings are given as much freedom as they deserve, and misuse
of that freedom is the cause of suffering. The devotees of the Lord do
not misuse their freedom, and therefore they are the good sons of the
Lord. Others, who misuse freedom, are put into miseries destined by the
eternal kāla. The kāla offers the conditioned souls both happiness and
miseries. It is all predestined by eternal time. As we have miseries
uncalled-for, so we may have happiness also without being asked, for
they are all predestined by kāla. No one is therefore either an enemy
or friend of the Lord. Everyone is suffering and enjoying the result of
his own destiny. This destiny is made by the living beings in course of
social intercourse. Everyone here wants to lord it over the material
nature, and thus everyone creates his own destiny under the supervision
of the Supreme Lord. He is all-pervading and therefore He can see
everyone's activities. And because the Lord has no beginning or end, He
is known also as the eternal time, kāla.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.28
This
verse describes the Lord’s destruction (kālam) of those who offend his
devotees. You are not unjust (samam) because you show attachment to the
devotee, indifference to matter, assistance to some and destruction to
others. Yad mithaḥ kaliḥ means “in whom there is conflict because the
Lord gives suffering and bliss, he is equal and prejudiced, is
unmerciful and merciful.”
Jiva's tika ||1.8.28||
manye tvām kālam īśānam anādi-nidhanam vibhum |
samam carantam sarvatra bhūtānām yan mithaḥ kaliḥ ||
TRANSLATION
I consider you to be destroyer of the offenders, the controller,
without beginning or end, the most powerful, equal to all, moving
everywhere in all living beings, and the abode of conflicting
qualities.
Your nature is above speculation. This is expressed
in four verses. You are the antaryāmī (kālam). You are the internal and
external controller (īśānam). You move about impartially (samam) in
conditions where entities are in conflict with each other. That is the
first impartiality. You show mercy to the devotees and punish the
enemies. That is the second show of impartiality (in the next verse).
Thirdly, you are completely absorbed (samam) in your pastimes (verse
30) when you appear as an avatāra. Fourthly, you are supremely absorbed
(samam) in your pastimes (verse 31).
TEXT - SB 1.8.29
na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitaṁ
tavehamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam
na yasya kaścid dayito 'sti karhicid
dveṣyaś ca yasmin viṣamā matir nṛṇām
SYNONYMS
na—does
not; veda—know; kaścit—anyone; bhagavan—O Lord; cikīrṣitam—pastimes;
tava—Your; īhamānasya—like the worldly men; nṛṇām—of the people in
general; viḍambanam—misleading; na—never; yasya—His; kaścit—anyone;
dayitaḥ—object of specific favor; asti—there is; karhicit—anywhere;
dveṣyaḥ—object of envy; ca—and; yasmin—unto Him; viṣamā—partiality;
matiḥ—conception; nṛṇām—of the people.
TRANSLATION
O
Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear
to be human and are so misleading. You have no specific object of
favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You
are partial.
PURPORT
The Lord's mercy upon the fallen
souls is equally distributed. He has no one as the specific object of
hostility. The very conception of the Personality of Godhead as a human
being is misleading. His pastimes appear to be exactly like a human
being's, but actually they are transcendental and without any tinge of
material contamination. He is undoubtedly known as partial to His pure
devotees, but in fact He is never partial, as much as the sun is never
partial to anyone. By utilizing the sun rays, sometimes even the stones
become valuable, whereas a blind man cannot see the sun, although there
are enough sun rays before him. Darkness and light are two opposite
conceptions, but this does not mean that the sun is partial in
distributing its rays. The sun rays are open to everyone, but the
capacities of the receptacles differ. Foolish people think that
devotional service is flattering the Lord to get special mercy.
Factually the pure devotees who are engaged in the transcendental
loving service of the Lord are not a mercantile community. A mercantile
house renders service to someone in exchange for values. The pure
devotee does not render service unto the Lord for such exchange, and
therefore the full mercy of the Lord is open for him. Suffering and
needy men, inquisitive persons or philosophers make temporary
connections with the Lord to serve a particular purpose. When the
purpose is served, there is no more relation with the Lord. A suffering
man, if he is pious at all, prays to the Lord for his recovery. But as
soon as the recovery is over, in most cases the suffering man no longer
cares to keep any connection with the Lord. The mercy of the Lord is
open for him, but he is reluctant to receive it. That is the difference
between a pure devotee and a mixed devotee. Those who are completely
against the service of the Lord are considered to be in abject
darkness, those who ask for the Lord's favor only at the time of
necessity are partial recipients of the mercy of the Lord, and those
who are cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord are full
recipients of the mercy of the Lord. Such partiality in receiving the
Lord's mercy is relative to the recipient, and it is not due to the
partiality of the all-merciful Lord.
When the Lord descends on
this material world by His all-merciful energy, He plays like a human
being, and therefore it appears that the Lord is partial to His
devotees only, but that is not a fact. Despite such apparent
manifestation of partiality, His mercy is equally distributed. In the
Battlefield of Kurukṣetra all persons who died in the fight before the
presence of the Lord got salvation without the necessary qualifications
because death before the presence of the Lord purifies the passing soul
from the effects of all sins, and therefore the dying man gets a place
somewhere in the transcendental abode. Somehow or other if someone puts
himself open in the sun rays, he is sure to get the requisite benefit
both by heat and by ultraviolet rays. Therefore, the conclusion is that
the Lord is never partial. It is wrong for the people in general to
think of Him as partial.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.29
“Who will decide the truth about you if there is a disagreement?” No one can decide. This is explained in two verses.
No
one knows the plan of you who desire (īhamānasya) to make the knowledge
of those who speculate about scripture useless. Or no one knows the
plan of you who desire to play the role of human beings as Rāma and
Kṛṣṇa. Or no one knows the plan of you who desire to delude the fools
by not letting them see your sweet qualities. All men have differing
ideas about you (yasmin viṣamā matir nṛṇām). The sun shows attachment
to the sun stone by imparting its own qualities. It shows indifference
to the blind people and is helpful to the Cakravāka birds (who become
joyful when the sun rises and destroys darkness). The sun is harmful to
the darkness used by thieves and owls. But the sun is not partial to
anyone. It manifests the same light to all. The cause of difference is
the good or bad qualities of the specific object. It is the same with
the Lord. Different people relate with the Lord in different ways
according to their qualities.
TEXT - SB 1.8.30
janma karma ca viśvātmann
ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ
tiryaṅ-nṝṣiṣu yādaḥsu
tad atyanta-viḍambanam
SYNONYMS
janma—birth;
karma—activity; ca—and; viśva-ātman—O soul of the universe; ajasya—of
the unborn; akartuḥ—of the inactive; ātmanaḥ—of the vital energy;
tiryak—animal; nṛ—human being; ṛṣiṣu—in the sages; yādaḥsu—in the
water; tat—that; atyanta—veritable; viḍambanam—bewildering.
TRANSLATION
Of
course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though
You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital
force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages
and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering.
PURPORT
The
transcendental pastimes of the Lord are not only bewildering but also
apparently contradictory. In other words, they are all inconceivable to
the limited thinking power of the human being. The Lord is the
all-prevailing Supersoul of all existence, and yet He appears in the
form of a boar amongst the animals, in the form of a human being as
Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, etc., in the form of a ṛṣi like Nārāyaṇa, and in the form
of an aquatic like a fish. Yet it is said that He is unborn, and He has
nothing to do. In the śruti mantra it is said that the Supreme Brahman
has nothing to do. No one is equal to or greater than Him. He has
manifold energies, and everything is performed by Him perfectly by
automatic knowledge, strength and activity. All these statements prove
without any question that the Lord's activities, forms and deeds are
all inconceivable to our limited thinking power, and because He is
inconceivably powerful, everything is possible in Him. Therefore no one
can calculate Him exactly; every action of the Lord is bewildering to
the common man. He cannot be understood by the Vedic knowledge, but He
can be easily understood by the pure devotees because they are
intimately related with Him. The devotees therefore know that although
He appears amongst the animals, He is not an animal, nor a man, nor a
ṛṣi, nor a fish. He is eternally the Supreme Lord, in all circumstances.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.30
Understanding
the conclusions about your partiality or impartiality, your action or
lack of action, your birth or lack of birth, one can relish your
pastimes. You are born though you are unborn, and perform actions
though you are not the doer. You manifest your attractive nature in
various forms of animals, humans and aquatics. This is an extreme
deception (atyanta-viḍambanam) since it appears that you lessen your
stature by accepting inferior forms. When you accepted the boar
incarnation you sniffed out the earth. Though you are omniscient and
omnipotent, you became a real boar. But seeing that form, the knowers
of the truth will not laugh and say that you are simply a mortal
animal, thinking that you are a jīva under the control of karma. Since
you are actually without birth and material action, your pastimes with
birth and action must not actually be true. But this is incompatible
with the fact that the pastimes were attractive to ātmārāmas like
Śukadeva. However, from the statement of the Lord himself janma karma
ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ: he who knows the truth nature of
my birth and activities (BG 4.9), the Lord’s birth and activities are
factual, not a fiction. This is incompatible with the statement that
the Lord has no birth and no activities. Thus who can know the truth
about the Lord possessing unlimited, inconceivable powers?
TEXT - SB 1.8.31
gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad
yā te daśāśru-kalilāñjana-sambhramākṣam
vaktraṁ ninīya bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya
sā māṁ vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti
SYNONYMS
gopī—the
cowherd lady (Yaśodā); ādade—took up; tvayi—on Your; kṛtāgasi—creating
disturbances (by breaking the butter pot); dāma—rope; tāvat—at that
time; yā—that which; te—Your; daśā—situation; aśru-kalila—overflooded
with tears; añjana—ointment; sambhrama—perturbed; akṣam—eyes;
vaktram—face; ninīya—downwards; bhaya-bhāvanayā—by thoughts of fear;
sthitasya—of the situation; sā—that; mām—me; vimohayati—bewilders; bhīḥ
api—even fear personified; yat—whom; bibheti—is afraid.
TRANSLATION
My
dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an
offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed
the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear
personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.
PURPORT
Here
is another explanation of the bewilderment created by the pastimes of
the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the Supreme in all circumstances,
as already explained. Here is a specific example of the Lord's being
the Supreme and at the same time a plaything in the presence of His
pure devotee. The Lord's pure devotee renders service unto the Lord out
of unalloyed love only, and while discharging such devotional service
the pure devotee forgets the position of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme
Lord also accepts the loving service of His devotees more relishably
when the service is rendered spontaneously out of pure affection,
without anything of reverential admiration. Generally the Lord is
worshiped by the devotees in a reverential attitude, but the Lord is
meticulously pleased when the devotee, out of pure affection and love,
considers the Lord to be less important than himself. The Lord's
pastimes in the original abode of Goloka Vṛndāvana are exchanged in
that spirit. The friends of Kṛṣṇa consider Him one of them. They do not
consider Him to be of reverential importance. The parents of the Lord
(who are all pure devotees) consider Him a child only. The Lord accepts
the chastisements of the parents more cheerfully than the prayers of
the Vedic hymns. Similarly, He accepts the reproaches of His fiancees
more palatably than the Vedic hymns. When Lord Kṛṣṇa was present in
this material world to manifest His eternal pastimes of the
transcendental realm of Goloka Vṛndāvana as an attraction for the
people in general, He displayed a unique picture of subordination
before His foster mother, Yaśodā. The Lord, in His naturally childish
playful activities, used to spoil the stocked butter of mother Yaśodā
by breaking the pots and distributing the contents to His friends and
playmates, including the celebrated monkeys of Vṛndāvana, who took
advantage of the Lord's munificence. Mother Yaśodā saw this, and out of
her pure love she wanted to make a show of punishment for her
transcendental child. She took a rope and threatened the Lord that she
would tie Him up, as is generally done in the ordinary household.
Seeing the rope in the hands of mother Yaśodā, the Lord bowed down His
head and began to weep just like a child, and tears rolled down His
cheeks, washing off the black ointment smeared about His beautiful
eyes. This picture of the Lord is adored by Kuntīdevī because she is
conscious of the Lord's supreme position. He is feared often by fear
personified, yet He is afraid of His mother, who wanted to punish Him
just in an ordinary manner. Kuntī was conscious of the exalted position
of Kṛṣṇa, whereas Yaśodā was not. Therefore Yaśodā's position was more
exalted than Kuntī's. Mother Yaśodā got the Lord as her child, and the
Lord made her forget altogether that her child was the Lord Himself. If
mother Yaśodā had been conscious of the exalted position of the Lord,
she would certainly have hesitated to punish the Lord. But she was made
to forget this situation because the Lord wanted to make a complete
gesture of childishness before the affectionate Yaśodā. This exchange
of love between the mother and the son was performed in a natural way,
and Kuntī, remembering the scene, was bewildered, and she could do
nothing but praise the transcendental filial love. Indirectly mother
Yaśodā is praised for her unique position of love, for she could
control even the all-powerful Lord as her beloved child.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.31
sā māṁ vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti ||
Because
of this I relish your pastimes. When you broke the yogurt pot,
committing offense against Yaśodā (kṛtāgasi), Yaśodā put a rope around
your waist. The state at that moment astonishes me. Lowering your head
with eyes filled with tears mixed with eye ointment, you stood there in
fear of her punishment. It is astonishing because (yad) fear itself is
afraid of you. This state shows that Yaśodā, having such prema, was
more fortunate than Nanda, since you were brought under her control
completely. By saying “fear is afraid of you” Kuntī shows her awareness
of Kṛṣṇa’s power as the Lord. She also accepts as true that he was
internally feeling fear. It would not be possible for her to be
bewildered if she thought he was only imitating being fearful. Thus the
word viḍambanam in the previous verse cannot mean imitation, that the
Lord only took the various roles while pretending.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.31||
gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad yā te daśāśru-kalilānjana-sambhramākṣam |
vaktram ninīya bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya sā mām vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti ||
TRANSLATION
My dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind you when you committed an
offense, and your perturbed eyes flooded with tears, which washed the
mascara from your eyes. And you were afraid, though fear personified is
afraid of you. This sight is bewildering to me.
Fear is afraid
of Kṛṣṇa. This represents Kuntī’s awareness of Kṛṣṇa with power. If his
fear of Yaśodā were not real, she would not be bewildered. Clearly he
was internally fearful (bhaya-bhāvanayā).
TEXT - SB 1.8.32
kecid āhur ajaṁ jātaṁ
puṇya-ślokasya kīrtaye
yadoḥ priyasyānvavāye
malayasyeva candanam
SYNONYMS
kecit—someone;
āhuḥ—says; ajam—the unborn; jātam—being born; puṇya-ślokasya—of the
great pious king; kīrtaye—for glorifying; yadoḥ—of King Yadu;
priyasya—of the dear; anvavāye—in the family of; malayasya—Malaya
hills; iva—as; candanam—sandalwood.
TRANSLATION
Some say
that the Unborn is born for the glorification of pious kings, and
others say that He is born to please King Yadu, one of Your dearest
devotees. You appear in his family as sandalwood appears in the Malaya
hills.
PURPORT
Because the Lord's appearance in this
material world is bewildering, there are different opinions about the
birth of the Unborn. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that He takes
His birth in the material world, although He is the Lord of all
creations and He is unborn. So there cannot be any denial of the birth
of the Unborn because He Himself establishes the truth. But still there
are different opinions as to why He takes His birth. That is also
declared in the Bhagavad-gītā. He appears by His own internal potency
to reestablish the principles of religion and to protect the pious and
to annihilate the impious. That is the mission of the appearance of the
Unborn. Still, it is said that the Lord is there to glorify the pious
King Yudhiṣṭhira. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa certainly wanted to establish the
kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas for the good of all in the world. When there is
a pious king ruling over the world, the people are happy. When the
ruler is impious, the people are unhappy. In the age of Kali in most
cases the rulers are impious, and therefore the citizens are also
continuously unhappy. But in the case of democracy, the impious
citizens themselves elect their representative to rule over them, and
therefore they cannot blame anyone for their unhappiness. Mahārāja Nala
was also celebrated as a great pious king, but he had no connection
with Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is meant here to be
glorified by Lord Kṛṣṇa. He had also glorified King Yadu, having taken
His birth in the family. He is known as Yādava, Yaduvīra, Yadunandana,
etc., although the Lord is always independent of such obligation. He is
just like the sandalwood that grows in the Malaya hills. Trees can grow
anywhere and everywhere, yet because the sandalwood trees grow mostly
in the area of the Malaya hills, the name sandalwood and the Malaya
hills are interrelated. Therefore, the conclusion is that the Lord is
ever unborn like the sun, and yet He appears as the sun rises on the
eastern horizon. As the sun is never the sun of the eastern horizon, so
the Lord is no one's son, but He is the father of everything that be.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.32
If
you were not to appear in this world how would we be able to relish
your enchanting pastimes? There are many opinions about the cause of
your appearance. Puṇya-śloka here refers to Yudhiṣṭhira, since he was
famous by that name at that time. puṇya-śloko nalo rājā puṇya-śloko
yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: puṇya-ṣloka means King Nala, a famous person or
Yudhiṣṭhira. You appeared in the Yadu dynasty to glorify dear
Yudhiṣṭhira. Or the sentence can mean “You appeared in that dynasty to
glorify the famous Yadu.”
TEXT - SB 1.8.33
apare vasudevasya
devakyāṁ yācito 'bhyagāt
ajas tvam asya kṣemāya
vadhāya ca sura-dviṣām
SYNONYMS
apare—others;
vasudevasya—of Vasudeva; devakyām—of Devakī; yācitaḥ—being prayed for;
abhyagāt—took birth; ajaḥ—unborn; tvam—You are; asya—of him;
kṣemāya—for the good; vadhāya—for the purpose of killing; ca—and;
sura-dviṣām—of those who are envious of the demigods.
TRANSLATION
Others
say that since both Vasudeva and Devakī prayed for You, You have taken
Your birth as their son. Undoubtedly You are unborn, yet You take Your
birth for their welfare and to kill those who are envious of the
demigods.
PURPORT
It is also said that Vasudeva and
Devakī, in their previous birth as Sutapā and Pṛśni, underwent a severe
type of penance to get the Lord as their son, and as a result of such
austerities the Lord appeared as their son. It is already declared in
the Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord appears for the welfare of all people
of the world and to vanquish the asuras, or the materialistic atheists.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.33
You
are unborn yet you came as the son of Vasudeva. Using third person
(abhyagāt) instead of second person verb ending with tvam is poetic
license. Previously in the form of Sutapa and Pṛśni they asked the Lord
to be their son. You appeared for protecting the world (asya) and
killing the demons.
TEXT - SB 1.8.34
bhārāvatāraṇāyānye
bhuvo nāva ivodadhau
sīdantyā bhūri-bhāreṇa
jāto hy ātma-bhuvārthitaḥ
SYNONYMS
bhāra-avatāraṇāya—just
to reduce the burden to the world; anye—others; bhuvaḥ—of the world;
nāvaḥ—boat; iva—like; udadhau—on the sea; sīdantyāḥ—aggrieved;
bhūri—extremely; bhāreṇa—by the burden; jātaḥ—You were born;
hi—certainly; ātma-bhuvā—by Brahmā; arthitaḥ—being prayed for.
TRANSLATION
Others
say that the world, being overburdened like a boat at sea, is much
aggrieved, and that Brahmā, who is Your son, prayed for You, and so You
have appeared to diminish the trouble.
PURPORT
Brahmā, or
the first living being born just after the creation, is the direct son
of Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa, as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, first of all entered
the material universe. Without spiritual contact, matter cannot create.
This principle was followed from the very beginning of the creation.
The Supreme Spirit entered the universe, and the first living being,
Brahmā, was born on a lotus flower grown out of the transcendental
abdomen of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is therefore known as Padmanābha. Brahmā is
known as ātma-bhū because he was begotten directly from the father
without any contact of mother Lakṣmījī. Lakṣmījī was present near
Nārāyaṇa, engaged in the service of the Lord, and still, without
contact with Lakṣmījī, Nārāyaṇa begot Brahmā. That is the omnipotency
of the Lord. One who foolishly considers Nārāyaṇa like other living
beings should take a lesson from this. Nārāyaṇa is not an ordinary
living being. He is the Personality of Godhead Himself, and He has all
the potencies of all the senses in all parts of His transcendental
body. An ordinary living being begets a child by sexual intercourse,
and he has no other means to beget a child other than the one designed
for him. But Nārāyaṇa, being omnipotent, is not bound to any condition
of energy. He is complete and independent to do anything and everything
by His various potencies, very easily and perfectly. Brahmā is
therefore directly the son of the father and was not put into the womb
of a mother. Therefore he is known as ātma-bhū. This Brahmā is in
charge of further creations in the universe, secondarily reflected by
the potency of the Omnipotent. Within the halo of the universe there is
a transcendental planet known as Śvetadvīpa, which is the abode of the
Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the Paramātmā feature of the Supreme Lord.
Whenever there is trouble in the universe that cannot be solved by the
administrative demigods, they approach Brahmājī for a solution, and if
it is not to be solved even by Brahmājī, then Brahmājī consults and
prays to the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu for an incarnation and solution to the
problems. Such a problem arose when Kaṁsa and others were ruling over
the earth and the earth became too much overburdened by the misdeeds of
the asuras. Brahmājī, along with other demigods, prayed at the shore of
the Kṣīrodaka Ocean, and they were advised of the descent of Kṛṣṇa as
the son of Vasudeva and Devakī. So some people say that the Lord
appeared because of the prayers of Brahmājī.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.34
Another opinion is that you appeared mainly because of Brahmā’s request.
TEXT - SB 1.8.35
bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām
avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ
śravaṇa-smaraṇārhāṇi
kariṣyann iti kecana
SYNONYMS
bhave—in
the material creation; asmin—this; kliśyamānānām—of those who are
suffering from; avidyā—nescience; kāma—desire; karmabhiḥ—by execution
of fruitive work; śravaṇa—hearing; smaraṇa—remembering;
arhāṇi—worshiping; kariṣyan—may perform; iti—thus; kecana—others.
TRANSLATION
And
yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service
of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the
conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage
and gain liberation.
PURPORT
In the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā
the Lord asserts that He appears in every millennium just to
reestablish the way of religion. The way of religion is made by the
Supreme Lord. No one can manufacture a new path of religion, as is the
fashion for certain ambitious persons. The factual way of religion is
to accept the Lord as the supreme authority and thus render service
unto Him in spontaneous love. A living being cannot help but render
service because he is constitutionally made for that purpose. The only
function of the living being is to render service to the Lord. The Lord
is great, and living beings are subordinate to Him. Therefore, the duty
of the living being is just to serve Him only. Unfortunately the
illusioned living beings, out of misunderstanding only, become servants
of the senses by material desire. This desire is called avidyā, or
nescience. And out of such desire the living being makes different
plans for material enjoyment centered about a perverted sex life. He
therefore becomes entangled in the chain of birth and death by
transmigrating into different bodies on different planets under the
direction of the Supreme Lord. Unless, therefore, one is beyond the
boundary of this nescience, one cannot get free from the threefold
miseries of material life. That is the law of nature.
The Lord,
however, out of His causeless mercy, because He is more merciful to the
suffering living beings than they can expect, appears before them and
renovates the principles of devotional service comprised of hearing,
chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, cooperating and
surrendering unto Him. Adoption of all the above-mentioned items, or
any one of them, can help a conditioned soul get out of the tangle of
nescience and thus become liberated from all material sufferings
created by the living being illusioned by the external energy. This
particular type of mercy is bestowed upon the living being by the Lord
in the form of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.35
This
is the real reason for the Lord’s appearance. First there is ignorance
(avidyā) and then desire (kāma), and then action (karmabhiḥ). You come
to engage those suffering due to actions arising from material desires
which are due to ignorance in actions for attaining prema. The
destruction of suffering is incidental, because it is said in the next
verse that the result of hearing about the Lord is seeing the lotus of
the Lord. By seeing the Lord one attains prema.
TEXT - SB 1.8.36
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥ
smaranti nandanti tavehitaṁ janāḥ
ta eva paśyanty acireṇa tāvakaṁ
bhava-pravāhoparamaṁ padāmbujam
SYNONYMS
śṛṇvanti—hear;
gāyanti—chant; gṛṇanti—take; abhīkṣṇaśaḥ—continuously;
smaranti—remember; nandanti—take pleasure; tava—Your;
īhitam—activities; janāḥ—people in general; te—they; eva—certainly;
paśyanti—can see; acireṇa—very soon; tāvakam—Your; bhava-pravāha—the
current of rebirth; uparamam—cessation; pada-ambujam—lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
O
Kṛṣṇa, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your
transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others' doing so,
certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of
birth and death.
PURPORT
The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
cannot be seen by our present conditional vision. In order to see Him,
one has to change his present vision by developing a different
condition of life full of spontaneous love of Godhead. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa
was personally present on the face of the globe, not everyone could see
Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Materialists like Rāvaṇa,
Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha and Śiśupāla, were highly qualified
personalities by acquisition of material assets, but they were unable
to appreciate the presence of the Lord. Therefore, even though the Lord
may be present before our eyes, it is not possible to see Him unless we
have the necessary vision. This necessary qualification is developed by
the process of devotional service only, beginning with hearing about
the Lord from the right sources. The Bhagavad-gītā is one of the
popular literatures which are generally heard, chanted, repeated, etc.,
by the people in general, but in spite of such hearing, etc., sometimes
it is experienced that the performer of such devotional service does
not see the Lord eye to eye. The reason is that the first item,
śravaṇa, is very important. If hearing is from the right sources, it
acts very quickly. Generally people hear from unauthorized persons.
Such unauthorized persons may be very learned by academic
qualifications, but because they do not follow the principles of
devotional service, hearing from them becomes a sheer waste of time.
Sometimes the texts are interpreted fashionably to suit their own
purposes. Therefore, first one should select a competent and bona fide
speaker and then hear from him. When the hearing process is perfect and
complete, the other processes become automatically perfect in their own
way.
There are different transcendental activities of the Lord,
and each and every one of them is competent to bestow the desired
result, provided the hearing process is perfect. In the Bhāgavatam the
activities of the Lord begin from His dealings with the Pāṇḍavas. There
are many other pastimes of the Lord in connection with His dealings
with the asuras and others. And in the Tenth Canto the sublime dealings
with His conjugal associates, the gopīs, as well as with His married
wives at Dvārakā are mentioned. Since the Lord is absolute, there is no
difference in the transcendental nature of each and every dealing of
the Lord. But sometimes people, in an unauthorized hearing process,
take more interest in hearing about His dealings with the gopīs. Such
an inclination indicates the lusty feelings of the hearer, so a bona
fide speaker of the dealings of the Lord never indulges in such
hearings. One must hear about the Lord from the very beginning, as in
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or any other scriptures, and that will help the
hearer attain perfection by progressive development. One should not,
therefore, consider that His dealings with the Pāṇḍavas are less
important than His dealings with the gopīs. We must always remember
that the Lord is always transcendental to all mundane attachment. In
all the above-mentioned dealings of the Lord, He is the hero in all
circumstances, and hearing about Him or about His devotees or
combatants is conducive to spiritual life. It is said that the Vedas
and Purāṇas, etc., are all made to revive our lost relation with Him.
Hearing of all these scriptures is essential.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.36
This
verse shows the actual reason for the Lord’s appearance. They and not
others (eva) see for certain. It is not that they do not see. They see
without delay (acireṇa), not after a long time, your lotus feet, not
the lotus feet of one of your expansions. Those lotus feet destroy the
influence of material existence rather than prolong material existence.
Your form is not without qualities. In order to appreciate the beauty
of the Lord, his six aspects need to be seen.
TEXT - SB 1.8.37
apy adya nas tvaṁ sva-kṛtehita prabho
jihāsasi svit suhṛdo 'nujīvinaḥ
yeṣāṁ na cānyad bhavataḥ padāmbujāt
parāyaṇaṁ rājasu yojitāṁhasām
SYNONYMS
api—if;
adya—today; naḥ—us; tvam—You; sva-kṛta—self-executed; īhita—all duties;
prabho—O my Lord; jihāsasi—giving up; svit—possibly; suhṛdaḥ—intimate
friends; anujīvinaḥ—living at the mercy of; yeṣām—of whom; na—nor;
ca—and; anyat—anyone else; bhavataḥ—Your; pada-ambujāt—from the lotus
feet; parāyaṇam—dependent; rājasu—unto the kings; yojita—engaged in;
aṁhasām—enmity.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, You have executed
all duties Yourself. Are you leaving us today, though we are completely
dependent on Your mercy and have no one else to protect us, now when
all kings are at enmity with us?
PURPORT
The Pāṇḍavas are
most fortunate because with all good luck they were entirely dependent
on the mercy of the Lord. In the material world, to be dependent on the
mercy of someone else is the utmost sign of misfortune, but in the case
of our transcendental relation with the Lord, it is the most fortunate
case when we can live completely dependent on Him. The material disease
is due to thinking of becoming independent of everything. But the cruel
material nature does not allow us to become independent. The false
attempt to become independent of the stringent laws of nature is known
as material advancement of experimental knowledge. The whole material
world is moving on this false attempt of becoming independent of the
laws of nature. Beginning from Rāvaṇa, who wanted to prepare a direct
staircase to the planets of heaven, down to the present age, they are
trying to overcome the laws of nature. They are trying now to approach
distant planetary systems by electronic mechanical power. But the
highest goal of human civilization is to work hard under the guidance
of the Lord and become completely dependent on Him. The highest
achievement of perfect civilization is to work with valor but at the
same time depend completely on the Lord. The Pāṇḍavas were the ideal
executors of this standard of civilization. Undoubtedly they were
completely dependent on the good will of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but they were
not idle parasites of the Lord. They were all highly qualified both by
personal character and by physical activities. Still they always looked
for the mercy of the Lord because they knew that every living being is
dependent by constitutional position. The perfection of life is,
therefore, to become dependent on the will of the Lord, instead of
becoming falsely independent in the material world. Those who try to
become falsely independent of the Lord are called anātha, or without
any guardian, whereas those who are completely dependent on the will of
the Lord are called sanātha, or those having someone to protect them.
Therefore we must try to be sanātha so that we can always be protected
from the unfavorable condition of material existence. By the deluding
power of the external material nature we forget that the material
condition of life is the most undesirable perplexity. The Bhagavad-gītā
therefore directs us (7.19) that after many, many births one fortunate
person becomes aware of the fact that Vāsudeva is all in all and that
the best way of leading one's life is to surrender unto Him completely.
That is the sign of a mahātmā. All the members of the Pāṇḍava family
were mahātmās in household life. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the head of
these mahātmās, and Queen Kuntīdevī was the mother. The lessons of the
Bhagavad-gītā and all the Purāṇas, specifically the Bhāgavata Purāṇa,
are therefore inevitably connected with the history of the Pāṇḍava
mahātmās. For them, separation from the Lord was just like the
separation of a fish from water. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī, therefore, felt
such separation like a thunderbolt, and the whole prayer of the Queen
is to try to persuade the Lord to stay with them. After the Battle of
Kurukṣetra, although the inimical kings were killed, their sons and
grandsons were still there to deal with the Pāṇḍavas. It is not only
the Pāṇḍavas who were put into the condition of enmity, but all of us
are always in such a condition, and the best way of living is to become
completely dependent on the will of the Lord and thereby overcome all
difficulties of material existence.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.37
We,
and not others, become happy on seeing you and suffer on not seeing
you. The time of happiness has passed and the time of suffering has
arrived.
“Do you desire to leave us today, since you desire to go to Dvārakā?”
“But I have stayed many days. Now I must go to Dvārakā. I have necessary work there. Please give your assent.”
To
this Kuntī answers, “But you are the person whose necessary works are
already accomplished. Your intentions fulfill themselves automatically
(sva-kṛtehita). Some versions have the word without the visarga (ḥ).
Then it would a vocative address to Kṛṣṇa, “O self-accomplisher!” The
Pāṇḍavas had created suffering for many kings by killing their fathers
or relatives. We depend on you (anujīvinaḥ). Therefore stay here and
protect my sons.
TEXT - SB 1.8.38
ke vayaṁ nāma-rūpābhyāṁ
yadubhiḥ saha pāṇḍavāḥ
bhavato 'darśanaṁ yarhi
hṛṣīkāṇām iveśituḥ
SYNONYMS
ke—who
are; vayam—we; nāma-rūpābhyām—without fame and ability; yadubhiḥ—with
the Yadus; saha—along with; pāṇḍavāḥ—and the Pāṇḍavas; bhavataḥ—Your;
adarśanam—absence; yarhi—as if; hṛṣīkāṇām—of the senses; iva—like;
īśituḥ—of the living being.
TRANSLATION
As the name and
fame of a particular body is finished with the disappearance of the
living spirit, similarly if You do not look upon us, all our fame and
activities, along with the Pāṇḍavas and Yadus, will end at once.
PURPORT
Kuntīdevī
is quite aware that the existence of the Pāṇḍavas is due to Śrī Kṛṣṇa
only. The Pāṇḍavas are undoubtedly well established in name and fame
and are guided by the great King Yudhiṣṭhira, who is morality
personified, and the Yadus are undoubtedly great allies, but without
the guidance of Lord Kṛṣṇa all of them are nonentities, as much as the
senses of the body are useless without the guidance of consciousness.
No one should be proud of his prestige, power and fame without being
guided by the favor of the Supreme Lord. The living beings are always
dependent, and the ultimate dependable object is the Lord Himself. We
may, therefore, invent by our advancement of material knowledge all
sorts of counteracting material resources, but without being guided by
the Lord all such inventions end in fiasco, however strong and stout
the reactionary elements may be.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.38
“But
Bhīma and Arjuna, your sons, are very powerful. The king is dharma
personified and the Yādavas are your friends. You have no worries.”
Who
are we Pāṇḍavas with the Yadus having fame (nāma) and ability (rūpa)
without your presence? Similarly, without the presence of the jīva the
senses have no significance or power.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.38||
ke vayam nāma-rūpābhyām yadubhiḥ saha pāṇdavāḥ |
bhavato ’darśanam yarhi hṛṣīkāṇām iveśituḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Without your presence who are we, related to the Pāṇdavas along with
the Yadus with their fame and strength? We are like the senses without
the jīva.
Pāṇdavaḥ here means “related to the Pāṇdavas.”
TEXT - SB 1.8.39
neyaṁ śobhiṣyate tatra
yathedānīṁ gadādhara
tvat-padair aṅkitā bhāti
sva-lakṣaṇa-vilakṣitaiḥ
SYNONYMS
na—not;
iyam—this land of our kingdom; śobhiṣyate—will appear beautiful;
tatra—then; yathā—as it is now; idānīm—how; gadādhara—O Kṛṣṇa;
tvat—Your; padaiḥ—by the feet; aṅkitā—marked; bhāti—is dazzling;
sva-lakṣaṇa—Your own marks; vilakṣitaiḥ—by the impressions.
TRANSLATION
O
Gadādhara [Kṛṣṇa], our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions
of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave,
it will no longer be so.
PURPORT
There are certain
particular marks on the feet of the Lord which distinguish the Lord
from others. The marks of a flag, thunderbolt, and instrument to drive
an elephant, umbrella, lotus, disc, etc., are on the bottom of the
Lord's feet. These marks are impressed upon the soft dust of the land
where the Lord traverses. The land of Hastināpura was thus marked while
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was there with the Pāṇḍavas, and the kingdom of the
Pāṇḍavas thus flourished by such auspicious signs. Kuntīdevī pointed
out these distinguished features and was afraid of ill luck in the
absence of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.39
If
you go there, this land (iyam) will not glow. The land is marked
uniquely (vilakṣitaiḥ) with your signs -- the flag and thunderbolt.
TEXT - SB 1.8.40
ime jana-padāḥ svṛddhāḥ
supakvauṣadhi-vīrudhaḥ
vanādri-nady-udanvanto
hy edhante tava vīkṣitaiḥ
SYNONYMS
ime—all
these; jana-padāḥ—cities and towns; svṛddhāḥ—flourished;
supakva—nature; auṣadhi—herbs; vīrudhaḥ—vegetables; vana—forests;
adri—hills; nadī—rivers; udanvantaḥ—seas; hi—certainly;
edhante—increasing; tava—by You; vīkṣitaiḥ—seen.
TRANSLATION
All
these cities and villages are flourishing in all respects because the
herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full of fruits, the
rivers are flowing, the hills are full of minerals and the oceans full
of wealth. And this is all due to Your glancing over them.
PURPORT
Human
prosperity flourishes by natural gifts and not by gigantic industrial
enterprises. The gigantic industrial enterprises are products of a
godless civilization, and they cause the destruction of the noble aims
of human life. The more we go on increasing such troublesome industries
to squeeze out the vital energy of the human being, the more there will
be unrest and dissatisfaction of the people in general, although a few
only can live lavishly by exploitation. The natural gifts such as
grains and vegetables, fruits, rivers, the hills of jewels and
minerals, and the seas full of pearls are supplied by the order of the
Supreme, and as He desires, material nature produces them in abundance
or restricts them at times. The natural law is that the human being may
take advantage of these godly gifts by nature and satisfactorily
flourish on them without being captivated by the exploitative motive of
lording it over material nature. The more we attempt to exploit
material nature according to our whims of enjoyment, the more we shall
become entrapped by the reaction of such exploitative attempts. If we
have sufficient grains, fruits, vegetables and herbs, then what is the
necessity of running a slaughterhouse and killing poor animals? A man
need not kill an animal if he has sufficient grains and vegetables to
eat. The flow of river waters fertilizes the fields, and there is more
than what we need. Minerals are produced in the hills, and the jewels
in the ocean. If the human civilization has sufficient grains,
minerals, jewels, water, milk, etc., then why should it hanker after
terrible industrial enterprises at the cost of the labor of some
unfortunate men? But all these natural gifts are dependent on the mercy
of the Lord. What we need, therefore, is to be obedient to the laws of
the Lord and achieve the perfection of human life by devotional
service. The indications by Kuntīdevī are just to the point. She
desires that God's mercy be bestowed upon them so that natural
prosperity be maintained by His grace.
TEXT - SB 1.8.41
atha viśveśa viśvātman
viśva-mūrte svakeṣu me
sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi
dṛḍhaṁ pāṇḍuṣu vṛṣṇiṣu
SYNONYMS
atha—therefore;
viśva-īśa—O Lord of the universe; viśva-ātman—O soul of the universe;
viśva-mūrte—O personality of the universal form; svakeṣu—unto my own
kinsmen; me—my; sneha-pāśam—tie of affection; imam—this; chindhi—cut
off; dṛḍham—deep; pāṇḍuṣu—for the Pāṇḍavas; vṛṣṇiṣu—for the Vṛṣṇis also.
TRANSLATION
O
Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form
of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my
kinsmen, the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis.
PURPORT
A pure
devotee of the Lord is ashamed to ask anything in self-interest from
the Lord. But the householders are sometimes obliged to ask favors from
the Lord, being bound by the tie of family affection. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī
was conscious of this fact, and therefore she prayed to the Lord to cut
off the affectionate tie from her own kinsmen, the Pāṇḍavas and the
Vṛṣṇis. The Pāṇḍavas are her own sons, and the Vṛṣṇis are the members
of her paternal family. Kṛṣṇa was equally related to both the families.
Both the families required the Lord's help because both were dependent
devotees of the Lord. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī wished Śrī Kṛṣṇa to remain with
her sons the Pāṇḍavas, but by His doing so her paternal house would be
bereft of the benefit. All these partialities troubled the mind of
Kuntī, and therefore she desired to cut off the affectionate tie.
A
pure devotee cuts off the limited ties of affection for his family and
widens his activities of devotional service for all forgotten souls.
The typical example is the band of six Gosvāmīs, who followed the path
of Lord Caitanya. All of them belonged to the most enlightened and
cultured rich families of the higher castes, but for the benefit of the
mass of population they left their comfortable homes and became
mendicants. To cut off all family affection means to broaden the field
of activities. Without doing this, no one can be qualified as a
brāhmaṇa, a king, a public leader or a devotee of the Lord. The
Personality of Godhead, as an ideal king, showed this by example. Śrī
Rāmacandra cut off the tie of affection for His beloved wife to
manifest the qualities of an ideal king.
Such personalities as a
brāhmaṇa, a devotee, a king or a public leader must be very broadminded
in discharging their respective duties. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī was conscious
of this fact, and being weak she prayed to be free from such bondage of
family affection. The Lord is addressed as the Lord of the universe, or
the Lord of the universal mind, indicating His all-powerful ability to
cut the hard knot of family affection. Therefore, it is sometimes
experienced that the Lord, out of His special affinity towards a weak
devotee, breaks the family affection by force of circumstances arranged
by His all-powerful energy. By doing so He causes the devotee to become
completely dependent on Him and thus clears the path for his going back
to Godhead.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.41
Both
your departure from here and coming here are unfortunate: departure for
the Pāṇḍavas and coming here for the Yādavas. Since she ends up with a
disturbed mind in either case, Kuntī prays to cut off her ties of
affection with both parties. You are the Lord of all the universes
(viśveśa). You give life to all the universes (viśvātman). Though you
are the form of the universe, being an ocean of mercy, you are always
attentive in regards to the welfare of the Yādavas and Pāṇḍavas. Will I
die uselessly by thinking of their welfare?
Jiva's tika ||1.8.41||
atha viśveśa viśvātman viśva-mūrte svakeṣu me |
sneha-pāśam imam chindhi dṛdham pāṇduṣu vṛṣṇiṣu ||
TRANSLATION
O Lord of all the universes! O life of all the universes! O form of all
the universes! Please cut my strong bonds of affection for my
relatives, the Pāṇdavas and Yādavas.
Showing the complete
attachment of both Pāṇdavas and Yādavas for Kṛṣṇa, they were all
objects of the Lord’s affection. This causes additional affection for
them in her. You should separate yourself from them, so that I will cut
my affection for them. The Lord agreed with her request to stay (verse
45) and this solved the problem.
TEXT - SB 1.8.42
tvayi me 'nanya-viṣayā
matir madhu-pate 'sakṛt
ratim udvahatād addhā
gaṅgevaugham udanvati
SYNONYMS
tvayi—unto
You; me—my; ananya-viṣayā—unalloyed; matiḥ—attention; madhu-pate—O Lord
of Madhu; asakṛt—continuously; ratim—attraction; udvahatāt—may
overflow; addhā—directly; gaṅgā—the Ganges; iva—like; ogham—flows;
udanvati—down to the sea.
TRANSLATION
O Lord of Madhu, as
the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my
attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to
anyone else.
PURPORT
Perfection of pure devotional
service is attained when all attention is diverted towards the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. To cut off the tie of all
other affections does not mean complete negation of the finer elements,
like affection for someone else. This is not possible. A living being,
whoever he may be, must have this feeling of affection for others
because this is a symptom of life. The symptoms of life, such as
desire, anger, hankerings, feelings of attraction, etc., cannot be
annihilated. Only the objective has to be changed. Desire cannot be
negated, but in devotional service the desire is changed only for the
service of the Lord in place of desire for sense gratification. The
so-called affection for family, society, country, etc., consists of
different phases of sense gratification. When this desire is changed
for the satisfaction of the Lord, it is called devotional service.
In
the Bhagavad-gītā we can see that Arjuna desired not to fight with his
brothers and relations just to satisfy his own personal desires. But
when he heard the message of the Lord, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, he changed
his decision and served the Lord. And for his doing so, he became a
famous devotee of the Lord, for it is declared in all the scriptures
that Arjuna attained spiritual perfection by devotional service to the
Lord in friendship. The fighting was there, the friendship was there,
Arjuna was there, and Kṛṣṇa was there, but Arjuna became a different
person by devotional service. Therefore, the prayers of Kuntī also
indicate the same categorical changes in activities. Śrīmatī Kuntī
wanted to serve the Lord without diversion, and that was her prayer.
This unalloyed devotion is the ultimate goal of life. Our attention is
usually diverted to the service of something which is nongodly or not
in the program of the Lord. When the program is changed into the
service of the Lord, that is to say when the senses are purified in
relation with the service of the Lord, it is called pure unalloyed
devotional service. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī wanted that perfection and prayed
for it from the Lord.
Her affection for the Pāṇḍavas and the
Vṛṣṇis is not out of the range of devotional service because the
service of the Lord and the service of the devotees are identical.
Sometimes service to the devotee is more valuable than service to the
Lord. But here the affection of Kuntīdevī for the Pāṇḍavas and the
Vṛṣṇis was due to family relation. This tie of affection in terms of
material relation is the relation of māyā because the relations of the
body or the mind are due to the influence of the external energy.
Relations of the soul, established in relation with the Supreme Soul,
are factual relations. When Kuntīdevī wanted to cut off the family
relation, she meant to cut off the relation of the skin. The skin
relation is the cause of material bondage, but the relation of the soul
is the cause of freedom. This relation of the soul to the soul can be
established by the via medium of the relation with the Supersoul.
Seeing in the darkness is not seeing. But seeing by the light of the
sun means to see the sun and everything else which was unseen in the
darkness. That is the way of devotional service.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.42
“Then
do you want realization of brahman? Because if you cut your affection
for the Yādavas, you will cut your affection for me also.”
May
my mind hold (udvahatāt) affection (rati) for you, without any
obstacle. Udvah means to flow strongly. The mind should not think of
anything else (ananya-viṣayā). Your devotees are non-different from you
and thus without affection for them affection for you cannot take
place. It is not possible that this could please you. This I know.
Therefore let my mind have attraction for no one except you and your
devotees. I prayed to cut affectionate bonds with the Pāṇḍavas and
Yādavas who are your devotees. But since it is a prayer in front of you
it means cutting only the material affection which arises from bodily
identification. It is not cutting the affectionate relation with you. I
want to cut that affection which causes bondage. Just as the Gaṅgā
carries a full stream of water (ogham) to the ocean, the shelter of
small and large rivers, may my mind also carry its affection to you,
who are the shelter of all the devotees. Just as the Gaṅgā does not
consider any obstacles on its course, my mind also should not consider
any obstacles that may rise while thinking of you.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.42||
tvayi me ’nanya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate ’sakṛt |
ratim udvahatād addhā udanvati ||
TRANSLATION
Let my mind, with attention fixed on no other object, repeatedly carry
its affection to you, chief of the Madhu dynasty, just as the Gangā
carries a full stream of water to the ocean.
May my mind,
attached to other things because of family ties, carry rati for you
continually. By the appearance of rati, obstacles should be destroyed.
This is clarified with an example. Just as the Gangā flowers with great
currents, so my mind should have rati for you. They are similar in that
with obstacles they both become more active to destroy the obstacle.
TEXT - SB 1.8.43
śrī-kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-sakha vṛṣṇy-ṛṣabhāvani-dhrug-
rājanya-vaṁśa-dahanānapavarga-vīrya
govinda go-dvija-surārti-harāvatāra
yogeśvarākhila-guro bhagavan namas te
SYNONYMS
śrī-kṛṣṇa—O
Śrī Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-sakha—O friend of Arjuna; vṛṣṇi—of descendants of
Vṛṣṇi; ṛṣabha—O chief; avani—the earth; dhruk—rebellious;
rājanya-vaṁśa—dynasties of the kings; dahana—O annihilator;
anapavarga—without deterioration of; vīrya—prowess; govinda—O
proprietor of Golokadhāma; go—of the cows; dvija—the brāhmaṇas;
sura—the demigods; arti-hara—to relieve distress; avatāra—O Lord who
descends; yoga-īśvara—O master of all mystic powers; akhila—universal;
guro—O preceptor; bhagavan—O possessor of all opulences; namaḥ
te—respectful obeisances unto You.
TRANSLATION
O Kṛṣṇa, O
friend of Arjuna, O chief amongst the descendants of Vṛṣṇi, You are the
destroyer of those political parties which are disturbing elements on
this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of
the transcendental abode, and You descend to relieve the distresses of
the cows, the brāhmaṇas and the devotees. You possess all mystic
powers, and You are the preceptor of the entire universe. You are the
almighty God, and I offer You my respectful obeisances.
PURPORT
A
summary of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is made herein by Śrīmatī
Kuntīdevī. The almighty Lord has His eternal transcendental abode where
He is engaged in keeping surabhi cows. He is served by hundreds and
thousands of goddesses of fortune. He descends on the material world to
reclaim His devotees and to annihilate the disturbing elements in
groups of political parties and kings who are supposed to be in charge
of administration work. He creates, maintains and annihilates by His
unlimited energies, and still He is always full with prowess and does
not deteriorate in potency. The cows, the brāhmaṇas and the devotees of
the Lord are all objects of His special attention because they are very
important factors for the general welfare of living beings.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.43
After
offering her prayers she offers respects while remembering how the Lord
gave happiness to all people. Kṛṣṇa-sakha means friend of Arjuna. You
destroyed the dynasties of kings who injured the earth. You have
undiminished strength (anapavarga-vīrya). You have a wealth of
kama-dhenus (govinda).
Jiva's tika ||1.8.43|| śrī-kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-sakha vṛṣṇy-ṛṣabhāvani-dhrugrājanya-vamśa-dahanānapavarga-vīrya |
govinda go-dvija-surārti-harāvatāra yogeśvarākhila-guro bhagavan namas te ||
TRANSLATION
O Kṛṣṇa! O friend of Arjuna! Best of the Yādavas! Destroyer of the
kings who harmed the earth! Lord of undiminished strength! Lord of all
the cows! Destroyer of the suffering of the cows, brāhmaṇas and
devatās! Master of yoga!
Guru of all people! O Lord! I offer respects to you.
O
Govinda, ruler of supreme Goloka eternally! Or this should be linked
with the statements starting in verse 41. Rejecting affection based on
relationships with family members even if they are devotees, praying
for attachment to the Lord, she recognizes affection for his dear
devotees, since they have affection for him. Verse 41 rejects family
attachments. Verse 42 prays for attachment to the Lord. Verse 43 she
accepts affection for devotees. Calling out to the Lord as friend of
Arjuna, she accepts affection for Arjuna and other devotees sine they
have affection for him.
TEXT - SB 1.8.44
sūta uvāca
pṛthayetthaṁ kala-padaiḥ
pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ
mandaṁ jahāsa vaikuṇṭho
mohayann iva māyayā
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Sūta said; pṛthayā—by Pṛthā (Kuntī); ittham—this; kala-padaiḥ—by
chosen words; pariṇūta—being worshiped; akhila—universal;
udayaḥ—glories; mandam—mildly; jahāsa—smiled; vaikuṇṭhaḥ—the Lord;
mohayan—captivating; iva—like; māyayā—His mystic power.
TRANSLATION
Sūta
Gosvāmī said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntīdevī, composed
in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as
enchanting as His mystic power.
PURPORT
Anything that is
enchanting in the world is said to be a representation of the Lord. The
conditioned souls, who are engaged in trying to lord it over the
material world, are also enchanted by His mystic powers, but His
devotees are enchanted in a different way by the glories of the Lord,
and His merciful blessings are upon them. His energy is displayed in
different ways, as electrical energy works in manifold capacities.
Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī has prayed to the Lord just to enunciate a fragment
of His glories. All His devotees worship Him in that way, by chosen
words, and therefore the Lord is known as Uttamaśloka. No amount of
chosen words is sufficient to enumerate the Lord's glory, and yet He is
satisfied by such prayers as the father is satisfied even by the broken
linguistic attempts of the growing child. The word māyā is used both in
the sense of delusion and mercy. Herein the word māyā is used in the
sense of the Lord's mercy upon Kuntīdevī.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.44
Pariṇūta
comes from the verb pariṇu of the tud class. With the long vowel it
means “to praise.” The Lord was bewildered, not by material māyā but by
prema.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.44|| sūta uvāca pṛthayettham kala-padaiḥ pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ |
mandam jahāsa vaikuṇṭho mohayann iva māyayā ||
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: The Lord, whose greatness had been glorified by the sweet
words of Kuntī, smiled softly as if bewildered by prema.
Parinūtā
belongs to the taudādika class of words. He was as if bewildered by
māyā (iva). In describing the universal form it is said:
chandāmsy anantasya śiro gṛṇanti damṣṭrā yamaḥ sneha-kalā dvijāni |
hāso janonmāda-karī ca māyā duranta-sargo yad-apānga-mokṣaḥ ||
The
Vedic verses are the top of his head. Yama is his front teeth.
Affection is the two rows of teeth. His smile is māyā which illusions
all men. His glance is insurmountable samsāra. (SB 2.1.31)
If
the word iva is only an ornament, māyā means mercy. He was bewildered
by mercy. The dictionaries say that māyā can mean deception or mercy.
TEXT - SB 1.8.45
tāṁ bāḍham ity upāmantrya
praviśya gajasāhvayam
striyaś ca sva-puraṁ yāsyan
premṇā rājñā nivāritaḥ
SYNONYMS
tām—all
those; bāḍham—accepted; iti—thus; upāmantrya—subsequently informed;
praviśya—entering; gajasāhvayam—the palace of Hastināpura; striyaḥ
ca—other ladies; sva-puram—own residence; yāsyan—while starting for;
premṇā—with love; rājñā—by the King; nivāritaḥ—stopped.
TRANSLATION
Thus
accepting the prayers of Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī, the Lord subsequently
informed other ladies of His departure by entering the palace of
Hastināpura. But upon preparing to leave, He was stopped by King
Yudhiṣṭhira, who implored Him lovingly.
PURPORT
No one
could make Lord Kṛṣṇa stay at Hastināpura when He decided to start for
Dvārakā, but the simple request of King Yudhiṣṭhira that the Lord
remain there for a few days more was immediately effective. This
signifies that the power of King Yudhiṣṭhira was loving affection,
which the Lord could not deny. The almighty God is thus conquered only
by loving service and nothing else. He is fully independent in all His
dealings, but He voluntarily accepts obligations by the loving
affection of His pure devotees.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.45
Kuntī
had prayed that her mind be concentrated only on the Lord. Kṛṣṇa
accepted that. He then went away from the chariot stable and returned
to Hastināpura. He then took permission to leave from Kuntī and the
other women headed by Subhadrā. As he was about to go to Dvārakā,
Yudhiṣṭhira prevented him, begging that he stay a little longer. This
indicates that Kṛṣṇa was completely controlled by the love of the king.
TEXT - SB 1.8.46
vyāsādyair īśvarehājñaiḥ
kṛṣṇenādbhuta-karmaṇā
prabodhito 'pītihāsair
nābudhyata śucārpitaḥ
SYNONYMS
vyāsa-ādyaiḥ—by
great sages headed by Vyāsa; īśvara—the almighty God; īhā—by the will
of; jñaiḥ—by the learned; kṛṣṇena—by Kṛṣṇa Himself; adbhuta-karmaṇā—by
one who performs all superhuman work; prabodhitaḥ—being solaced;
api—although; itihāsaiḥ—by evidences from the histories; na—not;
abudhyata—satisfied; śucā arpitaḥ—distressed.
TRANSLATION
King
Yudhiṣṭhira, who was much aggrieved, could not be convinced, despite
instructions by great sages headed by Vyāsa and the Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself,
the performer of superhuman feats, and despite all historical evidence.
PURPORT
The
pious King Yudhiṣṭhira was mortified because of the mass massacre of
human beings in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, especially on his account.
Duryodhana was there on the throne, and he was doing well in his
administration, and in one sense there was no need of fighting. But on
the principle of justice Yudhiṣṭhira was to replace him. The whole
clique of politics centered around this point, and all the kings and
residents of the whole world became involved in this fight between the
rival brothers. Lord Kṛṣṇa was also there on the side of King
Yudhiṣṭhira. It is said in the Mahābhārata, Ādi-parva (20) that
640,000,000 men were killed in the eighteen days of the Battle of
Kurukṣetra, and some hundreds of thousands were missing. Practically
this was the greatest battle in the world within five thousand years.
This
mass killing simply to enthrone Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was too
mortifying, so he tried to be convinced with evidences from histories
by great sages like Vyāsa and the Lord Himself that the fight was just
because the cause was just. But Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira would not be
satisfied, even though he was instructed by the greatest personalities
of the time. Kṛṣṇa is designated herein as the performer of superhuman
actions, but in this particular instance neither He nor Vyāsa could
convince King Yudhiṣṭhira. Does it mean that He failed to be a
superhuman actor? No, certainly not. The interpretation is that the
Lord as īśvara, or the Supersoul in the hearts of both King Yudhiṣṭhira
and Vyāsa, performed still more superhuman action because the Lord
desired it. As Supersoul of King Yudhiṣṭhira, He did not allow the King
to be convinced by the words of Vyāsa and others, including Himself,
because He desired that the King hear instructions from the dying
Bhīṣmadeva, who was another great devotee of the Lord. The Lord wanted
that at the last stage of his material existence the great warrior
Bhīṣmadeva see Him personally and see his beloved grandchildren, King
Yudhiṣṭhira, etc., now situated on the throne, and thus pass away very
peacefully. Bhīṣmadeva was not at all satisfied to fight against the
Pāṇḍavas, who were his beloved fatherless grandchildren. But the
kṣatriyas are also very stern people, and therefore he was obliged to
take the side of Duryodhana because he was maintained at the expense of
Duryodhana. Besides this, the Lord also desired that King Yudhiṣṭhira
be pacified by the words of Bhīṣmadeva so that the world could see that
Bhīṣmadeva excelled all in knowledge, including the Lord Himself.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.46
Since
I am not staying here, I will make my devotee Bhīṣma happy by showing
myself along with my followers to him since he does not want to die
without seeing me, and his death is now approaching. I will have him
instruct Yudhiṣṭhira in order to spread his glories to the world. This
verse conveys this wish of the Lord.
Vyāsādyair īśvarehājñaiḥ
means “by Vyāsa and other sages who either knew or did not know the
above-mentioned intention of the Lord.” Kṛṣṇa performed a remarkable
action (adbhūta-karmaṇā) of entering Yudhiṣṭhira’s heart and making him
lose his sense of judgment. Kṛṣṇa made him completely incapable of
understanding the teachings of himself and Vyāsa. By having Bhīṣma
enlighten him, the Lord announced to the world that Bhīsma, his pure
devotee, had more knowledge of dharma than Vyāsa, other sages, or even
Kṛṣṇa. But because Yudhiṣṭhira had even greater prema for Kṛṣṇa than
Bhīṣma, Kṛṣṇa, though going to Dvārakā, stayed back with him because of
his request. Having approached Yudhiṣṭhira, he then created this loss
of judgment in Yudhiṣṭhira.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.46||
vyāsādyair īśvarehājnaiḥ kṛṣṇenādbhuta-karmaṇā |
prabodhito ’pītihāsair nābudhyata śucārpitaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Though instructed through stories by Vyāsa and other sages who did not
know the Lord’s intention, and though even instructed by Kṛṣṇa, who had
performed the remarkable action of bewildering Yudhiṣṭhira at this
moment, Yudhiṣṭhira became overcome with grief, and could not
understand those instructions.
He could not understand the
instructions and moreover began to lament. By the will of the Lord, he
could not comprehend their logic. His intellect was blocked by the
Lord, according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. Actually it should be explained that
even if Vyāsa and Yudhiṣṭhira did not understand the instructions, they
were enlightened with understanding by the Lord’s astonishing
activities.
TEXT - SB 1.8.47
āha rājā dharma-sutaś
cintayan suhṛdāṁ vadham
prākṛtenātmanā viprāḥ
sneha-moha-vaśaṁ gataḥ
SYNONYMS
āha—said;
rājā—King Yudhiṣṭhira; dharma-sutaḥ—the son of Dharma (Yamarāja);
cintayan—thinking of; suhṛdām—of the friends; vadham—killing;
prākṛtena—by material conception only; ātmanā—by the self; viprāḥ—O
brāhmaṇa; sneha—affection; moha—delusion; vaśam—being carried away by;
gataḥ—having gone.
TRANSLATION
King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of
Dharma, overwhelmed by the death of his friends, was aggrieved just
like a common, materialistic man. O sages, thus deluded by affection,
he began to speak.
PURPORT
King Yudhiṣṭhira, though he
was not expected to become aggrieved like a common man, became deluded
by worldly affection by the will of the Lord (just as Arjuna was
apparently deluded). A man who sees knows well that the living entity
is neither the body nor the mind, but is transcendental to the material
conception of life. The common man thinks of violence and nonviolence
in terms of the body, but that is a kind of delusion. Everyone is
duty-bound according to one's occupational duties. A kṣatriya is bound
to fight for the right cause, regardless of the opposite party. In such
discharge of duty, one should not be disturbed by annihilation of the
material body, which is only an external dress of the living soul. All
this was perfectly known to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, but by the will of
the Lord he became just like a common man because there was another
great idea behind this delusion: the King would be instructed by Bhīṣma
as Arjuna was instructed by the Lord Himself.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.47
This
verse describes Yudhiṣṭhira’s loss of discrimination. Though his self
was actually spiritual, he thought of himself materially (prākṛtena
ātmanā). But this was only a temporary imposition, by the Lord’s
desire, so that the Lord’s plan could be carried out.
TEXT - SB 1.8.48
aho me paśyatājñānaṁ
hṛdi rūḍhaṁ durātmanaḥ
pārakyasyaiva dehasya
bahvyo me 'kṣauhiṇīr hatāḥ
SYNONYMS
aho—O;
me—my; paśyata—just see; ajñānam—ignorance; hṛdi—in the heart;
rūḍham—situated in; durātmanaḥ—of the sinful; pārakyasya—meant for
others; eva—certainly; dehasya—of the body; bahvyaḥ—many, many; me—by
me; akṣauhiṇīḥ—combination of military phalanxes; hatāḥ—killed.
TRANSLATION
King
Yudhiṣṭhira said: O my lot! I am the most sinful man! Just see my
heart, which is full of ignorance! This body, which is ultimately meant
for others, has killed many, many phalanxes of men.
PURPORT
A
solid phalanx of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 109,650 infantry
and 65,600 cavalry is called an akṣauhiṇī. And many akṣauhiṇīs were
killed on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, as the
most pious king of the world, takes for himself the responsibility for
killing such a huge number of living beings because the battle was
fought to reinstate him on the throne. This body is, after all, meant
for others. While there is life in the body, it is meant for the
service of others, and when it is dead it is meant to be eaten by dogs
and jackals or maggots. He is sorry because for such a temporary body
such a huge massacre was committed.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.48
For my body which is food for dogs and jackals (pārakyasya) I have killed many akṣauhinīs. Vyāsa has described the akṣauhiṇī.
akṣauhiṇī prasaṁkhyātā rathānāṁ dvija-sattamāḥ |
saṁkhyā-gaṇana-tattva-jñaiḥ sahasrāny eka-viṁśatiḥ ||
śatāny upari caivāṣṭau tathā bhūyaś ca saptatiḥ |
gajānāṁ ca prasaṁkhyānam etad eva prakīrtitam ||
jñeyaṁ śata-sahasraṁ tu sahasrāni navaiva tu |
nārāṇām api pañcāśacchatāni trīṇi caiva hi ||
pañca-ṣaṣṭhi-sahasrāṇi tathāśvānāṁ śatāni ca |
daśottarāṇi ṣaṭ prāhuḥ saṁkhyā-tattva-vido janāḥ |
etām akṣauhiṇīṁ prāhur yathāvad iha saṁkhyayā ||
O
best of the brāhmaṇas! Those who understand counting know that an
akṣauhiṇī consists of 21,870 chariots and the same number of elephants.
It has 109,350 foot soldiers. It has 65,610 horses.
TEXT - SB 1.8.49
bāla-dvija-suhṛn-mitra-
pitṛ-bhrātṛ-guru-druhaḥ
na me syān nirayān mokṣo
hy api varṣāyutāyutaiḥ
SYNONYMS
bāla—boys;
dvi-ja—the twice-born; suhṛt—well-wishers; mitra—friends; pitṛ—parents;
bhrātṛ—brothers; guru—preceptors; druhaḥ—one who has killed; na—never;
me—my; syāt—there shall be; nirayāt—from hell; mokṣaḥ—liberation;
hi—certainly; api—although; varṣa—years; ayuta—millions; āyutaiḥ—being
added.
TRANSLATION
I have killed many boys, brāhmaṇas,
well-wishers, friends, parents, preceptors and brothers. Though I live
millions of years, I will not be relieved from the hell that awaits me
for all these sins.
PURPORT
Whenever there is a war,
there is certainly a massacre of many innocent living beings, such as
boys, brāhmaṇas and women, whose killing is considered to be the
greatest of sins. They are all innocent creatures, and in all
circumstances killing of them is forbidden in the scriptures. Mahārāja
Yudhiṣṭhira was aware of these mass killings. Similarly, there were
friends, parents and preceptors also on both sides, and all of them
were killed. It was simply horrible for him to think of such killing,
and therefore he was thinking of residing in hell for millions and
billions of years.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.49
Suhrt here means relatives and mitra means friends. Pitṛ means paternal uncles.
TEXT - SB 1.8.50
naino rājñaḥ prajā-bhartur
dharma-yuddhe vadho dviṣām
iti me na tu bodhāya
kalpate śāsanaṁ vacaḥ
SYNONYMS
na—never;
enaḥ—sins; rājñaḥ—of the king; prajā-bhartuḥ—of one who is engaged in
the maintenance of the citizens; dharma—for the right cause; yuddhe—in
the fight; vadhaḥ—killing; dviṣām—of the enemies; iti—all these; me—for
me; na—never; tu—but; bodhāya—for satisfaction; kalpate—they are meant
for administration; śāsanam—injunction; vacaḥ—words of.
TRANSLATION
There
is no sin for a king who kills for the right cause, who is engaged in
maintaining his citizens. But this injunction is not applicable to me.
PURPORT
Mahārāja
Yudhiṣṭhira thought that although he was not actually involved in the
administration of the kingdom, which was being carried on well by
Duryodhana without harm to the citizens, he caused the killing of so
many living beings only for his personal gain of the kingdom from the
hands of Duryodhana. The killing was committed not in the course of
administration but for the sake of self-aggrandizement, and as such he
thought himself responsible for all the sins.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.50
Killing
the enemy is not a sin. This rule does not apply, since it is an
instruction for one who is protecting the people. One is permitted to
kill those who are killing one’s citizens. Since Duryodhana was
protecting the citizens, I have committed sins, since I have killed
only out of greed for a kingdom.
Jiva's tika ||1.8.50||
naino rājnaḥ prajā-bhartur dharma-yuddhe vadho dviṣām |
iti me na tu bodhāya kalpate śāsanam vacaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
There is no sin for the king who kills the enemy in a righteous war,
protecting the citizens. This rule does not apply to me.
Killing
an enemy in a fight according to dharma is not a sin. Those words do
not apply to me because those words concern protecting the citizens
only. They do not apply to a king.
TEXT - SB 1.8.51
strīṇāṁ mad-dhata-bandhūnāṁ
droho yo 'sāv ihotthitaḥ
karmabhir gṛhamedhīyair
nāhaṁ kalpo vyapohitum
SYNONYMS
strīṇām—of
the women; mat—by me; hata-bandhūnām—of the friends who are killed;
drohaḥ—enmity; yaḥ—that; asau—all those; iha—herewith; utthitaḥ—has
accrued; karmabhiḥ—by dint of work; gṛhamedhīyaiḥ—by persons engaged in
material welfare; na—never; aham—I; kalpaḥ—can expect;
vyapohitum—undoing the same.
TRANSLATION
I have killed
many friends of women, and I have thus caused enmity to such an extent
that it is not possible to undo it by material welfare work.
PURPORT
The
gṛhamedhīs are those whose only business is to perform welfare work for
the sake of material prosperity. Such material prosperity is sometimes
hampered by sinful activities, for the materialist is sure to commit
sins, even unintentionally, in the course of discharging material
duties. To get relief from such sinful reactions, the Vedas prescribe
several kinds of sacrifices. It is said in the Vedas that by performing
the Aśvamedha-yajña (horse sacrifice) one can get relief from even
brahma-hatyā (killing of a brāhmaṇa).
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja
performed this Aśvamedha-yajña, but he thinks that even by performing
such yajñas it is not possible to get relief from the great sins
committed. In war either the husband or the brother or even the father
or sons go to fight. And when they are killed, a fresh enmity is
created, and thus a chain of actions and reactions increases which is
not possible to be counteracted even by thousands of Aśvamedha-yajñas.
The
way of work (karma) is like that. It creates one action and another
reaction simultaneously and thus increases the chain of material
activities, binding the performer in material bondage. In the
Bhagavad-gītā (Bg. 9.27-28) the remedy is suggested that such actions
and reactions of the path of work can be checked only when work is done
on behalf of the Supreme Lord. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was actually
fought by the will of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as it is evident from
His version, and only by His will was Yudhiṣṭhira placed on the throne
of Hastināpura. Therefore, factually no sin whatsoever touched the
Pāṇḍavas, who were only the order carriers of the Lord. For others, who
declare war out of personal interest, the whole responsibility lies on
them.
TEXT - SB 1.8.52
yathā paṅkena paṅkāmbhaḥ
surayā vā surākṛtam
bhūta-hatyāṁ tathaivaikāṁ
na yajñair mārṣṭum arhati
SYNONYMS
yathā—as
much as; paṅkena—by the mud; paṅka-ambhaḥ—water mixed with mud;
surayā—by wine; vā—either; surākṛtam—impurity caused by the slight
touch of wine; bhūta-hatyām—killing of animals; tathā—like that;
eva—certainly; ekām—one; na—never; yajñaiḥ—by the prescribed
sacrifices; mārṣṭum—to counteract; arhati—is worthwhile.
TRANSLATION
As
it is not possible to filter muddy water through mud, or purify a
wine-stained pot with wine, it is not possible to counteract the
killing of men by sacrificing animals.
PURPORT
Aśvamedha-yajñas
or Gomedha-yajñas, sacrifices in which a horse or a bull is sacrificed,
were not, of course, for the purpose of killing the animals. Lord
Caitanya said that such animals sacrificed on the altar of yajña were
rejuvenated and a new life was given to them. It was just to prove the
efficacy of the hymns of the Vedas. By recitation of the hymns of the
Vedas in the proper way, certainly the performer gets relief from the
reactions of sins, but in case of such sacrifices improperly done under
inexpert management, surely one has to become responsible for animal
sacrifice. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy there is no possibility
of performing the yajñas perfectly for want of expert brāhmaṇas who are
able to conduct such yajñas. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira therefore gives a
hint to performing sacrifices in the age of Kali. In the Kali-yuga the
only sacrifice recommended is the performance of hari-nāma-yajña
inaugurated by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But one should not indulge
in animal killing and counteract it by performing the hari-nāma yajña.
Those who are devotees of the Lord never kill an animal for
self-interest, and (as the Lord ordered Arjuna) they do not refrain
from performing the duty of a kṣatriya. The whole purpose, therefore,
is served when everything is done for the will of the Lord. This is
possible only for the devotees.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.8.52
yathā paṅkena paṅkāmbhaḥ surayā vā surākṛtam |
bhūta-hatyāṁ tathaivaikāṁ na yajñair mārṣṭum arhati ||
“Śruti
says sarvaṁ pāpmānaṁ tarati brahmahatyāṁ yo ’śvamedhena yajate: he who
performs a horse sacrifice is purified of all sins, even the sin of
killing a brāhmaṇa. Therefore you can purify yourself by a horse
sacrifice.”
Just as thick mud cannot purify muddy water, and an
object made impure by contact with wine cannot become pure by washing
it with a lot of wine, one cannot be purified of killing by the
performance of many sacrifices which has intentional killing of animals
as a major part.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the
First Canto, Eighth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled
"Prayers by Queen Kuntī and Parīkṣit Saved."
9. The Passing Away of Bhīṣmadeva in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa
verses:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49
TEXT - SB 1.9.1
sūta uvāca
iti bhītaḥ prajā-drohāt
sarva-dharma-vivitsayā
tato vinaśanaṁ prāgād
yatra deva-vrato 'patat
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said; iti—thus; bhītaḥ—being afraid of;
prajā-drohāt—because of killing the subjects; sarva—all; dharma—acts of
religion; vivitsayā—for understanding; tataḥ—thereafter; vinaśanam—the
place where the fight was held; prāgāt—he went; yatra—where;
deva-vrataḥ—Bhīṣmadeva; apatat—lay down for passing away.
TRANSLATION
Sūta
Gosvāmī said: Being afraid for having killed so many subjects on the
Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira went to the scene of
the massacre. There, Bhīṣmadeva was lying on a bed of arrows, about to
pass away.
PURPORT
In this Ninth Chapter, as it is willed
by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣmadeva will impart instructions to King
Yudhiṣṭhira on the subject of occupational duties. Bhīṣmadeva will also
offer his last prayer to the Lord on the verge of passing away from
this mortal world and thus become liberated from the bondage of further
material engagements. Bhīṣmadeva was endowed with the power of leaving
his material body at will, and his lying down on the bed of arrows was
his own choice. This passing away of the great warrior attracted the
attention of all the contemporary elites, and all of them assembled
there to show their feelings of love, respect and affection for the
great soul.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.1
In
the ninth chapter Bhīṣma sees Kṛṣṇa, and at his request speaks on
dharma. Being praised profusely, filled with devotion, he attains the
Lord.
When all present agreed that the correct advice was to ask
Bhīṣma - who knew all dharmas - whether Yudhiṣṭhira had lost his sense
of judgment, Yudhiṣṭhira went to Kurukṣetra to meet Bhīṣma. Vivitsayā
means with a desire to examine. Vinaśanam refers to Kurukṣetra.
Devavrataḥ is Bhīṣma.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.1||
iti bhītaḥ prajā-drohāt sarva-dharma-vivitsayā |
tato vinaśanam prāgād yatra deva-vrato ’patat ||
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: Being fearful because of having committed violence against
the population, Yudhiṣṭhira, desiring to examine all dharmas, went to
Kurukṣetra where Bhīṣma had fallen.
In order to show the
glories of Bhīṣma, by the will of the Lord there was recognition of his
influence. That is described in four verses.
TEXT - SB 1.9.2
tadā te bhrātaraḥ sarve
sadaśvaiḥ svarṇa-bhūṣitaiḥ
anvagacchan rathair viprā
vyāsa-dhaumyādayas tathā
SYNONYMS
tadā—at
that time; te—all of them; bhrātaraḥ—the brothers; sarve—all together;
sat-aśvaiḥ—drawn by first-class horses; svarṇa—gold; bhūṣitaiḥ—being
decorated with; anvagacchan—followed one after another; rathaiḥ—on the
chariots; viprāḥ—O brāhmaṇas; vyāsa—the sage Vyāsa; dhaumya—Dhaumya;
ādayaḥ—and others; tathā—also.
TRANSLATION
At that time
all his brothers followed him on beautiful chariots drawn by
first-class horses decorated with gold ornaments. With them were Vyāsa
and ṛṣis like Dhaumya [the learned priest of the Pāṇḍavas] and others.
TEXT - SB 1.9.3
bhagavān api viprarṣe
rathena sa-dhanañjayaḥ
sa tair vyarocata nṛpaḥ
kuvera iva guhyakaiḥ
SYNONYMS
bhagavān—the
Personality of Godhead (Śrī Kṛṣṇa); api—also; vipra-ṛṣe—O sage among
the brāhmaṇas; rathena—on the chariot; sa-dhanañjayaḥ—with Dhanañjaya
(Arjuna); saḥ—He; taiḥ—by them; vyarocata—appeared to be highly
aristocratic; nṛpaḥ—the King (Yudhiṣṭhira); kuvera—Kuvera, the
treasurer of the demigods; iva—as; guhyakaiḥ—companions known as
Guhyakas.
TRANSLATION
O sage amongst the brāhmaṇas, Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, also followed, seated on a
chariot with Arjuna. Thus King Yudhiṣṭhira appeared very aristocratic,
like Kuvera surrounded by his companions [the Guhyakas].
PURPORT
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa wanted the Pāṇḍavas to be present before Bhīṣmadeva in the
most aristocratic order so that he might be pleased to see them happy
at the time of his death. Kuvera is the richest of all the demigods,
and herein King Yudhiṣṭhira appeared like him (Kuvera), for the
procession along with Śrī Kṛṣṇa was quite appropriate to the royalty of
King Yudhiṣṭhira.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.3
Kṛṣṇa also followed behind Yudhiṣṭhira.
TEXT - SB 1.9.4
dṛṣṭvā nipatitaṁ bhūmau
divaś cyutam ivāmaram
praṇemuḥ pāṇḍavā bhīṣmaṁ
sānugāḥ saha cakriṇā
SYNONYMS
dṛṣṭvā—thus
seeing; nipatitam—lying down; bhūmau—on the ground; divaḥ—from the sky;
cyutam—fallen; iva—like; amaram—demigod; praṇemuḥ—bowed down;
pāṇḍavāḥ—the sons of Pāṇḍu; bhīṣmam—unto Bhīṣma; sa-anugāḥ—with the
younger brothers; saha—also with; cakriṇā—the Lord (carrying the disc).
TRANSLATION
Seeing
him [Bhīṣma] lying on the ground, like a demigod fallen from the sky,
the Pāṇḍava King Yudhiṣṭhira, along with his younger brothers and Lord
Kṛṣṇa, bowed down before him.
PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa was also
a younger cousin of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira as well as the intimate friend
of Arjuna. But all the family members of the Pāṇḍavas knew Lord Kṛṣṇa
as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord, although conscious of
His supreme position, always behaved in a humanly custom, and so He
also bowed down before the dying Bhīṣmadeva as if He were one of the
younger brothers of King Yudhiṣṭhira.
TEXT - SB 1.9.5
tatra brahmarṣayaḥ sarve
devarṣayaś ca sattama
rājarṣayaś ca tatrāsan
draṣṭuṁ bharata-puṅgavam
SYNONYMS
tatra—there;
brahma-ṛṣayaḥ—ṛṣis among the brāhmaṇas; sarve—all; deva-ṛṣayaḥ—ṛṣis
among the demigods; ca—and; sattama—situated in the quality of
goodness; rāja-ṛṣayaḥ—ṛṣis among the kings; ca—and; tatra—in that
place; āsan—were present; draṣṭum—just to see; bharata—the descendants
of King Bharata; puṅgavam—the chief of.
TRANSLATION
Just
to see the chief of the descendants of King Bharata [Bhīṣma], all the
great souls in the universe, namely the ṛṣis amongst the demigods,
brāhmaṇas and kings, all situated in the quality of goodness, were
assembled there.
PURPORT
The ṛṣis are those who have
attained perfection by spiritual achievements. Such spiritual
achievements can be earned by all, whether one is a king or a
mendicant. Bhīṣmadeva himself was also one of the brahmarṣis and the
chief of the descendants of King Bharata. All ṛṣis are situated in the
quality of goodness. All of them assembled there on hearing the news of
the great warrior's impending death.
TEXT - SB 1.9.6-7
parvato nārado dhaumyo
bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ
bṛhadaśvo bharadvājaḥ
saśiṣyo reṇukā-sutaḥ
vasiṣṭha indrapramadas
trito gṛtsamado 'sitaḥ
kakṣīvān gautamo 'triś ca
kauśiko 'tha sudarśanaḥ
SYNONYMS
parvataḥ—Parvata
Muni; nāradaḥ—Nārada Muni; dhaumyaḥ—Dhaumya; bhagavān—incarnation of
Godhead; bādarāyaṇaḥ—Vyāsadeva; bṛhadaśvaḥ—Bṛhadaśva;
bharadvājaḥ—Bharadvāja; sa-śiṣyaḥ—along with disciples;
reṇukā-sutaḥ—Paraśurāma; vasiṣṭhaḥ—Vasiṣṭha;
indrapramadaḥ—Indrapramada; tritaḥ—Trita; gṛtsamadaḥ—Gṛtsamada;
asitaḥ—Asita; kakṣīvān—Kakṣīvān; gautamaḥ—Gautama; atriḥ—Atri; ca—and;
kauśikaḥ—Kauśika; atha—as well as; sudarśanaḥ—Sudarśana.
TRANSLATION
All
the sages like Parvata Muni, Nārada, Dhaumya, Vyāsa the incarnation of
God, Bṛhadaśva, Bharadvāja and Paraśurāma and disciples, Vasiṣṭha,
Indrapramada, Trita, Gṛtsamada, Asita, Kakṣīvān, Gautama, Atri, Kauśika
and Sudarśana were present.
PURPORT
Parvata Muni: is
considered to be one of the oldest sages. He is almost always a
constant companion of Nārada Muni. They are also spacemen competent to
travel in the air without the help of any material vehicle. Parvata
Muni is also a devarṣi, or a great sage amongst the demigods, like
Nārada. He was present along with Nārada at the sacrificial ceremony of
Mahārāja Janamejaya, son of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. In this sacrifice all
the snakes of the world were to be killed. Parvata Muni and Nārada Muni
are called Gandharvas also because they can travel in the air singing
the glories of the Lord. Since they can travel in the air, they
observed Draupadī's svayaṁvara ceremony (selecting of her own husband)
from the air. Like Nārada Muni, Parvata Muni also used to visit the
royal assembly in the heaven of King Indra. As a Gandharva, sometimes
he visited the royal assembly of Kuvera, one of the important demigods.
Both Nārada and Parvata were once in trouble with the daughter of
Mahārāja Sṛñjaya. Mahārāja Sṛñjaya got the benediction of a son by
Parvata Muni.
Nārada Muni: is inevitably associated with the
narrations of the Purāṇas. He is described in the Bhāgavatam. In his
previous life he was the son of a maidservant, but by good association
with pure devotees he became enlightened in devotional service, and in
the next life he became a perfect man comparable with himself only. In
the Mahābhārata his name is mentioned in many places. He is the
principle devarṣi, or the chief sage amongst the demigods. He is the
son and disciple of Brahmājī, and from him the disciplic succession in
the line of Brahmā has been spread. He initiated Prahlāda Mahārāja,
Dhruva Mahārāja and many celebrated devotees of the Lord. He initiated
even Vyāsadeva, the author of the Vedic literatures, and from
Vyāsadeva, Madhvācārya was initiated, and thus the Madhva-sampradāya,
in which the Gauḍīya-sampradāya is also included, has spread all over
the universe. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu belonged to this
Madhva-sampradāya; therefore, Brahmājī, Nārada, Vyāsa, down to Madhva,
Caitanya and the Gosvāmīs all belonged to the same line of disciplic
succession. Nāradajī has instructed many kings from time immemorial. In
the Bhāgavatam we can see that he instructed Prahlāda Mahārāja while he
was in the womb of his mother, and he instructed Vasudeva, father of
Kṛṣṇa, as well as Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
Dhaumya:A great sage who
practiced severe penances at Utkocaka Tīrtha and was appointed royal
priest of the Pāṇḍava kings. He acted as the priest in many religious
functions of the Pāṇḍavas (saṁskāra), and also each of the Pāṇḍavas was
attended by him at the betrothal of Draupadī. He was present even
during the exile of the Pāṇḍavas and used to advise them in
circumstances when they were perplexed. He instructed them how to live
incognito for one year, and his instructions were strictly followed by
the Pāṇḍavas during that time. His name is mentioned also when the
general funeral ceremony was performed after the Battle of Kurukṣetra.
In the Anuṣāsana-parva of Mahābhārata (127.15-16), he gave religious
instructions very elaborately to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was actually
the right type of priest of a householder, for he could guide the
Pāṇḍavas on the right path of religion. A priest is meant for guiding
the householder progressively in the right path of āśrama-dharma, or
the occupational duty of a particular caste. There is practically no
difference between the family priest and the spiritual master. The
sages, saints and brāhmaṇas were especially meant for such functions.
Bādarāyaṇa(Vyāsadeva):
He is known as Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana, Dvaipāyana, Satyavatī-suta,
Pārāśarya, Parāśarātmaja, Bādarāyaṇa, Vedavyāsa, etc. He was the son of
Mahāmuni Parāśara in the womb of Satyavatī prior to her betrothal with
Mahārāja Śantanu, the father of the great general Grandfather
Bhīṣmadeva. He is a powerful incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, and he broadcasts
the Vedic wisdom to the world. As such, Vyāsadeva is offered respects
before one chants the Vedic literature, especially the Purāṇas.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī was his son, and ṛṣis like Vaiśampāyana were his
disciples for different branches of the Vedas. He is the author of the
great epic Mahābhārata and the great transcendental literature
Bhāgavatam. The Brahma-sūtras—the Vedānta-sūtras, or
Bādarāyaṇa-sūtras—were compiled by him. Amongst sages he is the most
respected author by dint of severe penances. When he wanted to record
the great epic Mahābhārata for the welfare of all people in the age of
Kali, he was feeling the necessity of a powerful writer who could take
up his dictation. By the order of Brahmājī, Śrī Gaṇeśajī took up the
charge of noting down the dictation on the condition that Vyāsadeva
would not stop dictation for a moment. The Mahābhārata was thus
compiled by the joint endeavor of Vyāsa and Gaṇeśa.
By the order
of his mother, Satyavatī, who was later married to Mahārāja Śantanu,
and by the request of Bhīṣmadeva, the eldest son of Mahārāja Śantanu by
his first wife, the Ganges, he begot three brilliant sons, whose names
are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu and Vidura. The Mahābhārata was compiled by
Vyāsadeva after the Battle of Kurukṣetra and after the death of all the
heroes of Mahābhārata. It was first spoken in the royal assembly of
Mahārāja Janamejaya, the son of Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
Bṛhadaśva:An
ancient sage who used to meet Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira now and then. First
of all he met Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira at Kāmyavana. This sage narrated the
history of Mahārāja Nala. There is another Bṛhadaśva, who is the son of
the Ikṣvāku dynasty (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 209.4-5)
Bharadvāja:He
is one of the seven great ṛṣis and was present at the time of the birth
ceremony of Arjuna. The powerful ṛṣi sometimes undertook severe
penances on the shore of the Ganges, and his āśrama is still celebrated
at Prayāgadhāma. It is learned that this ṛṣi, while taking bath in the
Ganges, happened to meet Ghṛtacī, one of the beautiful society girls of
heaven, and thus he discharged semen, which was kept and preserved in
an earthen pot and from which Droṇa was born. So Droṇācārya is the son
of Bharadvāja Muni. Others say that Bharadvāja the father of Droṇa is a
different person from Maharṣi Bharadvāja. He was a great devotee of
Brahmā. Once he approached Droṇācārya and requested him to stop the
Battle of Kurukṣetra.
Paraśurāma,or Reṇukāsuta: He is the son of
Maharṣi Jamadagni and Śrīmatī Reṇukā. Thus he is also known as
Reṇukāsuta. He is one of the powerful incarnations of God, and he
killed the kṣatriya community as a whole twenty-one times. With the
blood of the kṣatriyas he pleased the souls of his forefathers. Later
on he underwent severe penances at the Mahendra Parvata. After taking
the whole earth from the kṣatriyas, he gave it in charity to Kaśyapa
Muni. Paraśurāma instructed the Dhanur-veda, or the science of
fighting, to Droṇācārya because he happened to be a brāhmaṇa. He was
present during the coronation of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he
celebrated the function along with other great ṛṣis.
Paraśurāma
is so old that he met both Rāma and Kṛṣṇa at different times. He fought
with Rāma, but he accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He also praised Arjuna when he saw him with Kṛṣṇa. When Bhīṣma refused
to marry Ambā, who wanted him to become her husband, Ambā met
Paraśurāma, and by her request only, he asked Bhīṣmadeva to accept her
as his wife. Bhīṣma refused to obey his order, although he was one of
the spiritual masters of Bhīṣmadeva. Paraśurāma fought with Bhīṣmadeva
when Bhīṣma neglected his warning. Both of them fought very severely,
and at last Paraśurāma was pleased with Bhīṣma and gave him the
benediction of becoming the greatest fighter in the world.
Vasiṣṭha:The
great celebrated sage among the brāhmaṇas, well known as the Brahmarṣi
Vasiṣṭhadeva. He is a prominent figure in both the Rāmāyaṇa and
Mahābhārata periods. He celebrated the coronation ceremony of the
Personality of Godhead Śrī Rāma. He was present also on the Battlefield
of Kurukṣetra. He could approach all the higher and lower planets, and
his name is also connected with the history of Hiraṇyakaśipu. There was
a great tension between him and Viśvāmitra, who wanted his kāmadhenu,
wish-fulfilling cow. Vasiṣṭha Muni refused to spare his kāmadhenu, and
for this Viśvāmitra killed his one hundred sons. As a perfect brāhmaṇa
he tolerated all the taunts of Viśvāmitra. Once he tried to commit
suicide on account of Viśvāmitra's torture, but all his attempts were
unsuccessful. He jumped from a hill, but the stones on which he fell
became a stack of cotton, and thus he was saved. He jumped into the
ocean, but the waves washed him ashore. He jumped into the river, but
the river also washed him ashore. Thus all his suicide attempts were
unsuccessful. He is also one of the seven ṛṣis and husband of
Arundhatī, the famous star.
Indrapramada: Another celebrated ṛṣi.
Trita:
One of the three sons of Prajāpati Gautama. He was the third son, and
his other two brothers were known as Ekat and Dvita. All the brothers
were great sages and strict followers of the principles of religion. By
dint of severe penances they were promoted to Brahmaloka (the planet
where Brahmājī lives). Once Trita Muni fell into a well. He was an
organizing worker of many sacrifices, and as one of the great sages he
also came to show respect to Bhīṣmajī at his deathbed. He was one of
the seven sages in the Varuṇaloka. He hailed from the Western countries
of the world. As such, most probably he belonged to the European
countries. At that time the whole world was under one Vedic culture.
Gṛtsamada:One
of the sages of the heavenly kingdom. He was a close friend of Indra,
the King of heaven, and was as great as Bṛhaspati. He used to visit the
royal assembly of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he also visited the place
where Bhīṣmadeva breathed his last. Sometimes he explained the glories
of Lord Śiva before Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was the son of Vitahavya,
and he resembled in features the body of Indra. Sometimes the enemies
of Indra mistook him to be Indra and arrested him. He was a great
scholar of the Ṛg-veda, and thus he was highly respected by the
brāhmaṇa community. He lived a life of celibacy and was powerful in
every respect.
Asita:There was a king of the same name, but
herein the Asita mentioned is the Asita Devala Ṛṣi, a great powerful
sage of the time. He explained to his father 1,500,000 verses from the
Mahābhārata. He was one of the members in the snake sacrifice of
Mahārāja Janamejaya. He was also present during the coronation ceremony
of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira along with other great ṛṣis. He also gave
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira instructions while he was on the Añjana Hill. He
was also one of the devotees of Lord Śiva.
Kakṣīvān:One of the
sons of Gautama Muni and the father of the great sage Candakausika. He
was one of the members of Parliament of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
Atri:Atri
Muni was a great brāhmaṇa sage and was one of the mental sons of
Brahmājī. Brahmājī is so powerful that simply by thinking of a son he
can have it. These sons are known as mānasa-putras. Out of seven
mānasa-putras of Brahmājī and out of the seven great brāhmaṇa sages,
Atri was one. In his family the great Pracetās were also born. Atri
Muni had two kṣatriya sons who became kings. King Arthama is one of
them. He is counted as one of the twenty-one prajāpatis. His wife's
name was Anasūyā, and he helped Mahārāja Parīkṣit in his great
sacrifices.
Kauśika:One of the permanent ṛṣi members in the
royal assembly of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He sometimes met Lord Kṛṣṇa.
There are several other sages of the same name.
Sudarśana:This
wheel which is accepted by the Personality of Godhead (Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa)
as His personal weapon is the most powerful weapon, greater than the
brahmāstras or similar other disastrous weapons. In some of the Vedic
literatures it is said that Agnideva, the fire-god, presented this
weapon to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but factually this weapon is eternally
carried by the Lord. Agnideva presented this weapon to Kṛṣṇa in the
same way that Rukmiṇī was given by Mahārāja Rukma to the Lord. The Lord
accepts such presentations from His devotees, even though such
presentations are eternally His property. There is an elaborate
description of this weapon in the Ādi-parva of the Mahābhārata. Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa used this weapon to kill Śiśupāla, a rival of the Lord. He
also killed Śālva by this weapon, and sometimes He wanted His friend
Arjuna to use it to kill his enemies (Mahābhārata, Virāṭa-parva 56.3).
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.6-7
Renukā-suta is Paraśurāma. Brahma-rāta is Śukadeva. Āṅgirasa is Bṛhaspati.
TEXT - SB 1.9.8
anye ca munayo brahman
brahmarātādayo 'malāḥ
śiṣyair upetā ājagmuḥ
kaśyapāṅgirasādayaḥ
SYNONYMS
anye—many
others; ca—also; munayaḥ—sages; brahman—O brāhmaṇas;
brahmarāta—Śukadeva Gosvāmī; ādayaḥ—and such others; amalāḥ—completely
purified; śiṣyaiḥ—by the disciples; upetāḥ—accompanied;
ājagmuḥ—arrived; kaśyapa—Kaśyapa; āṅgirasa—Āṅgirasa; ādayaḥ—others.
TRANSLATION
And
many others like Śukadeva Gosvāmī and other purified souls, Kaśyapa and
Āṅgirasa and others, all accompanied by their respective disciples,
arrived there.
PURPORT
Śukadeva Gosvāmī (Brahmarāta): The
famous son and disciple of Śrī Vyāsadeva, who taught him first the
Mahābhārata and then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śukadeva Gosvāmī recited
1,400,000 verses of the Mahābhārata in the councils of the Gandharvas,
Yakṣas and Rākṣasas, and he recited Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the first
time in the presence of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He thoroughly studied all
the Vedic literatures from his great father. Thus he was a completely
purified soul by dint of his extensive knowledge in the principles of
religion. From Mahābhārata, Sabhā-parva (4.11) it is understood that he
was also present in the royal assembly of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and at
the fasting of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. As a bona fide disciple of Śrī
Vyāsadeva, he inquired from his father very extensively about religious
principles and spiritual values, and his great father also satisfied
him by teaching him the yoga system by which one can attain the
spiritual kingdom, the difference between fruitive work and empiric
knowledge, the ways and means of attaining spiritual realization, the
four āśramas (namely the student life, the householder's life, the
retired life and the renounced life), the sublime position of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the process of seeing Him eye to eye,
the bona fide candidate for receiving knowledge, the consideration of
the five elements, the unique position of intelligence, the
consciousness of the material nature and the living entity, the
symptoms of the self-realized soul, the working principles of the
material body, the symptoms of the influential modes of nature, the
tree of perpetual desire, and psychic activities. Sometimes he went to
the sun planet with the permission of his father and Nāradajī.
Descriptions of his travel in space are given in the Śānti-parva of the
Mahābhārata (332). At last he attained the transcendental realm. He is
known by different names like Araṇeya, Aruṇisuta, Vaiyāsaki and
Vyāsātmaja.
Kaśyapa:One of the prajāpatis, the son of Marīci and
one of the sons-in-law of Prajāpati Dakṣa. He is the father of the
gigantic bird Garuḍa, who was given elephants and tortoises as
eatables. He married thirteen daughters of Prajāpati Dakṣa, and their
names are Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kāṣṭhā, Ariṣṭā, Surasā, Ilā, Muni,
Krodhavaśā, Tāmrā, Surabhi, Saramā and Timi. He begot many children,
both demigods and demons, by those wives. From his first wife, Aditi,
all the twelve Ādityas were born; one of them is Vāmana, the
incarnation of Godhead. This great sage, Kaśyapa, was also present at
the time of Arjuna's birth. He received a presentation of the whole
world from Paraśurāma, and later on he asked Paraśurāma to go out of
the world. His other name is Ariṣṭanemi. He lives on the northern side
of the universe.
Āṅgirasa:He is the son of Maharṣi Aṅgirā and is
known as Bṛhaspati, the priest of the demigods. It is said that
Droṇācārya was his partial incarnation. Śukrācārya was the spiritual
master of the demons, and Bṛhaspati challenged him. His son is Kaca,
and he delivered the fire weapon first to Bharadvāja Muni. He begot six
sons (like the fire-god) by his wife Candramāsī, one of the reputed
stars. He could travel in space, and therefore he could present himself
even in the planets of Brahmaloka and Indraloka. He advised the King of
heaven, Indra, about conquering the demons. Once he cursed Indra, who
thus had to become a hog on the earth and was unwilling to return to
heaven. Such is the power of the attraction of the illusory energy.
Even a hog does not wish to part with its earthly possessions in
exchange for a heavenly kingdom. He was the religious preceptor of the
natives of different planets.
TEXT - SB 1.9.9
tān sametān mahā-bhāgān
upalabhya vasūttamaḥ
pūjayām āsa dharma-jño
deśa-kāla-vibhāgavit
SYNONYMS
tān—all
of them; sametān—assembled together; mahā-bhāgān—all greatly powerful;
upalabhya—having received; vasu-uttamaḥ—the best among the Vasus
(Bhīṣmadeva); pūjayām āsa—welcomed; dharma-jñaḥ—one who knows religious
principles; deśa—place; kāla—time; vibhāga-vit—one who knows the
adjustment of place and time.
TRANSLATION
Bhīṣmadeva, who
was the best amongst the eight Vasus, received and welcomed all the
great and powerful ṛṣis who were assembled there, for he knew perfectly
all the religious principles according to time and place.
PURPORT
Expert
religionists know perfectly well how to adjust religious principles in
terms of time and place. All the great ācāryas or religious preachers
or reformers of the world executed their mission by adjustment of
religious principles in terms of time and place. There are different
climates and situations in different parts of the world, and if one has
to discharge his duties to preach the message of the Lord, he must be
expert in adjusting things in terms of the time and place. Bhīṣmadeva
was one of the twelve great authorities in preaching this cult of
devotional service, and therefore he could receive and welcome all the
powerful sages assembled there at his deathbed from all parts of the
universe. He was certainly unable at that time to welcome and receive
them physically because he was neither at his home nor in a normal
healthy condition. But he was quite fit by the activities of his sound
mind, and therefore he could utter sweet words with hearty expressions,
and all of them were well received. One can perform one's duty by
physical work, by mind and by words. And he knew well how to utilize
them in the proper place, and therefore there was no difficulty for him
to receive them, although physically unfit.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.9
Vasūttama is Bhīṣma.
TEXT - SB 1.9.10
kṛṣṇaṁ ca tat-prabhāva-jña
āsīnaṁ jagad-īśvaram
hṛdi-sthaṁ pūjayām āsa
māyayopātta-vigraham
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇam—unto
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; ca—also; tat—of Him; prabhāva-jñaḥ—the knower of the
glories (Bhīṣma); āsīnam—sitting; jagat-īśvaram—the Lord of the
universe; hṛdi-stham—situated in the heart; pūjayām āsa—worshiped;
māyayā—by internal potency; upātta—manifested; vigraham—a form.
TRANSLATION
Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, yet He manifests His
transcendental form by His internal potency. This very Lord was sitting
before Bhīṣmadeva, and since Bhīṣmadeva knew of His glories, he
worshiped Him duly.
PURPORT
The Lord's omnipotency is
displayed by His simultaneous presence in every place. He is present
always in His eternal abode Goloka Vṛndāvana, and still He is present
in everyone's heart and even within every invisible atom. When He
manifests His eternal transcendental form in the material world, He
does so by His internal potency. The external potency, or the material
energy, has nothing to do with His eternal form. All these truths were
known to Śrī Bhīṣmadeva, who worshiped Him accordingly.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.10
Māyayopātta-vigraham
can mean Kṛṣṇa who had a conflict (vigraha) with Yudhiṣṭhira by
covering up his discrimination with his yoga-māyā. Or it means Kṛṣṇa
who brought himself before the eyes of Bhīṣma (upātta) by his mercy
(māyayā).
Jiva's tika ||1.9.10||
kṛṣṇam ca tat-prabhāva-jna āsīnam jagad-īśvaram |
hṛdi-stham pūjayām āsa māyayopātta-vigraham ||
TRANSLATION
Bhīṣma, understanding Kṛṣṇa’s powers, worshipped Kṛṣṇa, the lord of the
universe, situated within the heart, who was seated there and who had
come before Bhīṣma out of great mercy.
Kṛṣṇa was situated in
the hearts of his devotees. But by his mercy (māyayā) he brought his
form before Bhīṣma’s eyes (upātta-vigraham).
TEXT - SB 1.9.11
pāṇḍu-putrān upāsīnān
praśraya-prema-saṅgatān
abhyācaṣṭānurāgāśrair
andhībhūtena cakṣuṣā
SYNONYMS
pāṇḍu—the
late father of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers; putrān—the sons
of; upāsīnān—sitting silently nearby; praśraya—being overtaken;
prema—in feelings of love; saṅgatān—having gathered;
abhyācaṣṭa—congratulated; anurāga—feelingly; aśraiḥ—by tears of
ecstasy; andhībhūtena—overwhelmed; cakṣuṣā—with his eyes.
TRANSLATION
The
sons of Mahārāja Pāṇḍu were sitting silently nearby, overtaken with
affection for their dying grandfather. Seeing this, Bhīṣmadeva
congratulated them with feeling. There were tears of ecstasy in his
eyes, for he was overwhelmed by love and affection.
PURPORT
When
Mahārāja Pāṇḍu died, his sons were all small children, and naturally
they were brought up under the affection of elderly members of the
royal family, specifically by Bhīṣmadeva. Later on, when the Pāṇḍavas
were grown up, they were cheated by cunning Duryodhana and company, and
Bhīṣmadeva, although he knew that the Pāṇḍavas were innocent and were
unnecessarily put into trouble, could not take the side of the Pāṇḍavas
for political reasons. At the last stage of his life, when Bhīṣmadeva
saw his most exalted grandsons, headed by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, sitting
very gently at his side, the great warrior-grandfather could not check
his loving tears, which were automatically flowing from his eyes. He
remembered the great tribulations suffered by his most pious grandsons.
Certainly he was the most satisfied man because of Yudhiṣṭhira's being
enthroned in place of Duryodhana, and thus he began to congratulate
them.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.11
Abhyācaṣta means “he spoke.”
Jiva's tika ||1.9.11||
pāṇdu-putrān upāsīnān praśraya-prema-sangatān |
abhyācaṣṭānurāgāśrair andhībhūtena cakṣuṣā ||
TRANSLATION His eyes blinded by tears of love, he spoke to the Pāṇdavas sitting there, filled with humility and love.
Worried
about committing offense of Bhīṣma and others, Yudhiṣṭhira was not
pacified by instructions of the sages or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa had brought him
in front of Bhīṣma to remove his worries by showing how Bhīṣma had
affection for him and by that indicating the mood of Droṇa and others.
To reveal the previous intention he speaks.
TEXT - SB 1.9.12
aho kaṣṭam aho 'nyāyyaṁ
yad yūyaṁ dharma-nandanāḥ
jīvituṁ nārhatha kliṣṭaṁ
vipra-dharmācyutāśrayāḥ
SYNONYMS
aho—oh;
kaṣṭam—what terrible sufferings; aho—oh; anyāyyam—what terrible
injustice; yat—because; yūyam—all of you good souls;
dharma-nandanāḥ—sons of religion personified; jīvitum—to remain alive;
na—never; arhatha—deserve; kliṣṭam—suffering; vipra—brāhmaṇas;
dharma—piety; acyuta—God; āśrayāḥ—being protected by.
TRANSLATION
Bhīṣmadeva
said: Oh, what terrible sufferings and what terrible injustices you
good souls suffer for being the sons of religion personified. You did
not deserve to remain alive under those tribulations, yet you were
protected by the brāhmaṇas, God and religion.
PURPORT
Mahārāja
Yudhiṣṭhira was disturbed due to the great massacre in the Battle of
Kurukṣetra. Bhīṣmadeva could understand this, and therefore he spoke
first of the terrible sufferings of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was put
into difficulty by injustice only, and the Battle of Kurukṣetra was
fought just to counteract this injustice. Therefore, he should not
regret the great massacre. He wanted to point out particularly that
they were always protected by the brāhmaṇas, the Lord and religious
principles. As long as they were protected by these three important
items, there was no cause of disappointment. Thus Bhīṣmadeva encouraged
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to dissipate his despondency. As long as a person
is fully in cooperation with the wishes of the Lord, guided by the bona
fide brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and strictly following religious
principles, one has no cause for despondency, however trying the
circumstances of life. Bhīṣmadeva, as one of the authorities in the
line, wanted to impress this point upon the Pāṇḍavas.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.12
The
words “dangerous” (kaṣṭam) and “improper” (anyāyyam) do not really
apply to the king. To whom do the words refer? The improper situation
has arisen because of Viṣṇu, the mover and maintainer of the whole
universe. You should not live your life in suffering (kliṣṭam taken
adverbially). If others live like that, that is their concern.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.12||
aho kaṣṭam aho ’nyāyyam yad yūyam dharma-nandanāḥ |
jīvitum nārhatha kliṣṭam vipra-dharmācyutāśrayāḥ ||
TRANSLATION
Having the shelter of brāhmaṇas, dharma and Kṛṣṇa, you should not live
your life in suffering since that is dangerous and improper.
It
is not proper what you have concluded (yat). Do not continue to suffer
because of confusion about killing a brāhmaṇa. You have taken shelter
of brāhmaṇas, dharma and the Lord. Or though you are the son of dharma,
it is both difficult and improper that you think that you should not
continue to live. It is also difficult and improper to suffer by
thinking that you are the shelter of brāhmaṇas, dharma and Acyuta. He
addresses Yudhiṣṭhira in the plural out of respect.
TEXT - SB 1.9.13
saṁsthite 'tirathe pāṇḍau
pṛthā bāla-prajā vadhūḥ
yuṣmat-kṛte bahūn kleśān
prāptā tokavatī muhuḥ
SYNONYMS
saṁsthite—after
the demise; ati-rathe—of the great general; pāṇḍau—Pāṇḍu; pṛthā—Kuntī;
bāla-prajā—having young children; vadhūḥ—my daughter-in-law;
yuṣmat-kṛte—on your account; bahūn—multifarious; kleśān—afflictions;
prāptā—underwent; toka-vatī—in spite of having grown-up boys;
muhuḥ—constantly.
TRANSLATION
As far as my
daughter-in-law Kuntī is concerned, upon the great General Pāṇḍu's
death, she became a widow with many children, and therefore she
suffered greatly. And when you were grown up she suffered a great deal
also because of your actions.
PURPORT
The sufferings of
Kuntīdevī are doubly lamented. She suffered greatly because of early
widowhood and to get her minor children brought up in the royal family.
And when her children were grown up, she continued to suffer because of
her sons' actions. So her sufferings continued. This means that she was
destined to suffer by providence, and this one has to tolerate without
being disturbed.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.13
“What
was the suffering?” This verse describes it. Being alone with young
children causes much suffering. Though you are now grown up, she
underwent great suffering with you as a young child.
TEXT - SB 1.9.14
sarvaṁ kāla-kṛtaṁ manye
bhavatāṁ ca yad-apriyam
sapālo yad-vaśe loko
vāyor iva ghanāvaliḥ
SYNONYMS
sarvam—all
this; kāla-kṛtam—done by inevitable time; manye—I think; bhavatām
ca—for you also; yat—whatever; apriyam—detestable; sa-pālaḥ—with the
rulers; yat-vaśe—under the control of that time; lokaḥ—everyone in
every planet; vāyoḥ—the wind carries; iva—as; ghana-āvaliḥ—a line of
clouds.
TRANSLATION
In my opinion, this is all due to
inevitable time, under whose control everyone in every planet is
carried, just as the clouds are carried by the wind.
PURPORT
There
is control by time all over the space within the universe, as there is
control by time all over the planets. All the big gigantic planets,
including the sun, are being controlled by the force of air, as the
clouds are carried by the force of air. Similarly, the inevitable kāla,
or time, controls even the action of the air and other elements.
Everything, therefore, is controlled by the supreme kāla, a forceful
representative of the Lord within the material world. Thus Yudhiṣṭhira
should not be sorry for the inconceivable action of time. Everyone has
to bear the actions and reactions of time as long as one is within the
conditions of the material world. Yudhiṣṭhira should not think that he
had committed sins in his previous birth and is suffering the
consequence. Even the most pious has to suffer the condition of
material nature. But a pious man is faithful to the Lord, for he is
guided by the bona fide brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava following the religious
principles. These three guiding principles should be the aim of life.
One should not be disturbed by the tricks of eternal time. Even the
great controller of the universe, Brahmājī, is also under the control
of that time; therefore, one should not grudge being thus controlled by
time despite being a true follower of religious principles.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.14
What
is the cause of our suffering? It cannot be said, since I do not see
either recent or old karmas as the cause. Therefore Bhīṣma speaks words
of the common people.
“But time is simply the substratum of the
experience of happiness and distress which are prārabdha-karmas. Thus,
when you say that time is the cause, time is acting as an assistant.
Why do you not just say clearly that our suffering is our
prārabdha-karma resulting from our sins?”
Yudhiṣṭhira is well
known as the direct incarnation of dharma. If Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira) has
prārabdha-karmas, how can he have any sense of dharma? The cause is not
karma, but time, which cannot be countered and cannot be explained.
TEXT - SB 1.9.15
yatra dharma-suto rājā
gadā-pāṇir vṛkodaraḥ
kṛṣṇo 'strī gāṇḍivaṁ cāpaṁ
suhṛt kṛṣṇas tato vipat
SYNONYMS
yatra—where
there is; dharma-sutaḥ—the son of Dharmarāja; rājā—the King;
gadā-pāṇiḥ—with his mighty club in hand; vṛkodaraḥ—Bhīma;
kṛṣṇaḥ—Arjuna; astrī—carrier of the weapon; gāṇḍivam—Gāṇḍīva;
cāpam—bow; suhṛt—well-wisher; kṛṣṇaḥ—Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of
Godhead; tataḥ—thereof; vipat—reverse.
TRANSLATION
O how
wonderful is the influence of inevitable time. It is
irreversible-otherwise, how can there be reverses in the presence of
King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of the demigod controlling religion; Bhīma,
the great fighter with a club; the great bowman Arjuna with his mighty
weapon Gāṇḍīva; and above all, the Lord, the direct well-wisher of the
Pāṇḍavas?
PURPORT
As far as the material or spiritual
resources were required, there was no scarcity in the case of the
Pāṇḍavas. Materially they were well equipped because two great
warriors, namely Bhīma and Arjuna, were there. Spiritually the King
himself was the symbol of religion, and above all of them the
Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was personally concerned with
their affairs as the well-wisher. And yet there were so many reverses
on the side of the Pāṇḍavas. Despite the power of pious acts, the power
of personalities, the power of expert management and the power of
weapons under the direct supervision of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Pāṇḍavas
suffered so many practical reverses, which can only be explained as due
to the influence of kāla, inevitable time. Kāla is identical with the
Lord Himself, and therefore the influence of kāla indicates the
inexplicable wish of the Lord Himself. There is nothing to be lamented
when a matter is beyond the control of any human being.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.15
“Kapila has said:
na karhicin mat-parāḥ śānta-rūpe naṅkṣyanti no me ’nimiṣo leḍhi hetiḥ
yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca sakhā guruḥ suhṛdo daivam iṣṭam
The
devotees in the spiritual world are deprived of any enjoyment. My wheel
of time does not afflict those devotees, for whom I am a lover, the
ātmā, son, friend, elder, companion or worshipable deity. SB 3.25.38
How
then could time attack the Pāṇḍavas who were filled with dāsya, sakhya
and vātsalya for Kṛṣṇa? This is most astonishing! Without a cause, time
has produced effects, whose cause we must infer, but which looks
similar to karma.” That is the intention of this verse.
Kṛsṇa
means Arjuna, with his bow (astrī). Though you have strength of piety,
strength of body, strength of skill, strength of scriptural knowledge,
strength of friends and strength of wealth, still you lament.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.15||
yatra dharma-suto rājā gadā-pāṇir vṛkodaraḥ |
kṛṣṇo ’strī gāṇdivam cāpam suhṛt kṛṣṇas tato vipat ||
TRANSLATION
You are lamenting where there is Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma, Bhīma,
holder of the club, Arjuna holder of the bow Gāṇdiva, and your friend
Kṛṣṇa.
If, rather than thinking that your difficulties arise
from time, you think the difficulties have been self-created, you will
suffer. How did the suffering happening?
TEXT - SB 1.9.16
na hy asya karhicid rājan
pumān veda vidhitsitam
yad vijijñāsayā yuktā
muhyanti kavayo 'pi hi
SYNONYMS
na—never;
hi—certainly; asya—His; karhicit—whatsoever; rājan—O King;
pumān—anyone; veda—knows; vidhitsitam—plan; yat—which; vijijñāsayā—with
exhaustive inquiries; yuktāḥ—being engaged; muhyanti—bewildered;
kavayaḥ—great philosophers; api—even; hi—certainly.
TRANSLATION
O
King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though
great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.
PURPORT
The
bewilderment of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira over his past sinful acts and the
resultant sufferings, etc., is completely negated by the great
authority Bhīṣma (one of the twelve authorized persons). Bhīṣma wanted
to impress upon Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that since time immemorial no one,
including such demigods as Śiva and Brahmā, could ascertain the real
plan of the Lord. So what can we understand about it? It is useless
also to inquire about it. Even the exhaustive philosophical inquiries
of sages cannot ascertain the plan of the Lord. The best policy is
simply to abide by the orders of the Lord without argument. The
sufferings of the Pāṇḍavas were never due to their past deeds. The Lord
had to execute the plan of establishing the kingdom of virtue, and
therefore His own devotees suffered temporarily in order to establish
the conquest of virtue. Bhīṣmadeva was certainly satisfied by seeing
the triumph of virtue, and he was glad to see King Yudhiṣṭhira on the
throne, although he himself fought against him. Even a great fighter
like Bhīṣma could not win the Battle of Kurukṣetra because the Lord
wanted to show that vice cannot conquer virtue, regardless of who tries
to execute it. Bhīṣmadeva was a great devotee of the Lord, but he chose
to fight against the Pāṇḍavas by the will of the Lord because the Lord
wanted to show that a fighter like Bhīṣma cannot win on the wrong side.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.16
“So
what should I conclude?” Here is the general conclusion. Everyone
agrees that no one can interfere with the plans of the Kṛṣṇa and no one
can even understand what his plans are, even today. No person, starting
with Brahmā and Śiva, knows the plan of the Lord, what to speak of me!
Maybe
no one knows. But inquiry is necessary. Does he want to give us
suffering? Does he want to give us joy? Does he want to give us
suffering and happiness? It cannot be the first, because then his
quality of being affectionate to his devotee would be cancelled. It
cannot be the second option, because we have not seen any happiness. It
cannot be the third option because that would be a contradiction to his
kind nature. It is finally decided that one cannot solve the problem by
inquiry. Thus the verse says that even those who use their intelligence
to discriminate and those use knowledge of scripture are bewildered by
inquiry.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.16||
na hy asya karhicid rājan pumān veda vidhitsitam |
yad vijijnāsayā yuktā muhyanti kavayo ’pi hi ||
TRANSLATION
O King! No one can understand the plan of Kṛṣṇa because even those
engaged in reasoning and scripture are bewildered by that inquiry.
The
secret intention is as follows. The Lord performs actions to cause
absorption in him by their suffering to increase prema for himself by
joy in stopping the suffering.
TEXT - SB 1.9.17
tasmād idaṁ daiva-tantraṁ
vyavasya bharatarṣabha
tasyānuvihito 'nāthā
nātha pāhi prajāḥ prabho
SYNONYMS
tasmāt—therefore;
idam—this; daiva-tantram—enchantment of providence only;
vyavasya—ascertaining; bharata-ṛṣabha—O best among the descendants of
Bharata; tasya—by Him; anuvihitaḥ—as desired; anāthāḥ—helpless; nātha—O
master; pāhi—just take care of; prajāḥ—of the subjects; prabho—O Lord.
TRANSLATION
O
best among the descendants of Bharata [Yudhiṣṭhira], I maintain,
therefore, that all this is within the plan of the Lord. Accepting the
inconceivable plan of the Lord, you must follow it. You are now the
appointed administrative head, and, my lord, you should now take care
of those subjects who are now rendered helpless.
PURPORT
The
popular saying is that a housewife teaches the daughter-in-law by
teaching the daughter. Similarly, the Lord teaches the world by
teaching the devotee. The devotee does not have to learn anything new
from the Lord because the Lord teaches the sincere devotee always from
within. Whenever, therefore, a show is made to teach the devotee, as in
the case of the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, it is for teaching the less
intelligent men. A devotee's duty, therefore, is to ungrudgingly accept
tribulations from the Lord as a benediction. The Pāṇḍavas were advised
by Bhīṣmadeva to accept the responsibility of administration without
hesitation. The poor subjects were without protection due to the Battle
of Kurukṣetra, and they were awaiting the assumption of power by
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. A pure devotee of the Lord accepts tribulations
as favors from the Lord. Since the Lord is absolute, there is no
mundane difference between the two.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.17
Discern
(vyavasya) that this happiness and suffering (idam) is dependent on the
lord (daiva-tantram), but understand that the purpose of giving
happiness and distress to his devotee is not easily understood, since
it has already been said that his plan is hard to comprehend. Having
discerned this, follow Kṛṣṇa (tasya anuvihitaḥ) and protect the
citizens who are without a guide (anāthāḥ) to lead them to Kṛṣṇa.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.17||
tasmād idam daiva-tantram vyavasya bharatarṣabha |
tasyānuvihito ’nāthā nātha pāhi prajāḥ prabho ||
TRANSLATION
O master! O controller! Of best of the Bharata lineage! Therefore,
discerning that the suffering and happiness is dependent only on Kṛṣṇa,
follow him and protect the helpless citizens.
Following his instruction (tasmāt), protect the citizens.
TEXT - SB 1.9.18
eṣa vai bhagavān sākṣād
ādyo nārāyaṇaḥ pumān
mohayan māyayā lokaṁ
gūḍhaś carati vṛṣṇiṣu
SYNONYMS
eṣaḥ—this;
vai—positively; bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; sākṣāt—original;
ādyaḥ—the first; nārāyaṇaḥ—the Supreme Lord (who lies down on the
water); pumān—the supreme enjoyer; mohayan—bewildering; māyayā—by His
self-created energy; lokam—the planets; gūḍhaḥ—who is inconceivable;
carati—moves; vṛṣṇiṣu—among the Vṛṣṇi family.
TRANSLATION
This
Śrī Kṛṣṇa is no other than the inconceivable, original Personality of
Godhead. He is the first Nārāyaṇa, the supreme enjoyer. But He is
moving amongst the descendants of King Vṛṣṇi just like one of us and He
is bewildering us with His self-created energy.
PURPORT
The
Vedic system of acquiring knowledge is the deductive process. The Vedic
knowledge is received perfectly by disciplic succession from
authorities. Such knowledge is never dogmatic, as ill conceived by less
intelligent persons. The mother is the authority to verify the identity
of the father. She is the authority for such confidential knowledge.
Therefore, authority is not dogmatic. In the Bhagavad-gītā this truth
is confirmed in the Fourth Chapter (Bg. 4.2), and the perfect system of
learning is to receive it from authority. The very same system is
accepted universally as truth, but only the false arguer speaks against
it. For example, modern spacecraft fly in the sky, and when scientists
say that they travel to the other side of the moon, men believe these
stories blindly because they have accepted the modern scientists as
authorities. The authorities speak, and the people in general believe
them. But in the case of Vedic truths, they have been taught not to
believe. Even if they accept them they give a different interpretation.
Each and every man wants a direct perception of Vedic knowledge, but
foolishly they deny it. This means that the misguided man can believe
one authority, the scientist, but will reject the authority of the
Vedas. The result is that people have degenerated.
Here is an
authority speaking about Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the original Personality of
Godhead and the first Nārāyaṇa. Even such an impersonalist as Ācārya
Śaṅkara has said in the beginning of his commentation on the
Bhagavad-gītā that Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is beyond the
material creation. The universe is one of the material creations, but
Nārāyaṇa is transcendental to such material paraphernalia.
Bhīṣmadeva
is one of the twelve mahājanas who know the principles of
transcendental knowledge. His confirmation of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's being
the original Personality of Godhead is also corroborated by the
impersonalist Śaṅkara. All other ācāryas have also confirmed this
statement, and thus there is no chance of not accepting Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
as the original Personality of Godhead. Bhīṣmadeva says that He is the
first Nārāyaṇa. This is also confirmed by Brahmājī in the Bhāgavatam
(10.14.14). Kṛṣṇa is the first Nārāyaṇa. In the spiritual world
(Vaikuṇṭha) there are unlimited numbers of Nārāyaṇas, who are all the
same Personality of Godhead and are considered to be the plenary
expansions of the original Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The first
form of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa first expands Himself as the form of
Baladeva, and Baladeva expands in so many other forms, such as
Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Vāsudeva, Nārāyaṇa, Puruṣa, Rāma and
Nṛsiṁha. All these expansions are one and the same viṣṇu-tattva, and
Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original source of all the plenary expansions. He is
therefore the direct Personality of Godhead. He is the creator of the
material world, and He is the predominating Deity known as Nārāyaṇa in
all the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Therefore, His movements amongst human
beings is another sort of bewilderment. The Lord therefore says in the
Bhagavad-gītā that foolish persons consider Him to be one of the human
beings without knowing the intricacies of His movements.
The
bewilderment regarding Śrī Kṛṣṇa is due to the action of His twofold
internal and external energies upon the third one, called marginal
energy. The living entities are expansions of His marginal energy, and
thus they are sometimes bewildered by the internal energy and sometimes
by the external energy. By internal energetic bewilderment, Śrī Kṛṣṇa
expands Himself into unlimited numbers of Nārāyaṇas and exchanges or
accepts transcendental loving service from the living entities in the
transcendental world. And by His external energetic expansions, He
incarnates Himself in the material world amongst the men, animals or
demigods to reestablish His forgotten relation with the living entities
in different species of life. Great authorities like Bhīṣma, however,
escape His bewilderment by the mercy of the Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.18
“But
how can you say that it is all dependent on the Lord and that no one
knows the plan of the Lord, when the Lord is at this moment right in
front of you? How can you not know his plan when you can ask him?” In
reply, Bhīṣma speaks this verse. “He bewilders us with his energy.”
Even if asked by Bhīṣma, the Lord will not speak, but instead will
evade him by answering, “Am I so intelligent?” Even if he says
something, he still bewilders everyone. Therefore his plan is to be
followed, but is not subject to inquiry.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.18||
eṣa vai bhagavān sākṣād ādyo nārāyaṇaḥ pumān |
mohayan māyayā lokam gūdhaś carati vṛṣṇiṣu ||
TRANSLATION
Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, the original Nārāyaṇa, the puruṣa, who bewilders the
world with his energy, secretly moves in the Yādava family.
Though
he performs human pastimes, do not think of the Lord to be an ordinary
person. He is directly Svayam Bhagavān. Though he is the creator of the
universe (adyaḥ pumān) by his expansion, he moves among the Yādavas.
Though he is the original Nārāyaṇa (ādyaḥ nārāyaṇaḥ), lord of
Vaikuṇṭha, he moves among the Yādavas.
TEXT - SB 1.9.19
asyānubhāvaṁ bhagavān
veda guhyatamaṁ śivaḥ
devarṣir nāradaḥ sākṣād
bhagavān kapilo nṛpa
SYNONYMS
asya—of
Him; anubhāvam—glories; bhagavān—the most powerful; veda—knows;
guhya-tamam—very confidentially; śivaḥ—Lord Śiva; deva-ṛṣiḥ—the great
sage among the demigods; nāradaḥ—Nārada; sākṣāt—directly; bhagavān—the
Personality of Godhead; kapilaḥ—Kapila; nṛpa—O King.
TRANSLATION
O
King, Lord Śiva, Nārada the sage amongst the demigods, and Kapila, the
incarnation of Godhead, all know very confidentially about His glories
through direct contact.
PURPORT
Pure devotees of the Lord
are all budhas, or persons who know the glories of the Lord in
different transcendental loving services. As the Lord has innumerable
expansions of His plenary form, there are innumerable pure devotees of
the Lord, who are engaged in the exchange of service of different
humors. Ordinarily there are twelve great devotees of the Lord, namely
Brahmā, Nārada, Śiva, Kumāra, Kapila, Manu, Prahlāda, Bhīṣma, Janaka,
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Bali Mahārāja and Yamarāja. Bhīṣmadeva, although one
of them, has mentioned only three important names of the twelve who
know the glories of the Lord. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, one
of the great ācāryas in the modern age, explains that anubhāva, or the
glory of the Lord, is first appreciated by the devotee in ecstasy
manifesting the symptoms of perspiring, trembling, weeping, bodily
eruptions, etc., which are further enhanced by steady understanding of
the glories of the Lord. Such different understandings of bhāvas are
exchanged between Yaśodā and the Lord (binding the Lord by ropes) and
in the chariot driving by the Lord in the exchange of love with Arjuna.
These glories of the Lord are exhibited in His being subordinated
before His devotees, and that is another feature of the glories of the
Lord. Śukadeva Gosvāmī and the Kumāras, although situated in the
transcendental position, became converted by another feature of bhāva
and turned into pure devotees of the Lord. Tribulations imposed upon
the devotees by the Lord constitute another exchange of transcendental
bhāva between the Lord and the devotees. The Lord says "I put My
devotee into difficulty, and thus the devotee becomes more purified in
exchanging transcendental bhāva with Me." Placing the devotee into
material troubles necessitates delivering him from the illusory
material relations. The material relations are based on reciprocation
of material enjoyment, which depends mainly on material resources.
Therefore, when material resources are withdrawn by the Lord, the
devotee is cent percent attracted toward the transcendental loving
service of the Lord. Thus the Lord snatches the fallen soul from the
mire of material existence. Tribulations offered by the Lord to His
devotee are different from the tribulations resulting from vicious
action. All these glories of the Lord are especially known to the great
mahājanas like Brahmā, Śiva, Nārada, Kapila, Kumāra and Bhīṣma, as
mentioned above, and one is able to grasp it by their grace.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.19
Śiva
and others knows particular actions of Kṛṣṇa--those actions he chooses
to reveal to them (anubhāvam), but not his intentions, his real form or
his real powers. The knower of rasa-śāstras knows first of all
anubhāvas and sāttvika-bhāvas - paralysis, perspiration, hair standing
on end etc. By that he can understand the sthāyi-bhāva. By the
particular qualities and intensity of the anubhāvas, he can understand
the particular qualities and intensity of the sthāyi-bhāva. The knower
of rasa-śāstra knows the anubhāva of Kṛṣṇa being tied by a rope by the
gopīs like Yaśodā, and the dependent anubhāva of Kṛṣṇa being the
charioteer for Arjuna, Yudhiṣṭhira and Ugrasena. These are anubhāvas of
Kṛṣṇa indicating his dependence on others. The knower of rasa then
infers that there exists something special in these cases which
controls and melts the heart of even the Supreme Lord, the controller
of all, the supremely independent entity. That object, which melts the
hearts of the viṣaya and āśraya, which has many varieties, and which
brings both parties under the control of the other is called prema. It
is the crest jewel of all goals for the human being and is described by
terms such as bhakti, sneha and anurāga.
Seeing that Kṛṣṇa is
controlled more when he sees his devotees, who generate prema in him,
the knower of rasa infers that there is intense prema in the siddha and
sādhaka devotees. He then concludes that the Kṛṣṇa is cause of
difficulties for devotees, in order to increase their devotion to that
level. Śiva, Nārada and Kapila know this. One sees an increase in prema
in Draupadī and others when their difficulties increase.
yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ
tato ’dhanaṁ tyajanty asya svajanā duḥkha-duḥkhitam
If
I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then
the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him.
In this way he suffers one distress after another. SB 10.88.8
Thus
the difficulties the devotees experience are not prārabdha-karmas since
they are given by the Lord alone, who wants to benefit the devotees.
However, this is not an inclusive rule. Sometimes the Lord increases
his devotee’s bhakti without giving problems to him. Thus it is said
that no one knows the plan of the Lord. Śiva and Nārada know the
anubhāvas or symptoms in the Lord. Other foolish people do not know the
anubhāvas, like Kṛṣṇa allowing himself to be tied up. They explain it
as some sort of fake display.
TEXT - SB 1.9.20
yaṁ manyase mātuleyaṁ
priyaṁ mitraṁ suhṛttamam
akaroḥ sacivaṁ dūtaṁ
sauhṛdād atha sārathim
SYNONYMS
yam—the
person; manyase—you think; mātuleyam—maternal cousin; priyam—very dear;
mitram—friend; suhṛt-tamam—ardent well-wisher; akaroḥ—executed;
sacivam—counsel; dūtam—messenger; sauhṛdāt—by good will;
atha—thereupon; sārathim—charioteer.
TRANSLATION
O King,
that personality whom, out of ignorance only, you thought to be your
maternal cousin, your very dear friend, well-wisher, counselor,
messenger, benefactor, etc., is that very Personality of Godhead, Śrī
Kṛṣṇa.
PURPORT
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, although acting as the
cousin, brother, friend, well-wisher, counselor, messenger, benefactor,
etc., of the Pāṇḍavas, was still the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Out of His causeless mercy and favor upon His unalloyed devotees, He
performs all kinds of service, but that does not mean that He has
changed His position as the Absolute Person. To think of Him as an
ordinary man is the grossest type of ignorance.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.20
This
verse shows Kṛṣṇa’s anubhāvas or actions performed out of deep love.
Though Kṛṣṇa is the supreme lord he displays actions indicating that he
is under your control by being your counselor and messenger. The verse
is actually a continuation of the previous verse: no one knows the
actions of Kṛṣṇa whom you consider your cousin and friend.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.20||
yam manyase mātuleyam priyam mitram suhṛttamam |
akaroḥ sacivam dūtam sauhṛdād atha sārathim ||
TRANSLATION
You think of Kṛṣṇa as your cousin, as a dear friend, as your selfless
helper, and out of affection made him your counselor, messenger, and
charioteer.
It is rare that they are able to control the Lord
by special prema composed of sweetness and knowledge, which covers
everything and is endowed with a special relationship, while you have
knowledge of his actions. That is expressed in three verses.
Out
of friendship (sauhrdāt), because of prema of that nature, you make him
your counselor, messenger, and charioteer. You think of him as a
cousin, as the object of prīti (priyam), as one who expresses prīti
(mitram), as the one who helps without expecting help (suhṛttamam) and
even as a charioteer. The phrases are connect with the subject “Kṛṣṇa
who is directly Bhagavān” in the last verse.
TEXT - SB 1.9.21
sarvātmanaḥ sama-dṛśo
hy advayasyānahaṅkṛteḥ
tat-kṛtaṁ mati-vaiṣamyaṁ
niravadyasya na kvacit
SYNONYMS
sarva-ātmanaḥ—of
one who is present in everyone's heart; sama-dṛśaḥ—of one who is
equally kind to one and all; hi—certainly; advayasya—of the Absolute;
anahaṅkṛteḥ—free from all material identity of false ego;
tat-kṛtam—everything done by Him; mati—consciousness;
vaiṣamyam—differentiation; niravadyasya—freed from all attachment;
na—never; kvacit—at any stage.
TRANSLATION
Being the
Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is present in everyone's heart. He
is equally kind to everyone, and He is free from the false ego of
differentiation. Therefore whatever He does is free from material
inebriety. He is equibalanced.
PURPORT
Because He is
absolute, there is nothing different from Him. He is kaivalya; there is
nothing except Himself. Everything and everyone is the manifestation of
His energy, and thus He is present everywhere by His energy, being
nondifferent from it. The sun is identified with every inch of the sun
rays and every molecular particle of the rays. Similarly, the Lord is
distributed by His different energies. He is Paramātmā, or the
Supersoul, present in everyone as the supreme guidance, and therefore
He is already the chariot driver and counsel of all living beings. When
He, therefore, exhibits Himself as chariot driver of Arjuna, there is
no change in His exalted position. It is the power of devotional
service only that demonstrates Him as the chariot driver or the
messenger. Since He has nothing to do with the material conception of
life because He is absolute spiritual identity, there is for Him no
superior or inferior action. Being the Absolute Personality of Godhead,
He has no false ego, and so He does not identify Himself with anything
different from Him. The material conception of ego is equibalanced in
Him. He does not feel, therefore, inferior by becoming the chariot
driver of His pure devotee. It is the glory of the pure devotee that
only he can bring about service from the affectionate Lord.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.21
“Becoming
a messenger or charioteer because of being controlled by bhakti is a
degradation of his position. If he is like that, how can the Lord’s
prema give him real happiness?” This verse answers. Kṛṣṇa is without
fault, and possesses faultless prema (niravadyasya). His actions like
being a messenger (tat-kṛtam) are not a deviation of his mind, because
he is at all times the possessor of great powers which accomplish
everything automatically. He is the soul of everyone (sarvātmanaḥ),
even of Arjuna, since he acts as his charioteer and also fights in the
chariot. Because he is the soul of everyone, he sees everyone as equal
to himself (sama-dṛśaḥ). Because he is the soul of everyone, there is
no one except him (advayasya). Because there is no one else, he has no
pride (anahaṅkṛteḥ). Moreover, even a person without great powers,
being filled with prema, does not consider his suffering, caused by
sinful acts that he alone has performed, to be suffering, because of
his prema. Thus the Lord who is full of all powers and is bliss
personified can have no suffering from his actions of prema.
You
are special examples of prema because this Lord has become your
messenger (tat-kṛtam). He is brought under control by your prema.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.21||
sarvātmanaḥ sama-dṛśo hy advayasyānahankṛteḥ |
tat-kṛtam mati-vaiṣamyam niravadyasya na kvacit ||
TRANSLATION
His actions are not a mistake of his judgment for he is faultless, he
is the soul of all beings, he sees all equally, he is without a second,
and is without pride.
“Let us accept that our minds
concentrate on the Lord with special prīti. He is the Paramātmā of
everyone, and thus sees everything equally. He is non-dual since as
Paramātmā he is non-different from all ātmās which are his śaktis. Thus
being without fault, he cannot have an identity such as ‘I am your
cousin.’”
The argument that the Lord should not become a
cousin (tat-kṛtam) since he is non-dual is refuted in the next two
verses (21-22). Sama means he is steady in all conditions and dṛk means
he is the very form of knowledge. It does not imply a causal
relationship between the two elements as a bahuvrīhi compound.
TEXT - SB 1.9.22
tathāpy ekānta-bhakteṣu
paśya bhūpānukampitam
yan me 'sūṁs tyajataḥ sākṣāt
kṛṣṇo darśanam āgataḥ
SYNONYMS
tathāpi—still;
ekānta—unflinching; bhakteṣu—unto the devotees; paśya—see here;
bhū-pa—O King; anukampitam—how sympathetic; yat—for which; me—my;
asūn—life; tyajataḥ—ending; sākṣāt—directly; kṛṣṇaḥ—the Personality of
Godhead; darśanam—in my view; āgataḥ—has kindly come.
TRANSLATION
Yet,
despite His being equally kind to everyone, He has graciously come
before me while I am ending my life, for I am His unflinching servitor.
PURPORT
The
Supreme Lord, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, although
equal to everyone, is still more inclined to His unflinching devotee
who is completely surrendered and knows no one else as his protector
and master. Having unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord as one's
protector, friend and master is the natural condition of eternal life.
A living entity is so made by the will of the Almighty that he is most
happy when placing himself in a condition of absolute dependence.
The
opposite tendency is the cause of falldown. The living entity has this
tendency of falling down by dint of misidentifying himself as fully
independent to lord it over the material world. The root cause of all
troubles is there in false egotism. One must draw towards the Lord in
all circumstances.
The appearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa at the deathbed
of Bhīṣmajī is due to his being an unflinching devotee of the Lord.
Arjuna had some bodily relation with Kṛṣṇa because the Lord happened to
be his maternal cousin. But Bhīṣma had no such bodily relation.
Therefore the cause of attraction was due to the intimate relation of
the soul. Yet because the relation of the body is very pleasing and
natural, the Lord is more pleased when He is addressed as the son of
Mahārāja Nanda, the son of Yaśodā, the lover of Rādhārāṇī. This
affinity by bodily relation with the Lord is another feature of
reciprocating loving service with the Lord. Bhīṣmadeva is conscious of
this sweetness of transcendental humor, and therefore he likes to
address the Lord as Vijaya-Sakhe, Pārtha-Sakhe, etc., exactly like
Nanda-nandana or Yaśodā-nandana. The best way to establish our relation
in transcendental sweetness is to approach Him through His recognized
devotees. One should not try to establish the relation directly; there
must be a via medium which is transparent and competent to lead us to
the right path.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.22
O king! See his mercy to his dedicated devotees! By that mercy he has come before me directly when I am about to leave my body.
Tathāpi
here means “though it is not possible for me to be like you.” “Still
see his mercy to me, by which that form of brahman which is filled with
bliss has come near such a low person like me. This is another of his
anubhāvas, for it is actually to show mercy to you that he comes to me.”
Jiva's tika ||1.9.22||
tathāpy ekānta-bhakteṣu paśya bhūpānukampitam |
yan me ’sūms tyajataḥ sākṣāt kṛṣṇo darśanam āgataḥ ||
TRANSLATION
O king! See his mercy to his dedicated devotees! By that mercy he has
come before me directly when I am about to leave my body.
Even
though this is not possible, see the mercy the Lord shows to pure
devotees. O king! The Lord is controlled by their particular bhakti and
thus thinks of himself according to their bhakti. The cause of
relationship with the body is his identity. That is the main cause of
the relationship, not the body. His identity as a nephew is produced in
relation to his body by his manifestation on earth. An example is given
in the last verse showing cause: because of my relationship with you
(yat—yasmāt) you have come. Taking Kṛṣṇa as the supreme object of
worship, Bhīṣma had a relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and constantly took
Kṛṣṇa as his support even when he was leaving his body. Vijaya-sakhe
ratir astu me ’navadyā: let me have pure prema for Kṛṣṇa, the friend of
Arjuna. (SB 1.9.33) Pārtha-sakhe ratir mamāstu: may I have prema for
the chariot driver of Arjuna. (SB 1.9.35)
vijaya-ratha-kuṭumba ātta-totre dhṛta-haya-raśmini tac-chriyekṣaṇīye |
bhagavati ratir astu me mumūrṣor yam iha nirīkṣya hatā gatāḥ sva-rūpam ||
Desiring
to die, may I have prema for the Lord who protected Arjuna’s chariot
while holding a whip in his right hand, the reins in his left hand,
whose beauty must be seen, and who bestowed liberation to those who
died on the battle field after seeing him. (SB 1.9.39)
TEXT - SB 1.9.23
bhaktyāveśya mano yasmin
vācā yan-nāma kīrtayan
tyajan kalevaraṁ yogī
mucyate kāma-karmabhiḥ
SYNONYMS
bhaktyā—with
devout attention; āveśya—meditating; manaḥ—mind; yasmin—in whose;
vācā—by words; yat—Kṛṣṇa; nāma—holy name; kīrtayan—by chanting;
tyajan—quitting; kalevaram—this material body; yogī—the devotee;
mucyate—gets release; kāma-karmabhiḥ—from fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
The
Personality of Godhead, who appears in the mind of the devotee by
attentive devotion and meditation and by chanting of the holy name,
releases the devotee from the bondage of fruitive activities at the
time of his quitting the material body.
PURPORT
Yoga
means concentration of the mind detached from all other subject matter.
And actually such concentration is samādhi, or cent percent engagement
in the service of the Lord. And one who concentrates his attention in
that manner is called a yogī. Such a yogī devotee of the Lord engages
himself twenty-four hours daily in the service of the Lord so that his
whole attention is engrossed with the thoughts of the Lord in ninefold
devotional service, namely hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping,
praying, becoming a voluntary servant, carrying out orders,
establishing a friendly relationship, or offering all that one may
possess, in the service of the Lord. By such practice of yoga, or
linking up in the service of the Lord, one is recognized by the Lord
Himself, as it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā concerning the highest
perfectional stage of samādhi. The Lord calls such a rare devotee the
best amongst all the yogīs Such a perfect yogī is enabled by the divine
grace of the Lord to concentrate his mind upon the Lord with a perfect
sense of consciousness, and thus by chanting His holy name before
quitting the body the yogī is at once transferred by the internal
energy of the Lord to one of the eternal planets where there is no
question of material life and its concomitant factors. In material
existence a living being has to endure the material conditions of
threefold miseries, life after life, according to his fruitive work.
Such material life is produced by material desires only. Devotional
service to the Lord does not kill the natural desires of the living
being, but they are applied in the right cause of devotional service.
This qualifies the desire to be transferred to the spiritual sky.
General Bhīṣmadeva is referring to a particular type of yoga called
bhakti-yoga, and he was fortunate enough to have the Lord directly in
his presence before he quitted his material body. He therefore desired
that the Lord stay before his view in the following verses.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.23
May
he remain here (pratīkṣatām) until I, after some time, after drinking
the sweetness of his beauty with my eyes, after I praise him and reveal
what is in my mind, give up my body. May he with four arms, who should
at all times be the object of my meditation, since he is my object of
worship, with his pleasing form and smile, remain directly in front of
my eyes at the time of my passing from the body.
Bhīṣma
addressed him as a form with four arms because that was the form of
Kṛṣṇa mentioned in the mantra he used during meditation.
TEXT - SB 1.9.24
sa deva-devo bhagavān pratīkṣatāṁ
kalevaraṁ yāvad idaṁ hinomy aham
prasanna-hāsāruṇa-locanollasan-
mukhāmbujo dhyāna-pathaś catur-bhujaḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—He;
deva-devaḥ—the Supreme Lord of the lords; bhagavān—the Personality of
Godhead; pratīkṣatām—may kindly wait; kalevaram—body; yāvat—as long as;
idam—this (material body); hinomi—may quit; aham—I; prasanna—cheerful;
hāsa—smiling; aruṇa-locana—eyes red like the morning sun;
ullasat—beautifully decorated; mukha-ambujaḥ—the lotus flower of His
face; dhyāna-pathaḥ—in the path of my meditation; catur-bhujaḥ—the
four-handed form of Nārāyaṇa (the worshipable Deity of Bhīṣmadeva).
TRANSLATION
May
my Lord, who is four-handed and whose beautifully decorated lotus face,
with eyes as red as the rising sun, is smiling, kindly await me at that
moment when I quit this material body.
PURPORT
Bhīṣmadeva
knew well that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original Nārāyaṇa. His worshipable
Deity was four-handed Nārāyaṇa, but he knew that four-handed Nārāyaṇa
is a plenary expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Indirectly he desired Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa to manifest Himself in His four-handed feature of Nārāyaṇa. A
Vaiṣṇava is always humble in his behavior. Although it was cent percent
certain that Bhīṣmadeva was approaching Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma just after
leaving his material body, still as a humble Vaiṣṇava he desired to see
the beautiful face of the Lord, for after quitting the present body he
might not be in a position to see the Lord any more. A Vaiṣṇava is not
puffed up, although the Lord guarantees His pure devotee entrance into
His abode. Here Bhīṣmadeva says, "as long as I do not quit this body."
This means that the great General would quit the body by his own will;
he was not being forced by the laws of nature. He was so powerful that
he could stay in his body as long as he desired. He got this
benediction from his father. He desired that the Lord stay before him
in His four-handed Nārāyaṇa feature so that he might concentrate upon
Him and thus be in trance in that meditation. Then his mind might be
sanctified with thinking of the Lord. Thus he did not mind wherever he
might go. A pure devotee is never very anxious to go back to the
kingdom of God. He entirely depends on the good will of the Lord. He is
equally satisfied even if the Lord desires him to go to hell. The only
desire that a pure devotee entertains is that he may always be in rapt
attention with thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord, regardless.
Bhīṣmadeva wanted this much only: that his mind be absorbed in thinking
of the Lord and that he pass away thus. That is the highest ambition of
a pure devotee.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.23-24||
bhaktyāveśya mano yasmin vācā yan-nāma kīrtayan |
tyajan kalevaram yogī mucyate kāma-karmabhiḥ ||
sa deva-devo bhagavān pratīkṣatām kalevaram yāvad idam hinomy aham |
prasanna-hāsāruṇa-locanollasanmukhāmbujo dhyāna-pathaś catur-bhujaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The devotee whose mind is absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, whose voice chants his
name, becomes freed from all karmas on giving up the material body. May
that Kṛṣṇa, lord of lords, with glowing lotus face, red eyes and
pleasing smile, with four arms, the object of my meditation, remain
before me while I drink his beauty and praise him, before giving up
this body.
Two verses are taken together. A person whose
antaḥkaraṇa is concentrated (yogī), his mind absorbed with devotion, or
who glorifies the Lord just by his name, giving up the body, becomes
liberated from karmas.
He delays giving up his body in order
to see the beauty of the Lord for a long time. On attaining another
body, will I be able to see that form? Such longing is also expressed
by the following statement.
yāvan na me nara-daśā daśamī kuto’pi randhrād upaiti timirīkṛta-sarva-bhāvā |
lāvaṇya-keli-sadanam tava tāvad eva lakṣyāsam utkvaṇita-veṇu-mukhendu-bimbam ||
As
long as the tenth state of man, destroying all the senses and mind,
somehow does not arrive because of weakness, I desire to see the orb of
your moon-like face, the pleasure room of all beauty, with loud
sounding flute. (Kṛṣṇakarṇāmṛta)
TEXT - SB 1.9.25
sūta uvāca
yudhiṣṭhiras tad ākarṇya
śayānaṁ śara-pañjare
apṛcchad vividhān dharmān
ṛṣīṇāṁ cānuśṛṇvatām
SYNONYMS
sūtaḥ
uvāca—Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said; yudhiṣṭhiraḥ—King Yudhiṣṭhira; tat—that;
ākarṇya—hearing; śayānam—lying down; śara-pañjare—on the bed of arrows;
apṛcchat—asked; vividhān—multifarious; dharmān—duties; ṛṣīṇām—of the
ṛṣis; ca—and; anuśṛṇvatām—hearing after.
TRANSLATION
Sūta
Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, after hearing Bhīṣmadeva speak in
that appealing tone, asked him, in the presence of all the great ṛṣis,
about the essential principles of various religious duties.
PURPORT
Bhīṣmadeva,
speaking in that appealing tone, convinced Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that he
was very soon passing away. And Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was inspired by
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to ask him of the principles of religion. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
inspired Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to ask Bhīṣmadeva in the presence of many
great sages, indicating thereby that the Lord's devotee like
Bhīṣmadeva, although apparently living as a worldly man, is far
superior to many great sages, even Vyāsadeva. Another point is that
Bhīṣmadeva at that time was not only lying on a deathbed of arrows, but
was greatly aggrieved because of that state. One should not have asked
him any question at that time, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa wanted to prove that
His pure devotees are always sound in body and mind by dint of
spiritual enlightenment, and thus in any circumstances a devotee of the
Lord is in perfect order to speak of the right way of life. Yudhiṣṭhira
also preferred to solve his problematic questions by asking Bhīṣmadeva
rather than ask anyone else present there who was seemingly more
learned than Bhīṣmadeva. This is all due to the arrangement of the
great wheel-carrier Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who establishes the glories of His
devotee. The father likes to see the son become more famous than
himself. The Lord declares very emphatically that worship of His
devotee is more valuable than the worship of the Lord Himself.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.25
Yudhiṣṭhira,
anxious about who would free him from delusion, began to ask Bhīṣma,
lying on a bed of arrows. Though one should not ask questions when
Bhīṣma is in such a situation, because he had no alternative, he asked.
Jiva's tika ||1.9.25||
sūta uvāca— yudhiṣṭhiras tad ākarṇya śayānam śara-panjare |
apṛcchad vividhān dharmān ṛṣīṇām cānuśṛṇvatām ||
TRANSLATION
Sūta said: Yudhiṣṭhira, hearing what he had said, then asked Bhīṣma,
lying on a bed of arrows, about various dharmas while the sages were
listening.
Hearing the words of Bhīṣma (tat), which indicated that he should prolong his life, he asked questions.
TEXT - SB 1.9.26
puruṣa-sva-bhāva-vihitān
yathā-varṇaṁ yathāśramam
vairāgya-rāgopādhibhyām
āmnātobhaya-lakṣaṇān
SYNONYMS
puruṣa—the
human being; sva-bhāva—by his own acquired qualities;
vihitān—prescribed; yathā—according to; varṇam—classification of
castes; yathā—according to; āśramam—orders of life;
vairāgya—detachment; rāga—attachment; upādhibhyām—out of such
designations; āmnāta—systematically; ubhaya—both; lakṣaṇān—symptoms.
TRANSLATION
At
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's inquiry, Bhīṣmadeva first defined all the
classifications of castes and orders of life in terms of the
individual's qualifications. Then he systematically, in twofold
divisions, described counteraction by detachment and interaction by
attachment.
PURPORT
The conception of four castes and
four orders of life, as planned by the Lord Himself (Bg. 4.13), is to
accelerate transcendental qualities of the individual person so that he
may gradually realize his spiritual identity and thus act accordingly
to get free from material bondage, or conditional life. In almost all
the Purāṇas the subject matter is described in the same spirit, and so
also in the Mahābhārata it is more elaborately described by Bhīṣmadeva
in the Śānti-parva, beginning from the sixtieth chapter.
The
varṇāśrama-dharma is prescribed for the civilized human being just to
train him to successfully terminate human life. Self-realization is
distinguished from the life of the lower animals engaged in eating,
sleeping, fearing and mating. Bhīṣmadeva advised for all human beings
nine qualifications: (1) not to become angry, (2) not to lie, (3) to
equally distribute wealth, (4) to forgive, (5) to beget children only
by one's legitimate wife, (6) to be pure in mind and hygienic in body,
(7) not to be inimical toward anyone, (8) to be simple, and (9) to
support servants or subordinates. One cannot be called a civilized
person without acquiring the above-mentioned preliminary qualities.
Besides these, the brāhmaṇas (the intelligent men), the administrative
men, the mercantile community and the laborer class must acquire
special qualities in terms of occupational duties mentioned in all the
Vedic scriptures. For the intelligent men, controlling the senses is
the most essential qualification. It is the basis of morality. Sex
indulgence even with a legitimate wife must also be controlled, and
thereby family control will automatically follow. An intelligent man
abuses his great qualifications if he does not follow the Vedic way of
life. This means he must seriously make a study of the Vedic
literatures, especially of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā.
For learning Vedic knowledge, one must approach a person who is cent
percent engaged in devotional service. He must not do things which are
forbidden in the śāstras. A person cannot be a teacher if he drinks or
smokes. In the modern system of education the teacher's academic
qualification is taken into consideration without evaluation of his
moral life. Therefore, the result of education is misuse of high
intelligence in so many ways.
The kṣatriya, the member of the
administrative class, is especially advised to give charity and not to
accept charity in any circumstances. Modern administrators raise
subscriptions for some political functions, but never give charity to
the citizens in any state function. It is just the reverse in the
injunctions of the śāstras. The administrative class must be well
versed in the śāstras, but must not take to the profession of teachers.
The administrators should never pretend to become nonviolent and
thereby go to hell. When Arjuna wanted to become a nonviolent coward on
the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he was severely chastised by Lord Kṛṣṇa.
The Lord degraded Arjuna at that time to the status of an uncivilized
man for his avowed acceptance of the cult of nonviolence. The
administrative class must be personally trained in military education.
Cowards should not be elevated to the presidential throne by dint of
numerical votes only. The monarchs were all chivalrous personalities,
and therefore monarchy should be maintained provided the monarch is
regularly trained in the occupational duties of a king. In fighting,
the king or the president should never return home without being hurt
by the enemy. The so-called king of today never visits the warfield. He
is very much expert in artificially encouraging the fighting strength
in the hope of false national prestige. As soon as the administrative
class is turned into a gang of mercantile and laborer men, the whole
machinery of government becomes polluted.
The vaiśyas, the
members of the mercantile communities, are especially advised to
protect the cows. Cow protection means increasing the milk productions,
namely curd and butter. Agriculture and distribution of the foodstuff
are the primary duties of the mercantile community backed by education
in Vedic knowledge and trained to give in charity. As the kṣatriyas
were given charge of the protection of the citizens, vaiśyas were given
the charge of the protection of animals. Animals are never meant to be
killed. Killing of animals is a symptom of barbarian society. For a
human being, agricultural produce, fruits and milk are sufficient and
compatible foodstuffs. The human society should give more attention to
animal protection. The productive energy of the laborer is misused when
he is occupied by industrial enterprises. Industry of various types
cannot produce the essential needs of man, namely rice, wheat, grains,
milk, fruits and vegetables. The production of machines and machine
tools increases the artificial living fashion of a class of vested
interests and keeps thousands of men in starvation and unrest. This
should not be the standard of civilization.
The śūdra class is
less intelligent and should have no independence. They are meant for
rendering sincere service to the three higher sections of the society.
The śūdra class can attain all comforts of life simply by rendering
service to the higher classes. It is especially enjoined that a śūdra
should never bank money. As soon as the śūdras accumulate wealth, it
will be misused for sinful activities in wine, women and gambling.
Wine, women and gambling indicate that the population is degraded to
less than śūdra quality. The higher castes should always look after the
maintenance of the śūdras, and they should provide them with old and
used garments. A śūdra should not leave his master when the master is
old and invalid, and the master should keep the servants satisfied in
all respects. The śūdras must first of all be satisfied by sumptuous
food and clothing before any sacrifice is performed. In this age so
many functions are held by spending millions, but the poor laborer is
not sumptuously fed or given charity, clothing, etc. The laborers are
thus dissatisfied, and so they make agitation.
The varṇas are,
so to speak, classifications of different occupations, and
āśrama-dharma is gradual progress on the path of self-realization. Both
are interrelated, and one is dependent on the other. The main purpose
of āśrama-dharma is to awaken knowledge and detachment. The brahmacārī
āśrama is the training ground for the prospective candidates. In this
āśrama it is instructed that this material world is not actually the
home of the living being. The conditioned souls under material bondage
are prisoners of matter, and therefore self-realization is the ultimate
aim of life. The whole system of āśrama-dharma is a means to
detachment. One who fails to assimilate this spirit of detachment is
allowed to enter into family life with the same spirit of detachment.
Therefore, one who attains detachment may at once adopt the fourth
order, namely, renounced, and thus live on charity only, not to
accumulate wealth, but just to keep body and soul together for ultimate
realization. Household life is for one who is attached, and the
vānaprastha and sannyāsa orders of life are for those who are detached
from material life. The brahmacārī-āśrama is especially meant for
training both the attached and detached.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.26
He
described the general dharma for humans according to their natures
(puruṣa-sva-bhāva-vihitān). Three verses are joined in one sentence.
Yathā-varṇam is an indeclinable, meaning “being qualified by varṇa.”
Yathāśramam means “being qualified by āśrama.” The āśramas have
qualities of renunciation and enjoyment, which are described
respectively according to qualification of detachment or attachment. It
is a rule that all the āśramas, such as brahmacarī, need not be
undertaken one after the other by all brāhmaṇas. If they have constant
renunciation they become sannyāsis and if they have constant
attachment, they become gṛhasthas.
TEXT - SB 1.9.27
dāna-dharmān rāja-dharmān
mokṣa-dharmān vibhāgaśaḥ
strī-dharmān bhagavad-dharmān
samāsa-vyāsa-yogataḥ
SYNONYMS
dāna-dharmān—the
acts of charity; rāja-dharmān—pragmatic activities of the kings;
mokṣa-dharmān—the acts for salvation; vibhāgaśaḥ—by divisions;
strī-dharmān—duties of women; bhagavat-dharmān—the acts of the
devotees; samāsa—generally; vyāsa—explicitly; yogataḥ—by means of.
TRANSLATION
He
then explained, by divisions, acts of charity, the pragmatic activities
of a king and activities for salvation. Then he described the duties of
women and devotees, both briefly and extensively.
PURPORT
To
give charity is one of the householder's main functions, and he should
be prepared to give in charity at least fifty percent of his
hard-earned money. A brahmacārī, or student, should perform sacrifices,
a householder should give charity, and a person in the retired life or
in the renounced order should practice penances and austerities. Those
are the general functions of all the āśramas, or orders of life on the
path of self-realization. In the brahmacārī life the training is
sufficiently imparted so that one may understand that the world as
property belongs to the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead. No
one, therefore, can claim to be the proprietor of anything in the
world. Therefore, in the life of a householder, which is a sort of
license for sex enjoyment, one must give in charity for the service of
the Lord. Everyone's energy is generated or borrowed from the reservoir
of energy of the Lord; therefore, the resultant actions of such energy
must be given to the Lord in the shape of transcendental loving service
for Him. As the rivers draw water from the sea through the clouds and
again go down to the sea, similarly our energy is borrowed from the
supreme source, the Lord's energy, and it must return to the Lord. That
is the perfection of our energy. The Lord, therefore, in the
Bhagavad-gītā (9.27) says that whatever we do, whatever we undergo as
penance, whatever we sacrifice, whatever we eat or whatever we give in
charity must be offered to Him (the Lord). That is the way of utilizing
our borrowed energy. When our energy is utilized in that way, our
energy is purified from the contamination of material inebrieties, and
thus we become fit for our original natural life of service to the Lord.
Rāja-dharmais
a great science, unlike modern diplomacy for political supremacy. The
kings were trained systematically to become munificent and not merely
be tax collectors. They were trained to perform different sacrifices
only for the prosperity of the subjects. To lead the prajās to the
attainment of salvation was a great duty of the king. The father, the
spiritual master and the king are not to become irresponsible in the
matter of leading their subjects to the path of ultimate liberation
from birth, death, diseases and old age. When these primary duties are
properly discharged, there is no need of government of the people, by
the people. In modern days the people in general occupy the
administration by the strength of manipulated votes, but they are never
trained in the primary duties of the king, and that is also not
possible for everyone. Under the circumstances the untrained
administrators play havoc to make the subjects happy in all respects.
On the other hand, these untrained administrators gradually become
rogues and thieves and increase the taxation to finance a top-heavy
administration that is useless for all purposes. Actually the qualified
brāhmaṇas are meant to give direction to the kings for proper
administration in terms of the scriptures like the Manu-saṁhitā and
Dharma-śāstras of Parāśara. A typical king is the ideal of the people
in general, and if the king is pious, religious, chivalrous and
munificent, the citizens generally follow him. Such a king is not a
lazy sensuous person living at the cost of the subjects, but alert
always to kill thieves and dacoits. The pious kings were not merciful
to dacoits and thieves in the name of nonsensical ahiṁsā (nonviolence).
The thieves and dacoits were punished in an exemplary way so that in
the future no one would dare commit such nuisances in an organized
form. Such thieves and dacoits were never meant for administration as
they are now.
The taxation law was simple. There was no force,
no encroachment. The king had a right to take one fourth of the
production made by the subject. The king had a right to claim a fourth
of one's allotted wealth. One would never grudge parting with it
because due to the pious king and religious harmony there was enough
natural wealth, namely grains, fruits, flowers, silk, cotton, milk,
jewels, minerals, etc., and therefore no one was materially unhappy.
The citizens were rich in agriculture and animal husbandry, and
therefore they had enough grains, fruits and milk without any
artificial needs of soaps and toilets, cinemas and bars.
The
king had to see that the reserved energy of humanity was properly
utilized. Human energy is meant not exactly for fulfilling animal
propensities, but for self-realization. The whole government was
specifically designed to fulfill this particular purpose. As such, the
king had to select properly the cabinet ministers, but not on the
strength of voting background. The ministers, the military commanders
and even the ordinary soldiers were all selected by personal
qualification, and the king had to supervise them properly before they
were appointed to their respective posts. The king was especially
vigilant to see that the tapasvīs, or persons who sacrificed everything
for disseminating spiritual knowledge, were never disregarded. The king
knew well that the Supreme Personality of Godhead never tolerates any
insult to His unalloyed devotees. Such tapasvīs were trusted leaders
even of the rogues and thieves, who would never disobey the orders of
tapasvīs. The king would give special protection to illiterates, the
helpless and widows of the state. Defense measures were arranged
previous to any attack by the enemies. The taxing process was easy, and
it was not meant for squandering, but was for strengthening the reserve
fund. The soldiers were recruited from all parts of the world, and they
were trained for special duties.
As far as salvation is
concerned, one has to conquer the principles of lust, anger, unlawful
desires, avarice and bewilderment. To get freedom from anger, one
should learn how to forgive. To be free from unlawful desires one
should not make plans. By spiritual culture one is able to conquer
sleep. By tolerance only can one conquer desires and avarice.
Disturbances from various diseases can be avoided by regulated diets.
By self-control one can be free from false hopes, and money can be
saved by avoiding undesirable association. By practice of yoga one can
control hunger, and worldliness can be avoided by culturing the
knowledge of impermanence. Dizziness can be conquered by rising up, and
false arguments can be conquered by factual ascertainment.
Talkativeness can be avoided by gravity and silence, and by prowess one
can avoid fearfulness. Perfect knowledge can be obtained by
self-cultivation. One must be free from lust, avarice, anger, dreaming,
etc., to actually attain the path of salvation.
As far as the
women class are concerned, they are accepted as a power of inspiration
for men. As such, women are more powerful than men. Mighty Julius
Caesar was controlled by a Cleopatra. Such powerful women are
controlled by shyness. Therefore, shyness is important for women. Once
this control valve is loosened, women can create havoc in society by
adultery. Adultery means production of unwanted children known as
varṇa-saṅkara, who disturb the world.
The last item taught by
Bhīṣmadeva was the process of pleasing the Lord. We are all eternal
servants of the Lord, and when we forget this essential part of our
nature we are put into material conditions of life. The simple process
of pleasing the Lord (for the householders especially) is to install
the Deity of the Lord at home. By concentrating on the Deity, one may
progressively go on with the daily routine work. Worshiping the Deity
at home, serving the devotee, hearing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, residing
in a holy place and chanting the holy name of the Lord are all
inexpensive items by which one can please the Lord. Thus the subject
matter was explained by the grandfather to his grandchildren.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.27
And
within varṇāśrama, more particularly he described dāna or charity,
king’s duties and duties for attaining liberation, women’s duties and
finally duties to the Lord (bhagavad-dharmān). This refers to the aṅgas
of bhakti. It is placed at the end to indicate that it is the best. He
described them in brief and in detail (samāsa-vyāsa-yogataḥ).
TEXT - SB 1.9.28
dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣāṁś ca
sahopāyān yathā mune
nānākhyānetihāseṣu
varṇayām āsa tattvavit
SYNONYMS
dharma—occupational
duties; artha—economic development; kāma—fulfillment of desires;
mokṣān—ultimate salvation; ca—and; saha—along with; upāyān—means;
yathā—as it is; mune—O sage; nānā—various; ākhyāna—by recitation of
historical narrations; itihāseṣu—in the histories; varṇayām
āsa—described; tattva-vit—one who knows the truth.
TRANSLATION
Then
he described the occupational duties of different orders and statuses
of life, citing instances from history, for he was himself well
acquainted with the truth.
PURPORT
Incidents mentioned in
the Vedic literatures, such as the Purāṇas, Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa
are factual historical narrations that took place sometime in the past,
although not in any chronological order. Such historical facts, being
instructive for ordinary men, were assorted without chronological
reference. Besides that, they happen on different planets, nay, in
different universes, and thus the description of the narrations is
sometimes measured by three dimensions. We are simply concerned with
the instructive lessons of such incidents, even though they are not in
order by our limited range of understanding. Bhīṣmadeva described such
narrations before Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira in reply to his different
questions.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.28
All
the dharmas described can be placed ultimately in four categories of
artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa. He mentions these categories in order to
strengthen what has been said. Upāyān means the means of attaining
dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. Yathā means “accurately.” He proved what
he said by showing instances in the histories.
TEXT - SB 1.9.29
dharmaṁ pravadatas tasya
sa kālaḥ pratyupasthitaḥ
yo yoginaś chanda-mṛtyor
vāñchitas tūttarāyaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
dharmam—occupational
duties; pravadataḥ—while describing; tasya—his; saḥ—that; kālaḥ—time;
pratyupasthitaḥ—exactly appeared; yaḥ—that is; yoginaḥ—for the mystics;
chanda-mṛtyoḥ—of one who dies according to one's own selection of time;
vāñchitaḥ—is desired by; tu—but; uttarāyaṇaḥ—the period when the sun
runs on the northern horizon.
TRANSLATION
While
Bhīṣmadeva was describing occupational duties, the sun's course ran
into the northern hemisphere. This period is desired by mystics who die
at their will.
PURPORT
The perfect yogīs or mystics can
leave the material body at their own sweet will at a suitable time and
go to a suitable planet desired by them. In the Bhagavad-gītā (8.24) it
is said that self-realized souls who have exactly identified themselves
with the interest of the Supreme Lord can generally leave the material
body during the time of the fire-god's effulgence and when the sun is
in the northern horizon, and thus achieve the transcendental sky. In
the Vedas these times are considered auspicious for quitting the body,
and they are taken advantage of by the expert mystics who have
perfected the system. Perfection of yoga means attainment of such
supermental states as to be able to leave the material body as desired.
Yogīs can also reach any planet within no time without a material
vehicle. The yogīs can reach the highest planetary system within a very
short time, and this is impossible for the materialist. Even attempting
to reach the highest planet will take millions of years at a speed of
millions of miles per hour. This is a different science, and Bhīṣmadeva
knew well how to utilize it. He was just waiting for the suitable
moment to quit his material body, and the golden opportunity arrived
when he was instructing his noble grandsons, the Pāṇḍavas. He thus
prepared himself to quit his body before the exalted Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa,
the pious Pāṇḍavas and the great sages headed by Bhagavān Vyāsa, etc.,
all great souls.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.29
Chanda-mṛtyoḥ means “of he who could die when he pleased.”
Jiva's tika ||1.9.29||
dharmam pravadatas tasya sa kālaḥ pratyupasthitaḥ |
yo yoginaś chanda-mṛtyor vānchitas tūttarāyaṇaḥ ||
TRANSLATION
The time of uttarāyaṇa, which was desired by Bhīṣma, who had finished
speaking on dharma and could die when he chose, then arrived.
This was an arrangement for yogīs. It was an excuse for Bhīṣma to prolong seeing the Lord.
sthiram sukham cāsanam āsthito yatir yadā jihāsur imam anga lokam |
kāle ca deśe ca mano na sajjayet prāṇān niyacchen manasā jitāsuḥ ||
O
King! When the renounced yogī, seated comfortably on his seat, desires
to give up his body, he does not attach the mind to time or place.
Conquering life, he controls the senses by the mind. (SB 2.2.15)
Śrīdhara
Svāmī explains that the mind should not be attached to a pious place or
a time like uttarāyaṇa. The time and place are not causes of perfection
of the yogī. The practice of yoga is the cause of his perfection.
TEXT - SB 1.9.30
tadopasaṁhṛtya giraḥ sahasraṇīr
vimukta-saṅgaṁ mana ādi-pūruṣe
kṛṣṇe lasat-pīta-paṭe catur-bhuje
puraḥ sthite 'mīlita-dṛg vyadhārayat
SYNONYMS
tadā—at
that time; upasaṁhṛtya—withdrawing; giraḥ—speech; sahasraṇīḥ—Bhīṣmadeva
(who was expert in thousands of sciences and arts);
vimukta-saṅgam—completely freed from everything else; manaḥ—mind;
ādi-pūruṣe—unto the original Personality of Godhead; kṛṣṇe—unto Kṛṣṇa;
lasat-pīta-paṭe—decorated with yellow garments; catur-bhuje—unto the
four-handed original Nārāyaṇa; puraḥ—just before; sthite—standing;
amīlita—widespread; dṛk—vision; vyadhārayat—fixed.
TRANSLATION
Thereupon
that man who spoke on different subjects with thousands of meanings and
who fought on thousands of battlefields and protected thousands of men,
stopped speaking and, being completely freed from all bondage, withdrew
his mind from everything else and fixed his wide-open eyes upon the
original Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who stood before him,
four-handed, dressed in yellow garments that glittered and shined.
PURPORT
In
the momentous hour of leaving his material body, Bhīṣmadeva set the
glorious example concerning the important function of the human form of
life. The subject matter which attracts the dying man becomes the
beginning of his next life. Therefore, if one is absorbed in thoughts
of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he is sure to go back to Godhead without
any doubt. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.5-15):
5: And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
6: Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.
7:
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa
and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With
your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on
Me, you will attain Me without doubt.
8: He who meditates on the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in
remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Pārtha [Arjuna], is
sure to reach Me.
9: One should meditate upon the Supreme Person
as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the
controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of
everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is
inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun
and, being transcendental, is beyond this material nature.
10:
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows
and in full devotion engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord
will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
11:
Persons learned in the Vedas, who utter oṁkāra and who are great sages
in the renounced order, enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection,
one practices celibacy. I shall now explain to you this process by
which one may attain salvation.
12: The yogic situation is that
of detachment from all sensual engagements. Closing all the doors of
the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and the life air at the top
of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.
13: After being
situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable oṁ,
the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the
spiritual planets.
14: For one who remembers Me without
deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant
engagement in devotional service.
15: After attaining Me, the
great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary
world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the
highest perfection.
Śrī Bhīṣmadeva attained the perfection of
quitting his body at will and was fortunate enough to have Lord Kṛṣṇa,
the object of his attention, personally present at the time of death.
He therefore fixed his open eyes upon Him. He wanted to see Śrī Kṛṣṇa
for a long time out of his spontaneous love for Him. Because he was a
pure devotee, he had very little to do with the detailed performance of
yogic principles. Simple bhakti-yoga is enough to bring about
perfection. Therefore, the ardent desire of Bhīṣmadeva was to see the
person of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the most lovable object, and by the grace of the
Lord, Śrī Bhīṣmadeva had this opportunity at the last stage of his
breathing.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur Commentary - 1.9.30
Sahasraṇīḥ
refers to Bhīṣma, who led (nī) or protected a thousand charioteers
gathered for battle. Another version has sahasriṇīḥ which means
“possessing a thousand treasures.” Withdrawing his words from other
subjects (giraḥ upasaṁhṛtya), with eyes completely open without
blinking, he completely absorbed his mind in Kṛṣṇa.
