Shrimad Bhagwat Puran: Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran

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Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran in Sanskrit

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Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran in Hindi

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Shrimad Bhagwat Puran book in Gujarati

Shrimad Bhagwat Puran book in Gujarati

Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana

Translations by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare

Mangalacarana

oà ajïäna-timirändhasya jïänäïjana-çaläkayä cakñur unmélitaà yena tasmai çré-gurave namaù

 

I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

çré-caitanya-mano-’bhéñöaà sthäpitaà yena bhü-tale svayaà rüpaù kadä mahyaà dadäti sva-padäntikam

 

When will Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Chaitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?

vande ‘haà çré-guroù çré-yuta-pada-kamalaà çré-gurün vaiñëaväàç ca çré-rüpaà sägrajätaà saha-gaëa-raghunäthänvitaà taà sa-jévam sädvaitaà sävadhütaà parijana-sahitaà kåñëa-caitanya-devaà

çré-rädhä-kåñëa-pädän saha-gaëa-lalitä-çré-viçäkhänvitäàç ca

 

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and unto the feet of all vaiñëavas, I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Srila Rupa Goswami along with his elder brother Sanatan Goswami, as well as Raghunath Das and Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, and Srila Jiva Goswami. I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Krishna Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda along with Adwaita Acharya, Gadadhar, Srivas, and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances to Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna along with Their associates Sri Lalita and Visakha.

he kåñëa karuëä-sindho déna-bandho jagat-pate gopeça gopikä-känta rädhä-känta namo’stu te

O my dear Krishna, O ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the gopés and the lover of Radharani. I offer my respectful obeisances unto you.

tapta-käïcana-gauräìgi rädhe våndävaneçvari våñabhänu-sute devi praëamämi hari-priye

I offer my respects to Radharani, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrindavan. You are the daughter of King Vrishabhanu, and you are very dear to Lord Krishna.

väïchä-kalpatarubhyaç ca kåpä-sindhubhya eva ca patitänäà pävanebhyo vaiñëavebhyo namo namaù

I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the vaiñëava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.

namo mahä-vadänyäya kåñëa-prema-pradäya te kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya- nämne gaura-tviñe namaù

O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You. — Cc. madhya 19.53

yad advaitaà brahmopaniñadi tad apy asya tanu-bhä

ya ätmäntaryämé puruña iti so ‘syäàça-vibhavaù ñaò-aiçvaryaiù pürëo ya iha bhagavän sa svayam ayaà

na caitanyät kåñëäj jagati para-tattvaà param iha

What the Upaniñads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but the effulgence of His body, and the Lord known as the Supersoul is but His localized plenary portion. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, full with six opulences. He is the absolute truth, and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him. — Cc. ädi 1.3

rädhä kåñëa-praëaya-vikåtir hlädinéçaktir asmäd ekätmänäv api bhuvi purä deha-bhedaà gatau tau

caitanyäkhyaà prakaöam adhunä tad-dayaà caikyam äptaà rädhä-bhäva-dyuti-suvalitaà naumi kåñëa-svarüpam

The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krishna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure giving potency. Although Radha and Krishna are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united in the form of Sri Krishna Chaitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Srimati Radharani although He is Krishna Himself. — Cc. ädi 1.5

ciräd adattaà nija-gupta-vittaà svaprema-nämämåtam atyudäraù äpämaraà yo vitatära gauraù

kåñëo janebhyas tam ahaà prapadye

 

The most munificent Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Gaurakrishna, distributed to everyone—even the lowest of men—His own confidential treasury in the form of the nectar of love of Himself and the holy name. This was never given to the people at any time before. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him. — Cc. madhya 23.1

gauraù sac-caritämåtämåta-nidhiù gauraà sadaiva-stuve gaureëa prathitaà rahasya-bhajanaà gauräya sarvaà dade gaurädasti kåpälu-ratra na paro gaurasya bhrityo bhavaà gaure gauravamäcarämi bhagavan gaura-prabho rakña mäm

 

I pray to Sriman Gauranga Mahaprabhu whose ecstatic transcendental pastimes are like a river of nectar. Gaura has given the path of confidential devotional service. I will completely surrender to Gaura. Is there anyone more merciful than Gaura? I will become a servant of Gaura. I shall preach the glory of Gaura. May my Lord Gaura protect me. — Gauräìga- virudävalé by Srila Raghunandan Goswami

mädhuryyaiù-madhubhiù sugambhi-bhajana çvarëambhujänäà vanam käruëyämåta nirjharai-rupacitah sat-prema hemacälaù

 

bhaktämbodhara dharaëé vijayané niskampa sampävalé daivo na kula daivatäà vijayatäà caitanya-kåñëa-hariù

 

I worship the golden hued Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Who is absorbed in the enchanting mellows of madhurya rasa. May the transcendental love of Krishna that Mahaprabhu is distributing, pour down on this earth like a waterfall of nectar. All glories to that Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

äjänu-lambita-bhujau kanakäva-dätau saìkértanaika-pitarau kamaläya-täksau visvambharau dvijavarau yuga-dharma-pälau vande jagat priyakarau karuëävatärau

I worship Their Lordships Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu whose long arms extend down to Their knees, whose beautiful complexions are radiant yellow like molten gold and whose elongated eyes are like red lotuses. They are the topmost brähmaëas, the guardians of religious principles for this age, the most munificent benefactors of all living entities, and the most compassionate incarnations of Godhead. They initiated the congregational chanting of the names of Lord Krishna. — Caitanya-bhägavata ädi 1.1

anarpita-caréà cirät karuëayävatérëaù kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasäà sva-bhakti-çriyam hariù puraöa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandépitaù sadä hådaya-kandare sphuratu vaù çacé-nandanaù

May that Lord, who is known as the son of Srimati Sacidevi, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service. — Vidagdha-mädhava 1.2

The following three verses are from Prema-bhakti-chandrikä by Srila Narottama Das Thakur section 10, verses 12-14.

çré-kåñëa-caitanyadeva rati-mati bhave bhaja prema-kalpa-taru-bara-dätä

çré-vraja-räja-nandana rädhikä-jévana-dhana aparüpa ei saba kathä

O brother, always worship Sri Krishna Caitanyadeva who is the great philanthropist giving away the treasure of the desire tree of pure love for Krishna. This Lord Chaitanya is actually Lord Krishna, the prince of Vraja and the life of Srimati Radharani. Descriptions of Him are spiritual sounds. They are not at all material. — verse 12

navadvépe avatari´ rädhä-bhäva aìgékari´ täìra känti aìgera bhüñaëa

tina väïchä abhiläñé´ çacé-garbhe parakäçi´ saìge laïä pariñada-gaëa

Lord Krishna desired to appear in Nabadwip to understand the intense love Srimati Radharani felt for Him, and accept Her golden complexion as His bodily ornament. In order to fulfill these three desires, the Lord appeared in Sacidevi’s womb. When the Lord appeared like this in the material world, all His associates followed Him, and also appeared in the world. — verse 13

gaura-hari avatari ´premera vädara kari´ sädhilä manera tina käja

 

rädhikära präëa-pati kivä bhäve käìde niti ihä bujhe bhakata-samäja

The Lord appeared in the golden form of Lord Chaitanya, and preached the message of pure love for Krishna. In this way He fulfilled the three desires in His mind. Only the devotees are able to understand in what a wonderful way Krishna, who is the Lord of Srimati Radharani’s life, continually cried in ecstatic love of God. — verse 14

uttama adhama kichu na bächila yäciyä dilaka kola kahe premänanda emana gauräìga hådaye dhariyä bola bhaja gauräìga kaha gauräìga laha gauräìga näma (re) ye jana gauräìga bhaje sei haya ämära präëa (re)

Never discriminating who was a fit candidate, elevated or degraded, the son of mother Sachi magnanimously accepts one and all onto His lap in a loving embrace crying, “Come to My fold, come to My fold!” The poet Premananda Das begs you all to constantly chant the sweet name of Krishna while holding tightly to that son of mother Sachi in the innermost core of your heart. Worship Gauranga! Speak about Gauranga! Oh please take to gaura-näma! Whoever worships Gauranga is my life and soul.

yasyaiva pädämbuja-bhakti-läbhyaù premäbhidhänaù paramaù pum-arthaù tasmai jagan-maìgala-maìgaläya caitanya-candräya namo namas te

O Lord Chaitanyachandra, by devotedly serving Your lotus feet one can attain the pure love for Lord Krishna that is the ultimate goal of all endeavors. O Lord Chaitanyachandra, O great auspiciousness of the world, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. — Srila Prabhodhananda Saraswati, Çré Caitanya-candrämåta text 9

änanda-lélämaya-vigrahäya hemäbha-divya-cchavi-sundaräya tasmai mahä-prema-rasa-pradäya caitanyacandräya namo namas te

O Lord Chaitanyachandra, O Lord whose form is full of blissful pastimes, O Lord whose complexion is as splendid as gold, O Lord who gives in charity the nectar of pure love for Lord Krishna. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

— Çré Caitanya-candrämåta text 11

yan näptaà karma-niñöhair na ca samadhi-gataà yat tapo dhyäna-yogair vairägyais tyäga-tattva-stutibhir api na yat tarkitaà cäpi kaiçcit

govinda-prema-bhäjäm api na ca kalitaà yad rahasyaà svayaà tan nämnaiva präduräséd avatarati pare yatra taà naumi gauram

Not attainable by the faithful performers of pious deeds, not understood by those engaged in austerity, meditation, and yoga, not guessed by those absorbed in detachment, renunciation of the fruits of work, philosophical speculation or recitation of prayers, and unknown even to the devotees full of love for Lord Govinda, the secret of pure devotional service has been revealed by the holy name during Lord Gaura’s advent. Let me glorify that Lord Gaura.

 

Srimad Bhagavata Mahatmyam The Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam Translated by Sri Satyanarayan Dasa

Introduction

 

In the dark age of Kali, bhakti is the only process for getting free from material conditioning. Bhakti is achieved only by the holy association of a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. Specifically, one must hear krsna-katha from such a devotee. Srimad Bhagavatam is the best source of krsna katha. It presents questions and answers related to Lord Krsna, His name, form, pastimes, energies, and various incarnations. It was compiled by Srila Vyasa, and is the essence of all Vedic Literature.

Srimad Bhagavatam is so potent that it captivated the heart of Sukadeva Gosvami, a self realised soul completely absorbed in Brahman. He ran away from home after his birth, but returned as soon as he heard a few verses of Srimad Bhagavatam. Although he renounced everything including even a kaupin, he could not give up Srimad-Bhagavatam. he was very fond of forest life (aranya-priya), but after hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from his father, he became very dear to the devotees (visnujana-priya), by reciting the Srimad-Bhagavatam. He was so renounced that he did not distinguish between male and female, yet he relished narrating the most intimate pastimes of Lord Krsna with the cowherd damsels.

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the very life and soul of the Vaisnavas, especially the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu called it spotless (amala Purana). He would hear it from His dear associate, Sri Gadadhara Pandita at Narendra Sarovara in Jagannatha Puri. In Bhakti-rasamrta sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami lists hearing Srimad Bhagavatam as one of the five essential processes of devotional service. Indeed, it is so wonderful that even impersonalists, who do not consider the Lord’s form or abode transcendental, cannot resist studying and commenting upon it.

Srila Prabhupada carried Srimad Bhagavatam aboard the Jaladuta to the United States and with this weapon he conquered the world. He blessed many thousands with the wealth of Srimad Bhagavatam. He referred to his Bhaktivedanta purports on Srimad Bhagavatam as his “emotional ecstasies”. He made it mandatory for his followers to hear Srimad Bhagavatam daily. Wherever he went he spoke on Srimad Bhagavatam, he sometimes relished hearing it from his disciples as well.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati said that if all the books in the world were destroyed, and only Srimad Bhagavatam remained, there would be no loss. It will be clear from this booklet that this is no over statement.

This translation of six chapters of the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, entitled Srimad- bhagavat-mahatmya, the glory of Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam is the mature fruit of the Vedic tree and therefore, can grant all desires. The process of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam is seven days (Saptaha-Yajna) is the means for attaining all desires. Generally pure devotees of the Lord, being free from all material desires, do not engage in such recitation

or rituals, but they use the Saptaha process for preaching to the masses. Therefore, they are not concerned with all the details of the rituals, as the real purpose is to convey the importance of hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam

The Puranas sometimes instruct through the indirect method of story telling (paroksavada). As Sri Narada Muni informed King Pracinbarhi (S.B. 4.28.65), “My dear King, in this way I have indirectly instructed you in the science of self-realisation. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the creator and controller of the universe, is very much pleased with indirect explanations, paroksavada.” This does not mean, however, that this narration is a fable. It is factual, but there is a moral to the story. To give some insight, brief comments are given at the end of each chapter.

Within these chapters there is a lucid description and incidental predictions for the modern age. Unscrupulous scholars should not consider them interpolations because even according to modern historians the Puranas existed prior to the activities narrated herein. This is a confirmed historical fact. For example, the first chapter states that Yavanas will take control of holy places and demolish temples. This is a reference to Muslim rulers like Aurangazeb, who destroyed the major temples in Vrndavana, Mathura, and other holy places. There is also an implicit prediction that Srila Prabhupada would preach in the west. This should make atheists, agnostics, and sceptics reconsider their convictions.

I hope this booklet will create interest in studying Srimad Bhagavatam and bolster the faith of those who already study it.

Chapter One

 

The Meeting of Narada Muni and Bhakti Devi Invocation

We offer our humble obeisances unto Lord Sri Krsna, whose transcendental form is bliss personified. He is the cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe and the destroyer of the three types of miseries.

We pay our humble obeisances to Sri Sukadeva Gosvami who is like the Supersoul. He left home immediately after taking birth, though he had not undergone any samskaras, or purificatory ceremonies. Upon his departure,, his father out of separation followed him calling, “O my son! O my son,” but only the trees responded.

Once in the forest of Naimisaranya, Sri Saunaka Rsi, the best of sages who are expert in tasting krsna-katha, put some questions to Suta Gosvami after paying obeisances. Sri Saunaka said, “O Suta Gosvami, your knowledge dispels the darkness of ignorance like millions of suns. Please recite the nectarean pastimes of Lord Krsna, which are like tonic for the ears. How can one increase the discrimination that results from knowledge of devotion and renunciation of the material world?1 How do Vaisnavas get relief from the illusion created by Maya? In Kali-yuga the general populace is demonic, please explain, therefore, the best means to purify those who are troubled by various types of tribulations. O Suta Gosvami, please describe that sadhana, or most auspicious purifying process that will take one to Krsna. A touch-stone can give only

material happiness and the kalpa-vrksa tree can at most grant heavenly opulence, however, when the spiritual master is pleased he can give the eternal abode of the Lord – the Vaikuntha planet — which is not achieved even by the yogis.”

Sri Suta Gosvami said, “O Saunaka, your heart is full of love for the Personality of Godhead. After proper deliberation, therefore I will give you the essence of all conclusions, which will destroy the fear of birth and death and increase the flow of devotion which is the chief cause of Lord Sri Krsna’s happiness. Please hear it attentively. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami recited Srimad Bhagavatam in Kali yuga to absolutely destroy fear of the snake of death. There is no superior means than this for the purification of the mind. One attains the Srimad Bhagavatam, however, only after accumulating pious activities for many life times.

“When Sukadeva Gosvami sat among the sages and prepared to recite Srimad Bhagavatam to Pariksita Maharaja,2 the demigods, who are expert in accomplishing their work, approached him with a pot of nectar. They offered humble obeisances and said, ‘Please accept this pot of nectar and in exchange give us the nectar of hari-katha. Let King Pariksita drink this, and let us drink the nectar of Srimad Bhagavatam.’

“At that time Sri Sukadeva Gosvami thought, ‘Where is a piece of glass and where is a transcendental gem? How can one compare these two? What is the question of comparing this material nectar, though celestial, with the transcendental nectar of Srimad Bhagavatam?’3 In this way Sukadeva Gosvami made fun of the demigods. He did not consider them proper recipients of hari-katha, because they are devoid of pure devotional service. Hence, hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam is rare even among the demigods.

“Lord Brahma was astonished to learn that Pariksita Maharaja became liberated just by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. In Satyaloka, he put the Srimad Bhagavatam on one end of a scale and all other processes for obtaining liberation on the other. Upon seeing the Srimad Bhagavatam tilt the scale, all the sages present were struck with wonder. They asserted that in Kali-yuga only hearing and reciting Srimad Bhagavatam, which is non different from the Personality of Godhead, can immediately relieve one from material distress. If one hears it according to the proper process (as described in chapter six), it will certainly grant bhakti. Previously the most merciful Kumara brothers recited Srimad Bhagavatam to the sage Narada. Although Sri Narada had heard it from lord Brahma, the Kumaras gave him the opportunity to hear it according to the recommended process.”4

Sri Saunaka asked, “Where did the learned Narada, who is free from material bondage and constantly travels all over the universe, meet those great sages? How did his interest in hearing hari-katha and in knowing the specific rules and regulations for hearing it develop?”

Suta Gosvami replied, “Now I will narrate an episode that is full of devotion. Sri Sukadeva, who considers me his surrendered disciple, told it to me in confidence. Once, the Kumaras went to Visala (Badrinatha) to get the holy association of saintly people.5 There they met Narada Muni.

“The Kumaras said, ‘O brahmana, why do you appear so dejected and full of anxiety? Where have you come from, and where are you going so quickly? You appear like a person in

complete anxiety owing to loss of wealth.6 This is not befitting a person like you, who is completely free from material attachment. Please explain the reason for this.’

“Sri Narada replied, ‘I came here considering the earth to be the best of planets. Although I travelled to Puskara, Prayaga, Kasi, Godavari, Haridvara, Kuruksetra, Sriranga and Setubandha, I could not find peace in any of those holy places. At present, Kali yuga the friend of irreligion, has completely afflicted the whole earth. Now truthfulness, austerity, cleanliness, mercy and charity are nowhere to be seen. The fallen living entities take pleasure in telling lies and are simply engaged in filling their bellies.7 They are lazy, less intelligent, unfortunate, and always disturbed. Those who are called saintly are actually pretenders. Though they appear renounced, they accumulate wealth, women, and paraphernalia for sense pleasure. Women rule the family and the brother-in-law is the consultant. People sell their daughters out of greed, and husbands and wives always quarrel. The holy places, asramas of saintly people, and rivers are under the control of the yavanas, who are against Vedic religion.8 They have destroyed many temples and therefore yogis, siddhas, jnanis and religious people are not to be seen. The processes of liberation are completely burnt to ashes in the fire of Kali-yuga. In this age people sell grains in the market, the brahmanas charge fees to teach,9 and women thrive by prostitution.10

“Thus witnessing the defects of Kali-yuga and wandering over the face of the earth, I reached the bank of the Yamuna where Lord Krsna had performed various pastimes. O best of sages, please hear about the wonder I saw there. A beautiful woman was sitting in a dejected mood while two old men lay unconscious in front of her breathing very quickly. While trying to bring them to consciousness, the young women would sometimes cry. At times she would look around as if searching for her protector, the Supersoul. She was served by hundreds of women who were fanning and trying to console her. I saw this whole scene from afar and out of curiosity went near them. Upon seeing me, the young lady stood up and spoke very piteously. She said: “O saintly person, please stay here for a moment11 and dispel my distress. Your auspicious vision destroys the sins of materialistic people. By your words I will get relief from misery and become peaceful. Only by great fortune can one get darsana of a person like you.”

I inquired, “O virtuous lady, who are you and who are these two men lying here? Who are these ladies serving you? Please explain the cause of your distress in detail.”

The lady said, “My name is Bhakti, and these two are my sons Jnana and Vairagya.12 By the influence of time they have become old and decrepit.13 These women are the holy rivers, such as the Ganges. They have come here to serve me.14 Although I am directly being served by these ladies, still I am not peaceful.15 O sage, whose only wealth is austerity, though it is well known, please hear my story carefully and grant me solace. I was born in the land of Dravida, in South India, and I grew up in Karnataka. I was respected in the state of Maharastra, but when I came to Gujarata, I lost my youth.16 Rogues influenced by Kali-yuga broke my limbs and for a long time I remained in that condition and thus, along with my sons, I have become very weak and impotent. Upon coming to Vrndavana, I regained my youth and beauty, but my two sons, who are lying here, are still old and tired.17 I will leave this place and travel to foreign lands,18 but I feel sad owing to the plight of my sons. We always remain together, so why is it that I am young and they are old? It should be that the sons are young

while the mother is old. I am astonished by this and so I lament. You have mystic power and are most intelligent, therefore, please explain this to me.”

Narada said, “O chaste lady, from within my heart I see the cause of your misery, therefore I advise you not to lament. Lord Hari will shower all auspiciousness upon you.”

Suta Gosvami said, “The best of sages, Sri Narada, understood the reason in a moment and said, ‘O beautiful lady, hear attentively from me. Because of this ruthless age (Kali-yuga), good behaviour, yoga, and austerities have all become lost. People are addicted to cheating, irreligious behaviour, and are like the demon Agha, sin personified.19 At present, saintly people are unhappy and demonic people are enjoying sense gratification. Under these circumstances, if an intelligent man maintains his fortitude, then he is considered a scholar. By and by the earth is becoming a burden for Lord Sesa. At present it is not even worth seeing, what to speak of touching, and I see no auspiciousness anywhere. Everyone neglects you and your two sons. Because of worldly attachment to sense gratification, people are blind. Owing to their negligence,, you have become decrepit. It is only due to the glory of Vrndavana that you have become young again. This land is very auspicious because devotion always dances here. However, your two sons are being neglected and thus their health is failing,20 but by the touch of Vrndavana they remain asleep and breathing.”

Bhakti said, “Why is it that King Pariksita did not kill this sinful Kali-yuga? Because of Kali-yuga all objects have lost their essence. Why does the most merciful Lord Hari tolerate irreligion? O sage, please remove this doubt. I feel pacified by hearing your sweet words.”

Narada said, “O auspicious young lady, now that you have asked, please hear me with attention as I explain everything and thus relieve your misery. Kali-yuga took control and started obstructing auspiciousness the day Lord Krsna left this planet for His abode. When King Pariksita travelled on earth, conquering all the kings, he met Kali, who fell at his feet and took shelter of him. The king, who understood the essence of things just like the bumble bee, decided not to kill him because that goal which is not attainable by penance, yoga meditation, or samadhi, is easily attained in Kali-yuga simply by performing hari-kirtana.21 Although the king knew that Kali-yuga was useless, he spotted this one essential good quality, and understanding that this would make the living beings happy, he spared him. Because humanity is engaged in irreligious and immoral acts, everything has lost its essence. All objects, including the seeds of the earth, are ineffective.22 The brahmanas, being greedy for wealth, are performing Bhagavata-katha in peoples houses and therefore the essence of katha is lost.23 Immoral, atheistic, and sinful people have begun to reside in the holy places, causing the influence of those places to be lost. Those people whose hearts are always filled with lust, greed and anger make a show of performing austerities, thereby causing the essence of penance to be lost. Because people are unable to control their mind, they have taken shelter of greed, pretence, and immorality, and have given up the study of scriptures, causing the influence of jnana-yoga to be lost. Moreover, the pandits, or scholars, are only expert in producing children and enjoying sex like buffaloes. They are no longer expert in the process of liberation.24 Furthermore, there are hardly any Vaisnavas coming in bonafide sampradayas and there, everywhere all objects have become ineffective. This indeed, is due to the influence of Kali and is not the defect of anyone else. Therefore, although the lotus-eyed Lord resides near by, He tolerates this.”

Suta Gosvami said, ” O Saunaka, hearing these revealing words of Sri Narada Muni, Bhakti was very surprised. She replied, ‘O saintly person, you are very glorious and it is my good fortune to have met you. Within this material world, association with a saintly person is indeed the cause of all perfection. Just by once meeting you, Sri Prahlada, the son of Kayadhu, conquered Maya, and by your mercy Dhruva Maharaja gained the Dhruva planet. You are the personification of all auspiciousness. I offer my obeisances unto you, the direct son of Lord Brahma.'”

Comments on Chapter One

 

• That discrimination which is not related to Bhakti is It can only make a person materially wise, because it has no superior purpose. Similarly, knowledge and renunciation are useful only when they arise from devotion, otherwise they make the heart dry and hard.
• Pariksita Maharaja was cursed by the son of Samika Rsi to be bitten by a snake called Taksaka and die after seven When the king heard this, he renounced his kingdom and sat on the bank of Ganges intending to fast until death. Upon Sukadeva Gosvami’s arrival, Pariksita Maharaja asked him to recite Srimad Bhagavatam. Actually every living entity is cursed to die within seven days (from Sunday to Saturday). Death is compared to a snake that will pay everyone a visit. While everyone fears death, they do not use this fear to cultivate detachment. Rather, owing to ignorance, they become more attached. This is the difference between Pariksita Maharaja and the common man. Hearing Srimad Bhagavatam makes a person free from the fear of death. That Pariksita Maharaja heard Srimad Bhagavatam for seven days signifies that we should hear it everyday until our death.
• Srimad Bhagavatam is the property of the devotees of the Supreme Although demigods are also devotees, they are selfish and attached to enjoyment. This disqualifies them from drinking the nectar of Srimad Bhagavatam. When one drinks heavenly nectar he loses his piety, but when one hears krsna-katha, he is freed from sin and his heart becomes purified, punya sravana kirtana (S.B. 1.2.17). This is the difference between heavenly nectar and the nectar of krsna-katha.
• According to the Second Canto, Lord Brahma spoke the original four verses of the Srimad Bhagavatam to Narada, who in turn instructed them to Sri The “proper process” refers to hearing the complete Srimad Bhagavatam in seven days according to the guidelines given in chapter six.
• Visala is another name for Lord Nara-Narayana, the presiding deity of Bharata-varsa resides there and this it is visited by many saintly people.
• Generally a saintly person has no reason to feel either dejected or elated but when he sees the living entities suffering, he feels unhappy for
• This is the prediction for the present

• Yavanas refers to the Muslim rulers who invaded India at various times, beginning from the 11th They were inimical to Vedic religion and culture. Some were tolerant, some

were atrocious. Some Muslim destroyed temples and even forcibly converted Hindus to Islam. They even imposed taxes on visitors to the holy places.

• According to Vedic custom a brahmana should not charge for giving He is allowed to accept donations for his maintenance or send his students to householders for begging food. This custom insured that only those who had interest in teaching would perform this service and unqualified people would not be interest. Because students did not pay fees, they remained indebted and obedient to their teachers. This system continued in India up until about 150 years ago when British rulers introduced change. Under the present system, good relations between student and teachers are non-existent and thus the whole educational process is degraded.
• The exact Sanskrit is kaminyah kesasulinyah, which can also mean that women will cut their
• A saintly person does not speak with women

• Jnana and Vairagya are the natural offspring of devotion to the Lord (S.B. 2.7.).

• “By the influence of time” indicates the age of Kali, in which people lose interest in transcendental knowledge and
• All the holy places are subservient to devotional They follow Bhakti. Therefore wherever a devotee goes, that places becomes holy.
• Transcendental knowledge and detachment from sense gratification naturally follow (S.B. 11.2.43). And discrepancy in this principle implies disturbance in devotional service.
• This briefly describes the history of the Bhakti movement in the age of There were many great Vaisnavas who appeared in the land of Dravida. Later on Ramanujacarya organised and propagated Vaisnavism under the banner of the Sri Sampradaya (S.B. 11.5.38-40). Madhvacarya appeared in the state of Karnataka and preached very vigorously, nurturing bhakti. In Maharastra there were some saints such as Tukarma in Pandarpura who propagated bhakti. But in Gujarata the people were more interested in accumulating wealth and thus bhakti was neglected. When one worships the deha (the body), the worship of Deva (the Lord), is neglected. When bhakti is weak then jnana and vairagya are automatically emaciated.
• Vrndavana is the eternal abode of Lord Krsna and thus Bhakti naturally flourishes But, if one neglects hearing krsna-katha, then Jnana and Vairagya remain in a fainted state. They get covered by Maya. As Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (5.15) ajnanenavrtam jnanam tena muhynati jantavah.
• Idam sthanam parityajya videsam gamyate This statement hints at Srila Prabhupada’s travel to the western world from Vrndavana. It is interesting to note that the Sanskrit proverb used in this sentence is in the passive voice (gamyate). This signifies that she (Bhakti) will be carried by someone. Because the Puranas are compiled by Srila Vyasa, who is an incarnation of the Lord, it is not impossible for him to make such predictive statements.

• Aghasura was a demon with the body of a He swallowed the innocent cowherd friends of Krsna, who later on killed him. Demonic persons, who trouble innocent people and seize their wealth, are like Aghasura.
• At present in Vrndavana the study of devotional literature such as Srimad Bhagavatam is being neglected and Vairagya is being replaced with cosy Yet the land has not lost its power.
• Sage Karbhajana confirms this (S.B. 5.36).

• The new varieties of grains, fruits and vegetables are They yield more produce but are not as nutritious and delicious as the original varieties, which existed since time immemorial. We have experienced this ourselves because the hybrid seeds were introduced very late in India. For example chapatis made from contemporary wheat flour have less flavour, and the texture is not as pleasing as those of bygone years. They become dry and hard very quickly and are not as conducive to health as those made of the desi grain which is now extinct.
• The purpose of Hari-katha is not to solve economic Its real purpose is to nourish Bhakti along with Jnana and Vairagya.
• All the above predictions can be confirmed by paying a visit to holy places like That the “essence is lost” means one no longer sees their influence. If, however, one performs these activities as prescribed in the scriptures, he will fell the positive influence.

Chapter Two

 

Narada Endeavours to Remove Bhakti’s Distress

 

Sri Narada said, “O young lady, why are you in so much anxiety? Don’t be melancholy unnecessary. Just meditate on the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna and by His mercy you will be free from all misery.1 Lord Krsna, who protected Draupadi from the atrocities of the Kauravas and who is the lover of the damsels of Vraja, has not gone far away. Besides, you are Bhakti and more dear to Him than His very life. On your request He even goes to the house of low born people.2 In Satya, Treta and Dvapara-yugas, jnana and vairagya were the means of liberation, but in Kali-yuga only bhakti can grant liberation. Thinking in this way, Lord Hari, the transcendental personification of knowledge, manifested you. You are the very dear beloved of Lord Krsna.

“Once you approached the Lord with folded hands and asked Him what you should do. He said, “Go and nourish My devotees”. You accepted this order which pleased Him very much. To assist you, the Lord sent Mukti as your maidservant and Jnana and Vairagya as your sons.3 You directly reside in Vaikuntha dhama where you nourish the devotees and you expand yourself on this earthly planet for their nourishment as well.4 You came and happily resided on this earth along with Mukti, Jnana and Vairagya from Satya-yuga to Dvapara-yuga. But in Kali-yuga, Mukti contracted the disease of irreligious pretence and languished, and with your permission, went back to Vaikuntha. Now whenever you remember her, she comes to this planet briefly and returns to Vaikuntha, but Jnana and Vairagya remain with you always

because they are like your sons. Being neglected by the people of Kali-yuga, they have become old and weak, but will soon recuperate, so you need not worry. I will find a solution to rejuvenate their bodies.

O beautiful faced one, there is no other age like Kali-yuga5 because you will be established in every house as well as in the heart of every person.6 Hear my vow. If I do not preach your message, subdue all other religions and make devotional festivals predominant then I shall not be considered the servant of Lord Hari. In Kali-yuga those people who follow you, even if they are sinful, will attain the abode of Lord Krsna without fear.7 The people in whose heart you reside become purified and they will not see Yamaraja, the Lord of Death, even in their dreams. Even ghostly beings like pretas, pisacas, raksasas and daityas are not able to trouble those whose hearts are imbued with devotion. The Lord cannot be controlled by austerities, study of the Vedas. by culture of knowledge, or by the fruitive activities described in the Vedas. He is controlled only by bhakti and the gopis are the evidence (pramana) of this.8 On the strength of pious activities performed for hundreds of lives one becomes attracted to bhakti, which is the only essence in Kali-yuga. On the strength of bhakti, Lord Krsna Himself appears to the devotee. Those people who are envious of devotion are always miserable no matter where they go within the three planetary systems. In the past, the great sage Durvasa suffered immense misery for offending a devotee.9 What more can I say? All vratas, tirthas, yogas, sacrifices and talks of knowledge are not needed. Bhakti alone can grant liberation.”

Suta Gosvami continued, “Narada’s conclusion glorified Bhakti and nurtured her. Then Bhakti spoke as follows. ‘O Narada, you are very glorious and have unflinching faith in me. Thus I will always reside in your heart and never leave. O saintly person, you are most merciful. Just in a matter of moments you have removed my misery. But my sons have not yet regained their consciousness. Please quickly bring them back to normal.'”

Suta Gosvami said, “Upon hearing these words of Bhakti, Narada felt very compassionate and attempted to wake them up by shaking them with his hands.10 He put his mouth to their ears and said, ‘O Jnana wake up, O Vairagya please arise.”11 Then he chanted Vedic Mantras, the Vedanta Sutras, and the Upanisads. He recited Bhagavad-gita again and again. With great difficulty, they were revived, but overcome by lethargy, they yawned and were unable to even open their eyes.12 Their hair was a white as the feathers of ducks and their bodily limbs were emaciated and powerless. Owing to hunger and thirst they were weak and sleepy. Seeing this, Narada fell into anxiety and contemplated further ways to revive them from old age and sleep. O Saunaka, as the sage Narada, deliberated, meditating on the Supreme Lord, he heard a voice emanating from the sky.13 ‘O Devarsi, do not worry, your endeavour will be successful. O sage you must perform one specific noble act that will be revealed to you by some great saintly person.14 As soon as you complete that activity, Jnana and Vairagya will be released from the clutches of sleep and old age, and bhakti will reign everywhere.’15 These words were heard by everyone.”

“In astonishment Narada said, ‘I cannot understand the meaning of this indirect statement.16 The voice did not clearly explain the path one must follow in order to achieve perfection. Nor do I know where to find those saintly persons who will explain the process to me. What must I do to implement this order?'”

Suta Gosvami said, “O Saunaka, bidding farewell to Jnana and Vairagya, Narada Muni travelled to various holy places and met with the saintly people residing there. He asked them to suggest a process by which Jnana and Vairagya could be revived. Some listened carefully but could not give a definite answer.17 Others stated that it could not be accomplished, while still others remarked that it was not possible to determined a correct answer. Upon being asked the question, several simply kept quiet while others wriggled away to avoid embarrassment. They were all surprised to hear this question and none could offer a satisfactory reply. They began discussing among themselves as follows, ‘My dear friends, if Jnana and Vairagya could not be revived after the chanting of the Vedas, Vedanta Sutra and recitation of the Bhagavad-gita, then what can be the solution? And if Narada Muni, who is the chief yogi and saint, does not know, then who can answer?'”18

“In this way, wherever Sri Narada inquired, he got the same answer–that it is very difficult to accomplish. He thus became very worried and decided to go to Badari where he performed penance with the intent to find the solution to revive Jnana and Vairagya. shortly thereafter the Kumaras, headed by Sanaka, appeared there.19 They were effulgent like a million suns. Seeing them Sri Narada again enquired, “O saintly people, it is by great fortune that I have attained your association. Please be merciful to me and explain that noble process. You are the best of yogis, most knowledgeable and scholarly. Although you appear like five year old boys, you are the senior-most saintly persons. You always reside in Vaikuntha and engage in chanting the holy names. You are always intoxicated with the nectar of Lord Hari’s pastimes, which are your only sustenance.20 You are always chanting the mantra harih saranam and therefore old age, which is caused by the influence of time, does not approach you. Previously, just by the flick of your eyebrows, you whirled Lord Visnu’s gatekeepers, Jaya and Vijaya down to this earth.21 Later they were reinstated by your mercy. I am most lowly and I feel most fortunate to have your darsana. You are very merciful so kindly bestow your mercy on me. Please reveal that process which the voice in the sky directed me to learn from saintly people. Please explain in detail how to follow that path. How can Bhakti, Jnana and Vairagya become happy? How can they be established in all classes of men?”

The Kumaras replied, “O sage, Narada Muni, abandon your anxiety and be happy for the solution is simple. O Narada, glorious crest-jewel among the renunciates, you are the guide of those who walk the path of devotion, indeed you are the sun of bhakti-yoga. It is not very surprising that you have undergone this great endeavour for the sake of Bhakti. It is certainly appropriate for a devotee of the Lord to properly establish Bhakti.22 Various sages have propagated many paths, but they are all troublesome and generally can only elevate one to the heavenly planets. Until now, the process by which one can attain the original Personality of Godhead has remained concealed, and it is rare to find one who knows this practice. We know the procedure the voice in the sky referred to and we will explain it to you.23 Please hear with an attentive mind. O Narada, sacrifice of material objects, penance, yoga, meditation, study of the Vedas and the path of knowledge, generally only lead toward fruitive activities and grant residence in the heavenly planets. Scholars have said that only jnana-yajna, or the sacrifice of knowledge, is the path of liberation.24 This constitutes the study of the Srimad Bhagavatam which has been sung by great personalities like Sukadeva Gosvami. Just by hearing the words of Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhakti, Jnana and Vairagya will be nourished. This will relieve the misery of Jnana and Vairagya and will make Bhakti blissful. As

when a lion roars, wolves flee in fear, so merely by the sound of Srimad Bhagavatam, all the vicious qualities of Kali-yuga are destroyed. Bhakti is the flow of love of God and along with Jnana and Vairagya will enter every house and dance in the heart of every living being.”

Sri Narada said. “I have tried to awaken Jnana and Vairagya by chanting the Vedas, Upanisads and Bhagavad-gita with no success. How is it possible that they will re revived by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam?25 After all Srimad Bhagavatam is nothing more than the essence of the Vedas. Your darsana never goes in vain and you always protect those who surrender to you, please, therefore, remove my doubt with delay.”

The Kumaras said: “It is a fact that Srimad Bhagavatam is the essence of the Vedas and Upanisads,26 but it is the fruit of the tree of Vedic literature, it is superior. The vital fluid of the tree is spread from the root to the tip though it cannot be tasted. When that same fluid accumulates in the fruit however, it tastes very delicious. Similarly, ghee, which is relishable even to the demigods, is spread throughout cow’s milk, but it cannot be savoured until it is extracted. Sugar also exists throughout the cane, yet when extracted, it becomes more succulent. The same applies to the pastimes depicted in Srimad Bhagavatam, which is equal to the Vedas. Srila Vyasadeva has propagated it to establish bhakti, jnana and vairagya. Once Srila Vyasadeva, who knows the essence of all the Vedas and Upanisads, and is the compiler of the Bhagavad-gita felt dejected and was drowning in an ocean of confusion. At that time you spoke the message of the Bhagavatam in just four verses. Upon hearing these verses Vyasa was freed from his lamentation. So why are you doubtful and astonished by this? Recite Srimad Bhagavatam to Jnana and Vairagya and their lamentation and misery will be destroyed.”

Narada said, “O saintly people, your darsana immediately shatters all the sins of the living entities and brings solace to those being scorched by the fire of material misery. You are always drinking the nectar of Srimad Bhagavatam, which you heard from Lord Sesa. I have taken shelter of you for the purpose of preaching the message of bhakti, which is characterised by love of God. Only one who has performed greatly pious acts27 for many millions of lifetimes may achieve the association of saintly persons like yourselves and thus get completely free from ignorance caused by material delusion and pride. He then becomes established in proper discrimination.”

Comments on Chapter Two

 

1. This is the only panacea for When the mind is fixed on Krsna, it cannot experience agitation. That’s why devotees are always free from anxiety.
2. Lord Krsna is called patita-pavana, the purifier of the fallen, and Dina-bandhu, the friend of the He does not care for haughty people; He is pleased by humility.
3. The Lord is pleased with His obedient He grants liberation, knowledge and detachment to the surrendered souls even without their asking.

4 Devotional service is the internal potency of the Lord and descends from Him into the material world through disciplic succession.

5. Kali means the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, but it also indicates the age in which the Lord is readily available–kam krsnam lati dadati iti In other yugas people were healthy, intelligent, alert, and long lived. They had a natural inclination for yoga, penance, study of the Vedas, yajnas and so on. They did not pay heed to devotion, considering it too simplistic. Without bhakti, however, liberation cannot be attained. In previous ages people had to undergo the rigours of the respective processes for many lifetimes in order to realise this fact. But in Kali-yuga there is natural propensity towards bhakti because people in general are not qualified to participate in jnana, yoga, and karma. Therefore this age is glorious. Moreover, Lord Caitanya appeared in Kali-yuga to directly preach the message of bhakti and set the proper example.
6. This statement predicts the appearance of Lord Caitanya who predicted prthivite ache yat nagaradi grama / sarvatra pracara hoibe mora When Narada Muni says that he will establish bhakti, he means it will be done through a devotee. Therefore this verse also hints at the preaching activities of Srila Prabhupada who fulfilled the prophecies of Lord Caitanya and Sri Narada Muni. In fact in America Srila Prabhupada once held a program which very few people attended. When one disciple remarked that not many people had come, Srila Prabhupada said, “That’s not true. The great sage Narada Muni was present.”
7. Everyone on qualified to take to the process of bhakti, regardless of birth or

8. In Vedic culture, the Vedas are considered to be the supreme pramana, though here Sri Narada asserts that the gopis This is because the gopis are the topmost knowers and lovers of Krsna. Besides, among the gopis some are known to be the Vedas personified, hence they are also called pramana.
9. This refers to the story of Ambarisa Maharaja from the Ninth Canto of Srimad
10. Narada’s attempt to wake Jnana and Vairagya by shaking them with his hands indicates that knowledge cannot be revived by the process of
11. Narada’s placing his mouth next to their ear presents the initiation ceremony in which the guru utters mantras into the right ear of the Mere initiation, however, cannot make one learned or renounced.
12. The lethargy and yawning of Jnana and Vairagya indicate that one can get only a meagre amount of knowledge by recitation of the scriptures They do not make one’s consciousness crystal clear.
13. The Supersoul guides the sincerely inquisitive person from

14. A sincere, inquisitive person should accept the guidance of a bona fide spiritual In this way the Lord helps from within and without.
15. This statement predicts the appearance of

16. Personal realisations which lack the guidance of a bona fide teacher and the scriptures are unclear and

17 Most people in the garb of saints do not clearly understand the Absolute Reality. They follow hodge-podge philosophy and lacking realisation cannot give satisfactory guidance to their disciples.

18. Here the word “Narada” means the giver of knowledge–naram jnanam dadati iti
19. The Lord appears in the form of the spiritual master to the sincere

20. These are the characteristics of a bona fide spiritual

21. This story is in the Third Canto of Srimad

22. This is the duty of every devotee of the

23. A guru is able to dispel all the doubts of his

24. Here the term ‘knowledge’ is non different from Knowledge related to the Personality of Godhead is one aspect of bhakti.
25. A disciple should present his doubts to his guru If he is arrogant a saintly person is not obliged to give the treasure of his knowledge to such an unqualified disciple.
26. The Vedas and Itihasas mainly deal in dharma, artha, kama and moksa, but the Srimad Bhagavatam speaks only of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord,
27. The pious acts mentioned here are those related to devotion such as offering charity to a

Chapter Three Bhakti’s Distress is Dispelled

Sri Narada said, “To establish bhakti, jnana and vairagya, I will perform a jnana-yajna by reciting the Srimad Bhagavatam as was spoken by Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. Please explain where this yajna should be performed. You are the knower of the Vedas, therefore please explain the glories of the Srimad Bhagavatam as spoken by Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. Also please explain the proper procedure and duration for the recitation.”

The Kumaras replied, “O Narada, you are very humble and discriminate.1 We will explain everything to you, so kindly hear from us. Near Haridvara there is a bathing place or ghata on the bank of Ganges called Ananda.2 Many saintly persons reside there and demigods and perfected beings visit frequently. The place abounds with various types of trees and creepers and the sand is soft and appealing. The beautiful ghata decorates a solitary point on the river.3 The fragrance of lotus flowers fills the air and lions and tigers dwell with no animosity toward other animals.4 Go there and effortlessly start this jnana-yajna, for by the medium of this katha, a novel rasa will become manifest. You will see Bhakti appear along with Jnana and Vairagya, who have become decrepit. Wherever there is recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam, bhakti, jnana and vairagya automatically become manifest. By the sound of Bhagavatam they will become young and energetic.”5

Sri Suta Gosvami said, “After saying this, the Kumaras desiring to drink the nectar of Srimad Bhagavatam, arrived at the bank of the Ganges, along with Narada. The news spread all over the earth and throughout the three planetary systems. Those devotees who harboured any taste for hearing the Lord’s pastimes, came in haste to drink the nectar. Sage like Bhrgu, Vasistha, Cyavana, Gautama, Medhatithi, Devala, Devarata, Parasurama, Visvamitra, Sakala, Markandeya, Dattatreya, Pippalada, Vyasa, Parasara, Chayasuka, Jajali, Jahnu, and all such great saintly persons arrived there along with their family members and disciples. Besides them, the Vedas, the Upanisads, Mantra, Tantra, the seventeen Puranas and the six philosophical systems came in their personified forms. Sacred rivers like the Ganges, sacred ponds like Puskara, holy ksetras like Kuruksetra, sanctified forests like Dandaka, all the directions, majestic mountains like the Himalayas, the demigods, Gandharvas, and even Danavas came there to hear hari-katha. Those who were not inclined to come out of excessive pride, were brought by the great sage Bhrgu who had expertly convinced them. The Kumaras then sat on a beautiful seat offered by Sri Narada and resolved themselves to recite Srimad Bhagavatam. In the front of the audience sat Vaisnavas, renunciants, brahmacaris, and Sri Narada Muni sat in front of them. On the one side sat the sages and on the other the demigods. One place hosted the Vedas and Upanisads, and another the holy places. In yet another place sat the women, while all around could be heard, “All glories! All glories!” as conches resounded and people decorated each other with coloured powder and flowers. Some demigods alighted from their airplanes and from the sky others showered flowers on the audience.”

Suta Gosvami said, “In this way the worship was performed and then everyone sat with an attentive mind. The Kumaras began reciting the glories of Srimad Bhagavatam before the sage Narada. “Now we will describe the glories of Bhagavatam, which by hearing, one attains liberation. One should always hear Srimad Bhagavatam, for just by doing so, the Lord sits in one’s heart. Bhagavatam has 18 000 verses in twelve cantos and is a dialogue between Sri Sukadeva and King Pariksita.6 The living entity wanders in this world owing to ignorance, until he hears the Bhagavatam Sri Sukadeva Gosvami recited. Indeed there is no need to hear many scriptures and Puranas as this simply causes confusion. Srimad Bhagavatam alone is sufficient to grant liberation. That house where Bhagavatam is recited daily becomes a holy place and those who reside there become free from all sins. Thousands of horse sacrifices and hundreds Vajapeya sacrifices cannot compare to one sixteenth of the benefit of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. O sages, sins reside in a person’s body only until he properly hears Srimad Bhagavatam . The benefits offered by the Ganges, Gaya, Kasi, Puskara, or Prayaga cannot compare to those derived from hearing the Bhagavatam. If you at all desire the supreme destination, then you should daily recite at least one half, or even on fourth of a Srimad Bhagavatam sloka. There is no difference between Omkara, Gayatri Mantra, Purusa-sukta, the three Vedas, Srimad Bhagavatam, the twelve syllable mantra, the twelve features of the sun god, Prayaga, Kala which manifests as a year, brahmana, agnihotra sacrifice, a cow, fasting on ekadasi, Tulasi, spring season and the Personality of Godhead, Krsna. A person who hears Srimad Bhagavatam day and night and understands its meaning, becomes free from the sins committed in millions of lives. There is no doubt about it. The person who daily recites even one half or one fourth of a verse of Srimad Bhagavatam gets the benefit of performing the Rajasuya sacrifice (horse sacrifice). Daily recitation of the Bhagavatam, meditation on the Personality of Godhead, the watering of Tulasi, and rendering service to the cow, are all

considered equal. If a person hears a verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam at the time of death, the Lord becomes pleased and grants him residence in Vaikuntha.

Whoever places the Bhagavatam on a golden throne and donates it to a devotee certainly attains the association of the Personality of Godhead. A person who does not hear even a part of Srimad Bhagavatam during the whole of his life, lives just like a candala or an ass. The purpose of his birth is only to give delivery pains to his mother. A person who has not even heard one verse of the Bhagavatam is very sinful and although living, is actually dead. His life is an utter waste and simply a burden for the earth. This is the statement of Lord Indra, the chief among the demigods. Indeed it is not very easy to get an opportunity to hear Srimad Bhagavatam. Only a very pious person gets such an opportunity. O Narada, you are very intelligent and the abode of mysticism. Hear this katha with attention. There are no rules restricting the time or date for hearing Bhagavatam.7 Considered best is that one should hear Bhagavatam while keeping a vow of celibacy and truthfulness.8 But for the people in Kali- yuga this is very difficult. Therefore, Sukadeva Gosvami explained a special process for hearing that should be known. In Kali-yuga the minds of people are always disturbed and thus it is very difficult for them to perform pious activity and follow rules and regulations for a long period. He has recommended, therefore, a process of hearing the Bhagavatam in seven days, which is called saptaha sravana, or saptaha yajna.

Whatever benefit one derives from hearing Bhagavatam during the month of Magha or anytime, Sukadeva says, that one gets the same benefit by the process of Saptaha. Because people in general are short-lived, always sick, and unable to control their minds, the process of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam in seven days is offered in Kali-yuga.9 That benefit which is unattainable through penance, yoga and mystic trance, can be readily attained by properly hearing the Bhagavatam through the process of Saptaha. There is no greater vrata, penance, sacrifice, service to a holy place, meditation, or knowledge than hearing Bhagavatam through the Saptaha Yajna.”

Saunaka said, “O Suta Gosvami, you have made very wonderful statements! Certainly Bhagavatam must describe about Lord Krsna, who is the source of Brahma, but how is it possible that this is a better process of liberation then even the path of knowledge?”

Suta Gosvami said, “O Saunaka, when Lord Krsna was about to leave this earthly planet to go to His own abode, He spoke the eleventh canto to Uddhava. Upon hearing it, Uddhava asked, “O Govinda You have fulfilled Your purpose with respect to Your devotees and as You prepare to return to Your abode, there is one doubt in my mind. Please hear it and grant me solace. kali-yuga will begin immediately, and various types of vicious qualities will become manifest. Saintly people will become demonic and the earth will become over burdened. Then who will give her shelter? O lotus-eyed Lord, but for You, I do not see anyone who can protect the earth. O Lord, You are very dear to Your devotees and merciful to the saintly persons, therefore, please do not leave. O Lord, You appeared here only for the benefit of Your devotees, so how will Your devotees maintain their lives in your separation? To meditated on Your impersonal feature is very miserable, therefore please do something.10

“Hearing these words of Uddhava at Prabhasa, the Lord devised a solution to give shelter to His devotees. O Saunaka, He invested all His power in the Srimad Bhagavatam along

with Himself in His unmanifest form. We should know, there, that Srimad Bhagavatam is the personification of the Lord in the form of sound. One who serves, hears, or even sees the Srimad Bhagavatam becomes free from all sin. In Kali-yuga, therefore, hearing Bhagavata Saptaha is the chief religion and superior to all other means. In Kali-yuga this is the only principle which removes sin and relieves the misery of unfortunate people. It gives them the power to conquer lust, anger, and greed. It is very difficult for the demigods to get relief from Maya, so then, how can mortal beings be expected to become free from her? Hearing Saptaha, therefore, is the correct means to be freed from the clutches of Maya.”11

Suta Gosvami said, “O Saunaka, while the Kumaras were explaining the glory of Saptaha to Narada Muni, a very wonderful thing happened in that assembly. Bhakti appeared along with her two sons, who had now regained their youth. She was loudly and repeatedly chanting “Sri Krsna! Govinda! Hare! Murare! O Lord Narayana! Vasudeva! All the assembled people saw that Bhakti had become beautiful by wearing the imports of the Srimad Bhagavatam as ornaments.12 The sages then began discussing how it was that Bhakti had manifested herself in the assembly, from where had she come, and so on.”

The Kumaras then said, “Bhakti has now appeared from the import of the Bhagavata- katha. Hearing this, Bhakti and her two sons humbly submitted. ‘In Kali-yuga we were almost lost but now you have rejuvenated us. Please explain where we can reside.’

The Kumaras responded, “You award the Personality of Godhead to your devotees, and you sever the bonds of this material world, therefore with great patience and fortitude you should reside in the hearts of the devotees of Lord Krsna. The defects of Kali-yuga may overpower the whole universe but they will not be able to so much as glance at you.”

Upon hearing the words of the Kumaras, Bhakti entered the hearts of the Lord’s devotees. The devotees in whose heart Bhakti resides many appear impoverished, but they are most glorious and opulent, because abandoning His own abode, the Lord Himself comes to reside in their heart, being tied by the rope of devotion. The Bhagavatam is the personification of the Lord on earth and its glory cannot be described in words. Anyone who hears or recites Bhagavatam becomes an associate of the Lord, so what is the purpose of religious principles without it?”

Comments on Chapter Three

 

1. Knowledge comes to a humble and discriminate

2. Haridvara means the gateway to Lord Hari, and Ananda means Bliss is in the vicinity of the Lord. Going to Haridvara means becoming favourable to the Lord and giving up the atheistic mentality. In this mood the Bhagavatam reciter will taste bliss.
3. One should bath one’s mind with beautiful thoughts of Lord Ha The Ganges represents the flow of transcendental knowledge. “Solitary place” means the absence of improper association.
4. When one is in transcendental knowledge he gets free from envy and material

5. Sound, or sabda pramana, is the only means to acquire transcendental

6. Some scholars propose that Bhagavatam refers to the Devi-bhagavatam, which also has 18 000 verses and twelve cantos, but this statement soundly defeats their claim because the Devi-bhagavatam was not spoke by Sri Sukadeva
7. Bhagavatam is transcendental and should be heard whenever one has the opportunity, for a moment passed, never
8. If one neglects these rules he will not understand the actual message of Srimad
9. Something is better than nothing, therefore, at least for seven days one should follow the rules and regulations for hearing Srimad As far as the devotees are concerned however, ‘seven days’ means everyday just as when people say “I do this seven days a week”, and what they mean is I do this every day of the year.
10. Worship of impersonal Brahman is very difficult, and more so for the people of Kali- Therefore, no one should waste valuable and limited life in such a fruitless pursuit.
11. This statement is directed to the common man, for if he is instructed to hear Srimad Bhagavatam daily, he will immediately reject the But after deliberation he may conclude, “If hearing it for only one week has so many wonderful benefits, then why not hear it everyday?” Therefore, Saptaha is a preaching technique for dull people. Moreover, if one submissively hears Srimad Bhagavatam from a pure devotee, he will surely get free from the clutches of Maya. There is no exaggeration in this statement.
12. Just hearing Srimad Bhagavatam is devotional service, but understanding it and meditating on its meaning is like decorating

nimna-ganam yatha ganga devanam acyuto yatha vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh purananam idam tatha

Just as the Ganga is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Sambhu (Siva) the greatest of Vaishnavas, so Srimad Bhagavatam is the greatest of all Puranas.

(Srimad Bhagavatam 12.13.16)

Chapter Four The Story of Gokarna

Suta Gosvami continued, “O Saunaka, when the Supreme Lord, who is very dear to His devotees, saw transcendental bhakti manifest within their hearts, He left His abode and appeared in the assembly at Ananda. He wore a garland made of forest flowers, and His bodily hue was just like that of a monsoon cloud. He was dressed in dazzling yellow garments

and wore a belt studded with gems. A crown decorated His head and His earrings moved to and fro. He stood in a beautiful threefold bending form that stole the hearts of everyone. The Kaustubha gem glittered on His chest and His bodily limbs were anointed with sandalwood pulp. His exquisite beautify defeated millions of Cupids. The transcendental Personality of Godhead, who held a flute, then entered the hearts of His devotees. His intimate associates, such as Uddhava, had come there incognito to hear the bhagavata-katha. As the Lord appeared, in all directions could be heard “All glories! All glories!” There was a wonderful flow of bhakti rasa, the sound of conches, and showers of flowers and coloured water. The entire assembly completely forgot themselves and their possessions and were fully absorbed in hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam.”

Seeing their deep absorption, Sri Narada said, “O sages, today I have seen the wonderful glory of Saptaha. Even foolish rogues and animals become purified by hearing it. I have no doubt, therefore, that in Kali-yuga, bhagavata-katha is the most powerful process for purifying the heart. O most merciful saintly persons, only to show kindness upon the suffering living entities in the material world have you revealed this wonderful process. Now please narrate histories regarding those who have become purified by performing Saptaha Yajna.”1

The Kumaras said, “Those crooked people who always transgress the rules of the scriptures and engage in various types of sinful acts, burning in the fire of anger, and are always given to lust, will be purified by the Saptaha Yajna.

Those who are outside the varnasrama system, devoid of truth, and troubled by material desires, who always criticise their parents, who are envious, hypocritical and bent on giving misery to others, will be purified by the Saptaha Yajna.

Those who steal gold, drink liquor, kill brahmanas, and who have sex with the wife of their spiritual master, who are very cruel, merciless, treacherous, immoral, demonic, always prone to cheating and live off the wealth of brahmanas, will be purified by the Saptaha Yajna.

Those who are very obstinate and thus always engage in sinful activities with their body, mind and speech, who always live on the wealth of others, and whose hearts are very impure will get purified by the Saptaha Yajna.

O Narada, in this context, I will recite a history which simply by hearing one will become free from sin.

Once there was a beautiful settlement on the bank of the Tungabhadra. The people of that city were truthful, religious and dedicated to executing their prescribed duties. In that city lived a brahmana named Atma Deva, who was expert in studying the Vedas and performing karma-kanda activities. He was brilliant like the sun and although rich, he lived by begging. He had a beautiful wife named Dhundhuli, who came from a good family, but was very obstinate. By nature she was very cruel, talkative and took great pleasure in gossiping with others. although expert in household duties, she was miserly and quarrelsome.2 This brahmana and his wife lived together lovingly, owning ample wealth and objects for sense enjoyment. Though their house was very beautiful, they were not happy because they had no son.3 As old age crept up on Atma Deva, he engaged in various pious activities for getting a son. He distributed charity to the poor and donated cows, land, gold, cloth and so on. In this

way he spent half of his wealth on religious activities. Still he could not get a child and thus he was filled with anxiety.

“One day, feeling very disheartened, he left home and went to the forest. As the sun reached its zenith he was thirsty and approached a pond. Owing to lack of progeny he was depressed, weak and tired,4 and after drinking he sat down to rest.5 By and by a sannyasi came there to drink. The brahmana approached him and fell at his feet breathing heavily. The sannyasi asked, “O brahmana, why are you crying so anxiously? Tell me what is your problem?”

The brahmana said, “O Maharaja, I am suffering from sins committed in my past life. Even my forefathers are in such anxiety that when I offer oblations of water, they accept, but remain full of worry. The demigods and brahmanas do not happily accept my offerings of food. I am so miserable for want of children that my life appears wasted. I have come here to give up my useless life, as I have no son. A house without children is like a forest, and wealth loses all value. Indeed a family without children is very inauspicious. O Maharaja, even the cows I acquire become barren! When I plant a tree, it yields no fruits or flowers. And when I bring fruit to my home, it spoils very quickly. I am most unfortunate because I have no son, therefore my life has no purpose.”

Saying this, the brahmana began crying piteously and the saint’s heart became filled with compassion.6 He was a perfected yogi and by seeing the lines on the brahmana’s forehead, he could understand everything about his life.

The sannyasi said, “O brahmana, give up your attachment and desire for children, for Fate is very powerful. Take shelter of discrimination and give up attachment to this world. O brahmana, I can understand your fate and am certain that you will have no son for the next seven lives. Previously, King Sagara and King Anga had to suffer repeated miseries because of not having a son. Therefore, brahmana, give up all hope for success in family life. Happiness is only in the life of renunciation.”

The brahmana said, “O Swamiji, what is the value of such discrimination? There is simply no spice in sannyasa life. Somehow or another give me a son, otherwise, I will plunge into lamentation and give up my life. One who does not experience the happiness of wife and children lives in a desert. Happiness exists only when the house is filled with wife, sons, and grandsons.7

Seeing Atma Deva’s great attachment, the saint said, “O brahmana, King Citraketu had to suffer excessively because he wanted to undo his fate.8 Providence is very powerful, hence none of your endeavours will be successful. For this reason you will not get the happiness of a son, but I see that you are very obstinate, and since you have approached me desiring a son, what can I say in these circumstances?”

Understanding the brahmana’s determination the saint offered him a fruit and said, “Your wife will surely get pregnant and bear you a son upon her eating this fruit. She should follow a vow of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, and charity and eat only one meal a day for one year. By doing so, she will have a son who will be pious and righteous.”

After saying this the sannyasi disappeared and the brahmana joyfully returned to his house. He gave the fruit to his wife and left for another place. His wife, whose nature was crooked, began crying and spoke to her associate: “My dear friend, I am in great anxiety! My husband has brought a fruit which has the potency to give me a son. If I eat it, I will become pregnant,, my womb will grow, and not being able to eat properly I will become weak and unable to perform my household duties. If by ill fortune dacoits attack, I will not be able to run in my pregnant condition. And if during the time of delivery, the child gets stuck in the birth canal, I will lose my life. Or if he remains in my womb for an extended period, like Sukadeva how much will I have to suffer. I am very tender by nature, how will I be able to tolerate all this? During the pregnancy I will be weak, then my sister-in-law is sure to come and pilfer all my wealth. Moreover, I will have to follow so many rules and regulations which will create difficulty. Child-bearing is very painful, and upbringing more painful still.9 I think only barren women and widows live happily.”

Thinking in this way she did not eat the fruit. Yet when her husband asked her, she deceitfully said, “Yes, I have eaten it.”10

One day her sister visited and Dhundhuli confided the whole story to her, revealing her distress. Dhundhuli said, “O dead sister, owing to anxiety, day by day I am becoming weaker. Please tell me what I should do?”

Her sister replied: “I am now pregnant so when I deliver this child, I will secretly give him to you. Meanwhile you pose yourself as pregnant and offer some wealth to my husband, thus he will not mind giving his child to you. Somehow or another we will arrange for everyone to think that I suffered a miscarriage after six months. Later I will arrange to nourish the baby at your house.11 Now, to test this fruit, let us give it to this cow.”

Dhundhuli fed the fruit to a cow and in due course her sister gave birth to a son. The child’s father quietly delivered it to Dhundhuli who informed Atma Deva that she had delivered a son. hearing this Atma Deva became very jubilant. he performed the birth ceremony along with various other auspicious activities, gave charity to the brahmanas, and arranged musicians to celebrate the birth of his son.

Dhundhuli said to her husband, “There is no milk in my breast and I think it is not possible to feed cow’s milk to the child yet. What shall I do? My sister’s child was still-born so if you call her, she can breast-feed my son.”

Atma Deva took her suggestion, and Dhundhuli named the boy Dhundhukari. After three more months the cow that ate the fruit also delivered a beautiful human child. He was peaceful and divine looking and his face was very brilliant. Seeing this, the brahmana became very ecstatic.12 He performed all the appropriate ceremonies for this new baby. Hearing this, all the people were astonished and all came to see the baby born of the cow. They started talking among themselves, “Just see how fortunate Atma Deva has become. Even his cow has borne him a son!”

By the will of the Divine no one could understand the secret behind the intrigue. Atma Deva named the cow’s son Gokarna because his ears resembled those of a cow. In time both boys grew up. Gokarna was intelligent and scholarly, while Dhundhukari was a rogue. He

would not perform any brahmanical duties or follow the rules of cleanliness. he used no discrimination when eating and was irate. He would accumulate useless articles and would even eat food touched by a dead body. He was expert in stealing and envious of others. Sometimes he would quietly go and set fire to another’s house, or he would abduct a baby and throw it in a well. He took pleasure in violent activities and always carried weapons. He happily troubled blind and handicapped people and kept special friendships with candalas. He also kept a pack of dogs and would often go hunting. He was attached to prostitutes and thus he wasted all his father’s wealth. One day he severely beat his parents, took all the pots and utensils in the house and sold them. In this way, all of Atma Deva’s property was lost. he began lamenting, “Alas! alas! I was better off when my wife was barren! Oh! to have a rascal son is worse than having no son at all. Where shall I go? What shall I do? Who will help me in this unfavourable situation? O misery! I am being tormented by my own son and I’m prepared to give up my life!13

While he lamented in this way, Gokarna arrived and began instructing him:14 “O father, this world is full of delusion and misery, and is useless. You should deliberate upon who is the real owner of sons and wealth. Those who are attached to material things burn day and night like a ghee lamp. Neither Lord Indra nor the emperor of the whole universe can find happiness. Only those who are renounced and live in a solitary place have peace. Therefore give up this ignorance, thinking that this is your wife, this is your son, and so on. Owing to such delusion one goes to hell. This body will one day be lost, therefore, go and live in the forest.”

Hearing the words of Gokarna, Atma Deva decided to go to the forest. He asked, “My dear son, please explain what I should do in the forest. I am very foolish and very much attached to karma-kanda activities. Now I have lost everything and am bound in this well of household life. You are very merciful – please deliver me.”

Gokarna said, “O father, this body is nothing but a combination of bones, fat, blood, and flesh. Therefore, do not consider that you are this body and that this wife and children are yours. Day and night meditate on the ephemeral nature of this material world and thus do not become attached to anything. Become renounced and perform devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. Devotion is the greatest religion, therefore take shelter of it, and give up all other material religious principles. Render service to saintly people and give up all thoughts of sense gratification and greed for wealth. Do not meditate on the defects of others, fully engage in the service of the Lord, and always drink the nectar of His holy pastimes.”

Influenced by the preaching of his son, Atma Deva left home and though he was sixty years old went to the forest with great determination. Day and night he remained engaged in the service of the Lord.15 He regularly recited the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam until finally he attained the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna.

Comments on Chapter Four

 

1. After explaining a particular philosophical conclusion, (siddhanta), it is customary to corroborate it with an This strengthens the faith of the audience.

2. While this is a true story, it has a philosophical Atma Deva (lit. divine soul) is the living entity. Tungabhadra (very auspicious) signifies the material body. In Bhagavad-gita (5.13) the material body is compared to a city of nine gates which hosts the living entity. This city is very auspicious, because it gives facility to understand the scriptures and thus attain the lotus feet of the Lord. Although it is temporary, it can award permanent benefits, adhruva-marthadam (S.B. 7.6.1).

Karma-kanda activities signify all endeavours for sense gratification. Some people work hard to enjoy in this life, and others to enjoy in the next. A person is rich because he can elevate himself to spiritual life. but one is called krpana or miserly, if he uses his intelligence and energy for sense pleasure, which is available even to dogs and hogs.

Dhundhuli (lit. unclear) represents the intelligence which should work under the guidance of the soul. However, if she henpecks her husband, the living entity, he becomes like her slave. Contaminated intelligence takes pleasure in material thoughts which are compared to gossiping. Hatred and envy are compared to cruelty and quarrelling. Material intelligence is expertly used in material affairs (household duties).

3. Happiness does not depend on Everyone remains dissatisfied despite his high or low material standards.
4. A materialistic person is always full of stress and anxiety running after sense pleasure, like a deer running after the water in a
5. Drinking water and relaxing represents temporarily stopping material This is compared to shifting a heavy load from one shoulder to the other, it gives only a momentary feeling of relief.
6. The sannyasi signifies the spiritual

7. Generally a materialistic person approaches a guru to satisfy his own material The intelligence develops discrimination only through holy association, but when the intelligence is overly attached to sense pleasure, one cannot understand the value of detachment or transcendental knowledge. Such people consider devotional life extremely miserable.
8. Unless one takes to spiritual life he must suffer or enjoy the fruits of his past

9. The general tendency of the human being is to enjoy the fruits of labour without undergoing any This is compared to a woman desiring to bear a son without labour pains.
10. Material intelligence always cheats the living

11. The sister signifies the The mind and intelligence conspire against the conditioned soul.
12. A materialistic person feels elated with material success, but it does not last very

13. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna explains that happiness in the mode of passion is like a nectar in the beginning and poison at the end; it always ends in
14. Gokarna was born from the fruit given by the sannyasi, thus the association of a saint never goes in Even if one approaches a devotee or Krsna with vested interest, he will benefit spiritually in due course of time.
15. Practice with determination and enthusiasm is the key to

yasyam vai sruyamanayam krsne parama-puruse bhaktir utpadyate pumsah soka-moha-bhayapaha

Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.7

Chapter Five

 

Dhundhukari gets a ghostly body and is delivered by Gokarna

 

Suta Gosvami said, “O Saunaka, one day, after Atma Deva went to the forest, Dhundhukari beat his mother severely, demanded her wealth and threatened to burn her. Being overly troubled and afraid of her son, one night Dhundhuli stole out of the house, threw herself into a well and drowned. The saintly Gokarna, who was not troubled by happiness or distress and did not consider anyone his friend or enemy, left to go on pilgrimage.

Dhundhukari remained living in their house with five prostitutes and constantly worried how to accumulate wealth for sense gratification.1 Owing to this he lost all his intelligence and thus engaged in cruel and heinous activities.2

One day the prostitutes requested that he give them various ornaments. Dhundhukari completely blinded by lust and forgetful of death, left to fulfil their desire by hook or crook. In his attempt to please them, he stole some wealth and used it to buy beautiful clothes and ornaments. After receiving the stolen goods, one night the prostitutes began to consider, “Dhundhukari is always plundering others and in time will surely get caught by the king, who will confiscate his wealth and hang him. We might as well kill him ourselves, take his wealth and move to a distant place.” Thinking in this way, one night while Dhundhukari was sleeping, they tied him with ropes, put a noose around his neck and tried to strangle him. he would not die easily and this worried the prostitutes.3 They then brought burning wood, shoved it into his mouth. The wood burned him to death and they buries his dead body. Indeed women are very courageous and it is difficult to understand their mind. No one could understand what happened to Dhundhukari. When asked, the prostitutes said he had gone far away to collect some wealth and would return after a year.

An intelligent person should never believe an unchaste woman. Any foolish man who puts his faith in such women will suffer like Dhundhukari. The voice of an unchaste woman appears as sweet as nectar to a lusty man. Actually her heart is as sharp as a razor. Unchaste women have no love for anyone – they only value wealth. The prostitutes, who had experienced many lovers, thus took all Dhundhukari’s wealth and disappeared.

Owing to his misdeeds Dhundhukari attained a ghost body,4 and remaining within a whirlwind wandered here and there suffering from hunger and thirst, and lamenting his misfortune. He could find no shelter anywhere. After some time the news of Dhundukari’s death reached Gokarna, so he went to Gaya to perform sraddha, considering his brother destitute. Later, while travelling to the holy places, Gokarna reached his home town and hiding from everyone, went to his former house to pass the night. Dhundhukari’s ghost observed Gokarna return so he assumed very fierce forms and appeared before him. sometimes he took the form of a dreadful sheep, then an elephant, or a buffalo, or like Indra sometimes like fire.5 Finally he appeared as a human being. Seeing this, Gokarna realised that a ghost must be making this display. With courage and patience he spoke, “Who are you? Why are you exhibiting all these fearsome forms? How did you fall into this condition? Tell me clearly are you a ghost, goblin, or a demon?”

Suta Gosvami said, “When Gokarna questioned him, the ghost started crying loudly. He did not have the power to speak, so he gestured with his hands. Gokarna sprinkled some water on the ghost. This relieved him of enough sinful reactions that he was able to speak. “I am your brother Dhundhukari,” the ghost said. “Because of my misdeeds I have fallen from my respectable birth as a brahmana. Owing to complete ignorance I killed many people. It is not possible to count my sins. I was addicted to five prostitutes who finally killed me, and as a result I am suffering the reactions for my ill activities and have thus gotten this ghost body. Somehow, by the will of the Lord, I am now surviving only on air. My dear brother, you are an ocean of mercy. Please somehow deliver me from this ghostly form.”

Gokarna replied, “Dear brother, I am very surprised. I duly performed oblations for you in Gaya and it is a wonder that you still have not been relieved from this ghostly form. If you cannot be delivered by performing sacrifice in Gaya, then I do not know what to do. Tell me what is the solution?”

The ghost said, “I cannot be relieved of this condition even by the performance of hundreds of sraddhas at Gaya. You must think of some more powerful practice.”

Gokarna, astonished to hear this, said, “If you cannot be delivered by hundreds of sraddhas in Gaya, then your liberation is practically impossible. anyway, do not fear. Stay here and I will think of some procedure to deliver you.”

The ghost left and Gokarna passed the night in deep thought but did not discover a solution. The next morning many people including scholars, savants, knowers of the Vedas, and yogis came to see him and he explained the incident which had occurred the previous night. They all consulted their particular scriptures but could not suggest a suitable means to deliver Dhundhukari. They finally decided to follow whatever Surya-narayana, the sun-god would order. By the power of his accumulated penance, Gokarna checked the movements of

the sun-god and prayed, “O Lord, you are the witness of the whole universe, I offer my obeisances unto you. Please be merciful and tell me the process to deliver Dhundhukari.”

The sun-god replied, “Only one thing can be done to deliver him – recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam for one week.”

The assembly heard this statement of the sun-god and agreed that this simple process should be executed. Thus the news spread that Gokarna would perform the Saptaha Yajna. From the nearby villages many people came who were lame, blind, aged and less intelligent, all had the desire to become free from their sins. Such a crowd assembled that even the demigods were surprised.6 Gokarna took his seat on the vyasasana and began reciting the pastimes of Lord Krsna as described in the Bhagavatam. At that time the ghost also came and searched for a place to sit. Because he had an airy body he could not sit outside, so he entered a bamboo rod which had seven knots and thus began hearing Srimad Bhagavatam.

After Gokarna appointed one Vaisnava brahmana as the chief of the assembly, in a clear sweet voice he started reciting Srimad Bhagavatam from the first canto. That evening during a pause in the katha, a wonderful incident occurred. The people in the assemble noticed that one of the knots in the bamboo cracked and burst. In this way, at the end of each day, a knot would burst and on the seventh day, when the recitation was complete, all the knots were cracked. Dhundhukari was delivered from his ghostly form.7 He attained a divine body, which was blackish like rain clouds. He was clad in yellow garments, a Tulasi garland around his neck, a crown adorning his head and beautiful earrings dangling from his ears.

He immediately offered obeisances to Gokarna and said, “My dear brother, by your mercy I have been released from the ghostly body. This ceremony of Saptaha is so glorious that it can destroy ghostly forms and elevate one to the abode of Lord Krsna. When a person starts hearing the Saptaha, sins tremble in fear anticipating that the bhagavatam-katha will burn them to ashes. In the same way that fire burns a twig or a tree so, this Saptaha burns all big or small sins, performed with the body, mind and speech. Scholars in the assembly of demigods have said that the lives of those Indians who do not hear Srimad Bhagavatam are an utter waste. What is the value of making this temporary body stout and strong? If one does not hear Srimad Bhagavatam, then there is no gain from this so-called beautiful body? This body is supported by bones, which are like pillars and tied together with the ropes of nerves and veins. It is covered with skin and is filled with flesh and every part reeks being nothing more than a pot of stool and urine. In old age it is the cause of lamentation and misery. Indeed it is a residence of ailments and to maintain it is a great burden. It is continuously troubled by desires that can never be satisfied. Every pore is full of defects and it can be destroyed within a moment. When buried, it is eaten by worms; if thrown out, it is eaten by vultures and transformed into stool; and if burned, it turns to ashes. Indeed these are the only destinations of this body. who is that sane person who will not utilise this temporary body to gain permanent benefit? Food which is cooked in the morning is putrid by evening, so how can this body be considered eternal, since it is nourished by elements that decompose?

In this material world people can very quickly attain the lotus feet of the Lord by hearing Bhagavata Saptaha. This is the only means to get rid of the defects of human birth. Those people who do not hear bhagavata-katha are just like bubbles in water, or like

mosquitoes, who take birth only to die uselessly. If this bhagavata-katha can burst the knots of bamboo, then why can it not burst those in the heart? By hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, one’s doubts are removed, the karma is slackened and one becomes relieved of the knots in the heart. Bhagavata-katha is like a tirtha that cleanses one from all impurities. Scholars say that when the Bhagavatam becomes fixed in the heart, one’s liberation is definite.”

When Dhundhukari was speaking in this way, the sky became effulgent and a Vaikuntha airplane appeared carrying associates of the Lord.8 In front of the whole assembly, Dhundhukari boarded the airplane.

Gokarna posed a question, “O dear associates of the Lord, in this assembly there are many pure heart people and all of them heard the Bhagavata Saptaha. Why is it that this airplane has come exclusively for Dhundhukari? Why are the others not getting the same result?”

The servants of the Lord spoke, “O Gokarna, the difference lies in the quality of their hearing. Although it is true that everyone heard the katha, everyone did not meditate on it equally. For this reason the results of performing bhajana or devotional service are different.9 The ghost fasted for seven days and heard Bhagavatam with a completely fixed and attentive mind. That knowledge which is not stable is useless. In the same way, if one does not hear attentively or if one harbours doubts or lets his mind wander here and there, then he will not get the benefit of chanting his mantra. Land devoid of Vaisnavas, Sraddha offered to unqualified persons, charity given to ill behaved brahmanas who do not know the Vedas, are all useless. Faith in the words of the spiritual master, humility, control of the mind’s defects and attentive hearing of bhagavata-katha all grant the full result. If one hears the Bhagavatam attentively he certainly attains Vaikuntha. O Gokarna, as far as you are concerned, the Lord Himself will come to take you to Goloka.” Thereafter the associates of the Lord, performing hari-kirtana ascended to the Vaikuntha.

In the month of Sravana Gokarna again performed the Saptaha Yajna of Srimad Bhagavatam and those people listened to it.

O Narada, please listen what happened at the end of that Saptaha. The Lord appeared in a plane filled with devotees. From all quarters could be heard, “All glories! All glories!” and people were paying obeisances. The Lord blew His conch shell named Pancajanya and embraced Gokarna. In a moment He granted everyone who listened to the Srimad Bhagavatam a body just like His own. They all acquired a blackish body and wore yellow garments, helmets and earrings. By the mercy of Gokarna all the living entities in that village, including dogs and even the dog-eaters, ascended in that airship. They were carried to the place where only devotees go–the abode of the Lord.

In this way, Lord Krsna being very pleased by His katha took Gokarna with Him to Goloka Dhama, which is most dear to the cowherd people. In the past Lord Ramacandra took all the residents of Ayodhya to His abode, Saketa.10 In the same way, Lord Krsna took everyone to Goloka Dhama, which is not attained even by great yogis,, the Sun God, Moon God, or even perfected beings, but is attained only by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. O Narada, what can we say about the wonderful result which one attains by hearing Bhagavata-Saptaha?

Even those who have heard a fraction of the history of Gokarna do not take birth again. That destination which can not be attained by those who live on air, water or dry leaves, executing extended penance or the practice of yoga, is easily attained simply by hearing Bhagavata- Saptaha. The great sage Sandilya, who is always absorbed in transcendental bliss, engages in reciting this pious history at Citrakuta.11 This story is so purifying that anyone who hears it even once becomes free from all sin. If it is recited during the Sraddha ceremony, the forefathers are very pleased. Anyone who recites Srimad Bhagavatam daily attains liberation.

Comments on Chapter Five:

 

1. Dhundhukari represents the materialistic The five prostitutes indicate the five senses which always demand their respective objects and cause the living entity to work hard for their satisfaction.
2. When a person is attached to sense gratification he is almost crazy and loses all sense of
3. Demoniac people do not die They suffer immense pain even in their sojourn to Yamaloka.
4. A sinful person is like a ghost while living and becomes a ghost after

5. Human beings have an unstable mind in a stable body, but ghosts have an unstable mind in an unstable
6. The demigods were surprised, because they had not seen such gatherings even in big sacrifices that were considered highly
7. The bamboo with seven knots represents the material body comprised of five gross material elements and the mind and false ego, all of which cover and bind the living it can also represent the material body which is seven vitasti in height. A vitasti is the distance between tip of the little finger and the tip of the thumb on an outstretched hand. Every normal person’s body is the length of seven vitasti of his own had. The even knots can also refer to ignorance, lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and envy.
8. This narration should not be considered as a fable or Even in modern times such effects of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam have been witnessed.
9. Consciousness is the most important factor in devotional

10. This story is narrated in the Valmiki

11. This is sadhu

Chapter Six

 

The Process of Saptaha Yajna

 

The Kumaras said, “O Narada, now we will explain the process of performing Saptaha. Generally this process requires wealth and the assistance of others.1 First one should determine an auspicious times with the help of a good astrologer. If the Saptaha begins in the months of Bhadra, Asvina, Kartika, Margasirsa, Asadha or Sravana, the audience will get liberation.2 Even during these months, however, inauspicious periods such as Bhadra vyatipata should be avoided.

With the help of enthusiastic people, one should acquire as much wealth as needed to perform a marriage ceremony. he should then graciously invite various families, including women and sudras, to hear Hari-katha.3 One should publicly announce the event and send written invitations to Vaisnavas and other lovers of Hari-kirtana.

One should announce in writing that for seven day the rare opportunity to hear the transcendental message of Srimad Bhagavatam and to associate with saintly persons is being made available. it should be explained that if one is unable to attend for the entire period, he should come for at least one day to give blessings. In this way one should humbly send invitations to Vaisnavas and make proper arrangements for their board and lodging.

The recitation of Bhagavatam should be done either in a holy place, a forest, or in one’s house. It should be performed on an open ground that is properly cleaned and decorated. if performed in one’s house, all household articles should be removed from the room used for the recitation.

One should start making arrangements five days in advance. A nice podium should be arranged and decorated with fruits, leaves, flowers, banana trees, and so forth. On the stage one should imagine the seven planetary systems. Proper seats should be offered to saintly persons and there should be a nice vyasasana for the speaker.

It is the opinion of scholars that if the speaker faces north, the audience should face eastwards; if the speaker faces east, the audience should face north; or both can face the east.

The speaker should be learned, expert, and able to explain the essence of Vedic literature and give proper examples. He should be a renounced brahmana, a devotee of the Lord and free from material desires. Those who are cheaters, attached to women, and who do not know the essence of religion, should not be invited to speak on Srimad Bhagavatam. The speaker may have a learned assistant to remove doubts whenever necessary.

One day before the recitation the speaker should shave his head. He should take morning bath, chant Gayatri, perform other morning duties and then worship Ganesa for removing any obstacles in the Saptaha Yajna. He should offer oblations to the forefathers, perform prayascitta, and establish Lord Hari on the Mandala. Thereafter, he should worship Lord Krsna by chanting proper mantras and offer sixteen articles of worship. He should circumambulate the Lord and beseech Him in the following way, “O most merciful Lord, I am drowning in the ocean of this material world. I am very fallen and caught in the network of karma, which is like a crocodile. Please deliver me from this world.”

Following the procedure, he should then worship Srimad Bhagavatam with incense, ghee lamp, and so on. He should place one coconut in front of the book, pay obeisances, and

offer the following prayer: “O Lord Krsna, You are directly the Srimad Bhagavatam. I take shelter of You so I can free myself from this world. Please remove all obstacles so this ceremony may be successfully completed. O Lord Kesava, I am your servant.”

Thereafter, the host should worship the speaker, give him nice cloth, and offer the following prayer, “You are the personification of Sukadeva and are expert in explaining the meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam. Please reveal this knowledge to us and dispel our ignorance.

Then in a blissful mood, one should take a vow for his own good and maintain it for seven days without fail.4 To dispel all obstacles in the katha, five brahmanas should be selected to daily chant the twelve syllable mantra composed of names of Lord Hari. After this, the host should worship the brahmanas, the devotees, and give charity to the kirtana performers. He should offer them obeisances and with their permission, be seated.

Those who hear the katha attentively, with great faith and a pure mind, who have give up attachment to home, wealth, family, and so on, will receive the highest benefit.

The intelligent speaker will start the katha at sunrise and continue for nine hours. He should recite in a sweet medium tone and observe a one hour lapse at noon. During this interim the Vaisnavas should glorify the various names of Lord Hari associated with the particular history being narrated and there should be no idle talk. To avoid passing stool and urine during the time of katha, one should consume only light food. If possible, one should fast for seven days, or subsist only on ghee, or milk and happily listen to the Bhagavatam. Alternatively one can eat once a day or subsist only on fruit. One should observe a procedure that can be followed without much difficulty. I consider eating better than fasting if it helps one concentrate and hear properly. If fasting disturbs one’s hearing, then he should avoid it.

O Narada, now listen to the principles to be observed while hearing Saptaha. A person who is not initiated into Vaisnava mantra is not qualified to hear it. A person who wants to properly hear the Saptaha should observe celibacy and sleep on the floor. After the recitation he should eat food served on leaves. He should not eat dhal, honey, oil, heavy, stale, or contaminated food.

He should completely avoid lust, pride, greed, envy, anger, illusion, hypocrisy and so on. He should also avoid criticising or hearing criticism of the Vedas, Vaisnavas, brahmanas, the guru, women, the king, great personalities, or those who render service to the cow.

He should also avoid contacting women during menstruation, a mleccha, a fallen person, a brahmana who is not initiated into Gayatri mantra, those who are antagonistic toward brahmanas, and those who do not accept the Vedas. He should always be clean, truthful, silent, simple, humble, merciful and generous.

Even those who are poor, sick, unfortunate, childless, and desirous of liberation, are qualified to hear this katha. Women who are barren, who have only one child, whose child had died, who have reached menopause, or who always suffer miscarriages, should also hear this katha. If they hear attentively, they will attain imperishable benefit. The recitation of Bhagavatam gives the highest benefit to the human being.

After observing these rules, one should perform the concluding ceremony of the Saptaha. Those who desire special benefit should observe this just like the Janmastami celebration. However, it is not necessary for renunciates to observe it.5 They are purified just by hearing the Saptaha.

When the Saptaha Yajna is over, the audience should worship the book and the speaker with great devotion. The speaker should distribute prasada, Tulasi leaves, and the offered garlands to the audience. Everyone should perform kirtana with mrdanga and karatalas and sing with beautiful voices. The Jaya Dhvani should be chanted, obeisances should be offered, conches should be blown, and food and charity should be distributed to the brahmanas and beggars.

On the following day a renounced person from the audience should recite Bhagavad- gita to create peace and remove all improprieties. If one is a householder, he should perform a sacrifice, recite slokas from the tenth canto, and offer oblations to the fire. Or he should chant Gayatri mantra with a concentrated mind and perform sacrifice. In reality, Srimad Bhagavatam is the personification of the Gayatri mantra.

A person who does not have the means to perform sacrifice, should give charity to the brahmanas and recite Visnu sahasranama, to remove all deficiencies. This will bring him all success. Thereafter he should fee twelve brahmanas with sweet rice, honey, and delicious foodstuffs. He should give cows and gold in charity. If he has the means, he should place the Srimad Bhagavatam on a throne made of thirty-six grams of gold and donate it to the spiritual master. By this he will become free from the cycle of birth and death.

This process of performing Saptaha removes all sins. If performed properly, the most auspicious Bhagavatam will bestow whatever one desires, be it dharma, artha, kama or moksa.6 There is no doubt about it.”

The Kumaras continued, “O Narada, in this way I have explained hearing Bhagavatam- Saptaha. The Srimad Bhagavatam can deliver both bhoga and moksa. What more do you want to know?”

Suta Gosvami said, “O Saunaka, after saying this, the Kumaras recited Srimad Bhagavatam for one week. This is most pure, dispels all sins, and is capable of granting sense enjoyment as well as liberation. While they observed all the rules and regulations, the assembly listened attentively. After this, they worshipped the Personality of Godhead according to the scriptural injunctions. After recitation, Jnana, Vairagya, and Bhakti were rejuvenated. Being young and enthusiastic, they attracted the hearts of all living entities.7 Seeing his desire fulfilled, Narada Muni was completely absorbed in bliss and his hairs stood up in ecstasy.

Narada, who is very dear to the Lord, spoke to the Kumaras in a sweet loving voice with folded hands, “Indeed I am very fortunate to get your mercy. Today I have attained Lord Hari who is the dispeller of sins. O austere sages, hearing this Bhagavatam is the best religious act, as by doing so, one attains Lord Krsna, who always resides in Goloka.”

Suta Gosvami said, “O Saunaka, while the topmost Vaisnava, Narada, was speaking in this way, Sukadeva Gosvami, the best of the yogis appeared there. He was completely satisfied within himself and looked just like a sixteen year old youth. He appeared like a full moon to bring tide in the ocean of knowledge. He was blissfully reciting Bhagavatam in a very low voice. Upon seeing Sukadeva Gosvami, the entire assembly stood up and offered him an elevated seat. Then Sri Narada Muni worshipped him with love and affection.”

When Sukadeva Gosvami was comfortably seated, he said, “Dear ones, please hear my words. O devotees who taste devotional mellows, Srimad Bhagavatam is the mature fruit of the wish fulfilling tree of the Vedas. It has come from my mouth and is full of nectar. This fruit has no skin or stone — it is pure nectar and is easily available only on earth.8 Therefore, as long as you are conscious, please drink it again and again.

“The great sage Vyasa compiled this Maha Purana which describes the highest religious process, and is free from all cheating propensities. It explains the absolute reality and is meant for those whose hearts are pure. It relieves one of the three miseries. If one takes shelter of the Srimad Bhagavatam, there is no need for any other scripture or process. Whenever a pious soul desires to hear it, the Personality of Godhead immediately appears within his heart.

Srimad Bhagavatam is the crest-jewel among the Puranas and the wealth of the Vaisnavas. It describes that pure knowledge is dear to the paramahamsas and illuminates the path of detachment along with Bhakti, Jnana and Vairagya.9 Those who hear, read, or meditate on its meaning, are liberated. This nectar is not available in heaven, Satya-loka, Kailasa, or Vaikuntha. Therefore, O fortunate listeners, please drink it again and again and never leave it.”

Suta Gosvami said, “While Sri Sukadeva spoke in the midst of that assembly, Lord Hari appeared along with Prahlada, Bali, Uddhava, Arjuna and other associates.10 Sri Narada then worshipped the Lord along with His devotees. Seeing the Lord in a blissful mood, Narada Muni gave Him a nice seat and then everyone performed kirtana. Lord Siva, Parvati, and Lord Brahma came there to listen. Prahlada, who is very swift, played the karatalas and Uddhava played big cymbals. Narada Muni played his vina and Arjuna, who is adept in ragas, sang melodiously. Indra played the mrdanga, and the Kumaras shouted Jaya! Jaya! Sri Sukadeva Gosvami moved his limbs in an ecstatic trance. In the midst of everyone, Bhakti, Jnana and Vairagya danced like expert actors.”

Observing this, the Lord said, “I am very pleased with this recitation and kirtana. all of you have controlled Me by your love and affection therefore you may ask some boon from Me.”

Everyone was pleased to hear this and with love-laden hearts they requested, “O Lord, we desire that whenever and wherever there is recitation of the Saptaha, You kindly appear along with your associates.”

The Lord said, “Let it be so”, and then disappeared. After that Narada Muni paid obeisances in the direction which the Lord and His devotees departed. He offered obeisances to Sukadeva Gosvami and the assembled saints. Everyone was in ecstasy after drinking the

nectar of Srimad Bhagavatam and were free from delusion. Thereafter, everyone returned to their respective places.

At that time Sri Sukadeva Gosvami established Bhakti and her two sons in the Srimad Bhagavatam. By rendering service to the Bhagavatam Lord Hari becomes fixed in. he heart of the Vaisnavas. The Srimad Bhagavatam bestows auspiciousness to those burning in misery, troubled by Maya, or drowning in an ocean of nescience.

Saunaka asked, “O Suta Gosvami, when did Sukadeva recite the Bhagavatam to Pariksita, Gokarna to Dhundhukari, and the Kumaras to Narada Muni?”

Suta Gosvami replied, “About thirty years after Lord Krsna’s departure to His abode,11 on the ninth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Bhadra, Sukadeva recited Bhagavatam to Pariksita. Two hundred years later in the month of Asadha, on the ninth day of the bright fortnight Gokarna recited Bhagavatam to Dhundhukari. Thirty years later, in the month of Kartika on the ninth day of the bright fortnight, the Kumaras recited it to Narada Muni.

“O sinless Saunaka, I have replied to everything you have asked. Bhagavata-katha is the panacea for all problems in Kali-yuga. All of you are saintly, therefore, please drink it. Bhagavatam destroys all sins and is very dear to Lord Krsna. It increases one’s devotion and is the only means to attain liberation. What is the value of serving the holy places or engaging in other processes of liberation?

When the Yamadutas are sent to arrest someone with ropes Yamaraja instructs them, ‘Don’t approach those who are maddened by hearing the pastimes of Lord Hari. I do not have the power to chastise them, for Vaisnavas are beyond my jurisdiction.’

“The nectar which came from the mouth of Sukadeva Gosvami brings all auspciousness to those who are attached to the poison of sense gratification. My dear friends, why wander in the forest of sense enjoyment and hear useless talks? As soon as this katha enters the ears, one is liberated. The proof is Pariksita Maharaja.

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami spoke the Bhagavatam while in ecstasy. anyone who recites the Bhagavatam is qualified to go to Vaikuntha. O Saunaka, after studying the various scriptures, I have revealed this secret to you. This is the essence of all scriptures. There is nothing superior to this Bhagavatam which was spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami.

For the attainment of transcendental bliss, you should always drink the Bhagavatam which is composed of twelve cantos. anyone who hears the Bhagavatam from the lips of a devotee, with faith, and a pure heart, or recites it to the devotees, will attain the supreme goal. In the three worlds there is nothing unattainable for them.

Comments on Chapter Six

 

1. Generally karma-kanda activities and spiritual festivals require the assistance and co- operation of other
2. An auspicious time is not required for performing pure devotional service, but sometimes devotees follow such rules to set a good

3. Women and sudras are not allowed to hear the Vedas, but there is no such restriction for Srimad Bhagavatam, although it is considered the mature fruit of the In the same way there are restrictions for chanting Vedic mantras, but none for chanting the holy name of the Lord, which is the essence of Vedic mantras.
4. Vows help one to control the flickering

5. The concluding ceremony requires great wealth, which renunciates cannot afford, therefore, it is not compulsory for “
6. Because Srimad Bhagavatam is the personification of Lord Krsna, it can fulfil ones material as well as spiritual
7. It means that after hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, one develops a taste for Bhakti, Jnana and
8. Srimad Bhagavatam is like a very juicy Though it is a fruit, it has no skin or stone. And though it is only juice, it is a fruit.
9. Detachment without bhakti is

10. The Lord is omnipresent and manifests Himself wherever His devotees sing His

11. Lord Sri Krsna left the earth 5 091 years

1 O my Lord, ŚrīKṛsṇ

Canto 1: Creation

SB 1.1: Questions by the Sages

̣a, son of Vasudeva, O allpervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my

respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord ŚrīKṛsṇ

̣a 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 ŚrīKṛsṇ

̣a, 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.

2: Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this BhāgavataPurāṇa 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.

3: O expert and thoughtful men, relish ŚrīmadBhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.

4: Once, in a holy place in the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya, great sages headed by the sage Śaunaka assembled to perform a great thousandyear sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees.

5: One day, after finishing their morning duties by burning a sacrificial fire and offering a seat of esteem to ŚrīlaSūta Gosvāmī, the great sages made inquiries, with great respect, about the following matters.

6: 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.

7: 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.

8: 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.

9: 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.

10: 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.11: 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.

12: 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.

13: 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.

14: 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 Kṛsṇ personified.

̣a, which is feared by fear

15: 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.

16: 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?

17: 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.

18: O wise Sūta, please narrate to us the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Godhead’s multiincarnations. Such auspicious adventures and pastimes of the Lord, the supreme controller, are performed by His internal powers.

19: 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.

20: Lord ŚrīKṛsṇ

̣a, the Personality of Godhead, along with Balarāma, played like a human

being, and so masked He performed many superhuman acts.

21: 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.

22: 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.

23: Since ŚrīKṛsṇ

̣a, 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

SB 1.2: Divinity and Divine Service

1 Ugraśravā [Sūta Gosvāmī], the son of Romaharṣaṇa, being fully satisfied by the perfect questions of the brāhmaṇas, thanked them and thus attempted to reply.

2Śrīla 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.

• 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
• Before reciting this ŚrīmadBhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Naranārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the
• O sages, I have been justly questioned by 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.
• The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.

• By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the
• 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
• All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate 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.
• Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense One should desire only a healthy life, or selfpreservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.
• Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavā

• 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 Vedāntaś

• O best among the twiceborn, 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

• Therefore, with onepointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the

• With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?

• O twiceborn sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.

17Śrī 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.

• 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

• 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 Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.

• 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

• Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master.

• 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

• 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 Ś Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the quality of goodness.

• Firewood is a transformation of earth, but smoke is better than the raw 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.

• Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His existence above the three modes of material n 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.

• Those who are serious about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the allblissful forms of Lord Viṣṇu and His plenary portions.

• Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship those in the same category namely 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 pr

28-29 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.

• 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

• After creating the material substance, the Lord [Vāsudeva] expands Himself and enters into 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.

• 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

• 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

• Thus the Lord of the universes maintains all planets inhabited by demigods, men and lower Assuming the roles of incarnations, He performs pastimes to reclaim those in the mode of pure goodness.

SB 1.3: Kṛṣṇa Is the Source of All Incarnations

 

• 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 And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universes.

• 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

• 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 i His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence.

• The devotees, with their perfect eyes, see the transcendental form of the puruṣa who has thousands of legs, thighs, arms and faces all 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.

• This form [the second manifestation of the puruṣa] is the source and indestructible seed of multifarious incarnations within the From the particles and portions of this form,

different living entities, like demigods, men and others, are created.

• 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

• 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

• 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 He collected expositions of the Vedas which deal with devotional service and which inspire nonfruitive action.

• In the fourth incarnation, the Lord became Nara and Nārāyaṇa, the twin sons of the wife of King Thus He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the senses.

• The fifth incarnation, named Lord Kapila, is foremost among perfected He gave an exposition of the creative elements and metaphysics to Āsuri Brāhmaṇa, for in course of time this knowledge had been lost.

• 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 He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlāda and others [Yadu, Haihaya, etc.].

• The seventh incarnation was Yajña, the son of Prajāpati Ruci and his wife Ākū He controlled the period during the change of the Svāyambhuva Manu and was assisted by demigods such as His son Yāma.

• 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

• 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 produce, and for that reason the earth was beautiful and

• 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

• 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

• 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
• 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

• In the fifteenth incarnation, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf brāhmaṇa [Vāmana] and visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Mahārāja 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.

• In the sixteenth incarnation of the Godhead, the Lord [as Bhṛgupati] annihilated the administrative class [kṣatriyas] twentyone times, being angry with them because of their rebellion against the brāhmaṇas [the intelligent class].

• 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

• In the eighteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Rā 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.

• 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

• Then, in the beginning of Kaliyuga, 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

• 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 almost all the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into

• O brāhmaṇas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of

• All the ṛṣis, Manus, demigods and descendants of Manu, who are especially powerful, are plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the This also includes the Prajāpatis.

• All of the abovementioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.

• Whoever carefully recites the mysterious appearances of the Lord, with devotion in the morning and in the evening, gets relief from all miseries of
• The conception of the virāṭ universal form of the Lord, as appearing in the material world, is 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.

• Clouds and dust are carried by the air, but less intelligent persons say that the sky is cloudy and the air is Similarly, they also implant material bodily conceptions on the spirit self.

• 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.

• Whenever a person experiences, by selfrealization, 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

• 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 selfrealization and thus becomes situated in his own

• Thus learned men describe the births and activities of the unborn and inactive, which is undiscoverable even in the Vedic He is the Lord of the heart.

• The Lord, whose activities are always spotless, is the master of the six senses and is fully omnipotent with six 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.

• 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 Nor can they express such things, neither in their speculations nor in their words.

• 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

• 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 centpercent immunity from the dreadful repetition of birth and

• This ŚrīmadBhāgavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and it is compiled by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the incarnation of It is meant for the ultimate good of all people, and it is allsuccessful, allblissful and allperfect.

41Śrī Vyāsadeva delivered it to his son, who is the most respected among the selfrealized, after extracting the cream of all Vedic literatures and histories of the universe.

42Śukadeva 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.

• 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, Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa.

• 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 Now I shall try to make you hear the very same thing as I learned it from him and as I have realized it.

SB 1.4: The Appearance of Śrī Nārada

 

1 Vyāsadeva said: 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.

2Śaunaka 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 ŚrīmadBhāgavatam, which was spoken by the great and powerful sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

• In what period and at what place was this first begun, and why was this taken up? From where did Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa, the great sage, get the inspiration to compile this literature?

• His [Vyāsadeva’s] son was a great devotee, an equibalanced monist, whose mind was always concentrated in He was transcendental to mundane activities, but being unexposed, he appeared like an ignorant person.

• 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 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.

• 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?
• 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?

• He [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] was accustomed to stay at the door of a householder only long enough for a cow to be And he did this just to sanctify the residence.

• It is said that Mahārāja Parīkṣit is a great firstclass devotee of the Lord and that his birth and activities are all Please tell us about him.

• He was a great emperor and possessed all the opulences of his acquired 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?

• 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 He was full of youth and strength, and he possessed kingly opulences that were difficult to give up. Why did he want to give up everything, including his life?

• Those who are devoted to the cause of the Personality of Godhead live only for the welfare, development and happiness of 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 the shelter for others?

• 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.

• 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

• Once upon a time he [Vyāsadeva], as the sun rose, took his morning ablution in the waters of the Sarasvatī and sat alone to

• The great sage Vyāsadeva saw anomalies in the duties of the This happens on the earth in different ages, due to the unseen force of time.

17-18 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.

• He saw that the sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas were means by which the people’s occupations could be And to simplify the process he divided the one Veda into four, in order to expand them among men.

• The four divisions of the original sources of knowledge [the Vedas] were made But the historical facts and authentic stories mentioned in the Purāṇas are called the fifth Veda.

• 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

• The Sumantu Muni Aṅgirā, who was very devotedly engaged, was entrusted with the Atharva And my father, Romaharṣaṇa, was entrusted with the Purāṇas and historical records.

• All these learned scholars, in their turn, rendered their entrusted Vedas unto their many disciples, granddisciples and greatgranddisciples, and thus the respective branches of the followers of the Vedas came into

• Thus the great sage Vyāsadeva, who is very kind to the ignorant masses, edited the Vedas so they might be assimilated by less intellectual

• Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahābhārata for women, laborers and friends of the twiceborn.

• O twiceborn brāhmaṇas, still his mind was not satisfied, although he engaged himself in working for the total welfare of all

• Thus the sage, being dissatisfied at heart, at once began to reflect, because he knew the essence of religion, and he said within himself:

28-29 I have, under strict disciplinary vows, unpretentiously worshiped the Vedas, the spiritual masters 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 twiceborn] can see the path of religion.

• I am feeling incomplete, though I myself am fully equipped with everything required by the

• 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

• As mentioned before, Nārada reached the cottage of Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa on the banks of the Sarasvatī just as Vyāsadeva was regretting his

• 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

SB 1.5: Nārada’s Instructions on ŚrīmadBhāgavatam for Vyāsadeva

• Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus the sage amongst the gods [Nārada], comfortably seated and apparently smiling, addressed the ṛṣi amongst the brāhmaṇas [Vedavyāsa].

• Addressing Vyāsadeva, the son of Parāśara, Nārada inquired: Are you satisfied by identifying with the body or the mind as objects of selfrealization?

• 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.

• You have fully delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman as well as the knowledge derived Why should you be despondent in spite of all this, thinking that you are undone, my dear prabhu?

5Śrī 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 selfborn [without mundane father and mother].

• 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

• Like the sun, Your Goodness can travel everywhere in the three worlds, and like the air you can penetrate the internal region of As such, you are as good as the allpervasive Supersoul. Please, therefore, find out the deficiency in me, despite my being absorbed in transcendence under disciplinary regulations and vows.

8Śrī 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.

• 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, Vā

• 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 Since the allperfect persons are inhabitants of the transcendental abode, they do not derive any pleasure there.

• On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, , 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.

• Knowledge of selfrealization, 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?

• O Vyāsadeva, your vision is completely 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.

• 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

• The people in general are naturally inclined to enjoy, and you have encouraged them in that way in the name of 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.

• The Supreme Lord is 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.

• 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 On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.

• 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

• 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, ] 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.

• The Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead is Himself this cosmos, and still He is aloof from 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.

• Your Goodness has perfect 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 wellbeing of all people. Please, therefore, describe the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa more vividly.

• 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

• 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 Vedā When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service.

• Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedānta blessed me with their causeless As far as I was concerned, I was selfcontrolled 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.
• Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were at once Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me.

• O Vyāsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedāntists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of Lord Kṛṣṇ And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead increased at every step.

• O great sage, as soon as I got a taste of the Personality of Godhead, my attention to hear of the Lord was 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.

• Thus during two seasons the rainy season and autumn I had the opportunity to hear these greatsouled sages constantly chant the unadulterated glories of the Lord As the flow of my devotional service began, the coverings of the modes of passion and ignorance vanished.

• I was very much attached to those 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.

• As they were leaving, those bhaktivedāntas, who are very kind to poorhearted souls, instructed me in that most confidential subject which is instructed by the Personality of Godhead

• By that confidential knowledge, I could understand clearly the influence of the energy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the creator, maintainer and annihilator of By knowing that, one can return to Him and personally meet Him.

• 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].

• O good soul, does not a thing, applied therapeutically, cure a disease which was caused by that very same thing?

• 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.

• Whatever work is done here in this life for the satisfaction of the mission of the Lord is called bhaktiyoga, or transcendental loving service to the Lord, and what is called knowledge becomes a concomitant
• While performing duties according to the order of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one constantly remembers Him, His names and His

• Let us all chant the glories of Vāsudeva along with His plenary expansions Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Saṅkarṣaṇ

• 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
• 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
• 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 Indeed, there is no other way to get out of such miseries.

SB 1.6: Conversation Between Nārada and Vyāsadeva

 

1 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.

2Śrī 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?

• 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?

• 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?

5Śrī 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.

• I was the only son of my mother, who was not only a simple woman but a maidservant as Since I was her only offspring, she had no other alternative for protection: she bound me with the tie of affection.

• She wanted to look after my maintenance properly, but because she was not independent, she was not able to do anything for 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.

• When I was a mere child of five years, I lived in a brāhmaṇa I was dependent on my

mother’s affection and had no experience of different lands.

• 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

• I took this as the special mercy of the Lord, who always desires benediction for His devotees, and so thinking, I started for the

• After my departure, I passed through many flourishing metropolises, towns, villages, animal farms, mines, agricultural lands, valleys, flower gardens, nursery gardens and natural

• 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

• I then passed alone through many forests of rushes, bamboo, reeds, sharp grass, weeds and caves, which were very difficult to go through I visited deep, dark and dangerously fearful forests, which were the play yards of snakes, owls and jackals.

• Thus traveling, I felt tired, both bodily and mentally, and I was both thirsty and So I took a bath in a river lake and also drank water. By contacting water, I got relief from my exhaustion.

• 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

• 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

• O Vyāsadeva, at that time, being exceedingly overpowered by feelings of happiness, every part of my body became separately Being absorbed in an ocean of ecstasy, I could not see both myself and the Lord.
• The transcendental form of the Lord, as it is, satisfies the mind’s desire and at once erases all mental Upon losing that form, I suddenly got up, being perturbed, as is usual when one loses that which is desirable.

• 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

• 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

• O Nārada [the Lord spoke], I regret that during this lifetime you will not be able to see Me Those who are incomplete in service and who are not completely free from all material taints can hardly see Me.

• 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

• By service of the Absolute Truth, even for a few days, a devotee attains firm and fixed intelligence in Consequently he goes on to become My associate in the transcendental world after giving up the present deplorable material worlds.

• Intelligence engaged in My devotion cannot be thwarted at any Even at the time of creation, as well as at the time of annihilation, your remembrance will continue by My mercy.

• Then that supreme authority, personified by sound and unseen by eyes, but most wonderful, stopped Feeling a sense of gratitude, I offered my obeisances unto Him, bowing my head.

• Thus I began chanting the holy name and fame of the Lord by repeated recitation, ignoring all the formalities of the material 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.

• 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

• 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]
• 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

• 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

• 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 This is because I am fixed in unbroken devotional service of the Lord.

• 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 Kṛṣṇ

• 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

• 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.

• 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

• O Vyāsadeva, you are freed from all Thus I have explained my birth and activities for selfrealization, as you asked. All this will be conducive for your personal satisfaction also.

• 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

• 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

SB 1.7: The Son of Droṇa Punished

 

1Ṛṣi 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?

2Śrī 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.

• In that place, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, in his own āśrama, which was surrounded by berry trees, sat down to meditate after touching water for

• Thus he fixed his mind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in devotional service [bhaktiyoga] without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Absolute Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full

• 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

• The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional 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.

• 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

• The great sage Vyāsadeva, after compiling the ŚrīmadBhāgavatam and revising it, taught it to his own son, ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī, who was already engaged in

9ŚrīŚaunaka asked Sūta Gosvāmī: ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī was already on the path of

selfrealization, 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?

10 Sūta Gosvāmī said: All different varieties of ātmārāmas [those who take pleasure in the ātmā, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of selfrealization, 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.

11Śrīla 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 [ŚrīmadBhāgavatam].

12 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.

13-14 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 the heads 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.

• 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 Trying to pacify her in her great loss, Arjuna spoke to her thus:

• 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 Then, after burning your sons’ bodies, you can take your bath standing on his head.

• Arjuna, who is guided by the infallible Lord as friend and driver, thus satisfied the dear lady by such 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.

• 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 Ś

• 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].

• 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

• Thereupon a glaring light spread in all It was so fierce that Arjuna thought his

own life in danger, and so he began to address Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

• Arjuna said: O my Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, You are the almighty Personality of 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.

• You are the original Personality of Godhead who expands Himself all over the creations and is transcendental to material 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.

• 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

• 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 constantly rapt in meditation upon

• O Lord of lords, how is it that this dangerous effulgence is spreading all around? Where does it come from? I do not understand

• The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Know from Me that this is the act of the son of Droṇ 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.

• O Arjuna, only another brahmāstra can counteract this Since you are expert in the military science, subdue this weapon’s glare with the power of your own weapon.

29Śrī 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.

• 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

• All the population of the three worlds was scorched by the combined heat of the Everyone was reminded of the sāṁvartaka fire which takes place at the time of annihilation.
• 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.

• 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

• After binding Aśvatthāmā, Arjuna wanted to take him to the military The Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, looking on with His lotus eyes, spoke to Arjuna in an angry mood.

• Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Arjuna, you should not show mercy by releasing this relative of a brāhmaṇa [brahmabandhu], for he has killed innocent boys in their

• A person who knows the principles of religion does not kill an enemy who is careless, intoxicated, insane, asleep, afraid or devoid of his Nor does he kill a boy, a woman, a foolish creature or a surrendered soul.

• A cruel and wretched person who maintains his existence at the cost of others’ lives

deserves to be killed for his own wellbeing, otherwise he will go down by his own actions.

• Furthermore, I have personally heard you promise Draupadī that you would bring forth the head of the killer of her

• This man is an assassin and murderer of your own family Not only that, but he has also dissatisfied his master. He is but the burnt remnants of his family. Kill him immediately.

• 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

• 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

42Śrī 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 wellbehaved, she showed him due respects as a brāhmaṇa.

• She could not tolerate Aśvatthāmā’s being bound by ropes, and being a devoted lady, she

said: Release him, release him, for he is a brāhmaṇa, our spiritual master.

• It was by Droṇācārya’s mercy that you learned the military art of throwing arrows and the confidential art of controlling

• He [Droṇācārya] is certainly still existing, being represented by his His wife Kṛpī did not undergo a satī with him because she had a son.

• O most fortunate one who know the principles of religion, it is not good for you to cause grief to glorious family members who are always respectable and

• My lord, do not make the wife of Droṇācārya cry like I am aggrieved for the death of my sons. She need not cry constantly like me.

• 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 them

• 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

• 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

• Bhīma, however, angrily disagreed with them and recommended killing this culprit, who had murdered sleeping children for no purpose and for neither his nor his master’s

• Caturbhuja [the fourarmed 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

53-54 The Personality of Godhead, Śrī 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.

• Sūta Gosvāmī said: 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.

• 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 Thus he was unbound and driven out of the camp.

• 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 brāhmaṇ There is no injunction for killing the body.

• Thereafter, the sons of Pāṇḍu, and Draupadī, overwhelmed with grief, performed the proper rituals for the dead bodies of their

SB 1.8: Prayers by Queen Kuntī and Parīkṣit Saved

 

1Sūta 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.

2Having 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.

3There 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.

4Citing 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.

5The 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.

6Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa caused three wellperformed aśvamedhayajñas [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.

7Lord 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.

8As soon as He seated Himself on the chariot to start for Dvārakā, He saw Uttarā hurrying toward Him in fear.

9Uttarā said: O Lord of lords, Lord of the universe! You are the greatest of mystics. Please protect me, protect me, for there is no one else who can save me from the clutches of death in this world of duality.

10O my Lord, You are allpowerful. 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.

11Sūta 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.

12O foremost among the great thinkers [munis] [Śaunaka], seeing the glaring brahmāstra proceeding towards them, the Pāṇḍavas took up their five respective weapons.

13The 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.

14The 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.

15O Śaunaka, glory of Bhṛgu’s family, 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].

16O 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 creates, maintains and annihilates all material things, although He Himself is unborn.

17Thus 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.

18Śrīmatī 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.

19Being 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.

20You 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?

21Let 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.

22My 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.

23O 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.

24My 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.

25I 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.

26My 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.

27My 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 selfsatisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists.

28My Lord, I consider Your Lordship to be eternal time, the supreme controller, without beginning and end, the allpervasive one. In distributing Your mercy, You are equal to everyone. The dissensions between living beings are due to social intercourse.

29O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and so are misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial.

30Of 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.

31My 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.

32Some 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.

33Others 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.

34Others 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.

35And yet others say that You appeared for the sake of rejuvenating 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.

36O 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.

37O 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?

38As 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.

39O 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.

40All 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.

41O 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.

42O 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.

43O 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.

44Sūta 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.

45Thus 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.

46King 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.

47King 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.

48King 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.

49I have killed many boys, brāhmaṇas, wellwishers, 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.

50There 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.

51I 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.

52As it is not possible to filter muddy water through mud, or purify a winestained pot with wine, it is not possible to counteract the killing of men by sacrificing animals.

SB 1.9: The Passing Away of Bhīṣmadeva in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa

 

1Sūta 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.

2At that time all his brothers followed him on beautiful chariots drawn by firstclass horses decorated with gold ornaments. With them were Vyāsa and ṛṣis like Dhaumya [the learned priest of the Pāṇḍavas] and others.

3O 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].

4Seeing 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.

5Just 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.

6-7All 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.

8And many others like Śukadeva Gosvāmīand other purified souls, Kaśyapa and Āṅgirasa and others, all accompanied by their respective disciples, arrived there.

9Bhīṣmadeva, 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.

10Lord 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.

11The 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.

12Bhīṣmadeva 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.

13As far as my daughterinlaw 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.

14In 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.

15Oh, 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 wellwisher of the Pāṇḍavas?

16O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.

17O 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.

18This 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 selfcreated energy.

19O 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.

20O King, that personality whom, out of ignorance only, you thought to be your maternal cousin, your very dear friend, wellwisher, counselor, messenger, benefactor, etc., is that very Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

21Being 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.

22Yet, 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.

23The 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.

24May my Lord, who is fourhanded 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.

25Sūta 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.

26At 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.

27He 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.

28Then 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.

29While 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.

30Thereupon 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 wideopen eyes upon the original Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who stood before him, fourhanded, dressed in yellow garments that glittered and shined.

31By pure meditation, looking at Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he at once was freed from all material inauspiciousness and was relieved of all bodily pains caused by the arrow wounds. Thus all the external activities of his senses at once stopped, and he prayed transcendentally to the controller of all living beings while quitting his material body.

32Bhīṣmadeva said: Let me now invest my thinking, feeling and willing, which were so long engaged in different subjects and occupational duties, in the allpowerful Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is always selfsatisfied, but sometimes, being the leader of the devotees, He enjoys transcendental pleasure by descending to the material world, although from Him only the material world is created.

33Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the intimate friend of Arjuna. He has appeared on this earth in His transcendental body, which resembles the bluish color of the tamāla tree. His body attracts everyone in the three planetary systems [upper, middle and lower]. May His glittering yellow dress and His lotus face, covered with paintings of sandalwood pulp, be the object of my attraction, and may I not desire fruitive results.

34On the battlefield [where Śrī Kṛṣṇa attended Arjuna out of friendship], the flowing hair of Lord Kṛṣṇa turned ashen due to the dust raised by the hoofs of the horses. And because of His labor, beads of sweat wetted His face. All these decorations, intensified by the wounds dealt by my sharp arrows, were enjoyed by Him. Let my mind thus go unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

35In obedience to the command of His friend, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa entered the arena of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra between the soldiers of Arjuna and Duryodhana, and while there He shortened the life spans of the opposite party by His merciful glance. This was done simply by His looking at the enemy. Let my mind be fixed upon that Kṛṣṇa.

36When Arjuna was seemingly polluted by ignorance upon observing the soldiers and

commanders before him on the battlefield, the Lord eradicated his ignorance by delivering transcendental knowledge. May His lotus feet always remain the object of my attraction.

37Fulfilling my vow and sacrificing His own promise, He got down from the chariot, took up its wheel, and ran towards me hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He even dropped His outer garment on the way.

38May He, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who awards salvation, be my ultimate destination. On the battlefield He charged me, as if angry because of the wounds dealt by my sharp arrows. His shield was scattered, and His body was smeared with blood due to the wounds.

39At the moment of death, let my ultimate attraction be to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. I concentrate my mind upon the chariot driver of Arjuna who stood with a whip in His right hand and a bridle rope in His left, who was very careful to give protection to Arjuna’s chariot by all means. Those who saw Him on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra attained their original forms after death.

40Let my mind be fixed upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose motions and smiles of love attracted the damsels of Vrajadhāma [the gopīs]. The damsels imitated the characteristic movements of the Lord [after His disappearance from the rāsa dance].

41At the Rājasūyayajña [sacrifice] performed by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, there was the greatest assembly of all the elite men of the world, the royal and learned orders, and in that great assembly Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was worshiped by one and all as the most exalted Personality of Godhead. This happened during my presence, and I remembered the incident in order to keep my mind upon the Lord.

42Now I can meditate with full concentration upon that one Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, now present before me because now I have transcended the misconceptions of duality in regard to His presence in everyone’s heart, even in the hearts of the mental speculators. He is in everyone’s heart. The sun may be perceived differently, but the sun is one.

43Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus Bhīṣmadeva merged himself in the Supersoul, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with his mind, speech, sight and actions, and thus he became silent, and his breathing stopped.

44Knowing that Bhīṣmadeva had merged into the unlimited eternity of the Supreme Absolute, all present there became silent like birds at the end of the day.

45Thereafter, both men and demigods sounded drums in honor, and the honest royal order commenced demonstrations of honor and respect. And from the sky fell showers of flowers.

46O descendant of Bhṛgu [Śaunaka], after performing funeral rituals for the dead body of Bhīṣmadeva, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was momentarily overtaken with grief.

47All the great sages then glorified Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who was present there, by confidential Vedic hymns. Then all of them returned to their respective hermitages, bearing always Lord Kṛṣṇa within their hearts.

48Thereafter, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira at once went to his capital, Hastināpura, accompanied by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and there he consoled his uncle and aunt Gāndhārī, who was an ascetic.

49After this, the great religious King, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, executed the royal power in the kingdom strictly according to the codes of royal principles approved by his uncle and confirmed by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

SB 1.10: Departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa for Dvārakā

 

1Śaunaka Muni asked: After killing his enemies who desired to usurp his rightful inheritance, how did the greatest of all religious men, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, assisted by his brothers, rule his subjects? Surely he could not freely enjoy his kingdom with unrestricted consciousness.

2Sūta Gosvāmī said: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the maintainer of the world, became pleased after reestablishing Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira in his own kingdom and after restoring the Kuru dynasty, which had been exhausted by the bamboo fire of anger.

3Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, after being enlightened by what was spoken by Bhīṣmadeva and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the infallible, engaged himself in matters of perfect knowledge because all his misgivings were eradicated. Thus he ruled over the earth and seas and was followed by his younger brothers.

4During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk.

5The rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, forests, creepers and active drugs, in every season, paid their tax quota to the King in profusion.

6Because of the King’s having no enemy, the living beings were not at any time disturbed by

mental agonies, diseases, or excessive heat or cold.

7Śrī Hari, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, resided at Hastināpura for a few months to pacify His relatives and please His own sister [Subhadrā].

8Afterwards, when the Lord asked permission to depart and the King gave it, the Lord offered His respects to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira by bowing down at his feet, and the King embraced Him. After this the Lord, being embraced by others and receiving their obeisances, got into His chariot.

9-10At that time Subhadrā, Draupadī, Kuntī, Uttarā, Gāndhārī, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Yuyutsu, Kṛpācārya, Nakula, Sahadeva, Bhīmasena, Dhaumya and Satyavatī all nearly fainted because it was impossible for them to bear separation from Lord Kṛṣṇa.

11-12The intelligent, who have understood the Supreme Lord in association with pure devotees and have become freed from bad materialistic association, can never avoid hearing the glories of the Lord, even though they have heard them only once. How then could the Pāṇḍavas tolerate His separation, for they had been intimately associated with His person, seeing Him face to face, touching Him, conversing with Him, and sleeping, sitting and dining with Him?

13All their hearts were melting for Him on the pot of attraction. They looked at Him without blinking their eyes, and they moved hither and thither in perplexity.

14The female relatives, whose eyes were flooded with tears out of anxiety for Kṛṣṇa, came out of the palace. They could stop their tears only with great difficulty. They feared that tears would cause misfortune at the time of departure.

15While the Lord was departing from the palace of Hastināpura, different types of drums like the mṛdaṅga, dhola, nagra, dhundhurī and dundubhi and flutes of different types, the vīṇā, gomukha and bherī, all sounded together to show Him honor.

16Out of a loving desire to see the Lord, the royal ladies of the Kurus got up on top of the palace, and smiling with affection and shyness, they showered flowers upon the Lord.

17At that time Arjuna, the great warrior and conqueror of sleep, who is the intimate friend of the most beloved Supreme Lord, took up an umbrella which had a handle of jewels and was embroidered with lace and pearls.

18Uddhava and Sātyaki began to fan the Lord with decorated fans, and the Lord, as the master of Madhu, seated on scattered flowers, commanded them along the road.

19It was being heard here and there that the benedictions being paid to Kṛṣṇa were neither befitting nor unbefitting because they were all for the Absolute, who was now playing the part of a human being.

20Absorbed in the thought of the transcendental qualities of the Lord, who is sung in select poetry, the ladies on the roofs of all the houses of Hastināpura began to talk of Him. This talk was more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas.

21They said: Here He is, the original Personality of Godhead as we definitely remember Him. He alone existed before the manifested creation of the modes of nature, and in Him only, because He is the Supreme Lord, all living beings merge, as if sleeping at night, their energy suspended.

22The Personality of Godhead, again desiring to give names and forms to His parts and parcels, the living entities, placed them under the guidance of material nature. By His own potency, material nature is empowered to recreate.

23Here is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead whose transcendental form is experienced by the great devotees who are completely cleansed of material consciousness by dint of rigid devotional service and full control of life and the senses. And that is the only way to purify existence.

24O dear friends, here is that very Personality of Godhead whose attractive and confidential pastimes are described in the confidential parts of Vedic literature by His great devotees. It is He only who creates, maintains and annihilates the material world and yet remains unaffected.

25Whenever there are kings and administrators living like animals in the lowest modes of existence, the Lord in His transcendental form manifests His supreme power, the Truth Positive, shows special mercy to the faithful, performs wonderful activities and manifests various transcendental forms as is necessary in different periods and ages.

26Oh, how supremely glorified is the dynasty of King Yadu, and how virtuous is the land of Mathurā, where the supreme leader of all living beings, the husband of the goddess of fortune, has taken His birth and wandered in His childhood.

27Undoubtedly it is wonderful that Dvārakā has defeated the glories of the heavenly planets and has enhanced the celebrity of the earth. The inhabitants of Dvārakā are always seeing the soul of all living beings [Kṛṣṇa] in His loving feature. He glances at them and favors them with sweet smiles.

28O friends, just think of His wives, whose hands He has accepted. How they must have undergone vows, baths, fire sacrifices and perfect worship of the Lord of the universe to constantly relish now the nectar from His lips [by kissing]. The damsels of Vrajabhūmi would often faint just by expecting such favors.

29The children of these ladies are Pradyumna, Sāmba, Amba, etc. Ladies like Rukmiṇī, Satyabhāmā and Jāmbavatī were forcibly taken away by Him from their svayaṁvara ceremonies after He defeated many powerful kings, headed by Śiśupāla. And other ladies were also forcibly taken away by Him after He killed Bhaumāsura and thousands of his assistants. All of these ladies are glorious.

30All these women auspiciously glorified their lives despite their being without individuality and without purity. Their husband, the lotuseyed Personality of Godhead, never left them alone at home. He always pleased their hearts by making valuable presentations.

31While the ladies of the capital [Hastināpura] were greeting Him and talking in this way, the Lord, smiling, accepted their good greetings, and casting the grace of His glance over them, He departed from the city.

32Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, although no one’s enemy, engaged four divisions of defense [horse, elephant, chariot and army] to accompany Lord Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of the asuras [demons]. The Mahārāja did this because of the enemy, and also out of affection for the Lord.

33Out of profound affection for Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Pāṇḍavas, who were of the Kuru dynasty, accompanied Him a considerable distance to see Him off. They were overwhelmed with the thought of future separation. The Lord, however, persuaded them to return home, and He proceeded towards Dvārakā with His dear companions.

34-35O Śaunaka, the Lord then proceeded towards Kurujāṅgala, Pāñcālā, Śūrasenā, the land on the bank of the river Yamunā, Brahmāvarta, Kurukṣetra, Matsya, Sārasvata, the province of the desert and the land of scanty water. After crossing these provinces He gradually reached the Sauvīra and Ābhīra provinces, then, west of these, reached Dvārakā at last.

36On His journey through these provinces He was welcomed, worshiped and given various presentations. In the evening, in all places, the Lord suspended His journey to perform evening rites. This was regularly observed after sunset.

SB 1.11: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Entrance into Dvārakā

 

1Sūta Gosvāmī said: Upon reaching the border of His most prosperous metropolis, known as the country of the Ānartas [Dvārakā], the Lord sounded His auspicious conchshell, heralding His arrival and apparently pacifying the dejection of the inhabitants.

2The white and fatbowled conchshell, being gripped by the hand of Lord Kṛṣṇa and sounded by Him, appeared to be reddened by the touch of His transcendental lips. It seemed that a white swan was playing in the stems of red lotus flowers.

3The citizens of Dvārakā, having heard that sound which threatens fear personified in the material world, began to run towards Him fast, just to have a long desired audience with the Lord, who is the protector of all devotees.

45The citizens arrived before the Lord with their respective presentations, offering them to the fully satisfied and selfsufficient one, who, by His own potency, incessantly supplies others. These presentations were like the offering of a lamp to the sun. Yet the citizens began to speak in ecstatic language to receive the Lord, just as wards welcome their guardian and father.

6The citizens said: O Lord, You are worshiped by all demigods like Brahmā, the four Sanas and even the King of heaven. You are the ultimate rest for those who are really aspiring to achieve the highest benefit of life. You are the supreme transcendental Lord, and inevitable time cannot exert its influence upon You.

7O creator of the universe, You are our mother, wellwisher, Lord, father, spiritual master and worshipable Deity. By following in Your footsteps we have become successful in every respect. We pray, therefore, that You continue to bless us with Your mercy.

8Oh, it is our good luck that we have come again today under Your protection by Your presence, for Your Lordship rarely visits even the denizens of heaven. Now it is possible for us to look into Your smiling face, which is full of affectionate glances. We can now see Your transcendental form, full of all auspiciousness.

9O lotuseyed Lord, whenever You go away to MathurāVṛndāvana or Hastināpura to meet Your friends and relatives, every moment of Your absence seems like millions of years. O infallible one, at that time our eyes become useless, as if bereft of sun.

10O master, if You live abroad all the time, then we cannot look at Your attractive face, whose smiles vanquish all our sufferings. How can we exist without Your presence?

11As Bhogavatī, the capital of Nāgaloka, is protected by the Nāgas, so was Dvārakā protected by the descendants of Vṛṣṇi Bhoja, Madhu, Daśārha, Arha, Kukura, Andhaka, etc. who were as strong as Lord Kṛṣṇa.

12The city of Dvārakāpurī was filled with the opulences of all seasons. There were hermitages, orchards, flower gardens, parks and reservoirs of water breeding lotus flowers all over.

13The city gateway, the household doors and festooned arches along the roads were all nicely decorated with festive signs like plantain trees and mango leaves, all to welcome the Lord. Flags, garlands and painted signs and slogans all combined to shade the sunshine.

14The highways, subways, lanes, markets and public meeting places were all thoroughly cleansed and then moistened with scented water. And to welcome the Lord, fruits, flowers and unbroken seeds were strewn everywhere.

15In each and every door of the residential houses, auspicious things like curd, unbroken fruits, sugarcane and full waterpots with articles for worship, incense and candles were all displayed.

16-17On hearing that the most dear Kṛṣṇa was approaching Dvārakādhāma, magnanimous Vasudeva, Akrūra, Ugrasena, Balarāma (the superhumanly powerful), Pradyumna, Cārudeṣṇa and Sāmba the son of Jāmbavatī, all extremely happy, abandoned resting, sitting and dining.

18They hastened toward the Lord on chariots with brāhmaṇas bearing flowers. Before them were elephants, emblems of good fortune. Conchshells and bugles were sounded, and Vedic hymns were chanted. Thus they offered their respects, which were saturated with affection.

19At the same time, many hundreds of wellknown prostitutes began to proceed on various vehicles. They were all very eager to meet the Lord, and their beautiful faces were decorated with dazzling earrings, which enhanced the beauty of their foreheads.

20Expert dramatists, artists, dancers, singers, historians, genealogists and learned speakers all gave their respective contributions, being inspired by the superhuman pastimes of the Lord. Thus they proceeded on and on.

21Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, approached them and offered due honor and respect to each and every one of the friends, relatives, citizens and all others who came to receive and welcome Him.

22The almighty Lord greeted everyone present by bowing His head, exchanging greetings, embracing, shaking hands, looking and smiling, giving assurances and awarding benedictions, even to the lowest in rank.

23Then the Lord personally entered the city accompanied by elderly relatives and invalid brāhmaṇas with their wives, all offering benedictions and singing the glories of the Lord. Others also praised the glories of the Lord.

24When Lord Kṛṣṇa passed over the public roads, all the ladies from the respectable families of Dvārakā went up to the roofs of their palaces just to have a look at the Lord. They considered this to be the greatest festival.

25The inhabitants of Dvārakā were regularly accustomed to look upon the reservoir of all beauty, the infallible Lord, yet they were never satiated.

26The Lord’s chest is the abode of the goddess of fortune. His moonlike face is the drinking vessel for eyes which hanker after all that is beautiful. His arms are the resting places for the administrative demigods. And His lotus feet are the refuge of pure devotees who never talk or sing of any subject except His Lordship.

27As the Lord passed along the public road of Dvārakā, His head was protected from the sunshine by a white umbrella. White feathered fans moved in semicircles, and showers of flowers fell upon the road. His yellow garments and garlands of flowers made it appear as if a dark cloud were surrounded simultaneously by sun, moon, lightning and rainbows.

28After entering the house of His father, He was embraced by the mothers present, and the Lord offered His obeisances unto them by placing His head at their feet. The mothers were headed by Devakī [His real mother].

29The mothers, after embracing their son, sat Him on their laps. Due to pure affection, milk sprang from their breasts. They were overwhelmed with delight, and the tears from their eyes wetted the Lord.

30Thereafter, the Lord entered His palaces, which were perfect to the fullest extent. His wives lived in them, and they numbered over sixteen thousand.

31The queens of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa rejoiced within their minds to see their husband home after a

long period abroad. The queens got up at once from their seats and meditations. As was socially customary, they covered their faces shyly and looked about coyly.

32The insuperable ecstasy was so strong that the queens, who were shy, first embraced the Lord in the innermost recesses of their hearts. Then they embraced Him visually, and then they sent their sons to embrace Him [which is equal to personal embracing]. But, O chief amongst the Bhṛgus, though they tried to restrain their feelings, they inadvertently shed tears.

33Although Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was constantly by their sides, as well as exclusively alone, His feet appeared to them to be newer and newer. The goddess of fortune, although by nature always restless and moving, could not quit the Lord’s feet. So what woman can be detached from those feet, having once taken shelter of them?

34The Lord was pacified after killing those kings who were burdensome to the earth. They were puffed up with their military strength, their horses, elephants, chariots, infantry, etc. He Himself was not a party in the fight. He simply created hostility between the powerful administrators, and they fought amongst themselves. He was like the wind which causes friction between bamboos and so sparks a fire.

35That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy, appeared on this planet by His internal potency and enjoyed Himself amongst competent women as if He were engaging in mundane affairs.

36Although the queens’ beautiful smiles and furtive glances were all spotless and exciting, and although they could conquer Cupid himself by making him give up his bow in frustration, and although even the tolerant Śiva could fall victim to them, still, despite all their magical feats and attractions, they could not agitate the senses of the Lord.

37The common materialistic conditioned souls speculate that the Lord is one of them. Out of their ignorance they think that the Lord is affected by matter, although He is unattached.

38This is the divinity of the Personality of Godhead: He is not affected by the qualities of material nature, even though He is in contact with them. Similarly, the devotees who have taken shelter of the Lord do not become influenced by the material qualities.

39The simple and delicate women truly thought that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, their beloved husband, followed them and was dominated by them. They were unaware of the extent of the glories of their husband, as the atheists are unaware of Him as the supreme controller.

SB 1.12: Birth of Emperor Parīkṣit

 

1The sage Śaunaka said: The womb of Uttarā, mother of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, was spoiled by the dreadful and invincible brahmāstra weapon released by Aśvatthāmā. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit was saved by the Supreme Lord.

2How was the great emperor Parīkṣit, who was a highly intelligent and great devotee, born in that womb? How did his death take place, and what did he achieve after his death?

3We all respectfully want to hear about him [Mahārāja Parīkṣit] to whom Śukadeva Gosvāmī imparted transcendental knowledge. Please speak on this matter.

4Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: Emperor Yudhiṣṭhira administered generously to everyone during his reign. He was exactly like his father. He had no personal ambition and was freed from all sorts

of sense gratification because of his continuous service unto the lotus feet of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

5News even reached the celestial planets about Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira’s worldly possessions, the sacrifices by which he would attain a better destination, his queen, his stalwart brothers, his extensive land, his sovereignty over the planet earth, his fame, etc.

6O brāhmaṇas, the opulence of the King was so enchanting that the denizens of heaven aspired for it. But because he was absorbed in the service of the Lord, nothing could satisfy him except the Lord’s service.

7O son of Bhṛgu [Śaunaka], when the child Parīkṣit, the great fighter, was in the womb of his mother, Uttarā, and was suffering from the burning heat of the brahmāstra [thrown by Aśvatthāmā], he could observe the Supreme Lord coming to him.

8He [the Lord] was only thumb high, but He was all transcendental. He had a very beautiful, blackish, infallible body, and He wore a dress of lightning yellow and a helmet of blazing gold. Thus He was seen by the child.

9The Lord was enriched with four hands, earrings of molten gold and eyes blood red with fury. As He loitered about, His club constantly encircled Him like a shooting star.

10The Lord was thus engaged in vanquishing the radiation of the brahmāstra, just as the sun evaporates a drop of dew. He was observed by the child, who thought about who He was.

11While thus being observed by the child, the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul of everyone and the protector of the righteous, who stretches in all directions and who is unlimited by time and space, disappeared at once.

12Thereupon, when all the good signs of the zodiac gradually evolved, the heir apparent of Pāṇḍu, who would be exactly like him in prowess, took birth.

13King Yudhiṣṭhira, who was very satisfied with the birth of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, had the purificatory process of birth performed. Learned brāhmaṇas, headed by Dhaumya and Kṛpa, recited auspicious hymns.

14Upon the birth of a son, the King, who knew how, where and when charity should be given, gave gold, land, villages, elephants, horses and good food grains to the brāhmaṇas.

15The learned brāhmaṇas, who were very satisfied with the charities of the King, addressed him as the chief amongst the Pūrus and informed him that his son was certainly in the line of descent from the Pūrus.

16The brāhmaṇas said: This spotless son has been restored by the allpowerful and allpervasive Lord Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead, in order to oblige you. He was saved when he was doomed to be destroyed by an irresistible supernatural weapon.

17For this reason this child will be well known in the world as one who is protected by the Personality of Godhead. O most fortunate one, there is no doubt that this child will become a firstclass devotee and will be qualified with all good qualities.

18The good King [Yudhiṣṭhira] inquired: O great souls, will he become as saintly a king, as pious in his very name and as famous and glorified in his achievements, as others who appeared in this great royal family?

19The learned brāhmaṇas said: O son of Pṛthā, this child shall be exactly like King Ikṣvāku, son of Manu, in maintaining all those who are born. And as for following the brahminical principles, especially in being true to his promise, he shall be exactly like Rāma, the Personality of Godhead, the son of Mahārāja Daśaratha.

20This child will be a munificent donor of charity and protector of the surrendered, like the famous King Śibi of the Uśīnara country. And he will expand the name and fame of his family like Bharata, the son of Mahārāja Duṣyanta.

21Amongst great bowmen, this child will be as good as Arjuna. He will be as irresistible as fire and as unsurpassable as the ocean.

22This child will be as strong as a lion, and as worthy a shelter as the Himālaya Mountains. He will be forbearing like the earth, and as tolerant as his parents.

23This child will be like his grandfather Yudhiṣṭhira or Brahmā in equanimity of mind. He will be munificent like the lord of the Kailāsa Hill, Śiva. And he will be the resort of everyone, like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, who is even the shelter of the goddess of fortune.

24This child will be almost as good as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa by following in His footsteps. In magnanimity he will become as great as King Rantideva. And in religion he will be like Mahārāja Yayāti.

25This child will be like Bali Mahārāja in patience, a staunch devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa like Prahlāda Mahārāja, a performer of many aśvamedha [horse] sacrifices and a follower of the old and experienced men.

26This child will be the father of kings who will be like sages. For world peace and for the sake of religion, he will be the chastiser of the upstarts and the quarrelsome.

27After hearing about his death, which will be caused by the bite of a snakebird sent by a son of a brāhmaṇa, he will get himself freed from all material attachment and surrender unto the Personality of Godhead, taking shelter of Him.

28After inquiring about proper selfknowledge from the son of Vyāsadeva, who will be a great philosopher, he will renounce all material attachment and achieve a life of fearlessness.

29Thus those who were expert in astrological knowledge and in performance of the birth ceremony instructed King Yudhiṣṭhira about the future history of his child. Then, being sumptuously remunerated, they all returned to their respective homes.

30So his son would become famous in the world as Parīkṣit [examiner] because he would come to examine all human beings in his search after that personality whom he saw before his birth. Thus he would come to constantly contemplate Him.

31As the moon, in its waxing fortnight, develops day after day, so the royal prince [Parīkṣit] very soon developed luxuriantly under the care and full facilities of his guardian grandfathers.

32Just at this time, King Yudhiṣṭhira was considering performing a horse sacrifice to get freed from sins incurred from fighting with kinsmen. But he became anxious to get some wealth, for there were no surplus funds outside of fines and tax collection.

33Understanding the hearty wishes of the King, his brothers, as advised by the infallible Lord Kṛṣṇa, collected sufficient riches from the north [left by King Marutta].

34By those riches, the King could procure the ingredients for three horse sacrifices. Thus the pious King Yudhiṣṭhira, who was very fearful after the Battle of Kurukṣetra, pleased Lord Hari, the Personality of Godhead.

35Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, being invited to the sacrifices by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, saw to it that they were performed by qualified [twiceborn] brāhmaṇas. After that, for the pleasure of the relatives, the Lord remained a few months.

36O Śaunaka, thereafter the Lord, having bade farewell to King Yudhiṣṭhira, Draupadī and other relatives, started for the city of Dvārakā, accompanied by Arjuna and other members of the Yadu dynasty.

SB 1.13: Dhṛtarāṣṭra Quits Home

 

1Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: While traveling on a pilgrimage, Vidura received knowledge of the destination of the self from the great sage Maitreya and then returned to Hastināpura. He became as well versed in the subject as he desired.

2After asking various questions and becoming established in the transcendental loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Vidura retired from putting questions to Maitreya Muni.

34When they saw Vidura return to the palace, all the inhabitants Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, his younger brothers, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Sātyaki, Sañjaya, Kṛpācārya, Kuntī, Gāndhārī, Draupadī, Subhadrā, Uttarā, Kṛpī, many other wives of the Kauravas, and other ladies with children all hurried to him in great delight. It so appeared that they had regained their consciousness after a long period.

5With great delight they all approached him, as if life had returned to their bodies. They exchanged obeisances and welcomed each other with embraces.

6Due to anxieties and long separation, they all cried out of affection. King Yudhiṣṭhira then arranged to offer sitting accommodations and a reception.

7After Vidura ate sumptuously and took sufficient rest, he was comfortably seated. Then the King began to speak to him, and all who were present there listened.

8Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said: My uncle, do you remember how you always protected us, along with our mother, from all sorts of calamities? Your partiality, like the wings of a bird, saved us from poisoning and arson.

9While traveling on the surface of the earth, how did you maintain your livelihood? At which holy places and pilgrimage sites did you render service?

10My lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.

11My uncle, you must have visited Dvārakā. In that holy place are our friends and wellwishers, the descendants of Yadu, who are always rapt in the service of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. You might have seen them or heard about them. Are they all living happily in their abodes?

12Thus being questioned by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahātmā Vidura gradually described everything he had personally experienced, except news of the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty.

13Compassionate Mahātmā Vidura could not stand to see the Pāṇḍavas distressed at any time. Therefore he did not disclose this unpalatable and unbearable incident because calamities come of their own accord.

14Thus Mahātmā Vidura, being treated just like a godly person by his kinsmen, remained there for a certain period just to rectify the mentality of his eldest brother and in this way bring happiness to all the others.

15As long as Vidura played the part of a śūdra, being cursed by Maṇḍūka Muni, Aryamā officiated at the post of Yamarāja to punish those who committed sinful acts.

16Having won his kingdom and observed the birth of one grandson competent to continue the noble tradition of his family, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira reigned peacefully and enjoyed uncommon opulence in cooperation with his younger brothers, who were all expert administrators to the common people.

17Insurmountable eternal time imperceptibly overcomes those who are too much attached to family affairs and are always engrossed in their thought.

18Mahātmā Vidura knew all this, and therefore he addressed Dhṛtarāṣṭra, saying: My dear King, please get out of here immediately. Do not delay. Just see how fear has overtaken you.

19This frightful situation cannot be remedied by any person in this material world. My lord, it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead as eternal time [kāla] that has approached us all.

20Whoever is under the influence of supreme kāla [eternal time] must surrender his most dear life, and what to speak of other things, such as wealth, honor, children, land and home.

21Your father, brother, wellwishers and sons are all dead and passed away. You yourself have expended the major portion of your life, your body is now overtaken by invalidity, and you are living in the home of another.

22You have been blind from your very birth, and recently you have become hard of hearing. Your memory is shortened, and your intelligence is disturbed. Your teeth are loose, your liver is defective, and you are coughing up mucus.

23Alas, how powerful are the hopes of a living being to continue his life. Verily, you are living just like a household dog and are eating remnants of food given by Bhīma.

24There is no need to live a degraded life and subsist on the charity of those whom you tried to kill by arson and poisoning. You also insulted their married wife and usurped their kingdom and wealth.

25Despite your unwillingness to die and your desire to live even at the cost of honor and prestige, your miserly body will certainly dwindle and deteriorate like an old garment.

26He is called undisturbed who goes to an unknown, remote place and, freed from all obligations, quits his material body when it has become useless.

27He is certainly a firstclass man who awakens and understands, either by himself or from others, the falsity and misery of this material world and thus leaves home and depends fully on the Personality of Godhead residing within his heart.

28Please, therefore, leave for the North immediately, without letting your relatives know, for soon that time will approach which will diminish the good qualities of men.

29Thus Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the scion of the family of Ajamīḍha, firmly convinced by introspective knowledge [prajñā], broke at once the strong network of familial affection by his resolute determination. Thus he immediately left home to set out on the path of liberation, as directed by his younger brother Vidura.

30The gentle and chaste Gāndhārī, who was the daughter of King Subala of Kandahar [or Gāndhāra], followed her husband, seeing that he was going to the Himālaya Mountains, which are the delight of those who have accepted the staff of the renounced order like fighters who have accepted a good lashing from the enemy.

31Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, whose enemy was never born, performed his daily morning duties by praying, offering fire sacrifice to the sungod, and offering obeisances, grains, cows, land and gold to the brāhmaṇas. He then entered the palace to pay respects to the elderly. However, he could not find his uncles or aunt, the daughter of King Subala.

32Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, full of anxiety, turned to Sañjaya, who was sitting there, and said: O Sañjaya, where is our uncle, who is old and blind?

33Where is my wellwisher, uncle Vidura, and mother Gāndhārī, who is very afflicted due to all her sons’ demise? My uncle Dhṛtarāṣṭra was also very mortified due to the death of all his sons and grandsons. Undoubtedly I am very ungrateful. Did he, therefore, take my offenses very seriously and, along with his wife, drown himself in the Ganges?

34When my father, Pāṇḍu, fell down and we were all small children, these two uncles gave us protection from all kinds of calamities. They were always our good wellwishers. Alas, where have they gone from here?

35Sūta Gosvāmī said: Because of compassion and mental agitation, Sañjaya, not having seen his own master, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, was aggrieved and could not properly reply to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.

36First he slowly pacified his mind by intelligence, and wiping away his tears and thinking of the feet of his master, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, he began to reply to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.

37Sañjaya said: My dear descendant of the Kuru dynasty, I have no information of the determination of your two uncles and Gāndhārī. O King, I have been cheated by those great souls.

38While Sañjaya was thus speaking, Śrī Nārada, the powerful devotee of the Lord, appeared on the scene carrying his tumburu. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers received him properly by getting up from their seats and offering obeisances.

39Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said: O godly personality, I do not know where my two uncles have gone. Nor can I find my ascetic aunt who is griefstricken by the loss of all her sons.

40You are like a captain of a ship in a great ocean and you can direct us to our destination.

Thus addressed, the godly personality, Devarṣi Nārada, greatest of the philosopher devotees, began to speak.

41Śrī Nārada said: O pious King, do not lament for anyone, for everyone is under the control of the Supreme Lord. Therefore all living beings and their leaders carry on worship to be well protected. It is He only who brings them together and disperses them.

42As a cow, bound through the nose by a long rope, is conditioned, so also human beings are bound by different Vedic injunctions and are conditioned to obey the orders of the Supreme.

43As a player sets up and disperses his playthings according to his own sweet will, so the supreme will of the Lord brings men together and separates them.

44O King, in all circumstances, whether you consider the soul to be an eternal principle, or the material body to be perishable, or everything to exist in the impersonal Absolute Truth, or everything to be an inexplicable combination of matter and spirit, feelings of separation are due only to illusory affection and nothing more.

45Therefore give up your anxiety due to ignorance of the self. You are now thinking of how they, who are helpless poor creatures, will exist without you.

46This gross material body made of five elements is already under the control of eternal time [kāla], action [karma] and the modes of material nature [guṇa]. How then can it, being already in the jaws of the serpent, protect others?

47Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the fourlegged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.

48Therefore, O King, you should look to the Supreme Lord only, who is one without a second and who manifests Himself by different energies and is both within and without.

49That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in the guise of alldevouring time [kālarūpa] has now descended to the earth to eliminate the envious from the world.

50The Lord has already performed His duties to help the demigods, and He is awaiting the rest. You Pāṇḍavas may wait as long as the Lord is here on earth.

51O King, your uncle Dhṛtarāṣṭra, his brother Vidura and his wife Gāndhārīhave gone to the southern side of the Himālaya Mountains, where there are shelters of the great sages.

52The place is called Saptasrota [“divided by seven”] because there the waters of the sacred Ganges were divided into seven branches. This was done for the satisfaction of the seven great ṛṣis.

53On the banks at Saptasrota, Dhṛtarāṣṭra is now engaged in beginning aṣṭāṅgayoga by bathing three times daily, in the morning, noon and evening, by performing the Agnihotra sacrifice with fire and by drinking only water. This helps one control the mind and the senses and frees one completely from thoughts of familial affection.

54One who has controlled the sitting postures [the yogic āsanas] and the breathing process can turn the senses toward the Absolute Personality of Godhead and thus become immune to the contaminations of the modes of material nature, namely mundane goodness, passion and

ignorance.

55Dhṛtarāṣṭra will have to amalgamate his pure identity with intelligence and then merge into the Supreme Being with knowledge of his qualitative oneness, as a living entity, with the Supreme Brahman. Being freed from the blocked sky, he will have to rise to the spiritual sky.

56He will have to suspend all the actions of the senses, even from the outside, and will have to be impervious to interactions of the senses, which are influenced by the modes of material nature. After renouncing all material duties, he must become immovably established, beyond all sources of hindrances on the path.

57O King, he will quit his body, most probably on the fifth day from today. And his body will turn to ashes.

58While outside observing her husband, who will burn in the fire of mystic power along with his thatched cottage, his chaste wife will enter the fire with rapt attention.

59Vidura, being affected with delight and grief, will then leave that place of sacred pilgrimage.

60Having spoken thus, the great sage Nārada, along with his vīṇā, ascended into outer space. Yudhiṣṭhira kept his instruction in his heart and so was able to get rid of all lamentations.

SB 1.14: The Disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa

 

1Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: Arjuna went to Dvārakā to see Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and other friends and also to learn from the Lord of His next activities.

2A few months passed, and Arjuna did not return. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira then began to observe some inauspicious omens, which were fearful in themselves.

3He saw that the direction of eternal time had changed, and this was very fearful. There were disruptions in the seasonal regularities. The people in general had become very greedy, angry and deceitful. And he saw that they were adopting foul means of livelihood.

4All ordinary transactions and dealings became polluted with cheating, even between friends. And in familial affairs, there was always misunderstanding between fathers, mothers and sons, between wellwishers, and between brothers. Even between husband and wife there was always strain and quarrel.

5In course of time it came to pass that people in general became accustomed to greed, anger, pride, etc. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, observing all these omens, spoke to his younger brother.

6Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said to his younger brother Bhīmasena: I sent Arjuna to Dvārakā to meet his friends and to learn from the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, of His program of work.

7Since he departed, seven months have passed, yet he has not returned. I do not know factually how things are going there.

8Is He going to quit His earthly pastimes, as Devarṣi Nārada indicated? Has that time already arrived?

9From Him only, all our kingly opulence, good wives, lives, progeny, control over our subjects, victory over our enemies, and future accommodations in higher planets have become possible.

All this is due to His causeless mercy upon us.

10Just see, O man with a tiger’s strength, how many miseries due to celestial influences, earthly reactions and bodily pains all very dangerous in themselves are foreboding danger in the near future by deluding our intelligence.

11The left side of my body my thighs, arms and eyes are all quivering again and again. I am having heart palpitations due to fear. All this indicates undesirable happenings.

12Just see, O Bhīma, how the shejackal cries at the rising sun and vomits fire, and how the dog barks at me fearlessly.

13O Bhīmasena, tiger amongst men, now useful animals like cows are passing me on my left side, and lower animals like the asses are circumambulating me. My horses appear to weep upon seeing me.

14Just see! This pigeon is like a messenger of death. The shrieks of the owls and their rival crows make my heart tremble. It appears that they want to make a void of the whole universe.

15Just see how the smoke encircles the sky. It appears that the earth and mountains are throbbing. Just hear the cloudless thunder and see the bolts from the blue.

16The wind blows violently, blasting dust everywhere and creating darkness. Clouds are raining everywhere with bloody disasters.

17The rays of the sun are declining, and the stars appear to be fighting amongst themselves. Confused living entities appear to be ablaze and weeping.

18Rivers, tributaries, ponds, reservoirs and the mind are all perturbed. Butter no longer ignites fire. What is this extraordinary time? What is going to happen?

19The calves do not suck the teats of the cows, nor do the cows give milk. They are standing, crying, tears in their eyes, and the bulls take no pleasure in the pasturing grounds.

20The Deities seem to be crying in the temple, lamenting and perspiring. They seem about to leave. All the cities, villages, towns, gardens, mines and hermitages are now devoid of beauty and bereft of all happiness. I do not know what sort of calamities are now awaiting us.

21I think that all these earthly disturbances indicate some greater loss to the good fortune of the world. The world was fortunate to have been marked with the footprints of the lotus feet of the Lord. These signs indicate that this will no longer be.

22O Brāhmaṇa Śaunaka, while Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, observing the inauspicious signs on the earth at that time, was thus thinking to himself, Arjuna came back from the city of the Yadus [Dvārakā].

23When he bowed at his feet, the King saw that his dejection was unprecedented. His head was down, and tears glided from his lotus eyes.

24Seeing Arjuna pale due to heartfelt anxieties, the King, remembering the indications of the sage Nārada, questioned him in the midst of friends.

25Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said: My dear brother, please tell me whether our friends and relatives,

such as Madhu, Bhoja, Daśārha, Ārha, Sātvata, Andhaka and the members of the Yadu family are all passing their days in happiness.

26Is my respectable grandfather Śūrasena in a happy mood? And are my maternal uncle Vasudeva and his younger brothers all doing well?

27His seven wives, headed by Devakī, are all sisters. Are they and their sons and daughtersinlaw all happy?

28-29Are Ugrasena, whose son was the mischievous Kaṁsa, and his younger brother still living? Are Hṛdīka and his son Kṛtavarmā happy? Are Akrūra, Jayanta, Gada, Sāraṇa and Śatrujit all happy? How is Balarāma, the Personality of Godhead and the protector of devotees?

30How is Pradyumna, the great general of the Vṛṣṇi family? Is He happy? And is Aniruddha, the plenary expansion of the Personality of Godhead, faring well?

31Are all the chieftain sons of Lord Kṛṣṇa, such as Suṣeṇa, Cārudeṣṇa, Sāmba the son of Jāmbavatī, and Ṛṣabha, along with their sons, all doing well?

32-33Also, Śrutadeva, Uddhava and others, Nanda, Sunanda and other leaders of liberated souls who are constant companions of the Lord are protected by Lord Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa. Are they all doing well in their respective functions? Do they, who are all eternally bound in friendship with us, remember our welfare?

34Is Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who gives pleasure to the cows, the senses and the brāhmaṇas, who is very affectionate towards His devotees, enjoying the pious assembly at Dvārakā Purī surrounded by friends?

3536The original Personality of Godhead, the enjoyer, and Balarāma, the primeval Lord Ananta, are staying in the ocean of the Yadu dynasty for the welfare, protection and general progress of the entire universe. And the members of the Yadu dynasty, being protected by the arms of the Lord, are enjoying life like the residents of the spiritual sky.

37Simply by administering comforts at the lotus feet of the Lord, which is the most important of all services, the queens at Dvārakā, headed by Satyabhāmā, induced the Lord to conquer the demigods. Thus the queens enjoy things which are prerogatives of the wives of the controller of thunderbolts.

38The great heroes of the Yadu dynasty, being protected by the arms of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, always remain fearless in every respect. And therefore their feet trample over the Sudharmā assembly house, which the best demigods deserved but which was taken away from them.

39My brother Arjuna, please tell me whether your health is all right. You appear to have lost your bodily luster. Is this due to others disrespecting and neglecting you because of your long stay at Dvārakā?

40Has someone addressed you with unfriendly words or threatened you? Could you not give charity to one who asked, or could you not keep your promise to someone?

41You are always the protector of the deserving living beings, such as brāhmaṇas, children, cows, women and the diseased. Could you not give them protection when they approached you for shelter?

42Have you contacted a woman of impeachable character, or have you not properly treated a deserving woman? Or have you been defeated on the way by someone who is inferior or equal to you?

43Have you not taken care of old men and boys who deserve to dine with you? Have you left them and taken your meals alone? Have you committed some unpardonable mistake which is considered to be abominable?

44Or is it that you are feeling empty for all time because you might have lost your most intimate friend, Lord Kṛṣṇa? O my brother Arjuna, I can think of no other reason for your becoming so dejected.

SB 1.15: The Pāṇḍavas Retire Timely

 

1Sūta Gosvāmī said: Arjuna, the celebrated friend of Lord Kṛṣṇa, was griefstricken because of his strong feeling of separation from Kṛṣṇa, over and above all Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira’s speculative inquiries.

2Due to grief, Arjuna’s mouth and lotuslike heart had dried up. Therefore his body lost all luster. Now, remembering the Supreme Lord, he could hardly utter a word in reply.

3With great difficulty he checked the tears of grief that smeared his eyes. He was very distressed because Lord Kṛṣṇa was out of his sight, and he increasingly felt affection for Him.

4Remembering Lord Kṛṣṇa and His well wishes, benefactions, intimate familial relations and His chariot driving, Arjuna, overwhelmed and breathing very heavily, began to speak.

5Arjuna said: O King! The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who treated me exactly like an intimate friend, has left me alone. Thus my astounding power, which astonished even the demigods, is no longer with me.

6I have just lost Him whose separation for a moment would render all the universes unfavorable and void, like bodies without life.

7Only by His merciful strength was I able to vanquish all the lusty princes assembled at the palace of King Drupada for the selection of the bridegroom. With my bow and arrow I could pierce the fish target and thereby gain the hand of Draupadī.

8Because He was near me, it was possible for me to conquer with great dexterity the powerful King of heaven, Indradeva, along with his demigod associates and thus enable the firegod to devastate the Khāṇḍava Forest. And only by His grace was the demon named Maya saved from the blazing Khāṇḍava Forest, and thus we could build our assembly house of wonderful architectural workmanship, where all the princes assembled during the performance of Rājasūyayajña and paid you tributes.

9Your respectable younger brother, who possesses the strength of ten thousand elephants, killed, by His grace, Jarāsandha, whose feet were worshiped by many kings. These kings had been brought for sacrifice in Jarāsandha’s Mahābhairavayajña, but they were thus released. Later they paid tribute to Your Majesty.

10It was He only who loosened the hair of all the wives of the miscreants who dared open the cluster of your Queen’s hair, which had been nicely dressed and sanctified for the great Rājasūya sacrificial ceremony. At that time she fell down at the feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa with tears in

her eyes.

11During our exile, Durvāsā Muni, who eats with his ten thousand disciples, intrigued with our enemies to put us in dangerous trouble. At that time He [Lord Kṛṣṇa], simply by accepting the remnants of food, saved us. By His accepting food thus, the assembly of munis, while bathing in the river, felt sumptuously fed. And all the three worlds were also satisfied.

12It was by His influence only that in a fight I was able to astonish the personality of god Lord Śiva and his wife, the daughter of Mount Himālaya. Thus he [Lord Śiva] became pleased with me and awarded me his own weapon. Other demigods also delivered their respective weapons to me, and in addition I was able to reach the heavenly planets in this present body and was allowed a halfelevated seat.

13When I stayed for some days as a guest in the heavenly planets, all the heavenly demigods, including King Indradeva, took shelter of my arms, which were marked with the Gāṇḍīva bow, to kill the demon named Nivātakavaca. O King, descendant of Ajamīḍha, at the present moment I am bereft of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose influence I was so powerful.

14The military strength of the Kauravas was like an ocean in which there dwelled many invincible existences, and thus it was insurmountable. But because of His friendship, I, seated on the chariot, was able to cross over it. And only by His grace was I able to regain the cows and also collect by force many helmets of the kings, which were bedecked with jewels that were sources of all brilliance.

15It was He only who withdrew the duration of life from everyone and who, in the battlefield, withdrew the speculative power and strength of enthusiasm from the great military phalanx made by the Kauravas, headed by Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Droṇa, Śalya, etc. Their arrangement was expert and more than adequate, but He [Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa], while going forward, did all this.

16Great generals like Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, Bhūriśravā, Suśarmā, Śalya, Jayadratha and Bāhlika all directed their invincible weapons against me. But by His [Lord Kṛṣṇa’s] grace they could not even touch a hair on my head. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja, the supreme devotee of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, was unaffected by the weapons the demons used against him.

17It was by His mercy only that my enemies neglected to kill me when I descended from my chariot to get water for my thirsty horses. And it was due to my lack of esteem for my Lord that I dared engage Him as my chariot driver, for He is worshiped and offered services by the best men to attain salvation.

18O King! His jokings and frank talks were pleasing and beautifully decorated with smiles. His addresses unto me as “O son of Pṛthā, O friend, O son of the Kuru dynasty,” and all such heartiness are now remembered by me, and thus I am overwhelmed.

19Generally both of us used to live together and sleep, sit and loiter together. And at the time of advertising oneself for acts of chivalry, sometimes, if there were any irregularity, I used to reproach Him by saying, “My friend, You are very truthful.” Even in those hours when His value was minimized, He, being the Supreme Soul, used to tolerate all those utterings of mine, excusing me exactly as a true friend excuses his true friend, or a father excuses his son.

20O Emperor, now I am separated from my friend and dearmost wellwisher, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore my heart appears to be void of everything. In His

absence I have been defeated by a number of infidel cowherd men while I was guarding the bodies of all the wives of Kṛṣṇa.

21I have the very same Gāṇḍīva bow, the same arrows, the same chariot drawn by the same horses, and I use them as the same Arjuna to whom all the kings offered their due respects. But in the absence of Lord Kṛṣṇa, all of them, at a moment’s notice, have become null and void. It is exactly like offering clarified butter on ashes, accumulating money with a magic wand or sowing seeds on barren land.

22-23O King, since you have asked me about our friends and relatives in the city of Dvārakā, I will inform you that all of them were cursed by the brāhmaṇas, and as a result they all became intoxicated with wine made of putrefied rice and fought among themselves with sticks, not even recognizing one another. Now all but four or five of them are dead and gone.

24Factually this is all due to the supreme will of the Lord, the Personality of Godhead. Sometimes people kill one another, and at other times they protect one another.

25-26O King, as in the ocean the bigger and stronger aquatics swallow up the smaller and weaker ones, so also the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to lighten the burden of the earth, has engaged the stronger Yadu to kill the weaker, and the bigger Yadu to kill the smaller.

27Now I am attracted to those instructions imparted to me by the Personality of Godhead [Govinda] because they are impregnated with instructions for relieving the burning heart in all circumstances of time and space.

28Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus being deeply absorbed in thinking of the instructions of the Lord, which were imparted in the great intimacy of friendship, and in thinking of His lotus feet, Arjuna’s mind became pacified and free from all material contamination.

29Arjuna’s constant remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa rapidly increased his devotion, and as a result all the trash in his thoughts subsided.

30Because of the Lord’s pastimes and activities and because of His absence, it appeared that Arjuna forgot the instructions left by the Personality of Godhead. But factually this was not the case, and again he became lord of his senses.

31Because of his possessing spiritual assets, the doubts of duality were completely cut off. Thus he was freed from the three modes of material nature and placed in transcendence. There was no longer any chance of his becoming entangled in birth and death, for he was freed from material form.

32Upon hearing of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s returning to His abode, and upon understanding the end of the Yadu dynasty’s earthly manifestation, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira decided to go back home, back to Godhead.

33Kuntī, after overhearing Arjuna’s telling of the end of the Yadu dynasty and disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa, engaged in the devotional service of the transcendental Personality of Godhead with full attention and thus gained release from the course of material existence.

34The supreme unborn, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, caused the members of the Yadu dynasty to relinquish their bodies, and thus He relieved the burden of the world. This action was like picking out a thorn with a thorn, though both are the same to the controller.

35The Supreme Lord relinquished the body which He manifested to diminish the burden of the earth. Just like a magician, He relinquishes one body to accept different ones, like the fish incarnation and others.

36When the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, left this earthly planet in His selfsame form, from that very day Kali, who had already partially appeared, became fully manifest to create inauspicious conditions for those who are endowed with a poor fund of knowledge.

37Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was intelligent enough to understand the influence of the Age of Kali, characterized by increasing avarice, falsehood, cheating and violence throughout the capital, state, home and among individuals. So he wisely prepared himself to leave home, and he dressed accordingly.

38Thereafter, in the capital of Hastināpura, he enthroned his grandson, who was trained and equally qualified, as the emperor and master of all land bordered by the seas.

39Then he posted Vajra, the son of Aniruddha [grandson of Lord Kṛṣṇa], at Mathurā as the King of Śūrasena. Afterwards Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed a Prājāpatya sacrifice and placed in himself the fire for quitting household life.

40Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira at once relinquished all his garments, belt and ornaments of the royal order and became completely disinterested and unattached to everything.

41Then he amalgamated all the sense organs into the mind, then the mind into life, life into breathing, his total existence into the embodiment of the five elements, and his body into death. Then, as pure self, he became free from the material conception of life.

42Thus annihilating the gross body of five elements into the three qualitative modes of material nature, he merged them in one nescience and then absorbed that nescience in the self, Brahman, which is inexhaustible in all circumstances.

43After that, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira dressed himself in torn clothing, gave up eating all solid foods, voluntarily became dumb and let his hair hang loose. All this combined to make him look like an urchin or madman with no occupation. He did not depend on his brothers for anything. And, just like a deaf man, he heard nothing.

44He then started towards the north, treading the path accepted by his forefathers and great men, to devote himself completely to the thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And he lived in that way wherever he went.

45The younger brothers of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira observed that the Age of Kali had already arrived throughout the world and that the citizens of the kingdom were already affected by irreligious practice. Therefore they decided to follow in the footsteps of their elder brother.

46They all had performed all the principles of religion and as a result rightly decided that the lotus feet of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa are the supreme goal of all. Therefore they meditated upon His feet without interruption.

47-48Thus by pure consciousness due to constant devotional remembrance, they attained the spiritual sky, which is ruled over by the Supreme Nārāyaṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is attained only by those who meditate upon the one Supreme Lord without deviation. This abode of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, cannot be attained by persons who are absorbed in the material conception of life. But the Pāṇḍavas, being completely washed of all material

contamination, attained that abode in their very same bodies.

49Vidura, while on pilgrimage, left his body at Prabhāsa. Because he was absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa, he was received by the denizens of the Pitṛloka planet, where he returned to his original post.

50Draupadī also saw that her husbands, without caring for her, were leaving home. She knew well about Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. Both she and Subhadrā became absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and attained the same results as their husbands.

51The subject of the departure of the sons of Pāṇḍu for the ultimate goal of life, back to Godhead, is fully auspicious and is perfectly pure. Therefore anyone who hears this narration with devotional faith certainly gains the devotional service of the Lord, the highest perfection of life.

SB 1.16: How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali

 

1Sūta Gosvāmī said: O learned brāhmaṇas, Mahārāja Parīkṣit then began to rule over the world as a great devotee of the Lord under the instructions of the best of the twiceborn brāhmaṇas. He ruled by those great qualities which were foretold by expert astrologers at the time of his birth.

2King Parīkṣit married the daughter of King Uttara and begot four sons, headed by Mahārāja Janamejaya.

3Mahārāja Parīkṣit, after having selected Kṛpācārya for guidance as his spiritual master, performed three horse sacrifices on the banks of the Ganges. These were executed with sufficient rewards for the attendants. And at these sacrifices, even the common man could see demigods.

4Once, when Mahārāja Parīkṣit was on his way to conquer the world, he saw the master of Kaliyuga, who was lower than a śūdra, disguised as a king and hurting the legs of a cow and bull. The King at once caught hold of him to deal sufficient punishment.

5Śaunaka Ṛṣi inquired: Why did Mahārāja Parīkṣit simply punish him, since he was the lowest of the śūdras, having dressed as a king and having struck a cow on the leg? Please describe all these incidents if they relate to the topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

6The devotees of the Lord are accustomed to licking up the honey available from the lotus feet

of the Lord. What is the use of topics which simply waste one’s valuable life?

7O Sūta Gosvāmī, there are those amongst men who desire freedom from death and get eternal life. They escape the slaughtering process by calling the controller of death, Yamarāja.

8As long as Yamarāja, who causes everyone’s death, is present here, no one shall meet with death. The great sages have invited the controller of death, Yamarāja, who is the representative of the Lord. Living beings who are under his grip should take advantage by hearing the deathless nectar in the form of this narration of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.

9Lazy human beings with paltry intelligence and a short duration of life pass the night sleeping and the day performing activities that are for naught.

10Sūta Gosvāmī said: While Mahārāja Parīkṣit was residing in the capital of the Kuru empire, the symptoms of the Age of Kali began to infiltrate within the jurisdiction of his state. When he learned about this, he did not think the matter very palatable. This did, however, give him a chance to fight. He took up his bow and arrows and prepared himself for military activities.

11Mahārāja Parīkṣit sat on a chariot drawn by black horses. His flag was marked with the sign of a lion. Being so decorated and surrounded by charioteers, cavalry, elephants and infantry soldiers, he left the capital to conquer in all directions.

12Mahārāja Parīkṣit then conquered all parts of the earthly planet Bhadrāśva, Ketumāla, Bhārata, the northern Kuru, Kimpuruṣa, etc. and exacted tributes from their respective rulers.

1315Wherever the King visited, he continuously heard the glories of his great forefathers, who were all devotees of the Lord, and also of the glorious acts of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He also heard how he himself had been protected by the Lord from the powerful heat of the weapon of Aśvatthāmā. People also mentioned the great affection between the descendants of Vṛṣṇi and Pṛthā due to the latter’s great devotion to Lord Keśava. The King, being very pleased with the singers of such glories, opened his eyes in great satisfaction. Out of magnanimity he was pleased to award them very valuable necklaces and clothing.

16Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard that out of His causeless mercy Lord Kṛṣṇa [Viṣṇu], who is universally obeyed, rendered all kinds of service to the malleable sons of Pāṇḍu by accepting posts ranging from chariot driver to president to messenger, friend, night watchman, etc., according to the will of the Pāṇḍavas, obeying them like a servant and offering obeisances like one younger in years. When he heard this, Mahārāja Parīkṣit became overwhelmed with devotion to the lotus feet of the Lord.

17Now you may hear from me of what happened while Mahārāja Parīkṣit was passing his days hearing of the good occupations of his forefathers and being absorbed in thought of them.

18The personality of religious principles, Dharma, was wandering about in the form of a bull. And he met the personality of earth in the form of a cow who appeared to grieve like a mother who had lost her child. She had tears in her eyes, and the beauty of her body was lost. Thus Dharma questioned the earth as follows.

19Dharma [in the form of a bull] asked: Madam, are you not hale and hearty? Why are you covered with the shadow of grief? It appears by your face that you have become black. Are you suffering from some internal disease, or are you thinking of some relative who is away in a distant place?

20I have lost my three legs and am now standing on one only. Are you lamenting for my state of existence? Or are you in great anxiety because henceforward the unlawful meateaters will exploit you? Or are you in a sorry plight because the demigods are now bereft of their share of sacrificial offerings because no sacrifices are being performed at present? Or are you grieving for living beings because of their sufferings due to famine and drought?

21Are you feeling compunction for the unhappy women and children who are left forlorn by unscrupulous persons? Or are you unhappy because the goddess of learning is being handled by brāhmaṇas addicted to acts against the principles of religion? Or are you sorry to see that the brāhmaṇas have taken shelter of administrative families that do not respect brahminical culture?

22The socalled administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this Age of Kali, and

thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and everywhere. Are you unhappy because of this?

23O mother earth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, incarnated Himself as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa just to unload your heavy burden. All His activities here are transcendental, and they cement the path of liberation. You are now bereft of His presence. You are probably now thinking of those activities and feeling sorry in their absence.

24Mother, you are the reservoir of all riches. Please inform me of the root cause of your tribulations by which you have been reduced to such a weak state. I think that the powerful influence of time, which conquers the most powerful, might have forcibly taken away all your fortune, which was adored even by the demigods.

25The earthly deity [in the form of a cow] thus replied to the personality of religious principles [in the form of a bull]: O Dharma, whatever you have inquired from me shall be known to you. I shall try to reply to all those questions. Once you too were maintained by your four legs, and you increased happiness all over the universe by the mercy of the Lord.

26-30In Him reside (1) truthfulness, (2) cleanliness, (3) intolerance of another’s unhappiness,

(4) the power to control anger, (5) selfsatisfaction, (6) straightforwardness, (7) steadiness of mind, (8) control of the sense organs, (9) responsibility, (10) equality, (11) tolerance, (12) equanimity, (13) faithfulness, (14) knowledge, (15) absence of sense enjoyment, (16) leadership, (17) chivalry, (18) influence, (19) the power to make everything possible, (20) the discharge of proper duty, (21) complete independence, (22) dexterity, (23) fullness of all beauty, (24) serenity, (25) kindheartedness, (26) ingenuity, (27) gentility, (28) magnanimity,

(29) determination, (30) perfection in all knowledge, (31) proper execution, (32) possession of all objects of enjoyment, (33) joyfulness, (34) immovability, (35) fidelity, (36) fame, (37) worship, (38) pridelessness, (39) being (as the Personality of Godhead), (40) eternity, and many other transcendental qualities which are eternally present and never to be separated from Him. That Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of all goodness and beauty, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, has now closed His transcendental pastimes on the face of the earth. In His absence the Age of Kali has spread its influence everywhere, so I am sorry to see this condition of existence.

31I am thinking about myself and also, O best amongst the demigods, about you, as well as about all the demigods, sages, denizens of Pitṛloka, devotees of the Lord and all men obedient to the system of varṇa and āśrama in human society.

32-33Lakṣmījī, the goddess of fortune, whose glance of grace was sought by demigods like Brahmā and for whom they surrendered many a day unto the Personality of Godhead, gave up her own abode in the forest of lotus flowers and engaged herself in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord. I was endowed with specific powers to supersede the fortune of all the three planetary systems by being decorated with the impressions of the flag, thunderbolt, elephantdriving rod and lotus flower, which are signs of the lotus feet of the Lord. But at the end, when I felt I was so fortunate, the Lord left me.

34O personality of religion, I was greatly overburdened by the undue military phalanxes arranged by atheistic kings, and I was relieved by the grace of the Personality of Godhead. Similarly you were also in a distressed condition, weakened in your standing strength, and thus He also incarnated by His internal energy in the family of the Yadus to relieve you.

35Who, therefore, can tolerate the pangs of separation from that Supreme Personality of Godhead? He could conquer the gravity and passionate wrath of His sweethearts like Satyabhāmā by His sweet smile of love, pleasing glance and hearty appeals. When He traversed my [earth’s] surface, I would be immersed in the dust of His lotus feet and thus would be sumptuously covered with grass which appeared like hairs standing on me out of pleasure.

36While the earth and the personality of religion were thus engaged in conversation, the saintly King Parīkṣit reached the shore of the Sarasvatī River, which flowed towards the east.

SB 1.17: Punishment and Reward of Kali

 

1Sūta Gosvāmī said: After reaching that place, Mahārāja Parīkṣit observed that a lowercaste

śūdra, dressed like a king, was beating a cow and a bull with a club, as if they had no owner.

2The bull was as white as a white lotus flower. He was terrified of the śūdra who was beating him, and he was so afraid that he was standing on one leg, trembling and urinating.

3Although the cow is beneficial because one can draw religious principles from her, she was now rendered poor and calfless. Her legs were being beaten by a śūdra. There were tears in her eyes, and she was distressed and weak. She was hankering after some grass in the field.

4Mahārāja Parīkṣit, well equipped with arrows and bow and seated on a goldembossed chariot, spoke to him [the śūdra] with a deep voice sounding like thunder.

5Oh, who are you? You appear to be strong and yet you dare kill, within my protection, those who are helpless! By your dress you pose yourself to be a godly man [king], but by your deeds you are opposing the principles of the twiceborn kṣatriyas.

6You rogue, do you dare beat an innocent cow because Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, the carrier of the Gāṇḍīva bow, are out of sight? Since you are beating the innocent in a secluded place, you are considered a culprit and therefore deserve to be killed.

7Then he [Mahārāja Parīkṣit] asked the bull: Oh, who are you? Are you a bull as white as a white lotus, or are you a demigod? You have lost three of your legs and are moving on only one. Are you some demigod causing us grief in the form of a bull?

8Now for the first time in a kingdom well protected by the arms of the kings of the Kuru dynasty, I see you grieving with tears in your eyes. Up till now no one on earth has ever shed tears because of royal negligence.

9O son of Surabhi, you need lament no longer now. There is no need to fear this lowclass śūdra. And, O mother cow, as long as I am living as the ruler and subduer of all envious men, there is no cause for you to cry. Everything will be good for you.

10-11O chaste one, the king’s good name, duration of life and good rebirth vanish when all kinds of living beings are terrified by miscreants in his kingdom. It is certainly the prime duty of the king to subdue first the sufferings of those who suffer. Therefore I must kill this most wretched man because he is violent against other living beings.

12He [Mahārāja Parīkṣit] repeatedly addressed and questioned the bull thus: O son of Surabhi, who has cut off your three legs? In the state of the kings who are obedient to the laws of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, there is no one as unhappy as you.