Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto1

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First Canto
Preface
We must know the present need of human society. And what
is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by
geographical limits to particular countries or communities.
Human society is broader than in the Middle Ages, and the
world tendency is toward one state or one human society.
The ideals of spiritual communism, according to #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam, are based more or less on the oneness of the
entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of living
beings. The need is felt by great thinkers to make this a
successful ideology. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam will fill this need in
human society. t begins, therefore, with the aphorism of
!ed"nta philosophy )anm'dy asya yata* #$% +.+.+& to
establish the ideal of a common cause.
Human society, at the present moment, is not in the
darkness of oblivion. t has made rapid progress in the field
of material comforts, education and economic development
throughout the entire world. %ut there is a pinprick
somewhere in the social body at large, and therefore there
are large'scale (uarrels, even over less important issues.
There is need of a clue as to how humanity can become one
in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam will fill this need, for it is a cultural
presentation for the respirituali)ation of the entire human
society.
*opyright + ,--. The %haktivedanta %ook Trust nt/l. All 0ights 0eserved.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam should be introduced also in the schools
and colleges, for it is recommended by the great student'
devotee 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a in order to change the demoniac
face of society.
ka!m'ra 'caret "r'),odharm'n bh'ga(at'n ihad!rlabha-
m'n!.a- )anmatad a"y adhr!(am arthadam 3Bhg. 4.5.,6
7isparity in human society is due to lack of principles in a
godless civili)ation. There is 8od, or the Almighty 9ne, from
whom everything emanates, by whom everything is
maintained and in whom everything is merged to rest.
Material science has tried to find the ultimate source of
creation very insufficiently, but it is a fact that there is one
ultimate source of everything that be. This ultimate source is
e:plained rationally and authoritatively in the beautiful
&h'ga(atam, or #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the transcendental science not only
for knowing the ultimate source of everything but also for
knowing our relation with Him and our duty toward
perfection of the human society on the basis of this perfect
knowledge. t is powerful reading matter in the $anskrit
language, and it is now rendered into ;nglish elaborately so
that simply by a careful reading one will know 8od perfectly
well, so much so that the reader will be sufficiently educated
to defend himself from the onslaught of atheists. 9ver and
above this, the reader will be able to convert others to
accepting 8od as a concrete principle.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam begins with the definition of the ultimate
source. t is a bona fide commentary on the /ed'nta%s0tra by
the same author, <r=la !y"sadeva, and gradually it develops
into nine cantos up to the highest state of 8od reali)ation.
The only (ualification one needs to study this great book of
transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step
cautiously and not 2ump forward hapha)ardly like with an
ordinary book. t should be gone through chapter by chapter,
one after another. The reading matter is so arranged with its
original $anskrit te:t, its ;nglish transliteration, synonyms,
translation and purports so that one is sure to become a
8od'reali)ed soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.
The Tenth *anto is distinct from the first nine cantos
because it deals directly with the transcendental activities of
the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa. 9ne will be unable to
capture the effects of the Tenth *anto without going through
the first nine cantos. The book is complete in twelve cantos,
each independent, but it is good for all to read them in small
installments one after another.
must admit my frailties in presenting #r$mad%&h'ga(atam,
but still am hopeful of its good reception by the thinkers
and leaders of society on the strength of the following
statement of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam 3,.B.,,6C
tad%('g%(isargo )anat'gha%(i"la(o
yasmin "rati%1lokam abaddha(aty a"i
n'm'ny anantasya ya1o 23kit'ni yac
ch45(anti g'yanti g45anti s'dha(a*
D9n the other hand, that literature which is full with
descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame,
form and pastimes of the unlimited $upreme Eord is a
transcendental creation meant to bring about a revolution in
the impious life of a misdirected civili)ation. $uch
transcendental literatures, even though irregularly
composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men
who are thoroughly honest.F
6- tat sat
A. *. %haktivedanta $wami
7ated at 7elhi
7ecember ,B, ,-5G
Introduction
The conception of 8od and the conception of Absolute Truth
are not on the same level. The #r$mad%&h'ga(atam hits on
the target of the Absolute Truth. The conception of 8od
indicates the controller, whereas the conception of the
Absolute Truth indicates the s!mm!m bon!m or the ultimate
source of all energies. There is no difference of opinion about
the personal feature of 8od as the controller because a
controller cannot be impersonal. 9f course modern
government, especially democratic government, is
impersonal to some e:tent, but ultimately the chief
e:ecutive head is a person, and the impersonal feature of
government is subordinate to the personal feature. $o
without a doubt whenever we refer to control over others we
must admit the e:istence of a personal feature. %ecause
there are different controllers for different managerial
positions, there may be many small gods. According to the
&haga(ad%g$t' any controller who has some specific
e:traordinary power is called a (ibh0timat satt(a, or controller
empowered by the Eord. There are many (ibh0timat satt(as,
controllers or gods with various specific powers, but the
Absolute Truth is one without a second. This #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam designates the Absolute Truth or the s!mm!m
bon!m as the "ara- satyam.
The author of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, <r=la !y"sadeva, first
offers his respectful obeisances unto the "ara- satyam
3Absolute Truth6, and because the "ara- satyam is the
ultimate source of all energies, the "ara- satyam is the
$upreme 1erson. The gods or the controllers are
undoubtedly persons, but the "ara- satyam from whom the
gods derive powers of control is the $upreme 1erson. The
$anskrit word $1(ara 3controller6 conveys the import of 8od,
but the $upreme 1erson is called the "arame1(ara, or the
supreme $1(ara. The $upreme 1erson, or "arame1(ara, is the
supreme conscious personality, and because He does not
derive any power from any other source, He is supremely
independent. n the !edic literatures %rahm" is described as
the supreme god or the head of all other gods like ndra,
*andra and !aruAa, but the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam confirms
that even %rahm" is not independent as far as his power and
knowledge are concerned. He received knowledge in the
form of the /edas from the $upreme 1erson who resides
within the heart of every living being. That $upreme
1ersonality knows everything directly and indirectly.
ndividual infinitesimal persons, who are parts and parcels of
the $upreme 1ersonality, may know directly and indirectly
everything about their bodies or e:ternal features, but the
$upreme 1ersonality knows everything about both His
e:ternal and internal features.
The words )anm'dy asya #$% +.+.+& suggest that the source of
all production, maintenance or destruction is the same
supreme conscious person. ;ven in our present e:perience
we can know that nothing is generated from inert matter,
but inert matter can be generated from the living entity. Hor
instance, by contact with the living entity, the material body
develops into a working machine. Men with a poor fund of
knowledge mistake the bodily machinery to be the living
being, but the fact is that the living being is the basis of the
bodily machine. The bodily machine is useless as soon as the
living spark is away from it. $imilarly, the original source of
all material energy is the $upreme 1erson. This fact is
e:pressed in all the !edic literatures, and all the e:ponents
of spiritual science have accepted this truth. The living force
is called %rahman, and one of the greatest 'c'ryas
3teachers6, namely <r=p"da <aIkar"c"rya, has preached that
%rahman is substance whereas the cosmic world is category.
The original source of all energies is the living force, and He
is logically accepted as the $upreme 1erson. He is therefore
conscious of everything past, present and future, and also of
each and every corner of His manifestations, both material
and spiritual. An imperfect living being does not even know
what is happening within his own personal body. He eats his
food but does not know how this food is transformed into
energy or how it sustains his body. When a living being is
perfect, he is aware of everything that happens, and since
the $upreme 1erson is all'perfect, it is (uite natural that He
knows everything in all detail. *onse(uently the perfect
personality is addressed in the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam as
!"sudeva, or one who lives everywhere in full consciousness
and in full possession of His complete energy. All of this is
clearly e:plained in the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, and the reader
has ample opportunity to study this critically.
n the modern age Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu preached
the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam by practical demonstration. t is
easier to penetrate into the topics of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam
through the medium of <r= *aitanyaJs causeless mercy.
Therefore a short sketch of His life and precepts is inserted
herein to help the reader understand the real merit of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
t is imperative that one learn the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam from
the person &h'ga(atam. The person &h'ga(atam is one whose
very life is #r$mad%&h'ga(atam in practice. $ince <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu is the Absolute 1ersonality of
8odhead, He is both %hagav"n and &h'ga(atam in person
and in sound. Therefore His process of approaching the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is practical for all people of the world. t
was His wish that the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam be preached in
every nook and corner of the world by those who happened
to take their birth in ndia.
The #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the science of >?@Aa, the
Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead of whom we have
preliminary information from the te:t of the &haga(ad%g$t'.
<r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu has said that anyone, regardless
of what he is, who is well versed in the science of >?@Aa
3#r$mad%&h'ga(atam and &haga(ad%g$t'6 can become an
authori)ed preacher or preceptor in the science of >?@Aa.
There is a need for the science of >?@Aa in human society for
the good of all suffering humanity of the world, and we
simply re(uest the leaders of all nations to pick up this
science of >?@Aa for their own good, for the good of society
and for the good of all the worldJs people.
A short sketch of the life and teachings of Lord Caitanya,
The Preacher of rmad-Bhgavatam
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, the great apostle of love of
8od and the father of the congregational chanting of the
holy name of the Eord, advented Himself at <r=dh"ma
M"y"pura, a (uarter in the city of Kavadv=pa in %engal, on
the 1h"lgun= 1LrAim" evening in the year ,MN4 <ak"bda
3corresponding to Hebruary ,M.5 by the *hristian calendar6.
His father, <r= Oagann"tha MiPra, a learned br'hma5a from
the district of $ylhet, came to Kavadv=pa as a student
because at that time Kavadv=pa was considered to be the
center of education and culture. He domiciled on the banks
of the 8anges after marrying <r=mat= <ac=dev=, a daughter
of <r=la K=l"mbara *akravart=, the great learned scholar of
Kavadv=pa.
Oagann"tha MiPra had a number of daughters by his wife,
<r=mat= <ac=dev=, and most of them e:pired at an early
age. Two surviving sons, <r= !iPvarLpa and !iPvambhara,
became at last the ob2ect of their paternal affection. The
tenth and youngest son, who was named !iPvambhara, later
became known as Kim"i 1aAQita and then, after accepting
the renounced order of life, Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu.
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu e:hibited His transcendental
activities for forty'eight years and then disappeared in the
year ,MBB <ak"bda at 1ur=.
Hor His first twenty'four years He remained at Kavadv=pa as
a student and householder. His first wife was <r=mat=
Eak@m=priy", who died at an early age when the Eord was
away from home. When He returned from ;ast %engal He
was re(uested by His mother to accept a second wife, and
He agreed. His second wife was <r=mat= !i@Aupriy" 7ev=,
who bore the separation of the Eord throughout her life
because the Eord took the order of sanny'sa at the age of
twenty'four, when <r=mat= !i@Aupriy" was barely si:teen
years old.
After taking sanny'sa, the Eord made His head(uarters at
Oagann"tha 1ur= due to the re(uest of His mother, <r=mat=
<ac=dev=. The Eord remained for twenty'four years at 1ur=.
Hor si: years of this time He traveled continuously all over
ndia 3and especially throughout southern ndia6 preaching
the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
Eord *aitanya not only preached the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam but
propagated the teachings of the &haga(ad%g$t' as well in the
most practical way. n the &haga(ad%g$t' Eord <r= >?@Aa is
depicted as the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead, and His
last teachings in that great book of transcendental
knowledge instruct that one should give up all the modes of
religious activities and accept Him 3Eord <r= >?@Aa6 as the
only worshipable Eord. The Eord then assured that all His
devotees would be protected from all sorts of sinful acts and
that for them there would be no cause for an:iety.
Rnfortunately, despite Eord <r= >?@AaJs direct order and the
teachings of the &haga(ad%g$t', less intelligent people
misunderstand Him to be nothing but a great historical
personality, and thus they cannot accept Him as the original
1ersonality of 8odhead. $uch men with a poor fund of
knowledge are misled by many nondevotees. Thus the
teachings of the &haga(ad%g$t' were misinterpreted even by
great scholars. After the disappearance of Eord <r= >?@Aa
there were hundreds of commentaries on the &haga(ad%g$t'
by many erudite scholars, and almost every one of them was
motivated by self'interest.
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu is the selfsame Eord <r=
>?@Aa. This time, however, He appeared as a great devotee
of the Eord in order to preach to the people in general, as
well as to religionists and philosophers, about the
transcendental position of <r= >?@Aa, the primeval Eord and
the cause of all causes. The essence of His preaching is that
Eord <r= >?@Aa, who appeared at !ra2abhLmi 3!?nd"vana6
as the son of the >ing of !ra2a 3Kanda Mah"r"2a6, is the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead and is therefore
worshipable by all. !?nd"vana'dh"ma is nondifferent from
the Eord because the name, fame, form and place where the
Eord manifests Himself are all identical with the Eord as
absolute knowledge. Therefore !?nd"vana'dh"ma is as
worshipable as the Eord. The highest form of transcendental
worship of the Eord was e:hibited by the damsels of
!ra2abhLmi in the form of pure affection for the Eord, and
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu recommends this process as
the most e:cellent mode of worship. He accepts the #r$mad%
&h'ga(ata !r'5a as the spotless literature for understanding
the Eord, and He preaches that the ultimate goal of life for all
human beings is to attain the stage of "rem', or love of 8od.
Many devotees of Eord *aitanya like <r=la !?nd"vana d"sa
Sh"kura, <r= Eocana d"sa Sh"kura, <r=la >?@Aad"sa
>avir"2a 8osv"m=, <r= >avikarAapLra, <r= 1rabodh"nanda
$arasvat=, <r= 0Lpa 8osv"m=, <r= $an"tana 8osv"m=, <r=
0aghun"tha %haTTa 8osv"m=, <r= O=va 8osv"m=, <r=
8op"la %haTTa 8osv"m=, <r= 0aghun"tha d"sa 8osv"m=
and in this latter age within two hundred years, <r=
!iPvan"tha *akravart=, <r= %aladeva !idy"bhL@ana, <r=
<y"m"nanda 8osv"m=, <r= Karottama d"sa Sh"kura, <r=
%haktivinoda Sh"kura and at last <r= %haktisiddh"nta
$arasvat= Sh"kura 3our spiritual master6 and many other
great and renowned scholars and devotees of the Eord have
prepared voluminous books and literatures on the life and
precepts of the Eord. $uch literatures are all based on the
1'stras like the /edas, !r'5as, 7"ani.ads, R'm'ya5a,
8ah'bh'rata and other histories and authentic literatures
approved by the recogni)ed 'c'ryas. They are uni(ue in
composition and unrivaled in presentation, and they are full
of transcendental knowledge. Rnfortunately the people of
the world are still ignorant of them, but when these
literatures, which are mostly in $anskrit and %engali, come
to light the world and when they are presented before
thinking people, then ndiaJs glory and the message of love
will overflood this morbid world, which is vainly searching
after peace and prosperity by various illusory methods not
approved by the 'c'ryas in the chain of disciplic succession.
The readers of this small description of the life and precepts
of Eord *aitanya will profit much to go through the books of
<r=la !?nd"vana d"sa Sh"kura 3#r$ 9aitanya%bh'ga(ata6 and
<r=la >?@Aad"sa >avir"2a 8osv"m= 3#r$ 9aitanya%
carit'm4ta6. The early life of the Eord is most fascinatingly
e:pressed by the author of 9aitanya%bh'ga(ata, and as far as
the teachings are concerned, they are more vividly
e:plained in the 9aitanya%carit'm4ta. Kow they are available
to the ;nglish'speaking public in our Teachings of :ord
9aitanya.
The EordJs early life was recorded by one of His chief
devotees and contemporaries, namely <r=la Mur"ri 8upta, a
medical practitioner of that time, and the latter part of the
life of <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu was recorded by His private
secretary <r= 7"modara 8osv"m=, or <r=la $varLpa
7"modara, who was practically a constant companion of the
Eord at 1ur=. These two devotees recorded practically all the
incidents of the EordJs activities, and later on all the books
dealing with the Eord, which are above mentioned, were
composed on the basis of ka;ac's 3notebooks6 by <r=la
7"modara 8osv"m= and Mur"ri 8upta.
$o the Eord advented Himself on the 1h"lgun= 1LrAim"
evening of ,MN4 <ak"bda, and it was by the will of the Eord
that there was a lunar eclipse on that evening. 7uring the
hours of eclipse it was the custom of the Hindu public to take
bath in the 8anges or any other sacred river and chant the
!edic mantras for purification. When Eord *aitanya was born
during the lunar eclipse, all ndia was roaring with the holy
sound of Hare >?@Aa, Hare >?@Aa, >?@Aa >?@Aa, Hare HareU
Hare 0"ma, Hare 0"ma, 0"ma 0"ma, Hare Hare. These
si:teen names of the Eord are mentioned in many !r'5as
and 7"ani.ads, and they are described as the T'raka%brahma
n'ma of this age. t is recommended in the 1'stras that
offenseless chanting of these holy names of the Eord can
deliver a fallen soul from material bondage. There are
innumerable names of the Eord both in ndia and outside,
and all of them are e(ually good because all of them indicate
the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. %ut because these
si:teen are especially recommended for this age, people
should take advantage of them and follow the path of the
great 'c'ryas who attained success by practicing the rules of
the 1'stras 3revealed scriptures6.
The simultaneous occurrence of the EordJs appearance and
the lunar eclipse indicated the distinctive mission of the
Eord. This mission was to preach the importance of chanting
the holy names of the Eord in this age of >ali 3(uarrel6. n
this present age (uarrels take place even over trifles, and
therefore the 1'stras have recommended for this age a
common platform for reali)ation, namely chanting the holy
names of the Eord. 1eople can hold meetings to glorify the
Eord in their respective languages and with melodious songs,
and if such performances are e:ecuted in an offenseless
manner, it is certain that the participants will gradually
attain spiritual perfection without having to undergo more
rigorous methods. At such meetings everyone, the learned
and the foolish, the rich and the poor, the Hindus and the
Muslims, the ;nglishmen and the ndians, and the ca5;'las
and the br'hma5as, can all hear the transcendental sounds
and thus cleanse the dust of material association from the
mirror of the heart. To confirm the EordJs mission, all the
people of the world will accept the holy name of the Eord as
the common platform for the universal religion of mankind.
n other words, the advent of the holy name took place along
with the advent of Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu.
When the Eord was on the lap of His mother, He would at
once stop crying as soon as the ladies surrounding Him
chanted the holy names and clapped their hands. This
peculiar incident was observed by the neighbors with awe
and veneration. $ometimes the young girls took pleasure in
making the Eord cry and then stopping Him by chanting the
holy name. $o from His very childhood the Eord began to
preach the importance of the holy name. n His early age
Eord <r= *aitanya was known as Kim"i. This name was given
by His beloved mother because the Eord took His birth
beneath a nimba tree in the courtyard of His paternal house.
When the Eord was offered solid food at the age of si:
months in the anna%"r'1ana ceremony, the Eord indicated His
future activities. At this time it was customary to offer the
child both coins and books in order to get some indication of
the future tendencies of the child. The Eord was offered on
one side coins and on the other the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. The
Eord accepted the &h'ga(atam instead of the coins.
When He was a mere baby crawling in the yard, one day a
snake appeared before Him, and the Eord began to play with
it. All the members of the house were struck with fear and
awe, but after a little while the snake went away, and the
baby was taken away by His mother. 9nce He was stolen by
a thief who intended to steal His ornaments, but the Eord
took a pleasure trip on the shoulder of the bewildered thief,
who was searching for a solitary place in order to rob the
baby. t so happened that the thief, wandering hither and
thither, finally arrived 2ust before the house of Oagann"tha
MiPra and, being afraid of being caught, dropped the baby at
once. 9f course the an:ious parents and relatives were glad
to see the lost child.
9nce a pilgrim br'hma5a was received at the house of
Oagann"tha MiPra, and when he was offering food to the
8odhead, the Eord appeared before him and partook of the
prepared food. The eatables had to be re2ected because the
child touched them, and so the br'hma5a had to make
another preparation. The ne:t time the same thing
happened, and when this happened repeatedly for the third
time, the baby was finally put to bed. At about twelve at
night when all the members of the house were fast asleep
within their closed rooms, the pilgrim br'hma5a offered his
specially prepared foods to the 7eity, and, in the same way,
the baby Eord appeared before the pilgrim and spoiled his
offerings. The br'hma5a then began to cry, but since
everyone was fast asleep, no one could hear him. At that
time the baby Eord appeared before the fortunate br'hma5a
and disclosed His identity as >?@Aa Himself. The br'hma5a
was forbidden to disclose this incident, and the baby
returned to the lap of His mother.
There are many similar incidents in His childhood. As a
naughty boy He sometimes used to tease the orthodo:
br'hma5as who used to bathe in the 8anges. When the
br'hma5as complained to His father that He was splashing
them with water instead of attending school, the Eord
suddenly appeared before His father as though 2ust coming
from school with all His school clothes and books. At the
bathing gh'<a He also used to play 2okes on the neighboring
girls who engaged in worshiping <iva in hopes of getting
good husbands. This is a common practice amongst
unmarried girls in Hindu families. While they were engaged
in such worship, the Eord naughtily appeared before them
and said, DMy dear sisters, please give Me all the offerings
you have 2ust brought for Eord <iva. Eord <iva is My devotee,
and 1"rvat= is My maidservant. f you worship Me, then Eord
<iva and all the other demigods will be more satisfied.F
$ome of them refused to obey the naughty Eord, and He
would curse them that due to their refusal they would be
married to old men who had seven children by their previous
wives. 9ut of fear and sometimes out of love the girls would
also offer Him various goods, and then the Eord would bless
them and assure them that they would have very good
young husbands and that they would be mothers of do)ens
of children. The blessings would enliven the girls, but they
used often to complain of these incidents to their mothers.
n this way the Eord passed His early childhood. When He
was 2ust si:teen years old He started His own cat!."'<h$
3village school conducted by a learned br'hma5a=. n this
school He would simply e:plain >?@Aa, even in readings of
grammar. <r=la O=va 8osv"m=, in order to please the Eord,
later composed a grammar in $anskrit, in which all the rules
of grammar were e:plained with e:amples that used the
holy names of the Eord. This grammar is still current. t is
known as >ari%n'm'm4ta%(y'kara5a and is prescribed in the
syllabus of schools in %engal.
7uring this time a great >ashmir scholar named >ePava
>"Pm=r= came to Kavadv=pa to hold discussions on the
1'stras. The >ashmir "a5;ita was a champion scholar, and he
had traveled to all places of learning in ndia. Hinally he
came to Kavadv=pa to contest the learned "a5;itas there.
The "a5;itas of Kavadv=pa decided to match Kim"i 1aAQita
3Eord *aitanya6 with the >ashmir "a5;ita, thinking that if
Kim"i 1aAQita were defeated, they would have another
chance to debate with the scholar, for Kim"i 1aAQita was
only a boy. And if the >ashmir "a5;ita were defeated, then
they would even be more glorified because people would
proclaim that a mere boy of Kavadv=pa had defeated a
champion scholar who was famous throughout ndia. t so
happened that Kim"i 1aAQita met >ePava >"Pm=r= while
strolling on the banks of the 8anges. The Eord re(uested him
to compose a $anskrit verse in praise of the 8anges, and the
"a5;ita within a short time composed a hundred 1lokas,
reciting the verses like a storm and showing the strength of
his vast learning. Kim"i 1aAQita at once memori)ed all the
1lokas without an error. He (uoted the si:ty'fourth 1loka and
pointed out certain rhetorical and literary irregularities. He
particularly (uestioned the "a5;ita2s use of the word bha('n$%
bhart!*. He pointed out that the use of this word was
redundant. &ha('n$ means the wife of <iva, and who else
can be her bhart', or husband? He also pointed out several
other discrepancies, and the >ashmir "a5;ita was struck with
wonder. He was astonished that a mere student of grammar
could point out the literary mistakes of an erudite scholar.
Although this matter was ended prior to any public meeting,
the news spread like wildfire all over Kavadv=pa. %ut finally
>ePava >"Pm=r= was ordered in a dream by $arasvat=, the
goddess of learning, to submit to the Eord, and thus the
>ashmir "a5;ita became a follower of the Eord.
The Eord was then married with great pomp and gaiety, and
at this time He began to preach the congregational chanting
of the holy name of, the Eord at Kavadv=pa. $ome of the
br'hma5as became envious of His popularity, and they put
many hindrances on His path. They were so 2ealous that they
finally took the matter before the Muslim magistrate at
Kavadv=pa. %engal was then governed by 1athans, and the
governor of the province was Kawab Hussain $hah. The
Muslim magistrate of Kavadv=pa took up the complaints of
the br'hma5as seriously, and at first he warned the followers
of Kim"i 1aAQita not to chant loudly the name of Hari. %ut
Eord *aitanya asked His followers to disobey the orders of
the >a)i, and they went on with their sa3k$rtana 3chanting6
party as usual. The magistrate then sent constables who
interrupted a sa3k$rtana and broke some of the m4da3gas
3drums6. When Kim"i 1aAQita heard of this incident He
organi)ed a party for civil disobedience. He is the pioneer of
the civil disobedience movement in ndia for the right cause.
He organi)ed a procession of one hundred thousand men
with thousands of m4da3gas and karat'las 3hand cymbals6,
and this procession passed over the roads of Kavadv=pa in
defiance of the >a)i who had issued the order. Hinally the
procession reached the house of the >a)i, who went upstairs
out of fear of the masses. The great crowds assembled at
the >a)iJs house displayed a violent temper, but the Eord
asked them to be peaceful. At this time the >a)i came down
and tried to pacify the Eord by addressing Him as his
nephew. He pointed out that K=l"mbara *akravart= referred
to him as an uncle, and conse(uently, <r=mat= <ac=dev=,
the mother of Kim"i 1aAQita, was his sister. He asked the
Eord whether his sisterJs son could be angry at His maternal
uncle, and the Eord replied that since the >a)i was His
maternal uncle he should receive his nephew well at his
home. n this way the issue was mitigated, and the two
learned scholars began a long discussion on the >oran and
Hindu 1'stras. The Eord raised the (uestion of cow'killing,
and the >a)i properly answered Him by referring to the
>oran. n turn the >a)i also (uestioned the Eord about cow
sacrifice in the /edas, and the Eord replied that such sacrifice
as mentioned in the /edas is not actually cow'killing. n that
sacrifice an old bull or cow was sacrificed for the sake of
receiving a fresh younger life by the power of !edic mantras.
%ut in the >ali'yuga such cow sacrifices are forbidden
because there are no (ualified br'hma5as capable of
conducting such a sacrifice. n fact, in >ali'yuga all ya),as
3sacrifices6 are forbidden because they are useless attempts
by foolish men. n >ali'yuga only the sa3k$rtana ya),a is
recommended for all practical purposes. $peaking in this
way, the Eord finally convinced the >a)i, who became the
EordJs follower. The >a)i thenceforth declared that no one
should hinder the sa3k$rtana movement which was started by
the Eord, and the >a)i left this order in his will for the sake of
progeny. The >a)iJs tomb still e:ists in the area of
Kavadv=pa, and Hindu pilgrims go there to show their
respects. The >a)iJs descendants are residents, and they
never ob2ected to sa3k$rtana, even during the Hindu'Muslim
riot days.
This incident shows clearly that the Eord was not a so'called
timid !ai@Aava. A !ai@Aava is a fearless devotee of the Eord,
and for the right cause he can take any step suitable for the
purpose. Ar2una was also a !ai@Aava devotee of Eord >?@Aa,
and he fought valiantly for the satisfaction of the Eord.
$imilarly, !a2r"Iga2=, or Hanum"n, was also a devotee of
Eord 0"ma, and he gave lessons to the nondevotee party of
0"vaAa. The principles of !ai@Aavism are to satisfy the Eord
by all means. A !ai@Aava is by nature a nonviolent, peaceful
living being, and he has all the good (ualities of 8od, but
when the nondevotee blasphemes the Eord or His devotee,
the !ai@Aava never tolerates such impudency.
After this incident the Eord began to preach and propagate
His &h'ga(ata%dharma, or sa3k$rtana movement, more
vigorously, and whoever stood against this propagation of
the y!ga%dharma, or duty of the age, was properly punished
by various types of chastisement. Two br'hma5a gentlemen
named *"pala and 8op"la, who also happened to be
maternal uncles of the Eord, were inflicted with leprosy by
way of chastisement, and later, when they were repentant,
they were accepted by the Eord. n the course of His
preaching work, He used to send daily all His followers,
including <r=la Kity"nanda 1rabhu and Sh"kura Harid"sa,
two chief whips of His party, from door to door to preach the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam All of Kavadv=pa was surcharged with
His sa3k$rtana movement, and His head(uarters were
situated at the house of <r=v"sa Sh"kura and <r= Advaita
1rabhu, two of His chief householder disciples. These two
learned heads of the br'hma5a community were the most
ardent supporters of Eord *aitanyaJs movement. <r= Advaita
1rabhu was the chief cause for the advent of the Eord. When
Advaita 1rabhu saw that the total human society was full of
materialistic activities and devoid of devotional service,
which alone could save mankind from the threefold miseries
of material e:istence, He, out of His causeless compassion
for the age'worn human society, prayed fervently for the
incarnation of the Eord and continually worshiped the Eord
with water of the 8anges and leaves of the holy t!las$ tree.
As far as preaching work in the sa3k$rtana movement was
concerned, everyone was e:pected to do his daily share
according to the order of the Eord.
9nce Kity"nanda 1rabhu and <r=la Harid"sa Sh"kura were
walking down a main road, and on the way they saw a
roaring crowd assembled. Rpon in(uiring from passers'by,
they understood that two brothers, named Oag"i and M"dh"i,
were creating a public disturbance in a drunken state. They
also heard that these two brothers were born in a
respectable br'hma5a family, but because of low association
they had turned into debauchees of the worst type. They
were not only drunkards but also meat'eaters, woman'
hunters, dacoits and sinners of all description. <r=la
Kity"nanda 1rabhu heard all of these stories and decided
that these two fallen souls must be the first to be delivered.
f they were delivered from their sinful life, then the good
name of Eord *aitanya would be even still more glorified.
Thinking in this way, Kity"nanda 1rabhu and Harid"sa
pushed their way through the crowd and asked the two
brothers to chant the holy name of Eord Hari. The drunken
brothers became enraged upon this re(uest and attacked
Kity"nanda 1rabhu with filthy language. %oth brothers
chased them a considerable distance. n the evening the
report of the preaching work was submitted to the Eord, and
He was glad to learn that Kity"nanda and Harid"sa had
attempted to deliver such a stupid pair of fellows.
The ne:t day Kity"nanda 1rabhu went to see the brothers,
and as soon as He approached them one of them threw a
piece of earthen pot at Him. This struck Him on the
forehead, and immediately blood began to flow. %ut
Kity"nanda 1rabhu was so kind that instead of protesting
this heinous act, He said, Dt does not matter that you have
thrown this stone at Me. still re(uest you to chant the holy
name of Eord Hari.F
9ne of the brothers, Oag"i, was astonished to see this
behavior of Kity"nanda 1rabhu, and he at once fell down at
His feet and asked Him to pardon his sinful brother. When
M"dh"i again attempted to hurt Kity"nanda 1rabhu, Oag"i
stopped him and implored him to fall down at His feet. n the
meantime the news of Kity"nandaJs in2ury reached the Eord,
who at once hurried to the spot in a fiery and angry mood.
The Eord immediately invoked His $udarPana cakra 3the
EordJs ultimate weapon, shaped like a wheel6 to kill the
sinners, but Kity"nanda 1rabhu reminded Him of His
mission. The mission of the Eord was to deliver the
hopelessly fallen souls of >ali'yuga, and the brothers Oag"i
and M"dh"i were typical e:amples of these fallen souls.
Kinety percent of the population of this age resembles these
brothers, despite high birth and mundane respectability.
According to the verdict of the revealed scriptures, the total
population of the world in this age will be of the lowest 10dra
(uality, or even lower. t should be noted that <r= *aitanya
Mah"prabhu never acknowledged the stereotyped caste
system by birthrightV rather, He strictly followed the verdict
of the 1'stras in the matter of oneJs s(ar0"a, or real identity.
When the Eord was invoking His $udarPana cakra and <r=la
Kity"nanda 1rabhu was imploring Him to forgive the two
brothers, both the brothers fell down at the lotus feet of the
Eord and begged His pardon for their gross behavior. The
Eord was also asked by Kity"nanda 1rabhu to accept these
repenting souls, and the Eord agreed to accept them on one
condition, that they henceforward completely give up all
their sinful activities and habits of debauchery. both the
brothers agreed and promised to give up all their sinful
habits, and the kind Eord accepted them and did not again
refer to their past misdeeds.
This is the specific kindness of Eord *aitanya. n this age no
one can say that he is free from sin. t is impossible for
anyone to say this. %ut Eord *aitanya accepts all kinds of
sinful persons on the one condition that they promise not to
indulge in sinful habits after being spiritually initiated by the
bona fide spiritual master.
There are a number of instructive points to he observed in
this incident of the two brothers. n this >ali'yuga practically
all people are of the (uality of Oag"i and M"dh"i. f they want
to be relieved from the reactions of their misdeeds, they
must take shelter of Eord *aitanya Mah"prabhu and after
spiritual initiation thus refrain from those things which are
prohibited in the 1'stras. The prohibitory rules are dealt with
in the EordJs teachings to <r=la 0Lpa 8osv"m=.
7uring His householder life, the Eord did not display many of
the miracles which are generally e:pected from such
personalities, but He did once perform a wonderful miracle in
the house of <r=niv"sa Sh"kura while sa3k$rtana was in full
swing. He asked the devotees what they wanted to eat, and
when He was informed that they wanted to eat mangoes, He
asked for a seed of a mango, although this fruit was out of
season. When the seed was brought to Him He sowed it in
the yard of <r=niv"sa, and at once a creeper began to grow
out of the seed. Within no time this creeper became a full'
grown mango tree heavy with more ripened fruits than the
devotees could eat. The tree remained in <r=niv"saJs yard,
and from then on the devotees used to take as many
mangoes from the tree as they wanted.
The Eord had a very high estimation of the affections of the
damsels of !ra2abhLmi 3!?nd"vana6 for >?@Aa, and in
appreciation of their unalloyed service to the Eord, once <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu chanted the holy names of the go"$s
3cowherd girls6 instead of the names of the Eord. At this time
some of His students, who were also disciples, came to see
Him, and when they saw that the Eord was chanting the
names of the go"$s, they were astonished. 9ut of sheer
foolishness they asked the Eord why He was chanting the
names of the go"$s and advised Him to chant the name of
>?@Aa. The Eord, who was in ecstasy, was thus disturbed by
these foolish students. He chastised them and chased them
away. The students were almost the same age as the Eord,
and thus they wrongly thought of the Eord as one of their
peers. They held a meeting and resolved that they would
attack the Eord if He dared to punish them again in such a
manner. This incident provoked some malicious talks about
the Eord on the part of the general public.
When the Eord became aware of this, He began to consider
the various types of men found in society. He noted that
especially the students, professors, fruitive workers, yog$s,
nondevotees, and different types of atheists were all
opposed to the devotional service of the Eord. DMy mission is
to deliver all the fallen souls of this age,F He thought, Dbut if
they commit offenses against Me, thinking Me to be an
ordinary man, they will not benefit. f they are to begin their
life of spiritual reali)ation, they must some way or another
offer obeisances unto Me.F Thus the Eord decided to accept
the renounced order of life 3sanny'sa6 because people in
general were inclined to offer respects to a sanny's$.
Hive hundred years ago the condition of society was not as
degraded as it is today. At that time people would show
respects to a sanny's$, and the sanny's$ was rigid in
following the rules and regulations of the renounced order of
life. <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu was not very much in favor of
the renounced order of life in this age of >ali, but that was
only for the reason that very few sanny's$s in this age are
able to observe the rules and regulations of sanny'sa life. <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu decided to accept the order and
become an ideal sanny's$ so that the general populace
would show Him respect. 9ne is duty'bound to show respect
to a sanny's$, for a sanny's$ is considered to be the master
of all (ar5as and '1ramas.
While He was contemplating accepting the sanny'sa order, it
so happened that >ePava %h"rat=, a sanny's$ of the
M"y"v"d= school and resident of >atwa 3in %engal6, visited
Kavadv=pa and was invited to dine with the Eord. When
>ePava %h"rat= came to His house, the Eord asked him to
award Him the sanny'sa order of life. This was a matter of
formality. The sanny'sa order is to be accepted from another
sanny's$. Although the Eord was independent in all respects,
still, to keep up the formalities of the 1'stras, He accepted
the sanny'sa order from >ePava %h"rat=, although >ePava
%h"rat= was not in the !ai@Aava'samprad"ya 3school6.
After consulting with >ePava %h"rat=, the Eord left
Kavadv=pa for >atwa to formally accept the sanny'sa order
of life. He was accompanied by <r=la Kity"nanda 1rabhu,
*andraPekhara Wc"rya, and Mukunda 7atta. Those three
assisted Him in the details of the ceremony. The incident of
the EordJs accepting the sanny'sa order is very elaborately
described in the 9aitanya%bh'ga(ata by <r=la !?nd"vana d"sa
Sh"kura.
Thus at the end of His twenty'fourth year the Eord accepted
the sanny'sa order of life in the month of M"gha. After
accepting this order He became a full'fledged preacher of
the &h'ga(ata%dharma. Although He was doing the same
preaching work in His householder life, when He e:perienced
some obstacles to His preaching He sacrificed even the
comfort of His home life for the sake of the fallen souls. n
His householder life His chief assistants were <r=la Advaita
1rabhu and <r=la <r=v"sa Sh"kura, but after He accepted
the sanny'sa order His chief assistants became <r=la
Kity"nanda 1rabhu, who was deputed to preach specifically
in %engal, and the si: 8osv"m=s 30Lpa 8osv"m=, $an"tana
8osv"m=, O=va 8osv"m=, 8op"la %haTTa 8osv"m=,
0aghun"tha d"sa 8osv"m= and 0aghun"tha %haTTa
8osv"m=6, headed by <r=la 0Lpa and $an"tana, who were
deputed to go to !?nd"vana to e:cavate the present places
of pilgrimage. The present city of !?nd"vana and the
importance of !ra2abhLmi were thus disclosed by the will of
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu.
The Eord, after accepting the sanny'sa order, at once wanted
to start for !?nd"vana. Hor three continuous days He
traveled in the 0"Qha'dePa 3places where the 8anges does
not flow6. He was in full ecstasy over the idea of going to
!?nd"vana. However, <r=la Kity"nanda diverted His path
and brought Him instead to the house of Advaita 1rabhu in
<"ntipura. The Eord stayed at <r= Advaita 1rabhuJs house for
a few days, and knowing well that the Eord was leaving His
hearth and home for good, <r= Advaita 1rabhu sent His men
to Kavadv=pa to bring mother <ac= to have a last meeting
with her son. $ome unscrupulous people say that Eord
*aitanya met His wife also after taking sanny'sa and offered
her His wooden slipper for worship, but the authentic
sources give no information about such a meeting. His
mother met Him at the house of Advaita 1rabhu, and when
she saw her son in sanny'sa, she lamented. %y way of
compromise, she re(uested her son to make His
head(uarters in 1ur= so that she would easily be able to get
information about Him. The Eord granted this last desire of
His beloved mother. After this incident the Eord started for
1ur=, leaving all the residents of Kavadv=pa in an ocean of
lamentation over His separation.
The Eord visited many important places on the way to 1ur=.
He visited the temple of 8op=n"tha2=, who had stolen
condensed milk for His devotee <r=la M"dhavendra 1ur=.
$ince then 7eity 8op=n"tha2= is well known as >@=ra'cor"'
gop=n"tha. The Eord relished this story with great pleasure.
The propensity of stealing is there even in the absolute
consciousness, but because this propensity is e:hibited by
the Absolute, it loses its perverted nature and thus becomes
worshipable even by Eord *aitanya on the basis of the
absolute consideration that the Eord and His stealing
propensity are one and identical. This interesting story of
8op=n"tha2= is vividly e:plained in the 9aitanya%carit'm4ta
by >?@Aad"sa >avir"2a 8osv"m=.
After visiting the temple of >@=ra'cor"'gop=n"tha of 0emuA"
at %alasore in 9rissa, the Eord proceeded towards 1ur= and
on the way visited the temple of $"k@i'gop"la, who appeared
as a witness in the matter of two br'hma5a devoteesJ family
(uarrel. The Eord heard the story of $"k@i'gop"la with great
pleasure because He wanted to impress upon the atheists
that the worshipable 7eities in the temples approved by the
great 'c'ryas are not idols, as alleged by men with a poor
fund of knowledge. The 7eity in the temple is the arc'
incarnation of the 1ersonality of 8odhead, and thus the 7eity
is identical with the Eord in all respects. He responds to the
proportion of the devoteeJs affection for Him. n the story of
$"k@i'gop"la, in which there was a family misunderstanding
by two devotees of the Eord, the Eord, in order to mitigate
the turmoil as well as to show specific favor to His servitors,
traveled from !?nd"vana to !idy"nagara, a village in 9rissa,
in the form of His arc' incarnation. Hrom there the 7eity was
brought to *uttack, and thus the temple of $"k@i'gop"la is
even today visited by thousands of pilgrims on the way to
Oagann"tha 1ur=. The Eord stayed overnight there and began
to proceed toward 1ur=. 9n the way, His sanny'sa rod was
broken by Kity"nanda 1rabhu. The Eord became apparently
angry with Him about this and went alone to 1ur=, leaving
His companions behind.
At 1ur=, when He entered the temple of Oagann"tha, He
became at once saturated with transcendental ecstasy and
fell down on the floor of the temple unconscious. The
custodians of the temple could not understand the
transcendental feats of the Eord, but there was a great
learned "a5;ita named $"rvabhauma %haTT"c"rya, who was
present, and he could understand that the EordJs losing His
consciousness upon entering the Oagann"tha temple was not
an ordinary thing. $"rvabhauma %haTT"c"rya, who was the
chief appointed "a5;ita in the court of the >ing of 9rissa,
Mah"r"2a 1rat"parudra, was attracted by the youthful luster
of Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu and could understand that
such a transcendental trance was only rarely e:hibited and
only then by the topmost devotees who are already on the
transcendental plane in complete forgetfulness of material
e:istence. 9nly a liberated soul could show such a
transcendental feat, and the %haTT"c"rya, who was vastly
learned, could understand this in the light of the
transcendental literature with which he was familiar. He
therefore asked the custodians of the temple not to disturb
the unknown sanny's$. He asked them to take the Eord to his
home so He could be further observed in His unconscious
state. The Eord was at once carried to the home of
$"rvabhauma %haTT"c"rya, who at that time had sufficient
power of authority due to his being the sabh'%"a5;ita, or the
state dean of faculty in $anskrit literatures. The learned
"a5;ita wanted to scrutini)ingly test the transcendental feats
of Eord *aitanya because often unscrupulous devotees
imitate physical feats in order to flaunt transcendental
achievements 2ust to attract innocent people and take
advantage of them. A learned scholar like the %haTT"c"rya
can detect such imposters, and when he finds them out he
at once re2ects them.
n the case of Eord *aitanya Mah"prabhu, the %haTT"c"rya
tested all the symptoms in the light of the 1'stras. He tested
as a scientist, not as a foolish sentimentalist. He observed
the movement of the stomach, the beating of the heart and
the breathing of the nostrils. He also felt the pulse of the
Eord and saw that all His bodily activities were in complete
suspension. When he put a small cotton swab before the
nostrils, he found that there was a slight breathing as the
fine fibers of cotton moved slightly. Thus he came to know
that the EordJs unconscious trance was genuine, and he
began to treat Him in the prescribed fashion. %ut Eord
*aitanya Mah"prabhu could only be treated in a special way.
He would respond only to the resounding of the holy names
of the Eord by His devotees. This special treatment was
unknown to $"rvabhauma %haTT"c"rya because the Eord
was still unknown to him. When the %haTT"c"rya saw Him
for the first time in the temple, he simply took Him to be one
of many pilgrims.
n the meantime the companions of the Eord, who reached
the temple a little after Him, heard of the EordJs
transcendental feats and of His being carried away by the
%haTT"c"rya. The pilgrims at the temple were still gossiping
about the incident. %ut by chance, one of these pilgrims had
met 8op=n"tha Wc"rya, who was known to 8ad"dhara
1aAQita, and from him it was learned that the Eord was lying
in an unconscious state at the residence of $"rvabhauma
%haTT"c"rya, who happened to be the brother'in'law of
8op=n"tha Wc"rya. All the members of the party were
introduced by 8ad"dhara 1aAQita to 8op=n"tha Wc"rya, who
took them all to the house of %haTT"c"rya where the Eord
was lying unconscious in a spiritual trance. All the members
then chanted loudly the holy name of the Eord Hari as usual,
and the Eord regained His consciousness. After this,
%haTT"c"rya received all the members of the party,
including Eord Kity"nanda 1rabhu, and asked them to
become his guests of honor. The party, including the Eord,
went for a bath in the sea, and the %haTT"c"rya arranged for
their residence and meals at the house of >"P= MiPra.
8op=n"tha Wc"rya, his brother'in'law, also assisted. There
were some friendly talks about the EordJs divinity between
the two brothers'in'law, and in this argument 8op=n"tha
Wc"rya, who knew the Eord before, now tried to establish the
Eord as the 1ersonality of 8odhead, and the %haTT"c"rya
tried to establish Him as one of the great devotees. %oth of
them argued from the angle of vision of authentic 1'stras
and not on the strength of sentimental (o? "o"!li. The
incarnations of 8od are determined by authentic 1'stras and
not by popular votes of foolish fanatics. %ecause Eord
*aitanya was an incarnation of 8od in fact, foolish fanatics
have proclaimed so many so'called incarnations of 8od in
this age without referring to authentic scriptures. %ut
$"rvabhauma %haTT"c"rya or 8op=n"tha Wc"rya did not
indulge in such foolish sentimentalismV on the contrary, both
of them tried to establish or re2ect His divinity on the
strength of authentic 1'stras.
Eater it was disclosed that %haTT"c"rya also came from the
Kavadv=pa area, and it was understood from him that
K=l"mbara *akravart=, the maternal grandfather of Eord
*aitanya, happened to be a class fellow of the father of
$"rvabhauma %haTT"c"rya. n that sense, the young
sanny's$ Eord *aitanya evoked paternal affection from
%haTT"c"rya. %haTT"c"rya was the professor of many
sanny's$s in the order of the <aIkar"c"rya'samprad"ya, and
he himself also belonged to that cult. As such, the
%haTT"c"rya desired that the young sanny's$ Eord *aitanya
also hear from him about the teachings of !ed"nta.
Those who are followers of the <aIkara cult are generally
known as !ed"ntists. This does not, however, mean that
!ed"nta is a monopoly study of the <aIkara'samprad"ya.
!ed"nta is studied by all the bona fide sam"rad'yas, but they
have their own interpretations. %ut those in the <aIkara'
samprad"ya are generally known to be ignorant of the
knowledge of the !ed"ntist !ai@Aavas. Hor this reason the
%haktivedanta title was first offered to the author by the
!ai@Aavas.
The Eord agreed to take lessons from %haTT"c"rya on the
!ed"nta, and they sat together in the temple of Eord
Oagann"tha. The %haTT"c"rya went on speaking continually
for seven days, and the Eord heard him with all attention and
did not interrupt. The EordJs silence raised some doubts in
%haTT"c"ryaJs heart, and he asked the Eord how it was that
He did not ask anything or comment on his e:planations of
!ed"nta.
The Eord posed Himself before the %haTT"c"rya as a foolish
student and pretended that He heard the !ed"nta from him
because the %haTT"c"rya felt that this was the duty of a
sanny's$. %ut the Eord did not agree with his lectures. %y this
the Eord indicated that the so'called !ed"ntists amongst the
<aIkara'samprad"ya, or any other sam"rad'ya who do not
follow the instructions of <r=la !y"sadeva, are mechanical
students of the !ed"nta. They are not fully aware of that
great knowledge. The e:planation of the /ed'nta%s0tra is
given by the author himself in the te:t of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam. 9ne who has no knowledge of the &h'ga(atam
will hardly be able to know what the !ed"nta says.
The %haTT"c"rya, being a vastly learned man, could follow
the EordJs sarcastic remarks on the popular !ed"ntist. He
therefore asked Him why He did not ask about any point
which He could not follow. The %haTT"c"rya could
understand the purpose of His dead silence for the days He
heard him. This showed clearly that the Eord had something
else in mindV thus the %haTT"c"rya re(uested Him to
disclose His mind.
Rpon this, the Eord spoke as followsC DMy dear sir, can
understand the meaning of the s0tras like )anm'dy asya yata*
#$% +.+.+&, 1'stra%yonit('t, and ath'to brahma )i),'s' of the
/ed'nta%s0tra, but when you e:plain them in your own way it
becomes difficult for Me to follow them. The purpose of the
s0tras is already e:plained in them, but your e:planations
are covering them with something else. Xou do not
purposely take the direct meaning of the s0tras but indirectly
give your own interpretations.F
The Eord thus attacked all !ed"ntists who interpret the
/ed'nta%s0tra fashionably, according to their limited power of
thinking, to serve their own purpose. $uch indirect
interpretations of the authentic literatures like the /ed'nta%
s0tra are hereby condemned by the Eord.
The Eord continuedC D<r=la !y"sadeva has summari)ed the
direct meanings of the mantras in the 7"ani.ads in the
/ed'nta%s0tra. Rnfortunately you do not take their direct
meaning. Xou indirectly interpret them in a different way.
DThe authority of the /edas is unchallengeable and stands
without any (uestion of doubt. And whatever is stated in the
/edas must be accepted completely, otherwise one
challenges the authority of the /edas.
DThe conchshell and cow dung are bone and stool of two
living beings. %ut because they have been recommended by
the /edas as pure, people accept them as such because of
the authority of the /edas.F
The idea is that one cannot set his imperfect reason above
the authority of the /edas. The orders of the /edas must be
obeyed as they stand, without any mundane reasoning. The
so'called followers of the !edic in2unctions make their own
interpretations of the !edic in2unctions, and thus they
establish different parties and sects of the !edic religion.
Eord %uddha directly denied the authority of the /edas, and
he established his own religion. 9nly for this reason, the
%uddhist religion was not accepted by the strict followers of
the /edas. %ut those who are so'called followers of the /edas
are more harmful than the %uddhists. The %uddhists have
the courage to deny the /edas directly, but the so'called
followers of the /edas have no courage to deny the /edas,
although indirectly they disobey all the in2unctions of the
/edas. Eord *aitanya condemned this.
The e:amples given by the Eord of the conchshell and the
cow dung are very much appropriate in this connection. f
one argues that since cow dung is pure, the stool of a
learned br'hma5a is still more pure, his argument will not be
accepted. *ow dung is accepted, and the stool of a highly
posted br'hma5a is re2ected. The Eord continuedC
DThe !edic in2unctions are self'authori)ed, and if some
mundane creature ad2usts the interpretations of the /edas,
he defies their authority. t is foolish to think of oneself as
more intelligent than <r=la !y"sadeva. He has already
e:pressed himself in his s0tras, and there is no need of help
from personalities of lesser importance. His work, the
/ed'nta%s0tra, is as da))ling as the midday sun, and when
someone tries to give his own interpretations on the self'
effulgent sunlike /ed'nta%s0tra, he attempts to cover this sun
with the cloud of his imagination.
DThe /edas and !r'5as are one and the same in purpose.
They ascertain the Absolute Truth, which is greater than
everything else. The Absolute Truth is ultimately reali)ed as
the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead with absolute
controlling power. As such, the Absolute 1ersonality of
8odhead must be completely full of opulence, strength,
fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. Xet the
transcendental 1ersonality of 8odhead is astonishingly
ascertained as impersonal.
DThe impersonal description of the Absolute Truth in the
/edas is given to nullify the mundane conception of the
absolute whole. 1ersonal features of the Eord are completely
different from all kinds of mundane features. The living
entities are all individual persons, and they are all parts and
parcels of the supreme whole. f the parts and parcels are
individual persons, the source of their emanation must not
be impersonal. He is the $upreme 1erson amongst all the
relative persons.
DThe /edas inform us that from Him #%rahman& everything
emanates, and on Him everything rests. And after
annihilation, everything merges in Him only. Therefore, He is
the ultimate dative, causative and accommodating cause of
all causes. And these causes cannot be attributed to an
impersonal ob2ect.
DThe /edas inform us that He alone became many, and when
He so desires He glances over material nature. %efore He
glanced over material nature there was no material cosmic
creation. Therefore, His glance is not material. Material mind
or senses were unborn when the Eord glanced over material
nature. Thus evidence in the /edas proves that beyond a
doubt the Eord has transcendental eyes and a
transcendental mind. They are not material. His
impersonality therefore is a negation of His materiality, but
not a denial of His transcendental personality.
D%rahman ultimately refers to the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
mpersonal %rahman reali)ation is 2ust the negative
conception of the mundane creations. 1aram"tm" is the
locali)ed aspect of %rahman within all kinds of material
bodies. Rltimately the $upreme %rahman reali)ation is the
reali)ation of the 1ersonality of 8odhead according to all
evidence of the revealed scriptures. He is the ultimate
source of (i.5!%tatt(as.
DThe !r'5as are also supplementary to the /edas. The !edic
mantras are too difficult for an ordinary man. Women, 10dras
and the so'called twice'born higher castes are unable to
penetrate into the sense of the /edas. And thus the
8ah'bh'rata as well as the !r'5as are made easy to e:plain
the truths of the /edas. n his prayers before the boy <r=
>?@Aa, %rahm" said that there is no limit to the fortune of
the residents of !ra2abhLmi headed by <r= Kanda Mah"r"2a
and XaPod"may= because the eternal Absolute Truth has
become their intimate relative.
DThe !edic mantra maintains that the Absolute Truth has no
legs and no hands and yet goes faster than all and accepts
everything that is offered to Him in devotion. The latter
statements definitely suggest the personal features of the
Eord, although His hands and legs are distinguished from
mundane hands and legs or other senses.
D%rahman, therefore, is never impersonal, but when such
mantras are indirectly interpreted, it is wrongly thought that
the Absolute Truth is impersonal. The Absolute Truth
1ersonality of 8odhead is full of all opulences, and therefore
He has a transcendental form of full e:istence, knowledge
and bliss. How then can one establish that the Absolute
Truth is impersonal?
D%rahman, being full of opulences, is understood to have
manifold energies, and all these energies are classified
under three headings under the authority of /i.5! !r'5a
#5.4.5N&, which says that the transcendental energies of Eord
!i@Au are primarily three. His spiritual energy and the
energy of the living entities are classified as superior energy,
whereas the material energy is an inferior one which is
sprouted out of ignorance.
DThe energy of the living entities is technically called
k.etra),a energy. This k.etra),a%1akti, although e(ual in
(uality with the Eord, becomes overpowered by material
energy out of ignorance and thus suffers all sorts of material
miseries. n other words, the living entities are located in the
marginal energy between the superior 3spiritual6 and inferior
3material6 energies, and in proportion to the living beingJs
contact with either the material or spiritual energies, the
living entity is situated in proportionately higher and lower
levels of e:istence.
DThe Eord is beyond the inferior and marginal energies as
above mentioned, and His spiritual energy is manifested in
three different phasesC as eternal e:istence, eternal bliss
and eternal knowledge. As far as eternal e:istence is
concerned, it is conducted by the sandhin$ potencyV similarly,
bliss and knowledge are conducted by the hl'dhin$ and sa-(it
potencies respectively. As the supreme energetic Eord, He is
the supreme controller of the spiritual, marginal and material
energies. And all these different types of energies are
connected with the Eord in eternal devotional service.
DThe $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead is thus en2oying in His
transcendental eternal form. s it not astounding that one
dares to call the $upreme Eord nonenergetic? The Eord is the
controller of all energies, and the living entities are parts and
parcels of one of the energies. Therefore there is a gulf of
difference between the Eord and the living entities. How then
can one say that the Eord and the living entities are one and
the same? n the &haga(ad%g$t' also the living entities are
described as belonging to the superior energy of the Eord.
According to the principles of intimate correlation between
the energy and the energetic, both of them are nondifferent
also. Therefore, the Eord and the living entities are
nondifferent as the energy and the energetic.
D;arth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego are
all inferior energies of the Eord, but the living entities are
different from all as superior energy. This is the version of
&haga(ad%g$t' #4.M&.
DThe transcendental form of the Eord is eternally e:istent
and full of transcendental bliss. How then can such a form be
a product of the material mode of goodness? Anyone,
therefore, who does not believe in the form of the Eord is
certainly a faithless demon and as such is untouchable, a not
to be seen "ersona non grata fit to be punished by the
1lutonic king.
DThe %uddhists are called atheists because they have no
respect for the /edas, but those who defy the !edic
conclusions, as above mentioned, under the pretense of
being followers of the /edas, are verily more dangerous than
the %uddhists.
D<r= !y"sadeva very kindly compiled the !edic knowledge in
his /ed'nta%s0tra, but if one hears the commentation of the
M"y"v"da school 3as represented by the <aIkara'
samprad"ya6 certainly he will be misled on the path of
spiritual reali)ation.
DThe theory of emanations is the beginning sub2ect of the
/ed'nta%s0tra. All the cosmic manifestations are emanations
from the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead by His
inconceivable different energies. The e:ample of the
touchstone is applicable to the theory of emanation. The
touchstone can convert an unlimited (uantity of iron into
gold, and still the touchstone remains as it is. $imilarly, the
$upreme Eord can produce all manifested worlds by His
inconceivable energies, and yet He is full and unchanged. He
is "0r5a #complete&, and although an unlimited number of
"0r5as emanate from Him, He is still "0r5a.
DThe theory of illusion of the M"y"v"da school is advocated
on the ground that the theory of emanation will cause a
transformation of the Absolute Truth. f that is the case,
!y"sadeva is wrong. To avoid this, they have skillfully
brought in the theory of illusion. %ut the world or the cosmic
creation is not false, as maintained by the M"y"v"da school.
t simply has no permanent e:istence. A nonpermanent thing
cannot be called false altogether. %ut the conception that
the material body is the self is certainly wrong.
Dra5a(a #o-&, or the o-k'ra in the /edas, is the primeval
hymn. This transcendental sound is identical with the form of
the Eord. All the !edic hymns are based on this "ra5a(a
o-k'ra. Tat t(am asi is but a side word in the !edic
literatures, and therefore this word cannot be the primeval
hymn of the /edas. <r=p"da <aIkar"c"rya has given more
stress on the side word tat t(am asi than on the primeval
principle o-k'ra.F
The Eord thus spoke on the /ed'nta%s0tra and defied all the
propaganda of the M"y"v"da school.
i
Y The %haTT"c"rya
tried to defend himself and his M"y"v"da school by 2ugglery
of logic and grammar, but the Eord defeated him by His
forceful arguments. He affirmed that we are all related with
the 1ersonality of 8odhead eternally and that devotional
service is our eternal function in e:changing the dealings of
our relations. The result of such e:changes is to attain
"rem', or love of 8odhead. When love of 8odhead is
attained, love for all other beings automatically follows
because the Eord is the sum total of all living beings.
The Eord said that but for these three itemsZnamely,
eternal relation with 8od, e:change of dealings with Him and
the attainment of love for HimZall that is instructed in the
/edas is superfluous and concocted.
The Eord further added that the M"y"v"da philosophy taught
by <r=p"da <aIkar"c"rya is an imaginary e:planation of the
/edas, but it had to be taught by him 3<aIkar"c"rya6 because
he was ordered to teach it by the 1ersonality of 8odhead. n
the adma !r'5a it is stated that the 1ersonality of
8odhead ordered His Eordship <iva to deviate the human
race from Him 3the 1ersonality of 8odhead6. The 1ersonality
of 8odhead was to be so covered so that people would be
encouraged to generate more and more population. His
Eordship <iva said to 7ev=C Dn the >ali'yuga, shall preach
the M"y"v"da philosophy, which is nothing but clouded
%uddhism, in the garb of a br'hma5a.F
After hearing all these speeches of the Eord <r= *aitanya
Mah"prabhu, the %haTT"c"rya was struck with wonder and
awe and regarded Him in dead silence. The Eord then
encouraged him with assurance that there was no cause to
wonder. D say that de(otional ser(ice !nto the ersonality of
@odhead is the highest goal of h!man life.F He then (uoted a
1loka from the &h'ga(atam and assured him that even the
liberated souls who are absorbed in the spirit and spiritual
reali)ation also take to the devotional service of the Eord
Hari because the 1ersonality of 8odhead has such
transcendental (ualities that He attracts the heart of the
liberated soul too.
Then the %haTT"c"rya desired to listen to the e:planation of
the D'tm'r'maF 1loka from the &h'ga(atam 3,.4.,N6. The Eord
first of all asked %haTT"c"rya to e:plain it, and after that He
would e:plain it. The %haTT"c"rya then e:plained the 1loka
in a scholarly way with special reference to logic. He
e:plained the 1loka in nine different ways chiefly based on
logic because he was the most renowned scholar of logic of
the time.
The Eord, after hearing the %haTT"c"rya, thanked him for
the scholarly presentation of the 1loka, and then, at the
re(uest of the %haTT"c"rya, the Eord e:plained the 1loka in
si:ty'four different ways without touching the nine
e:planations given by the %haTT"c"rya.
Thus after hearing the e:planation of the 'tm'r'ma 1loka
from the Eord, the %haTT"c"rya was convinced that such a
scholarly presentation is impossible for an earthly creature.
ii
Y
%efore this, <r= 8op=n"tha Wc"rya had tried to convince him
of the divinity of the Eord, but at the time he could not so
accept Him. %ut the %haTT"c"rya was astounded by the
EordJs e:position of the /ed'nta%s0tra and e:planations of
the 'tm'r'ma 1loka, and thus he began to think that he had
committed a great offense at the lotus feet of the Eord by
not recogni)ing Him to be >?@Aa Himself. He then
surrendered unto Him, repenting for his past dealings with
Him, and the Eord was kind enough to accept the
%haTT"c"rya. 9ut of His causeless mercy, the Eord
manifested before him first as four'handed K"r"yaAa and
then again as two'handed Eord >?@Aa with a flute in His
hand.
The %haTT"c"rya at once fell down at the lotus feet of the
Eord and composed many suitable 1lokas in praise of the Eord
by His grace. He composed almost one hundred 1lokas in
praise of the Eord. The Eord then embraced him, and out of
transcendental ecstasy the %haTT"c"rya lost consciousness
of the physical state of life. Tears, trembling, throbbing of
the heart, perspiration, emotional waves, dancing, singing,
crying and all the eight symptoms of trance were manifested
in the body of the %haTT"c"rya. <r= 8op=n"tha Wc"rya
became very glad and astonished by this marvelous
conversion of his brother'in'law by the grace of the Eord.
9ut of the hundred celebrated 1lokas composed by the
%haTT"c"rya in praise of the Eord, the following two are
most important, and these two 1lokas e:plain the mission of
the Eord in gist.
,. Eet me surrender unto the 1ersonality of 8odhead who
has appeared now as Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu. He is
the ocean of all mercy and has now come down to teach us
material detachment, learning and devotional service to
Himself.
G. $ince pure devotional service of the Eord has been lost in
the oblivion of time, the Eord has appeared to renovate the
principles, and therefore offer my obeisances unto His lotus
feet.
The Eord e:plained the word m!kti to be e(uivalent to the
word !i@Au, or the 1ersonality of 8odhead. To attain m!kti,
or liberation from the bondage of material e:istence, is to
attain to the service of the Eord.
The Eord then proceeded towards $outh ndia for some time
and converted all He met on the way to become devotees of
Eord <r= >?@Aa. $uch devotees also converted many others
to the cult of devotional service, or to the &h'ga(ata%dharma
of the Eord, and thus He reached the bank of the 8od"var=,
where He met <r=la 0"m"nanda 0"ya, the governor of
Madras on behalf of Mah"r"2a 1rat"parudra, the >ing of
9rissa. His talks with 0"m"nanda 0"ya are very important
for higher reali)ation of transcendental knowledge, and the
conversation itself forms a small booklet. We shall, however,
give herewith a summary of the conversation.
<r= 0"m"nanda 0"ya was a self'reali)ed soul, although
outwardly he belonged to a caste lower than the br'hma5a in
social status. He was not in the renounced order of life, and
besides that he was a high government servant in the state.
$till, <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu accepted him as a liberated
soul on the strength of the high order of his reali)ation of
transcendental knowledge. $imilarly, the Eord accepted
<r=la Harid"sa Sh"kura, a veteran devotee of the Eord
coming from a Mohammedan family. And there are many
other great devotees of the Eord who came from different
communities, sects and castes. The EordJs only criterion was
the standard of devotional service of the particular person.
He was not concerned with the outward dress of a manV He
was concerned only with the inner soul and its activities.
Therefore all the missionary activities of the Eord are to be
understood to be on the spiritual plane, and as such the cult
of <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, or the cult of &h'ga(ata%
dharma, has nothing to do with mundane affairs, sociology,
politics, economic development or any such sphere of life.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the purely transcendental urge of the
soul.
When He met <r= 0"m"nanda 0"ya on the bank of the
8od"var=, the (ar5'1rama%dharma followed by the Hindus
was mentioned by the Eord. <r=la 0"m"nanda 0"ya said that
by following the principles of (ar5'1rama%dharma, the system
of four castes and four orders of human life, everyone could
reali)e Transcendence. n the opinion of the Eord, the system
of (ar5'1rama%dharma is superficial only, and it has very little
to do with the highest reali)ation of spiritual values. The
highest perfection of life is to get detached from the material
attachment and proportionately reali)e the transcendental
loving service of the Eord. The 1ersonality of 8odhead
recogni)es a living being who is progressing in that line.
7evotional service, therefore, is the culmination of the
culture of all knowledge. When <r= >?@Aa, the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead, appeared for the deliverance of all
fallen souls, He advised the deliverance of all living entities
as follows. The $upreme Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead,
from whom all living entities have emanated, must be
worshiped by all their respective engagements, because
everything that we see is also the e:pansion of His energy.
That is the way of real perfection, and it is approved by all
bona fide 'c'ryas past and present. The system of
(ar5'1rama is more or less based on moral and ethical
principles. There is very little reali)ation of the
Transcendence as such, and Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu
re2ected it as superficial and asked 0"m"nanda 0"ya to go
further into the matter.
<r= 0"m"nanda 0"ya then suggested renunciation of fruitive
actions unto the Eord. The &haga(ad%g$t' 3-.G46 advises in
this connectionC DWhatever you do, whatever you eat and
whatever you give, as well as whatever you perform in
penance, offer to Me alone.F This dedication on the part of
the worker suggests that the 1ersonality of 8odhead is a
step higher than the impersonal conception of the
(ar5'1rama system, but still the relation of the living being
and the Eord is not distinct in that way. The Eord therefore
re2ected this proposition and asked 0"m"nanda 0"ya to go
further.
0"ya then suggested renunciation of the (ar5'1rama%dharma
and acceptance of devotional service. The Eord did not
approve of this suggestion also for the reason that all of a
sudden one should not renounce his position, for that may
not bring in the desired result.
t was further suggested by 0"ya that attainment of spiritual
reali)ation freed from the material conception of life is the
topmost achievement for a living being. The Eord re2ected
this suggestion also because on the plea of such spiritual
reali)ation much havoc has been wrought by unscrupulous
personsV therefore all of a sudden this is not possible. The
0"ya then suggested sincere association of self'reali)ed
souls and hearing submissively the transcendental message
of the pastimes of the 1ersonality of 8odhead. This
suggestion was welcomed by the Eord. This suggestion was
made following in the footsteps of %rahm"2=, who said that
the 1ersonality of 8odhead is known as a)ita, or the one who
cannot be con(uered or approached by anyone. %ut such
a)ita also becomes )ita 3con(uered6 by one method, which is
very simple and easy. The simple method is that one has to
give up the arrogant attitude of declaring oneself to be 8od
Himself. 9ne must be very meek and submissive and try to
live peacefully by lending the ear to the speeches of the
transcendentally self'reali)ed soul who speaks on the
message of &h'ga(ata%dharma, or the religion of glorifying
the $upreme Eord and His devotees. To glorify a great man
is a natural instinct for living beings, but they have not
learned to glorify the Eord. 1erfection of life is attained
simply by glorifying the Eord in association with a self'
reali)ed devotee of the Eord.
iii
Y The self'reali)ed devotee is
he who surrenders unto the Eord fully and who does not
have attachment for material prosperity. Material prosperity
and sense en2oyment and their advancement are all
activities of ignorance in human society. 1eace and
friendship are impossible for a society detached from the
association of 8od and His devotees. t is imperative,
therefore, that one sincerely seek the association of pure
devotees and hear them patiently and submissively from any
position of life. The position of a person in the higher or
lower status of life does not hamper one in the path of self'
reali)ation. The only thing one has to do is to hear from a
self'reali)ed soul with a routine program. The teacher may
also deliver lectures from the !edic literatures, following in
the footsteps of the bygone 'c'ryas who reali)ed the
Absolute Truth. Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu
recommended this simple method of self'reali)ation
generally known as &h'ga(ata%dharma. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is
the perfect guide for this purpose.
Above these topics discussed by the Eord and <r=
0"m"nanda 0"ya, there were still more elevated spiritual
talks between the two great personalities, and we purposely
withhold those topics for the present because one has to
come to the spiritual plane before further talks with
0"m"nanda 0"ya can be heard. We have presented further
talks of <r=la 0"m"nanda 0"ya with the Eord in another
book 3Teachings of :ord 9aitanya6.
At the conclusion of this meeting, <r= 0"m"nanda 0"ya was
advised by the Eord to retire from service and come to 1ur=
so that they could live together and relish a transcendental
relationship. $ome time later, <r= 0"m"nanda 0"ya retired
from the government service and took a pension from the
>ing. He returned to his residence in 1ur=, where he was one
of the most confidential devotees of the Eord. There was
another gentleman at 1ur= of the name <ikhi M"hiti, who
was also a confidant like 0"m"nanda 0"ya. The Eord used to
hold confidential talks on spiritual values with three or four
companions at 1ur=, and He passed eighteen years in that
way in spiritual trance. His talks were recorded by His
private secretary <r= 7"modara 8osv"m=, one of the four
most intimate devotees.
The Eord e:tensively traveled all over the southern part of
ndia. The great saint of Mah"r"@Tra known as $aint
Tuk"r"ma was also initiated by the Eord. $aint Tuk"r"ma,
after initiation by the Eord, overflooded the whole of the
Mah"r"@Tra 1rovince with the sa3k$rtana movement, and the
transcendental flow is still rolling on in the southwestern part
of the great ndian peninsula.
The Eord e:cavated from $outh ndia two very important old
literatures, namely the
iv
%rahm"'sa[hit" and A4.5a%
kar5'm4ta, and these two valuable books are authori)ed
studies for the person in the devotional line. The Eord then
returned to 1ur= after His $outh ndian tour.
9n His return to 1ur=, all the an:ious devotees of the Eord
got back their life, and the Eord remained there with
continued pastimes of His transcendental reali)ations. The
most important incident during that time was His granting
audience to >ing 1rat"parudra. >ing 1rat"parudra was a
great devotee of the Eord, and he considered himself to be
one of the servants of the Eord entrusted with sweeping the
temple. This submissive attitude of the >ing was very much
appreciated by <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu. The >ing
re(uested both %haTT"c"rya and 0"ya to arrange his
meeting with the Eord. When, however, the Eord was
petitioned by His two stalwart devotees, He flatly refused to
grant the re(uest, even though it was put forward by
personal associates like 0"m"nanda 0"ya and $"rvabhauma
%haTT"c"rya. The Eord maintained that it is dangerous for a
sanny's$ to be in intimate touch with worldly money'
conscious men and with women. The Eord was an ideal
sanny's$. Ko woman could approach the Eord even to offer
respects. WomenJs seats were accommodated far away from
the Eord. As an ideal teacher and 'c'rya, He was very strict
in the routine work of a sanny's$. Apart from being a divine
incarnation, the Eord was an ideal character as a human
being. His behavior with other persons was also above
suspicion. n His dealing as 'c'rya, He was harder than the
thunderbolt and softer than the rose. 9ne of His associates,
Ounior Harid"sa, committed a great mistake by lustfully
glancing at a young woman. The Eord as $upersoul could
detect this lust in the mind of Ounior Harid"sa, who was at
once banished from the EordJs association and was never
accepted again, even though the Eord was implored to
e:cuse Harid"sa for the mistake. Ounior Harid"sa afterwards
committed suicide due to being disassociated from the
company of the Eord, and the news of suicide was duly
related to the Eord. ;ven at that time the Eord was not
forgetful of the offense, and He said that Harid"sa had
rightly met with the proper punishment.
9n the principles of the renounced order of life and
discipline, the Eord knew no compromise, and therefore even
though He knew that the >ing was a great devotee, He
refused to see the >ing, only because the >ing was a dollar'
and'cent man. %y this e:ample the Eord wanted to
emphasi)e the proper behavior for a transcendentalist. A
transcendentalist has nothing to do with women and money.
He must always refrain from such intimate relations. The
>ing was, however, favored by the Eord by the e:pert
arrangement of the devotees. This means that the beloved
devotee of the Eord can favor a neophyte more liberally than
the Eord. 1ure devotees, therefore, never commit an offense
at the feet of another pure devotee. An offense at the lotus
feet of the Eord is sometimes e:cused by the merciful Eord,
but an offense at the feet of a devotee is very dangerous for
one who actually wants to make progress in devotional
service.
As long as the Eord remained at 1ur=, thousands of His
devotees used to come to see Him during the 0atha'y"tr"
car festival of Eord Oagann"tha. And during the car festival,
the washing of the 8uAQic" temple under the direct
supervision of the Eord was an important function. The
EordJs congregational sa3k$rtana movement at 1ur= was a
uni(ue e:hibition for the mass of people. That is the way to
turn the mass mind towards spiritual reali)ation. The Eord
inaugurated this system of mass sa3k$rtana, and leaders of
all countries can take advantage of this spiritual movement
in order to keep the mass of people in a pure state of peace
and friendship with one another. This is now the demand of
the present human society all over the world.
After some time the Eord again started on His tour towards
northern ndia, and He decided to visit !?nd"vana and its
neighboring places. He passed through the 2ungles of
OharikhaAQa 3Madhya %h"rata6, and all the wild animals also
2oined His sa3k$rtana movement. The wild tigers, elephants,
bears and deer all together accompanied the Eord, and the
Eord accompanied them in sa3k$rtana. %y this He proved that
by the propagation of the sa3k$rtana movement
3congregational chanting and glorifying of the name of the
Eord6 even the wild animals can live in peace and friendship,
and what to speak of men who are supposed to be civili)ed.
Ko man in the world will refuse to 2oin the sa3k$rtana
movement. Kor is the EordJs sa3k$rtana movement restricted
to any caste, creed, color or species. Here is direct evidence
of His great missionC He allowed even the wild animals to
partake in His great movement.
9n His way back from !?nd"vana He first came to 1ray"ga,
where He met 0Lpa 8osv"m= along with his younger
brother, Anupama. Then He came down to %enares. Hor two
months, He instructed <r= $an"tana 8osv"m= in the
transcendental science. The instruction to $an"tana
8osv"m= is in itself a long narration, and full presentation of
the instruction will not be possible here. The main ideas are
given as follows.
$an"tana 8osv"m= 3formerly known as $"kara Mallika6 was
in the cabinet service of the %engal government under the
regime of Kawab Hussain $hah. He decided to 2oin with the
Eord and thus retired from the service. 9n His way back from
!?nd"vana, when He reached !"r"Aas=, the Eord became
the guest of <r= Tapana MiPra and *andraPekhara, assisted
by a Mah"r"@Tra br'hma5a. At that time !"r"Aas= was
headed by a great sanny's$ of the M"y"v"da school named
<r=p"da 1rak"P"nanda $arasvat=. When the Eord was at
!"r"Aas=, the people in general became more attracted to
Eord *aitanya Mah"prabhu on account of His mass sa3k$rtana
movement. Wherever He visited, especially the !iPvan"tha
temple, thousands of pilgrims would follow Him. $ome were
attracted by His bodily features, and others were attracted
by His melodious songs glorifying the Eord.
The M"y"v"d= sanny's$s designate themselves as K"r"yaAa.
!"r"Aas= is still overflooded with many M"y"v"d= sanny's$s.
$ome people who saw the Eord in His sa3k$rtana party
considered Him to be actually K"r"yaAa, and this report
reached the camp of the great sanny's$ 1rak"P"nanda.
n ndia there is always a kind of spiritual rivalry between the
M"y"v"da and &h'ga(ata schools, and thus when the news of
the Eord reached 1rak"P"nanda he knew that the Eord was a
!ai@Aava sanny's$, and therefore he minimi)ed the value of
the Eord before those who brought him the news. He
deprecated the activities of the Eord because of His
preaching the sa3k$rtana movement, which was in his opinion
nothing but religious sentiment. 1rak"P"nanda was a
profound student of the !ed"nta, and he advised his
followers to give attention to the !ed"nta and not to indulge
in sa3k$rtana.
9ne devotee br'hma5a, who became a devotee of the Eord,
did not like the criticism of 1rak"P"nanda, and he went to
the Eord to e:press his regrets. He told the Eord that when
he uttered the EordJs name before the sanny's$
1rak"P"nanda, the latter strongly critici)ed the Eord,
although the br'hma5a heard 1rak"P"nanda uttering several
times the name *aitanya. The br'hma5a was astonished to
see that the sanny's$ 1rak"P"nanda could not vibrate the
sound >?@Aa even once, although he uttered the name
*aitanya several times.
The Eord smilingly e:plained to the devotee br'hma5a why
the M"y"v"d= cannot utter the holy name of >?@Aa. DThe
M"y"v"d=s are offenders at the lotus feet of >?@Aa, although
they utter always brahma, 'tm', or caitanya, etc. And
because they are offenders at the lotus feet of >?@Aa, they
are actually unable to utter the holy name of >?@Aa. The
name >?@Aa and the 1ersonality of 8odhead >?@Aa are
identical. There is no difference in the absolute realm
between the name, form or person of the Absolute Truth
because in the absolute realm everything is transcendental
bliss. There is no difference between the body and the soul
for the 1ersonality of 8odhead, >?@Aa. Thus He is different
from the living entity who is always different from his
outward body. %ecause of >?@AaJs transcendental position, it
is very difficult for a layman to actually know the 1ersonality
of 8odhead, >?@Aa, His holy name and fame, etc. His name,
fame, form and pastimes all are one and the same
transcendental identity, and they are not knowable by the
e:ercise of the material senses.
DThe transcendental relationship of the pastimes of the Eord
is the source of still more bliss than one can e:perience by
reali)ation of %rahman or by becoming one with the
$upreme. Had it not been so, then those who are already
situated in the transcendental bliss of %rahman would not
have been attracted by the transcendental bliss of the
pastimes of the Eord.F
After this, a great meeting was arranged by the devotees of
the Eord in which all the sanny's$s were invited, including the
Eord and 1rak"P"nanda $arasvat=. n this meeting both the
scholars 3the Eord and 1rak"P"nanda6 had a long discourse
on the spiritual values of the sa3k$rtana movement, and a
summary is given below.
The great M"y"v"d= sanny's$ 1rak"P"nanda in(uired from
the Eord as to the reason for His preferring the sa3k$rtana
movement to the study of the /ed'nta%s0tra. 1rak"P"nanda
said that it is the duty of a sanny's$ to read the /ed'nta%
s0tra. What caused the Eord to indulge in sa3k$rtanaB
After this in(uiry, the Eord submissively repliedC D have
taken to the sa3k$rtana movement instead of the study of
!ed"nta because am a great fool.F The Eord thus
represented Himself as one of the numberless fools of this
age who are absolutely incapable of studying the !ed"nta
philosophy. The foolsJ indulgence in the study of !ed"nta
has caused so much havoc in society. The Eord thus
continuedC DAnd because am a great fool, My spiritual
master forbade Me to play with !ed"nta philosophy. He said
that it is better that chant the holy name of the Eord, for
that would deliver Me from material bondage.
Dn this age of >ali there is no other religion but the
glorification of the Eord by utterance of His holy name, and
that is the in2unction of all the revealed scriptures. And My
spiritual master has taught Me one 1loka #from the &4han%
n'rad$ya !r'5a&C
harer n'ma harer n'ma harer n'mai(a ke(alam kala! n'sty e(a
n'sty e(a n'sty e(a gatir anyath'. #Adi ,4.G,&
D$o on the order of My spiritual master, chant the holy
name of Hari, and am now mad after this holy name.
Whenever utter the holy name forget Myself completely,
and sometimes laugh, cry and dance like a madman.
thought that had actually gone mad by this process of
chanting, and therefore asked My spiritual master about it.
He informed Me that this was the real effect of chanting the
holy name, which produces a transcendental emotion that is
a rare manifestation. t is the sign of love of 8od, which is
the ultimate end of life. Eove of 8od is transcendental to
liberation #m!kti&, and thus it is called the fifth stage of
spiritual reali)ation, above the stage of liberation. %y
chanting the holy name of >?@Aa one attains the stage of
love of 8od, and it was good that fortunately was favored
with the blessing.F
9n hearing this statement from the Eord, the M"y"v"d=
sanny's$ asked the Eord what was the harm in studying the
!ed"nta along with chanting the holy name. 1rak"P"nanda
$arasvat= knew well that the Eord was formerly known as
Kim"i 1aAQita, a very learned scholar of Kavadv=pa, and His
posing as a great fool was certainly to some purpose.
Hearing this in(uiry by the sanny's$, the Eord smiled and
said, DMy dear sir, if you do not mind, will answer your
in(uiry.F
All the sanny's$s there were very much pleased with the Eord
for His honest dealings, and they unanimously replied that
they would not be offended by whatever He replied. The
Eord then spoke as followsC
D/ed'nta%s0tra consists of transcendental words or sounds
uttered by the transcendental 1ersonality of 8odhead. As
such, in the !ed"nta there cannot be any human
deficiencies like mistake, illusion, cheating or inefficiency.
The message of the 7"ani.ads is e:pressed in the /ed'nta%
s0tra, and what is said there directly is certainly glorified.
Whatever interpretations have been given by <aIkar"c"rya
have no direct bearing on the s0tra, and therefore such
commentation spoils everything.
DThe word %rahman indicates the greatest of all, which is full
with transcendental opulences, superior to all. %rahman is
ultimately the 1ersonality of 8odhead, and He is covered by
indirect interpretations and established as impersonal.
;verything that is in the spiritual world is full of
transcendental bliss, including the form, body, place and
paraphernalia of the Eord. All are eternally cogni)ant and
blissful. t is not the fault of the Wc"rya <aIkara that he has
so interpreted !ed"nta, but if someone accepts it, then
certainly he is doomed. Anyone who accepts the
transcendental body of the 1ersonality of 8odhead as
something mundane certainly commits the greatest
blasphemy.F
The Eord thus spoke to the sanny's$ almost in the same way
that He spoke to the %haTT"c"rya of 1ur=, and by forceful
arguments He nullified the M"y"v"da interpretations of the
/ed'nta%s0tra. All the sanny's$s there claimed that the Eord
was the personified /edas and the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
All the sanny's$s were converted to the cult of bhakti, all of
them accepted the holy name of the Eord <r= >?@Aa, and
they dined together with the Eord in the midst of them. After
this conversion of the sanny's$s, the popularity of the Eord
increased at !"r"Aas=, and thousands of people assembled
to see the Eord in person. The Eord thus established the
primary importance of #r$mad%&h'ga(ata%dharma, and He
defeated all other systems of spiritual reali)ation. After that
everyone at !"r"Aas= was overwhelmed with the
transcendental sa3k$rtana movement.
While the Eord was camping at !"r"Aas=, $an"tana
8osv"m= also arrived after retiring from office. He was
formerly one of the state ministers in the government of
%engal, then under the regime of Kawab Hussain $hah. He
had some difficulty in getting relief from the state service,
for the Kawab was reluctant to let him leave. Konetheless he
came to !"r"Aas=, and the Eord taught him the principles of
devotional service. He taught him about the constitutional
position of the living being, the cause of his bondage under
material conditions, his eternal relation with the 1ersonality
of 8odhead, the transcendental position of the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead, His e:pansions in different plenary
portions of incarnations, His control of different parts of the
universe, the nature of His transcendental abode, devotional
activities, their different stages of development, the rules
and regulations for achieving the gradual stages of spiritual
perfection, the symptoms of different incarnations in
different ages, and how to detect them with reference to the
conte:t of revealed scriptures.
The EordJs teachings to $an"tana 8osv"m= form a big
chapter in the te:t of #r$ 9aitanya%carit'm4ta, and to e:plain
the whole teachings in minute details will re(uire a volume
in itself. These are treated in detail in our book Teachings of
:ord 9aitanya.
At Mathur", the Eord visited all the important placesV then He
reached !?nd"vana. Eord *aitanya appeared in the family of
a high'caste br'hma5a, and over and above that as sanny's$
He was the preceptor for all the (ar5as and '1ramas. %ut He
used to accept meals from all classes of !ai@Aavas. At
Mathur" the $anoQiy" br'hma5as are considered to be in the
lower status of society, but the Eord accepted meals in the
family of such a br'hma5a also because His host happened to
be a disciple of the M"dhavendra 1ur= family.
At !?nd"vana the Eord took bath in twenty'four important
bathing places and gh"Tas. He traveled to all the twelve
important (anas 3forests6. n these forests all the cows and
birds welcomed Him, as if He were their very old friend. The
Eord also began to embrace all the trees of those forests,
and by doing so He felt the symptoms of transcendental
ecstasy. $ometimes He fell unconscious, but He was made to
regain consciousness by the chanting of the holy name of
>?@Aa. The transcendental symptoms that were visible on
the body of the Eord during His travel within the forest of
!?nd"vana were all uni(ue and ine:plicable, and we have
2ust given a synopsis only.
$ome of the important places that were visited by the Eord
in !?nd"vana were >"myavana, Wd=Pvara, 1"vana'sarovara,
>hadiravana, <e@aP"y=, >hela't=rtha, %h"AQ=ravana,
%hadravana, <r=vana, Eauhavana, Mah"vana, 8okula,
>"liya'hrada, 7v"daP"ditya, >eP='t=rtha, etc. When He saw
the place where the r'sa dance took place, He at once fell
down in trance. As long as He remained at !?nd"vana, He
made His head(uarters at AkrLra'gh"Ta.
Hrom !?nd"vana His personal servitor >?@Aad"sa !ipra
induced Him to go back to 1ray"ga to take bath during the
M"gha'mel". The Eord acceded to this proposal, and they
started for 1ray"ga. 9n the way they met with some
1athans, amongst whom there was a learned Moulana. The
Eord had some talks with the Moulana and his companions,
and the Eord convinced the Moulana that in the >oran also
there are descriptions of &h'ga(ata%dharma and >?@Aa. All
the 1athans were converted to His cult of devotional service.
When He returned to 1ray"ga, <r=la 0Lpa 8osv"m= and his
youngest brother met Him near %indu'm"dhava temple. This
time the Eord was welcomed by the people of 1ray"ga more
respectfully. !allabha %haTTa, who resided on the other
bank of 1ray"ga in the village of WQ"ila, was to receive Him
at his place. but while going there the Eord 2umped in the
0iver Xamun". With great difficulty He was picked up in an
unconscious state. Hinally He visited the head(uarters of
!allabha %haTTa. This !allabha %haTTa was one of His chief
admirers, but later on he inaugurated his own party, the
!allabha'samprad"ya.
9n the bank of the 7aP"Pvamedha'gh"Ta at 1ray"ga for ten
days continually the Eord instructed 0Lpa 8osv"m= in the
science of devotional service to the Eord. He taught the
8osv"m= the divisions of the living creatures in the
.,MNN,NNN species of life. Then He taught him about the
human species. 9ut of them He discussed the followers of
the !edic principles, out of them the fruitive workers, out of
them the empiric philosophers, and out of them the liberated
souls. He said that there are only a few who are actually
pure devotees of Eord <r= >?@Aa.
<r=la 0Lpa 8osv"m= was the younger brother of $an"tana
8osv"m=, and when he retired from service he brought with
him two boat fulls of gold coins. This means that he brought
with him some hundreds of thousands of rupees
accumulated by the labor of his service. And before leaving
home for Eord *aitanya Mah"prabhu, he divided the wealth
as followsC fifty percent for the service of the Eord and His
devotees, twenty'five percent for relatives and twenty'five
percent for his personal needs in case of emergency. n that
way he set an e:ample for all householders.
The Eord taught the 8osv"m= about devotional service,
comparing it to a creeper, and advised him to protect the
bhakti creeper most carefully against the mad elephant
offense against the pure devotees. n addition, the creeper
has to be protected from the desires of sense en2oyment,
monistic liberation and perfection of the ha<ha%yoga system.
They are all detrimental on the path of devotional service.
$imilarly, violence against living beings, and desire for
worldly gain, worldly reception and worldly fame are all
detrimental to the progress of bhakti, or &h'ga(ata%dharma.
1ure devotional service must be freed from all desires for
sense gratification, fruitive aspirations and culture of
monistic knowledge. 9ne must be freed from all kinds of
designations, and when one is thus converted to
transcendental purity, one can then serve the Eord by
purified senses.
As long as there is the desire to en2oy sensually or to
become one with the $upreme or to possess the mystic
powers, there is no (uestion of attaining the stage of pure
devotional service.
7evotional service is conducted under two categories,
namely primary practice and spontaneous emotion. When
one can rise to the platform of spontaneous emotion, he can
make further progress by spiritual attachment, feeling, love,
and many higher stages of devotional life for which there are
no ;nglish words. We have tried to e:plain the science of
devotional service in our book The Nectar of De(otion, based
on the authority of &hakti%ras'm4ta%sindh! by <r=la 0Lpa
8osv"m=.
Transcendental devotional service has five stages of
reciprocationC
,. The self'reali)ation stage 2ust after liberation from
material bondage is called the 1'nta, or neutral stage.
G. After that, when there is development of transcendental
knowledge of the EordJs internal opulences, the devotee
engages himself in the d'sya stage.
\. %y further development of the d'sya stage, a respectful
fraternity with the Eord develops, and above that a feeling of
friendship on e(ual terms becomes manifest. %oth these
stages are called s'khya stage, or devotional service in
friendship.
M. Above this is the stage of paternal affection toward the
Eord, and this is called the ('tsalya stage.
B. And above this is the stage of con2ugal love, and this
stage is called the highest stage of love of 8od, although
there is no difference in (uality in any of the above stages.
The last stage of con2ugal love of 8od is called the m'dh!rya
stage.
Thus He instructed 0Lpa 8osv"m= in devotional science and
deputed him to !?nd"vana to e:cavate the lost sites of the
transcendental pastimes of the Eord. After this, the Eord
returned to !"r"Aas= and delivered the sanny's$s and
instructed the elder brother of 0Lpa 8osv"m=. We have
already discussed this.
The Eord left only eight 1lokas of His instructions in writing,
and they are known as the #ik.'.<aka. All other literatures
of His divine cult were e:tensively written by the EordJs
principal followers, the si: 8osv"m=s of !?nd"vana, and
their followers. The cult of *aitanya philosophy is richer than
any other, and it is admitted to be the living religion of the
day with the potency for spreading as (i1(a%dharma, or
universal religion. We are glad that the matter has been
taken up by some enthusiastic sages like %haktisiddh"nta
$arasvat= 8osv"m= Mah"r"2a and his disciples. We shall
eagerly wait for the happy days of &h'ga(ata%dharma, or
"rema%dharma, inaugurated by the Eord <r= *aitanya
Mah"prabhu.
The eight 1lokas completed by the Eord areC
,
@lory to the #r$ A4.5a saIk=rtana, which cleanses the heart of
all the d!st acc!m!lated for years and e?ting!ishes the fire of
conditional life, of re"eated birth and death. This saIk=rtana
mo(ement is the "rime benediction for h!manity at large
beca!se it s"reads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the
life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of
transcendental bliss, and it enables !s to f!lly taste the nectar
for which we are always an?io!s.
G
6 my :ord, Yo!r holy name alone can render all benediction to
li(ing beings, and th!s Yo! ha(e h!ndreds and millions of
names like A4.5a and @o(inda. In these transcendental names
Yo! ha(e in(ested all Yo!r transcendental energies. There are
not e(en hard and fast r!les for chanting these names. 6 my
:ord, o!t of kindness Yo! enable !s to easily a""roach Yo! by
chanting Yo!r holy names, b!t I am so !nfort!nate that I ha(e
no attraction for them.
\
6ne sho!ld chant the holy name of the :ord in a h!mble state
of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the streetC one
sho!ld be more tolerant than a tree, de(oid of all sense of false
"restige, and ready to offer all res"ect to others. In s!ch a state
of mind one can chant the holy name of the :ord constantly.
M
6 almighty :ord, I ha(e no desire to acc!m!late wealth, nor do
I desire bea!tif!l women, nor do I want any n!mber of
followers. I only want Yo!r ca!seless de(otional ser(ice birth
after birth.
B
6 son of 8ah'r')a Nanda DA4.5aE, I am Yo!r eternal ser(itor,
yet somehow or other I ha(e fallen into the ocean of birth and
death. "lease "ick me !" from this ocean of death and "lace me
as one of the atoms of Yo!r lot!s feet.
5
6 my :ord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of lo(e
flowing constantly when I chant Yo!r holy nameB Fhen will my
(oice choke !", and when will the hairs of my body stand on
end at the recitation of Yo!r nameB
4
6 @o(indaG Heeling Yo!r se"aration, I am considering a
moment to be like twel(e years or more. Tears are flowing from
my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all (acant in the
world in Yo!r absence.
.
I know no one b!t A4.5a as my :ord, and >e shall remain so
e(en if >e handles me ro!ghly in >is embrace or makes me
brokenhearted by not being "resent before me. >e is com"letely
free to do anything and e(erything, for >e is always my
worshi"f!l :ord !nconditionally.
Chapter One
Questions by the Sages
T!T "
p #a$aae %a&a'Tae 'aSaude'a(a
)a#$aa*S(a (aTaae+#'(aaidTarTa,aQae-.'i%a/0 S'ra12
Tae#ae b34 5da (a Aaidk6'(ae $au7i#Ta (aTSa8r(a0 9
Tae)aae'air$a:da; (aQaa i'i#a$a(aae (a<a i<aSa&aae-+$a:=a
>aa$ana S'e#a Sada i#arSTaku6hk;6 SaT(a; Par; >a?$aih 99 "
99
o- namo bhaga(ate ('s!de('ya
)anm'dy asya yato 2n(ay'd itarata1 c'rthe.( abhi),a* s(ar'<
tene brahma h4d' ya 'di%ka(aye m!hyanti yat s0raya*
te)o%('ri%m4d'- yath' (inimayo yatra tri%sargo 2m4.'
dh'mn' s(ena sad' nirasta%k!haka- satya- "ara- dh$mahi
S(#O#($S
omZ9 my EordV nama*Zoffering my obeisancesV bhaga(ateZ
unto the 1ersonality of 8odheadV ('s!de('yaZunto !"sudeva
3the son of !asudeva6, or Eord <r= >?@Aa, the primeval EordV
)anma%'diZcreation, sustenance and destructionV asyaZof
the manifested universesV yata*Zfrom whomV an(ay'tZ
directlyV itarata*ZindirectlyV caZandV arthe.!ZpurposesV
abhi),a*Zfully cogni)antV s(a%r'<Zfully independentV teneZ
impartedV brahmaZthe !edic knowledgeV h4d'Z
consciousness of the heartV ya*Zone whoV 'di%ka(ayeZunto
the original created beingV m!hyantiZare illusionedV yatZ
about whomV s0raya*Zgreat sages and demigodsV te)a*Z
fireV ('riZwaterV m4d'mZearthV yath'Zas much asV
(inimaya*Zaction and reactionV yatraZwhereuponV tri%sarga*
Zthree modes of creation, creative facultiesV am4.'Zalmost
factualV dh'mn'Zalong with all transcendental
paraphernaliaV s(enaZself'sufficientlyV sad'ZalwaysV nirasta
Znegation by absenceV k!hakamZillusionV satyamZtruthV
"aramZabsoluteV dh$mahiZ do meditate upon.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @y Lord, ArB CDEFa, son of Gasude'a, O all6per'ading
Personality of &odhead, I offer @y respectful obeisances unto (ouH
I @editate upon Lord ArB CDEFa because Ie is the Absolute Truth
and the pri@e'al cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance
and destruction of the @anifested uni'ersesH Ie is directly and
indirectly conscious of all @anifestations, and Ie is independent
because there is no other cause beyond Ii@H It is Ie only Jho first
i@parted the Gedic knoJledge unto the heart of Krah@L/B, the
original li'ing beingH Ky Ii@ e'en the great sages and de@igods
are placed into illusion, as one is beJildered by the illusory
representations of Jater seen in fire, or land seen on JaterH Only
because of Ii@ do the @aterial uni'erses, te@porarily @anifested
by the reactions of the three @odes of nature, appear factual,
although they are unrealH I therefore @editate upon Ii@, Lord ArB
CDEFa, Jho is eternally eMistent in the transcendental abode, Jhich
is fore'er free fro@ the illusory representations of the @aterial
JorldH I @editate upon Ii@, for Ie is the Absolute TruthH
P8-PO-T
9beisances unto the 1ersonality of 8odhead, !"sudeva,
directly indicate Eord <r= >?@Aa, who is the divine son of
!asudeva and 7evak=. This fact will be more e:plicitly
e:plained in the te:t of this work. <r= !y"sadeva asserts
herein that <r= >?@Aa is the original 1ersonality of 8odhead,
and all others are His direct or indirect plenary portions or
portions of the portion. <r=la O=va 8osv"m= has even more
e:plicitly e:plained the sub2ect matter in his A4.5a%
sandarbha. And %rahm", the original living being, has
e:plained the sub2ect of <r= >?@Aa substantially in his
treatise named &rahma%sa-hit'. n the S'ma%(eda 7"ani.ad, it
is also stated that Eord <r= >?@Aa is the divine son of
7evak=. Therefore, in this prayer, the first proposition holds
that Eord <r= >?@Aa is the primeval Eord, and if any
transcendental nomenclature is to be understood as
belonging to the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead, it must be
the name indicated by the word >?@Aa, which means the all'
attractive. n &haga(ad%g$t', in many places, the Eord asserts
Himself to be the original 1ersonality of 8odhead, and this is
confirmed by Ar2una, and also by great sages like K"rada,
!y"sa, and many others. n the adma !r'5a, it is also
stated that out of the innumerable names of the Eord, the
name of >?@Aa is the principal one. !"sudeva indicates the
plenary portion of the 1ersonality of 8odhead, and all the
different forms of the Eord, being identical with !"sudeva,
are indicated in this te:t. The name !"sudeva particularly
indicates the divine son of !asudeva and 7evak=. <r= >?@Aa
is always meditated upon by the "aramaha-sas, who are the
perfected ones among those in the renounced order of life.
!"sudeva, or Eord <r= >?@Aa, is the cause of all causes.
;verything that e:ists emanates from the Eord. How this is
so is e:plained in later chapters of this work. This work is
described by Mah"prabhu <r= *aitanya as the spotless
!r'5a because it contains the transcendental narration of
the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa. The history of the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is also very glorious. t was compiled by
<r= !y"sadeva after he had attained maturity in
transcendental knowledge. He wrote this under the
instructions of <r= K"rada2=, his spiritual master. !y"sadeva
compiled all !edic literatures, containing the four divisions of
the /edas, the /ed'nta%s0tras 3or the &rahma%s0tras6, the
!r'5as, the 8ah'bh'rata, and so on. %ut nevertheless he
was not satisfied. His dissatisfaction was observed by his
spiritual master, and thus K"rada advised him to write on
the transcendental activities of Eord <r= >?@Aa. These
transcendental activities are described specifically in the
Tenth *anto of this work. %ut, in order to reach to the very
substance, one must proceed gradually by developing
knowledge of the categories.
t is natural that a philosophical mind wants to know about
the origin of the creation. At night he sees the stars in the
sky, and he naturally speculates about their inhabitants.
$uch in(uiries are natural for man because man has a
developed consciousness which is higher than that of the
animals. The author of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam gives a direct
answer to such in(uiries. He says that the Eord <r= >?@Aa is
the origin of all creations. He is not only the creator of the
universe, but the destroyer as well. The manifested cosmic
nature is created at a certain period by the will of the Eord. t
is maintained for some time, and then it is annihilated by His
will. Therefore, the supreme will is behind all cosmic
activities. 9f course, there are atheists of various categories
who do not believe in a creator, but that is due to a poor
fund of knowledge. The modern scientist, for e:ample, has
created space satellites, and by some arrangement or other,
these satellites are thrown into outer space to fly for some
time at the control of the scientist who is far away. $imilarly,
all the universes with innumerable stars and planets are
controlled by the intelligence of the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
n !edic literatures, it is said that the Absolute Truth,
1ersonality of 8odhead, is the chief amongst all living
personalities. All living beings, beginning from the first
created being, %rahm", down to the smallest ant, are
individual living beings. And above %rahm", there are even
other living beings with individual capacities, and the
1ersonality of 8odhead is also a similar living being. And He
is an individual as are the other living beings. %ut the
$upreme Eord, or the supreme living being, has the greatest
intelligence, and He possesses supermost inconceivable
energies of all different varieties. f a manJs brain can
produce a space satellite, one can very easily imagine how
brains higher than man can produce similarly wonderful
things which are far superior. The reasonable person will
easily accept this argument, but there are stubborn atheists
who would never agree. <r=la !y"sadeva, however, at once
accepts the supreme intelligence as the "arame1(ara. He
offers his respectful obeisances unto the supreme
intelligence addressed as the "ara or the "arame1(ara or the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. And that "arame1(ara is
<r= >?@Aa, as admitted in &haga(ad%g$t' and other scriptures
delivered by <r= !y"sadeva and specifically in this #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam. n &haga(ad%g$t', the Eord says that there is no
other "ara%tatt(a 3s!mm!m bon!m6 than Himself. Therefore,
<r= !y"sadeva at once worships the "ara%tatt(a, <r= >?@Aa,
whose transcendental activities are described in the Tenth
*anto.
Rnscrupulous persons go immediately to the Tenth *anto
and especially to the five chapters which describe the EordJs
r'sa dance. This portion of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the
most confidential part of this great literature. Rnless one is
thoroughly accomplished in the transcendental knowledge of
the Eord, one is sure to misunderstand the EordJs
worshipable transcendental pastimes called r'sa dance and
His love affairs with the go"$s. This sub2ect matter is highly
spiritual, and only the liberated persons who have gradually
attained to the stage of "aramaha-sa can transcendentally
relish this r'sa dance. <r=la !y"sadeva therefore gives the
reader the chance to gradually develop spiritual reali)ation
before actually relishing the essence of the pastimes of the
Eord. Therefore, he purposely invokes a 8"yatr= mantra,
dh$mahi. This 8"yatr= mantra is meant for spiritually
advanced people. When one is successful in chanting the
8"yatr= mantra, he can enter into the transcendental
position of the Eord. 9ne must therefore ac(uire brahminical
(ualities or be perfectly situated in the (uality of goodness in
order to chant the 8"yatr= mantra successfully and then
attain to the stage of transcendentally reali)ing the Eord, His
name, His fame, His (ualities and so on.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the narration of the s(ar0"a of the
Eord manifested by His internal potency, and this potency is
distinguished from the e:ternal potency which has
manifested the cosmic world, which is within our e:perience.
<r=la !y"sadeva makes a clear distinction between the two
in this 1loka. <r= !y"sadeva says herein that the manifested
internal potency is real, whereas the e:ternal manifested
energy in the form of material e:istence is only temporary
and illusory like the mirage in the desert. n the desert
mirage there is no actual water. There is only the
appearance of water. 0eal water is somewhere else. The
manifested cosmic creation appears as reality. %ut reality, of
which this is but a shadow, is in the spiritual world. Absolute
Truth is in the spiritual sky, not the material sky. n the
material sky everything is relative truth. That is to say, one
truth depends on something else. This cosmic creation
results from interaction of the three modes of nature, and
the temporary manifestations are so created as to present
an illusion of reality to the bewildered mind of the
conditioned soul, who appears in so many species of life,
including the higher demigods, like %rahm", ndra, *andra,
and so on. n actuality, there is no reality in the manifested
world. There appears to be reality, however, because of the
true reality which e:ists in the spiritual world, where the
1ersonality of 8odhead eternally e:ists with His
transcendental paraphernalia.
The chief engineer of a complicated construction does not
personally take part in the construction, but he knows every
nook and corner because everything is done under his
direction. He knows everything about the construction, both
directly and indirectly. $imilarly, the 1ersonality of 8odhead,
who is the supreme engineer of this cosmic creation, knows
every nook and corner, although affairs are being carried out
by demigods. %eginning from %rahm" down to the
insignificant ant, no one is independent in the material
creation. The hand of the Eord is seen everywhere. All
material elements as well as all spiritual sparks emanate
from Him only. And whatever is created in this material
world is but the interaction of two energies, the material and
the spiritual, which emanate from the Absolute Truth, the
1ersonality of 8odhead, <r= >?@Aa. A chemist can
manufacture water in the chemical laboratory by mi:ing
hydrogen and o:ygen. %ut, in reality, the living entity works
in the laboratory under the direction of the $upreme Eord.
And the materials with which he works are also supplied by
the Eord. The Eord knows everything directly and indirectly,
and He is cogni)ant of all minute details, and He is fully
independent. He is compared to a mine of gold, and the
cosmic creations in so many different forms are compared to
ob2ects made from the gold, such as gold rings, necklaces
and so on. The gold ring and the gold necklace are
(ualitatively one with the gold in the mine, but (uantitatively
the gold in the mine is different. Therefore, the Absolute
Truth is simultaneously one and different. Kothing is
absolutely e(ual with the Absolute Truth, but at the same
time, nothing is independent of the Absolute Truth.
*onditioned souls, beginning from %rahm", who engineers
the entire universe, down to the insignificant ant, are all
creating, but none of them are independent of the $upreme
Eord. The materialist wrongly thinks that there is no creator
other than his own self. This is called m'y', or illusion.
%ecause of his poor fund of knowledge, the materialist
cannot see beyond the purview of his imperfect senses, and
thus he thinks that matter automatically takes its own shape
without the aid of a superior intelligence. This is refuted in
this 1loka by <r=la !y"sadevaC D$ince the complete whole or
the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, nothing can
be independent of the body of the Absolute Truth.F
Whatever happens to the body (uickly becomes known to
the embodied. $imilarly, the creation is the body of the
absolute whole. Therefore, the Absolute knows everything
directly and indirectly that happens in the creation.
n the 1r!ti%mantra, it is also stated that the absolute whole
or %rahman is the ultimate source of everything. ;verything
emanates from Him, and everything is maintained by Him.
And at the end, everything enters into Him. That is the law of
nature. n the sm4ti%mantra, the same is confirmed. t is said
that the source from which everything emanates at the
beginning of %rahm"Js millennium and the reservoir to which
everything ultimately enters, is the Absolute Truth or
%rahman. Material scientists take it for granted that the
ultimate source of the planetary system is the sun, but they
are unable to e:plain the source of the sun. Herein, the
ultimate source is e:plained. According to the !edic
literatures, %rahm", who may be compared to the sun, is not
the ultimate creator. t is stated in this 1loka that %rahm"
was taught !edic knowledge by the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
9ne may argue that %rahm", being the original living being,
could not be inspired because there was no other being
living at that time. Herein it is stated that the $upreme Eord
inspired the secondary creator, %rahm", in order that
%rahm" could carry out his creative functions. $o, the
supreme intelligence behind all creations is the Absolute
8odhead, <r= >?@Aa. n &haga(ad%g$t', Eord <r= >?@Aa states
that it is He only who superintends the creative energy,
"rak4ti, which constitutes the totality of matter. Therefore,
<r= !y"sadeva does not worship %rahm", but the $upreme
Eord, who guides %rahm" in his creative activities. n this
1loka, the particular words abhi),a* and s(ar'< are significant.
These two words distinguish the $upreme Eord from all the
other living entities. Ko other living entity is either abhi),a* or
s(ar'<. That is, no one is either fully cogni)ant or fully
independent. ;ven %rahm" has to meditate upon the
$upreme Eord in order to create. Then what to speak of
great scientists like ;instein] The brains of such a scientist
are certainly not the products of any human being. $cientists
cannot manufacture such a brain, and what to speak of
foolish atheists who defy the authority of the Eord? ;ven
M"y"v"d= impersonalists who flatter themselves that they
can become one with the Eord are neither abhi),a* or s(ar'<.
$uch impersonalists undergo severe austerities to ac(uire
knowledge to become one with the Eord. %ut ultimately they
become dependent on some rich disciple who supplies them
with money to build monasteries and temples. Atheists like
0"vaAa or HiraAyakaPipu had to undergo severe penances
before they could flout the authority of the Eord. %ut
ultimately, they were rendered helpless and could not save
themselves when the Eord appeared before them as cruel
death. This is also the case with the modern atheists who
also dare to flout the authority of the Eord. $uch atheists will
be dealt with similarly, for history repeats itself. Whenever
men neglect the authority of the Eord, nature and her laws
are there to penali)e them. This is confirmed in &haga(ad%
g$t' in the well'known verse yad' yad' hi dharmasya gl'ni*.
DWhenever there is a decline of dharma and a rise of
adharma, 9 Ar2una, then incarnate Myself.F 3%g. M.46
That the $upreme Eord is all'perfect is confirmed in all 1r!ti%
mantras. t is said in the 1r!ti%mantras that the all'perfect
Eord threw a glance over matter and thus created all living
beings. The living beings are parts and parcels of the Eord,
and He impregnates the vast material creation with seeds of
spiritual sparks, and thus the creative energies are set in
motion to enact so many wonderful creations. An atheist
may argue that 8od is no more e:pert than a watchmaker,
but of course 8od is greater because He can create
machines in duplicate male and female forms. The male and
female forms of different types of machineries go on
producing innumerable similar machines without 8odJs
further attention. f a man could manufacture such a set of
machines that could produce other machines without his
attention, then he could approach the intelligence of 8od.
%ut that is not possible, for each machine has to be handled
individually. Therefore, no one can create as well as 8od.
Another name for 8od is asama!rdh(a, which means that no
one is e(ual to or greater than Him. ara- satyam, or the
$upreme Truth, is He who has no e(ual or superior. This is
confirmed in the 1r!ti%mantras. t is said that before the
creation of the material universe there e:isted the Eord only,
who is master of everyone. That Eord instructed %rahm" in
!edic knowledge. That Eord has to be obeyed in all respects.
Anyone who wants to get rid of the material entanglement
must surrender unto Him. This is also confirmed in &haga(ad%
g$t'.
Rnless one surrenders unto the lotus feet of the $upreme
Eord, it is certain that he will be bewildered. When an
intelligent man surrenders unto the lotus feet of >?@Aa and
knows completely that >?@Aa is the cause of all causes, as
confirmed in &haga(ad%g$t', then only can such an intelligent
man become a mah'tm', or great soul. %ut such a great soul
is rarely seen. 9nly the mah'tm's can understand that the
$upreme Eord is the primeval cause of all creations. He is
"arama or ultimate truth because all other truths are relative
to Him. He is omniscient. Hor Him, there is no illusion.
$ome M"y"v"d= scholars argue that #r$mad%&h'ga(atam was
not compiled by <r= !y"sadeva. And some of them suggest
that this book is a modern creation written by someone
named !opadeva. n order to refute such meaningless
arguments, <r= <r=dhara $v"m= points out that there is
reference to the &h'ga(atam in many of the oldest !r'5as.
This first 1loka of the &h'ga(atam begins with the 8"yatr=
mantra. There is reference to this in the 8atsya !r'5a,
which is the oldest !r'5a. n that !r'5a, it is said with
reference to the 8"yatr= mantra in the &h'ga(atam that there
are many narrations of spiritual instructions beginning with
the 8"yatr= mantra. And there is the history of !?tr"sura.
Anyone who makes a gift of this great work on a full moon
day attains to the highest perfection of life by returning to
8odhead. There is reference to the &h'ga(atam in other
!r'5as also, where it is clearly stated that this work was
finished in twelve cantos, which include eighteen thousand
1lokas. n the adma !r'5a also there is reference to the
&h'ga(atam in a conversation between 8autama and
Mah"r"2a Ambar=@a. The king was advised therein to read
regularly #r$mad%&h'ga(atam if he desired liberation from
material bondage. Rnder the circumstances, there is no
doubt about the authority of the &h'ga(atam. Within the past
five hundred years, many erudite scholars and 'c'ryas like
O=va 8osv"m=, $an"tana 8osv"m=, !iPvan"tha *akravart=,
!allabh"c"rya, and many other distinguished scholars even
after the time of Eord *aitanya made elaborate
commentaries on the &h'ga(atam. And the serious student
would do well to attempt to go through them to better relish
the transcendental messages.
<r=la !iPvan"tha *akravart= Sh"kura specifically deals with
the original and pure se: psychology 3'di%rasa6, devoid of all
mundane inebriety. The whole material creation is mo(ing
!nder the "rinci"le of se? life. n modern civili)ation, se: life is
the focal point for all activities. Wherever one turns his face,
he sees se: life predominant. Therefore, se: life is not
unreal. ts reality is e:perienced in the spiritual world. The
material se: life is but a perverted reflection of the original
fact. The original fact is in the Absolute Truth, and thus the
Absolute Truth cannot be impersonal. t is not possible to be
impersonal and contain pure se: life. *onse(uently, the
impersonalist philosophers have given indirect impetus to
the abominable mundane se: life because they have
overstressed the impersonality of the ultimate truth.
*onse(uently, man without information of the actual
spiritual form of se: has accepted perverted material se: life
as the all in all. There is a distinction between se: life in the
diseased material condition and spiritual se: life.
This #r$mad%&h'ga(atam will gradually elevate the unbiased
reader to the highest perfectional stage of transcendence. t
will enable him to transcend the three modes of material
activitiesC fruitive actions, speculative philosophy, and
worship of functional deities as inculcated in !edic verses.
T!T N
>a$a-0 PaOaei)PTak6Ta'ae+<a Par$aae i#a$a-TSaraQaa;
SaTaa;
'e*; 'aSTa'$a<a 'STau i!a'd; TaaPa<a(aae#$a8lR#a$a2 9
BO?$aSa&a'Tae $aha$aui#ak:6Tae ik;6 'a Parr?Tr0
Sa*ae 5*'D>(aTae+<a k:6iTai%a0 BuBO8=ui%aSTaTUaQaaTa2 99 N 99
dharma* "ro))hita%kaita(o 2tra "aramo nirmatsar'5'- sat'-
(edya- ('sta(am atra (ast! 1i(ada- t'"a%trayonm0lanam
1r$mad%bh'ga(ate mah'%m!ni%k4te ki- (' "arair $1(ara*
sadyo h4dy a(ar!dhyate 2tra k4tibhi* 1!1r0.!bhis tat%k.a5't
S(#O#($S
dharma*ZreligiosityV "ro))hitaZcompletely re2ectedV kaita(a*
Zcovered by fruitive intentionV atraZhereinV "arama*Zthe
highestV nirmatsar'5'mZof the one'hundred'percent pure in
heartV sat'mZdevoteesV (edyamZunderstandableV ('sta(amZ
factualV atraZhereinV (ast!ZsubstanceV 1i(adamZwell'beingV
t'"a%trayaZthreefold miseriesV !nm0lanamZcausing
uprooting ofV 1r$matZbeautifulV bh'ga(ateZthe &h'ga(ata
!r'5aC mah'%m!niZthe great sage 3!y"sadeva6V k4teZ
having compiledV kimZwhat isV ('Zthe needV "arai*ZothersV
$1(ara*Zthe $upreme EordV sadya*Zat onceV h4diZwithin
the heartV a(ar!dhyateZbecome compactV atraZhereinV
k4tibhi*Zby the pious menV 1!1r0.!bhi*Zby cultureV tat%
k.a5'tZwithout delay.
T-A#SLATIO#
Co@pletely re/ecting all religious acti'ities Jhich are @aterially
@oti'ated, this KhLga'ata PurLFa propounds the highest truth,
Jhich is understandable by those de'otees Jho are fully pure in
heartH The highest truth is reality distinguished fro@ illusion for
the Jelfare of allH Such truth uproots the threefold @iseriesH This
beautiful KhLga'ata@, co@piled by the great sage GyLsade'a Oin
his @aturity3, is sufficient in itself for &od reali=ationH Vhat is the
need of any other scriptureW As soon as one attenti'ely and
sub@issi'ely hears the @essage of KhLga'ata@, by this culture of
knoJledge the Supre@e Lord is established Jithin his heartH
P8-PO-T
0eligion includes four primary sub2ects, namely pious
activities, economic development, satisfaction of the senses,
and finally liberation from material bondage. rreligious life is
a barbarous condition. ndeed, human life begins when
religion begins. ;ating, sleeping, fearing, and mating are the
four principles of animal life. These are common both to
animals and to human beings. %ut religion is the e:tra
function of the human being. Without religion, human life is
no better than animal life. Therefore, in human societies
there is some form of religion which aims at self'reali)ation
and which makes reference to manJs eternal relationship
with 8od.
n the lower stages of human civili)ation, there is always
competition to lord it over the material nature or, in other
words, there is a continuous rivalry to satisfy the senses.
7riven by such consciousness, man turns to religion. He thus
performs pious activities or religious functions in order to
gain something material. %ut if such material gains are
obtainable in other ways, then so'called religion is neglected.
This is the situation in modern civili)ation. Man is thriving
economically, so at present he is not very interested in
religion. *hurches, mos(ues or temples are now practically
vacant. Men are more interested in factories, shops, and
cinemas than in religious places which were erected by their
forefathers. This practically proves that religion is performed
for some economic gains. ;conomic gains are needed for
sense gratification. 9ften when one is baffled in the pursuit
of sense gratification, he takes to salvation and tries to
become one with the $upreme Eord. *onse(uently, all these
states are simply different types of sense gratification.
n the /edas, the above'mentioned four activities are
prescribed in the regulative way so that there will not be any
undue competition for sense gratification. %ut #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is transcendental to all these sense gratificatory
activities. t is purely transcendental literature which can be
understood only by the pure devotees of the Eord who are
transcendental to competitive sense gratification. n the
material world there is keen competition between animal
and animal, man and man, community and community,
nation and nation. %ut the devotees of the Eord rise above
such competitions. They do not compete with the materialist
because they are on the path back to 8odhead where life is
eternal and blissful. $uch transcendentalists are nonenvious
and pure in heart. n the material world, everyone is envious
of everyone else, and therefore there is competition. %ut the
transcendental devotees of the Eord are not only free from
material envy, but are well'wishers to everyone, and they
strive to establish a competitionless society with 8od in the
center. The contemporary socialistJs conception of a
competitionless society is artificial because in the socialist
state there is competition for the post of dictator. Hrom the
point of view of the /edas or from the point of view of
common human activities, sense gratification is the basis of
material life. There are three paths mentioned in the /edas.
9ne involves fruitive activities to gain promotion to better
planets. Another involves worshiping different demigods for
promotion to the planets of the demigods, and another
involves reali)ing the Absolute Truth and His impersonal
feature and becoming one with Him.
The impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth is not the
highest. Above the impersonal feature is the 1aram"tm"
feature, and above this is the personal feature of the
Absolute Truth, or %hagav"n. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam gives
information about the Absolute Truth in His personal feature.
t is higher than impersonalist literatures and higher than the
),'na%k'5;a division of the /edas. t is even higher than the
karma%k'5;a division, and even higher than the !"'san'%
k'5;a division, because it recommends the worship of the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, Eord <r= >?@Aa. n the
karma%k'5;a, there is competition to reach heavenly planets
for better sense gratification, and there is similar
competition in the ),'na%k'5;a and the !"'san'%k'5;a. The
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is superior to all of these because it aims
at the $upreme Truth which is the substance or the root of
all categories. Hrom #r$mad%&h'ga(atam one can come to
know the substance as well as the categories. The substance
is the Absolute Truth, the $upreme Eord, and all emanations
are relative forms of energy.
Kothing is apart from the substance, but at the same time
the energies are different from the substance. This
conception is not contradictory. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam
e:plicitly promulgates this simultaneously'one'and'different
philosophy of the /ed'nta%s0tra, which begins with the
D)anm'dy asyaF #$% +.+.+& s0tra.
This knowledge that the energy of the Eord is simultaneously
one with and different from the Eord is an answer to the
mental speculatorsJ attempt to establish the energy as the
Absolute. When this knowledge is factually understood, one
sees the conceptions of monism and dualism to be
imperfect. 7evelopment of this transcendental
consciousness grounded in the conception of
simultaneously'one'and'different leads one immediately to
the stage of freedom from the threefold miseries. The
threefold miseries are 3"6 those miseries which arise from
the mind and body, 3N6 those miseries inflicted by other
living beings, and 3X6 those miseries arising from natural
catastrophes over which one has no control. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam begins with the surrender of the devotee unto
the Absolute 1erson. The devotee is fully aware that he is
one with the Absolute and at the same time in the eternal
position of servant to the Absolute. n the material
conception, one falsely thinks himself the lord of all he
surveys, and therefore he is always troubled by the threefold
miseries of life. %ut as soon as one comes to know his real
position as transcendental servant, he at once becomes free
from all miseries. As long as the living entity is trying to
master material nature, there is no possibility of his
becoming servant of the $upreme. $ervice to the Eord is
rendered in pure consciousness of oneJs spiritual identityV by
service one is immediately freed from material
encumbrances.
9ver and above this, #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is a personal
commentation on the /ed'nta%s0tra by <r= !y"sadeva. t was
written in the maturity of his spiritual life through the mercy
of K"rada. <r= !y"sadeva is the authori)ed incarnation of
K"r"yaAa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead. Therefore, there is no
(uestion as to his authority. He is the author of all other
!edic literatures, yet he recommends the study of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam above all others. n other !r'5as there are
different methods set forth by which one can worship the
demigods. %ut in the &h'ga(atam only the $upreme Eord is
mentioned. The $upreme Eord is the total body, and the
demigods are the different parts of that body. *onse(uently,
by worshiping the $upreme Eord, one does not need to
worship the demigods. The $upreme Eord becomes fi:ed in
the heart of the devotee immediately. Eord *aitanya
Mah"prabhu has recommended the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam as
the spotless !r'5a and distinguishes it from all other
!r'5as.
The proper method for receiving this transcendental
message is to hear it submissively. A challenging attitude
cannot help one reali)e this transcendental message. 9ne
particular word is used herein for proper guidance. This word
is 1!1r0.!. 9ne must be an:ious to hear this transcendental
message. The desire to sincerely hear is the first
(ualification.
Eess fortunate persons are not at all interested in hearing
this #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. The process is simple, but the
application is difficult. Rnfortunate people find enough time
to hear idle social and political conversations, but when
invited to attend a meeting of devotees to hear #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam they suddenly become reluctant. $ometimes
professional readers of the &h'ga(atam immediately plunge
into the confidential topics of the pastimes of the $upreme
Eord, which they seemingly interpret as se: literature.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is meant to be heard from the
beginning. Those who are fit to assimilate this work are
mentioned in this 1lokaI D9ne becomes (ualified to hear
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam after many pious deeds.F The intelligent
person, with thoughtful discretion, can be assured by the
great sage !y"sadeva that he can reali)e the $upreme
1ersonality directly by hearing #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. Without
undergoing the different stages of reali)ation set forth in the
/edas, one can be lifted immediately to the position of
"aramaha-sa simply by agreeing to receive this message.
T!T X
i#a&a$ak6LPaTarae&a-ilRTa; f6l;R
Buk6$auYad$a:Tad3'Sa;(auTa$a2 9
iPabTa %aa&a'Ta; rSa$aalR(a;
$auhurhae riSak6a %aui' %aa'uk6a0 99 X 99
nigama%kal"a%taror galita- "hala-
1!ka%m!kh'd am4ta%dra(a%sa-y!tam
"ibata bh'ga(ata- rasam 'laya-
m!h!r aho rasik' bh!(i bh'(!k'*
S(#O#($S
nigamaZthe !edic literaturesV kal"a%taro*Zthe desire treeV
galitamZfully maturedV "halamZfruitV 1!kaZ<r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m=, the original speaker of #r$mad%&h'ga(atamC
m!kh'tZfrom the lips ofV am4taZnectarV dra(aZsemisolid
and soft and therefore easily swallowableV sa-y!tamZperfect
in all respectsV "ibataZdo relish itV bh'ga(atamZthe book
dealing in the science of the eternal relation with the EordV
rasamZ2uice 3that which is relishable6V 'layamZuntil
liberation, or even in a liberated conditionV m!h!*ZalwaysV
ahoZ9V rasik'*Zthose who are full in the knowledge of
mellowsV bh!(iZon the earthV bh'(!k'*Ze:pert and
thoughtful.
T-A#SLATIO#
O eMpert and thoughtful @en, relish ArB@ad6KhLga'ata@, the
@ature fruit of the desire tree of Gedic literaturesH It e@anated
fro@ the lips of ArB Aukade'a &os'L@BH Therefore this fruit has
beco@e e'en @ore tasteful, although its nectarean /uice Jas
already relishable for all, including liberated soulsH
P8-PO-T
n the two previous 1lokas it has been definitely proved that
the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the sublime literature which
surpasses all other !edic scriptures due to its transcendental
(ualities. t is transcendental to all mundane activities and
mundane knowledge. n this 1loka it is stated that #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is not only a superior literature but is the ripened
fruit of all !edic literatures. n other words, it is the cream of
all !edic knowledge. *onsidering all this, patient and
submissive hearing is definitely essential. With great respect
and attention, one should receive the message and lessons
imparted by the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
The /edas are compared to the desire tree because they
contain all things knowable by man. They deal with mundane
necessities as well as spiritual reali)ation. The /edas contain
regulated principles of knowledge covering social, political,
religious, economic, military, medicinal, chemical, physical
and metaphysical sub2ect matter and all that may be
necessary to keep the body and soul together. Above and
beyond all this are specific directions for spiritual reali)ation.
0egulated knowledge involves a gradual raising of the living
entity to the spiritual platform, and the highest spiritual
reali)ation is knowledge that the 1ersonality of 8odhead is
the reservoir of all spiritual tastes, or rasas.
;very living entity, beginning from %rahm", the first'born
living being within the material world, down to the
insignificant ant, desires to relish some sort of taste derived
from sense perceptions. These sensual pleasures are
technically called rasas. $uch rasas are of different varieties.
n the revealed scriptures the following twelve varieties of
rasas are enumeratedC 3"6 ra!dra 3anger6, 3N6 adbh!ta
3wonder6, 3X6 143g'ra 3con2ugal love6, 3Z6 h'sya 3comedy6, 3[6
($ra 3chivalry6, 3\6 day' 3mercy6, 3]6 d'sya 3servitorship6, 3^6
sakhya 3fraternity6, 3_6 bhay'naka 3horror6, 3"`6 b$bhatsa
3shock6, 3""6 1'nta 3neutrality6, 3"N6 ('tsalya 3parenthood6.
The sum total of all these rasas is called affection or love.
1rimarily, such signs of love are manifested in adoration,
service, friendship, paternal affection, and con2ugal love. And
when these five are absent, love is present indirectly in
anger, wonder, comedy, chivalry, fear, shock and so on. Hor
e:ample, when a man is in love with a woman, the rasa is
called con2ugal love. %ut when such love affairs are
disturbed there may be wonder, anger, shock, or even
horror. $ometimes love affairs between two persons
culminate in ghastly murder scenes. $uch rasas are
displayed between man and man and between animal and
animal. There is no possibility of an e:change or rasa
between a man and an animal or between a man and any
other species of living beings within the material world. The
rasas are e:changed between members of the same species.
%ut as far as the spirit souls are concerned, they are one
(ualitatively with the $upreme Eord. Therefore, the rasas
were originally e:changed between the spiritual living being
and the spiritual whole, the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead. The spiritual e:change or rasa is fully e:hibited in
spiritual e:istence between living beings and the $upreme
Eord.
The $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead is therefore described
in the 1r!ti%mantras, !edic hymns, as Dthe fountainhead of all
rasas.F When one associates with the $upreme Eord and
e:changes oneJs constitutional rasa with the Eord, then the
living being is actually happy.
These 1r!ti%mantras indicate that every living being has its
constitutional position, which is endowed with a particular
type of rasa to be e:changed with the 1ersonality of
8odhead. n the liberated condition only, this primary rasa is
e:perienced in full. n the material e:istence, the rasa is
e:perienced in the perverted form, which is temporary. And
thus the rasas of the material world are e:hibited in the
material form of ra!dra 3anger6 and so on.
Therefore, one who attains full knowledge of these different
rasas, which are the basic principles of activities, can
understand the false representations of the original rasas
which are reflected in the material world. The learned
scholar seeks to relish the real rasa in the spiritual form. n
the beginning he desires to become one with the $upreme.
Thus, less intelligent transcendentalists cannot go beyond
this conception of becoming one with the spirit whole,
without knowing of the different rasas.
n this 1loka, it is definitely stated that spiritual rasa, which is
relished even in the liberated stage, can be e:perienced in
the literature of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam due to its being the
ripened fruit of all !edic knowledge. %y submissively hearing
this transcendental literature, one can attain the full
pleasure of his heartJs desire. %ut one must be very careful
to hear the message from the right source. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is e:actly received from the right source. t was
brought by K"rada Muni from the spiritual world and given to
his disciple <r= !y"sadeva. The latter in turn delivered the
message to his son <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=, and <r=la
<ukadeva 8osv"m= delivered the message to Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it 2ust seven days before the >ingJs death. <r=la
<ukadeva 8osv"m= was a liberated soul from his very birth.
He was liberated even in the womb of his mother, and he did
not undergo any sort of spiritual training after his birth. At
birth no one is (ualified, neither in the mundane nor in the
spiritual sense. %ut <r= <ukadeva 8osv"m=, due to his being
a perfectly liberated soul, did not have to undergo an
evolutionary process for spiritual reali)ation. Xet despite his
being a completely liberated person situated in the
transcendental position above the three material modes, he
was attracted to this transcendental rasa of the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead, who is adored by liberated souls
who sing !edic hymns. The $upreme EordJs pastimes are
more attractive to liberated souls than to mundane people.
He is of necessity not impersonal because it is only possible
to carry on transcendental rasa with a person.
n the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam the transcendental pastimes of
the Eord are narrated, and the narration is systematically
depicted by <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=. Thus the sub2ect
matter is appealing to all classes of persons, including those
who seek liberation and those who seek to become one with
the supreme whole.
n $anskrit the parrot is also known as 1!ka. When a ripened
fruit is cut by the red beaks of such birds, its sweet flavor is
enhanced. The !edic fruit which is mature and ripe in
knowledge is spoken through the lips of <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m=, who is compared to the parrot not for his ability to
recite the &h'ga(atam e:actly as he heard it from his learned
father, but for his ability to present the work in a manner
that would appeal to all classes of men.
The sub2ect matter is so presented through the lips of <r=la
<ukadeva 8osv"m= that any sincere listener that hears
submissively can at once relish transcendental tastes which
are distinct from the perverted tastes of the material world.
The ripened fruit is not dropped all of a sudden from the
highest planet of >?@Aaloka. 0ather, it has come down
carefully through the chain of disciplic succession without
change or disturbance. Hoolish people who are not in the
transcendental disciplic succession commit great blunders
by trying to understand the highest transcendental rasa
known as the r'sa dance without following in the footsteps of
<ukadeva 8osv"m=, who presents this fruit very carefully by
stages of transcendental reali)ation. 9ne should be
intelligent enough to know the position of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam by considering personalities like <ukadeva
8osv"m=, who deals with the sub2ect so carefully. This
process of disciplic succession of the &h'ga(ata school
suggests that in the future also #r$mad%&h'ga(atam has to
be understood from a person who is factually a
representative of <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=. A professional
man who makes a business out of reciting the &h'ga(atam
illegally is certainly not a representative of <ukadeva
8osv"m=. $uch a manJs business is only to earn his
livelihood. Therefore one should refrain from hearing the
lectures of such professional men. $uch men usually go to
the most confidential part of the literature without
undergoing the gradual process of understanding this grave
sub2ect. They usually plunge into the sub2ect matter of the
r'sa dance, which is misunderstood by the foolish class of
men. $ome of them take this to be immoral, while others try
to cover it up by their own stupid interpretations. They have
no desire to follow in the footsteps of <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m=.
9ne should conclude, therefore, that the serious student of
the rasa should receive the message of &h'ga(atam in the
chain of disciplic succession from <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=,
who describes the &h'ga(atam from its very beginning and
not whimsically to satisfy the mundaner who has very little
knowledge in transcendental science. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is
so carefully presented that a sincere and serious person can
at once en2oy the ripened fruit of !edic knowledge simply by
drinking the nectarean 2uice through the mouth of <ukadeva
8osv"m= or his bona fide representative.
T!T Z
#ai$a=e+i#ai$a=Uae<ae a=(a0 !aa#ak6ad(a0 9
Sa<a; S'&aa-(alRaek6a(a SahbSa$a$aaSaTa 99 Z 99
naimi.e 2nimi.a%k.etre
4.aya* 1a!nak'daya*
satra- s(arg'ya lok'ya
sahasra%samam 'sata
S(#O#($S
naimi.eZin the forest known as Kaimi@"raAyaV animi.a%
k.etreZthe spot which is especially a favorite of !i@Au 3who
does not close His eyelids6V 4.aya*ZsagesV 1a!naka%'daya*Z
headed by the sage <aunakaV satramZsacrificeV s(arg'yaZ
the Eord who is glorified in heavenV lok'yaZand for the
devotees who are always in touch with the EordV sahasraZ
one thousandV samamZyearsV 'sataZperformed.
T-A#SLATIO#
Once, in a holy place in the forest of #ai@iELraFya, great sages
headed by the sage Aaunaka asse@bled to perfor@ a great
thousand6year sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord and Iis
de'oteesH
P8-PO-T
The prelude of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam was spoken in the
previous three 1lokas. Kow the main topic of this great
literature is being presented. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, after its
first recitation by <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=, was repeated
for the second time at Kaimi@"raAya.
n the /'ya($ya Tantra, it is said that %rahm", the engineer
of this particular universe, contemplated a great wheel
which could enclose the universe. The hub of this great circle
was fi:ed at a particular place known as Kaimi@"raAya.
$imilarly, there is another reference to the forest of
Kaimi@"raAya in the /ar'ha !r'5a, where it is stated that
by performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of
demoniac people is curtailed. Thus br'hma5as prefer
Kaimi@"raAya for such sacrificial performances.
The devotees of Eord !i@Au offer all kinds of sacrifices for His
pleasure. The devotees are always attached to the service of
the Eord, whereas fallen souls are attached to the pleasures
of material e:istence. n &haga(ad%g$t', it is said that
anything performed in the material world for any reason
other than for the pleasure of Eord !i@Au causes further
bondage for the performer. t is en2oined therefore that all
acts must be performed sacrificially for the satisfaction of
!i@Au and His devotees. This will bring everyone peace and
prosperity.
The great sages are always an:ious to do good to the people
in general, and as such the sages headed by <aunaka and
others assembled at this holy place of Kaimi@"raAya with a
program of performing a great and continuous chain of
sacrificial ceremonies. Horgetful men do not know the right
path for peace and prosperity. However, the sages know it
well, and therefore for the good of all men they are always
an:ious to perform acts which may bring about peace in the
world. They are sincere friends to all living entities, and at
the risk of great personal inconvenience they are always
engaged in the service of the Eord for the good of all people.
Eord !i@Au is 2ust like a great tree, and all others, including
the demigods, men, $iddhas, *"raAas, !idy"dharas and
other living entities, are like branches, twigs and leaves of
that tree. %y pouring water on the root of the tree, all the
parts of the tree are automatically nourished. 9nly those
branches and leaves which are detached cannot be so
satisfied. 7etached branches and leaves dry up gradually
despite all watering attempts. $imilarly, human society,
when it is detached from the 1ersonality of 8odhead like
detached branches and leaves, is not capable of being
watered, and one attempting to do so is simply wasting his
energy and resources.
The modern materialistic society is detached from its
relation to the $upreme Eord. And all its plans which are
being made by atheistic leaders are sure to be baffled at
every step. Xet they do not wake up to this.
n this age, the congregational chanting of the holy names of
the Eord is the prescribed method for waking up. The ways
and means are most scientifically presented by Eord <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu, and intelligent persons may take
advantage of His teachings in order to bring about real
peace and prosperity. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is also presented
for the same purpose, and this will be e:plained more
specifically later in the te:t.
T!T [
Ta Vk6da Tau $au#a(a0 PaOaTahu-TahuTaa&an(a0 9
SaTk:6Ta; Sa8Ta$aaSa?#a; PaPaOCcuird$aadraTa2 99 [ 99
ta ekad' t! m!naya*
"r'tar h!ta%h!t'gnaya*
sat%k4ta- s0tam 's$na-
"a"racch!r idam 'dar't
S(#O#($S
teZthe sagesV ekad'Zone dayV t!ZbutV m!naya*ZsagesV
"r'ta*ZmorningV h!taZburningV h!ta%agnaya*Zthe sacrificial
fireV sat%k4tamZdue respectsV s0tamZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m=V
's$namZseated onV "a"racch!*Zmade in(uiriesV idamZon
this 3as follows6V 'dar'tZwith due regards.
T-A#SLATIO#
One day, after finishing their @orning duties by burning a
sacrificial fire and offering a seat of estee@ to ArBla Sdta &os'L@B,
the great sages @ade in?uiries, Jith great respect, about the
folloJing @attersH
P8-PO-T
Morning is the best time to hold spiritual services. The great
sages offered the speaker of the &h'ga(atam an elevated
seat of respect called the (y's'sana, or the seat of <r=
!y"sadeva. <r= !y"sadeva is the original spiritual preceptor
for all men. And all other preceptors are considered to be his
representatives. A representative is one who can e:actly
present the viewpoint of <r= !y"sadeva. <r= !y"sadeva
impregnated the message of &h'ga(atam unto <r=la
<ukadeva 8osv"m=, and <r= $Lta 8osv"m= heard it from
him 3<r= <ukadeva 8osv"m=6. All bona fide representatives
of <r= !y"sadeva in the chain of disciplic succession are to
be understood to be gos('m$s. These gos('m$s restrain all
their senses, and they stick to the path made by the
previous 'c'ryas. The gos('m$s do not deliver lectures on the
&h'ga(atam capriciously. 0ather, they e:ecute their services
most carefully, following their predecessors who delivered
the spiritual message unbroken to them.
Those who listen to the &h'ga(atam may put (uestions to the
speaker in order to elicit the clear meaning, but this should
not be done in a challenging spirit. 9ne must submit
(uestions with a great regard for the speaker and the
sub2ect matter. This is also the way recommended in
&haga(ad%g$t'. 9ne must learn the transcendental sub2ect by
submissive aural reception from the right sources. Therefore
these sages addressed the speaker $Lta 8osv"m= with great
respect.
T!T \
a=(a Ocu0
T'(aa YluR PauraQaai#a SaeiTahaSaai#a ca#aga 9
Aae(aaTaa#(aP(a>a?Taai#a >a$a-!aaEaiQa (aa#(auTa 99 \ 99
4.aya 0c!*
t(ay' khal! "!r'5'ni
setih's'ni c'nagha
'khy't'ny a"y adh$t'ni
dharma%1'str'5i y'ny !ta
S(#O#($S
4.aya*Zthe sagesV 0c!*ZsaidV t(ay'Zby youV khal!Z
undoubtedlyV "!r'5'niZthe supplements to the /edas with
illustrative narrationsV sa%itih's'niZalong with the historiesV
caZandV anaghaZfreed from all vicesV 'khy't'niZe:plainedV
a"iZalthoughV adh$t'niZwell readV dharma%1'str'5iZ
scriptures giving right directions to progressive lifeV y'niZall
theseV !taZsaid.
T-A#SLATIO#
The sages saide -espected Sdta &os'L@B, you are co@pletely free
fro@ all 'iceH (ou are Jell 'ersed in all the scriptures fa@ous for
religious life, and in the PurLFas and the histories as Jell, for you
ha'e gone through the@ under proper guidance and ha'e also
eMplained the@H
P8-PO-T
A gos('m$, or the bona fide representative of <r= !y"sadeva,
must be free from all kinds of vices. The four ma2or vices of
>ali'yuga are 3"6 illicit connection with women, 3N6 animal
slaughter, 3X6 into:ication, 3Z6 speculative gambling of all
sorts. A gos('m$ must be free from all these vices before he
can dare sit on the (y's'sana. Ko one should be allowed to
sit on the (y's'sana who is not spotless in character and who
is not freed from the above'mentioned vices. He not only
should be freed from all such vices, but must also be well
versed in all revealed scriptures or in the /edas. The !r'5as
are also parts of the /edas. And histories like the
8ah'bh'rata or R'm'ya5a are also parts of the /edas. The
'c'rya or the gos('m$ must be well ac(uainted with all these
literatures. To hear and e:plain them is more important than
reading them. 9ne can assimilate the knowledge of the
revealed scriptures only by hearing and e:plaining. Hearing
is called 1ra(a5a, and e:plaining is called k$rtana. The two
processes of 1ra(a5a and k$rtana are of primary importance
to progressive spiritual life. 9nly one who has properly
grasped the transcendental knowledge from the right source
by submissive hearing can properly e:plain the sub2ect.
T!T ]
(aai#a 'edi'da; BOefae %a&a'a#a2 badra(aQa0 9
A#(ae c $au#a(a0 Sa8Ta Para'ri'dae i'du0 99 ] 99
y'ni (eda%(id'- 1re.<ho
bhaga('n b'dar'ya5a*
anye ca m!naya* s0ta
"ar'(ara%(ido (id!*
S(#O#($S
y'niZall thatV (eda%(id'mZscholars of the /edasC 1re.<ha*Z
seniormostV bhaga('nZincarnation of 8odheadV b'dar'ya5a*
Z!y"sadevaV anyeZothersV caZandV m!naya*Zthe sagesV
s0taZ9 $Lta 8osv"m=V "ar'(ara%(ida*Zamongst the learned
scholars, one who is conversant with physical and
metaphysical knowledgeV (id!*Zone who knows.
T-A#SLATIO#
Keing the eldest learned GedLntist, O Sdta &os'L@B, you are
ac?uainted Jith the knoJledge of GyLsade'a, Jho is the
incarnation of &odhead, and you also knoJ other sages Jho are
fully 'ersed in all kinds of physical and @etaphysical knoJledgeH
P8-PO-T
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is a natural commentation on the
&rahma%s0tra, or the &'dar'ya5i /ed'nta%s0tras. t is called
natural because !y"sadeva is author of both the /ed'nta%
s0tras and #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, or the essence of all !edic
literatures. %esides !y"sadeva, there are other sages who
are the authors of si: different philosophical systems,
namely 8autama, >aA"da, >apila, 1ata^2ali, Oaimini and
A@T"vakra. Theism is e:plained completely in the /ed'nta%
s0tra, whereas in other systems of philosophical
speculations, practically no mention is given to the ultimate
cause of all causes. 9ne can sit on the (y's'sana only after
being conversant in all systems of philosophy so that one
can present fully the theistic views of the &h'ga(atam in
defiance of all other systems. <r=la $Lta 8osv"m= was the
proper teacher, and therefore the sages at Kaimi@"raAya
elevated him to the (y's'sana. <r=la !y"sadeva is
designated herein as the 1ersonality of 8odhead because he
is the authori)ed empowered incarnation.
T!T ^
'eTQa T'; Saa$(a TaTSa'g Tat'TaSTad#au&a3haTa2 9
b38(au0 ih&>aS(a i!a.(aS(a &aur'ae &au7$aP(auTa 99 ^ 99
(ettha t(a- sa!mya tat sar(a-
tatt(atas tad%an!grah't
br0y!* snigdhasya 1i.yasya
g!ra(o g!hyam a"y !ta
S(#O#($S
(etthaZyou are well conversantV t(amZXour HonorV sa!myaZ
one who is pure and simpleV tatZthoseV sar(amZallV tatt(ata*
Zin factV tatZtheirV an!grah'tZby the favor ofV br0y!*Zwill
tellV snigdhasyaZof the one who is submissiveV 1i.yasyaZof
the discipleV g!ra(a*Zthe spiritual mastersV g!hyamZsecretV
a"i !taZendowed with.
T-A#SLATIO#
And because you are sub@issi'e, your spiritual @asters ha'e
endoJed you Jith all the fa'ors bestoJed upon a gentle discipleH
Therefore you can tell us all that you ha'e scientifically learned
fro@ the@H
P8-PO-T
The secret of success in spiritual life is in satisfying the
spiritual master and thereby getting his sincere blessings.
<r=la !iPvan"tha *akravart= Sh"kura has sung in his famous
eight stan)as on the spiritual master as followsC D offer my
respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual
master. 9nly by his satisfaction can one please the
1ersonality of 8odhead, and when he is dissatisfied there is
only havoc on the path of spiritual reali)ation.F t is essential,
therefore, that a disciple be very much obedient and
submissive to the bona fide spiritual master. <r=la $Lta
8osv"m= fulfilled all these (ualifications as a disciple, and
therefore he was endowed with all favors by his learned and
self'reali)ed spiritual masters such as <r=la !y"sadeva and
others. The sages of Kaimi@"raAya were confident that <r=la
$Lta 8osv"m= was bona fide. Therefore they were an:ious
to hear from him.
T!T _
Ta<a Ta<aaiSaa(au.$a#a2 %a'Taa (aiji#ai,Ta$a2 9
Pau;Saa$aek6a#TaTa0 BOe(aSTak0 !a;iSaTau$ah-iSa 99 _ 99
tatra tatr',)as'y!.man
bha(at' yad (ini1citam
"!-s'm ek'ntata* 1reyas
tan na* 1a-sit!m arhasi
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereofV tatraZthereofV a,)as'Zmade easyV 'y!.manZ
blessed with a long duration of lifeV bha(at'Zby your good
selfV yatZwhateverV (ini1citamZascertainedV "!-s'mZfor the
people in generalV ek'ntata*ZabsolutelyV 1reya*Zultimate
goodV tatZthatV na*Zto usV 1a-sit!mZto e:plainV arhasiZ
deserve.
T-A#SLATIO#
Please, therefore, being blessed Jith @any years, eMplain to us, in
an easily understandable Jay, Jhat you ha'e ascertained to be the
absolute and ulti@ate good for the people in generalH
P8-PO-T
n &haga(ad%g$t', worship of the 'c'rya is recommended. The
'c'ryas and gos('m$s are always absorbed in thought of the
well'being of the general public, especially their spiritual
well'being. $piritual wellbeing is automatically followed by
material well'being. The 'c'ryas therefore give directions in
spiritual well'being for people in general. Horeseeing the
incompetencies of the people in this age of >ali, or the iron
age of (uarrel, the sages re(uested that $Lta 8osv"m= give
a summary of all revealed scriptures because the people of
this age are condemned in every respect. The sages,
therefore, in(uired of the absolute good, which is the
ultimate good for the people. The condemned state of affairs
of the people of this age is described as follows.
T!T "`
PaOa(aeQaaLPaa(au=0 Sa%(a k6lRa'iS$a#a2 (au&ae )a#aa0 9
$a#da0 Sau$a#d$aTa(aae $a#d%aa&(aa 7uPad3uTaa0 99 "` 99
"r'ye5'l"'y!.a* sabhya
kal'( asmin y!ge )an'*
mand'* s!manda%matayo
manda%bh'gy' hy !"adr!t'*
S(#O#($S
"r'ye5aZalmost alwaysV al"aZmeagerV 'y!.a*Zduration of
lifeV sabhyaZmember of a learned societyV kala!Zin this age
of >ali 3(uarrel6V asminZhereinV y!geZageV )an'*Zthe publicV
mand'*Zla)yV s!manda%mataya*ZmisguidedV manda%bh'gy'*
ZunluckyV hiZand above allV !"adr!t'*Zdisturbed.
T-A#SLATIO#
O learned one, in this iron age of Cali @en ha'e but short li'esH
They are ?uarrelso@e, la=y, @isguided, unlucky and, abo'e all,
alJays disturbedH
P8-PO-T
The devotees of the Eord are always an:ious for the spiritual
improvement of the general public. When the sages of
Kaimi@"raAya analy)ed the state of affairs of the people in
this age of >ali, they foresaw that men would live short lives.
n >ali'yuga, the duration of life is shortened not so much
because of insufficient food but because of irregular habits.
%y keeping regular habits and eating simple food, any man
can maintain his health. 9vereating, over'sense gratification,
overdependence on anotherJs mercy, and artificial standards
of living sap the very vitality of human energy. Therefore the
duration of life is shortened.
The people of this age are also very la)y, not only materially
but in the matter of self'reali)ation. The human life is
especially meant for self'reali)ation. That is to say, man
should come to know what he is, what the world is, and what
the supreme truth is. Human life is a means by which the
living entity can end all the miseries of the hard struggle for
life in material e:istence and by which he can return to
8odhead, his eternal home. %ut, due to a bad system of
education, men have no desire for self'reali)ation. ;ven if
they come to know about it, they unfortunately become
victims of misguided teachers.
n this age, men are victims not only of different political
creeds and parties, but also of many different types of
sense'gratificatory diversions, such as cinemas, sports,
gambling, clubs, mundane libraries, bad association,
smoking, drinking, cheating, pilfering, bickerings, and so on.
Their minds are always disturbed and full of an:ieties due to
so many different engagements. n this age, many
unscrupulous men manufacture their own religious faiths
which are not based on any revealed scriptures, and very
often people who are addicted to sense gratification are
attracted by such institutions. *onse(uently, in the name of
religion so many sinful acts are being carried on that the
people in general have neither peace of mind nor health of
body. The student 3brahmac'r$6 communities are no longer
being maintained, and householders do not observe the
rules and regulations of the g4hastha%'1rama. *onse(uently,
the so'called ('na"rasthas and sanny's$s who come out of
such g4hastha%'1ramas are easily deviated from the rigid
path. n the >ali'yuga the whole atmosphere is surcharged
with faithlessness. Men are no longer interested in spiritual
values. Material sense gratification is now the standard of
civili)ation. Hor the maintenance of such material
civili)ations, man has formed comple: nations and
communities, and there is a constant strain of hot and cold
wars between these different groups. t has become very
difficult, therefore, to raise the spiritual standard due to the
present distorted values of human society. The sages of
Kaimi@"raAya are an:ious to disentangle all fallen souls, and
here they are seeking the remedy from <r=la $Lta 8osv"m=.
T!T ""
%a8r?iQa %a8irk6$aa-iQa BOaeTaG(aai#a i'%aa&a!a0 9
ATa0 Saa>aae+<a (aTSaar; Sa$aud2>a:T(a $a#a?=(aa 9
b38ih %ad3a(a%a8Taa#aa; (ae#aaT$aa SauPaOSa?diTa 99 "" 99
bh0r$5i bh0ri%karm'5i
1rota(y'ni (ibh'ga1a*
ata* s'dho 2tra yat s'ra-
sam!ddh4tya man$.ay'
br0hi bhadr'ya bh0t'n'-
yen'tm' s!"ras$dati
S(#O#($S
bh0r$5iZmultifariousV bh0riZmanyV karm'5iZdutiesV
1rota(y'niZto be learnedV (ibh'ga1a*Zby divisions of sub2ect
matterV ata*ZthereforeV s'dhoZ9 sageV atraZhereinV yatZ
whateverV s'ramZessenceV sam!ddh4tyaZby selectionV
man$.ay'Zbest to your knowledgeV br0hiZplease tell usV
bhadr'yaZfor the good ofV bh0t'n'mZthe living beingsV yena
Zby whichV 'tm'Zthe selfV s!"ras$datiZbecomes fully
satisfied.
T-A#SLATIO#
There are @any 'arieties of scriptures, and in all of the@ there are
@any prescribed duties, Jhich can be learned only after @any
years of study in their 'arious di'isionsH Therefore, O sage, please
select the essence of all these scriptures and eMplain it for the good
of all li'ing beings, that by such instruction their hearts @ay be
fully satisfiedH
P8-PO-T
Jtm', or self, is distinguished from matter and material
elements. t is spiritual in constitution, and thus it is never
satisfied by any amount of material planning. All scriptures
and spiritual instructions are meant for the satisfaction of
this self, or 'tm'. There are many varieties of approaches
which are recommended for different types of living beings
in different times and at different places. *onse(uently, the
numbers of revealed scriptures are innumerable. There are
different methods and prescribed duties recommended in
these various scriptures. Taking into consideration the fallen
condition of the people in general in this age of >ali, the
sages of Kaimi@"raAya suggested that <r= $Lta 8osv"m=
relate the essence of all such scriptures because in this age
it is not possible for the fallen souls to understand and
undergo all the lessons of all these various scriptures in a
(ar5a and '1rama system.
The (ar5a and '1rama society was considered to be the best
institution for lifting the human being to the spiritual
platform, but due to >ali'yuga it is not possible to e:ecute
the rules and regulations of these institutions. Kor is it
possible for the people in general to completely sever
relations with their families as the (ar5'1rama institution
prescribes. The whole atmosphere is surcharged with
opposition. And considering this, one can see that spiritual
emancipation for the common man in this age is very
difficult. The reason the sages presented this matter to <r=
$Lta 8osv"m= is e:plained in the following verses.
T!T "N
Sa8Ta )aa#aaiSa %ad3; Tae %a&a'a#a2 SaaT'Taa; PaiTa0 9
de'C(aa; 'Saude'S(a )aaTaae (aS(a ick6I=-(aa 99 "N 99
s0ta )'n'si bhadra- te
bhaga('n s't(at'- "ati*
de(aky'- (as!de(asya
)'to yasya cik$r.ay'
S(#O#($S
s0taZ9 $Lta 8osv"m=V )'n'siZyou knowV bhadram teZall
blessings upon youV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV
s't(at'mZof the pure devoteesV "ati*Zthe protectorV
de(aky'mZin the womb of 7evak=V (as!de(asyaZby
!asudevaV )'ta*Zborn ofV yasyaZfor the purpose ofV
cik$r.ay'Ze:ecuting.
T-A#SLATIO#
All blessings upon you, O Sdta &os'L@BH (ou knoJ for Jhat
purpose the Personality of &odhead appeared in the Jo@b of
>e'akB as the son of Gasude'aH
P8-PO-T
&haga('n means the Almighty 8od who is the controller of all
opulences, power, fame, beauty, knowledge and
renunciation. He is the protector of His pure devotees.
Although 8od is e(ually disposed to everyone, He is
especially inclined to His devotees. Sat means the Absolute
Truth. And persons who are servitors of the Absolute Truth
are called s't(atas. And the 1ersonality of 8odhead who
protects such pure devotees is known as the protector of the
s't(atas. &hadra- te, or Dblessings upon you,F indicates the
sagesJ an:iety to know the Absolute Truth from the speaker.
Eord <r= >?@Aa, the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead,
appeared to 7evak=, the wife of !asudeva. !asudeva is the
symbol of the transcendental position wherein the
appearance of the $upreme Eord takes place.
T!T "X
Tak0 BuBO8=$aaQaa#aa$ah-S(ala#au'iQa-Tau$a2 9
(aS(aa'Taarae %a8Taa#aa; Uae$aa(a c %a'a(a c 99 "X 99
tan na* 1!1r0.am'5'n'm
arhasy a3g'n!(ar5it!m
yasy'(at'ro bh0t'n'-
k.em'ya ca bha('ya ca
S(#O#($S
tatZthoseV na*Zunto usV 1!1r0.am'5'n'mZthose who are
endeavoring forV arhasiZought to do itV a3gaZ9 $Lta
8osv"m=V an!(ar5it!mZto e:plain by following in the
footsteps of previous 'c'ryasC yasyaZwhoseV a(at'ra*Z
incarnationV bh0t'n'mZof the living beingsV k.em'yaZfor
goodV caZandV bha('yaZupliftmentV caZand.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Sdta &os'L@B, Je are eager to learn about the Personality of
&odhead and Iis incarnationsH Please eMplain to us those
teachings i@parted by pre'ious @asters OLcLryas3, for one is
uplifted both by speaking the@ and by hearing the@H
P8-PO-T
The conditions for hearing the transcendental message of
the Absolute Truth are set forth herein. The first condition is
that the audience must be very sincere and eager to hear.
And the speaker must be in the line of disciplic succession
from the recogni)ed 'c'rya. The transcendental message of
the Absolute is not understandable by those who are
materially absorbed. Rnder the direction of a bona fide
spiritual master, one becomes gradually purified. Therefore,
one must be in the chain of disciplic succession and learn
the spiritual art of submissive hearing. n the case of $Lta
8osv"m= and the sages of Kaimi@"raAya, all these
conditions are fulfilled because <r=la $Lta 8osv"m= is in the
line of <r=la !y"sadeva, and the sages of Kaimi@"raAya are
all sincere souls who are an:ious to learn the truth. Thus the
transcendental topics of Eord <r= >?@AaJs superhuman
activities, His incarnation, His birth, appearance or
disappearance, His forms, His names and so on are all easily
understandable because all re(uirements are fulfilled. $uch
discourses help all men on the path of spiritual reali)ation.
T!T "Z
AaPak0 Sa;Sa:iTa; gaaera; (aka$a i''!aae &a:Qa#a2 9
TaTa0 Sa*ae i'$auC(aeTa (aim%aeiTa S'(a; %a(a$a2 99 "Z 99
'"anna* sa-s4ti- ghor'-
yan%n'ma (i(a1o g45an
tata* sadyo (im!cyeta
yad bibheti s(aya- bhayam
S(#O#($S
'"anna*Zbeing entangledV sa-s4timZin the hurdle of birth
and deathV ghor'mZtoo complicatedV yatZwhatV n'maZthe
absolute nameV (i(a1a*ZunconsciouslyV g45anZchantingV
tata*Zfrom thatV sadya*Zat onceV (im!cyetaZgets freedomV
yatZthat whichV bibhetiZfearsV s(ayamZpersonallyV bhayamZ
fear itself.
T-A#SLATIO#
Li'ing beings Jho are entangled in the co@plicated @eshes of
birth and death can be freed i@@ediately by e'en unconsciously
chanting the holy na@e of CDEFa, Jhich is feared by fear
personifiedH
P8-PO-T
!"sudeva, or Eord >?@Aa, the Absolute 1ersonality of
8odhead, is the supreme controller of everything. There is
no one in creation who is not afraid of the rage of the
Almighty. 8reat as!ras like 0"vaAa, HiraAyakaPipu, >a[sa,
and others who were very powerful living entities were all
killed by the 1ersonality of 8odhead. And the almighty
!"sudeva has empowered His name with the powers of His
personal $elf. ;verything is related to Him, and everything
has its identity in Him. t is stated herein that the name of
>?@Aa is feared even by fear personified. This indicates that
the name of >?@Aa is nondifferent from >?@Aa. Therefore,
the name of >?@Aa is as powerful as Eord >?@Aa Himself.
There is no difference at all. Anyone, therefore, can take
advantage of the holy names of Eord <r= >?@Aa even in the
midst of greatest dangers. The transcendental name of
>?@Aa, even though uttered unconsciously or by force of
circumstances, can help one obtain freedom from the hurdle
of birth and death.
T!T "[
(aTPaadSa;BO(aa0 Sa8Ta $au#a(a0 PaO!a$aa(a#aa0 9
Sa*0 Pau#a#T(auPaSPa:na0 S'>au-#(aaPaae+#auSae'(aa 99
"[ 99
yat%"'da%sa-1ray'* s0ta
m!naya* "ra1am'yan'*
sadya* "!nanty !"as"4.<'*
s(ardh!ny%'"o 2n!se(ay'
S(#O#($S
yatZwhoseV "'daZlotus feetV sa-1ray'*Zthose who have
taken shelter ofV s0taZ9 $Lta 8osv"m=V m!naya*Zgreat
sagesV "ra1am'yan'*Zabsorbed in devotion to the $upremeV
sadya*Zat onceV "!nantiZsanctifyV !"as"4.<'*Zsimply by
associationV s(ardh!n$Zof the sacred 8angesV '"a*ZwaterV
an!se(ay'Zbringing into use.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Sdta, those great sages Jho ha'e co@pletely taken shelter of the
lotus feet of the Lord can at once sanctify those Jho co@e in touch
Jith the@, Jhereas the Jaters of the &anges can sanctify only
after prolonged useH
P8-PO-T
1ure devotees of the Eord are more powerful than the waters
of the sacred river 8anges. 9ne can derive spiritual benefit
out of prolonged use of the 8anges waters. %ut one can be
sanctified at once by the mercy of a pure devotee of the
Eord. n &haga(ad%g$t' it is said that any person, regardless of
birth as 10dra, woman, or merchant, can take shelter of the
lotus feet of the Eord and by so doing can return to 8odhead.
To take shelter of the lotus feet of the Eord means to take
shelter of the pure devotees. The pure devotees whose only
business is serving are honored by the names 1rabhup"da
and !i@Aup"da, which indicate such devotees to be
representatives of the lotus feet of the Eord. Anyone,
therefore, who takes shelter of the lotus feet of a pure
devotee by accepting the pure devotee as his spiritual
master can be at once purified. $uch devotees of the Eord
are honored e(ually with the Eord because they are engaged
in the most confidential service of the Eord, for they deliver
out of the material world the fallen souls whom the Eord
wants to return home, back to 8odhead. $uch pure devotees
are better known as vicelords according to revealed
scriptures. The sincere disciple of the pure devotee
considers the spiritual master e(ual to the Eord, but always
considers himself to be a humble servant of the servant of
the Eord. This is the pure devotional path.
T!T "\
k6ae 'a %a&a'TaSTaS(a PauQ(aFaeke6oyk6$a-Qa0 9
Buipk6a$aae #a B:Qau(aa*!a0 k6ilR$alRaPah$a2 99 "\ 99
ko (' bhaga(atas tasya
"!5ya%1loke;ya%karma5a*
1!ddhi%k'mo na 145!y'd
ya1a* kali%mal'"aham
S(#O#($S
ka*ZwhoV ('ZratherV bhaga(ata*Zof the EordV tasyaZHisV
"!5yaZvirtuousV 1loka%$;yaZworshipable by prayersV
karma5a*ZdeedsV 1!ddhi%k'ma*Zdesiring deliverance from
all sinsV naZnotV 145!y'tZdoes hearV ya1a*ZgloriesV kaliZof
the age of (uarrelV mala%a"ahamZthe agent for
sanctification.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vho is there, desiring deli'erance fro@ the 'ices of the age of
?uarrel, Jho is not Jilling to hear the 'irtuous glories of the LordW
P8-PO-T
The age of >ali is the most condemned age due to its
(uarrelsome features. >ali'yuga is so saturated with vicious
habits that there is a great fight at the slightest
misunderstanding. Those who are engaged in the pure
devotional service of the Eord, who are without any desire
for self'aggrandi)ement and who are freed from the effects
of fruitive actions and dry philosophical speculations are
capable of getting out of the estrangements of this
complicated age. The leaders of the people are very much
an:ious to live in peace and friendship, but they have no
information of the simple method of hearing the glories of
the Eord. 9n the contrary, such leaders are opposed to the
propagation of the glories of the Eord. n other words, the
foolish leaders want to completely deny the e:istence of the
Eord. n the name of secular state, such leaders are enacting
various plans every year. %ut by the insurmountable
intricacies of the material nature of the Eord, all these plans
for progress are being constantly frustrated. They have no
eyes to see that their attempts at peace and friendship are
failing. %ut here is the hint to get over the hurdle. f we want
actual peace, we must open the road to understanding of the
$upreme Eord >?@Aa and glorify Him for His virtuous
activities as they are depicted in the pages of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam.
T!T "]
TaS(a k6$aa-Q(audaraiQa Pair&a?Taai#a Sa8iri%a0 9
b38ih #a0 BOq>aa#aa#aa; lRIlR(aa d>aTa0 k6lRa0 99 "] 99
tasya karm'5y !d'r'5i
"arig$t'ni s0ribhi*
br0hi na* 1raddadh'n'n'-
l$lay' dadhata* kal'*
S(#O#($S
tasyaZHisV karm'5iZtranscendental actsV !d'r'5iZ
magnanimousV "arig$t'niZbroadcastV s0ribhi*Zby the great
soulsV br0hiZplease speakV na*Zunto usV 1raddadh'n'n'mZ
ready to receive with respectV l$lay'ZpastimesV dadhata*Z
adventedV kal'*Zincarnations.
T-A#SLATIO#
Iis transcendental acts are @agnificent and gracious, and great
learned sages like #Lrada sing of the@H Please, therefore, speak to
us, Jho are eager to hear about the ad'entures Ie perfor@s in Iis
'arious incarnationsH
P8-PO-T
The 1ersonality of 8odhead is never inactive as some less
intelligent persons suggest. His works are magnificent and
magnanimous. His creations both material and spiritual are
all wonderful and contain all variegatedness. They are
described nicely by such liberated souls as <r=la K"rada,
!y"sa, !"lm=ki, 7evala, Asita, Madhva, <r= *aitanya,
0"m"nu2a, !i@Ausv"m=, Kimb"rka, <r=dhara, !iPvan"tha,
%aladeva, %haktivinoda, $iddh"nta $arasvat= and many
other learned and self'reali)ed souls. These creations, both
material and spiritual, are full of opulence, beauty and
knowledge, but the spiritual realm is more magnificent due
to its being full of knowledge, bliss and eternity. The material
creations are manifested for some time as perverted
shadows of the spiritual kingdom and can be likened to
cinemas. They attract people of less intelligent caliber who
are attracted by false things. $uch foolish men have no
information of the reality, and they take it for granted that
the false material manifestation is the all in all. %ut more
intelligent men guided by sages like !y"sa and K"rada know
that the eternal kingdom of 8od is more delightful, larger,
and eternally full of bliss and knowledge. Those who are not
conversant with the activities of the Eord and His
transcendental realm are sometimes favored by the Eord in
His adventures as incarnations wherein He displays the
eternal bliss of His association in the transcendental realm.
%y such activities He attracts the conditioned souls of the
material world. $ome of these conditioned souls are engaged
in the false en2oyment of material senses and others in
simply negating their real life in the spiritual world. These
less intelligent persons are known as karm$s, or fruitive
workers, and ),'n$s, or dry mental speculators. %ut above
these two classes of men is the transcendentalist known as
s't(ata, or the devotee, who is busy neither with rampant
material activity nor with material speculation. He is
engaged in the positive service of the Eord, and thereby he
derives the highest spiritual benefit unknown to the karm$s
and ),'n$s.
As the supreme controller of both the material and spiritual
worlds, the Eord has different incarnations of unlimited
categories. ncarnations like %rahm", 0udra, Manu, 1?thu
and !y"sa are His material (ualitative incarnations, but His
incarnations like 0"ma, Karasi[ha, !ar"ha and !"mana are
His transcendental incarnations. Eord <r= >?@Aa is the
fountainhead of all incarnations, and He is therefore the
cause of all causes.
T!T "^
AQaae(aaih hre>as$ak'Taark6Qaa0 Bu%aa0 9
lRIlRa i'd>aTa0 S'r$a?TrS(aaT$a$aa(a(aa 99 "^ 99
ath'khy'hi harer dh$mann
a(at'ra%kath'* 1!bh'*
l$l' (idadhata* s(airam
$1(arasy'tma%m'yay'
S(#O#($S
athaZthereforeV 'khy'hiZdescribeV hare*Zof the EordV
dh$manZ9 sagacious oneV a(at'raZincarnationsV kath'*Z
narrativesV 1!bh'*ZauspiciousV l$l'ZadventuresV (idadhata*
ZperformedV s(airamZpastimesV $1(arasyaZof the supreme
controllerV 'tmaZpersonalV m'yay'Zenergies.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Jise Sdta, please narrate to us the transcendental pasti@es of
the Supre@e &odheadrs @ulti6incarnationsH Such auspicious
ad'entures and pasti@es of the Lord, the supre@e controller, are
perfor@ed by Iis internal poJersH
P8-PO-T
Hor the creation, maintenance and destruction of the
material worlds, the $upreme Eord 1ersonality of 8odhead
Himself appears in many thousands of forms of incarnations,
and the specific adventures found in those transcendental
forms are all auspicious. %oth those who are present during
such activities and those who hear the transcendental
narrations of such activities are benefited.
T!T "_
'(a; Tau #a i'Ta:P(aa$a ota$aFaek6i's6$ae 9
(aCc:Q'Taa; rSa/a#aa; S'adu S'adu Pade Pade 99 "_ 99
(aya- t! na (it4"y'ma
!ttama%1loka%(ikrame
yac%ch45(at'- rasa%),'n'-
s('d! s('d! "ade "ade
S(#O#($S
(ayamZweV t!ZbutV naZnotV (it4"y'ma*Zshall be at restV
!ttama%1lokaZthe 1ersonality of 8odhead, who is glorified by
transcendental prayersV (ikrameZadventuresV yatZwhichV
145(at'mZby continuous hearingV rasaZhumorV ),'n'mZ
those who are conversant withV s('d!ZrelishingV s('d!Z
palatableV "ade "adeZat every step.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ve ne'er tire of hearing the transcendental pasti@es of the
Personality of &odhead, Jho is glorified by hy@ns and prayersH
Those Jho ha'e de'eloped a taste for transcendental relationships
Jith Ii@ relish hearing of Iis pasti@es at e'ery @o@entH
P8-PO-T
There is a great difference between mundane stories, fiction,
or history and the transcendental pastimes of the Eord. The
histories of the whole universe contain references to the
pastimes of the incarnations of the Eord. The R'm'ya5a, the
8ah'bh'rata, and the !r'5as are histories of bygone ages
recorded in connection with the pastimes of the incarnations
of the Eord and therefore remain fresh even after repeated
readings. Hor e:ample, anyone may read &haga(ad%g$t' or
the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam repeatedly throughout his whole life
and yet find in them new light of information. Mundane news
is static whereas transcendental news is dynamic, inasmuch
as the spirit is dynamic and matter is static. Those who have
developed a taste for understanding the transcendental
sub2ect matter are never tired of hearing such narrations.
9ne is (uickly satiated by mundane activities, but no one is
satiated by transcendental or devotional activities. 7ttama%
1loka indicates that literature which is not meant for
nescience. Mundane literature is in the mode of darkness or
ignorance, whereas transcendental literature is (uite
different. Transcendental literature is above the mode of
darkness, and its light becomes more luminous with
progressive reading and reali)ation of the transcendental
sub2ect matter. The so'called liberated persons are never
satisfied by the repetition of the words aha- brahm'smi. $uch
artificial reali)ation of %rahman becomes hackneyed, and so
to relish real pleasure they turn to the narrations of the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam. Those who are not so fortunate turn to
altruism and worldly philanthropy. This means the M"y"v"da
philosophy is mundane, whereas the philosophy of &haga(ad%
g$t' and #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is transcendental.
T!T N`
k:6Ta'a#a2 ik6lR k6$aa-iQa Sah ra$aeQa ke6!a'0 9
AiTa$aT(aa-i#a %a&a'a#a2 &a8t0 k6Pa1u$aa#au=0 99 N` 99
k4ta('n kila karm'5i
saha r'me5a ke1a(a*
atimarty'ni bhaga('n
g0;ha* ka"a<a%m'n!.a*
S(#O#($S
k4ta('nZdone byV kilaZwhatV karm'5iZactsV sahaZalong
withV r'me5aZ%alar"maV ke1a(a*Z<r= >?@AaV atimarty'niZ
superhumanV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV g0;ha*
Zmasked asV ka"a<aZapparentlyV m'n!.a*Zhuman being.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lord ArB CDEFa, the Personality of &odhead, along Jith KalarL@a,
played like a hu@an being, and so @asked Ie perfor@ed @any
superhu@an actsH
P8-PO-T
The doctrines of anthropomorphism and )oomorphism are
never applicable to <r= >?@Aa, or the 1ersonality of
8odhead. The theory that a man becomes 8od by dint of
penance and austerities is very much rampant nowadays,
especially in ndia. $ince Eord 0"ma, Eord >?@Aa and Eord
*aitanya Mah"prabhu were detected by the sages and saints
to be the 1ersonality of 8odhead as indicated in revealed
scriptures, many unscrupulous men have created their own
incarnations. This process of concocting an incarnation of
8od has become an ordinary business, especially in %engal.
Any popular personality with a few traits of mystic powers
will display some feat of 2ugglery and easily become an
incarnation of 8odhead by popular vote. Eord <r= >?@Aa was
not that type of incarnation. He was actually the 1ersonality
of 8odhead from the very beginning of His appearance. He
appeared before His so'called mother as four'armed !i@Au.
Then, at the re(uest of the mother, He became like a human
child and at once left her for another devotee at 8okula,
where He was accepted as the son of Kanda Mah"r"2a and
XaPod" M"t". $imilarly, <r= %aladeva, the counterpart of
Eord <r= >?@Aa, was also considered a human child born of
another wife of <r= !asudeva. n &haga(ad%g$t', the Eord
says that His birth and deeds are transcendental and that
anyone who is so fortunate as to know the transcendental
nature of His birth and deeds will at once become liberated
and eligible to return to the kingdom of 8od. $o knowledge
of the transcendental nature of the birth and deeds of Eord
<r= >?@Aa is sufficient for liberation. n the &h'ga(atam, the
transcendental nature of the Eord is described in nine
cantos, and in the Tenth *anto His specific pastimes are
taken up. All this becomes known as oneJs reading of this
literature progresses. t is important to note here, however,
that the Eord e:hibited His divinity even from the lap of His
mother, that His deeds are all superhuman 3He lifted
8ovardhana Hill at the age of seven6, and that all these acts
definitely prove Him to be actually the $upreme 1ersonality
of 8odhead. Xet, due to His mystic covering, He was always
accepted as an ordinary human child by His so'called father
and mother and other relatives. Whenever some herculean
task was performed by Him, the father and mother took it
otherwise. And they remained satisfied with unflinching filial
love for their son. As such, the sages of Kaimi@"raAya
describe Him as apparently resembling a human being, but
actually He is the supreme almighty 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T!T N"
k6ilR$aa&aTa$aa/a(a Uae<ae+iS$a#a2 '.Qa'e '(a$a2 9
AaSa?#aa d?ga-Sa<aeQa k6Qaa(aa; SaUaQaa hre0 99 N" 99
kalim 'gatam '),'ya
k.etre 2smin (ai.5a(e (ayam
's$n' d$rgha%satre5a
kath'y'- sak.a5' hare*
S(#O#($S
kalimZthe age of >ali 3iron age of (uarrel6V 'gatamZhaving
arrivedV '),'yaZknowing thisV k.etreZin this tract of landV
asminZin thisV (ai.5a(eZspecially meant for the devotee of
the EordV (ayamZweV 's$n'*ZseatedV d$rghaZprolongedV
satre5aZfor performance of sacrificesV kath'y'mZin the
words ofV sa%k.a5'*Zwith time at our disposalV hare*Zof the
1ersonality of 8odhead.
T-A#SLATIO#
CnoJing Jell that the age of Cali has already begun, Je are
asse@bled here in this holy place to hear at great length the
transcendental @essage of &odhead and in this Jay perfor@
sacrificeH
P8-PO-T
This age of >ali is not at all suitable for self'reali)ation as
was $atya'yuga, the golden age, or Tret"' or 7v"para'yugas,
the silver and copper ages. Hor self'reali)ation, the people in
$atya'yuga, living a lifetime of a hundred thousand years,
were able to perform prolonged meditation. And in Tret"'
yuga, when the duration of life was ten thousand years, self'
reali)ation was attained by performance of great sacrifice.
And in the 7v"para'yuga, when the duration of life was one
thousand years, self'reali)ation was attained by worship of
the Eord. %ut in the >ali'yuga, the ma:imum duration of life
being one hundred years only and that combined with
various difficulties, the recommended process of self'
reali)ation is that of hearing and chanting of the holy name,
fame, and pastimes of the Eord. The sages of Kaimi@"raAya
began this process in a place meant specifically for the
devotees of the Eord. They prepared themselves to hear the
pastimes of the Eord over a period of one thousand years. %y
the e:ample of these sages one should learn that regular
hearing and recitation of the &h'ga(atam is the only way for
self'reali)ation. 9ther attempts are simply a waste of time,
for they do not give any tangible results. Eord <r= *aitanya
Mah"prabhu preached this system of &h'ga(ata%dharma, and
He recommended that all those who were born in ndia
should take the responsibility of broadcasting the messages
of Eord <r= >?@Aa, primarily the message of &haga(ad%g$t'.
And when one is well established in the teachings of
&haga(ad%g$t', he can take up the study of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam for further enlightenment in self'reali)ation.
T!T NN
T'; #a0 Sa#di!a-Taae >aa<aa duSTar; i#aiSTaTa?=-Taa$a2 9
k6il;R Sat'hr; Pau;Saa; k6Qa->aar J'aQa-'$a2 99 NN 99
t(a- na* sandar1ito dh'tr'
d!stara- nistit$r.at'm
kali- satt(a%hara- "!-s'-
kar5a%dh'ra i('r5a(am
S(#O#($S
t(amZXour 8oodnessV na*Zunto usV sandar1ita*ZmeetingV
dh'tr'Zby providenceV d!staramZinsurmountableV
nistit$r.at'mZfor those desiring to cross overV kalimZthe
age of >aliV satt(a%haramZthat which deteriorates the good
(ualitiesV "!-s'mZof a manV kar5a%dh'ra*ZcaptainV i(aZasV
ar5a(amZthe ocean.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ve think that Je ha'e @et (our &oodness by the Jill of
pro'idence, /ust so that Je @ay accept you as captain of the ship
for those Jho desire to cross the difficult ocean of Cali, Jhich
deteriorates all the good ?ualities of a hu@an beingH
P8-PO-T
The age of >ali is very dangerous for the human being.
Human life is simply meant for self'reali)ation, but due to
this dangerous age, men have completely forgotten the aim
of life. n this age, the life span will gradually decrease.
1eople will gradually lose their memory, finer sentiments,
strength, and better (ualities. A list of the anomalies for this
age is given in the Twelfth *anto of this work. And so this
age is very difficult for those who want to utili)e this life for
self'reali)ation. The people are so busy with sense
gratification that they completely forget about self'
reali)ation. 9ut of madness they frankly say that there is no
need for self'reali)ation because they do not reali)e that this
brief life is but a moment on our great 2ourney towards self'
reali)ation. The whole system of education is geared to
sense gratification, and if a learned man thinks it over, he
sees that the children of this age are being intentionally sent
to the slaughterhouses of so'called education. Eearned men,
therefore, must be cautious of this age, and if they at all
want to cross over the dangerous ocean of >ali, they must
follow the footsteps of the sages of Kaimi@"raAya and accept
<r= $Lta 8osv"m= or his bona fide representative as the
captain of the ship. The ship is the message of Eord <r=
>?@Aa in the shape of &haga(ad%g$t' or the #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam.
T!T NX
b38ih (aae&aeTre k:6.Qae b34Q(ae >a$a-'$a-iQa 9
S'a; k6afa$a>au#aaePaeTae >a$a-0 k;6 !arQa; &aTa0 99 NX 99
br0hi yoge1(are k4.5e
brahma5ye dharma%(arma5i
s('- k'.<h'm adh!no"ete
dharma* ka- 1ara5a- gata*
S(#O#($S
br0hiZplease tellV yoga%$1(areZthe Eord of all mystic powersV
k4.5eZEord >?@AaV brahma5yeZthe Absolute TruthV dharmaZ
religionV (arma5iZprotectorV s('mZownV k'.<h'mZabodeV
adh!n'ZnowadaysV !"eteZhaving gone awayV dharma*Z
religionV kamZunto whomV 1ara5amZshelterV gata*Zgone.
T-A#SLATIO#
Since ArB CDEFa, the Absolute Truth, the @aster of all @ystic
poJers, has departed for Iis oJn abode, please tell us to Jho@
the religious principles ha'e noJ gone for shelterH
P8-PO-T
;ssentially religion is the prescribed codes enunciated by the
1ersonality of 8odhead Himself. Whenever there is gross
misuse or neglect of the principles of religion, the $upreme
Eord appears Himself to restore religious principles. This is
stated in &haga(ad%g$t'. Here the sages of Kaimi@"raAya are
in(uiring about these principles. The reply to this (uestion is
given later. The #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the transcendental
sound representation of the 1ersonality of 8odhead, and
thus it is the full representation of transcendental knowledge
and religious principles.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto, Hirst
9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KL!estions by the
Sages.M
Chapter TJo
>i'inity and >i'ine Ser'ice
T!T "
G(aaSa o'ac
JiTa Sa$PaOBnSa;5nae i'PaOaQaa; ra$ah=-iQa0 9
PaOiTaPa8)(a 'cSTae=a; PaO'vu6$auPacs6$ae 99 " 99
(y'sa !('ca
iti sam"ra1na%sa-h4.<o
(i"r'5'- ra!mahar.a5i*
"rati"0)ya (acas te.'-
"ra(akt!m !"acakrame
S(#O#($S
(y'sa* !('caZ!y"sa saidV itiZthusV sam"ra1naZperfect
in(uiriesV sa-h4.<a*Zperfectly satisfiedV (i"r'5'mZof the
sages thereV ra!mahar.a5i*Zthe son of 0omahar@aAa,
namely RgraPrav"V "rati"0)yaZafter thanking themV (aca*Z
wordsV te.'mZtheirV "ra(akt!mZto reply to themV
!"acakrameZattempted.
T-A#SLATIO#
8grawra'L OSdta &os'L@B3, the son of -o@aharEaFa, being fully
satisfied by the perfect ?uestions of the brLh@aFas, thanked the@
and thus atte@pted to replyH
P8-PO-T
The sages of Kaimi@"raAya asked $Lta 8osv"m= si:
(uestions, and so he is answering them one by one.
T!T N
Sa8Ta o'ac
(a; PaO'3)a#Ta$a#auPaeTa$aPaeTak:6T(a;
jPaa(a#aae i'rhk6aTar Aa)auha' 9
Pau<aeiTa Ta#$a(aTa(aa Tar'ae+i%a#aedux
STa; Sa'-%a8Ta5d(a; $aui#a$aa#aTaae+iS$a 99 N 99
s0ta !('ca
ya- "ra(ra)antam an!"etam a"eta%k4tya-
d(ai"'yano (iraha%k'tara ')!h'(a
"!treti tan%mayatay' tara(o 2bhined!s
ta- sar(a%bh0ta%h4daya- m!nim 'nato 2smi
S(#O#($S
s0ta*Z$Lta 8osv"m=V !('caZsaidV yamZwhomV
"ra(ra)antamZwhile going away for the renounced order of
lifeV an!"etamZwithout being reformed by the sacred threadV
a"etaZnot undergoing ceremoniesV k4tyamZprescribed
dutiesV d(ai"'yana*Z!y"sadevaV (irahaZseparationV k'tara*
Zbeing afraid ofV ')!h'(aZe:claimedV "!tra itiZ9 my sonV
tat%mayatay'Zbeing absorbed in that wayV tara(a*Zall the
treesV abhined!*ZrespondedV tamZunto himV sar(aZallV
bh0taZliving entitiesV h4dayamZheartV m!nimZsageV 'nata*
asmiZoffer obeisances.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArBla Sdta &os'L@B saide Let @e offer @y respectful obeisances
unto that great sage OAukade'a &os'L@B3 Jho can enter the hearts
of allH Vhen he Jent aJay to take up the renounced order of life
OsannyLsa3, lea'ing ho@e Jithout undergoing refor@ation by the
sacred thread or the cere@onies obser'ed by the higher castes, his
father, GyLsade'a, fearing separation fro@ hi@, cried out, yO @y
sontz Indeed, only the trees, Jhich Jere absorbed in the sa@e
feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrie'ed fatherH
P8-PO-T
The institution of (ar5a and '1rama prescribes many
regulative duties to be observed by its followers. $uch duties
en2oin that a candidate willing to study the /edas must
approach a bona fide spiritual master and re(uest
acceptance as his disciple. The sacred thread is the sign of
those who are competent to study the /edas from the
'c'rya, or the bona fide spiritual master. <r= <ukadeva
8osv"m= did not undergo such purificatory ceremonies
because he was a liberated soul from his very birth.
8enerally, a man is born as an ordinary being, and by the
purificatory processes he is born for the second time. When
he sees a new light and seeks direction for spiritual progress,
he approaches a spiritual master for instruction in the /edas.
The spiritual master accepts only the sincere in(uirer as his
disciple and gives him the sacred thread. n this way a man
becomes twice'born, or a d(i)a. After (ualifying as a d(i)a one
may study the /edas, and after becoming well versed in the
/edas one becomes a (i"ra. A (i"ra, or a (ualified br'hma5a,
thus reali)es the Absolute and makes further progress in
spiritual life until he reaches the !ai@Aava stage. The
!ai@Aava stage is the postgraduate status of a br'hma5a. A
progressive br'hma5a must necessarily become a !ai@Aava,
for a !ai@Aava is a self'reali)ed, learned br'hma5a.
<r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= was a !ai@Aava from the
beginningV therefore, there was no need for him to undergo
all the processes of the (ar5'1rama institution. Rltimately the
aim of (ar5'1rama%dharma is to turn a crude man into a pure
devotee of the Eord, or a !ai@Aava. Anyone, therefore, who
becomes a !ai@Aava accepted by the first'class !ai@Aava, or
!ttama%adhik'r$ !ai@Aava, is already considered a br'hma5a,
regardless of his birth or past deeds. <r= *aitanya
Mah"prabhu accepted this principle and recogni)ed <r=la
Harid"sa Sh"kura as the 'c'rya of the holy name, although
Sh"kura Harid"sa appeared in a Mohammedan family. n
conclusion, <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= was born a !ai@Aava,
and, therefore, brahminism was included in him. He did not
have to undergo any ceremonies. Any lowborn personZbe
he a >ir"ta, HLAa, Wndhra, 1ulinda, 1ulkaPa, Wbh=ra,
<umbha, Xavana, >hasa or even lowerZcan be delivered to
the highest transcendental position by the mercy of
!ai@Aavas. <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= was the spiritual
master of <r= $Lta 8osv"m=, who therefore offers his
respectful obeisances unto <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= before
he begins his answers to the (uestions of the sages at
Kaimi@"raAya.
T!T X
(a0 S'a#au%aa'$aiYlRBOuiTaSaar$aek6x
$a>(aaT$ad?Pa$aiTaiTaTa?=-Taa; Ta$aae+#>a$a2 9
Sa;SaairQaa; k6DQa(aah PauraQa&au7;
Ta; G(aaSaSa8#au$auPa(aai$a &auD; $au#a?#aa$a2 99 X 99
ya* s('n!bh'(am akhila%1r!ti%s'ram ekam
adhy'tma%d$"am atitit$r.at'- tamo 2ndham
sa-s'ri5'- kar!5ay'ha "!r'5a%g!hya-
ta- (y'sa%s0n!m !"ay'mi g!r!- m!n$n'm
S(#O#($S
ya*Zhe whoV s(a%an!bh'(amZself'assimilated 3e:perienced6V
akhilaZall aroundV 1r!tiZthe /edasC s'ramZcreamV ekamZ
the only oneV adhy'tmaZtranscendentalV d$"amZtorchlightV
atitit$r.at'mZdesiring to overcomeV tama* andhamZdeeply
dark material e:istenceV sa-s'ri5'mZof the materialistic
menV kar!5ay'Zout of causeless mercyV 'haZsaidV "!r'5aZ
supplement to the /edasC g!hyamZvery confidentialV tamZ
unto himV (y'sa%s0n!mZthe son of !y"sadevaV !"ay'miZlet
me offer my obeisancesV g!r!mZthe spiritual masterV
m!n$n'mZof the great sages.
T-A#SLATIO#
Let @e offer @y respectful obeisances unto hi@ OAuka3, the
spiritual @aster of all sages, the son of GyLsade'a, Jho, out of his
great co@passion for those gross @aterialists Jho struggle to
cross o'er the darkest regions of @aterial eMistence, spoke this
@ost confidential supple@ent to the crea@ of Gedic knoJledge,
after ha'ing personally assi@ilated it by eMperienceH
P8-PO-T
n this prayer, <r=la $Lta 8osv"m= practically summari)es
the complete introduction of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is the natural supplementary commentary on the
/ed'nta%s0tras. The /ed'nta%s0tras, or the &rahma%s0tras,
were compiled by !y"sadeva with a view to presenting 2ust
the cream of !edic knowledge. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the
natural commentary on this cream. <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m= was a thoroughly reali)ed master on the /ed'nta%
s0tra, and conse(uently he also personally reali)ed the
commentary, #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. And 2ust to show his
boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic men who
want to cross completely over nescience, he recited for the
first time this confidential knowledge.
There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be
happy. Ko materialistic creatureZbe he the great %rahm" or
an insignificant antZcan be happy. ;veryone tries to make a
permanent plan for happiness, but everyone is baffled by the
laws of material nature. Therefore the materialistic world is
called the darkest region of 8odJs creation. Xet the unhappy
materialists can get out of it simply by desiring to get out.
Rnfortunately they are so foolish that they do not want to
escape. Therefore they are compared to the camel who
relishes thorny twigs because he likes the taste of the twigs
mi:ed with blood. He does not reali)e that it is his own blood
and that his tongue is being cut by the thorns. $imilarly, to
the materialist his own blood is as sweet as honey, and
although he is always harassed by his own material
creations, he does not wish to escape. $uch materialists are
called karm$s. 9ut of hundreds of thousands of karm$s, only a
few may feel tired of material engagement and desire to get
out of the labyrinth. $uch intelligent persons are called
),'n$s. The /ed'nta%s0tra is directed to such ),'n$s. %ut <r=la
!y"sadeva, being the incarnation of the $upreme Eord, could
foresee the misuse of the /ed'nta%s0tra by unscrupulous
men, and, therefore, he personally supplemented the
/ed'nta%s0tra with the &h'ga(ata !r'5a. t is clearly said
that this &h'ga(atam is the original commentary on the
&rahma%s0tras. <r=la !y"sadeva also instructed the
&h'ga(atam to his own son, <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=, who
was already at the liberated stage of transcendence. <r=la
<ukadeva reali)ed it personally and then e:plained it. %y the
mercy of <r=la <ukadeva, the &h'ga(ata%(ed'nta%s0tra is
available for all those sincere souls who want to get out of
material e:istence.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the one unrivaled commentary on
/ed'nta%s0tra. <r=p"da <aIkar"c"rya intentionally did not
touch it because he knew that the natural commentary
would be difficult for him to surpass. He wrote his #'r$raka%
bh'.ya, and his so'called followers deprecated the
&h'ga(atam as some DnewF presentation. 9ne should not be
misled by such propaganda directed against the &h'ga(atam
by the M"y"v"da school. Hrom this introductory 1loka, the
beginning student should know that #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is
the only transcendental literature meant for those who are
"aramaha-sas and completely freed from the material
disease called malice. The M"y"v"d=s are envious of the
1ersonality of 8odhead despite <r=p"da <aIkar"c"ryaJs
admission that K"r"yaAa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is
above the material creation. The envious M"y"v"d= cannot
have access to the &h'ga(atam, but those who are really
an:ious to get out of this material e:istence may take
shelter of this &h'ga(atam because it is uttered by the
liberated <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=. t is the transcendental
torchlight by which one can see perfectly the transcendental
Absolute Truth reali)ed as %rahman, 1aram"tm" and
%hagav"n.
T!T Z
#aara(aQa; #a$aSk:6T(a #ar; c' #araeta$a$a2 9
de'?; SarS'Ta?; G(aaSa; TaTaae )a(a$aud?r(aeTa2 99 Z 99
n'r'ya5a- namask4tya
nara- cai(a narottamam
de($- saras(at$- (y'sa-
tato )ayam !d$rayet
S(#O#($S
n'r'ya5amZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV nama*%k4tyaZafter
offering respectful obeisancesV naram ca e(aZand K"r"yaAa
_@iV nara%!ttamamZthe supermost human beingV de($mZthe
goddessV saras(at$mZthe mistress of learningV (y'samZ
!y"sadevaV tata*ZthereafterV )ayamZall that is meant for
con(ueringV !d$rayetZbe announced.
T-A#SLATIO#
Kefore reciting this ArB@ad6KhLga'ata@, Jhich is the 'ery @eans
of con?uest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the
Personality of &odhead, #LrLyaFa, unto #ara6nLrLyaFa iEi, the
super@ost hu@an being, unto @other Saras'atB, the goddess of
learning, and unto ArBla GyLsade'a, the authorH
P8-PO-T
All the !edic literatures and the !r'5as are meant for
con(uering the darkest region of material e:istence. The
living being is in the state of forgetfulness of his relation with
8od due to his being overly attracted to material sense
gratification from time immemorial. His struggle for
e:istence in the material world is perpetual, and it is not
possible for him to get out of it by making plans. f he at all
wants to con(uer this perpetual struggle for e:istence, he
must reestablish his eternal relation with 8od. And one who
wants to adopt such remedial measures must take shelter of
literatures such as the /edas and the !r'5as. Hoolish people
say that the !r'5as have no connection with the /edas.
However, the !r'5as are supplementary e:planations of the
/edas intended for different types of men. All men are not
e(ual. There are men who are conducted by the mode of
goodness, others who are under the mode of passion and
others who are under the mode of ignorance. The !r'5as
are so divided that any class of men can take advantage of
them and gradually regain their lost position and get out of
the hard struggle for e:istence. <r=la $Lta 8osv"m= shows
the way of chanting the !r'5as. This may be followed by
persons who aspire to be preachers of the !edic literatures
and the !r'5as. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the spotless !r'5a,
and it is especially meant for those who desire to get out of
the material entanglement permanently.
T!T [
$au#a(a0 Saa>au Pa:nae+h; %a'iSlRae-k6$allR$a2 9
(aTk:6Ta0 k:6.QaSa$PaOBnae (ae#aaT$aa SauPaOSa?diTa 99 [ 99
m!naya* s'dh! "4.<o 2ha-
bha(adbhir loka%ma3galam
yat k4ta* k4.5a%sam"ra1no
yen'tm' s!"ras$dati
S(#O#($S
m!naya*Z9 sagesV s'dh!Zthis is relevantV "4.<a*Z
(uestionedV ahamZmyselfV bha(adbhi*Zby all of youV lokaZ
the worldV ma3galamZwelfareV yatZbecauseV k4ta*ZmadeV
k4.5aZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV sam"ra1na*Zrelevant
(uestionV yenaZby whichV 'tm'ZselfV s!"ras$datiZ
completely pleased.
T-A#SLATIO#
O sages, I ha'e been /ustly ?uestioned by youH (our ?uestions are
Jorthy because they relate to Lord CDEFa and so are of rele'ance
to the Jorldrs JelfareH Only ?uestions of this sort are capable of
co@pletely satisfying the selfH
P8-PO-T
$ince it has been stated hereinbefore that in the &h'ga(atam
the Absolute Truth is to be known, the (uestions of the sages
of Kaimi@"raAya are proper and 2ust, because they pertain to
>?@Aa, who is the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, the
Absolute Truth. n &haga(ad%g$t' 3,B.,B6 the 1ersonality of
8odhead says that in all the /edas there is nothing but the
urge for searching after Him, Eord >?@Aa. Thus the (uestions
that pertain to >?@Aa are the sum and substance of all the
!edic in(uiries.
The whole world is full of (uestions and answers. The birds,
beasts and men are all busy in the matter of perpetual
(uestions and answers. n the morning the birds in the nest
become busy with (uestions and answers, and in the
evening also the same birds come back and again become
busy with (uestions and answers. The human being, unless
he is fast asleep at night, is busy with (uestions and
answers. The businessmen in the market are busy with
(uestions and answers, and so also the lawyers in the court
and the students in the schools and colleges. The legislators
in the parliament are also busy with (uestions and answers,
and the politicians and the press representatives are all busy
with (uestions and answers. Although they go on making
such (uestions and answers for their whole lives, they are
not at all satisfied. $atisfaction of the soul can only be
obtained by (uestions and answers on the sub2ect of >?@Aa.
>?@Aa is our most intimate master, friend, father or son and
ob2ect of con2ugal love. Horgetting >?@Aa, we have created
so many ob2ects of (uestions and answers, but none of them
are able to give us complete satisfaction. All thingsZbut
>?@AaZgive temporary satisfaction only, so if we are to have
complete satisfaction we must take to the (uestions and
answers about >?@Aa. We cannot live for a moment without
being (uestioned or without giving answers. %ecause the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam deals with (uestions and answers that
are related to >?@Aa, we can derive the highest satisfaction
only by reading and hearing this transcendental literature.
9ne should learn the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam and make an all'
around solution to all problems pertaining to social, political
or religious matters. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam and >?@Aa are the
sum total of all things.
T!T \
Sa ' Pau;Saa; Parae >a$aae- (aTaae %aiv6r>aaeUa)ae 9
AhTauC(aPaOiTahTaa (a(aaT$aa SauPaOSa?diTa 99 \ 99
sa (ai "!-s'- "aro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhok.a)e
ahait!ky a"ratihat'
yay'tm' s!"ras$dati
S(#O#($S
sa*ZthatV (aiZcertainlyV "!-s'mZfor mankindV "ara*Z
sublimeV dharma*ZoccupationV yata*Zby whichV bhakti*Z
devotional serviceV adhok.a)eZunto the TranscendenceV
ahait!k$ZcauselessV a"ratihat'ZunbrokenV yay'Zby whichV
'tm'Zthe selfV s!"ras$datiZcompletely satisfied.
T-A#SLATIO#
The supre@e occupation Odhar@a3 for all hu@anity is that by Jhich
@en can attain to lo'ing de'otional ser'ice unto the transcendent
LordH Such de'otional ser'ice @ust be un@oti'ated and
uninterrupted to co@pletely satisfy the selfH
P8-PO-T
n this statement, <r= $Lta 8osv"m= answers the first
(uestion of the sages of Kaimi@"raAya. The sages asked him
to summari)e the whole range of revealed scriptures and
present the most essential part so that fallen people or the
people in general might easily take it up. The /edas
prescribe two different types of occupation for the human
being. 9ne is called the "ra(4tti%m'rga, or the path of sense
en2oyment, and the other is called the ni(4tti%m'rga, or the
path of renunciation. The path of en2oyment is inferior, and
the path of sacrifice for the supreme cause is superior. The
material e:istence of the living being is a diseased condition
of actual life. Actual life is spiritual e:istence, or brahma%
bh0ta e:istence, where life is eternal, blissful and full of
knowledge. Material e:istence is temporary, illusory and full
of miseries. There is no happiness at all. There is 2ust the
futile attempt to get rid of the miseries, and temporary
cessation of misery is falsely called happiness. Therefore,
the path of progressive material en2oyment, which is
temporary, miserable and illusory, is inferior. %ut devotional
service to the $upreme Eord, which leads one to eternal,
blissful and all'cogni)ant life, is called the superior (uality of
occupation. This is sometimes polluted when mi:ed with the
inferior (uality. Hor e:ample, adoption of devotional service
for material gain is certainly an obstruction to the
progressive path of renunciation. 0enunciation or abnegation
for ultimate good is certainly a better occupation than
en2oyment in the diseased condition of life. $uch en2oyment
only aggravates the symptoms of disease and increases its
duration. Therefore devotional service to the Eord must be
pure in (uality, i.e., without the least desire for material
en2oyment. 9ne should, therefore, accept the superior
(uality of occupation in the form of the devotional service of
the Eord without any tinge of unnecessary desire, fruitive
action and philosophical speculation. This alone can lead one
to perpetual solace in His service.
We have purposely denoted dharma as occupation because
the root meaning of the word dharma is Dthat which sustains
oneJs e:istence.F A living beingJs sustenance of e:istence is
to coordinate his activities with his eternal relation with the
$upreme Eord >?@Aa. >?@Aa is the central pivot of living
beings, and He is the all'attractive living entity or eternal
form amongst all other living beings or eternal forms. ;ach
and every living being has his eternal form in the spiritual
e:istence, and >?@Aa is the eternal attraction for all of them.
>?@Aa is the complete whole, and everything else is His part
and parcel. The relation is one of the servant and the served.
t is transcendental and is completely distinct from our
e:perience in material e:istence. This relation of servant and
the served is the most congenial form of intimacy. 9ne can
reali)e it as devotional service progresses. ;veryone should
engage himself in that transcendental loving service of the
Eord, even in the present conditional state of material
e:istence. That will gradually give one the clue to actual life
and please him to complete satisfaction.
T!T ]
'aSaude'e %a&a'iTa %aiv6(aae&a0 PaO(aaei)aTa0 9
)a#a(aT(aaBu 'ra&(a; /a#a; c (adhTauk6$a2 99 ] 99
('s!de(e bhaga(ati
bhakti%yoga* "rayo)ita*
)anayaty '1! (air'gya-
),'na- ca yad ahait!kam
S(#O#($S
('s!de(eZunto >?@AaV bhaga(atiZunto the 1ersonality of
8odheadV bhakti%yoga*Zcontact of devotional serviceV
"rayo)ita*Zbeing appliedV )anayatiZdoes produceV '1!Zvery
soonV (air'gyamZdetachmentV ),'namZknowledgeV caZandV
yatZthat whichV ahait!kamZcauseless.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ky rendering de'otional ser'ice unto the Personality of &odhead,
ArB CDEFa, one i@@ediately ac?uires causeless knoJledge and
detach@ent fro@ the JorldH
P8-PO-T
Those who consider devotional service to the $upreme Eord
<r= >?@Aa to be something like material emotional affairs
may argue that in the revealed scriptures, sacrifice, charity,
austerity, knowledge, mystic powers and similar other
processes of transcendental reali)ation are recommended.
According to them, bhakti, or the devotional service of the
Eord, is meant for those who cannot perform the high'grade
activities. 8enerally it is said that the bhakti cult is meant for
the 10dras, (ai1yas and the less intelligent woman class. %ut
that is not the actual fact. The bhakti cult is the topmost of all
transcendental activities, and therefore it is simultaneously
sublime and easy. t is sublime for the pure devotees who
are serious about getting in contact with the $upreme Eord,
and it is easy for the neophytes who are 2ust on the
threshold of the house of bhakti. To achieve the contact of
the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa is a great
science, and it is open for all living beings, including the
10dras, (ai1yas, women and even those lower than the
lowborn 10dras, so what to speak of the high'class men like
the (ualified br'hma5as and the great self'reali)ed kings. The
other high'grade activities designated as sacrifice, charity,
austerity, etc., are all corollary factors following the pure and
scientific bhakti cult.
The principles of knowledge and detachment are two
important factors on the path of transcendental reali)ation.
The whole spiritual process leads to perfect knowledge of
everything material and spiritual, and the results of such
perfect knowledge are that one becomes detached from
material affection and becomes attached to spiritual
activities. %ecoming detached from material things does not
mean becoming inert altogether, as men with a poor fund of
knowledge think. Nai.karma means not undertaking
activities that will produce good or bad effects. Kegation
does not mean negation of the positive. Kegation of the
nonessentials does not meant negation of the essential.
$imilarly, detachment from material forms does not mean
nullifying the positive form. The bhakti cult is meant for
reali)ation of the positive form. When the positive form is
reali)ed, the negative forms are automatically eliminated.
Therefore, with the development of the bhakti cult, with the
application of positive service to the positive form, one
naturally becomes detached from inferior things, and he
becomes attached to superior things. $imilarly, the bhakti
cult, being the supermost occupation of the living being,
leads him out of material sense en2oyment. That is the sign
of a pure devotee. He is not a fool, nor is he engaged in the
inferior energies, nor does he have material values. This is
not possible by dry reasoning. t actually happens by the
grace of the Almighty. n conclusion, one who is a pure
devotee has all other good (ualities, namely knowledge,
detachment, etc., but one who has only knowledge or
detachment is not necessarily well ac(uainted with the
principles of the bhakti cult. &hakti is the supermost
occupation of the human being.
T!T ^
>a$a-0 S'#auifTa0 Pau;Saa; i'.'CSae#ak6QaaSau (a0 9
#aaeTPaad(ae*id riTa; BO$a V' ih ke6'lR$a2 99 ^ 99
dharma* s(an!.<hita* "!-s'-
(i.(aksena%kath's! ya*
not"'dayed yadi rati-
1rama e(a hi ke(alam
S(#O#($S
dharma*ZoccupationV s(an!.<hita*Ze:ecuted in terms of
oneJs own positionV "!-s'mZof humankindV (i.(aksenaZthe
1ersonality of 8odhead 3plenary portion6V kath's!Zin the
message ofV ya*Zwhat isV naZnotV !t"'dayetZdoes produceV
yadiZifV ratimZattractionV 1rama*Zuseless laborV e(aZonlyV
hiZcertainlyV ke(alamZentirely.
T-A#SLATIO#
The occupational acti'ities a @an perfor@s according to his oJn
position are only so @uch useless labor if they do not pro'oke
attraction for the @essage of the Personality of &odheadH
P8-PO-T
There are different occupational activities in terms of manJs
different conceptions of life. To the gross materialist who
cannot see anything beyond the gross material body, there
is nothing beyond the senses. Therefore his occupational
activities are limited to concentrated and e:tended
selfishness. *oncentrated selfishness centers around the
personal bodyZthis is generally seen amongst the lower
animals. ;:tended selfishness is manifested in human
society and centers around the family, society, community,
nation and world with a view to gross bodily comfort. Above
these gross materialists are the mental speculators who
hover aloft in the mental spheres, and their occupational
duties involve making poetry and philosophy or propagating
some ism with the same aim of selfishness limited to the
body and the mind. %ut above the body and mind is the
dormant spirit soul whose absence from the body makes the
whole range of bodily and mental selfishness completely null
and void. %ut less intelligent people have no information of
the needs of the spirit soul.
%ecause foolish people have no information of the soul and
how it is beyond the purview of the body and mind, they are
not satisfied in the performance of their occupational duties.
The (uestion of the satisfaction of the self is raised herein.
The self is beyond the gross body and subtle mind. He is the
potent active principle of the body and mind. Without
knowing the need of the dormant soul, one cannot be happy
simply with emolument of the body and mind. The body and
the mind are but superfluous outer coverings of the spirit
soul. The spirit soulJs needs must be fulfilled. $imply by
cleansing the cage of the bird, one does not satisfy the bird.
9ne must actually know the needs of the bird himself.
The need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the
limited sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for
complete freedom. He wants to get out of the covered walls
of the greater universe. He wants to see the free light and
the spirit. That complete freedom is achieved when he
meets the complete spirit, the 1ersonality of 8odhead. There
is a dormant affection for 8od within everyoneV spiritual
e:istence is manifested through the gross body and mind in
the form of perverted affection for gross and subtle matter.
Therefore we have to engage ourselves in occupational
engagements that will evoke our divine consciousness. This
is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine activities
of the $upreme Eord, and any occupational activity which
does not help one to achieve attachment for hearing and
chanting the transcendental message of 8odhead is said
herein to be simply a waste of time. This is because other
occupational duties 3whatever ism they may belong to6
cannot give liberation to the soul. ;ven the activities of the
salvationists are considered to be useless because of their
failure to pick up the fountainhead of all liberties. The gross
materialist can practically see that his material gain is
limited only to time and space, either in this world or in the
other. ;ven if he goes up to the $vargaloka, he will find no
permanent abode for his hankering soul. The hankering soul
must be satisfied by the perfect scientific process of perfect
devotional service.
T!T _
>a$a-S(a 7aPa'&(a-S(a #aaQaae-+Qaa-(aaePak6LPaTae 9
#aaQa-S(a >a$a{k6a#TaS(a k6a$aae lRa%aa(a ih S$a:Ta0 99 _
99
dharmasya hy '"a(argyasya
n'rtho 2rth'yo"akal"ate
n'rthasya dharmaik'ntasya
k'mo l'bh'ya hi sm4ta*
S(#O#($S
dharmasyaZoccupational engagementV hiZcertainlyV
'"a(argyasyaZultimate liberationV naZnotV artha*ZendV
arth'yaZfor material gainV !"akal"ateZis meant forV naZ
neitherV arthasyaZof material gainV dharma%eka%antasyaZfor
one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational serviceV
k'ma*Zsense gratificationV l'bh'yaZattainment ofV hiZ
e:actlyV sm4ta*Zis described by the great sages.
T-A#SLATIO#
All occupational engage@ents are certainly @eant for ulti@ate
liberationH They should ne'er be perfor@ed for @aterial gainH
Further@ore, according to sages, one Jho is engaged in the
ulti@ate occupational ser'ice should ne'er use @aterial gain to
culti'ate sense gratificationH
P8-PO-T
We have already discussed that pure devotional service to
the Eord is automatically followed by perfect knowledge and
detachment from material e:istence. %ut there are others
who consider that all kinds of different occupational
engagements, including those of religion, are meant for
material gain. The general tendency of any ordinary man in
any part of the world is to gain some material profit in
e:change for religious or any other occupational service.
;ven in the !edic literatures, for all sorts of religious
performances an allurement of material gain is offered, and
most people are attracted by such allurements or blessings
of religiosity. Why are such so'called men of religion allured
by material gain? %ecause material gain can enable one to
fulfill desires, which in turn satisfy sense gratification. This
cycle of occupational engagements includes so'called
religiosity followed by material gain and material gain
followed by fulfillment of desires. $ense gratification is the
general way for all sorts of fully occupied men. %ut in the
statement of $Lta 8osv"m=, as per the verdict of the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, this is nullified by the present 1loka.
9ne should not engage himself in any sort of occupational
service for material gain only. Kor should material gain be
utili)ed for sense gratification. How material gain should be
utili)ed is described as follows.
T!T "`
k6a$aS(a #aei#d3(aPaO?iTalRa-%aae )a?'eTa (aa'Taa 9
)a?'S(a Tat'i)a/aSaa #aaQaae- (a,eh k6$a-i%a0 99 "` 99
k'masya nendriya%"r$tir
l'bho )$(eta y'(at'
)$(asya tatt(a%)i),'s'
n'rtho ya1 ceha karmabhi*
S(#O#($S
k'masyaZof desiresV naZnotV indriyaZsensesV "r$ti*Z
satisfactionV l'bha*ZgainV )$(etaZself'preservationV y'(at'Z
so much soV )$(asyaZof the living beingV tatt(aZthe Absolute
TruthV )i),'s'Zin(uiriesV naZnotV artha*ZendV ya* ca ihaZ
whatsoever elseV karmabhi*Zby occupational activities.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lifers desires should ne'er be directed toJard sense gratificationH
One should desire only a healthy life, or self6preser'ation, since a
hu@an being is @eant for in?uiry about the Absolute TruthH
#othing else should be the goal of oners JorksH
P8-PO-T
The completely bewildered material civili)ation is wrongly
directed towards the fulfillment of desires in sense
gratification. n such civili)ation, in all spheres of life, the
ultimate end is sense gratification. n politics, social service,
altruism, philanthropy and ultimately in religion or even in
salvation, the very same tint of sense gratification is ever'
increasingly predominant. n the political field the leaders of
men fight with one another to fulfill their personal sense
gratification. The voters adore the so'called leaders only
when they promise sense gratification. As soon as the voters
are dissatisfied in their own sense satisfaction, they
dethrone the leaders, The leaders must always disappoint
the voters by not satisfying their senses. The same is
applicable in all other fieldsV no one is serious about the
problems of life. ;ven those who are on the path of salvation
desire to become one with the Absolute Truth and desire to
commit spiritual suicide for sense gratification. %ut the
&h'ga(atam says that one should not live for sense
gratification. 9ne should satisfy the senses only insomuch as
re(uired for self'preservation, and not for sense gratification.
%ecause the body is made of senses, which also re(uire a
certain amount of satisfaction, there are regulative
directions for satisfaction of such senses. %ut the senses are
not meant for unrestricted en2oyment. Hor e:ample,
marriage or the combination of a man with a woman is
necessary for progeny, but it is not meant for sense
en2oyment. n the absence of voluntary restraint, there is
propaganda for family planning, but foolish men do not know
that family planning is automatically e:ecuted as soon as
there is search after the Absolute Truth. $eekers of the
Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary
engagements in sense gratification because the serious
students seeking the Absolute Truth are always
overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. n
every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be
seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of
engagement will make one happy because he will be less
engaged in varieties of sense gratification. And what that
Absolute Truth is is e:plained as follows.
T!T ""
'di#Ta Tatat'i'dSTat'; (a)/a#a$aj(a$a2 9
b34eiTa Par$aaT$aeiTa %a&a'ai#aiTa !aK*Tae 99 "" 99
(adanti tat tatt(a%(idas
tatt(a- ya) ),'nam ad(ayam
brahmeti "aram'tmeti
bhaga('n iti 1abdyate
S(#O#($S
(adantiZthey sayV tatZthatV tatt(a%(ida*Zthe learned soulsV
tatt(amZthe Absolute TruthV yatZwhichV ),'namZknowledgeV
ad(ayamZnondualV brahma itiZknown as %rahmanV
"aram'tm' itiZknown as 1aram"tm"V bhaga('n itiZknown as
%hagav"nV 1abdyateZit so sounded.
T-A#SLATIO#
Learned transcendentalists Jho knoJ the Absolute Truth call this
nondual substance Krah@an, Para@Lt@L or Khaga'LnH
P8-PO-T
The Absolute Truth is both sub2ect and ob2ect, and there is
no (ualitative difference there. Therefore, %rahman,
1aram"tm" and %hagav"n are (ualitatively one and the
same. The same substance is reali)ed as impersonal
%rahman by the students of the 7"ani.ads, as locali)ed
1aram"tm" by the HiraAyagarbhas or the yog$s, and as
%hagav"n by the devotees. n other words, %hagav"n, or the
1ersonality of 8odhead, is the last word of the Absolute
Truth. 1aram"tm" is the partial representation of the
1ersonality of 8odhead, and impersonal %rahman is the
glowing effulgence of the 1ersonality of 8odhead, as the sun
rays are to the sun'god. Eess intelligent students of either of
the above schools sometimes argue in favor of their own
respective reali)ation, but those who are perfect seers of the
Absolute Truth know well that the above three features of
the one Absolute Truth are different perspective views seen
from different angles of vision.
As it is e:plained in the first 1loka of the Hirst *hapter of the
&h'ga(atam, the $upreme Truth is self'sufficient, cogni)ant
and free from the illusion of relativity. n the relative world
the knower is different from the known, but in the Absolute
Truth both the knower and the known are one and the same
thing. n the relative world the knower is the living spirit or
superior energy, whereas the known is inert matter or
inferior energy. Therefore, there is a duality of inferior and
superior energy, whereas in the absolute realm both the
knower and the known are of the same superior energy.
There are three kinds of energies of the supreme energetic.
There is no difference between the energy and energetic,
but there is a difference of (uality of energies. The absolute
realm and the living entities are of the same superior
energy, but the material world is inferior energy. The living
being in contact with the inferior energy is illusioned,
thinking he belongs to the inferior energy. Therefore there is
the sense of relativity in the material world. n the Absolute
there is no such sense of difference between the knower and
the known, and therefore everything there is absolute.
T!T "N
TaCc|q>aa#aa $au#a(aae /a#a'ra&(a(auv6(aa 9
Pa!(a#T(aaT$ai#a caT$aa#a; %av6ya BOuTa&a:h?Ta(aa 99
"N 99
tac chraddadh'n' m!nayo
),'na%(air'gya%y!ktay'
"a1yanty 'tmani c'tm'na-
bhakty' 1r!ta%g4h$tay'
S(#O#($S
tatZthatV 1raddadh'n'*Zseriously in(uisitiveV m!naya*Z
sagesV ),'naZknowledgeV (air'gyaZdetachmentV y!ktay'Z
well e(uipped withV "a1yantiZseeV 'tmaniZwithin himselfV ca
ZandV 'tm'namZthe 1aram"tm"V bhakty'Zin devotional
serviceV 1r!taZthe /edasC g4h$tay'Zwell received.
T-A#SLATIO#
The seriously in?uisiti'e student or sage, Jell e?uipped Jith
knoJledge and detach@ent, reali=es that Absolute Truth by
rendering de'otional ser'ice in ter@s of Jhat he has heard fro@
the GedLnta6wrutiH
P8-PO-T
The Absolute Truth is reali)ed in full by the process of
devotional service to the Eord, !"sudeva, or the 1ersonality
of 8odhead, who is the full'fledged Absolute Truth. %rahman
is His transcendental bodily effulgence, and 1aram"tm" is
His partial representation. As such, %rahman or 1aram"tm"
reali)ation of the Absolute Truth is but a partial reali)ation.
There are four different types of human beingsZthe karm$s,
the ),'n$s, the yog$s and the devotees. The karm$s are
materialistic, whereas the other three are transcendental.
The first'class transcendentalists are the devotees who have
reali)ed the $upreme 1erson. The second'class
transcendentalists are those who have partially reali)ed the
plenary portion of the absolute person. And the third'class
transcendentalists are those who have barely reali)ed the
spiritual focus of the absolute person. As stated in the
&haga(ad%g$t' and other !edic literatures, the $upreme
1erson is reali)ed by devotional service, which is backed by
full knowledge and detachment from material association.
We have already discussed the point that devotional service
is followed by knowledge and detachment from material
association. As %rahman and 1aram"tm" reali)ation are
imperfect reali)ations of the Absolute Truth, so the means of
reali)ing %rahman and 1aram"tm", i.e., the paths of ),'na
and yoga, are also imperfect means of reali)ing the Absolute
Truth. 7evotional service, which is based on the foreground
of full knowledge combined with detachment from material
association and which is fi:ed by the aural reception of the
/ed'nta%1r!ti, is the only perfect method by which the
seriously in(uisitive student can reali)e the Absolute Truth.
7evotional service is not, therefore, meant for the less
intelligent class of transcendentalist. There are three classes
of devotees, namely first, second, and third class. The third'
class devotees, or the neophytes, who have no knowledge
and are not detached from material association, but who are
simply attracted by the preliminary process of worshiping
the 7eity in the temple, are called material devotees.
Material devotees are more attached to material benefit
than transcendental profit. Therefore, one has to make
definite progress from the position of material devotional
service to the second'class devotional position. n the
second'class position, the devotee can see four principles in
the devotional line, namely the 1ersonality of 8odhead, His
devotees, the ignorant and the envious. 9ne has to raise
himself at least to the stage of a second'class devotee and
thus become eligible to know the Absolute Truth.
A third'class devotee, therefore, has to receive the
instructions of devotional service from the authoritative
sources of &h'ga(ata. The number one &h'ga(ata is the
established personality of devotee, and the other
&h'ga(atam is the message of 8odhead. The third'class
devotee therefore has to go to the personality of devotee in
order to learn the instructions of devotional service. $uch a
personality of devotee is not a professional man who earns
his livelihood by the business of &h'ga(atam. $uch a devotee
must be a representative of <ukadeva 8osv"m=, like $Lta
8osv"m=, and must preach the cult of devotional service for
the all'around benefit of all people. A neophyte devotee has
very little taste for hearing from the authorities. $uch a
neophyte devotee makes a show of hearing from the
professional man to satisfy his senses. This sort of hearing
and chanting has spoiled the whole thing, so one should be
very careful about the faulty process. The holy messages of
8odhead, as inculcated in the &haga(ad%g$t' or in the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, are undoubtedly transcendental
sub2ects, but even though they are so, such transcendental
matters are not to be received from the professional man,
who spoils them as the serpent spoils milk simply by the
touch of his tongue.
A sincere devotee must, therefore, be prepared to hear the
!edic literature like the 7"ani.ads, /ed'nta and other
literatures left by the previous authorities or 8osv"m=s, for
the benefit of his progress. Without hearing such literatures,
one cannot make actual progress. And without hearing and
following the instructions, the show of devotional service
becomes worthless and therefore a sort of disturbance in the
path of devotional service. Rnless, therefore, devotional
service is established on the principles of 1r!ti, sm4ti, "!r'5a
or "a,car'tra authorities, the make'show of devotional
service should at once be re2ected. An unauthori)ed devotee
should never be recogni)ed as a pure devotee. %y
assimilation of such messages from the !edic literatures,
one can see the all'pervading locali)ed aspect of the
1ersonality of 8odhead within his own self constantly. This is
called sam'dhi.
T!T "X
ATa0 Paui$%aij-)aBOefa 'Qaa-BO$ai'%aa&a!a0 9
S'#auifTaS(a >a$a-S(a Sa;iSaiph-irTaae=Qa$a2 99 "X 99
ata* "!mbhir d(i)a%1re.<h'
(ar5'1rama%(ibh'ga1a*
s(an!.<hitasya dharmasya
sa-siddhir hari%to.a5am
S(#O#($S
ata*ZsoV "!mbhi*Zby the human beingV d(i)a%1re.<h'*Z9
best among the twice'bornV (ar5a%'1ramaZthe institution of
four castes and four orders of lifeV (ibh'ga1a*Zby the division
ofV s(an!.<hitasyaZof oneJs own prescribed dutiesV
dharmasyaZoccupationalV sa-siddhi*Zthe highest perfectionV
hariZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV to.a5amZpleasing.
T-A#SLATIO#
O best a@ong the tJice6born, it is therefore concluded that the
highest perfection one can achie'e by discharging the duties
prescribed for oners oJn occupation according to caste di'isions
and orders of life is to please the Personality of &odheadH
P8-PO-T
Human society all over the world is divided into four castes
and four orders of life. The four castes are the intelligent
caste, the martial caste, the productive caste and the
laborer caste. These castes are classified in terms of oneJs
work and (ualification and not by birth. Then again there are
four orders of life, namely the student life, the householderJs
life, the retired and the devotional life. n the best interest of
human society there must be such divisions of life, otherwise
no social institution can grow in a healthy state. And in each
and every one of the abovementioned divisions of life, the
aim m!st be to "lease the s!"reme a!thority of the ersonality
of @odhead. This institutional function of human society is
known as the system of (ar5'1rama%dharma, which is (uite
natural for the civili)ed life. The (ar5'1rama institution is
constructed to enable one to reali)e the Absolute Truth. t is
not for artificial domination of one division over another.
When the aim of life, i.e., reali)ation of the Absolute Truth, is
missed by too much attachment for indriya%"r$ti, or sense
gratification, as already discussed hereinbefore, the
institution of the (ar5'1rama is utili)ed by selfish men to pose
an artificial predominance over the weaker section. n the
>ali'yuga, or in the age of (uarrel, this artificial
predominance is already current, but the saner section of
the people know it well that the divisions of castes and
orders of life are meant for smooth social intercourse and
high'thinking self'reali)ation and not for any other purpose.
Herein the statement of &h'ga(atam is that the highest aim
of life or the highest perfection of the institution of the
(ar5'1rama%dharma is to cooperate 2ointly for the satisfaction
of the $upreme Eord. This is also confirmed in the &haga(ad%
g$t' 3M.,\6.
T!T "Z
TaS$aadeke6#a $a#aSaa %a&a'a#a2 SaaT'Taa; PaiTa0 9
BOaeTaG(a0 k6IiTa-TaG(a, >(ae(a0 Pa8)(a, i#aT(ada 99 "Z 99
tasm'd ekena manas'
bhaga('n s't(at'- "ati*
1rota(ya* k$rtita(ya1 ca
dhyeya* "0)ya1 ca nityad'
S(#O#($S
tasm'tZthereforeV ekenaZby oneV manas'Zattention of the
mindV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV s't(at'mZof
the devoteesV "ati*ZprotectorV 1rota(ya*Zis to be heardV
k$rtita(ya*Zto be glorifiedV caZandV dhyeya*Zto be
rememberedV "0)ya*Zto be worshipedV caZandV nityad'Z
constantly.
T-A#SLATIO#
Therefore, Jith one6pointed attention, one should constantly hear
about, glorify, re@e@ber and Jorship the Personality of &odhead,
Jho is the protector of the de'oteesH
P8-PO-T
f reali)ation of the Absolute Truth is the ultimate aim of life,
it must be carried out by all means. n any one of the above'
mentioned castes and orders of life, the four processes,
namely glorifying, hearing, remembering and worshiping,
are general occupations. Without these principles of life, no
one can e:ist. Activities of the living being involve
engagements in these four different principles of life.
;specially in modern society, all activities are more or less
dependent on hearing and glorifying. Any man from any
social status becomes a well'known man in human society
within a very short time if he is simply glorified truly or
falsely in the daily newspapers. $ometimes political leaders
of a particular party are also advertised by newspaper
propaganda, and by such a method of glorification an
insignificant man becomes an important manZwithin no
time. %ut such propaganda by false glorification of an
un(ualified person cannot bring about any good, either for
the particular man or for the society. There may be some
temporary reactions to such propaganda, but there are no
permanent effects. Therefore such activities are a waste of
time. The actual ob2ect of glorification is the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead, who has created everything
manifested before us. We have broadly discussed this fact
from the beginning of the D)anm'dy asyaF #$% +.+.+& 1loka of
this &h'ga(atam. The tendency to glorify others or hear
others must be turned to the real ob2ect of glorificationZthe
$upreme %eing. And that will bring happiness.
T!T "[
(ad#au>(aaiSa#aa (auv6a0 k6$a-&a3i#Qai#ab#>a#a$a2 9
ic#di#Ta k6aei'daSTaS(a k6ae #a ku6(aa-Tk6QaariTa$a2 99 "[ 99
yad%an!dhy'sin' y!kt'*
karma%granthi%nibandhanam
chindanti ko(id's tasya
ko na k!ry't kath'%ratim
S(#O#($S
yatZwhichV an!dhy'ZremembranceV asin'ZswordV y!kt'*Z
being e(uipped withV karmaZreactionary workV granthiZ
knotV nibandhanamZinterknitV chindantiZcutV ko(id'*Z
intelligentV tasyaZHisV ka*ZwhoV naZnotV k!ry'tZshall doV
kath'ZmessagesV ratimZattention.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vith sJord in hand, intelligent @en cut through the binding knots
of reactionary Jork Okar@a3 by re@e@bering the Personality of
&odheadH Therefore, Jho Jill not pay attention to Iis @essageW
P8-PO-T
The contact of the spiritual spark with material elements
creates a knot which must be cut if one wants to be liberated
from the actions and reactions of fruitive work. Eiberation
means freedom from the cycle of reactionary work. This
liberation automatically follows for one who constantly
remembers the transcendental pastimes of the 1ersonality of
8odhead. This is because all the activities of the $upreme
Eord 3His l$l'6 are transcendental to the modes of the
material energy. They are all'attractive spiritual activities,
and therefore constant association with the spiritual
activities of the $upreme Eord gradually spirituali)es the
conditioned soul and ultimately severs the knot of material
bondage.
Eiberation from material bondage is, therefore, a by'product
of devotional service. Attainment of spiritual knowledge is
not sufficient to insure liberation. $uch knowledge must be
overcoated with devotional service so that ultimately the
devotional service alone predominates. Then liberation is
made possible. ;ven the reactionary work of the fruitive
workers can lead one to liberation when it is overcoated with
devotional service. Aarma overcoated with devotional
service is called karma%yoga. $imilarly, empirical knowledge
overcoated with devotional service is called ),'na%yoga. %ut
pure bhakti%yoga is independent of such karma and ),'na
because it alone can not only endow one with liberation from
conditional life but also award one the transcendental loving
service of the Eord.
Therefore, any sensible man who is above the average man
with a poor fund of knowledge must constantly remember
the 1ersonality of 8odhead by hearing about Him, by
glorifying Him, by remembering Him and by worshiping Him
always, without cessation. That is the perfect way of
devotional service. The 8osv"m=s of !?nd"vana, who were
authori)ed by <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu to preach the bhakti
cult, rigidly followed this rule and made immense literatures
of transcendental science for our benefit. They have chalked
out ways for all classes of men in terms of the different
castes and orders of life in pursuance of the teachings of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam and similar other authoritative
scriptures.
T!T "\
BuBO8=ae0 BOq>aa#aS(a 'aSaude'k6QaaDic0 9
S(aa#$ahTSae'(aa i'PaOa0 PauQ(aTa?Qa-i#a=e'QaaTa2 99 "\ 99
1!1r0.o* 1raddadh'nasya
('s!de(a%kath'%r!ci*
sy'n mahat%se(ay' (i"r'*
"!5ya%t$rtha%ni.e(a5't
S(#O#($S
1!1r0.o*Zone who is engaged in hearingV 1raddadh'nasyaZ
with care and attentionV ('s!de(aZin respect to !"sudevaV
kath'Zthe messageV r!ci*ZaffinityV sy'tZis made possibleV
mahat%se(ay'Zby service rendered to pure devoteesV (i"r'*
Z9 twice'bornV "!5ya%t$rthaZthose who are cleansed of all
viceV ni.e(a5'tZby service.
T-A#SLATIO#
O tJice6born sages, by ser'ing those de'otees Jho are co@pletely
freed fro@ all 'ice, great ser'ice is doneH Ky such ser'ice, one gains
affinity for hearing the @essages of GLsude'aH
P8-PO-T
The conditioned life of a living being is caused by his
revolting against the Eord. There are men called de(a, or
godly living beings, and there are men called as!ras, or
demons, who are against the authority of the $upreme Eord.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' 3$i:teenth *hapter6 a vivid description
of the as!ras is given in which it is said that the as!ras are
put into lower and lower states of ignorance life after life and
so sink to the lower animal forms and have no information of
the Absolute Truth, the 1ersonality of 8odhead. These as!ras
are gradually rectified to 8od consciousness by the mercy of
the EordJs liberated servitors in different countries according
to the supreme will. $uch devotees of 8od are very
confidential associates of the Eord, and when they come to
save human society from the dangers of godlessness, they
are known as the powerful incarnations of the Eord, as sons
of the Eord, as servants of the Eord or as associates of the
Eord. %ut none of them falsely claim to be 8od themselves.
This is a blasphemy declared by the as!ras, and the
demoniac followers of such as!ras also accept pretenders as
8od or His incarnation. n the revealed scriptures there is
definite information of the incarnation of 8od. Ko one should
be accepted as 8od or an incarnation of 8od unless he is
confirmed by the revealed scriptures.
The servants of 8od are to be respected as 8od by the
devotees who actually want to go back to 8odhead. $uch
servants of 8od are called mah'tm's, or t$rthas, and they
preach according to particular time and place. The servants
of 8od urge people to become devotees of the Eord. They
never tolerate being called 8od. <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu
was 8od Himself according to the indication of the revealed
scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. 1eople who
knew Him to be 8od addressed Him as 8od, but He used to
block His ears with His hands and chant the name of Eord
!i@Au. He strongly protested against being called 8od,
although undoubtedly He was 8od Himself. The Eord
behaves so to warn us against unscrupulous men who take
pleasure in being addressed as 8od.
The servants of 8od come to propagate 8od consciousness,
and intelligent people should cooperate with them in every
respect. %y serving the servant of 8od, one can please 8od
more than by directly serving the Eord. The Eord is more
pleased when He sees that His servants are properly
respected because such servants risk everything for the
service of the Eord and so are very dear to the Eord. The
Eord declares in the &haga(ad%g$t' 3,..5-6 that no one is
dearer to Him than one who risks everything to preach His
glory. %y serving the servants of the Eord, one gradually gets
the (uality of such servants, and thus one becomes (ualified
to hear the glories of 8od. The eagerness to hear about 8od
is the first (ualification of a devotee eligible for entering the
kingdom of 8od.
T!T "]
B:Q'Taa; S'k6Qaa0 k:6.Qa0 PauQ(aBO'Qak6ITa-#a0 9
5*#Ta0 SQaae 7%ad3aiQa i'>au#aaeiTa Sau5TSaTaa$a2 99 "] 99
145(at'- s(a%kath'* k4.5a*
"!5ya%1ra(a5a%k$rtana*
h4dy anta* stho hy abhadr'5i
(idh!noti s!h4t sat'm
S(#O#($S
145(at'mZthose who have developed the urge to hear the
message ofV s(a%kath'*ZHis own wordsV k4.5a*Zthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV "!5yaZvirtuesV 1ra(a5aZhearingV
k$rtana*ZchantingV h4di anta* stha*Zwithin oneJs heartV hiZ
certainlyV abhadr'5iZdesire to en2oy matterV (idh!notiZ
cleansesV s!h4tZbenefactorV sat'mZof the truthful.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB CDEFa, the Personality of &odhead, Jho is the Para@Lt@L
OSupersoul3 in e'eryoners heart and the benefactor of the truthful
de'otee, cleanses desire for @aterial en/oy@ent fro@ the heart of
the de'otee Jho has de'eloped the urge to hear Iis @essages,
Jhich are in the@sel'es 'irtuous Jhen properly heard and
chantedH
P8-PO-T
Messages of the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa are
nondifferent from Him. Whenever, therefore, offenseless
hearing and glorification of 8od are undertaken, it is to be
understood that Eord >?@Aa is present there in the form of
transcendental sound, which is as powerful as the Eord
personally. <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, in His #ik.'.<aka,
declares clearly that the holy name of the Eord has all the
potencies of the Eord and that He has endowed His
innumerable names with the same potency. There is no rigid
fi:ture of time, and anyone can chant the holy name with
attention and reverence at his convenience. The Eord is so
kind to us that He can be present before us personally in the
form of transcendental sound, but unfortunately we have no
taste for hearing and glorifying the EordJs name and
activities. We have already discussed developing a taste for
hearing and chanting the holy sound. t is done through the
medium of service to the pure devotee of the Eord.
The Eord is reciprocally respondent to His devotees. When
He sees that a devotee is completely sincere in getting
admittance to the transcendental service of the Eord and has
thus become eager to hear about Him, the Eord acts from
within the devotee in such a way that the devotee may
easily go back to Him. The Eord is more an:ious to take us
back into His kingdom than we can desire. Most of us do not
desire at all to go back to 8odhead. 9nly a very few men
want to go back to 8odhead. %ut anyone who desires to go
back to 8odhead, <r= >?@Aa helps in all respects.
9ne cannot enter into the kingdom of 8od unless one is
perfectly cleared of all sins. The material sins are products of
our desires to lord it over material nature. t is very difficult
to get rid of such desires. Women and wealth are very
difficult problems for the devotee making progress on the
path back to 8odhead. Many stalwarts in the devotional line
fell victim to these allurements and thus retreated from the
path of liberation. %ut when one is helped by the Eord
Himself, the whole process becomes as easy as anything by
the divine grace of the Eord.
To become restless in the contact of women and wealth is
not an astonishment, because every living being is
associated with such things from remote time, practically
immemorial, and it takes time to recover from this foreign
nature. %ut if one is engaged in hearing the glories of the
Eord, gradually he reali)es his real position. %y the grace of
8od such a devotee gets sufficient strength to defend
himself from the state of disturbances, and gradually all
disturbing elements are eliminated from his mind.
T!T "^
#anPaOa(ae.'%ad3e=u i#aT(a; %aa&a'TaSae'(aa 9
%a&a'T(auta$aFaeke6 %aiv6%a-'iTa #aifk6I 99 "^ 99
na.<a%"r'ye.( abhadre.!
nitya- bh'ga(ata%se(ay'
bhaga(aty !ttama%1loke
bhaktir bha(ati nai.<hik$
S(#O#($S
na.<aZdestroyedV "r'ye.!Zalmost to nilV abhadre.!Zall that
is inauspiciousV nityamZregularlyV bh'ga(ataZ#r$mad%
&h'ga(atam, or the pure devoteeV se(ay'Zby servingV
bhaga(atiZunto the 1ersonality of 8odheadV !ttamaZ
transcendentalV 1lokeZprayersV bhakti*Zloving serviceV
bha(atiZcomes into beingV nai.<hik$Zirrevocable.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ky regular attendance in classes on the KhLga'ata@ and by
rendering of ser'ice to the pure de'otee, all that is troubleso@e to
the heart is al@ost co@pletely destroyed, and lo'ing ser'ice unto
the Personality of &odhead, Jho is praised Jith transcendental
songs, is established as an irre'ocable factH
P8-PO-T
Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things
within the heart which are considered to be obstacles in the
path of self'reali)ation. The remedy is the association of the
&h'ga(atas. There are two types of &h'ga(atas, namely the
book &h'ga(ata and the devotee &h'ga(ata. %oth the
&h'ga(atas are competent remedies, and both of them or
either of them can be good enough to eliminate the
obstacles. A devotee &h'ga(ata is as good as the book
&h'ga(ata because the devotee &h'ga(ata leads his life in
terms of the book &h'ga(ata and the book &h'ga(ata is full of
information about the 1ersonality of 8odhead and His pure
devotees, who are also &h'ga(atas. &h'ga(ata book and
person are identical.
The devotee &h'ga(ata is a direct representative of
%hagav"n, the 1ersonality of 8odhead. $o by pleasing the
devotee &h'ga(ata one can receive the benefit of the book
&h'ga(ata. Human reason fails to understand how by serving
the devotee &h'ga(ata or the book &h'ga(ata one gets
gradual promotion on the path of devotion. %ut actually
these are facts e:plained by <r=la K"radadeva, who
happened to be a maidservantJs son in his previous life. The
maidservant was engaged in the menial service of the sages,
and thus he also came into contact with them. And simply by
associating with them and accepting the remnants of
foodstuff left by the sages, the son of the maidservant got
the chance to become the great devotee and personality
<r=la K"radadeva. These are the miraculous effects of the
association of &h'ga(atas. And to understand these effects
practically, it should be noted that by such sincere
association of the &h'ga(atas one is sure to receive
transcendental knowledge very easily, with the result that he
becomes fi:ed in the devotional service of the Eord. The
more progress is made in devotional service under the
guidance of the &h'ga(atas, the more one becomes fi:ed in
the transcendental loving service of the Eord. The messages
of the book &h'ga(ata, therefore, have to be received from
the devotee &h'ga(ata, and the combination of these two
&h'ga(atas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress
on and on.
T!T "_
Tada r)aSTa$aae%aa'a0 k6a$alRae%aad(a, (ae 9
ceTa VTar#aai'p; iSQaTa; Sat'e PaOSa?diTa 99 "_ 99
tad' ra)as%tamo%bh'('*
k'ma%lobh'daya1 ca ye
ceta etair an'(iddha-
sthita- satt(e "ras$dati
S(#O#($S
tad'Zat that timeV ra)a*Zin the mode of passionV tama*Zthe
mode of ignoranceV bh'('*Zthe situationV k'maZlust and
desireV lobhaZhankeringV 'daya*ZothersV caZandV yeZ
whatever they areV ceta*Zthe mindV etai*Zby theseV
an'(iddhamZwithout being affectedV sthitamZbeing fi:edV
satt(eZin the mode of goodnessV "ras$datiZthus becomes
fully satisfied.
T-A#SLATIO#
As soon as irre'ocable lo'ing ser'ice is established in the heart,
the effects of naturers @odes of passion and ignorance, such as
lust, desire and hankering, disappear fro@ the heartH Then the
de'otee is established in goodness, and he beco@es co@pletely
happyH
P8-PO-T
A living being in his normal constitutional position is fully
satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of e:istence is called
brahma%bh0ta or 'tm'%nand$, or the state of self'satisfaction.
This self'satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the
inactive fool. The inactive fool is in the state of foolish
ignorance, whereas the self'satisfied 'tm'nand$ is
transcendental to the material state of e:istence. This stage
of perfection is attained as soon as one is fi:ed in irrevocable
devotional service. 7evotional service is not inactivity, but
the unalloyed activity of the soul.
The soulJs activity becomes adulterated in contact with
matter, and as such the diseased activities are e:pressed in
the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and
sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by
complete elimination of these effects of passion and
ignorance. The devotee is fi:ed at once in the mode of
goodness, and he makes further progress to rise to the
position of !"sudeva, or the state of unmi:ed satt(a, or
1!ddha%satt(a. 9nly in this 1!ddha%satt(a state can one always
see >?@Aa eye to eye by dint of pure affection for the Eord.
A devotee is always in the mode of unalloyed goodnessV
therefore he harms no one. %ut the nondevotee, however
educated he may be, is always harmful. A devotee is neither
foolish nor passionate. The harmful, foolish and passionate
cannot be devotees of the Eord, however they may advertise
themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is
always (ualified with all the good (ualities of 8od.
ùantitatively such (ualifications may be different, but
(ualitatively both the Eord and His devotee are one and the
same.
T!T N`
V'; PaOSak$a#aSaae %a&a'Siv6(aae&aTa0 9
%a&a'tat'i'/a#a; $auv6SalS(a )aa(aTae 99 N` 99
e(a- "rasanna%manaso
bhaga(ad%bhakti%yogata*
bhaga(at%tatt(a%(i),'na-
m!kta%sa3gasya )'yate
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV "rasannaZenlivenedV manasa*Zof the mindV
bhaga(at%bhaktiZthe devotional service of the EordV yogata*Z
by contact ofV bhaga(atZregarding the 1ersonality of
8odheadV tatt(aZknowledgeV (i),'namZscientificV m!ktaZ
liberatedV sa3gasyaZof the associationV )'yateZbecomes
effective.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus established in the @ode of unalloyed goodness, the @an
Jhose @ind has been enli'ened by contact Jith de'otional ser'ice
to the Lord gains positi'e scientific knoJledge of the Personality of
&odhead in the stage of liberation fro@ all @aterial associationH
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' 34.\6 it is said that out of many
thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for
perfection in life. Mostly men are conducted by the modes of
passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in
lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. 9ut of many
such manlike animals, there is actually a man who knows the
responsibility of human life and thus tries to make life
perfect by following the prescribed duties. And out of many
thousands of such persons who have thus attained success
in human life, one may know scientifically about the
1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa. n the same &haga(ad%
g$t' 3,..BB6 it is also said that scientific knowledge of <r=
>?@Aa is understood only by the process of devotional
service 3bhakti%yoga=.
The very same thing is confirmed herein in the above words.
Ko ordinary man, or even one who has attained success in
human life, can know scientifically or perfectly the
1ersonality of 8odhead. 1erfection of human life is attained
when one can understand that he is not the product of
matter but is in fact spirit. And as soon as one understands
that he has nothing to do with matter, he at once ceases his
material hankerings and becomes enlivened as a spiritual
being. This attainment of success is possible when one is
above the modes of passion and ignorance, or, in other
words, when one is actually a br'hma5a by (ualification. A
br'hma5a is the symbol of satt(a%g!5a, or the mode of
goodness. And others, who are not in the mode of goodness,
are either k.atriyas, (ai1yas, 10dras or less than the 10dras.
The brahminical stage is the highest stage of human life
because of its good (ualities. $o one cannot be a devotee
unless one at least (ualifies as a br'hma5a. The devotee is
already a br'hma5a by action. %ut that is not the end of it. As
referred to above, such a br'hma5a has to become a
!ai@Aava in fact to be actually in the transcendental stage. A
pure !ai@Aava is a liberated soul and is transcendental even
to the position of a br'hma5a. n the material stage even a
br'hma5a is also a conditioned soul because although in the
brahminical stage the conception of %rahman or
transcendence is reali)ed, scientific knowledge of the
$upreme Eord is lacking. 9ne has to surpass the brahminical
stage and reach the (as!de(a stage to understand the
1ersonality of 8odhead >?@Aa. The science of the 1ersonality
of 8odhead is the sub2ect matter for study by the
postgraduate students in the spiritual line. Hoolish men, or
men with a poor fund of knowledge, do not understand the
$upreme Eord, and they interpret >?@Aa according to their
respective whims. The fact is, however, that one cannot
understand the science of the 1ersonality of 8odhead unless
one is freed from the contamination of the material modes,
even up to the stage of a br'hma5a. When a (ualified
br'hma5a factually becomes a !ai@Aava, in the enlivened
state of liberation he can know what is actually the
T!T N"
i%a*Tae 5d(a&a3i#Qai!c*#Tae Sa'-Sa;!a(aa0 9
Ua?(a#Tae caS(a k6$aa-iQa d:n V'aT$a#a?Tre 99 N" 99
bhidyate h4daya%granthi1
chidyante sar(a%sa-1ay'*
k.$yante c'sya karm'5i
d4.<a e('tman$1(are
S(#O#($S
bhidyateZpiercedV h4dayaZheartV granthi*ZknotsV chidyanteZ
cut to piecesV sar(aZallV sa-1ay'*ZmisgivingsV k.$yanteZ
terminatedV caZandV asyaZhisV karm'5iZchain of fruitive
actionsV d4.<eZhaving seenV e(aZcertainlyV 'tmaniZunto
the selfV $1(areZdominating.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all @isgi'ings are cut to
piecesH The chain of fruiti'e actions is ter@inated Jhen one sees
the self as @asterH
P8-PO-T
Attaining scientific knowledge of the 1ersonality of 8odhead
means seeing oneJs own self simultaneously. As far as the
identity of the living being as spirit self is concerned, there
are a number of speculations and misgivings. The materialist
does not believe in the e:istence of the spirit self, and
empiric philosophers believe in the impersonal feature of the
whole spirit without individuality of the living beings. %ut the
transcendentalists affirm that the soul and the $upersoul are
two different identities, (ualitatively one but (uantitatively
different. There are many other theories, but all these
different speculations are at once cleared off as soon as <r=
>?@Aa is reali)ed in truth by the process of bhakti%yoga. <r=
>?@Aa is like the sun, and the materialistic speculations
about the Absolute Truth are like the darkest midnight. As
soon as the >?@Aa sun is arisen within oneJs heart, the
darkness of materialistic speculations about the Absolute
Truth and the living beings is at once cleared off. n the
presence of the sun, the darkness cannot stand, and the
relative truths that were hidden within the dense darkness of
ignorance become clearly manifested by the mercy of
>?@Aa, who is residing in everyoneJs heart as the $upersoul.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' 3,N.,,6 the Eord says that in order to
show special favor to His pure devotees, He personally
eradicates the dense darkness of all misgivings by switching
on the light of pure knowledge within the heart of a devotee.
Therefore, because of the 1ersonality of 8odheadJs taking
charge of illuminating the heart of His devotee, certainly a
devotee, engaged in His service in transcendental love,
cannot remain in darkness. He comes to know everything of
the absolute and the relative truths. The devotee cannot
remain in darkness, and because a devotee is enlightened
by the 1ersonality of 8odhead, his knowledge is certainly
perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the
Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of
approach. 1erfect knowledge is called "aram"ar', or
deductive knowledge coming down from the authority to the
submissive aural receiver who is bona fide by service and
surrender. 9ne cannot challenge the authority of the
$upreme and know Him also at the same time. He reserves
the right of not being e:posed to such a challenging spirit of
an insignificant spark of the whole, a spark sub2ected to the
control of illusory energy. The devotees are submissive, and
therefore the transcendental knowledge descends from the
1ersonality of 8odhead to %rahm" and from %rahm" to his
sons and disciples in succession. This process is helped by
the $upersoul within such devotees. That is the perfect way
of learning transcendental knowledge.
This enlightenment perfectly enables the devotee to
distinguish spirit from matter because the knot of spirit and
matter is untied by the Eord. This knot is called aha3k'ra, and
it falsely obliges a living being to become identified with
matter. As soon as this knot is loosened, therefore, all the
clouds of doubt are at once cleared off. 9ne sees his master
and fully engages himself in the transcendental loving
service of the Eord, making a full termination of the chain of
fruitive action. n material e:istence, a living being creates
his own chain of fruitive work and en2oys the good and bad
effects of those actions life after life. %ut as soon as he
engages himself in the loving service of the Eord, he at once
becomes free from the chain of karma. His actions no longer
create any reaction.
T!T NN
ATaae ' k6'(aae i#aT(a; %aiv;6 Par$a(aa $auda 9
'aSaude'e %a&a'iTa ku6'-#T(aaT$aPaOSaad#a?$a2 99 NN 99
ato (ai ka(ayo nitya-
bhakti- "aramay' m!d'
('s!de(e bhaga(ati
k!r(anty 'tma%"ras'dan$m
S(#O#($S
ata*ZthereforeV (aiZcertainlyV ka(aya*Zall
transcendentalistsV nityamZfrom time immemorialV bhaktimZ
service unto the EordV "aramay'ZsupremeV m!d'Zwith great
delightV ('s!de(eZ<r= >?@AaV bhaga(atiZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV k!r(antiZdo renderV 'tmaZselfV "ras'dan$mZthat
which enlivens.
T-A#SLATIO#
Certainly, therefore, since ti@e i@@e@orial, all transcendentalists
ha'e been rendering de'otional ser'ice to Lord CDEFa, the
Personality of &odhead, Jith great delight, because such
de'otional ser'ice is enli'ening to the selfH
P8-PO-T
The speciality of devotional service unto the 1ersonality of
8odhead Eord <r= >?@Aa is specifically mentioned herein.
Eord <r= >?@Aa is the s(aya-%r0"a 1ersonality of 8odhead,
and all other forms of 8odhead, beginning from <r=
%aladeva, $aIkar@aAa, !"sudeva, Aniruddha, 1radyumna and
K"r"yaAa and e:tending to the "!r!.a%a(at'ras, g!5a%
a(at'ras, l$l'%a(at'ras, y!ga%a(at'ras and many other
thousands of manifestations of the 1ersonality of 8odhead,
are Eord <r= >?@AaJs plenary portions and integrated parts.
The living entities are separated parts and parcels of the
1ersonality of 8odhead. Therefore Eord $ri >?@Aa is the
original form of 8odhead, and He is the last word in the
Transcendence. Thus He is more attractive to the higher
transcendentalists who participate in the eternal pastimes of
the Eord. n forms of the 1ersonality of 8odhead other than
<r= >?@Aa and %aladeva, there is no facility for intimate
personal contact as in the transcendental pastimes of the
Eord at !ra2abhLmi. The transcendental pastimes of Eord <r=
>?@Aa are not newly accepted, as argued by some less
intelligent personsV His pastimes are eternal and are
manifested in due course once in a day of %rahm"2=, as the
sun rises on the eastern hori)on at the end of every twenty'
four hours.
T!T NX
Sat'; r)aSTa$a JiTa PaOk:6Tae&au-QaaSTax
(au-v60 Par0 PauD= Vk6 JhaS(a >atae 9
iSQaT(aad(ae hiri'iri}hreiTa Sa;/a0
BOe(aa;iSa Ta<a YluR Sat'Ta#aae#a:-Qaa; S(au0 99 NX 99
satt(a- ra)as tama iti "rak4ter g!5's tair
y!kta* "ara* "!r!.a eka ih'sya dhatte
sthity%'daye hari%(iri,ci%hareti sa-),'*
1rey'-si tatra khal! satt(a%tanor n45'- sy!*
S(#O#($S
satt(amZgoodnessV ra)a*ZpassionV tama*Zthe darkness of
ignoranceV itiZthusV "rak4te*Zof the material natureV g!5'*
Z(ualitiesV tai*Zby themV y!kta*Zassociated withV "ara*Z
transcendentalV "!r!.a*Zthe personalityV eka*ZoneV iha
asyaZof this material worldV dhatteZacceptsV sthiti%'dayeZfor
the matter of creation, maintenance and destruction, etc.V
hariZ!i@Au, the 1ersonality of 8odheadV (iri,ciZ%rahm"V
haraZEord <ivaV itiZthusV sa-),'*Zdifferent featuresV
1rey'-siZultimate benefitV tatraZthereinV khal!Zof courseV
satt(aZgoodnessV tano*ZformV n45'mZof the human beingV
sy!*Zderived.
T-A#SLATIO#
The transcendental Personality of &odhead is indirectly associated
Jith the three @odes of @aterial nature, na@ely passion, goodness
and ignorance, and /ust for the @aterial Jorldrs creation,
@aintenance and destruction Ie accepts the three ?ualitati'e
for@s of Krah@L, GiEFu and Ai'aH Of these three, all hu@an beings
can deri'e ulti@ate benefit fro@ GiEFu, the for@ of the ?uality of
goodnessH
P8-PO-T
That Eord <r= >?@Aa, by His plenary parts, should be
rendered devotional service, as e:plained above, is
confirmed by this statement. Eord <r= >?@Aa and all His
plenary parts are (i.5!%tatt(a, or the Eordship of 8odhead.
Hrom <r= >?@Aa, the ne:t manifestation is %aladeva. Hrom
%aladeva is $aIkar@aAa, from $aIkar@aAa is K"r"yaAa, from
K"r"yaAa there is the second $aIkar@aAa, and from this
$aIkar@aAa the !i@Au "!r!.a%a(at'ras. The !i@Au or the 7eity
of the (uality of goodness in the material world is the
"!r!.a%a(at'ra known as >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au or
1aram"tm". %rahm" is the deity of ra)as 3passion6, and <iva
of ignorance. They are the three departmental heads of the
three (ualities of this material world. *reation is made
possible by the goodness of !i@Au, and when it re(uires to
be destroyed, Eord <iva does it by the t'5;a(an4tya. The
materialists and the foolish human beings worship %rahm"
and <iva respectively. %ut the pure transcendentalists
worship the form of goodness, !i@Au, in His various forms.
!i@Au is manifested by His millions and billions of integrated
forms and separated forms. The integrated forms are called
8odhead, and the separated forms are called the living
entities or the )$(as. %oth the )$(as and 8odhead have their
original spiritual forms. N$(as are sometimes sub2ected to the
control of material energy, but the !i@Au forms are always
controllers of this energy. When !i@Au, the 1ersonality of
8odhead, appears in the material world, He comes to deliver
the conditioned living beings who are under the material
energy. $uch living beings appear in the material world with
intentions of being lords, and thus they become entrapped
by the three modes of nature. As such, the living entities
have to change their material coverings for undergoing
different terms of imprisonment. The prison house of the
material world is created by %rahm" under instruction of the
1ersonality of 8odhead, and at the conclusion of a kal"a the
whole thing is destroyed by <iva. %ut as far as maintenance
of the prison house is concerned, it is done by !i@Au, as
much as the state prison house is maintained by the state.
Anyone, therefore, who wishes to get out of this prison
house of material e:istence, which is full of miseries like
repetition of birth, death, disease and old age, must please
Eord !i@Au for such liberation. Eord !i@Au is worshiped by
devotional service only, and if anyone has to continue prison
life in the material world, he may ask for relative facilities for
temporary relief from the different demigods like <iva,
%rahm", ndra and !aruAa. Ko demigod, however, can
release the imprisoned living being from the conditioned life
of material e:istence. This can be done only by !i@Au.
Therefore, the ultimate benefit may be derived from !i@Au,
the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T!T NZ
PaaiQa-'aqaDQaae >a8$aSTaS$aadi&anE(a?$a(a0 9
Ta$aSaSTau r)aSTaS$aaTSat'; (ad2b34d!a-#a$a2 99 NZ 99
"'rthi('d d'r!5o dh0mas
tasm'd agnis tray$maya*
tamasas t! ra)as tasm't
satt(a- yad brahma%dar1anam
S(#O#($S
"'rthi('tZfrom earthV d'r!5a*ZfirewoodV dh0ma*ZsmokeV
tasm'tZfrom thatV agni*ZfireV tray$Z!edic sacrificesV maya*
Zmade ofV tamasa*Zin the mode of ignoranceV t!ZbutV ra)a*
Zthe mode of passionV tasm'tZfrom thatV satt(amZthe mode
of goodnessV yatZwhichV brahmaZthe Absolute TruthV
dar1anamZreali)ation.
T-A#SLATIO#
FireJood is a transfor@ation of earth, but s@oke is better than the
raJ JoodH And fire is still better, for by fire Je can deri'e the
benefits of superior knoJledge Othrough Gedic sacrifices3H
Si@ilarly, passion Ora/as3 is better than ignorance Ota@as3, but
goodness Osatt'a3 is best because by goodness one can co@e to
reali=e the Absolute TruthH
P8-PO-T
As e:plained above, one can get release from the
conditioned life of material e:istence by devotional service
to the 1ersonality of 8odhead. t is further comprehended
herein that one has to rise to the platform of the mode of
goodness 3satt(a6 so that one can be eligible for the
devotional service of the Eord. %ut if there are impediments
on the progressive path, anyone, even from the platform of
tamas, can gradually rise to the satt(a platform by the e:pert
direction of the spiritual master. $incere candidates must,
therefore, approach an e:pert spiritual master for such a
progressive march, and the bona fide, e:pert spiritual
master is competent to direct a disciple from any stage of
lifeC tamas, ra)as or satt(a.
t is a mistake, therefore, to consider that worship of any
(uality or any form of the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead is
e(ually beneficial. ;:cept !i@Au, all separated forms are
manifested under the conditions of material energy, and
therefore the forms of material energy cannot help anyone
to rise to the platform of satt(a, which alone can liberate a
person from material bondage.
The uncivili)ed state of life, or the life of the lower animals,
is controlled by the mode of tamas. The civili)ed life of man,
with a passion for various types of material benefits, is the
stage of ra)as. The ra)as stage of life gives a slight clue to the
reali)ation of the Absolute Truth in the forms of fine
sentiments in philosophy, art and culture with moral and
ethical principles, but the mode of satt(a is a still higher
stage of material (uality, which actually helps one in
reali)ing the Absolute Truth. n other words, there is a
(ualitative difference between the different kinds of
worshiping methods as well as the respective results derived
from the predominating deities, namely %rahm", !i@Au and
Hara.
T!T N[
%aei)are $au#a(aae+Qaa&a3e %a&a'#Ta$a>aaeUa)a$a2 9
Sat'; i'Bup; Uae$aa(a k6LPa#Tae (ae+#au Taai#ah 99 N[ 99
bhe)ire m!nayo 2th'gre
bhaga(antam adhok.a)am
satt(a- (i1!ddha- k.em'ya
kal"ante ye 2n! t'n iha
S(#O#($S
bhe)ireZrendered service untoV m!naya*Zthe sagesV athaZ
thusV agreZpreviouslyV bhaga(antamZunto the 1ersonality of
8odheadV adhok.a)amZthe TranscendenceV satt(amZ
e:istenceV (i1!ddhamZabove the three modes of natureV
k.em'yaZto derive the ultimate benefitV kal"anteZdeserveV
yeZthoseV an!ZfollowV t'nZthoseV ihaZin this material
world.
T-A#SLATIO#
Pre'iously all the great sages rendered ser'ice unto the
Personality of &odhead due to Iis eMistence abo'e the three
@odes of @aterial natureH They Jorshiped Ii@ to beco@e free
fro@ @aterial conditions and thus deri'e the ulti@ate benefitH
Vhoe'er folloJs such great authorities is also eligible for
liberation fro@ the @aterial JorldH
P8-PO-T
The purpose of performing religion is neither to profit by
material gain nor to get the simple knowledge of discerning
matter from spirit. The ultimate aim of religious
performances is to release oneself from material bondage
and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world,
where the 1ersonality of 8odhead is the $upreme 1erson.
Eaws of religion, therefore, are directly enacted by the
1ersonality of 8odhead, and e:cept for the mah')anas, or the
authori)ed agents of the Eord, no one knows the purpose of
religion. There are twelve particular agents of the Eord who
know the purpose of religion, and all of them render
transcendental service unto Him. 1ersons who desire their
own good may follow these mah')anas and thus attain the
supreme benefit.
T!T N\
$au$auUa'ae gaaer~Paa#a2 ihT'a %a8TaPaTa?#aQa 9
#aara(aQak6lRa0 !aa#Taa %a)ai#Ta 7#aSa8(a'0 99 N\ 99
m!m!k.a(o ghora%r0"'n
hit(' bh0ta%"at$n atha
n'r'ya5a%kal'* 1'nt'
bha)anti hy anas0ya(a*
S(#O#($S
m!m!k.a(a*Zpersons desiring liberationV ghoraZhorrible,
ghastlyV r0"'nZforms like thatV hit('Zre2ectingV bh0ta%"at$n
ZdemigodsV athaZfor this reasonV n'r'ya5aZthe 1ersonality
of 8odheadV kal'*Zplenary portionsV 1'nt'*Zall'blissfulV
bha)antiZdo worshipV hiZcertainlyV anas0ya(a*Znonenvious.
T-A#SLATIO#
Those Jho are serious about liberation are certainly nonen'ious,
and they respect allH (et they re/ect the horrible and ghastly for@s
of the de@igods and Jorship only the all6blissful for@s of Lord
GiEFu and Iis plenary portionsH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa, who is the
original person of the !i@Au categories, e:pands Himself in
two different categories, namely integrated plenary portions
and separated parts and parcels. The separated parts and
parcels are the servitors, and the integrated plenary portions
of (i.5!%tatt(as are the worshipful ob2ects of service.
All demigods who are empowered by the $upreme Eord are
also separated parts and parcels. They do not belong to the
categories of (i.5!%tatt(a. The (i.5!%tatt(as are living beings
e(ually as powerful as the original form of the 1ersonality of
8odhead, and They display different categories of power in
consideration of different times and circumstances. The
separated parts and parcels are powerful by limitation. They
do not have unlimited power like the (i.5!%tatt(as. Therefore,
one should never classify the (i.5!%tatt(as, or the plenary
portions of K"r"yaAa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, in the
same categories with the parts and parcels. f anyone does
so he becomes at once an offender by the name "'.a5;$. n
the age of >ali many foolish persons commit such unlawful
offenses and e(uali)e the two categories.
The separated parts and parcels have different positions in
the estimation of material powers, and some of them are like
>"la'bhairava, <maP"na'bhairava, <ani, Mah"k"l= and
*aAQik". These demigods are worshiped mostly by those
who are in the lowest categories of the mode of darkness or
ignorance. 9ther demigods, like %rahm", <iva, $Lrya,
8aAePa and many similar deities, are worshiped by men in
the mode of passion, urged on by the desire for material
en2oyment. %ut those who are actually situated in the mode
of goodness 3satt(a%g!5a6 of material nature worship only
(i.5!%tatt(as. /i.5!%tatt(as are represented by various names
and forms, such as K"r"yaAa, 7"modara, !"mana, 8ovinda
and Adhok@a2a.
The (ualified br'hma5as worship the (i.5!%tatt(as represented
by the 1'lagr'ma%1il', and some of the higher castes like the
k.atriyas and (ai1yas also generally worship the (i.5!%tatt(as.
Highly (ualified br'hma5as situated in the mode of goodness
have no grudges against the mode of worship of others.
They have all respect for other demigods, even though they
may look ghastly, like >"la'bhairava or Mah"k"l=. They know
very well that those horrible features of the $upreme Eord
are all different servitors of the Eord under different
conditions, yet they re2ect the worship of both horrible and
attractive features of the demigods, and they concentrate
only on the forms of !i@Au because they are serious about
liberation from the material conditions. The demigods, even
to the stage of %rahm", the supreme of all the demigods,
cannot offer liberation to anyone. HiraAyakaPipu underwent
a severe type of penance to become eternal in life, but his
worshipful deity, %rahm", could not satisfy him with such
blessings. Therefore !i@Au, and none else, is called m!kti%
"'da, or the 1ersonality of 8odhead who can bestow upon us
m!kti, liberation. The demigods, being like other living
entities in the material world, are all li(uidated at the time of
the annihilation of the material structure. They are
themselves unable to get liberation, and what to speak of
giving liberation to their devotees. The demigods can award
the worshipers some temporary benefit only, and not the
ultimate one.
t is for this reason only that candidates for liberation
deliberately re2ect the worship of the demigods, although
they have no disrespect for any one of them.
T!T N]
r)aSTa$a0PaOk:6Ta(a0 Sa$a!a?lRa %a)ai#Ta ' 9
iPaTa:%a8TaPaO)ae!aad?#a2 iBO(aT(a-PaO)aePSa'0 99 N] 99
ra)as%tama*%"rak4taya*
sama%1$l' bha)anti (ai
"it4%bh0ta%"ra)e1'd$n
1riyai1(arya%"ra)e"sa(a*
S(#O#($S
ra)a*Zthe mode of passionV tama*Zthe mode of ignoranceV
"rak4taya*Zof that mentalityV sama%1$l'*Zof the same
categoriesV bha)antiZdo worshipV (aiZactuallyV "it4Zthe
forefathersV bh0taZother living beingsV "ra)e1a%'d$nZ
controllers of cosmic administrationV 1riy'ZenrichmentV
ai1(aryaZwealth and powerV "ra)'ZprogenyV $"sa(a*Zso
desiring.
T-A#SLATIO#
Those Jho are in the @odes of passion and ignorance Jorship the
forefathers, other li'ing beings and the de@igods Jho are in
charge of cos@ic acti'ities, for they are urged by a desire to be
@aterially benefited Jith Jo@en, Jealth, poJer and progenyH
P8-PO-T
There is no need to worship demigods of whatsoever
category if one is serious about going back to 8odhead. n
the &haga(ad%g$t' 34.GN,G\6 it is clearly said that those who
are mad after material en2oyment approach the different
demigods for temporary benefits, which are meant for men
with a poor fund of knowledge. We should never desire to
increase the depth of material en2oyment. Material
en2oyment should be accepted only up to the point of the
bare necessities of life and not more or less than that. To
accept more material en2oyment means to bind oneself more
and more to the miseries of material e:istence. More wealth,
more women and false aristocracy are some of the demands
of the materially disposed man because he has no
information of the benefit derived from !i@Au worship. %y
!i@Au worship one can derive benefit in this life as well as in
life after death. Horgetting these principles, foolish people
who are after more wealth, more wives and more children
worship various demigods. The aim of life is to end the
miseries of life and not to increase them.
Hor material en2oyment there is no need to approach the
demigods. The demigods are but servants of the Eord. As
such, they are duty'bound to supply necessities of life in the
form of water, light, air, etc. 6ne sho!ld work hard and
worshi" the S!"reme :ord by the fr!its of one2s hard labor for
e?istence, and that sho!ld be the motto of life. 9ne should be
careful to e:ecute occupational service with faith in 8od in
the proper way, and that will lead one gradually on the
progressive march back to 8odhead.
Eord <r= >?@Aa, when He was personally present at
!ra2adh"ma, stopped the worship of the demigod ndra and
advised the residents of !ra2a to worship by their business
and to have faith in 8od. Worshiping the multidemigods for
material gain is practically a perversity of religion. This sort
of religious activity has been condemned in the very
beginning of the &h'ga(atam as kaita(a%dharma. There is only
one religion in the world to be followed by one and all, and
that is the &h'ga(ata%dharma, or the religion which teaches
one to worship the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead and no
one else.
T!TS N^N_
'aSaude'Para 'eda 'aSaude'Para $aYa0 9
'aSaude'Para (aae&aa 'aSaude'Para0 is6(aa0 99 N^ 99
'aSaude'Par; /a#a; 'aSaude'Par; TaPa0 9
'aSaude'Parae >a$aae- 'aSaude'Para &aiTa0 99 N_ 99
('s!de(a%"ar' (ed'
('s!de(a%"ar' makh'*
('s!de(a%"ar' yog'
('s!de(a%"ar'* kriy'*
('s!de(a%"ara- ),'na-
('s!de(a%"arata"a*
('s!de(a%"aro dharmo
('s!de(a%"ar' gati*
S(#O#($S
('s!de(aZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV "ar'*Zthe ultimate
goalV (ed'*Zrevealed scripturesV ('s!de(aZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV "ar'*Zfor worshipingV makh'*ZsacrificesV
('s!de(aZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV "ar'*Zthe means of
attainingV yog'*Zmystic paraphernaliaV ('s!de(aZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV "ar'*Zunder His controlV kriy'*Z
fruitive activitiesV ('s!de(aZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV
"aramZthe supremeV ),'namZknowledgeV ('s!de(aZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV "aramZbestV ta"a*ZausterityV
('s!de(aZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV "ara*Zsuperior
(ualityV dharma*ZreligionV ('s!de(aZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV "ar'*ZultimateV gati*Zgoal of life.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the re'ealed scriptures, the ulti@ate ob/ect of knoJledge is ArB
CDEFa, the Personality of &odheadH The purpose of perfor@ing
sacrifice is to please Ii@H (oga is for reali=ing Ii@H All fruiti'e
acti'ities are ulti@ately reJarded by Ii@ onlyH Ie is supre@e
knoJledge, and all se'ere austerities are perfor@ed to knoJ Ii@H
-eligion Odhar@a3 is rendering lo'ing ser'ice unto Ii@H Ie is the
supre@e goal of lifeH
P8-PO-T
That <r= >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is the only
ob2ect of worship is confirmed in these two 1lokas. n the
!edic literature there is the same ob2ectiveC establishing
oneJs relationship and ultimately reviving our lost loving
service unto Him. That is the sum and substance of the
/edas. n the &haga(ad%g$t' the same theory is confirmed by
the Eord in His own wordsC the ultimate purpose of the /edas
is to know Him only. All the revealed scriptures are prepared
by the Eord through His incarnation in the body of <r=la
!y"sadeva 2ust to remind the fallen souls, conditioned by
material nature, of <r= >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
Ko demigod can award freedom from material bondage.
That is the verdict of all the !edic literatures. mpersonalists
who have no information of the 1ersonality of 8odhead
minimi)e the omnipotency of the $upreme Eord and put Him
on e(ual footing with all other living beings, and for this act
such impersonalists get freedom from material bondage only
with great difficulty. They can surrender unto Him only after
many, many births in the culture of transcendental
knowledge.
9ne may argue that the !edic activities are based on
sacrificial ceremonies. That is true. %ut all such sacrifices are
also meant for reali)ing the truth about !"sudeva. Another
name of !"sudeva is Xa2â 3sacrifice6, and in the &haga(ad%
g$t' it is clearly stated that all sacrifices and all activities are
to be conducted for the satisfaction of Xa2â, or !i@Au, the
1ersonality of 8odhead. This is the case also with the yoga
systems. Yoga means to get into touch with the $upreme
Eord. The process, however, includes several bodily features
such as 'sana, dhy'na, "r'5'y'ma and meditation, and all of
them are meant for concentrating upon the locali)ed aspect
of !"sudeva represented as 1aram"tm". 1aram"tm"
reali)ation is but partial reali)ation of !"sudeva, and if one is
successful in that attempt, one reali)es !"sudeva in full. %ut
by ill luck most yog$s are stranded by the powers of
mysticism achieved through the bodily process. ll'fated
yog$s are given a chance in the ne:t birth by being placed in
the families of good learned br'hma5as or in the families of
rich merchants in order to e:ecute the unfinished task of
!"sudeva reali)ation. f such fortunate br'hma5as and sons of
rich men properly utili)e the chance, they can easily reali)e
!"sudeva by good association with saintly persons.
Rnfortunately, such preferred persons are captivated again
by material wealth and honor, and thus they practically
forget the aim of life.
This is also so for the culture of knowledge. According to
&haga(ad%g$t' there are eighteen items in culturing
knowledge. %y such culture of knowledge one becomes
gradually prideless, devoid of vanity, nonviolent, forbearing,
simple, devoted to the great spiritual master, and self'
controlled. %y culture of knowledge one becomes unattached
to hearth and home and becomes conscious of the miseries
due to death, birth, old age and disease. And all culture of
knowledge culminates in devotional service to the
1ersonality of 8odhead, !"sudeva. Therefore, !"sudeva is
the ultimate aim in culturing all different branches of
knowledge. *ulture of knowledge leading one to the
transcendental plane of meeting !"sudeva is real
knowledge. physical knowledge in its various branches is
condemned in the &haga(ad%g$t' as a),'na, or the opposite of
real knowledge. The ultimate aim of physical knowledge is to
satisfy the senses, which means prolongation of the term of
material e:istence and thereby continuance of the threefold
miseries. $o prolonging the miserable life of material
e:istence is nescience. %ut the same physical knowledge
leading to the way of spiritual understanding helps one to
end the miserable life of physical e:istence and to begin the
life of spiritual e:istence on the plane of !"sudeva.
The same applies to all kinds of austerities. Ta"asya means
voluntary acceptance of bodily pains to achieve some higher
end of life. 0"vaAa and HiraAyakaPipu underwent a severe
type of bodily torture to achieve the end of sense
gratification. $ometimes modern politicians also undergo
severe types of austerities to achieve some political end.
This is not actually ta"asya. 9ne should accept voluntary
bodily inconvenience for the sake of knowing !"sudeva
because that is the way of real austerities. 9therwise all
forms of austerities are classified as modes of passion and
ignorance. passion and ignorance cannot end the miseries of
life. 9nly the mode of goodness can mitigate the threefold
miseries of life. !asudeva and 7evak=, the so'called father
and mother of Eord >?@Aa, underwent penances to get
!"sudeva as their son. Eord <r= >?@Aa is the father of all
living beings 3%g. ,M.M6. Therefore He is the original living
being of all other living beings. He is the original eternal
en2oyer amongst all other en2oyers. Therefore no one can be
His begetting father, as the ignorant may think. Eord <r=
>?@Aa agreed to become the son of !asudeva and 7evak=
upon being pleased with their severe austerities. Therefore if
any austerities have to be done, they must be done to
achieve the end of knowledge, !"sudeva.
!"sudeva is the original 1ersonality of 8odhead Eord <r=
>?@Aa. As e:plained before, the original 1ersonality of
8odhead e:pands Himself by innumerable forms. $uch
e:pansion of forms is made possible by His various energies.
His energies are also multifarious, and His internal energies
are superior and e:ternal energies inferior in (uality. They
are e:plained in the &haga(ad%g$t' 34.Ma56 as the "ar' and
the a"ar' "rak4tis. $o His e:pansions of various forms which
take place via the internal energies are superior forms,
whereas the e:pansions which take place via the e:ternal
energies are inferior forms. The living entities are also His
e:pansions. The living entities who are e:panded by His
internal potency are eternally liberated persons, whereas
those who are e:panded in terms of the material energies
are eternally conditioned souls. Therefore, all culture of
knowledge, austerities, sacrifice and activities should be
aimed at changing the (uality of the influence that is acting
upon us. Hor the present, we are all being controlled by the
e:ternal energy of the Eord, and 2ust to change the (uality of
the influence, we must endeavor to cultivate spiritual
energy. n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is said that those who are
mah'tm's, or those whose minds have been so broadened as
to be engaged in the service of Eord >?@Aa, are under the
influence of the internal potency, and the effect is that such
broadminded living beings are constantly engaged in the
service of the Eord without deviation. That should be the aim
of life. And that is the verdict of all the !edic literatures. Ko
one should bother himself with fruitive activities or dry
speculation about transcendental knowledge. ;veryone
should at once engage himself in the transcendental loving
service of the Eord. Kor should one worship different
demigods who work as different hands of the Eord for
creation, maintenance or destruction of the material world.
There are innumerable powerful demigods who look over the
e:ternal management of the material world. They are all
different assisting hands of Eord !"sudeva. ;ven Eord <iva
and Eord %rahm" are included in the list of demigods, but
Eord !i@Au, or !"sudeva, is always transcendentally
situated. ;ven though He accepts the (uality of goodness of
the material world, He is still transcendental to all the
material modes. The following e:ample will clear that matter
more e:plicitly. n the prison house there are the prisoners
and the managers of the prison house. %oth the managers
and the prisoners are bound by the laws of the king. %ut
even though the king sometimes comes in the prison, he is
not bound by the laws of the prison house. The king is
therefore always transcendental to the laws of the prison
house, as the Eord is always transcendental to the laws of
the material world.
T!T X`
Sa V'ed; SaSa)aa-&a3e %a&a'a#aaT$a$aa(a(aa 9
SadSad38Pa(aa caSaa &auQa$a(aa&auQaae i'%au0 99 X` 99
sa e(eda- sasar)'gre
bhaga('n 'tma%m'yay'
sad%asad%r0"ay' c'sa!
g!5amay'g!5o (ibh!*
S(#O#($S
sa*ZthatV e(aZcertainlyV idamZthisV sasar)aZcreatedV agreZ
beforeV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV 'tma%m'yay'
Zby His personal potencyV satZthe causeV asatZthe effectV
r0"ay'Zby formsV caZandV asa!Zthe same EordV g!5a%maya
Zin the modes of material natureV ag!5a*ZtranscendentalV
(ibh!*Zthe Absolute.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the beginning of the @aterial creation, that Absolute Personality
of &odhead OGLsude'a3, in Iis transcendental position, created the
energies of cause and effect by Iis oJn internal energyH
P8-PO-T
The position of the Eord is always transcendental because
the causal and effectual energies re(uired for the creation of
the material world were also created by Him. He is
unaffected, therefore, by the (ualities of the material modes.
His e:istence, form, activities and paraphernalia all e:isted
before the material creation.
v
Y >e is all%s"irit!al and has
nothing to do with the (ualities of the material world, which
are (ualitatively distinct from the spiritual (ualities of the
Eord.
T!T X"
Ta(aa i'lRiSaTae.'e=u &auQae=u &auQa'ai#a' 9
A#Ta0PaOi'n Aa%aaiTa i'/a#ae#a i')a:i$%aTa0 99 X" 99
tay' (ilasite.( e.!
g!5e.! g!5a('n i(a
anta*%"ra(i.<a 'bh'ti
(i),'nena (i)4mbhita*
S(#O#($S
tay'Zby themV (ilasite.!Zalthough in the functionV e.!Z
theseV g!5e.!Zthe modes of material natureV g!5a('nZ
affected by the modesV i(aZas ifV anta*ZwithinV "ra(i.<a*Z
entered intoV 'bh'tiZappears to beV (i),'nenaZby
transcendental consciousnessV (i)4mbhita*Zfully
enlightened.
T-A#SLATIO#
After creating the @aterial substance, the Lord OGLsude'a3 eMpands
Ii@self and enters into itH And although Ie is Jithin the @aterial
@odes of nature and appears to be one of the created beings, Ie is
alJays fully enlightened in Iis transcendental positionH
P8-PO-T
The living entities are separated parts and parcels of the
Eord, and the conditioned living entities, who are unfit for
the spiritual kingdom, are strewn within the material world to
en2oy matter to the fullest e:tent. As 1aram"tm" and eternal
friend of the living entities, the Eord, by one of His plenary
portions, accompanies the living entities to guide them in
their material en2oyment and to become witness to all
activities. While the living entities en2oy the material
conditions, the Eord maintains His transcendental position
without being affected by the material atmosphere. n the
!edic literatures 31r!ti6 it is said that there are two birds in
one tree.
vi
Y 9ne of them is eating the fruit of the tree, while
the other is witnessing the actions. The witness is the Eord,
and the fruit'eater is the living entity. The fruit'eater 3living
entity6 has forgotten his real identity and is overwhelmed in
the fruitive activities of the material conditions, but the Eord
31aram"tm"6 is always full in transcendental knowledge.
That is the difference between the $upersoul and the
conditioned soul. The conditioned soul, the living entity, is
controlled by the laws of nature, while the 1aram"tm", or
the $upersoul, is the controller of the material energy.
T!T XN
(aQaa 7'ihTaae 'ida-D.'ek60 S'(aaei#a=u 9
#aa#ae' %aaiTa i'TaT$aa %a8Tae=u c TaQaa Pau$aa#a2 99 XN 99
yath' hy a(ahito (ahnir
d'r!.( eka* s(a%yoni.!
n'ne(a bh'ti (i1('tm'
bh0te.! ca tath' "!m'n
S(#O#($S
yath'Zas much asV hiZe:actly likeV a(ahita*Zsurcharged
withV (ahni*ZfireV d'r!.!Zin woodV eka*ZoneV s(a%yoni.!Z
the source of manifestationV n'n' i(aZlike different entitiesV
bh'tiZilluminatesV (i1(a%'tm'Zthe Eord as 1aram"tm"V
bh0te.!Zin the living entitiesV caZandV tath'Zin the same
wayV "!m'nZthe Absolute 1erson.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Lord, as Supersoul, per'ades all things, /ust as fire per@eates
Jood, and so Ie appears to be of @any 'arieties, though Ie is the
absolute one Jithout a secondH
P8-PO-T
Eord !"sudeva, the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, by one
of His plenary parts e:pands Himself all over the material
world, and His e:istence can be perceived even within the
atomic energy. Matter, antimatter, proton, neutron, etc., are
all different effects of the 1aram"tm" feature of the Eord. As
from wood, fire can be manifested, or as butter can be
churned out of milk, so also the presence of the Eord as
1aram"tm" can be felt by the process of legitimate hearing
and chanting of the transcendental sub2ects which are
especially treated in the !edic literatures like the 7"ani.ads
and /ed'nta. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the bona fide
e:planation of these !edic literatures. The Eord can be
reali)ed through the aural reception of the transcendental
message, and that is the only way to e:perience the
transcendental sub2ect. As fire is kindled from wood by
another fire, the divine consciousness of man can similarly
be kindled by another divine grace. His 7ivine 8race the
spiritual master can kindle the spiritual fire from the
woodlike living entity by imparting proper spiritual messages
in2ected through the receptive ear. Therefore one is re(uired
to approach the proper spiritual master with receptive ears
only, and thus divine e:istence is gradually reali)ed. The
difference between animality and humanity lies in this
process only. A human being can hear properly, whereas an
animal cannot.
T!T XX
ASaa &auQa$a(a%aa-'%a8-TaSa8U$aei#d3(aaT$ai%a0 9
S'i#ai$a-Tae=u i#ai'-nae %aue %a8Tae=u Tad2&auQaa#a2 99 XX
99
asa! g!5amayair bh'(air
bh0ta%s0k.mendriy'tmabhi*
s(a%nirmite.! nir(i.<o
bh!3kte bh0te.! tad%g!5'n
S(#O#($S
asa!Zthat 1aram"tm"V g!5a%mayai*Zinfluenced by the
modes of natureV bh'(ai*ZnaturallyV bh0taZcreatedV s0k.ma
ZsubtleV indriyaZsensesV 'tmabhi*Zby the living beingsV
s(a%nirmite.!Zin His own creationV nir(i.<a*ZenteringV
bh!3kteZcauses to en2oyV bh0te.!Zin the living entitiesV tat%
g!5'nZthose modes of nature.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Supersoul enters into the bodies of the created beings Jho are
influenced by the @odes of @aterial nature and causes the@ to
en/oy the effects of these @odes by the subtle @indH
P8-PO-T
There are .,MNN,NNN species of living beings beginning from
the highest intellectual being, %rahm", down to the
insignificant ant, and all of them are en2oying the material
world according to the desires of the subtle mind and gross
material body. The gross material body is based on the
conditions of the subtle mind, and the senses are created
according to the desire of the living being. The Eord as
1aram"tm" helps the living being to get material happiness
because the living being is helpless in all respects in
obtaining what he desires. He proposes, and the Eord
disposes. n another sense, the living beings are parts and
parcels of the Eord. They are therefore one with the Eord. n
the &haga(ad%g$t' the living beings in all varieties of bodies
have been claimed by the Eord as His sons. The sufferings
and en2oyments of the sons are indirectly the sufferings and
en2oyments of the father. $till the father is not in any way
affected directly by the suffering and en2oyment of the sons.
He is so kind that He constantly remains with the living being
as 1aram"tm" and always tries to convert the living being
towards the real happiness.
T!T XZ
%aa'(aT(ae= Sat'e#a lRaek6a#a2 ' lRaek6%aa'#a0 9
lRIlRa'Taara#aurTaae de'iTa(a-M2#araid=u 99 XZ 99
bh'(ayaty e.a satt(ena
lok'n (ai loka%bh'(ana*
l$l'(at'r'n!rato
de(a%tirya3%nar'di.!
S(#O#($S
bh'(ayatiZmaintainsV e.a*Zall theseV satt(enaZin the mode
of goodnessV lok'nZall over the universeV (aiZgenerallyV
loka%bh'(ana*Zthe master of all the universesV l$l'Z
pastimesV a(at'raZincarnationV an!rata*Zassuming the roleV
de(aZthe demigodsV tiryakZlower animalsV nara%'di.!Zin
the midst of human beings.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus the Lord of the uni'erses @aintains all planets inhabited by
de@igods, @en and loJer ani@alsH Assu@ing the roles of
incarnations, Ie perfor@s pasti@es to reclai@ those in the @ode of
pure goodnessH
P8-PO-T
There are innumerable material universes, and in each and
every universe there are innumerable planets inhabited by
different grades of living entities in different modes of
nature. The Eord 3!i@Au6 incarnates Himself in each and
every one of them and in each and every type of living
society. He manifests His transcendental pastimes amongst
them 2ust to create the desire to go back to 8odhead. The
Eord does not change His original transcendental position,
but He appears to be differently manifested according to the
particular time, circumstances and society.
$ometimes He incarnates Himself or empowers a suitable
living being to act for Him, but in either case the purpose is
the sameC the Eord wants the suffering living being to go
back home, back to 8odhead. The happiness which the living
beings are hankering for is not to be found within any corner
of the innumerable universes and material planets. The
eternal happiness which the living being wants is obtainable
in the kingdom of 8od, but the forgetful living beings under
the influence of the material modes have no information of
the kingdom of 8od. The Eord, therefore, comes to
propagate the message of the kingdom of 8od, either
personally as an incarnation or through His bona fide
representative as the good son of 8od. $uch incarnations or
sons of 8od are not making propaganda for going back to
8odhead only within the human society. Their work is also
going on in all types of societies, amongst demigods and
those other than human beings.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto,
Second 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KDi(inity
and Di(ine Ser(ice.M
Chapter Three
CDEFa Is the Source of All Incarnations
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
)a&a:he PaaD=; ~Pa; %a&a'a#$ahdaidi%a0 9
Sa$%a8Ta; =aeo!ak6lR$aada lRaek6iSaSa:Ua(aa 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
)ag4he "a!r!.a- r0"a-
bhaga('n mahad%'dibhi*
sambh0ta- .o;a1a%kalam
'da! loka%sis4k.ay'
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta saidV )ag4heZacceptedV "a!r!.amZplenary
portion as the "!r!.a incarnationV r0"amZformV bhaga('nZ
the 1ersonality of 8odheadV mahat%'dibhi*Zwith the
ingredients of the material worldV sambh0tamZthus there
was the creation ofV .o;a1a%kalamZsi:teen primary
principlesV 'da!Zin the beginningV lokaZthe universesV
sis4k.ay'Zon the intention of creating.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta saide In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first eMpanded
Ii@self in the uni'ersal for@ of the puruEa incarnation and
@anifested all the ingredients for the @aterial creationH And thus
at first there Jas the creation of the siMteen principles of @aterial
actionH This Jas for the purpose of creating the @aterial uni'erseH
P8-PO-T
The &haga(ad%g$t' states that the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r=
>?@Aa maintains these material universes by e:tending His
plenary e:pansions. $o this "!r!.a form is the confirmation
of the same principle. The original 1ersonality of 8odhead
!"sudeva, or Eord >?@Aa, who is famous as the son of >ing
!asudeva or >ing Kanda, is full with all opulences, all
potencies, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all
renunciation. 1art of His opulences are manifested as
impersonal %rahman, and part of His opulences are
manifested as 1aram"tm". This "!r!.a feature of the same
1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa is the original 1aram"tm"
manifestation of the Eord. There are three "!r!.a features in
the material creation, and this form, who is known as the
>"raAodakaP"y= !i@Au, is the first of the three. The others
are known as the 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au and the
>@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au, which we shall know one after
another. The innumerable universes are generated from the
skin holes of this >"raAodakaP"y= !i@Au, and in each one of
the universes the Eord enters as 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is also mentioned that the material
world is created at certain intervals and then again
destroyed. This creation and destruction is done by the
supreme will because of the conditioned souls, or the nitya%
baddha living beings. The nitya%baddha, or the eternally
conditioned souls, have the sense of individuality or
aha3k'ra, which dictates them sense en2oyment, which they
are unable to have constitutionally. The Eord is the only
en2oyer, and all others are en2oyed. The living beings are
predominated en2oyers. %ut the eternally conditioned souls,
forgetful of this constitutional position, have strong
aspirations to en2oy. The chance to en2oy matter is given to
the conditioned souls in the material world, and side by side
they are given the chance to understand their real
constitutional position. Those fortunate living entities who
catch the truth and surrender unto the lotus feet of
!"sudeva after many, many births in the material world 2oin
the eternally liberated souls and thus are allowed to enter
into the kingdom of 8odhead. After this, such fortunate living
entities need not come again within the occasional material
creation. %ut those who cannot catch the constitutional truth
are again merged into the mahat%tatt(a at the time of the
annihilation of the material creation. When the creation is
again set up, this mahat%tatt(a is again let loose. This mahat%
tatt(a contains all the ingredients of the material
manifestations, including the conditioned souls. 1rimarily
this mahat%tatt(a is divided into si:teen parts, namely the five
gross material elements and the eleven working instruments
or senses. t is like the cloud in the clear sky. n the spiritual
sky, the effulgence of %rahman is spread all around, and the
whole system is da))ling in spiritual light. The mahat%tatt(a is
assembled in some corner of the vast, unlimited spiritual
sky, and the part which is thus covered by the mahat%tatt(a is
called the material sky. This part of the spiritual sky, called
the mahat%tatt(a, is only an insignificant portion of the whole
spiritual sky, and within this mahat%tatt(a there are
innumerable universes. All these universes are collectively
produced by the >"raAodakaP"y= !i@Au, called also the
Mah"'!i@Au, who simply throws His glance to impregnate the
material sky.
T!T N
(aS(aa$%aiSa !a(aa#aS(a (aae&ai#ad3a; i'Ta#'Ta0 9
#aai%ahda$bu)aadaSa?d2b34a i'TSa:)aa; PaiTa0 99 N 99
yasy'mbhasi 1ay'nasya
yoga%nidr'- (itan(ata*
n'bhi%hrad'mb!)'d 's$d
brahm' (i1(a%s4)'- "ati*
S(#O#($S
yasyaZwhoseV ambhasiZin the waterV 1ay'nasyaZlying downV
yoga%nidr'mZsleeping in meditationV (itan(ata*ZministeringV
n'bhiZnavelV hradaZout of the lakeV amb!)'tZfrom the lotusV
's$tZwas manifestedV brahm'Zthe grandfather of the living
beingsV (i1(aZthe universeV s4)'mZthe engineersV "ati*Z
master.
T-A#SLATIO#
A part of the puruEa lies doJn Jithin the Jater of the uni'erse,
fro@ the na'el lake of Iis body sprouts a lotus ste@, and fro@ the
lotus floJer atop this ste@, Krah@L, the @aster of all engineers in
the uni'erse, beco@es @anifestH
P8-PO-T
The first "!r!.a is the >"raAodakaP"y= !i@Au. Hrom His skin
holes innumerable universes have sprung up. n each and
every universe, the "!r!.a enters as the 8arbhodakaP"y=
!i@Au. He is lying within the half of the universe which is full
with the water of His body. And from the navel of
8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au has sprung the stem of the lotus
flower, the birthplace of %rahm", who is the father of all
living beings and the master of all the demigod engineers
engaged in the perfect design and working of the universal
order. Within the stem of the lotus there are fourteen
divisions of planetary systems, and the earthly planets are
situated in the middle. Rpwards there are other, better
planetary systems, and the topmost system is called
%rahmaloka or $atyaloka. 7ownwards from the earthly
planetary system there are seven lower planetary systems
inhabited by the as!ras and similar other materialistic living
beings.
Hrom 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au there is e:pansion of the
>@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au, who is the collective 1aram"tm" of all
living beings. He is called Hari, and from Him all incarnations
within the universe are e:panded.
Therefore, the conclusion is that the "!r!.a%a(at'ra is
manifested in three features Z first the >"raAodakaP"y=
who creates aggregate material ingredients in the mahat%
tatt(a, second the 8arbhodakaP"y= who enters in each and
every universe, and third the >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au who is
the 1aram"tm" of every material ob2ect, organic or
inorganic. 9ne who knows these plenary features of the
1ersonality of 8odhead knows 8odhead properly, and thus
the knower becomes freed from the material conditions of
birth, death, old age and disease, as it is confirmed in
&haga(ad%g$t', n this 1loka the sub2ect matter of Mah"'!i@Au
is summari)ed. The Mah"'!i@Au lies down in some part of
the spiritual sky by His own free will. Thus He lies on the
ocean of k'ra5a, from where He glances over His material
nature, and the mahat%tatt(a is at once created. Thus
electrified by the power of the Eord, the material nature at
once creates innumerable universes, 2ust as in due course a
tree decorates itself with innumerable grown fruits. The seed
of the tree is sown by the cultivator, and the tree or creeper
in due course becomes manifested with so many fruits.
Kothing can take place without a cause. The >"raAa 9cean is
therefore called the *ausal 9cean. A'ra5a means Dcausal.F
We should not foolishly accept the atheistic theory of
creation. The description of the atheists is given in the
&haga(ad%g$t'. The atheist does not believe in the creator,
but he cannot give a good theory to e:plain the creation.
Material nature has no power to create without the power of
the "!r!.a, 2ust as a "rak4ti, or woman, cannot produce a
child without the connection of a "!r!.a, or man. The "!r!.a
impregnates, and the "rak4ti delivers. We should not e:pect
milk from the fleshy bags on the neck of a goat, although
they look like breastly nipples. $imilarly, we should not
e:pect any creative power from the material ingredientsV we
must believe in the power of the "!r!.a, who impregnates
"rak4ti, or nature. %ecause the Eord wished to lie down in
meditation, the material energy created innumerable
universes at once, in each of them the Eord lay down, and
thus all the planets and the different paraphernalia were
created at once by the will of the Eord. The Eord has
unlimited potencies, and thus He can act as He likes by
perfect planning, although personally He has nothing to do.
Ko one is greater than or e(ual to Him. That is the verdict of
the /edas.
T!T X
(aS(aa'(a'Sa;SQaa#a0 k6iLPaTaae lRaek6i'STar0 9
Taj %a&a'Taae ~Pa; i'Bup; Sat'$a8i)a-Ta$a2 99 X 99
yasy'(aya(a%sa-sth'nai*
kal"ito loka%(istara*
tad (ai bhaga(ato r0"a-
(i1!ddha- satt(am 0r)itam
S(#O#($S
yasyaZwhoseV a(aya(aZbodily e:pansionV sa-sth'nai*Z
situated inV kal"ita*Zis imaginedV lokaZplanets of
inhabitantsV (istara*ZvariousV tat (aiZbut that isV bhaga(ata*
Zof the 1ersonality of 8odheadV r0"amZformV (i1!ddhamZ
purelyV satt(amZe:istenceV 0r)itamZe:cellence.
T-A#SLATIO#
It is belie'ed that all the uni'ersal planetary syste@s are situated
on the eMtensi'e body of the puruEa, but Ie has nothing to do Jith
the created @aterial ingredientsH Iis body is eternally in spiritual
eMistence par eMcellenceH
P8-PO-T
The conception of the (ir'<%r0"a or (i1(a%r0"a of the
$upreme Absolute Truth is especially meant for the
neophyte who can hardly think of the transcendental form of
the 1ersonality of 8odhead. To him a form means something
of this material world, and therefore an opposite conception
of the Absolute is necessary in the beginning to concentrate
the mind on the power e:tension of the Eord. As stated
above, the Eord e:tends His potency in the form of the
mahat%tatt(a, which includes all material ingredients. The
e:tension of power by the Eord and the Eord Himself
personally are one in one sense, but at the same time the
mahat%tatt(a is different from the Eord. Therefore the potency
of the Eord and the Eord are simultaneously different and
nondifferent. The conception of the (ir'<%r0"a, especially for
the impersonalist, is thus nondifferent from the eternal form
of the Eord. This eternal form of the Eord e:ists prior to the
creation of the mahat%tatt(a, and it is stressed here that the
eternal form of the Eord is par e:cellence spiritual or
transcendental to the modes of material nature. The very
same transcendental form of the Eord is manifested by His
internal potency, and the formation of His multifarious
manifestations of incarnations is always of the same
transcendental (uality, without any touch of the mahat%
tatt(a.
T!T Z
Pa!(a#T(adae ~Pa$ad%a3cUau=a
SahbPaadaeD%au)aa#a#aad2%auTa$a2 9
Sahb$a8>a-BO'QaaiUa#aaiSak;6
Sahb$aaL(a$brku6QolRaewSaTa2 99 Z 99
"a1yanty ado r0"am adabhra%cak.!.'
sahasra%"'dor!%bh!)'nan'dbh!tam
sahasra%m0rdha%1ra(a5'k.i%n'sika-
sahasra%ma!ly%ambara%k!5;alollasat
S(#O#($S
"a1yantiZseeV ada*Zthe form of the "!r!.aC r0"amZformV
adabhraZperfectV cak.!.'Zby the eyesV sahasra%"'daZ
thousands of legsV 0r!ZthighsV bh!)a%'nanaZhands and
facesV adbh!tamZwonderfulV sahasraZthousands ofV m0rdhaZ
headsV 1ra(a5aZearsV ak.iZeyesV n'sikamZnosesV sahasraZ
thousandsV ma!liZgarlandsV ambaraZdressesV k!5;alaZ
earringsV !llasatZall glowing.
T-A#SLATIO#
The de'otees, Jith their perfect eyes, see the transcendental for@
of the puruEa Jho has thousands of legs, thighs, ar@s and faces
all eMtraordinaryH In that body there are thousands of heads, ears,
eyes and nosesH They are decorated Jith thousands of hel@ets and
gloJing earrings and are adorned Jith garlandsH
P8-PO-T
With our present materiali)ed senses we cannot perceive
anything of the transcendental Eord. 9ur present senses are
to be rectified by the process of devotional service, and then
the Eord Himself becomes revealed to us. n the &haga(ad%
g$t' it is confirmed that the transcendental Eord can be
perceived only by pure devotional service. $o it is confirmed
in the /edas that only devotional service can lead one to the
side of the Eord and that only devotional service can reveal
Him. n the &rahma%sa-hit' also it is said that the Eord is
always visible to the devotees whose eyes have been
anointed with the tinge of devotional service. $o we have to
take information of the transcendental form of the Eord from
persons who have actually seen Him with perfect eyes
smeared with devotional service. n the material world also
we do not always see things with our own eyesV we
sometimes see through the e:perience of those who have
actually seen or done things. f that is the process for
e:periencing a mundane ob2ect, it is more perfectly
applicable in matters transcendental. $o only with patience
and perseverance can we reali)e the transcendental sub2ect
matter regarding the Absolute Truth and His different forms.
He is formless to the neophytes, but He is in transcendental
form to the e:pert servitor.
T!T [
VTaka#aa'TaaraQaa; i#a>aa#a; b?)a$aG(a(a$a2 9
(aS(aa;!aa;!ae#a Sa:)(a#Tae de'iTa(a-M2#arad(a0 99 [ 99
etan n'n'(at'r'5'-
nidh'na- b$)am a(yayam
yasy'-1'-1ena s4)yante
de(a%tirya3%nar'daya*
S(#O#($S
etatZthis 3form6V n'n'ZmultifariousV a(at'r'5'mZof the
incarnationsV nidh'namZsourceV b$)amZseedV a(yayamZ
indestructibleV yasyaZwhoseV a-1aZplenary portionV a-1enaZ
part of the plenary portionV s4)yanteZcreateV de(aZ
demigodsV tiryakZanimalsV nara%'daya*Zhuman beings and
others.
T-A#SLATIO#
This for@ Othe second @anifestation of the puruEa3 is the source
and indestructible seed of @ultifarious incarnations Jithin the
uni'erseH Fro@ the particles and portions of this for@, different
li'ing entities, like de@igods, @en and others, are createdH
P8-PO-T
The "!r!.a, after creating innumerable universes in the
mahat%tatt(a, entered in each of them as the second "!r!.a,
8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au. When He saw that within the
universe there was only darkness and space, without a
resting place, He filled half of the universe with water from
His own perspiration and laid Himself down on the same
water. This water is called 8arbhodaka. Then from His navel
the stem of the lotus flower sprouted, and on the flower
petals the birth of %rahm", or the master engineer of the
universal plan, took place. %rahm" became the engineer of
the universe, and the Eord Himself took charge of the
maintenance of the universe as !i@Au. %rahm" was
generated from ra)o%g!5a of "rak4ti, or the mode of passion
in nature, and !i@Au became the Eord of the mode of
goodness. !i@Au, being transcendental to all the modes, is
always aloof from materialistic affection. This has already
been e:plained. Hrom %rahm" there is 0udra 3<iva6, who is
in charge of the mode of ignorance or darkness. He destroys
the whole creation by the will of the Eord. Therefore all
three, namely %rahm", !i@Au and <iva, are incarnations of
the 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au. Hrom %rahm" the other
demigods like 7ak@a, Mar=ci, Manu and many others
become incarnated to generate living entities within the
universe. This 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au is glorified in the
/edas in the hymns of @arbha%st!ti, which begin with the
description of the Eord as having thousands of heads, etc.
The 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au is the Eord of the universe, and
although He appears to be lying within the universe, He is
always transcendental. This also has already been e:plained.
The !i@Au who is the plenary portion of the 8arbhodakaP"y=
!i@Au is the $upersoul of the universal life, and He is known
as the maintainer of the universe or >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au.
$o the three features of the original "!r!.a are thus
understood. And all the incarnations within the universe are
emanations from this >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au.
n different millennia there are different incarnations, and
they are innumerable, although some of them are very
prominent, such as Matsya, >Lrma, !ar"ha, 0"ma, K?si[ha,
!"mana and many others. These incarnations are called l$l'
incarnations. Then there are (ualitative incarnations such as
%rahm", !i@Au, and <iva 3or 0udra6 who take charge of the
different modes of material nature.
Eord !i@Au is nondifferent from the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
Eord <iva is in the marginal position between the 1ersonality
of 8odhead and the living entities, or )$(as. %rahm" is always
a )$(a%tatt(a. The highest pious living being, or the greatest
devotee of the Eord, is empowered with the potency of the
Eord for creation, and he is called %rahm". His power is like
the power of the sun reflected in valuable stones and 2ewels.
When there is no such living being to take charge of the post
of %rahm", the Eord Himself becomes a %rahm" and takes
charge of the post.
Eord <iva is not an ordinary living being. He is the plenary
portion of the Eord, but because Eord <iva is in direct touch
with material nature, he is not e:actly in the same
transcendental position as Eord !i@Au. The difference is like
that between milk and curd. *urd is nothing but milk, and
yet it cannot be used in place of milk.
The ne:t incarnations are the Manus. Within one dayJs
duration of the life of %rahm" 3which is calculated by our
solar year as M,\NN,NNN : ,,NNN years6 there are fourteen
Manus. Therefore there are MGN Manus in one month of
%rahm" and B,NMN Manus in one year of %rahm". %rahm"
lives for one hundred years of his age, and therefore there
are B,NMN : ,NN or BNM,NNN Manus in the duration of
%rahm"Js life. There are innumerable universes, with one
%rahm" in each of them, and all of them are created and
annihilated during the breathing time of the "!r!.a.
Therefore one can simply imagine how many millions of
Manus there are during one breath of the "!r!.a.
The Manus who are prominent within this universe are as
followsC Xa2â as $v"yambhuva Manu, !ibhu as $v"roci@a
Manu, $atyasena as Rttama Manu, Hari as T"masa Manu,
!aikuATha as 0aivata Manu, A2ita as *"k@u@a Manu, !"mana
as !aivasvata Manu 3the present age is under the !aivasvata
Manu6, $"rvabhauma as $"varAi Manu, _@abha as
7ak@as"varAi Manu, !i@vaksena as %rahma's"varAi Manu,
7harmasetu as 7harma's"varAi Manu, $udh"m" as 0udra'
s"varAi Manu, XogePvara as 7eva's"varAi Manu, and
%?hadbh"nu as ndra's"varAi Manu. These are the names of
one set of fourteen Manus covering M,\NN,NNN,NNN solar
years as described above.
Then there are the y!g'(at'ras, or the incarnations of the
millennia. The y!gas are known as $atya'yuga, Tret"'yuga,
7v"para'yuga and >ali'yuga. The incarnations of each y!ga
are of different color. The colors are white, red, black and
yellow. n the 7v"para'yuga, Eord >?@Aa in black color
appeared, and in the >ali'yuga Eord *aitanya in yellow color
appeared.
$o all the incarnations of the Eord are mentioned in the
revealed scriptures. There is no scope for an imposter to
become an incarnation, for an incarnation must be
mentioned in the 1'stras. An incarnation does not declare
Himself to be an incarnation of the Eord, but great sages
agree by the symptoms mentioned in the revealed
scriptures. The features of the incarnation and the particular
type of mission which He has to e:ecute are mentioned in
the revealed scriptures.
Apart from the direct incarnations, there are innumerable
empowered incarnations. They are also mentioned in the
revealed scriptures. $uch incarnations are directly as well as
indirectly empowered. When they are directly empowered
they are called incarnations, but when they are indirectly
empowered they are called (ibh0tis. 7irectly empowered
incarnations are the >um"ras, K"rada, 1?thu, <e@a, Ananta,
etc. As far as (ibh0tis are concerned, they are very e:plicitly
described in the &haga(ad%g$t' in the /ibh0ti%yoga chapter.
And for all these different types of incarnations, the
fountainhead is the 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au.
T!T \
Sa V' PaOQa$a; de'0 k6a$aar; Sa&a-$aaiBOTa0 9
ccar du,r; b34a b34c(a-$aYiQoTa$a2 99 \ 99
sa e(a "rathama- de(a*
ka!m'ra- sargam '1rita*
cac'ra d!1cara- brahm'
brahmacaryam akha5;itam
S(#O#($S
sa*ZthatV e(aZcertainlyV "rathamamZfirstV de(a*Z$upreme
EordV ka!m'ramZnamed the >um"ras 3unmarried6V sargamZ
creationV '1rita*ZunderV cac'raZperformedV d!1caramZvery
difficult to doV brahm'Zin the order of %rahmanV
brahmacaryamZunder discipline to reali)e the Absolute
3%rahman6V akha5;itamZunbroken.
T-A#SLATIO#
First of all, in the beginning of creation, there Jere the four
un@arried sons of Krah@L Othe Cu@Lras3, Jho, being situated in a
'oJ of celibacy, underJent se'ere austerities for reali=ation of the
Absolute TruthH
P8-PO-T
The creation of the material world is effected, maintained
and then again annihilated at certain intervals. $o there are
different names of the creations in terms of the particular
types of %rahm", the father of the living beings in the
creation. The >um"ras, as above mentioned, appeared in the
>aum"ra creation of the material world, and to teach us the
process of %rahman reali)ation, they underwent a severe
type of disciplinary action as bachelors. These >um"ras are
empowered incarnations. And before e:ecuting the severe
type of disciplinary actions, all of them became (ualified
br'hma5as. This e:ample suggests that one must first ac(uire
the (ualifications of a br'hma5a, not simply by birth but also
by (uality, and then one can undergo the process of
%rahman reali)ation.
T!T ]
ijTa?(a; Tau %a'a(aaS(a rSaaTalR&aTaa; $ah?$a2 9
opir.(akuPaadta (a/e!a0 Saak6r; 'Pau0 99 ] 99
d(it$ya- t! bha('y'sya
ras'tala%gat'- mah$m
!ddhari.yann !"'datta
ya),e1a* sa!kara- (a"!*
S(#O#($S
d(it$yamZthe secondV t!ZbutV bha('yaZfor the welfareV asya
Zof this earthV ras'talaZof the lowest regionV gat'mZhaving
goneV mah$mZthe earthV !ddhari.yanZliftingV !"'dattaZ
establishedV ya),e1a*Zthe proprietor or the supreme en2oyerV
sa!karamZhoggishV (a"!*Zincarnation.
T-A#SLATIO#
The supre@e en/oyer of all sacrifices accepted the incarnation of a
boar Othe second incarnation3, and for the Jelfare of the earth Ie
lifted the earth fro@ the nether regions of the uni'erseH
P8-PO-T
The indication is that for each and every incarnation of the
1ersonality of 8odhead, the particular function e:ecuted is
also mentioned. There cannot be any incarnation without a
particular function, and such functions are always
e:traordinary. They are impossible for any living being to
perform. The incarnation of the boar was to take the earth
out of 1lutoJs region of filthy matter. 1icking up something
from a filthy place is done by a boar, and the all'powerful
1ersonality of 8odhead displayed this wonder to the as!ras,
who had hidden the earth in such a filthy place. There is
nothing impossible for the 1ersonality of 8odhead, and
although He played the part of a boar, by the devotees He is
worshiped, staying always in transcendence.
T!T ^
Ta:Ta?(a$a:i=Sa&ag ' de'i=-T'$auPaeT(a Sa0 9
Ta#<a; SaaT'Ta$aacn #a.k6$(ag k6$a-Qaa; (aTa0 99 ^ 99
t4t$yam 4.i%sarga- (ai
de(ar.it(am !"etya sa*
tantra- s't(atam 'ca.<a
nai.karmya- karma5'- yata*
S(#O#($S
t4t$yamZthe third oneV 4.i%sargamZthe millennium of the
4.isC (aiZcertainlyV de(ar.it(amZincarnation of the 4.i
amongst the demigodsV !"etyaZhaving acceptedV sa*ZheV
tantramZe:position of the /edasC s't(atamZwhich is
especially meant for devotional serviceV 'ca.<aZcollectedV
nai.karmyamZnonfruitiveV karma5'mZof workV yata*Zfrom
which.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the @illenniu@ of the DEis, the Personality of &odhead accepted
the third e@poJered incarnation in the for@ of >e'arEi #Lrada,
Jho is a great sage a@ong the de@igodsH Ie collected eMpositions
of the Gedas Jhich deal Jith de'otional ser'ice and Jhich inspire
nonfruiti'e actionH
P8-PO-T
The great _@i K"rada, who is an empowered incarnation of
the 1ersonality of 8odhead, propagates devotional service
all over the universe. All great devotees of the Eord all over
the universe and in different planets and species of life are
his disciples. <r=la !y"sadeva, the compiler of the #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam, is also one of his disciples. K"rada is the author
of N'rada%"a,car'tra, which is the e:position of the /edas
particularly for the devotional service of the Eord. This
N'rada%"a,car'tra trains the karm$s, or the fruitive workers,
to achieve liberation from the bondage of fruitive work. The
conditioned souls are mostly attracted by fruitive work
because they want to en2oy life by the sweat of their own
brows. The whole universe is full of fruitive workers in all
species of life. The fruitive works include all kinds of
economic development plans. %ut the law of nature provides
that every action has its resultant reaction, and the
performer of the work is bound up by such reactions, good or
bad. The reaction of good work is comparative material
prosperity, whereas the reaction of bad work is comparative
material distress. %ut material conditions, either in so'called
happiness or in so'called distress, are all meant ultimately
for distress only. Hoolish materialists have no information of
how to obtain eternal happiness in the unconditional state.
<r= K"rada informs these foolish fruitive workers how to
reali)e the reality of happiness. He gives direction to the
diseased men of the world how oneJs present engagement
can lead one to the path of spiritual emancipation. The
physician directs the patient to take treated milk in the form
of curd for his sufferings from indigestion due to his taking
another milk preparation. $o the cause of the disease and
the remedy of the disease may be the same, but it must be
treated by an e:pert physician like K"rada. The &haga(ad%
g$t' also gives the same solution of serving the Eord by the
fruits of oneJs labor. That will lead one to the path of
nai.karmya, or liberation.
T!T _
Tau(ae- >a$a-k6lRaSa&ae- #ar#aara(aQaa':=? 9
%a8T'aT$aaePa!a$aaePaeTa$ak6raed2 du,r; TaPa0 99 _ 99
t!rye dharma%kal'%sarge
nara%n'r'ya5'( 4.$
bh0t('tmo"a1amo"etam
akarod d!1cara- ta"a*
S(#O#($S
t!ryeZin the fourth of the lineV dharma%kal'Zwife of
7harmar"2aV sargeZbeing born ofV nara%n'r'ya5a!Znamed
Kara and K"r"yaAaV 4.$ZsagesV bh0t('ZbecomingV 'tma%
!"a1amaZcontrolling the sensesV !"etamZfor achievement
ofV akarotZundertookV d!1caramZvery strenuousV ta"a*Z
penance.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the fourth incarnation, the Lord beca@e #ara and #LrLyaFa, the
tJin sons of the Jife of Cing >har@aH Thus Ie undertook se'ere
and eMe@plary penances to control the sensesH
P8-PO-T
As >ing _@abha advised His sons, ta"asya, or voluntary
acceptance of penance for reali)ation of the Transcendence,
is the only duty of the human beingV it was so done by the
Eord Himself in an e:emplary manner to teach us. The Eord
is very kind to the forgetful souls. He therefore comes
Himself and leaves behind necessary instructions and also
sends His good sons as representatives to call all the
conditioned souls back to 8odhead. 0ecently, within the
memory of everyone, Eord *aitanya also appeared for the
same purposeC to show special favor to fallen souls of this
age of iron industry. The incarnation of K"r"yaAa is
worshiped still at %adar='n"r"yaAa, on the range of the
Himalayas.
T!T "`
Pa}$a0 k6iPalRae #aa$a iSape!a0 k6alRi'PluRTa$a2 9
PaOae'acaSaur(ae Saa;e(a; Tat'&a3a$ai'i#aQa-(a$a2 99 "` 99
"a,cama* ka"ilo n'ma
siddhe1a* k'la%(i"l!tam
"ro('c's!raye s'3khya-
tatt(a%gr'ma%(inir5ayam
S(#O#($S
"a,cama*Zthe fifth oneV ka"ila*Z>apilaV n'maZof the nameV
siddhe1a*Zthe foremost amongst the perfectV k'laZtimeV
(i"l!tamZlostV "ro('caZsaidV 's!rayeZunto the br'hma5a
named WsuriV s'3khyamZmetaphysicsV tatt(a%gr'maZthe sum
total of the creative elementsV (inir5ayamZe:position.
T-A#SLATIO#
The fifth incarnation, na@ed Lord Capila, is fore@ost a@ong
perfected beingsH Ie ga'e an eMposition of the creati'e ele@ents
and @etaphysics to }suri KrLh@aFa, for in course of ti@e this
knoJledge had been lostH
P8-PO-T
The sum total of the creative elements is twenty'four in all.
;ach and every one of them is e:plicitly e:plained in the
system of $"Ikhya philosophy. $"Ikhya philosophy is
generally called metaphysics by the ;uropean scholars. The
etymological meaning of s'3khya is Dthat which e:plains very
lucidly by analysis of the material elements.F This was done
for the first time by Eord >apila, who is said herein to be the
fifth in the line of incarnations.
T!T ""
=f$a2 A<aerPaT(aT'; ':Ta0 PaOaae+#aSa8(a(aa 9
Aa#'?iUak6I$alRk6a-(a PaOadaid%(a Oic'a#a2 99 "" 99
.a.<ham atrer a"atyat(a-
(4ta* "r'"to 2nas0yay'
'n($k.ik$m alark'ya
"rahl'd'dibhya 0ci('n
S(#O#($S
.a.<hamZthe si:th oneV atre*Zof AtriV a"atyat(amZsonshipV
(4ta*Zbeing prayed forV "r'"ta*ZobtainedV anas0yay'Zby
AnasLy"V 'n($k.ik$mZon the sub2ect of transcendenceV
alark'yaZunto AlarkaV "rahl'da%'dibhya*Zunto 1rahl"da and
othersV 0ci('nZspoke.
T-A#SLATIO#
The siMth incarnation of the puruEa Jas the son of the sage AtriH
Ie Jas born fro@ the Jo@b of AnasdyL, Jho prayed for an
incarnationH Ie spoke on the sub/ect of transcendence to Alarka,
PrahlLda and others O(adu, Iaihaya, etcH3H
P8-PO-T
The Eord incarnated Himself as 7att"treya, the son of _@i
Atri and AnasLy". The history of the birth of 7att"treya as an
incarnation of the Eord is mentioned in the &rahm'5;a
!r'5a in connection with the story of the devoted wife. t is
said there that AnasLy", the wife of _@i Atri, prayed before
the Eords %rahm", !i@Au and <iva as followsC DMy lords, if
you are pleased with me, and if you desire me to ask from
you some sort of blessings, then pray that you combine
together to become my son.F This was accepted by the
lords, and as 7att"treya the Eord e:pounded the philosophy
of the spirit soul and especially instructed Alarka, 1rahl"da,
Xadu, Haihaya, etc.
T!T "N
TaTa0 Sa$a Aak86T(aa; Dce(a-/ae+%(a)aa(aTa 9
Sa (aa$aa*0 Saur&aQarPaaTS'a(a$%au'a#Tar$a2 99 "N 99
tata* sa"tama 'k0ty'-
r!cer ya),o 2bhya)'yata
sa y'm'dyai* s!ra%ga5air
a"'t s('yambh!('ntaram
S(#O#($S
tata*Zafter thatV sa"tameZthe seventh in the lineV 'k0ty'mZ
in the womb of WkLtiV r!ce*Zby 1ra2"pati 0uciV ya),a*Zthe
EordJs incarnation as Xa2âV abhya)'yataZadventedV sa*ZHeV
y'ma%'dyai*Zwith X"ma and othersV s!ra%ga5ai*Zwith
demigodsV a"'tZruledV s('yambh!(a%antaramZthe change of
the period of $v"yambhuva Manu.
T-A#SLATIO#
The se'enth incarnation Jas (a/fa, the son of Pra/Lpati -uci and
his Jife }kdtiH Ie controlled the period during the change of the
S'Lya@bhu'a $anu and Jas assisted by de@igods such as Iis
son (a@aH
P8-PO-T
The administrative posts occupied by the demigods for
maintaining the regulations of the material world are offered
to the highly elevated pious living beings. When there is a
scarcity of such pious living beings, the Eord incarnates
Himself as %rahm", 1ra2"pati, ndra, etc., and takes up the
charge. 7uring the period of $v"yambhuva Manu 3the
present period is of !aivasvata Manu6 there was no suitable
living being who could occupy the post of ndra, the >ing of
the ndraloka 3heaven6 planet. The Eord Himself at that time
became ndra. Assisted by His own sons like Xama and other
demigods, Eord Xa2â ruled the administration of the
universal affairs.
T!T "X
An$ae $aeDdeG(aa; Tau #aa%ae)aa-Ta oDs6$a0 9
d!a-(a#a2 'T$a- >a?raQaa; Sa'a-BO$a#a$aSk:6Ta$a2 99
"X 99
a.<ame mer!de(y'- t!
n'bher )'ta !r!krama*
dar1ayan (artma dh$r'5'-
sar('1rama%namask4tam
S(#O#($S
a.<ameZthe eighth of the incarnationsV mer!de(y'm t!Zin
the womb of Merudev=, the wife ofV n'bhe*Z>ing K"bhiV
)'ta*Ztook birthV !r!krama*Zthe all'powerful EordV dar1ayan
Zby showingV (artmaZthe wayV dh$r'5'mZof the perfect
beingsV sar(aZallV '1ramaZorders of lifeV namask4tamZ
honored by.
T-A#SLATIO#
The eighth incarnation Jas Cing iEabha, son of Cing #Lbhi and
his Jife $erude'BH In this incarnation the Lord shoJed the path of
perfection, Jhich is folloJed by those Jho ha'e fully controlled
their senses and Jho are honored by all orders of lifeH
P8-PO-T
The society of human being is naturally divided into eight by
orders and statuses of lifeZthe four divisions of occupation
and four divisions of cultural advancement. The intelligent
class, the administrative class, the productive class and the
laborer class are the four divisions of occupation. And the
student life, the householderJs life, retired life and renounced
life are the four statuses of cultural advancement towards
the path of spiritual reali)ation. 9ut of these, the renounced
order of life, or the order of sanny'sa, is considered the
highest of all, and a sanny's$ is constitutionally the spiritual
master for all the orders and divisions. n the sanny'sa order
also there are four stages of upliftment toward perfection.
These stages are called k!<$caka, bah0daka, "ari(r')ak'c'rya,
and "aramaha-sa. The "aramaha-sa stage of life is the highest
stage of perfection. This order of life is respected by all
others. Mah"r"2a _@abha, the son of >ing K"bhi and
Merudev=, was an incarnation of the Eord, and He instructed
His sons to follow the path of perfection by ta"asya, which
sanctifies oneJs e:istence and enables one to attain the
stage of spiritual happiness which is eternal and ever
increasing. ;very living being is searching after happiness,
but no one knows where eternal and unlimited happiness is
obtainable. Hoolish men seek after material sense pleasure
as a substitute for real happiness, but such foolish men
forget that temporary so'called happiness derived from
sense pleasures is also en2oyed by the dogs and hogs. Ko
animal, bird or beast is bereft of this sense pleasure. n
every species of life, including the human form of life, such
happiness is immensely obtainable. The human form of life,
however, is not meant for such cheap happiness. The human
life is meant for attaining eternal and unlimited happiness by
spiritual reali)ation. This spiritual reali)ation is obtained by
ta"asya, or undergoing voluntarily the path of penance and
abstinence from material pleasure. Those who have been
trained for abstinence in material pleasures are called dh$ra,
or men undisturbed by the senses. 9nly these dh$ras can
accept the orders of sanny'sa, and they can gradually rise to
the status of the "aramaha-sa, which is adored by all
members of society. >ing _@abha propagated this mission,
and at the last stage He became completely aloof from the
material bodily needs, which is a rare stage not to be
imitated by foolish men, but to be worshiped by all.
T!T "Z
ai=i%a(aa-icTaae %ae)ae #a'$a; PaaiQa-'; 'Pau0 9
du&>ae$aa$aae=>a?i'-PaOaSTae#aa(a; Sa o!ata$a0 99 "Z 99
4.ibhir y'cito bhe)e
na(ama- "'rthi(a- (a"!*
d!gdhem'm o.adh$r (i"r's
ten'yasa !1attama*
S(#O#($S
4.ibhi*Zby the sagesV y'cita*Zbeing prayed forV bhe)eZ
acceptedV na(amamZthe ninth oneV "'rthi(amZthe ruler of
the earthV (a"!*ZbodyV d!gdhaZmilkingV im'mZall theseV
o.adh$*Zproducts of the earthV (i"r'*Z9 br'hma5asC tenaZ
byV ayamZthisV sa*ZheV !1attama*Zbeautifully attractive.
T-A#SLATIO#
O brLh@aFas, in the ninth incarnation, the Lord, prayed for by
sages, accepted the body of a king OPDthu3 Jho culti'ated the land
to yield 'arious produces, and for that reason the earth Jas
beautiful and attracti'eH
P8-PO-T
%efore the advent of >ing 1?thu, there was great havoc of
maladministration due to the vicious life of the previous king,
the father of Mah"r"2a 1?thu. The intelligent class of men
3namely the sages and the br'hma5as6 not only prayed for
the Eord to come down, but also dethroned the previous
king. t is the duty of the king to be pious and thus look after
the all'around welfare of the citi)ens. Whenever there is
some negligence on the part of the king in discharging his
duty, the intelligent class of men must dethrone him. The
intelligent class of men, however, do not occupy the royal
throne, because they have much more important duties for
the welfare of the public. nstead of occupying the royal
throne, they prayed for the incarnation of the Eord, and the
Eord came as Mah"r"2a 1?thu. 0eal intelligent men, or
(ualified br'hma5as, never aspire for political posts. Mah"r"2a
1?thu e:cavated many produces from the earth, and thus
not only did the citi)ens become happy to have such a good
king, but the complete sight of the earth also became
beautiful and attractive.
T!T "[
~Pa; Sa )a&a:he $aaTS(a; caUau=aedi>aSa$'e 9
#aaG(aaraeP(a $ah?$a((aa$aPaaj'S'Ta; $a#au$a2 99
"[ 99
r0"a- sa )ag4he m'tsya-
c'k.!.odadhi%sam"la(e
n'(y 'ro"ya mah$%mayy'm
a"'d (ai(as(ata- man!m
S(#O#($S
r0"amZformV sa*ZHeV )ag4heZacceptedV m'tsyamZof a fishV
c'k.!.aZ*"k@u@aV !dadhiZwaterV sam"la(eZinundationV
n'(iZon the boatV 'ro"yaZkeeping onV mah$Zthe earthV
mayy'mZdrowned inV a"'tZprotectedV (ai(as(atamZ
!aivasvataV man!mZManu, the father of man.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen there Jas a co@plete inundation after the period of the
CLkEuEa $anu and the Jhole Jorld Jas deep Jithin Jater, the
Lord accepted the for@ of a fish and protected Gai'as'ata $anu,
keeping hi@ up on a boatH
P8-PO-T
According to <r=p"da <r=dhara $v"m=, the original
commentator on the &h'ga(atam, there is not always a
devastation after the change of every Manu. And yet this
inundation after the period of *"k@u@a Manu took place in
order to show some wonders to $atyavrata. %ut <r= O=va
8osv"m= has given definite proofs from authoritative
scriptures 3like /i.5!%dharmottara, 8'rka5;eya !r'5a,
>ari(a-1a, etc.6 that there is always a devastation after the
end of each and every Manu. <r=la !iPvan"tha *akravart=
has also supported <r=la O=va 8osv"m=, and he 3<r=
*akravart=6 has also (uoted from &h'ga(at'm4ta about this
inundation after each Manu. Apart from this, the Eord, in
order to show special favor to $atyavrata, a devotee of the
Eord, in this particular period, incarnated Himself.
T!T "\
SauraSauraQaa$audi>a; $aQ#aTaa; $a#draclR$a2 9
d>a3e k6$au~PaeQa Pa:f Vk6ad!ae i'%au0 99 "\ 99
s!r's!r'5'm !dadhi-
mathnat'- mandar'calam
dadhre kama<ha%r0"e5a
"4.<ha ek'da1e (ibh!*
S(#O#($S
s!raZthe theistsV as!r'5'mZof the atheistsV !dadhimZin the
oceanV mathnat'mZchurningV mandar'calamZthe
Mandar"cala HillV dadhreZsustainedV kama<haZtortoiseV
r0"e5aZin the form ofV "4.<heZshellV ek'da1eZthe eleventh
in the lineV (ibh!*Zthe great.
T-A#SLATIO#
The ele'enth incarnation of the Lord took the for@ of a tortoise
Jhose shell ser'ed as a pi'ot for the $andarLcala Iill, Jhich Jas
being used as a churning rod by the theists and atheists of the
uni'erseH
P8-PO-T
9nce both the atheists and the theists were engaged in
producing nectar from the sea so that all of them could
become deathless by drinking it. At that time the
Mandar"cala Hill was used as the churning rod, and the shell
of Eord Tortoise, the incarnation of 8odhead, became the
resting place 3pivot6 of the hill in the seawater.
T!T "]
>aa#'#Tar; jad!a$a; <a(aaed!a$a$ae' c 9
APaa(a(aTSaura#a#(aa#$aaeih#(aa $aaeh(a#a2 iE(aa 99
"] 99
dh'n(antara- d('da1ama-
trayoda1amam e(a ca
a"'yayat s!r'n any'n
mohiny' mohayan striy'
S(#O#($S
dh'n(antaramZthe incarnation of 8odhead named
7hanvantariV d('da1amamZthe twelfth in the lineV
trayoda1amamZthe thirteenth in the lineV e(aZcertainlyV caZ
andV a"'yayatZgave to drinkV s!r'nZthe demigodsV any'nZ
othersV mohiny'Zby charming beautyV mohayanZalluringV
striy'Zin the form of a woman.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the tJelfth incarnation, the Lord appeared as >han'antari, and
in the thirteenth Ie allured the atheists by the char@ing beauty of
a Jo@an and ga'e nectar to the de@igods to drinkH
T!T "^
cTaud-!a; #aariSa;h; ib%a3qT(ae#d3$a8i)a-Ta$a2 9
ddar k6r)a~ra'erk6a; k61uk:6*Qaa 99 "^ 99
cat!rda1a- n'rasi-ha-
bibhrad daityendram 0r)itam
dad'ra kara)air 0r'(
erak'- ka<a%k4d yath'
S(#O#($S
cat!rda1amZthe fourteenth in the lineV n'ra%si-hamZthe
incarnation of the Eord as half'man and half'lionV bibhratZ
adventedV daitya%indramZthe king of the atheistsV 0r)itamZ
strongly builtV dad'raZbifurcatedV kara)ai*Zby the nailsV
0ra!Zon the lapV erak'mZcanesV ka<a%k4tZcarpenterV yath'
Z2ust like.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the fourteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as #Dsikha and
bifurcated the strong body of the atheist IiraFyakawipu Jith Iis
nails, /ust as a carpenter pierces caneH
T!T "_
Pa}d!a; 'a$a#ak;6 k:6T'a&aadr; bleR0 9
Pad<a(a; (aac$aa#a0 PaOT(aaidTSauiEiPanPa$a2 99 "_ 99
"a,cada1a- ('manaka-
k4t('g'd adh(ara- bale*
"ada%traya- y'cam'na*
"raty'dits!s tri%"i.<a"am
S(#O#($S
"a,cada1amZthe fifteenth in the lineV ('manakamZthe dwarf
br'hma5aC k4t('Zby assumption ofV ag'tZwentV adh(aramZ
arena of sacrificeV bale*Zof >ing %aliV "ada%trayamZthree
steps onlyV y'cam'na*ZbeggingV "raty'dits!*Zwilling at
heart to returnV tri%"i.<a"amZthe kingdom of the three
planetary systems.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the fifteenth incarnation, the Lord assu@ed the for@ of a dJarf6
brLh@aFa OGL@ana3 and 'isited the arena of sacrifice arranged by
$ahLrL/a KaliH Although at heart Ie Jas Jilling to regain the
kingdo@ of the three planetary syste@s, Ie si@ply asked for a
donation of three steps of landH
P8-PO-T
The Almighty 8od can bestow upon anyone the kingdom of
the universe from a very small beginning, and similarly, He
can take away the kingdom of the universe on the plea of
begging a small piece of land.
T!T N`
A'Taare =aeo!a$ae Pa!(a#a2 b34d3uhae #a:Paa#a2 9
i<a0Sak:6T'0 ku6iPaTaae i#a0Ua<aa$ak6rae#$ah?$a2 99 N` 99
a(at're .o;a1ame
"a1yan brahma%dr!ho n4"'n
tri*%sa"ta%k4t(a* k!"ito
ni*%k.atr'm akaron mah$m
S(#O#($S
a(at'reZin the incarnation of the EordV .o;a1ameZthe
si:teenthV "a1yanZseeingV brahma%dr!ha*Zdisobedient to
the orders of the br'hma5asC n4"'nZthe kingly orderV tri*%
sa"taZthrice seven timesV k4t(a*Zhad doneV k!"ita*Zbeing
engagedV ni*ZnegationV k.atr'mZthe administrative classV
akarotZdid performV mah$mZthe earth.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the siMteenth incarnation of the &odhead, the Lord Oas
KhDgupati3 annihilated the ad@inistrati'e class OkEatriyas3 tJenty6
one ti@es, being angry Jith the@ because of their rebellion against
the brLh@aFas Othe intelligent class3H
P8-PO-T
The k.atriyas, or the administrative class of men, are
e:pected to rule the planet by the direction of the intelligent
class of men, who give direction to the rulers in terms of the
standard 1'stras, or the books of revealed knowledge. The
rulers carry on the administration according to that direction.
Whenever there is disobedience on the part of the k.atriyas,
or the administrative class, against the orders of the learned
and intelligent br'hma5as, the administrators are removed by
force from the posts, and arrangement is made for better
administration.
T!T N"
TaTa0 Sad!ae )aaTa0 SaT(a'T(aa; Para!araTa2 9
cse6 'edTarae0 !aaYa d:a Pau;Saae+LPa$ae>aSa0 99 N" 99
tata* sa"tada1e )'ta*
satya(aty'- "ar'1ar't
cakre (eda%taro* 1'kh'
d4.<(' "!-so 2l"a%medhasa*
S(#O#($S
tata*ZthereafterV sa"tada1eZin the seventeenth incarnationV
)'ta*ZadventedV satya(aty'mZin the womb of $atyavat=V
"ar'1ar'tZby 1ar"Para MuniV cakreZpreparedV (eda%taro*Zof
the desire tree of the /edasC 1'kh'*ZbranchesV d4.<('Zbe
seeingV "!-sa*Zthe people in generalV al"a%medhasa*Zless
intelligent.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter, in the se'enteenth incarnation of &odhead, ArB
GyLsade'a appeared in the Jo@b of Satya'atB through ParLwara
$uni, and he di'ided the one Geda into se'eral branches and
subbranches, seeing that the people in general Jere less
intelligentH
P8-PO-T
9riginally the /eda is one. %ut <r=la !y"sadeva divided the
original /eda into four, namely S'ma, Ya)!r, Og, Pthar(a, and
then again they were e:plained in different branches like the
!r'5as and the 8ah'bh'rata. !edic language and the
sub2ect matter are very difficult for ordinary men. They are
understood by the highly intelligent and self'reali)ed
br'hma5as. %ut the present age of >ali is full of ignorant men.
;ven those who are born by a br'hma5a father are, in the
present age, no better than the 10dras or the women. The
twice'born men, namely the br'hma5as, k.atriyas and
(ai1yas, are e:pected to undergo a cultural purificatory
process known as sa-sk'ras, but because of the bad
influence of the present age the so'called members of the
br'hma5a and other high'order families are no longer highly
cultured. They are called the d(i)a%bandh!s, or the friends and
family members of the twice'born. %ut these d(i)a%bandh!s
are classified amongst the 10dras and the women. <r=la
!y"sadeva divided the /edas into various branches and
subbranches for the sake of the less intelligent classes like
the d(i)a%bandh!s, 10dras and women.
T!T NN
#arde'T'$aaPak0 Saurk6a(a-ick6I=-(aa 9
Sa$aud3i#a&a3had?i#a cse6 '?(aa-Q(aTa0 Par$a2 99 NN 99
nara%de(at(am '"anna*
s!ra%k'rya%cik$r.ay'
sam!dra%nigrah'd$ni
cakre ($ry'5y ata* "aram
S(#O#($S
naraZhuman beingV de(at(amZdivinityV '"anna*Zhaving
assumed the form ofV s!raZthe demigodsV k'ryaZactivitiesV
cik$r.ay'Zfor the purpose of performingV sam!draZthe
ndian 9ceanV nigraha%'d$niZcontrolling, etc.V cakreZdid
performV ($ry'5iZsuperhuman prowessV ata* "aramZ
thereafter.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the eighteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Cing -L@aH In
order to perfor@ so@e pleasing Jork for the de@igods, Ie
eMhibited superhu@an poJers by controlling the Indian Ocean and
then killing the atheist Cing -L'aFa, Jho Jas on the other side of
the seaH
P8-PO-T
The 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= 0"ma assumed the form of a
human being and appeared on the earth for the purpose of
doing some pleasing work for the demigods or the
administrative personalities to maintain the order of the
universe. $ometimes great demons and atheists like 0"vaAa
and HiraAyakaPipu and many others become very famous
due to advancing material civili)ation by the help of material
science and other activities with a spirit of challenging the
established order of the Eord. Hor e:ample, the attempt to
fly to other planets by material means is a challenge to the
established order. The conditions of each and every planet
are different, and different classes of human beings are
accommodated there for particular purposes mentioned in
the codes of the Eord. %ut, puffed up by tiny success in
material advancement, sometimes the godless materialists
challenge the e:istence of 8od. 0"vaAa was one of them,
and he wanted to deport ordinary men to the planet of ndra
3heaven6 by material means without consideration of the
necessary (ualifications. He wanted a staircase to be built
up directly reaching the heavenly planet so that people
might not be re(uired to undergo the routine of pious work
necessary to enter that planet. He also wanted to perform
other acts against the established rule of the Eord. He even
challenged the authority of <r= 0"ma, the 1ersonality of
8odhead, and kidnapped His wife, $=t". 9f course Eord
0"ma came to chastise this atheist, answering the prayer
and desire of the demigods. He therefore took up the
challenge of 0"vaAa, and the complete activity is the sub2ect
matter of the R'm'ya5a. %ecause Eord 0"macandra was the
1ersonality of 8odhead, He e:hibited superhuman activities
which no human being, including the materially advanced
0"vaAa, could perform. Eord 0"macandra prepared a royal
road on the ndian 9cean with stones that floated on the
water. The modern scientists have done research in the area
of weightlessness, but it is not possible to bring in
weightlessness anywhere and everywhere. %ut because
weightlessness is the creation of the Eord by which He can
make the gigantic planets fly and float in the air, He made
the stones even within this earth to be weightless and
prepared a stone bridge on the sea without any supporting
pillar. That is the display of the power of 8od.
T!T NX
Vk6ae#ai';!ae i';!aiTa$ae ':i.Qa=u PaOaP(a )a#$a#a? 9
ra$ak:6.Qaai'iTa %au'ae %a&a'a#ahrSr$a2 99 NX 99
ekona(i-1e (i-1atime
(4.5i.! "r'"ya )anman$
r'ma%k4.5'( iti bh!(o
bhaga('n aharad bharam
S(#O#($S
ekona(i-1eZin the nineteenthV (i-1atimeZin the twentieth
alsoV (4.5i.!Zin the !?@Ai dynastyV "r'"yaZhaving
obtainedV )anman$ZbirthsV r'maZ%alar"maV k4.5a!Z<r=
>?@AaV itiZthusV bh!(a*Zof the worldV bhaga('nZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV aharatZremovedV bharamZburden.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the nineteenth and tJentieth incarnations, the Lord ad'ented
Ii@self as Lord KalarL@a and Lord CDEFa in the fa@ily of GDEFi
Othe (adu dynasty3, and by so doing Ie re@o'ed the burden of the
JorldH
P8-PO-T
The specific mention of the word bhaga('n in this te:t
indicates that %alar"ma and >?@Aa are original forms of the
Eord. This will be further e:plained later. Eord >?@Aa is not
an incarnation of the "!r!.a, as we learned from the
beginning of this chapter. He is directly the original
1ersonality of 8odhead, and %alar"ma is the first plenary
manifestation of the Eord. Hrom %aladeva the first phalan: of
plenary e:pansions, !"sudeva, $aIkar@aAa, Aniruddha and
1radyumna, e:pands. Eord <r= >?@Aa is !"sudeva, and
%aladeva is $aIkar@aAa.
T!T NZ
TaTa0 k6lRa Sa$PaO':tae Sa$$aaeha(a Saurij=a$a2 9
bupae #aa$anai#aSauTa0 k6Ik61eu=u %ai'.(aiTa 99 NZ 99
tata* kala! sam"ra(4tte
sammoh'ya s!ra%d(i.'m
b!ddho n'mn',)ana%s!ta*
k$ka<e.! bha(i.yati
S(#O#($S
tata*ZthereafterV kala!Zthe age of >aliV sam"ra(4tteZhaving
ensuedV sammoh'yaZfor the purpose of deludingV s!raZthe
theistsV d(i.'mZthose who are enviousV b!ddha*ZEord
%uddhaV n'mn'Zof the nameV a,)ana%s!ta*Zwhose mother
was A^2an"V k$ka<e.!Zin the province of 8ay" 3%ihar6V
bha(i.yatiZwill take place.
T-A#SLATIO#
Then, in the beginning of Cali6yuga, the Lord Jill appear as Lord
Kuddha, the son of Af/anL, in the pro'ince of &ayL, /ust for the
purpose of deluding those Jho are en'ious of the faithful theistH
P8-PO-T
Eord %uddha, a powerful incarnation of the 1ersonality of
8odhead, appeared in the province of 8ay" 3%ihar6 as the
son of A^2an", and he preached his own conception of
nonviolence and deprecated even the animal sacrifices
sanctioned in the /edas. At the time when Eord %uddha
appeared, the people in general were atheistic and preferred
animal flesh to anything else. 9n the plea of !edic sacrifice,
every place was practically turned into a slaughterhouse,
and animal'killing was indulged in unrestrictedly. Eord
%uddha preached nonviolence, taking pity on the poor
animals. He preached that he did not believe in the tenets of
the /edas and stressed the adverse psychological effects
incurred by animal'killing. Eess intelligent men of the age of
>ali, who had no faith in 8od, followed his principle, and for
the time being they were trained in moral discipline and
nonviolence, the preliminary steps for proceeding further on
the path of 8od reali)ation. He deluded the atheists because
such atheists who followed his principles did not believe in
8od, but they kept their absolute faith in Eord %uddha, who
himself was the incarnation of 8od. Thus the faithless people
were made to believe in 8od in the form of Eord %uddha.
That was the mercy of Eord %uddhaC he made the faithless
faithful to him.
>illing of animals before the advent of Eord %uddha was the
most prominent feature of the society. 1eople claimed that
these were !edic sacrifices. When the /edas are not
accepted through the authoritative disciplic succession, the
casual readers of the /edas are misled by the flowery
language of that system of knowledge. n the &haga(ad%g$t'
a comment has been made on such foolish scholars
3a(i"a1cita*6. The foolish scholars of !edic literature who do
not care to receive the transcendental message through the
transcendental reali)ed sources of disciplic succession are
sure to be bewildered. To them, the ritualistic ceremonies
are considered to be all in all. They have no depth of
knowledge. According to the &haga(ad%g$t' 3,B.,B6, (edai1 ca
sar(air aham e(a (edya*I the whole system of the /edas is to
lead one gradually to the path of the $upreme Eord. The
whole theme of !edic literature is to know the $upreme
Eord, the individual soul, the cosmic situation and the
relation between all these items. When the relation is known,
the relative function begins, and as a result of such a
function the ultimate goal of life or going back to 8odhead
takes place in the easiest manner. Rnfortunately,
unauthori)ed scholars of the /edas become captivated by
the purificatory ceremonies only, and natural progress is
thereby checked.
To such bewildered persons of atheistic propensity, Eord
%uddha is the emblem of theism. He therefore first of all
wanted to check the habit of animal'killing. The animal'
killers are dangerous elements on the path going back to
8odhead. There are two types of animal'killers. The soul is
also sometimes called the DanimalF or the living being.
Therefore, both the slaughterer of animals and those who
have lost their identity of soul are animal'killers.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it said that only the animal'killer cannot
relish the transcendental message of the $upreme Eord.
Therefore if people are to be educated to the path of
8odhead, they must be taught first and foremost to sto" the
"rocess of animal%killing as above mentioned. It is nonsensical
to say that animal%killing has nothing to do with s"irit!al
realiQation. %y this dangerous theory many so'called
sanny's$s have sprung up by the grace of >ali'yuga who
preach animal'killing under the garb of the /edas. The
sub2ect matter has already been discussed in the
conversation between Eord *aitanya and Maulana *hand
>a)i $haheb. The animal sacrifice as stated in the /edas is
different from the unrestricted animal'killing in the
slaughterhouse. %ecause the as!ras or the so'called scholars
of !edic literatures put forward the evidence of animal'killing
in the /edas, Eord %uddha superficially denied the authority
of the /edas. This re2ection of the /edas by Eord %uddha was
adopted in order to save people from the vice of animal'
killing as well as to save the poor animals from the
slaughtering process of their big brothers who clamor for
universal brotherhood, peace, 2ustice and e(uity. There is no
2ustice when there is animal'killing. Eord %uddha wanted to
stop it completely, and therefore his cult of ahi-s' was
propagated not only in ndia but also outside the country.
Technically Eord %uddhaJs philosophy is called atheistic
because there is no acceptance of the $upreme Eord and
because that system of philosophy denied the authority of
the /edas. %ut that is an act of camouflage by the Eord. Eord
%uddha is the incarnation of 8odhead. As such, he is the
original propounder of !edic knowledge. He therefore cannot
re2ect !edic philosophy. %ut he re2ected it outwardly because
the s!ra%d(i.a, or the demons who are always envious of the
devotees of 8odhead, try to support cow'killing or animal'
killing from the pages of the /edas, and this is now being
done by the moderni)ed sanny's$s. Eord %uddha had to
re2ect the authority of the /edas altogether. This is simply
technical, and had it not been so he would not have been so
accepted as the incarnation of 8odhead. Kor would he have
been worshiped in the transcendental songs of the poet
Oayadeva, who is a !ai@Aava 'c'rya. Eord %uddha preached
the preliminary principles of the /edas in a manner suitable
for the time being 3and so also did <aIkar"c"rya6 to establish
the authority of the /edas. Therefore both Eord %uddha and
Wc"rya <aIkara paved the path of theism, and !ai@Aava
'c'ryas, specifically Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, led the
people on the path towards a reali)ation of going back to
8odhead.
We are glad that people are taking interest in the nonviolent
movement of Eord %uddha. %ut will they take the matter
very seriously and close the animal slaughterhouses
altogether? f not, there is no meaning to the ahi-s' cult.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam was composed 2ust prior to the
beginning of the age of >ali 3about five thousand years ago6,
and Eord %uddha appeared about twenty'si: hundred years
ago. Therefore in the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam Eord %uddha is
foretold. $uch is the authority of this clear scripture. There
are many such prophecies, and they are being fulfilled one
after another. They will indicate the positive standing of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, which is without trace of mistake,
ill!sion, cheating and im"erfection, which are the four flaws of
all conditioned souls. The liberated souls are above these
flawsV therefore they can see and foretell things which are to
take place on distant future dates.
T!T N[
AQaaSaa (au&aSa#>(aa(aa; dS(auPaOa(ae=u ra)aSau 9
)ai#aTaa i'.Qau(a!aSaae #aa$ana k6iLk6)a-&aTPaiTa0 99 N[ 99
ath'sa! y!ga%sandhy'y'-
dasy!%"r'ye.! r')as!
)anit' (i.5!%ya1aso
n'mn' kalkir )agat%"ati*
S(#O#($S
athaZthereafterV asa!Zthe same EordV y!ga%sandhy'y'mZat
the con2unction of the y!gasC dasy!ZplunderersV "r'ye.!Z
almost allV r')as!Zthe governing personalitiesV )anit'Zwill
take His birthV (i.5!Znamed !i@AuV ya1asa*Zsurnamed
XaP"V n'mn'Zin the name ofV kalki*Zthe incarnation of the
EordV )agat%"ati*Zthe Eord of the creation.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter, at the con/unction of tJo yugas, the Lord of the
creation Jill take Iis birth as the Calki incarnation and beco@e the
son of GiEFu (awLH At this ti@e the rulers of the earth Jill ha'e
degenerated into plunderersH
P8-PO-T
Here is another foretelling of the advent of Eord >alki, the
incarnation of 8odhead. He is to appear at the con2unction of
the two y!gas, namely at the end of >ali'yuga and the
beginning of $atya'yuga. The cycle of the four y!gas, namely
$atya, Tret", 7v"para and >ali, rotates like the calendar
months. The present >ali'yuga lasts M\G,NNN years, out of
which we have passed only B,NNN years after the %attle of
>uruk@etra and the end of the regime of >ing 1ar=k@it. $o
there are MG4,NNN years balance yet to be finished.
Therefore at the end of this period, the incarnation of >alki
will take place, as foretold in the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. The
name of His father, !i@Au XaP", a learned br'hma5a, and the
village <ambhala are also mentioned. As above mentioned,
all these foretellings will prove to be factual in chronological
order. That is the authority of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
T!T N\
A'Taara 7Sa;e(ae(aa hre0 Sat'i#a>aeij-)aa0 9
(aQaai'daiSa#a0 ku6L(aa0 SarSa0 S(au0 Sahb!a0 99 N\ 99
a(at'r' hy asa3khyey'
hare* satt(a%nidher d(i)'*
yath'(id'sina* k!ly'*
sarasa* sy!* sahasra1a*
S(#O#($S
a(at'r'*ZincarnationsV hiZcertainlyV asa3khyey'*Z
innumerableV hare*Zof Hari, the EordV satt(a%nidhe*Zof the
ocean of goodnessV d(i)'*Zthe br'hma5asC yath'Zas it isV
a(id'sina*Zine:haustibleV k!ly'*ZrivuletsV sarasa*Zof vast
lakesV sy!*ZareV sahasra1a*Zthousands of.
T-A#SLATIO#
O brLh@aFas, the incarnations of the Lord are innu@erable, like
ri'ulets floJing fro@ ineMhaustible sources of JaterH
P8-PO-T
The list of incarnations of the 1ersonality of 8odhead given
herein is not complete. t is only a partial view of all the
incarnations. There are many others, such as <r= Hayagr=va,
Hari, Ha[sa, 1?Pnigarbha, !ibhu, $atyasena, !aikuATha,
$"rvabhauma, !i@vaksena, 7harmasetu, $udh"m",
XogePvara, %?hadbh"nu and others of the bygone ages. <r=
1rahl"da Mah"r"2a said in his prayer, DMy Eord, Xou manifest
as many incarnations as there are species of life, namely the
a(uatics, the vegetables, the reptiles, the birds, the beasts,
the men, the demigods, etc., 2ust for the maintenance of the
faithful and the annihilation of the unfaithful. Xou advent
Xourself in this way in accordance with the necessity of the
different y!gas. n the >ali'yuga Xou have incarnated garbed
as a devotee.F This incarnation of the Eord in the >ali'yuga is
Eord *aitanya Mah"prabhu. There are many other places,
both in the &h'ga(atam and in other scriptures, in which the
incarnation of the Eord as <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu is
e:plicitly mentioned. n the &rahma%sa-hit' also it is said
indirectly that although there are many incarnations of the
Eord, such as 0"ma, K?si[ha, !ar"ha, Matsya, >Lrma and
many others, the Eord Himself sometimes incarnates in
person. Eord >?@Aa and Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu are
not, therefore, incarnations, but the original source of all
other incarnations. This will be clearly e:plained in the ne:t
1loka. $o the Eord is the ine:haustible source for
innumerable incarnations which are not always mentioned.
%ut such incarnations are distinguished by specific
e:traordinary feats which are impossible to be performed by
any living being. That is the general test to identify an
incarnation of the Eord, directly and indirectly empowered.
$ome incarnations mentioned above are almost plenary
portions. Hor instance, the >um"ras are empowered with
transcendental knowledge. <r= K"rada is empowered with
devotional service. Mah"r"2a 1?thu is an empowered
incarnation with e:ecutive function. The Matsya incarnation
is directly a plenary portion. $o the innumerable incarnations
of the Eord are manifested all over the universes constantly,
without cessation, as water flows constantly from waterfalls.
T!T N]
a=(aae $a#a'ae de'a $a#auPau<aa $aha)aSa0 9
k6lRa0 Sa'e- hrere' SaPaO)aaPaTa(a0 S$a:Taa0 99 N] 99
4.ayo mana(o de('
man!%"!tr' maha!)asa*
kal'* sar(e harer e(a
sa"ra)'"ataya* sm4t'*
S(#O#($S
4.aya*Zall the sagesV mana(a*Zall the ManusV de('*Zall the
demigodsV man!%"!tr'*Zall the descendants of ManuV mah'%
o)asa*Zvery powerfulV kal'*Zportion of the plenary portionV
sar(eZall collectivelyV hare*Zof the EordV e(aZcertainlyV sa%
"ra)'"ataya*Zalong with the 1ra2"patisV sm4t'*Zare known.
T-A#SLATIO#
All the DEis, $anus, de@igods and descendants of $anu, Jho are
especially poJerful, are plenary portions or portions of the plenary
portions of the LordH This also includes the Pra/LpatisH
P8-PO-T
Those who are comparatively less powerful are called
(ibh0ti, and those who are comparatively more powerful are
called '(e1a incarnations.
T!T N^
VTae ca;!ak6lRa0 Pau;Sa0 k:6.QaSTau %a&a'a#a2 S'(a$a2 9
J#d3airG(aaku6l;R lRaek;6 $a:o(ai#Ta (au&ae (au&ae 99 N^ 99
ete c'-1a%kal'* "!-sa*
k4.5as t! bhaga('n s(ayam
indr'ri%(y'k!la- loka-
m4;ayanti y!ge y!ge
S(#O#($S
eteZall theseV caZandV a-1aZplenary portionsV kal'*Z
portions of the plenary portionsV "!-sa*Zof the $upremeV
k4.5a*ZEord >?@AaV t!ZbutV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV s(ayamZin personV indra%ariZthe enemies of
ndraV (y'k!lamZdisturbedV lokamZall the planetsV m4;ayanti
Zgives protectionV y!ge y!geZin different ages.
T-A#SLATIO#
All of the abo'e6@entioned incarnations are either plenary portions
or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord ArB CDEFa
is the original Personality of &odheadH All of the@ appear on
planets Jhene'er there is a disturbance created by the atheistsH
The Lord incarnates to protect the theistsH
P8-PO-T
n this particular stan)a Eord <r= >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of
8odhead, is distinguished from other incarnations. He is
counted amongst the a(at'ras 3incarnations6 because out of
His causeless mercy the Eord descends from His
transcendental abode. P(at'ra means Done who descends.F
All the incarnations of the Eord, including the Eord Himself,
descend on the different planets of the material world as
also in different species of life to fulfill particular missions.
$ometimes He comes Himself, and sometimes His different
plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, or His
differentiated portions directly or indirectly empowered by
Him, descend on this material world to e:ecute certain
specific functions. 9riginally the Eord is full of all opulences,
all prowess, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all
renunciation. When they are partly manifested through the
plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, it should be
noted that certain manifestations of His different powers are
re(uired for those particular functions. When in the room
small electric bulbs are displayed, it does not mean that the
electric powerhouse is limited by the small bulbs. The same
powerhouse can supply power to operate large'scale
industrial dynamos with greater volts. $imilarly, the
incarnations of the Eord display limited powers because so
much power is needed at that particular time.
Hor e:ample, Eord 1araPur"ma and Eord K?si[ha displayed
unusual opulence by killing the disobedient k.atriyas twenty'
one times and killing the greatly powerful atheist
HiraAyakaPipu. HiraAyakaPipu was so powerful that even the
demigods in other planets would tremble simply by the
unfavorable raising of his eyebrow. The demigods in the
higher level of material e:istence many, many times e:cel
the most well'to'do human beings, in duration of life, beauty,
wealth, paraphernalia, and in all other respects. $till they
were afraid of HiraAyakaPipu. Thus we can simply imagine
how powerful HiraAyakaPipu was in this material world. %ut
even HiraAyakaPipu was cut into small pieces by the nails of
Eord K?si[ha. This means that anyone materially powerful
cannot stand the strength of the EordJs nails. $imilarly,
O"madagnya displayed the EordJs power to kill all the
disobedient kings powerfully situated in their respective
states. The EordJs empowered incarnation K"rada and
plenary incarnation !ar"ha, as well as indirectly empowered
Eord %uddha, created faith in the mass of people. The
incarnations of 0"ma and 7hanvantari displayed His fame,
and %alar"ma, Mohin= and !"mana e:hibited His beauty.
7att"treya, Matsya, >um"ra and >apila e:hibited His
transcendental knowledge. Kara and K"r"yaAa _@is
e:hibited His renunciation. $o all the different incarnations of
the Eord indirectly or directly manifested different features,
but Eord >?@Aa, the primeval Eord, e:hibited the complete
features of 8odhead, and thus it is confirmed that He is the
source of all other incarnations. And the most e:traordinary
feature e:hibited by Eord <r= >?@Aa was His internal
energetic manifestation of His pastimes with the cowherd
girls. His pastimes with the go"$s are all displays of
transcendental e:istence, bliss and knowledge, although
these are manifested apparently as se: love. The specific
attraction of His pastimes with the go"$s should never be
misunderstood. The &h'ga(atam relates these transcendental
pastimes in the Tenth *anto. And in order to reach the
position to understand the transcendental nature of Eord
>?@AaJs pastimes with the go"$s, the &h'ga(atam promotes
the student gradually in nine other cantos.
According to <r=la O=va 8osv"m=Js statement, in accordance
with authoritative sources, Eord >?@Aa is the source of all
other incarnations. t is not that Eord >?@Aa has any source
of incarnation. All the symptoms of the $upreme Truth in full
are present in the person of Eord <r= >?@Aa, and in the
&haga(ad%g$t' the Eord emphatically declares that there is no
truth greater than or e(ual to Himself. n this stan)a the
word s(ayam is particularly mentioned to confirm that Eord
>?@Aa has no other source than Himself. Although in other
places the incarnations are described as bhaga('n because of
their specific functions, nowhere are they declared to be the
$upreme 1ersonality. n this stan)a the word s(ayam signifies
the supremacy as the s!mm!m bon!m.
The s!mm!m bon!m >?@Aa is one without a second. He
Himself has e:panded Himself in various parts, portions and
particles as s(aya-%r0"a, s(ayam%"rak'1a, tad%ek'tm',
"r'bha(a, (aibha(a, (il'sa, a(at'ra, '(e1a, and )$(as, all
provided with innumerable energies 2ust suitable to the
respective persons and personalities. Eearned scholars in
transcendental sub2ects have carefully analy)ed the
s!mm!m bon!m >?@Aa to have si:ty'four principal attributes.
All the e:pansions or categories of the Eord possess only
some percentages of these attributes. %ut <r= >?@Aa is the
possessor of the attributes cent percent. And His personal
e:pansions such as s(ayam%"rak'1a, tad%ek'tm' up to the
categories of the a(at'ras who are all (i.5!%tatt(a, possess up
to ninety'three percent of these transcendental attributes.
Eord <iva, who is neither a(at'ra nor '(e1a nor in between
them, possesses almost eighty'four percent of the attributes.
%ut the )$(as, or the individual living beings in different
statuses of life, possess up to the limit of seventy'eight
percent of the attributes. n the conditioned state of material
e:istence, the living being possesses these attributes in very
minute (uantity, varying in terms of the pious life of the
living being. The most perfect of living beings is %rahm", the
supreme administrator of one universe. He possesses
seventy'eight percent of the attributes in full. All other
demigods have the same attributes in less (uantity, whereas
human beings possess the attributes in very minute
(uantity. The standard of perfection for a human being is to
develop the attributes up to seventy'eight percent in full.
The living being can never possess attributes like <iva, !i@Au
or Eord >?@Aa. A living being can become godly by
developing the seventy'eight'percent transcendental
attributes in fullness, but he can never become a 8od like
<iva, !i@Au or >?@Aa. He can become a %rahm" in due
course. The godly living beings who are all residents of the
planets in the spiritual sky are eternal associates of 8od in
different spiritual planets called Hari'dh"ma and MahePa'
dh"ma. The abode of Eord >?@Aa above all spiritual planets
is called >?@Aaloka or 8oloka !?nd"vana, and the perfected
living being, by developing seventy'eight percent of the
above attributes in fullness, can enter the planet of
>?@Aaloka after leaving the present material body.
T!T N_
)a#$a &au7; %a&a'Taae (a VTaTPaO(aTaae #ar0 9
Saa(a; PaOaTa&a:-Qa#a2 %av6ya du0Y&a3a$aaij$auC(aTae 99
N_ 99
)anma g!hya- bhaga(ato
ya etat "rayato nara*
s'ya- "r'tar g45an bhakty'
d!*kha%gr'm'd (im!cyate
S(#O#($S
)anmaZbirthV g!hyamZmysteriousV bhaga(ata*Zof the EordV
ya*ZoneV etatZall theseV "rayata*ZcarefullyV nara*ZmanV
s'yamZeveningV "r'ta*ZmorningV g45anZrecitesV bhakty'Z
with devotionV d!*kha%gr'm'tZfrom all miseriesV (im!cyateZ
gets relief from.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhoe'er carefully recites the @ysterious appearances of the Lord,
Jith de'otion in the @orning and in the e'ening, gets relief fro@
all @iseries of lifeH
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' the 1ersonality of 8odhead has declared
that anyone who knows the principles of the transcendental
birth and activities of the Eord will go back to 8odhead after
being relieved from this material tabernacle. $o simply
knowing factually the mysterious way of the EordJs
incarnation in this material world can liberate one from
material bondage. Therefore the birth and activities of the
Eord, as manifested by Him for the welfare of the people in
general, are not ordinary. They are mysterious, and only by
those who carefully try to go deep into the matter by
spiritual devotion is the mystery discovered. Thus one gets
liberation from material bondage. t is advised therefore that
one who simply recites this chapter of &h'ga(atam,
describing the appearance of the Eord in different
incarnations, in sincerity and devotion, can have insight into
the birth and activities of the Eord. The very word (im!kti, or
liberation, indicates that the EordJs birth and activities are all
transcendentalV otherwise simply by reciting them one could
not attain liberation. They are therefore mysterious, and
those who do not follow the prescribed regulations of
devotional service are not entitled to enter into the
mysteries of His births and activities.
T!T X`
VTad38Pa; %a&a'Taae 7~PaS(a icdaT$a#a0 9
$aa(aa&auQai'-ricTa; $ahdaidi%araT$ai#a 99 X` 99
etad r0"a- bhaga(ato
hy ar0"asya cid%'tmana*
m'y'%g!5air (iracita-
mahad'dibhir 'tmani
S(#O#($S
etatZall theseV r0"amZformsV bhaga(ata*Zof the EordV hiZ
certainlyV ar0"asyaZof one who has no material formV cit%
'tmana*Zof the TranscendenceV m'y'Zmaterial energyV
g!5ai*Zby the (ualitiesV (iracitamZmanufacturedV mahat%
'dibhi*Zwith the ingredients of matterV 'tmaniZin the self.
T-A#SLATIO#
The conception of the 'irL uni'ersal for@ of the Lord, as
appearing in the @aterial Jorld, is i@aginaryH It is to enable the
less intelligent Oand neophytes3 to ad/ust to the idea of the Lordrs
ha'ing for@H Kut factually the Lord has no @aterial for@H
P8-PO-T
The conception of the Eord known as the (i1(a%r0"a or the
(ir'<%r0"a is particularly not mentioned along with the
various incarnations of the Eord because all the incarnations
of the Eord mentioned above are transcendental and there is
not a tinge of materialism in their bodies. There is no
difference between the body and self as there is in the
conditioned soul. The (ir'<%r0"a is conceived for those who
are 2ust neophyte worshipers. Hor them the material (ir'<%
r0"a is presented, and it will be e:plained in the $econd
*anto. n the (ir'<%r0"a the material manifestations of
different planets have been conceived as His legs, hands,
etc. Actually all such descriptions are for the neophytes. The
neophytes cannot conceive of anything beyond matter. The
material conception of the Eord is not counted in the list of
His factual forms. As 1aram"tm", or $upersoul, the Eord is
within each and every material form, even within the atoms,
but the outward material form is but an imagination, both for
the Eord and for the living being. The present forms of the
conditioned souls are also not factual. The conclusion is that
the material conception of the body of the Eord as (ir'< is
imaginary. %oth the Eord and the living beings are living
spirits and have original spiritual bodies.
T!T X"
(aQaa #a%aiSa $aegaagaae reQau'a- PaaiQa-'ae+i#aleR 9
V'; d3nir d:!(aT'$aaraeiPaTa$abuipi%a0 99 X" 99
yath' nabhasi megha!gho
re5!r (' "'rthi(o 2nile
e(a- dra.<ari d41yat(am
'ro"itam ab!ddhibhi*
S(#O#($S
yath'Zas it isV nabhasiZin the skyV megha%ogha*Za mass of
cloudsV re5!*ZdustV ('Zas well asV "'rthi(a*ZmuddinessV
anileZin the airV e(amZthusV dra.<ariZto the seerV
d41yat(amZfor the purpose of seeingV 'ro"itamZis impliedV
ab!ddhibhi*Zby the less intelligent persons.
T-A#SLATIO#
Clouds and dust are carried by the air, but less intelligent persons
say that the sky is cloudy and the air is dirtyH Si@ilarly, they also
i@plant @aterial bodily conceptions on the spirit selfH
P8-PO-T
t is further confirmed herein that with our material eyes and
senses we cannot see the Eord, who is all spirit. We cannot
even detect the spiritual spark which e:ists within the
material body of the living being. We look to the outward
covering of the body or subtle mind of the living being, but
we cannot see the spiritual spark within the body. $o we
have to accept the living beingJs presence by the presence
of his gross body. $imilarly, those who want to see the Eord
with their present material eyes or with the material senses
are advised to meditate on the gigantic e:ternal feature
called the (ir'<%r0"a. Hor instance, when a particular
gentleman goes in his car, which can be seen very easily, we
identify the car with the man within the car. When the
1resident goes out in his particular car, we say, DThere is the
1resident.F Hor the time being we identify the car with the
1resident. $imilarly, less intelligent men who want to see
8od immediately without necessary (ualification are shown
first the gigantic material cosmos as the form of the Eord,
although the Eord is within and without. The clouds in the
sky and the blue of the sky are better appreciated in this
connection. Although the bluish tint of the sky and the sky
itself are different, we conceive of the color of the sky as
blue. %ut that is a general conception for the laymen only.
T!T XN
ATa0 Par; (adG(av6$aG(a8t&auQab:;ihTa$a2 9
Ad:naBOuTa'STauT'aTSa )a?'ae (aTPau#a%a-'0 99 XN 99
ata* "ara- yad a(yaktam
a(y0;ha%g!5a%b4-hitam
ad4.<'1r!ta%(ast!t('t
sa )$(o yat "!nar%bha(a*
S(#O#($S
ata*ZthisV "aramZbeyondV yatZwhichV a(yaktamZ
unmanifestedV a(y0;haZwithout formal shapeV g!5a%b4-hitam
Zaffected by the (ualitiesV ad4.<aZunseenV a1r!taZ
unheardV (ast!t('tZbeing like thatV sa*ZthatV )$(a*Zliving
beingV yatZthat whichV "!na*%bha(a*Ztakes birth repeatedly.
T-A#SLATIO#
Keyond this gross conception of for@ is another, subtle conception
of for@ Jhich is Jithout for@al shape and is unseen, unheard and
un@anifestH The li'ing being has his for@ beyond this subtlety,
otherJise he could not ha'e repeated birthsH
P8-PO-T
As the gross cosmic manifestation is conceived as the
gigantic body of the Eord, so also there is the conception of
His subtle form, which is simply reali)ed without being seen,
heard or manifested. %ut in fact all these gross or subtle
conceptions of the body are in relation with the living beings.
The living being has his spiritual form beyond this gross
material or subtle psychic e:istence. The gross body and
psychic functions cease to act as soon as the living being
leaves the visible gross body. n fact, we say that the living
being has gone away because he is unseen and unheard.
;ven when the gross body is not acting when the living being
is in sound sleep, we know that he is within the body by his
breathing. $o the living beingJs passing away from the body
does not mean that there is no e:istence of the living soul. t
is there, otherwise how can he repeat his births again and
again?
The conclusion is that the Eord is eternally e:istent in His
transcendental form, which is neither gross nor subtle like
that of the living beingV His body is never to be compared to
the gross and subtle bodies of the living being. All such
conceptions of 8odJs body are imaginary. The living being
has his eternal spiritual form, which is conditioned only by
his material contamination.
T!T XX
(a<ae$ae SadSad38Pae PaOiTai=pe S'Sa;i'da 9
Ai'*(aaT$ai#a k:6Tae JiTa Tad2b34d!a-#a$a2 99 XX 99
yatreme sad%asad%r0"e
"rati.iddhe s(a%sa-(id'
a(idyay'tmani k4te
iti tad brahma%dar1anam
S(#O#($S
yatraZwheneverV imeZin all theseV sat%asatZgross and
subtleV r0"eZin the forms ofV "rati.iddheZon being nullifiedV
s(a%sa-(id'Zby self'reali)ationV a(idyay'Zby ignoranceV
'tmaniZin the selfV k4teZhaving been imposedV itiZthusV tat
Zthat isV brahma%dar1anamZthe process of seeing the
Absolute.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhene'er a person eMperiences, by self6reali=ation, that both the
gross and subtle bodies ha'e nothing to do Jith the pure self, at
that ti@e he sees hi@self as Jell as the LordH
P8-PO-T
The difference between self'reali)ation and material illusion
is to know that the temporary or illusory impositions of
material energy in the shape of gross and subtle bodies are
superficial coverings of the self. The coverings take place
due to ignorance. $uch coverings are never effective in the
person of the 1ersonality of 8odhead. >nowing this
convincingly is called liberation, or seeing the Absolute. This
means that perfect self'reali)ation is made possible by
adoption of godly or spiritual life. $elf'reali)ation means
becoming indifferent to the needs of the gross and subtle
bodies and becoming serious about the activities of the self.
The impetus for activities is generated from the self, but
such activities become illusory due to ignorance of the real
position of the self. %y ignorance, self'interest is calculated
in terms of the gross and subtle bodies, and therefore a
whole set of activities is spoiled, life after life. When,
however, one meets the self by proper culture, the activities
of the self begin. Therefore a man who is engaged in the
activities of the self is called )$(an%m!kta, or a liberated
person even in the conditional e:istence.
This perfect stage of self'reali)ation is attained not by
artificial means, but under the lotus feet of the Eord, who is
always transcendental. n the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord says
that He is present in everyoneJs heart, and from Him only all
knowledge, remembrance or forgetfulness take place. When
the living being desires to be an en2oyer of material energy
3illusory phenomena6, the Eord covers the living being in the
mystery of forgetfulness, and thus the living being
misinterprets the gross body and subtle mind to be his own
self. And by culture of transcendental knowledge, when the
living being prays to the Eord for deliverance from the
clutches of forgetfulness, the Eord, by His causeless mercy,
removes the living beingJs illusory curtain, and thus he
reali)es his own self. He then engages himself in the service
of the Eord in his eternal constitutional position, becoming
liberated from the conditioned life. All this is e:ecuted by the
Eord either through His e:ternal potency or directly by the
internal potency.
T!T XZ
(a*e=aeParTaa de'? $aa(aa '!aard? $aiTa0 9
Sa$Pak V'eiTa i'du$a-ihi$an S'e $ah?(aTae 99 XZ 99
yady e.o"arat' de($
m'y' (ai1'rad$ mati*
sam"anna e(eti (id!r
mahimni s(e mah$yate
S(#O#($S
yadiZif, howeverV e.'ZtheyV !"arat'ZsubsidedV de($ m'y'Z
illusory energyV (ai1'rad$Zfull of knowledgeV mati*Z
enlightenmentV sam"anna*Zenriched withV e(aZcertainlyV iti
ZthusV (id!*Zbeing cogni)ant ofV mahimniZin the gloriesV
s(eZof the selfV mah$yateZbeing situated in.
T-A#SLATIO#
If the illusory energy subsides and the li'ing entity beco@es fully
enriched Jith knoJledge by the grace of the Lord, then he beco@es
at once enlightened Jith self6reali=ation and thus beco@es
situated in his oJn gloryH
P8-PO-T
%ecause the Eord is the absolute Transcendence, all of His
forms, names, pastimes, attributes, associates and energies
are identical with Him. His transcendental energy acts
according to His omnipotency. The same energy acts as His
e:ternal, internal and marginal energies, and by His
omnipotency He can perform anything and everything
through the agency of any of the above energies. He can
turn the e:ternal energy into internal by His will. Therefore
by His grace the e:ternal energy, which is employed in
illusioning those living beings who want to have it, subsides
by the will of the Eord in terms of repentance and penance
for the conditioned soul. And the very same energy then acts
to help the purified living being make progress on the path
of self'reali)ation. The e:ample of electrical energy is very
appropriate in this connection. The e:pert electrician can
utili)e the electrical energy for both heating and cooling by
ad2ustment only. $imilarly, the e:ternal energy, which now
bewilders the living being into continuation of birth and
death, is turned into internal potency by the will of the Eord
to lead the living being to eternal life. When a living being is
thus graced by the Eord, he is placed in his proper
constitutional position to en2oy eternal spiritual life.
T!T X[
V'; )a#$aai#a k6$aa-iQa 7k6Tau-r)a#aS(a c 9
'Qa-(ai#Ta S$a k6'(aae 'ed&au7ai#a 5TPaTae0 99 X[ 99
e(a- )anm'ni karm'5i
hy akart!r a)anasya ca
(ar5ayanti sma ka(ayo
(eda%g!hy'ni h4t%"ate*
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV )anm'niZbirthV karm'5iZactivitiesV hiZcertainlyV
akart!*Zof the inactiveV a)anasyaZof the unbornV caZandV
(ar5ayantiZdescribeV smaZin the pastV ka(aya*Zthe learnedV
(eda%g!hy'niZundiscoverable by the /edasC h4t%"ate*Zof the
Eord of the heart.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus learned @en describe the births and acti'ities of the unborn
and inacti'e, Jhich is undisco'erable e'en in the Gedic literaturesH
Ie is the Lord of the heartH
P8-PO-T
%oth the Eord and the living entities are essentially all
spiritual. Therefore both of them are eternal, and neither of
them has birth and death. The difference is that the so'called
births and disappearances of the Eord are unlike those of the
living beings. The living beings who take birth and then
again accept death are bound by the laws of material nature.
%ut the so'called appearance and disappearance of the Eord
are not actions of material nature, but are demonstrations of
the internal potency of the Eord. They are described by the
great sages for the purpose of self'reali)ation. t is stated in
the &haga(ad%g$t' by the Eord that His so'called birth in the
material world and His activities are all transcendental. And
simply by meditation on such activities one can attain
reali)ation of %rahman and thus become liberated from
material bondage. n the 1r!tis it is said that the birthless
appears to take birth. The $upreme has nothing to do, but
because He is omnipotent, everything is performed by Him
naturally, as if done automatically. As a matter of fact, the
appearance and disappearance of the $upreme 1ersonality
of 8odhead and His different activities are all confidential,
even to the !edic literatures. Xet they are displayed by the
Eord to bestow mercy upon the conditioned souls. We should
always take advantage of the narrations of the activities of
the Eord, which are meditations on %rahman in the most
convenient and palatable form.
T!T X\
Sa 'a Jd; i'T$a$aaegalRIlR0
Sa:)aT(a'T(aita #a SaTae+iS$a#a2 9
%a8Tae=u ca#Taih-Ta AaT$aTa#<a0
=ai&a-k;6 i)aga3iTa =o2&auQae!a0 99 X\ 99
sa (' ida- (i1(am amogha%l$la*
s4)aty a(aty atti na sa))ate 2smin
bh0te.! c'ntarhita 'tma%tantra*
.';%(argika- )ighrati .a;%g!5e1a*
S(#O#($S
sa*Zthe $upreme EordV ('ZalternatelyV idamZthisV (i1(amZ
manifested universesV amogha%l$la*Zone whose activities are
spotlessV s4)atiZcreatesV a(ati attiZmaintains and
annihilatesV naZnotV sa))ateZis affected byV asminZin themV
bh0te.!Zin all living beingsV caZalsoV antarhita*Zliving
withinV 'tma%tantra*Zself'independentV .'<%(argikamZ
endowed with all the potencies of His opulencesV )ighratiZ
superficially attached, like smelling the fragranceV .a<%g!5a%
$1a*Zmaster of the si: senses.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Lord, Jhose acti'ities are alJays spotless, is the @aster of the
siM senses and is fully o@nipotent Jith siM opulencesH Ie creates
the @anifested uni'erses, @aintains the@ and annihilates the@
Jithout being in the least affectedH Ie is Jithin e'ery li'ing being
and is alJays independentH
P8-PO-T
The prime difference between the Eord and the living entities
is that the Eord is the creator and the living entities are the
created. Here He is called the amogha%l$la*, which indicates
that there is nothing lamentable in His creation. Those who
create disturbance in His creation are themselves disturbed.
He is transcendental to all material afflictions because He is
full with all si: opulences, namely wealth, power, fame,
beauty, knowledge and renunciation, and thus He is the
master of the senses. He creates these manifested universes
in order to reclaim the living beings who are within them
suffering threefold miseries, maintains them, and in due
course annihilates them without being the least affected by
such actions. He is connected with this material creation
very superficially, as one smells odor without being
connected with the odorous article. Kongodly elements,
therefore, can never approach Him, despite all endeavors.
T!T X]
#a caS(a k6i,ikPauQae#a >aaTaux
r'iTa )a#Tau0 ku6$a#a?= OTa?0 9
#aa$aai#a ~PaaiQa $a#aae'caei%a0
Sa#Ta#'Taae #a1uc(aa-i$a'a/0 99 X] 99
na c'sya ka1cin ni"!5ena dh't!r
a(aiti )ant!* k!man$.a 0t$*
n'm'ni r0"'5i mano%(acobhi*
santan(ato na<a%cary'm i('),a*
S(#O#($S
naZnotV caZandV asyaZof HimV ka1citZanyoneV ni"!5enaZby
de:terityV dh't!*Zof the creatorV a(aitiZcan knowV )ant!*Z
the living beingV k!man$.a*Zwith a poor fund of knowledgeV
0t$*Zactivities of the EordV n'm'niZHis namesV r0"'5iZHis
formsV mana*%(acobhi*Zby dint of mental speculation or
deliverance of speechesV santan(ata*ZdisplayingV na<a%
cary'mZa dramatic actionV i(aZlikeV a),a*Zthe foolish.
T-A#SLATIO#
The foolish Jith a poor fund of knoJledge cannot knoJ the
transcendental nature of the for@s, na@es and acti'ities of the
Lord, Jho is playing like an actor in a dra@aH #or can they eMpress
such things, neither in their speculations nor in their JordsH
P8-PO-T
Ko one can properly describe the transcendental nature of
the Absolute Truth. Therefore it is said that He is beyond the
e:pression of mind and speech. And yet there are some
men, with a poor fund of knowledge, who desire to
understand the Absolute Truth by imperfect mental
speculation and faulty description of His activities. To the
layman His activities, appearance and disappearance, His
names, His forms, His paraphernalia, His personalities and all
things in relation with Him are mysterious. There are two
classes of materialists, namely the fruitive workers and the
empiric philosophers. The fruitive workers have practically
no information of the Absolute Truth, and the mental
speculators, after being frustrated in fruitive activities, turn
their faces towards the Absolute Truth and try to know Him
by mental speculation. And for all these men, the Absolute
Truth is a mystery, as the 2ugglery of the magician is a
mystery to children. %eing deceived by the 2ugglery of the
$upreme %eing, the nondevotees, who may be very
de:terous in fruitive work and mental speculation, are
always in ignorance. With such limited knowledge, they are
unable to penetrate into the mysterious region of
transcendence. The mental speculators are a little more
progressive than the gross materialists or the fruitive
workers, but because they are also within the grip of illusion,
they take it for granted that anything which has form, a
name and activities is but a product of material energy. Hor
them the $upreme $pirit is formless, nameless and inactive.
And because such mental speculators e(uali)e the
transcendental name and form of the Eord with mundane
names and form, they are in fact in ignorance. With such a
poor fund of knowledge, there is no access to the real nature
of the $upreme %eing. As stated in &haga(ad%g$t', the Eord is
always in a transcendental position, even when He is within
the material world. %ut ignorant men consider the Eord one
of the great personalities of the world, and thus they are
misled by the illusory energy.
T!T X^
Sa 'ed >aaTau0 Pad'?; ParS(a
dur#Ta'?(a-S(a rQaalPaaQae0 9
(aae+$aa(a(aa Sa#TaTa(aa#au':t(aa
%a)aeTa TaTPaadSarae)a&a#>a$a2 99 X^ 99
sa (eda dh't!* "ada($- "arasya
d!ranta%($ryasya rath'3ga%"'5e*
yo 2m'yay' santatay'n!(4tty'
bha)eta tat%"'da%saro)a%gandham
S(#O#($S
sa*ZHe aloneV (edaZcan knowV dh't!*Zof the creatorV
"ada($mZgloriesV "arasyaZof the transcendenceV d!ranta%
($ryasyaZof the greatly powerfulV ratha%a3ga%"'5e*Zof Eord
>?@Aa, who bears in His hand the wheel of a chariotV ya*Z
one whoV am'yay'Zwithout reservationV santatay'Zwithout
any gapV an!(4tty'ZfavorablyV bha)etaZrenders serviceV tat%
"'daZof His feetV saro)a%gandhamZfragrance of the lotus.
T-A#SLATIO#
Only those Jho render unreser'ed, uninterrupted, fa'orable
ser'ice unto the lotus feet of Lord CDEFa, Jho carries the Jheel of
the chariot in Iis hand, can knoJ the creator of the uni'erse in Iis
full glory, poJer and transcendenceH
P8-PO-T
9nly the pure devotees can know the transcendental name,
form and activities of Eord >?@Aa due to their being
completely freed from the reactions of fruitive work and
mental speculation. The pure devotees have nothing to
derive as personal profit from their unalloyed service to the
Eord. They render incessant service to the Eord
spontaneously, without any reservation. ;veryone within the
creation of the Eord is rendering service to the Eord
indirectly or directly. Ko one is an e:ception to this law of
the Eord. Those who are rendering service indirectly, being
forced by the illusory agent of the Eord, are rendering
service unto Him unfavorably. %ut those who are rendering
service unto Him directly under the direction of His beloved
agent are rendering service unto Him favorably. $uch
favorable servitors are devotees of the Eord, and by the
grace of the Eord they can enter into the mysterious region
of transcendence by the mercy of the Eord. %ut the mental
speculators remain in darkness all the time. As stated in
&haga(ad%g$t', the Eord Himself guides the pure devotees
toward the path of reali)ation due to their constant
engagement in the loving service of the Eord in spontaneous
affection. That is the secret of entering into the kingdom of
8od. Hruitive activities and speculation are no (ualifications
for entering.
T!T X_
AQaeh >a#(aa %a&a'#Ta JTQa;
(ajaSaude'e+iYlRlRaek6#aaQae 9
ku6'-i#Ta Sa'a-T$ak6$aaT$a%aa';
#a (a<a %a8(a0 Pair'Ta- o&a30 99 X_ 99
atheha dhany' bhaga(anta ittha-
yad ('s!de(e 2khila%loka%n'the
k!r(anti sar('tmakam 'tma%bh'(a-
na yatra bh0ya* "ari(arta !gra*
S(#O#($S
athaZthusV ihaZin this worldV dhany'*ZsuccessfulV
bhaga(anta*Zperfectly cogni)antV itthamZsuchV yatZwhatV
('s!de(eZunto the 1ersonality of 8odheadV akhilaZall'
embracingV loka%n'theZunto the proprietor of all the
universesV k!r(antiZinspiresV sar(a%'tmakamZone hundred
percentV 'tmaZspiritV bh'(amZecstasyV naZneverV yatraZ
whereinV bh0ya*ZagainV "ari(arta*ZrepetitionV !gra*Z
dreadful.
T-A#SLATIO#
Only by @aking such in?uiries in this Jorld can one be successful
and perfectly cogni=ant, for such in?uiries in'oke transcendental
ecstatic lo'e unto the Personality of &odhead, Jho is the
proprietor of all the uni'erses, and guarantee cent6percent
i@@unity fro@ the dreadful repetition of birth and deathH
P8-PO-T
The in(uiries of the sages headed by <aunaka are herewith
praised by $Lta 8osv"m= on the merit of their
transcendental nature. As already concluded, only the
devotees of the Eord can know Him to a considerable e:tent,
and no one else can know Him at all, so the devotees are
perfectly cogni)ant of all spiritual knowledge. The
1ersonality of 8odhead is the last word in Absolute Truth.
mpersonal %rahman and locali)ed 1aram"tm" 3$upersoul6
are included in the knowledge of the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
$o one who knows the 1ersonality of 8odhead can
automatically know all about Him, His multipotencies and His
e:pansions. $o the devotees are congratulated as being all'
successful. A cent'percent devotee of the Eord is immune to
the dreadful material miseries of repeated birth and death.
T!T Z`
Jd; %aa&a'Ta; #aa$a PauraQa; b34Sai$$aTa$a2 9
ota$aFaek6cirTa; ck6ar %a&a'a#a:i=0 9
i#a0BOe(aSaa(a lRaek6S(a >a#(a; S'ST(a(a#a; $ahTa2 99 Z` 99
ida- bh'ga(ata- n'ma
"!r'5a- brahma%sammitam
!ttama%1loka%carita-
cak'ra bhaga('n 4.i*
ni*1reyas'ya lokasya
dhanya- s(asty%ayana- mahat
S(#O#($S
idamZthisV bh'ga(atamZbook containing the narration of the
1ersonality of 8odhead and His pure devoteesV n'maZof the
nameV "!r'5amZsupplementary to the /edasC brahma%
sammitamZincarnation of Eord <r= >?@AaV !ttama%1lokaZof
the 1ersonality of 8odheadV caritamZactivitiesV cak'raZ
compiledV bhaga('nZincarnation of the 1ersonality of
8odheadV 4.i*Z<r= !y"sadevaV ni*1reyas'yaZfor the
ultimate goodV lokasyaZof all peopleV dhanyamZfully
successfulV s(asti%ayanamZall'blissfulV mahatZall'perfect.
T-A#SLATIO#
This ArB@ad6KhLga'ata@ is the literary incarnation of &od, and it
is co@piled by ArBla GyLsade'a, the incarnation of &odH It is @eant
for the ulti@ate good of all people, and it is all6successful, all6
blissful and all6perfectH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu declared that #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is the spotless sound representation of all !edic
knowledge and history. There are selected histories of great
devotees who are in direct contact with the 1ersonality of
8odhead. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the literary incarnation of
Eord <r= >?@Aa and is therefore nondifferent from Him.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam should be worshiped as respectfully as
we worship the Eord. Thereby we can derive the ultimate
blessings of the Eord through its careful and patient study.
As 8od is all light, all bliss and all perfection, so also is
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam. We can have all the transcendental
light of the $upreme %rahman, <r= >?@Aa, from the
recitation of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, provided it is received
through the medium of the transparent spiritual master. Eord
*aitanyaJs private secretary <r=la $varLpa 7"modara
8osv"m= advised all intending visitors who came to see the
Eord at 1ur= to make a study of the &h'ga(atam from the
person &h'ga(atam 1erson &h'ga(atam is the self'reali)ed
bona fide spiritual master, and through him only can one
understand the lessons of &h'ga(atam in order to receive the
desired result. 9ne can derive from the study of the
&h'ga(atam all benefits that are possible to be derived from
the personal presence of the Eord. t carries with it all the
transcendental blessings of Eord <r= >?@Aa that we can
e:pect from His personal contact.
T!T Z"
Taidd; &a3ah(aa$aaSa SauTa$aaT$a'Taa; 'r$a2 9
Sa'-'edeiTahaSaa#aa; Saar; Saar; Sa$aud2>a:Ta$a2 99 Z" 99
tad ida- gr'hay'm 'sa
s!tam 'tma(at'- (aram
sar(a%(edetih's'n'-
s'ra- s'rasam!ddh4tam
S(#O#($S
tatZthatV idamZthisV gr'hay'm 'saZmade to acceptV s!tamZ
unto his sonV 'tma(at'mZof the self'reali)edV (aramZmost
respectfulV sar(aZallV (edaZ!edic literatures 3books of
knowledge6V itih's'n'mZof all the historiesV s'ramZcreamV
s'ramZcreamV sam!ddh4tamZtaken out.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB GyLsade'a deli'ered it to his son, Jho is the @ost respected
a@ong the self6reali=ed, after eMtracting the crea@ of all Gedic
literatures and histories of the uni'erseH
P8-PO-T
Men with a poor fund of knowledge only accept the history of
the world from the time of %uddha, or since 5NN %.*., and
prior to this period all histories mentioned in the scriptures
are calculated by them to be only imaginary stories. That is
not a fact. All the stories mentioned in the !r'5as and
8ah'bh'rata, etc., are actual histories, not only of this planet
but also of millions of other planets within the universe.
$ometimes the history of planets beyond this world appear
to such men to be unbelievable. %ut they do not know that
different planets are not e(ual in all respects and that
therefore some of the historical facts derived from other
planets do not correspond with the e:perience of this planet.
*onsidering the different situation of different planets and
also time and circumstances, there is nothing wonderful in
the stories of the !r'5as, nor are they imaginary. We should
always remember the ma:im that one manJs food is another
manJs poison. We should not, therefore, re2ect the stories
and histories of the !r'5as as imaginary. The great 4.is like
!y"sa had no business putting some imaginary stories in
their literatures.
n the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam historical facts selected from the
histories of different planets have been depicted. t is
therefore accepted by all the spiritual authorities as the
8ah'%!r'5a. The special significance of these histories is
that they are all connected with activities of the Eord in a
different time and atmosphere. <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= is
the topmost personality of all the self'reali)ed souls, and he
accepted this as the sub2ect of studies from his father,
!y"sadeva. <r=la !y"sadeva is the great authority, and the
sub2ect matter of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam being so important, he
delivered the message first to his great son <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m=. t is compared to the cream of the milk. !edic
literature is like the milk ocean of knowledge. *ream or
butter is the most palatable essence of milk, and so also is
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, for it contains all palatable, instructive
and authentic versions of different activities of the Eord and
His devotees. There is no gain, however, in accepting the
message of &h'ga(atam from the unbelievers, atheists and
professional reciters who make a trade of &h'ga(atam for the
laymen. t was delivered to <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=, and
he had nothing to do with the &h'ga(ata business. He did not
have to maintain family e:penses by such trade. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam should therefore be received from the
representative of <ukadeva, who must be in the renounced
order of life without family encumbrance. Milk is undoubtedly
very good and nourishing, but when it is touched by the
mouth of a snake it is no longer nourishingV rather, it
becomes a source of death. $imilarly, those who are not
strictly in the !ai@Aava discipline should not make a
business of this &h'ga(atam and become a cause of spiritual
death for so many hearers. n the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord
says that the purpose of all the /edas is to know Him 3Eord
>?@Aa6, and #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is Eord <r= >?@Aa Himself in
the form of recorded knowledge. Therefore, it is the cream of
all the /edas, and it contains all historical facts of all times in
relation with <r= >?@Aa. t is factually the essence of all
histories.
T!T ZN
Sa Tau Sa;BOa'(aa$aaSa $ahara)a; Par?iUaTa$a2 9
PaOa(aaePai'n; &ala(aa; Par?Ta; Par$ai=-i%a0 99 ZN 99
sa t! sa-1r'(ay'm 'sa
mah'r')a- "ar$k.itam
"r'yo"a(i.<a- ga3g'y'-
"ar$ta- "aramar.ibhi*
S(#O#($S
sa*Zthe son of !y"sadevaV t!ZagainV sa-1r'(ay'm 'saZ
make them audibleV mah'%r')amZunto the emperorV
"ar$k.itamZof the name 1ar=k@itV "r'ya%!"a(i.<amZwho sat
until death without food or drinkV ga3g'y'mZon the bank of
the 8angesV "ar$tamZbeing surroundedV "arama%4.ibhi*Zby
great sages.
T-A#SLATIO#
Aukade'a &os'L@B, the son of GyLsade'a, in his turn deli'ered the
KhLga'ata@ to the great @peror ParBkEit, Jho sat surrounded by
sages on the bank of the &anges, aJaiting death Jithout taking
food or drinkH
P8-PO-T
All transcendental messages are received properly in the
chain of disciplic succession. This disciplic succession is
called "aram"ar'. Rnless therefore &h'ga(atam or any other
!edic literatures are received through the "aram"ar' system,
the reception of knowledge is not bona fide. !y"sadeva
delivered the message to <ukadeva 8osv"m=, and from
<ukadeva 8osv"m=, $Lta 8osv"m= received the message.
9ne should therefore receive the message of &h'ga(atam
from $Lta 8osv"m= or from his representative and not from
any irrelevant interpreter.
;mperor 1ar=k@it received the information of his death in
time, and he at once left his kingdom and family and sat
down on the bank of the 8anges to fast till death. All great
sages, 4.is, philosophers, mystics, etc., went there due to his
imperial position. They offered many suggestions about his
immediate duty, and at last it was settled that he would hear
from <ukadeva 8osv"m= about Eord >?@Aa. Thus the
&h'ga(atam was spoken to him.
<r=p"da <aIkar"c"rya, who preached M"y"v"da philosophy
and stressed the impersonal feature of the Absolute, also
recommended that one must take shelter at the lotus feet of
Eord <r= >?@Aa, for there is no hope of gain from debating.
ndirectly <r=p"da <aIkar"c"rya admitted that what he had
preached in the flowery grammatical interpretations of the
/ed'nta%s0tra cannot help one at the time of death. At the
critical hour of death one must recite the name of 8ovinda.
This is the recommendation of all great transcendentalists.
<ukadeva 8osv"m= had long ago stated the same truth, that
at the end one must remember K"r"yaAa. That is the
essence of all spiritual activities. n pursuance of this eternal
truth, #r$mad%&h'ga(atam was heard by ;mperor 1ar=k@it,
and it was recited by the able <ukadeva 8osv"m=. And both
the speaker and the receiver of the messages of &h'ga(atam
were duly delivered by the same medium.
T!T ZX
k:6.Qae S'>aa$aaePa&aTae >a$a-/a#aaidi%a0 Sah 9
k6lRa #and:!aa$ae= PauraQaak6ae-+>au#aaeidTa0 99 ZX 99
k4.5e s(a%dh'mo"agate
dharma%),'n'dibhi* saha
kala! na.<a%d41'm e.a
"!r'5'rko 2dh!nodita*
S(#O#($S
k4.5eZin >?@AaJsV s(a%dh'maZown abodeV !"agateZhaving
returnedV dharmaZreligionV ),'naZknowledgeV 'dibhi*Z
combined togetherV sahaZalong withV kala!Zin the >ali'yugaV
na.<a%d41'mZof persons who have lost their sightV e.a*Zall
theseV "!r'5a%arka*Zthe !r'5a which is brilliant like the
sunV adh!n'Z2ust nowV !dita*Zhas arisen.
T-A#SLATIO#
This KhLga'ata PurLFa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen
/ust after the departure of Lord CDEFa to Iis oJn abode,
acco@panied by religion, knoJledge, etcH Persons Jho ha'e lost
their 'ision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of
Cali shall get light fro@ this PurLFaH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa has His eternal dh'ma, or abode, where He
eternally en2oys Himself with His eternal associates and
paraphernalia. And His eternal abode is a manifestation of
His internal energy, whereas the material world is a
manifestation of His e:ternal energy. When He descends on
the material world, He displays Himself with all
paraphernalia in His internal potency, which is called 'tma%
m'y'. n the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord says that He descends
by His own potency 3'tma%m'y'6. His form, name, fame,
paraphernalia, abode, etc., are not, therefore, creations of
matter. He descends to reclaim the fallen souls and to
reestablish codes of religion which are directly enacted by
Him. ;:cept for 8od, no one can establish the principles of
religion. ;ither He or a suitable person empowered by Him
can dictate the codes of religion. 0eal religion means to
know 8od, our relation with Him and our duties in relation
with Him and to know ultimately our destination after leaving
this material body. The conditioned souls, who are entrapped
by the material energy, hardly know all these principles of
life. Most of them are like animals engaged in eating,
sleeping, fearing and mating. They are mostly engaged in
sense en2oyment under the pretension of religiosity,
knowledge or salvation. They are still more blind in the
present age of (uarrel, or >ali'yuga. n the >ali'yuga the
population is 2ust a royal edition of the animals. They have
nothing to do with spiritual knowledge or godly religious life.
They are so blind that they cannot see anything beyond the
2urisdiction of the subtle mind, intelligence or ego, but they
are very much proud of their advancement in knowledge,
science and material prosperity. They can risk their lives to
become a dog or hog 2ust after leaving the present body, for
they have completely lost sight of the ultimate aim of life.
The 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa appeared before us
2ust a little prior to the beginning of >ali'yuga, and He
returned to His eternal home practically at the
commencement of >ali'yuga. While He was present, He
e:hibited everything by His different activities. He spoke the
&haga(ad%g$t' specifically and eradicated all pretentious
principles of religiosity. And prior to His departure from this
material world, He empowered <r= !y"sadeva through
K"rada to compile the messages of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam,
and thus both the &haga(ad%g$t' and the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam
are like torchbearers for the blind people of this age. n other
words, if men in this age of >ali want to see the real light of
life, they must take to these two books only, and their aim of
life will be fulfilled. &haga(ad%g$t' is the preliminary study of
the &h'ga(atam. And #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the s!mm!m
bon!m of life, Eord <r= >?@Aa personified. We must therefore
accept #r$mad%&h'ga(atam as the direct representation of
Eord >?@Aa. 9ne who can see #r$mad%&h'ga(atam can see
also Eord <r= >?@Aa in person. They are identical.
T!T ZZ
Ta<a k6ITa-(aTaae i'PaOa i'PaO=e-%a8-irTae)aSa0 9
Ah; ca>(a&a$a; Ta<a i#ai'nSTad#au&a3haTa2 9
Saae+h; '0 BOa'i(a.(aai$a (aQaa>a?Ta; (aQaa$aiTa 99 ZZ 99
tatra k$rtayato (i"r'
(i"rar.er bh0ri%te)asa*
aha- c'dhyagama- tatra
ni(i.<as tad%an!grah't
so 2ha- (a* 1r'(ayi.y'mi
yath'dh$ta- yath'%mati
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereV k$rtayata*Zwhile recitingV (i"r'*Z9 br'hma5asC
(i"ra%4.e*Zfrom the great br'hma5a%4.iC bh0riZgreatlyV
te)asa*ZpowerfulV ahamZV caZalsoV adhyagamamZcould
understandV tatraZin that meetingV ni(i.<a*Zbeing perfectly
attentiveV tat%an!grah'tZby his mercyV sa*Zthat very thingV
ahamZV (a*Zunto youV 1r'(ayi.y'miZshall let you hearV
yath'%adh$tam yath'%matiZas far as my reali)ation.
T-A#SLATIO#
O learned brLh@aFas, Jhen Aukade'a &os'L@B recited
KhLga'ata@ there Oin the presence of @peror ParBkEit3, I heard
hi@ Jith rapt attention, and thus, by his @ercy, I learned the
KhLga'ata@ fro@ that great and poJerful sageH #oJ I shall try to
@ake you hear the 'ery sa@e thing as I learned it fro@ hi@ and as I
ha'e reali=ed itH
P8-PO-T
9ne can certainly see directly the presence of Eord <r=
>?@Aa in the pages of &h'ga(atam if one has heard it from a
self'reali)ed great soul like <ukadeva 8osv"m=. 9ne cannot,
however, learn &h'ga(atam from a bogus hired reciter whose
aim of life is to earn some money out of such recitation and
employ the earning in se: indulgence. Ko one can learn
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam who is associated with persons engaged
in se: life. That is the secret of learning &h'ga(atam Kor can
one learn &h'ga(atam from one who interprets the te:t by
his mundane scholarship. 9ne has to learn &h'ga(atam from
the representative of <ukadeva 8osv"m=, and no one else, if
one at all wants to see Eord <r= >?@Aa in the pages. That is
the process, and there is no alternative. $Lta 8osv"m= is a
bona fide representative of <ukadeva 8osv"m= because he
wants to present the message which he received from the
great learned br'hma5a. <ukadeva 8osv"m= presented
&h'ga(atam as he heard it from his great father, and so also
$Lta 8osv"m= is presenting &h'ga(atam as he had heard it
from <ukadeva 8osv"m=. $imple hearing is not allV one must
reali)e the te:t with proper attention. The word ni(i.<a
means that $Lta 8osv"m= drank the 2uice of &h'ga(atam
through his ears. That is the real process of receiving
&h'ga(atam. 9ne should hear with rapt attention from the
real person, and then he can at once reali)e the presence of
Eord >?@Aa in every page. The secret of knowing &h'ga(atam
is mentioned here. Ko one can give rapt attention who is not
pure in mind. Ko one can be pure in mind who is not pure in
action. Ko one can be pure in action who is not pure in
eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. %ut somehow or other
if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person,
at the very beginning one can assuredly see Eord <r= >?@Aa
in person in the pages of &h'ga(atam.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto, Third
9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KA4.5a Is the
So!rce of Pll Incarnations.M
Chapter Four
The Appearance of ArB #Lrada
T!T "
G(aaSa o'ac
JiTa b3u'aQa; Sa;STa8(a $au#a?#aa; d?ga-Sai<aQaa$a2 9
':p0 ku6lRPaiTa0 Sa8Ta; b:c0 !aa#ak6ae+b3'?Ta2 99 " 99
(y'sa !('ca
iti br!('5a- sa-st0ya
m!n$n'- d$rgha%satri5'm
(4ddha* k!la%"ati* s0ta-
bah(4ca* 1a!nako 2bra($t
S(#O#($S
(y'sa*Z!y"sadevaV !('caZsaidV itiZthusV br!('5amZ
speakingV sa-st0yaZcongratulatingV m!n$n'mZof the great
sagesV d$rghaZprolongedV satri5'mZof those engaged in the
performance of sacrificeV (4ddha*ZelderlyV k!la%"ati*Zhead
of the assemblyV s0tamZunto $Lta 8osv"m=V bah!%4ca*Z
learnedV 1a!naka*Zof the name <aunakaV abra($tZ
addressed.
T-A#SLATIO#
On hearing Sdta &os'L@B speak thus, Aaunaka $uni, Jho Jas the
elderly, learned leader of all the DEis engaged in that prolonged
sacrificial cere@ony, congratulated Sdta &os'L@B by addressing
hi@ as folloJsH
P8-PO-T
n a meeting of learned men, when there are congratulations
or addresses for the speaker, the (ualifications of the
congratulator should be as follows. He must be the leader of
the house and an elderly man. He must be vastly learned
also. <r= <aunaka _@i had all these (ualifications, and thus
he stood up to congratulate <r= $Lta 8osv"m= when he
e:pressed his desire to present #r$mad%&h'ga(atam e:actly
as he heard it from <ukadeva 8osv"m= and also reali)ed it
personally. 1ersonal reali)ation does not mean that one
should, out of vanity, attempt to show oneJs own learning by
trying to surpass the previous 'c'rya. He must have full
confidence in the previous 'c'rya, and at the same time he
must reali)e the sub2ect matter so nicely that he can present
the matter for the particular circumstances in a suitable
manner. The original "!r"ose of the te?t m!st be maintained.
Ko obscure meaning should be screwed out of it, yet it
should be presented in an interesting manner for the
understanding of the audience. This is called reali)ation. The
leader of the assembly, <aunaka, could estimate the value of
the speaker, <r= $Lta 8osv"m=, simply by his uttering
yath'dh$tam and yath'%mati, and therefore he was very glad
to congratulate him in ecstasy. Ko learned man should be
willing to hear a person who does not represent the original
'c'rya. $o the speaker and the audience were bona fide in
this meeting where &h'ga(atam was being recited for the
second time. That should be the standard of recitation of
&h'ga(atam, so that the real purpose can be served without
difficulty. Rnless this situation is created, &h'ga(atam
recitation for e:traneous purposes is useless labor both for
the speaker and for the audience.
T!T N
!aa#ak6 o'ac
Sa8Ta Sa8Ta $aha%aa&a 'd #aae 'dTaa; 'r 9
k6Qaa; %aa&a'Ta?; PauQ(aa; (adah %a&a'aIcuk60 99 N 99
1a!naka !('ca
s0ta s0ta mah'%bh'ga
(ada no (adat'- (ara
kath'- bh'ga(at$- "!5y'-
yad 'ha bhaga(', ch!ka*
S(#O#($S
1a!naka*Z<aunakaV !('caZsaidV s0ta s0taZ9 $Lta
8osv"m=V mah'%bh'gaZthe most fortunateV (adaZplease
speakV na*Zunto usV (adat'mZof those who can speakV (ara
ZrespectedV kath'mZmessageV bh'ga(at$mZof the
&h'ga(atamC "!5y'mZpiousV yatZwhichV 'haZsaidV bhaga('n
Zgreatly powerfulV 1!ka*Z<r= <ukadeva 8osv"m=.
T-A#SLATIO#
Aaunaka saide O Sdta &os'L@B, you are the @ost fortunate and
respected of all those Jho can speak and reciteH Please relate the
pious @essage of ArB@ad6KhLga'ata@, Jhich Jas spoken by the
great and poJerful sage Aukade'a &os'L@BH
P8-PO-T
$Lta 8osv"m= is twice addressed herein by <aunaka
8osv"m= out of great 2oy because he and the members of
the assembly were eager to hear the te:t of &h'ga(atam
uttered by <ukadeva 8osv"m=. They were not interested in
hearing it from a bogus person who would interpret in his
own way to suit his own purpose. 8enerally the so'called
&h'ga(atam reciters are either professional readers or so'
called learned impersonalists who cannot enter into the
transcendental personal activities of the $upreme 1erson.
$uch impersonalists twist some meanings out of &h'ga(atam
to suit and support impersonalist views, and the professional
readers at once go to the Tenth *anto to mise:plain the
most confidential part of the EordJs pastimes. Keither of
these reciters are bona fide persons to recite &h'ga(atam.
9nly one who is prepared to present &h'ga(atam in the light
of <ukadeva 8osv"m= and only those who are prepared to
hear <ukadeva 8osv"m= and his representative are bona
fide participants in the transcendental discussion of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam.
T!T X
k6iS$a#a2 (au&ae PaO':tae(a; SQaa#ae 'a ke6#a heTau#aa 9
ku6Ta0 Sa}aeidTa0 k:6.Qa0 k:6Ta'a#a2 Sa;ihTaa; $aui#a0 99 X 99
kasmin y!ge "ra(4tteya-
sth'ne (' kena het!n'
k!ta* sa,codita* k4.5a*
k4ta('n sa-hit'- m!ni*
S(#O#($S
kasminZin whichV y!geZperiodV "ra(4tt'Zwas begunV iyamZ
thisV sth'neZin the placeV ('ZorV kenaZon whatV het!n'Z
groundV k!ta*ZwherefromV sa,codita*Zinspired byV k4.5a*Z
>?@Aa'dvaip"yana !y"saV k4ta('nZcompiledV sa-hit'mZ
!edic literatureV m!ni*Zthe learned.
T-A#SLATIO#
In Jhat period and at Jhat place Jas this first begun, and Jhy Jas
this taken upW Fro@ Jhere did CDEFa6d'aipLyana GyLsa, the great
sage, get the inspiration to co@pile this literatureW
P8-PO-T
%ecause #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the special contribution of
<r=la !y"sadeva, there are so many in(uiries by the learned
<aunaka Muni. t was known to them that <r=la !y"sadeva
had already e:plained the te:t of the /edas in various ways
up to the 8ah'bh'rata for the understanding of less
intelligent women, 10dras and fallen members of the family
of twice'born men. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is transcendental to
all of them because it has nothing to do with anything
mundane. $o the in(uiries are very intelligent and relevant.
T!T Z
TaS(a Pau<aae $aha(aae&a? Sa$ad:M2 i#ai'-k6LPak60 9
Vk6a#Ta$aiTaDikd3ae &a8tae $a8t J'e(aTae 99 Z 99
tasya "!tro mah'%yog$
sama%d43 nir(ikal"aka*
ek'nta%matir !nnidro
g0;ho m0;ha i(eyate
S(#O#($S
tasyaZhisV "!tra*ZsonV mah'%yog$Za great devoteeV sama%
d4kZe(uibalancedV nir(ikal"aka*Zabsolute monistV ek'nta%
mati*Zfi:ed in monism or oneness of mindV !nnidra*Z
surpassed nescienceV g0;ha*Znot e:posedV m0;ha*Z
stuntedV i(aZlikeV iyateZappears like.
T-A#SLATIO#
Iis OGyLsade'ars3 son Jas a great de'otee, an e?uibalanced
@onist, Jhose @ind Jas alJays concentrated in @onis@H Ie Jas
transcendental to @undane acti'ities, but being uneMposed, he
appeared like an ignorant personH
P8-PO-T
<r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= was a liberated soul, and thus he
remained always alert not to be trapped by the illusory
energy. n the &haga(ad%g$t' this alertness is very lucidly
e:plained. The liberated soul and the conditioned soul have
different engagements. The liberated soul is always engaged
in the progressive path of spiritual attainment, which is
something like a dream for the conditioned soul. The
conditioned soul cannot imagine the actual engagements of
the liberated soul. While the conditioned soul thus dreams
about spiritual engagements, the liberated soul is awake.
$imilarly, the engagement of a conditioned soul appears to
be a dream for the liberated soul. A conditioned soul and a
liberated soul may apparently be on the same platform, but
factually they are differently engaged, and their attention is
always alert, either in sense en2oyment or in self'reali)ation.
The conditioned soul is absorbed in matter, whereas the
liberated soul is completely indifferent to matter. This
indifference is e:plained as follows.
T!T [
d:a#au(aa#Ta$a:i=$aaT$a)a$aP(a#a&an;
deG(aae ih(aa Paird>au#a- SauTaS(a ic<a$a2 9
Taj?U(a Pa:CciTa $au#aa )a&aduSTa'aiSTa
E?Paui$%ada #a Tau SauTaS(a i'i'v6d:ne0 99 [ 99
d4.<('n!y'ntam 4.im 'tma)am a"y anagna-
de(yo hriy' "aridadh!r na s!tasya citram
tad ($k.ya "4cchati m!na! )agad!s ta('sti
str$%"!m%bhid' na t! s!tasya (i(ikta%d4.<e*
S(#O#($S
d4.<('Zby seeingV an!y'ntamZfollowingV 4.imZthe sageV
'tma)amZhis sonV a"iZin spite ofV anagnamZnot nakedV
de(ya*Zbeautiful damselsV hriy'Zout of shynessV "aridadh!*
Zcovered the bodyV naZnotV s!tasyaZof the sonV citramZ
astonishingV tat ($k.yaZby seeing thatV "4cchatiZaskingV
m!na!Zunto the m!ni 3!y"sa6V )agad!*ZrepliedV ta(aZyourV
astiZthere areV str$%"!mZmale and femaleV bhid'Z
differencesV naZnotV t!ZbutV s!tasyaZof the sonV (i(iktaZ
purifiedV d4.<e*Zof one who looks.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile ArB GyLsade'a Jas folloJing his son, beautiful young
da@sels Jho Jere bathing naked co'ered their bodies Jith cloth,
although ArB GyLsade'a hi@self Jas not nakedH Kut they had not
done so Jhen his son had passedH The sage in?uired about this,
and the young ladies replied that his son Jas purified and Jhen
looking at the@ @ade no distinction betJeen @ale and fe@aleH Kut
the sage @ade such distinctionsH
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' 3B.,.6 it is said that a learned sage
looks e(ually on a learned and gentle br'hma5a, a ca5;'la
3dog'eater6, a dog or a cow due to his spiritual vision. <r=la
<ukadeva 8osv"m= attained that stage. Thus he did not see
a male or femaleV he saw all living entities in different dress.
The ladies who were bathing could understand the mind of a
man simply by studying his demeanor, 2ust as by looking at a
child one can understand how innocent he is. <ukadeva
8osv"m= was a young boy si:teen years old, and therefore
all the parts of his body were developed. He was naked also,
and so were the ladies. %ut because <ukadeva 8osv"m= was
transcendental to se: relations, he appeared very innocent.
The ladies, by their special (ualifications, could sense this at
once, and therefore they were not very concerned about
him. %ut when his father passed, the ladies (uickly dressed.
The ladies were e:actly like his children or grandchildren,
yet they reacted to the presence of !y"sadeva according to
the social custom because <r=la !y"sadeva played the part
of a householder. A householder has to distinguish between
a male and female, otherwise he cannot be a householder.
9ne should, therefore, attempt to know the distinction
between spirit soul without any attachment for male and
female. As long as such distinction is there, one should not
try to become a sanny's$ like <ukadeva 8osv"m=. At least
theoretically one must be convinced that a living entity is
neither male nor female. The outward dress is made of
matter by material nature to attract the opposite se: and
thus keep one entangled in material e:istence. A liberated
soul is above this perverted distinction. He does not
distinguish between one living being and another. Hor him
they are all one and the same spirit. The perfection of this
spiritual vision is the liberated stage, and <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m= attained that stage. <r=la !y"sadeva was also in
the transcendental stage, but because he was in the
householderJs life, he did not pretend to be a liberated soul,
as a matter of custom.
T!T \
k6Qa$aalRiUaTa0 Paar0 Sa$PaOa0 ku6D)aallRa#a2 9
o#$ata$a8k6)ao'ijcr#a2 &a)aSaa(ae 99 \ 99
katham 'lak.ita* "a!rai*
sam"r'"ta* k!r!%)'3gal'n
!nmatta%m0ka%)a;a(ad
(icaran ga)a%s'h(aye
S(#O#($S
kathamZhowV 'lak.ita*Zrecogni)edV "a!rai*Zby the
citi)ensV sam"r'"ta*ZreachingV k!r!%)'3gal'nZthe >uru'
2"Igala provincesV !nmattaZmadV m0kaZdumbV )a;a(atZ
stuntedV (icaranZwanderingV ga)a%s'h(ayeZHastin"pura.
T-A#SLATIO#
IoJ Jas he OArBla Aukade'a, the son of GyLsa3 recogni=ed by the
citi=ens Jhen he entered the city of IastinLpura OnoJ >elhi3, after
Jandering in the pro'inces of Curu and )LTgala, appearing like a
@ad@an, du@b and retardedW
P8-PO-T
The present city of 7elhi was formerly known as Hastin"pura
because it was first established by >ing Hast=. 8osv"m=
<ukadeva, after leaving his paternal home, was roaming like
a madman, and therefore it was very difficult for the citi)ens
to recogni)e him in his e:alted position. A sage is not,
therefore, recogni)ed by sight, but by hearing. 9ne should
approach a s'dh! or great sage not to see but to hear him. f
one is not prepared to hear the words of a s'dh!, there is no
profit. <ukadeva 8osv"m= was a s'dh! who could speak on
the transcendental activities of the Eord. He did not satisfy
the whims of ordinary citi)ens. He was recogni)ed when he
spoke on the sub2ect of &h'ga(atam, and he never attempted
2ugglery like a magician. 9utwardly he appeared to be a
retarded, dumb madman, but in fact he was the most
elevated transcendental personality.
T!T ]
k6Qa; 'a PaaQo'e(aS(a ra)a=e-$au-i#a#aa Sah 9
Sa;'ad0 Sa$a%a8taaTa (a<a=a SaaT'Ta? BOuiTa0 99 ] 99
katha- (' "'5;a(eyasya
r')ar.er m!nin' saha
sa-('da* samabh0t t'ta
yatrai.' s't(at$ 1r!ti*
S(#O#($S
kathamZhow is itV ('ZalsoV "'5;a(eyasyaZof the descendant
of 1"AQu 31ar=k@it6V r')ar.e*Zof the king who was a sageV
m!nin'Zwith the m!niC sahaZwithV sa-('da*ZdiscussionV
samabh0tZtook placeV t'taZ9 darlingV yatraZwhereuponV
e.'Zlike thisV s't(at$ZtranscendentalV 1r!ti*Zessence of the
/edas.
T-A#SLATIO#
IoJ did it so happen that Cing ParBkEit @et this great sage,
@aking it possible for this great transcendental essence of the
Gedas OKhLga'ata@3 to be sung to hi@W
P8-PO-T
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is stated here as the essence of the
/edas. t is not an imaginary story as it is sometimes
considered by unauthori)ed men. t is also called #!ka%
sa-hit', or the !edic hymn spoken by <r= <ukadeva
8osv"m=, the great liberated sage.
T!T ^
Sa &aaedaeh#a$aa<a; ih &a:he=u &a:h$aei>a#aa$a2 9
A'eUaTae $aha%aa&aSTa?Qasku6'gSTadaBO$a$a2 99 ^ 99
sa go%dohana%m'tra- hi
g4he.! g4ha%medhin'm
a(ek.ate mah'%bh'gas
t$rth$%k!r(a-s tad '1ramam
S(#O#($S
sa*Zhe 3<ukadeva 8osv"m=6V go%dohana%m'tramZonly for
the time of milking the cowV hiZcertainlyV g4he.!Zin the
houseV g4ha%medhin'mZof the householdersV a(ek.ateZwaitsV
mah'%bh'ga*Zthe most fortunateV t$rth$ZpilgrimageV k!r(an
ZtransformingV tat '1ramamZthe residence.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie OAukade'a &os'L@B3 Jas accusto@ed to stay at the door of a
householder only long enough for a coJ to be @ilkedH And he did
this /ust to sanctify the residenceH
P8-PO-T
<ukadeva 8osv"m= met ;mperor 1ar=k@it and e:plained the
te:t of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. He was not accustomed to stay
at any householderJs residence for more than half an hour
3at the time of milking the cow6, and he would 2ust take alms
from the fortunate householder. That was to sanctify the
residence by his auspicious presence. Therefore <ukadeva
8osv"m= is an ideal preacher established in the
transcendental position. Hrom his activities, those who are in
the renounced order of life and dedicated to the mission of
preaching the message of 8odhead should learn that they
have no business with householders save and e:cept to
enlighten them in transcendental knowledge. $uch asking for
alms from the householder should be for the purpose of
sanctifying his home. 9ne who is in the renounced order of
life should not be allured by the glamor of the householderJs
worldly possessions and thus become subservient to worldly
men. Hor one who is in the renounced order of life, this is
much more dangerous than drinking poison and committing
suicide.
T!T _
Ai%a$a#(auSauTa; Sa8Ta PaOahu%aa-&a'Taaeta$a$a2 9
TaS(a )a#$a $aha,(ag k6$aa-iQa c &a:Qa?ih #a0 99 _ 99
abhimany!%s!ta- s0ta
"r'h!r bh'ga(atottamam
tasya )anma mah'1carya-
karm'5i ca g45$hi na*
S(#O#($S
abhimany!%s!tamZthe son of AbhimanyuV s0taZ9 $LtaV
"r'h!*Zis said to beV bh'ga(ata%!ttamamZthe first'class
devotee of the EordV tasyaZhisV )anmaZbirthV mah'%'1caryam
Zvery wonderfulV karm'5iZactivitiesV caZandV g45$hiZ
please speak toV na*Zus.
T-A#SLATIO#
It is said that $ahLrL/a ParBkEit is a great first6class de'otee of the
Lord and that his birth and acti'ities are all JonderfulH Please tell
us about hi@H
P8-PO-T
The birth of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is wonderful because in the
womb of his mother he was protected by the 1ersonality of
8odhead <r= >?@Aa. His activities are also wonderful
because he chastised >ali, who was attempting to kill a cow.
To kill cows means to end human civili)ation. He wanted to
protect the cow from being killed by the great representative
of sin. His death is also wonderful because he got previous
notice of his death, which is wonderful for any mortal being,
and thus he prepared himself for passing away by sitting
down on the bank of the 8anges and hearing the
transcendental activities of the Eord. 7uring all the days he
heard &h'ga(atam, he did not take food or drink, nor did he
sleep a moment. $o everything about him is wonderful, and
his activities are worth hearing attentively. 7esire is
e:pressed herein to hear about him in detail.
T!T "`
Sa Sa$a3a12 k6S(a 'a heTaae0 PaaQo8#aa; $aa#a'>a-#a0 9
PaOa(aaePai'nae &ala(aa$a#aad:T(aai>ara12uiBO(a$a2 99 "` 99
sa samr'< kasya (' heto*
"'5;0n'- m'na%(ardhana*
"r'yo"a(i.<o ga3g'y'm
an'd4ty'dhir'<%1riyam
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV samr'<Zthe ;mperorV kasyaZfor whatV ('ZorV heto*
ZreasonV "'5;0n'mZof the sons of 1"AQuV m'na%(ardhana*Z
one who enriches the familyV "r'ya%!"a(i.<a*Zsitting and
fastingV ga3g'y'mZon the bank of the 8angesV an'd4tyaZ
neglectingV adhir'<Zac(uired kingdomV 1riyamZopulences.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie Jas a great e@peror and possessed all the opulences of his
ac?uired kingdo@H Ie Jas so eMalted that he Jas increasing the
prestige of the PLFhu dynastyH Vhy did he gi'e up e'erything to sit
doJn on the bank of the &anges and fast until deathW
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was the ;mperor of the world and all the
seas and oceans, and he did not have to take the trouble to
ac(uire such a kingdom by his own effort. He inherited it
from his grandfathers Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and brothers.
%esides that, he was doing well in the administration and
was worthy of the good names of his forefathers.
*onse(uently there was nothing undesirable in his opulence
and administration. Then why should he give up all these
favorable circumstances and sit down on the bank of the
8anges, fasting till death? This is astonishing, and therefore
all were eager to know the cause.
T!T ""
#a$ai#Ta (aTPaadi#ake6Ta$aaT$a#a0
i!a'a(a ha#a?(a >a#aai#a !a<a'0 9
k6Qa; Sa '?r0 iBO(a$al duST(a)aa;
(au'=TaaeTbnu$ahae SahaSaui%a0 99 "" 99
namanti yat%"'da%niketam 'tmana*
1i('ya h'n$ya dhan'ni 1atra(a*
katha- sa ($ra* 1riyam a3ga d!stya)'-
y!(ai.atotsra.<!m aho sah's!bhi*
S(#O#($S
namantiZbow downV yat%"'daZwhose feetV niketamZunderV
'tmana*ZownV 1i('yaZwelfareV h'n$yaZused to bring aboutV
dhan'niZwealthV 1atra(a*ZenemiesV kathamZfor what
reasonV sa*ZheV ($ra*Zthe chivalrousV 1riyamZopulencesV
a3gaZ9V d!stya)'mZinsuperableV y!('Zin full youthV ai.ataZ
desiredV !tsra.<!mZto give upV ahoZe:clamationV sahaZ
withV as!bhi*Zlife.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie Jas such a great e@peror that all his ene@ies Jould co@e and
boJ doJn at his feet and surrender all their Jealth for their oJn
benefitH Ie Jas full of youth and strength, and he possessed
insuperable kingly opulencesH Vhy did he Jant to gi'e up
e'erything, including his lifeW
P8-PO-T
There was nothing undesirable in his life. He was (uite a
young man and could en2oy life with power and opulence. $o
there was no (uestion of retiring from active life. There was
no difficulty in collecting the state ta:es because he was so
powerful and chivalrous that even his enemies would come
to him and bow down at his feet and surrender all wealth for
their own benefit. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was a pious king. He
con(uered his enemies, and therefore the kingdom was full
of prosperity. There was enough milk, grains and metals, and
all the rivers and mountains were full of potency. $o
materially everything was satisfactory. Therefore, there was
no (uestion of untimely giving up his kingdom and life. The
sages were eager to hear about all this.
T!T "N
i!a'a(a lRaek6S(a %a'a(a %a8Ta(ae
(a ota$aFaek6Para(aQaa )a#aa0 9
)a?'i#Ta #aaT$aaQa-$aSaa ParaBO(a;
$au$aaec i#ai'-* ku6Ta0 k6leR'r$a2 99 "N 99
1i('ya lokasya bha('ya bh0taye
ya !ttama%1loka%"ar'ya5' )an'*
)$(anti n'tm'rtham asa! "ar'1raya-
m!moca nir(idya k!ta* kale(aram
S(#O#($S
1i('yaZwelfareV lokasyaZof all living beingsV bha('yaZfor
flourishingV bh0tayeZfor economic developmentV yeZone
who isV !ttama%1loka%"ar'ya5'*Zdevoted to the cause of the
1ersonality of 8odheadV )an'*ZmenV )$(antiZdo liveV naZbut
notV 'tma%arthamZselfish interestV asa!ZthatV "ara%'1rayamZ
shelter for othersV m!mocaZgave upV nir(idyaZbeing freed
from all attachmentV k!ta*Zfor what reasonV kale(aramZ
mortal body.
T-A#SLATIO#
Those Jho are de'oted to the cause of the Personality of &odhead
li'e only for the Jelfare, de'elop@ent and happiness of othersH
They do not li'e for any selfish interestH So e'en though the
@peror OParBkEit3 Jas free fro@ all attach@ent to Jorldly
possessions, hoJ could he gi'e up his @ortal body, Jhich Jas
shelter for othersW
P8-PO-T
1ar=k@it Mah"r"2a was an ideal king and householder
because he was a devotee of the 1ersonality of 8odhead. A
devotee of the Eord automatically has all good (ualifications.
And the ;mperor was a typical e:ample of this. 1ersonally he
had no attachment for all the worldly opulences in his
possession. %ut since he was king for the all'around welfare
of his citi)ens, he was always busy in the welfare work of the
public, not only for this life, but also for the ne:t. He would
not allow slaughterhouses or killing of cows. He was not a
foolish and partial administrator who would arrange for the
protection of one living being and allow another to be killed.
%ecause he was a devotee of the Eord, he knew perfectly
well how to conduct his administration for everyoneJs
happinessZmen, animals, plants and all living creatures. He
was not selfishly interested. $elfishness is either self'
centered or self'e:tended. He was neither. His interest was
to please the $upreme Truth, 1ersonality of 8odhead. The
king is the representative of the $upreme Eord, and
therefore the kingJs interest must be identical with that of
the $upreme Eord. The $upreme Eord wants all living beings
to be obedient to Him and thereby become happy. Therefore
the kingJs interest is to guide all sub2ects back to the
kingdom of 8od. Hence the activities of the citi)ens should
be so coordinated that they can at the end go back home,
back to 8odhead. Rnder the administration of a
representative king, the kingdom is full of opulence. At that
time, human beings need not eat animals. There are ample
food grains, milk, fruit and vegetables so that the human
beings as well as the animals can eat sumptuously and to
their heartJs content. f all living beings are satisfied with
food and shelter and obey the prescribed rules, there cannot
be any disturbance between one living being and another.
;mperor 1ar=k@it was a worthy king, and therefore all were
happy during his reign.
T!T "X
TaTSa'g #a0 Sa$aacU' Pa:nae (aidh ik6}#a 9
$a#(ae T'a; i'=(ae 'aca; haTa$a#(a<a ca#dSaaTa2 99 "X 99
tat sar(a- na* sam'cak.(a
"4.<o yad iha ki,cana
manye t('- (i.aye ('c'-
sn'tam anyatra ch'ndas't
S(#O#($S
tatZthatV sar(amZallV na*Zunto usV sam'cak.(aZclearly
e:plainV "4.<a*Z(uestionedV yat ihaZhereinV ki,canaZall
thatV manyeZwe thinkV t('mZyouV (i.ayeZin all sub2ectsV
('c'mZmeanings of wordsV sn'tamZfully ac(uaintedV
anyatraZe:ceptV ch'ndas'tZportion of the /edas.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ve knoJ that you are eMpert in the @eaning of all sub/ects, eMcept
so@e portions of the Gedas, and thus you can clearly eMplain the
ansJers to all the ?uestions Je ha'e /ust put to youH
P8-PO-T
The difference between the /edas and the !r'5as is like
that between the br'hma5as and the "ari(r')akas. The
br'hma5as are meant to administer some fruitive sacrifices
mentioned in the /edas, but the "ari(r')ak'c'ryas, or learned
preachers, are meant to disseminate transcendental
knowledge to one and all. As such, the "ari(r')ak'c'ryas are
not always e:pert in pronouncing the !edic mantras, which
are practiced systematically by accent and meter by the
br'hma5as who are meant for administering !edic rites. Xet it
should not be considered that the br'hma5as are more
important than the itinerant preachers. They are one and
different simultaneously because they are meant for the
same end, in different ways.
There is no difference also between the !edic mantras and
what is e:plained in the !r'5as and Itih'sa. According to
<r=la O=va 8osv"m=, it is mentioned in the 8'dhyandina%1r!ti
that all the /edas, namely the S'ma, Pthar(a, Og, Ya)!r,
!r'5as, Itih'sas, 7"ani.ads, etc., are emanations from the
breathing of the $upreme %eing. The only difference is that
the !edic mantras are mostly begun with "ra5a(a o-k'ra, and
it re(uires some training to practice the metric pronunciation
of the !edic mantras. %ut that does not mean that #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is of less importance than the !edic mantras. 9n
the contrary, it is the ripened fruit of all the /edas, as stated
before. %esides that, the most perfectly liberated soul, <r=la
<ukadeva 8osv"m=, is absorbed in the studies of the
&h'ga(atam, although he is already self'reali)ed. <r=la $Lta
8osv"m= is following his footsteps, and therefore his
position is not the least less important because he was not
e:pert in chanting !edic mantras with metric pronunciation,
which depends more on practice than actual reali)ation.
0eali)ation is more important than parrotlike chanting.
T!T "Z
Sa8Ta o'ac
jaPare Sa$a#auPaOae Ta:Ta?(ae (au&aPa(a-(ae 9
)aaTa0 Para!ara*ae&a? 'aSaG(aa; k6lR(aa hre0 99 "Z 99
s0ta !('ca
d('"are saman!"r'"te
t4t$ye y!ga%"aryaye
)'ta* "ar'1ar'd yog$
('sa(y'- kalay' hare*
S(#O#($S
s0ta*Z$Lta 8osv"m=V !('caZsaidV d('"areZin the second
millenniumV saman!"r'"teZon the advent ofV t4t$yeZthirdV
y!gaZmillenniumV "aryayeZin the place ofV )'ta*Zwas
begottenV "ar'1ar'tZby 1ar"ParaV yog$Zthe great sageV
('sa(y'mZin the womb of the daughter of !asuV kalay'Zin
the plenary portionV hare*Zof the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Vhen the second @illenniu@ o'erlapped the
third, the great sage OGyLsade'a3 Jas born to ParLwara in the
Jo@b of Satya'atB, the daughter of GasuH
P8-PO-T
There is a chronological order of the four millenniums,
namely $atya, 7v"para, Tret" and >ali. %ut sometimes there
is overlapping. 7uring the regime of !aivasvata Manu, there
was an overlapping of the twenty'eighth round of the four
millenniums, and the third millennium appeared prior to the
second. n that particular millennium, Eord <r= >?@Aa also
descends, and because of this there was some particular
alteration. The mother of the great sage was $atyavat= the
daughter of the !asu 3fisherman6, and the father was the
great 1ar"Para Muni. That is the history of !y"sadevaJs birth.
;very millennium is divided into three periods, and each
period is called a sandhy'. !y"sadeva appeared in the third
sandhy' of that particular age.
T!T "[
Sa k6daicTSarS'T(aa oPaSPa:!(a )al;R Buic0 9
i'i'v6 Vk6 AaSa?#a oidTae ri'$aQoleR 99 "[ 99
sa kad'cit saras(aty'
!"as"41ya )ala- 1!ci*
(i(ikta eka 's$na
!dite ra(i%ma5;ale
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV kad'citZonceV saras(aty'*Zon the bank of the
$arasvat=V !"as"41yaZafter finishing morning ablutionsV
)alamZwaterV 1!ci*Zbeing purifiedV (i(ikteZconcentrationV
eka*ZaloneV 's$na*Zbeing thus seatedV !diteZon the riseV
ra(i%ma5;aleZof the sun disc.
T-A#SLATIO#
Once upon a ti@e he OGyLsade'a3, as the sun rose, took his
@orning ablution in the Jaters of the Saras'atB and sat alone to
concentrateH
P8-PO-T
The 0iver $arasvat= is flowing in the %adarik"Prama area of
the Himalayas. $o the place indicated here is <amy"pr"sa in
%adarik"Prama, where <r= !y"sadeva is residing.
T!T "\
Para'r/0 Sa ai=0 k6aleR#aaG(av6r;hSaa 9
(au&a>a$a-G(aiTak6r; PaOa; %aui' (au&ae (au&ae 99 "\ 99
"ar'(ara%),a* sa 4.i*
k'len'(yakta%ra-has'
y!ga%dharma%(yatikara-
"r'"ta- bh!(i y!ge y!ge
S(#O#($S
"ara%a(araZpast and futureV ),a*Zone who knowsV sa*ZheV
4.i*Z!y"sadevaV k'lenaZin the course of timeV a(yaktaZ
unmanifestedV ra-has'Zby great forceV y!ga%dharmaZacts in
terms of the millenniumV (yatikaramZanomaliesV "r'"tamZ
having accruedV bh!(iZon the earthV y!ge y!geZdifferent
ages.
T-A#SLATIO#
The great sage GyLsade'a saJ ano@alies in the duties of the
@illenniu@H This happens on the earth in different ages, due to
unseen forces in the course of ti@eH
P8-PO-T
The great sages like !y"sadeva are liberated souls, and
therefore they can see clearly past and future. Thus he could
see the future anomalies in the >ali age, and accordingly he
made arrangement for the people in general so that they
can e:ecute a progressive life in this age, which is full of
darkness. The people in general in this age of >ali are too
much interested in matter, which is temporary. %ecause of
ignorance they are unable to evaluate the assets of life and
be enlightened in spiritual knowledge.
T!TS "]"^
%aaiTak6a#aa; c %aa'a#aa; !aiv6haSa; c TaTk:6Ta$a2 9
ABOq>aa#aaik0Sat'a#du$ae->aa#a2 hiSaTaa(au=0 99 "] 99
du%a-&aa;, )a#aa#a2 '?U(a $aui#aid-G(ae#a cUau=a 9
Sa'-'Qaa-BO$aaQaa; (aq>(aa ihTa$a$aaegad:k26 99 "^ 99
bha!tik'n'- ca bh'('n'-
1akti%hr'sa- ca tat%k4tam
a1raddadh'n'n ni*satt('n
d!rmedh'n hrasit'y!.a*
d!rbhag'-1 ca )an'n ($k.ya
m!nir di(yena cak.!.'
sar(a%(ar5'1ram'5'- yad
dadhya! hitam amogha%d4k
S(#O#($S
bha!tik'n'm caZalso of everything that is made of matterV
bh'('n'mZactionsV 1akti%hr'sam caZand deterioration of
natural powerV tat%k4tamZrendered by thatV a1raddadh'n'nZ
of the faithlessV ni*satt('nZimpatient due to want of the
mode of goodnessV d!rmedh'nZdull'wittedV hrasitaZreducedV
'y!.a*Zof duration of lifeV d!rbhag'n caZalso the unluckyV
)an'nZpeople in generalV ($k.yaZby seeingV m!ni*Zthe
m!niC di(yenaZby transcendentalV cak.!.'ZvisionV sar(aZ
allV (ar5a%'1ram'5'mZof all the statuses and orders of lifeV
yatZwhatV dadhya!ZcontemplatedV hitamZwelfareV amogha%
d4kZone who is fully e(uipped in knowledge.
T-A#SLATIO#
The great sage, Jho Jas fully e?uipped in knoJledge, could see,
through his transcendental 'ision, the deterioration of e'erything
@aterial, due to the influence of the ageH Ie could also see that the
faithless people in general Jould be reduced in duration of life and
Jould be i@patient due to lack of goodnessH Thus he conte@plated
for the Jelfare of @en in all statuses and orders of lifeH
P8-PO-T
The unmanifested forces of time are so powerful that they
reduce all matter to oblivion in due course. n >ali'yuga, the
last millennium of a round of four millenniums, the power of
all material ob2ects deteriorates by the influence of time. n
this age the duration of the material body of the people in
general is much reduced, and so is the memory. The action
of matter has also not so much incentive. The land does not
produce food grains in the same proportions as it did in other
ages. The cow does not give as much milk as it used to give
formerly. The production of vegetables and fruits is less than
before. As such, all living beings, both men and animals, do
not have sumptuous, nourishing food. 7ue to want of so
many necessities of life, naturally the duration of life is
reduced, the memory is short, intelligence is meager, mutual
dealings are full of hypocrisy and so on.
The great sage !y"sadeva could see this by his
transcendental vision. As an astrologer can see the future
fate of a man, or an astronomer can foretell the solar and
lunar eclipses, those liberated souls who can see through the
scriptures can foretell the future of all mankind. They can
see this due to their sharp vision of spiritual attainment.
And all such transcendentalists, who are naturally devotees
of the Eord, are always eager to render welfare service to the
people in general. They are the real friends of the people in
general, not the so'called public leaders who are unable to
see what is going to happen five minutes ahead. n this age
the people in general as well as their so'called leaders are all
unlucky fellows, faithless in spiritual knowledge and
influenced by the age of >ali. They are always disturbed by
various diseases. Hor e:ample, in the present age there are
so many T% patients and T% hospitals, but formerly this was
not so because the time was not so unfavorable. The
unfortunate men of this age are always reluctant to give a
reception to the transcendentalists who are representatives
of <r=la !y"sadeva and selfless workers always busy in
planning something which may help everyone in all statuses
and orders of life. The greatest philanthropists are those
transcendentalists who represent the mission of !y"sa,
K"rada, Madhva, *aitanya, 0Lpa, $arasvat=, etc. They are
all one and the same. The personalities may be different, but
the aim of the mission is one and the same, namely, to
deliver the fallen souls back home, back to 8odhead.
T!T "_
caTauhae-<a; k6$a- Bup; PaO)aa#aa; '?U(a 'idk6$a2 9
G(ad>aa*/Sa#TaT(a 'ed$aek;6 cTaui'->a$a2 99 "_ 99
c't!r%hotra- karma 1!ddha-
"ra)'n'- ($k.ya (aidikam
(yadadh'd ya),a%santatyai
(edam eka- cat!r%(idham
S(#O#($S
c't!*ZfourV hotramZsacrificial firesV karma 1!ddhamZ
purification of workV "ra)'n'mZof the people in generalV
($k.yaZafter seeingV (aidikamZaccording to !edic ritesV
(yadadh'tZmade intoV ya),aZsacrificeV santatyaiZto e:pandV
(edam ekamZonly one /edaC cat!*%(idhamZin four divisions.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie saJ that the sacrifices @entioned in the Gedas Jere @eans by
Jhich the peoplers occupations could be purifiedH And to si@plify
the process he di'ided the one Geda into four, in order to eMpand
the@ a@ong @enH
P8-PO-T
Hormerly there was only the /eda of the name Ya)!r, and the
four divisions of sacrifices were there specifically mentioned.
%ut to make them more easily performable, the /eda was
divided into four divisions of sacrifice, 2ust to purify the
occupational service of the four orders. Above the four
/edas, namely Og, Ya)!r, S'ma, and Pthar(a, there are the
!r'5as, the 8ah'bh'rata, Sa-hit's, etc., which are known as
the fifth /eda. <r= !y"sadeva and his many disciples were all
historical personalities, and they were very kind and
sympathetic toward the fallen souls of this age of >ali. As
such, the !r'5as and 8ah'bh'rata were made from related
historical facts which e:plained the teaching of the four
/edas. There is no point in doubting the authority of the
!r'5as and 8ah'bh'rata as parts and parcels of the /edas.
n the 9h'ndogya 7"ani.ad 34.,.M6, the !r'5as and
8ah'bh'rata, generally known as histories, are mentioned as
the fifth /eda. According to <r=la O=va 8osv"m=, that is the
way of ascertaining the respective values of the revealed
scriptures.
T!T N`
a&(a)au0Saa$aaQa'a-e(aa 'eda,T'ar od2>a:Taa0 9
JiTahaSaPauraQa; c Pa}$aae 'ed oC(aTae 99 N` 99
4g%ya)!*%s'm'thar('khy'
(ed'1 cat('ra !ddh4t'*
itih'sa%"!r'5a- ca
"a,camo (eda !cyate
S(#O#($S
4g%ya)!*%s'ma%athar(a%'khy'*Zthe names of the four /edasC
(ed'*Zthe /edasC cat('ra*ZfourV !ddh4t'*Zmade into
separate partsV itih'saZhistorical records 38ah'bh'rata6V
"!r'5am caZand the !r'5asC "a,cama*Zthe fifthV (eda*Zthe
original source of knowledgeV !cyateZis said to be.
T-A#SLATIO#
The four di'isions of the original sources of knoJledge Othe Gedas3
Jere @ade separatelyH Kut the historical facts and authentic stories
@entioned in the PurLFas are called the fifth GedaH
T!T N"
Ta<a&'e-d>ar0 PalR0 Saa$a&aae )ai$ai#a0 k6i'0 9
'!a$Paa(a#a V'k6ae i#a.QaaTaae (a)au=a$auTa 99 N" 99
tatrarg%(eda%dhara* "aila*
s'mago )aimini* ka(i*
(ai1am"'yana e(aiko
ni.5'to ya)!.'m !ta
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereuponV 4g%(eda%dhara*Zthe professor of the Og
/edaC "aila*Zthe 4.i named 1ailaV s'ma%ga*Zthat of the
S'ma /edaC )aimini*Zthe 4.i named OaiminiV ka(i*Zhighly
(ualifiedV (ai1am"'yana*Zthe 4.i named !aiPamp"yanaV e(a
ZonlyV eka*ZaloneV ni.5'ta*Zwell versedV ya)!.'mZof the
Ya)!r /edaC !taZglorified.
T-A#SLATIO#
After the Gedas Jere di'ided into four di'isions, Paila iEi beca@e
the professor of the ig Geda, )ai@ini the professor of the SL@a
Geda, and Gaiwa@pLyana alone beca@e glorified by the (a/ur
GedaH
P8-PO-T
The different /edas were entrusted to different learned
scholars for development in various ways.
T!T NN
AQa'a-ilrSaa$aaSa?TSau$a#Tauda-DQaae $aui#a0 9
JiTahaSaPauraQaa#aa; iPaTaa $ae rae$ah=-Qa0 99 NN 99
athar('3giras'm 's$t
s!mant!r d'r!5o m!ni*
itih'sa%"!r'5'n'-
"it' me romahar.a5a*
S(#O#($S
athar(aZthe Pthar(a /edaC a3giras'mZunto the 4.i AIgir"V
's$tZwas entrustedV s!mant!*Zalso known as $umantu
MuniV d'r!5a*Zseriously devoted to the Pthar(a /edaC m!ni*
Zthe sageV itih'sa%"!r'5'n'mZof the historical records and
the !r'5asC "it'ZfatherV meZmineV romahar.a5a*Zthe 4.i
0omahar@aAa.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Su@antu $uni ATgirL, Jho Jas 'ery de'otedly engaged, Jas
entrusted Jith the Athar'a GedaH And @y father, -o@aharEaFa,
Jas entrusted Jith the PurLFas and historical record
P8-PO-T
n the 1r!ti%mantras also it is stated that AIgir" Muni, who
strictly followed the rigid principles of the Pthar(a /edas, was
the leader of the followers of the Pthar(a /edas.
T!T NX
Ta VTa a=(aae 'ed; S'; S'; G(aS(ak#aek6>aa 9
i!a.(a0 PaOi!a.(aSTaiCc.(a'e-daSTae !aai
Y#aae+%a'#a2 99 NX 99
ta eta 4.ayo (eda-
s(a- s(a- (yasyann anekadh'
1i.yai* "ra1i.yais tac%chi.yair
(ed's te 1'khino 2bha(an
S(#O#($S
teZtheyV eteZall theseV 4.aya*Zlearned scholarsV (edamZ
the respective /edasC s(am s(amZin their own entrusted
mattersV (yasyanZrenderedV anekadh'ZmanyV 1i.yai*Z
disciplesV "ra1i.yai*Zgrand'disciplesV tat%1i.yai*Zgreat
grand'disciplesV (ed'* teZfollowers of the respective /edasC
1'khina*Zdifferent branchesV abha(anZthus became.
T-A#SLATIO#
All these learned scholars, in their turn, rendered their entrusted
Gedas unto their @any disciples, grand6disciples and great grand6
disciples, and thus the respecti'e branches of the folloJers of the
Gedas ca@e into beingH
P8-PO-T
The original source of knowledge is the /edas. There are no
branches of knowledge, either mundane or transcendental,
which do not belong to the original te:t of the /edas. They
have simply been developed into different branches, They
were originally rendered by great, respectable and learned
professors. n other words, the !edic knowledge, broken into
different branches by different disciplic successions, has
been distributed all over the world. Ko one, therefore, can
claim independent knowledge beyond the /edas.
T!T NZ
Ta V' 'eda du$ae->a>aa-(a-#Tae PauD=(a-Qaa 9
V'; ck6ar %a&a'a#a2 G(aaSa0 k:6PaQa'TSalR0 99 NZ 99
ta e(a (ed' d!rmedhair
dh'ryante "!r!.air yath'
e(a- cak'ra bhaga('n
(y'sa* k4"a5a%(atsala*
S(#O#($S
teZthatV e(aZcertainlyV (ed'*Zthe book of knowledgeV
d!rmedhai*Zby the less intellectualV dh'ryanteZcan
assimilateV "!r!.ai*Zby the manV yath'Zas much asV e(amZ
thusV cak'raZeditedV bhaga('nZthe powerfulV (y'sa*Zthe
great sage of !y"saV k4"a5a%(atsala*Zvery kind to the
ignorant mass.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus the great sage GyLsade'a, Jho is 'ery kind to the ignorant
@asses, edited the Gedas so they @ight be assi@ilated by less
intellectual @enH
P8-PO-T
The /eda is one, and the reasons for its divisions in many
parts are e:plained herewith. The seed of all knowledge, or
the /eda, is not a sub2ect matter which can easily be
understood by any ordinary man. There is a stricture that no
one should try to learn the /edas who is not a (ualified
br'hma5a. This stricture has been wrongly interpreted in so
many ways. A class of men, who claim brahminical
(ualification simply by their birthright in the family of a
br'hma5a, claim that the study of the /edas is a monopoly of
the br'hma5a caste only. Another section of the people take
this as an in2ustice to members of other castes, who do not
happen to take birth in a br'hma5a family. %ut both of them
are misguided. The /edas are sub2ects which had to be
e:plained even to %rahm"2= by the $upreme Eord. Therefore
the sub2ect matter is understood by persons with e:ceptional
(ualities of goodness. 1ersons who are in the modes of
passion and ignorance are unable to understand the sub2ect
matter of the /edas. The ultimate goal of !edic knowledge is
<r= >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead. This 1ersonality is
very rarely understood by those who are in the modes of
passion and ignorance. n the $atya'yuga everyone was
situated in the mode of goodness. 8radually the mode of
goodness declined during the Tret" and 7v"para'yugas, and
the general mass of people became corrupt. n the present
age the mode of goodness is almost nil, and so for the
general mass of people, the kindhearted, powerful sage
<r=la !y"sadeva divided the /edas in various ways so that
they may be practically followed by less intelligent persons
in the modes of passion and ignorance. t is e:plained in the
ne:t 1loka as follows.
T!T N[
E?B8d3ij)ab#>a8#aa; <a(a? #a BOuiTa&aaecra 9
k6$a-BOe(aiSa $a8ta#aa; BOe(a V'; %a'eidh 9
JiTa %aarTa$aae(aa#a; k:6Pa(aa $aui#a#aa k:6Ta$a2 99 N[ 99
str$%10dra%d(i)abandh0n'-
tray$ na 1r!ti%gocar'
karma%1reyasi m0;h'n'-
1reya e(a- bha(ed iha
iti bh'ratam 'khy'na-
k4"ay' m!nin' k4tam
S(#O#($S
str$Zthe woman classV 10draZthe laboring classV d(i)a%
bandh0n'mZof the friends of the twice'bornV tray$ZthreeV na
ZnotV 1r!ti%gocar'Zfor understandingV karmaZin activitiesV
1reyasiZin welfareV m0;h'n'mZof the foolsV 1reya*Z
supreme benefitV e(amZthusV bha(etZachievedV ihaZby thisV
itiZthus thinkingV bh'ratamZthe great 8ah'bh'rataC
'khy'namZhistorical factsV k4"ay'Zout of great mercyV
m!nin'Zby the m!niC k4tamZis completed.
T-A#SLATIO#
Out of co@passion, the great sage thought it Jise that this Jould
enable @en to achie'e the ulti@ate goal of lifeH Thus he co@piled
the great historical narration called the $ahLbhLrata for Jo@en,
laborers and friends of the tJice6bornH
P8-PO-T
The friends of the twice'born families are those who are born
in the families of br'hma5as, k.atriyas and (ai1yas, or the
spiritually cultured families, but who themselves are not
e(ual to their forefathers. $uch descendants are not
recogni)ed as such, for want of purificatory achievements.
The purificatory activities begin even before the birth of a
child, and the seed'giving reformatory process is called
@arbh'dh'na%sa-sk'ra. 9ne who has not undergone such
@arbh'dh'na%sa-sk'ra, or spiritual family planning, is not
accepted as being of an actual twice'born family. The
@arbh'dh'na%sa-sk'ra is followed by other purificatory
processes, out of which the sacred thread ceremony is one.
This is performed at the time of spiritual initiation. After this
particular sa-sk'ra, one is rightly called twice'born. 9ne birth
is calculated during the seed'giving sa-sk'ra, and the second
birth is calculated at the time of spiritual initiation. 9ne who
has been able to undergo such important sa-sk'ras can be
called a bona fide twice'born.
f the father and the mother do not undertake the process of
spiritual family planning and simply beget children out of
passion only, their children are called d(i)a%bandh!s. These
d(i)a%bandh!s are certainly not as intelligent as the children
of the regular twice'born families. The d(i)a%bandh!s are
classified with the 10dras and the woman class, who are by
nature less intelligent. The 10dras and the woman class do
not have to undergo any sa-sk'ra save and e:cept the
ceremony of marriage.
The less intelligent classes of men, namely women, 10dras
and un(ualified sons of the higher castes, are devoid of
necessary (ualifications to understand the purpose of the
transcendental /edas. Hor them the 8ah'bh'rata was
prepared. The purpose of the 8ah'bh'rata is to administer
the purpose of the /edas, and therefore within this
8ah'bh'rata the summary /eda of &haga(ad%g$t' is placed.
The less intelligent are more interested in stories than in
philosophy, and therefore the philosophy of the /edas in the
form of the &haga(ad%g$t' is spoken by the Eord <r= >?@Aa.
!y"sadeva and Eord >?@Aa are both on the transcendental
plane, and therefore they collaborated in doing good to the
fallen souls of this age. The &haga(ad%g$t' is the essence of
all !edic knowledge. t is the first book of spiritual values, as
the 7"ani.ads are. The !ed"nta philosophy is the sub2ect
matter for study by the spiritual graduates. 9nly the post'
graduate spiritual student can enter into the spiritual or
devotional service of the Eord. t is a great science, and the
great professor is the Eord Himself in the form of Eord <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu. And persons who are empowered by
Him can initiate others in the transcendental loving service
of the Eord.
T!T N\
V'; PaO':taS(a Sada %a8Taa#aa; BOe(aiSa ij)aa0 9
Sa'a-T$ake6#aaiPa (ada #aaTau.(ad2>a:d(a; TaTa0 99 N\ 99
e(a- "ra(4ttasya sad'
bh0t'n'- 1reyasi d(i)'*
sar('tmaken'"i yad'
n't!.yad dh4daya- tata*
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV "ra(4ttasyaZone who is engaged inV sad'Z
alwaysV bh0t'n'mZof the living beingsV 1reyasiZin the
ultimate goodV d(i)'*Z9 twice'bornV sar('tmakena a"iZby all
meansV yad'ZwhenV naZnotV at!.yatZbecome satisfiedV
h4dayamZmindV tata*Zat that.
T-A#SLATIO#
O tJice6born brLh@aFas, still his @ind Jas not satisfied, although
he engaged hi@self in Jorking for the total Jelfare of all peopleH
P8-PO-T
<r= !y"sadeva was not satisfied with himself, although he
had prepared literatures of !edic value for the all'around
welfare of the general mass of people. t was e:pected that
he would be satisfied by all such activities, but ultimately he
was not satisfied.
T!T N]
#aaiTaPaOSa?dd2>a:d(a0 SarS'T(aaSTa1eu Buca 9
i'Tak-6(a#a2 i'i'v6SQa Jd; cae'ac >a$a-i'Ta2 99 N] 99
n'ti"ras$dad dh4daya*
saras(aty's ta<e 1!ca!
(itarkayan (i(ikta%stha
ida- co('ca dharma%(it
S(#O#($S
naZnotV ati"ras$datZvery much satisfiedV h4daya*Zat heartV
saras(aty'*Zof the 0iver $arasvat=V ta<eZon the bank ofV
1!ca!Zbeing purifiedV (itarkayanZhaving consideredV (i(ikta%
stha*Zsituated in a lonely placeV idam caZalso thisV !('caZ
saidV dharma%(itZone who knows what religion is.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus the sage, being dissatisfied at heart, at once began to reflect,
because he kneJ the essence of religion, and he said Jithin
hi@selfe
P8-PO-T
The sage began to search out the cause of not being
satisfied at heart. 1erfection is never attained until one is
satisfied at heart. This satisfaction of heart has to be
searched out beyond matter.
T!TS N^N_
>a:Ta'3Tae#a ih $a(aa c#da;iSa &aur'ae+&an(a0 9
$aai#aTaa i#aG(a-lRIke6#a &a:h?Ta; ca#au!aaSa#a$a2 99
N^ 99
%aarTaG(aPade!ae#a 7a$ana(aaQa-, PaOdi!a-Ta0 9
d:!(aTae (a<a >a$aa-id E?B8d3aidi%arP(auTa 99 N_ 99
dh4ta%(ratena hi may'
chand'-si g!ra(o 2gnaya*
m'nit' nir(yal$kena
g4h$ta- c'n!1'sanam
bh'rata%(ya"ade1ena
hy 'mn'y'rtha1 ca "radar1ita*
d41yate yatra dharm'di
str$%10dr'dibhir a"y !ta
S(#O#($S
dh4ta%(ratenaZunder a strict disciplinary vowV hiZcertainlyV
may'Zby meV chand'-siZthe !edic hymnsV g!ra(a*Zthe
spiritual mastersV agnaya*Zthe sacrificial fireV m'nit'*Z
properly worshipedV nir(yal$kenaZwithout pretenseV g4h$tam
caZalso acceptedV an!1'sanamZtraditional disciplineV
bh'rataZthe 8ah'bh'rataC (ya"ade1enaZby compilation ofV hi
ZcertainlyV 'mn'ya%artha*Zimport of disciplic successionV ca
ZandV "radar1ita*Zproperly e:plainedV d41yateZby what is
necessaryV yatraZwhereV dharma%'di*Zthe path of religionV
str$%10dra%'dibhi* a"iZeven by women, 10dras, etc.V !taZ
spoken.
T-A#SLATIO#
I ha'e, under strict disciplinary 'oJs, unpretentiously Jorshiped
the Gedas, the spiritual @aster and the altar of sacrificeH I ha'e also
abided by the rulings and ha'e shoJn the i@port of disciplic
succession through the eMplanation of the $ahLbhLrata, by Jhich
e'en Jo@en, wddras and others Ofriends of the tJice6born3 can see
the path of religionH
P8-PO-T
Ko one can understand the import of the /edas without
having undergone a strict disciplinary vow and disciplic
succession. The /edas, spiritual masters and sacrificial fire
must be worshiped by the desiring candidate. All these
intricacies of !edic knowledge are systematically presented
in the 8ah'bh'rata for the understanding of the woman
class, the laborer class and the un(ualified members of
br'hma5a, k.atriya or (ai1ya families. n this age, the
8ah'bh'rata is more essential than the original /edas.
T!T X`
TaQaaiPa bTa $ae d7ae 7aT$aa c'aT$a#aa i'%au0 9
ASa$Pak J'a%aaiTa b34'c-S(aSata$a0 99 X` 99
tath'"i bata me daihyo
hy 'tm' cai('tman' (ibh!*
asam"anna i('bh'ti
brahma%(arcasya sattama*
S(#O#($S
tath'"iZalthoughV bataZdefectV meZmineV daihya*Zsituated
in the bodyV hiZcertainlyV 'tm'Zliving beingV caZandV e(aZ
evenV 'tman'ZmyselfV (ibh!*ZsufficientV asam"anna*Z
wanting inV i(a 'bh'tiZit appears to beV brahma%(arcasyaZof
the !ed"ntistsV sattama*Zthe supreme.
T-A#SLATIO#
I a@ feeling inco@plete, though I @yself a@ fully e?uipped Jith
e'erything re?uired by the GedasH
P8-PO-T
Rndoubtedly <r=la !y"sadeva was complete in all the details
of !edic achievements. 1urification of the living being
submerged in matter is made possible by the prescribed
activities in the /edas, but the ultimate achievement is
different. Rnless it is attained, the living being, even though
fully e(uipped, cannot be situated in the transcendentally
normal stage. <r=la !y"sadeva appeared to have lost the
clue and therefore felt dissatisfaction.
T!T X"
ik;6 'a %aa&a'Taa >a$aa- #a PaOa(aeQa i#a~iPaTaa0 9
iPaO(aa0 Par$ah;Saa#aa; Ta V' 7C(auTaiPaO(aa0 99 X" 99
ki- (' bh'ga(at' dharm'
na "r'ye5a nir0"it'*
"riy'* "aramaha-s'n'-
ta e(a hy acy!ta%"riy'*
S(#O#($S
kim ('ZorV bh'ga(at'* dharm'*Zdevotional activities of the
living beingsV naZnotV "r'ye5aZalmostV nir0"it'*ZdirectedV
"riy'*ZdearV "aramaha-s'n'mZof the perfect beingsV te e(a
Zthat alsoV hiZcertainlyV acy!taZthe infallibleV "riy'*Z
attractive.
T-A#SLATIO#
This @ay be because I did not specifically point out the de'otional
ser'ice of the Lord, Jhich is dear both to perfect beings and to the
infallible LordH
P8-PO-T
The dissatisfaction which was being felt by <r=la !y"sadeva
is e:pressed herein in his own words. This was felt for the
normal condition of the living being in the devotional service
of the Eord. Rnless one is fi:ed in the normal condition of
service, neither the Eord nor the living being can become
fully satisfied. This defect was felt by him when K"rada Muni,
his spiritual master, reached him. t is described as follows.
T!T XN
TaS(a'; iYlR$aaT$aa#a; $a#(a$aa#aS(a iY*Ta0 9
k:6.QaS(a #aardae+%(aa&aadaBO$a; PaOa&auda5Ta$a2 99 XN 99
tasyai(a- khilam 'tm'na-
manyam'nasya khidyata*
k4.5asya n'rado 2bhy'g'd
'1rama- "r'g !d'h4tam
S(#O#($S
tasyaZhisV e(amZthusV khilamZinferiorV 'tm'namZsoulV
manyam'nasyaZthinking within the mindV khidyata*Z
regrettingV k4.5asyaZof >?@Aa'dvaip"yana !y"saV n'rada*
abhy'g'tZK"rada came thereV '1ramamZthe cottageV "r'kZ
beforeV !d'h4tamZsaid.
T-A#SLATIO#
As @entioned before, #Lrada reached the cottage of CDEFa6
d'aipLyana GyLsa on the banks of the Saras'atB /ust as GyLsade'a
Jas regretting his defectsH
P8-PO-T
The vacuum felt by !y"sadeva was not due to his lack of
knowledge. &h'ga(ata%dharma is purely devotional service of
the Eord to which the monist has no access. The monist is
not counted amongst the "aramaha-sas 3the most perfect of
the renounced order of life6. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is full of
narrations of the transcendental activities of the 1ersonality
of 8odhead. Although !y"sadeva was an empowered
divinity, he still felt dissatisfaction because in none of his
works were the transcendental activities of the Eord properly
e:plained. The inspiration was infused by <r= >?@Aa directly
in the heart of !y"sadeva, and thus he felt the vacuum as
e:plained above. t is definitely e:pressed herewith that
without the transcendental loving service of the Eord,
everything is voidV but in the transcendental service of the
Eord, everything is tangible without any separate attempt at
fruitive work or empiric philosophical speculation.
T!T XX
Ta$ai%a/a(a SahSaa PaOT(auTQaa(aa&aTa; $aui#a0 9
Pa8)a(aa$aaSa i'i>a'kard; SaurPa8i)aTa$a2 99 XX 99
tam abhi),'ya sahas'
"raty!tth'y'gata- m!ni*
"0)ay'm 'sa (idhi(an
n'rada- s!ra%"0)itam
S(#O#($S
tam abhi),'yaZseeing the good fortune of his 3K"radaJs6
arrivalV sahas'Zall of a suddenV "raty!tth'yaZgetting upV
'gatamZarrived atV m!ni*Z!y"sadevaV "0)ay'm 'saZ
worshipV (idhi%(atZwith the same respect as offered to !idhi
3%rahm"6V n'radamZto K"radaV s!ra%"0)itamZworshiped by
the demigods.
T-A#SLATIO#
At the auspicious arri'al of ArB #Lrada, ArB GyLsade'a got up
respectfully and Jorshiped hi@, gi'ing hi@ 'eneration e?ual to
that gi'en to Krah@L/B, the creatorH
P8-PO-T
/idhi means %rahm", the first created living being. He is the
original student as well as professor of the /edas. He learned
it from <r= >?@Aa and taught K"rada first. $o K"rada is the
second 'c'rya in the line of spiritual disciplic succession. He
is the representative of %rahm", and therefore he is
respected e:actly like %rahm", the father of all (idhis
3regulations6V similarly all other successive disciples in the
chain are also e(ually respected as representatives of the
original spiritual master.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto, Ho!rth
9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KThe P""earance
of #r$ N'rada.M
Chapter Fi'e
#Lradars Instructions on ArB@ad6KhLga'ata@ for
GyLsade'a
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
AQa Ta; SauY$aaSa?#a oPaaSa?#a; b:hCc|'a0 9
de'i=-0 PaOah i'PaOi=g '?QaaPaaiQa0 S$a(aik' 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
atha ta- s!kham 's$na
!"'s$na- b4hac%chra('*
de(ar.i* "r'ha (i"rar.i-
($5'%"'5i* smayann i(a
S(#O#($S
s0ta*Z$LtaV !('caZsaidV athaZthereforeV tamZhimV s!kham
's$na*Zcomfortably seatedV !"'s$namZunto one sitting
nearbyV b4hat%1ra('*Zgreatly respectedV de(ar.i*Zthe great
4.i among the godsV "r'haZsaidV (i"rar.imZunto the 4.i
among the br'hma5asC ($5'%"'5i*Zone who carries a ($5' in
his handV smayan i(aZapparently smiling.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Thus the sage a@ongst the gods O#Lrada3,
co@fortably seated and apparently s@iling, addressed the DEi
a@ongst the brLh@aFas OGeda'yLsa3H
P8-PO-T
K"rada was smiling because he well knew the great sage
!edavy"sa and the cause of his disappointment. As he will
e:plain gradually, !y"sadevaJs disappointment was due to
insufficiency in presenting the science of devotional service.
K"rada knew the defect, and it was confirmed by the
position of !y"sa.
T!T N
#aard o'ac
Paara!a(a- $aha%aa&a %a'Ta0 k6idaT$a#aa 9
PairTau.(aiTa !aar?r AaT$aa $aa#aSa V' 'a 99 N 99
n'rada !('ca
"'r'1arya mah'%bh'ga
bha(ata* kaccid 'tman'
"arit!.yati 1'r$ra
'tm' m'nasa e(a ('
S(#O#($S
n'rada*ZK"radaV !('caZsaidV "'r'1aryaZ9 son of 1ar"ParaV
mah'%bh'gaZthe greatly fortunateV bha(ata*ZyourV kaccitZif
it isV 'tman'Zby the self'reali)ation ofV "arit!.yatiZdoes it
satisfyV 1'r$ra*Zidentifying the bodyV 'tm'ZselfV m'nasa*Z
identifying the mindV e(aZcertainlyV ('Zand.
T-A#SLATIO#
Addressing GyLsade'a, the son of ParLwara, #Lrada in?uirede Are
you satisfied by identifying Jith the body or the @ind as ob/ects of
self6reali=ationW
P8-PO-T
This was a hint by K"rada to !y"sadeva regarding the cause
of his despondency. !y"sadeva, as the descendant of
1ar"Para, a greatly powerful sage, had the privilege of
having a great parentage which should not have given
!y"sadeva cause for despondency. %eing a great son of a
great father, he should not have identified the self with the
body or the mind. 9rdinary men with a poor fund of
knowledge can identify the body as self or the mind as self,
but !y"sadeva should not have done so. 9ne cannot be
cheerful by nature unless one is factually seated in self'
reali)ation, which is transcendental to the material body and
mind.
T!T X
i)a/aiSaTa; SauSa$Pak$aiPa Tae $ahdd2%auTa$a2 9
k:6Ta'a#a2 %aarTa; (aST'; Sa'a-Qa-Pairb:;ihTa$a2 99 X 99
)i),'sita- s!sam"annam
a"i te mahad%adbh!tam
k4ta('n bh'rata- yas t(a-
sar('rtha%"arib4-hitam
S(#O#($S
)i),'sitamZfully in(uiredV s!sam"annamZwell versedV a"iZin
spite ofV teZyourV mahat%adbh!tamZgreat and wonderfulV
k4ta('nZpreparedV bh'ratamZthe 8ah'bh'rataC ya* t(amZ
what you have doneV sar(a%arthaZincluding all se(uencesV
"arib4-hitamZelaborately e:plained.
T-A#SLATIO#
(our in?uiries Jere full and your studies Jere also Jell fulfilled,
and there is no doubt that you ha'e prepared a great and
Jonderful Jork, the $ahLbhLrata, Jhich is full of all kinds of Gedic
se?uences elaborately eMplainedH
P8-PO-T
The despondency of !y"sadeva was certainly not due to his
lack of sufficient knowledge because as a student he had
fully in(uired about the !edic literatures, as a result of which
the 8ah'bh'rata is compiled with full e:planation of the
/edas.
T!T Z
i)a/aiSaTa$a>a?Ta; c b34(ataTa2 Sa#aaTa#a$a2 9
TaQaaiPa !aaecS(aaT$aa#a$ak:6TaaQa- J' PaO%aae 99 Z 99
)i),'sitam adh$ta- ca
brahma yat tat san'tanam
tath'"i 1ocasy 'tm'nam
ak4t'rtha i(a "rabho
S(#O#($S
)i),'sitamZdeliberated fully wellV adh$tamZthe knowledge
obtainedV caZandV brahmaZthe AbsoluteV yatZwhatV tatZ
thatV san'tanamZeternalV tath'"iZin spite of thatV 1ocasiZ
lamentingV 'tm'namZunto the selfV ak4ta%artha*ZundoneV
i(aZlikeV "rabhoZmy dear sir.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou ha'e fully delineated the sub/ect of i@personal Krah@an as
Jell as the knoJledge deri'ed therefro@H Vhy should you be
despondent in spite of all this, thinking that you are undone, @y
dear prabhuW
P8-PO-T
The /ed'nta%s0tra, or &rahma%s0tra, compiled by <r=
!y"sadeva is the full deliberation of the impersonal absolute
feature, and it is accepted as the most e:alted philosophical
e:position in the world. t covers the sub2ect of eternity, and
the methods are scholarly. $o there cannot be any doubt
about the transcendental scholarship of !y"sadeva. $o why
should he lament?
T!T [
G(aaSa o'ac
AST(ae' $ae Sa'-i$ad; T'(aaev;6
TaQaaiPa #aaT$aa PairTau.(aTae $ae 9
Ta#$a8lR$aG(av6$a&aa>abae>a;
Pa:Cca$ahe T'aT$a%a'aT$a%a8Ta$a2 99 [ 99
(y'sa !('ca
asty e(a me sar(am ida- t(ayokta-
tath'"i n'tm' "arit!.yate me
tan%m0lam a(yaktam ag'dha%bodha-
"4cch'mahe t('tma%bha('tma%bh0tam
S(#O#($S
(y'sa*Z!y"saV !('caZsaidV astiZthere isV e(aZcertainlyV me
ZmineV sar(amZallV idamZthisV t(ay'Zby youV !ktamZ
utteredV tath'"iZand yetV naZnotV 'tm'ZselfV "arit!.yateZ
does pacifyV meZunto meV tatZof whichV m0lamZrootV
a(yaktamZundetectedV ag'dha%bodhamZthe man of unlimited
knowledgeV "4cch'maheZdo in(uireV t('Zunto youV 'tma%
bha(aZself'bornV 'tma%bh0tamZoffspring.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB GyLsade'a saide All you ha'e said about @e is perfectly
correctH >espite all this, I a@ not pacifiedH I therefore ?uestion you
about the root cause of @y dissatisfaction, for you are a @an of
unli@ited knoJledge due to your being the offspring of one
OKrah@L3 Jho is self6born OJithout @undane father and @other3H
P8-PO-T
n the material world everyone is engrossed with the idea of
identifying the body or the mind with the self. As such, all
knowledge disseminated in the material world is related
either with the body or with the mind, and that is the root
cause of all despondencies. This is not always detected,
even though one may be the greatest erudite scholar in
materialistic knowledge. t is good, therefore, to approach a
personality like K"rada to solve the root cause of all
despondencies. Why K"rada should be approached is
e:plained below.
T!T \
Sa ' %a'a#a2 'ed Sa$aSTa&au7x
$auPaaiSaTaae (aTPauD=0 PauraQa0 9
Para're!aae $a#aSa' i'T;
Sa:)aT(a'T(aita &auQarSal0 99 \ 99
sa (ai bha('n (eda samasta%g!hyam
!"'sito yat "!r!.a* "!r'5a*
"ar'(are1o manasai(a (i1(a-
s4)aty a(aty atti g!5air asa3ga*
S(#O#($S
sa*ZthusV (aiZcertainlyV bha('nZyourselfV (edaZknowV
samastaZall'inclusiveV g!hyamZconfidentialV !"'sita*Z
devotee ofV yatZbecauseV "!r!.a*Zthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV "!r'5a*Zthe oldestV "ar'(are1a*Zthe controller of
the material and spiritual worldsV manas'ZmindV e(aZonlyV
(i1(amZthe universeV s4)atiZcreatesV a(ati attiZannihilatesV
g!5ai*Zby the (ualitative matterV asa3ga*Zunattached.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y lordt 'erything that is @ysterious is knoJn to you because
you Jorship the creator and destroyer of the @aterial Jorld and
the @aintainer of the spiritual Jorld, the original Personality of
&odhead, Jho is transcendental to the three @odes of @aterial
natureH
P8-PO-T
A person who is cent'percent engaged in the service of the
Eord is the emblem of all knowledge. $uch a devotee of the
Eord in full perfection of devotional service is also perfect by
the (ualification of the 1ersonality of 8odhead. As such, the
eightfold perfections of mystic power 3a.<a%siddhi6 constitute
very little of his godly opulence. A devotee like K"rada can
act wonderfully by his spiritual perfection, which every
individual is trying to attain. <r=la K"rada is a cent'percent
perfect living being, although not e(ual to the 1ersonality of
8odhead.
T!T ]
T'; Pa(a-1ukk-6 J' i<alRaek6Ix
$a#Ta,rae 'a(auir'aT$aSaaUa? 9
Para're b34iQa >a$a-Taae '3Ta0
haTaS(a $ae #(a8#a$al;R i'cU' 99 ] 99
t(a- "arya<ann arka i(a tri%lok$m
anta1%caro ('y!r i('tma%s'k.$
"ar'(are brahma5i dharmato (ratai*
sn'tasya me ny0nam ala- (icak.(a
S(#O#($S
t(amZXour 8oodnessV "arya<anZtravelingV arka*Zthe sunV
i(aZlikeV tri%lok$mZthe three worldsV anta*%cara*Zcan
penetrate into everyoneJs heartV ('y!* i(aZas good as the
all'pervading airV 'tmaZself'reali)edV s'k.$ZwitnessV
"ar'(areZin the matter of cause and effectV brahma5iZin the
AbsoluteV dharmata*Zunder disciplinary regulationsV (ratai*
Zin vowV sn'tasyaZhaving been absorbed inV meZmineV
ny0namZdeficiencyV alamZclearlyV (icak.(aZsearch out.
T-A#SLATIO#
Like the sun, (our &oodness can tra'el e'eryJhere in the three
Jorlds, and like the air you can penetrate the internal region of
e'eryoneH As such, you are as good as the all6per'asi'e SupersoulH
Please, therefore, find out the deficiency in @e, despite @y being
absorbed in transcendence under disciplinary regulations and
'oJsH
P8-PO-T
Transcendental reali)ation, pious activities, worshiping the
7eities, charity, mercifulness, nonviolence and studying the
scriptures under strict disciplinary regulations are always
helpful.
T!T ^
BO?#aard o'ac
%a'Taa#auidTaPaOa(a; (a!aae %a&a'Taae+$alR$a2 9
(ae#a'aSaa #a Tau.(aeTa $a#(ae Taq!a-#a; iYlR$a2 99
^ 99
1r$%n'rada !('ca
bha(at'n!dita%"r'ya-
ya1o bhaga(ato 2malam
yenai('sa! na t!.yeta
manye tad dar1ana- khilam
S(#O#($S
1r$%n'rada*Z<r= K"radaV !('caZsaidV bha(at'Zby youV
an!dita%"r'yamZalmost not praisedV ya1a*ZgloriesV
bhaga(ata*Zof the 1ersonality of 8odheadV amalamZ
spotlessV yenaZby whichV e(aZcertainlyV asa!ZHe 3the
1ersonality of 8odhead6V naZdoes notV t!.yetaZbe pleasedV
manyeZ thinkV tatZthatV dar1anamZphilosophyV khilamZ
inferior.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB #Lrada saide (ou ha'e not actually broadcast the subli@e and
spotless glories of the Personality of &odheadH That philosophy
Jhich does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord is
considered JorthlessH
P8-PO-T
The eternal relation of an individual soul with the $upreme
$oul 1ersonality of 8odhead is constitutionally one of being
the eternal servitor of the eternal master. The Eord has
e:panded Himself as living beings in order to accept loving
service from them, and this alone can satisfy both the Eord
and the living beings. $uch a scholar as !y"sadeva has
completed many e:pansions of the !edic literatures, ending
with the !ed"nta philosophy, but none of them have been
written directly glorifying the 1ersonality of 8odhead. 7ry
philosophical speculations even on the transcendental
sub2ect of the Absolute have very little attraction without
directly dealing with the glorification of the Eord. The
1ersonality of 8odhead is the last word in transcendental
reali)ation. The Absolute reali)ed as impersonal %rahman or
locali)ed $upersoul, 1aram"tm", is less productive of
transcendental bliss than the supreme personal reali)ation of
His glories.
The compiler of the /ed'nta%dar1ana is !y"sadeva himself.
Xet he is troubled, although he is the author. $o what sort of
transcendental bliss can be derived by the readers and
listeners of !ed"nta which is not e:plained directly by
!y"sadeva, the author? Herein arises the necessity of
e:plaining /ed'nta%s0tra in the form of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam
by the self'same author.
T!T _
(aQaa >a$aa-d(a,aQaa- $aui#a'(aa-#auk6IiTa-Taa0 9
#a TaQaa 'aSaude'S(a $aih$aa 7#au'iQa-Ta0 99 _ 99
yath' dharm'daya1 c'rth'
m!ni%(ary'n!k$rtit'*
na tath' ('s!de(asya
mahim' hy an!(ar5ita*
S(#O#($S
yath'Zas much asV dharma%'daya*Zall four principles of
religious behaviorV caZandV arth'*ZpurposesV m!ni%(aryaZ
by yourself, the great sageV an!k$rtit'*Zrepeatedly
describedV naZnotV tath'Zin that wayV ('s!de(asyaZof the
1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@AaV mahim'ZgloriesV hiZ
certainlyV an!(ar5ita*Zso constantly described.
T-A#SLATIO#
Although, great sage, you ha'e 'ery broadly described the four
principles beginning Jith religious perfor@ances, you ha'e not
described the glories of the Supre@e Personality, GLsude'aH
P8-PO-T
The prompt diagnosis of <r= K"rada is at once declared. The
root cause of the despondency of !y"sadeva was his
deliberate avoidance of glorifying the Eord in his various
editions of the !r'5as. He has certainly, as a matter of
course, given descriptions of the glories of the Eord 3<r=
>?@Aa6 but not as many as given to religiosity, economic
development, sense gratification and salvation. These four
items are by far inferior to engagement in the devotional
service of the Eord. <r= !y"sadeva, as the authori)ed
scholar, knew very well this difference. And still instead of
giving more importance to the better type of engagement,
namely, devotional service to the Eord, he had more or less
improperly used his valuable time, and thus he was
despondent. Hrom this it is clearly indicated that no one can
be pleased substantially without being engaged in the
devotional service of the Eord. n the &haga(ad%g$t' this fact
is clearly mentioned.
After liberation, which is the last item in the line of
performing religiosity, etc., one is engaged in pure
devotional service. This is called the stage of self'reali)ation,
or the brahma%bh0ta stage. After attainment of this brahma%
bh0ta stage, one is satisfied. %ut satisfaction is the beginning
of transcendental bliss. 9ne should progress by attaining
neutrality and e(uality in the relative world. And passing this
stage of e(uanimity, one is fi:ed in the transcendental loving
service of the Eord. This is the instruction of the 1ersonality
of 8odhead in the &haga(ad%g$t'. The conclusion is that in
order to maintain the status (uo of the brahma%bh0ta stage,
as also to increase the degree of transcendental reali)ation,
K"rada recommended to !y"sadeva that he 3!y"sadeva6
should now eagerly and repeatedly describe the path of
devotional service. This would cure him from gross
despondency.
T!T "`
#a (ajci,<aPad; hre(a-!aae
)a&aTPai'<a; PaO&a:Qa?Ta k6ih-icTa2 9
Taja(aSa; Ta?Qa-$au!ai#Ta $aa#aSaa
#a (a<a h;Saa i#ar$a#T(aui!aCUa(aa0 99 "` 99
na yad (aca1 citra%"ada- harer ya1o
)agat%"a(itra- "rag45$ta karhicit
tad ('yasa- t$rtham !1anti m'nas'
na yatra ha-s' niramanty !1ik%k.ay'*
S(#O#($S
naZnotV yatZthatV (aca*ZvocabularyV citra%"adamZ
decorativeV hare*Zof the EordV ya1a*ZgloriesV )agatZ
universeV "a(itramZsanctifiedV "rag45$taZdescribedV karhicit
ZhardlyV tatZthatV ('yasamZcrowsV t$rthamZplace of
pilgrimageV !1antiZthinkV m'nas'*Zsaintly personsV naZnotV
yatraZwhereV ha-s'*Zall'perfect beingsV niramantiZtake
pleasureV !1ik%k.ay'*Zthose who reside in the
transcendental abode.
T-A#SLATIO#
Those Jords Jhich do not describe the glories of the Lord, Jho
alone can sanctify the at@osphere of the Jhole uni'erse, are
considered by saintly persons to be like unto a place of pilgri@age
for croJsH Since the all6perfect persons are inhabitants of the
transcendental abode, they do not deri'e any pleasure thereH
P8-PO-T
*rows and swans are not birds of the same feather because
of their different mental attitudes. The fruitive workers or
passionate men are compared to the crows, whereas the all'
perfect saintly persons are compared to the swans. The
crows take pleasure in a place where garbage is thrown out,
2ust as the passionate fruitive workers take pleasure in wine
and woman and places for gross sense pleasure. The swans
do not take pleasure in the places where crows are
assembled for conferences and meetings. They are instead
seen in the atmosphere of natural scenic beauty where there
are transparent reservoirs of water nicely decorated with
stems of lotus flowers in variegated colors of natural beauty.
That is the difference between the two classes of birds.
Kature has influenced different species of life with different
mentalities, and it is not possible to bring them up into the
same rank and file.
$imilarly, there are different kinds of literature for different
types of men of different mentality. Mostly the market
literatures which attract men of the crowJs categories are
literatures containing refused remnants of sensuous topics.
They are generally known as mundane talks in relation with
the gross body and subtle mind. They are full of sub2ect
matter described in decorative language full of mundane
similes and metaphorical arrangements. Xet with all that,
they do not glorify the Eord. $uch poetry and prose, on any
sub2ect matter, is considered decoration of a dead body.
$piritually advanced men who are compared to the swans do
not take pleasure in such dead literatures, which are sources
of pleasure for men who are spiritually dead. These
literatures in the modes of passion and ignorance are
distributed under different labels, but they can hardly help
the spiritual urge of the human being, and thus the swanlike
spiritually advanced men have nothing to do with them.
$uch spiritually advanced men are called also m'nasa
because they always keep up the standard of transcendental
voluntary service to the Eord on the spiritual plane. This
completely forbids fruitive activities for gross bodily sense
satisfaction or subtle speculation of the material egoistic
mind.
$ocial literary men, scientists, mundane poets, theoretical
philosophers and politicians who are completely absorbed in
the material advancement of sense pleasure are all dolls of
the material energy. They take pleasure in a place where
re2ected sub2ect matters are thrown. According to $v"m=
<r=dhara, this is the pleasure of the prostitute'hunters.
%ut literatures which describe the glories of the Eord are
en2oyed by the "aramaha-sas who have grasped the essence
of human activities.
T!T ""
Tajai&'Sa&aae- )a#aTaagai''ae
(aiS$a#a2 PaOiTaFaek6$abp'T(aiPa 9
#aa$aa#(a#a#TaS(a (a!aae+iTaai#a (aTa2
B:Q'i#Ta &aa(ai#Ta &a:Qai#Ta Saa>a'0 99 "" 99
tad%('g%(isargo )anat'gha%(i"la(o
yasmin "rati%1lokam abaddha(aty a"i
n'm'ny anantasya ya1o 23kit'ni yat
145(anti g'yanti g45anti s'dha(a*
S(#O#($S
tatZthatV ('kZvocabularyV (isarga*ZcreationV )anat'Zthe
people in generalV aghaZsinsV (i"la(a*ZrevolutionaryV yasmin
Zin whichV "rati%1lokamZeach and every stan)aV abaddha(ati
Zirregularly composedV a"iZin spite ofV n'm'niZ
transcendental names, etc.V anantasyaZof the unlimited
EordV ya1a*ZgloriesV a3kit'niZdepictedV yatZwhatV 145(antiZ
do hearV g'yantiZdo singV g45antiZdo acceptV s'dha(a*Zthe
purified men who are honest.
T-A#SLATIO#
On the other hand, that literature Jhich is full of descriptions of
the transcendental glories of the na@e, fa@e, for@s, pasti@es, etcH,
of the unli@ited Supre@e Lord is a different creation, full of
transcendental Jords directed toJard bringing about a re'olution
in the i@pious li'es of this Jorldrs @isdirected ci'ili=ationH Such
transcendental literatures, e'en though i@perfectly co@posed, are
heard, sung and accepted by purified @en Jho are thoroughly
honestH
P8-PO-T
t is a (ualification of the great thinkers to pick up the best
even from the worst. t is said that the intelligent man should
pick up nectar from a stock of poison, should accept gold
even from a filthy place, should accept a good and (ualified
wife even from an obscure family and should accept a good
lesson even from a man or from a teacher who comes from
the untouchables. These are some of the ethical instructions
for everyone in every place without e:ception. %ut a saint is
far above the level of an ordinary man. He is always
absorbed in glorifying the $upreme Eord because by
broadcasting the holy name and fame of the $upreme Eord,
the polluted atmosphere of the world will change, and as a
result of propagating the transcendental literatures like
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, people will become sane in their
transactions. While preparing this commentation on this
particular stan)a of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam we have a crisis
before us. 9ur neighboring friend *hina has attacked the
border of ndia with a militaristic spirit. We have practically
no business in the political field, yet we see that previously
there were both *hina and ndia, and they both lived
peacefully for centuries without ill feeling. The reason is that
they lived those days in an atmosphere of 8od
consciousness, and every country, over the surface of the
world, was 8od'fearing, pure'hearted and simple, and there
was no (uestion of political diplomacy. There is no cause of
(uarrel between the two countries *hina and ndia over land
which is not very suitable for habitation, and certainly there
is no cause for fighting on this issue. %ut due to the age of
(uarrel, >ali, which we have discussed, there is always a
chance of (uarrel on slight provocation. This is due not to
the issue in (uestion, but to the polluted atmosphere of this
ageC systematically there is propaganda by a section of
people to sto" glorification of the name and fame of the
S!"reme :ord. Therefore, there is a great need for
disseminating the message of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam all over
the world. t is the duty of every responsible ndian to
broadcast the transcendental message of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam throughout the world to do all the supermost
good as well as to bring about the desired peace in the
world. %ecause ndia has failed in her duty by neglecting this
responsible work, there is so much (uarrel and trouble all
over the world. We are confident that if the transcendental
message of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is received only by the
leading men of the world, certainly there will be a change of
heart, and naturally the people in general will follow them.
The mass of people in general are tools in the hands of the
modern politicians and leaders of the people. f there is a
change of heart of the leaders only, certainly there will be a
radical change in the atmosphere of the world. We know that
our honest attempt to present this great literature conveying
transcendental messages for reviving the 8od consciousness
of the people in general and respirituali)ing the world
atmosphere is fraught with many difficulties. 9ur presenting
this matter in ade(uate language, especially a foreign
language, will certainly fail, and there will be so many
literary discrepancies despite our honest attempt to present
it in the proper way. %ut we are sure that with all our faults
in this connection the seriousness of the sub2ect matter will
be taken into consideration, and the leaders of society will
still accept this due to its being an honest attempt to glorify
the Almighty 8od. When there is fire in a house, the inmates
of the house go out to get help from the neighbors who may
be foreigners, and yet without knowing the language the
victims of the fire e:press themselves, and the neighbors
understand the need, even though not e:pressed in the
same language. The same spirit of cooperation is needed to
broadcast this transcendental message of the #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam throughout the polluted atmosphere of the
world. After all, it is a technical science of spiritual values,
and thus we are concerned with the techni(ues and not with
the language. f the techni(ues of this great literature are
understood by the people of the world, there will be success.
When there are too many materialistic activities by the
people in general all over the world, there is no wonder that
a person or a nation attacks another person or nation on
slight provocation. That is the rule of this age of >ali or
(uarrel. The atmosphere is already polluted with corruption
of all description, and everyone knows it well. There are so
many unwanted literatures full of materialistic ideas of sense
gratification. n many countries there are bodies appointed
by the state to detect and censor obscene literature. This
means that neither the government nor the responsible
leaders of the public want such literature, yet it is in the
marketplace because the people want it for sense
gratification. The people in general want to read 3that is a
natural instinct6, but because their minds are polluted they
want such literatures. Rnder the circumstances,
transcendental literature like #r$mad%&h'ga(atam will not
only diminish the activities of the corrupt mind of the people
in general, but also it will supply food for their hankering
after reading some interesting literature. n the beginning
they may not like it because one suffering from 2aundice is
reluctant to take sugar candy, but we should know that
sugar candy is the only remedy for 2aundice. $imilarly, let
there be systematic propaganda for populari)ing reading of
the &haga(ad%g$t' and the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, which will act
like sugar candy for the 2aundicelike condition of sense
gratification. When men have a taste for this literature, the
other literatures, which are catering poison to society, will
then automatically cease.
We are sure, therefore, that everyone in human society will
welcome #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, even though it is now
presented with so many faults, for it is recommended by <r=
K"rada, who has very kindly appeared in this chapter.
T!T "N
#a.k6$(a-$aP(aC(auTa%aa''i)a-Ta;
#a !aae%aTae /a#a$al;R i#ari#a$a2 9
ku6Ta0 Pau#a0 !aTd%ad3$a?Tre
#a caiPa-Ta; k6$a- (adP(ak6arQa$a2 99 "N 99
nai.karmyam a"y acy!ta%bh'(a%(ar)ita-
na 1obhate ),'nam ala- nira,)anam
k!ta* "!na* 1a1(ad abhadram $1(are
na c'r"ita- karma yad a"y ak'ra5am
S(#O#($S
nai.karmyamZself'reali)ation, being freed from the reactions
of fruitive workV a"iZin spite ofV acy!taZthe infallible EordV
bh'(aZconceptionV (ar)itamZdevoid ofV naZdoes notV
1obhateZlook wellV ),'namZtranscendental knowledgeV alam
Zby and byV nira,)anamZfree from designationsV k!ta*Z
where isV "!na*ZagainV 1a1(atZalwaysV abhadramZ
uncongenialV $1(areZunto the EordV naZnotV caZandV
ar"itamZofferedV karmaZfruitive workV yat a"iZwhat isV
ak'ra5amZnot fruitive.
T-A#SLATIO#
CnoJledge of self6reali=ation, e'en though free fro@ all @aterial
affinity, does not look Jell if de'oid of a conception of the Infallible
O&od3H Vhat, then, is the use of fruiti'e acti'ities, Jhich are
naturally painful fro@ the 'ery beginning and transient by nature,
if they are not utili=ed for the de'otional ser'ice of the LordW
P8-PO-T
As referred to above, not only ordinary literatures devoid of
the transcendental glorification of the Eord are condemned,
but also !edic literatures and speculation on the sub2ect of
impersonal %rahman when they are devoid of devotional
service. When speculation on the impersonal %rahman is
condemned on the above ground, then what to speak of
ordinary fruitive work, which is not meant to fulfill the aim of
devotional service. $uch speculative knowledge and fruitive
work cannot lead one to the goal of perfection. Hruitive work,
in which almost all people in general are engaged, is always
painful either in the beginning or at the end. t can be fruitful
only when made subservient to the devotional service of the
Eord. n the &haga(ad%g$t' also it is confirmed that the result
of such fruitive work may be offered for the service of the
Eord, otherwise it leads to material bondage. The bona fide
en2oyer of the fruitive work is the 1ersonality of 8odhead,
and thus when it is engaged for the sense gratification of the
living beings, it becomes an acute source of trouble.
T!T "X
AQaae $aha%aa&a %a'a#a$aaegad:k26
BuicBO'a0 SaT(arTaae >a:Ta'3Ta0 9
oDs6$aS(aaiYlRb#>a$auv6(ae
Sa$aai>a#aa#auS$ar TaijceinTa$a2 99 "X 99
atho mah'%bh'ga bha('n amogha%d4k
1!ci%1ra('* satya%rato dh4ta%(rata*
!r!kramasy'khila%bandha%m!ktaye
sam'dhin'n!smara tad%(ice.<itam
S(#O#($S
athoZthereforeV mah'%bh'gaZhighly fortunateV bha('nZ
yourselfV amogha%d4kZthe perfect seerV 1!ciZspotlessV
1ra('*ZfamousV satya%rata*Zhaving taken the vow of
truthfulnessV dh4ta%(rata*Zfi:ed in spiritual (ualitiesV
!r!kramasyaZof the one who performs supernatural
activities 38od6V akhilaZuniversalV bandhaZbondageV m!ktaye
Zfor liberation fromV sam'dhin'Zby tranceV an!smaraZthink
repeatedly and then describe themV tat%(ice.<itamZvarious
pastimes of the Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
O GyLsade'a, your 'ision is co@pletely perfectH (our good fa@e is
spotlessH (ou are fir@ in 'oJ and situated in truthfulnessH And
thus you can think of the pasti@es of the Lord in trance for the
liberation of the people in general fro@ all @aterial bondageH
P8-PO-T
1eople in general have a taste for literatures by instinct.
They want to hear and read from the authorities something
about the unknown, but their taste is e:ploited by
unfortunate literatures which are full of sub2ect matter for
satisfaction of the material senses. $uch literatures contain
different kinds of mundane poems and philosophical
speculations, more or less under the influence of m'y',
ending in sense gratification. These literatures, although
worthless in the true sense of the term, are variously
decorated to attract the attention of the less intelligent men.
Thus the attracted living entities are more and more
entangled in material bondage without hope of liberation for
thousands and thousands of generations. <r= K"rada _@i,
being the best amongst the !ai@Aavas, is compassionate
toward such unfortunate victims of worthless literatures, and
thus he advises <r= !y"sadeva to compose transcendental
literature which is not only attractive but can also actually
bring liberation from all kinds of bondage. <r=la !y"sadeva
or his representatives are (ualified because they are rightly
trained to see things in true perspective. <r=la !y"sadeva
and his representatives are pure in thought due to their
spiritual enlightenment, fi:ed in their vows due to their
devotional service, and determined to deliver the fallen souls
rotting in material activities. The fallen souls are very eager
to receive novel informations every day, and the
transcendentalists like !y"sadeva or K"rada can supply such
eager people in general with unlimited news from the
spiritual world. n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is said that the
material world is only a part of the whole creation and that
this earth is only a fragment of the whole material world.
There are thousands and thousands of literary men all over
the world, and they have created many, many thousands of
literary works for the information of the people in general for
thousands and thousands of years. Rnfortunately none of
them have brought peace and tran(uillity on the earth. This
is due to a spiritual vacuum in those literaturesV therefore
the !edic literatures, especially the &haga(ad%g$t' and the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, are specifically recommended to
suffering humanity to bring about the desired effect of
liberation from the pangs of material civili)ation, which is
eating the vital part of human energy. The &haga(ad%g$t' is
the spoken message of the Eord Himself recorded by
!y"sadeva, and the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the
transcendental narration of the activities of the same Eord
>?@Aa, which alone can satisfy the hankering desires of the
living being for eternal peace and liberation from miseries.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, therefore, is meant for all the living
beings all over the universe for total liberation from all kinds
of material bondage. $uch transcendental narrations of the
pastimes of the Eord can be described only by liberated
souls like !y"sadeva and his bona fide representatives who
are completely merged in the transcendental loving service
of the Eord. 9nly to such devotees do the pastimes of the
Eord and their transcendental nature become automatically
manifest by dint of devotional service. Ko one else can either
know or describe the acts of the Eord, even if they speculate
on the sub2ect for many, many years. The descriptions of the
&h'ga(atam are so precise and accurate that whatever has
been predicted in this great literature about five thousand
years ago is now e:actly happening. Therefore, the vision of
the author comprehends past, present and future. $uch
liberated persons as !y"sadeva are perfect not only by the
power of vision and wisdom, but also in aural reception, in
thinking, feeling and all other sense activities. A liberated
person possesses perfect senses, and with perfect senses
only can one serve the sense proprietor, H?@=kePa, <r=
>?@Aa the 1ersonality of 8odhead. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam,
therefore, is the perfect description of the all'perfect
1ersonality of 8odhead by the all'perfect personality <r=la
!y"sadeva, the compiler of the /edas.
T!T "Z
TaTaae+#(aQaa ik6}#a (aij'UaTa0
Pa:Qa&d:!aSTaTk:6Ta~Pa#aa$ai%a0 9
#a k6ih-icTC'aiPa c du0iSQaTaa $aiTax
l-R%aeTa 'aTaahTa#aair'aSPad$a2 99 "Z 99
tato 2nyath' ki,cana yad (i(ak.ata*
"4thag d41as tat%k4ta%r0"a%n'mabhi*
na karhicit k('"i ca d!*sthit' matir
labheta ('t'hata%na!r i('s"adam
S(#O#($S
tata*Zfrom thatV anyath'ZapartV ki,canaZsomethingV yatZ
whatsoeverV (i(ak.ata*Zdesiring to describeV "4thakZ
separatelyV d41a*ZvisionV tat%k4taZreactionary to thatV r0"a
ZformV n'mabhi*Zby namesV na karhicitZneverV k('"iZanyV
caZandV d!*sthit' mati*Zoscillating mindV labhetaZgainsV
('ta%'hataZtroubled by the windV na!*ZboatV i(aZlikeV
's"adamZplace.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhate'er you desire to describe that is separate in 'ision fro@ the
Lord si@ply reacts, Jith different for@s, na@es and results, to
agitate the @ind as the Jind agitates a boat Jhich has no resting
placeH
P8-PO-T
<r= !y"sadeva is the editor of all descriptions of the !edic
literatures, and thus he has described transcendental
reali)ation in different ways, namely by fruitive activities,
speculative knowledge, mystic power and devotional service.
%esides that, in his various !r'5as he has recommended the
worship of so many demigods in different forms and names.
The result is that people in general are pu))led how to fi:
their minds in the service of the EordV they are always
disturbed about finding the real path of self'reali)ation. <r=la
K"radadeva is stressing this particular defect in the !edic
literatures compiled by !y"sadeva, and thus he is trying to
emphasi)e describing everything in relation with the
$upreme Eord, and no one else. n fact, there is nothing
e:istent e:cept the Eord. The Eord is manifested in different
e:pansions. He is the root of the complete tree. He is the
stomach of the complete body. pouring water on the root is
the right process to water the tree, as much as feeding the
stomach supplies energy to all parts of the body. Therefore,
<r=la !y"sadeva should not have compiled any !r'5as
other than the &h'ga(ata !r'5a because a slight deviation
from that may create havoc for self'reali)ation. f a slight
deviation can create such havoc, then what to speak of
deliberate e:pansion of the ideas separate from the Absolute
Truth 1ersonality of 8odhead. The most defective part of
worshiping demigods is that it creates a definite conception
of pantheism, ending disastrously in many religious sects
detrimental to the progress of the principles of the
&h'ga(atam, which alone can give the accurate direction for
self'reali)ation in eternal relation with the 1ersonality of
8odhead by devotional service in transcendental love. The
e:ample of the boat disturbed by whirling wind is suitable in
this respect. The diverted mind of the pantheist can never
reach the perfection of self'reali)ation, due to the disturbed
condition of the selection of ob2ect.
T!T "[
)au&auiPSaTa; >a$a-k:6Tae+#au!aaSaTa0
S'%aa'rv6S(a $aha#a2 G(aiTas6$a0 9
(ajaC(aTaae >a$a- JTa?Tar0 iSQaTaae
#a $a#(aTae TaS(a i#a'arQa; )a#a0 99 "[ 99
)!g!"sita- dharma%k4te 2n!1'sata*
s(abh'(a%raktasya mah'n (yatikrama*
yad%('kyato dharma it$tara* sthito
na manyate tasya ni('ra5a- )ana*
S(#O#($S
)!g!"sitamZverily condemnedV dharma%k4teZfor the matter
of religionV an!1'sata*ZinstructionV s(abh'(a%raktasyaZ
naturally inclinedV mah'nZgreatV (yatikrama*ZunreasonableV
yat%('kyata*Zunder whose instructionV dharma*ZreligionV iti
Zit is thusV itara*Zthe people in generalV sthita*Zfi:edV naZ
do notV manyateZthinkV tasyaZof thatV ni('ra5amZ
prohibitionV )ana*Zthey.
T-A#SLATIO#
The people in general are naturally inclined to en/oy, and you ha'e
encouraged the@ in that Jay in the na@e of religionH This is 'erily
conde@ned and is ?uite unreasonableH Kecause they are guided
under your instructions, they Jill accept such acti'ities in the
na@e of religion and Jill hardly care for prohibitionsH
P8-PO-T
<r=la !y"sadevaJs compilation of different !edic literatures
on the basis of regulated performances of fruitive activities
as depicted in the 8ah'bh'rata and other literature is
condemned herewith by <r=la K"rada. The human beings, by
long material association, life after life, have a natural
inclination, by practice, to endeavor to lord it over material
energy. They have no sense of the responsibility of human
life. This human form of life is a chance to get out of the
clutches of illusory matter. The /edas are meant for going
back to 8odhead, going back home. To revolve in the cycle
of transmigration in a series of lives numbering .,MNN,NNN is
an imprisoned life for the condemned conditioned souls. The
human form of life is a chance to get out of this imprisoned
life, and as such the only occupation of the human being is
to reestablish his lost relationship with 8od. Rnder the
circumstances, one should never be encouraged in making a
plan for sense en2oyment in the name of religious functions.
$uch diversion of the human energy results in a misguided
civili)ation. <r=la !y"sadeva is the authority in !edic
e:planations in the 8ah'bh'rata, etc., and his
encouragement in sense en2oyment in some form or other is
a great barrier for spiritual advancement because the people
in general will not agree to renounce material activities
which held them in material bondage. At a certain stage of
human civili)ation when such material activities in the name
of religion 3as sacrificing animals in the name of ya),a6 were
too much rampant, the Eord incarnated Himself as %uddha
and decried the authority of the /edas in order to stop
animal sacrifice in the name of religion. This was foreseen by
K"rada, and therefore he condemned such literatures. The
flesh'eaters still continue to perform animal sacrifice before
some demigod or goddess in the name of religion because in
some of the !edic literatures such regulated sacrifices are
recommended. They are so recommended to discourage
flesh'eating, but gradually the purpose of such religious
activities is forgotten, and the slaughterhouse becomes
prominent. This is because foolish materialistic men do not
care to listen to others who are actually in a position to
e:plain the !edic rites.
n the /edas it is distinctly said that the perfection of life is
never to be attained either by voluminous work, or by
accumulation of wealth or even by increasing the population.
%ut it is so attained only by renunciation. The materialistic
men do not care to listen to such in2unctions. According to
them, the so'called renounced order of life is meant for
those who are unable to earn their livelihood because of
some corporeal defects, or for persons who have failed to
achieve prosperity in family life.
n histories like the 8ah'bh'rata, of course, there are topics
on transcendental sub2ects along with material topics. The
&haga(ad%g$t' is there in the 8ah'bh'rata. The whole idea of
the 8ah'bh'rata culminates in the ultimate instructions of
the &haga(ad%g$t', that one should relin(uish all other
engagements and should engage oneself solely and fully in
surrendering unto the lotus feet of Eord <r= >?@Aa. %ut men
with materialistic tendencies are more attracted to the
politics, economics and philanthropic activities mentioned in
the 8ah'bh'rata than to the principal topic, namely the
&haga(ad%g$t'. This compromising spirit of !y"sadeva is
directly condemned by K"rada, who advises him to directly
proclaim that the prime necessity of human life is to reali)e
oneJs eternal relation with the Eord and thus surrender unto
Him without delay.
A patient suffering from a particular type of malady is almost
always inclined to accept eatables which are forbidden for
him. The e:pert physician does not make any compromise
with the patient by allowing him to take partially what he
should not at all take. n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is also said that
a man attached to fruitive work should not be discouraged
from his occupation, for gradually he may be elevated to the
position of self'reali)ation. This is sometimes applicable for
those who are only dry empiric philosophers without spiritual
reali)ation. %ut those who are in the devotional line need not
be always so advised.
T!T "\
i'cUaQaae+S(aah-iTa 'eidTau; i'%aaex
r#a#TaPaarS(a i#a':itaTa0 SauY$a2 9
PaO'Ta-$aa#aS(a &auQar#aaT$a#ax
STaTaae %a'a#d!a-(a ceinTa; i'%aae0 99 "\ 99
(icak.a5o 2sy'rhati (edit!- (ibhor
ananta%"'rasya ni(4ttita* s!kham
"ra(artam'nasya g!5air an'tmanas
tato bha('n dar1aya ce.<ita- (ibho*
S(#O#($S
(icak.a5a*Zvery e:pertV asyaZof himV arhatiZdeservesV
(edit!mZto understandV (ibho*Zof the EordV ananta%"'rasyaZ
of the unlimitedV ni(4ttita*Zretired fromV s!khamZmaterial
happinessV "ra(artam'nasyaZthose who are attached toV
g!5ai*Zby the material (ualitiesV an'tmana*Zdevoid of
knowledge in spiritual valueV tata*ZthereforeV bha('nZXour
8oodnessV dar1ayaZshow the waysV ce.<itamZactivitiesV
(ibho*Zof the Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Supre@e Lord is unli@itedH Only a 'ery eMpert personality,
retired fro@ the acti'ities of @aterial happiness, deser'es to
understand this knoJledge of spiritual 'aluesH Therefore those
Jho are not so Jell situated, due to @aterial attach@ent, should be
shoJn the Jays of transcendental reali=ation, by (our &oodness,
through descriptions of the transcendental acti'ities of the
Supre@e LordH
P8-PO-T
Theological science is a difficult sub2ect, especially when it
deals with the transcendental nature of 8od. t is not a
sub2ect matter to be understood by persons who are too
much attached to material activities. 9nly the very e:pert,
who have almost retired from materialistic activities by
culture of spiritual knowledge, can be admitted to the study
of this great science. n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is clearly stated
that out of many hundreds and thousands of men only one
person deserves to enter into transcendental reali)ation. And
out of many thousands of such transcendentally reali)ed
persons, only a few can understand the theological science
specifically dealing with 8od as a person. <r= !y"sadeva is
therefore advised by K"rada to describe the science of 8od
directly by relating His transcendental activities. !y"sadeva
is himself a personality e:pert in this science, and he is
unattached to material en2oyment. Therefore he is the right
person to describe it, and <ukadeva 8osv"m=, the son of
!y"sadeva, is the right person to receive it.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the topmost theological science, and
therefore it can react on the laymen as medicinal doses.
%ecause it contains the transcendental activities of the Eord,
there is no difference between the Eord and the literature.
The literature is the factual literary incarnation of the Eord.
$o the laymen can hear the narration of the activities of the
Eord. Thereby they are able to associate with the Eord and
thus gradually become purified from material diseases. The
e:pert devotees also can discover novel ways and means to
convert the nondevotees in terms of particular time and
circumstance. 7evotional service is dynamic activity, and the
e:pert devotees can find out competent means to in2ect it
into the dull brains of the materialistic population. $uch
transcendental activities of the devotees for the service of
the Eord can bring a new order of life to the foolish society of
materialistic men. Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu and His
subse(uent followers e:hibited e:pert de:terity in this
connection. %y following the same method, one can bring
the materialistic men of this age of (uarrel into order for
peaceful life and transcendental reali)ation.
T!T "]
T(a6a S'>a$ag crQaa$bu)a; hrex
%a-)akPaC'ae+Qa PaTaetaTaae (aid 9
(a<a C' 'a%ad3$a%a8d$au.(a ik;6
k6ae 'aQa- Aaae+%a)aTaa; S'>a$a-Ta0 99 "] 99
tyakt(' s(a%dharma- cara5'mb!)a- harer
bha)ann a"ak(o 2tha "atet tato yadi
yatra k(a ('bhadram abh0d am!.ya ki-
ko ('rtha '"to 2bha)at'- s(a%dharmata*
S(#O#($S
tyakt('Zhaving forsakenV s(a%dharmamZoneJs own
occupational engagementV cara5a%amb!)amZthe lotus feetV
hare*Zof Hari 3the Eord6V bha)anZin the course of devotional
serviceV a"ak(a*ZimmatureV athaZfor the matter ofV "atetZ
falls downV tata*Zfrom that placeV yadiZifV yatraZ
whereuponV k(aZwhat sort ofV ('Zor 3used sarcastically6V
abhadramZunfavorableV abh0tZshall happenV am!.yaZof
himV kimZnothingV ka* (' artha*Zwhat interestV '"ta*Z
obtainedV abha)at'mZof the nondevoteeV s(a%dharmata*Z
being engaged in occupational service.
T-A#SLATIO#
One Jho has forsaken his @aterial occupations to engage in the
de'otional ser'ice of the Lord @ay so@eti@es fall doJn Jhile in an
i@@ature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessfulH
On the other hand, a nonde'otee, though fully engaged in
occupational duties, does not gain anythingH
P8-PO-T
As far as the duties of mankind are concerned, there are
innumerable duties. ;very man is duty'bound not only to his
parents, family members, society, country, humanity, other
living beings, the demigods, etc., but also to the great
philosophers, poets, scientists, etc. t is en2oined in the
scriptures that one can relin(uish all such duties and
surrender unto the service of the Eord. $o if one does so and
becomes successful in the discharge of his devotional
service unto the Eord, it is well and good. %ut it so happens
sometimes that one surrenders himself unto the service of
the Eord by some temporary sentiment, and in the long run,
due to so many other reasons, he falls down from the path of
service by undesirable association. There are so many
instances of this in the histories. %harata Mah"r"2a was
obliged to take his birth as a stag due to his intimate
attachment to a stag. He thought of this stag when he died.
As such, in the ne:t birth he became a stag, although he did
not forget the incident of his previous birth. $imilarly,
*itraketu also fell down due to his offenses at the feet of
<iva. %ut in spite of all this, the stress is given here to
surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Eord, even if there is
a chance of falling down, because even though one falls
down from the prescribed duties of devotional service, he
will never forget the lotus feet of the Eord. 9nce engaged in
the devotional service of the Eord, one will continue the
service in all circumstances. n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is said
that even a small (uantity of devotional service can save
one from the most dangerous position. There are many
instances of such e:amples in history. A2"mila is one of
them. A2"mila in his early life was a devotee, but in his youth
he fell down. $till he was saved by the Eord at the end.
T!T "^
TaS(a' heTaae0 PaO(aTaeTa k6aei'dae
#a lR%(aTae (ad2%a3$aTaa$auPa(a->a0 9
Taw%(aTae du0Y'd#(aTa0 SauY;
k6aleR#a Sa'-<a &a%a?rr;hSaa 99 "^ 99
tasyai(a heto* "rayateta ko(ido
na labhyate yad bhramat'm !"ary adha*
tal labhyate d!*kha(ad anyata* s!kha-
k'lena sar(atra gabh$ra%ra-has'
S(#O#($S
tasyaZfor that purposeV e(aZonlyV heto*ZreasonV "rayatetaZ
should endeavorV ko(ida*Zone who is philosophically
inclinedV naZnotV labhyateZis not obtainedV yatZwhatV
bhramat'mZwanderingV !"ari adha*Zfrom top to bottomV tat
ZthatV labhyateZcan be obtainedV d!*kha(atZlike the
miseriesV anyata*Zas a result of previous workV s!khamZ
sense en2oymentV k'lenaZin course of timeV sar(atraZ
everywhereV gabh$raZsubtleV ra-has'Zprogress.
T-A#SLATIO#
Persons Jho are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined
should endea'or only for that purposeful end Jhich is not
obtainable e'en by Jandering fro@ the top@ost planet
OKrah@aloka3 doJn to the loJest planet OPLtLla3H As far as
happiness deri'ed fro@ sense en/oy@ent is concerned, it can be
obtained auto@atically in course of ti@e, /ust as in course of ti@e
Je obtain @iseries e'en though Je do not desire the@H
P8-PO-T
;very man everywhere is trying to obtain the greatest
amount of sense en2oyment by various endeavors. $ome
men are busy engaged in trade, industry, economic
development, political supremacy, etc., and some of them
are engaged in fruitive work to become happy in the ne:t life
by attaining higher planets. t is said that on the moon the
inhabitants are fit for greater sense en2oyment by drinking
soma%rasa, and the 1it?loka is obtained by good charitable
work. $o there are various programs for sense en2oyment,
either during this life or in the life after death. $ome are
trying to reach the moon or other planets by some
mechanical arrangement, for they are very an:ious to get
into such planets without doing good work. %ut it is not to
happen. %y the law of the $upreme, different places are
meant for different grades of living beings according to the
work they have performed. %y good work only, as prescribed
in the scriptures, can one obtain birth in a good family,
opulence, good education and good bodily features. We see
also that even in this life one obtains a good education or
money by good work. $imilarly, in our ne:t birth we get such
desirable positions only by good work. 9therwise, it would
not so happen that two persons born in the same place at
the same time are seen differently placed according to
previous work. %ut all such material positions are
impermanent. The positions in the topmost %rahmaloka and
in the lowest 1"t"la are also changeable according to our
own work. The philosophically inclined person must not be
tempted by such changeable positions. He should try to get
into the permanent life of bliss and knowledge where he will
not be forced to come back again to the miserable material
world, either in this or that planet. Miseries and mi:ed
happiness are two features of material life, and they are
obtained in %rahmaloka and in other lokas also. They are
obtained in the life of the demigods and also in the life of the
dogs and hogs. The miseries and mi:ed happiness of all
living beings are only of different degree and (uality, but no
one is free from the miseries of birth, death, old age and
disease. $imilarly, everyone has his destined happiness also.
Ko one can get more or less of these things simply by
personal endeavors. ;ven if they are obtained, they can be
lost again. 9ne should not, therefore, waste time with these
flimsy thingsV one should only endeavor to go back to
8odhead. That should be the mission of everyoneJs life.
T!T "_
#a ' )a#aae )aaTau k6Qa}#aa'3)aex
#$auku6#dSaeG(a#(a'dl Sa;Sa:iTa$a2 9
S$ar#$auku6#daM2ga3yuPa&a8h#a; Pau#ax
i'-haTaui$aCcek rSa&a3hae )a#a0 99 "_ 99
na (ai )ano )'t! katha,can'(ra)en
m!k!nda%se(y anya(ad a3ga sa-s4tim
smaran m!k!nd'3ghry%!"ag0hana- "!nar
(ih't!m icchen na rasa%graho )ana*
S(#O#($S
naZneverV (aiZcertainlyV )ana*Za personV )'t!Zat any timeV
katha,canaZsomehow or otherV '(ra)etZdoes not undergoV
m!k!nda%se($Zthe devotee of the EordV anya(atZlike othersV
a3gaZ9 my dearV sa-s4timZmaterial e:istenceV smaranZ
rememberingV m!k!nda%a3ghriZthe lotus feet of the EordV
!"ag0hanamZembracingV "!na*ZagainV (ih't!mZwilling to
give upV icchetZdesireV naZneverV rasa%graha*Zone who has
relished the mellowV )ana*Zperson.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y dear GyLsa, e'en though a de'otee of Lord CDEFa so@eti@es
falls doJn so@ehoJ or other, he certainly does not undergo
@aterial eMistence like others Ofruiti'e Jorkers, etcH3 because a
person Jho has once relished the taste of the lotus feet of the Lord
can do nothing but re@e@ber that ecstasy again and againH
P8-PO-T
A devotee of the Eord automatically becomes uninterested in
the enchantment of material e:istence because he is rasa%
graha, or one who has tasted the sweetness of the lotus feet
of Eord >?@Aa. There are certainly many instances where
devotees of the Eord have fallen down due to uncongenial
association, 2ust like fruitive workers, who are always prone
to degradation. %ut even though he falls down, a devotee is
never to be considered the same as a fallen karm$. A karm$
suffers the result of his own fruitive reactions, whereas a
devotee is reformed by chastisement directed by the Eord
Himself. The sufferings of an orphan and the sufferings of a
beloved child of a king are not one and the same. An orphan
is really poor because he has no one to take care of him, but
a beloved son of a rich man, although he appears to be on
the same level as the orphan, is always under the vigilance
of his capable father. A devotee of the Eord, due to wrong
association, sometimes imitates the fruitive workers. The
fruitive workers want to lord it over the material world.
$imilarly, a neophyte devotee foolishly thinks of
accumulating some material power in e:change for
devotional service. $uch foolish devotees are sometimes put
into difficulty by the Eord Himself. As a special favor, He may
remove all material paraphernalia. %y such action, the
bewildered devotee is forsaken by all friends and relatives,
and so he comes to his senses again by the mercy of the
Eord and is set right to e:ecute his devotional service.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is also said that such fallen devotees
are given a chance to take birth in a family of highly
(ualified br'hma5as or in a rich mercantile family. A devotee
in such a position is not as fortunate as one who is chastised
by the Eord and put into a position seemingly of
helplessness. The devotee who becomes helpless by the will
of the Eord is more fortunate than those who are born in
good families. The fallen devotees born in a good family may
forget the lotus feet of the Eord because they are less
fortunate, but the devotee who is put into a forlorn condition
is more fortunate because he swiftly returns to the lotus feet
of the Eord, thinking himself helpless all around.
1ure devotional service is so spiritually relishable that a
devotee becomes automatically uninterested in material
en2oyment. That is the sign of perfection in progressive
devotional service. A pure devotee continuously remembers
the lotus feet of Eord <r= >?@Aa and does not forget Him
even for a moment, not even in e:change for all the
opulence of the three worlds.
T!T N`
Jd; ih i'T; %a&a'ai#a'eTarae
(aTaae )a&aTSQaa#ai#arae>aSa$%a'a0 9
Taip S'(a; 'ed %a'a;STaQaaiPa Tae
PaOade!a$aa<a; %a'Ta0 PaOdi!a-Ta$a2 99 N` 99
ida- hi (i1(a- bhaga('n i(etaro
yato )agat%sth'na%nirodha%sambha('*
tad dhi s(aya- (eda bha('-s tath'"i te
"r'de1a%m'tra- bha(ata* "radar1itam
S(#O#($S
idamZthisV hiZallV (i1(amZcosmosV bhaga('nZthe $upreme
EordV i(aZalmost the sameV itara*Zdifferent fromV yata*Z
from whomV )agatZthe worldsV sth'naZe:istV nirodhaZ
annihilationV sambha('*ZcreationV tat hiZall aboutV s(ayamZ
personallyV (edaZknowV bha('nZyour good selfV tath' a"iZ
stillV teZunto youV "r'de1a%m'tramZa synopsis onlyV bha(ata*
Zunto youV "radar1itamZe:plained.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Supre@e Lord Personality of &odhead is Ii@self this cos@os,
and still Ie is aloof fro@ itH Fro@ Ii@ only has this cos@ic
@anifestation e@anated, in Ii@ it rests, and unto Ii@ it enters
after annihilationH (our good self knoJs all about thisH I ha'e gi'en
only a synopsisH
P8-PO-T
Hor a pure devotee, the conception of Mukunda, Eord <r=
>?@Aa, is both personal and impersonal. The impersonal
cosmic situation is also Mukunda because it is the emanation
of the energy of Mukunda. Hor e:ample, a tree is a complete
unit, whereas the leaves and the branches of the tree are
emanated parts and parcels of the tree. The leaves and
branches of the tree are also the tree, but the tree itself is
neither the leaves nor the branches. The !edic version that
the whole cosmic creation is nothing but %rahman means
that since everything is emanating from the $upreme
%rahman, nothing is apart from Him. $imilarly, the part'and'
parcel hands and legs are called the body, but the body as
the whole unit is neither the hands nor the legs. The Eord is
the transcendental form of eternity, cognition and beauty.
And thus the creation of the energy of the Eord appears to
be partially eternal, full of knowledge and beautiful also. The
captivated conditioned souls under the influence of the
e:ternal energy, m'y', are therefore entrapped in the
network of the material nature. They accept this as all in all,
for they have no information of the Eord who is the primeval
cause. Kor have they information that the parts and parcels
of the body, being detached from the whole body, are no
longer the same hand or leg as when attached to the body.
$imilarly, a godless civili)ation detached from the
transcendental loving service of the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead is 2ust like a detached hand or leg. $uch parts and
parcels may appear like hands and legs, but they have no
efficiency. The devotee of the Eord, <r=la !y"sadeva, knows
this very well. He is further advised by <r=la K"rada to
e:pand the idea so that the entrapped conditioned souls
may take lessons from him to understand the $upreme Eord
as the primeval cause.
According to the !edic version, the Eord is naturally fully
powerful, and thus His supreme energies are always perfect
and identical with Him. %oth the spiritual and the material
skies and their paraphernalia are emanations of the internal
and e:ternal energies of the Eord. ;:ternal energy is
comparatively inferior, whereas the internal potency is
superior. The superior energy is living force, and therefore
she is completely identical, but the e:ternal energy, being
inert, is partially identical. %ut both the energies are neither
e(ual to nor greater than the Eord, who is the generator of
all energiesV such energies are always under His control,
e:actly as electrical energy, however powerful it may be, is
always under the control of the engineer.
The human being and all other living beings are products of
His internal energies. Thus the living being is also identical
with the Eord. %ut he is never e(ual or superior to the
1ersonality of 8odhead. The Eord and living beings are all
individual persons. With the help of the material energies the
living beings are also creating something, but none of their
creations are e(ual or superior to the creations of the Eord.
The human being may create a small playful sputnik and
may throw it into outer space, but that does not mean that
he can create a planet like the earth or moon and float it in
the air as the Eord does. Men with a poor fund of knowledge
claim to be e(ual to the Eord. They are never e(ual to the
Eord. This is never to be. The human being, after attaining
complete perfection, may achieve a large percentage of the
(ualities of the Eord 3say up to seventy'eight percent6, but it
is never possible to surpass the Eord or to become e(ual
with Him. n a diseased condition only, the foolish being
claims to be one with the Eord and thus becomes misled by
the illusory energy. The misguided living beings, therefore,
must accept the supremacy of the Eord and agree to render
loving service to Him. Hor this they have been created.
Without this, there cannot be any peace or tran(uillity in the
world. <r=la !y"sadeva is advised by <r=la K"rada to
e:pand this idea in the &h'ga(atam. n the &haga(ad%g$t' also
the same idea is e:plainedC surrender fully unto the lotus
feet of the Eord. That is the only business of the perfect
human being.
T!T N"
T'$aaT$a#aaT$aa#a$a'e7$aaegad:k26
ParS(a Pau;Sa0 Par$aaT$a#a0 k6lRa$a2 9
A)a; PaO)aaTa; )a&aTa0 i!a'a(a Tax
#$aha#au%aa'a%(aud(aae+i>a&aQ(aTaa$a2 99 N" 99
t(am 'tman'tm'nam a(ehy amogha%d4k
"arasya "!-sa* "aram'tmana* kal'm
a)a- "ra)'ta- )agata* 1i('ya tan
mah'n!bh'('bhy!dayo 2dhiga5yat'm
S(#O#($S
t(amZyourselfV 'tman'Zby your own selfV 'tm'namZthe
$upersoulV a(ehiZsearch outV amogha%d4kZone who has
perfect visionV "arasyaZof the TranscendenceV "!-sa*Zthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV "aram'tmana*Zof the $upreme
EordV kal'mZplenary partV a)amZbirthlessV "ra)'tamZhave
taken birthV )agata*Zof the worldV 1i('yaZfor the well'beingV
tatZthatV mah'%an!bh'(aZof the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead <r= >?@AaV abhy!daya*ZpastimesV adhiga5ya%t'mZ
describe most vividly.
T-A#SLATIO#
(our &oodness has perfect 'isionH (ou yourself can knoJ the
Supersoul Personality of &odhead because you are present as the
plenary portion of the LordH Although you are birthless, you ha'e
appeared on this earth for the Jell6being of all peopleH Please,
therefore, describe the transcendental pasti@es of the Supre@e
Personality of &odhead ArB CDEFa @ore 'i'idlyH
P8-PO-T
<r=la !y"sadeva is the empowered plenary portion
incarnation of the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa. He
descended by his causeless mercy to deliver the fallen souls
in the material world. The fallen and forgotten souls are
detached from the transcendental loving service of the Eord.
The living entities are parts and parcels of the Eord, and they
are eternally servitors of the Eord. All the !edic literatures,
therefore, are put into systematic order for the benefit of the
fallen souls, and it is the duty of the fallen souls to take
advantage of such literatures and be freed from the bondage
of material e:istence. Although formally <r=la K"rada _@i is
his spiritual master, <r=la !y"sadeva is not at all dependent
on a spiritual master because in essence he is the spiritual
master of everyone else. %ut because he is doing the work of
an 'c'rya, he has taught us by his own conduct that one
must have a spiritual master, even though he be 8od
Himself. Eord <r= >?@Aa, Eord <r= 0"ma and Eord <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu, all incarnations of 8odhead, accepted
formal spiritual masters, although by Their transcendental
nature They were cogni)ant of all knowledge. n order to
direct people in general to the lotus feet of Eord <r= >?@Aa,
He Himself in the incarnation of !y"sadeva is delineating the
transcendental pastimes of the Eord.
T!T NN
Jd; ih Pau;SaSTaPaSa0 BOuTaS(a 'a
iS'nS(a Sa8v6S(a c buipdta(aae0 9
Ai'C(auTaae+Qa-0 k6i'i%ai#a-~iPaTaae
(aduta$aFaek6&auQaa#au'Qa-#a$a2 99 NN 99
ida- hi "!-sas ta"asa* 1r!tasya ('
s(i.<asya s0ktasya ca b!ddhi%dattayo*
a(icy!to 2rtha* ka(ibhir nir0"ito
yad%!ttama1loka%g!5'n!(ar5anam
S(#O#($S
idamZthisV hiZcertainlyV "!-sa*Zof everyoneV ta"asa*Zby
dint of austeritiesV 1r!tasyaZby dint of study of the /edasC ('
ZorV s(i.<asyaZsacrificeV s0ktasyaZspiritual educationV caZ
andV b!ddhiZculture of knowledgeV dattayo*ZcharityV
a(icy!ta*ZinfallibleV artha*ZinterestV ka(ibhi*Zby the
recogni)ed learned personV nir0"ita*ZconcludedV yatZwhatV
!ttama1lokaZthe Eord, who is described by choice poetryV
g!5a%an!(ar5anamZdescription of the transcendental
(ualities of.
T-A#SLATIO#
Learned circles ha'e positi'ely concluded that the infallible
purpose of the ad'ance@ent of knoJledge, na@ely austerities,
study of the Gedas, sacrifice, chanting of hy@ns and charity,
cul@inates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, Jho is
defined in choice poetryH
P8-PO-T
Human intellect is developed for advancement of learning in
art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology,
economics, politics, etc. %y culture of such knowledge the
human society can attain perfection of life. This perfection of
life culminates in the reali)ation of the $upreme %eing,
!i@Au. The 1r!ti therefore directs that those who are actually
advanced in learning should aspire for the service of Eord
!i@Au. Rnfortunately persons who are enamored by the
e:ternal beauty of (i.5!%m'y' do not understand that
culmination of perfection or self'reali)ation depends on
!i@Au. /i.5!%m'y' means sense en2oyment, which is
transient and miserable. Those who are entrapped by (i.5!%
m'y' utili)e advancement of knowledge for sense
en2oyment. <r= K"rada Muni has e:plained that all
paraphernalia of the cosmic universe is but an emanation
from the Eord out of His different energies because the Eord
has set in motion, by His inconceivable energy, the actions
and reactions of the created manifestation. They have come
to be out of His energy, they rest on His energy, and after
annihilation they merge into Him. Kothing is, therefore,
different from Him, but at the same time the Eord is always
different from them.
When advancement of knowledge is applied in the service of
the Eord, the whole process becomes absolute. The
1ersonality of 8odhead and His transcendental name, fame,
glory, etc., are all nondifferent from Him. Therefore, all the
sages and devotees of the Eord have recommended that the
sub2ect matter of art, science, philosophy, physics,
chemistry, psychology and all other branches of knowledge
should be wholly and solely applied in the service of the
Eord. Art, literature, poetry, painting, etc., may be used in
glorifying the Eord. The fiction writers, poets and celebrated
litterateurs are generally engaged in writing of sensuous
sub2ects, but if they turn towards the service of the Eord they
can describe the transcendental pastimes of the Eord.
!"lm=ki was a great poet, and similarly !y"sadeva is a great
writer, and both of them have absolutely engaged
themselves in delineating the transcendental activities of the
Eord and by doing so have become immortal. $imilarly,
science and philosophy also should be applied in the service
of the Eord. There is no use presenting dry speculative
theories for sense gratification. philosophy and science
should be engaged to establish the glory of the Eord.
Advanced people are eager to understand the Absolute Truth
through the medium of science, and therefore a great
scientist should endeavor to prove the e:istence of the Eord
on a scientific basis. $imilarly, philosophical speculations
should be utili)ed to establish the $upreme Truth as sentient
and all'powerful. $imilarly, all other branches of knowledge
should always be engaged in the service of the Eord. n the
&haga(ad%g$t' also the same is affirmed. All DknowledgeF not
engaged in the service of the Eord is but nescience. 0eal
utili)ation of advanced knowledge is to establish the glories
of the Eord, and that is the real import. $cientific knowledge
engaged in the service of the Eord and all similar activities
are all factually hari%k$rtana, or glorification of the Eord.
T!T NX
Ah; PauraTa?Ta%a'e+%a'; $au#ae
daS(aaSTau k6S(aa,#a 'ed'aid#aa$a2 9
i#a~iPaTaae balRk6 V' (aaei&a#aa;
BuBO8=Qae PaOa':i= i#ai'-i'UaTaa$a2 99 NX 99
aha- "!r't$ta%bha(e 2bha(a- m!ne
d'sy's t! kasy'1cana (eda%('din'm
nir0"ito b'laka e(a yogin'-
1!1r0.a5e "r'(4.i nir(i(ik.at'm
S(#O#($S
ahamZV "!r'ZformerlyV at$ta%bha(eZin the previous
millenniumV abha(amZbecameV m!neZ9 m!niC d'sy'*Zof
the maidservantV t!ZbutV kasy'1canaZcertainV (eda%('din'm
Zof the followers of !ed"ntaV nir0"ita*ZengagedV b'laka*Z
boy servantV e(aZonlyV yogin'mZof the devoteesV 1!1r0.a5e
Zin the service ofV "r'(4.iZduring the four months of the
rainy seasonV nir(i(ik.at'mZliving together.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @uni, in the last @illenniu@ I Jas born as the son of a certain
@aidser'ant engaged in the ser'ice of brLh@aFas Jho Jere
folloJing the principles of GedLntaH Vhen they Jere li'ing
together during the four @onths of the rainy season, I Jas engaged
in their personal ser'iceH
P8-PO-T
The wonder of an atmosphere surcharged with devotional
service to the Eord is briefly described herein by <r= K"rada
Muni. He was the son of the most insignificant parentage. He
was not properly educated. $till, because his complete
energy was engaged in the service of the Eord, he became
an immortal sage. $uch is the powerful action of devotional
service. The living entities are the marginal energy of the
Eord, and therefore they are meant for being properly
utili)ed in the transcendental loving service of the Eord.
When this is not done, oneJs situation is called m'y'.
Therefore the illusion of m'y' is at once dissipated as soon
as oneJs full energy is converted in the service of the Eord
instead of in sense en2oyment. Hrom the personal e:ample of
<r= K"rada Muni in his previous birth, it is clear that the
service of the Eord begins with the service of the EordJs bona
fide servants. The Eord says that the service of His servants
is greater than His personal service. $ervice of the devotee
is more valuable than the service of the Eord. 9ne should
therefore choose a bona fide servant of the Eord constantly
engaged in His service, accept such a servant as the spiritual
master and engage himself in his 3the spiritual masterJs6
service. $uch a spiritual master is the transparent medium
by which to visuali)e the Eord, who is beyond the conception
of the material senses. %y service of the bona fide spiritual
master, the Eord consents to reveal Himself in proportion to
the service rendered. Rtili)ation of the human energy in the
service of the Eord is the progressive path of salvation. The
whole cosmic creation becomes at once identical with the
Eord as soon as service in relation with the Eord is rendered
under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. The
e:pert spiritual master knows the art of utili)ing everything
to glorify the Eord, and therefore under his guidance the
whole world can be turned into the spiritual abode by the
divine grace of the EordJs servant.
T!T NZ
Tae $a((aPaeTaaiYlRcaPaleR+%a-ke6
da#Tae+>a:Tas6Io#ake6+#au'iTa-i#a 9
csu60 k:6Paa; (a*iPa TauL(ad!a-#aa0
BuBO8=$aaQae $au#a(aae+LPa%aai=iQa 99 NZ 99
te mayy a"et'khila%c'"ale 2rbhake
d'nte 2dh4ta%kr$;anake 2n!(artini
cakr!* k4"'- yadya"i t!lya%dar1an'*
1!1r0.am'5e m!nayo 2l"a%bh'.i5i
S(#O#($S
teZtheyV mayiZunto meV a"etaZnot having undergoneV
akhilaZall kinds ofV c'"aleZproclivitiesV arbhakeZunto a boyV
d'nteZhaving controlled the sensesV adh4ta%kr$;anakeZ
without being accustomed to sporting habitsV an!(artiniZ
obedientV cakr!*Zdid bestowV k4"'mZcauseless mercyV
yadya"iZalthoughV t!lya%dar1an'*Zimpartial by natureV
1!1r0.am'5eZunto the faithfulV m!naya*Zthe m!ni followers
of the !ed"ntaV al"a%bh'.i5iZone who does not speak more
than re(uired.
T-A#SLATIO#
Although they Jere i@partial by nature, those folloJers of the
GedLnta blessed @e Jith their causeless @ercyH As far as I Jas
concerned, I Jas self6controlled and had no attach@ent for sports,
e'en though I Jas a boyH In addition, I Jas not naughty, and I did
not speak @ore than re?uiredH
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord says, DAll the /edas are
searching after Me.F Eord <r= *aitanya says that in the
/edas the sub2ect matters are only three, namely to establish
the relation of the living entities with the 1ersonality of
8odhead, perform the relative duties in devotional service
and thus achieve the ultimate goal, back to 8odhead. As
such, (ed'nta%('d$s, or the followers of the !ed"nta, indicate
the pure devotees of the 1ersonality of 8odhead. $uch
(ed'nta%('d$s, or the bhakti%(ed'ntas, are impartial in
distributing the transcendental knowledge of devotional
service. To them no one is enemy or friendV no one is
educated or uneducated. Ko one is especially favorable, and
no one is unfavorable. The bhakti%(ed'ntas see that the
people in general are wasting time in false sensuous things.
Their business is to get the ignorant mass of people to
reestablish their lost relationship with the 1ersonality of
8odhead. %y such endeavor, even the most forgotten soul is
roused up to the sense of spiritual life, and thus being
initiated by the bhakti%(ed'ntas, the people in general
gradually progress on the path of transcendental reali)ation.
$o the (ed'nta%('d$s initiated the boy even before he
became self'controlled and was detached from childish
sporting, etc. %ut before the initiation, he 3the boy6 became
more and more advanced in discipline, which is very
essential for one who wishes to make progress in the line. n
the system of (ar5'1rama%dharma, which is the beginning of
actual human life, small boys after five years of age are sent
to become brahmac'r$ at the g!r!2s '1rama, where these
things are systematically taught to boys, be they kingJs sons
or sons of ordinary citi)ens. The training was compulsory not
only to create good citi)ens of the state, but also to prepare
the boyJs future life for spiritual reali)ation. The irresponsible
life of sense en2oyment was unknown to the children of the
followers of the (ar5'1rama system. The boy was even
in2ected with spiritual acumen before being placed by the
father in the womb of the mother. %oth the father and the
mother were responsible for the boyJs success in being
liberated from the material bondage. That is the process of
successful family planning. t is to beget children for
complete perfection. Without being self'controlled, without
being disciplined and without being fully obedient, no one
can become successful in following the instructions of the
spiritual master, and without doing so, no one is able to go
back to 8odhead.
T!T N[
oiCcnleRPaa#a#au$aaeidTaae ij)a0
Sak:6TS$a %auie TadPaaSTaik6iLb=0 9
V'; PaO':taS(a i'BupceTaSax
STap$a- V'aT$aDic0 PaO)aa(aTae 99 N[ 99
!cchi.<a%le"'n an!modito d(i)ai*
sak4t sma bh!,)e tad%a"'sta%kilbi.a*
e(a- "ra(4ttasya (i1!ddha%cetasas
tad%dharma e('tma%r!ci* "ra)'yate
S(#O#($S
!cchi.<a%le"'nZthe remnants of foodstuffV an!modita*Z
being permittedV d(i)ai*Zby the !ed"ntist br'hma5asC sak4tZ
once upon a timeV smaZin the pastV bh!,)eZtookV tatZby that
actionV a"'staZeliminatedV kilbi.a*Zall sinsV e(amZthusV
"ra(4ttasyaZbeing engagedV (i1!ddha%cetasa*Zof one whose
mind is purifiedV tatZthat particularV dharma*ZnatureV e(aZ
certainlyV 'tma%r!ci*Ztranscendental attractionV "ra)'yateZ
was manifested.
T-A#SLATIO#
Once only, by their per@ission, I took the re@nants of their food,
and by so doing all @y sins Jere at once eradicatedH Thus being
engaged, I beca@e purified in heart, and at that ti@e the 'ery
nature of the transcendentalist beca@e attracti'e to @eH
P8-PO-T
1ure devotion is as much infectious, in a good sense, as
infectious diseases. A pure devotee is cleared from all kinds
of sins. The 1ersonality of 8odhead is the purest entity, and
unless one is e(ually pure from the infection of material
(ualities, one cannot become a pure devotee of the Eord.
The bhakti%(ed'ntas as above mentioned were pure devotees,
and the boy became infected with their (ualities of purity by
their association and by eating once the remnants of the
foodstuff taken by them. $uch remnants may be taken even
without permission of the pure devotees. There are
sometimes pseudodevotees, and one should be very much
cautious about them. There are many things which hinder
one from entering devotional service. %ut by the association
of pure devotees all these obstacles are removed. The
neophyte devotee becomes practically enriched with the
transcendental (ualities of the pure devotee, which means
attraction for the 1ersonality of 8odheadJs name, fame,
(uality, pastimes, etc. nfection of the (ualities of the pure
devotee means to imbibe the taste of pure devotion always
in the transcendental activities of the 1ersonality of
8odhead. This transcendental taste at once makes all
material things distasteful. Therefore a pure devotee is not
at all attracted by material activities. After the elimination of
all sins or obstacles on the path of devotional service, one
can become attracted, one can have steadiness, one can
have perfect taste, one can have transcendental emotions,
and at last one can be situated on the plane of loving service
of the Eord. All these stages develop by the association of
pure devotees, and that is the purport of this stan)a.
T!T N\
Ta<aa#'h; k:6.Qak6Qaa0 PaO&aa(aTaax
$a#au&a3heQaaB:Qa'; $a#aaehra0 9
Taa0 BOp(aa $ae+#auPad; i'B:Q'Ta0
iPaO(aBO'S(al $a$aa%a'd3uic0 99 N\ 99
tatr'n(aha- k4.5a%kath'* "rag'yat'm
an!grahe5'145a(a- manohar'*
t'* 1raddhay' me 2n!"ada- (i145(ata*
"riya1ra(asy a3ga mam'bha(ad r!ci*
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereuponV an!Zevery dayV ahamZV k4.5a%kath'*Z
narration of Eord >?@AaJs activitiesV "rag'yat'mZdescribingV
an!grahe5aZby causeless mercyV a145a(amZgiving aural
receptionV mana*%har'*ZattractiveV t'*ZthoseV 1raddhay'Z
respectfullyV meZunto meV an!"adamZevery stepV (i145(ata*
Zhearing attentivelyV "riya1ra(asiZof the 1ersonality of
8odheadV a3gaZ9 !y"sadevaV mamaZmineV abha(atZit so
becameV r!ci*Ztaste.
T-A#SLATIO#
O GyLsade'a, in that association and by the @ercy of those great
GedLntists, I could hear the@ describe the attracti'e acti'ities of
Lord CDEFa And thus listening attenti'ely, @y taste for hearing of
the Personality of &odhead increased at e'ery stepH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa, the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead, is
attractive not only in His personal features, but also in His
transcendental activities. t is so because the Absolute is
absolute by His name, fame, form, pastimes, entourage,
paraphernalia, etc. The Eord descends on this material world
out of His causeless mercy and displays His various
transcendental pastimes as a human being so that human
beings attracted towards Him become able to go back to
8odhead. Men are naturally apt to hear histories and
narrations of various personalities performing mundane
activities, without knowing that by such association one
simply wastes valuable time and also becomes addicted to
the three (ualities of mundane nature. nstead of wasting
time, one can get spiritual success by turning his attention to
the transcendental pastimes of the Eord. %y hearing the
narration of the pastimes of the Eord, one contacts directly
the 1ersonality of 8odhead, and, as e:plained before, by
hearing about the 1ersonality of 8odhead, from within, all
accumulated sins of the mundane creature are cleared. Thus
being cleared of all sins, the hearer gradually becomes
liberated from mundane association and becomes attracted
to the features of the Eord. K"rada Muni has 2ust e:plained
this by his personal e:perience. The whole idea is that
simply by hearing about the EordJs pastimes one can
become one of the associates of the Eord. K"rada Muni has
eternal life, unlimited knowledge and unfathomed bliss, and
he can travel all over the material and spiritual worlds
without restriction. 9ne can attain to the highest perfection
of life simply by attentive hearing of the transcendental
pastimes of the Eord from the right sources, as <r= K"rada
heard them from the pure devotees 3bhakti%(ed'ntas6 in his
previous life. This process of hearing in the association of the
devotees is especially recommended in this age of (uarrel
3>ali6.
T!T N]
TaiS$a;STada lRK>aDce$a-ha$aTae
iPaO(aBO'S(aSYilRTaa $aiTa$a-$a 9
(a(aah$aeTaTSadSaTS'$aa(a(aa
Pa!(ae $ai(a b34iQa k6iLPaTa; Pare 99 N] 99
tasmi-s tad' labdha%r!cer mah'%mate
"riya1ra(asy askhalit' matir mama
yay'ham etat sad%asat s(a%m'yay'
"a1ye mayi brahma5i kal"ita- "are
S(#O#($S
tasminZit being soV tad'Zat that timeV labdhaZachievedV
r!ce*ZtasteV mah'%mateZ9 great sageV "riya1ra(asiZupon
the EordV askhalit' mati*Zuninterrupted attentionV mamaZ
mineV yay'Zby whichV ahamZV etatZall theseV sat%asatZ
gross and subtleV s(a%m'yay'ZoneJs own ignoranceV "a1yeZ
seeV mayiZin meV brahma5iZthe $upremeV kal"itamZis
acceptedV "areZin the Transcendence.
T-A#SLATIO#
O great sage, as soon as I got a taste for the Personality of
&odhead, @y attention to hear of the Lord Jas unflinchingH And as
@y taste de'eloped, I could reali=e that it Jas only in @y ignorance
that I had accepted gross and subtle co'erings, for both the Lord
and I are transcendentalH
P8-PO-T
gnorance in material e:istence is compared to darkness,
and in all !edic literatures the 1ersonality of 8odhead is
compared to the sun. Wherever there is light there cannot
be darkness. Hearing of the EordJs pastimes is itself
transcendental association with the Eord because there is no
difference between the Eord and His transcendental
pastimes. To become associated with the supreme light is to
dissipate all ignorance. %y ignorance only, the conditioned
soul wrongly thinks that both he and the Eord are products of
material nature. %ut in fact the 1ersonality of 8odhead and
the living beings are transcendental, and they have nothing
to do with the material nature. When ignorance is removed
and it is perfectly reali)ed that there is nothing e:isting
without the 1ersonality of 8odhead, then nescience is
removed. $ince the gross and subtle bodies are emanations
from the 1ersonality of 8odhead, the knowledge of light
permits one to engage both of them in the service of the
Eord. The gross body should be engaged in acts of rendering
service to the Eord 3as in bringing water, cleansing the
temple or making obeisances, etc.6. The path of arcan', or
worshiping the Eord in the temple, involves engaging oneJs
gross body in the service of the Eord. $imilarly, the subtle
mind should be engaged in hearing the transcendental
pastimes of the Eord, thinking about them, chanting His
name, etc. All such activities are transcendental. Kone of the
gross or subtle senses should otherwise be engaged. $uch
reali)ation of transcendental activities is made possible by
many, many years of apprenticeship in the devotional
service, but simply attraction of love for the 1ersonality of
8odhead, as it was developed in K"rada Muni, by hearing, is
highly effective.
T!T N^
JTQa; !arTPaOa':i=k6a':Ta8 hrex
i'-B:Q'Taae $ae+#auSa'; (a!aae+$alR$a2 9
Sa?T(a-$aa#a; $aui#ai%a$a-haT$ai%ax
%a-iv60 PaO':taaT$ar)aSTa$aaePaha 99 N^ 99
ittha- 1arat%"r'(4.ik'( 4t0 harer
(i145(ato me 2n!sa(a- ya1o 2malam
sa3k$rtyam'na- m!nibhir mah'tmabhir
bhakti* "ra(4tt'tma%ra)as%tamo"ah'
S(#O#($S
itthamZthusV 1aratZautumnV "r'(4.ika!Zrainy seasonV 4t0Z
two seasonsV hare*Zof the EordV (i145(ata*Zcontinuously
hearingV meZmyselfV an!sa(amZconstantlyV ya1a* amalamZ
unadulterated gloriesV sa3k$rtyam'namZchanted byV
m!nibhi*Zthe great sagesV mah'%'tmabhi*Zgreat soulsV
bhakti*Zdevotional serviceV "ra(4tt'Zbegan to flowV 'tmaZ
living beingV ra)a*Zmode of passionV tamaZmode of
ignoranceV !"ah'Zvanishing.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus during tJo seasonsthe rainy season and autu@nI had the
opportunity to hear these great6souled sages constantly chant the
unadulterated glories of the Lord IariH As the floJ of @y
de'otional ser'ice began, the co'erings of the @odes of passion
and ignorance 'anishedH
P8-PO-T
Transcendental loving service for the $upreme Eord is the
natural inclination of every living being. The instinct is
dormant in everyone, but due to the association of material
nature the modes of passion and ignorance cover this from
time immemorial. f, by the grace of the Eord and the great'
souled devotees of the Eord, a living being becomes
fortunate enough to associate with the unadulterated
devotees of the Eord and gets a chance to hear the
unadulterated glories of the Eord, certainly the flow of
devotional service takes place like the flow of a river. As the
river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure
devotional service flows by the association of pure devotees
till it reaches the ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love
of 8od. $uch a flow of devotional service cannot stop. 9n the
contrary, it increases more and more without limitation. The
flow of devotional service is so potent that any onlooker also
becomes liberated from the influence of the modes of
passion and ignorance. These two (ualities of nature are
thus removed, and the living being is liberated, being
situated in his original position.
T!T N_
TaS(a'; $ae+#aurv6S(a PaOiBOTaS(a hTa#aSa0 9
BOq>aa#aS(a balRS(a da#TaS(aa#aucrS(a c 99 N_ 99
tasyai(a- me 2n!raktasya
"ra1ritasya hatainasa*
1raddadh'nasya b'lasya
d'ntasy'n!carasya ca
S(#O#($S
tasyaZhisV e(amZthusV meZmineV an!raktasyaZattached to
themV "ra1ritasyaZobedientlyV hataZfreed fromV enasa*Z
sinsV 1raddadh'nasyaZof the faithfulV b'lasyaZof the boyV
d'ntasyaZsub2ugatedV an!carasyaZstrictly following the
instructionsV caZand.
T-A#SLATIO#
I Jas 'ery @uch attached to those sagesH I Jas gentle in beha'ior,
and all @y sins Jere eradicated in their ser'iceH In @y heart I had
strong faith in the@H I had sub/ugated the senses, and I Jas strictly
folloJing the@ Jith body and @indH
P8-PO-T
These are the necessary (ualifications of a prospective
candidate who can e:pect to be elevated to the position of a
pure unadulterated devotee. $uch a candidate must always
seek the association of pure devotees. 9ne should not be
misled by a pseudodevotee. He himself must be plain and
gentle to receive the instructions of such a pure devotee. A
pure devotee is a completely surrendered soul unto the
1ersonality of 8odhead. He knows the 1ersonality of
8odhead as the supreme proprietor and all others as His
servitors. And by the association of pure devotees only, one
can get rid of all sins accumulated by mundane association.
A neophyte devotee must faithfully serve the pure devotee,
and he should be very much obedient and strictly follow the
instructions. These are the signs of a devotee who is
determined to achieve success even in the e:isting duration
of life.
T!T X`
/a#a; &au7Ta$a; (ataTSaaUaaS&a'TaaeidTa$a2 9
A#''aec#a2 &ai$a.(a#Ta0 k:6Pa(aa d?#a'TSalRa0 99 X` 99
),'na- g!hyatama- yat tat
s'k.'d bhaga(atoditam
an(a(ocan gami.yanta*
k4"ay' d$na%(atsal'*
S(#O#($S
),'namZknowledgeV g!hyatamamZmost confidentialV yatZ
what isV tatZthatV s'k.'tZdirectlyV bhaga(at' !ditamZ
propounded by the Eord HimselfV an(a(ocanZgave
instructionV gami.yanta*Zwhile departing fromV k4"ay'Zby
causeless mercyV d$na%(atsal'*Zthose who are very kind to
the poor and meek.
T-A#SLATIO#
As they Jere lea'ing, those bhakti6'edLntas, Jho are 'ery kind to
poor6hearted souls, instructed @e in that @ost confidential sub/ect
Jhich is instructed by the Personality of &odhead Ii@selfH
P8-PO-T
A pure !ed"ntist, or a bhakti%(ed'nta, instructs followers
e:actly according to the instructions of the Eord Himself. The
1ersonality of 8odhead, both in the &haga(ad%g$t' and in all
other scriptures, has definitely instructed men to follow the
Eord only. The Eord is the creator, maintainer and annihilator
of everything. The whole manifested creation is e:isting by
His will, and by His will when the whole show is finished He
will remain in His eternal abode with all His paraphernalia.
%efore the creation He was there in the eternal abode, and
after the annihilation He will continue to remain. He is not,
therefore, one of the created beings. He is transcendental. n
the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord says that long, long before the
instruction was imparted to Ar2una, the same was instructed
to the sun'god, and in course of time, the same instruction,
being wrongly handled and being broken, was again
instructed to Ar2una because he was His perfect devotee and
friend. Therefore, the instruction of the Eord can be
understood by the devotees only and no one else. The
impersonalist, who has no idea of the transcendental form of
the Eord, cannot understand this most confidential message
of the Eord. The e:pression Dmost confidentialF is significant
here because knowledge of devotional service is far, far
above knowledge of impersonal %rahman. N,'nam means
ordinary knowledge or any branch of knowledge. This
knowledge develops up to the knowledge of impersonal
%rahman. Above this, when it is partially mi:ed with
devotion, such knowledge develops to knowledge of
1aram"tm", or the all'pervading 8odhead. This is more
confidential. %ut when such knowledge is turned into pure
devotional service and the confidential part of
transcendental knowledge is attained, it is called the most
confidential knowledge. This most confidential knowledge
was imparted by the Eord to %rahm", Ar2una, Rddhava, etc.
T!T X"
(ae#a'ah; %a&a'Taae 'aSaude'S(a 'e>aSa0 9
$aa(aa#au%aa'$ai'd; (ae#a &aCci#Ta TaTPad$a2 99 X" 99
yenai('ha- bhaga(ato
('s!de(asya (edhasa*
m'y'n!bh'(am a(ida-
yena gacchanti tat%"adam
S(#O#($S
yenaZby whichV e(aZcertainlyV ahamZV bhaga(ata*Zof the
1ersonality of 8odheadV ('s!de(asyaZof Eord <r= >?@AaV
(edhasa*Zof the supreme creatorV m'y'ZenergyV an!bh'(am
ZinfluenceV a(idamZeasily understoodV yenaZby whichV
gacchantiZthey goV tat%"adamZat the lotus feet of the Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ky that confidential knoJledge, I could understand clearly the
influence of the energy of Lord ArB CDEFa, the creator, @aintainer
and annihilator of e'erythingH Ky knoJing that, one can return to
Ii@ and personally @eet Ii@H
P8-PO-T
%y devotional service or by the most confidential knowledge,
one can understand very easily how the different energies of
the Eord are working. 9ne part of energy is manifesting the
material worldV the other 3superior6 part of His energy is
manifesting the spiritual world. And the via medium energy
is manifesting the living entities who are serving either of
the above'mentioned energies. The living entities serving
material energy are struggling hard for e:istence and
happiness, which is presented to them as illusion. %ut those
in the spiritual energy are placed under the direct service of
the Eord in eternal life, complete knowledge and perpetual
bliss. The Eord desires, as He has directly said in the
&haga(ad%g$t', that all conditioned souls, rotting in the
kingdom of material energy, come back to Him by giving up
all engagements in the material world. This is the most
confidential part of knowledge. %ut this can be understood
only by the pure devotees, and only such devotees enter the
kingdom of 8od to see Him personally and serve Him
personally. The concrete e:ample is K"rada Himself, who
attained this stage of eternal knowledge and eternal bliss.
And the ways and means are open to all, provided one
agrees to follow in the footsteps of <r= K"rada Muni.
According to 1r!ti, the $upreme Eord has unlimited energies
3without effort by Him6, and these are described under three
principal headings, as above mentioned.
T!T XN
VTaTSa;Sa8icTa; b34;STaaPa<a(aicik6iTSaTa$a2 9
(ad?Tre %a&a'iTa k6$a- b34iQa %aai'Ta$a2 99 XN 99
etat sa-s0cita- brahma-s
t'"a%traya%cikitsitam
yad $1(are bhaga(ati
karma brahma5i bh'(itam
S(#O#($S
etatZthis muchV sa-s0citamZdecided by the learnedV
brahmanZ9 br'hma5a !y"saV t'"a%trayaZthree kinds of
miseriesV cikitsitamZremedial measuresV yatZwhatV $1(areZ
the supreme controllerV bhaga(atiZunto the 1ersonality of
8odheadV karmaZoneJs prescribed activitiesV brahma5iZunto
the greatV bh'(itamZdedicated.
T-A#SLATIO#
O KrLh@aFa GyLsade'a, it is decided by the learned that the best
re@edial @easure for re@o'ing all troubles and @iseries is to
dedicate oners acti'ities to the ser'ice of the Supre@e Lord
Personality of &odhead OArB CDEFa3H
P8-PO-T
<r= K"rada Muni personally e:perienced that the most
feasible and practical way to open the path of salvation or
get relief from all miseries of life is to hear submissively the
transcendental activities of the Eord from the right and bona
fide sources. This is the only remedial process. The entire
material e:istence is full of miseries. Hoolish people have
manufactured, out of their tiny brains, many remedial
measures for removing the threefold miseries pertaining to
the body and mind, pertaining to the natural disturbances
and in relation with other living beings. The whole world is
struggling very hard to e:ist out of these miseries, but men
do not know that without the sanction of the Eord no plan or
no remedial measure can actually bring about the desired
peace and tran(uillity. The remedial measure to cure a
patient by medical treatment is useless if it is not sanctioned
by the Eord. To cross the river or the ocean by a suitable
boat is no remedial measure if it is not sanctioned by the
Eord. We should know for certain that the Eord is the
ultimate sanctioning officer, and we must therefore dedicate
our attempts to the mercy of the Eord for ultimate success or
to get rid of the obstacles on the path of success. The Eord is
all'pervading, all'powerful, omniscient and omnipresent. He
is the ultimate sanctioning agent of all good or bad effects.
We should, therefore, learn to dedicate our activities unto
the mercy of the Eord and accept Him either as impersonal
%rahman, locali)ed 1aram"tm" or the $upreme 1ersonality
of 8odhead. t does not matter what one is. 9ne must
dedicate everything in the service of the Eord. f one is a
learned scholar, scientist, philosopher, poet, etc., then he
should employ his learning to establish the supremacy of the
Eord. Try to study the energy of the Eord in every sphere of
life. 7o not decry Him and try to become like Him or take His
position simply by fragmental accumulation of knowledge. f
one is an administrator, statesman, warrior, politician, etc.,
then one should try to establish the EordJs supremacy in
statesmanship. Hight for the cause of the Eord as <r= Ar2una
did. n the beginning, <r= Ar2una, the great fighter, declined
to fight, but when he was convinced by the Eord that the
fighting was necessary, <r= Ar2una changed his decision and
fought for His cause. $imilarly, if one is a businessman, an
industrialist, an agriculturist, etc., then one should spend his
hard'earned money for the cause of the Eord. Think always
that the money which is accumulated is the wealth of the
Eord. Wealth is considered to be the goddess of fortune
3Eak@m=6, and the Eord is K"r"yaAa, or the husband of
Eak@m=. Try to engage Eak@m= in the service of Eord
K"r"yaAa and be happy. That is the way to reali)e the Eord
in every sphere of life. The best thing is, after all, to get
relief from all material activities and engage oneself
completely in hearing the transcendental pastimes of the
Eord. %ut in case of the absence of such an opportunity, one
should try to engage in the service of the Eord everything for
which one has specific attraction, and that is the way of
peace and prosperity. The word sa-s0citam in this stan)a is
also significant. 9ne should not think for a moment that the
reali)ation of K"rada was childish imagination only. t is not
like that. t is so reali)ed by the e:pert and erudite scholars,
and that is the real import of the word sa-s0citam.
T!T XX
Aa$a(aae (a, %a8Taa#aa; )aa(aTae (ae#a Sau'3Ta 9
Tade' 7a$a(a; d3G(a; #a Pau#aaiTa icik6iTSaTa$a2 99 XX 99
'mayo ya1 ca bh0t'n'-
)'yate yena s!(rata
tad e(a hy 'maya- dra(ya-
na "!n'ti cikitsitam
S(#O#($S
'maya*ZdiseasesV ya* caZwhateverV bh0t'n'mZof the living
beingV )'yateZbecome possibleV yenaZby the agencyV
s!(rataZ9 good soulV tatZthatV e(aZveryV hiZcertainlyV
'mayamZdiseaseV dra(yamZthingV naZdoes it notV "!n'tiZ
cureV cikitsitamZtreated with.
T-A#SLATIO#
O good soul, does not a thing, applied therapeutically, cure a
disease Jhich Jas caused by that 'ery sa@e thingW
P8-PO-T
An e:pert physician treats his patient with a therapeutic diet.
Hor e:ample, milk preparations sometimes cause disorder of
the bowels, but the very same milk converted into curd and
mi:ed with some other remedial ingredients cures such
disorders. $imilarly, the threefold miseries of material
e:istence cannot be mitigated simply by material activities.
$uch activities have to be spirituali)ed, 2ust as by fire iron is
made red'hot, and thereby the action of fire begins.
$imilarly, the material conception of a thing is at once
changed as soon as it is put into the service of the Eord. That
is the secret of spiritual success. We should not try to lord it
over the material nature, nor should we re2ect material
things. The best way to make the best use of a bad bargain
is to use everything in relation with the supreme spiritual
being. ;verything is an emanation from the $upreme $pirit,
and by His inconceivable power He can convert spirit into
matter and matter into spirit. Therefore a material thing 3so'
called6 is at once turned into a spiritual force by the great
will of the Eord. The necessary condition for such a change is
to employ so'called matter in the service of the spirit. That is
the way to treat our material diseases and elevate ourselves
to the spiritual plane where there is no misery, no
lamentation and no fear. When everything is thus employed
in the service of the Eord, we can e:perience that there is
nothing e:cept the $upreme %rahman. The !edic mantra
that Deverything is %rahmanF is thus reali)ed by us.
T!T XZ
V'; #a:Qaa; is6(aa(aae&aa0 Sa'e- Sa;Sa:iTaheTa'0 9
Ta V'aT$ai'#aa!aa(a k6LPa#Tae k6iLPaTaa0 Pare 99 XZ 99
e(a- n45'- kriy'%yog'*
sar(e sa-s4ti%heta(a*
ta e('tma%(in'1'ya
kal"ante kal"it'* "are
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV n45'mZof the human beingV kriy'%yog'*Zall
activitiesV sar(eZeverythingV sa-s4tiZmaterial e:istenceV
heta(a*ZcausesV teZthatV e(aZcertainlyV 'tmaZthe tree of
workV (in'1'yaZkillingV kal"anteZbecome competentV
kal"it'*ZdedicatedV "areZunto the Transcendence.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus Jhen all a @anrs acti'ities are dedicated to the ser'ice of the
Lord, those 'ery acti'ities Jhich caused his perpetual bondage
beco@e the destroyer of the tree of JorkH
P8-PO-T
Hruitive work which has perpetually engaged the living being
is compared to the banyan tree in the &haga(ad%g$t', for it is
certainly very deeply rooted. As long as the propensity for
en2oying the fruit of work is there, one has to continue the
transmigration of the soul from one body or place to
another, according to oneJs nature of work. The propensity
for en2oyment may be turned into the desire for serving the
mission of the Eord, %y doing so, oneJs activity is changed
into karma%yoga, or the way by which one can attain spiritual
perfection while engaging in the work for which he has a
natural tendency. Here the word 'tm' indicates the
categories of all fruitive work. The conclusion is that when
the result of all fruitive and other work is dovetailed with the
service of the Eord, it will cease to generate further karma
and will gradually develop into transcendental devotional
service, which will not only cut off completely the root of the
banyan tree of work but will also carry the performer to the
lotus feet of the Eord.
The summary is that one has to, first of all, seek the
association of pure devotees who not only are learned in the
!ed"nta but are self'reali)ed souls and unalloyed devotees
of Eord <r= >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead. n that
association, the neophyte devotees must render loving
service physically and mentally without reservation. This
service attitude will induce the great souls to be more
favorable in bestowing their mercy, which in2ects the
neophyte with all the transcendental (ualities of the pure
devotees. 8radually this is developed into a strong
attachment to hearing the transcendental pastimes of the
Eord, which makes him able to catch up the constitutional
position of the gross and subtle bodies and beyond them the
knowledge of pure soul and his eternal relation with the
$upreme $oul, the 1ersonality of 8odhead. After the relation
is ascertained by establishment of the eternal relation, pure
devotional service to the Eord begins gradually developing
into perfect knowledge of the 1ersonality of 8odhead beyond
the purview of impersonal %rahman and locali)ed
1aram"tm". %y such "!r!.ottama%yoga, as it is stated in the
&haga(ad%g$t', one is made perfect even during the present
corporeal e:istence, and one e:hibits all the good (ualities
of the Eord to the highest percentage. $uch is the gradual
development by association of pure devotees.
T!T X[
(ad<a is6(aTae k6$a- %a&a'TPairTaae=Qa$a2 9
/a#a; (atad>a?#a; ih %aiv6(aae&aSa$ai#'Ta$a2 99 X[ 99
yad atra kriyate karma
bhaga(at%"arito.a5am
),'na- yat tad adh$na- hi
bhakti%yoga%saman(itam
S(#O#($S
yatZwhateverV atraZin this life or worldV kriyateZdoes
performV karmaZworkV bhaga(atZunto the 1ersonality of
8odheadV "arito.a5amZsatisfaction ofV ),'namZknowledgeV
yat tatZwhat is so calledV adh$namZdependentV hiZ
certainlyV bhakti%yogaZdevotionalV saman(itamZdovetailed
with bhakti%yoga.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhate'er Jork is done here in this life for the satisfaction of the
@ission of the Lord is called bhakti6yoga, or transcendental lo'ing
ser'ice to the Lord, and Jhat is called knoJledge beco@es a
conco@itant factorH
P8-PO-T
The general and popular notion is that by discharging fruitive
work in terms of the direction of the scriptures one becomes
perfectly able to ac(uire transcendental knowledge for
spiritual reali)ation. &hakti%yoga is considered by some to be
another form of karma. %ut factually bhakti%yoga is above
both karma and ),'na. &hakti%yoga is independent of ),'na or
karmaC on the other hand, ),'na and karma are dependent on
bhakti%yoga. This kriy'%yoga or karma%yoga, as recommended
by <r= K"rada to !y"sa, is specifically recommended
because the principle is to satisfy the Eord. The Eord does
not want His sons, the living beings, to suffer the threefold
miseries of life. He desires that all of them come to Him and
live with Him, but going back to 8odhead means that one
must purify himself from material infections. When work is
performed, therefore, to satisfy the Eord, the performer
becomes gradually purified from the material affection. This
purification means attainment of spiritual knowledge.
Therefore knowledge is dependent on karma, or work, done
on behalf of the Eord. 9ther knowledge, being devoid of
bhakti%yoga or satisfaction of the Eord, cannot lead one back
to the kingdom of 8od, which means that it cannot even
offer salvation, as already e:plained in connection with the
stan)a nai.karmyam a"y acy!ta%bh'(a%(ar)itam 3rmad-
Bhgavatam ,.B.,G6. The conclusion is that a devotee
engaged in the unalloyed service of the Eord, specifically in
hearing and chanting of His transcendental glories, becomes
simultaneously spiritually enlightened by the divine grace, as
confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t'.
T!T X\
ku6'a-Qaa (a<a k6$aa-iQa %a&a'iCcUa(aaSak:6Ta2 9
&a:Qai#Ta &auQa#aa$aai#a k:6.QaS(aa#auS$ari#Ta c 99 X\ 99
k!r('5' yatra karm'5i
bhaga(ac%chik.ay'sak4t
g45anti g!5a%n'm'ni
k4.5asy'n!smaranti ca
S(#O#($S
k!r('5'*Zwhile performingV yatraZthereuponV karm'5iZ
dutiesV bhaga(atZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV 1ik.ay'Zby
the will ofV asak4tZconstantlyV g45antiZtakes onV g!5aZ
(ualitiesV n'm'niZnamesV k4.5asyaZof >?@AaV an!smarantiZ
constantly remembersV caZand.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile perfor@ing duties according to the order of ArB CDEFa, the
Supre@e Personality of &odhead, one constantly re@e@bers Ii@,
Iis na@es and Iis ?ualitiesH
P8-PO-T
An e:pert devotee of the Eord can mold his life in such a way
that while performing all kinds of duties either for this or the
ne:t life, he can constantly remember the EordJs name,
fame, (ualities, etc. The order of the Eord is distinctly there
in the &haga(ad%g$t'I one should work only for the Eord in all
spheres of life. n every sphere of life the Eord should be
situated as the proprietor. According to the !edic rites, even
in the worship of some demigods like ndra, %rahm",
$arasvat= and 8aAePa, the system is that in all
circumstances the representation of !i@Au must be there as
ya),e1(ara, or the controlling power of such sacrifices. t is
recommended that a particular demigod be worshiped for a
particular purpose, but still the presence of !i@Au is
compulsory in order to make the function proper.
Apart from such !edic duties, even in our ordinary dealings
3for e:ample, in our household affairs or in our business or
profession6 we must consider that the result of all activities
must be given over to the supreme en2oyer, Eord >?@Aa. n
the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord has declared Himself to be the
supreme en2oyer of everything, the supreme proprietor of
every planet and the supreme friend of all beings. Ko one
else but Eord <r= >?@Aa can claim to be the proprietor of
everything within His creation. A pure devotee remembers
this constantly, and in doing so he repeats the
transcendental name, fame and (ualities of the Eord, which
means that he is constantly in touch with the Eord. The Eord
is identical with His name, fame, etc., and therefore to be
associated with His name, fame, etc., constantly, means
actually to associate with the Eord.
The ma2or portion of our monetary income, not less than fifty
percent, must be spent to carry out the order of Eord >?@Aa.
Kot only should we give the profit of our earning to this
cause, but we must also arrange to preach this cult of
devotion to others because that is also one of the orders of
the Eord. The Eord definitely says that no one is more dear to
Him than one who is always engaged in the preaching work
of the EordJs name and fame all over the world. The scientific
discoveries of the material world can also be e(ually
engaged in carrying out His order. He wants the message of
the &haga(ad%g$t' to be preached amongst His devotees. t
may not be so done amongst those who have no credit of
austerities, charity, education, etc. Therefore, the attempt
must go on to convert unwilling men to become His
devotees. Eord *aitanya has taught a very simple method in
this connection. He has taught the lesson for preaching the
transcendental message through singing, dancing and
refreshment. As such, fifty percent of our income may be
spent for this purpose. n this fallen age of (uarrel and
dissension, if only the leading and wealthy persons of society
agree to spend fifty percent of their income in the service of
the Eord, as it is taught by Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu,
there is absolute certainty of converting this hell of
pandemonium to the transcendental abode of the Eord. Ko
one will disagree to partake in a function where good
singing, dancing and refreshment are administered.
;veryone will attend such a function, and everyone is sure to
feel individually the transcendental presence of the Eord.
This alone will help the attendant associate with the Eord
and thereby purify himself in spiritual reali)ation. The only
condition for successfully e:ecuting such spiritual activities
is that they must be conducted under the guidance of a pure
devotee who is completely free from all mundane desires,
fruitive activities and dry speculations about the nature of
the Eord. Ko one has to discover the nature of the Eord. t is
already spoken by the Eord Himself in the &haga(ad%g$t'
especially and in all other !edic literatures generally. We
have simply to accept them in toto and abide by the orders
of the Eord. That will guide us to the path of perfection. 9ne
can remain in his own position. Ko one has to change his
position, especially in this age of variegated difficulties. The
only condition is that one must give up the habit of dry
speculation aimed at becoming one with the Eord. And after
giving up such lofty puffed'up vanities, one may very
submissively receive the orders of the Eord in the &haga(ad%
g$t' or &h'ga(atam from the lips of a bona fide devotee
whose (ualification is mentioned above. That will make
everything successful, without a doubt.
T!T X]
p #a$aae %a&a'Tae Tau%(a; 'aSaude'a(a >a?$aih 9
PaO*u$ana(aai#aDpa(a #a$a0 Sa=-Qaa(a c 99 X] 99
o- namo bhaga(ate t!bhya-
('s!de('ya dh$mahi
"rady!mn'y'nir!ddh'ya
nama* sa3kar.a5'ya ca
S(#O#($S
o-Zthe sign of chanting the transcendental glory of the
EordV nama*Zoffering obeisances unto the EordV bhaga(ateZ
unto the 1ersonality of 8odheadV t!bhyamZunto XouV
('s!de('yaZunto the Eord, the son of !asudevaV dh$mahiZlet
us chantV "rady!mn'ya, anir!ddh'ya and sa3kar.a5'yaZall
plenary e:pansions of !"sudevaV nama*Zrespectful
obeisancesV caZand.
T-A#SLATIO#
Let us all chant the glories of GLsude'a along Jith Iis plenary
eMpansions Pradyu@na, Aniruddha and SaTkarEaFaH
P8-PO-T
According to a,car'tra, K"r"yaAa is the primeval cause of
all e:pansions of 8odhead. These are !"sudeva, $aIkar@aAa,
1radyumna and Aniruddha. !"sudeva and $aIkar@aAa are on
the middle left and right, 1radyumna is on the right of
$aIkar@aAa, and Aniruddha is on the left of !"sudeva, and
thus the four 7eities are situated. They are known as the
four aides'de'camp of Eord <r= >?@Aa.
This is a !edic hymn or mantra beginning with o-k'ra
"ra5a(a, and thus the mantra is established by the
transcendental chanting process, namely, o- namo dh$mahi,
etc.
The purport is that any transaction, either in the field of
fruitive work or in empiric philosophy, which is not ultimately
aimed at transcendental reali)ation of the $upreme Eord, is
considered to be useless. K"rada2= has therefore e:plained
the nature of unalloyed devotional service by his personal
e:perience in the development of intimacy between the Eord
and the living entity by a gradual process of progressive
devotional activities. $uch a progressive march of
transcendental devotion for the Eord culminates in the
attainment of loving service of the Eord, which is called
"rem' in different transcendental variegatedness called rasas
3tastes6. $uch devotional service is also e:ecuted in mi:ed
forms, namely mi:ed with fruitive work or empiric
philosophical speculations.
Kow the (uestion which was raised by the great 4.is headed
by <aunaka regarding the confidential part of $LtaJs
achievement through the spiritual master is e:plained herein
by the chanting of this hymn consisting of thirty'three
letters. And this mantra is addressed to the four 7eities, or
the Eord with His plenary e:pansions. The central figure is
Eord <r= >?@Aa because the plenary portions are His aides'
de'camp. The most confidential part of the instruction is that
one should always chant and remember the glories of the
Eord <r= >?@Aa, the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, along
with His different plenary portions e:panded as !"sudeva,
$aIkar@aAa, 1radyumna and Aniruddha. Those e:pansions
are the original 7eities for all other truths, namely either
(i.5!%tatt(a or 1akti%tatt(as.
T!T X^
JiTa $a8T(a-i%a>aa#ae#a $a#<a$a8iTa-$a$a8iTa-k6$a2 9
(a)aTae (a/PauD=; Sa Sa$(a&d!a-#a0 Pau$aa#a2 99 X^ 99
iti m0rty%abhidh'nena
mantra%m0rtim am0rtikam
ya)ate ya),a%"!r!.a-
sa samyag dar1ana* "!m'n
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV m0rtiZrepresentationV abhidh'nenaZin soundV
mantra%m0rtimZform representation of transcendental
soundV am0rtikamZthe Eord, who has no material formV
ya)ateZworshipV ya),aZ!i@AuV "!r!.amZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV sa*Zhe aloneV samyakZperfectlyV dar1ana*Zone
who has seenV "!m'nZperson.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus he is the actual seer Jho Jorships, in the for@ of
transcendental sound representation, the Supre@e Personality of
&odhead, GiEFu, Jho has no @aterial for@H
P8-PO-T
9ur present senses are all made of material elements, and
therefore they are imperfect in reali)ing the transcendental
form of Eord !i@Au. He is therefore worshiped by sound
representation via the transcendental method of chanting.
Anything which is beyond the scope of e:perience by our
imperfect senses can be reali)ed fully by the sound
representation. A person transmitting sound from a far
distant place can be factually e:perienced. f this is
materially possible, why not spiritually? This e:perience is
not a vague impersonal e:perience. t is actually an
e:perience of the transcendental 1ersonality of 8odhead,
who possesses the pure form of eternity, bliss and
knowledge.
n the Pmarako1a $anskrit dictionary the word m0rti carries
import in twofold meanings, namely, form and difficulty.
Therefore am0rtikam is e:plained by Wc"rya <r= !iPvan"tha
*akravart= Sh"kura as meaning Dwithout difficulty.F The
transcendental form of eternal bliss and knowledge can be
e:perienced by our original spiritual senses, which can be
revived by chanting of the holy mantras, or transcendental
sound representations. $uch sound should be received from
the transparent agency of the bona fide spiritual master, and
the chanting may be practiced by the direction of the
spiritual master. That will gradually lead us nearer to the
Eord. This method of worship is recommended in the
"',car'trika system, which is both recogni)ed and
authori)ed. The "',car'trika system has the most authori)ed
codes for transcendental devotional service. Without the
help of such codes, one cannot approach the Eord, certainly
not by dry philosophical speculation. The "',car'trika system
is both practical and suitable for this age of (uarrel. The
a,car'tra is more important than the /ed'nta for this
modern age.
T!T X_
J$a; S'i#a&a$a; b34k'eT(a $ad#auifTa$a2 9
Ada#$ae /a#a$aT(ag S'iS$a#a2 %aa'; c ke6!a'0 99 X_ 99
ima- s(a%nigama- brahmann
a(etya mad%an!.<hitam
ad'n me ),'nam ai1(arya-
s(asmin bh'(a- ca ke1a(a*
S(#O#($S
imamZthusV s(a%nigamamZconfidential knowledge of the
/edas in respect to the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odheadV
brahmanZ9 br'hma5a 3!y"sadeva6V a(etyaZknowing it wellV
matZby meV an!.<hitamZe:ecutedV ad'tZbestowed upon
meV meZmeV ),'namZtranscendental knowledgeV ai1(aryam
ZopulenceV s(asminZpersonalV bh'(amZintimate affection
and loveV caZandV ke1a(a*ZEord >?@Aa.
T-A#SLATIO#
O brLh@aFa, thus by the Supre@e Lord CDEFa I Jas endoJed first
Jith the transcendental knoJledge of the Lord as inculcated in the
confidential parts of the Gedas, then Jith the spiritual opulences,
and then Jith Iis inti@ate lo'ing ser'iceH
P8-PO-T
*ommunion with the Eord by transmission of the
transcendental sound is nondifferent from the whole spirit
Eord <r= >?@Aa. t is a completely perfect method for
approaching the Eord. %y such pure contact with the Eord,
without offense of material conceptions 3numbering ten6, the
devotee can rise above the material plane to understand the
inner meaning of the !edic literatures, including the EordJs
e:istence in the transcendental realm. The Eord reveals His
identity gradually to one who has unflinching faith, both in
the spiritual master and in the Eord. After this, the devotee is
endowed with mystic opulences, which are eight in number.
And above all, the devotee is accepted in the confidential
entourage of the Eord and is entrusted with specific service
of the Eord through the agency of the spiritual master. A
pure devotee is more interested in serving the Eord than in
showing an e:hibition of the mystic powers dormant in him.
<r= K"rada has e:plained all these from his personal
e:perience, and one can obtain all the facilities which <r=
K"rada obtained by perfecting the chanting process of the
sound representation of the Eord. There is no bar for
chanting this transcendental sound by anyone, provided it is
received through K"radaJs representative, coming down by
the chain of disciplic succession, or the "aram"ar' system.
T!T Z`
T'$aP(ad%a3BOuTa i'BOuTa; i'%aae0
Sa$aaP(aTae (ae#a i'da; bu%auiTSaTa$a2 9
PaOae(aaih du0Y$au-hurid-TaaT$a#aa;
Sa;e6!ai#a'a-Qa$au!ai#Ta #aa#(aQaa 99 Z` 99
t(am a"y adabhra%1r!ta (i1r!ta- (ibho*
sam'"yate yena (id'- b!bh!tsitam
"r'khy'hi d!*khair m!h!r ardit'tman'-
sa3kle1a%nir('5am !1anti n'nyath'
S(#O#($S
t(amZyour good soulV a"iZalsoV adabhraZvastV 1r!taZ!edic
literaturesV (i1r!tamZhave heard alsoV (ibho*Zof the
AlmightyV sam'"yateZsatisfiedV yenaZby whichV (id'mZof
the learnedV b!bh!tsitamZwho always desire to learn
transcendental knowledgeV "r'khy'hiZdescribeV d!*khai*Z
by miseriesV m!h!*ZalwaysV ardita%'tman'mZsuffering mass
of peopleV sa3kle1aZsufferingsV nir('5amZmitigationV !1anti
naZdo not get out ofV anyath'Zby other means.
T-A#SLATIO#
Please, therefore, describe the Al@ighty Lordrs acti'ities Jhich you
ha'e learned by your 'ast knoJledge of the Gedas, for that Jill
satisfy the hankerings of great learned @en and at the sa@e ti@e
@itigate the @iseries of the @asses of co@@on people Jho are
alJays suffering fro@ @aterial pangsH Indeed, there is no other
Jay to get out of such @iseriesH
P8-PO-T
<r= K"rada Muni from practical e:perience definitely asserts
that the prime solution of all problems of material work is to
broadcast very widely the transcendental glories of the
$upreme Eord. There are four classes of good men, and
there are four classes of bad men also. The four classes of
good men acknowledge the authority of the Almighty 8od,
and therefore such good men 3"6 when they are in difficulty,
3N6 when they are in need of money, 3X6 when they are
advanced in knowledge and 3Z6 when they are in(uisitive to
know more and more about 8od, intuitively take shelter of
the Eord. As such, K"rada2= advises !y"sadeva to broadcast
the transcendental knowledge of 8od in terms of the vast
!edic knowledge which he had already attained.
As far as the bad men are concerned, they are also four in
numberC 3"6 those who are simply addicted to the mode of
progressive fruitive work and thus are sub2ected to the
accompanying miseries, 3N6 those who are simply addicted
to vicious work for sense satisfaction and so suffer the
conse(uence, 3X6 those who are materially very much
advanced in knowledge, but who suffer because they do not
have the sense to acknowledge the authority of the Almighty
Eord, and 3Z6 the class of men who are known as atheists
and who therefore purposely hate the very name of 8od,
although they are always in difficulty.
<r= K"rada2= advised !y"sadeva to describe the glories of
the Eord 2ust to do good to all eight classes of men, both
good and bad. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is therefore not meant for
any particular class of men or sect. t is for the sincere soul
who actually wants his own welfare and peace of mind.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto, Hifth
9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KN'rada2s
Instr!ctions on <r=mad'%h"gavatam for /y'sade(a.M
Chapter SiM
Con'ersation KetJeen #Lrada and GyLsade'a
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
V'; i#a!a$(a %a&a'a#de'=e-)a-#$a k6$a- c 9
%a8(a0 PaPaOCc Ta; b34#a2 G(aaSa0 SaT(a'Ta?SauTa0 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
e(a- ni1amya bhaga('n
de(ar.er )anma karma ca
bh0ya* "a"raccha ta- brahman
(y'sa* satya(at$%s!ta*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta saidV e(amZthusV ni1amyaZhearingV
bhaga('nZthe powerful incarnation of 8odV de(ar.e*Zof the
great sage among the godsV )anmaZbirthV karmaZworkV caZ
andV bh0ya*ZagainV "a"racchaZaskedV tamZhimV brahmanZ
9 br'hma5asC (y'sa*Z!y"sadevaV satya(at$%s!ta*Zthe son of
$atyavat=.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta saide O brLh@aFas, thus hearing all about ArB #Lradars birth
and acti'ities, GyLsade'a, the incarnation of &od and son of
Satya'atB, in?uired as folloJsH
P8-PO-T
!y"sadeva was further in(uisitive to know about the
perfection of K"rada2=, and therefore he wanted to know
about him more and more. n this chapter K"rada2= will
describe how he was able to have a brief audience with the
Eord while he was absorbed in the transcendental thought of
separation from the Eord and when it was very painful for
him.
T!T N
G(aaSa o'ac
i%aUaui%ai'-PaO'iSaTae i'/a#aaden:i%aSTa' 9
'Ta-$aa#aae '(aS(aa*e TaTa0 ik6$ak6raeS'a#a2 99 N 99
(y'sa !('ca
bhik.!bhir (i"ra(asite
(i),'n'de.<4bhis ta(a
(artam'no (ayasy 'dye
tata* kim akarod bha('n
S(#O#($S
(y'sa* !('caZ<r= !y"sadeva saidV bhik.!bhi*Zby the great
mendicantsV (i"ra(asiteZhaving departed for other placesV
(i),'naZscientific knowledge in transcendenceV 'de.<4bhi*Z
those who had instructedV ta(aZof yourV (artam'na*Z
presentV (ayasiZof the duration of lifeV 'dyeZbefore the
beginning ofV tata*Zafter thatV kimZwhatV akarotZdidV
bha('nZyour good self.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB GyLsade'a saide Vhat did you O#Lrada3 do after the departure
of the great sages Jho had instructed you in scientific
transcendental knoJledge before the beginning of your present
birthW
P8-PO-T
!y"sadeva himself was the disciple of K"rada2=, and
therefore it was natural to be an:ious to hear what K"rada
did after initiation from the spiritual masters. He wanted to
follow in K"radaJs footsteps in order to attain to the same
perfect stage of life. This desire to in(uire from the spiritual
master is an essential factor to the progressive path. This
process is technically known as sad%dharma%"4cch'.
T!T X
S'a(a$%au' k6(aa ':t(aa 'iTa-Ta; Tae Par; '(a0 9
k6Qa; ced$audbaUa?0 k6aleR PaOae k6leR'r$a2 99 X 99
s('yambh!(a kay' (4tty'
(artita- te "ara- (aya*
katha- cedam !dasr'k.$*
k'le "r'"te kale(aram
S(#O#($S
s('yambh!(aZ9 son of %rahm"V kay'Zunder what conditionV
(4tty'ZoccupationV (artitamZwas spentV teZyouV "aramZ
after the initiationV (aya*Zduration of lifeV kathamZhowV caZ
andV idamZthisV !dasr'k.$*Zdid you (uitV k'leZin due
courseV "r'"teZhaving attainedV kale(aramZbody.
T-A#SLATIO#
O son of Krah@L, hoJ did you pass your life after initiation, and
hoJ did you attain this body, ha'ing ?uit your old one in due
courseW
P8-PO-T
<r= K"rada Muni in his previous life was 2ust an ordinary
maidservantJs son, so how he became so perfectly
transformed into the spiritual body of eternal life, bliss and
knowledge is certainly important. <r= !y"sadeva desired
him to disclose the facts for everyoneJs satisfaction.
T!T Z
PaOa6LPai'=(aa$aeTaa; S$a:iTa; Tae $aui#aSata$a 9
#a 7e= G(a'>aaTk6alR V= Sa'-i#arak:6iTa0 99 Z 99
"r'k%kal"a%(i.ay'm et'-
sm4ti- te m!ni%sattama
na hy e.a (ya(adh't k'la
e.a sar(a%nir'k4ti*
S(#O#($S
"r'kZpriorV kal"aZthe duration of %rahm"Js dayV (i.ay'mZ
sub2ect matterV et'mZall theseV sm4timZremembranceV teZ
yourV m!ni%sattamaZ9 great sageV naZnotV hiZcertainlyV
e.a*Zall theseV (ya(adh'tZmade any differenceV k'la*Z
course of timeV e.a*Zall theseV sar(aZallV nir'k4ti*Z
annihilation.
T-A#SLATIO#
O great sage, ti@e annihilates e'erything in due course, so hoJ is
it that this sub/ect @atter, Jhich happened prior to this day of
Krah@L, is still fresh in your @e@ory, undisturbed by ti@eW
P8-PO-T
As spirit is not annihilated even after the annihilation of the
material body, so also spiritual consciousness is not
annihilated. <r= K"rada developed this spiritual
consciousness even when he had his material body in the
previous kal"a. *onsciousness of the material body means
spiritual consciousness e:pressed through the medium of a
material body. This consciousness is inferior, destructible
and perverted. %ut superconsciousness of the supramind in
the spiritual plane is as good as the spirit soul and is never
annihilated.
T!T [
#aard o'ac
i%aUaui%ai'-PaO'iSaTae i'/a#aaden:i%a$a-$a 9
'Ta-$aa#aae '(aS(aa*e TaTa VTadk6ar=$a2 99 [ 99
n'rada !('ca
bhik.!bhir (i"ra(asite
(i),'n'de.<4bhir mama
(artam'no (ayasy 'dye
tata etad ak'ra.am
S(#O#($S
n'rada* !('caZ<r= K"rada saidV bhik.!bhi*Zby the great
sagesV (i"ra(asiteZhaving departed for other placesV (i),'na
Zscientific spiritual knowledgeV 'de.<4bhi*Zthose who
imparted unto meV mamaZmineV (artam'na*ZpresentV
(ayasi 'dyeZbefore this lifeV tata*ZthereafterV etatZthis
muchV ak'ra.amZperformed.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB #Lrada saide The great sages, Jho had i@parted scientific
knoJledge of transcendence to @e, departed for other places, and I
had to pass @y life in this JayH
P8-PO-T
n his previous life, when K"rada2= was impregnated with
spiritual knowledge by the grace of the great sages, there
was a tangible change in his life, although he was only a boy
of five years. That is an important symptom visible after
initiation by the bona fide spiritual master. Actual association
of devotees brings about a (uick change in life for spiritual
reali)ation. How it so acted upon the previous life of <r=
K"rada Muni is described by and by in this chapter.
T!T \
Vk6aT$a)aa $ae )a#a#a? (aaei=#$a8ta c ik6r? 9
$a((aaT$a)ae+#a#(a&aTaa cse6 heha#aub#>a#a$a2 99 \ 99
ek'tma)' me )anan$
yo.in m0;h' ca ki3kar$
mayy 'tma)e 2nanya%gata!
cakre sneh'n!bandhanam
S(#O#($S
eka%'tma)'Zhaving only one sonV meZmyV )anan$ZmotherV
yo.itZwoman by classV m0;h'ZfoolishV caZandV ki3kar$Z
maidservantV mayiZunto meV 'tma)eZbeing her offspringV
ananya%gata!Zone who has no alternative for protectionV
cakreZdid itV sneha%an!bandhanamZtied by affectionate
bondage.
T-A#SLATIO#
I Jas the only son of @y @other, Jho Jas not only a si@ple Jo@an
but a @aidser'ant as JellH Since I Jas her only offspring, she had
no other alternati'e for protectione she bound @e Jith the tie of
affectionH
T!T ]
SaaS'Ta#<aa #a k6LPaaSa?*ae&aUae$a; $a$aeCcTa? 9
J-!aS(a ih '!ae lRaek6ae (aae=a daD$a(a? (aQaa 99 ] 99
s's(atantr' na kal"'s$d
yoga%k.ema- mamecchat$
$1asya hi (a1e loko
yo.' d'r!may$ yath'
S(#O#($S
s'ZsheV as(atantr'Zwas dependentV naZnotV kal"'ZableV
's$tZwasV yoga%k.emamZmaintenanceV mamaZmyV icchat$Z
although desirousV $1asyaZof providenceV hiZforV (a1eZ
under the control ofV loka*ZeveryoneV yo.'ZdollV d'r!%may$
Zmade of woodV yath'Zas much as.
T-A#SLATIO#
She Janted to look after @y @aintenance properly, but because
she Jas not independent, she Jas not able to do anything for @eH
The Jorld is under the full control of the Supre@e Lord therefore
e'eryone is like a Jooden doll in the hands of a puppet @asterH
T!T ^
Ah; c Tad2b34ku6leR Oi='a;STaduPaeUa(aa 9
id&de!ak6alRaG(auTPakae balRk60 Pa}ha(a#a0 99 ^ 99
aha- ca tad%brahma%k!le
0.i('-s tad%!"ek.ay'
dig%de1a%k'l'(y!t"anno
b'laka* "a,ca%h'yana*
S(#O#($S
ahamZV caZalsoV tatZthatV brahma%k!leZin the school of the
br'hma5asC 0.i('nZlivedV tatZherV !"ek.ay'Zbeing
dependent onV dik%de1aZdirection and countryV k'laZtimeV
a(y!t"anna*Zhaving no e:perienceV b'laka*Za mere childV
"a,caZfiveV h'yana*Zyears old.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen I Jas a @ere child of fi'e years, I li'ed in a brLh@aFa schoolH
I Jas dependent on @y @otherrs affection and had no eMperience
of different landsH
T!T _
Vk6da i#a&a-Taa; &aehaquh#Ta?; i#ai!a &aa; PaiQa 9
SaPaae-+d!aTPada SPa:n0 k:6PaQaa; k6alRcaeidTa0 99 _ 99
ekad' nirgat'- geh'd
d!hant$- ni1i g'- "athi
sar"o 2da1at "ad' s"4.<a*
k4"a5'- k'la%codita*
S(#O#($S
ekad'Zonce upon a timeV nirgat'mZhaving gone awayV geh't
Zfrom homeV d!hant$mZfor milkingV ni1iZat nightV g'mZthe
cowV "athiZon the pathV sar"a*ZsnakeV ada1atZbittenV "ad'
Zon the legV s"4.<a*Zthus struckV k4"a5'mZthe poor
womanV k'la%codita*Zinfluenced by supreme time.
T-A#SLATIO#
Once upon a ti@e, @y poor @other, Jhen going out one night to
@ilk a coJ, Jas bitten on the leg by a serpent, influenced by
supre@e ti@eH
P8-PO-T
That is the way of dragging a sincere soul nearer to 8od. The
poor boy was being looked after only by his affectionate
mother, and yet the mother was taken from the world by the
supreme will in order to put him completely at the mercy of
the Eord.
T!T "`
Tada Tadh$a?!aS(a %av6a#aa; !a$a%a?PSaTa0 9
A#au&a3h; $a#(a$aa#a0 PaOaiTaf; id!a$autara$a2 99 "` 99
tad' tad aham $1asya
bhakt'n'- 1am abh$"sata*
an!graha- manyam'na*
"r'ti.<ha- di1am !ttar'm
S(#O#($S
tad'Zat that timeV tatZthatV ahamZV $1asyaZof the EordV
bhakt'n'mZof the devoteesV 1amZmercyV abh$"sata*Z
desiringV an!grahamZspecial benedictionV manyam'na*Z
thinking in that wayV "r'ti.<hamZdepartedV di1am !ttar'mZ
in the northern direction.
T-A#SLATIO#
I took this as the special @ercy of the Lord, Jho alJays desires
benediction for Iis de'otees, and so thinking, I started for the
northH
P8-PO-T
*onfidential devotees of the Eord see in every step a
benedictory direction of the Eord. What is considered to be
an odd or difficult moment in the mundane sense is
accepted as special mercy of the Eord. Mundane prosperity
is a kind of material fever, and by the grace of the Eord the
temperature of this material fever is gradually diminished,
and spiritual health is obtained step by step. Mundane
people misunderstand it.
T!T ""
Sf6ITaai#aPada;STa<a Paur&a3a$a'3)aak6ra#a2 9
Ye1uY'-1u'a1?u, '#aa#(auPa'#aai#a c 99 "" 99
s"h$t', )ana"ad'-s tatra
"!ra%gr'ma%(ra)'kar'n
khe<a%khar(a<a%('<$1 ca
(an'ny !"a(an'ni ca
S(#O#($S
s"h$t'nZvery flourishingV )ana%"ad'nZmetropolisesV tatraZ
thereV "!raZtownsV gr'maZvillagesV (ra)aZbig farmsV 'kar'n
Zmineral fields 3mines6V khe<aZagricultural landsV khar(a<a
ZvalleysV ('<$*Zflower gardensV caZandV (an'niZforestsV
!"a(an'niZnursery gardensV caZand.
T-A#SLATIO#
After @y departure, I passed through @any flourishing
@etropolises, toJns, 'illages, ani@al far@s, @ines, agricultural
lands, 'alleys, floJer gardens, nursery gardens and natural forestsH
P8-PO-T
ManJs activities in agriculture, mining, farming, industries,
gardening, etc., were all on the same scale as they are now,
even previous to the present creation, and the same
activities will remain as they are, even in the ne:t creation.
After many hundreds of millions of years, one creation is
started by the law of nature, and the history of the universe
repeats itself practically in the same way. The mundane
wranglers waste time with archaeological e:cavations
without searching into the vital necessities of life. After
getting an impetus in spiritual life, <r= K"rada Muni, even
though a mere child, did not waste time for a single moment
with economic development, although he passed towns and
villages, mines and industries. He continually went on to
progressive spiritual emancipation. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is
the repetition of history which happened some hundreds of
millions of years ago. As it is said herein, only the most
important factors of history are picked up to be recorded in
this transcendental literature.
T!T "N
ic<a>aaTaui'ic<aad3?i#a%a%a&an%au)ad3u$aa#a2 9
)alRa!a(aaiIc')alRakilR#a?0 SaurSaei'Taa0 9
ic<aS'#a0 Pa<arQai'-%a3$ad2%a3$ariBO(a0 99 "N 99
citra%dh't!%(icitr'dr$n
ibha%bhagna%bh!)a%dr!m'n
)al'1ay', chi(a%)al'n
nalin$* s!ra%se(it'*
citra%s(anai* "atra%rathair
(ibhramad bhramara%1riya*
S(#O#($S
citra%dh't!Zvaluable minerals like gold, silver and copperV
(icitraZfull of variegatednessV adr$nZhills and mountainsV
ibha%bhagnaZbroken by the giant elephantsV bh!)aZ
branchesV dr!m'nZtreesV )al'1ay'n 1i(aZhealth'givingV )al'n
Zreservoirs of waterV nalin$*Zlotus flowersV s!ra%se(it'*Z
aspired to by the deni)ens of heavenV citra%s(anai*Zpleasing
to the heartV "atra%rathai*Zby the birdsV (ibhramatZ
bewilderingV bhramara%1riya*Zdecorated by drones.
T-A#SLATIO#
I passed through hills and @ountains full of reser'oirs of 'arious
@inerals like gold, sil'er and copper, and through tracts of land
Jith reser'oirs of Jater filled Jith beautiful lotus floJers, fit for
the deni=ens of hea'en, decorated Jith beJildered bees and
singing birdsH
T!T "X
#alR'eQau!arSTa#bku6!ak6Ick6&ar$a2 9
Vk6 V'aiTa(aaTaae+h$ad3aUa; i'iPa#a; $ahTa2 9
gaaer; PaOiTa%a(aak6ar; G(aalRael8Rk6i!a'ai)ar$a2 99 "X 99
nala%(e5!%1aras%tanba%
k!1a%k$caka%gah(aram
eka e('tiy'to 2ham
adr'k.a- (i"ina- mahat
ghora- "ratibhay'k'ra-
(y'lol0ka%1i(')iram
S(#O#($S
nalaZpipesV (e5!ZbambooV 1ara*ZpensV tanbaZfull ofV k!1a
Zsharp grassV k$cakaZweedsV gah(aramZcavesV eka*ZaloneV
e(aZonlyV atiy'ta*Zdifficult to go throughV ahamZV
adr'k.amZvisitedV (i"inamZdeep forestsV mahatZgreatV
ghoramZfearfulV "ratibhaya%'k'ramZdangerouslyV (y'laZ
snakesV !l0kaZowlsV 1i(aZ2ackalsV a)iramZplaygrounds.
T-A#SLATIO#
I then passed alone through @any forests of rushes, ba@boo,
reeds, sharp grass, Jeeds and ca'es, Jhich Jere 'ery difficult to
go through aloneH I 'isited deep, dark and dangerously fearful
forests, Jhich Jere the play yards of snakes, oJls and /ackalsH
P8-PO-T
t is the duty of a mendicant 3"ari(r')ak'c'rya6 to e:perience
all varieties of 8odJs creation by traveling alone through all
forests, hills, towns, villages, etc., to gain faith in 8od and
strength of mind as well as to enlighten the inhabitants with
the message of 8od. A sanny's$ is duty'bound to take all
these risks without fear, and the most typical sanny's$ of the
present age is Eord *aitanya, who traveled in the same
manner through the central ndian 2ungles, enlightening
even the tigers, bears, snakes, deer, elephants and many
other 2ungle animals. n this age of >ali, sanny'sa is forbidden
for ordinary men. 9ne who changes his dress to make
propaganda is a different man from the original ideal
sanny's$. 9ne should, however, take the vow to stop social
intercourse completely and devote life e:clusively to the
service of the Eord. The change of dress is only a formality.
Eord *aitanya did not accept the name of a sanny's$, and in
this age of >ali the so'called sanny's$s should not change
their former names, following in the footsteps of Eord
*aitanya. n this age, devotional service of hearing and
repeating the holy glories of the Eord is strongly
recommended, and one who takes the vow of renunciation of
family life need not imitate the "ari(r')ak'c'rya like K"rada
or Eord *aitanya, but may sit down at some holy place and
devote his whole time and energy to hear and repeatedly
chant the holy scriptures left by the great 'c'ryas like the si:
8osv"m=s of !?nd"vana.
T!T "Z
PairBOa#Taei#d3(aaT$aah; Ta:12Par?Taae bu%auiUaTa0 9
haT'a Pa?T'a hde #a*a oPaSPa:nae &aTaBO$a0 99 "Z 99
"ari1r'ntendriy'tm'ha-
t4<%"ar$to b!bh!k.ita*
sn't(' "$t(' hrade nady'
!"as"4.<o gata%1rama*
S(#O#($S
"ari1r'ntaZbeing tiredV indriyaZbodilyV 'tm'ZmentallyV
ahamZV t4<%"ar$ta*Zbeing thirstyV b!bh!k.ita*Zand hungryV
sn't('Ztaking a bathV "$t('Zand drinking water alsoV hrade
Zin the lakeV nady'*Zof a riverV !"as"4.<a*Zbeing in
contact withV gataZgot relief fromV 1rama*Ztiredness.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus tra'eling, I felt tired, both bodily and @entally, and I Jas
both thirsty and hungryH So I took a bath in a ri'er lake and also
drank JaterH Ky contacting Jater, I got relief fro@ @y eMhaustionH
P8-PO-T
A traveling mendicant can meet the needs of body, namely
thirst and hunger, by the gifts of nature without being a
beggar at the doors of the householders. The mendicant
therefore does not go to the house of a householder to beg
but to enlighten him spiritually.
T!T "[
TaiS$aik$a-#au)ae+rQ(ae iPaPPalRaePaSQa AaiBOTa0 9
AaT$a#aaT$aa#a$aaT$aSQa; (aQaaBOuTa$aic#Ta(a$a2 99
"[ 99
tasmin nirman!)e 2ra5ye
"i""alo"astha '1rita*
'tman'tm'nam 'tmastha-
yath'%1r!tam acintayam
S(#O#($S
tasminZin thatV nirman!)eZwithout human habitationV ara5ye
Zin the forestV "i""alaZbanyan treeV !"astheZsitting under
itV '1rita*Ztaking shelter ofV 'tman'Zby intelligenceV
'tm'namZthe $upersoulV 'tma%sthamZsituated within
myselfV yath'%1r!tamZas had heard it from the liberated
soulsV acintayamZthought over.
T-A#SLATIO#
After that, under the shadoJ of a banyan tree in an uninhabited
forest I began to @editate upon the Supersoul situated Jithin,
using @y intelligence, as I had learned fro@ liberated soulsH
P8-PO-T
9ne should not meditate according to oneJs personal whims.
9ne should know perfectly well from the authoritative
sources of scriptures through the transparent medium of a
bona fide spiritual master and by proper use of oneJs trained
intelligence for meditating upon the $upersoul dwelling
within every living being. This consciousness is firmly
developed by a devotee who has rendered loving service
unto the Eord by carrying out the orders of the spiritual
master. <r= K"rada2= contacted bona fide spiritual masters,
served them sincerely and got enlightenment rightly. Thus
he began to meditate.
T!T "\
>(aa(aTa,rQaa$%aae)a; %aa'i#ai)a-TaceTaSaa 9
AaTk6QyaBOuk6lRaUaS(a 5*aSa?#$ae !a#ah-ir0 99 "\ 99
dhy'yata1 cara5'mbho)a-
bh'(a%nir)ita%cetas'
a!tka5<hy'1r!%kal'k.asya
h4dy 's$n me 1anair hari*
S(#O#($S
dhy'yata*Zthus meditating uponV cara5a%ambho)amZthe
lotus feet of the locali)ed 1ersonality of 8odheadV bh'(a%
nir)itaZmind transformed in transcendental love for the
EordV cetas'Zall mental activities 3thinking, feeling and
willing6V a!tka5<hyaZeagernessV a1r!%kalaZtears rolled downV
ak.asyaZof the eyesV h4diZwithin my heartV 's$tZappearedV
meZmyV 1anai*Zwithout delayV hari*Zthe 1ersonality of
8odhead.
T-A#SLATIO#
As soon as I began to @editate upon the lotus feet of the
Personality of &odhead Jith @y @ind transfor@ed in
transcendental lo'e, tears rolled doJn @y eyes, and Jithout delay
the Personality of &odhead ArB CDEFa appeared on the lotus of @y
heartH
P8-PO-T
The word bh'(a is significant here. This bh'(a stage is
attained after one has transcendental affection for the Eord.
The first initial stage is called 1raddh', or a liking for the
$upreme Eord, and in order to increase that liking one has to
associate with pure devotees of the Eord. The third stage is
to practice the prescribed rules and regulations of devotional
service. This will dissipate all sorts of misgivings and remove
all personal deficiencies that hamper progress in devotional
service.
When all misgivings and personal deficiencies are removed,
there is a standard faith in transcendental matter, and the
taste for it increases in greater proportion. This stage leads
to attraction, and after this there is bh'(a, or the prior stage
of unalloyed love for 8od. All the above different stages are
but different stages of development of transcendental love.
%eing so surcharged with transcendental love, there comes a
strong feeling of separation which leads to eight different
kinds of ecstasies. Tears from the eyes of a devotee is an
automatic reaction, and because <r= K"rada Muni in his
previous birth attained that stage very (uickly after his
departure from home, it was (uite possible for him to
perceive the actual presence of the Eord, which he tangibly
e:perienced by his developed spiritual senses without
material tinge.
T!T "]
PaOe$aaiTa%ari#ai%a-kPaulRk6alae+iTai#a':-Ta0 9
Aa#a#dSa$'e lRI#aae #aaPa!(a$au%a(a; $au#ae 99 "] 99
"rem'tibhara%nirbhinna%
"!lak'3go 2tinir(4ta*
'nanda%sam"la(e l$no
n'"a1yam !bhaya- m!ne
S(#O#($S
"rem'ZloveV atibharaZe:cessiveV nirbhinnaZespecially
distinguishedV "!lakaZfeelings of happinessV a3ga*Zdifferent
bodily partsV ati%nir(4ta*Zbeing fully overwhelmedV 'nandaZ
ecstasyV sam"la(eZin the ocean ofV l$na*Zabsorbed inV naZ
notV a"a1yamZcould seeV !bhayamZbothV m!neZ9
!y"sadeva.
T-A#SLATIO#
O GyLsade'a, at that ti@e, being eMceedingly o'erpoJered by
feelings of happiness, e'ery part of @y body beca@e separately
enli'enedH Keing absorbed in an ocean of ecstasy, I could not see
both @yself and the LordH
P8-PO-T
$piritual feelings of happiness and intense ecstasies have no
mundane comparison. Therefore it is very difficult to give
e:pression to such feelings. We can 2ust have a glimpse of
such ecstasy in the words of <r= K"rada Muni. ;ach and
every part of the body or senses has its particular function.
After seeing the Eord, all the senses become fully awakened
to render service unto the Eord because in the liberated
state the senses are fully efficient in serving the Eord. As
such, in that transcendental ecstasy it so happened that the
senses became separately enlivened to serve the Eord. This
being so, K"rada Muni lost himself in seeing both himself
and the Eord simultaneously.
T!T "^
~Pa; %a&a'Taae (ata#$a#a0k6a#Ta; BucaPah$a2 9
APa!(a#a2 SahSaaetaSQae '6G(aad2du$a-#aa J' 99 "^ 99
r0"a- bhaga(ato yat tan
mana*%k'nta- 1!c'"aham
a"a1yan sahasottasthe
(aikla(y'd d!rman' i(a
S(#O#($S
r0"amZformV bhaga(ata*Zof the 1ersonality of 8odheadV yat
Zas it isV tatZthatV mana*Zof the mindV k'ntamZas it
desiresV 1!ca%a"ahamZvanishing all disparityV a"a1yanZ
without seeingV sahas'Zall of a suddenV !ttastheZgot upV
(aikla(y'tZbeing perturbedV d!rman'*Zhaving lost the
desirableV i(aZas it were.
T-A#SLATIO#
The transcendental for@ of the Lord, as it is, satisfies the @indrs
desire and at once erases all @ental incongruitiesH 8pon losing that
for@, I suddenly got up, being perturbed, as is usual Jhen one
loses that Jhich is desirableH
P8-PO-T
That the Eord is not formless is e:perienced by K"rada Muni.
%ut His form is completely different from all forms of our
material e:perience. Hor the whole duration of our life we go
see different forms in the material world, but none of them is
2ust apt to satisfy the mind, nor can any one of them vanish
all perturbance of the mind. These are the special features of
the transcendental form of the Eord, and one who has once
seen that form is not satisfied with anything elseV no form in
the material world can any longer satisfy the seer. That the
Eord is formless or impersonal means that He has nothing
like a material form and is not like any material personality.
As spiritual beings, having eternal relations with that
transcendental form of the Eord, we are, life after life,
searching after that form of the Eord, and we are not
satisfied by any other form of material appeasement. K"rada
Muni got a glimpse of this, but having not seen it again he
became perturbed and stood up all of a sudden to search it
out. What we desire life after life was obtained by K"rada
Muni, and losing sight of Him again was certainly a great
shock for him.
T!T "_
idd:UauSTadh; %a8(a0 PaOiQa>aa(a $a#aae 5id 9
'?Ua$aaQaae+iPa #aaPa!(a$ai'Ta: J'aTaur0 99 "_ 99
did4k.!s tad aha- bh0ya*
"ra5idh'ya mano h4di
($k.am'5o 2"i n'"a1yam
a(it4"ta i('t!ra*
S(#O#($S
did4k.!*Zdesiring to seeV tatZthatV ahamZV bh0ya*ZagainV
"ra5idh'yaZhaving concentrated the mindV mana*ZmindV
h4diZupon the heartV ($k.am'5a*Zwaiting to seeV a"iZin
spite ofV naZneverV a"a1yamZsaw HimV a(it4"ta*Zwithout
being satisfiedV i(aZlikeV 't!ra*Zaggrieved.
T-A#SLATIO#
I desired to see again that transcendental for@ of the Lord, but
despite @y atte@pts to concentrate upon the heart Jith eagerness
to 'ieJ the for@ again, I could not see Ii@ any @ore, and thus
dissatisfied, I Jas 'ery @uch aggrie'edH
P8-PO-T
There is no mechanical process to see the form of the Eord.
t completely depends on the causeless mercy of the Eord.
We cannot demand the Eord to be present before our vision,
2ust as we cannot demand the sun to rise whenever we like.
The sun rises out of his own accordV so also the Eord is
pleased to be present out of His causeless mercy. 9ne
should simply await the opportune moment and go on
discharging his prescribed duty in devotional service of the
Eord. K"rada Muni thought that the Eord could be seen again
by the same mechanical process which was successful in the
first attempt, but in spite of his utmost endeavor he could
not make the second attempt successful. The Eord is
completely independent of all obligations. He can simply be
bound up by the tie of unalloyed devotion. Kor is He visible
or perceivable by our material senses. When He pleases,
being satisfied with the sincere attempt of devotional service
depending completely on the mercy of the Eord, then He
may be seen out of His own accord.
T!T N`
V'; (aTa#Ta; i')a#ae $aa$aaha&aaecrae i&ara$a2 9
&a$%a?rFUQa(aa 'aca Buc0 PaO!a$a(aik' 99 N` 99
e(a- yatanta- (i)ane
m'm 'h'gocaro gir'm
gambh$ra%1lak.5ay' ('c'
1!ca* "ra1amayann i(a
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV yatantamZone who is engaged in attemptingV
(i)aneZin that lonely placeV m'mZunto meV 'haZsaidV
agocara*Zbeyond the range of physical soundV gir'mZ
utterancesV gambh$raZgraveV 1lak.5ay'Zpleasing to hearV
('c'ZwordsV 1!ca*ZgriefV "ra1amayanZmitigatingV i(aZlike.
T-A#SLATIO#
Seeing @y atte@pts in that lonely place, the Personality of
&odhead, Jho is transcendental to all @undane description, spoke
to @e Jith gra'ity and pleasing Jords, /ust to @itigate @y griefH
P8-PO-T
n the /edas it is said that 8od is beyond the approach of
mundane words and intelligence. And yet by His causeless
mercy one can have suitable senses to hear Him or to speak
to Him. This is the EordJs inconceivable energy. 9ne upon
whom His mercy is bestowed can hear Him. The Eord was
much pleased with K"rada Muni, and therefore the
necessary strength was invested in him so that he could
hear the Eord. t is not, however, possible for others to
perceive directly the touch of the Eord during the
probationary stage of regulative devotional service. t was a
special gift for K"rada. When he heard the pleasing words of
the Eord, the feelings of separation were to some e:tent
mitigated. A devotee in love with 8od feels always the pangs
of separation and is therefore always enwrapped in
transcendental ecstasy.
T!T N"
h#TaaiS$ai#$ai#a %a'a#$aa $aa; d3nui$ahah-iTa 9
Ai'PaC'k6=a(aaQaa; dud-!aae-+h; ku6(aaei&a#aa$a2 99 N" 99
hant'smi, )anmani bha('n
m' m'- dra.<!m ih'rhati
a(i"ak(a%ka.'y'5'-
d!rdar1o 2ha- k!yogin'm
S(#O#($S
hantaZ9 K"radaV asminZthisV )anmaniZduration of lifeV
bha('nZyourselfV m'ZnotV m'mZMeV dra.<!mZto seeV ihaZ
hereV arhatiZdeserveV a(i"ak(aZimmatureV ka.'y'5'mZ
material dirtV d!rdar1a*Zdifficult to be seenV ahamZV
k!yogin'mZincomplete in service.
T-A#SLATIO#
O #Lrada Othe Lord spoke3, I regret that during this lifeti@e you
Jill not be able to see $e any@oreH Those Jho are inco@plete in
ser'ice and Jho are not co@pletely free fro@ all @aterial taints can
hardly see $eH
P8-PO-T
The 1ersonality of 8odhead is described in the &haga(ad%g$t'
as the most pure, the $upreme and the Absolute Truth.
There is no trace of a tinge of materiality in His person, and
thus one who has the slightest tinge of material affection
cannot approach Him. The beginning of devotional service
starts from the point when one is freed from at least two
forms of material modes, namely the mode of passion and
the mode of ignorance. The result is e:hibited by the signs of
being freed from k'ma 3lust6 and lobha 3covetousness6. That
is to say, one must be freed from the desires for sense
satisfaction and avarice for sense gratification. The balanced
mode of nature is goodness. And to be completely freed
from all material tinges is to become free from the mode of
goodness also. To search the audience of 8od in a lonely
forest is considered to be in the mode of goodness. 9ne can
go out into the forest to attain spiritual perfection, but that
does not mean that one can see the Eord personally there.
9ne must be completely freed from all material attachment
and be situated on the plane of transcendence, which alone
will help the devotee get in personal touch with the
1ersonality of 8odhead. The best method is that one should
live at a place where the transcendental form of the Eord is
worshiped. The temple of the Eord is a transcendental place,
whereas the forest is a materially good habitation. A
neophyte devotee is always recommended to worship the
7eity of the Eord 3arcan'6 rather than go into the forest to
search out the Eord. 7evotional service begins from the
process of arcan', which is better than going out in the
forest. n his present life, which is completely freed from all
material hankerings, <r= K"rada Muni does not go into the
forest, although he can turn every place into !aikuATha by
his presence only. He travels from one planet to another to
convert men, gods, >innaras, 8andharvas, 4.is, m!nis and
all others to become devotees of the Eord. %y his activities
he has engaged many devotees like 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a,
7hruva Mah"r"2a and many others in the transcendental
service of the Eord. A pure devotee of the Eord, therefore,
follows in the footsteps of the great devotees like K"rada
and 1rahl"da and engages his whole time in glorifying the
Eord by the process of k$rtana. $uch a preaching process is
transcendental to all material (ualities.
T!T NN
Sak:6*d2 di!a-Ta; ~Pa$aeTaTk6a$aa(a Tae+#aga 9
$aTk6a$a0 !a#ak60 Saa>au Sa'a-#$au}iTa 5Cc(aa#a2 99 NN 99
sak4d yad dar1ita- r0"am
etat k'm'ya te 2nagha
mat%k'ma* 1anakai* s'dh!
sar('n m!,cati h4c%chay'n
S(#O#($S
sak4tZonce onlyV yatZthatV dar1itamZshownV r0"amZformV
etatZthis isV k'm'yaZfor hankeringsV teZyourV anaghaZ9
virtuous oneV matZMineV k'ma*ZdesireV 1anakai*Zby
increasingV s'dh!*ZdevoteeV sar('nZallV m!,catiZgives
awayV h4t%1ay'nZmaterial desires.
T-A#SLATIO#
O 'irtuous one, you ha'e only once seen $y person, and this is /ust
to increase your desire for $e, because the @ore you hanker for
$e, the @ore you Jill be freed fro@ all @aterial desiresH
P8-PO-T
A living being cannot be vacant of desires. He is not a dead
stone. He must be working, thinking, feeling and willing. %ut
when he thinks, feels and wills materially, he becomes
entangled, and conversely when he thinks, feels and wills for
the service of the Eord, he becomes gradually freed from all
entanglement. The more a person is engaged in the
transcendental loving service of the Eord, the more he
ac(uires a hankering for it. That is the transcendental nature
of godly service. Material service has satiation, whereas
spiritual service of the Eord has neither satiation nor end.
9ne can go on increasing his hankerings for the loving
transcendental service of the Eord, and yet he will not find
satiation or end. %y intense service of the Eord, one can
e:perience the presence of the Eord transcendentally.
Therefore seeing the Eord means being engaged in His
service because His service and His person are identical. The
sincere devotee should go on with sincere service of the
Eord. The Eord will give proper direction as to how and where
it has to be done. There was no material desire in K"rada,
and yet 2ust to increase his intense desire for the Eord, he
was so advised.
T!T NX
SaTSae'(aad?ga-(aaiPa )aaTaa $ai(a d:ta $aiTa0 9
ihT'a'*i$a$a; lRaek;6 &a#Taa $a#aTaa$aiSa 99 NX 99
sat%se(ay'd$rghay'"i
)'t' mayi d4;h' mati*
hit('(adyam ima- loka-
gant' ma)%)anat'm asi
S(#O#($S
sat%se(ay'Zby service of the Absolute TruthV ad$rghay'Zfor
some daysV a"iZevenV )'t'Zhaving attainedV mayiZunto MeV
d4;h'ZfirmV mati*ZintelligenceV hit('Zhaving given upV
a(adyamZdeplorableV imamZthisV lokamZmaterial worldsV
gant'Zgoing toV mat%)anat'mZMy associatesV asiZbecome.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ky ser'ice of the Absolute Truth, e'en for a feJ days, a de'otee
attains fir@ and fiMed intelligence in $eH Conse?uently he goes on
to beco@e $y associate in the transcendental Jorld after gi'ing up
the present deplorable @aterial JorldsH
P8-PO-T
$erving the Absolute Truth means rendering service unto the
Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead under the direction of the
bona fide spiritual master, who is a transparent via medium
between the Eord and the neophyte devotee. The neophyte
devotee has no ability to approach the Absolute 1ersonality
of 8odhead by the strength of his present imperfect material
senses, and therefore under the direction of the spiritual
master he is trained in transcendental service of the Eord.
And by such training, even for some days, the neophyte
devotee gets intelligence in such transcendental service,
which leads him ultimately to get free from perpetual
inhabitation in the material worlds and to be promoted to the
transcendental world to become one of the liberated
associates of the Eord in the kingdom of 8od.
T!T NZ
$aiTa$a-i(a i#abpe(a; #a i'Pa*eTa k6ih-icTa2 9
PaO)aaSa&a-i#arae>ae+iPa S$a:iTa, $ad#au&a3haTa2 99 NZ 99
matir mayi nibaddheya-
na (i"adyeta karhicit
"ra)'%sarga%nirodhe 2"i
sm4ti1 ca mad%an!grah't
S(#O#($S
mati*ZintelligenceV mayiZdevoted to MeV nibaddh'Z
engagedV iyamZthisV naZneverV (i"adyetaZseparateV karhicit
Zat any timeV "ra)'Zliving beingsV sargaZat the time of
creationV nirodheZalso at the time of annihilationV a"iZevenV
sm4ti*ZremembranceV caZandV matZMineV an!grah'tZby
the mercy of.
T-A#SLATIO#
Intelligence engaged in $y de'otion cannot be thJarted at any
ti@eH 'en at the ti@e of creation, as Jell as at the ti@e of
annihilation, your re@e@brance Jill continue by $y @ercyH
P8-PO-T
7evotional service rendered to the 1ersonality of 8odhead
never goes in vain. $ince the 1ersonality of 8odhead is
eternal, intelligence applied in His service or anything done
in His relation is also permanent. n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is
said that such transcendental service rendered unto the
1ersonality of 8odhead accumulates birth after birth, and
when the devotee is fully matured, the total service counted
together makes him eligible to enter into the association of
the 1ersonality of 8odhead. $uch accumulation of 8odJs
service is never van(uished, but increases till fully matured.
T!T N[
VTaa'du6aeParra$a Ta#$ahd2
%a8Ta; #a%aaeilRl$ailRl$a?Tr$a2 9
Ah; c TaS$a $ahTaa; $ah?(aSae
!a?.Qaa-'#aa$a; i'd>ae+#auk6i$PaTa0 99 N[ 99
et'(ad !kt(o"arar'ma tan mahad
bh0ta- nabho%li3gam ali3gam $1(aram
aha- ca tasmai mahat'- mah$yase
1$r.5'(an'ma- (idadhe 2n!kam"ita*
S(#O#($S
et'(atZthusV !kt('ZspokenV !"arar'maZstoppedV tatZthatV
mahatZgreatV bh0tamZwonderfulV nabha*%li3gamZpersonified
by soundV ali3gamZunseen by the eyesV $1(aramZthe
supreme authorityV ahamZV caZalsoV tasmaiZunto HimV
mahat'mZthe greatV mah$yaseZunto the glorifiedV 1$r.5'Zby
the headV a(an'mamZobeisancesV (idadheZe:ecutedV
an!kam"ita*Zbeing favored by Him.
T-A#SLATIO#
Then that supre@e authority, personified by sound and unseen by
eyes, but @ost Jonderful, stopped speakingH Feeling a sense of
gratitude, I offered @y obeisances unto Ii@, boJing @y headH
P8-PO-T
That the 1ersonality of 8odhead was not seen but only heard
does not make any difference. The 1ersonality of 8odhead
produced the four /edas by His breathing, and He is seen
and reali)ed through the transcendental sound of the /edas.
$imilarly, the &haga(ad%g$t' is the sound representation of
the Eord, and there is no difference in identity. The
conclusion is that the Eord can be seen and heard by
persistent chanting of the transcendental sound.
T!T N\
#aa$aa#(a#a#TaS(a hTa<aPa0 Pau#a2
&au7ai#a %ad3aiQa k:6Taai#a c S$ar#a2 9
&aa; Pa(a-1;uSTaun$a#aa &aTaSPa:h0
k6al;R PaOTa?Ua#a2 i'$adae i'$aTSar0 99 N\ 99
n'm'ny anantasya hata%tra"a* "a<han
g!hy'ni bhadr'5i k4t'ni ca smaran
g'- "arya<a-s t!.<a%man' gata%s"4ha*
k'la- "rat$k.an (imado (imatsara*
S(#O#($S
n'm'niZthe holy name, fame, etc.V anantasyaZof the
unlimitedV hata%tra"a*Zbeing freed from all formalities of the
material worldV "a<hanZby recitation, repeated reading, etc.V
g!hy'niZmysteriousV bhadr'5iZall benedictoryV k4t'niZ
activitiesV caZandV smaranZconstantly rememberingV g'mZ
on the earthV "arya<anZtraveling all throughV t!.<a%man'*Z
fully satisfiedV gata%s"4ha*Zcompletely freed from all
material desiresV k'lamZtimeV "rat$k.anZawaitingV (imada*
Zwithout being proudV (imatsara*Zwithout being envious.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus I began chanting the holy na@e and fa@e of the Lord by
repeated recitation, ignoring all the for@alities of the @aterial
JorldH Such chanting and re@e@bering of the transcendental
pasti@es of the Lord are benedictoryH So doing, I tra'eled all o'er
the earth, fully satisfied, hu@ble and unen'iousH
P8-PO-T
The life of a sincere devotee of the Eord is thus e:plained in
a nutshell by K"rada Muni by his personal e:ample. $uch a
devotee, after his initiation by the Eord or His bona fide
representative, takes very seriously chanting of the glories
of the Eord and traveling all over the world so that others
may also hear the glories of the Eord. $uch devotees have no
desire for material gain. They are conducted by one single
desireC to go back to 8odhead. This awaits them in due
course on (uitting the material body. %ecause they have the
highest aim of life, going back to 8odhead, they are never
envious of anyone, nor are they proud of being eligible to go
back to 8odhead. Their only business is to chant and
remember the holy name, fame and pastimes of the Eord
and, according to personal capacity, to distribute the
message for othersJ welfare without motive of material gain.
T!T N]
V'; k:6.Qa$aTaeb3-4kaSav6S(aa$alRaT$a#a0 9
k6alR0 PaOadur%a8Tk6aleR TaioTSaada$a#a? (aQaa 99 N] 99
e(a- k4.5a%mater brahman
n'saktasy'mal'tmana*
k'la* "r'd!rabh0t k'le
ta;it sa!d'man$ yath'
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV k4.5a%mate*Zone who is fully absorbed in
thinking of >?@AaV brahmanZ9 !y"sadevaV naZnotV
'saktasyaZof one who is attachedV amala%'tmana*Zof one
who is completely free from all material dirtV k'la*ZdeathV
"r'd!rabh0tZbecome visibleV k'leZin the course of timeV
ta;itZlightningV sa!d'man$ZilluminatingV yath'Zas it is.
T-A#SLATIO#
And so, O KrLh@aFa GyLsade'a, in due course of ti@e I, Jho Jas
fully absorbed in thinking of CDEFa and Jho therefore had no
attach@ents, being co@pletely freed fro@ all @aterial taints, @et
Jith death, as lightning and illu@ination occur si@ultaneouslyH
P8-PO-T
To be fully absorbed in the thought of >?@Aa means
clearance of material dirts or hankerings. As a very rich man
has no hankerings for small petty things, so also a devotee
of Eord >?@Aa, who is guaranteed to pass on to the kingdom
of 8od, where life is eternal, fully cogni)ant and blissful,
naturally has no hankerings for petty material things, which
are like dolls or shadows of the reality and are without
permanent value. That is the sign of spiritually enriched
persons. And in due course of time, when a pure devotee is
completely prepared, all of a sudden the change of body
occurs which is commonly called death. And for the pure
devotee such a change takes place e:actly like lightning,
and illumination follows simultaneously. That is to say a
devotee simultaneously changes his material body and
develops a spiritual body by the will of the $upreme. ;ven
before death, a pure devotee has no material affection, due
to his bodyJs being spirituali)ed like a red'hot iron in contact
with fire.
T!T N^
PaO(au)(a$aa#ae $ai(a Taa; Bupa; %aa&a'Ta?; Ta#au$a2 9
AarK>ak6$a-i#a'a-Qaae #(aPaTaTa2 Paa}%aaiTak60 99 N^ 99
"ray!)yam'ne mayi t'-
1!ddh'- bh'ga(at$- tan!m
'rabdha%karma%nir('5o
nya"atat "',ca%bha!tika*
S(#O#($S
"ray!)yam'neZhaving been awardedV mayiZon meV t'mZ
thatV 1!ddh'mZtranscendentalV bh'ga(at$mZfit for
associating with the 1ersonality of 8odheadV tan!mZbodyV
'rabdhaZac(uiredV karmaZfruitive workV nir('5a*Z
prohibitiveV nya"atatZ(uitV "',ca%bha!tika*Zbody made of
five material elements.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ia'ing been aJarded a transcendental body befitting an associate
of the Personality of &odhead, I ?uit the body @ade of fi'e @aterial
ele@ents, and thus all ac?uired fruiti'e results of Jork Okar@a3
stoppedH
P8-PO-T
nformed by the 1ersonality of 8odhead that he would be
awarded a transcendental body befitting the EordJs
association, K"rada got his spiritual body as soon as he
(uitted his material body. This transcendental body is free
from material affinity and invested with three primary
transcendental (ualities, namely eternity, freedom from
material modes, and freedom from reactions of fruitive
activities. The material body is always afflicted with the lack
of these three (ualities. A devoteeJs body becomes at once
surcharged with the transcendental (ualities as soon as he is
engaged in the devotional service of the Eord. t acts like the
magnetic influence of a touchstone upon iron. The influence
of transcendental devotional service is like that. Therefore
change of the body means stoppage of the reaction of three
(ualitative modes of material nature upon the pure devotee.
There are many instances of this in the revealed scriptures.
7hruva Mah"r"2a and 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a and many other
devotees were able to see the 1ersonality of 8odhead face
to face apparently in the same body. This means that the
(uality of a devoteeJs body changes from material to
transcendence. That is the opinion of the authori)ed
8osv"m=s via the authentic scriptures. n the &rahma%sa-hit'
it is said that beginning from the indra%go"a germ up to the
great ndra, >ing of heaven, all living beings are sub2ected to
the law of karma and are bound to suffer and en2oy the
fruitive results of their own work. 9nly the devotee is e:empt
from such reactions, by the causeless mercy of the supreme
authority, the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T!T N_
k6LPaa#Ta Jd$aada(a !a(aa#ae+$%aS(aud#'Ta0 9
i!a!ai(a=aer#auPaOaQa; i'i'!ae+#Tarh; i'%aae0 99 N_ 99
kal"'nta idam 'd'ya
1ay'ne 2mbhasy !dan(ata*
1i1ayi.or an!"r'5a-
(i(i1e 2ntar aha- (ibho*
S(#O#($S
kal"a%anteZat the end of %rahm"Js dayV idamZthisV 'd'yaZ
taking togetherV 1ay'neZhaving gone to lie downV ambhasiZ
in the causal waterV !dan(ata*ZdevastationV 1i1ayi.o*Zlying
of the 1ersonality of 8odhead 3K"r"yaAa6V an!"r'5amZ
breathingV (i(i1eZentered intoV anta*ZwithinV ahamZV
(ibho*Zof Eord %rahm".
T-A#SLATIO#
At the end of the @illenniu@, Jhen the Personality of &odhead
Lord #LrLyaFa lay doJn Jithin the Jater of de'astation, Krah@L
began to enter into Ii@ along Jith all creati'e ele@ents, and I also
entered through Iis breathingH
P8-PO-T
K"rada is known as the son of %rahm", as Eord >?@Aa is
known as the son of !asudeva. The 1ersonality of 8odhead
and His liberated devotees like K"rada appear in the
material world by the same process. As it is said in the
&haga(ad%g$t', the birth and activities of the Eord are all
transcendental. Therefore, according to authori)ed opinion,
the birth of K"rada as the son of %rahm" is also a
transcendental pastime. His appearance and disappearance
are practically on the same level as that of the Eord. The
Eord and His devotees are therefore simultaneously one and
different as spiritual entities. They belong to the same
category of transcendence.
T!T X`
Sahb(au&aPa(a-#Tae oTQaa(aed; iSaSa:UaTa0 9
$ar?ici$aBOa a=(a0 PaOaQae%(aae+h; c )ai/re 99 X` 99
sahasra%y!ga%"aryante
!tth'yeda- sis4k.ata*
mar$ci%mi1r' 4.aya*
"r'5ebhyo 2ha- ca )a),ire
S(#O#($S
sahasraZone thousandV y!gaZM,\NN,NNN yearsV "aryanteZat
the end of the durationV !tth'yaZhaving e:piredV idamZthisV
sis4k.ata*Zdesired to create againV mar$ci%mi1r'*Z4.is like
Mar=ciV 4.aya*Zall the 4.isC "r'5ebhya*Zout of His sensesV
ahamZV caZalsoV )a),ireZappeared.
T-A#SLATIO#
After Z,X``,```,``` solar years, Jhen Krah@L aJoke to create
again by the Jill of the Lord, all the DEis like $arBci, ATgirL, Atri
and so on Jere created fro@ the transcendental body of the Lord,
and I also appeared along Jith the@H
P8-PO-T
The duration of a day in the life of %rahm" is M,\GN,NNN,NNN
solar years. This is stated also in the &haga(ad%g$t'. $o for
this period %rahm"2= rests in yoga%nidr' within the body of
the 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au, the generator of %rahm". Thus
after the sleeping period of %rahm", when there is again
creation by the will of the Eord through the agency of
%rahm", all the great 4.is again appear from different parts
of the transcendental body, and K"rada also appears. This
means that K"rada appears in the same transcendental
body, 2ust as a man awakes from sleep in the same body.
<r= K"rada is eternally free to move in all parts of the
transcendental and material creations of the Almighty. He
appears and disappears in his own transcendental body,
which is without distinction of body and soul, unlike
conditioned beings.
T!T X"
A#Tab-ih, lRaek6a;E?#a2 Pa(ae-$(aSk6i#dTa'3Ta0 9
A#au&a3ha#$ahai'.Qaaeri'gaaTa&aiTa0 C'icTa2 99 X" 99
antar bahi1 ca lok'-s tr$n
"aryemy askandita%(rata*
an!grah'n mah'%(i.5or
a(igh'ta%gati* k(acit
S(#O#($S
anta*Zin the transcendental worldV bahi*Zin the material
worldV caZandV lok'nZplanetsV tr$nZthree 3divisions6V
"aryemiZtravelV askanditaZunbrokenV (rata*ZvowV an!grah't
Zby the causeless mercyV mah'%(i.5o*Zof the Mah"'!i@Au
3>"raAodakaP"y= !i@Au6V a(igh'taZwithout restrictionV gati*
ZentranceV k(acitZat any time.
T-A#SLATIO#
Since then, by the grace of the al@ighty GiEFu, I tra'el e'eryJhere
Jithout restriction both in the transcendental Jorld and in the
three di'isions of the @aterial JorldH This is because I a@ fiMed in
unbroken de'otional ser'ice of the LordH
P8-PO-T
As stated in the &haga(ad%g$t', there are three divisions of
the material spheres, namely the 0rdh(a%loka 3topmost
planets6, madhya%loka 3midway planets6 and adho%loka
3downward planets6. %eyond the 0rdh(a%loka planets, that is
to say above the %rahmaloka, are the material coverings of
the universes, and above that is the spiritual sky, which is
unlimited in e:pansion, containing unlimited self'illuminated
!aikuATha planets inhabited by 8od Himself along with His
associates, who are all eternally liberated living entities. <r=
K"rada Muni could enter all these planets in both the
material and spiritual spheres without restriction, as much as
the almighty Eord is free to move personally in any part of
His creation. n the material world the living beings are
influenced by the three material modes of nature, namely
goodness, passion and ignorance. %ut <r= K"rada Muni is
transcendental to all these material modes, and thus he can
travel everywhere unrestricted. He is a liberated spaceman.
The causeless mercy of Eord !i@Au is unparalleled, and such
mercy is perceived by the devotees only by the grace of the
Eord. Therefore, the devotees never fall down, but the
materialists, i.e., the fruitive workers and the speculative
philosophers, do fall down, being forced by their respective
modes of nature. The 4.is, as above mentioned, cannot
enter into the transcendental world like K"rada. This fact is
disclosed in the Narasi-ha !r'5a. O.is like Mar=ci are
authorities in fruitive work, and 4.is like $anaka and
$an"tana are authorities in philosophical speculations. %ut
<r= K"rada Muni is the prime authority for transcendental
devotional service of the Eord. All the great authorities in the
devotional service of the Eord follow in the footsteps of
K"rada Muni in the order of the N'rada%bhakti%s0tra, and
therefore all the devotees of the Eord are unhesitatingly
(ualified to enter into the kingdom of 8od, !aikuATha.
T!T XN
de'dtaai$a$aa; '?Qaa; S'rb34i'%a8i=Taa$a2 9
$a8Cc-i(aT'a hirk6Qaa; &aa(a$aa#a,ra$(ah$a2 99 XN 99
de(a%datt'm im'- ($5'-
s(ara%brahma%(ibh0.it'm
m0rcchayit(' hari%kath'-
g'yam'na1 car'my aham
S(#O#($S
de(aZthe $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead 3<r= >?@Aa6V
datt'mZgifted byV im'mZthisV ($5'mZa musical stringed
instrumentV s(araZsinging meterV brahmaZtranscendentalV
(ibh0.it'mZdecorated withV m0rcchayit('ZvibratingV hari%
kath'mZtranscendental messageV g'yam'na*Zsinging
constantlyV car'miZdo moveV ahamZ.
T-A#SLATIO#
And thus I tra'el, constantly singing the transcendental @essage
of the glories of the Lord, 'ibrating this instru@ent called a 'BFL,
Jhich is charged Jith transcendental sound and Jhich Jas gi'en
to @e by Lord CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
The musical stringed instrument called the ($5', which was
handed to K"rada by Eord <r= >?@Aa, is described in the
:i3ga !r'5a, and this is confirmed by <r=la O=va 8osv"m=.
This transcendental instrument is identical with Eord <r=
>?@Aa and K"rada because all of them are of the same
transcendental category. $ound vibrated by the instrument
cannot be material, and therefore the glories and pastimes
which are broadcast by the instrument of K"rada are also
transcendental, without a tinge of material inebriety. The
seven singing meters, namely .a 3.a;)a6, 4 34.abha6, g'
3g'ndh'ra6, ma 3madhyama6, "a 3"a,cama6, dha 3dhai(ata6 and
ni 3ni.'da6, are also transcendental and specifically meant
for transcendental songs. As a pure devotee of the Eord, <r=
K"radadeva is always fulfilling his obligation to the Eord for
His gift of the instrument, and thus he is always engaged in
singing His transcendental glories and is therefore infallible
in his e:alted position. Hollowing in the footsteps of <r=la
K"rada Muni, a self'reali)ed soul in the material world should
also properly use the sound meters, namely .a, 4, g', m',
etc., in the service of the Eord by constantly singing the
glories of the Eord, as confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t'.
T!T XX
PaO&aa(aTa0 S''?(aa-iQa Ta?Qa-Paad0 iPaO(aBO'a0 9
Aah8Ta J' $ae !a?ga3; d!a-#a; (aaiTa ceTaiSa 99 XX 99
"rag'yata* s(a%($ry'5i
t$rtha%"'da* "riya%1ra('*
'h0ta i(a me 1$ghra-
dar1ana- y'ti cetasi
S(#O#($S
"rag'yata*Zthus singingV s(a%($ry'5iZown activitiesV t$rtha%
"'da*Zthe Eord, whose lotus feet are the source of all
virtues or holinessV "riya%1ra('*Zpleasing to hearV 'h0ta*Z
called forV i(aZ2ust likeV meZto meV 1$ghramZvery soonV
dar1anamZsightV y'tiZappearsV cetasiZon the seat of the
heart.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Supre@e Lord ArB CDEFa, Jhose glories and acti'ities are
pleasing to hear, at once appears on the seat of @y heart, as if
called for, as soon as I begin to chant Iis holy acti'itiesH
P8-PO-T
The Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead is not different from His
transcendental name, form, pastimes and the sound
vibrations thereof. As soon as a pure devotee engages
himself in the pure devotional service of hearing, chanting
and remembering the name, fame and activities of the Eord,
at once He becomes visible to the transcendental eyes of the
pure devotee by reflecting Himself on the mirror of the heart
by spiritual television. Therefore a pure devotee who is
related with the Eord in loving transcendental service can
e:perience the presence of the Eord at every moment. t is a
natural psychology in every individual case that a person
likes to hear and en2oy his personal glories enumerated by
others. That is a natural instinct, and the Eord, being also an
individual personality like others, is not an e:ception to this
psychology because psychological characteristics visible in
the individual souls are but reflections of the same
psychology in the Absolute Eord. The only difference is that
the Eord is the greatest personality of all and absolute in all
His affairs. f, therefore, the Eord is attracted by the pure
devoteeJs chanting of His glories, there is nothing
astonishing. $ince He is absolute, He can appear Himself in
the picture of His glorification, the two things being identical.
<r=la K"rada chants the glorification of the Eord not for his
personal benefit but because the glorifications are identical
with the Eord. K"rada Muni penetrates into the presence of
the Eord by the transcendental chanting.
T!T XZ
VTapyaTaurictaa#aa; $aa<aaSPa!ae-Cc(aa $auhu0 9
%a'iSa#>au'ae d:nae hirc(aa-#au'Qa-#a$a2 99 XZ 99
etad dhy 't!ra%citt'n'-
m'tr'%s"ar1ecchay' m!h!*
bha(a%sindh!%"la(o d4.<o
hari%cary'n!(ar5anam
S(#O#($S
etatZthisV hiZcertainlyV 't!ra%citt'n'mZof those whose
minds are always full of cares and an:ietiesV m'tr'Zob2ects
of sense en2oymentV s"ar1aZsensesV icchay'Zby desiresV
m!h!*ZalwaysV bha(a%sindh!Zthe ocean of nescienceV "la(a*
ZboatV d4.<a*Ze:periencedV hari%caryaZactivities of Hari,
the 1ersonality of 8odheadV an!(ar5anamZconstant
recitation.
T-A#SLATIO#
It is personally eMperienced by @e that those Jho are alJays full of
cares and anMieties due to desiring contact of the senses Jith their
ob/ects can cross the ocean of nescience on a @ost suitable boat
the constant chanting of the transcendental acti'ities of the
Personality of &odheadH
P8-PO-T
The symptom of a living being is that he cannot remain
silent even for some time. He must be doing something,
thinking of something or talking about something. 8enerally
the materialistic men think and discuss about sub2ects which
satisfy their senses. %ut as these things are e:ercised under
the influence of the e:ternal, illusory energy, such sensual
activities do not actually give them any satisfaction. 9n the
contrary, they become full with cares and an:ieties. This is
called m'y', or what is not. That which cannot give them
satisfaction is accepted as an ob2ect for satisfaction. $o
K"rada Muni, by his personal e:perience, says that
satisfaction for such frustrated beings engaged in sense
gratification is to chant always the activities of the Eord. The
point is that the sub2ect matter only should be changed. Ko
one can check the thinking activities of a living being, nor
the feeling, willing or working processes. %ut if one wants
actual happiness, one must change the sub2ect matter only.
nstead of talking of the politics of a dying man, one might
discuss the politics administered by the Eord Himself.
nstead of relishing activities of the cinema artists, one can
turn his attention to the activities of the Eord with His eternal
associates like the go"$s and Eak@m=s. The almighty
1ersonality of 8odhead, by His causeless mercy, descends
on the earth and manifests activities almost on the line of
the worldly men, but at the same time e:traordinarily,
because He is almighty. He does so for the benefit of all
conditioned souls so that they can turn their attention to
transcendence. %y doing so, the conditioned soul will
gradually be promoted to the transcendental position and
easily cross the ocean of nescience, the source of all
miseries. This is stated from personal e:perience by such an
authority as <r= K"rada Muni. And we can have the same
e:perience also if we begin to follow in the footsteps of the
great sage, the dearmost devotee of the Eord.
T!T X[
(a$aaidi%a(aae-&aPaQa0 k6a$alRae%ahTaae $auhu0 9
$auku6#dSae'(aa (ajtaQaaT$aapa #a !aa$(aiTa 99 X[ 99
yam'dibhir yoga%"athai*
k'ma%lobha%hato m!h!*
m!k!nda%se(ay' yad(at
tath'tm'ddh' na 1'myati
S(#O#($S
yama%'dibhi*Zby the process of practicing self'restraintV
yoga%"athai*Zby the system of yoga 3mystic bodily power to
attain the godly stage6V k'maZdesires for sense satisfactionV
lobhaZlust for satisfaction of the sensesV hata*ZcurbedV
m!h!*ZalwaysV m!k!ndaZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV
se(ay'Zby the service ofV yad(atZas it isV tath'Zlike thatV
'tm'Zthe soulV addh'Zfor all practical purposesV naZdoes
notV 1'myatiZbe satisfied.
T-A#SLATIO#
It is true that by practicing restraint of the senses by the yoga
syste@ one can get relief fro@ the disturbances of desire and lust,
but this is not sufficient to gi'e satisfaction to the soul, for this
Osatisfaction3 is deri'ed fro@ de'otional ser'ice to the Personality
of &odheadH
P8-PO-T
Yoga aims at controlling the senses. %y practice of the
mystic process of bodily e:ercise in sitting, thinking, feeling,
willing, concentrating, meditating and at last being merged
into transcendence, one can control the senses. The senses
are considered like venomous serpents, and the yoga system
is 2ust to control them. 9n the other hand, K"rada Muni
recommends another method for controlling the senses in
the transcendental loving service of Mukunda, the
1ersonality of 8odhead. %y his e:perience he says that
devotional service to the Eord is more effective and practical
than the system of artificially controlling the senses. n the
service of the Eord Mukunda, the senses are
transcendentally engaged. Thus there is no chance of their
being engaged in sense satisfaction. The senses want some
engagement. To check them artificially is no check at all
because as soon as there is some opportunity for en2oyment,
the serpentlike senses will certainly take advantage of it.
There are many such instances in history, 2ust like
!iPv"mitra MuniJs falling a victim to the beauty of Menak".
%ut Sh"kura Harid"sa was allured at midnight by the well'
dressed M"y", and still she could not induce that great
devotee into her trap.
The whole idea is that without devotional service of the Eord,
neither the yoga system nor dry philosophical speculation
can ever become successful. 1ure devotional service of the
Eord, without being tinged with fruitive work, mystic yoga or
speculative philosophy, is the foremost procedure to attain
self'reali)ation. $uch pure devotional service is
transcendental in nature, and the systems of yoga and ),'na
are subordinate to such a process. When the transcendental
devotional service is mi:ed with a subordinate process, it is
no longer transcendental but is called mi:ed devotional
service. <r=la !y"sadeva, the author of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam,
will gradually develop all these different systems of
transcendental reali)ation in the te:t.
T!T X\
Sa'g Taidd$aae(aaTa; (aTPa:nae+h; T'(aa#aga 9
)a#$ak6$a-rhS(a; $ae %a'Ta,aT$aTaae=Qa$a2 99 X\ 99
sar(a- tad idam 'khy'ta-
yat "4.<o 2ha- t(ay'nagha
)anma%karma%rahasya- me
bha(ata1 c'tma%to.a5am
S(#O#($S
sar(amZallV tatZthatV idamZthisV 'khy'tamZdescribedV yatZ
whateverV "4.<a*Zasked byV ahamZmeV t(ay'Zby youV
anaghaZwithout any sinsV )anmaZbirthV karmaZactivitiesV
rahasyamZmysteriesV meZmineV bha(ata*ZyourV caZandV
'tmaZselfV to.a5amZsatisfaction.
T-A#SLATIO#
O GyLsade'a, you are freed fro@ all sinsH Thus I ha'e eMplained @y
birth and acti'ities for self6reali=ation, as you askedH All this Jill be
conduci'e for your personal satisfaction alsoH
P8-PO-T
The process of devotional activities from the beginning to
the stage of transcendence is all duly e:plained to satisfy
the in(uiries of !y"sadeva. He has e:plained how the seeds
of devotional service were sown by transcendental
association and how they gradually developed by hearing
the sages. The result of such hearing is detachment from
worldliness, so much so that even a small boy could receive
the death news of his mother, who was his only caretaker, as
the blessing of 8od. And at once he took the opportunity to
search out the Eord. A sincere urge for having an interview
with the Eord was also granted to him, although it is not
possible for anyone to see the Eord with mundane eyes. He
also e:plained how by e:ecution of pure transcendental
service one can get rid of the fruitive action of accumulated
work and how he transformed his material body into a
spiritual one. The spiritual body is alone able to enter into
the spiritual realm of the Eord, and no one but a pure
devotee is eligible to enter into the kingdom of 8od. All the
mysteries of transcendental reali)ation are duly e:perienced
by K"rada Muni himself, and therefore by hearing such an
authority one can have some idea of the results of
devotional life, which are hardly delineated even in the
original te:ts of the /edas. n the /edas and 7"ani.ads there
are only indirect hints to all this. Kothing is directly
e:plained there, and therefore #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the
mature fruit of all the !edic trees of literatures.
T!T X]
Sa8Ta o'ac
V'; Sa$%aa.(a %a&a'akardae 'aSa'?SauTa$a2 9
Aa$a#<(a '?Qaa; rQa(a#a2 (a(aa (aad:iCck6ae $aui#a0 99 X]
99
s0ta !('ca
e(a- sambh'.ya bhaga('n
n'rado ('sa($%s!tam
'mantrya ($5'- ra5ayan
yaya! y'd4cchiko m!ni*
S(#O#($S
s0ta*Z$Lta 8osv"m=V !('caZsaidV e(amZthusV sambh'.yaZ
addressingV bhaga('nZtranscendentally powerfulV n'rada*Z
K"rada MuniV ('sa($Znamed !"sav= 3$atyavat=6V s!tamZ
sonV 'mantryaZinvitingV ($5'mZinstrumentV ra5ayanZ
vibratingV yaya!ZwentV y'd4cchika*Zwherever willingV m!ni*
Zthe sage.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Thus addressing GyLsade'a, ArBla #Lrada
$uni took lea'e of hi@, and 'ibrating on his 'BFL instru@ent, he
left to Jander at his free JillH
P8-PO-T
;very living being is an:ious for full freedom because that is
his transcendental nature. And this freedom is obtained only
through the transcendental service of the Eord. llusioned by
the e:ternal energy, everyone thinks that he is free, but
actually he is bound up by the laws of nature. A conditioned
soul cannot freely move from one place to another even on
this earth, and what to speak of one planet to another. %ut a
full'fledged free soul like K"rada, always engaged in
chanting the EordJs glory, is free to move not only on earth
but also in any part of the universe, as well as in any part of
the spiritual sky. We can 2ust imagine the e:tent and
unlimitedness of his freedom, which is as good as that of the
$upreme Eord. There is no reason or obligation for his
traveling, and no one can stop him from his free movement.
$imilarly, the transcendental system of devotional service is
also free. t may or may not develop in a particular person
even after he undergoes all the detailed formulas. $imilarly,
the association of the devotee is also free. 9ne may be
fortunate to have it, or one may not have it even after
thousands of endeavors. Therefore, in all spheres of
devotional service, freedom is the main pivot. Without
freedom there is no e:ecution of devotional service. The
freedom surrendered to the Eord does not mean that the
devotee becomes dependent in every respect. To surrender
unto the Eord through the transparent medium of the
spiritual master is to attain complete freedom of life.
T!T X^
Ahae de'i=->a-#(aae+(a; (aTk6IiTag !aal->a#'#a0 9
&aa(a#$aa*ikd; Ta#<(aa r$a(aT(aaTaur; )a&aTa2 99 X^ 99
aho de(ar.ir dhanyo 2ya-
yat%k$rti- 1'r3gadhan(ana*
g'yan m'dyann ida- tantry'
ramayaty 't!ra- )agat
S(#O#($S
ahoZall glory toV de(ar.i*Zthe sage of the godsV dhanya*Zall
successV ayam yatZone whoV k$rtimZgloriesV 1'r3ga%
dhan(ana*Zof the 1ersonality of 8odheadV g'yanZsingingV
m'dyanZtaking pleasure inV idamZthisV tantry'Zby means of
the instrumentV ramayatiZenlivensV 't!ramZdistressedV )agat
Zworld.
T-A#SLATIO#
All glory and success to ArBla #Lrada $uni because he glorifies
the acti'ities of the Personality of &odhead, and so doing he
hi@self takes pleasure and also enli'ens all the distressed souls of
the uni'erseH
P8-PO-T
<r= K"rada Muni plays on his instrument to glorify the
transcendental activities of the Eord and to give relief to all
miserable living entities of the universe. Ko one is happy
here within the universe, and what is felt as happiness is
m'y'2s illusion. The illusory energy of the Eord is so strong
that even the hog who lives on filthy stool feels happy. Ko
one can be truly happy within the material world. <r=la
K"rada Muni, in order to enlighten the miserable inhabitants,
wanders everywhere. His mission is to get them back home,
back to 8odhead. That is the mission of all genuine devotees
of the Eord following the footsteps of that great sage.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto, Si?th
9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled K9on(ersation
&etween N'rada and /y'sa.M
Chapter Se'en
The Son of >roFa Punished
T!T "
!aa#ak6 o'ac
i#a&a-Tae #aarde Sa8Ta %a&a'a#a2 badra(aQa0 9
BOuTa'a;STadi%aPaOeTa; TaTa0 ik6$ak6raeij%au0 99 " 99
1a!naka !('ca
nirgate n'rade s0ta
1r!ta('-s tad%abhi"reta-
tata* kim akarod (ibh!*
S(#O#($S
1a!naka*Z<r= <aunakaV !('caZsaidV nirgateZhaving goneV
n'radeZK"rada MuniV s0taZ9 $LtaV bhaga('nZthe
transcendentally powerfulV b'dar'ya5a*Z!edavy"saV
1r!ta('nZwho heardV tatZhisV abhi"retamZdesire of the
mindV tata*ZthereafterV kimZwhatV akarotZdid he doV (ibh!*
Zthe great.
T-A#SLATIO#
iEi Aaunaka askede O Sdta, the great and transcendentally
poJerful GyLsade'a heard e'erything fro@ ArB #Lrada $uniH So
after #Lradars departure, Jhat did GyLsade'a doW
P8-PO-T
n this chapter the clue for describing #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is
picked up as Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is miraculously saved in the
womb of his mother. This was caused by 7rauAi
3APvatth"m"6, Wc"rya 7roAaJs son, who killed the five sons
of 7raupad= while they were asleep, for which he was
punished by Ar2una. %efore commencing the great epic
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, <r= !y"sadeva reali)ed the whole truth
by trance in devotion.
T!T N
Sa8Ta o'ac
b34#a*a; SarS'T(aa$aaBO$a0 Pai,$ae Ta1eu 9
!a$(aaPaOaSa JiTa PaOaev6 a=?Qaa; Sa<a'>a-#a0 99 N 99
s0ta !('ca
brahma%nady'- saras(aty'm
'1rama* "a1cime ta<e
1amy'"r'sa iti "rokta
4.$5'- satra%(ardhana*
S(#O#($S
s0ta*Z<r= $LtaV !('caZsaidV brahma%nady'mZon the bank of
the river intimately related with /edas, br'hma5as, saints,
and the EordV saras(aty'mZ$arasvat=V '1rama*Zcottage for
meditationV "a1cimeZon the westV ta<eZbankV 1amy'"r'sa*Z
the place named <amy"pr"saV itiZthusV "rokta*Zsaid to beV
4.$5'mZof the sagesV satra%(ardhana*Zthat which enlivens
activities.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta saide On the Jestern bank of the -i'er Saras'atB, Jhich is
inti@ately related Jith the Gedas, there is a cottage for @editation
at Aa@yLprLsa Jhich enli'ens the transcendental acti'ities of the
sagesH
P8-PO-T
Hor spiritual advancement of knowledge a suitable place and
atmosphere are definitely re(uired. The place on the
western bank of the $arasvat= is especially suitable for this
purpose. And there is the '1rama of !y"sadeva at
<amy"pr"sa. <r=la !y"sadeva was a householder, yet his
residential place is called an '1rama. An '1rama is a place
where spiritual culture is always foremost. t does not matter
whether the place belongs to a householder or a mendicant.
The whole (ar5'1rama system is so designed that each and
every status of life is called an '1rama. This means that
spiritual culture is the common factor for all. The
brahmac'r$s, the g4hasthas, the ('na"rasthas and the
sanny's$s all belong to the same mission of life, namely,
reali)ation of the $upreme. Therefore none of them are less
important as far as spiritual culture is concerned. The
difference is a matter of formality on the strength of
renunciation. The sanny's$s are held in high estimation on
the strength of practical renunciation.
T!T X
TaiS$a#a2 S' AaBO$ae G(aaSaae bdr?=Qo$aiQoTae 9
AaSa?#aae+Pa oPaSPa:!(a PaOiQad>(aa $a#a0 S'(a$a2 99 X 99
tasmin s(a '1rame (y'so
badar$%.a5;a%ma5;ite
's$no 2"a !"as"41ya
"ra5idadhya! mana* s(ayam
S(#O#($S
tasminZin that 3'1rama6V s(eZownV '1rameZin the cottageV
(y'sa*Z!y"sadevaV badar$ZberryV .a5;aZtreesV ma5;iteZ
surrounded byV 's$na*ZsittingV a"a* !"as"41yaZtouching
waterV "ra5idadhya!ZconcentratedV mana*Zthe mindV
s(ayamZhimself.
T-A#SLATIO#
In that place, ArBla GyLsade'a, in his oJn Lwra@a, Jhich Jas
surrounded by berry trees, sat doJn to @editate after touching
Jater for purificationH
P8-PO-T
Rnder instructions of his spiritual master <r=la K"rada Muni,
!y"sadeva concentrated his mind in that transcendental
place of meditation.
T!T Z
%aiv6(aae&ae#a $a#aiSa Sa$(ak26 PaOiQaihTae+$aleR 9
APa!(aTPauD=; Pa8Qag $aa(aa; c TadPaaBO(a$a2 99 Z 99
bhakti%yogena manasi
samyak "ra5ihite 2male
a"a1yat "!r!.a- "0r5a-
m'y'- ca tad%a"'1rayam
S(#O#($S
bhaktiZdevotional serviceV yogenaZby the process of linking
upV manasiZupon the mindV samyakZperfectlyV "ra5ihiteZ
engaged in and fi:ed uponV amaleZwithout any matterV
a"a1yatZsawV "!r!.amZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV "0r5am
ZabsoluteV m'y'mZenergyV caZalsoV tatZHisV a"'1rayamZ
under full control.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus he fiMed his @ind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in
de'otional ser'ice Obhakti6yoga3 Jithout any tinge of @aterialis@,
and thus he saJ the Absolute Personality of &odhead along Jith
Iis eMternal energy, Jhich Jas under full controlH
P8-PO-T
1erfect vision of the Absolute Truth is possible only by the
linking process of devotional service. This is also confirmed
in the &haga(ad%g$t'. 9ne can perfectly reali)e the Absolute
Truth 1ersonality of 8odhead only by the process of
devotional service, and one can enter into the kingdom of
8od by such perfect knowledge. mperfect reali)ation of the
Absolute by the partial approach of the impersonal %rahman
or locali)ed 1aram"tm" does not permit anyone to enter into
the kingdom of 8od. <r= K"rada advised <r=la !y"sadeva to
become absorbed in transcendental meditation on the
1ersonality of 8odhead and His activities. <r=la !y"sadeva
did not take notice of the effulgence of %rahman because
that is not absolute vision. The absolute vision is the
1ersonality of 8odhead, as it is confirmed in the &haga(ad%
g$t' 34.,-6C ('s!de(a* sar(am iti. n the 7"ani.ads also it is
confirmed that !"sudeva, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is
covered by the golden glowing hira5mayena "'tre5a veil of
impersonal %rahman, and when that curtain is removed by
the mercy of the Eord the real face of the Absolute is seen.
The Absolute is mentioned here as the "!r!.a, or person.
The Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead is mentioned in so
many !edic literatures, and in the &haga(ad%g$t', the "!r!.a
is confirmed as the eternal and original person. The Absolute
1ersonality of 8odhead is the perfect person. The $upreme
1erson has manifold energies, out of which the internal,
e:ternal and marginal energies are specifically important.
The energy mentioned here is the e:ternal energy, as will be
clear from the statements of her activities. The internal
energy is there along with the Absolute 1erson as the
moonlight is there with the moon. The e:ternal energy is
compared to darkness because it keeps the living entities in
the darkness of ignorance. The word a"'1rayam suggests
that this energy of the Eord is under full control. The internal
potency or superior energy is also called m'y', but it is
spiritual m'y', or energy e:hibited in the absolute realm.
When one is under the shelter of this internal potency, the
darkness of material ignorance is at once dissipated. And
even those who are 'tm'r'ma, or fi:ed in trance, take
shelter of this m'y', or internal energy. 7evotional service,
or bhakti%yoga, is the function of the internal energyV thus
there is no place for the inferior energy, or material energy,
2ust as there is no place for darkness in the effulgence of
spiritual light. $uch internal energy is even superior to the
spiritual bliss attainable in the conception of impersonal
%rahman. t is stated in the &haga(ad%g$t' that the
impersonal %rahman effulgence is also an emanation from
the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa. The "arama%
"!r!.a cannot be anyone e:cept <r= >?@Aa Himself, as will
be e:plained in the later 1lokas.
T!T [
(a(aa Sa$$aaeihTaae )a?' AaT$aa#a; i<a&auQaaT$ak6$a2 9
Parae+iPa $a#auTae+#aQag TaTk:6Ta; cai%aPa*Tae 99 [ 99
yay' sammohito )$(a
'tm'na- tri%g!5'tmakam
"aro 2"i man!te 2nartha-
tat%k4ta- c'bhi"adyate
S(#O#($S
yay'Zby whomV sammohita*ZillusionedV )$(a*Zthe living
entitiesV 'tm'namZselfV tri%g!5a%'tmakamZconditioned by
the three modes of nature, or a product of matterV "ara*Z
transcendentalV a"iZin spite ofV man!teZtakes it for grantedV
anarthamZthings not wantedV tatZby thatV k4tam caZ
reactionV abhi"adyateZundergoes thereof.
T-A#SLATIO#
>ue to this eMternal energy, the li'ing entity, although
transcendental to the three @odes of @aterial nature, thinks of
hi@self as a @aterial product and thus undergoes the reactions of
@aterial @iseriesH
P8-PO-T
The root cause of suffering by the materialistic living beings
is pointed out with remedial measures which are to be
undertaken and also the ultimate perfection to be gained. All
this is mentioned in this particular verse. The living being is
by constitution transcendental to material encagement, but
he is now imprisoned by the e:ternal energy, and therefore
he thinks himself one of the material products. And due to
this unholy contact, the pure spiritual entity suffers material
miseries under the modes of material nature. The living
entity misunderstands himself to be a material product. This
means that the present perverted way of thinking, feeling
and willing, under material conditions, is not natural for him.
%ut he has his normal way of thinking, feeling and willing.
The living being in his original state is not without thinking,
willing and feeling power. t is also confirmed in the
&haga(ad%g$t' that the actual knowledge of the conditioned
soul is now covered by nescience. Thus the theory that a
living being is absolute impersonal %rahman is refuted
herein. This cannot be, because the living entity has his own
way of thinking in his original unconditional state also. The
present conditional state is due to the influence of the
e:ternal energy, which means that the illusory energy takes
the initiative while the $upreme Eord is aloof. The Eord does
not desire that a living being be illusioned by e:ternal
energy. The e:ternal energy is aware of this fact, but still
she accepts a thankless task of keeping the forgotten soul
under illusion by her bewildering influence. The Eord does
not interfere with the task of the illusory energy because
such performances of the illusory energy are also necessary
for reformation of the conditioned soul. An affectionate
father does not like his children to be chastised by another
agent, yet he puts his disobedient children under the
custody of a severe man 2ust to bring them to order. %ut the
all'affectionate Almighty Hather at the same time desires
relief for the conditioned soul, relief from the clutches of the
illusory energy. The king puts the disobedient citi)ens within
the walls of the 2ail, but sometimes the king, desiring the
prisonersJ relief, personally goes there and pleads for
reformation, and on his doing so the prisoners are set free.
$imilarly, the $upreme Eord descends from His kingdom
upon the kingdom of illusory energy and personally gives
relief in the form of the &haga(ad%g$t', wherein He personally
suggests that although the ways of illusory energy are very
stiff to overcome, one who surrenders unto the lotus feet of
the Eord is set free by the order of the $upreme. This
surrendering process is the remedial measure for getting
relief from the bewildering ways of the illusory energy. The
surrendering process is completed by the influence of
association. The Eord has suggested, therefore, that by the
influence of the speeches of saintly persons who have
actually reali)ed the $upreme, men are engaged in His
transcendental loving service. The conditioned soul gets a
taste for hearing about the Eord, and by such hearing only
he is gradually elevated to the platform of respect, devotion
and attachment for the Eord. The whole thing is completed
by the surrendering process. Herein also the same
suggestion is made by the Eord in His incarnation of
!y"sadeva. This means that the conditioned souls are being
reclaimed by the Eord both ways, namely by the process of
punishment by the e:ternal energy of the Eord, and by
Himself as the spiritual master within and without. Within the
heart of every living being the Eord Himself as the $upersoul
31aram"tm"6 becomes the spiritual master, and from without
He becomes the spiritual master in the shape of scriptures,
saints and the initiator spiritual master. This is still more
e:plicitly e:plained in the ne:t 1loka.
1ersonal superintendence of the illusory energy is confirmed
in the /edas 3the Aena 7"ani.ad6 in relation to the demigodsJ
controlling power. Herein also it is clearly stated that the
living entity is controlled by the e:ternal energy in a
personal capacity. The living being thus sub2ect to the
control of e:ternal energy is differently situated. t is clear,
however, from the present statement of &h'ga(atam that the
same e:ternal energy is situated in the inferior position
before the 1ersonality of 8odhead, or the perfect being. The
perfect being, or the Eord, cannot be approached even by
the illusory energy, who can only work on the living entities.
Therefore it is sheer imagination that the $upreme Eord is
illusioned by the illusory energy and thus becomes a living
being. f the living being and the Eord were in the same
category, then it would have been (uite possible for
!y"sadeva to see it, and there would have been no (uestion
of material distress on the part of the illusioned being, for
the $upreme %eing is fully cogni)ant. $o there are so many
unscrupulous imaginations on the part of the monists to
endeavor to put both the Eord and the living being in the
same category. Had the Eord and the living beings been the
same, then <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= would not have taken
the trouble to describe the transcendental pastimes of the
Eord, for they would all be manifestations of illusory energy.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the s!mm!m bon!m remedy for
suffering humanity in the clutches of m'y'. <r=la !y"sadeva
therefore first of all diagnosed the actual disease of the
conditioned souls, i.e., their being illusioned by the e:ternal
energy. He also saw the perfect $upreme %eing, from whom
illusory energy is far removed, though He saw both the
diseased conditioned souls and also the cause of the
disease. And the remedial measures are suggested in the
ne:t verse. %oth the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead and
the living beings are undoubtedly (ualitatively one, but the
Eord is the controller of the illusory energy, whereas the
living entity is controlled by the illusory energy. Thus the
Eord and the living beings are simultaneously one and
different. Another point is distinct hereinC that eternal
relation between the Eord and the living being is
transcendental, otherwise the Eord would not have taken the
trouble to reclaim the conditioned souls from the clutches of
m'y'. n the same way, the living entity is also re(uired to
revive his natural love and affection for the Eord, and that is
the highest perfection of the living entity. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam treats the conditioned soul with an aim to that
goal of life.
T!T \
A#aQaae-Pa!a$a; SaaUaaSiv6(aae&a$a>aaeUa)ae 9
lRaek6S(aa)aa#aTaae i'ja;,se6 SaaT'TaSa;ihTaa$a2 99 \ 99
anartho"a1ama- s'k.'d
bhakti%yogam adhok.a)e
lokasy')'nato (id('-1
cakre s't(ata%sa-hit'm
S(#O#($S
anarthaZthings which are superfluousV !"a1amamZ
mitigationV s'k.'tZdirectlyV bhakti%yogamZthe linking process
of devotional serviceV adhok.a)eZunto the TranscendenceV
lokasyaZof the general mass of menV a)'nata*Zthose who
are unaware ofV (id('nZthe supremely learnedV cakreZ
compiledV s't(ataZin relation with the $upreme TruthV
sa-hit'mZ!edic literature.
T-A#SLATIO#
The @aterial @iseries of the li'ing entity, Jhich are superfluous to
hi@, can be directly @itigated by the linking process of de'otional
ser'iceH Kut the @ass of people do not knoJ this, and therefore the
learned GyLsade'a co@piled this Gedic literature, Jhich is in
relation to the Supre@e TruthH
P8-PO-T
<r=la !y"sadeva saw the all'perfect 1ersonality of 8odhead.
This statement suggests that the complete unit of the
1ersonality of 8odhead includes His parts and parcels also.
He saw, therefore, His different energies, namely the internal
energy, the marginal energy and the e:ternal energy. He
also saw His different plenary portions and parts of the
plenary portions, namely His different incarnations also, and
he specifically observed the unwanted miseries of the
conditioned souls, who are bewildered by the e:ternal
energy. And at last he saw the remedial measure for the
conditioned souls, namely, the process of devotional service.
t is a great transcendental science and begins with the
process of hearing and chanting the name, fame, glory, etc.,
of the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. 0evival of the
dormant affection or love of 8odhead does not depend on
the mechanical system of hearing and chanting, but it solely
and wholly depends on the causeless mercy of the Eord.
When the Eord is fully satisfied with the sincere efforts of the
devotee, He may endow him with His loving transcendental
service. %ut even with the prescribed forms of hearing and
chanting, there is at once mitigation of the superfluous and
unwanted miseries of material e:istence. $uch mitigation of
material affection does not wait for development of
transcendental knowledge. 0ather, knowledge is dependent
on devotional service for the ultimate reali)ation of the
$upreme Truth.
T!T ]
(aS(aa; ' BO8(a$aaQaa(aa; k:6.Qae Par$aPa8D=e 9
%aiv6DTPa*Tae Pau;Sa0 !aaek6$aaeh%a(aaPaha 99 ] 99
yasy'- (ai 1r0yam'5'y'-
k4.5e "arama%"0r!.e
bhaktir !t"adyate "!-sa*
1oka%moha%bhay'"ah'
S(#O#($S
yasy'mZthis !edic literatureV (aiZcertainlyV 1r0yam'5'y'mZ
simply by giving aural receptionV k4.5eZunto Eord >?@AaV
"aramaZsupremeV "0r!.eZunto the 1ersonality of 8odheadV
bhakti*Zfeelings of devotional serviceV !t"adyateZsprout upV
"!-sa*Zof the living beingV 1okaZlamentationV mohaZ
illusionV bhayaZfearfulnessV a"ah'Zthat which e:tinguishes.
T-A#SLATIO#
Si@ply by gi'ing aural reception to this Gedic literature, the feeling
for lo'ing de'otional ser'ice to Lord CDEFa, the Supre@e
Personality of &odhead, sprouts up at once to eMtinguish the fire of
la@entation, illusion and fearfulnessH
P8-PO-T
There are various senses, of which the ear is the most
effective. This sense works even when a man is deep asleep.
9ne can protect himself from the hands of an enemy while
awake, but while asleep one is protected by the ear only.
The importance of hearing is mentioned here in connection
with attaining the highest perfection of life, namely, getting
free from three material pangs. ;veryone is full of
lamentation at every moment, he is after the mirage of
illusory things, and he is always afraid of his supposed
enemy. These are the primary symptoms of material
disease. And it is definitely suggested herein that simply by
hearing the message of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam one gets
attachment for the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead <r=
>?@Aa, and as soon as this is effected the symptoms of the
material diseases disappear. <r=la !y"sadeva saw the all'
perfect 1ersonality of 8odhead, and in this statement the all'
perfect 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa is clearly
confirmed.
The ultimate result of devotional service is to develop
genuine love for the $upreme 1ersonality. Eove is a word
which is often used in relation with man and woman. And
love is the only word that can be properly used to indicate
the relation between Eord >?@Aa and the living entities. The
living entities are mentioned as "rak4ti in the &haga(ad%g$t',
and in $anskrit "rak4ti is a feminine ob2ect. The Eord is
always described as the "arama%"!r!.a, or the supreme male
personality. Thus the affection between the Eord and the
living entities is something like that between the male and
the female. Therefore the term love of 8odhead is (uite
appropriate.
Eoving devotional service to the Eord begins with hearing
about the Eord. There is no difference between the Eord and
the sub2ect matter heard about Him. The Eord is absolute in
all respects, and thus there is no difference between Him
and the sub2ect matter heard about Him. Therefore, hearing
about Him means immediate contact with Him by the
process of vibration of the transcendental sound. And the
transcendental sound is so effective that it acts at once by
removing all material affections mentioned above. As
mentioned before, a living entity develops a sort of
comple:ity by material association, and the illusory
encagement of the material body is accepted as an actual
fact. Rnder such false comple:ity, the living beings under
different categories of life become illusioned in different
ways. ;ven in the most developed stage of human life, the
same illusion prevails in the form of many isms and divides
the loving relation with the Eord and thereby divides the
loving relation between man and man. %y hearing the
sub2ect matter of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam this false comple:ity of
materialism is removed, and real peace in society begins,
which politicians aspire for so eagerly in so many political
situations. The politicians want a peaceful situation between
man and man, and nation and nation, but at the same time,
because of too much attachment for material domination,
there is illusion and fearfulness. Therefore the politiciansJ
peace conferences cannot bring about peace in society. t
can only be done by hearing the sub2ect matter described in
the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam about the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead <r= >?@Aa. The foolish politicians may go on
holding peace and summit conferences for hundreds of
years, but they will fail to achieve success. Rntil we reach
the stage of reestablishing our lost relation with >?@Aa, the
illusion of accepting the body as the self will prevail, and
thus fearfulness will also prevail. As for the validity of <r=
>?@Aa as the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, there are
hundreds and thousands of evidences from revealed
scriptures, and there are hundreds and thousands of
evidences from personal e:periences of devotees in various
places like !?nd"vana, Kavadv=pa and 1ur=. ;ven in the
Aa!m!d$ dictionary the synonyms of >?@Aa are given as the
son of XaPod" and the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead
1arabrahman. The conclusion is that simply by hearing the
!edic literature #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, one can have direct
connection with the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead <r=
>?@Aa, and thereby one can attain the highest perfection of
life by transcending worldly miseries, illusion and
fearfulness. These are practical tests for one who has
actually given a submissive hearing to the readings of the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
T!T ^
Sa Sa;ihTaa; %aa&a'Ta?; k:6T'a#aus6$(a caT$a)a$a2 9
Buk6$a>(aaPa(aa$aaSa i#a':itai#arTa; $aui#a0 99 ^ 99
sa sa-hit'- bh'ga(at$-
k4t('n!kramya c'tma%)am
1!kam adhy'"ay'm 'sa
ni(4tti%nirata- m!ni*
S(#O#($S
sa*ZthatV sa-hit'mZ!edic literatureV bh'ga(at$mZin relation
with the 1ersonality of 8odheadV k4t('Zhaving doneV
an!kramyaZby correction and repetitionV caZandV 'tma%)am
Zhis own sonV 1!kamZ<ukadeva 8osv"m=V adhy'"ay'm 'sa
ZtaughtV ni(4ttiZpath of self reali)ationV niratamZengagedV
m!ni*Zthe sage.
T-A#SLATIO#
The great sage GyLsade'a, after co@piling the ArB@ad6
KhLga'ata@ and re'ising it, taught it to his oJn son, ArB Aukade'a
&os'L@B, Jho Jas already engaged in self6reali=ationH
P8-PO-T
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the natural commentation on the
&rahma%s0tras compiled by the same author. This &rahma%
s0tra, or /ed'nta%s0tra, is meant for those who are already
engaged in self'reali)ation. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is so made
that one becomes at once engaged in the path of self'
reali)ation simply by hearing the topics. Although it is
especially meant for the "aramaha-sas, or those who are
totally engaged in self'reali)ation, it works into the depths of
the hearts of those who may be worldly men. Worldly men
are all engaged in sense gratification. %ut even such men
will find in this !edic literature a remedial measure for their
material diseases. <ukadeva 8osv"m= was a liberated soul
from the very beginning of his birth, and his father taught
him #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. Amongst mundane scholars, there
is some diversity of opinion as to the date of compilation of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam. t is, however, certain from the te:t of
the &h'ga(atam that it was compiled before the
disappearance of >ing 1ar=k@it and after the departure of
Eord >?@Aa. When Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was ruling the world as
the >ing of %h"rata'var@a, he chastised the personality of
>ali. According to revealed scriptures and astrological
calculation, the age of >ali is in its five thousandth year.
Therefore, #r$mad%&h'ga(atam was compiled not less than
five thousand years ago. 8ah'bh'rata was compiled before
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, and the !r'5as were compiled before
8ah'bh'rata. That is an estimation of the date of compilation
of the different !edic literatures. The synopsis of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam was given before the detailed description under
instruction of K"rada. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the science for
following the path of ni(4tti%m'rga. The path of "ra(4tti%
m'rga was condemned by K"rada. That path is the natural
inclination for all conditioned souls. The theme of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is the cure of the materialistic disease of the
human being, or stopping completely the pangs of material
e:istence.
T!T _
!aa#ak6 o'ac
Sa ' i#a':itai#arTa0 Sa'-<aaePaeUak6ae $aui#a0 9
k6S(a 'a b:hTa?$aeTaa$aaT$aara$a0 Sa$a%(aSaTa2 99 _ 99
1a!naka !('ca
sa (ai ni(4tti%nirata*
sar(atro"ek.ako m!ni*
kasya (' b4hat$m et'm
'tm'r'ma* samabhyasat
S(#O#($S
1a!naka* !('caZ<r= <aunaka askedV sa*ZheV (aiZof courseV
ni(4ttiZon the path of self'reali)ationV nirata*Zalways
engagedV sar(atraZin every respectV !"ek.aka*ZindifferentV
m!ni*ZsageV kasyaZfor what reasonV ('ZorV b4hat$mZvastV
et'mZthisV 'tma%'r'ma*Zone who is pleased in himselfV
samabhyasatZundergo the studies.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Aaunaka asked Sdta &os'L@Be ArB Aukade'a &os'L@B Jas
already on the path of self6reali=ation, and thus he Jas pleased
Jith his oJn selfH So Jhy did he take the trouble to undergo the
study of such a 'ast literatureW
P8-PO-T
Hor the people in general the highest perfection of life is to
cease from material activities and be fi:ed on the path of
self'reali)ation. Those who take pleasure in sense
en2oyment, or those who are fi:ed in material bodily welfare
work, are called karm$s. 9ut of thousands and millions of
such karm$s, one may become an 'tm'r'ma by self'
reali)ation. Jtm' means self, and 'r'ma means to take
pleasure. ;veryone is searching after the highest pleasure,
but the standard of pleasure of one may be different from
the standard of another. Therefore, the standard of pleasure
en2oyed by the karm$s is different from that of the
'tm'r'mas. The 'tm'r'mas are completely indifferent to
material en2oyment in every respect. <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m= had already attained that stage, and still he was
attracted to undergo the trouble of studying the great
&h'ga(atam literature. This means that #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is
a postgraduate study even for the 'tm'r'mas, who have
surpassed all the studies of !edic knowledge.
T!T "`
Sa8Ta o'ac
AaT$aara$aa, $au#a(aae i#a&a3-#Qaa AP(auDs6$ae 9
ku6'-#T(ahTauk6I; %aiv6i$aTQa$%a8Ta&auQaae hir0 99 "` 99
s0ta !('ca
'tm'r'm'1 ca m!nayo
nirgranth' a"y !r!krame
k!r(anty ahait!k$- bhaktim
ittham%bh0ta%g!5o hari*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV 'tm'r'm'*Zthose who
take pleasure in 'tm' 3generally, spirit self6V caZalsoV
m!naya*ZsagesV nirgranth'*Zfreed from all bondageV a"iZ
in spite ofV !r!krameZunto the great adventurerV k!r(antiZ
doV ahait!k$mZunalloyedV bhaktimZdevotional serviceV
ittham%bh0taZsuch wonderfulV g!5a*Z(ualitiesV hari*Zof the
Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
All different 'arieties of Lt@LrL@as Othose Jho take pleasure in
Lt@L, or spirit self3, especially those established on the path of
self6reali=ation, though freed fro@ all kinds of @aterial bondage,
desire to render unalloyed de'otional ser'ice unto the Personality
of &odheadH This @eans that the Lord possesses transcendental
?ualities and therefore can attract e'eryone, including liberated
soulsH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu e:plained this 'tm'r'ma
1loka very vividly before His chief devotee <r=la $an"tana
8osv"m=. He points out eleven factors in the 1loka, namely
3"6 'tm'r'ma, 3N6 m!naya*, 3X6 nirgrantha, 3Z6 a"i, 3[6 ca, 3\6
!r!krama, 3]6 k!r(anti, 3^6 ahait!k$m, 3_6 bhaktim, 3"`6 ittham%
bh0ta%g!5a* and 3""6 hari*. According to the /i1(a%"rak'1a
$anskrit dictionary, there are seven synonyms for the word
'tm'r'ma, which are as followsC 3"6 %rahman 3the Absolute
Truth6, 3N6 body, 3X6 mind, 3Z6 endeavor, 3[6 endurance, 3\6
intelligence and 3]6 personal habits.
The word m!naya* refers to 3"6 those who are thoughtful, 3N6
those who are grave and silent, 3X6 ascetics, 3Z6 the
persistent, 3[6 mendicants, 3\6 sages and 3]6 saints.
The word nirgrantha conveys these ideasC 3"6 one who is
liberated from nescience, 3N6 one who has no connection
with scriptural in2unction, i.e., who is freed from the
obligation of the rules and regulations mentioned in the
revealed scriptures like ethics, /edas, philosophy,
psychology and metaphysics 3in other words the fools,
illiterate, urchins, etc., who have no connection with
regulative principles6, 3X6 a capitalist, and also 3Z6 one who is
penniless.
According to the #abda%ko1a dictionary, the affi: ni is used in
the sense of 3"6 certainty, 3N6 counting, 3X6 building, and 3Z6
forbiddance, and the word grantha is used in the sense of
wealth, thesis, vocabulary, etc.
The word !r!krama means Dthe one whose activities are
glorious.F Arama means Dstep.F This word !r!krama
specifically indicates the EordJs incarnation as !"mana, who
covered the whole universe by immeasurable steps. Eord
!i@Au is powerful, and His activities are so glorious that He
has created the spiritual world by His internal potency and
the material world by His e:ternal potency. %y His all'
pervading features He is everywhere present as the
$upreme Truth, and in His personal feature He is always
present in His transcendental abode of 8oloka !?nd"vana,
where He displays His transcendental pastimes in all
variegatedness. His activities cannot be compared to anyone
elseJs, and therefore the word !r!krama is 2ust applicable to
Him only.
According to $anskrit verbal arrangement, k!r(anti refers to
doing things for someone else. Therefore, it means that the
'tm'r'mas render devotional service unto the Eord not for
personal interest but for the pleasure of the Eord, Rrukrama.
>et! means Dcausal.F There are many causes for oneJs sense
satisfaction, and they can be chiefly classified as material
en2oyment, mystic powers and liberation, which are
generally desired by progressive persons. As far as material
en2oyments are concerned, they are innumerable, and the
materialists are eager to increase them more and more
because they are under the illusory energy. There is no end
to the list of material en2oyments, nor can anyone in the
material universe have all of them. As far as the mystic
powers are concerned, they are eight in all 3such as to
become the minutest in form, to become weightless, to have
anything one desires, to lord it over the material nature, to
control other living beings, to throw earthly globes in outer
space, etc.6. These mystic powers are mentioned in the
&h'ga(atam. The forms of liberation are five in number.
Therefore, unalloyed devotion means service to the Eord
without desire for the above'mentioned personal benefits.
And the powerful 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa can be
fully satisfied by such unalloyed devotees free from all sorts
of desires for personal benefit.
Rnalloyed devotional service of the Eord progresses in
different stages. 1ractice of devotional service in the
material field is of eighty'one different (ualities, and above
such activities is the transcendental practice of devotional
service, which is one and is called s'dhana%bhakti. When
unalloyed practice of s'dhana%bhakti is matured into
transcendental love for the Eord, the transcendental loving
service of the Eord begins gradually developing into nine
progressive stages of loving service under the headings of
attachment, love, affection, feelings, affinity, adherence,
following, ecstasy, and intense feelings of separation.
The attachment of an inactive devotee develops up to the
stage of transcendental love of 8od. Attachment of an active
servitor develops up to the stage of adherence, and that for
a friendly devotee develops up to the stage of following, and
the same is also the case for the paternal devotees.
7evotees in con2ugal love develop ecstasy up to the stage of
intense feelings of separation. These are some of the
features of unalloyed devotional service of the Eord.
According to >ari%bhakti%s!dhodaya, the import of the word
ittham%bh0ta is Dcomplete bliss.F Transcendental bliss in the
reali)ation of impersonal %rahman becomes comparable to
the scanty water contained in the pit made by a cowJs hoof.
t is nothing compared with the ocean of bliss of the vision of
the 1ersonality of 8odhead. The personal form of Eord <r=
>?@Aa is so attractive that it comprehends all attraction, all
bliss and all tastes 3rasas6. These attractions are so strong
that no one wants to e?change them for material en)oyment,
mystic "owers and liberation. There is no need of logical
arguments in support of this statement, but out of oneJs own
nature one becomes attracted by the (ualities of Eord <r=
>?@Aa. We must know for certain that the (ualities of the
Eord have nothing to do with mundane (ualities. All of them
are full of bliss, knowledge and eternity. There are
innumerable (ualities of the Eord, and one is attracted by
one (uality while another is attracted by another.
8reat sages, such as the four bachelor'devotees $anaka,
$an"tana, $ananda and $anat'kum"ra, were attracted by
the fragrance of flowers and t!las$ leaves anointed with the
pulp of sandalwood offered at the lotus feet of the Eord.
$imilarly, <ukadeva 8osv"m= was attracted by the
transcendental pastimes of the Eord. <ukadeva 8osv"m=
was already situated in the liberated stage, yet he was
attracted by the pastimes of the Eord. This proves that the
(uality of His pastimes has nothing to do with material
affinity. $imilarly, the young cowherd damsels were
attracted by the bodily features of the Eord, and 0ukmiA=
was attracted by hearing about the glories of the Eord. Eord
>?@Aa attracts even the mind of the goddess of fortune. He
attracts, in special cases, the minds of all young girls. He
attracts the minds of the elderly ladies by paternal affection.
He attracts the mind of the male in the humors of servitude
and friendship.
The word hari conveys various meanings, but the chief
import of the word is that He 3the Eord6 van(uishes
everything inauspicious and takes away the mind of the
devotee by awarding pure transcendental love. %y
remembering the Eord in acute distress one can be free from
all varieties of miseries and an:ieties. 8radually the Eord
van(uishes all obstacles on the path of devotional service of
a pure devotee, and the result of nine devotional activities,
such as hearing and chanting, becomes manifested.
%y His personal features and transcendental attributes, the
Eord attracts all psychological activities of a pure devotee.
$uch is the attractive power of Eord >?@Aa. The attraction is
so powerful that a pure devotee never hankers for any one
of the four principles of religion. These are the attractive
features of the transcendental attributes of the Eord. And
adding to this the words a"i and ca, one can increase the
imports unlimitedly. According to $anskrit grammar there
are seven synonyms for the word a"i.
$o by interpreting each and every word of this 1loka, one can
see unlimited numbers of transcendental (ualities of Eord
>?@Aa that attract the mind of a pure devotee.
T!T ""
hre&au-QaaiUa$aiTa%a-&a'a#a2 badra(aiQa0 9
A>(a&aa#$ahdae(aa#a; i#aT(a; i'.Qau)a#aiPaO(a0 99 "" 99
harer g!5'k.i"ta%matir
bhaga('n b'dar'ya5i*
adhyag'n mahad 'khy'na-
nitya- (i.5!%)ana%"riya*
S(#O#($S
hare*Zof Hari, the 1ersonality of 8odheadV g!5aZ
transcendental attributeV 'k.i"taZbeing absorbed inV mati*Z
mindV bhaga('nZpowerfulV b'dar'ya5i*Zthe son of
!y"sadevaV adhyag'tZunderwent studiesV mahatZgreatV
'khy'namZnarrationV nityamZregularlyV (i.5!%)anaZ
devotees of the EordV "riya*Zbeloved.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArBla Aukade'a &os'L@B, son of ArBla GyLsade'a, Jas not only
transcendentally poJerfulH Ie Jas also 'ery dear to the de'otees
of the LordH Thus he underJent the study of this great narration
OArB@ad6KhLga'ata@3H
P8-PO-T
According to &rahma%(ai(arta !r'5a, <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m= was a liberated soul even within the womb of his
mother. <r=la !y"sadeva knew that the child, after his birth,
would not stay at home. Therefore he 3!y"sadeva6
impressed upon him the synopsis of the &h'ga(atam so that
the child could be made attached to the transcendental
activities of the Eord. After his birth, the child was still more
educated in the sub2ect of the &h'ga(atam by recitation of
the actual poems.
The idea is that generally the liberated souls are attached to
the feature of impersonal %rahman with a monistic view of
becoming one with the supreme whole. %ut by the
association of pure devotees like !y"sadeva, even the
liberated soul becomes attracted to the transcendental
(ualities of the Eord. %y the mercy of <r= K"rada, <r=la
!y"sadeva was able to narrate the great epic of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam, and by the mercy of !y"sadeva, <r=la
<ukadeva 8osv"m= was able to grasp the import. The
transcendental (ualities of the Eord are so attractive that
<r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= became detached from being
completely absorbed in impersonal %rahman and positively
took up the personal activity of the Eord.
1ractically he was thrown from the impersonal conception of
the Absolute, thinking within himself that he had simply
wasted so much time in devoting himself to the impersonal
feature of the $upreme, or in other words, he reali)ed more
transcendental bliss with the personal feature than the
impersonal. And from that time, not only did he himself
become very dear to the (i.5!%)anas, or the devotees of the
Eord, but also the (i.5!%)anas became very dear to him. The
devotees of the Eord, who do not wish to kill the individuality
of the living entities and who desire to become personal
servitors of the Eord, do not very much like the
impersonalists, and similarly the impersonalists, who desire
to become one with the $upreme, are unable to evaluate the
devotees of the Eord. Thus from time immemorial these two
transcendental pilgrims have sometimes been competitors.
n other words, each of them likes to keep separate from the
other because of the ultimate personal and impersonal
reali)ations. Therefore it appears that <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m= also had no liking for the devotees. %ut since he
himself became a saturated devotee, he desired always the
transcendental association of the (i.5!%)anas, and the (i.5!%
)anas also liked his association, since he became a personal
&h'ga(ata. Thus both the son and the father were completely
cogni)ant of transcendental knowledge in %rahman, and
afterwards both of them became absorbed in the personal
features of the $upreme Eord. The (uestion as to how
<ukadeva 8osv"m= was attracted by the narration of the
&h'ga(atam is thus completely answered by this 1loka.
T!T "N
Par?iUaTaae+Qa ra)a=e-)a-#$ak6$a-i'lRaPa#a$a2 9
Sa;SQaa; c PaaQouPau<aaQaa; 'U(ae k:6.Qak6Qaaed(a$a2 99
"N 99
"ar$k.ito 2tha r')ar.er
)anma%karma%(il'"anam
sa-sth'- ca "'5;!%"!tr'5'-
(ak.ye k4.5a%kathodayam
S(#O#($S
"ar$k.ita*Zof >ing 1ar=k@itV athaZthusV r')ar.e*Zof the
>ing who was the 4.i among the kingsV )anmaZbirthV karma
ZactivitiesV (il'"anamZdeliveranceV sa-sth'mZrenunciation
of the worldV caZandV "'5;!%"!tr'5'mZof the sons of 1"AQuV
(ak.yeZ shall speakV k4.5a%kath'%!dayamZthat which gives
rise to the transcendental narration of >?@Aa, the $upreme
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B thus addressed the DEis headed by Aaunakae #oJ I
shall begin the transcendental narration of the Lord ArB CDEFa and
topics of the birth, acti'ities and deli'erance of Cing ParBkEit, the
sage a@ongst kings, as Jell as topics of the renunciation of the
Jorldly order by the sons of PLFhuH
P8-PO-T
Eord >?@Aa is so kind to the fallen souls that He personally
incarnates Himself amongst the different kinds of living
entities and takes part with them in daily activities. Any
historical fact old or new which has a connection with the
activities of the Eord is to be understood as a transcendental
narration of the Eord. Without >?@Aa, all the supplementary
literatures like the !r'5as and 8ah'bh'rata are simply
stories or historical facts. %ut with >?@Aa they become
transcendental, and when we hear of them we at once
become transcendentally related with the Eord. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is also a !r'5a, but the special significance of
this !r'5a is that the activities of the Eord are central and
not 2ust supplementary historical facts. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam
is thus recommended by Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu as
the spotless !r'5a. There is a class of less intelligent
devotees of the &h'ga(ata !r'5a who desire to relish at
once the activities of the Eord narrated in the Tenth *anto
without first understanding the primary cantos. They are
under the false impression that the other cantos are not
concerned with >?@Aa, and thus more foolishly than
intelligently they take to the reading of the Tenth *anto.
These readers are specifically told herein that the other
cantos of the &h'ga(atam are as important as the Tenth
*anto. Ko one should try to go into the matters of the Tenth
*anto without having thoroughly understood the purport of
the other nine cantos. >?@Aa and His pure devotees like the
1"AQavas are on the same plane. >?@Aa is not without His
devotees of all the rasas, and the pure devotees like the
1"AQavas are not without >?@Aa. The devotees and the Eord
are interlinked, and they cannot be separated. Therefore
talks about them are all k4.5a%kath', or topics of the Eord.
T!TS "X"Z
(ada $a:>ae k6ar'Sa:i(aa#aa;
'?re.'Qaae '?r&aiTa; &aTae=u 9
':k6aedrai'p&adai%a$a!a-x
%a&anaeDdQoe >a:Taran|Pau<ae 99 "X 99
%aTau-0 iPaO(a; d3aiQairiTa S$a Pa!(a#a2
k:6.QaaSauTaa#aa; S'PaTaa; i!ara;iSa 9
oPaahrijiPaO(a$ae' TaS(a
)au&auiPSaTa; k6$a- i'&ah-(ai#Ta 99 "Z 99
yad' m4dhe ka!ra(a%s4,)ay'n'-
($re.( atho ($ra%gati- gate.!
(4kodar'(iddha%gad'bhimar1a%
bhagnor!%da5;e dh4tar'.<ra%"!tre
bhart!* "riya- dra!5ir iti sma "a1yan
k4.5'%s!t'n'- s(a"at'- 1ir'-si
!"'harad (i"riyam e(a tasya
)!g!"sita- karma (igarhayanti
S(#O#($S
yad'ZwhenV m4dheZin the battlefieldV ka!ra(aZthe party of
7h?tar"@TraV s4,)ay'n'mZof the party of the 1"AQavasV
($re.!Zof the warriorsV athoZthusV ($ra%gatimZthe
destination deserved by the warriorsV gate.!Zbeing
obtainedV (4kodaraZ%h=ma 3the second 1"AQava6V '(iddhaZ
beatenV gad'Zby the clubV abhimar1aZlamentingV bhagnaZ
brokenV !r!%da5;eZspinal cordV dh4tar'.<ra%"!treZthe son of
>ing 7h?tar"@TraV bhart!*Zof the masterV "riyamZpleasingV
dra!5i*Zthe son of 7roA"c"ryaV itiZthusV smaZshall beV
"a1yanZseeingV k4.5'Z7raupad=V s!t'n'mZof the sonsV
s(a"at'mZwhile sleepingV 1ir'-siZheadsV !"'haratZ
delivered as a pri)eV (i"riyamZpleasingV e(aZlikeV tasyaZhisV
)!g!"sitamZmost heinousV karmaZactV (igarhayantiZ
disapproving.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen the respecti'e Jarriors of both ca@ps, na@ely the Caura'as
and the PLFha'as, Jere killed on the Kattlefield of CurukEetra and
the dead Jarriors obtained their deser'ed destinations, and Jhen
the son of >hDtarLEra fell doJn la@enting, his spine broken,
being beaten by the club of KhB@asena, the son of >roFLcLrya
OAw'atthL@L3 beheaded the fi'e sleeping sons of >raupadB and
deli'ered the@ as a pri=e to his @aster, foolishly thinking that he
Jould be pleasedH >uryodhana, hoJe'er, disappro'ed of the
heinous act, and he Jas not pleased in the leastH
P8-PO-T
Transcendental topics of the activities of Eord <r= >?@Aa in
the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam begin from the end of the battle at
>uruk@etra, where the Eord Himself spoke about Himself in
the &haga(ad%g$t'. Therefore, both the &haga(ad%g$t' and
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam are transcendental topics of Eord >?@Aa.
The @$t' is k4.5a%kath', or topics of >?@Aa, because it is
spoken by the Eord, and the &h'ga(atam is also k4.5a%kath'
because it is spoken about the Eord. Eord <r= *aitanya
Mah"prabhu wanted everyone to be informed of both k4.5a%
kath's by His order. Eord >?@Aa *aitanya is >?@Aa Himself in
the garb of a devotee of >?@Aa, and therefore the versions of
both Eord >?@Aa and <r= >?@Aa *aitanya Mah"prabhu are
identical. :ord 9aitanya desired that all who are born in India
serio!sly !nderstand s!ch k4.5a%kath's and then after full
reali)ation preach the transcendental message to everyone
in all parts of the world. That will bring about the desired
peace and prosperity of the stricken world.
T!T "[
$aaTaa i!aB8#aa; i#a>a#a; SauTaa#aa;
i#a!a$(a gaaer; PairTaP(a$aa#aa 9
TadaDdja.Pak6lRaku6lRaUa?
Taa; Saa#T'(akah ik6r?1u$aalRI 99 "[ 99
m't' 1i10n'- nidhana- s!t'n'-
ni1amya ghora- "arita"yam'n'
tad'r!dad ('."a%kal'k!l'k.$
t'- s'nt(ayann 'ha kir$<am'l$
S(#O#($S
m't'Zthe motherV 1i10n'mZof the childrenV nidhanamZ
massacreV s!t'n'mZof the sonsV ni1amyaZafter hearingV
ghoramZghastlyV "arita"yam'n'ZlamentingV tad'Zat that
timeV ar!datZbegan to cryV ('."a%kala%'k!la%ak.$Zwith tears
in the eyesV t'mZherV s'nt(ayanZpacifyingV 'haZsaidV
kir$<am'l$ZAr2una.
T-A#SLATIO#
>raupadB, the @other of the fi'e children of the PLFha'as, after
hearing of the @assacre of her sons, began to cry in distress Jith
eyes full of tearsH Trying to pacify her in her great loss, Ar/una
spoke to her thuse
T!T "\
Tada BucSTae PaO$a:)aai$a %ad3e
(ad2b34b#>aae0 i!ar AaTaTaai(a#a0 9
&aaQo?'$auv6i'-i!aYDPaahre
T'as6$(a (aThaS(aiSa d&>aPau<aa 99 "\ 99
tad' 1!cas te "ram4)'mi bhadre
yad brahma%bandho* 1ira 'tat'yina*
g'5;$(a%m!ktair (i1ikhair !"'hare
t('kramya yat sn'syasi dagdha%"!tr'
S(#O#($S
tad'Zat that time onlyV 1!ca*Ztears in griefV teZyourV
"ram4)'miZshall wipe awayV bhadreZ9 gentle ladyV yatZ
whenV brahma%bandho*Zof a degraded br'hma5aC 1ira*Z
headV 'tat'yina*Zof the aggressorV g'5;$(a%m!ktai*Zshot by
the bow named 8"AQ=vaV (i1ikhai*Zby the arrowsV !"'hareZ
shall present to youV t('ZyourselfV 'kramyaZriding on itV yat
ZwhichV sn'syasiZtake your bathV dagdha%"!tr'Zafter
burning the sons.
T-A#SLATIO#
O gentle lady, Jhen I present you Jith the head of that brLh@aFa,
after beheading hi@ Jith arroJs fro@ @y &LFhB'a boJ, I shall
then Jipe the tears fro@ your eyes and pacify youH Then, after
burning your sonsr bodies, you can take your bath standing on his
headH
P8-PO-T
An enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison,
attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapons, plunders
wealth or usurps agricultural fields, or entices oneJs wife is
called an aggressor. $uch an aggressor, though he be a
br'hma5a or a so'called son of a br'hma5a, has to be
punished in all circumstances. When Ar2una promised to
behead the aggressor named APvatth"m", he knew well that
APvatth"m" was the son of a br'hma5a, but because the so'
called br'hma5a acted like a butcher, he was taken as such,
and there was no (uestion of sin in killing such a br'hma5a2s
son who proved to be a villain.
T!T "]
JiTa iPaO(aa; 'L&aui'ic<a)aLPa0
Sa Saa#T'i(aT'aC(auTai$a<aSa8Ta0 9
A#'ad3'q;i!aTa o&a3>a#'a
k6iPa)aae &auDPau<a; rQae#a 99 "] 99
iti "riy'- (alg!%(icitra%)al"ai*
sa s'nt(ayit('cy!ta%mitra%s0ta*
an('dra(ad da-1ita !gra%dhan('
ka"i%dh(a)o g!r!%"!tra- rathena
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV "riy'mZunto the dearV (alg!ZsweetV (icitraZ
variegatedV )al"ai*Zby statementsV sa*ZheV s'nt(ayit('Z
satisfyingV acy!ta%mitra%s0ta*ZAr2una, who is guided by the
infallible Eord as a friend and driverV an('dra(atZfollowedV
da-1ita*Zbeing protected by ka(acaC !gra%dhan('Ze(uipped
with furious weaponsV ka"i%dh(a)a*ZAr2unaV g!r!%"!tramZthe
son of the martial teacherV rathenaZgetting on the chariot.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ar/una, Jho is guided by the infallible Lord as friend and dri'er,
thus satisfied the dear lady by such state@entsH Then he dressed in
ar@or and ar@ed hi@self Jith furious Jeapons, and getting into
his chariot, he set out to folloJ Aw'atthL@L, the son of his @artial
teacherH
T!T "^
Ta$aaPaTa#Ta; Sa i'lRU(a d8raTa2
ku6$aarhaeij&an$a#aa rQae#a 9
Parad3'TPaOaQaPar?PSauDG(aag
(aa'$a; Dd3%a(aa*Qaak60 99 "^ 99
tam '"atanta- sa (ilak.ya d0r't
k!m'ra%hod(igna%man' rathena
"ar'dra(at "r'5a%"ar$"s!r !r(y'-
y'(ad%gama- r!dra%bhay'd yath' ka*
S(#O#($S
tamZhimV '"atantamZcoming over furiouslyV sa*ZheV
(ilak.yaZseeingV d0r'tZfrom a distanceV k!m'ra%h'Zthe
murderer of the princesV !d(igna%man'*Zdisturbed in mindV
rathenaZon the chariotV "ar'dra(atZfledV "r'5aZlifeV
"ar$"s!*Zfor protectingV !r(y'mZwith great speedV y'(at%
gamamZas he fledV r!dra%bhay'tZby fear of <ivaV yath'ZasV
ka*Z%rahm" 3or arka*Z$Lrya6.
T-A#SLATIO#
Aw'atthL@L, the @urderer of the princes, seeing fro@ a great
distance Ar/una co@ing at hi@ Jith great speed, fled in his chariot,
panic stricken, /ust to sa'e his life, as Krah@L fled in fear fro@
Ai'aH
P8-PO-T
According to the reading matter, either ka* or arka*, there
are two references in the !r'5as. Aa* means %rahm", who
once became allured by his daughter and began to follow
her, which infuriated <iva, who attacked %rahm" with his
trident. %rahm"2= fled in fear of his life. As far as arka* is
concerned, there is a reference in the /'mana !r'5a. There
was a demon by the name !idyunm"l= who was gifted with a
glowing golden airplane which traveled to the back of the
sun, and night disappeared because of the glowing
effulgence of this plane. Thus the sun'god became angry,
and with his virulent rays he melted the plane. This enraged
Eord <iva. Eord <iva then attacked the sun'god, who fled
away and at last fell down at >"P= 3!"r"Aas=6, and the place
became famous as Eol"rka.
T!T "_
(ada!arQa$aaT$aa#a$aUaTa BOa#Ta'ai)a#a$a2 9
AE; b34i!arae $ae#ae AaT$a<aaQa; ij)aaT$a)a0 99 "_ 99
yad'1ara5am 'tm'nam
aik.ata 1r'nta%(')inam
astra- brahma%1iro mene
'tma%tr'5a- d(i)'tma)a*
S(#O#($S
yad'ZwhenV a1ara5amZwithout being alternatively
protectedV 'tm'namZhis own selfV aik.ataZsawV 1r'nta%
(')inamZthe horses being tiredV astramZweaponV brahma%
1ira*Zthe topmost or ultimate 3nuclear6V meneZappliedV
'tma%tr'5amZ2ust to save himselfV d(i)a%'tma%)a*Zthe son of
a br'hma5a.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen the son of the brLh@aFa OAw'atthL@L3 saJ that his horses
Jere tired, he considered that there Jas no alternati'e for
protection outside of his using the ulti@ate Jeapon, the
brah@Lstra Onuclear Jeapon3H
P8-PO-T
n the ultimate issue only, when there is no alternative, the
nuclear weapon called the brahm'stra is applied. The word
d(i)'tma)a* is significant here because APvatth"m", although
the son of 7roA"c"rya, was not e:actly a (ualified br'hma5a.
The most intelligent man is called a br'hma5a, and it is not a
hereditary title. APvatth"m" was also formerly called the
brahma%bandh!, or the friend of a br'hma5a. %eing a friend of
a br'hma5a does not mean that one is a br'hma5a by
(ualification. A friend or son of a br'hma5a, when fully
(ualified, can be called a br'hma5a and not otherwise. $ince
APvatth"m"Js decision is immature, he is purposely called
herein the son of a br'hma5a.
T!T N`
AQaaePaSPa:!(a SailRl;R Sa#d>ae TaTSa$aaihTa0 9
A)aa#akiPaSa;har; PaOaQak:6Cc| oPaiSQaTae 99 N` 99
atho"as"41ya salila-
sandadhe tat sam'hita*
a)'nann a"i sa-h'ra-
"r'5a%k4cchra !"asthite
S(#O#($S
athaZthusV !"as"41yaZtouching in sanctityV salilamZwaterV
sandadheZchanted the hymnsV tatZthatV sam'hita*Zbeing in
concentrationV a)'nanZwithout knowingV a"iZalthoughV
sa-h'ramZwithdrawalV "r'5a%k4cchreZlife being put in
dangerV !"asthiteZbeing placed in such a position.
T-A#SLATIO#
Since his life Jas in danger, he touched Jater in sanctity and
concentrated upon the chanting of the hy@ns for throJing nuclear
Jeapons, although he did not knoJ hoJ to JithdraJ such
JeaponsH
P8-PO-T
The subtle forms of material activities are finer than grosser
methods of material manipulation. $uch subtle forms of
material activities are effected through purification of sound.
The same method is adopted here by chanting hymns to act
as nuclear weapons.
T!T N"
TaTa0 PaOadu.k:6Ta; Tae)a0 PaOcQo; Sa'-Taaeid!a$a2 9
PaOaQaaPad$ai%aPaOeU(a i'.Qau; i)a.QauD'ac h 99 N" 99
tata* "r'd!.k4ta- te)a*
"raca5;a- sar(ato di1am
"r'5'"adam abhi"rek.ya
(i.5!- )i.5!r !('ca ha
S(#O#($S
tata*ZthereafterV "r'd!.k4tamZdisseminatedV te)a*ZglareV
"raca5;amZfierceV sar(ata*Zall aroundV di1amZdirectionsV
"r'5a%'"adamZaffecting lifeV abhi"rek.yaZhaving observed
itV (i.5!mZunto the EordV )i.5!*ZAr2unaV !('caZsaidV haZin
the past.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereupon a glaring light spread in all directionsH It Jas so fierce
that Ar/una thought his oJn life in danger, and so he began to
address Lord ArB CDEFaH
T!T NN
A)au-#a o'ac
k:6.Qa k:6.Qa $ahabahae %av6a#aa$a%a(ar 9
T'$aek6ae d7$aa#aa#aa$aPa'&aae-+iSa Sa;Sa:Tae0 99 NN 99
ar)!na !('ca
k4.5a k4.5a mah'%b'ho
bhakt'n'm abhaya3kara
t(am eko dahyam'n'n'm
a"a(argo 2si sa-s4te*
S(#O#($S
ar)!na* !('caZAr2una saidV k4.5aZ9 Eord >?@AaV k4.5aZ9
Eord >?@AaV mah'%b'hoZHe who is the AlmightyV bhakt'n'mZ
of the devoteesV abhaya3karaZeradicating the fears ofV t(amZ
XouV eka*ZaloneV dahyam'n'n'mZthose who are suffering
fromV a"a(arga*Zthe path of liberationV asiZareV sa-s4te*Zin
the midst of material miseries.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ar/una saide O @y Lord ArB CDEFa, (ou are the al@ighty
Personality of &odheadH There is no li@it to (our different
energiesH Therefore only (ou are co@petent to instill fearlessness
in the hearts of (our de'oteesH 'eryone in the fla@es of @aterial
@iseries can find the path of liberation in (ou onlyH
P8-PO-T
Ar2una was aware of the transcendental (ualities of Eord <r=
>?@Aa, as he had already e:perienced them during the
>uruk@etra War, in which both of them were present.
Therefore, Ar2unaJs version of Eord >?@Aa is authoritative.
>?@Aa is almighty and is especially the cause of fearlessness
for the devotees. A devotee of the Eord is always fearless
because of the protection given by the Eord. Material
e:istence is something like a bla)ing fire in the forest, which
can be e:tinguished by the mercy of the Eord <r= >?@Aa.
The spiritual master is the mercy representative of the Eord.
Therefore, a person burning in the flames of material
e:istence may receive the rains of mercy of the Eord through
the transparent medium of the self'reali)ed spiritual master.
The spiritual master, by his words, can penetrate into the
heart of the suffering person and in2ect knowledge
transcendental, which alone can e:tinguish the fire of
material e:istence.
T!T NX
T'$aa*0 PauD=0 SaaUaad?Tr0 PaOk:6Tae0 Par0 9
$aa(aa; G(audS(a icCcv6ya k6'L(ae iSQaTa AaT$ai#a 99 NX 99
t(am 'dya* "!r!.a* s'k.'d
$1(ara* "rak4te* "ara*
m'y'- (y!dasya cic%chakty'
kai(alye sthita 'tmani
S(#O#($S
t(am 'dya*ZXou are the originalV "!r!.a*Zthe en2oying
personalityV s'k.'tZdirectlyV $1(ara*Zthe controllerV
"rak4te*Zof material natureV "ara*ZtranscendentalV m'y'm
Zthe material energyV (y!dasyaZone who has thrown asideV
cit%1akty'Zby dint of internal potencyV kai(alyeZin pure
eternal knowledge and blissV sthita*ZplacedV 'tmaniZown
self.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou are the original Personality of &odhead Jho eMpands Ii@self
all o'er the creations and is transcendental to @aterial energyH (ou
ha'e cast aJay the effects of the @aterial energy by dint of (our
spiritual potencyH (ou are alJays situated in eternal bliss and
transcendental knoJledgeH
P8-PO-T
The Eord states in the &haga(ad%g$t' that one who surrenders
unto the lotus feet of the Eord can get release from the
clutches of nescience. >?@Aa is 2ust like the sun, and m'y' or
material e:istence is 2ust like darkness. Wherever there is
the light of the sun, darkness or ignorance at once vanishes.
The best means to get out of the world of ignorance is
suggested here. The Eord is addressed herein as the original
1ersonality of 8odhead. Hrom Him all other 1ersonalities of
8odhead e:pand. The all'pervasive Eord !i@Au is Eord
>?@AaJs plenary portion or e:pansion. The Eord e:pands
Himself in innumerable forms of 8odhead and living beings,
along with His different energies. %ut <r= >?@Aa is the
original primeval Eord from whom everything emanates. The
all'pervasive feature of the Eord e:perienced within the
manifested world is also a partial representation of the Eord.
1aram"tm", therefore, is included within Him. He is the
Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead. He has nothing to do with
the actions and reactions of the material manifestation
because He is far above the material creation. 7arkness is a
perverse representation of the sun, and therefore the
e:istence of darkness depends on the e:istence of the sun,
but in the sun proper there is no trace of darkness. As the
sun is full of light only, similarly the Absolute 1ersonality of
8odhead, beyond the material e:istence, is full of bliss. He is
not only full of bliss, but also full of transcendental
variegatedness. Transcendence is not at all static, but full of
dynamic variegatedness. He is distinct from the material
nature, which is complicated by the three modes of material
nature. He is "arama, or the chief. Therefore He is absolute.
He has manifold energies, and through His diverse energies
He creates, manifests, maintains and destroys the material
world. n His own abode, however, everything is eternal and
absolute. The world is not conducted by the energies or
powerful agents by themselves, but by the potent all'
powerful with all energies.
T!T NZ
Sa V' )a?'lRaek6S(a $aa(aa$aaeihTaceTaSa0 9
i'>aTSae S'e#a '?(ae-Qa BOe(aae >a$aa-idlRUaQa$a2 99 NZ 99
sa e(a )$(a%lokasya
m'y'%mohita%cetasa*
(idhatse s(ena ($rye5a
1reyo dharm'di%lak.a5am
S(#O#($S
sa*Zthat TranscendenceV e(aZcertainlyV )$(a%lokasyaZof the
conditioned living beingsV m'y'%mohitaZcaptivated by the
illusory energyV cetasa*Zby the heartV (idhatseZe:ecuteV
s(enaZby Xour ownV ($rye5aZinfluenceV 1reya*Zultimate
goodV dharma%'diZfour principles of liberationV lak.a5amZ
characteri)ed by.
T-A#SLATIO#
And yet, though (ou are beyond the pur'ieJ of the @aterial
energy, (ou eMecute the four principles of liberation characteri=ed
by religion and so on for the ulti@ate good of the conditioned
soulsH
P8-PO-T
The 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa, out of His causeless
mercy, descends on the manifested world without being
influenced by the material modes of nature. He is eternally
beyond the material manifestations. He descends out of His
causeless mercy only to reclaim the fallen souls who are
captivated by the illusory energy. They are attacked by the
material energy, and they want to en2oy her under false
prete:ts, although in essence the living entity is unable to
en2oy. 9ne is eternally the servitor of the Eord, and when he
forgets this position he thinks of en2oying the material world,
but factually he is in illusion. The Eord descends to eradicate
this false sense of en2oyment and thus reclaim conditioned
souls back to 8odhead. That is the all'merciful nature of the
Eord for the fallen souls.
T!T N[
TaQaa(a; ca'TaarSTae %au'ae %aari)ah?=-(aa 9
S'a#aa; ca#a#(a%aa'a#aa$a#au>(aa#aa(a caSak:6Ta2 99
N[ 99
tath'ya- c'(at'ras te
bh!(o bh'ra%)ih$r.ay'
s('n'- c'nanya%bh'('n'm
an!dhy'n'ya c'sak4t
S(#O#($S
tath'ZthusV ayamZthisV caZandV a(at'ra*ZincarnationV teZ
XourV bh!(a*Zof the material worldV bh'raZburdenV )ih$r.ay'
Zfor removingV s('n'mZof the friendsV ca ananya%bh'('n'm
Zand of the e:clusive devoteesV an!dhy'n'yaZfor
remembering repeatedlyV caZandV asak4tZfully satisfied.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus (ou descend as an incarnation to re@o'e the burden of the
Jorld and to benefit (our friends, especially those Jho are (our
eMclusi'e de'otees and are rapt in @editation upon (ouH
P8-PO-T
t appears that the Eord is partial to His devotees. ;veryone
is related with the Eord. He is e(ual to everyone, and yet He
is more inclined to His own men and devotees. The Eord is
everyoneJs father. Ko one can be His father, and yet no one
can be His son. His devotees are His kinsmen, and His
devotees are His relations. This is His transcendental
pastime. t has nothing to do with mundane ideas of
relations, fatherhood or anything like that. As mentioned
above, the Eord is above the modes of material nature, and
thus there is nothing mundane about His kinsmen and
relations in devotional service.
T!T N\
ik6i$ad; iS'Tku6Taae 'eiTa de'de' #a 'eyh$a2 9
Sa'-Taae$auY$aa(aaiTa Tae)a0 Par$adaDQa$a2 99 N\ 99
kim ida- s(it k!to (eti
de(a%de(a na (edmy aham
sar(ato m!kham 'y'ti
te)a* "arama%d'r!5am
S(#O#($S
kimZwhat isV idamZthisV s(itZdoes it comeV k!ta*Z
wherefromV (' itiZbe eitherV de(a%de(aZ9 Eord of lordsV naZ
notV (edmiZdo knowV ahamZV sar(ata*Zall aroundV m!kham
ZdirectionsV 'y'tiZcoming fromV te)a*ZeffulgenceV "aramaZ
very muchV d'r!5amZdangerous.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Lord of lords, hoJ is it that this dangerous effulgence is
spreading all aroundW Vhere does it co@e fro@W I do not
understand itH
P8-PO-T
Anything that is presented before the 1ersonality of 8odhead
should be so done after due presentation of respectful
prayers. That is the standard procedure, and <r= Ar2una,
although an intimate friend of the Eord, is observing this
method for general information.
T!T N]
BO?%a&a'a#au'ac
'eTQaed; d3aeQaPau<aS(a b3a4$aE; PaOdi!a-Ta$a2 9
#a'aSaa 'ed Sa;har; PaOaQaba>a oPaiSQaTae 99 N] 99
1r$%bhaga('n !('ca
(ettheda- dro5a%"!trasya
br'hmam astra- "radar1itam
nai('sa! (eda sa-h'ra-
"r'5a%b'dha !"asthite
S(#O#($S
1r$%bhaga('nZthe $upreme 1ersonality of 8odheadV !('caZ
saidV (etthaZ2ust know from MeV idamZthisV dro5a%"!trasyaZ
of the son of 7roAaV br'hmam astramZhymns of the br'hma
3nuclear6 weaponV "radar1itamZe:hibitedV naZnotV e(aZ
evenV asa!ZheV (edaZknow itV sa-h'ramZretractionV "r'5a%
b'dheZe:tinction of lifeV !"asthiteZbeing imminent.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Supre@e Personality of &odhead saide CnoJ fro@ $e that this
is the act of the son of >roFaH Ie has throJn the hy@ns of nuclear
energy Obrah@Lstra3, and he does not knoJ hoJ to retract the
glareH Ie has helplessly done this, being afraid of i@@inent deathH
P8-PO-T
The brahm'stra is similar to the modern nuclear weapon
manipulated by atomic energy. The atomic energy works
wholly on total combustibility, and so the brahm'stra also
acts. t creates an intolerable heat similar to atomic
radiation, but the difference is that the atomic bomb is a
gross type of nuclear weapon, whereas the brahm'stra is a
subtle type of weapon produced by chanting hymns. t is a
different science, and in the days gone by such science was
cultivated in the land of %h"rata'var@a. The subtle science of
chanting hymns is also material, but it has yet to be known by
the modern material scientists. $ubtle material science is
not s"irit!al, but it has a direct relationship with the spiritual
method, which is still subtler. A chanter of hymns knew how
to apply the weapon as well as how to retract it. That was
perfect knowledge. %ut the son of 7roA"c"rya, who made
use of this subtle science, did not know how to retract. He
applied it, being afraid of his imminent death, and thus the
practice was not only improper but also irreligious. As the
son of a br'hma5a, he should not have made so many
mistakes, and for such gross negligence of duty he was to be
punished by the Eord Himself.
T!T N^
#a 7S(aa#(aTa$a; ik6i}dE; PaOT(a'k6!a-#a$a2 9
)a7ETae)a okp$aE/ae 7ETae)aSaa 99 N^ 99
na hy asy'nyatama- ki,cid
astra- "ratya(akar1anam
)ahy astra%te)a !nnaddham
astra%),o hy astra%te)as'
S(#O#($S
naZnotV hiZcertainlyV asyaZof itV anyatamamZotherV ki,citZ
anythingV astramZweaponV "ratiZcounterV a(akar1anamZ
reactionaryV )ahiZsubdue itV astra%te)a*Zthe glare of this
weaponV !nnaddhamZvery powerfulV astra%),a*Ze:pert in
military scienceV hiZas a matter of factV astra%te)as'Zby the
influence of your weapon.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Ar/una, only another brah@Lstra can counteract this JeaponH
Since you are eMpert in the @ilitary science, subdue this Jeaponrs
glare Jith the poJer of your oJn JeaponH
P8-PO-T
Hor the atomic bombs there is no counterweapon to
neutrali)e the effects. %ut by subtle science the action of a
brahm'stra can be counteracted, and those who were e:pert
in the military science in those days could counteract the
brahm'stra. The son of 7roA"c"rya did not know the art of
counteracting the weapon, and therefore Ar2una was asked
to counteract it by the power of his own weapon.
T!T N_
Sa8Ta o'ac
BOuT'a %a&a'Taa PaOaev;6 f6aL&au#a0 Par'?rha 9
SPa:aPaSTa; Pairs6$(a b3a4; b3a4aE; Sa#d>ae 99 N_ 99
s0ta !('ca
1r!t(' bhaga(at' "rokta-
"h'lg!na* "ara%($ra%h'
s"4.<('"as ta- "arikramya
br'hma- br'hm'stra- sandadhe
S(#O#($S
s0ta*Z$Lta 8osv"m=V !('caZsaidV 1r!t('Zafter hearingV
bhaga(at'Zby the 1ersonality of 8odheadV "roktamZwhat
was saidV "h'lg!na*Zanother name of <r= Ar2unaV "ara%($ra%
h'Zthe killer of the opposing warriorV s"4.<('Zafter
touchingV '"a*ZwaterV tamZHimV "arikramyaZ
circumambulatingV br'hmamZthe $upreme EordV br'hma%
astramZthe supreme weaponV sandadheZacted on.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide Iearing this fro@ the Personality of
&odhead, Ar/una touched Jater for purification, and after
circu@a@bulating Lord ArB CDEFa, he cast his brah@Lstra Jeapon
to counteract the other oneH
T!T X`
Sa;hT(aa#(aae#(a$au%a(aaeSTae)aSa? !arSa;':Tae 9
Aa':T(a raedSa? Y; c '':>aaTae+k-6'i'Ta2 99 X` 99
sa-haty'nyonyam !bhayos
te)as$ 1ara%sa-(4te
'(4tya rodas$ kha- ca
(a(4dh'te 2rka%(ahni(at
S(#O#($S
sa-hatyaZby combination ofV anyonyamZone anotherV
!bhayo*Zof bothV te)as$Zthe glaresV 1araZweaponsV sa-(4te
ZcoveringV '(4tyaZcoveringV rodas$Zthe complete
firmamentV kham caZouter space alsoV (a(4dh'teZ
increasingV arkaZthe sun globeV (ahni%(atZlike fire.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen the rays of the tJo brah@Lstras co@bined, a great circle of
fire, like the disc of the sun, co'ered all outer space and the Jhole
fir@a@ent of planetsH
P8-PO-T
The heat created by the flash of a brahm'stra resembles the
fire e:hibited in the sun globe at the time of cosmic
annihilation. The radiation of atomic energy is very
insignificant in comparison to the heat produced by a
brahm'stra. The atomic bomb e:plosion can at utmost blow
up one globe, but the heat produced by the brahm'stra can
destroy the whole cosmic situation. The comparison is
therefore made to the heat at the time of annihilation.
T!T X"
d:aETae)aSTau Ta(aaeE?waek6a#a2 PaOdh#$ahTa2 9
d7$aa#aa0 PaO)aa0 Sa'a-0 Saa;'Ta-k6$a$a;SaTa 99 X" 99
d4.<('stra%te)as t! tayos
tr$l lok'n "radahan mahat
dahyam'n'* "ra)'* sar('*
s'-(artakam ama-sata
S(#O#($S
d4.<('Zthus seeingV astraZweaponV te)a*ZheatV t!ZbutV
tayo*Zof bothV tr$nZthreeV lok'nZplanetsV "radahatZ
bla)ingV mahatZseverelyV dahyam'n'*ZburningV "ra)'*Z
populationV sar('*Zall overV s'-(artakamZthe name of the
fire which devastates during the annihilation of the universeV
ama-sataZbegan to think.
T-A#SLATIO#
All the population of the three Jorlds Jas scorched by the
co@bined heat of the JeaponsH 'eryone Jas re@inded of the
sLk'artaka fire Jhich takes place at the ti@e of annihilationH
P8-PO-T
The three worlds are the upper, lower and intermediate
planets of the universe. Although the brahm'stra was
released on this earth, the heat produced by the
combination of both weapons covered all the universe, and
all the populations on all the different planets began to feel
the heat e:cessively and compared it to that of the
s'-(artaka fire. Ko planet, therefore, is without living beings,
as less intelligent materialistic men think.
T!T XN
PaO)aaePad3'$aalRU(a lRaek6G(aiTak6r; c Ta$a2 9
$aTa; c 'aSaude'S(a Saihara)au-#aae j(a$a2 99 XN 99
"ra)o"adra(am 'lak.ya
loka%(yatikara- ca tam
mata- ca ('s!de(asya
sa,)ah'r'r)!no d(ayam
S(#O#($S
"ra)'Zthe people in generalV !"adra(amZdisturbanceV
'lak.yaZhaving seen itV lokaZthe planetsV (yatikaramZ
destructionV caZalsoV tamZthatV matam caZand the opinionV
('s!de(asyaZof !"sudeva, <r= >?@AaV sa,)ah'raZretractedV
ar)!na*ZAr2unaV d(ayamZboth the weapons.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus seeing the disturbance of the general populace and the
i@@inent destruction of the planets, Ar/una at once retracted both
brah@Lstra Jeapons, as Lord ArB CDEFa desiredH
P8-PO-T
The theory that the modern atomic bomb e:plosions can
annihilate the world is childish imagination. Hirst of all, the
atomic energy is not powerful enough to destroy the world.
And secondly, ultimately it all rests on the supreme will of
the $upreme Eord because without His will or sanction
nothing can be built up or destroyed. t is foolish also to think
that natural laws are ultimately powerful. Material natureJs
law works under the direction of the Eord, as confirmed in
the &haga(ad%g$t'. The Eord says there that natural laws
work under His supervision. The world can be destroyed only
by the will of the Eord and not by the whims of tiny
politicians. Eord <r= >?@Aa desired that the weapons
released by both 7rauAi and Ar2una be withdrawn, and it was
carried out by Ar2una at once. $imilarly, there are many
agents of the all'powerful Eord, and by His will only can one
e:ecute what He desires.
T!T XX
TaTa AaSaa* TarSaa daDQa; &aaTa$a?SauTa$a2 9
bb#>aa$a=-Taa$a3aUa0 PaBu; r!a#a(aa (aQaa 99 XX 99
tata 's'dya taras'
d'r!5a- ga!tam$%s!tam
babandh'mar.a%t'mr'k.a*
"a1!- ra1anay' yath'
S(#O#($S
tata*ZthereuponV 's'dyaZarrestedV taras'Zde:terouslyV
d'r!5amZdangerousV ga!tam$%s!tamZthe son of 8autam=V
babandhaZbound upV amar.aZangryV t'mra%ak.a*Zwith
copper'red eyesV "a1!mZanimalV ra1anay'Zby ropesV yath'Z
as it were.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ar/una, his eyes bla=ing in anger like tJo red balls of copper,
deMterously arrested the son of &auta@B and bound hi@ Jith
ropes like an ani@alH
P8-PO-T
APvatth"m"Js mother, >?p=, was born in the family of
8autama. The significant point in this 1loka is that
APvatth"m" was caught and bound up with ropes like an
animal. According to <r=dhara $v"m=, Ar2una was obliged to
catch this son of a br'hma5a like an animal as a part of his
duty 3dharma6. This suggestion by <r=dhara $v"m= is also
confirmed in the later statement of <r= >?@Aa. APvatth"m"
was a bona fide son of 7roA"c"rya and >?p=, but because he
had degraded himself to a lower status of life, it was proper
to treat him as an animal and not as a br'hma5a.
T!T XZ
i!aibra(a i#a#a?=#Ta; r))'abd2airPau; blRaTa2 9
PaOaha)au-#a; PaOku6iPaTaae %a&a'a#a$bu)aeUaQa0 99 XZ 99
1ibir'ya nin$.anta-
ra))(' baddh(' ri"!- bal't
"r'h'r)!na- "rak!"ito
bhaga('n amb!)ek.a5a*
S(#O#($S
1ibir'yaZon the way to the military campV nin$.antamZwhile
bringing himV ra))('Zby the ropesV baddh('Zbound upV ri"!m
Zthe enemyV bal'tZby forceV "r'haZsaidV ar)!namZunto
Ar2unaV "rak!"ita*Zin an angry moodV bhaga('nZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV amb!)a%$k.a5a*Zwho looks with His
lotus eyes.
T-A#SLATIO#
After binding Aw'atthL@L, Ar/una Janted to take hi@ to the
@ilitary ca@pH The Personality of &odhead ArB CDEFa, looking on
Jith Iis lotus eyes, spoke to angry Ar/unaH
P8-PO-T
%oth Ar2una and Eord <r= >?@Aa are described here in an
angry mood, but Ar2unaJs eyes were like balls of red copper
whereas the eyes of the Eord were like lotuses. This means
that the angry mood of Ar2una and that of the Eord are not
on the same level. The Eord is Transcendence, and thus He
is absolute in any stage. His anger is not like the anger of a
conditioned living being within the modes of (ualitative
material nature. %ecause He is absolute, both His anger and
pleasure are the same. His anger is not e:hibited in the
three modes of material nature. t is only a sign of His bent
of mind towards the cause of His devotee because that is His
transcendental nature. Therefore, even if He is angry, the
ob2ect of anger is blessed. He is unchanged in all
circumstances.
T!T X[
$a#a; PaaQaa-h-iSa <aaTau; b34b#>aui$a$a; )aih 9
(aae+Saa'#aa&aSa0 Saua#a'>a?iki!a balRk6a#a2 99 X[ 99
maina- "'rth'rhasi tr't!-
brahma%bandh!m ima- )ahi
yo 2s'( an'gasa* s!"t'n
a(adh$n ni1i b'lak'n
S(#O#($S
m' enamZnever unto himV "'rthaZ9 Ar2unaV arhasiZought
toV tr't!mZgive releaseV brahma%bandh!mZa relative of a
br'hma5aC imamZhimV )ahiZkillV ya*Zhe 3who has6V asa!Z
thoseV an'gasa*ZfaultlessV s!"t'nZwhile sleepingV a(adh$tZ
killedV ni1iZat nightV b'lak'nZthe boys.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lord ArB CDEFa saide O Ar/una, you should not shoJ @ercy by
releasing this relati'e of a brLh@aFa Obrah@a6bandhu3, for he has
killed innocent boys in their sleepH
P8-PO-T
The word brahma%bandh! is significant. A person who
happens to take birth in the family of a br'hma5a but is not
(ualified to be called a br'hma5a is addressed as the relative
of a br'hma5a, and not as a br'hma5a. The son of a high court
2udge is not virtually a high court 2udge, but there is no harm
in addressing a high court 2udgeJs son as a relative of the
Honorable Oustice. Therefore, as by birth only one does not
become a high court 2udge, so also one does not become a
br'hma5a simply by birthright but by ac(uiring the necessary
(ualifications of a br'hma5a. As the high court 2udgeship is a
post for the (ualified man, so also the post of a br'hma5a is
attainable by (ualification only. The 1'stra en2oins that even
if good (ualifications are seen in a person born in a family
other than that of a br'hma5a, the (ualified man has to be
accepted as a br'hma5a, and similarly if a person born in the
family of a br'hma5a is void of brahminical (ualification, then
he must be treated as a non'br'hma5a or, in better terms, a
relative of a br'hma5a. Eord <r= >?@Aa, the supreme
authority of all religious principles, the /edas, has personally
pointed out these differences, and He is about to e:plain the
reason for this in the following 1lokas.
T!T X\
$ata; PaO$ata$au#$ata; Sau; bal;R iE(a; )ao$a2 9
PaOPak; i'rQa; %a?Ta; #a irPau; hi#Ta >a$a-i'Ta2 99 X\ 99
matta- "ramattam !nmatta-
s!"ta- b'la- striya- )a;am
"ra"anna- (iratha- bh$ta-
na ri"!- hanti dharma%(it
S(#O#($S
mattamZcarelessV "ramattamZinto:icatedV !nmattamZ
insaneV s!"tamZasleepV b'lamZboyV striyamZwomanV )a;am
ZfoolishV "ra"annamZsurrenderedV (irathamZone who has
lost his chariotV bh$tamZafraidV naZnotV ri"!mZenemyV hanti
ZkillV dharma%(itZone who knows the principles of religion.
T-A#SLATIO#
A person Jho knoJs the principles of religion does not kill an
ene@y Jho is careless, intoMicated, insane, asleep, afraid or de'oid
of his chariotH #or does he kill a boy, a Jo@an, a foolish creature or
a surrendered soulH
P8-PO-T
An enemy who does not resist is never killed by a warrior
who knows the principles of religion. Hormerly battles were
fought on the "rinci"les of religion and not for the sake of
sense gratification. f the enemy happened to be into:icated,
asleep, etc., as above mentioned, he was never to be killed.
These are some of the codes of religious war. Hormerly war
was never declared by the whims of selfish political leadersV
it was carried out on religious principles free from all vices.
!iolence carried out on religious principles is far superior to
so'called nonviolence.
T!T X]
S'PaOaQaa#a2 (a0 ParPaOaQa0 PaOPau.QaaT(aga:Qa0 YlR0 9
Taj>aSTaS(a ih BOe(aae (aqae=a*aT(a>a0 Pau$aa#a2 99 X] 99
s(a%"r'5'n ya* "ara%"r'5ai*
"ra"!.5'ty agh45a* khala*
tad%(adhas tasya hi 1reyo
yad%do.'d y'ty adha* "!m'n
S(#O#($S
s(a%"r'5'nZoneJs own lifeV ya*Zone whoV "ara%"r'5ai*Zat
the cost of othersJ livesV "ra"!.5'tiZmaintains properlyV
agh45a*ZshamelessV khala*ZwretchedV tat%(adha*Zkilling of
himV tasyaZhisV hiZcertainlyV 1reya*Zwell'beingV yatZby
whichV do.'tZby the faultV y'tiZgoesV adha*ZdownwardsV
"!m'nZa person.
T-A#SLATIO#
A cruel and Jretched person Jho @aintains his eMistence at the
cost of othersr li'es deser'es to be killed for his oJn Jell6being,
otherJise he Jill go doJn by his oJn actionsH
P8-PO-T
A life for a life is 2ust punishment for a person who cruelly
and shamelessly lives at the cost of anotherJs life. 1olitical
morality is to punish a person by a death sentence in order
to save a cruel person from going to hell. That a murderer is
condemned to a death sentence by the state is good for the
culprit because in his ne:t life he will not have to suffer for
his act of murder. $uch a death sentence for the murderer is
the lowest possible punishment offered to him, and it is said
in the sm4ti%1'stras that men who are punished by the king
on the principle of a life for a life are purified of all their sins,
so much so that they may be eligible for being promoted to
the planets of heaven. According to Manu, the great author
of civic codes and religious principles, even the killer of an
animal is to be considered a murderer because animal food
is never meant for the civili)ed man, whose prime duty is to
prepare himself for going back to 8odhead. He says that in
the act of killing an animal, there is a regular conspiracy by
the party of sinners, and all of them are liable to be punished
as murderers e:actly like a party of conspirators who kill a
human being combinedly. >e who gi(es "ermission, he who
kills the animal, he who sells the sla!ghtered animal, he who
cooks the animal, he who administers distrib!tion of the
foodst!ff, and at last he who eats s!ch cooked animal food are
all m!rderers, and all of them are liable to be "!nished by the
laws of nat!re. Ko one can create a living being despite all
advancement of material science, and therefore no one has
the right to kill a living being by oneJs independent whims.
Hor the animal'eaters, the scriptures have sanctioned
restricted animal sacrifices only, and such sanctions are
there 2ust to restrict the opening of slaughterhouses and not
to encourage animal'killing. The procedure under which
animal sacrifice is allowed in the scriptures is good both for
the animal sacrificed and the animal'eaters. t is good for the
animal in the sense that the sacrificed animal is at once
promoted to the human form of life after being sacrificed at
the altar, and the animal'eater is saved from grosser types
of sins 3eating meats supplied by organi)ed slaughterhouses
which are ghastly places for breeding all kinds of material
afflictions to society, country and the people in general6. The
material world is itself a place always full of an:ieties, and
by encouraging animal slaughter the whole atmosphere
becomes polluted more and more by war, pestilence, famine
and many other unwanted calamities.
T!T X^
PaOiTaBOuTa; c %a'Taa Paa}aL(a B:Q'Taae $a$a 9
Aahir.(ae i!arSTaS(a (aSTae $aai#ai#a Pau<aha 99 X^ 99
"rati1r!ta- ca bha(at'
"',c'lyai 145(ato mama
'hari.ye 1iras tasya
yas te m'nini "!tra%h'
S(#O#($S
"rati1r!tamZit is promisedV caZandV bha(at'Zby youV
"',c'lyaiZunto the daughter of the >ing of 1"^c"la
37raupad=6V 145(ata*Zwhich was heardV mamaZby Me
personallyV 'hari.yeZmust bringV 1ira*Zthe headV tasyaZof
himV ya*ZwhomV teZyourV m'niniZconsiderV "!tra%h'Zthe
killer of your sons.
T-A#SLATIO#
Further@ore, I ha'e personally heard you pro@ise >raupadB that
you Jould bring forth the head of the killer of her sonsH
T!T X_
TadSaa '>(aTaa; PaaPa AaTaTaa((aaT$ab#>auha 9
%aTau-, i'iPaO(a; '?r k:6Ta'a#a2 ku6lRPaa;Sa#a0 99 X_ 99
tad asa! (adhyat'- "'"a
'tat'yy 'tma%bandh!%h'
bhart!1 ca (i"riya- ($ra
k4ta('n k!la%"'-sana*
S(#O#($S
tatZthereforeV asa!Zthis manV (adhyat'mZwill be killedV
"'"a*Zthe sinnerV 'tat'y$ZassaulterV 'tmaZownV bandh!%h'
Zkiller of sonsV bhart!*Zof the masterV caZalsoV (i"riyamZ
having not satisfiedV ($raZ9 warriorV k4ta('nZone who has
done itV k!la%"'-sana*Zthe burnt remnants of the family.
T-A#SLATIO#
This @an is an assassin and @urderer of your oJn fa@ily @e@bersH
#ot only that, but he has also dissatisfied his @asterH Ie is but the
burnt re@nants of his fa@ilyH Cill hi@ i@@ediatelyH
P8-PO-T
The son of 7roA"c"rya is condemned here as the burnt
remnants of his family. The good name of 7roA"c"rya was
very much respected. Although he 2oined the enemy camp,
the 1"AQavas held him always in respect, and Ar2una saluted
him before beginning the fight. There was nothing wrong in
that way. %ut the son of 7roA"c"rya degraded himself by
committing acts which are never done by the d(i)as, or the
twice'born higher castes. APvatth"m", the son of
7roA"c"rya, committed murder by killing the five sleeping
sons of 7raupad=, by which he dissatisfied his master
7uryodhana, who never approved of the heinous act of
killing the five sleeping sons of the 1"AQavas. This means
that APvatth"m" became an assaulter of Ar2unaJs own family
members, and thus he was liable to be punished by him. n
the 1'stras, he who attacks without notice or kills from
behind or sets fire to anotherJs house or kidnaps oneJs wife
is condemned to death. >?@Aa reminded Ar2una of these
facts so that he might take notice of them and do the
needful.
T!T Z`
Sa8Ta o'ac
V'; Par?UaTaa >a$ag PaaQa-0 k:6.Qae#a caeidTa0 9
#aCcp#Tau; &auDSauTa; (a*P(aaT$ah#a; $aha#a2 99 Z` 99
s0ta !('ca
e(a- "ar$k.at' dharma-
"'rtha* k4.5ena codita*
naicchad dhant!- g!r!%s!ta-
yadya"y 'tma%hana- mah'n
S(#O#($S
s0ta*Z$Lta 8osv"m=V !('caZsaidV e(amZthisV "ar$k.at'Z
being e:aminedV dharmamZin the matter of dutyV "'rtha*Z
<r= Ar2unaV k4.5enaZby Eord >?@AaV codita*Zbeing
encouragedV na aicchatZdid not likeV hant!mZto killV g!r!%
s!tamZthe son of his teacherV yadya"iZalthoughV 'tma%
hanamZmurderer of sonsV mah'nZvery great.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Although CDEFa, Jho Jas eMa@ining Ar/una in
religion, encouraged Ar/una to kill the son of >roFLcLrya, Ar/una, a
great soul, did not like the idea of killing hi@, although
Aw'atthL@L Jas a heinous @urderer of Ar/unars fa@ily @e@bersH
P8-PO-T
Ar2una was a great soul undoubtedly, which is proved here
also. He is encouraged herein personally by the Eord to kill
the son of 7roAa, but Ar2una considers that the son of his
great teacher should be spared, for he happens to be the
son of 7roA"c"rya, even though he is an unworthy son,
having done all sorts of heinous acts whimsically for no oneJs
benefit.
Eord <r= >?@Aa encouraged Ar2una outwardly 2ust to test
Ar2unaJs sense of duty. t is not that Ar2una was incomplete
in the sense of his duty, nor was Eord <r= >?@Aa unaware of
Ar2unaJs sense of duty. %ut Eord <r= >?@Aa put to test many
of His pure devotees 2ust to magnify the sense of duty. The
go"$s were put to such tests as well. 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a also
was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out
successful in the respective tests by the Eord.
T!T Z"
AQaaePaeT(a S'i!aibr; &aaei'#diPaO(aSaariQa0 9
#(a'ed(ata; iPaO(aa(a !aaec#T(aa AaT$a)aa#a2 hTaa#a2 99
Z" 99
atho"etya s(a%1ibira-
go(inda%"riya%s'rathi*
nya(edayat ta- "riy'yai
1ocanty' 'tma%)'n hat'n
S(#O#($S
athaZthereafterV !"etyaZhaving reachedV s(aZownV 1ibiram
ZcampV go(indaZone who enlivens the senses 3Eord <r=
>?@Aa6V "riyaZdearV s'rathi*Zthe charioteerV nya(edayatZ
entrusted toV tamZhimV "riy'yaiZunto the dearV 1ocantyaiZ
lamenting forV 'tma%)'nZown sonsV hat'nZmurdered.
T-A#SLATIO#
After reaching his oJn ca@p, Ar/una, along Jith his dear friend
and charioteer OArB CDEFa3, entrusted the @urderer unto his dear
Jife, Jho Jas la@enting for her @urdered sonsH
P8-PO-T
The transcendental relation of Ar2una with >?@Aa is of the
dearmost friendship. n the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord Himself
has claimed Ar2una as His dearmost friend. ;very living
being is thus related with the $upreme Eord by some sort of
affectionate relation, either as servant or as friend or as
parent or as an ob2ect of con2ugal love. ;veryone thus can
en2oy the company of the Eord in the spiritual realm if he at
all desires and sincerely tries for it by the process of bhakti%
yoga.
T!T ZN
TaQaa5Ta; PaBu'Ta2 Paa!abpx
$a'aM2$auY; k6$a-)au&auiPSaTae#a 9
i#ar?U(a k:6.QaaPak:6Ta; &aurae0 SauTa;
'a$aS'%aa'a k:6Pa(aa #a#aa$a c 99 ZN 99
tath'h4ta- "a1!(at "'1a%baddham
a('3%m!kha- karma%)!g!"sitena
nir$k.ya k4.5'"ak4ta- g!ro* s!ta-
('ma%s(abh'(' k4"ay' nan'ma ca
S(#O#($S
tath'ZthusV 'h4tamZbrought inV "a1!%(atZlike an animalV
"'1a%baddhamZtied with ropesV a('k%m!khamZwithout a word
in his mouthV karmaZactivitiesV )!g!"sitenaZbeing heinousV
nir$k.yaZby seeingV k4.5'Z7raupad=V a"ak4tamZthe doer
of the degradingV g!ro*Zthe teacherV s!tamZsonV ('maZ
beautifulV s(abh'('ZnatureV k4"ay'Zout of compassionV
nan'maZoffered obeisancesV caZand.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide >raupadB then saJ Aw'atthL@L, Jho Jas
bound Jith ropes like an ani@al and silent for ha'ing enacted the
@ost inglorious @urderH >ue to her fe@ale nature, and due to her
being naturally good and Jell6beha'ed, she shoJed hi@ due
respects as a brLh@aFaH
P8-PO-T
APvatth"m" was condemned by the Eord Himself, and he
was treated by Ar2una 2ust like a culprit, not like the son of a
br'hma5a or teacher. %ut when he was brought before
<r=mat= 7raupad=, she, although begrieved for the murder
of her sons, and although the murderer was present before
her, could not withdraw the due respect generally offered to
a br'hma5a or to the son of a br'hma5a. This is due to her
mild nature as a woman. Women as a class are no better
than boys, and therefore they have no discriminatory power
like that of a man. APvatth"m" proved himself to be an
unworthy son of 7roA"c"rya or of a br'hma5a, and for this
reason he was condemned by the greatest authority, Eord
<r= >?@Aa, and yet a mild woman could not withdraw her
natural courtesy for a br'hma5a.
;ven to date, in a Hindu family a woman shows proper
respect to the br'hma5a caste, however fallen and heinous a
brahma%bandh! may be. %ut the men have begun to protest
against brahma%bandh!s who are born in families of good
br'hma5as but by action are less than 10dras.
The specific words used in this 1loka are ('ma%s(abh'(', Dmild
and gentle by nature.F A good man or woman accepts
anything very easily, but a man of average intelligence does
not do so. %ut, anyway, we should not give up our reason
and discriminatory power 2ust to be gentle. 9ne must have
good discriminatory power to 2udge a thing on its merit. We
should not follow the mild nature of a woman and thereby
accept that which is not genuine. APvatth"m" may be
respected by a good'natured woman, but that does not
mean that he is as good as a genuine br'hma5a.
T!T ZX
o'ac caSah#T(aS(a b#>a#aa#a(a#a; SaTa? 9
$auC(aTaa; $auC(aTaa$ae= b3a4Qaae i#aTara; &auD0 99 ZX 99
!('ca c'sahanty asya
bandhan'nayana- sat$
m!cyat'- m!cyat'm e.a
br'hma5o nitar'- g!r!*
S(#O#($S
!('caZsaidV caZandV asahant$Zbeing unbearable for herV
asyaZhisV bandhanaZbeing boundV 'nayanamZbringing himV
sat$Zthe devotedV m!cyat'm m!cyat'mZ2ust get him
releasedV e.a*ZthisV br'hma5a*Za br'hma5aC nitar'mZourV
g!r!*Zteacher.
T-A#SLATIO#
She could not tolerate Aw'atthL@Lrs being bound by ropes, and
being a de'oted lady, she saide -elease hi@, for he is a brLh@aFa,
our spiritual @asterH
P8-PO-T
As soon as APvatth"m" was brought before 7raupad=, she
thought it intolerable that a br'hma5a should be arrested like
a culprit and brought before her in that condition, especially
when the br'hma5a happened to be a teacherJs son.
Ar2una arrested APvatth"m" knowing perfectly well that he
was the son of 7roA"c"rya. >?@Aa also knew him to be so,
but both of them condemned the murderer without
consideration of his being the son of a br'hma5a. According
to revealed scriptures, a teacher or spiritual master is liable
to be re2ected if he proves himself unworthy of the position
of a g!r! or spiritual master. A g!r! is called also an 'c'rya,
or a person who has personally assimilated all the essence of
1'stras and has helped his disciples to adopt the ways.
APvatth"m" failed to discharge the duties of a br'hma5a or
teacher, and therefore he was liable to be re2ected from the
e:alted position of a br'hma5a. 9n this consideration, both
Eord <r= >?@Aa and Ar2una were right in condemning
APvatth"m". %ut to a good lady like 7raupad=, the matter
was considered not from the angle of 1'stric vision, but as a
matter of custom. %y custom, APvatth"m" was offered the
same respect as offered to his father. t was so because
generally the people accept the son of a br'hma5a as a real
br'hma5a, by sentiment only. Hactually the matter is
different. A br'hma5a is accepted on the merit of (ualification
and not on the merit of simply being the son of a br'hma5a.
%ut in spite of all this, 7raupad= desired that APvatth"m" be
at once released, and it was all the same a good sentiment
for her. This means that a devotee of the Eord can tolerate
all sorts of tribulation personally, but still such devotees are
never unkind to others, even to the enemy. These are the
characteristics of one who is a pure devotee of the Eord.
T!T ZZ
SarhS(aae >a#au'e-d0 Sai'Sa&aae-PaSa;(a$a0 9
AE&a3a$a, %a'Taa i!aiUaTaae (ad#au&a3haTa2 99 ZZ 99
sarahasyo dhan!r%(eda*
sa(isargo"asa-yama*
astra%gr'ma1 ca bha(at'
1ik.ito yad%an!grah't
S(#O#($S
sa%rahasya*ZconfidentialV dhan!*%(eda*Zknowledge in the
art of manipulating bows and arrowsV sa%(isargaZreleasingV
!"asa-yama*ZcontrollingV astraZweaponsV gr'ma*Zall kinds
ofV caZandV bha(at'Zby yourselfV 1ik.ita*ZlearnedV yatZby
whoseV an!grah'tZmercy of.
T-A#SLATIO#
It Jas by >roFLcLryars @ercy that you learned the @ilitary art of
throJing arroJs and the confidential art of controlling JeaponsH
P8-PO-T
Dhan!r%(eda, or military science, was taught by 7roA"c"rya
with all its confidential secrets of throwing and controlling by
!edic hymns. 8ross military science is dependent on
material weapons, but finer than that is the art of throwing
the arrows saturated with !edic hymns, which act more
effectively than gross material weapons like machine guns
or atomic bombs. The control is by !edic mantras, or the
transcendental science of sound. t is said in the R'm'ya5a
that Mah"r"2a 7aParatha, the father of Eord <r= 0"ma, used
to control arrows by sound only. He could pierce his target
with his arrow by only hearing the sound, without seeing the
ob2ect. $o this is a finer military science than that of the
gross material military weapons used nowadays. Ar2una was
taught all this, and therefore 7raupad= wished that Ar2una
feel obliged to Wc"rya 7roAa for all these benefits. And in the
absence of 7roA"c"rya, his son was his representative. That
was the opinion of the good lady 7raupad=. t may be
argued why 7roA"c"rya, a rigid br'hma5a, should be a
teacher in military science. %ut the reply is that a br'hma5a
should become a teacher, regardless of what his department
of knowledge is. A learned br'hma5a should become a
teacher, a priest and a recipient of charity. A bona fide
br'hma5a is authori)ed to accept such professions.
T!T Z[
Sa V= %a&a'a#a2 d3aeQa0 PaO)aa~PaeQa 'Ta-Tae 9
TaS(aaT$a#aae+>ag PaT#(aaSTae #aa#'&aaj?rSa80 k:6Pa? 99
Z[ 99
sa e.a bhaga('n dro5a*
"ra)'%r0"e5a (artate
tasy'tmano 2rdha- "atny 'ste
n'n(ag'd ($ras0* k4"$
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV e.a*ZcertainlyV bhaga('nZlordV dro5a*Z
7roA"c"ryaV "ra)'%r0"e5aZin the form of his son APvatth"m"V
(artateZis e:istingV tasyaZhisV 'tmana*Zof the bodyV ardham
ZhalfV "atn$ZwifeV 'steZlivingV naZnotV an(ag'tZundertookV
($ras0*Zhaving the son presentV k4"$Zthe sister of
>?p"c"rya.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie O>roFLcLrya3 is certainly still eMisting, being represented by his
sonH Iis Jife CDpB did not undergo a satB Jith hi@ because she
had a sonH
P8-PO-T
The wife of 7roA"c"rya, >?p=, is the sister of >?p"c"rya. A
devoted wife, who is according to revealed scripture the
better half of her husband, is 2ustified in embracing voluntary
death along with her husband if she is without issue. %ut in
the case of the wife of 7roA"c"rya, she did not undergo such
a trial because she had her son, the representative of her
husband. A widow is a widow only in name if there is a son of
her husband e:isting. $o in either case APvatth"m" was the
representative of 7roA"c"rya, and therefore killing
APvatth"m" would be like killing 7roA"c"rya. That was the
argument of 7raupad= against the killing of APvatth"m".
T!T Z\
Tad2 >a$a-/ $aha%aa&a %a'iS&aa{r'; ku6lR$a2 9
':i)a#a; #aah-iTa PaOau; Pa8)(a; '#*$a%a?UQa!a0 99 Z\ 99
tad dharma),a mah'%bh'ga
bha(adbhir ga!ra(a- k!lam
(4)ina- n'rhati "r'"t!-
"0)ya- (andyam abh$k.5a1a*
S(#O#($S
tatZthereforeV dharma%),aZone who is aware of the
principles of religionV mah'%bh'gaZthe most fortunateV
bha(adbhi*Zby your good selfV ga!ra(amZglorifiedV k!lamZ
the familyV (4)inamZthat which is painfulV naZnotV arhatiZ
does deserveV "r'"t!mZfor obtainingV "0)yamZthe
worshipableV (andyamZrespectableV abh$k.5a1a*Z
constantly.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @ost fortunate one Jho knoJs the principles of religion, it is not
good for you to cause grief to glorious fa@ily @e@bers Jho are
alJays respectable and JorshipfulH
P8-PO-T
A slight insult for a respectable family is sufficient to invoke
grief. Therefore, a cultured man should always be careful in
dealing with worshipful family members.
T!T Z]
$aa raed?dS(a )a#a#a? &aaTa$a? PaiTade'Taa 9
(aQaah; $a:Ta'TSaaTaa- raeid$(aBOu$auY? $auhu0 99 Z] 99
m' rod$d asya )anan$
ga!tam$ "ati%de(at'
yath'ha- m4ta%(ats'rt'
rodimy a1r!%m!kh$ m!h!*
S(#O#($S
m'Zdo notV rod$tZmake cryV asyaZhisV )anan$ZmotherV
ga!tam$Zthe wife of 7roAaV "ati%de(at'ZchasteV yath'Zas
hasV ahamZmyselfV m4ta%(ats'Zone whose child is deadV 'rt'
ZdistressedV rodimiZcryingV a1r!%m!kh$Ztears in the eyesV
m!h!*Zconstantly.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y lord, do not @ake the Jife of >roFLcLrya cry like @eH I a@
aggrie'ed for the death of @y sonsH She need not cry constantly
like @eH
P8-PO-T
$ympathetic good lady as she was, <r=mat= 7raupad= did
not want to put the wife of 7roA"c"rya in the same position
of childlessness, both from the point of motherly feelings and
from the respectable position held by the wife of
7roA"c"rya.
T!T Z^
(a0 k6aeiPaTa; b34ku6l;R ra)a#(ari)aTaaT$ai%a0 9
TaTa2 ku6l;R PaOdhT(aaBu Saa#aub#>a; BucaiPa-Ta$a2 99 Z^ 99
yai* ko"ita- brahma%k!la-
r')anyair a)it'tmabhi*
tat k!la- "radahaty '1!
s'n!bandha- 1!c'r"itam
S(#O#($S
yai*Zby thoseV ko"itamZenragedV brahma%k!lamZthe order
of the br'hma5asC r')anyai*Zby the administrative orderV
a)itaZunrestrictedV 'tmabhi*Zby oneselfV tatZthatV k!lamZ
familyV "radahatiZis burnt upV '1!Zwithin no timeV sa%
an!bandhamZtogether with family membersV 1!c'%ar"itamZ
being put into grief.
T-A#SLATIO#
If the kingly ad@inistrati'e order, being unrestricted in sense
control, offends the brLh@aFa order and enrages the@, then the
fire of that rage burns up the Jhole body of the royal fa@ily and
brings grief upon allH
P8-PO-T
The br'hma5a order of society, or the spiritually advanced
caste or community, and the members of such highly
elevated families, were always held in great esteem by the
other, subordinate castes, namely the administrative kingly
order, the mercantile order and the laborers.
T!T Z_
Sa8Ta o'ac
>a$(ag #(aa((a; Sak6DQa; i#aG(a-lRIk;6 Sa$a; $ahTa2 9
ra)aa >a$a-SauTaae ra(aa0 PaOT(a#a#djcae ij)aa0 99 Z_ 99
s0ta !('ca
dharmya- ny'yya- sakar!5a-
nir(yal$ka- sama- mahat
r')' dharma%s!to r'),y'*
"ratyanandad (aco d(i)'*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV dharmyamZin accordance
with the principles of religionV ny'yyamZ2usticeV sa%kar!5amZ
full of mercyV nir(yal$kamZwithout duplicity in dharmaC
samamZe(uityV mahatZgloriousV r')'Zthe >ingV dharma%
s!ta*ZsonV r'),y'*Zby the ùeenV "ratyanandatZsupportedV
(aca*ZstatementsV d(i)'*Z9 br'hma5as.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide O brLh@aFas, Cing (udhiEhira fully
supported the state@ents of the Queen, Jhich Jere in accordance
Jith the principles of religion and Jere /ustified, glorious, full of
@ercy and e?uity, and Jithout duplicityH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, who was the son of 7harmar"2a, or
Xamar"2a, fully supported the words of ùeen 7raupad= in
asking Ar2una to release APvatth"m". 9ne should not
tolerate the humiliation of a member of a great family.
Ar2una and his family were indebted to the family of
7roA"c"rya because of Ar2unaJs learning the military science
from him. f ingratitude were shown to such a benevolent
family, it would not be at all 2ustified from the moral
standpoint. The wife of 7roA"c"rya, who was the half body of
the great soul, must be treated with compassion, and she
should not be put into grief because of her sonJs death. That
is compassion. $uch statements by 7raupad= are without
duplicity because actions should be taken with full
knowledge. The feeling of e(uality was there because
7raupad= spoke out of her personal e:perience. A barren
woman cannot understand the grief of a mother. 7raupad=
was herself a mother, and therefore her calculation of the
depth of >?p=Js grief was (uite to the point. And it was
glorious because she wanted to show proper respect to a
great family.
T!T [`
#aku6lR0 Sahde', (au(au>aa#aae >a#ai(a0 9
%a&a'a#a2 de'k6IPau<aae (ae ca#(ae (aa, (aaei=Ta0 99 [` 99
nak!la* sahade(a1 ca
y!y!dh'no dhana,)aya*
bhaga('n de(ak$%"!tro
ye c'nye y'1 ca yo.ita*
S(#O#($S
nak!la*ZKakulaV sahade(a*Z$ahadevaV caZandV y!y!dh'na*
Z$"tyakiV dhana,)aya*ZAr2unaV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV de(ak$%"!tra*Zthe son of 7evak=, Eord <r= >?@AaV
yeZthoseV caZandV anyeZothersV y'*ZthoseV caZandV
yo.ita*Zladies.
T-A#SLATIO#
#akula and Sahade'a Othe younger brothers of the Cing3 and also
SLtyaki, Ar/una, the Personality of &odhead Lord Sri CDEFa, son of
>e'akB, and the ladies and others all unani@ously agreed Jith the
CingH
T!T ["
Ta<aaha$ai=-Taae %a?$aSTaS(a BOe(aa#a2 '>a0 S$a:Ta0 9
#a %aTau-#aa-T$a#a,aQae-
(aae+h#a2 Saua#a2 i!aB8#a2 ':Qaa 99 [" 99
tatr'h'mar.ito bh$mas
tasya 1rey'n (adha* sm4ta*
na bhart!r n'tmana1 c'rthe
yo 2han s!"t'n 1i10n (4th'
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereuponV 'haZsaidV amar.ita*Zin an angry moodV
bh$ma*Z%h=maV tasyaZhisV 1rey'nZultimate goodV (adha*Z
killingV sm4ta*ZrecordedV naZnotV bhart!*Zof the masterV
naZnorV 'tmana*Zof his own selfV caZandV artheZfor the
sake ofV ya*Zone whoV ahanZkilledV s!"t'nZsleepingV 1i10n
ZchildrenV (4th'Zwithout purpose.
T-A#SLATIO#
KhB@a, hoJe'er, disagreed Jith the@ and reco@@ended killing
this culprit Jho, in an angry @ood, had @urdered sleeping children
for no purpose and for neither his nor his @asterrs interestH
T!T [N
i#a!a$(a %a?$a&aidTa; d3aPa*a, cTau%au-)a0 9
AalRaeC(a 'd#a; Sae(auird$aah hSaik' 99 [N 99
ni1amya bh$ma%gadita-
dra!"ady'1 ca cat!r%bh!)a*
'lokya (adana- sakhy!r
idam 'ha hasann i(a
S(#O#($S
ni1amyaZ2ust after hearingV bh$maZ%h=maV gaditamZspoken
byV dra!"ady'*Zof 7raupad=V caZandV cat!*%bh!)a*Zthe
four'handed 31ersonality of 8odhead6V 'lokyaZhaving seenV
(adanamZthe faceV sakhy!*Zof His friendV idamZthisV 'haZ
saidV hasanZsmilingV i(aZas it.
T-A#SLATIO#
Caturbhu/a Othe four6ar@ed one3, or the Personality of &odhead,
after hearing the Jords of KhB@a, >raupadB and others, saJ the
face of Iis dear friend Ar/una, and Ie began to speak as if s@ilingH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa had two arms, and why He is designated as
four'armed is e:plained by <r=dhara $v"m=. %oth %h=ma
and 7raupad= held opposite views about killing APvatth"m".
%h=ma wanted him to be immediately killed, whereas
7raupad= wanted to save him. We can imagine %h=ma
ready to kill while 7raupad= is obstructing him. And in order
to prevent both of them, the Eord discovered another two
arms. 9riginally, the primeval Eord <r= >?@Aa displays only
two arms, but in His K"r"yaAa feature He e:hibits four. n His
K"r"yaAa feature He resides with His devotees in the
!aikuATha planets, while in His original <r= >?@Aa feature He
resides in the >?@Aaloka planet far, far above the !aikuATha
planets in the spiritual sky. Therefore, if <r= >?@Aa is called
cat!rbh!)a*, there is no contradiction. f need be He can
display hundreds of arms, as He e:hibited in His (i1(a%r0"a
shown to Ar2una. Therefore, one who can display hundreds
and thousands of arms can also manifest four whenever
needed.
When Ar2una was perple:ed about what to do with
APvatth"m", Eord <r= >?@Aa, as the very dear friend of
Ar2una, voluntarily took up the matter 2ust to make a
solution. And He was smiling also.
T!TS [X[Z
BO?%a&a'a#au'ac
b34b#>au#a- h#TaG(a AaTaTaa(a? '>aah-Qa0 9
$a(a'ae%a(a$aa$anaTa; PairPaa7#au!aaSa#a$a2 99 [X 99
ku6D PaOiTaBOuTa; SaT(a; (ataTSaa#T'(aTaa iPaO(aa$a2 9
iPaO(a; c %a?$aSae#aS(a Paa}aL(aa $a7$ae' c 99 [Z 99
1r$%bhaga('n !('ca
brahma%bandh!r na hanta(ya
'tat'y$ (adh'rha5a*
mayai(obhayam 'mn'ta-
"ari"'hy an!1'sanam
k!r! "rati1r!ta- satya-
yat tat s'nt(ayat' "riy'm
"riya- ca bh$masenasya
"',c'ly' mahyam e(a ca
S(#O#($S
1r$%bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV !('caZsaidV
brahma%bandh!*Zthe relative of a br'hma5aC naZnotV
hanta(ya*Zto be killedV 'tat'y$Zthe aggressorV (adha%
arha5a*Zis due to be killedV may'Zby MeV e(aZcertainlyV
!bhayamZbothV 'mn'tamZdescribed according to rulings of
the authorityV "ari"'hiZcarry outV an!1'sanamZrulingsV k!r!
Zabide byV "rati1r!tamZas promised byV satyamZtruthV yat
tatZthat whichV s'nt(ayat'Zwhile pacifyingV "riy'mZdear
wifeV "riyamZsatisfactionV caZalsoV bh$masenasyaZof <r=
%h=masenaV "',c'ly'*Zof 7raupad=V mahyamZunto Me alsoV
e(aZcertainlyV caZand.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Personality of &odhead Sri CDEFa saide A friend of a brLh@aFa
is not to be killed, but if he is an aggressor he @ust be killedH All
these rulings are in the scriptures, and you should act accordinglyH
(ou ha'e to fulfill your pro@ise to your Jife, and you @ust also act
to the satisfaction of KhB@asena and $eH
P8-PO-T
Ar2una was perple:ed because APvatth"m" was to be killed
as well as spared according to different scriptures cited by
different persons. As a brahma%bandh!, or a worthless son of
a br'hma5a, APvatth"m" was not to be killed, but he was at
the same time an aggressor also. And according to the
rulings of Manu, an aggressor, even though he be a
br'hma5a 3and what to speak of an unworthy son of a
br'hma5a6, is to be killed. 7roA"c"rya was certainly a
br'hma5a in the true sense of the term, but because he stood
in the battlefield he was killed. %ut although APvatth"m" was
an aggressor, he stood without any fighting weapons. The
ruling is that an aggressor, when he is without weapon or
chariot, cannot be killed. All these were certainly
perple:ities. %esides that, Ar2una had to keep the promise he
had made before 7raupad= 2ust to pacify her. And he also
had to satisfy both %h=ma and >?@Aa, who advised killing
him. This dilemma was present before Ar2una, and the
solution was awarded by >?@Aa.
T!T [[
Sa8Ta o'ac
A)au-#a0 SahSaa/a(a hreha-d-$aQaaiSa#aa 9
$aiQa; )ahar $a8>a-#(a; ij)aS(a Sah$a8>a-)a$a2 99 [[ 99
s0ta !('ca
ar)!na* sahas'),'ya
harer h'rdam ath'sin'
ma5i- )ah'ra m0rdhanya-
d(i)asya saha%m0rdha)am
S(#O#($S
s0ta*Z$Lta 8osv"m=V !('caZsaidV ar)!na*ZAr2unaV sahas'Z
2ust at that timeV '),'yaZknowing itV hare*Zof the EordV
h'rdamZmotiveV athaZthusV asin'Zby the swordV ma5imZ
the 2ewelV )ah'raZseparatedV m0rdhanyamZon the headV
d(i)asyaZof the twice'bornV sahaZwithV m0rdha)amZhairs.
T-A#SLATIO#
)ust then Ar/una could understand the @oti'e of the Lord by Iis
e?ui'ocal orders, and thus Jith his sJord he se'ered both hair and
/eJel fro@ the head of Aw'atthL@LH
P8-PO-T
*ontradictory orders of different persons are impossible to
carry out. Therefore a compromise was selected by Ar2una
by his sharp intelligence, and he separated the 2ewel from
the head of APvatth"m". This was as good as cutting off his
head, and yet his life was saved for all practical purposes.
Here APvatth"m" is indicated as twice'born. *ertainly he
was twice'born, but he fell down from his position, and
therefore he was properly punished.
T!T [\
i'$auC(a r!a#aabp; balRhT(aahTaPaO%a$a2 9
Tae)aSaa $aiQa#aa h?#a; i!aibraikr(aaPa(aTa2 99 [\ 99
(im!cya ra1an'%baddha-
b'la%haty'%hata%"rabham
te)as' ma5in' h$na-
1ibir'n niray'"ayat
S(#O#($S
(im!cyaZafter releasing himV ra1an'%baddhamZfrom the
bondage of ropesV b'la%haty'ZinfanticideV hata%"rabhamZloss
of bodily lusterV te)as'Zof the strength ofV ma5in'Zby the
2ewelV h$namZbeing deprived ofV 1ibir'tZfrom the campV
niray'"ayatZdrove him out.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie OAw'atthL@L3 had already lost his bodily luster due to
infanticide, and noJ, @oreo'er, ha'ing lost the /eJel fro@ his
head, he lost e'en @ore strengthH Thus he Jas unbound and dri'en
out of the ca@pH
P8-PO-T
Thus being insulted, the humiliated APvatth"m" was
simultaneously killed and not killed by the intelligence of
Eord >?@Aa and Ar2una.
T!T []
'Pa#a; d3i'Qaada#a; SQaa#aaik(aa-PaQa; TaQaa 9
V= ih b34b#>a8#aa; '>aae #aa#(aae+iSTa dihk60 99 [] 99
(a"ana- dra(i5'd'na-
sth'n'n niry'"a5a- tath'
e.a hi brahma%bandh0n'-
(adho n'nyo 2sti daihika*
S(#O#($S
(a"anamZcleaving the hairs from the headV dra(i5aZwealthV
ad'namZforfeitingV sth'n'tZfrom the residenceV niry'"a5am
Zdriving awayV tath'ZalsoV e.a*Zall theseV hiZcertainlyV
brahma%bandh0n'mZof the relatives of a br'hma5aC (adha*Z
killingV naZnotV anya*Zany other methodV astiZthere isV
daihika*Zin the matter of the body.
T-A#SLATIO#
Cutting the hair fro@ his head, depri'ing hi@ of his Jealth and
dri'ing hi@ fro@ his residence are the prescribed punish@ents for
the relati'e of a brLh@aFaH There is no in/unction for killing the
bodyH
T!T [^
Pau<a!aaek6aTaura0 Sa'e- PaaQo'a0 Sah k:6.Qa(aa 9
S'a#aa; $a:Taa#aa; (aTk:6T(a; csu6i#a-h-rQaaidk6$a2 99
[^ 99
"!tra%1ok't!r'* sar(e
"'5;a('* saha k4.5ay'
s('n'- m4t'n'- yat k4tya-
cakr!r nirhara5'dikam
S(#O#($S
"!traZsonV 1okaZbereavementV 't!r'*Zoverwhelmed withV
sar(eZall of themV "'5;a('*Zthe sons of 1"AQuV sahaZalong
withV k4.5ay'Zwith 7raupad=V s('n'mZof the kinsmenV
m4t'n'mZof the deadV yatZwhatV k4tyamZought to be doneV
cakr!*Zdid performV nirhara5a%'dikamZundertakable.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter, the sons of PLFhu and >raupadB, o'erJhel@ed Jith
grief, perfor@ed the proper rituals for the dead bodies of their
relati'esH
Se(enth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KThe Son
of Dro5a !nished.M
Chapter ight
Prayers by Queen CuntB and ParBkEit Sa'ed
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
AQa Tae Sa$PareTaa#aa; S'a#aa$audk6i$aCcTaa$a2 9
daTau; Sak:6.Qaa &ala(aa; PaurSk:6T(a (a(au0 iE(a0 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
atha te sam"aret'n'-
s('n'm !dakam icchat'm
d't!- sak4.5' ga3g'y'-
"!rask4tya yay!* striya*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta saidV athaZthusV teZthe 1"AQavasV
sam"aret'n'mZof the deadV s('n'mZof the relativesV !dakam
ZwaterV icchat'mZwilling to haveV d't!mZto deliverV sa%
k4.5'*Zalong with 7raupad=V ga3g'y'mZon the 8angesV
"!rask4tyaZputting in the frontV yay!*ZwentV striya*Zthe
women.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Thereafter the PLFha'as, desiring to deli'er
Jater to the dead relati'es Jho had desired it, Jent to the &anges
Jith >raupadBH The ladies Jalked in frontH
P8-PO-T
To date it is the custom in Hindu society to go to the 8anges
or any other sacred river to take bath when death occurs in
the family. ;ach of the family members pours out a potful of
the 8anges water for the departed soul and walks in a
procession, with the ladies in the front. The 1"AQavas also
followed the rules more than five thousand years ago. Eord
>?@Aa, being a cousin of the 1"AQavas, was also amongst
the family members.
T!T N
Tae i#a#a?(aaedk;6 Sa'e- i'lRP(a c %a:!a; Pau#a0 9
AaPlRuTaa hirPaadaK)ar)a0Pa8TaSairleR 99 N 99
te nin$yodaka- sar(e
(ila"ya ca bh41a- "!na*
'"l!t' hari%"'d'b)a%
ra)a*%"0ta%sari)%)ale
S(#O#($S
teZall of themV nin$yaZhaving offeredV !dakamZwaterV sar(e
Zevery one of themV (ila"yaZhaving lamentedV caZandV
bh41amZsufficientlyV "!na*ZagainV '"l!t'*Ztook bathV hari%
"'d'b)aZthe lotus feet of the EordV ra)a*ZdustV "0taZ
purifiedV saritZof the 8angesV )aleZin the water.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ia'ing la@ented o'er the@ and sufficiently offered &anges Jater,
they bathed in the &anges, Jhose Jater is sanctified due to being
@iMed Jith the dust of the lotus feet of the LordH
T!T X
Ta<aaSa?#a; ku6DPaiTa; >a:Taran|; Saha#au)a$a2 9
&aa#>aar?; Pau<a!aaek6aTaag Pa:Qaa; k:6.Qaa; c $aa>a'0 99
X 99
tatr's$na- k!r!%"ati-
dh4tar'.<ra- sah'n!)am
g'ndh'r$- "!tra%1ok'rt'-
"4th'- k4.5'- ca m'dha(a*
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereV 's$namZsittingV k!r!%"atimZthe >ing of the
>urusV dh4tar'.<ramZ7h?tar"@TraV saha%an!)amZwith his
younger brothersV g'ndh'r$mZ8"ndh"r=V "!traZsonV 1oka%
art'mZovertaken by bereavementV "4th'mZ>unt=V k4.5'mZ
7raupad=V caZalsoV m'dha(a*ZEord <r= >?@Aa.
T-A#SLATIO#
There sat the Cing of the Curus, $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, along Jith
his younger brothers and >hDtarLEra, &LndhLrB, CuntB and
>raupadB, all o'erJhel@ed Jith griefH Lord CDEFa Jas also thereH
P8-PO-T
The %attle of >uruk@etra was fought between family
members, and thus all affected persons were also family
members like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and brothers, >unt=,
7raupad=, $ubhadr", 7h?tar"@Tra, 8"ndh"r= and her
daughters'in'law, etc. All the principal dead bodies were in
some way or other related with each other, and therefore
the family grief was combined. Eord >?@Aa was also one of
them as a cousin of the 1"AQavas and nephew of >unt=, as
well as brother of $ubhadr", etc. The Eord, therefore, was
e(ually sympathetic toward all of them, and therefore he
began to pacify them befittingly.
T!T Z
Saa#T'(aa$aaSa $aui#ai%ah-Tab#>a8Ia2 BucaiPa-Taa#a2 9
%a8Tae=u k6alRS(a &aiTa; d!a-(akPaOiTais6(aa$a2 99 Z 99
s'nt(ay'm 'sa m!nibhir
hata%bandh0, 1!c'r"it'n
bh0te.! k'lasya gati-
dar1ayan na "ratikriy'm
S(#O#($S
s'nt(ay'm 'saZpacifiedV m!nibhi*Zalong with the m!nis
present thereV hata%bandh0nZthose who lost their friends and
relativesV 1!c'r"it'nZall shocked and affectedV bh0te.!Z
unto the living beingsV k'lasyaZof the supreme law of the
AlmightyV gatimZreactionsV dar1ayanZdemonstratedV naZnoV
"ratikriy'mZremedial measures.
T-A#SLATIO#
Citing the stringent laJs of the Al@ighty and their reactions upon
li'ing beings, Lord ArB CDEFa and the @unis began to pacify those
Jho Jere shocked and affectedH
P8-PO-T
The stringent laws of nature, under the order of the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead, cannot be altered by any living
entity. The living entities are eternally under the sub2ugation
of the almighty Eord. The Eord makes all the laws and orders,
and these laws and orders are generally called dharma or
religion. Ko one can create any religious formula. %ona fide
religion is to abide by the orders of the Eord. The EordJs
orders are clearly declared in the &haga(ad%g$t'. ;veryone
should follow Him only or His orders, and that will make all
happy, both materially and spiritually. As long as we are in
the material world, our duty is to follow the orders of the
Eord, and if by the grace of the Eord we are liberated from
the clutches of the material world, then in our liberated
stage also we can render transcendental loving service unto
the Eord. n our material stage we can see neither ourselves
nor the Eord for want of spiritual vision. %ut when we are
liberated from material affection and are situated in our
original spiritual form we can see both ourselves and the
Eord face to face. 8!kti means to be reinstated in oneJs
original spiritual status after giving up the material
conception of life. Therefore, human life is specifically meant
for (ualifying ourselves for this spiritual liberty.
Rnfortunately, under the influence of illusory material
energy, we accept this spot'life of only a few years as our
permanent e:istence and thus become illusioned by
possessing so'called country, home, land, children, wife,
community, wealth, etc., which are false representations
created by m'y' 3illusion6. And under the dictation of m'y',
we fight with one another to protect these false possessions.
%y cultivating spiritual knowledge, we can reali)e that we
have nothing to do with all this material paraphernalia. Then
at once we become free from material attachment. This
clearance of the misgivings of material e:istence at once
takes place by association with the EordJs devotees, who are
able to in2ect the transcendental sound into the depths of
the bewildered heart and thus make one practically liberated
from all lamentation and illusion. That is a summary of the
pacifying measures for those affected by the reaction of
stringent material laws, e:hibited in the forms of birth,
death, old age and disease, which are insoluble factors of
material e:istence. The victims of war, namely, the family
members of the >urus, were lamenting the problems of
death, and the Eord pacified them on the basis of knowledge.
T!T [
Saa>ai(aT'a)aaTa!a<aae0 S'; ra)(a; ik6Ta'5-Ta$a2 9
gaaTai(aT'aSaTaae ra/0 k6cSPa!a-UaTaa(au=0 99 [ 99
s'dhayit(')'ta%1atro*
s(a- r')ya- kita(air h4tam
gh'tayit('sato r'),a*
kaca%s"ar1a%k.at'y!.a*
S(#O#($S
s'dhayit('Zhaving e:ecutedV a)'ta%1atro*Zof one who has
no enemyV s(am r')yamZown kingdomV kita(ai*Zby the
clever 37uryodhana and party6V h4tamZusurpedV gh'tayit('Z
having killedV asata*Zthe unscrupulousV r'),a*Zof the
(ueenJsV kacaZbunch of hairV s"ar1aZroughly handledV k.ata
ZdecreasedV 'y!.a*Zby the duration of life.
T-A#SLATIO#
The cle'er >uryodhana and his party cunningly usurped the
kingdo@ of (udhiEhira, Jho had no ene@yH Ky the grace of the
Lord, the reco'ery Jas eMecuted, and the unscrupulous kings Jho
/oined Jith >uryodhana Jere killed by Ii@H Others also died, their
duration of life ha'ing decreased for their rough handling of the
hair of Queen >raupadBH
P8-PO-T
n the glorious days, or before the advent of the age of >ali,
the br'hma5as, the cows, the women, the children and the
old men were properly given protection.
,. The protection of the br'hma5as maintains the institution
of (ar5a and '1rama, the most scientific culture for
attainment of spiritual life.
G. The protection of cows maintains the most miraculous
form of food, i.e., milk for maintaining the finer tissues of the
brain for understanding higher aims of life.
\. The protection of women maintains the chastity of society,
by which we can get a good generation for peace,
tran(uillity and progress of life.
M. The protection of children gives the human form of life its
best chance to prepare the way of liberty from material
bondage. $uch protection of children begins from the very
day of begetting a child by the purificatory process of
garbh'dh'na%sa-sk'ra, the beginning of pure life.
B. The protection of the old men gives them a chance to
prepare themselves for better life after death.
This complete outlook is based on factors leading to
successful humanity as against the civili)ation of polished
cats and dogs. The killing of the above'mentioned innocent
creatures is totally forbidden because even by insulting them
one loses oneJs duration of life. n the age of >ali they are
not properly protected, and therefore the duration of life of
the present generation has shortened considerably. n the
&haga(ad%g$t' it is stated that when the women become
unchaste for want of proper protection, there are unwanted
children called (ar5a%sa3kara. To insult a chaste woman
means to bring about disaster in the duration of life.
7ubP"sana, a brother of 7uryodhana, insulted 7raupad=, an
ideal chaste lady, and therefore the miscreants died
untimely. These are some of the stringent laws of the Eord
mentioned above.
T!T \
(aa)ai(aT'aT$ae>aSTa; i<ai%aDta$ak6LPak60 9
Ta*!a0 Paa'#a; idUau !aTa$a#(aaeir'aTa#aaeTa2 99 \ 99
y')ayit('1(amedhais ta-
tribhir !ttama%kal"akai*
tad%ya1a* "'(ana- dik.!
1ata%manyor i('tanot
S(#O#($S
y')ayit('Zby performingV a1(amedhai*Zya),a in which a
horse is sacrificedV tamZhim 3>ing Xudhi@Thira6V tribhi*Z
threeV !ttamaZbestV kal"akai*Zsupplied with proper
ingredients and performed by able priestsV tatZthatV ya1a*Z
fameV "'(anamZvirtuousV dik.!Zall directionsV 1ata%manyo*
Zndra, who performed one hundred such sacrificesV i(aZ
likeV atanotZspread.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lord ArB CDEFa caused three Jell6perfor@ed Aw'a@edha6ya/fas
Ohorse sacrifices3 to be conducted by $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira and
thus caused his 'irtuous fa@e to be glorified in all directions, like
that of Indra, Jho had perfor@ed one hundred such sacrificesH
P8-PO-T
This is something like the preface to the performances of
APvamedha'ya2â by Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. The comparison
of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira to the >ing of heaven is significant.
The >ing of heaven is thousands and thousands of times
greater than Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira in opulence, yet the fame
of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was not less. The reason is that
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was a pure devotee of the Eord, and
by His grace only was >ing Xudhi@Thira on the level of the
>ing of heaven, even though he performed only three ya),as
whereas the >ing of heaven performed hundreds. That is the
prerogative of the devotee of the Eord. The Eord is e(ual to
everyone, but a devotee of the Eord is more glorified
because he is always in touch with the all'great. The sun
rays are e(ually distributed, but still there are some places
which are always dark. This is not due to the sun but to the
receptive power. $imilarly, those who are cent percent
devotees of the Eord get the full'fledged mercy of the Eord,
which is always e(ually distributed everywhere.
T!T ]
Aa$a#<(a PaaQouPau<aa;, !a#ae(aaep'Sa;(auTa0 9
jPaa(a#aaidi%ai'-PaO0 Pa8i)aTa0 PaOiTaPa8i)aTa0 99 ] 99
'mantrya "'5;!%"!tr'-1 ca
1aineyoddha(a%sa-y!ta*
d(ai"'yan'dibhir (i"rai*
"0)itai* "rati"0)ita*
S(#O#($S
'mantryaZinvitingV "'5;!%"!tr'nZall the sons of 1"AQuV caZ
alsoV 1aineyaZ$"tyakiV !ddha(aZRddhavaV sa-y!ta*Z
accompaniedV d(ai"'yana%'dibhi*Zby the 4.is like
!edavy"saV (i"rai*Zby the br'hma5asC "0)itai*Zbeing
worshipedV "rati"0)ita*Zthe Eord also reciprocated e(ually.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lord ArB CDEFa then prepared for Iis departureH Ie in'ited the
sons of PLFhu, after ha'ing been Jorshiped by the brLh@aFas,
headed by ArBla GyLsade'aH The Lord also reciprocated greetingsH
P8-PO-T
Apparently Eord <r= >?@Aa was a k.atriya and was not
worshipable by the br'hma5as. %ut the br'hma5as present
there, headed by <r=la !y"sadeva, all knew Him to be the
1ersonality of 8odhead, and therefore they worshiped Him.
The Eord reciprocated the greetings 2ust to honor the social
order that a k.atriya is obedient to the orders of the
br'hma5as. Although Eord <r= >?@Aa was always offered the
respects due the $upreme Eord from all responsible
(uarters, the Eord never deviated from the customary
usages between the four orders of society. The Eord
purposely observed all these social customs so that others
would follow Him in the future.
T!T ^
&a#Tau; k:6Ta$aiTab3-4#a2 jark6a; rQa$aaiSQaTa0 9
oPaleR%ae+i%a>aa'#Ta?$autara; %a(ai'lRa$a2 99 ^ 99
gant!- k4tamatir brahman
d('rak'- ratham 'sthita*
!"alebhe 2bhidh'(ant$m
!ttar'- bhaya%(ih(al'm
S(#O#($S
gant!mZ2ust desiring to startV k4tamati*Zhaving decidedV
brahmanZ9 br'hma5aC d('rak'mZtowards 7v"rak"V rathamZ
on the chariotV 'sthita*ZseatedV !"alebheZsawV
abhidh'(ant$mZcoming hurriedlyV !ttar'mZRttar"V bhaya%
(ih(al'mZbeing afraid.
T-A#SLATIO#
As soon as Ie seated Ii@self on the chariot to start for >'LrakL,
Ie saJ 8ttarL hurrying toJard Ii@ in fearH
P8-PO-T
All the members of the family of the 1"AQavas were
completely dependent on the protection of the Eord, and
therefore the Eord protected all of them in all circumstances.
The Eord protects everyone, but one who depends
completely upon Him is especially looked after by the Eord.
The father is more attentive to the little son who is
e:clusively dependent on the father.
T!T _
otarae'ac
Paaih Paaih $aha(aaei&a#de'de' )a&aTPaTae 9
#aa#(a; T'd%a(a; Pa!(ae (a<a $a:T(au0 ParSPar$a2 99 _ 99
!ttaro('ca
"'hi "'hi mah'%yogin
de(a%de(a )agat%"ate
n'nya- t(ad abhaya- "a1ye
yatra m4ty!* "aras"aram
S(#O#($S
!ttar' !('caZRttar" saidV "'hi "'hiZprotect, protectV mah'%
yoginZthe greatest mysticV de(a%de(aZthe worshipable of the
worshipedV )agat%"ateZ9 Eord of the universeV naZnotV
anyamZanyone elseV t(atZthan XouV abhayamZfearlessnessV
"a1yeZdo seeV yatraZwhere there isV m4ty!*ZdeathV
"aras"aramZin the world of duality.
T-A#SLATIO#
8ttarL saide O Lord of lords, Lord of the uni'erset (ou are the
greatest of @ysticsH Please protect @e, for there is no one else Jho
can sa'e @e fro@ the clutches of death in this Jorld of dualityH
P8-PO-T
This material world is the world of duality, in contrast with
the oneness of the absolute realm. The world of duality is
composed of matter and spirit, whereas the absolute world is
complete spirit without any tinge of the material (ualities. n
the dual world everyone is falsely trying to become the
master of the world, whereas in the absolute world the Eord
is the absolute Eord, and all others are His absolute servitors.
n the world of duality everyone is en(io!s of all others, and
death is inevitable due to the dual e:istence of matter and
spirit. The Eord is the only shelter of fearlessness for the
surrendered soul. 9ne cannot save himself from the cruel
hands of death in the material world without having
surrendered himself at the lotus feet of the Eord.
T!T "`
Ai%ad3'iTa $aa$a?!a !arSTaa(aSaae i'%aae 9
k6a$a; dhTau $aa; #aaQa $aa $ae &a%aae-
i#aPaaT(aTaa$a2 99 "` 99
abhidra(ati m'm $1a
1aras ta"t'yaso (ibho
k'ma- dahat! m'- n'tha
m' me garbho ni"'tyat'm
S(#O#($S
abhidra(atiZcoming towardsV m'mZmeV $1aZ9 EordV 1ara*Z
the arrowV ta"taZfieryV ayasa*ZironV (ibhoZ9 great oneV
k'mamZdesireV dahat!Zlet it burnV m'mZmeV n'thaZ9
protectorV m'ZnotV meZmyV garbha*ZembryoV ni"'tyat'mZ
be aborted.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @y Lord, (ou are all6poJerfulH A fiery iron arroJ is co@ing
toJards @e fastH $y Lord, let it burn @e personally, if (ou so
desire, but please do not let it burn and abort @y e@bryoH Please
do @e this fa'or, @y LordH
P8-PO-T
This incident took place after the death of Abhimanyu, the
husband of Rttar". AbhimanyuJs widow, Rttar", should have
followed the path of her husband, but because she was
pregnant, and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, a great devotee of the
Eord, was lying in embryo, she was responsible for his
protection. The mother of a child has a great responsibility in
giving all protection to the child, and therefore Rttar" was
not ashamed to e:press this frankly before Eord >?@Aa.
Rttar" was the daughter of a great king, the wife of a great
hero, and student of a great devotee, and later she was the
mother of a good king also. $he was fortunate in every
respect.
T!T ""
Sa8Ta o'ac
oPa>aa(a- 'cSTaS(aa %a&a'a#a2 %av6'TSalR0 9
APaaQo'i$ad; k6Taug d3aQaerE$abu>(aTa 99 "" 99
s0ta !('ca
!"adh'rya (acas tasy'
bhaga('n bhakta%(atsala*
a"'5;a(am ida- kart!-
dra!5er astram ab!dhyata
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV !"adh'ryaZby hearing her
patientlyV (aca*ZwordsV tasy'*ZherV bhaga('nZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV bhakta%(atsala*ZHe who is very
much affectionate towards His devoteesV a"'5;a(amZ
without the e:istence of the 1"AQavasJ descendantsV idamZ
thisV kart!mZto do itV dra!5e*Zof the son of 7roA"c"ryaV
astramZweaponV ab!dhyataZunderstood.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Ia'ing patiently heard her Jords, Lord ArB
CDEFa, Jho is alJays 'ery affectionate to Iis de'otees, could at
once understand that Aw'atthL@L, the son of >roFLcLrya, had
throJn the brah@Lstra to finish the last life in the PLFha'a fa@ilyH
P8-PO-T
The Eord is impartial in every respect, but still He is inclined
towards His devotees because there is a great necessity of
this for everyoneJs wellbeing. The 1"AQava family was a
family of devotees, and therefore the Eord wanted them to
rule the world. That was the reason He van(uished the rule
of the company of 7uryodhana and established the rule of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. Therefore, He also wanted to protect
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, who was lying in embryo. He did not like
the idea that the world should be without the 1"AQavas, the
ideal family of devotees.
T!T "N
Ta7e-'aQa $aui#aBOef PaaQo'a0 Pa} Saa(ak6a#a2 9
AaT$a#aae+i%a$auYa#d?a#aalRU(aaEaQ(auPaaddu0 99 "N 99
tarhy e('tha m!ni%1re.<ha
"'5;a('* "a,ca s'yak'n
'tmano 2bhim!kh'n d$"t'n
'lak.y'str'5y !"'dad!*
S(#O#($S
tarhiZthenV e(aZalsoV athaZthereforeV m!ni%1re.<haZ9 chief
amongst the m!nisC "'5;a('*Zall the sons of 1"AQuV "a,caZ
fiveV s'yak'nZweaponsV 'tmana*Zown selvesV abhim!kh'nZ
towardsV d$"t'nZglaringV 'lak.yaZseeing itV astr'5iZ
weaponsV !"'dad!*Ztook up.
T-A#SLATIO#
O fore@ost a@ong the great thinkers O@unis3 OAaunaka3, seeing the
glaring brah@Lstra proceeding toJards the@, the PLFha'as took
up their fi'e respecti'e JeaponsH
P8-PO-T
The brahm'stras are finer than the nuclear weapons.
APvatth"m" discharged the brahm'stra simply to kill the
1"AQavas, namely the five brothers headed by Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira and their only grandson, who was lying within
the womb of Rttar". Therefore the brahm'stra, more effective
and finer than the atomic weapons, was not as blind as the
atomic bombs. When the atomic bombs are discharged they
do not discriminate between the target and others. Mainly
the atomic bombs do harm to the innocent because there is
no control. The brahm'stra is not like that. t marks out the
target and proceeds accordingly without harming the
innocent.
T!T "X
G(aSa#a; '?U(a Tatae=a$a#a#(ai'=(aaT$a#aa$a2 9
Saud!a-#ae#a S'aEeQa S'a#aa; rUaa; G(a>aaij%au0 99 "X 99
(yasana- ($k.ya tat te.'m
ananya%(i.ay'tman'm
s!dar1anena s('stre5a
s('n'- rak.'- (yadh'd (ibh!*
S(#O#($S
(yasanamZgreat dangerV ($k.yaZhaving observedV tatZthatV
te.'mZtheirV ananyaZno otherV (i.ayaZmeansV 'tman'mZ
thus inclinedV s!dar1anenaZby the wheel of <r= >?@AaV s(a%
astre5aZby the weaponV s('n'mZof His own devoteesV
rak.'mZprotectionV (yadh'tZdid itV (ibh!*Zthe Almighty.
T-A#SLATIO#
The al@ighty Personality of &odhead, ArB CDEFa, ha'ing obser'ed
that a great danger Jas befalling Iis unalloyed de'otees, Jho
Jere fully surrendered souls, at once took up Iis Sudarwana disc to
protect the@H
P8-PO-T
The brahm'stra, the supreme weapon released by
APvatth"m", was something similar to the nuclear weapon
but with more radiation and heat. This brahm'stra is the
product of a more subtle science, being the product of a
finer sound, a mantra recorded in the /edas. Another
advantage of this weapon is that it is not blind like the
nuclear weapon because it can be directed only to the target
and nothing else. APvatth"m" released the weapon 2ust to
finish all the male members of 1"AQuJs familyV therefore in
one sense it was more dangerous than the atomic bombs
because it could penetrate even the most protected place
and would never miss the target. >nowing all this, Eord <r=
>?@Aa at once took up His personal weapon to protect His
devotees, who did not know anyone other than >?@Aa. n the
&haga(ad%g$t' the Eord has clearly promised that His
devotees are never to be van(uished. And He behaves
according to the (uality or degree of the devotional service
rendered by the devotees. Here the word ananya%
(i.ay'tman'm is significant. The 1"AQavas were cent percent
dependent on the protection of the Eord, although they were
all great warriors themselves. %ut the Eord neglects even the
greatest warriors and also van(uishes them in no time.
When the Eord saw that there was no time for the 1"AQavas
to counteract the brahm'stra of APvatth"m", He took up His
weapon even at the risk of breaking His own vow. Although
the %attle of >uruk@etra was almost finished, still, according
to His vow, He should not have taken up His own weapon.
%ut the emergency was more important than the vow. He is
better known as the bhakta%(atsala, or the lover of His
devotee, and thus He preferred to continue as bhakta%(atsala
than to be a worldly moralist who never breaks his solemn
vow.
T!T "Z
A#Ta0SQa0 Sa'-%a8Taa#aa$aaT$aa (aae&aeTrae hir0 9
S'$aa(a(aa':Qaae%ag 'ra1ya0 ku6DTa#Ta'e 99 "Z 99
anta*stha* sar(a%bh0t'n'm
'tm' yoge1(aro hari*
s(a%m'yay'(45od garbha-
(air'<y'* k!r!%tanta(e
S(#O#($S
anta*stha*Zbeing withinV sar(aZallV bh0t'n'mZof the living
beingsV 'tm'ZsoulV yoga%$1(ara*Zthe Eord of all mysticismV
hari*Zthe $upreme EordV s(a%m'yay'Zby the personal
energyV '(45otZcoveredV garbhamZembryoV (air'<y'*Zof
Rttar"V k!r!%tanta(eZfor the progeny of Mah"r"2a >uru.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Lord of supre@e @ysticis@, ArB CDEFa, resides Jithin
e'eryoners heart as the Para@Lt@LH As such, /ust to protect the
progeny of the Curu dynasty, Ie co'ered the e@bryo of 8ttarL by
Iis personal energyH
P8-PO-T
The Eord of supreme mysticism can simultaneously reside
within everyoneJs heart, or even within the atoms, by His
1aram"tm" feature, His plenary portion. Therefore, from
within the body of Rttar" He covered the embryo to save
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it and protect the progeny of Mah"r"2a >uru,
of whom >ing 1"AQu was also a descendant. %oth the sons of
7h?tar"@Tra and those of 1"AQu belonged to the same
dynasty of Mah"r"2a >uruV therefore both of them were
generally known as >urus. %ut when there were differences
between the two families, the sons of 7h?tar"@Tra were
known as >urus whereas the sons of 1"AQu were known as
1"AQavas. $ince the sons and grandsons of 7h?tar"@Tra
were all killed in the %attle of >uruk@etra, the last son of the
dynasty is designated as the son of the >urus.
T!T "[
(a*P(aE; b34i!arST'$aaega; caPaOiTais6(a$a2 9
'.Qa'; Tae)a AaSaa* Sa$a!aa$(ad2 %a:&a8jh 99 "[ 99
yadya"y astra- brahma%1iras
t( amogha- c'"ratikriyam
(ai.5a(a- te)a 's'dya
sama1'myad bh4g0d(aha
S(#O#($S
yadya"iZalthoughV astramZweaponV brahma%1ira*ZsupremeV
t!ZbutV amoghamZwithout checkV caZandV a"ratikriyamZnot
to be counteractedV (ai.5a(amZin relation with !i@AuV te)a*
ZstrengthV 's'dyaZbeing confronted withV sama1'myatZwas
neutrali)edV bh4g!%!d(ahaZ9 glory of the family of %h?gu.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Aaunaka, although the supre@e brah@Lstra Jeapon released by
Aw'atthL@L Jas irresistible and Jithout check or counteraction, it
Jas neutrali=ed and foiled Jhen confronted by the strength of
GiEFu OLord CDEFa3H
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is said that the brahma)yoti, or the
glowing transcendental effulgence, is resting on Eord <r=
>?@Aa. n other words, the glowing effulgence known as
brahma%te)as is nothing but the rays of the Eord, 2ust as the
sun rays are rays of the sun disc. $o this %rahma weapon
also, although materially irresistible, could not surpass the
supreme strength of the Eord. The weapon called brahm'stra,
released by APvatth"m", was neutrali)ed and foiled by Eord
<r= >?@Aa by His own energyV that is to say, He did not wait
for any otherJs help because He is absolute.
T!T "\
$aa $a;SQaa 7eTada,(ag Sa'a-,(a-$a(ae+C(auTae 9
(a Jd; $aa(a(aa deG(aa Sa:)aT(a'iTa h#T(a)a0 99 "\ 99
m' ma-sth' hy etad '1carya-
sar('1caryamaye 2cy!te
ya ida- m'yay' de(y'
s4)aty a(ati hanty a)a*
S(#O#($S
m'Zdo notV ma-sth'*ZthinkV hiZcertainlyV etatZall theseV
'1caryamZwonderfulV sar(aZallV '1carya%mayeZin the all'
mysteriousV acy!teZthe infallibleV ya*Zone whoV idamZthis
3creation6V m'yay'Zby His energyV de(y'ZtranscendentalV
s4)atiZcreatesV a(atiZmaintainsV hantiZannihilatesV a)a*Z
unborn.
T-A#SLATIO#
O brLh@aFas, do not think this to be especially Jonderful in the
acti'ities of the @ysterious and infallible Personality of &odheadH
Ky Iis oJn transcendental energy, Ie @aintains and annihilates
all @aterial things, although Ie Ii@self is unbornH
P8-PO-T
The activities of the Eord are always inconceivable to the
tiny brain of the living entities. Kothing is impossible for the
$upreme Eord, but all His actions are wonderful for us, and
thus He is always beyond the range of our conceivable
limits. The Eord is the all'powerful, all'perfect 1ersonality of
8odhead. The Eord is cent percent perfect, whereas others,
namely K"r"yaAa, %rahm", <iva, the demigods and all other
living beings, possess only different percentages of such
perfection. Ko one is e(ual to or greater than Him. He is
unrivaled.
T!T "]
b34Tae)aaei'i#a$au-v6raT$a)a0 Sah k:6.Qa(aa 9
PaO(aaQaai%a$auY; k:6.Qai$ad$aah Pa:Qaa SaTa? 99 "] 99
brahma%te)o%(inirm!ktair
'tma)ai* saha k4.5ay'
"ray'5'bhim!kha- k4.5am
idam 'ha "4th' sat$
S(#O#($S
brahma%te)a*Zthe radiation of the brahm'straC (inirm!ktai*Z
being saved fromV 'tma%)ai*Zalong with her sonsV sahaZ
withV k4.5ay'Z7raupad=V "ray'5aZoutgoingV abhim!khamZ
towardsV k4.5amZunto Eord >?@AaV idamZthisV 'haZsaidV
"4th'Z>unt=V sat$Zchaste, devoted to the Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus sa'ed fro@ the radiation of the brah@Lstra, CuntB, the chaste
de'otee of the Lord, and her fi'e sons and >raupadB addressed
Lord CDEFa as Ie started for ho@eH
P8-PO-T
>unt= is described herein as sat$, or chaste, due to her
unalloyed devotion to Eord <r= >?@Aa. Her mind will now be
e:pressed in the following prayers for Eord >?@Aa. A chaste
devotee of the Eord does not look to others, namely any
other living being or demigod, even for deliverance from
danger. That was all along the characteristic of the whole
family of the 1"AQavas. They knew nothing e:cept >?@Aa,
and therefore the Eord was also always ready to help them
in all respects and in all circumstances. That is the
transcendental nature of the Eord. He reciprocates the
dependence of the devotee. 9ne should not, therefore, look
for help from imperfect living beings or demigods, but one
should look for all help from Eord >?@Aa, who is competent
to save His devotees. $uch a chaste devotee also never asks
the Eord for help, but the Eord, out of His own accord, is
always an:ious to render it.
T!T "^
ku6#T(au'ac
#a$aS(ae PauD=; T'a*$a?Tr; PaOk:6Tae0 Par$a2 9
AlRU(a; Sa'-%a8Taa#aa$a#Tab-ihr'iSQaTa$a2 99 "^ 99
k!nty !('ca
namasye "!r!.a- t('dyam
$1(ara- "rak4te* "aram
alak.ya- sar(a%bh0t'n'm
antar bahir a(asthitam
S(#O#($S
k!nt$ !('caZ<r=mat= >unt= saidV namasyeZlet me bow
downV "!r!.amZthe $upreme 1ersonV t('ZXouV 'dyamZthe
originalV $1(aramZthe controllerV "rak4te*Zof the material
cosmosV "aramZbeyondV alak.yamZthe invisibleV sar(aZallV
bh0t'n'mZof living beingsV anta*ZwithinV bahi*ZwithoutV
a(asthitamZe:isting.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB@atB CuntB saide O CDEFa, I offer @y obeisances unto (ou
because (ou are the original personality and are unaffected by the
?ualities of the @aterial JorldH (ou are eMisting both Jithin and
Jithout e'erything, yet (ou are in'isible to allH
P8-PO-T
<r=mat= >unt=dev= was (uite aware that >?@Aa is the
original 1ersonality of 8odhead, although He was playing the
part of her nephew. $uch an enlightened lady could not
commit a mistake by offering obeisances unto her nephew.
Therefore, she addressed Him as the original "!r!.a beyond
the material cosmos. Although all living entities are also
transcendental, they are neither original nor infallible. The
living entities are apt to fall down under the clutches of
material nature, but the Eord is never like that. n the /edas,
therefore, He is described as the chief among all living
entities 3nityo nity'n'- cetana1 cetan'n'm6. Then again He is
addressed as $1(ara, or the controller. The living entities or
the demigods like *andra and $Lrya are also to some e:tent
$1(ara, but none of them is the supreme $1(ara, or the
ultimate controller. He is the "arame1(ara, or the $upersoul.
He is both within and without. Although He was present
before <r=mat= >unt= as her nephew, He was also within her
and everyone else. n the Bhagavad-gt 3,B.,B6 the Eord
says, D am situated in everyoneJs heart, and only due to Me
one remembers, forgets and is cogni)ant, etc. Through all
the /edas am to be known because am the compiler of the
/edas, and am the teacher of the /ed'nta.F ùeen >unt=
affirms that the Eord, although both within and without all
living beings, is still invisible. The Eord is, so to speak, a
pu))le for the common man. ùeen >unt= e:perienced
personally that Eord >?@Aa was present before her, yet He
entered within the womb of Rttar" to save her embryo from
the attack of APvatth"m"Js brahm'stra. >unt= herself was
pu))led about whether <r= >?@Aa is all'pervasive or
locali)ed. n fact, He is both, but He reserves the right of not
being e:posed to persons who are not surrendered souls.
This checking curtain is called the m'y' energy of the
$upreme Eord, and it controls the limited vision of the
rebellious soul. t is e:plained as follows.
T!T "_
$aa(aa)a'i#ak6aCck$a/a>aaeUa)a$aG(a(a$a2 9
#a lRU(aSae $a8td:!aa #a1uae #aa1y>arae (aQaa 99 "_ 99
m'y'%)a(anik'cchannam
a),'dhok.a)am a(yayam
na lak.yase m0;ha%d41'
na<o n'<yadharo yath'
S(#O#($S
m'y'ZdeludingV )a(anik'ZcurtainV 'cchannamZcovered byV
a),'ZignorantV adhok.a)amZbeyond the range of material
conception 3transcendental6V a(yayamZirreproachableV naZ
notV lak.yaseZobservedV m0;ha%d41'Zby the foolish
observerV na<a*ZartistV n'<ya%dhara*Zdressed as a playerV
yath'Zas.
T-A#SLATIO#
Keing beyond the range of li@ited sense perception, (ou are the
eternally irreproachable factor co'ered by the curtain of deluding
energyH (ou are in'isible to the foolish obser'er, eMactly as an
actor dressed as a player is not recogni=edH
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' Eord <r= >?@Aa affirms that less
intelligent persons mistake Him to be an ordinary man like
us, and thus they deride Him. The same is confirmed herein
by ùeen >unt=. The less intelligent persons are those who
rebel against the authority of the Eord. $uch persons are
known as as!ras. The as!ras cannot recogni)e the EordJs
authority. When the Eord Himself appears amongst us, as
0"ma, K?si[ha, !ar"ha or in His original form as >?@Aa, He
performs many wonderful acts which are humanly
impossible. As we shall find in the Tenth *anto of this great
literature, Eord <r= >?@Aa e:hibited His humanly impossible
activities even from the days of His lying on the lap of His
mother. He killed the 1Ltan" witch, although she smeared
her breast with poison 2ust to kill the Eord. The Eord sucked
her breast like a natural baby, and He sucked out her very
life also. $imilarly, He lifted the 8ovardhana Hill, 2ust as a
boy picks up a frogJs umbrella, and stood several days
continuously 2ust to give protection to the residents of
!?nd"vana. These are some of the superhuman activities of
the Eord described in the authoritative !edic literatures like
the !r'5as, Itih'sas 3histories6 and 7"ani.ads. He has
delivered wonderful instructions in the shape of the
&haga(ad%g$t'. He has shown marvelous capacities as a hero,
as a householder, as a teacher and as a renouncer. He is
accepted as the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead by such
authoritative personalities as !y"sa, 7evala, Asita, K"rada,
Madhva, <aIkara, 0"m"nu2a, <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, O=va
8osv"m=, !iPvan"tha *akravart=, %haktisiddh"nta
$arasvat= and all other authorities of the line. He Himself
has declared as much in many places of the authentic
literatures. And yet there is a class of men with demoniac
mentality who are always reluctant to accept the Eord as the
$upreme Absolute Truth. This is partially due to their poor
fund of knowledge and partially due to their stubborn
obstinacy, which results from various misdeeds in the past
and present. $uch persons could not recogni)e Eord <r=
>?@Aa even when He was present before them. Another
difficulty is that those who depend more on their imperfect
senses cannot reali)e Him as the $upreme Eord. $uch
persons are like the modern scientist. They want to know
everything by their e:perimental knowledge. %ut it is not
possible to know the $upreme 1erson by imperfect
e:perimental knowledge. He is described herein as
adhok.a)a, or beyond the range of e:perimental knowledge.
All our senses are imperfect. We claim to observe everything
and anything, but we must admit that we can observe things
under certain material conditions only, which are also
beyond our control. The Eord is beyond the observation of
sense perception. ùeen >unt= accepts this deficiency of the
conditioned soul, especially of the woman class, who are less
intelligent. Hor less intelligent men there must be such
things as temples, mos(ues or churches so that they may
begin to recogni)e the authority of the Eord and hear about
Him from authorities in such holy places. Hor less intelligent
men, this beginning of spiritual life is essential, and only
foolish men decry the establishment of such places of
worship, which are re(uired to raise the standard of spiritual
attributes for the mass of people. Hor less intelligent
persons, bowing down before the authority of the Eord, as
generally done in the temples, mos(ues or churches, is as
beneficial as it is for the advanced devotees to meditate
upon Him by active service.
T!T N`
TaQaa Par$ah;Saa#aa; $au#a?#aa$a$alRaT$a#aa$a2 9
%aiv6(aae&ai'>aa#aaQag k6Qa; Pa!(ae$a ih iE(a0 99 N` 99
tath' "aramaha-s'n'-
m!n$n'm amal'tman'm
bhakti%yoga%(idh'n'rtha-
katha- "a1yema hi striya*
S(#O#($S
tath'Zbesides thatV "aramaha-s'n'mZof the advanced
transcendentalistsV m!n$n'mZof the great philosophers or
mental speculatorsV amala%'tman'mZthose whose minds are
competent to discern between spirit and matterV bhakti%yoga
Zthe science of devotional serviceV (idh'na%arthamZfor
e:ecutingV kathamZhowV "a1yemaZcan observeV hiZ
certainlyV striya*Zwomen.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou (ourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of
de'otional ser'ice unto the hearts of the ad'anced
transcendentalists and @ental speculators, Jho are purified by
being able to discri@inate betJeen @atter and spiritH IoJ, then,
can Je Jo@en knoJ (ou perfectlyW
P8-PO-T
;ven the greatest philosophical speculators cannot have
access to the region of the Eord. t is said in the 7"ani.ads
that the $upreme Truth, the Absolute 1ersonality of
8odhead, is beyond the range of the thinking power of the
greatest philosopher. He is unknowable by great learning or
by the greatest brain. He is knowable only by one who has
His mercy. 9thers may go on thinking about Him for years
together, yet He is unknowable. This very fact is
corroborated by the ùeen, who is playing the part of an
innocent woman. Women in general are unable to speculate
like philosophers, but they are blessed by the Eord because
they believe at once in the superiority and almightiness of
the Eord, and thus they offer obeisances without reservation.
The Eord is so kind that He does not show special favor only
to one who is a great philosopher. He knows the sincerity of
purpose. Hor this reason only, women generally assemble in
great number in any sort of religious function. n every
country and in every sect of religion it appears that the
women are more interested than the men. This simplicity of
acceptance of the EordJs authority is more effective than
showy insincere religious fervor.
T!T N"
k:6.Qaa(a 'aSaude'a(a de'k6I#a#d#aa(a c 9
#a#d&aaePaku6$aara(a &aaei'#da(a #a$aae #a$a0 99 N" 99
k4.5'ya ('s!de('ya
de(ak$%nandan'ya ca
nanda%go"a%k!m'r'ya
go(ind'ya namo nama*
S(#O#($S
k4.5'yaZthe $upreme EordV ('s!de('yaZunto the son of
!asudevaV de(ak$%nandan'yaZunto the son of 7evak=V caZ
andV nanda%go"aZKanda and the cowherd menV k!m'r'yaZ
unto their sonV go(ind'yaZunto the 1ersonality of 8odhead,
who enlivens the cows and the sensesV nama*Zrespectful
obeisancesV nama*Zobeisances.
T-A#SLATIO#
Let @e therefore offer @y respectful obeisances unto the Lord, Jho
has beco@e the son of Gasude'a, the pleasure of >e'akB, the boy
of #anda and the other coJherd @en of GDndL'ana, and the
enli'ener of the coJs and the sensesH
P8-PO-T
The Eord, being thus unapproachable by any material assets,
out of unbounded and causeless mercy descends on the
earth as He is in order to show His special mercy upon His
unalloyed devotees and to diminish the upsurges of the
demoniac persons. ùeen >unt= specifically adores the
incarnation or descent of Eord >?@Aa above all other
incarnations because in this particular incarnation He is
more approachable. n the 0"ma incarnation He remained a
kingJs son from His very childhood, but in the incarnation of
>?@Aa, although He was the son of a king, He at once left the
shelter of His real father and mother 3>ing !asudeva and
ùeen 7evak=6 2ust after His appearance and went to the lap
of XaPod"m"y= to play the part of an ordinary cowherd boy
in the blessed !ra2abhLmi, which is very sanctified because
of His childhood pastimes. Therefore Eord >?@Aa is more
merciful than Eord 0"ma. He was undoubtedly very kind to
>unt=Js brother !asudeva and the family. Had He not
become the son of !asudeva and 7evak=, ùeen >unt=
could not claim Him to be her nephew and thus address
>?@Aa in parental affection. %ut Kanda and XaPod" are more
fortunate because they could relish the EordJs childhood
pastimes, which are more attractive than all other pastimes.
There is no parallel to His childhood pastimes as e:hibited at
!ra2abhLmi, which are the prototypes of His eternal affairs in
the original >?@Aaloka described as the cint'ma5i%dh'ma in
the &rahma%sa-hit'. Eord <r= >?@Aa descended Himself at
!ra2abhLmi with all His transcendental entourage and
paraphernalia. <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu therefore
confirmed that no one is as fortunate as the residents of
!ra2abhLmi, and specifically the cowherd girls, who
dedicated their everything for the satisfaction of the Eord.
His pastimes with Kanda and XaPod" and His pastimes with
the cowherd men and especially with the cowherd boys and
the cows have caused Him to be known as 8ovinda. Eord
>?@Aa as 8ovinda is more inclined to the br'hma5as and the
cows, indicating thereby that human prosperity depends
more on these two items, namely brahminical culture and
cow protection. Eord >?@Aa is never satisfied where these
are lacking.
T!T NN
#a$a0 Pa)a#aa%aa(a #a$a0 Pa)a$aailR#ae 9
#a$a0 Pa)a#ae<aa(a #a$aSTae Pa)aaM2ga3(ae 99 NN 99
nama* "a3ka)a%n'bh'ya
nama* "a3ka)a%m'line
nama* "a3ka)a%netr'ya
namas te "a3ka)'3ghraye
S(#O#($S
nama*Zall respectful obeisancesV "a3ka)a%n'bh'yaZunto the
Eord who has a specific depression resembling a lotus flower
in the center of His abdomenV nama*ZobeisancesV "a3ka)a%
m'lineZone who is always decorated with a garland of lotus
flowersV nama*ZobeisancesV "a3ka)a%netr'yaZone whose
glance is as cooling as a lotus flowerV nama* teZrespectful
obeisances unto XouV "a3ka)a%a3ghrayeZunto Xou, the soles of
whose feet are engraved with lotus flowers 3and who are
therefore said to possess lotus feet6.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y respectful obeisances are unto (ou, O Lord, Jhose abdo@en is
@arked Jith a depression like a lotus floJer, Jho are alJays
decorated Jith garlands of lotus floJers, Jhose glance is as cool
as the lotus and Jhose feet are engra'ed Jith lotusesH
P8-PO-T
Here are some of the specific symbolical marks on the
spiritual body of the 1ersonality of 8odhead which
distinguish His body from the bodies of all others. They are
all special features of the body of the Eord. The Eord may
appear as one of us, but He is always distinct by His specific
bodily features. <r=mat= >unt= claims herself unfit to see
the Eord because of her being a woman. This is claimed
because women, 10dras 3the laborer class6 and the d(i)a%
bandh!s, or the wretched descendants of the higher three
classes, are unfit by intelligence to understand
transcendental sub2ect matter concerning the spiritual
name, fame, attributes, forms, etc., of the $upreme Absolute
Truth. $uch persons, although they are unfit to enter into the
spiritual affairs of the Eord, can see Him as the arc'%(igraha,
who descends on the material world 2ust to distribute favors
to the fallen souls, including the above'mentioned women,
10dras and d(i)a%bandh!s. %ecause such fallen souls cannot
see anything beyond matter, the Eord condescends to enter
into each and every one of the innumerable universes as the
8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au, who grows a lotus stem from the
lotuslike depression in the center of His transcendental
abdomen, and thus %rahm", the first living being in the
universe, is born. Therefore, the Eord is known as the
1aIka2an"bhi. The 1aIka2an"bhi Eord accepts the arc'%(igraha
3His transcendental form6 in different elements, namely a
form within the mind, a form made of wood, a form made of
earth, a form made of metal, a form made of 2ewel, a form
made of paint, a form drawn on sand, etc. All such forms of
the Eord are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers,
and there should be a soothing atmosphere in the temple of
worship to attract the burning attention of the nondevotees
always engaged in material wranglings. The meditators
worship a form within the mind. Therefore, the Eord is
merciful even to the women, 10dras and d(i)a%bandh!s,
provided they agree to visit the temple of worship in
different forms made for them. $uch temple visitors are not
idolaters, as alleged by some men with a poor fund of
knowledge. All the great 'c'ryas established such temples of
worship in all places 2ust to favor the less intelligent, and one
should not pose himself as transcending the stage of temple
worship while one is actually in the category of the 10dras
and the women or less. 9ne should begin to see the Eord
from His lotus feet, gradually rising to the thighs, waist,
chest and face. 9ne should not try to look at the face of the
Eord without being accustomed to seeing the lotus feet of
the Eord. <r=mat= >unt=, because of her being the aunt of
the Eord, did not begin to see the Eord from the lotus feet
because the Eord might feel ashamed, and thus >unt=dev=,
2ust to save a painful situation for the Eord, began to see the
Eord 2ust above His lotus feet, i.e., from the waist of the Eord,
gradually rising to the face, and then down to the lotus feet.
n the round, everything there is in order.
T!T NX
(aQaa 5=?ke6!a YleR#a de'k6I
k;6Sae#a DpaiTaicr; BucaiPa-Taa 9
i'$aaeicTaah; c SahaT$a)aa i'%aae
T'(a' #aaQae#a $auhui'-PaQaaTa2 99 NX 99
yath' h4.$ke1a khalena de(ak$
ka-sena r!ddh'ticira- 1!c'r"it'
(imocit'ha- ca sah'tma)' (ibho
t(ayai(a n'thena m!h!r (i"ad%ga5't
S(#O#($S
yath'Zas it wereV h4.$ke1aZthe master of the sensesV
khalenaZby the enviousV de(ak$Z7evak= 3the mother of <r=
>?@Aa6V ka-senaZby >ing >a[saV r!ddh'ZimprisonedV ati%
ciramZfor a long timeV 1!ca%ar"it'ZdistressedV (imocit'Z
releasedV aham caZalso myselfV saha%'tma%)'Zalong with my
childrenV (ibhoZ9 great oneV t(ay' e(aZby Xour EordshipV
n'thenaZas the protectorV m!h!*ZconstantlyV (i"at%ga5'tZ
from a series of dangers.
T-A#SLATIO#
O IDEBkewa, @aster of the senses and Lord of lords, (ou ha'e
released (our @other, >e'akB, Jho Jas long i@prisoned and
distressed by the en'ious Cing Caksa, and @e and @y children
fro@ a series of constant dangersH
P8-PO-T
7evak=, the mother of >?@Aa and sister of >ing >a[sa, was
put into prison along with her husband, !asudeva, because
the envious >ing was afraid of being killed by 7evak=Js
eighth son 3>?@Aa6. He killed all the sons of 7evak= who
were born before >?@Aa, but >?@Aa escaped the danger of
child'slaughter because He was transferred to the house of
Kanda Mah"r"2a, Eord >?@AaJs foster father. >unt=dev=,
along with her children, was also saved from a series of
dangers. %ut >unt=dev= was shown far more favor because
Eord >?@Aa did not save the other children of 7evak=,
whereas He saved the children of >unt=dev=. This was done
because 7evak=Js husband, !asudeva, was living, whereas
>unt=dev= was a widow, and there was none to help her
e:cept >?@Aa. The conclusion is that >?@Aa endows more
favor to a devotee who is in greater dangers. $ometimes He
puts His pure devotees in such dangers because in that
condition of helplessness the devotee becomes more
attached to the Eord. The more the attachment is there for
the Eord, the more success is there for the devotee.
T!T NZ
i'=a#$aha&ane0 PauD=add!a-#aax
dSaTSa%aa(aa '#a'aSak:6Cc|Ta0 9
$a:>ae $a:>ae+#aek6$aharQaaETaae
d3aQ(aETa,aS$a hre+i%ariUaTaa0 99 NZ 99
(i.'n mah'gne* "!r!.'da%dar1an'd
asat%sabh'y' (ana%('sa%k4cchrata*
m4dhe m4dhe 2neka%mah'rath'strato
dra!5y%astrata1 c'sma hare 2bhirak.it'*
S(#O#($S
(i.'tZfrom poisonV mah'%agne*Zfrom the great fireV "!r!.a%
adaZthe man'eatersV dar1an'tZby combatingV asatZviciousV
sabh'y'*ZassemblyV (ana%('saZe:iled to the forestV
k4cchrata*ZsufferingsV m4dhe m4dheZagain and again in
battleV anekaZmanyV mah'%rathaZgreat generalsV astrata*Z
weaponsV dra!5iZthe son of 7roA"c"ryaV astrata*Zfrom the
weapon ofV caZandV 'smaZindicating past tenseV hareZ9 my
EordV abhirak.it'*Zprotected completely.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y dear CDEFa, (our Lordship has protected us fro@ a poisoned
cake, fro@ a great fire, fro@ cannibals, fro@ the 'icious asse@bly,
fro@ sufferings during our eMile in the forest and fro@ the battle
Jhere great generals foughtH And noJ (ou ha'e sa'ed us fro@ the
Jeapon of Aw'atthL@LH
P8-PO-T
The list of dangerous encounters is submitted herein.
7evak= was once put into difficulty by her envious brother,
otherwise she was well. %ut >unt=dev= and her sons were
put into one difficulty after another for years and years
together. They were put into trouble by 7uryodhana and his
party due to the kingdom, and each and every time the sons
of >unt= were saved by the Eord. 9nce %h=ma was
administered poison in a cake, once they were put into the
house made of shellac and set afire, and once 7raupad= was
dragged out, and attempts were made to insult her by
stripping her naked in the vicious assembly of the >urus. The
Eord saved 7raupad= by supplying an immeasurable length
of cloth, and 7uryodhanaJs party failed to see her naked.
$imilarly, when they were e:iled in the forest, %h=ma had to
fight with the man'eater demon HiQimb" 0"k@asa, but the
Eord saved him. $o it was not finished there. After all these
tribulations, there was the great %attle of >uruk@etra, and
Ar2una had to meet such great generals as 7roAa, %h=@ma
and >arAa, all powerful fighters. And at last, even when
everything was done away with, there was the brahm'stra
released by the son of 7roA"c"rya to kill the child within the
womb of Rttar", and so the Eord saved the only surviving
descendant of the >urus, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it.
T!T N[
i'Pad0 Sa#Tau Taa0 !aTta<a Ta<a )a&ad2&aurae 9
%a'Taae d!a-#a; (aTS(aadPau#a%a-'d!a-#a$a2 99 N[ 99
(i"ada* sant! t'* 1a1(at
tatra tatra )agad%g!ro
bha(ato dar1ana- yat sy'd
a"!nar bha(a%dar1anam
S(#O#($S
(i"ada*ZcalamitiesV sant!Zlet there beV t'*ZallV 1a1(atZ
again and againV tatraZthereV tatraZand thereV )agat%g!roZ9
Eord of the universeV bha(ata*ZXourV dar1anamZmeetingV yat
Zthat whichV sy'tZisV a"!na*Znot againV bha(a%dar1anamZ
seeing repetition of birth and death.
T-A#SLATIO#
I Jish that all those cala@ities Jould happen again and again so
that Je could see (ou again and again, for seeing (ou @eans that
Je Jill no longer see repeated births and deathsH
P8-PO-T
8enerally the distressed, the needy, the intelligent and the
in(uisitive, who have performed some pious activities,
worship or begin to worship the Eord. 9thers, who are
thriving on misdeeds only, regardless of status, cannot
approach the $upreme due to being misled by the illusory
energy. Therefore, for a pious person, if there is some
calamity there is no other alternative than to take shelter of
the lotus feet of the Eord. *onstantly remembering the lotus
feet of the Eord means preparing for liberation from birth
and death. Therefore, even though there are so'called
calamities, they are welcome because they give us an
opportunity to remember the Eord, which means liberation.
9ne who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Eord,
which are accepted as the most suitable boat for crossing
the ocean of nescience, can achieve liberation as easily as
one leaps over the holes made by the hoofs of a calf. $uch
persons are meant to reside in the abode of the Eord, and
they have nothing to do with a place where there is danger
in every step.
This material world is certified by the Eord in the &haga(ad%
g$t' as a dangerous place full of calamities. Eess intelligent
persons prepare plans to ad2ust to those calamities without
knowing that the nature of this place is itself full of
calamities. They have no information of the abode of the
Eord, which is full of bliss and without trace of calamity. The
duty of the sane person, therefore, is to be undisturbed by
worldly calamities, which are sure to happen in all
circumstances. $uffering all sorts of unavoidable
misfortunes, one should make progress in spiritual
reali)ation because that is the mission of human life. The
spirit soul is transcendental to all material calamitiesV
therefore, the so'called calamities are called false. A man
may see a tiger swallowing him in a dream, and he may cry
for this calamity. Actually there is no tiger and there is no
sufferingV it is simply a case of dreams. n the same way, all
calamities of life are said to be dreams. f someone is lucky
enough to get in contact with the Eord by devotional service,
it is all gain. *ontact with the Eord by any one of the nine
devotional services is always a forward step on the path
going back to 8odhead.
T!T N\
)a#$aT(a-BOuTaBO?i%are>a$aa#a$ad0 Pau$aa#a2 9
#a'ah-T(ai%a>aaTau; ' T'a$aik6}#a&aaecr$a2 99 N\ 99
)anmai1(arya%1r!ta%1r$bhir
edham'na%mada* "!m'n
nai('rhaty abhidh't!- (ai
t('m aki,cana%gocaram
S(#O#($S
)anmaZbirthV ai1(aryaZopulenceV 1r!taZeducationV 1r$bhi*Z
by the possession of beautyV edham'naZprogressively
increasingV mada*Zinto:icationV "!m'nZthe human beingV
naZneverV evaZeverV arhatiZdeservesV abhidh't!mZto
address in feelingV (aiZcertainlyV t('mZXouV aki,cana%
gocaramZone who is approached easily by the materially
e:hausted man.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y Lord, (our Lordship can easily be approached, but only by
those Jho are @aterially eMhaustedH One Jho is on the path of
O@aterial3 progress, trying to i@pro'e hi@self Jith respectable
parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty,
cannot approach (ou Jith sincere feelingH
P8-PO-T
%eing materially advanced means taking birth in an
aristocratic family and possessing great wealth, an education
and attractive personal beauty. All materialistic men are
mad after possessing all these material opulences, and this
is known as the advancement of material civili)ation. %ut the
result is that by possessing all these material assets one
becomes artificially puffed up, into:icated by such
temporary possessions. *onse(uently, such materially
puffed up persons are incapable of uttering the holy name of
the Eord by addressing Him feelingly, D9 8ovinda, 9 >?@Aa.F
t is said in the 1'stras that by once uttering the holy name of
the Eord, the sinner gets rid of a (uantity of sins that he is
unable to commit. $uch is the power of uttering the holy
name of the Eord. There is not the least e:aggeration in this
statement. Actually the EordJs holy name has such powerful
potency. %ut there is a (uality to such utterances also. t
depends on the (uality of feeling. A helpless man can
feelingly utter the holy name of the Eord, whereas a man
who utters the same holy name in great material satisfaction
cannot be so sincere. A materially puffed up person may
utter the holy name of the Eord occasionally, but he is
incapable of uttering the name in (uality. Therefore, the four
principles of material advancement, namely 3,6 high
parentage, 3G6 good wealth, 3\6 high education and 3M6
attractive beauty, are, so to speak, dis(ualifications for
progress on the path of spiritual advancement. The material
covering of the pure spirit soul is an e:ternal feature, as
much as fever is an e:ternal feature of the unhealthy body.
The general process is to decrease the degree of the fever
and not to aggravate it by maltreatment. $ometimes it is
seen that spiritually advanced persons become materially
impoverished. This is no discouragement. 9n the other hand,
such impoverishment is a good sign as much as the falling of
temperature is a good sign. The principle of life should be to
decrease the degree of material into:ication which leads one
to be more and more illusioned about the aim of life. 8rossly
illusioned persons are (uite unfit for entrance into the
kingdom of 8od.
T!T N]
#a$aae+ik6}#ai'taa(a i#a':ta&auQa':ta(ae 9
AaT$aara$aa(a !aa#Taa(a k6'L(aPaTa(ae #a$a0 99 N] 99
namo 2ki,cana%(itt'ya
ni(4tta%g!5a%(4ttaye
'tm'r'm'ya 1'nt'ya
kai(alya%"ataye nama*
S(#O#($S
nama*Zall obeisances unto XouV aki,cana%(itt'yaZunto the
property of the materially impoverishedV ni(4ttaZcompletely
transcendental to the actions of the material modesV g!5aZ
material modesV (4ttayeZaffectionV 'tma%'r'm'yaZone who
is self'satisfiedV 1'nt'yaZthe most gentleV kai(alya%"atayeZ
unto the master of the monistsV nama*Zbowing down.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y obeisances are unto (ou, Jho are the property of the @aterially
i@po'erishedH (ou ha'e nothing to do Jith the actions and
reactions of the @aterial @odes of natureH (ou are self6satisfied,
and therefore (ou are the @ost gentle and are @aster of the
@onistsH
P8-PO-T
A living being is finished as soon as there is nothing to
possess. Therefore a living being cannot be, in the real sense
of the term, a renouncer. A living being renounces
something for gaining something more valuable. A student
sacrifices his childish proclivities to gain better education. A
servant gives up his 2ob for a better 2ob. $imilarly, a devotee
renounces the material world not for nothing but for
something tangible in spiritual value. <r=la 0Lpa 8osv"m=,
$an"tana 8osv"m= and <r=la 0aghun"tha d"sa 8osv"m=
and others gave up their worldly pomp and prosperity for the
sake of the service of the Eord. They were big men in the
worldly sense. The 8osv"m=s were ministers in the
government service of %engal, and <r=la 0aghun"tha d"sa
8osv"m= was the son of a big Qamindar of his time. %ut they
left everything to gain something superior to what they
previously possessed. The devotees are generally without
material prosperity, but they have a very secret treasure'
house in the lotus feet of the Eord. There is a nice story
about <r=la $an"tana 8osv"m=. He had a touchstone with
him, and this stone was left in a pile of refuse. A needy man
took it, but later on wondered why the valuable stone was
kept in such a neglected place. He therefore asked him for
the most valuable thing, and then he was given the holy
name of the Eord. Pki,cana means one who has nothing to
give materially. A factual devotee, or mah'tm', does not give
anything material to anyone because he has already left all
material assets. He can, however, deliver the supreme asset,
namely the 1ersonality of 8odhead, because He is the only
property of a factual devotee. The touchstone of $an"tana
8osv"m=, which was thrown in the rubbish, was not the
property of the 8osv"m=, otherwise it would not have been
kept in such a place. This specific e:ample is given for the
neophyte devotees 2ust to convince them that material
hankerings and spiritual advancement go ill together. Rnless
one is able to see everything as spiritual in relation with the
$upreme Eord, one must always distinguish between spirit
and matter. A spiritual master like <r=la $an"tana 8osv"m=,
although personally able to see everything as spiritual, set
this e:ample for us only because we have no such spiritual
vision.
Advancement of material vision or material civili)ation is a
great stumbling block for spiritual advancement. $uch
material advancement entangles the living being in the
bondage of a material body followed by all sorts of material
miseries. $uch material advancement is called anartha, or
things not wanted. Actually this is so. n the present conte:t
of material advancement one uses lipstick at a cost of fifty
cents, and there are so many unwanted things which are all
products of the material conception of life. %y diverting
attention to so many unwanted things, human energy is
spoiled without achievement of spiritual reali)ation, the
prime necessity of human life. The attempt to reach the
moon is another e:ample of spoiling energy because even if
the moon is reached, the problems of life will not be solved.
The devotees of the Eord are called aki,canas because they
have practically no material assets. $uch material assets are
all products of the three modes of material nature. They foil
spiritual energy, and thus the less we possess such products
of material nature, the more we have a good chance for
spiritual progress.
The $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead has no direct
connection with material activities. All His acts and deeds,
which are e:hibited even in this material world, are spiritual
and without affection for the modes of material nature. n
the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord says that all His acts, even His
appearance and disappearance in and out of the material
world, are transcendental, and one who knows this perfectly
shall not take his birth again in this material world, but will
go back to 8odhead.
The material disease is due to hankering after and lording it
over material nature. This hankering is due to an interaction
of the three modes of nature, and neither the Eord nor the
devotees have attachment for such false en2oyment.
Therefore, the Eord and the devotees are called ni(4tta%g!5a%
(4tti. The perfect ni(4tta%g!5a%(4tti is the $upreme Eord
because He never becomes attracted by the modes of
material nature, whereas the living beings have such a
tendency. $ome of them are entrapped by the illusory
attraction of material nature.
%ecause the Eord is the property of the devotees, and the
devotees are the property of the Eord reciprocally, the
devotees are certainly transcendental to the modes of
material nature. That is a natural conclusion. $uch unalloyed
devotees are distinct from the mi:ed devotees who
approach the Eord for mitigation of miseries and poverty or
because of in(uisitiveness and speculation. The unalloyed
devotees and the Eord are transcendentally attached to one
another. Hor others, the Eord has nothing to reciprocate, and
therefore He is called 'tm'r'ma, self'satisfied. $elf'satisfied
as He is, He is the master of all monists who seek to merge
into the e:istence of the Eord. $uch monists merge within
the personal effulgence of the Eord called the brahma)yoti,
but the devotees enter into the transcendental pastimes of
the Eord, which are never to be misunderstood as material.
T!T N^
$a#(ae T'a; k6alR$a?!aa#a$a#aaidi#a>a#a; i'%au$a2 9
Sa$a; cr#Ta; Sa'-<a %a8Taa#aa; (ai#$aQa0 k6ilR0 99 N^ 99
manye t('- k'lam $1'nam
an'di%nidhana- (ibh!m
sama- caranta- sar(atra
bh0t'n'- yan mitha* kali*
S(#O#($S
manyeZ considerV t('mZXour EordshipV k'lamZthe eternal
timeV $1'namZthe $upreme EordV an'di%nidhanamZwithout
beginning and endV (ibh!mZall'pervadingV samamZe(ually
mercifulV carantamZdistributingV sar(atraZeverywhereV
bh0t'n'mZof the living beingsV yat mitha*Zby intercourseV
kali*Zdissension.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y Lord, I consider (our Lordship to be eternal ti@e, the supre@e
controller, Jithout beginning and end, the all6per'asi'e oneH In
distributing (our @ercy, (ou are e?ual to e'eryoneH The
dissensions betJeen li'ing beings are due to social intercourseH
P8-PO-T
>unt=dev= knew that >?@Aa was neither her nephew nor an
ordinary family member of her paternal house. $he knew
perfectly well that >?@Aa is the primeval Eord who lives in
everyoneJs heart as the $upersoul, 1aram"tm". Another
name of the 1aram"tm" feature of the Eord is k'la, or eternal
time. ;ternal time is the witness of all our actions, good and
bad, and thus resultant reactions are destined by Him. t is
no use saying that we do not know why and for what we are
suffering. We may forget the misdeed for which we may
suffer at this present moment, but we must remember that
1aram"tm" is our constant companion, and therefore He
knows everything, past, present and future. And because the
1aram"tm" feature of Eord >?@Aa destines all actions and
reactions, He is the supreme controller also. Without His
sanction not a blade of grass can move. The living beings are
given as much freedom as they deserve, and misuse of that
freedom is the cause of suffering. The devotees of the Eord
do not misuse their freedom, and therefore they are the
good sons of the Eord. 9thers, who misuse freedom, are put
into miseries destined by the eternal k'la. The k'la offers the
conditioned souls both happiness and miseries. t is all
predestined by eternal time. As we have miseries uncalled'
for, so we may have happiness also without being asked, for
they are all predestined by k'la. Ko one is therefore either an
enemy or friend of the Eord. ;veryone is suffering and
en2oying the result of his own destiny. This destiny is made
by the living beings in course of social intercourse. ;veryone
here wants to lord it over the material nature, and thus
everyone creates his own destiny under the supervision of
the $upreme Eord. He is all'pervading and therefore He can
see everyoneJs activities. And because the Eord has no
beginning or end, He is known also as the eternal time, k'la.
T!T N_
#a 'ed k6i,S&a';i,k6Ii=-Ta;
Ta'eh$aa#aS(a #a:Qaa; i'o$b#a$a2 9
#a (aS(a k6i,qi(aTaae+iSTa k6ih-icd2
je.(a, (aiS$a#a2 i'=$aa $aiTa#a:-Qaa$a2 99 N_ 99
na (eda ka1cid bhaga(a-1 cik$r.ita-
ta(eham'nasya n45'- (i;ambanam
na yasya ka1cid dayito 2sti karhicid
d(e.ya1 ca yasmin (i.am' matir n45'm
S(#O#($S
naZdoes notV (edaZknowV ka1citZanyoneV bhaga(anZ9 EordV
cik$r.itamZpastimesV ta(aZXourV $ham'nasyaZlike the
worldly menV n45'mZof the people in generalV (i;ambanamZ
misleadingV naZneverV yasyaZHisV ka1citZanyoneV dayita*Z
ob2ect of specific favorV astiZthere isV karhicitZanywhereV
d(e.ya*Zob2ect of envyV caZandV yasminZunto HimV (i.am'
ZpartialityV mati*ZconceptionV n45'mZof the people.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Lord, no one can understand (our transcendental pasti@es,
Jhich appear to be hu@an and are so @isleadingH (ou ha'e no
specific ob/ect of fa'or, nor do (ou ha'e any ob/ect of en'yH People
only i@agine that (ou are partialH
P8-PO-T
The EordJs mercy upon the fallen souls is e(ually distributed.
He has no one as the specific ob2ect of hostility. The very
conception of the 1ersonality of 8odhead as a human being
is misleading. His pastimes a""ear to be e:actly like a human
beingJs, but actually they are transcendental and without
any tinge of material contamination. He is undoubtedly
known as partial to His pure devotees, but in fact He is never
partial, as much as the sun is never partial to anyone. %y
utili)ing the sun rays, sometimes even the stones become
valuable, whereas a blind man cannot see the sun, although
there are enough sun rays before him. 7arkness and light
are two opposite conceptions, but this does not mean that
the sun is partial in distributing its rays. The sun rays are
open to everyone, but the capacities of the receptacles
differ. Hoolish people think that devotional service is
flattering the Eord to get special mercy. Hactually the pure
devotees who are engaged in the transcendental loving
service of the Eord are not a mercantile community. A
mercantile house renders service to someone in e:change
for values. The pure devotee does not render service unto
the Eord for such e:change, and therefore the full mercy of
the Eord is open for him. $uffering and needy men,
in(uisitive persons or philosophers make temporary
connections with the Eord to serve a particular purpose.
When the purpose is served, there is no more relation with
the Eord. A suffering man, if he is pious at all, prays to the
Eord for his recovery. %ut as soon as the recovery is over, in
most cases the suffering man no longer cares to keep any
connection with the Eord. The mercy of the Eord is open for
him, but he is reluctant to receive it. That is the difference
between a pure devotee and a mi:ed devotee. Those who
are completely against the service of the Eord are
considered to be in ab2ect darkness, those who ask for the
EordJs favor only at the time of necessity are partial
recipients of the mercy of the Eord, and those who are cent
percent engaged in the service of the Eord are full recipients
of the mercy of the Eord. $uch partiality in receiving the
EordJs mercy is relative to the recipient, and it is not due to
the partiality of the all'merciful Eord.
When the Eord descends on this material world by His all'
merciful energy, He plays like a human being, and therefore
it appears that the Eord is partial to His devotees only, but
that is not a fact. 7espite such apparent manifestation of
partiality, His mercy is e(ually distributed. n the %attlefield
of >uruk@etra all persons who died in the fight before the
presence of the Eord got salvation without the necessary
(ualifications because death before the presence of the Eord
purifies the passing soul from the effects of all sins, and
therefore the dying man gets a place somewhere in the
transcendental abode. $omehow or other if someone puts
himself open in the sun rays, he is sure to get the re(uisite
benefit both by heat and by ultraviolet rays. Therefore, the
conclusion is that the Eord is never partial. t is wrong for the
people in general to think of Him as partial.
T!T X`
)a#$a k6$a- c i'TaT$ak)aS(aak6Tau-raT$a#a0 9
iTa(a-M2#ai==u (aad0Sau TadT(a#Tai'o$b#a$a2 99 X` 99
)anma karma ca (i1('tmann
a)asy'kart!r 'tmana*
tirya3%nR.i.! y'da*s!
tad atyanta%(i;ambanam
S(#O#($S
)anmaZbirthV karmaZactivityV caZandV (i1(a%'tmanZ9 soul
of the universeV a)asyaZof the unbornV akart!*Zof the
inactiveV 'tmana*Zof the vital energyV tiryakZanimalV n4Z
human beingV 4.i.!Zin the sagesV y'da*s!Zin the waterV tat
ZthatV atyantaZveritableV (i;ambanamZbewildering.
T-A#SLATIO#
Of course it is beJildering, O soul of the uni'erse, that (ou Jork,
though (ou are inacti'e, and that (ou take birth, though (ou are
the 'ital force and the unbornH (ou (ourself descend a@ongst
ani@als, @en, sages and a?uaticsH Gerily, this is beJilderingH
P8-PO-T
The transcendental pastimes of the Eord are not only
bewildering but also apparently contradictory. n other
words, they are all inconceivable to the limited thinking
power of the human being. The Eord is the all'prevailing
$upersoul of all e:istence, and yet He appears in the form of
a boar amongst the animals, in the form of a human being as
0"ma, >?@Aa, etc., in the form of a 4.i like K"r"yaAa, and in
the form of an a(uatic like a fish. Xet it is said that He is
unborn, and He has nothing to do. n the 1r!ti mantra it is
said that the $upreme %rahman has nothing to do. Ko one is
e(ual to or greater than Him. He has manifold energies, and
everything is performed by Him perfectly by automatic
knowledge, strength and activity. All these statements prove
without any (uestion that the EordJs activities, forms and
deeds are all inconceivable to our limited thinking power,
and because He is inconceivably powerful, everything is
possible in Him. Therefore no one can calculate Him e:actlyV
every action of the Eord is bewildering to the common man.
He cannot be understood by the !edic knowledge, but He
can be easily understood by the pure devotees because they
are intimately related with Him. The devotees therefore
know that although He appears amongst the animals, He is
not an animal, nor a man, nor a 4.i, nor a fish. He is
eternally the $upreme Eord, in all circumstances.
T!T X"
&aaeP(aadde T'i(a k:6Taa&aiSa da$a Taa'd2
(aa Tae d!aaBOuk6ilRlRai#aSa$%a3$aaUa$a2 9
';6 i#a#a?(a %a(a%aa'#a(aa iSQaTaS(a
Saa $aa; i'$aaeh(aiTa %a?riPa (aim%aeiTa 99 X" 99
go"y 'dade t(ayi k4t'gasi d'ma t'(ad
y' te da1'1r!%kalil',)ana%sambhram'k.am
(aktra- nin$ya bhaya%bh'(anay' sthitasya
s' m'- (imohayati bh$r a"i yad bibheti
S(#O#($S
go"$Zthe cowherd lady 3XaPod"6V 'dadeZtook upV t(ayiZon
XourV k4t'gasiZcreating disturbances 3by breaking the butter
pot6V d'maZropeV t'(atZat that timeV y'Zthat whichV teZ
XourV da1'ZsituationV a1r!%kalilaZoverflooded with tearsV
a,)anaZointmentV sambhramaZperturbedV ak.amZeyesV
(aktramZfaceV nin$yaZdownwardsV bhaya%bh'(anay'Zby
thoughts of fearV sthitasyaZof the situationV s'ZthatV m'mZ
meV (imohayatiZbewildersV bh$* a"iZeven fear personifiedV
yatZwhomV bibhetiZis afraid.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y dear CDEFa, (awodL took up a rope to bind (ou Jhen (ou
co@@itted an offense, and (our perturbed eyes o'erflooded Jith
tears, Jhich Jashed the @ascara fro@ (our eyesH And (ou Jere
afraid, though fear personified is afraid of (ouH This sight is
beJildering to @eH
P8-PO-T
Here is another e:planation of the bewilderment created by
the pastimes of the $upreme Eord. The $upreme Eord is the
$upreme in all circumstances, as already e:plained. Here is
a specific e:ample of the EordJs being the $upreme and at
the same time a plaything in the presence of His pure
devotee. The EordJs pure devotee renders service unto the
Eord out of unalloyed love only, and while discharging such
devotional service the pure devotee forgets the position of
the $upreme Eord. The $upreme Eord also accepts the loving
service of His devotees more relishably when the service is
rendered spontaneously out of pure affection, without
anything of reverential admiration. 8enerally the Eord is
worshiped by the devotees in a reverential attitude, but the
Eord is meticulously pleased when the devotee, out of pure
affection and love, considers the Eord to be less important
than himself. The EordJs pastimes in the original abode of
8oloka !?nd"vana are e:changed in that spirit. The friends
of >?@Aa consider Him one of them. They do not consider
Him to be of reverential importance. The parents of the Eord
3who are all pure devotees6 consider Him a child only. The
Eord accepts the chastisements of the parents more
cheerfully than the prayers of the !edic hymns. $imilarly, He
accepts the reproaches of His fiancees more palatably than
the !edic hymns. When Eord >?@Aa was present in this
material world to manifest His eternal pastimes of the
transcendental realm of 8oloka !?nd"vana as an attraction
for the people in general, He displayed a uni(ue picture of
subordination before His foster mother, XaPod". The Eord, in
His naturally childish playful activities, used to spoil the
stocked butter of mother XaPod" by breaking the pots and
distributing the contents to His friends and playmates,
including the celebrated monkeys of !?nd"vana, who took
advantage of the EordJs munificence. Mother XaPod" saw
this, and out of her pure love she wanted to make a show of
punishment for her transcendental child. $he took a rope
and threatened the Eord that she would tie Him up, as is
generally done in the ordinary household. $eeing the rope in
the hands of mother XaPod", the Eord bowed down His head
and began to weep 2ust like a child, and tears rolled down
His cheeks, washing off the black ointment smeared about
His beautiful eyes. This picture of the Eord is adored by
>unt=dev= because she is conscious of the EordJs supreme
position. He is feared often by fear personified, yet He is
afraid of His mother, who wanted to punish Him 2ust in an
ordinary manner. >unt= was conscious of the e:alted
position of >?@Aa, whereas XaPod" was not. Therefore
XaPod"Js position was more e:alted than >unt=Js. Mother
XaPod" got the Eord as her child, and the Eord made her
forget altogether that her child was the Eord Himself. f
mother XaPod" had been conscious of the e:alted position of
the Eord, she would certainly have hesitated to punish the
Eord. %ut she was made to forget this situation because the
Eord wanted to make a complete gesture of childishness
before the affectionate XaPod". This e:change of love
between the mother and the son was performed in a natural
way, and >unt=, remembering the scene, was bewildered,
and she could do nothing but praise the transcendental filial
love. ndirectly mother XaPod" is praised for her uni(ue
position of love, for she could control even the all'powerful
Eord as her beloved child.
T!T XN
ke6icdahur)a; )aaTa; PauQ(aFaek6S(a k6ITa-(ae 9
(adae0 iPaO(aS(aa#''a(ae $alR(aS(ae' c#d#a$a2 99 XN 99
kecid 'h!r a)a- )'ta-
"!5ya%1lokasya k$rtaye
yado* "riyasy'n(a('ye
malayasye(a candanam
S(#O#($S
kecitZsomeoneV 'h!*ZsaysV a)amZthe unbornV )'tamZbeing
bornV "!5ya%1lokasyaZof the great pious kingV k$rtayeZfor
glorifyingV yado*Zof >ing XaduV "riyasyaZof the dearV
an(a('yeZin the family ofV malayasyaZMalaya hillsV i(aZasV
candanamZsandalwood.
T-A#SLATIO#
So@e say that the 8nborn is born for the glorification of pious
kings, and others say that Ie is born to please Cing (adu, one of
(our dearest de'oteesH (ou appear in his fa@ily as sandalJood
appears in the $alaya hillsH
P8-PO-T
%ecause the EordJs appearance in this material world is
bewildering, there are different opinions about the birth of
the Rnborn. n the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord says that He takes
His birth in the material world, although He is the Eord of all
creations and He is unborn. $o there cannot be any denial of
the birth of the Rnborn because He Himself establishes the
truth. %ut still there are different opinions as to why He takes
His birth. That is also declared in the &haga(ad%g$t'. He
appears by His own internal potency to reestablish the
principles of religion and to protect the pious and to
annihilate the impious. That is the mission of the appearance
of the Rnborn. $till, it is said that the Eord is there to glorify
the pious >ing Xudhi@Thira. Eord <r= >?@Aa certainly wanted
to establish the kingdom of the 1"AQavas for the good of all
in the world. When there is a pious king ruling over the
world, the people are happy. When the ruler is impious, the
people are unhappy. n the age of >ali in most cases the
rulers are impious, and therefore the citi)ens are also
continuously unhappy. %ut in the case of democracy, the
impious citi)ens themselves elect their representative to rule
over them, and therefore they cannot blame anyone for their
unhappiness. Mah"r"2a Kala was also celebrated as a great
pious king, but he had no connection with Eord >?@Aa.
Therefore Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira is meant here to be glorified
by Eord >?@Aa. He had also glorified >ing Xadu, having taken
His birth in the family. He is known as X"dava, Xaduv=ra,
Xadunandana, etc., although the Eord is always independent
of such obligation. He is 2ust like the sandalwood that grows
in the Malaya hills. Trees can grow anywhere and
everywhere, yet because the sandalwood trees grow mostly
in the area of the Malaya hills, the name sandalwood and the
Malaya hills are interrelated. Therefore, the conclusion is
that the Eord is ever unborn like the sun, and yet He appears
as the sun rises on the eastern hori)on. As the sun is never
the sun of the eastern hori)on, so the Eord is no oneJs son,
but He is the father of everything that be.
T!T XX
APare 'Saude'S(a de'C(aa; (aaicTaae+%(a&aaTa2 9
A)aST'$aS(a Uae$aa(a '>aa(a c Saurij=a$a2 99 XX 99
a"are (as!de(asya
de(aky'- y'cito 2bhyag't
a)as t(am asya k.em'ya
(adh'ya ca s!ra%d(i.'m
S(#O#($S
a"areZothersV (as!de(asyaZof !asudevaV de(aky'mZof
7evak=V y'cita*Zbeing prayed forV abhyag'tZtook birthV a)a*
ZunbornV t(amZXou areV asyaZof himV k.em'yaZfor the
goodV (adh'yaZfor the purpose of killingV caZandV s!ra%
d(i.'mZof those who are envious of the demigods.
T-A#SLATIO#
Others say that since both Gasude'a and >e'akB prayed for (ou,
(ou ha'e taken (our birth as their sonH 8ndoubtedly (ou are
unborn, yet (ou take (our birth for their Jelfare and to kill those
Jho are en'ious of the de@igodsH
P8-PO-T
t is also said that !asudeva and 7evak=, in their previous
birth as $utap" and 1?Pni, underwent a severe type of
penance to get the Eord as their son, and as a result of such
austerities the Eord appeared as their son. t is already
declared in the &haga(ad%g$t' that the Eord appears for the
welfare of all people of the world and to van(uish the as!ras,
or the materialistic atheists.
T!T XZ
%aara'TaarQaa(aa#(ae %au'ae #aa' J'aed>aa 9
Sa?d#T(aa %a8ir%aareQa )aaTaae 7aT$a%au'aiQa-Ta0 99 XZ 99
bh'r'(at'ra5'y'nye
bh!(o n'(a i(odadha!
s$danty' bh0ri%bh're5a
)'to hy 'tma%bh!('rthita*
S(#O#($S
bh'ra%a(at'ra5'yaZ2ust to reduce the burden to the worldV
anyeZothersV bh!(a*Zof the worldV n'(a*ZboatV i(aZlikeV
!dadha!Zon the seaV s$danty'*ZaggrievedV bh0riZ
e:tremelyV bh're5aZby the burdenV )'ta*ZXou were bornV hi
ZcertainlyV 'tma%bh!('Zby %rahm"V arthita*Zbeing prayed
for.
T-A#SLATIO#
Others say that the Jorld, being o'erburdened like a boat at sea, is
@uch aggrie'ed, and that Krah@L, Jho is (our son, prayed for
(ou, and so (ou ha'e appeared to di@inish the troubleH
P8-PO-T
%rahm", or the first living being born 2ust after the creation,
is the direct son of K"r"yaAa. K"r"yaAa, as 8arbhodakaP"y=
!i@Au, first of all entered the material universe. Without
spiritual contact, matter cannot create. This principle was
followed from the very beginning of the creation. The
$upreme $pirit entered the universe, and the first living
being, %rahm", was born on a lotus flower grown out of the
transcendental abdomen of !i@Au. !i@Au is therefore known
as 1adman"bha. %rahm" is known as 'tma%bh0 because he
was begotten directly from the father without any contact of
mother Eak@m=2=. Eak@m=2= was present near K"r"yaAa,
engaged in the service of the Eord, and still, without contact
with Eak@m=2=, K"r"yaAa begot %rahm". That is the
omnipotency of the Eord. 9ne who foolishly considers
K"r"yaAa like other living beings should take a lesson from
this. K"r"yaAa is not an ordinary living being. He is the
1ersonality of 8odhead Himself, and He has all the potencies
of all the senses in all parts of His transcendental body. An
ordinary living being begets a child by se:ual intercourse,
and he has no other means to beget a child other than the
one designed for him. %ut K"r"yaAa, being omnipotent, is
not bound to any condition of energy. He is complete and
independent to do anything and everything by His various
potencies, very easily and perfectly. %rahm" is therefore
directly the son of the father and was not put into the womb
of a mother. Therefore he is known as 'tma%bh0. This %rahm"
is in charge of further creations in the universe, secondarily
reflected by the potency of the 9mnipotent. Within the halo
of the universe there is a transcendental planet known as
<vetadv=pa, which is the abode of the >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au,
the 1aram"tm" feature of the $upreme Eord. Whenever
there is trouble in the universe that cannot be solved by the
administrative demigods, they approach %rahm"2= for a
solution, and if it is not to be solved even by %rahm"2=, then
%rahm"2= consults and prays to the >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au for
an incarnation and solution to the problems. $uch a problem
arose when >a[sa and others were ruling over the earth and
the earth became too much overburdened by the misdeeds
of the as!ras. %rahm"2=, along with other demigods, prayed
at the shore of the >@=rodaka 9cean, and they were advised
of the descent of >?@Aa as the son of !asudeva and 7evak=.
$o some people say that the Eord appeared because of the
prayers of %rahm"2=.
T!T X[
%a'e+iS$a#a2 i6!(a$aa#aa#aa$ai'*ak6a$ak6$a-i%a0 9
BO'QaS$arQaaha-iQa k6ir.(aikiTa ke6c#a 99 X[ 99
bha(e 2smin kli1yam'n'n'm
a(idy'%k'ma%karmabhi*
1ra(a5a%smara5'rh'5i
kari.yann iti kecana
S(#O#($S
bha(eZin the material creationV asminZthisV kli1yam'n'n'mZ
of those who are suffering fromV a(idy'ZnescienceV k'maZ
desireV karmabhi*Zby e:ecution of fruitive workV 1ra(a5aZ
hearingV smara5aZrememberingV arh'5iZworshipingV
kari.yanZmay performV itiZthusV kecanaZothers.
T-A#SLATIO#
And yet others say that (ou appeared to re/u'enate the de'otional
ser'ice of hearing, re@e@bering, Jorshiping and so on in order
that the conditioned souls suffering fro@ @aterial pangs @ight
take ad'antage and gain liberationH
P8-PO-T
n the #r$mad &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord asserts that He
appears in every millennium 2ust to reestablish the way of
religion. The way of religion is made by the $upreme Eord.
Ko one can manufacture a new path of religion, as is the
fashion for certain ambitious persons. The factual way of
religion is to accept the Eord as the supreme authority and
thus render service unto Him in spontaneous love. A living
being cannot help but render service because he is
constitutionally made for that purpose. The only function of
the living being is to render service to the Eord. The Eord is
great, and living beings are subordinate to Him. Therefore,
the duty of the living being is 2ust to serve Him only.
Rnfortunately the illusioned living beings, out of
misunderstanding only, become servants of the senses by
material desire. This desire is called a(idy', or nescience.
And out of such desire the living being makes different plans
for material en2oyment centered about a perverted se: life.
He therefore becomes entangled in the chain of birth and
death by transmigrating into different bodies on different
planets under the direction of the $upreme Eord. Rnless,
therefore, one is beyond the boundary of this nescience, one
cannot get free from the threefold miseries of material life.
That is the law of nature.
The Eord, however, out of His causeless mercy, because He
is more merciful to the suffering living beings than they can
e:pect, appears before them and renovates the principles of
devotional service comprised of hearing, chanting,
remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, cooperating and
surrendering unto Him. Adoption of all the above'mentioned
items, or any one of them, can help a conditioned soul get
out of the tangle of nescience and thus become liberated
from all material sufferings created by the living being
illusioned by the e:ternal energy. This particular type of
mercy is bestowed upon the living being by the Eord in the
form of Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu.
T!T X\
B:Q'i#Ta &aa(ai#Ta &a:Qa#T(a%a?UQa!a0
S$ari#Ta #a#di#Ta Ta'eihTa; )a#aa0 9
Ta V' Pa!(a#T(aicreQa Taa'k;6
%a'PaO'ahaePar$a; Pada$bu)a$a2 99 X\ 99
145(anti g'yanti g45anty abh$k.5a1a*
smaranti nandanti ta(ehita- )an'*
ta e(a "a1yanty acire5a t'(aka-
bha(a%"ra('ho"arama- "ad'mb!)am
S(#O#($S
145(antiZhearV g'yantiZchantV g45antiZtakeV abh$k.5a1a*Z
continuouslyV smarantiZrememberV nandantiZtake pleasureV
ta(aZXourV $hitamZactivitiesV )an'*Zpeople in generalV teZ
theyV e(aZcertainlyV "a1yantiZcan seeV acire5aZvery soonV
t'(akamZXourV bha(a%"ra('haZthe current of rebirthV
!"aramamZcessationV "ada%amb!)amZlotus feet.
T-A#SLATIO#
O CDEFa, those Jho continuously hear, chant and repeat (our
transcendental acti'ities, or take pleasure in othersr doing so,
certainly see (our lotus feet, Jhich alone can stop the repetition of
birth and deathH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa cannot be seen by our present
conditional vision. n order to see Him, one has to change his
present vision by developing a different condition of life full
of spontaneous love of 8odhead. When <r= >?@Aa was
personally present on the face of the globe, not everyone
could see Him as the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead.
Materialists like 0"vaAa, HiraAyakaPipu, >a[sa, Oar"sandha
and <iPup"la, were highly (ualified personalities by
ac(uisition of material assets, but they were unable to
appreciate the presence of the Eord. Therefore, even though
the Eord may be present before our eyes, it is not possible to
see Him unless we have the necessary vision. This necessary
(ualification is developed by the process of devotional
service only, beginning with hearing about the Eord from the
right sources. The &haga(ad%g$t' is one of the popular
literatures which are generally heard, chanted, repeated,
etc., by the people in general, but in spite of such hearing,
etc., sometimes it is e:perienced that the performer of such
devotional service does not see the Eord eye to eye. The
reason is that the first item, 1ra(a5a, is very important. f
hearing is from the right sources, it acts very (uickly.
8enerally people hear from unauthori)ed persons. $uch
unauthori)ed persons may be very learned by academic
(ualifications, but because they do not follow the principles
of devotional service, hearing from them becomes a sheer
waste of time. $ometimes the te:ts are interpreted
fashionably to suit their own purposes. Therefore, first one
should select a competent and bona fide speaker and then
hear from him. When the hearing process is perfect and
complete, the other processes become automatically perfect
in their own way.
There are different transcendental activities of the Eord, and
each and every one of them is competent to bestow the
desired result, provided the hearing process is perfect. n the
&h'ga(atam the activities of the Eord begin from His dealings
with the 1"AQavas. There are many other pastimes of the
Eord in connection with His dealings with the as!ras and
others. And in the Tenth *anto the sublime dealings with His
con2ugal associates, the go"$s, as well as with His married
wives at 7v"rak" are mentioned. $ince the Eord is absolute,
there is no difference in the transcendental nature of each
and every dealing of the Eord. %ut sometimes people, in an
unauthori)ed hearing process, take more interest in hearing
about His dealings with the go"$s. $uch an inclination
indicates the lusty feelings of the hearer, so a bona fide
speaker of the dealings of the Eord never indulges in such
hearings. 9ne must hear about the Eord from the very
beginning, as in the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam or any other
scriptures, and that will help the hearer attain perfection by
progressive development. 9ne should not, therefore,
consider that His dealings with the 1"AQavas are less
important than His dealings with the go"$s. We must always
remember that the Eord is always transcendental to all
mundane attachment. n all the above'mentioned dealings of
the Eord, He is the hero in all circumstances, and hearing
about Him or about His devotees or combatants is conducive
to spiritual life. t is said that the /edas and !r'5as, etc., are
all made to revive our lost relation with Him. Hearing of all
these scriptures is essential.
T!T X]
AP(a* #aST'; S'k:6TaeihTa PaO%aae
i)ahaSaiSa iS'TSau5dae+#au)a?i'#a0 9
(ae=a; #a ca#(aS'Ta0 Pada$bu)aaTa2
Para(aQa; ra)aSau (aaei)aTaa;hSaa$a2 99 X] 99
a"y adya nas t(a- s(a%k4tehita "rabho
)ih'sasi s(it s!h4do 2n!)$(ina*
ye.'- na c'nyad bha(ata* "ad'mb!)'t
"ar'ya5a- r')as! yo)it'-has'm
S(#O#($S
a"iZifV adyaZtodayV na*ZusV t(amZXouV s(a%k4taZself'
e:ecutedV $hitaZall dutiesV "rabhoZ9 my EordV )ih'sasiZ
giving upV s(itZpossiblyV s!h4da*Zintimate friendsV
an!)$(ina*Zliving at the mercy ofV ye.'mZof whomV naZnorV
caZandV anyatZanyone elseV bha(ata*ZXourV "ada%amb!)'tZ
from the lotus feetV "ar'ya5amZdependentV r')as!Zunto the
kingsV yo)itaZengaged inV a-has'mZenmity.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @y Lord, (ou ha'e eMecuted all duties (ourselfH Are you lea'ing
us today, though Je are co@pletely dependent on (our @ercy and
ha'e no one else to protect us, noJ Jhen all kings are at en@ity
Jith usW
P8-PO-T
The 1"AQavas are most fortunate because with all good luck
they were entirely dependent on the mercy of the Eord. n
the material world, to be dependent on the mercy of
someone else is the utmost sign of misfortune, but in the
case of our transcendental relation with the Eord, it is the
most fortunate case when we can live completely dependent
on Him. The material disease is due to thinking of becoming
independent of everything. %ut the cruel material nature
does not allow us to become independent. The false attempt
to become independent of the stringent laws of nature is
known as material advancement of e:perimental knowledge.
The whole material world is moving on this false attempt of
becoming independent of the laws of nature. %eginning from
0"vaAa, who wanted to prepare a direct staircase to the
planets of heaven, down to the present age, they are trying
to overcome the laws of nature. They are trying now to
approach distant planetary systems by electronic
mechanical power. %ut the highest goal of human civili)ation
is to work hard under the guidance of the Eord and become
completely dependent on Him. The highest achievement of
perfect civili)ation is to work with valor but at the same time
depend completely on the Eord. The 1"AQavas were the ideal
e:ecutors of this standard of civili)ation. Rndoubtedly they
were completely dependent on the good will of Eord <r=
>?@Aa, but they were not idle parasites of the Eord. They
were all highly (ualified both by personal character and by
physical activities. $till they always looked for the mercy of
the Eord because they knew that every living being is
dependent by constitutional position. The perfection of life is,
therefore, to become dependent on the will of the Eord,
instead of becoming falsely independent in the material
world. Those who try to become falsely independent of the
Eord are called an'tha, or without any guardian, whereas
those who are completely dependent on the will of the Eord
are called san'tha, or those having someone to protect them.
Therefore we must try to be san'tha so that we can always
be protected from the unfavorable condition of material
e:istence. %y the deluding power of the e:ternal material
nature we forget that the material condition of life is the
most undesirable perple:ity. The &haga(ad%g$t' therefore
directs us 34.,-6 that after many, many births one fortunate
person becomes aware of the fact that !"sudeva is all in all
and that the best way of leading oneJs life is to surrender
unto Him completely. That is the sign of a mah'tm'. All the
members of the 1"AQava family were mah'tm's in household
life. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was the head of these mah'tm's,
and ùeen >unt=dev= was the mother. The lessons of the
&haga(ad%g$t' and all the !r'5as, specifically the &h'ga(ata
!r'5a, are therefore inevitably connected with the history
of the 1"AQava mah'tm's. Hor them, separation from the
Eord was 2ust like the separation of a fish from water.
<r=mat= >unt=dev=, therefore, felt such separation like a
thunderbolt, and the whole prayer of the ùeen is to try to
persuade the Eord to stay with them. After the %attle of
>uruk@etra, although the inimical kings were killed, their
sons and grandsons were still there to deal with the
1"AQavas. t is not only the 1"AQavas who were put into the
condition of enmity, but all of us are always in such a
condition, and the best way of living is to become completely
dependent on the will of the Eord and thereby overcome all
difficulties of material e:istence.
T!T X^
ke6 '(a; #aa$a~Paa%(aa; (adui%a0 Sah PaaQo'a0 9
%a'Taae+d!a-#a; (aih- 5=?k6aQaai$a'ei!aTau0 99 X^ 99
ke (aya- n'ma%r0"'bhy'-
yad!bhi* saha "'5;a('*
bha(ato 2dar1ana- yarhi
h4.$k'5'm i(e1it!*
S(#O#($S
keZwho areV (ayamZweV n'ma%r0"'bhy'mZwithout fame and
abilityV yad!bhi*Zwith the XadusV sahaZalong withV "'5;a('*
Zand the 1"AQavasV bha(ata*ZXourV adar1anamZabsenceV
yarhiZas ifV h4.$k'5'mZof the sensesV i(aZlikeV $1it!*Zof
the living being.
T-A#SLATIO#
As the na@e and fa@e of a particular body is finished Jith the
disappearance of the li'ing spirit, si@ilarly if (ou do not look upon
us, all our fa@e and acti'ities, along Jith the PLFha'as and (adus,
Jill end at onceH
P8-PO-T
>unt=dev= is (uite aware that the e:istence of the 1"AQavas
is due to <r= >?@Aa only. The 1"AQavas are undoubtedly well
established in name and fame and are guided by the great
>ing Xudhi@Thira, who is morality personified, and the Xadus
are undoubtedly great allies, but without the guidance of
Eord >?@Aa all of them are nonentities, as much as the
senses of the body are useless without the guidance of
consciousness. Ko one should be proud of his prestige,
power and fame without being guided by the favor of the
$upreme Eord. The living beings are always dependent, and
the ultimate dependable ob2ect is the Eord Himself. We may,
therefore, invent by our advancement of material knowledge
all sorts of counteracting material resources, but without
being guided by the Eord all such inventions end in fiasco,
however strong and stout the reactionary elements may be.
T!T X_
#ae(a; !aaei%a.(aTae Ta<a (aQaeda#a?; &ada>ar 9
T'TPadriTaa %aaiTa S'lRUaQai'lRiUaTa0 99 X_ 99
neya- 1obhi.yate tatra
yathed'n$- gad'dhara
t(at%"adair a3kit' bh'ti
s(a%lak.a5a%(ilak.itai*
S(#O#($S
naZnotV iyamZthis land of our kingdomV 1obhi.yateZwill
appear beautifulV tatraZthenV yath'Zas it is nowV id'n$mZ
howV gad'dharaZ9 >?@AaV t(atZXourV "adai*Zby the feetV
a3kit'ZmarkedV bh'tiZis da))lingV s(a%lak.a5aZXour own
marksV (ilak.itai*Zby the impressions.
T-A#SLATIO#
O &adLdhara OCDEFa3, our kingdo@ is noJ being @arked by the
i@pressions of (our feet, and therefore it appears beautifulH Kut
Jhen (ou lea'e, it Jill no longer be soH
P8-PO-T
There are certain particular marks on the feet of the Eord
which distinguish the Eord from others. The marks of a flag,
thunderbolt, and instrument to drive an elephant, umbrella,
lotus, disc, etc., are on the bottom of the EordJs feet. These
marks are impressed upon the soft dust of the land where
the Eord traverses. The land of Hastin"pura was thus marked
while Eord <r= >?@Aa was there with the 1"AQavas, and the
kingdom of the 1"AQavas thus flourished by such auspicious
signs. >unt=dev= pointed out these distinguished features
and was afraid of ill luck in the absence of the Eord.
T!T Z`
J$ae )a#aPada0 S':pa0 SauPaC'a=i>a'?D>a0 9
'#aaid3#a*ud#'#Taae 7e>a#Tae Ta' '?iUaTa0 99 Z` 99
ime )ana%"ad'* s(4ddh'*
s!"ak(a!.adhi%($r!dha*
(an'dri%nady%!dan(anto
hy edhante ta(a ($k.itai*
S(#O#($S
imeZall theseV )ana%"ad'*Zcities and townsV s(4ddh'*Z
flourishedV s!"ak(aZnatureV a!.adhiZherbsV ($r!dha*Z
vegetablesV (anaZforestsV adriZhillsV nad$ZriversV
!dan(anta*ZseasV hiZcertainlyV edhanteZincreasingV ta(aZ
by XouV ($k.itai*Zseen.
T-A#SLATIO#
All these cities and 'illages are flourishing in all respects because
the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full of fruits,
the ri'ers are floJing, the hills are full of @inerals and the oceans
full of JealthH And this is all due to (our glancing o'er the@H
P8-PO-T
Human prosperity flourishes by natural gifts and not by
gigantic industrial enterprises. The gigantic industrial
enterprises are products of a godless civili)ation, and they
cause the destruction of the noble aims of human life. The
more we go on increasing such troublesome industries to
s(uee)e out the vital energy of the human being, the more
there will be unrest and dissatisfaction of the people in
general, although a few only can live lavishly by e:ploitation.
The natural gifts such as grains and vegetables, fruits, rivers,
the hills of 2ewels and minerals, and the seas full of pearls
are supplied by the order of the $upreme, and as He desires,
material nature produces them in abundance or restricts
them at times. The natural law is that the human being may
take advantage of these godly gifts by nature and
satisfactorily flourish on them without being captivated by
the e:ploitative motive of lording it over material nature.
The more we attempt to e:ploit material nature according to
our whims of en2oyment, the more we shall become
entrapped by the reaction of such e:ploitative attempts. f
we have sufficient grains, fruits, vegetables and herbs, then
what is the necessity of running a slaughterhouse and killing
poor animals? A man need not kill an animal if he has
sufficient grains and vegetables to eat. The flow of river
waters fertili)es the fields, and there is more than what we
need. Minerals are produced in the hills, and the 2ewels in
the ocean. f the human civili)ation has sufficient grains,
minerals, 2ewels, water, milk, etc., then why should it hanker
after terrible industrial enterprises at the cost of the labor of
some unfortunate men? %ut all these natural gifts are
dependent on the mercy of the Eord. What we need,
therefore, is to be obedient to the laws of the Eord and
achieve the perfection of human life by devotional service.
The indications by >unt=dev= are 2ust to the point. $he
desires that 8odJs mercy be bestowed upon them so that
natural prosperity be maintained by His grace.
T!T Z"
AQa i'Te!a i'TaT$a#a2 i'T$a8Tae- S'ke6=u $ae 9
hehPaa!ai$a$a; ici#>a d:t; PaaQou=u ':i.Qa=u 99 Z" 99
atha (i1(e1a (i1('tman
(i1(a%m0rte s(ake.! me
sneha%"'1am ima- chindhi
d4;ha- "'5;!.! (4.5i.!
S(#O#($S
athaZthereforeV (i1(a%$1aZ9 Eord of the universeV (i1(a%
'tmanZ9 soul of the universeV (i1(a%m0rteZ9 personality of
the universal formV s(ake.!Zunto my own kinsmenV meZmyV
sneha%"'1amZtie of affectionV imamZthisV chindhiZcut offV
d4;hamZdeepV "'5;!.!Zfor the 1"AQavasV (4.5i.!Zfor the
!?@Ais also.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Lord of the uni'erse, soul of the uni'erse, O personality of the
for@ of the uni'erse, please, therefore, se'er @y tie of affection for
@y kins@en, the PLFha'as and the GDEFisH
P8-PO-T
A pure devotee of the Eord is ashamed to ask anything in
self'interest from the Eord. %ut the householders are
sometimes obliged to ask favors from the Eord, being bound
by the tie of family affection. <r=mat= >unt=dev= was
conscious of this fact, and therefore she prayed to the Eord
to cut off the affectionate tie from her own kinsmen, the
1"AQavas and the !?@Ais. The 1"AQavas are her own sons,
and the !?@Ais are the members of her paternal family.
>?@Aa was e(ually related to both the families. %oth the
families re(uired the EordJs help because both were
dependent devotees of the Eord. <r=mat= >unt=dev= wished
<r= >?@Aa to remain with her sons the 1"AQavas, but by His
doing so her paternal house would be bereft of the benefit.
All these partialities troubled the mind of >unt=, and
therefore she desired to cut off the affectionate tie.
A pure devotee cuts off the limited ties of affection for his
family and widens his activities of devotional service for all
forgotten souls. The typical e:ample is the band of si:
8osv"m=s, who followed the path of Eord *aitanya. All of
them belonged to the most enlightened and cultured rich
families of the higher castes, but for the benefit of the mass
of population they left their comfortable homes and became
mendicants. To cut off all family affection means to broaden
the field of activities. Without doing this, no one can be
(ualified as a br'hma5a, a king, a public leader or a devotee
of the Eord. The 1ersonality of 8odhead, as an ideal king,
showed this by e:ample. <r= 0"macandra cut off the tie of
affection for His beloved wife to manifest the (ualities of an
ideal king.
$uch personalities as a br'hma5a, a devotee, a king or a
public leader must be very broadminded in discharging their
respective duties. <r=mat= >unt=dev= was conscious of this
fact, and being weak she prayed to be free from such
bondage of family affection. The Eord is addressed as the
Eord of the universe, or the Eord of the universal mind,
indicating His all'powerful ability to cut the hard knot of
family affection. Therefore, it is sometimes e:perienced that
the Eord, out of His special affinity towards a weak devotee,
breaks the family affection by force of circumstances
arranged by His all'powerful energy. %y doing so He causes
the devotee to become completely dependent on Him and
thus clears the path for his going back to 8odhead.
T!T ZN
T'i(a $ae+#a#(ai'=(aa $aiTa$a->auPaTae+Sak:6Ta2 9
riTa$aujhTaadpa &ale'aga$aud#'iTa 99 ZN 99
t(ayi me 2nanya%(i.ay'
matir madh!%"ate 2sak4t
ratim !d(ahat'd addh'
ga3ge(a!gham !dan(ati
S(#O#($S
t(ayiZunto XouV meZmyV ananya%(i.ay'ZunalloyedV mati*Z
attentionV madh!%"ateZ9 Eord of MadhuV asak4tZ
continuouslyV ratimZattractionV !d(ahat'tZmay overflowV
addh'ZdirectlyV ga3g'Zthe 8angesV i(aZlikeV oghamZflowsV
!dan(atiZdown to the sea.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Lord of $adhu, as the &anges fore'er floJs to the sea Jithout
hindrance, let @y attraction be constantly draJn unto (ou Jithout
being di'erted to anyone elseH
P8-PO-T
1erfection of pure devotional service is attained when all
attention is diverted towards the transcendental loving
service of the Eord. To cut off the tie of all other affections
does not mean complete negation of the finer elements, like
affection for someone else. This is not possible. A living
being, whoever he may be, must have this feeling of
affection for others because this is a symptom of life. The
symptoms of life, such as desire, anger, hankerings, feelings
of attraction, etc., cannot be annihilated. 9nly the ob2ective
has to be changed. 7esire cannot be negated, but in
devotional service the desire is changed only for the service
of the Eord in place of desire for sense gratification. The so'
called affection for family, society, country, etc., consists of
different phases of sense gratification. When this desire is
changed for the satisfaction of the Eord, it is called
devotional service.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' we can see that Ar2una desired not to
fight with his brothers and relations 2ust to satisfy his own
personal desires. %ut when he heard the message of the
Eord, #r$mad &haga(ad%g$t', he changed his decision and
served the Eord. And for his doing so, he became a famous
devotee of the Eord, for it is declared in all the scriptures
that Ar2una attained spiritual perfection by devotional
service to the Eord in friendship. The fighting was there, the
friendship was there, Ar2una was there, and >?@Aa was
there, but Ar2una became a different person by devotional
service. Therefore, the prayers of >unt= also indicate the
same categorical changes in activities. <r=mat= >unt=
wanted to serve the Eord without diversion, and that was her
prayer. This unalloyed devotion is the ultimate goal of life.
9ur attention is usually diverted to the service of something
which is nongodly or not in the program of the Eord. When
the program is changed into the service of the Eord, that is
to say when the senses are purified in relation with the
service of the Eord, it is called pure unalloyed devotional
service. <r=mat= >unt=dev= wanted that perfection and
prayed for it from the Eord.
Her affection for the 1"AQavas and the !?@Ais is not out of
the range of devotional service because the service of the
Eord and the service of the devotees are identical.
$ometimes service to the devotee is more valuable than
service to the Eord. %ut here the affection of >unt=dev= for
the 1"AQavas and the !?@Ais was due to family relation. This
tie of affection in terms of material relation is the relation of
m'y' because the relations of the body or the mind are due
to the influence of the e:ternal energy. 0elations of the soul,
established in relation with the $upreme $oul, are factual
relations. When >unt=dev= wanted to cut off the family
relation, she meant to cut off the relation of the skin. The
skin relation is the cause of material bondage, but the
relation of the soul is the cause of freedom. This relation of
the soul to the soul can be established by the via medium of
the relation with the $upersoul. $eeing in the darkness is not
seeing. %ut seeing by the light of the sun means to see the
sun and everything else which was unseen in the darkness.
That is the way of devotional service.
T!T ZX
BO?k:6.Qa k:6.QaSaY ':.Q(a:=%aa'i#a>a3u&a2
ra)a#(a';!adh#aa#aPa'&a-'?(a- 9
&aaei'#d &aaeij)aSauraiTa-hra'Taar
(aae&aeTraiYlR&aurae %a&a'k$aSTae 99 ZX 99
1r$%k4.5a k4.5a%sakha (4.5y%4.abh'(ani%dhr!g%
r')anya%(a-1a%dahan'na"a(arga%($rya
go(inda go%d(i)a%s!r'rti%har'(at'ra
yoge1(ar'khila%g!ro bhaga(an namas te
S(#O#($S
1r$%k4.5aZ9 <r= >?@AaV k4.5a%sakhaZ9 friend of Ar2unaV
(4.5iZof descendants of !?@AiV 4.abhaZ9 chiefV a(aniZthe
earthV dhr!kZrebelliousV r')anya%(a-1aZdynasties of the
kingsV dahanaZ9 annihilatorV ana"a(argaZwithout
deterioration ofV ($ryaZprowessV go(indaZ9 proprietor of
8olokadh"maV goZof the cowsV d(i)aZthe br'hma5asC s!raZ
the demigodsV arti%haraZto relieve distressV a(at'raZ9 Eord
who descendsV yoga%$1(araZ9 master of all mystic powersV
akhilaZuniversalV g!roZ9 preceptorV bhaga(anZ9 possessor
of all opulencesV nama* teZrespectful obeisances unto Xou.
T-A#SLATIO#
O CDEFa, O friend of Ar/una, O chief a@ongst the descendants of
GDEFi, (ou are the destroyer of those political parties Jhich are
disturbing ele@ents on this earthH (our proJess ne'er
deterioratesH (ou are the proprietor of the transcendental abode,
and (ou descend to relie'e the distresses of the coJs, the
brLh@aFas and the de'oteesH (ou possess all @ystic poJers, and
(ou are the preceptor of the entire uni'erseH (ou are the al@ighty
&od, and I offer (ou @y respectful obeisancesH
P8-PO-T
A summary of the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa is made herein
by <r=mat= >unt=dev=. The almighty Eord has His eternal
transcendental abode where He is engaged in keeping
s!rabhi cows. He is served by hundreds and thousands of
goddesses of fortune. He descends on the material world to
reclaim His devotees and to annihilate the disturbing
elements in groups of political parties and kings who are
supposed to be in charge of administration work. He creates,
maintains and annihilates by His unlimited energies, and still
He is always full with prowess and does not deteriorate in
potency. The cows, the br'hma5as and the devotees of the
Eord are all ob2ects of His special attention because they are
very important factors for the general welfare of living
beings.
T!T ZZ
Sa8Ta o'ac
Pa:Qa(aeTQa; k6lRPad0 PairQa8TaaiYlRaed(a0 9
$a#d; )ahaSa 'ku6Quae $aaeh(aik' $aa(a(aa 99 ZZ 99
s0ta !('ca
"4thayettha- kala%"adai*
"ari50t'khilodaya*
manda- )ah'sa (aik!5<ho
mohayann i(a m'yay'
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta saidV "4thay'Zby 1?th" 3>unt=6V itthamZ
thisV kala%"adai*Zby chosen wordsV "ari50taZbeing
worshipedV akhilaZuniversalV !daya*ZgloriesV mandamZ
mildlyV )ah'saZsmiledV (aik!5<ha*Zthe EordV mohayanZ
captivatingV i(aZlikeV m'yay'ZHis mystic power.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of
CuntBde'B, co@posed in choice Jords for Iis glorification, @ildly
s@iledH That s@ile Jas as enchanting as Iis @ystic poJerH
P8-PO-T
Anything that is enchanting in the world is said to be a
representation of the Eord. The conditioned souls, who are
engaged in trying to lord it over the material world, are also
enchanted by His mystic powers, but His devotees are
enchanted in a different way by the glories of the Eord, and
His merciful blessings are upon them. His energy is
displayed in different ways, as electrical energy works in
manifold capacities. <r=mat= >unt=dev= has prayed to the
Eord 2ust to enunciate a fragment of His glories. All His
devotees worship Him in that way, by chosen words, and
therefore the Eord is known as RttamaPloka. Ko amount of
chosen words is sufficient to enumerate the EordJs glory, and
yet He is satisfied by such prayers as the father is satisfied
even by the broken linguistic attempts of the growing child.
The word m'y' is used both in the sense of delusion and
mercy. Herein the word m'y' is used in the sense of the
EordJs mercy upon >unt=dev=.
T!T Z[
Taa; bati$aT(auPaa$a#<(a PaOi'!(a &a)aSaa(a$a2 9
iE(a, S'Paur; (aaS(a#a2 PaOe$Qaa ra/a i#a'airTa0 99 Z[ 99
t'- b';ham ity !"'mantrya
"ra(i1ya ga)as'h(ayam
striya1 ca s(a%"!ra- y'syan
"rem5' r'),' ni('rita*
S(#O#($S
t'mZall thoseV b';hamZacceptedV itiZthusV !"'mantryaZ
subse(uently informedV "ra(i1yaZenteringV ga)as'h(ayamZ
the palace of Hastin"puraV striya* caZother ladiesV s(a%
"!ramZown residenceV y'syanZwhile starting forV "rem5'Z
with loveV r'),'Zby the >ingV ni('rita*Zstopped.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus accepting the prayers of ArB@atB CuntBde'B, the Lord
subse?uently infor@ed other ladies of Iis departure by entering
the palace of IastinLpuraH Kut upon preparing to lea'e, Ie Jas
stopped by Cing (udhiEhira, Jho i@plored Ii@ lo'inglyH
P8-PO-T
Ko one could make Eord >?@Aa stay at Hastin"pura when He
decided to start for 7v"rak", but the simple re(uest of >ing
Xudhi@Thira that the Eord remain there for a few days more
was immediately effective. This signifies that the power of
>ing Xudhi@Thira was loving affection, which the Eord could
not deny. The almighty 8od is thus con(uered only by loving
service and nothing else. He is fully independent in all His
dealings, but He voluntarily accepts obligations by the loving
affection of His pure devotees.
T!T Z\
G(aaSaa*r?Treha/0 k:6.Qae#aad2%auTak6$a-Qaa 9
PaObaei>aTaae+Pa?iTahaSa#aa-bu>(aTa BucaiPa-Ta0 99 Z\ 99
(y's'dyair $1(areh'),ai*
k4.5en'dbh!ta%karma5'
"rabodhito 2"$tih'sair
n'b!dhyata 1!c'r"ita*
S(#O#($S
(y'sa%'dyai*Zby great sages headed by !y"saV $1(araZthe
almighty 8odV $h'Zby the will ofV ),ai*Zby the learnedV
k4.5enaZby >?@Aa HimselfV adbh!ta%karma5'Zby one who
performs all superhuman workV "rabodhita*Zbeing solacedV
a"iZalthoughV itih'sai*Zby evidences from the historiesV na
ZnotV ab!dhyataZsatisfiedV 1!c' ar"ita*Zdistressed.
T-A#SLATIO#
Cing (udhiEhira, Jho Jas @uch aggrie'ed, could not be
con'inced, despite instructions by great sages headed by GyLsa
and the Lord CDEFa Ii@self, the perfor@er of superhu@an feats,
and despite all historical e'idenceH
P8-PO-T
The pious >ing Xudhi@Thira was mortified because of the
mass massacre of human beings in the %attle of >uruk@etra,
especially on his account. 7uryodhana was there on the
throne, and he was doing well in his administration, and in
one sense there was no need of fighting. %ut on the principle
of 2ustice Xudhi@Thira was to replace him. The whole cli(ue
of politics centered around this point, and all the kings and
residents of the whole world became involved in this fight
between the rival brothers. Eord >?@Aa was also there on the
side of >ing Xudhi@Thira. t is said in the 8ah'bh'rata, Jdi%
"ar(a 3GN6 that 5MN,NNN,NNN men were killed in the eighteen
days of the %attle of >uruk@etra, and some hundreds of
thousands were missing. 1ractically this was the greatest
battle in the world within five thousand years.
This mass killing simply to enthrone Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira
was too mortifying, so he tried to be convinced with
evidences from histories by great sages like !y"sa and the
Eord Himself that the fight was 2ust because the cause was
2ust. %ut Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira would not be satisfied, even
though he was instructed by the greatest personalities of the
time. >?@Aa is designated herein as the performer of
superhuman actions, but in this particular instance neither
He nor !y"sa could convince >ing Xudhi@Thira. 7oes it mean
that He failed to be a superhuman actor? Ko, certainly not.
The interpretation is that the Eord as $1(ara, or the $upersoul
in the hearts of both >ing Xudhi@Thira and !y"sa, performed
still more superhuman action because the Eord desired it. As
$upersoul of >ing Xudhi@Thira, He did not allow the >ing to
be convinced by the words of !y"sa and others, including
Himself, because He desired that the >ing hear instructions
from the dying %h=@madeva, who was another great
devotee of the Eord. The Eord wanted that at the last stage
of his material e:istence the great warrior %h=@madeva see
Him personally and see his beloved grandchildren, >ing
Xudhi@Thira, etc., now situated on the throne, and thus pass
away very peacefully. %h=@madeva was not at all satisfied to
fight against the 1"AQavas, who were his beloved fatherless
grandchildren. %ut the k.atriyas are also very stern people,
and therefore he was obliged to take the side of 7uryodhana
because he was maintained at the e:pense of 7uryodhana.
%esides this, the Eord also desired that >ing Xudhi@Thira be
pacified by the words of %h=@madeva so that the world could
see that %h=@madeva e:celled all in knowledge, including
the Eord Himself.
T!T Z]
Aah ra)aa >a$a-SauTai,#Ta(a#a2 Sau5da; '>a$a2 9
PaOak:6Tae#aaT$a#aa i'PaOa0 heh$aaeh'!a; &aTa0 99 Z] 99
'ha r')' dharma%s!ta1
cintayan s!h4d'- (adham
"r'k4ten'tman' (i"r'*
sneha%moha%(a1a- gata*
S(#O#($S
'haZsaidV r')'Z>ing Xudhi@ThiraV dharma%s!ta*Zthe son of
7harma 3Xamar"2a6V cintayanZthinking ofV s!h4d'mZof the
friendsV (adhamZkillingV "r'k4tenaZby material conception
onlyV 'tman'Zby the selfV (i"r'*Z9 br'hma5aC snehaZ
affectionV mohaZdelusionV (a1amZbeing carried away byV
gata*Zhaving gone.
T-A#SLATIO#
Cing (udhiEhira, son of >har@a, o'erJhel@ed by the death of his
friends, Jas aggrie'ed /ust like a co@@on, @aterialistic @anH O
sages, thus deluded by affection, he began to speakH
P8-PO-T
>ing Xudhi@Thira, though he was not e:pected to become
aggrieved like a common man, became deluded by worldly
affection by the will of the Eord 32ust as Ar2una was
apparently deluded6. A man who sees knows well that the
living entity is neither the body nor the mind, but is
transcendental to the material conception of life. The
common man thinks of violence and nonviolence in terms of
the body, but that is a kind of delusion. ;veryone is duty'
bound according to oneJs occupational duties. A k.atriya is
bound to fight for the right cause, regardless of the opposite
party. n such discharge of duty, one should not be disturbed
by annihilation of the material body, which is only an
e:ternal dress of the living soul. All this was perfectly known
to Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, but by the will of the Eord he
became 2ust like a common man because there was another
great idea behind this delusionC the >ing would be instructed
by %h=@ma as Ar2una was instructed by the Eord Himself.
T!T Z^
Ahae $ae Pa!(aTaa/a#a; 5id ~t; duraT$a#a0 9
PaarC(aS(a' dehS(a byae $ae+UaaihQa?h-Taa0 99 Z^ 99
aho me "a1yat'),'na-
h4di r0;ha- d!r'tmana*
"'rakyasyai(a dehasya
bah(yo me 2k.a!hi5$r hat'*
S(#O#($S
ahoZ9V meZmyV "a1yataZ2ust seeV a),'namZignoranceV h4di
Zin the heartV r0;hamZsituated inV d!r'tmana*Zof the
sinfulV "'rakyasyaZmeant for othersV e(aZcertainlyV dehasya
Zof the bodyV bah(ya*Zmany, manyV meZby meV ak.a!hi5$*
Zcombination of military phalan:esV hat'*Zkilled.
T-A#SLATIO#
Cing (udhiEhira saide O @y lott I a@ the @ost sinful @ant )ust see
@y heart, Jhich is full of ignorancet This body, Jhich is ulti@ately
@eant for others, has killed @any, @any phalanMes of @enH
P8-PO-T
A solid phalan: of G,,.4N chariots, G,,.4N elephants,
,N-,5BN infantry and 5B,5NN cavalry is called an ak.a!hi5$.
And many ak.a!hi5$s were killed on the %attlefield of
>uruk@etra. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, as the most pious king of
the world, takes for himself the responsibility for killing such
a huge number of living beings because the battle was
fought to reinstate him on the throne. This body is, after all,
meant for others. While there is life in the body, it is meant
for the service of others, and when it is dead it is meant to
be eaten by dogs and 2ackals or maggots. He is sorry
because for such a temporary body such a huge massacre
was committed.
T!T Z_
balRij)aSau5i#$a<aiPaTa:%a3aTa:&auDd3uh0 9
#a $ae S(aaikr(aa#$aaeUaae 7iPa '=a-(auTaa(auTa0 99 Z_ 99
b'la%d(i)a%s!h4n%mitra%
"it4%bhr't4%g!r!%dr!ha*
na me sy'n niray'n mok.o
hy a"i (ar.'y!t'y!tai*
S(#O#($S
b'laZboysV d(i%)aZthe twice'bornV s!h4tZwell'wishersV mitra
ZfriendsV "it4ZparentsV bhr't4ZbrothersV g!r!ZpreceptorsV
dr!ha*Zone who has killedV naZneverV meZmyV sy'tZthere
shall beV niray'tZfrom hellV mok.a*ZliberationV hiZcertainlyV
a"iZalthoughV (ar.aZyearsV ay!taZmillionsV 'y!tai*Zbeing
added.
T-A#SLATIO#
I ha'e killed @any boys, brLh@aFas, Jell6Jishers, friends, parents,
preceptors and brothersH Though I li'e @illions of years, I Jill not
be relie'ed fro@ the hell that aJaits @e for all these sinsH
P8-PO-T
Whenever there is a war, there is certainly a massacre of
many innocent living beings, such as boys, br'hma5as and
women, whose killing is considered to be the greatest of
sins. They are all innocent creatures, and in all
circumstances killing of them is forbidden in the scriptures.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was aware of these mass killings.
$imilarly, there were friends, parents and preceptors also on
both sides, and all of them were killed. t was simply horrible
for him to think of such killing, and therefore he was thinking
of residing in hell for millions and billions of years.
T!T [`
#a#aae ra/0 PaO)aa%aTau->a-$a-(aupe '>aae ij=a$a2 9
JiTa $ae #a Tau bae>aa(a k6LPaTae !aaSa#a; 'c0 99 [` 99
naino r'),a* "ra)'%bhart!r
dharma%y!ddhe (adho d(i.'m
iti me na t! bodh'ya
kal"ate 1'sana- (aca*
S(#O#($S
naZneverV ena*ZsinsV r'),a*Zof the kingV "ra)'%bhart!*Zof
one who is engaged in the maintenance of the citi)ensV
dharmaZfor the right causeV y!ddheZin the fightV (adha*Z
killingV d(i.'mZof the enemiesV itiZall theseV meZfor meV na
ZneverV t!ZbutV bodh'yaZfor satisfactionV kal"ateZthey are
meant for administrationV 1'sanamZin2unctionV (aca*Zwords
of.
T-A#SLATIO#
There is no sin for a king Jho kills for the right cause, Jho is
engaged in @aintaining his citi=ensH Kut this in/unction is not
applicable to @eH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira thought that although he was not
actually involved in the administration of the kingdom, which
was being carried on well by 7uryodhana without harm to
the citi)ens, he caused the killing of so many living beings
only for his personal gain of the kingdom from the hands of
7uryodhana. The killing was committed not in the course of
administration but for the sake of self'aggrandi)ement, and
as such he thought himself responsible for all the sins.
T!T ["
E?Qaa; $apTab#>a8#aa; d3aehae (aae+Saai'haeiTQaTa0 9
k6$a-i%a&a:-h$ae>a?(a#aa-h; k6LPaae G(aPaaeihTau$a2 99
[" 99
str$5'- mad%dhata%bandh0n'-
droho yo 2s'( ihotthita*
karmabhir g4hamedh$yair
n'ha- kal"o (ya"ohit!m
S(#O#($S
str$5'mZof the womenV matZby meV hata%bandh0n'mZof the
friends who are killedV droha*ZenmityV ya*ZthatV asa!Zall
thoseV ihaZherewithV !tthita*Zhas accruedV karmabhi*Zby
dint of workV g4hamedh$yai*Zby persons engaged in material
welfareV naZneverV ahamZV kal"a*Zcan e:pectV (ya"ohit!m
Zundoing the same.
T-A#SLATIO#
I ha'e killed @any friends of Jo@en, and I ha'e thus caused
en@ity to such an eMtent that it is not possible to undo it by
@aterial Jelfare JorkH
P8-PO-T
The g4hamedh$s are those whose only business is to perform
welfare work for the sake of material prosperity. $uch
material prosperity is sometimes hampered by sinful
activities, for the materialist is sure to commit sins, even
unintentionally, in the course of discharging material duties.
To get relief from such sinful reactions, the /edas prescribe
several kinds of sacrifices. t is said in the /edas that by
performing the APvamedha'ya2â 3horse sacrifice6 one can
get relief from even brahma%haty' 3killing of a br'hma5a6.
Xudhi@Thira Mah"r"2a performed this APvamedha'ya2â, but
he thinks that even by performing such ya),as it is not
possible to get relief from the great sins committed. n war
either the husband or the brother or even the father or sons
go to fight. And when they are killed, a fresh enmity is
created, and thus a chain of actions and reactions increases
which is not possible to be counteracted even by thousands
of APvamedha'ya2âs.
The way of work 3karma6 is like that. t creates one action
and another reaction simultaneously and thus increases the
chain of material activities, binding the performer in material
bondage. n the &haga(ad%g$t' 3%g. -.G4aG.6 the remedy is
suggested that such actions and reactions of the path of
work can be checked only when work is done on behalf of
the $upreme Eord. The %attle of >uruk@etra was actually
fought by the will of the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa, as it is
evident from His version, and only by His will was
Xudhi@Thira placed on the throne of Hastin"pura. Therefore,
factually no sin whatsoever touched the 1"AQavas, who were
only the order carriers of the Eord. Hor others, who declare
war out of personal interest, the whole responsibility lies on
them.
T!T [N
(aQaa Pae#a Paa$%a0 Saur(aa 'a Saurak:6Ta$a2 9
%a8TahT(aa; TaQa'k6a; #a (a/$aa-nu-$ah-iTa 99 [N 99
yath' "a3kena "a3k'mbha*
s!ray' (' s!r'k4tam
bh0ta%haty'- tathai(aik'-
na ya),air m'r.<!m arhati
S(#O#($S
yath'Zas much asV "a3kenaZby the mudV "a3ka%ambha*Z
water mi:ed with mudV s!ray'Zby wineV ('ZeitherV
s!r'k4tamZimpurity caused by the slight touch of wineV
bh0ta%haty'mZkilling of animalsV tath'Zlike thatV e(aZ
certainlyV ek'mZoneV naZneverV ya),ai*Zby the prescribed
sacrificesV m'r.<!mZto counteractV arhatiZis worthwhile.
T-A#SLATIO#
As it is not possible to filter @uddy Jater through @ud, or purify a
Jine6stained pot Jith Jine, it is not possible to counteract the
killing of @en by sacrificing ani@alsH
P8-PO-T
P1(amedha%ya),as or @omedha%ya),as, sacrifices in which a
horse or a bull is sacrificed, were not, of course, for the
purpose of killing the animals. Eord *aitanya said that such
animals sacrificed on the altar of ya),a were re2uvenated and
a new life was given to them. t was 2ust to prove the efficacy
of the hymns of the /edas. %y recitation of the hymns of the
/edas in the proper way, certainly the performer gets relief
from the reactions of sins, but in case of such sacrifices
improperly done under ine:pert management, surely one
has to become responsible for animal sacrifice. n this age of
(uarrel and hypocrisy there is no possibility of performing
the ya),as perfectly for want of e:pert br'hma5as who are
able to conduct such ya),as. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira therefore
gives a hint to performing sacrifices in the age of >ali. n the
>ali'yuga the only sacrifice recommended is the
performance of hari%n'ma%ya),a inaugurated by Eord <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu. %ut one should not indulge in animal
killing and counteract it by performing the hari%n'ma ya),a.
Those who are devotees of the Eord never kill an animal for
self'interest, and 3as the Eord ordered Ar2una6 they do not
refrain from performing the duty of a k.atriya. The whole
purpose, therefore, is served when everything is done for the
will of the Eord. This is possible only for the devotees.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto, Sighth
9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled Krayers by
L!een A!nt$ and ar$k.it Sa(ed.M
Chapter #ine
The Passing AJay of KhBE@ade'a in the Presence
of Lord CDEFa
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
JiTa %a?Ta0 PaO)aad3aehaTSa'->a$a-i'i'TSa(aa 9
TaTaae i'#a!a#a; PaOa&aad2 (a<a de''3Taae+PaTaTa2 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
iti bh$ta* "ra)'%droh't
sar(a%dharma%(i(itsay'
tato (ina1ana- "r'g'd
yatra de(a%(rato 2"atat
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV itiZthusV bh$ta*Zbeing
afraid ofV "ra)'%droh'tZbecause of killing the sub2ectsV sar(a
ZallV dharmaZacts of religionV (i(itsay'Zfor understandingV
tata*ZthereafterV (ina1anamZthe place where the fight was
heldV "r'g'tZhe wentV yatraZwhereV de(a%(rata*Z
%h=@madevaV a"atatZlay down for passing away.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Keing afraid for ha'ing killed so @any sub/ects
on the Kattlefield of CurukEetra, $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira Jent to the
scene of the @assacreH There, KhBE@ade'a Jas lying on a bed of
arroJs, about to pass aJayH
P8-PO-T
n this Kinth *hapter, as it is willed by Eord <r= >?@Aa,
%h=@madeva will impart instructions to >ing Xudhi@Thira on
the sub2ect of occupational duties. %h=@madeva will also
offer his last prayer to the Eord on the verge of passing away
from this mortal world and thus become liberated from the
bondage of further material engagements. %h=@madeva was
endowed with the power of leaving his material body at will,
and his lying down on the bed of arrows was his own choice.
This passing away of the great warrior attracted the
attention of all the contemporary elites, and all of them
assembled there to show their feelings of love, respect and
affection for the great soul.
T!T N
Tada Tae %a3aTar0 Sa'e- SadT0 S'Qa-%a8i=Ta0 9
A#'&aCc#a2 rQai'-PaOa G(aaSa>aa$(aad(aSTaQaa 99 N 99
tad' te bhr'tara* sar(e
sada1(ai* s(ar5a%bh0.itai*
an(agacchan rathair (i"r'
(y'sa%dha!my'dayas tath'
S(#O#($S
tad'Zat that timeV teZall of themV bhr'tara*Zthe brothersV
sar(eZall togetherV sat%a1(ai*Zdrawn by first'class horsesV
s(ar5aZgoldV bh0.itai*Zbeing decorated withV an(agacchanZ
followed one after anotherV rathai*Zon the chariotsV (i"r'*Z
9 br'hma5asC (y'saZthe sage !y"saV dha!myaZ7haumyaV
'daya*Zand othersV tath'Zalso.
T-A#SLATIO#
At that ti@e all his brothers folloJed hi@ on beautiful chariots
draJn by first6class horses decorated Jith gold orna@entsH Vith
the@ Jere GyLsa and DEis like >hau@ya Othe learned priest of the
PLFha'as3 and othersH
T!T X
%a&a'a#aiPa i'PaO=e- rQae#a Sa>a#ai(a0 9
Sa TaG(a-raecTa #a:Pa0 ku6'er J' &au7k60 99 X 99
bhaga('n a"i (i"rar.e
rathena sa%dhana,)aya*
sa tair (yarocata n4"a*
k!(era i(a g!hyakai*
S(#O#($S
bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odhead 3<r= >?@Aa6V a"iZalsoV
(i"ra%4.eZ9 sage among the br'hma5asC rathenaZon the
chariotV sa%dhana,)aya*Zwith 7hana^2aya 3Ar2una6V sa*ZHeV
tai*Zby themV (yarocataZappeared to be highly aristocraticV
n4"a*Zthe >ing 3Xudhi@Thira6V k!(eraZ>uvera, the treasurer
of the demigodsV i(aZasV g!hyakai*Zcompanions known as
8uhyakas.
T-A#SLATIO#
O sage a@ongst the brLh@aFas, Lord ArB CDEFa, the Personality of
&odhead, also folloJed, seated on a chariot Jith Ar/unaH Thus Cing
(udhiEhira appeared 'ery aristocratic, like Cu'era surrounded by
his co@panions Othe &uhyakas3H
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa wanted the 1"AQavas to be present before
%h=@madeva in the most aristocratic order so that he might
be pleased to see them happy at the time of his death.
>uvera is the richest of all the demigods, and herein >ing
Xudhi@Thira appeared like him 3>uvera6, for the procession
along with <r= >?@Aa was (uite appropriate to the royalty of
>ing Xudhi@Thira.
T!T Z
d:a i#aPaiTaTa; %a8$aa id'!C(auTai$a'a$ar$a2 9
PaOQae$au0 PaaQo'a %a?.$a; Saa#au&aa0 Sah cis6Qaa 99 Z 99
d4.<(' ni"atita- bh0ma!
di(a1 cy!tam i('maram
"ra5em!* "'5;a(' bh$.ma-
s'n!g'* saha cakri5'
S(#O#($S
d4.<('Zthus seeingV ni"atitamZlying downV bh0ma!Zon the
groundV di(a*Zfrom the skyV cy!tamZfallenV i(aZlikeV
amaramZdemigodV "ra5em!*Zbowed downV "'5;a('*Zthe
sons of 1"AQuV bh$.mamZunto %h=@maV sa%an!g'*Zwith the
younger brothersV sahaZalso withV cakri5'Zthe Eord
3carrying the disc6.
T-A#SLATIO#
Seeing hi@ OKhBE@a3 lying on the ground, like a de@igod fallen
fro@ the sky, the PLFha'a Cing (udhiEhira, along Jith his
younger brothers and Lord CDEFa, boJed doJn before hi@H
P8-PO-T
Eord >?@Aa was also a younger cousin of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira as well as the intimate friend of Ar2una. %ut all
the family members of the 1"AQavas knew Eord >?@Aa as the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. The Eord, although
conscious of His supreme position, always behaved in a
humanly custom, and so He also bowed down before the
dying %h=@madeva as if He were one of the younger
brothers of >ing Xudhi@Thira.
T!T [
Ta<a b34=-(a0 Sa'e- de'=-(a, Sata$a 9
ra)a=-(a, Ta<aaSa#a2 d3nu; %arTaPaul'$a2 99 [ 99
tatra brahmar.aya* sar(e
de(ar.aya1 ca sattama
r')ar.aya1 ca tatr'san
dra.<!- bharata%"!3ga(am
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereV brahma%4.aya*Z4.is among the br'hma5asC
sar(eZallV de(a%4.aya*Z4.is among the demigodsV caZandV
sattamaZsituated in the (uality of goodnessV r')a%4.aya*Z
4.is among the kingsV caZandV tatraZin that placeV 'sanZ
were presentV dra.<!mZ2ust to seeV bharataZthe
descendants of >ing %harataV "!3ga(amZthe chief of.
T-A#SLATIO#
)ust to see the chief of the descendants of Cing Kharata OKhBE@a3,
all the great souls in the uni'erse, na@ely the DEis a@ongst the
de@igods, brLh@aFas and kings, all situated in the ?uality of
goodness, Jere asse@bled thereH
P8-PO-T
The 4.is are those who have attained perfection by spiritual
achievements. $uch spiritual achievements can be earned
by all, whether one is a king or a mendicant. %h=@madeva
himself was also one of the brahmar.is and the chief of the
descendants of >ing %harata. All 4.is are situated in the
(uality of goodness. All of them assembled there on hearing
the news of the great warriorJs impending death.
T!TS \]
Pa'-Taae #aardae >aa$(aae %a&a'a#a2 badra(aQa0 9
b:hdTae %arja)a0 Sai!a.(aae reQauk6aSauTa0 99 \ 99
'iSaf J#d3PaO$adiETaae &a:TSa$adae+iSaTa0 9
k6Ua?'a#a2 &aaTa$aae+i<a, k6ai!ak6ae+Qa Saud!a-#a0 99 ] 99
"ar(ato n'rado dha!myo
b4hada1(o bharad(')a*
sa1i.yo re5!k'%s!ta*
(asi.<ha indra"ramadas
trito g4tsamado 2sita*
kak.$('n ga!tamo 2tri1 ca
ka!1iko 2tha s!dar1ana*
S(#O#($S
"ar(ata*Z1arvata MuniV n'rada*ZK"rada MuniV dha!mya*Z
7haumyaV bhaga('nZincarnation of 8odheadV b'dar'ya5a*Z
!y"sadevaV b4hada1(a*Z%?hadaPvaV bharad(')a*Z
%haradv"2aV sa%1i.ya*Zalong with disciplesV re5!k'%s!ta*Z
1araPur"maV (asi.<ha*Z!asi@ThaV indra"ramada*Z
ndrapramadaV trita*ZTritaV g4tsamada*Z8?tsamadaV asita*
ZAsitaV kak.$('nZ>ak@=v"nV ga!tama*Z8autamaV atri*Z
AtriV caZandV ka!1ika*Z>auPikaV athaZas well asV s!dar1ana*
Z$udarPana.
T-A#SLATIO#
All the sages like Par'ata $uni, #Lrada, >hau@ya, GyLsa the
incarnation of &od, KDhadaw'a, Kharad'L/a and ParawurL@a and
disciples, GasiEha, Indrapra@ada, Trita, &Dtsa@ada, Asita,
CakEB'Ln, &auta@a, Atri, Cauwika and Sudarwana Jere presentH
P8-PO-T
ar(ata 8!niI is considered to be one of the oldest sages. He
is almost always a constant companion of K"rada Muni. They
are also spacemen competent to travel in the air without the
help of any material vehicle. 1arvata Muni is also a de(ar.i,
or a great sage amongst the demigods, like K"rada. He was
present along with K"rada at the sacrificial ceremony of
Mah"r"2a Oaname2aya, son of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. n this
sacrifice all the snakes of the world were to be killed. 1arvata
Muni and K"rada Muni are called 8andharvas also because
they can travel in the air singing the glories of the Eord.
$ince they can travel in the air, they observed 7raupad=Js
s(aya-(ara ceremony 3selecting of her own husband6 from
the air. Eike K"rada Muni, 1arvata Muni also used to visit the
royal assembly in the heaven of >ing ndra. As a 8andharva,
sometimes he visited the royal assembly of >uvera, one of
the important demigods. %oth K"rada and 1arvata were
once in trouble with the daughter of Mah"r"2a $?^2aya.
Mah"r"2a $?^2aya got the benediction of a son by 1arvata
Muni.
N'rada 8!niI is inevitably associated with the narrations of
the !r'5as. He is described in the &h'ga(atam. n his
previous life he was the son of a maidservant, but by good
association with pure devotees he became enlightened in
devotional service, and in the ne:t life he became a perfect
man comparable with himself only. n the 8ah'bh'rata his
name is mentioned in many places. He is the principle
de(ar.i, or the chief sage amongst the demigods. He is the
son and disciple of %rahm"2=, and from him the disciplic
succession in the line of %rahm" has been spread. He
initiated 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a, 7hruva Mah"r"2a and many
celebrated devotees of the Eord. He initiated even
!y"sadeva, the author of the !edic literatures, and from
!y"sadeva, Madhv"c"rya was initiated, and thus the
Madhva'samprad"ya, in which the 8auQ=ya'samprad"ya is
also included, has spread all over the universe. <r= *aitanya
Mah"prabhu belonged to this Madhva'samprad"yaV
therefore, %rahm"2=, K"rada, !y"sa, down to Madhva,
*aitanya and the 8osv"m=s all belonged to the same line of
disciplic succession. K"rada2= has instructed many kings
from time immemorial. n the &h'ga(atam we can see that he
instructed 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a while he was in the womb of
his mother, and he instructed !asudeva, father of >?@Aa, as
well as Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira.
Dha!myaI A great sage who practiced severe penances at
Rtkocaka T=rtha and was appointed royal priest of the
1"AQava kings. He acted as the priest in many religious
functions of the 1"AQavas 3sa-sk'ra6, and also each of the
1"AQavas was attended by him at the betrothal of 7raupad=.
He was present even during the e:ile of the 1"AQavas and
used to advise them in circumstances when they were
perple:ed. He instructed them how to live incognito for one
year, and his instructions were strictly followed by the
1"AQavas during that time. His name is mentioned also when
the general funeral ceremony was performed after the %attle
of >uruk@etra. n the Pn!.'sana%"ar(a of 8ah'bh'rata
3,G4.,Ba,56, he gave religious instructions very elaborately
to Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. He was actually the right type of
priest of a householder, for he could guide the 1"AQavas on
the right path of religion. A priest is meant for guiding the
householder progressively in the right path of '1rama%
dharma, or the occupational duty of a particular caste. There
is practically no difference between the family priest and the
spiritual master. The sages, saints and br'hma5as were
especially meant for such functions.
&'dar'ya5a 3/y'sade(a6C He is known as >?@Aa, >?@Aa'
dvaip"yana, 7vaip"yana, $atyavat='suta, 1"r"Parya,
1ar"Par"tma2a, %"dar"yaAa, !edavy"sa, etc. He was the son
of Mah"muni 1ar"Para in the womb of $atyavat= prior to her
betrothal with Mah"r"2a <antanu, the father of the great
general 8randfather %h=@madeva. He is a powerful
incarnation of K"r"yaAa, and he broadcasts the !edic
wisdom to the world. As such, !y"sadeva is offered respects
before one chants the !edic literature, especially the
!r'5as. <ukadeva 8osv"m= was his son, and 4.is like
!aiPamp"yana were his disciples for different branches of
the /edas. He is the author of the great epic 8ah'bh'rata and
the great transcendental literature &h'ga(atam. The &rahma%
s0trasZthe /ed'nta%s0tras, or &'dar'ya5a%s0trasZwere
compiled by him. Amongst sages he is the most respected
author by dint of severe penances. When he wanted to
record the great epic 8ah'bh'rata for the welfare of all
people in the age of >ali, he was feeling the necessity of a
powerful writer who could take up his dictation. %y the order
of %rahm"2=, <r= 8aAePa2= took up the charge of noting
down the dictation on the condition that !y"sadeva would
not stop dictation for a moment. The 8ah'bh'rata was thus
compiled by the 2oint endeavor of !y"sa and 8aAePa.
%y the order of his mother, $atyavat=, who was later married
to Mah"r"2a <antanu, and by the re(uest of %h=@madeva,
the eldest son of Mah"r"2a <antanu by his first wife, the
8anges, he begot three brilliant sons, whose names are
7h?tar"@Tra, 1"AQu and !idura. The 8ah'bh'rata was
compiled by !y"sadeva after the %attle of >uruk@etra and
after the death of all the heroes of 8ah'bh'rata. t was first
spoken in the royal assembly of Mah"r"2a Oaname2aya, the
son of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it.
&4hada1(aI An ancient sage who used to meet Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira now and then. Hirst of all he met Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira at >"myavana. This sage narrated the history of
Mah"r"2a Kala. There is another %?hadaPva, who is the son
of the k@v"ku dynasty 38ah'bh'rata, /ana%"ar(a GN-.MaB6
&harad(')aI He is one of the seven great 4.is and was
present at the time of the birth ceremony of Ar2una. The
powerful 4.i sometimes undertook severe penances on the
shore of the 8anges, and his '1rama is still celebrated at
1ray"gadh"ma. t is learned that this 4.i, while taking bath
in the 8anges, happened to meet 8h?tac=, one of the
beautiful society girls of heaven, and thus he discharged
semen, which was kept and preserved in an earthen pot and
from which 7roAa was born. $o 7roA"c"rya is the son of
%haradv"2a Muni. 9thers say that %haradv"2a the father of
7roAa is a different person from Mahar@i %haradv"2a. He was
a great devotee of %rahm". 9nce he approached 7roA"c"rya
and re(uested him to stop the %attle of >uruk@etra.
ara1!r'ma, or Re5!k's!taI He is the son of Mahar@i
Oamadagni and <r=mat= 0eAuk". Thus he is also known as
0eAuk"suta. He is one of the powerful incarnations of 8od,
and he killed the k.atriya community as a whole twenty'one
times. With the blood of the k.atriyas he pleased the souls of
his forefathers. Eater on he underwent severe penances at
the Mahendra 1arvata. After taking the whole earth from the
k.atriyas, he gave it in charity to >aPyapa Muni. 1araPur"ma
instructed the Dhan!r%(eda, or the science of fighting, to
7roA"c"rya because he happened to be a br'hma5a. He was
present during the coronation of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, and
he celebrated the function along with other great 4.is.
1araPur"ma is so old that he met both 0"ma and >?@Aa at
different times. He fought with 0"ma, but he accepted >?@Aa
as the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. He also praised
Ar2una when he saw him with >?@Aa. When %h=@ma refused
to marry Amb", who wanted him to become her husband,
Amb" met 1araPur"ma, and by her re(uest only, he asked
%h=@madeva to accept her as his wife. %h=@ma refused to
obey his order, although he was one of the spiritual masters
of %h=@madeva. 1araPur"ma fought with %h=@madeva when
%h=@ma neglected his warning. %oth of them fought very
severely, and at last 1araPur"ma was pleased with %h=@ma
and gave him the benediction of becoming the greatest
fighter in the world.
/asi.<haI The great celebrated sage among the br'hma5as,
well known as the %rahmar@i !asi@Thadeva. He is a
prominent figure in both the R'm'ya5a and 8ah'bh'rata
periods. He celebrated the coronation ceremony of the
1ersonality of 8odhead <r= 0"ma. He was present also on
the %attlefield of >uruk@etra. He could approach all the
higher and lower planets, and his name is also connected
with the history of HiraAyakaPipu. There was a great tension
between him and !iPv"mitra, who wanted his k'madhen!,
wish'fulfilling cow. !asi@Tha Muni refused to spare his
k'madhen!, and for this !iPv"mitra killed his one hundred
sons. As a perfect br'hma5a he tolerated all the taunts of
!iPv"mitra. 9nce he tried to commit suicide on account of
!iPv"mitraJs torture, but all his attempts were unsuccessful.
He 2umped from a hill, but the stones on which he fell
became a stack of cotton, and thus he was saved. He
2umped into the ocean, but the waves washed him ashore.
He 2umped into the river, but the river also washed him
ashore. Thus all his suicide attempts were unsuccessful. He
is also one of the seven 4.is and husband of Arundhat=, the
famous star.
Indra"ramadaI Another celebrated 4.i.
TritaI 9ne of the three sons of 1ra2"pati 8autama. He was
the third son, and his other two brothers were known as ;kat
and 7vita. All the brothers were great sages and strict
followers of the principles of religion. %y dint of severe
penances they were promoted to %rahmaloka 3the planet
where %rahm"2= lives6. 9nce Trita Muni fell into a well. He
was an organi)ing worker of many sacrifices, and as one of
the great sages he also came to show respect to %h=@ma2=
at his deathbed. He was one of the seven sages in the
!aruAaloka. He hailed from the Western countries of the
world. As such, most probably he belonged to the ;uropean
countries. At that time the whole world was under one !edic
culture.
@4tsamadaI 9ne of the sages of the heavenly kingdom. He
was a close friend of ndra, the >ing of heaven, and was as
great as %?haspati. He used to visit the royal assembly of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, and he also visited the place where
%h=@madeva breathed his last. $ometimes he e:plained the
glories of Eord <iva before Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. He was the
son of !itahavya, and he resembled in features the body of
ndra. $ometimes the enemies of ndra mistook him to be
ndra and arrested him. He was a great scholar of the Og%
(eda, and thus he was highly respected by the br'hma5a
community. He lived a life of celibacy and was powerful in
every respect.
PsitaI There was a king of the same name, but herein the
Asita mentioned is the Asita 7evala _@i, a great powerful
sage of the time. He e:plained to his father ,,BNN,NNN verses
from the 8ah'bh'rata. He was one of the members in the
snake sacrifice of Mah"r"2a Oaname2aya. He was also present
during the coronation ceremony of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira
along with other great 4.is. He also gave Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira instructions while he was on the A^2ana Hill. He
was also one of the devotees of Eord <iva.
Aak.$('nI 9ne of the sons of 8autama Muni and the father
of the great sage *andakausika. He was one of the members
of 1arliament of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira.
PtriI Atri Muni was a great br'hma5a sage and was one of the
mental sons of %rahm"2=. %rahm"2= is so powerful that
simply by thinking of a son he can have it. These sons are
known as m'nasa%"!tras. 9ut of seven m'nasa%"!tras of
%rahm"2= and out of the seven great br'hma5a sages, Atri
was one. n his family the great 1racet"s were also born. Atri
Muni had two k.atriya sons who became kings. >ing Arthama
is one of them. He is counted as one of the twenty'one
"ra)'"atis. His wifeJs name was AnasLy", and he helped
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it in his great sacrifices.
Aa!1ikaI 9ne of the permanent 4.i members in the royal
assembly of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. He sometimes met Eord
>?@Aa. There are several other sages of the same name.
S!dar1anaI This wheel which is accepted by the 1ersonality
of 8odhead 3!i@Au or >?@Aa6 as His personal weapon is the
most powerful weapon, greater than the brahm'stras or
similar other disastrous weapons. n some of the !edic
literatures it is said that Agnideva, the fire'god, presented
this weapon to Eord <r= >?@Aa, but factually this weapon is
eternally carried by the Eord. Agnideva presented this
weapon to >?@Aa in the same way that 0ukmiA= was given
by Mah"r"2a 0ukma to the Eord. The Eord accepts such
presentations from His devotees, even though such
presentations are eternally His property. There is an
elaborate description of this weapon in the Jdi%"ar(a of the
8ah'bh'rata. Eord <r= >?@Aa used this weapon to kill
<iPup"la, a rival of the Eord. He also killed <"lva by this
weapon, and sometimes He wanted His friend Ar2una to use
it to kill his enemies 38ah'bh'rata, /ir'<a%"ar(a B5.\6.
T!T ^
A#(ae c $au#a(aae b34#a2 b34raTaad(aae+$alRa0 9
i!a.(aDPaeTaa Aa)a&$au0 k6!(aPaailrSaad(a0 99 ^ 99
anye ca m!nayo brahman
brahmar't'dayo 2mal'*
1i.yair !"et' ')agm!*
ka1ya"'3giras'daya*
S(#O#($S
anyeZmany othersV caZalsoV m!naya*ZsagesV brahmanZ9
br'hma5asC brahmar'taZ<ukadeva 8osv"m=V 'daya*Zand
such othersV amal'*Zcompletely purifiedV 1i.yai*Zby the
disciplesV !"et'*ZaccompaniedV ')agm!*ZarrivedV ka1ya"aZ
>aPyapaV '3girasaZWIgirasaV 'daya*Zothers.
T-A#SLATIO#
And @any others like Aukade'a &os'L@B and other purified souls,
Cawyapa and }Tgirasa and others, all acco@panied by their
respecti'e disciples, arri'ed thereH
P8-PO-T
#!kade(a @os('m$ 3&rahmar'ta6C The famous son and
disciple of <r= !y"sadeva, who taught him first the
8ah'bh'rata and then #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. <ukadeva
8osv"m= recited ,,MNN,NNN verses of the 8ah'bh'rata in the
councils of the 8andharvas, Xak@as and 0"k@asas, and he
recited #r$mad%&h'ga(atam for the first time in the presence
of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. He thoroughly studied all the !edic
literatures from his great father. Thus he was a completely
purified soul by dint of his e:tensive knowledge in the
principles of religion. Hrom 8ah'bh'rata, Sabh'%"ar(a 3M.,,6 it
is understood that he was also present in the royal assembly
of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and at the fasting of Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it. As a bona fide disciple of <r= !y"sadeva, he
in(uired from his father very e:tensively about religious
principles and spiritual values, and his great father also
satisfied him by teaching him the yoga system by which one
can attain the spiritual kingdom, the difference between
fruitive work and empiric knowledge, the ways and means of
attaining spiritual reali)ation, the four '1ramas 3namely the
student life, the householderJs life, the retired life and the
renounced life6, the sublime position of the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead, the process of seeing Him eye to
eye, the bona fide candidate for receiving knowledge, the
consideration of the five elements, the uni(ue position of
intelligence, the consciousness of the material nature and
the living entity, the symptoms of the self'reali)ed soul, the
working principles of the material body, the symptoms of the
influential modes of nature, the tree of perpetual desire, and
psychic activities. $ometimes he went to the sun planet with
the permission of his father and K"rada2=. 7escriptions of his
travel in space are given in the #'nti%"ar(a of the
8ah'bh'rata 3\\G6. At last he attained the transcendental
realm. He is known by different names like AraAeya,
AruAisuta, !aiy"saki and !y"s"tma2a.
Aa1ya"aI 9ne of the "ra)'"atis, the son of Mar=ci and one of
the sons'in'law of 1ra2"pati 7ak@a. He is the father of the
gigantic bird 8aruQa, who was given elephants and tortoises
as eatables. He married thirteen daughters of 1ra2"pati
7ak@a, and their names are Aditi, 7iti, 7anu, >"@Th", Ari@T",
$uras", l", Muni, >rodhavaP", T"mr", $urabhi, $aram" and
Timi. He begot many children, both demigods and demons,
by those wives. Hrom his first wife, Aditi, all the twelve
Wdityas were bornV one of them is !"mana, the incarnation
of 8odhead. This great sage, >aPyapa, was also present at
the time of Ar2unaJs birth. He received a presentation of the
whole world from 1araPur"ma, and later on he asked
1araPur"ma to go out of the world. His other name is
Ari@Tanemi. He lives on the northern side of the universe.
J3girasaI He is the son of Mahar@i AIgir" and is known as
%?haspati, the priest of the demigods. t is said that
7roA"c"rya was his partial incarnation. <ukr"c"rya was the
spiritual master of the demons, and %?haspati challenged
him. His son is >aca, and he delivered the fire weapon first
to %haradv"2a Muni. He begot si: sons 3like the fire'god6 by
his wife *andram"s=, one of the reputed stars. He could
travel in space, and therefore he could present himself even
in the planets of %rahmaloka and ndraloka. He advised the
>ing of heaven, ndra, about con(uering the demons. 9nce
he cursed ndra, who thus had to become a hog on the earth
and was unwilling to return to heaven. $uch is the power of
the attraction of the illusory energy. ;ven a hog does not
wish to part with its earthly possessions in e:change for a
heavenly kingdom. He was the religious preceptor of the
natives of different planets.
T!T _
Taa#a2 Sa$aeTaa#a2 $aha%aa&aa#auPalR%(a 'Sa8ta$a0 9
Pa8)a(aa$aaSa >a$a-/ae de!ak6alRi'%aa&ai'Ta2 99 _ 99
t'n samet'n mah'%bh'g'n
!"alabhya (as0ttama*
"0)ay'm 'sa dharma%),o
de1a%k'la%(ibh'ga(it
S(#O#($S
t'nZall of themV samet'nZassembled togetherV mah'%bh'g'n
Zall greatly powerfulV !"alabhyaZhaving receivedV (as!%
!ttama*Zthe best among the !asus 3%h=@madeva6V "0)ay'm
'saZwelcomedV dharma%),a*Zone who knows religious
principlesV de1aZplaceV k'laZtimeV (ibh'ga%(itZone who
knows the ad2ustment of place and time.
T-A#SLATIO#
KhBE@ade'a, Jho Jas the best a@ongst the eight Gasus, recei'ed
and Jelco@ed all the great and poJerful DEis Jho Jere asse@bled
there, for he kneJ perfectly all the religious principles according to
ti@e and placeH
P8-PO-T
;:pert religionists know perfectly well how to ad2ust religious
principles in terms of time and place. All the great 'c'ryas or
religious preachers or reformers of the world e:ecuted their
mission by ad2ustment of religious principles in terms of time
and place. There are different climates and situations in
different parts of the world, and if one has to discharge his
duties to preach the message of the Eord, he must be e:pert
in ad2usting things in terms of the time and place.
%h=@madeva was one of the twelve great authorities in
preaching this cult of devotional service, and therefore he
could receive and welcome all the powerful sages assembled
there at his deathbed from all parts of the universe. He was
certainly unable at that time to welcome and receive them
physically because he was neither at his home nor in a
normal healthy condition. %ut he was (uite fit by the
activities of his sound mind, and therefore he could utter
sweet words with hearty e:pressions, and all of them were
well received. 9ne can perform oneJs duty by physical work,
by mind and by words. And he knew well how to utili)e them
in the proper place, and therefore there was no difficulty for
him to receive them, although physically unfit.
T!T "`
k:6.Qa; c TaTPaO%aa'/ AaSa?#a; )a&ad?Tr$a2 9
5idSQa; Pa8)a(aa$aaSa $aa(a(aaePaatai'&a3h$a2 99 "` 99
k4.5a- ca tat%"rabh'(a%),a
's$na- )agad%$1(aram
h4di%stha- "0)ay'm 'sa
m'yayo"'tta%(igraham
S(#O#($S
k4.5amZunto Eord <r= >?@AaV caZalsoV tatZof HimV
"rabh'(a%),a*Zthe knower of the glories 3%h=@ma6V 's$namZ
sittingV )agat%$1(aramZthe Eord of the universeV h4di%sthamZ
situated in the heartV "0)ay'm 'saZworshipedV m'yay'Zby
internal potencyV !"'ttaZmanifestedV (igrahamZa form.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lord ArB CDEFa is situated in e'eryoners heart, yet Ie @anifests
Iis transcendental for@ by Iis internal potencyH This 'ery Lord
Jas sitting before KhBE@ade'a, and since KhBE@ade'a kneJ of
Iis glories, he Jorshiped Ii@ dulyH
P8-PO-T
The EordJs omnipotency is displayed by His simultaneous
presence in every place. He is present always in His eternal
abode 8oloka !?nd"vana, and still He is present in
everyoneJs heart and even within every invisible atom. When
He manifests His eternal transcendental form in the material
world, He does so by His internal potency. The e:ternal
potency, or the material energy, has nothing to do with His
eternal form. All these truths were known to <r=
%h=@madeva, who worshiped Him accordingly.
T!T ""
PaaQouPau<aa#auPaaSa?#aa#a2 PaOBO(aPaOe$aSalTaa#a2 9
A%(aacna#aura&aaBOr#>a?%a8Tae#a cUau=a 99 "" 99
"'5;!%"!tr'n !"'s$n'n
"ra1raya%"rema%sa3gat'n
abhy'ca.<'n!r'g'1rair
andh$bh0tena cak.!.'
S(#O#($S
"'5;!Zthe late father of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and his
brothersV "!tr'nZthe sons ofV !"'s$n'nZsitting silently
nearbyV "ra1rayaZbeing overtakenV "remaZin feelings of
loveV sa3gat'nZhaving gatheredV abhy'ca.<aZcongratulatedV
an!r'gaZfeelinglyV a1rai*Zby tears of ecstasyV andh$bh0tena
ZoverwhelmedV cak.!.'Zwith his eyes.
T-A#SLATIO#
The sons of $ahLrL/a PLFhu Jere sitting silently nearby, o'ertaken
Jith affection for their dying grandfatherH Seeing this,
KhBE@ade'a congratulated the@ Jith feelingH There Jere tears of
ecstasy in his eyes, for he Jas o'erJhel@ed by lo'e and affectionH
P8-PO-T
When Mah"r"2a 1"AQu died, his sons were all small children,
and naturally they were brought up under the affection of
elderly members of the royal family, specifically by
%h=@madeva. Eater on, when the 1"AQavas were grown up,
they were cheated by cunning 7uryodhana and company,
and %h=@madeva, although he knew that the 1"AQavas were
innocent and were unnecessarily put into trouble, could not
take the side of the 1"AQavas for political reasons. At the last
stage of his life, when %h=@madeva saw his most e:alted
grandsons, headed by Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, sitting very
gently at his side, the great warrior'grandfather could not
check his loving tears, which were automatically flowing
from his eyes. He remembered the great tribulations
suffered by his most pious grandsons. *ertainly he was the
most satisfied man because of Xudhi@ThiraJs being
enthroned in place of 7uryodhana, and thus he began to
congratulate them.
T!T "N
Ahae k6n$ahae+#(aa((a; (a*8(a; >a$a-#a#d#aa0 9
)a?i'Tau; #aah-Qa i6n; i'PaO>a$aa-C(auTaaBO(aa0 99 "N 99
aho ka.<am aho 2ny'yya-
yad y0ya- dharma%nandan'*
)$(it!- n'rhatha kli.<a-
(i"ra%dharm'cy!t'1ray'*
S(#O#($S
ahoZohV ka.<amZwhat terrible sufferingsV ahoZohV
any'yyamZwhat terrible in2usticeV yatZbecauseV y0yamZall
of you good soulsV dharma%nandan'*Zsons of religion
personifiedV )$(it!mZto remain aliveV naZneverV arhathaZ
deserveV kli.<amZsufferingV (i"raZbr'hma5asC dharmaZ
pietyV acy!taZ8odV '1ray'*Zbeing protected by.
T-A#SLATIO#
KhBE@ade'a saide Oh, Jhat terrible sufferings and Jhat terrible
in/ustices you good souls suffer for being the sons of religion
personifiedH (ou did not deser'e to re@ain ali'e under those
tribulations, yet you Jere protected by the brLh@aFas, &od and
religionH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was disturbed due to the great
massacre in the %attle of >uruk@etra. %h=@madeva could
understand this, and therefore he spoke first of the terrible
sufferings of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. He was put into difficulty
by in2ustice only, and the %attle of >uruk@etra was fought
2ust to counteract this in2ustice. Therefore, he should not
regret the great massacre. He wanted to point out
particularly that they were always protected by the
br'hma5as, the Eord and religious principles. As long as they
were protected by these three important items, there was no
cause of disappointment. Thus %h=@madeva encouraged
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira to dissipate his despondency. As long
as a person is fully in cooperation with the wishes of the
Eord, guided by the bona fide br'hma5as and !ai@Aavas and
strictly following religious principles, one has no cause for
despondency, however trying the circumstances of life.
%h=@madeva, as one of the authorities in the line, wanted to
impress this point upon the 1"AQavas.
T!T "X
Sa;iSQaTae+iTarQae PaaQoa Pa:Qaa balRPaO)aa '>a80 9
(au.$aTk:6Tae bh8#a2 e6!aa#a2 PaOaa Taaek6'Ta? $auhu0 99
"X 99
sa-sthite 2tirathe "'5;a!
"4th' b'la%"ra)' (adh0*
y!.mat%k4te bah0n kle1'n
"r'"t' toka(at$ m!h!*
S(#O#($S
sa-sthiteZafter the demiseV ati%ratheZof the great generalV
"'5;a!Z1"AQuV "4th'Z>unt=V b'la%"ra)'Zhaving young
childrenV (adh0*Zmy daughter'in'lawV y!.mat%k4teZon your
accountV bah0nZmultifariousV kle1'nZafflictionsV "r'"t'Z
underwentV toka%(at$Zin spite of having grown'up boysV
m!h!*Zconstantly.
T-A#SLATIO#
As far as @y daughter6in6laJ CuntB is concerned, upon the great
&eneral PLFhurs death, she beca@e a JidoJ Jith @any children,
and therefore she suffered greatlyH And Jhen you Jere groJn up
she suffered a great deal also because of your actionsH
P8-PO-T
The sufferings of >unt=dev= are doubly lamented. $he
suffered greatly because of early widowhood and to get her
minor children brought up in the royal family. And when her
children were grown up, she continued to suffer because of
her sonsJ actions. $o her sufferings continued. This means
that she was destined to suffer by providence, and this one
has to tolerate without being disturbed.
T!T "Z
Sa'g k6alRk:6Ta; $a#(ae %a'Taa; c (adiPaO(a$a2 9
SaPaalRae (aj!ae lRaek6ae 'a(aaeir' ga#aa'ilR0 99 "Z 99
sar(a- k'la%k4ta- manye
bha(at'- ca yad%a"riyam
sa"'lo yad%(a1e loko
('yor i(a ghan'(ali*
S(#O#($S
sar(amZall thisV k'la%k4tamZdone by inevitable timeV manye
Z thinkV bha(at'm caZfor you alsoV yatZwhateverV a"riyam
ZdetestableV sa%"'la*Zwith the rulersV yat%(a1eZunder the
control of that timeV loka*Zeveryone in every planetV ('yo*Z
the wind carriesV i(aZasV ghana%'(ali*Za line of clouds.
T-A#SLATIO#
In @y opinion, this is all due to ine'itable ti@e, under Jhose
control e'eryone in e'ery planet is carried, /ust as the clouds are
carried by the JindH
P8-PO-T
There is control by time all over the space within the
universe, as there is control by time all over the planets. All
the big gigantic planets, including the sun, are being
controlled by the force of air, as the clouds are carried by the
force of air. $imilarly, the inevitable k'la, or time, controls
even the action of the air and other elements. ;verything,
therefore, is controlled by the supreme k'la, a forceful
representative of the Eord within the material world. Thus
Xudhi@Thira should not be sorry for the inconceivable action
of time. ;veryone has to bear the actions and reactions of
time as long as one is within the conditions of the material
world. Xudhi@Thira should not think that he had committed
sins in his previous birth and is suffering the conse(uence.
;ven the most pious has to suffer the condition of material
nature. %ut a pious man is faithful to the Eord, for he is
guided by the bona fide br'hma5a and !ai@Aava following the
religious principles. These three guiding principles should be
the aim of life. 9ne should not be disturbed by the tricks of
eternal time. ;ven the great controller of the universe,
%rahm"2=, is also under the control of that timeV therefore,
one should not grudge being thus controlled by time despite
being a true follower of religious principles.
T!T "[
(a<a >a$a-SauTaae ra)aa &adaPaaiQa':-k6aedr0 9
k:6.Qaae+E? &aaiQo'; caPa; Sau5Tk:6.QaSTaTaae i'PaTa2 99 "[
99
yatra dharma%s!to r')'
gad'%"'5ir (4kodara*
k4.5o 2str$ g'5;i(a- c'"a-
s!h4t k4.5as tato (i"at
S(#O#($S
yatraZwhere there isV dharma%s!ta*Zthe son of 7harmar"2aV
r')'Zthe >ingV gad'%"'5i*Zwith his mighty club in handV
(4kodara*Z%h=maV k4.5a*ZAr2unaV astr$Zcarrier of the
weaponV g'5;i(amZ8"AQ=vaV c'"amZbowV s!h4tZwell'
wisherV k4.5a*ZEord >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odheadV
tata*ZthereofV (i"atZreverse.
T-A#SLATIO#
O hoJ Jonderful is the influence of ine'itable ti@eH It is
irre'ersibleotherJise, hoJ can there be re'erses in the presence
of Cing (udhiEhira, the son of the de@igod controlling religion
KhB@a, the great fighter Jith a club the great boJ@an Ar/una Jith
his @ighty Jeapon &LFhB'a and abo'e all, the Lord, the direct
Jell6Jisher of the PLFha'asW
P8-PO-T
As far as the material or spiritual resources were re(uired,
there was no scarcity in the case of the 1"AQavas. Materially
they were well e(uipped because two great warriors, namely
%h=ma and Ar2una, were there. $piritually the >ing himself
was the symbol of religion, and above all of them the
1ersonality of 8odhead, Eord <r= >?@Aa, was personally
concerned with their affairs as the well'wisher. And yet there
were so many reverses on the side of the 1"AQavas. 7espite
the power of pious acts, the power of personalities, the
power of e:pert management and the power of weapons
under the direct supervision of Eord >?@Aa, the 1"AQavas
suffered so many practical reverses, which can only be
e:plained as due to the influence of k'la, inevitable time.
A'la is identical with the Eord Himself, and therefore the
influence of k'la indicates the ine:plicable wish of the Eord
Himself. There is nothing to be lamented when a matter is
beyond the control of any human being.
T!T "\
#a 7S(a k6ih-icd3a)a#a2 Pau$aa#a2 'ed i'i>aiTSaTa$a2 9
(aiji)a/aSa(aa (auv6a $au7i#Ta k6'(aae+iPa ih 99 "\ 99
na hy asya karhicid r')an
"!m'n (eda (idhitsitam
yad (i)i),'say' y!kt'
m!hyanti ka(ayo 2"i hi
S(#O#($S
naZneverV hiZcertainlyV asyaZHisV karhicitZwhatsoeverV
r')anZ9 >ingV "!m'nZanyoneV (edaZknowsV (idhitsitamZ
planV yatZwhichV (i)i),'say'Zwith e:haustive in(uiriesV
y!kt'*Zbeing engagedV m!hyantiZbewilderedV ka(aya*Z
great philosophersV a"iZevenV hiZcertainly.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cing, no one can knoJ the plan of the Lord OArB CDEFa3H 'en
though great philosophers in?uire eMhausti'ely, they are
beJilderedH
P8-PO-T
The bewilderment of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira over his past
sinful acts and the resultant sufferings, etc., is completely
negated by the great authority %h=@ma 3one of the twelve
authori)ed persons6. %h=@ma wanted to impress upon
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira that since time immemorial no one,
including such demigods as <iva and %rahm", could
ascertain the real plan of the Eord. $o what can we
understand about it? t is useless also to in(uire about it.
;ven the e:haustive philosophical in(uiries of sages cannot
ascertain the plan of the Eord. The best policy is simply to
abide by the orders of the Eord without argument. The
sufferings of the 1"AQavas were never due to their past
deeds. The Eord had to e:ecute the plan of establishing the
kingdom of virtue, and therefore His own devotees suffered
temporarily in order to establish the con(uest of virtue.
%h=@madeva was certainly satisfied by seeing the triumph of
virtue, and he was glad to see >ing Xudhi@Thira on the
throne, although he himself fought against him. ;ven a great
fighter like %h=@ma could not win the %attle of >uruk@etra
because the Eord wanted to show that vice cannot con(uer
virtue, regardless of who tries to e:ecute it. %h=@madeva
was a great devotee of the Eord, but he chose to fight
against the 1"AQavas by the will of the Eord because the
Eord wanted to show that a fighter like %h=@ma cannot win
on the wrong side.
T!T "]
TaS$aaidd; d'Ta#<a; G(a'S(a %arTa=-%a 9
TaS(aa#aui'ihTaae+#aaQaa #aaQa Paaih PaO)aa0 PaO%aae 99 "] 99
tasm'd ida- dai(a%tantra-
(ya(asya bharatar.abha
tasy'n!(ihito 2n'th'
n'tha "'hi "ra)'* "rabho
S(#O#($S
tasm'tZthereforeV idamZthisV dai(a%tantramZenchantment
of providence onlyV (ya(asyaZascertainingV bharata%4.abhaZ
9 best among the descendants of %harataV tasyaZby HimV
an!(ihita*Zas desiredV an'th'*ZhelplessV n'thaZ9 masterV
"'hiZ2ust take care ofV "ra)'*Zof the sub2ectsV "rabhoZ9
Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
O best a@ong the descendants of Kharata O(udhiEhira3, I
@aintain, therefore, that all this is Jithin the plan of the LordH
Accepting the inconcei'able plan of the Lord, you @ust folloJ itH
(ou are noJ the appointed ad@inistrati'e head, and, @y lord, you
should noJ take care of those sub/ects Jho are noJ rendered
helplessH
P8-PO-T
The popular saying is that a housewife teaches the daughter'
in'law by teaching the daughter. $imilarly, the Eord teaches
the world by teaching the devotee. The devotee does not
have to learn anything new from the Eord because the Eord
teaches the sincere devotee always from within. Whenever,
therefore, a show is made to teach the devotee, as in the
case of the teachings of &haga(ad%g$t', it is for teaching the
less intelligent men. A devoteeJs duty, therefore, is to
ungrudgingly accept tribulations from the Eord as a
benediction. The 1"AQavas were advised by %h=@madeva to
accept the responsibility of administration without
hesitation. The poor sub2ects were without protection due to
the %attle of >uruk@etra, and they were awaiting the
assumption of power by Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. A pure
devotee of the Eord accepts tribulations as favors from the
Eord. $ince the Eord is absolute, there is no mundane
difference between the two.
T!T "^
V= ' %a&a'a#a2 SaaUaada*ae #aara(aQa0 Pau$aa#a2 9
$aaeh(a#$aa(a(aa lRaek;6 &a8t,riTa ':i.Qa=u 99 "^ 99
e.a (ai bhaga('n s'k.'d
'dyo n'r'ya5a* "!m'n
mohayan m'yay' loka-
g0;ha1 carati (4.5i.!
S(#O#($S
e.a*ZthisV (aiZpositivelyV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV s'k.'tZoriginalV 'dya*Zthe firstV n'r'ya5a*Zthe
$upreme Eord 3who lies down on the water6V "!m'nZthe
supreme en2oyerV mohayanZbewilderingV m'yay'Zby His
self'created energyV lokamZthe planetsV g0;ha*Zwho is
inconceivableV caratiZmovesV (4.5i.!Zamong the !?@Ai
family.
T-A#SLATIO#
This ArB CDEFa is no other than the inconcei'able, original
Personality of &odheadH Ie is the first #LrLyaFa, the supre@e
en/oyerH Kut Ie is @o'ing a@ongst the descendants of Cing GDEFi
/ust like one of us and Ie is beJildering us Jith Iis self6created
energyH
P8-PO-T
The !edic system of ac(uiring knowledge is the deductive
process. The !edic knowledge is received perfectly by
disciplic succession from authorities. $uch knowledge is
never dogmatic, as ill conceived by less intelligent persons.
The mother is the authority to verify the identity of the
father. $he is the authority for such confidential knowledge.
Therefore, authority is not dogmatic. n the &haga(ad%g$t'
this truth is confirmed in the Hourth *hapter 3%g. M.G6, and
the perfect system of learning is to receive it from authority.
The very same system is accepted universally as truth, but
only the false arguer speaks against it. Hor e:ample, modern
spacecraft fly in the sky, and when scientists say that they
travel to the other side of the moon, men believe these
stories blindly because they have accepted the modern
scientists as authorities. The authorities speak, and the
people in general believe them. %ut in the case of !edic
truths, they have been taught not to believe. ;ven if they
accept them they give a different interpretation. ;ach and
every man wants a direct perception of !edic knowledge,
but foolishly they deny it. This means that the misguided
man can believe one authority, the scientist, but will re2ect
the authority of the /edas. The result is that people have
degenerated.
Here is an authority speaking about <r= >?@Aa as the
original 1ersonality of 8odhead and the first K"r"yaAa. ;ven
such an impersonalist as Wc"rya <aIkara has said in the
beginning of his commentation on the &haga(ad%g$t' that
K"r"yaAa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is beyond the
material creation. The universe is one of the material
creations, but K"r"yaAa is transcendental to such material
paraphernalia.
%h=@madeva is one of the twelve mah')anas who know the
principles of transcendental knowledge. His confirmation of
Eord <r= >?@AaJs being the original 1ersonality of 8odhead is
also corroborated by the impersonalist <aIkara. All other
'c'ryas have also confirmed this statement, and thus there is
no chance of not accepting Eord <r= >?@Aa as the original
1ersonality of 8odhead. %h=@madeva says that He is the
first K"r"yaAa. This is also confirmed by %rahm"2= in the
&h'ga(atam 3,N.,M.,M6. >?@Aa is the first K"r"yaAa. n the
spiritual world 3!aikuATha6 there are unlimited numbers of
K"r"yaAas, who are all the same 1ersonality of 8odhead and
are considered to be the plenary e:pansions of the original
1ersonality of 8odhead, <r= >?@Aa. The first form of the Eord
<r= >?@Aa first e:pands Himself as the form of %aladeva,
and %aladeva e:pands in so many other forms, such as
$aIkar@aAa, 1radyumna, Aniruddha, !"sudeva, K"r"yaAa,
1uru@a, 0"ma and K?si[ha. All these e:pansions are one
and the same (i.5!%tatt(a, and <r= >?@Aa is the original
source of all the plenary e:pansions. He is therefore the
direct 1ersonality of 8odhead. He is the creator of the
material world, and He is the predominating 7eity known as
K"r"yaAa in all the !aikuATha planets. Therefore, His
movements amongst human beings is another sort of
bewilderment. The Eord therefore says in the &haga(ad%g$t'
that foolish persons consider Him to be one of the human
beings without knowing the intricacies of His movements.
The bewilderment regarding <r= >?@Aa is due to the action
of His twofold internal and e:ternal energies upon the third
one, called marginal energy. The living entities are
e:pansions of His marginal energy, and thus they are
sometimes bewildered by the internal energy and
sometimes by the e:ternal energy. %y internal energetic
bewilderment, <r= >?@Aa e:pands Himself into unlimited
numbers of K"r"yaAas and e:changes or accepts
transcendental loving service from the living entities in the
transcendental world. And by His e:ternal energetic
e:pansions, He incarnates Himself in the material world
amongst the men, animals or demigods to reestablish His
forgotten relation with the living entities in different species
of life. 8reat authorities like %h=@ma, however, escape His
bewilderment by the mercy of the Eord.
T!T "_
AS(aa#au%aa'; %a&a'a#a2 'ed &au7Ta$a; i!a'0 9
de'i=-#aa-rd0 SaaUaaS&a'a#a2 k6iPalRae #a:Pa 99 "_ 99
asy'n!bh'(a- bhaga('n
(eda g!hyatama- 1i(a*
de(ar.ir n'rada* s'k.'d
bhaga('n ka"ilo n4"a
S(#O#($S
asyaZof HimV an!bh'(amZgloriesV bhaga('nZthe most
powerfulV (edaZknowsV g!hya%tamamZvery confidentiallyV
1i(a*ZEord <ivaV de(a%4.i*Zthe great sage among the
demigodsV n'rada*ZK"radaV s'k.'tZdirectlyV bhaga('nZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV ka"ila*Z>apilaV n4"aZ9 >ing.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cing, Lord Ai'a, #Lrada the sage a@ongst the de@igods, and
Capila, the incarnation of &odhead, all knoJ 'ery confidentially
about Iis glories through direct contactH
P8-PO-T
1ure devotees of the Eord are all bh'(as, or persons who
know the glories of the Eord in different transcendental
loving services. As the Eord has innumerable e:pansions of
His plenary form, there are innumerable pure devotees of
the Eord, who are engaged in the e:change of service of
different humors. 9rdinarily there are twelve great devotees
of the Eord, namely %rahm", K"rada, <iva, >um"ra, >apila,
Manu, 1rahl"da, %h=@ma, Oanaka, <ukadeva 8osv"m=, %ali
Mah"r"2a and Xamar"2a. %h=@madeva, although one of
them, has mentioned only three important names of the
twelve who know the glories of the Eord. <r=la !iPvan"tha
*akravart= Sh"kura, one of the great 'c'ryas in the modern
age, e:plains that an!bh'(a, or the glory of the Eord, is first
appreciated by the devotee in ecstasy manifesting the
symptoms of perspiring, trembling, weeping, bodily
eruptions, etc., which are further enhanced by steady
understanding of the glories of the Eord. $uch different
understandings of bh'(as are e:changed between XaPod"
and the Eord 3binding the Eord by ropes6 and in the chariot
driving by the Eord in the e:change of love with Ar2una.
These glories of the Eord are e:hibited in His being
subordinated before His devotees, and that is another
feature of the glories of the Eord. <ukadeva 8osv"m= and
the >um"ras, although situated in the transcendental
position, became converted by another feature of bh'(a and
turned into pure devotees of the Eord. Tribulations imposed
upon the devotees by the Eord constitute another e:change
of transcendental bh'(a between the Eord and the devotees.
The Eord says D put My devotee into difficulty, and thus the
devotee becomes more purified in e:changing
transcendental bh'(a with Me.F 1lacing the devotee into
material troubles necessitates delivering him from the
illusory material relations. The material relations are based
on reciprocation of material en2oyment, which depends
mainly on material resources. Therefore, when material
resources are withdrawn by the Eord, the devotee is cent
percent attracted toward the transcendental loving service
of the Eord. Thus the Eord snatches the fallen soul from the
mire of material e:istence. Tribulations offered by the Eord
to His devotee are different from the tribulations resulting
from vicious action. All these glories of the Eord are
especially known to the great mah')anas like %rahm", <iva,
K"rada, >apila, >um"ra and %h=@ma, as mentioned above,
and one is able to grasp it by their grace.
T!T N`
(a; $a#(aSae $aaTauleR(a; iPaO(a; i$a<a; Sau5ta$a$a2 9
Ak6rae0 Saic'; d8Ta; Saa5dadQa SaariQa$a2 99 N` 99
ya- manyase m't!leya-
"riya- mitra- s!h4ttamam
akaro* saci(a- d0ta-
sa!h4d'd atha s'rathim
S(#O#($S
yamZthe personV manyaseZyou thinkV m't!leyamZmaternal
cousinV "riyamZvery dearV mitramZfriendV s!h4t%tamamZ
ardent well'wisherV akaro*Ze:ecutedV saci(amZcounselV
d0tamZmessengerV sa!h4d'tZby good willV athaZthereuponV
s'rathimZcharioteer.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cing, that personality Jho@, out of ignorance only, you thought
to be your @aternal cousin, your 'ery dear friend, Jell6Jisher,
counselor, @essenger, benefactor, etcH, is that 'ery Personality of
&odhead, ArB CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa, although acting as the cousin, brother,
friend, well'wisher, counselor, messenger, benefactor, etc.,
of the 1"AQavas, was still the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead. 9ut of His causeless mercy and favor upon His
unalloyed devotees, He performs all kinds of service, but
that does not mean that He has changed His position as the
Absolute 1erson. To think of Him as an ordinary man is the
grossest type of ignorance.
T!T N"
Sa'a-T$a#a0 Sa$ad:!aae 7j(aS(aa#ahM2k:6Tae0 9
TaTk:6Ta; $aiTa'=$(a; i#ar'*S(a #a C'icTa2 99 N" 99
sar('tmana* sama%d41o
hy ad(ayasy'naha3k4te*
tat%k4ta- mati%(ai.amya-
nira(adyasya na k(acit
S(#O#($S
sar(a%'tmana*Zof one who is present in everyoneJs heartV
sama%d41a*Zof one who is e(ually kind to one and allV hiZ
certainlyV ad(ayasyaZof the AbsoluteV anaha3k4te*Zfree from
all material identity of false egoV tat%k4tamZeverything done
by HimV matiZconsciousnessV (ai.amyamZdifferentiationV
nira(adyasyaZfreed from all attachmentV naZneverV k(acitZ
at any stage.
T-A#SLATIO#
Keing the Absolute Personality of &odhead, Ie is present in
e'eryoners heartH Ie is e?ually kind to e'eryone, and Ie is free
fro@ the false ego of differentiationH Therefore Jhate'er Ie does is
free fro@ @aterial inebrietyH Ie is e?uibalancedH
P8-PO-T
%ecause He is absolute, there is nothing different from Him.
He is kai(alyaC there is nothing e:cept Himself. ;verything
and everyone is the manifestation of His energy, and thus
He is present everywhere by His energy, being nondifferent
from it. The sun is identified with every inch of the sun rays
and every molecular particle of the rays. $imilarly, the Eord
is distributed by His different energies. He is 1aram"tm", or
the $upersoul, present in everyone as the supreme
guidance, and therefore He is already the chariot driver and
counsel of all living beings. When He, therefore, e:hibits
Himself as chariot driver of Ar2una, there is no change in His
e:alted position. t is the power of devotional service only
that demonstrates Him as the chariot driver or the
messenger. $ince He has nothing to do with the material
conception of life because He is absolute spiritual identity,
there is for Him no superior or inferior action. %eing the
Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead, He has no false ego, and so
He does not identify Himself with anything different from
Him. The material conception of ego is e(uibalanced in Him.
He does not feel, therefore, inferior by becoming the chariot
driver of His pure devotee. t is the glory of the pure devotee
that only he can bring about service from the affectionate
Eord.
T!T NN
TaQaaP(aek6a#Ta%ave6=u Pa!(a %a8Paa#auk6i$PaTa$a2 9
(a#$ae+Sa8;ST(a)aTa0 SaaUaaTk:6.Qaae d!a-#a$aa&aTa0 99
NN 99
tath'"y ek'nta%bhakte.!
"a1ya bh0"'n!kam"itam
yan me 2s0-s tya)ata* s'k.'t
k4.5o dar1anam 'gata*
S(#O#($S
tath'"iZstillV ek'ntaZunflinchingV bhakte.!Zunto the
devoteesV "a1yaZsee hereV bh0%"aZ9 >ingV an!kam"itamZ
how sympatheticV yatZfor whichV meZmyV as0nZlifeV
tya)ata*ZendingV s'k.'tZdirectlyV k4.5a*Zthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV dar1anamZin my viewV 'gata*Zhas kindly come.
T-A#SLATIO#
(et, despite Iis being e?ually kind to e'eryone, Ie has graciously
co@e before @e Jhile I a@ ending @y life, for I a@ Iis unflinching
ser'itorH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord, the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead, <r=
>?@Aa, although e(ual to everyone, is still more inclined to
His unflinching devotee who is completely surrendered and
knows no one else as his protector and master. Having
unflinching faith in the $upreme Eord as oneJs protector,
friend and master is the natural condition of eternal life. A
living entity is so made by the will of the Almighty that he is
most happy when placing himself in a condition of absolute
dependence.
The opposite tendency is the cause of falldown. The living
entity has this tendency of falling down by dint of
misidentifying himself as fully independent to lord it over the
material world. The root cause of all troubles is there in false
egotism. 9ne must draw towards the Eord in all
circumstances.
The appearance of Eord >?@Aa at the deathbed of %h=@ma2=
is due to his being an unflinching devotee of the Eord. Ar2una
had some bodily relation with >?@Aa because the Eord
happened to be his maternal cousin. %ut %h=@ma had no
such bodily relation. Therefore the cause of attraction was
due to the intimate relation of the soul. Xet because the
relation of the body is very pleasing and natural, the Eord is
more pleased when He is addressed as the son of Mah"r"2a
Kanda, the son of XaPod", the lover of 0"dh"r"A=. This
affinity by bodily relation with the Eord is another feature of
reciprocating loving service with the Eord. %h=@madeva is
conscious of this sweetness of transcendental humor, and
therefore he likes to address the Eord as !i2aya'$akhe,
1"rtha'$akhe, etc., e:actly like Kanda'nandana or XaPod"'
nandana. The best way to establish our relation in
transcendental sweetness is to approach Him through His
recogni)ed devotees. 9ne should not try to establish the
relation directlyV there must be a via medium which is
transparent and competent to lead us to the right path.
T!T NX
%av6ya'e!(a $a#aae (aiS$a#a2 'aca (aka$a k6ITa-(a#a2 9
T(a)a#a2 k6leR'r; (aae&a? $auC(aTae k6a$ak6$a-i%a0 99 NX 99
bhakty'(e1ya mano yasmin
('c' yan%n'ma k$rtayan
tya)an kale(ara- yog$
m!cyate k'ma%karmabhi*
S(#O#($S
bhakty'Zwith devout attentionV '(e1yaZmeditatingV mana*Z
mindV yasminZin whoseV ('c'Zby wordsV yatZ>?@AaV n'maZ
holy nameV k$rtayanZby chantingV tya)anZ(uittingV
kale(aramZthis material bodyV yog$Zthe devoteeV m!cyateZ
gets releaseV k'ma%karmabhi*Zfrom fruitive activities.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Personality of &odhead, Jho appears in the @ind of the
de'otee by attenti'e de'otion and @editation and by chanting of
the holy na@e, releases the de'otee fro@ the bondage of fruiti'e
acti'ities at the ti@e of his ?uitting the @aterial bodyH
P8-PO-T
Yoga means concentration of the mind detached from all
other sub2ect matter. And actually such concentration is
sam'dhi, or cent percent engagement in the service of the
Eord. And one who concentrates his attention in that manner
is called a yog$. $uch a yog$ devotee of the Eord engages
himself twenty'four hours daily in the service of the Eord so
that his whole attention is engrossed with the thoughts of
the Eord in ninefold devotional service, namely hearing,
chanting, remembering, worshiping, praying, becoming a
voluntary servant, carrying out orders, establishing a friendly
relationship, or offering all that one may possess, in the
service of the Eord. %y such practice of yoga, or linking up in
the service of the Eord, one is recogni)ed by the Eord
Himself, as it is e:plained in the &haga(ad%g$t' concerning
the highest perfectional stage of sam'dhi. The Eord calls such
a rare devotee the best amongst all the yog$s $uch a perfect
yog$ is enabled by the divine grace of the Eord to
concentrate his mind upon the Eord with a perfect sense of
consciousness, and thus by chanting His holy name before
(uitting the body the yog$ is at once transferred by the
internal energy of the Eord to one of the eternal planets
where there is no (uestion of material life and its
concomitant factors. n material e:istence a living being has
to endure the material conditions of threefold miseries, life
after life, according to his fruitive work. $uch material life is
produced by material desires only. 7evotional service to the
Eord does not kill the natural desires of the living being, but
they are applied in the right cause of devotional service. This
(ualifies the desire to be transferred to the spiritual sky.
8eneral %h=@madeva is referring to a particular type of yoga
called bhakti%yoga, and he was fortunate enough to have the
Eord directly in his presence before he (uitted his material
body. He therefore desired that the Eord stay before his view
in the following verses.
T!T NZ
Sa de'de'ae %a&a'a#a2 PaOTa?UaTaa;
k6leR'r; (aa'idd; ih#aae$(ah$a2 9
PaOSakhaSaaDQalRaec#aaewSax
#$auYa$bu)aae >(aa#aPaQa,Tau%au-)a0 99 NZ 99
sa de(a%de(o bhaga('n "rat$k.at'-
kale(ara- y'(ad ida- hinomy aham
"rasanna%h's'r!5a%locanollasan%
m!kh'mb!)o dhy'na%"atha1 cat!r%bh!)a*
S(#O#($S
sa*ZHeV de(a%de(a*Zthe $upreme Eord of the lordsV
bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV "rat$k.at'mZmay
kindly waitV kale(aramZbodyV y'(atZas long asV idamZthis
3material body6V hinomiZmay (uitV ahamZV "rasannaZ
cheerfulV h'saZsmilingV ar!5a%locanaZeyes red like the
morning sunV !llasatZbeautifully decoratedV m!kha%amb!)a*Z
the lotus flower of His faceV dhy'na%"atha*Zin the path of my
meditationV cat!r%bh!)a*Zthe four'handed form of K"r"yaAa
3the worshipable 7eity of %h=@madeva6.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ay @y Lord, Jho is four6handed and Jhose beautifully decorated
lotus face, Jith eyes as red as the rising sun, is s@iling, kindly
aJait @e at that @o@ent Jhen I ?uit this @aterial bodyH
P8-PO-T
%h=@madeva knew well that Eord >?@Aa is the original
K"r"yaAa. His worshipable 7eity was four'handed K"r"yaAa,
but he knew that four'handed K"r"yaAa is a plenary
e:pansion of Eord >?@Aa. ndirectly he desired Eord <r=
>?@Aa to manifest Himself in His four'handed feature of
K"r"yaAa. A !ai@Aava is always humble in his behavior.
Although it was cent percent certain that %h=@madeva was
approaching /aik!5<ha%dh'ma 2ust after leaving his material
body, still as a humble !ai@Aava he desired to see the
beautiful face of the Eord, for after (uitting the present body
he might not be in a position to see the Eord any more. A
!ai@Aava is not puffed up, although the Eord guarantees His
pure devotee entrance into His abode. Here %h=@madeva
says, Das long as do not (uit this body.F This means that
the great 8eneral would (uit the body by his own willV he
was not being forced by the laws of nature. He was so
powerful that he could stay in his body as long as he desired.
He got this benediction from his father. He desired that the
Eord stay before him in His four'handed K"r"yaAa feature so
that he might concentrate upon Him and thus be in trance in
that meditation. Then his mind might be sanctified with
thinking of the Eord. Thus he did not mind wherever he
might go. A pure devotee is never very an:ious to go back to
the kingdom of 8od. He entirely depends on the good will of
the Eord. He is e(ually satisfied even if the Eord desires him
to go to hell. The only desire that a pure devotee entertains
is that he may always be in rapt attention with thinking of
the lotus feet of the Eord, regardless. %h=@madeva wanted
this much onlyC that his mind be absorbed in thinking of the
Eord and that he pass away thus. That is the highest
ambition of a pure devotee.
T!T N[
Sa8Ta o'ac
(aui>aifrSTadak6Q(a- !a(aa#a; !arPaire 9
APa:Cciji'>aa#>a$aa-#a:=?Qaa; ca#auB:Q'Taa$a2 99 N[ 99
s0ta !('ca
y!dhi.<hiras tad 'kar5ya
1ay'na- 1ara%"a,)are
a"4cchad (i(idh'n dharm'n
4.$5'- c'n!145(at'm
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV y!dhi.<hira*Z>ing
Xudhi@ThiraV tatZthatV 'kar5yaZhearingV 1ay'namZlying
downV 1ara%"a,)areZon the bed of arrowsV a"4cchatZaskedV
(i(idh'nZmultifariousV dharm'nZdutiesV 4.$5'mZof the 4.isC
caZandV an!145(at'mZhearing after.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, after hearing
KhBE@ade'a speak in that appealing tone, asked hi@, in the
presence of all the great DEis, about the essential principles of
'arious religious dutiesH
P8-PO-T
%h=@madeva, speaking in that appealing tone, convinced
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira that he was very soon passing away.
And Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was inspired by Eord <r= >?@Aa to
ask him of the principles of religion. Eord <r= >?@Aa inspired
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira to ask %h=@madeva in the presence of
many great sages, indicating thereby that the EordJs
devotee like %h=@madeva, although apparently living as a
worldly man, is far superior to many great sages, even
!y"sadeva. Another point is that %h=@madeva at that time
was not only lying on a deathbed of arrows, but was greatly
aggrieved because of that state. 9ne should not have asked
him any (uestion at that time, but Eord <r= >?@Aa wanted to
prove that His pure devotees are always sound in body and
mind by dint of spiritual enlightenment, and thus in any
circumstances a devotee of the Eord is in perfect order to
speak of the right way of life. Xudhi@Thira also preferred to
solve his problematic (uestions by asking %h=@madeva
rather than ask anyone else present there who was
seemingly more learned than %h=@madeva. This is all due to
the arrangement of the great wheel'carrier Eord <r= >?@Aa,
who establishes the glories of His devotee. The father likes
to see the son become more famous than himself. The Eord
declares very emphatically that worship of His devotee is
more valuable than the worship of the Eord Himself.
T!T N\
PauD=S'%aa'i'ihTaa#a2 (aQaa'Qag (aQaaBO$a$a2 9
'ra&(ara&aaePaai>a%(aa$aa$anaTaae%a(alRUaQaa#a2 99 N\ 99
"!r!.a%s(a%bh'(a%(ihit'n
yath'%(ar5a- yath'1ramam
(air'gya%r'go"'dhibhy'm
'mn'tobhaya%lak.a5'n
S(#O#($S
"!r!.aZthe human beingV s(a%bh'(aZby his own ac(uired
(ualitiesV (ihit'nZprescribedV yath'Zaccording toV (ar5amZ
classification of castesV yath'Zaccording toV '1ramamZ
orders of lifeV (air'gyaZdetachmentV r'gaZattachmentV
!"'dhibhy'mZout of such designationsV 'mn'taZ
systematicallyV !bhayaZbothV lak.a5'nZsymptoms.
T-A#SLATIO#
At $ahLrL/a (udhiEhirars in?uiry, KhBE@ade'a first defined all
the classifications of castes and orders of life in ter@s of the
indi'idualrs ?ualificationsH Then he syste@atically, in tJofold
di'isions, described counteraction by detach@ent and interaction
by attach@entH
P8-PO-T
The conception of four castes and four orders of life, as
planned by the Eord Himself 3%g. M.,\6, is to accelerate
transcendental (ualities of the individual person so that he
may gradually reali)e his spiritual identity and thus act
accordingly to get free from material bondage, or conditional
life. n almost all the !r'5as the sub2ect matter is described
in the same spirit, and so also in the 8ah'bh'rata it is more
elaborately described by %h=@madeva in the #'nti%"ar(a,
beginning from the si:tieth chapter.
The (ar5'1rama%dharma is prescribed for the civili)ed human
being 2ust to train him to successfully terminate human life.
$elf'reali)ation is distinguished from the life of the lower
animals engaged in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating.
%h=@madeva advised for all human beings nine
(ualificationsC 3"6 not to become angry, 3N6 not to lie, 3X6 to
e(ually distribute wealth, 3Z6 to forgive, 3[6 to beget children
only by oneJs legitimate wife, 3\6 to be pure in mind and
hygienic in body, 3]6 not to be inimical toward anyone, 3^6 to
be simple, and 3_6 to support servants or subordinates. 9ne
cannot be called a civili)ed person without ac(uiring the
above'mentioned preliminary (ualities. %esides these, the
br'hma5as 3the intelligent men6, the administrative men, the
mercantile community and the laborer class must ac(uire
special (ualities in terms of occupational duties mentioned in
all the !edic scriptures. Hor the intelligent men, controlling
the senses is the most essential (ualification. t is the basis
of morality. $e: indulgence even with a legitimate wife must
also be controlled, and thereby family control will
automatically follow. An intelligent man abuses his great
(ualifications if he does not follow the !edic way of life. This
means he must seriously make a study of the !edic
literatures, especially of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam and the
&haga(ad%g$t'. Hor learning !edic knowledge, one must
approach a person who is cent percent engaged in
devotional service. He must not do things which are
forbidden in the 1'stras. A person cannot be a teacher if he
drinks or smokes. n the modern system of education the
teacherJs academic (ualification is taken into consideration
without evaluation of his moral life. Therefore, the result of
education is misuse of high intelligence in so many ways.
The k.atriya, the member of the administrative class, is
especially advised to give charity and not to acce"t charity in
any circ!mstances. Modern administrators raise subscriptions
for some political functions, but never give charity to the
citi)ens in any state function. t is 2ust the reverse in the
in2unctions of the 1'stras. The administrative class must be
well versed in the 1'stras, but must not take to the
profession of teachers. The administrators sho!ld ne(er
"retend to become non(iolent and thereby go to hell. When
Ar2una wanted to become a nonviolent coward on the
%attlefield of >uruk@etra, he was severely chastised by Eord
>?@Aa. The Eord degraded Ar2una at that time to the status
of an uncivili)ed man for his avowed acceptance of the cult
of nonviolence. The administrative class must be personally
trained in military education. *owards should not be
elevated to the presidential throne by dint of numerical
votes only. The monarchs were all chivalrous personalities,
and therefore monarchy should be maintained provided the
monarch is regularly trained in the occupational duties of a
king. In fighting, the king or the "resident sho!ld ne(er ret!rn
home witho!t being h!rt by the enemy. The so'called king of
today never visits the warfield. He is very much e:pert in
artificially encouraging the fighting strength in the hope of
false national prestige. As soon as the administrative class is
turned into a gang of mercantile and laborer men, the whole
machinery of government becomes polluted.
The (ai1yas, the members of the mercantile communities,
are especially advised to protect the cows. *ow protection
means increasing the milk productions, namely curd and
butter. Agriculture and distribution of the foodstuff are the
primary duties of the mercantile community backed by
education in !edic knowledge and trained to give in charity.
As the k.atriyas were given charge of the protection of the
citi)ens, (ai1yas were given the charge of the protection of
animals. Animals are never meant to be killed. >illing of
animals is a symptom of barbarian society. Hor a human
being, agricultural produce, fruits and milk are sufficient and
compatible foodstuffs. The human society should give more
attention to animal protection. The productive energy of the
laborer is misused when he is occupied by industrial
enterprises. ndustry of various types cannot produce the
essential needs of man, namely rice, wheat, grains, milk,
fruits and vegetables. The production of machines and
machine tools increases the artificial living fashion of a class
of vested interests and keeps thousands of men in starvation
and unrest. This should not be the standard of civili)ation.
The 10dra class is less intelligent and should have no
independence. They are meant for rendering sincere service
to the three higher sections of the society. The 10dra class
can attain all comforts of life simply by rendering service to
the higher classes. t is especially en2oined that a 10dra
should never bank money. As soon as the 10dras accumulate
wealth, it will be misused for sinful activities in wine, women
and gambling. Fine, women and gambling indicate that the
"o"!lation is degraded to less than 10dra T!ality. The higher
castes should always look after the maintenance of the
10dras, and they should provide them with old and used
garments. A 10dra should not leave his master when the
master is old and invalid, and the master should keep the
servants satisfied in all respects. The 10dras must first of all
be satisfied by sumptuous food and clothing before any
sacrifice is performed. n this age so many functions are held
by spending millions, b!t the "oor laborer is not s!m"t!o!sly
fed or gi(en charity, clothing, etc. The laborers are thus
dissatisfied, and so they make agitation.
The (ar5as are, so to speak, classifications of different
occupations, and '1rama%dharma is gradual progress on the
path of self'reali)ation. %oth are interrelated, and one is
dependent on the other. The main purpose of '1rama%dharma
is to awaken knowledge and detachment. The brahmac'r$
'1rama is the training ground for the prospective candidates.
n this '1rama it is instructed that this material world is not
actually the home of the living being. The conditioned souls
under material bondage are prisoners of matter, and
therefore self'reali)ation is the ultimate aim of life. The
whole system of '1rama%dharma is a means to detachment.
9ne who fails to assimilate this spirit of detachment is
allowed to enter into family life with the same spirit of
detachment. Therefore, one who attains detachment may at
once adopt the fourth order, namely, renounced, and thus
live on charity only, not to accumulate wealth, but 2ust to
keep body and soul together for ultimate reali)ation.
Household life is for one who is attached, and the ('na"rastha
and sanny'sa orders of life are for those who are detached from
material life. The brahmac'r$%'1rama is especially meant for
training both the attached and detached.
T!T N]
da#a>a$aa-#a2 ra)a>a$aa-#a2 $aaeUa>a$aa-#a2 i'%aa&a!a
0 9
E?>a$aa-#a2 %a&a'p$aa-#a2 Sa$aaSaG(aaSa(aae&aTa0 99 N]
99
d'na%dharm'n r')a%dharm'n
mok.a%dharm'n (ibh'ga1a*
str$%dharm'n bhaga(ad%dharm'n
sam'sa%(y'sa%yogata*
S(#O#($S
d'na%dharm'nZthe acts of charityV r')a%dharm'nZpragmatic
activities of the kingsV mok.a%dharm'nZthe acts for
salvationV (ibh'ga1a*Zby divisionsV str$%dharm'nZduties of
womenV bhaga(at%dharm'nZthe acts of the devoteesV sam'sa
ZgenerallyV (y'saZe:plicitlyV yogata*Zby means of.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie then eMplained, by di'isions, acts of charity, the prag@atic
acti'ities of a king and acti'ities for sal'ationH Then he described
the duties of Jo@en and de'otees, both briefly and eMtensi'elyH
P8-PO-T
To give charity is one of the householderJs main functions,
and he should be prepared to give in charity at least fifty
percent of his hard'earned money. A brahmac'r$, or student,
should perform sacrifices, a householder should give charity,
and a person in the retired life or in the renounced order
should practice penances and austerities. Those are the
general functions of all the '1ramas, or orders of life on the
path of self'reali)ation. n the brahmac'r$ life the training is
sufficiently imparted so that one may understand that the
world as property belongs to the $upreme Eord, the
1ersonality of 8odhead. Ko one, therefore, can claim to be
the proprietor of anything in the world. Therefore, in the life
of a householder, which is a sort of license for se:
en2oyment, one must give in charity for the service of the
Eord. ;veryoneJs energy is generated or borrowed from the
reservoir of energy of the EordV therefore, the resultant
actions of such energy must be given to the Eord in the
shape of transcendental loving service for Him. As the rivers
draw water from the sea through the clouds and again go
down to the sea, similarly our energy is borrowed from the
supreme source, the EordJs energy, and it must return to the
Eord. That is the perfection of our energy. The Eord,
therefore, in the &haga(ad%g$t' 3-.G46 says that whatever we
do, whatever we undergo as penance, whatever we sacrifice,
whatever we eat or whatever we give in charity must be
offered to Him 3the Eord6. That is the way of utili)ing our
borrowed energy. When our energy is utili)ed in that way,
our energy is purified from the contamination of material
inebrieties, and thus we become fit for our original natural
life of service to the Eord.
R')a%dharma is a great science, unlike modern diplomacy for
political supremacy. The kings were trained systematically to
become munificent and not merely be ta: collectors. They
were trained to perform different sacrifices only for the
prosperity of the sub2ects. To lead the "ra)'s to the
attainment of salvation was a great duty of the king. The
father, the spiritual master and the king are not to become
irresponsible in the matter of leading their sub2ects to the
path of ultimate liberation from birth, death, diseases and
old age. When these primary duties are properly discharged,
there is no need of government of the people, by the people.
n modern days the people in general occupy the
administration by the strength of manipulated votes, but
they are never trained in the primary duties of the king, and
that is also not possible for everyone. Rnder the
circumstances the untrained administrators play havoc to
make the sub2ects happy in all respects. 9n the other hand,
these untrained administrators gradually become rogues and
thieves and increase the ta:ation to finance a top'heavy
administration that is useless for all purposes. Actually the
(ualified br'hma5as are meant to give direction to the kings
for proper administration in terms of the scriptures like the
8an!%sa-hit' and Dharma%1'stras of 1ar"Para. A typical king
is the ideal of the people in general, and if the king is pious,
religious, chivalrous and munificent, the citi)ens generally
follow him. $uch a king is not a la)y sensuous person living
at the cost of the sub2ects, but alert always to kill thieves
and dacoits. The pious kings were not merciful to dacoits and
thieves in the name of nonsensical ahi-s' 3nonviolence6. The
thieves and dacoits were punished in an e:emplary way so
that in the future no one would dare commit such nuisances
in an organi)ed form. $uch thieves and dacoits were never
meant for administration as they are now.
The ta:ation law was simple. There was no force, no
encroachment. The king had a right to take one fourth of the
production made by the sub2ect. The king had a right to
claim a fourth of oneJs allotted wealth. 9ne would never
grudge parting with it because due to the pious king and
religious harmony there was enough natural wealth, namely
grains, fruits, flowers, silk, cotton, milk, 2ewels, minerals,
etc., and therefore no one was materially unhappy. The
citi)ens were rich in agriculture and animal husbandry, and
therefore they had enough grains, fruits and milk without
any artificial needs of soaps and toilets, cinemas and bars.
The king had to see that the reserved energy of humanity
was properly utili)ed. Human energy is meant not e:actly for
fulfilling animal propensities, but for self'reali)ation. The
whole government was specifically designed to fulfill this
particular purpose. As such, the king had to select properly
the cabinet ministers, but not on the strength of voting
background. The ministers, the military commanders and
even the ordinary soldiers were all selected by personal
(ualification, and the king had to supervise them properly
before they were appointed to their respective posts. The
king was especially vigilant to see that the ta"as($s, or
persons who sacrificed everything for disseminating spiritual
knowledge, were never disregarded. The king knew well that
the S!"reme ersonality of @odhead ne(er tolerates any ins!lt
to >is !nalloyed de(otees. $uch ta"as($s were trusted leaders
even of the rogues and thieves, who would never disobey
the orders of ta"as($s. The king would give special protection
to illiterates, the helpless and widows of the state. 7efense
measures were arranged previous to any attack by the
enemies. The ta:ing process was easy, and it was not meant
for s(uandering, but was for strengthening the reserve fund.
The soldiers were recruited from all parts of the world, and
they were trained for special duties.
As far as salvation is concerned, one has to con(uer the
principles of lust, anger, unlawful desires, avarice and
bewilderment. To get freedom from anger, one should learn
how to forgive. To be free from unlawful desires one should
not make plans. %y spiritual culture one is able to con(uer
sleep. %y tolerance only can one con(uer desires and
avarice. 7isturbances from various diseases can be avoided
by regulated diets. %y self'control one can be free from false
hopes, and money can be saved by avoiding undesirable
association. %y practice of yoga one can control hunger, and
worldliness can be avoided by culturing the knowledge of
impermanence. 7i))iness can be con(uered by rising up,
and false arguments can be con(uered by factual
ascertainment. Talkativeness can be avoided by gravity and
silence, and by prowess one can avoid fearfulness. 1erfect
knowledge can be obtained by self'cultivation. 9ne must be
free from lust, avarice, anger, dreaming, etc., to actually
attain the path of salvation.
As far as the women class are concerned, they are accepted
as a power of inspiration for men. As such, women are more
powerful than men. Mighty Oulius *aesar was controlled by a
*leopatra. $uch powerful women are controlled by shyness.
Therefore, shyness is important for women. 9nce this control
valve is loosened, women can create havoc in society by
adultery. Adultery means production of unwanted children
known as (ar5a%sa3kara, who disturb the world.
The last item taught by %h=@madeva was the process of
pleasing the Eord. We are all eternal servants of the Eord,
and when we forget this essential part of our nature we are
put into material conditions of life. The simple process of
pleasing the Eord 3for the householders especially6 is to
install the 7eity of the Eord at home. %y concentrating on
the 7eity, one may progressively go on with the daily routine
work. Worshiping the 7eity at home, serving the devotee,
hearing the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, residing in a holy place and
chanting the holy name of the Eord are all ine:pensive items
by which one can please the Eord. Thus the sub2ect matter
was e:plained by the grandfather to his grandchildren.
T!T N^
>a$aa-Qa-k6a$a$aaeUaa;, SahaePaa(aa#a2 (aQaa $au#ae 9
#aa#aae(aa#aeiTahaSae=u 'Qa-(aa$aaSa Tat'i'Ta2 99 N^ 99
dharm'rtha%k'ma%mok.'-1 ca
saho"'y'n yath' m!ne
n'n'khy'netih'se.!
(ar5ay'm 'sa tatt(a(it
S(#O#($S
dharmaZoccupational dutiesV arthaZeconomic developmentV
k'maZfulfillment of desiresV mok.'nZultimate salvationV ca
ZandV sahaZalong withV !"'y'nZmeansV yath'Zas it isV
m!neZ9 sageV n'n'ZvariousV 'khy'naZby recitation of
historical narrationsV itih'se.!Zin the historiesV (ar5ay'm 'sa
ZdescribedV tatt(a%(itZone who knows the truth.
T-A#SLATIO#
Then he described the occupational duties of different orders and
statuses of life, citing instances fro@ history, for he Jas hi@self
Jell ac?uainted Jith the truthH
P8-PO-T
ncidents mentioned in the !edic literatures, such as the
!r'5as, 8ah'bh'rata and R'm'ya5a are factual historical
narrations that took place sometime in the past, although
not in any chronological order. $uch historical facts, being
instructive for ordinary men, were assorted without
chronological reference. %esides that, they happen on
different planets, nay, in different universes, and thus the
description of the narrations is sometimes measured by
three dimensions. We are simply concerned with the
instructive lessons of such incidents, even though they are
not in order by our limited range of understanding.
%h=@madeva described such narrations before Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira in reply to his different (uestions.
T!T N_
>a$ag PaO'dTaSTaS(a Sa k6alR0 PaOT(auPaiSQaTa0 9
(aae (aaei&a#a!c#d$a:T(aae'a-iIcTaSTa8tara(aQa0 99 N_ 99
dharma- "ra(adatas tasya
sa k'la* "raty!"asthita*
yo yogina1 chanda%m4tyor
(',chitas t0ttar'ya5a*
S(#O#($S
dharmamZoccupational dutiesV "ra(adata*Zwhile describingV
tasyaZhisV sa*ZthatV k'la*ZtimeV "raty!"asthita*Ze:actly
appearedV ya*Zthat isV yogina*Zfor the mysticsV chanda%
m4tyo*Zof one who dies according to oneJs own selection of
timeV (',chita*Zis desired byV t!ZbutV !ttar'ya5a*Zthe
period when the sun runs on the northern hori)on.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile KhBE@ade'a Jas describing occupational duties, the sunrs
course ran into the northern he@isphereH This period is desired by
@ystics Jho die at their JillH
P8-PO-T
The perfect yog$s or mystics can leave the material body at
their own sweet will at a suitable time and go to a suitable
planet desired by them. n the &haga(ad%g$t' 3..GM6 it is said
that self'reali)ed souls who have e:actly identified
themselves with the interest of the $upreme Eord can
generally leave the material body during the time of the fire'
godJs effulgence and when the sun is in the northern
hori)on, and thus achieve the transcendental sky. n the
/edas these times are considered auspicious for (uitting the
body, and they are taken advantage of by the e:pert mystics
who have perfected the system. 1erfection of yoga means
attainment of such supermental states as to be able to leave
the material body as desired. Yog$s can also reach any
planet within no time without a material vehicle. The yog$s
can reach the highest planetary system within a very short
time, and this is impossible for the materialist. ;ven
attempting to reach the highest planet will take millions of
years at a speed of millions of miles per hour. This is a
different science, and %h=@madeva knew well how to utili)e
it. He was 2ust waiting for the suitable moment to (uit his
material body, and the golden opportunity arrived when he
was instructing his noble grandsons, the 1"AQavas. He thus
prepared himself to (uit his body before the e:alted Eord <r=
>?@Aa, the pious 1"AQavas and the great sages headed by
%hagav"n !y"sa, etc., all great souls.
T!T X`
TadaePaSa;5T(a i&ar0 SahbQa?x
i'-$auv6Sal; $a#a AaidPa8D=e 9
k:6.Qae lRSaTPa?TaPa1eu cTau%au-)ae
Paur0 iSQaTae+$a?ilRTad:&G(a>aar(aTa2 99 X` 99
tado"asa-h4tya gira* sahasra5$r
(im!kta%sa3ga- mana 'di%"0r!.e
k4.5e lasat%"$ta%"a<e cat!r%bh!)e
"!ra* sthite 2m$lita%d4g (yadh'rayat
S(#O#($S
tad'Zat that timeV !"asa-h4tyaZwithdrawingV gira*ZspeechV
sahasra5$*Z%h=@madeva 3who was e:pert in thousands of
sciences and arts6V (im!kta%sa3gamZcompletely freed from
everything elseV mana*ZmindV 'di%"0r!.eZunto the original
1ersonality of 8odheadV k4.5eZunto >?@AaV lasat%"$ta%"a<eZ
decorated with yellow garmentsV cat!r%bh!)eZunto the four'
handed original K"r"yaAaV "!ra*Z2ust beforeV sthiteZ
standingV am$litaZwidespreadV d4kZvisionV (yadh'rayatZ
fi:ed.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereupon that @an Jho spoke on different sub/ects Jith
thousands of @eanings and Jho fought on thousands of
battlefields and protected thousands of @en, stopped speaking
and, being co@pletely freed fro@ all bondage, JithdreJ his @ind
fro@ e'erything else and fiMed his Jide6open eyes upon the
original Personality of &odhead, ArB CDEFa, Jho stood before hi@,
four6handed, dressed in yelloJ gar@ents that glittered and shinedH
P8-PO-T
n the momentous hour of leaving his material body,
%h=@madeva set the glorious e:ample concerning the
important function of the human form of life. The s!b)ect
matter which attracts the dying man becomes the beginning of
his ne?t life. Therefore, if one is absorbed in thoughts of the
$upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa, he is sure to go back to 8odhead
without any doubt. This is confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t'
3..Ba,B6C
BC And whoever, at the time of death, (uits his body
remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. 9f this
there is no doubt.
5C Whatever state of being one remembers when he (uits his
body, that state he will attain without fail.
4C Therefore, Ar2una, you should always think of Me in the
form of >?@Aa and at the same time carry out your
prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to
Me and your mind and intelligence fi:ed on Me, you will
attain Me without doubt.
.C He who meditates on the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me,
undeviated from the path, he, 9 1"rtha #Ar2una&, is sure to
reach Me.
-C 9ne should meditate upon the $upreme 1erson as the one
who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the
controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the
maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material
conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a
person. He is luminous like the sun and, being
transcendental, is beyond this material nature.
,NC 9ne who, at the time of death, fi:es his life air between
the eyebrows and in full devotion engages himself in
remembering the $upreme Eord will certainly attain to the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead.
,,C 1ersons learned in the /edas, who utter o-k'ra and who
are great sages in the renounced order, enter into %rahman.
7esiring such perfection, one practices celibacy. shall now
e:plain to you this process by which one may attain
salvation.
,GC The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual
engagements. *losing all the doors of the senses and fi:ing
the mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the head,
one establishes himself in yoga.
,\C After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating
the sacred syllable o-, the supreme combination of letters, if
one thinks of the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead and (uits
his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.
,MC Hor one who remembers Me without deviation, am easy
to obtain, 9 son of 1?th", because of his constant
engagement in devotional service.
,BC After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yog$s in
devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full
of miseries, because they have attained the highest
perfection.
<r= %h=@madeva attained the perfection of (uitting his body
at will and was fortunate enough to have Eord >?@Aa, the
ob2ect of his attention, personally present at the time of
death. He therefore fi:ed his open eyes upon Him. He
wanted to see <r= >?@Aa for a long time out of his
spontaneous love for Him. %ecause he was a pure devotee,
he had very little to do with the detailed performance of
yogic principles. $imple bhakti%yoga is enough to bring about
perfection. Therefore, the ardent desire of %h=@madeva was
to see the "erson of Eord >?@Aa, the most lovable ob2ect, and
by the grace of the Eord, <r= %h=@madeva had this
opportunity at the last stage of his breathing.
T!T X"
i'Bup(aa >aarQa(aa hTaaBu%ax
STad?Ua(a'aBu &aTaa(au>aBO$a0 9
i#a':taSa'e-i#d3(a':itai'%a3$ax
STauna' )a#(a; i'Sa:)ai#aad-#a$a2 99 X" 99
(i1!ddhay' dh'ra5ay' hat'1!bhas
tad%$k.ayai('1! gat'%y!dha%1rama*
ni(4tta%sar(endriya%(4tti%(ibhramas
t!.<'(a )anya- (is4)a, )an'rdanam
S(#O#($S
(i1!ddhay'Zby purifiedV dh'ra5ay'ZmeditationV hata%a1!bha*
Zone who has minimi)ed the inauspicious (ualities of
material e:istenceV tatZHimV $k.ay'Zby looking onV e(aZ
simplyV '1!ZimmediatelyV gat'Zhaving gone awayV y!dhaZ
from the arrowsV 1rama*ZfatigueV ni(4ttaZbeing stoppedV
sar(aZallV indriyaZsensesV (4ttiZactivitiesV (ibhrama*Zbeing
widely engagedV t!.<'(aZhe prayedV )anyamZthe material
tabernacleV (is4)anZwhile (uittingV )an'rdanamZto the
controller of the living beings.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ky pure @editation, looking at Lord ArB CDEFa, he at once Jas
freed fro@ all @aterial inauspiciousness and Jas relie'ed of all
bodily pains caused by the arroJ JoundsH Thus all the eMternal
acti'ities of his senses at once stopped, and he prayed
transcendentally to the controller of all li'ing beings Jhile ?uitting
his @aterial bodyH
P8-PO-T
The material body is a gift of the material energy, technically
called illusion. dentification with the material body is due to
forgetfulness of our eternal relationship with the Eord. Hor a
pure devotee of the Eord like %h=@madeva, this illusion was
at once removed as soon as the Eord arrived. Eord >?@Aa is
like the sun, and the illusory, e:ternal material energy is like
darkness. n the presence of the sun there is no possibility
that darkness can stand. Therefore, 2ust on the arrival of
Eord >?@Aa, all material contamination was completely
removed, and %h=@madeva was thus able to be
transcendentally situated by stopping the activities of the
impure senses in collaboration with matter. The soul is
originally pure and so also the senses. %y material
contamination the senses assume the role of imperfection
and impurity. %y revival of contact with the $upreme 1ure,
Eord >?@Aa, the senses again become freed from material
contaminations. %h=@madeva attained all these
transcendental conditions prior to his leaving the material
body because of presence of the Eord. The Eord is the
controller and benefactor of all living beings. That is the
verdict of all /edas. He is the supreme eternity and living
entity amongst all the eternal living beings.
vii
Y And He alone
provides all necessities for all kinds of living beings. Thus He
provided all facilities to fulfill the transcendental desires of
His great devotee <r= %h=@madeva, who began to pray as
follows.
T!T XN
BO?%a?.$a o'ac
JiTa $aiTaDPak6iLPaTaa i'Ta:.Qaa
%a&a'iTa SaaT'TaPaul'e i'%a8i$an 9
S'SauY$auPa&aTae C'icijhTaug
PaOk:6iTa$auPae(aui= (aS'PaO'ah0 99 XN 99
1r$%bh$.ma !('ca
iti matir !"akal"it' (it4.5'
bhaga(ati s't(ata%"!3ga(e (ibh0mni
s(a%s!kham !"agate k(acid (ihart!-
"rak4tim !"ey!.i yad%bha(a%"ra('ha*
S(#O#($S
1r$%bh$.ma* !('caZ<r= %h=@madeva saidV itiZthusV mati*Z
thinking, feeling and willingV !"akal"it'ZinvestedV (it4.5'Z
freed from all sense desiresV bhaga(atiZunto the 1ersonality
of 8odheadV s't(ata%"!3ga(eZunto the leader of the
devoteesV (ibh0mniZunto the greatV s(a%s!khamZself'
satisfactionV !"agateZunto He who has attained itV k(acitZ
sometimesV (ihart!mZout of transcendental pleasureV
"rak4timZin the material worldV !"ey!.iZdo accept itV yat%
bha(aZfrom whom the creationV "ra('ha*Zis made and
annihilated.
T-A#SLATIO#
KhBE@ade'a saide Let @e noJ in'est @y thinking, feeling and
Jilling, Jhich Jere so long engaged in different sub/ects and
occupational duties, in the all6poJerful Lord ArB CDEFaH Ie is
alJays self6satisfied, but so@eti@es, being the leader of the
de'otees, Ie en/oys transcendental pleasure by descending on the
@aterial Jorld, although fro@ Ii@ only the @aterial Jorld is
createdH
P8-PO-T
%ecause %h=@madeva was a statesman, the head of the
>uru dynasty, a great general and a leader of k.atriyas, his
mind was strewn over so many sub2ects, and his thinking,
feeling and willing were engaged in different matters. Kow,
in order to achieve pure devotional service, he wanted to
invest all powers of thinking, feeling and willing entirely in
the $upreme %eing, Eord >?@Aa. He is described herein as
the leader of the devotees and all'powerful. Although Eord
>?@Aa is the original 1ersonality of 8odhead, He Himself
descends on earth to bestow upon His pure devotees the
boon of devotional service. He descends sometimes as Eord
>?@Aa as He is, and sometimes as Eord *aitanya. %oth are
leaders of the pure devotees. 1ure devotees of the Eord have
no desire other than the service of the Eord, and therefore
they are called s't(ata. The Eord is the chief amongst such
s't(atas. %h=@madeva, therefore, had no other desires.
Rnless one is purified from all sorts of material desires, the
Eord does not become oneJs leader. 7esires cannot be wiped
out, but they have only to be purified. t is confirmed in the
&haga(ad%g$t' by the Eord Himself that He gives His
instruction from within the heart of a pure devotee who is
constantly engaged in the service of the Eord. $uch
instruction is given not for any material purpose but only for
going back home, back to 8odhead 3%g. ,N.,N6. Hor the
ordinary man who wants to lord it over material nature, the
Eord not only sanctions and becomes a witness of activities,
but He never gives the nondevotee instructions for going
back to 8odhead. That is the difference in dealings by the
Eord with different living beings, both the devotee and the
nondevotee. He is leader of all the living beings, as the king
of the state rules both the prisoners and the free citi)ens.
%ut His dealings are different in terms of devotee and
nondevotee. Kondevotees never care to take any instruction
from the Eord, and therefore the Eord is silent in their case,
although He witnesses all their activities and awards them
the necessary results, good or bad. The devotees are above
this material goodness and badness. They are progressive
on the path of transcendence, and therefore they have no
desire for anything material. The devotee also knows <r=
>?@Aa as the original K"r"yaAa because Eord <r= >?@Aa, by
His plenary portion, appears as the >"raAodakaP"y= !i@Au,
the original source of all material creation. The Eord also
desires the association of His pure devotees, and for them
only the Eord descends on the earth and enlivens them. The
Eord appears out of His own will. He is not forced by the
conditions of material nature. He is therefore described here
as the (ibh!, or the almighty, for He is never conditioned by
the laws of material nature.
T!T XX
i<a%au'#ak6$a#a; Ta$aalR'Qag
ri'k6r&aar'ra$br; d>aa#ae 9
'PaurlRk6ku6lRa':Taa#a#aaK)a;
i')a(aSaYe riTarSTau $ae+#a'*a 99 XX 99
tri%bh!(ana%kamana- tam'la%(ar5a-
ra(i%kara%ga!ra%(ar'mbara- dadh'ne
(a"!r alaka%k!l'(4t'nan'b)a-
(i)aya%sakhe ratir ast! me 2na(ady'
S(#O#($S
tri%bh!(anaZthree statuses of planetary systemsV kamanamZ
the most desirableV tam'la%(ar5amZbluish like the tam'la
treeV ra(i%karaZsun raysV ga!raZgolden colorV (ar'mbaramZ
glittering dressV dadh'neZone who wearsV (a"!*ZbodyV
alaka%k!la%'(4taZcovered with paintings of sandalwood pulpV
anana%ab)amZface like a lotusV (i)aya%sakheZunto the friend
of Ar2unaV rati* ast!Zmay attraction be reposed upon HimV
meZmyV ana(ady'Zwithout desire for fruitive results.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB CDEFa is the inti@ate friend of Ar/unaH Ie has appeared on this
earth in Iis transcendental body, Jhich rese@bles the bluish color
of the ta@Lla treeH Iis body attracts e'eryone in the three
planetary syste@s Oupper, @iddle and loJer3H $ay Iis glittering
yelloJ dress and Iis lotus face, co'ered Jith paintings of
sandalJood pulp, be the ob/ect of @y attraction, and @ay I not
desire fruiti'e resultsH
P8-PO-T
When <r= >?@Aa by His own internal pleasure appears on
earth, He does so by the agency of His internal potency. The
attractive features of His transcendental body are desired in
all the three worlds, namely the upper, middle and lower
planetary systems. Kowhere in the universe are there such
beautiful bodily features as those of Eord >?@Aa. Therefore
His transcendental body has nothing to do with anything
materially created. Ar2una is described here as the
con(ueror, and >?@Aa is described as his intimate friend.
%h=@madeva, on his bed of arrows after the %attle of
>uruk@etra, is remembering the particular dress of Eord
>?@Aa which He put on as the driver of Ar2unaJs chariot.
While fighting was going on between Ar2una and %h=@ma,
%h=@maJs attraction was drawn by the glittering dress of
>?@Aa, and indirectly he admired his so'called enemy Ar2una
for possessing the Eord as his friend. Ar2una was always a
con(ueror because the Eord was his friend. %h=@madeva
takes this opportunity to address the Eord as (i)aya%sakhe
3friend of Ar2una6 because the Eord is pleased when He is
addressed con2ointly with His devotees, who are related with
Him in different transcendental humors. While >?@Aa was
the charioteer of Ar2una, sun rays glittered on the dress of
the Eord, and the beautiful hue created by the reflection of
such rays was never forgotten by %h=@madeva. As a great
fighter he was relishing the relation of >?@Aa in the
chivalrous humor. Transcendental relation with the Eord in
any one of the different rasas 3humors6 is relishable by the
respective devotees in the highest ecstasy. Eess intelligent
mundaners who want to make a show of being
transcendentally related with the Eord artificially 2ump at
once to the relation of con2ugal love, imitating the damsels
of !ra2adh"ma. $uch a cheap relation with the Eord e:hibits
only the base mentality of the mundaner because one who
has relished con2ugal humor with the Eord cannot be
attached to worldly con2ugal rasa, which is condemned even
by mundane ethics. The eternal relation of a particular soul
with the Eord is evolved. A genuine relation of the living
being with the $upreme Eord can take any form out of the
five principal rasas, and it does not make any difference in
transcendental degree to the genuine devotee. %h=@madeva
is a concrete e:ample of this, and it should be carefully
observed how the great general is transcendentally related
with the Eord.
T!T XZ
(aui>a Taur&ar)aaei'>a8$a3i'.'k26x
k6cluRilRTaBO$a'a(a-lRM2k:6TaaS(ae 9
$a$a i#ai!aTa!ari'-i%a*$aa#ax
T'ic i'lRSaTk6'ce+STau k:6.Qa AaT$aa 99 XZ 99
y!dhi t!raga%ra)o%(idh0mra%(i.(ak%
kaca%l!lita%1rama('ry%ala3k4t'sye
mama ni1ita%1arair (ibhidyam'na%
t(aci (ilasat%ka(ace 2st! k4.5a 'tm'
S(#O#($S
y!dhiZon the battlefieldV t!ragaZhorsesV ra)a*ZdustV
(idh0mraZturned an ashen colorV (i.(akZwavingV kacaZhairV
l!litaZscatteredV 1rama('riZperspirationV ala3k4taZ
decorated withV 'syeZunto the faceV mamaZmyV ni1itaZ
sharpV 1arai*Zby the arrowsV (ibhidyam'naZpierced byV t(aci
Zin the skinV (ilasatZen2oying pleasureV ka(aceZprotecting
armorV ast!Zlet there beV k4.5eZunto <r= >?@AaV 'tm'Z
mind.
T-A#SLATIO#
On the battlefield OJhere ArB CDEFa attended Ar/una out of
friendship3, the floJing hair of Lord CDEFa turned ashen due to the
dust raised by the hoofs of the horsesH And because of Iis labor,
beads of sJeat Jetted Iis faceH All these decorations, intensified
by the Jounds dealt by @y sharp arroJs, Jere en/oyed by Ii@H Let
@y @ind thus go unto ArB CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
The Eord is the absolute form of eternity, bliss and
knowledge. As such, transcendental loving service to the
Eord in one of the five principal relations, namely 1'nta,
d'sya, sakhya, ('tsalya and m'dh!rya, i.e., neutrality,
servitorship, fraternity, filial affection and con2ugal love, is
graciously accepted by the Eord when offered to the Eord in
genuine love and affection. <r= %h=@madeva is a great
devotee of the Eord in the relation of servitorship. Thus his
throwing of sharp arrows at the transcendental body of the
Eord is as good as the worship of another devotee who
throws soft roses upon Him.
t appears that %h=@madeva is repenting the actions he
committed against the person of the Eord. %ut factually the
EordJs body was not at all pained, due to His transcendental
e:istence. His body is not matter. %oth He Himself and His
body are complete spiritual identity. $pirit is never pierced,
burnt, dried, moistened, etc. This is vividly e:plained in the
&haga(ad%g$t'. $o also it is stated in the Skanda !r'5a. t is
said there that spirit is always uncontaminated and
indestructible. t cannot be distressed, nor can it be dried up.
When Eord !i@Au in His incarnation appears before us, He
seems to be like one of the conditioned souls, materially
encaged, 2ust to bewilder the as!ras, or the nonbelievers,
who are always alert to kill the Eord, even from the very
beginning of His appearance. >a[sa wanted to kill >?@Aa,
and 0"vaAa wanted to kill 0"ma, because foolishly they were
unaware of the fact that the Eord is never killed, for the spirit
is never annihilated.
Therefore %h=@madevaJs piercing of the body of Eord >?@Aa
is a sort of bewildering problem for the nondevotee atheist,
but those who are devotees, or liberated souls, are not
bewildered.
%h=@madeva appreciated the all'merciful attitude of the
Eord because He did not leave Ar2una alone, although He
was disturbed by the sharpened arrows of %h=@madeva, nor
was He reluctant to come before %h=@maJs deathbed, even
though He was ill'treated by him on the battlefield.
%h=@maJs repentance and the EordJs merciful attitude are
both uni(ue in this picture.
<r= !iPvan"tha *akravart= Sh"kura, a great 'c'rya and
devotee in the humor of con2ugal love with the Eord, remarks
very saliently in this regard. He says that the wounds
created on the body of the Eord by the sharpened arrows of
%h=@madeva were as pleasing to the Eord as the biting of a
fiancee who bites the body of the Eord directed by a strong
sense of se: desire. $uch biting by the opposite se: is never
taken as a sign of enmity, even if there is a wound on the
body. Therefore, the fighting as an e:change of
transcendental pleasure between the Eord and His pure
devotee, <r= %h=@madeva, was not at all mundane. %esides
that, since the EordJs body and the Eord are identical, there
was no possibility of wounds in the absolute body. The
apparent wounds caused by the sharpened arrows are
misleading to the common man, but one who has a little
absolute knowledge can understand the transcendental
e:change in the chivalrous relation. The Eord was perfectly
happy with the wounds caused by the sharpened arrows of
%h=@madeva. The word (ibhidyam'na is significant because
the EordJs skin is not different from the Eord. %ecause our
skin is different from our soul, in our case the word
(ibhidyam'na, or being bruised and cut, would have been
(uite suitable. Transcendental bliss is of different varieties,
and the variety of activities in the mundane world is but a
perverted reflection of transcendental bliss. %ecause
everything in the mundane world is (ualitatively mundane, it
is full of inebrieties, whereas in the absolute realm, because
everything is of the same absolute nature, there are
varieties of en2oyment without inebriety. The Eord en2oyed
the wounds created by His great devotee %h=@madeva, and
because %h=@madeva is a devotee in the chivalrous relation,
he fi:es up his mind on >?@Aa in that wounded condition.
T!T X[
SaPaid SaiY'cae i#a!a$(a $a>(ae
i#a)aPar(aaeb-lR(aae rQa; i#a'e!(a 9
iSQaTa'iTa ParSai#ak6a(aurUQaa
5Ta'iTa PaaQa-SaYe riTa$a-$aaSTau 99 X[ 99
sa"adi sakhi%(aco ni1amya madhye
ni)a%"arayor balayo ratha- ni(e1ya
sthita(ati "ara%sainik'y!r ak.5'
h4ta(ati "'rtha%sakhe ratir mam'st!
S(#O#($S
sa"adiZon the battlefieldV sakhi%(aca*Zcommand of the
friendV ni1amyaZafter hearingV madhyeZin the midstV ni)aZ
His ownV "arayo*Zand the opposite partyV balayo*ZstrengthV
rathamZchariotV ni(e1yaZhaving enteredV sthita(atiZwhile
staying thereV "ara%sainikaZof the soldiers on the opposite
sideV 'y!*Zduration of lifeV ak.5'Zby looking overV h4ta(atiZ
act of diminishingV "'rthaZof Ar2una, son of 1?th" 3>unt=6V
sakheZunto the friendV rati*Zintimate relationV mamaZmyV
ast!Zlet there be.
T-A#SLATIO#
In obedience to the co@@and of Iis friend, Lord ArB CDEFa
entered the arena of the Kattlefield of CurukEetra betJeen the
soldiers of Ar/una and >uryodhana, and Jhile there Ie shortened
the life spans of the opposite party by Iis @erciful glanceH This
Jas done si@ply by Iis looking at the ene@yH Let @y @ind be fiMed
upon that CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' 3,.G,aGB6 Ar2una ordered the infallible
Eord <r= >?@Aa to place his chariot between the phalan:es
of the soldiers. He asked Him to stay there until he had
finished observing the enemies he had to face in the battle.
When the Eord was so asked, He at once did so, 2ust like an
order carrier. And the Eord pointed out all the important men
on the opposite side, saying, DHere is %h=@ma, here is
7roAa,F and so on. The Eord, being the supreme living being,
is never the order supplier or order carrier of anyone,
whoever he may be. %ut out of His causeless mercy and
affection for His pure devotees, sometimes He carries out
the order of the devotee like an awaiting servant. %y
e:ecuting the order of a devotee, the Eord becomes pleased,
as a father is pleased to carry out the order of his small
child. This is possible only out of pure transcendental love
between the Eord and His devotees, and %h=@madeva was
(uite aware of this fact. He therefore addressed the Eord as
the friend of Ar2una.
The Eord diminished the duration of life of the opposite party
by His merciful glance. t is said that all the fighters who
assembled on the %attlefield of >uruk@etra attained
salvation by personally seeing the Eord at the time of death.
Therefore, His diminishing the duration of life of Ar2unaJs
enemy does not mean that He was partial to the cause of
Ar2una. Hactually He was merciful to the opposite party
because they would not have attained salvation by dying at
home in the ordinary course of life. Here was a chance to see
the Eord at the time of death and thus attain salvation from
material life. Therefore, the Eord is all good, and whatever
He does is for everyoneJs good. Apparently it was for the
victory of Ar2una, His intimate friend, but factually it was for
the good of Ar2unaJs enemies. $uch are the transcendental
activities of the Eord, and whoever understands this also
gets salvation after (uitting this material body. The Eord
does no wrong in any circumstance because He is absolute,
all good at all times.
T!T X\
G(a'ihTaPa:Ta#aa$auY; i#ar?U(a
S')a#a'>aaij$auYS(a dae=bupya 9
ku6$aiTa$ahrdaT$ai'*(aa (ax
!crQariTa0 Par$aS(a TaS(a $ae+STau 99 X\ 99
(ya(ahita%"4tan'%m!kha- nir$k.ya
s(a%)ana%(adh'd (im!khasya do.a%b!ddhy'
k!matim aharad 'tma%(idyay' ya1
cara5a%rati* "aramasya tasya me 2st!
S(#O#($S
(ya(ahitaZstanding at a distanceV "4tan'ZsoldiersV m!kham
ZfacesV nir$k.yaZby looking uponV s(a%)anaZkinsmenV
(adh'tZfrom the act of killingV (im!khasyaZone who is
reluctantV do.a%b!ddhy'Zby polluted intelligenceV k!matimZ
poor fund of knowledgeV aharatZeradicatedV 'tma%(idyay'Z
by transcendental knowledgeV ya*ZHe whoV cara5aZto the
feetV rati*ZattractionV "aramasyaZof the $upremeV tasyaZfor
HimV meZmyV ast!Zlet there be.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen Ar/una Jas see@ingly polluted by ignorance upon obser'ing
the soldiers and co@@anders before hi@ on the battlefield, the
Lord eradicated his ignorance by deli'ering transcendental
knoJledgeH $ay Iis lotus feet alJays re@ain the ob/ect of @y
attractionH
P8-PO-T
The kings and the commanders were to stand in the front of
the fighting soldiers. That was the system of actual fighting.
The kings and commanders were not so'called presidents or
ministers of defense as they are today. They would not stay
home while the poor soldiers or mercenaries were fighting
face to face. This may be the regulation of modern
democracy, but when actual monarchy was prevailing, the
monarchs were not cowards elected without consideration of
(ualification. As it was evident from the %attlefield of
>uruk@etra, all the e:ecutive heads of both parties, like
7roAa, %h=@ma, Ar2una and 7uryodhana, were not sleepingV
all of them were actual participants in the fighting, which
was selected to be e:ecuted at a place away from the civil
residential (uarters. This means that the innocent citi)ens
were immune from all effects of fighting between the rival
royal parties. The citi)ens had no business in seeing what
was going to happen during such fighting. They were to pay
one fourth of their income to the ruler, whether he be Ar2una
or 7uryodhana. All the commanders of the parties on the
%attlefield of >uruk@etra were standing face to face, and
Ar2una saw them with great compassion and lamented that
he was to kill his kinsmen on the battlefield for the sake of
the empire. He was not at all afraid of the giant military
phalan: presented by 7uryodhana, but as a merciful
devotee of the Eord, renunciation of worldly things was
natural for him, and thus he decided not to fight for worldly
possessions. %ut this was due to a poor fund of knowledge,
and therefore it is said here that his intelligence became
polluted. His intelligence could not be polluted at any time
because he was a devotee and constant companion of the
Eord, as is clear in the Hourth *hapter of the &haga(ad%g$t'.
Apparently Ar2unaJs intelligence became polluted because
otherwise there would not have been a chance to deliver the
teachings of &haga(ad%g$t' for the good of all polluted
conditioned souls engaged in material bondage by the
conception of the false material body. The &haga(ad%g$t' was
delivered to the conditioned souls of the world to deliver
them from the wrong conception of identifying the body with
the soul and to reestablish the soulJs eternal relation with
the $upreme Eord. Jtma%(idy', or transcendental knowledge
of Himself, was primarily spoken by the Eord for the benefit
of all concerned in all parts of the universe.
T!T X]
S'i#a&a$a$aPaha(a $aTPaOiTa/ax
$a:Ta$ai>ak6Tau-$a'PluRTaae rQaSQa0 9
>a:TarQacrQaae+%(a(aalRd2&aux
h-irir' h#Taui$a%a; &aTaaetar?(a0 99 X] 99
s(a%nigamam a"ah'ya mat%"rati),'m
4tam adhikart!m a(a"l!to rathastha*
dh4ta%ratha%cara5o 2bhyay'c caladg!r
harir i(a hant!m ibha- gatottar$ya*
S(#O#($S
s(a%nigamamZown truthfulnessV a"ah'yaZfor nullifyingV mat%
"rati),'mZmy own promiseV 4tamZfactualV adhiZmoreV
kart!mZfor doing itV a(a"l!ta*Zgetting downV ratha%stha*Z
from the chariotV dh4taZtaking upV rathaZchariotV cara5a*Z
wheelV abhyay'tZwent hurriedlyV caladg!*Ztrampling the
earthV hari*ZlionV i(aZlikeV hant!mZto killV ibhamZelephantV
gataZleaving asideV !ttar$ya*Zcovering cloth.
T-A#SLATIO#
Fulfilling @y desire and sacrificing Iis oJn pro@ise, Ie got doJn
fro@ the chariot, took up its Jheel, and ran toJards @e hurriedly,
/ust as a lion goes to kill an elephantH Ie e'en dropped Iis outer
gar@ent on the JayH
P8-PO-T
The %attle of >uruk@etra was fought on military principles
but at the same time in a sporting spirit, like a friendJs fight
with another friend. 7uryodhana critici)ed %h=@madeva,
alleging that he was reluctant to kill Ar2una because of
paternal affection. A k.atriya cannot tolerate insults on the
principle of fighting. %h=@madeva therefore promised that
the ne:t day he would kill all five 1"AQavas with special
weapons made for the purpose. 7uryodhana was satisfied,
and he kept the arrows with him to be delivered the ne:t day
during the fight. %y tricks Ar2una took the arrows from
7uryodhana, and %h=@madeva could understand that this
was the trick of Eord >?@Aa. $o he took a vow that the ne:t
day >?@Aa would have to take up weapons Himself,
otherwise His friend Ar2una would die. n the ne:t dayJs
fighting %h=@madeva fought so violently that both Ar2una
and >?@Aa were in trouble. Ar2una was almost defeatedV the
situation was so tense that he was about to be killed by
%h=@madeva the very ne:t moment. At that time Eord >?@Aa
wanted to please His devotee, %h=@ma, by keeping
%h=@maJs promise, which was more important than His own.
$eemingly He broke His own promise. He promised before
the beginning of the %attle of >uruk@etra that He would
remain without weapons and would not use His strength for
either of the parties. %ut to protect Ar2una He got down from
the chariot, took up the wheel of the chariot and hurriedly
rushed at %h=@madeva in an angry mood, as a lion goes to
kill an elephant. He dropped His covering cloth on the way,
and out of great anger He did not know that He had dropped
it. %h=@madeva at once gave up his weapons and stood to
be killed by >?@Aa, his beloved Eord. The fighting of the day
was thus ended at that very moment, and Ar2una was saved.
9f course there was no possibility of Ar2unaJs death because
the Eord Himself was on the chariot, but because
%h=@madeva wanted to see Eord >?@Aa take up some
weapon to save His friend, the Eord created this situation,
making Ar2unaJs death imminent. He stood before
%h=@madeva to show him that his promise was fulfilled and
that He had taken up the wheel.
T!T X^
i!aTai'i!aYhTaae i'!a?Qa-d;!a0
UaTa)aPairPluRTa AaTaTaai(a#aae $ae 9
PaOSa%a$ai%aSaSaar $aj>aaQag
Sa %a'Tau $ae %a&a'a#a2 &aiTa$au-ku6#d0 99 X^ 99
1ita%(i1ikha%hato (i1$r5a%da-1a*
k.ata)a%"ari"l!ta 'tat'yino me
"rasabham abhisas'ra mad%(adh'rtha-
sa bha(at! me bhaga('n gatir m!k!nda*
S(#O#($S
1itaZsharpV (i1ikhaZarrowsV hata*Zwounded byV (i1$r5a%
da-1a*Zscattered shieldV k.ata)aZby woundsV "ari"l!ta*Z
smeared with bloodV 'tat'yina*Zthe great aggressorV meZ
myV "rasabhamZin an angry moodV abhisas'raZbegan to
move onV mat%(adha%arthamZfor the purpose of killing meV
sa*ZHeV bha(at!Zmay becomeV meZmyV bhaga('nZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV gati*ZdestinationV m!k!nda*Zwho
awards salvation.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ay Ie, Lord ArB CDEFa, the Personality of &odhead, Jho aJards
sal'ation, be @y ulti@ate destinationH On the battlefield Ie
charged @e, as if angry because of the Jounds dealt by @y sharp
arroJsH Iis shield Jas scattered, and Iis body Jas s@eared Jith
blood due to the JoundsH
P8-PO-T
The dealings of Eord >?@Aa and %h=@madeva on the
%attlefield of >uruk@etra are interesting because the
activities of Eord <r= >?@Aa appeared to be partial to Ar2una
and at enmity with %h=@madevaV but factually all this was
especially meant to show special favor to %h=@madeva, a
great devotee of the Eord. The asto!nding feat!re of s!ch
dealings is that a de(otee can "lease the :ord by "laying the
"art of an enemy. The Eord, being absolute, can accept
service from His pure devotee even in the garb of an enemy.
The $upreme Eord cannot have any enemy, nor can a so'
called enemy harm Him because He is a)ita, or
uncon(uerable. %ut still He takes pleasure when His pure
devotee beats Him like an enemy or rebukes Him from a
superior position, although no one can be superior to the
Eord. These are some of the transcendental reciprocatory
dealings of the devotee with the Eord. And those who have
no information of pure devotional service cannot penetrate
into the mystery of such dealings. %h=@madeva played the
part of a valiant warrior, and he purposely pierced the body
of the Eord so that to the common eyes it appeared that the
Eord was wounded, but factually all this was to bewilder the
nondevotees. The all'spiritual body cannot be wounded, and
a devotee cannot become the enemy of the Eord. Had it
been so, %h=@madeva would not have desired to have the
very same Eord as the ultimate destination of his life. Had
%h=@madeva been an enemy of the Eord, Eord >?@Aa could
have annihilated him without even moving. There was no
need to come before %h=@madeva with blood and wounds.
%ut He did so because the warrior devotee wanted to see the
transcendental beauty of the Eord decorated with wounds
created by a pure devotee. This is the way of e:changing
transcendental rasa, or relations between the Eord and the
servitor. %y such dealings both the Eord and the devotee
become glorified in their respective positions. The Eord was
so angry that Ar2una checked Him when He was moving
towards %h=@madeva, but in spite of Ar2unaJs checking, He
proceeded towards %h=@madeva as a lover goes to a lover,
without caring for hindrances. Apparently His determination
was to kill %h=@madeva, but factually it was to please him as
a great devotee of the Eord. The Eord is undoubtedly the
deliverer of all conditioned souls. The impersonalists desire
salvation from Him, and He always awards them according
to their aspiration, but here %h=@madeva aspires to see the
Eord in His personal feature. All pure devotees aspire for this.
T!T X_
i')a(arQaku61uu$b AataTaae<ae
>a:Tah(ari!$ai#a TaiCc|(aeUaQa?(ae 9
%a&a'iTa riTarSTau $ae $au$a8=ae-x
(a-i$ah i#ar?U(a hTaa &aTaa0 S'~Pa$a2 99 X_ 99
(i)aya%ratha%k!<!mba 'tta%totre
dh4ta%haya%ra1mini tac%chriyek.a5$ye
bhaga(ati ratir ast! me m!m0r.or
yam iha nir$k.ya hat' gat'* s(a%r0"am
S(#O#($S
(i)ayaZAr2unaV rathaZchariotV k!<!mbeZthe ob2ect of
protection at all riskV 'tta%totreZwith a whip in the right
handV dh4ta%hayaZcontrolling the horsesV ra1miniZropesV tat%
1riy'Zbeautifully standingV $k.a5$yeZto look atV bhaga(atiZ
unto the 1ersonality of 8odheadV rati* ast!Zlet my
attraction beV meZmyV m!m0r.o*Zone who is about to dieV
yamZupon whomV ihaZin this worldV nir$k.yaZby lookingV
hat'*Zthose who diedV gat'*ZattainedV s(a%r0"amZoriginal
form.
T-A#SLATIO#
At the @o@ent of death, let @y ulti@ate attraction be to ArB CDEFa,
the Personality of &odheadH I concentrate @y @ind upon the
chariot dri'er of Ar/una Jho stood Jith a Jhip in Iis right hand
and a bridle rope in Iis left, Jho Jas 'ery careful to gi'e
protection to Ar/unars chariot by all @eansH Those Jho saJ Ii@ on
the Kattlefield of CurukEetra attained their original for@s after
deathH
P8-PO-T
A pure devotee of the Eord constantly sees the presence of
the Eord within himself because of being transcendentally
related by loving service. $uch a pure devotee cannot forget
the Eord for a moment. This is called trance. The mystic
3yog$6 tries to concentrate upon the $upersoul by controlling
the senses from all other engagements, and thus he
ultimately attains sam'dhi. A devotee more easily attains
sam'dhi, or trance, by constantly remembering the EordJs
personal feature along with His holy name, fame, pastimes,
etc. Therefore, the concentration of the mystic yog$ and that
of the devotee are not on the same level. The concentration
of the mystic is mechanical, whereas that of the pure
devotee is natural in pure love and spontaneous affection.
%h=@madeva was a pure devotee, and as a military marshal
he constantly remembered the battlefield feature of the Eord
as 1"rtha's"rathi, the chariot driver of Ar2una. Therefore, the
EordJs pastime as 1"rtha's"rathi is also eternal. The
pastimes of the Eord, beginning from His birth at the prison
house of >a[sa up to the ma!sala%l$l' at the end, all move
one after another in all the universes, 2ust as the clock hand
moves from one point to another. And in such pastimes His
associates like the 1"AQavas and %h=@ma are constant
eternal companions. $o %h=@madeva never forgot the
beautiful feature of the Eord as 1"rtha's"rathi, which even
Ar2una could not see. Ar2una was behind the beautiful
1"rtha's"rathi while %h=@madeva was 2ust in front of the
Eord. As far as the military feature of the Eord is concerned,
%h=@madeva observed this with more relish than Ar2una.
All the soldiers and persons on the %attlefield of >uruk@etra
attained their original spiritual form like the Eord after their
death because by the causeless mercy of the Eord they were
able to see Him face to face on that occasion. The
conditioned souls rotating in the evolutionary cycle from the
a(uatics up to the form of %rahm" are all in the form of
m'y', or the form obtained by oneJs own actions and
awarded by material nature. The material forms of the
conditioned souls are all foreign dresses, and when the
conditioned soul becomes liberated from the clutches of
material energy, he attains his original form. The
impersonalist wants to attain the impersonal %rahman
effulgence of the Eord, but that is not at all congenial to the
living sparks, parts and parcels of the Eord. Therefore, the
impersonalists again fall down and get material forms, which
are all false to the spirit soul. A spiritual form like the EordJs,
either two'handed or four'handed, is attained by the
devotees of the Eord either in the !aikuAThas or in the
8oloka planet, according to the original nature of the soul.
This form, which is cent percent spiritual, is the s(ar0"a of
the living being, and all the living beings who participated on
the %attlefield of >uruk@etra, on both sides, attained their
s(ar0"a, as confirmed by %h=@madeva. $o Eord <r= >?@Aa
was not merciful only to the 1"AQavasV He was also merciful
to the other parties because all of them attained the same
result. %h=@madeva wanted the same facility also, and that
was his prayer to the Eord, although his position as an
associate of the Eord is assured in all circumstances. The
conclusion is that whoever dies looking on the 1ersonality of
8odhead within or without attains his s(ar0"a, which is the
highest perfection of life.
T!T Z`
lRilRTa&aiTai'lRaSa'L&auhaSax
PaOQa(ai#ar?UaQak6iLPaTaaeD$aa#aa0 9
k:6Ta$a#auk:6Ta'T(a o#$ada#>aa0
PaOk:6iTa$a&a#a2 ik6lR (aS(a &aaePa'0 99 Z` 99
lalita%gati%(il'sa%(alg!h'sa%
"ra5aya%nir$k.a5a%kal"itor!m'n'*
k4ta%man!%k4ta%(atya !nmad'ndh'*
"rak4tim agan kila yasya go"a%(adh(a*
S(#O#($S
lalitaZattractiveV gatiZmovementsV (il'saZfascinating actsV
(alg!h'saZsweet smilingV "ra5ayaZlovingV nir$k.a5aZlooking
uponV kal"itaZmentalityV !r!m'n'*Zhighly glorifiedV k4ta%
man!%k4ta%(atya*Zin the act of copying the movementsV
!nmada%andh'*Zgone mad in ecstasyV "rak4timZ
characteristicsV aganZunderwentV kilaZcertainlyV yasyaZ
whoseV go"a%(adh(a*Zthe cowherd damsels.
T-A#SLATIO#
Let @y @ind be fiMed upon Lord ArB CDEFa, Jhose @otions and
s@iles of lo'e attracted the da@sels of Gra/adhL@a Othe gopBs3H
The da@sels i@itated the characteristic @o'e@ents of the Lord
Oafter Iis disappearance fro@ the rLsa dance3H
P8-PO-T
%y intense ecstasy in loving service, the damsels of
!ra2abhLmi attained (ualitative oneness with the Eord by
dancing with Him on an e(ual level, embracing Him in
nuptial love, smiling at Him in 2oke, and looking at Him with
a loving attitude. The relation of the Eord with Ar2una is
undoubtedly praiseworthy for devotees like %h=@madeva,
but the relation of the go"$s with the Eord is still more
praiseworthy because of their still more purified loving
service. %y the grace of the Eord, Ar2una was fortunate
enough to have the fraternal service of the Eord as chariot
driver, but the Eord did not award Ar2una with e(ual
strength. The go"$s, however, practically became one with
the Eord by attainment of e(ual footing with the Eord.
%h=@maJs aspiration to remember the go"$s is a prayer to
have their mercy also at the last stage of his life. The Eord is
satisfied more when His pure devotees are glorified, and
therefore %h=@madeva has not only glorified the acts of
Ar2una, his immediate ob2ect of attraction, but has also
remembered the go"$s, who were endowed with unrivalled
opportunities by rendering loving service to the Eord. The
go"$sJ e(uality with the Eord should never be misunderstood
to be like the s'y!)ya liberation of the impersonalist. The
e(uality is one of perfect ecstasy where the differential
conception is completely eradicated, for the interests of the
lover and the beloved become identical.
T!T Z"
$aui#a&aQa#a:Pa'(a-Sa;ku6leR+#Ta0x
SadiSa (aui>aifrra)aSa8(a V=a$a2 9
Ah-Qa$auPaPaed J-UaQa?(aae
$a$a d:i!a&aaecr V= Aai'raT$aa 99 Z" 99
m!ni%ga5a%n4"a%(arya%sa3k!le 2nta*%
sadasi y!dhi.<hira%r')as0ya e.'m
arha5am !"a"eda $k.a5$yo
mama d41i%gocara e.a '(ir 'tm'
S(#O#($S
m!ni%ga5aZthe great learned sagesV n4"a%(aryaZthe great
ruling kingsV sa3k!leZin the great assembly ofV anta*%sadasiZ
conferenceV y!dhi.<hiraZof ;mperor Xudhi@ThiraV r')a%s0yeZ
a royal performance of sacrificeV e.'mZof all the great
elitesV arha5amZrespectful worshipV !"a"edaZreceivedV
$k.a5$ya*Zthe ob2ect of attractionV mamaZmyV d41iZsightV
gocara*Zwithin the view ofV e.a* '(i*Zpersonally presentV
'tm'Zthe soul.
T-A#SLATIO#
At the -L/asdya6ya/fa Osacrifice3 perfor@ed by $ahLrL/a
(udhiEhira, there Jas the greatest asse@bly of all the elite @en
of the Jorld, the royal and learned orders, and in that great
asse@bly Lord ArB CDEFa Jas Jorshiped by one and all as the @ost
eMalted Personality of &odheadH This happened during @y
presence, and I re@e@bered the incident in order to keep @y @ind
upon the LordH
P8-PO-T
After gaining victory in the %attle of >uruk@etra, Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, the ;mperor of the world, performed the
0"2asLya sacrificial ceremony. The emperor, in those days,
upon his ascendance to the throne, would send a challenge
horse all over the world to declare his supremacy, and any
ruling prince or king was at liberty to accept the challenge
and e:press his tacit willingness either to obey or to disobey
the supremacy of the particular emperor. 9ne who accepted
the challenge had to fight with the emperor and establish his
own supremacy by victory. The defeated challenger would
have to sacrifice his life, making a place for another king or
ruler. $o Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira also dispatched such
challenging horses all over the world, and every ruling prince
and king all over the world accepted Mah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraJs
leadership as the ;mperor of the world. After this, all rulers
of the world under the regime of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira were
invited to participate in the great sacrificial ceremony of
0"2asLya. $uch performances re(uired hundreds of millions
of dollars, and it was not an easy 2ob for a petty king. $uch a
sacrificial ceremony, being too e:pensive and also difficult to
perform under present circumstances, is now impossible in
this age of >ali. Kor can anyone secure the re(uired e:pert
priesthood to take charge of the ceremony.
$o, after being invited, all the kings and great learned sages
of the world assembled in the capital of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira. The learned society, including the great
philosophers, religionists, physicians, scientists and all great
sages, was invited. That is to say, the br'hma5as and the
k.atriyas were the topmost leading men in society, and they
were all invited to participate in the assembly. The (ai1yas
and 10dras were unimportant elements in society, and they
are not mentioned herein. 7ue to the change of social
activities in the modern age, the importance of men has also
changed in terms of occupational positions.
$o in that great assembly, Eord <r= >?@Aa was the cynosure
of neighboring eyes. ;veryone wanted to see Eord >?@Aa,
and everyone wanted to pay his humble respects to the
Eord. %h=@madeva remembered all this and was glad that
his worshipful Eord, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, was present
before him in His actual formal presence. $o to meditate on
the $upreme Eord is to meditate on the activities, form,
pastimes, name and fame of the Eord. That is easier than
what is imagined as meditation on the impersonal feature of
the $upreme. n the &haga(ad%g$t' 3,G.B6 it is clearly stated
that to meditate upon the impersonal feature of the
$upreme is very difficult. t is practically no meditation or
simply a waste of time because very seldom is the desired
result obtained. The devotees, however, meditate upon the
EordJs factual form and pastimes, and therefore the Eord is
easily approachable by the devotees. This is also stated in
the &haga(ad%g$t' 3,G.-6. The Eord is nondifferent from His
transcendental activities. t is indicated also in this 1loka that
Eord <r= >?@Aa, while actually present before human
society, especially in connection with the %attle of
>uruk@etra, was accepted as the greatest personality of the
time, although He might not have been recogni)ed as the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. The propaganda that a
very great man is worshiped as 8od after his death is
misleading because a man after his death cannot be made
into 8od. Kor can the 1ersonality of 8odhead be a human
being, even when He is personally present. %oth ideas are
misconceptions. The idea of anthropomorphism cannot be
applicable in the case of Eord >?@Aa.
T!T ZN
Tai$a$a$ah$a)a; !ar?r%aa)aa;
5id 5id i>aifTa$aaT$ak6iLPaTaa#aa$a2 9
PaOiTad:!ai$a' #ak6>aak-6$aek;6
Sa$ai>a&aTaae+iS$a i'>a8Ta%aed$aaeh0 99 ZN 99
tam imam aham a)a- 1ar$ra%bh')'-
h4di h4di dhi.<hitam 'tma%kal"it'n'm
"ratid41am i(a naikadh'rkam eka-
samadhi%gato 2smi (idh0ta%bheda%moha*
S(#O#($S
tamZthat 1ersonality of 8odheadV imamZnow present
before meV ahamZV a)amZthe unbornV 1ar$ra%bh')'mZof the
conditioned soulV h4diZin the heartV h4diZin the heartV
dhi.<hitamZsituatedV 'tmaZthe $upersoulV kal"it'n'mZof
the speculatorsV "ratid41amZin every directionV i(aZlikeV na
ekadh'Znot oneV arkamZthe sunV ekamZone onlyV samadhi%
gata* asmiZ have undergone trance in meditationV (idh0taZ
being freed fromV bheda%moha*Zmisconception of duality.
T-A#SLATIO#
#oJ I can @editate Jith full concentration upon that one Lord, ArB
CDEFa, noJ present before @e because noJ I ha'e transcended the
@isconceptions of duality in regard to Iis presence in e'eryoners
heart, e'en in the hearts of the @ental speculatorsH Ie is in
e'eryoners heartH The sun @ay be percei'ed differently, but the sun
is oneH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa is the one Absolute $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead, but He has e:panded Himself into His multiplenary
portions by His inconceivable energy. The conception of
duality is due to ignorance of His inconceivable energy. n
the &haga(ad%g$t' 3-.,,6 the Eord says that only the foolish
take Him to be a mere human being. $uch foolish men are
not aware of His inconceivable energies. %y His
inconceivable energy He is present in everyoneJs heart, as
the sun is present before everyone all over the world. The
1aram"tm" feature of the Eord is an e:pansion of His
plenary portions. He e:pands Himself as 1aram"tm" in
everyoneJs heart by His inconceivable energy, and He also
e:pands Himself as the glowing effulgence of brahma)yoti by
e:pansion of His personal glow. t is stated in the &rahma%
sa-hit' that the brahma)yoti is His personal glow. Therefore,
there is no difference between Him and His personal glow,
brahma)yoti, or His plenary portions as 1aram"tm". Eess
intelligent persons who are not aware of this fact consider
brahma)yoti and 1aram"tm" to be different from <r= >?@Aa.
This misconception of duality is completely removed from
the mind of %h=@madeva, and he is now satisfied that it is
Eord <r= >?@Aa only who is all in all in everything. This
enlightenment is attained by the great mah'tm's or
devotees, as it is stated in &haga(ad%g$t' 34.,-6 that
!"sudeva is all in all in everything and that there is no
e:istence of anything without !"sudeva. !"sudeva, or Eord
<r= >?@Aa, is the original $upreme 1erson, as now confirmed
by a mah')ana, and therefore both the neophytes and the
pure devotees must try to follow in his footsteps. That is the
way of the devotional line.
The worshipable ob2ect of %h=@madeva is Eord <r= >?@Aa as
1"rtha's"rathi, and that of the go"$s is the same >?@Aa in
!?nd"vana as the most attractive <y"masundara.
$ometimes less intelligent scholars make a mistake and
think that the >?@Aa of !?nd"vana and that of the %attle of
>uruk@etra are different personalities. %ut for %h=@madeva
this misconception is completely removed. ;ven the
impersonalistJs ob2ect of destination is >?@Aa as the
impersonal )yoti, and the yog$2s destination of 1aram"tm" is
also >?@Aa. >?@Aa is both brahma)yoti and locali)ed
1aram"tm", but in brahma)yoti or 1aram"tm" there is no
>?@Aa or sweet relations with >?@Aa. n His personal feature
>?@Aa is both 1"rtha's"rathi and <y"masundara of
!?nd"vana, but in His impersonal feature He is neither in the
brahma)yoti nor in the 1aram"tm". 8reat mah'tm's like
%h=@madeva reali)e all these different features of Eord <r=
>?@Aa, and therefore they worship Eord >?@Aa, knowing Him
as the origin of all features.
T!T ZX
Sa8Ta o'ac
k:6.Qa V'; %a&a'iTa $a#aae'a&d:in':itai%a0 9
AaT$a#(aaT$aa#a$aa'e!(a Saae+#Ta0TaSa oPaar$aTa2 99
ZX 99
s0ta !('ca
k4.5a e(a- bhaga(ati
mano%('g%d4.<i%(4ttibhi*
'tmany 'tm'nam '(e1ya
so 2nta*1('sa !"'ramat
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV k4.5eZEord >?@Aa, the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odheadV e(amZonlyV bhaga(atiZ
unto HimV mana*Zwith mindV ('kZspeechV d4.<iZsightV
(4ttibhi*ZactivitiesV 'tmaniZunto the $upersoulV 'tm'namZ
the living beingV '(e1yaZhaving merged inV sa*ZheV anta*%
1('sa*ZinhalingV !"'ramatZbecame silent.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Thus KhBE@ade'a @erged hi@self in the
Supersoul, Lord ArB CDEFa, the Supre@e Personality of &odhead,
Jith his @ind, speech, sight and actions, and thus he beca@e
silent, and his breathing stoppedH
P8-PO-T
The stage attained by %h=@madeva while (uitting his
material body is called nir(ikal"a%sam'dhi because he
merged his self into thinking of the Eord and his mind into
remembering His different activities. He chanted the glories
of the Eord, and by his sight he began to see the Eord
personally present before him, and thus all his activities
became concentrated upon the Eord without deviation. This
is the highest stage of perfection, and it is possible for
everyone to attain this stage by practice of devotional
service. The devotional service of the Eord consists of nine
principles of service activities, and they are 3"6 hearing, 3N6
chanting, 3X6 remembering, 3Z6 serving the lotus feet, 3[6
worshiping, 3\6 praying, 3]6 e:ecuting the orders, 3^6
fraterni)ing, and 3_6 fully surrendering. Any one of them or
all of them are e(ually competent to award the desired
result, but they re(uire to be practiced persistently under
the guidance of an e:pert devotee of the Eord. The first item,
hearing, is the most important item of all, and therefore
hearing of the &haga(ad%g$t' and, later on, #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is essential for the serious candidate who wants
to attain the stage of %h=@madeva at the end. The uni(ue
situation at %h=@madevaJs time of death can be attained,
even though Eord >?@Aa may not be personally present. His
words of the &haga(ad%g$t' or those of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam
are identical with the Eord. They are sound incarnations of
the Eord, and one can fully utili)e them to be entitled to
attain the stage of <r= %h=@madeva, who was one of the
eight !asus. ;very man or animal must die at a certain stage
of life, but one who dies like %h=@madeva attains perfection,
and one who dies forced by the laws of nature dies like an
animal. That is the difference between a man and an animal.
The human form of life is especially meant for dying like
%h=@madeva.
T!T ZZ
Sa$Pa*$aa#a$aa/a(a %a?.$a; b34iQa i#a.k6leR 9
Sa'e- b%a8'uSTae Ta8.Qa?; '(aa;Sa?' id#aaT(a(ae 99 ZZ 99
sam"adyam'nam '),'ya
bh$.ma- brahma5i ni.kale
sar(e babh0(!s te t0.5$-
(ay'-s$(a din'tyaye
S(#O#($S
sam"adyam'namZhaving merged intoV '),'yaZafter knowing
thisV bh$.mamZabout <r= %h=@madevaV brahma5iZinto the
$upreme AbsoluteV ni.kaleZunlimitedV sar(eZall presentV
babh0(!* teZall of them becameV t0.5$mZsilentV (ay'-si i(a
Zlike birdsV dina%atyayeZat the end of the day.
T-A#SLATIO#
CnoJing that KhBE@ade'a had @erged into the unli@ited eternity
of the Supre@e Absolute, all present there beca@e silent like birds
at the end of the dayH
P8-PO-T
To enter into or to become merged into the unlimited
eternity of the $upreme Absolute means to enter the original
home of the living being. The living beings are all component
parts and parcels of the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead,
and therefore they are eternally related with Him as the
servitor and the served. The Eord is served by all His parts
and parcels, as the complete machine is served by its parts
and parcels. Any part of the machine removed from the
whole is no longer important. $imilarly, any part and parcel
of the Absolute detached from the service of the Eord is
useless. The living beings who are in the material world are
all disintegrated parts and parcels of the supreme whole,
and they are no longer as important as the original parts and
parcels. There are, however, more integrated living beings
who are eternally liberated. The material energy of the Eord,
called 7urg"'Pakti, or the superintendent of the prison
house, takes charge of the disintegrated parts and parcels,
and thus they undergo a conditioned life under the laws of
material nature. When the living being becomes conscious of
this fact, he tries to go back home, back to 8odhead, and
thus the spiritual urge of the living being begins. This
spiritual urge is called brahma%)i),'s', or in(uiry about
%rahman. 1rincipally this brahma%)i),'s' is successful by
knowledge, renunciation and devotional service to the Eord.
N,'na, or knowledge, means knowledge of everything of
%rahman, the $upremeV renunciation means detachment of
material affection, and devotional service is the revival by
practice of the original position of the living being. The
successful living beings who are eligible to enter into the
realm of the Absolute are called the ),'n$s, the yog$s and the
bhaktas. The ),'n$s and yog$s enter into the impersonal rays
of the $upreme, but the bhaktas enter into the spiritual
planets known as the !aikuAThas. n these spiritual planets
the $upreme Eord as K"r"yaAa predominates, and the
healthy, unconditioned living beings live there by rendering
loving service to the Eord in the capacity of servant, friend,
parents and fiancee. There the unconditioned living beings
en2oy life in full freedom with the Eord, whereas the
impersonalist ),'n$s and yog$s enter into the impersonal
glowing effulgence of the !aikuATha planets. The !aikuATha
planets are all self'illuminating like the sun, and the rays of
the !aikuATha planets are called the brahma)yoti. The
brahma)yoti is spread unlimitedly, and the material world is
but a covered portion of an insignificant part of the same
brahma)yoti. This covering is temporary, and therefore it is a
sort of illusion.
%h=@madeva, as a pure devotee of the Eord, entered the
spiritual realm in one of the !aikuATha planets where the
Eord in His eternal form of 'rtha%s'rathi predominates over
the unconditioned living beings who are constantly engaged
in the service of the Eord. The love and affection which bind
the Eord and devotee are e:hibited in the case of
%h=@madeva. %h=@madeva never forgot the Eord in His
transcendental feature as the 'rtha%s'rathi, and the Eord
was present personally before %h=@madeva while he was
passing to the transcendental world. That is the highest
perfection of life.
T!T Z[
Ta<a du#du%a(aae #aedude-'$aa#a''aidTaa0 9
!a!a;Sau0 Saa>a'ae ra/a; YaTPaeTau0 Pau.Pa':n(a0 99 Z[ 99
tatra d!nd!bhayo ned!r
de(a%m'na(a%('dit'*
1a1a-s!* s'dha(o r'),'-
kh't "et!* "!."a%(4.<aya*
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereafterV d!nd!bhaya*ZdrumsV ned!*Zwere
soundedV de(aZthe demigods from other planetsV m'na(aZ
men from all countriesV ('dit'*Zbeaten byV 1a1a-s!*Z
praisedV s'dha(a*ZhonestV r'),'mZby the royal orderV kh'tZ
from the skyV "et!*Zbegan to fallV "!."a%(4.<aya*Zshowers
of flowers.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter, both @en and de@igods sounded dru@s in honor, and
the honest royal order co@@enced de@onstrations of honor and
respectH And fro@ the sky fell shoJers of floJersH
P8-PO-T
%h=@madeva was respected both by the human beings and
by the demigods. The human beings live on earth and similar
other planets in the %hLr and %huvar group of planets, but
the demigods live in the $var, or heavenly planets, and all of
them knew %h=@madeva as a great warrior and devotee of
the Eord. As a mah')ana 3or authority6 he was on the level of
%rahm", K"rada and <iva, although he was a human being.
ùalification on a par with the great demigods is possible
only on attainment of spiritual perfection. Thus %h=@madeva
was known all over the universes, and during his time
interplanetary travel was effected by finer methods than the
futile endeavors of mechanical spacecraft. When the distant
planets were informed of the passing away of %h=@madeva,
all the inhabitants of the upper planets as well as of the
earth dropped showers of flowers to show due respect to the
departed great personality. This showering of flowers from
heaven is a sign of recognition by great demigods, and it
should never be compared to the decoration of a dead body.
The body of %h=@madeva lost its material effects due to
being surcharged with spiritual reali)ation, and thus the
body was spirituali)ed as when iron becomes red'hot when
in contact with fire. The body of a fully self'reali)ed soul is
not, therefore, accepted as material. $pecial ceremonies are
observed for such spiritual bodies. The respect and
recognition of %h=@madeva are never to be imitated by
artificial means, as it has become a fashion to observe the
so'called )ayant$ ceremony for any and every common man.
According to authori)ed 1'stras, such a )ayant$ ceremony for
an ordinary man, however e:alted he may be materially, is
an offense to the Eord because )ayant$ is reserved for the
day when the Eord appears on the earth. %h=@madeva was
uni(ue in his activities, and his passing away to the kingdom
of 8od is also uni(ue.
T!T Z\
TaS(a i#ah-rQaad?i#a Sa$PareTaS(a %aa&a-' 9
(aui>aifr0 k6ari(aT'a $auh8Tag du0iYTaae+%a'Ta2 99 Z\ 99
tasya nirhara5'd$ni
sam"aretasya bh'rga(a
y!dhi.<hira* k'rayit('
m!h0rta- d!*khito 2bha(at
S(#O#($S
tasyaZhisV nirhara5a%'d$niZfuneral ceremonyV sam"aretasya
Zof the dead bodyV bh'rga(aZ9 descendant of %h?guV
y!dhi.<hira*ZMah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraV k'rayit('Zhaving
performed itV m!h0rtamZfor a momentV d!*khita*ZsorryV
abha(atZbecame.
T-A#SLATIO#
O descendant of KhDgu OAaunaka3, after perfor@ing funeral rituals
for the dead body of KhBE@ade'a, $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira Jas
@o@entarily o'ertaken Jith griefH
P8-PO-T
%h=@madeva was not only a great family head of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, but also he was a great philosopher and friend
to him, his brothers and his mother. $ince Mah"r"2a 1"AQu,
the father of the five brothers headed by Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, had died, %h=@madeva was the most
affectionate grandfather of the 1"AQavas and caretaker of
the widow daughter'in'law >unt=dev=. Although Mah"r"2a
7h?tar"@Tra, the elder uncle of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, was
there to look after them, his affection was more on the side
of his hundred sons, headed by 7uryodhana. Rltimately a
colossal cli(ue was fabricated to deprive the five fatherless
brothers of the rightful claim of the kingdom of Hastin"pura.
There was great intrigue, common in imperial palaces, and
the five brothers were e:iled to the wilderness. %ut
%h=@madeva was always a sincerely sympathetic well'
wisher, grandfather, friend and philosopher to Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, even up to the last moment of his life. He died
very happily by seeing Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira to the throne,
otherwise he would have long ago (uitted his material body,
instead of suffering agony over the undue sufferings of the
1"AQavas. He was simply waiting for the opportune moment
because he was sure and certain that the sons of 1"AQu
would come out victorious in the %attlefield of >uruk@etra, as
His Eordship <r= >?@Aa was their protector. As a devotee of
the Eord, he knew that the EordJs devotee cannot be
van(uished at any time. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was (uite
aware of all these good wishes of %h=@madeva, and
therefore he must have been feeling the great separation.
He was sorry for the separation of a great soul, and not for
the material body which %h=@madeva relin(uished. The
funeral ceremony was a necessary duty, although
%h=@madeva was a liberated soul. $ince %h=@madeva was
without issue, the eldest grandson, namely Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, was the rightful person to perform this
ceremony. t was a great boon to %h=@madeva that an
e(ually great son of the family undertook the last rites of a
great man.
T!T Z]
Taunu'u$au-#a(aae 5na0 k:6.Qa; Tad2&au7#aa$ai%a0 9
TaTaSTae k:6.Qa5d(aa0 S'aBO$aa#a2 PaO(a(au0 Pau#a0 99 Z] 99
t!.<!(!r m!nayo h4.<'*
k4.5a- tad%g!hya%n'mabhi*
tatas te k4.5a%h4day'*
s('1ram'n "rayay!* "!na*
S(#O#($S
t!.<!(!*ZsatisfiedV m!naya*Zthe great sages, headed by
!y"sadeva, etc.V h4.<'*Zall in a happy moodV k4.5amZunto
Eord >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odheadV tatZHisV g!hyaZ
confidentialV n'mabhi*Zby His holy name, etc.V tata*Z
thereafterV teZtheyV k4.5a%h4day'*Zpersons who always
bear Eord >?@Aa in their heartsV s(a%'1ram'nZto their
respective hermitagesV "rayay!*ZreturnedV "!na*Zagain.
T-A#SLATIO#
All the great sages then glorified Lord ArB CDEFa, Jho Jas present
there, by confidential Gedic hy@nsH Then all of the@ returned to
their respecti'e her@itages, bearing alJays Lord CDEFa Jithin
their heartsH
P8-PO-T
The devotees of the Eord are always in the heart of the Eord,
and the Eord is always in the hearts of the devotees. That is
the sweet relation between the Eord and His devotees. 7ue
to unalloyed love and devotion for the Eord, the devotees
always see Him within themselves, and the Eord also,
although He has nothing to do and nothing to aspire to, is
always busy in attending to the welfare of His devotees. Hor
the ordinary living beings the law of nature is there for all
actions and reactions, but He is always an:ious to put His
devotees on the right path. The devotees, therefore, are
under the direct care of the Eord. And the Eord also
voluntarily puts Himself under the care of His devotees only.
$o all the sages, headed by !y"sadeva, were devotees of
the Eord, and therefore they chanted the !edic hymns after
the funeral ceremony 2ust to please the Eord, who was
present there personally. All the !edic hymns are chanted to
please Eord >?@Aa. This is confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t'
3,B.,B6. All the /edas, 7"ani.ads, /ed'nta, etc., are seeking
Him only, and all hymns are for glorifying Him only. The
sages, therefore, performed the e:act acts suitable for the
purpose, and they happily departed for their respective
hermitages.
T!T Z^
TaTaae (aui>aifrae &aT'a Sahk:6.Qaae &a)aa(a$a2 9
iPaTar; Saa#T'(aa$aaSa &aa#>aar?; c TaPaiS'#a?$a2 99 Z^ 99
tato y!dhi.<hiro gat('
saha%k4.5o ga)'h(ayam
"itara- s'nt(ay'm 'sa
g'ndh'r$- ca ta"as(in$m
S(#O#($S
tata*ZthereafterV y!dhi.<hira*ZMah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraV gat('
Zgoing thereV sahaZwithV k4.5a*Zthe EordV ga)'h(ayamZin
the capital named 8a2"hvaya Hastin"puraV "itaramZunto his
uncle 37h?tar"@Tra6V s'nt(ay'm 'saZconsoledV g'ndh'r$mZ
the wife of 7h?tar"@TraV caZandV ta"as(in$mZan ascetic
lady.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter, $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira at once Jent to his capital,
IastinLpura, acco@panied by Lord ArB CDEFa, and there he
consoled his uncle and aunt &LndhLrB, Jho Jas an asceticH
P8-PO-T
7h?tar"@Tra and 8"ndh"r=, the father and the mother of
7uryodhana and his brothers, were the elder uncle and aunt
of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. After the %attle of >uruk@etra, the
celebrated couple, having lost all their sons and grandsons,
were under the care of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. They were
passing their days in great agony over such a heavy loss of
life and were practically living the life of ascetics. The death
news of %h=@madeva, uncle of 7h?tar"@Tra, was another
great shock for the >ing and the ùeen, and therefore they
re(uired solace from Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira was conscious of his duty, and he at once
hurried to the spot with Eord >?@Aa and satisfied the
bereaved 7h?tar"@Tra with kind words, from both himself
and the Eord also.
8"ndh"r= was a powerful ascetic, although she was living
the life of a faithful wife and a kind mother. t is said that
8"ndh"r= also voluntarily closed her eyes because of the
blindness of her husband. A wifeJs duty is to follow the
husband cent percent. And 8"ndh"r= was so true to her
husband that she followed him even in his perpetual
blindness. Therefore in her actions she was a great ascetic.
%esides that, the shock she suffered because of the
wholesale killing of her one hundred sons and her grandsons
also was certainly too much for a woman. %ut she suffered
all this 2ust like an ascetic. 8"ndh"r=, although a woman, is
no less than %h=@madeva in character. They are both
remarkable personalities in the 8ah'bh'rata.
T!T Z_
iPa<aa ca#au$aTaae ra)aa 'aSaude'a#au$aaeidTa0 9
ck6ar ra)(a; >a$ae-Qa iPaTa:PaTaa$ah; i'%au0 99 Z_ 99
"itr' c'n!mato r')'
('s!de('n!modita*
cak'ra r')ya- dharme5a
"it4%"ait'maha- (ibh!*
S(#O#($S
"itr'Zby his uncle, 7h?tar"@TraV caZandV an!mata*Zwith
his approvalV r')'Z>ing Xudhi@ThiraV ('s!de(a%an!modita*Z
confirmed by Eord <r= >?@AaV cak'raZe:ecutedV r')yamZthe
kingdomV dharme5aZin compliance with the codes of royal
principlesV "it4ZfatherV "ait'mahamZforefatherV (ibh!*Zas
great as.
T-A#SLATIO#
After this, the great religious Cing, $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira,
eMecuted the royal poJer in the kingdo@ strictly according to the
codes and royal principles appro'ed by his uncle and confir@ed by
Lord ArB CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was not a mere ta: collector. He was
always conscious of his duty as a king, which is no less than
that of a father or spiritual master. The king is to see to the
welfare of the citi)ens from all angles of social, political,
economic and spiritual upliftment. The king must know that
human life is meant for liberating the encaged soul from the
bondage of material conditions, and therefore his duty is to
see that the citi)ens are properly looked after to attain this
highest stage of perfection.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira followed these principles strictly, as
will be seen from the ne:t chapter. Kot only did he follow the
principles, but he also got approval from his old uncle, who
was e:perienced in political affairs, and that was also
confirmed by Eord >?@Aa, the speaker of the philosophy of
&haga(ad%g$t'.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira is the ideal monarch, and monarchy
under a trained king like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira is by far the
most superior form of government, superior to modern
republics or governments of the people, by the people. The
mass of people, especially in this age of >ali, are all born
10dras, basically lowborn, ill'trained, unfortunate and badly
associated. They themselves do not know the highest
perfectional aim of life. Therefore, votes cast by them
actually have no value, and thus persons elected by such
irresponsible votes cannot be responsible representatives
like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto, Ninth
9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KThe "assing
Pway of &h$.made(a in the "resence of :ord A4.5a.M
Chapter Ten
>eparture of Lord CDEFa for >'LrakL
T!T "
!aa#ak6 o'ac
hT'a S'irCQaSPa:>a AaTaTaai(a#aae
(aui>aifrae >a$a-%a:Taa; 'irf0 9
Saha#au)a0 PaOT(a'Dp%aae)a#a0
k6Qa; PaO':ta0 ik6$ak6ar=?taTa0 99 " 99
1a!naka !('ca
hat(' s(ariktha%s"4dha 'tat'yino
y!dhi.<hiro dharma%bh4t'- (ari.<ha*
sah'n!)ai* "ratya(ar!ddha%bho)ana*
katha- "ra(4tta* kim ak'ra.$t tata*
S(#O#($S
1a!naka* !('caZ<aunaka in(uiredV hat('Zafter killingV
s(arikthaZthe legal inheritanceV s"4dha*Zdesiring to usurpV
'tat'yina*Zthe aggressorV y!dhi.<hira*Z>ing Xudhi@ThiraV
dharma%bh4t'mZof those who strictly follow religious
principlesV (ari.<ha*ZgreatestV saha%an!)ai*Zwith his
younger brothersV "ratya(ar!ddhaZrestrictedV bho)ana*Z
acceptance of necessitiesV kathamZhowV "ra(4tta*Z
engagedV kimZwhatV ak'ra.$tZe:ecutedV tata*Zthereafter.
T-A#SLATIO#
Aaunaka $uni askede After killing his ene@ies Jho desired to
usurp his rightful inheritance, hoJ did the greatest of all religious
@en, $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, assisted by his brothers, rule his
sub/ectsW Surely he could not freely en/oy his kingdo@ Jith
unrestricted consciousnessH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was the greatest of all men of religion.
Thus he was not at all inclined to fight with his cousins for
the sake of en2oying the kingdomC he fought for the right
cause because the kingdom of Hastin"pura was his rightful
inheritance and his cousins wanted to usurp it for
themselves. He fought, therefore, for the right cause under
the guidance of Eord <r= >?@Aa, but he could not en2oy the
results of his victory because his cousins were all killed in
the fight. He therefore ruled over the kingdom as a matter of
duty, assisted by his younger brothers. The in(uiry was
important for <aunaka _@i, who wanted to know about the
behavior of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira when he was at ease to
en2oy the kingdom.
T!T N
Sa8Ta o'ac
';!a; ku6rae'g!ad'ai&ani#a5-Ta;
Sa;raehi(aT'a %a'%aa'#aae hir0 9
i#a'e!ai(aT'a i#a)ara)(a J-Trae
(aui>aifr; PaO?Ta$a#aa b%a8' h 99 N 99
s0ta !('ca
(a-1a- k!ror (a-1a%da('gni%nirh4ta-
sa-rohayit(' bha(a%bh'(ano hari*
ni(e1ayit(' ni)a%r')ya $1(aro
y!dhi.<hira- "r$ta%man' babh0(a ha
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= repliedV (a-1amZdynastyV k!ro*
Zof >ing >uruV (a-1a%da(a%agniZa forest fire set by the
bamboosV nirh4tamZe:haustedV sa-rohayit('Zseedling of
the dynastyV bha(a%bh'(ana*Zthe maintainer of creationV
hari*Zthe 1ersonality of 8odhead, <r= >?@AaV ni(e1ayit('Z
having reestablishedV ni)a%r')yeZin his own kingdomV $1(ara*
Zthe $upreme EordV y!dhi.<hiramZunto Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@ThiraV "r$ta%man'*Zpleased in His mindV babh0(a haZ
became.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Lord ArB CDEFa, the Supre@e Personality of
&odhead, Jho is the @aintainer of the Jorld, beca@e pleased after
reestablishing $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira in his oJn kingdo@ and after
restoring the Curu dynasty, Jhich had been eMhausted by the
ba@boo fire of angerH
P8-PO-T
This world is compared to a forest fire caused by the
cohesion of bamboo bushes. $uch a forest fire takes place
automatically, for bamboo cohesion occurs without e:ternal
cause. $imilarly, in the material world the wrath of those
who want to lord it over material nature interacts, and the
fire of war takes place, e:hausting the unwanted population.
$uch fires or wars take place, and the Eord has nothing to do
with them. %ut because He wants to maintain the creation,
He desires the mass of people to follow the right path of self'
reali)ation, which enables the living beings to enter into the
kingdom of 8od. The Eord wants the suffering human beings
to come back home, back to Him, and cease to suffer the
threefold material pangs. The whole plan of creation is made
in that way, and one who does not come to his senses
suffers in the material world by pangs inflicted by the illusory
energy of the Eord. The Eord therefore wants His bona fide
representative to rule the world. Eord <r= >?@Aa descended
to establish this sort of regime and to kill the unwanted
persons who have nothing to do with His plan. The %attle of
>uruk@etra was fought according to the plan of the Eord so
that undesirable persons could get out of the world and a
peaceful kingdom under His devotee could be established.
The Eord was therefore fully satisfied when >ing Xudhi@Thira
was on the throne and the seedling of the dynasty of >uru, in
the person of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, was saved.
T!T X
i#a!a$(a %a?.$aaev6$aQaaC(auTaaev;6
PaO':tai'/a#ai'>a8Tai'%a3$a0 9
!a!aaSa &aai$a#d3 J'ai)aTaaBO(a0
Pair>(auPaa#Taa$a#au)aa#au'iTa-Ta0 99 X 99
ni1amya bh$.moktam ath'cy!tokta-
"ra(4tta%(i),'na%(idh0ta%(ibhrama*
1a1'sa g'm indra i(')it'1raya*
"aridhy!"'nt'm an!)'n!(artita*
S(#O#($S
ni1amyaZafter listeningV bh$.ma%!ktamZwhat was spoken by
%h=@madevaV athaZas alsoV acy!ta%!ktamZwhat was spoken
by the infallible Eord >?@AaV "ra(4ttaZbeing engaged inV
(i),'naZperfect knowledgeV (idh0taZcompletely washedV
(ibhrama*Zall misgivingsV 1a1'saZruled overV g'mZthe
earthV indraZthe king of the heavenly planetV i(aZlikeV a)ita%
'1raya*Zprotected by the invincible EordV "aridhi%!"'nt'mZ
including the seasV an!)aZthe younger brothersV an!(artita*
Zbeing followed by them.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, after being enlightened by Jhat Jas
spoken by KhBE@ade'a and Lord ArB CDEFa, the infallible, engaged
hi@self in @atters of perfect knoJledge because all his @isgi'ings
Jere eradicatedH Thus he ruled o'er the earth and seas and Jas
folloJed by his younger brothersH
P8-PO-T
The modern ;nglish law of primogeniture, or the law of
inheritance by the firstborn, was also prevalent in those days
when Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira ruled the earth and seas. n
those days the >ing of Hastin"pura 3now part of Kew 7elhi6
was the emperor of the world, including the seas, up to the
time of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, the grandson of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraJs younger brothers were
acting as his ministers and commanders of state, and there
was full cooperation between the perfectly religious brothers
of the >ing. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was the ideal king or
representative of Eord <r= >?@Aa to rule over the kingdom of
earth and was comparable to >ing ndra, the representative
ruler of the heavenly planets. The demigods like ndra,
*andra, $Lrya, !aruAa and !"yu are representative kings of
different planets of the universe, and similarly Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira was also one of them, ruling over the kingdom
of the earth. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was not a typically
unenlightened political leader of modern democracy.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was instructed by %h=@madeva and
the infallible Eord also, and therefore he had full knowledge
of everything in perfection.
The modern elected e:ecutive head of a state is 2ust like a
puppet because he has no kingly power. ;ven if he is
enlightened like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, he cannot do
anything out of his own good will due to his constitutional
position. Therefore, there are so many states over the earth
(uarreling because of ideological differences or other selfish
motives. %ut a king like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira had no
ideology of his own. He had but to follow the instructions of
the infallible Eord and the EordJs representative and the
authori)ed agent, %h=@madeva. t is instructed in the 1'stras
that one should follow the great authority and the infallible
Eord without any personal motive and manufactured
ideology. Therefore, it was possible for Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira
to rule the whole world, including the seas, because the
principles were infallible and universally applicable to
everyone. The conception of one world state can only be
fulfilled if we can follow the infallible authority. An imperfect
human being cannot create an ideology acceptable to
everyone. 9nly the perfect and the infallible can create a
program which is applicable at every place and can be
followed by all in the world. t is the person who rules, and
not the impersonal government. f the person is perfect, the
government is perfect. f the person is a fool, the
government is a foolJs paradise. That is the law of nature.
There are so many stories of imperfect kings or e:ecutive
heads. Therefore, the e:ecutive head must be a trained
person like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, and he must have the full
autocratic power to rule over the world. The conception of a
world state can take shape only under the regime of a
perfect king like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. The world was happy
in those days because there were kings like Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira to rule over the world.
T!T Z
k6a$a; ''=- Pa)a-#(a0 Sa'-k6a$adugaa $ah? 9
iSai=cu0 S$a '3)aa#a2 &aa'0 Pa(aSaae>aS'Ta?$au-da 99 Z 99
k'ma- (a(ar.a "ar)anya*
sar(a%k'ma%d!gh' mah$
si.ic!* sma (ra)'n g'(a*
"ayasodhas(at$r m!d'
S(#O#($S
k'mamZeverything neededV (a(ar.aZwas showeredV
"ar)anya*ZrainsV sar(aZeverythingV k'maZnecessitiesV
d!gh'ZproducerV mah$Zthe landV si.ic!* smaZmoistenV
(ra)'nZpasturing groundsV g'(a*Zthe cowV "ayas'
!dhas(at$*Zdue to swollen milk bagsV m!d'Zbecause of a
2oyful attitude.
T-A#SLATIO#
>uring the reign of $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, the clouds shoJered all
the Jater that people needed, and the earth produced all the
necessities of @an in profusionH >ue to its fatty @ilk bag and
cheerful attitude, the coJ used to @oisten the gra=ing ground Jith
@ilkH
P8-PO-T
The basic principle of economic development is centered on
land and cows. The necessities of human society are food
grains, fruits, milk, minerals, clothing, wood, etc. 9ne
re(uires all these items to fulfill the material needs of the
body. *ertainly one does not re(uire flesh and fish or iron
tools and machinery. 7uring the regime of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, all over the world there were regulated
rainfalls. 0ainfalls are not in the control of the human being.
The heavenly >ing ndradeva is the controller of rains, and
he is the servant of the Eord. When the Eord is obeyed by the
king and the people under the kingJs administration, there
are regulated rains from the hori)on, and these rains are the
causes of all varieties of production on the land. Kot only do
regulated rains help ample production of grains and fruits,
but when they combine with astronomical influences there is
ample production of valuable stones and pearls. 8rains and
vegetables can sumptuously feed a man and animals, and a
fatty cow delivers enough milk to supply a man sumptuously
with vigor and vitality. f there is enough milk, enough
grains, enough fruit, enough cotton, enough silk and enough
2ewels, then why do the people need cinemas, houses of
prostitution, slaughterhouses, etc.? What is the need of an
artificial lu:urious life of cinema, cars, radio, flesh and
hotels? Has this civili)ation produced anything but (uarreling
individually and nationally? Has this civili)ation enhanced
the cause of e(uality and fraternity by sending thousands of
men into a hellish factory and the war fields at the whims of
a particular man?
t is said here that the cows used to moisten the pasturing
land with milk because their milk bags were fatty and the
animals were 2oyful. 7o they not re(uire, therefore, proper
protection for a 2oyful life by being fed with a sufficient
(uantity of grass in the field? Why should men kill cows for
their selfish purposes? Why should man not be satisfied with
grains, fruits and milk, which, combined together, can
produce hundreds and thousands of palatable dishes. Why
are there slaughterhouses all over the world to kill innocent
animals? Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, grandson of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, while touring his vast kingdom, saw a black
man attempting to kill a cow. The >ing at once arrested the
butcher and chastised him sufficiently. $hould not a king or
e:ecutive head protect the lives of the poor animals who are
unable to defend themselves? s this humanity? Are not the
animals of a country citi)ens also? Then why are they
allowed to be butchered in organi)ed slaughterhouses? Are
these the signs of e(uality, fraternity and nonviolence?
Therefore, in contrast with the modern, advanced, civili)ed
form of government, an autocracy like Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@ThiraJs is by far superior to a so'called democracy in
which animals are killed and a man less than an animal is
allowed to cast votes for another less'than'animal man.
We are all creatures of material nature. n the &haga(ad%g$t'
it is said that the Eord Himself is the seed'giving father and
material nature is the mother of all li(ing beings in all sha"es.
Thus mother material nature has enough foodstuff both for
animals and for men, by the grace of the Hather Almighty,
<r= >?@Aa. The human being is the elder brother of all other
living beings. He is endowed with intelligence more powerful
than animals for reali)ing the course of nature and the
indications of the Almighty Hather. Human civili)ations
should depend on the production of material nature without
artificially attempting economic development to turn the
world into a chaos of artificial greed and power only for the
purpose of artificial lu:uries and sense gratification. This is
but the life of dogs and hogs.
T!T [
#a*0 Sa$aud3a i&ar(a0 Sa'#aSPaiTa'?D>a0 9
f6lR#T(aae=>a(a0 Sa'a-0 k6a$a$a#':Tau TaS(a ' 99 [ 99
nadya* sam!dr' giraya*
sa(anas"ati%($r!dha*
"halanty o.adhaya* sar('*
k'mam an(4t! tasya (ai
S(#O#($S
nadya*ZriversV sam!dr'*ZoceansV giraya*Zhills and
mountainsV sa(anas"atiZvegetablesV ($r!dha*ZcreepersV
"halantiZactiveV o.adhaya*ZdrugsV sar('*ZallV k'mamZ
necessitiesV an(4t!ZseasonalV tasyaZfor the >ingV (aiZ
certainly.
T-A#SLATIO#
The ri'ers, oceans, hills, @ountains, forests, creepers and acti'e
drugs, in e'ery season, paid their taM ?uota to the Cing in
profusionH
P8-PO-T
$ince Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was under the protection of the
a)ita, the infallible Eord, as above mentioned, the properties
of the Eord, namely the rivers, oceans, hills, forests, etc.,
were all pleased, and they used to supply their respective
(uota of ta:es to the >ing. The secret to success is to take
ref!ge !nder the "rotection of the S!"reme :ord. Without His
sanction, nothing can be possible. To make economic
development by our own endeavors on the strength of tools
and machinery is not all. The sanction of the $upreme Eord
must be there, otherwise despite all instrumental
arrangements everything will be unsuccessful. The ultimate
cause of success is the dai(a, the $upreme. >ings like
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira knew perfectly well that the king is the
agent of the $upreme Eord to look after the welfare of the
mass of people. Actually the state belongs to the $upreme
Eord. The rivers, oceans, forests, hills, drugs, etc., are not
creations of man. They are all creations of the $upreme Eord,
and the living being is allowed to make use of the property
of the Eord for the service of the Eord. TodayJs slogan is that
everything is for the people, and therefore the government
is for the people and by the people. %ut to produce a new
species of humanity at the present moment on the basis of
8od consciousness and perfection of human life, the
ideology of godly communism, the world has to again follow
in the footsteps of kings like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira or
1ar=k@it. There is enough of everything by the will of the
Eord, and we can make proper use of things to live
comfortably without enmity between men, or animal and
man or nature. The control of the Eord is everywhere, and if
the Eord is pleased, every part of nature will be pleased. The
river will flow profusely to fertili)e the landV the oceans will
supply sufficient (uantities of minerals, pearls and 2ewelsV
the forest will supply sufficient wood, drugs and vegetables,
and the seasonal changes will effectively help produce fruits
and flowers in profuse (uantity. The artificial way of living
depending on factories and tools can render so'called
happiness only to a limited number at the cost of millions.
$ince the energy of the mass of people is engaged in factory
production, the natural products are being hampered, and
for this the mass is unhappy. Without being educated
properly, the mass of people are following in the footsteps of
the vested interests by e:ploiting natural reserves, and
therefore there is acute competition between individual and
individual and nation and nation. There is no control by the
trained agent of the Eord. We must look into the defects of
modern civili)ation by comparison here, and should follow in
the footsteps of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira to cleanse man and
wipe out anachronisms.
T!T \
#aa>a(aae G(aa>a(a0 e6!aa d'%a8TaaT$aheTa'0 9
A)aaTa!a<aa'%a'#a2 )a#Ta8#aa; rai/ k6ih-icTa2 99 \ 99
n'dhayo (y'dhaya* kle1'
dai(a%bh0t'tma%heta(a*
a)'ta%1atr'( abha(an
)ant0n'- r'),i karhicit
S(#O#($S
naZneverV 'dhaya*Zan:ietiesV (y'dhaya*ZdiseasesV kle1'*Z
trouble due to e:cessive heat and coldV dai(a%bh0ta%'tmaZall
due to the body, supernatural power and other living beingsV
heta(a*Zdue to the cause ofV a)'ta%1atra!Zunto one who has
no enemyV abha(anZhappenedV )ant0n'mZof the living
beingsV r'),iZunto the >ingV karhicitZat any time.
T-A#SLATIO#
Kecause of the Cingrs ha'ing no ene@y, the li'ing beings Jere not
at any ti@e disturbed by @ental agonies, diseases, or eMcessi'e
heat or coldH
P8-PO-T
To be nonviolent to human beings and to be a killer or
enemy of the poor animals is $atanJs philosophy. n this age
there is enmity toward poor animals, and therefore the poor
creatures are always an:ious. The reaction of the poor
animals is being forced on human society, and therefore
there is always the strain of cold or hot war between men,
individually, collectively or nationally. At the time of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, there were no different nations,
although there were different subordinate states. The whole
world was united, and the supreme head, being a trained
king like Xudhi@Thira, kept all the inhabitants free from
an:iety, diseases and e:cessive heat and cold. They were
not only economically well'to'do, but also physically fit and
undisturbed by supernatural power, by enmity from other
living beings and by disturbance of bodily and mental
agonies. There is a proverb in %engali that a bad king spoils
the kingdom and a bad housewife spoils the family. This
truth is applicable here also. %ecause the >ing was pious and
obedient to the Eord and sages, because he was no oneJs
enemy and because he was a recogni)ed agent of the Eord
and therefore protected by Him, all the citi)ens under the
>ingJs protection were, so to speak, directly protected by the
Eord and His authori)ed agents. Rnless one is pious and
recogni)ed by the Eord, he cannot make others happy who
are under his care. There is full cooperation between man
and 8od and man and nature, and this conscious
cooperation between man and 8od and man and nature, as
e:emplified by >ing Xudhi@Thira, can bring about happiness,
peace and prosperity in the world. The attitude of e:ploiting
one another, the custom of the day, will only bring misery.
T!T ]
oi=T'a haiSTa#aPaure $aaSaa#a2 k6iTaPa(aa#a2 hir0 9
Sau5da; c i'!aaek6a(a S'Sau, iPaO(ak6a$(a(aa 99 ] 99
!.it(' h'stina"!re
m's'n kati"ay'n hari*
s!h4d'- ca (i1ok'ya
s(as!1 ca "riya%k'myay'
S(#O#($S
!.it('ZstayingV h'stina"!reZin the city of Hastin"puraV
m's'nZmonthsV kati"ay'nZa fewV hari*ZEord <r= >?@AaV
s!h4d'mZrelativesV caZalsoV (i1ok'yaZfor pacifying themV
s(as!*Zthe sisterV caZandV "riya%k'myay'Zfor pleasing.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Iari, Lord ArB CDEFa, resided at IastinLpura for a feJ @onths
to pacify Iis relati'es and please Iis oJn sister OSubhadrL3H
P8-PO-T
>?@Aa was to start for 7v"rak", His own kingdom, after the
%attle of >uruk@etra and Xudhi@ThiraJs being enthroned, but
to oblige the re(uest of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and to show
special mercy to %h=@madeva, Eord >?@Aa stopped at
Hastin"pura, the capital of the 1"AQavas. The Eord decided
to stay especially to pacify the aggrieved >ing as well as to
please $ubhadr", sister of Eord <r= >?@Aa. $ubhadr" was
especially to be pacified because she lost her only son,
Abhimanyu, who was 2ust married. The boy left his wife,
Rttar", mother of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. The Eord is always
pleased to satisfy His devotees in any capacity. 9nly His
devotees can play the parts of His relatives. The Eord is
absolute.
T!T ^
Aa$a#<(a ca%(a#au/aTa0 Pair.')(aai%a'a* Ta$a2 9
AaDraeh rQa; k6i,TPair.'v6ae+i%a'aidTa0 99 ^ 99
'mantrya c'bhyan!),'ta*
"ari.(a)y'bhi('dya tam
'r!roha ratha- kai1cit
"ari.(akto 2bhi('dita*
S(#O#($S
'mantryaZtaking permissionV caZandV abhyan!),'ta*Zbeing
permittedV "ari.(a)yaZembracingV abhi('dyaZbowing down
at the feetV tamZunto Mah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraV 'r!rohaZ
ascendedV rathamZthe chariotV kai1citZby someoneV
"ari.(akta*Zbeing embracedV abhi('dita*Zbeing offered
obeisances.
T-A#SLATIO#
AfterJards, Jhen the Lord asked per@ission to depart and the
Cing ga'e it, the Lord offered Iis respects to $ahLrL/a
(udhiEhira by boJing doJn at his feet, and the Cing e@braced
Ii@H After this the Lord, being e@braced by others and recei'ing
their obeisances, got into Iis chariotH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was the elder cousin of Eord >?@Aa,
and therefore while departing from him the Eord bowed
down at the >ingJs feet. The >ing embraced Him as a
younger brother, although the >ing knew perfectly well that
>?@Aa is the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. The Eord
takes pleasure when some of His devotees accept Him as
less important in terms of love. Ko one is greater than or
e(ual to the Eord, but He takes pleasure in being treated as
younger than His devotees. These are all transcendental
pastimes of the Eord. The impersonalist cannot enter into the
supernatural roles played by the devotee of the Eord.
Thereafter %h=ma and Ar2una embraced the Eord because
they were of the same age, but Kakula and $ahadeva bowed
down before the Eord because they were younger than He.
T!TS _"`
Sau%ad3a d3aPad? ku6#Ta? i'ra1uTa#a(aa TaQaa 9
&aa#>aar? >a:Taran|, (au(auTSau&aa{Ta$aae (a$aa 99 _ 99
':k6aedr, >aa$(a, iE(aae $aTS(aSauTaad(a0 9
#a Saeihre i'$au7#Taae i'rh; !aal->a#'#a0 99 "` 99
s!bhadr' dra!"ad$ k!nt$
(ir'<a%tanay' tath'
g'ndh'r$ dh4tar'.<ra1 ca
y!y!ts!r ga!tamo yama!
(4kodara1 ca dha!mya1 ca
striyo matsya%s!t'daya*
na sehire (im!hyanto
(iraha- 1'r3ga%dhan(ana*
S(#O#($S
s!bhadr'Zthe sister of >?@AaV dra!"ad$Zthe wife of the
1"AQavasV k!nt$Zthe mother of the 1"AQavasV (ir'<a%tanay'
Zthe daughter of !ir"Ta 3Rttar"6V tath'ZalsoV g'ndh'r$Zthe
mother of 7uryodhanaV dh4tar'.<ra*Zthe father of
7uryodhanaV caZandV y!y!ts!*Zthe son of 7h?tar"@Tra by
his (ai1ya wifeV ga!tama*Z>?p"c"ryaV yama!Zthe twin
brothers Kakula and $ahadevaV (4kodara*Z%h=maV caZandV
dha!mya*Z7haumyaV caZandV striya*Zalso other ladies of
the palaceV matsya%s!t'%'daya*Zthe daughter of a fisherman
3$atyavat=, %h=@maJs stepmother6V naZcould notV sehireZ
tolerateV (im!hyanta*Zalmost faintingV (irahamZseparationV
1'r3ga%dhan(ana*Zof <r= >?@Aa, who bears a conch in His
hand.
T-A#SLATIO#
At that ti@e SubhadrL, >raupadB, CuntB, 8ttarL, &LndhLrB,
>hDtarLEra, (uyutsu, CDpLcLrya, #akula, Sahade'a, KhB@asena,
>hau@ya and Satya'atB all nearly fainted because it Jas
i@possible for the@ to bear separation fro@ Lord CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa is so attractive for the living beings,
especially for the devotees, that it is impossible for them to
tolerate separation. The conditioned soul under the spell of
illusory energy forgets the Eord, otherwise he cannot. The
feeling of such separation cannot be described, but it can
simply be imagined by devotees only. After His separation
from !?nd"vana and the innocent rural cowherd boys, girls,
ladies and others, they all felt shock throughout their lives,
and the separation of 0"dh"r"A=, the most beloved cowherd
girl, is beyond e:pression. 9nce they met at >uruk@etra
during a solar eclipse, and the feeling which was e:pressed
by them is heartrending. There is, of course, a difference in
the (ualities of the transcendental devotees of the Eord, but
none of them who have ever contacted the Eord by direct
communion or otherwise can leave Him for a moment. That
is the attitude of the pure devotee.
T!TS """N
SaTSala#$auv6du0Salae haTau; #aaeTSahTae bu>a0 9
k6IT(a-$aa#a; (a!aae (aS(a Sak:6dak6Q(a- raec#a$a2 99 "" 99
TaiS$a##(aSTai>a(a0 PaaQaa-0 Saher#a2 i'rh; k6Qa$a2 9
d!a-#aSPa!a-Sa;lRaPa!a(a#aaSa#a%aae)a#a0 99 "N 99
sat%sa3g'n m!kta%d!*sa3go
h't!- notsahate b!dha*
k$rtyam'na- ya1o yasya
sak4d 'kar5ya rocanam
tasmin nyasta%dhiya* "'rth'*
saheran (iraha- katham
dar1ana%s"ar1a%sa-l'"a%
1ayan'sana%bho)anai*
S(#O#($S
sat%sa3g'tZby the association of pure devoteesV m!kta%
d!*sa3ga*Zfreed from bad materialistic associationV h't!mZ
to give upV na !tsahateZnever attemptsV b!dha*Zone who
has understood the EordV k$rtyam'namZglorifyingV ya1a*Z
fameV yasyaZwhoseV sak4tZonce onlyV 'kar5yaZhearing onlyV
rocanamZpleasingV tasminZunto HimV nyasta%dhiya*Zone
who has given his mind unto HimV "'rth'*Zthe sons of
1?th"V saheranZcan tolerateV (irahamZseparationV kathamZ
howV dar1anaZseeing face to faceV s"ar1aZtouchingV sa-l'"a
ZconversingV 1ayanaZsleepingV 'sanaZsittingV bho)anai*Z
dining together.
T-A#SLATIO#
The intelligent, Jho ha'e understood the Supre@e Lord in
association Jith pure de'otees and ha'e beco@e freed fro@ bad
@aterialistic association, can ne'er a'oid hearing the glories of the
Lord, e'en though they ha'e heard the@ only onceH IoJ, then,
could the PLFha'as tolerate Iis separation, for they had been
inti@ately associated Jith Iis person, seeing Ii@ face to face,
touching Ii@, con'ersing Jith Ii@, and sleeping, sitting and
dining Jith Ii@W
P8-PO-T
The living beingJs constitutional position is one of serving a
superior. He is obliged to serve by force the dictates of
illusory material energy in different phases of sense
gratification. And in serving the senses he is never tired.
;ven though he may be tired, the illusory energy perpetually
forces him to do so without being satisfied. There is no end
to such sense gratificatory business, and the conditioned
soul becomes entangled in such servitude without hope of
release. The release is only effected by association with pure
devotees. %y such association one is gradually promoted to
his transcendental consciousness. Thus he can know that his
eternal position is to render service unto the Eord and not to
the perverted senses in the capacity of lust, anger, desire to
lord it over, etc. Material society, friendship and love are all
different phases of lust. Home, country, family, society,
wealth and all sorts of corollaries are all causes of bondage
in the material world, where the threefold miseries of life are
concomitant factors. %y associating with pure devotees and
by hearing them submissively, attachment for material
en2oyment becomes slackened, and attraction for hearing
about the transcendental activities of the Eord becomes
prominent. 9nce they are, they will go on progressively
without stoppage, like fire in gunpowder. t is said that Hari,
the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is so transcendentally attractive
that even those who are self'satisfied by self'reali)ation and
are factually liberated from all material bondage also
become devotees of the Eord. Rnder the circumstances it is
easily understood what must have been the position of the
1"AQavas, who were constant companions of the Eord. They
could not even think of separation from <r= >?@Aa, since the
attraction was more intense for them because of continuous
personal contact. His remembrance by His form, (uality,
name, fame, pastimes, etc., is also attractive for the pure
devotee, so much so that he forgets all forms, (uality, name,
fame and activities of the mundane world, and due to his
mature association with pure devotees he is not out of
contact with the Eord for a moment.
T!T "X
Sa'e- Tae+i#ai$a=rUaSTa$a#aud3uTaceTaSa0 9
'?Ua#Ta0 hehSa$bpa i'celuRSTa<a Ta<a h 99 "X 99
sar(e te 2nimi.air ak.ais
tam an! dr!ta%cetasa*
($k.anta* sneha%sambaddh'
(icel!s tatra tatra ha
S(#O#($S
sar(eZallV teZtheyV animi.ai*Zwithout twinkling of the eyesV
ak.ai*Zby the eyeV tam an!Zafter HimV dr!ta%cetasa*Z
melted heartV ($k.anta*Zlooking upon HimV sneha%
sambaddh'*Zbound by pure affectionV (icel!*Zbegan to
moveV tatra tatraZhere and thereV haZso they did.
T-A#SLATIO#
All their hearts Jere @elting for Ii@ on the pot of attractionH They
looked at Ii@ Jithout blinking their eyes, and they @o'ed hither
and thither in perpleMityH
P8-PO-T
>?@Aa is naturally attractive for all living beings because He
is the chief eternal amongst all eternals. He alone is the
maintainer of the many eternals. This is stated in the Aa<ha
7"ani.ad, and thus one can obtain permanent peace and
prosperity by revival of oneJs eternal relation with Him, now
forgotten under the spell of m'y', the illusory energy of the
Eord. 9nce this relation is slightly revived, the conditioned
soul at once becomes freed from the illusion of material
energy and becomes mad after the association of the Eord.
This association is made possible not only by personal
contact with the Eord, but also by association with His name,
fame, form and (uality. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam trains the
conditioned soul to this stage of perfection by submissive
hearing from the pure devotee.
T!T "Z
#(aD#>akulRma.Pa$aaTk6Qyaqe'k6ISauTae 9
i#a(aa-T(a&aarakae+%ad3i$aiTa S(aama#>a'iE(a0 99 "Z 99
nyar!ndhann !dgalad b'."am
a!tka5<hy'd de(ak$%s!te
niry'ty ag'r'n no 2bhadram
iti sy'd b'ndha(a%striya*
S(#O#($S
nyar!ndhanZchecking with great difficultyV !dgalatZ
overflowingV b'."amZtearsV a!tka5<hy'tZbecause of great
an:ietyV de(ak$%s!teZunto the son of 7evak=V niry'tiZhaving
come outV ag'r'tZfrom the palaceV na*ZnotV abhadramZ
inauspiciousnessV itiZthusV sy'tZmay happenV b'ndha(aZ
relativeV striya*Zladies.
T-A#SLATIO#
The fe@ale relati'es, Jhose eyes Jere flooded Jith tears out of
anMiety for CDEFa, ca@e out of the palaceH They could stop their
tears only Jith great difficultyH They feared that tears Jould cause
@isfortune at the ti@e of departureH
P8-PO-T
There were hundreds of ladies in the palace of Hastin"pura.
All of them were affectionate to >?@Aa. All of them were
relatives also. When they saw that >?@Aa was going away
from the palace for His native place, they were very an:ious
for Him, and as usual tears began to roll down their cheeks.
They thought, at the same time, that tears at that moment
might be a cause of misfortune for >?@AaV therefore they
wanted to check them. This was very difficult for them
because the tears could not be checked. Therefore, they
smeared their tears in their eyes, and their hearts throbbed.
Therefore ladies who were the wives and daughters'in'law of
those who died in the battlefield never came in direct
contact with >?@Aa. %ut all of them heard of Him and His
great activities, and thus they thought of Him, talked of Him,
His name, fame, etc., and became affectionate also, like
those who were in direct contact. Therefore directly or
indirectly anyone who thinks of >?@Aa, talks of >?@Aa or
worships >?@Aa becomes attached to Him. %ecause >?@Aa is
absolute, there is no difference between His name, form,
(uality, etc. 9ur intimate relation with >?@Aa can be
confidentially revived by our talking of, hearing of, or
remembering Him. t is so done due to spiritual potency.
T!T "[
$a:dl!a%ae(a-, '?QaaPaQa'&aae$auYa0 9
>au#>au(aa-#ak6gaQ1ua*a #aedudu-#du%a(aSTaQaa 99 "[ 99
m4da3ga%1a3kha%bherya1 ca
($5'%"a5a(a%gom!kh'*
dh!ndh!ry%'naka%gha5<'dy'
ned!r d!nd!bhayas tath'
S(#O#($S
m4da3gaZsweet sounding drumV 1a3khaZconchshellV bherya*
Zbrass bandV caZandV ($5'Zstring bandV "a5a(aZa kind of
fluteV gom!kh'*Zanother fluteV dh!ndh!r$Zanother drumV
'nakaZkettleV gha5<'ZbellV 'dy'*ZothersV ned!*ZsoundedV
d!nd!bhaya*Zother different types of drumsV tath'Zat that
time.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile the Lord Jas departing fro@ the palace of IastinLpura,
different types of dru@s like the @DdaTga, dhola, nagra,
dhundhurB and dundubhiand flutes of different types, the 'BFL,
go@ukha and bherB, all sounded together to shoJ Ii@ honorH
T!T "\
PaOaSaadi!aYra~ta0 ku6D#aa(aae- idd:Ua(aa 9
'':=u0 ku6Sau$a0 k:6.Qa; PaOe$a'3?oaiS$aTaeUaQaa0 99 "\ 99
"r's'da%1ikhar'r0;h'*
k!r!%n'ryo did4k.ay'
(a(4.!* k!s!mai* k4.5a-
"rema%(r$;'%smitek.a5'*
S(#O#($S
"r's'daZpalaceV 1ikharaZthe roofV 'r0;h'*ZascendingV
k!r!%n'rya*Zthe ladies of the >uru royaltyV did4k.ay'Z
seeingV (a(4.!*ZshoweredV k!s!mai*Zby flowersV k4.5amZ
upon Eord >?@AaV "remaZout of affection and loveV (r$;'%
smita%$k.a5'*Zglancing with shy smiles.
T-A#SLATIO#
Out of a lo'ing desire to see the Lord, the royal ladies of the Curus
got up on top of the palace, and s@iling Jith affection and shyness,
they shoJered floJers upon the LordH
P8-PO-T
$hyness is a particular e:tra'natural beauty of the fair se:,
and it commands respect from the opposite se:. This custom
was observed even during the days of the 8ah'bh'rata, i.e.,
more than five thousand years ago. t is only the less
intelligent persons not well versed in the history of the world
who say that observance of separation of female from male
is an introduction of the Mohammedan period in ndia. This
incident from the 8ah'bh'rata period proves definitely that
the ladies of the palace observed strict "ard' 3restricted
association with men6, and instead of coming down in the
open air where Eord >?@Aa and others were assembled, the
ladies of the palace went up on the top of the palace and
from there paid their respects to Eord >?@Aa by showers of
flowers. t is definitely stated here that the ladies were
smiling there on the top of the palace, checked by shyness.
This shyness is a gift of nature to the fair se:, and it
enhances their beauty and prestige, even if they are of a
less important family or even if they are less attractive. We
have practical e:perience of this fact. A sweeper woman
commanded the respect of many respectable gentlemen
simply by manifesting a ladyJs shyness. Half'naked ladies in
the street do not command any respect, but a shy sweeperJs
wife commands respect from all.
Human civili)ation, as conceived of by the sages of ndia, is
to help one free himself from the clutches of illusion. The
material beauty of a woman is an illusion because actually
the body is made of earth, water, fire, air, etc. %ut because
there is the association of the living spark with matter, it
appears to be beautiful. Ko one is attracted by an earthen
doll, even if it is most perfectly prepared to attract the
attention of others. The dead body has no beauty because
no one will accept the dead body of a so'called beautiful
woman. Therefore, the conclusion is that the spirit spark is
beautiful, and because of the soulJs beauty one is attracted
by the beauty of the outward body. The !edic wisdom,
therefore, forbids us to be attracted by false beauty. %ut
because we are now in the darkness of ignorance, the !edic
civili)ation allows very restricted mi:ing of woman and man.
They say that the woman is considered to be the fire, and
the man is considered to be the butter. The butter must melt
in association with fire, and therefore they may be brought
together only when it is necessary. And shyness is a check to
the unrestricted mi:ing. t is natureJs gift, and it must be
utili)ed.
T!T "]
iSaTaaTaPa<a; )a&a3ah $auv6ada$ai'%a8i=Ta$a2 9
rdQo; &auoake6!a0 iPaO(a0 iPaO(aTa$aS(a h 99 "] 99
sit'ta"atra- )agr'ha
m!kt'd'ma%(ibh0.itam
ratna%da5;a- g!;'ke1a*
"riya* "riyatamasya ha
S(#O#($S
sita%'ta"atramZsoothing umbrellaV )agr'haZtook upV m!kt'%
d'maZdecorated with laces and pearlsV (ibh0.itamZ
embroideredV ratna%da5;amZwith a handle of 2ewelsV
g!;'ke1a*ZAr2una, the e:pert warrior, or one who has
con(uered sleepV "riya*Zmost belovedV "riyatamasyaZof the
most belovedV haZso he did.
T-A#SLATIO#
At that ti@e Ar/una, the great Jarrior and con?ueror of sleep, Jho
is the inti@ate friend of the @ost belo'ed Supre@e Lord, took up
an u@brella Jhich had a handle of /eJels and Jas e@broidered
Jith lace and pearlsH
P8-PO-T
8old, 2ewels, pearls and valuable stones were used in the
lu:urious royal ceremonies. They are all natureJs gifts and
are produced by the hills, oceans, etc., by the order of the
Eord, when man does not waste his valuable time in
producing unwanted things in the name of necessities. %y
so'called development of industrial enterprises, they are now
using pots of gutta'percha instead of metals like gold, silver,
brass and copper. They are using margarine instead of
purified butter, and one fourth of the city population has no
shelter.
T!T "^
op'0 SaaT(aik6,' G(a)a#ae Par$aad2%auTae 9
i'k6I(a-$aaQa0 ku6Sau$a re)ae $a>auPaiTa0 PaiQa 99 "^ 99
!ddha(a* s'tyaki1 cai(a
(ya)ane "aram'dbh!te
(ik$ryam'5a* k!s!mai
re)e madh!%"ati* "athi
S(#O#($S
!ddha(a*Za cousin'brother of >?@AaJsV s'tyaki*ZHis driverV
caZandV e(aZcertainlyV (ya)aneZengaged in fanningV
"arama%adbh!teZdecorativeV (ik$ryam'5a*Zseated on
scatteredV k!s!mai*Zflowers all aroundV re)eZcommandedV
madh!%"ati*Zthe master of Madhu 3>?@Aa6V "athiZon the
road.
T-A#SLATIO#
8ddha'a and SLtyaki began to fan the Lord Jith decorated fans,
and the Lord, as the @aster of $adhu, seated on scattered floJers,
co@@anded the@ along the roadH
T!T "_
ABO8(a#Taai!a=0 SaT(aaSTa<a Ta<a ij)aeirTaa0 9
#aa#au~Paa#au~Paa, i#a&au-QaS(a &auQaaT$a#a0 99 "_ 99
a1r0yant'1i.a* saty's
tatra tatra d(i)erit'*
n'n!r0"'n!r0"'1 ca
nirg!5asya g!5'tmana*
S(#O#($S
a1r0yantaZbeing heardV '1i.a*ZbenedictionV saty'*Zall
truthsV tatraZhereV tatraZthereV d(i)a%$rit'*Zsounded by
learned br'hma5asC naZnotV an!r0"aZbefittingV an!r0"'*Z
fittingV caZalsoV nirg!5asyaZof the AbsoluteV g!5a%'tmana*Z
playing the role of a human being.
T-A#SLATIO#
It Jas being heard here and there that the benedictions being paid
to CDEFa Jere neither befitting nor unbefitting because they Jere
all for the Absolute, Jho Jas noJ playing the part of a hu@an
beingH
P8-PO-T
At places there were sounds of !edic benediction aiming at
the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa. The benedictions
were fitting in the sense that the Eord was playing the part of
a human being, as if a cousin of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, but
they were also unfitting because the Eord is absolute and
has nothing to do with any kind of material relativities. He is
nirg!5a, or there are no material (ualities in Him, but He is
full of transcendental (ualities. n the transcendental world
there is nothing contradictory, whereas in the relative world
everything has its opposite. n the relative world white is the
opposite conception of black, but in the transcendental world
there is no distinction between white and black. Therefore
the sounds of benedictions uttered by the learned br'hma5as
here and there appear to be contradictory in relation with
the Absolute 1erson, but when they are applied to the
Absolute 1erson they lose all contradiction and become
transcendental. 9ne e:ample may clear this idea. Eord <r=
>?@Aa is sometimes described as a thief. He is very famous
amongst His pure devotees as the M"khana'cora. He used to
steal butter from the houses of neighbors at !?nd"vana in
His early age. $ince then He is famous as a thief. %ut in spite
of His being famous as a thief, He is worshiped as a thief,
whereas in the mundane world a thief is punished and is
never praised. $ince He is the Absolute 1ersonality of
8odhead, everything is applicable to Him, and still in spite of
all contradictions He is the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T!T N`
A#(aae#(a$aaSa?TSaiLPa ota$aFaek6ceTaSaa$a2 9
k6ar'e#d3PaurE?Qaa; Sa'-BOuiTa$a#aaehr0 99 N` 99
anyonyam 's$t sa,)al"a
!ttama%1loka%cetas'm
ka!ra(endra%"!ra%str$5'-
sar(a%1r!ti%mano%hara*
S(#O#($S
anyonyamZamong each otherV 's$tZthere wasV sa,)al"a*Z
talkingV !ttama%1lokaZthe $upreme, who is praised by
selected poetryV cetas'mZof those whose hearts are
absorbed in that wayV ka!ra(a%indraZthe king of the >urusV
"!raZcapitalV str$5'mZall the ladiesV sar(aZallV 1r!tiZthe
/edasC mana*%hara*Zattractive to the mind.
T-A#SLATIO#
Absorbed in the thought of the transcendental ?ualities of the
Lord, Jho is glorified in select poetry, the ladies on the roofs of all
the houses of IastinLpura began to talk of Ii@H This talk Jas @ore
attracti'e than the hy@ns of the GedasH
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is said that in all the !edic literatures
the goal is the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa. Hactually
the glories of the Eord are depicted in such literature as the
/edas, R'm'ya5a and 8ah'bh'rata. And in the &h'ga(atam
they are specifically mentioned in respect to the $upreme
Eord. Therefore, while the ladies on the tops of the houses in
the capital of the kings of the >uru dynasty were talking
about the Eord, their talk was more pleasing than the !edic
hymns. Anything sung in the praise of the Eord is #r!ti%
mantra. There are songs of Sh"kura Karottama d"sa, one of
the 'c'ryas in the 8auQ=ya'samprad"ya, composed in simple
%engali language. %ut Sh"kura !iPvan"tha *akravart=,
another very learned 'c'rya of the same sam"rad'ya, has
approved the songs by Sh"kura Karottama d"sa to be as
good as !edic mantras. And this is so because of the sub2ect
matter. The language is immaterial, but the sub2ect matter is
important. The ladies, who were all absorbed in the thought
and actions of the Eord, developed the consciousness of
!edic wisdom by the grace of the Eord. And therefore
although such ladies might not have been very learned
scholars in $anskrit or otherwise, still whatever they spoke
was more attractive than the !edic hymns. The !edic hymns
in the 7"ani.ads are sometimes indirectly directed to the
$upreme Eord. %ut the talks of the ladies were directly
spoken of the Eord, and thus they were more pleasing to the
heart. The ladiesJ talks appeared to be more valuable than
the learned br'hma5asJ benedictions.
T!T N"
Sa ' ik6lRa(a; PauD=0 PauraTa#aae
(a Vk6 AaSa?di'!ae= AaT$ai#a 9
A&a3e &auQae%(aae )a&adaT$a#a?Tre
i#a$a?ilRTaaT$aiki!a Sau!aiv6=u 99 N" 99
sa (ai kil'ya- "!r!.a* "!r'tano
ya eka 's$d a(i1e.a 'tmani
agre g!5ebhyo )agad%'tman$1(are
nim$lit'tman ni1i s!"ta%1akti.!
S(#O#($S
sa*ZHe 3>?@Aa6V (aiZas rememberV kilaZdefinitelyV ayamZ
thisV "!r!.a*Z1ersonality of 8odheadV "!r'tana*Zthe
originalV ya*ZwhoV eka*Zonly oneV 's$tZe:istedV a(i1e.a*Z
materially unmanifestedV 'tmaniZown selfV agreZbefore
creationV g!5ebhya*Zof the modes of natureV )agat%'tmaniZ
unto the $upersoulV $1(areZunto the $upreme EordV nim$lita
Zmerged intoV 'tmanZthe living entityV ni1i s!"taZinactive
at nightV 1akti.!Zof the energies.
T-A#SLATIO#
They saide Iere Ie is, the original Personality of &odhead as Je
definitely re@e@ber Ii@H Ie alone eMisted before the @anifested
creation of the @odes of nature, and in Ii@ only, because Ie is the
Supre@e Lord, all li'ing beings @erge, as if sleeping at night, their
energy suspendedH
P8-PO-T
There are two types of dissolution of the manifested cosmos.
At the end of every M,\GN,NNN,NNN solar years, when
%rahm", the lord of one particular universe, goes to sleep,
there is one annihilation. And at the end of Eord %rahm"Js
life, which takes place at the end of %rahm"Js one hundred
years of age, in our calculation at the end of .,5MN,NNN,NNN :
\N : ,G : ,NN solar years, there is complete annihilation of
the entire universe, and in both the periods both the
material energy called the mahat%tatt(a and the marginal
energy called )$(a%tatt(a merge in the person of the $upreme
Eord. The living beings remain asleep within the body of the
Eord until there is another creation of the material world, and
that is the way of the creation, maintenance and annihilation
of the material manifestation.
The material creation is effected by the interaction of the
three modes of material nature set in action by the Eord, and
therefore it is said here that the Eord e:isted before the
modes of material nature were set in motion. n the #r!ti%
mantra it is said that only !i@Au, the $upreme Eord, e:isted
before the creation, and there was no %rahm", <iva or other
demigods. !i@Au means the Mah"'!i@Au, who is lying on the
*ausal 9cean. %y His breathing only all the universes are
generated in seeds and gradually develop into gigantic
forms with innumerable planets within each and every
universe. The seeds of universes develop into gigantic forms
in the way seeds of a banyan tree develop into numberless
banyan trees.
This Mah"'!i@Au is the plenary portion of the Eord <r=
>?@Aa, who is mentioned in the &rahma%sa-hit' as followsC
DEet me offer my respectful obeisances unto the original
1ersonality of 8odhead, 8ovinda, whose plenary portion is
the Mah"'!i@Au. All the %rahm"s, the heads of the universes,
live only for the period of His e:haling, after the universes
are generated from the pores of His transcendental body.F
3Brahma-sahit B.B.6
Thus 8ovinda, or Eord >?@Aa, is the cause of Mah"'!i@Au
also. The ladies talking about this !edic truth must have
heard it from authoritative sources. An authoritative source
is the only means of knowing about transcendental sub2ect
matter definitely. There is no alternative.
The merging of the living beings into the body of Mah"'!i@Au
takes place automatically at the end of %rahm"Js one
hundred years. %ut that does not mean that the individual
living being loses his identity. The identity is there, and as
soon as there is another creation by the supreme will of the
Eord, all the sleeping, inactive living beings are again let
loose to begin their activities in the continuation of past
different spheres of life. t is called s!"totthita naya, or
awakening from sleep and again engaging in oneJs
respective continuous duty. When a man is asleep at night,
he forgets himself, what he is, what his duty is and
everything of his waking state. %ut as soon as he awakens
from slumber, he remembers all that he has to do and thus
engages himself again in his prescribed activities. The living
beings also remain merged in the body of Mah"'!i@Au during
the period of annihilation, but as soon as there is another
creation they arise to take up their unfinished work. This is
also confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t' 3..,.aGN6.
The Eord e:isted before the creative energy was set in
action. The Eord is not a product of the material energy. His
body is completely spiritual, and there is no difference
between His body and Himself. %efore creation the Eord
remained in His abode, which is absolute and one.
T!T NN
Sa V' %a8(aae i#a)a'?(a-caeidTaa;
S')a?'$aa(aa; PaOk:6iTa; iSaSa:UaTa?$a2 9
A#aa$a~PaaT$ai#a ~Pa#aa$a#a?
i'i>aTSa$aa#aae+#auSaSaar !aaEk:6Ta2 99 NN 99
sa e(a bh0yo ni)a%($rya%codit'-
s(a%)$(a%m'y'- "rak4ti- sis4k.at$m
an'ma%r0"'tmani r0"a%n'man$
(idhitsam'no 2n!sas'ra 1'stra%k4t
S(#O#($S
sa*ZHeV e(aZthusV bh0ya*ZagainV ni)aZown personalV ($rya
ZpotencyV codit'mZperformance ofV s(aZownV )$(aZliving
beingV m'y'mZe:ternal energyV "rak4timZunto material
natureV sis4k.at$mZwhile re'creatingV an'maZwithout
mundane designationV r0"a%'tmaniZforms of the soulV r0"a%
n'man$Zforms and namesV (idhitsam'na*Zdesiring to
awardV an!sas'raZentrustedV 1'stra%k4tZthe compiler of
revealed scripture.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Personality of &odhead, again desiring to gi'e na@es and
for@s to Iis parts and parcels, the li'ing entities, placed the@
under the guidance of @aterial natureH Ky Iis oJn potency,
@aterial nature is e@poJered to re6createH
P8-PO-T
The living entities are parts and parcels of the Eord. They are
of two varieties, namely nitya%m!kta and nitya%baddha. The
nitya%m!ktas are eternally liberated souls, and they are
eternally engaged in the reciprocation of transcendental
loving service with the Eord in His eternal abode beyond the
manifested mundane creations. %ut the nitya%baddha, or
eternally conditioned souls, are entrusted to His e:ternal
energy, m'y', for rectification of their rebellious attitude
toward the $upreme Hather. Nitya%baddhas are eternally
forgetful of their relation with the Eord as parts and parcels.
They are bewildered by the illusory energy as products of
matter, and thus they are very busy in making plans in the
material world for becoming happy. They go on merrily with
plans, but by the will of the Eord both the planmakers and
the plans are annihilated at the end of a certain period, as
above mentioned. This is confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t' as
followsC D9 son of >unt=, at the end of the millennium all the
living entities merge into My nature, and again when the
time of creation is ripe, begin creation by the agency of My
e:ternal energy.F 3%g. -.46
The word bh0ya* indicates again and again, that is to say the
process of creation, maintenance and annihilation is going
on perpetually by the e:ternal energy of the Eord. He is the
cause of everything. %ut the living beings, who are
constitutionally the parts and parcels of the Eord and are
forgetful of the sweet relation, are given a chance again to
get rid of the clutches of the e:ternal energy. And to revive
his 3the living beingJs6 consciousness, the revealed
scriptures are also created by the Eord. !edic literatures are
the guiding directions for the conditioned souls so they can
get free from the repetition of creation and annihilation of
the material world and the material body.
The Eord says in the &haga(ad%g$t', DThis created world and
material energy are under My control. Rnder the influence of
"rak4ti, automatically they are created again and again, and
this is done by Me through the agency of My e:ternal
energy.F
Actually the spiritual spark living entities have no material
names or forms. %ut in order to fulfill their desire to lord it
over the material energy of material forms and names, they
are given a chance for such false en2oyment, and at the
same time they are given a chance to understand the real
position through the revealed scriptures. The foolish and
forgetful living being is always busy with false forms and
false names. Modern nationalism is the culmination of such
false names and false forms. Men are mad after false name
and form. The form of body obtained under certain
conditions is taken up as factual, and the name also taken
bewilders the conditioned soul into misusing the energy in
the name of so many Disms.F The scriptures, however,
supply the clue for understanding the real position, but men
are reluctant to take lessons from the scriptures created by
the Eord for different places and times. Hor e:ample, the
&haga(ad%g$t' is the guiding principle for every human being,
but by the spell of material energy they do not take care to
carry out the programs of life in terms of the &haga(ad%g$t'.
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the post'graduate study of knowledge
for one who has thoroughly understood the principles of the
&haga(ad%g$t'. Rnfortunately people have no taste for them,
and therefore they are under the clutches of m'y' for
repetition of birth and death.
T!T NX
Sa 'a A(a; (aTPad$a<a Sa8r(aae
i)aTaei#d3(aa i#ai)a-Ta$aaTairT#a0 9
Pa!(ai#Ta %av6yuTk6ilRTaa$alRaT$a#aa
#a#'e= Sat'; Pair$aanu-$ah-iTa 99 NX 99
sa (' aya- yat "adam atra s0rayo
)itendriy' nir)ita%m'tari1(ana*
"a1yanti bhakty%!tkalit'mal'tman'
nan( e.a satt(a- "arim'r.<!m arhati
S(#O#($S
sa*ZHeV (aiZby providenceV ayamZthisV yatZthat whichV
"adam atraZhere is the same 1ersonality of 8odhead, <r=
>?@AaV s0raya*Zgreat devoteesV )ita%indriy'*Zwho have
overcome the influence of the sensesV nir)itaZthoroughly
controlledV m'tari1(ana*ZlifeV "a1yantiZcan seeV bhaktiZby
dint of devotional serviceV !tkalitaZdevelopedV amala%'tman'
Zthose whose minds are thoroughly cleansedV nan! e.a*Z
certainly by this onlyV satt(amZe:istenceV "arim'r.<!mZfor
purifying the mind completelyV arhatiZdeserve.
T-A#SLATIO#
Iere is the sa@e Supre@e Personality of &odhead Jhose
transcendental for@ is eMperienced by the great de'otees Jho are
co@pletely cleansed of @aterial consciousness by dint of rigid
de'otional ser'ice and full control of life and the sensesH And that
is the only Jay to purify eMistenceH
P8-PO-T
As it is stated in &haga(ad%g$t', the Eord can be known in His
real nature by dint of pure devotional service only. $o it is
stated here that only the great devotees of the Eord who are
able to clear the mind of all material dust by rigid devotional
service can e:perience the Eord as He is. Nitendriya means
one who has full control over the senses. The senses are
active parts of the body, and their activities cannot be
stopped. The artificial means of the yogic processes to make
the senses inactive has proved to be ab2ect failure, even in
the case of great yog$s like !iPv"mitra Muni. !iPv"mitra Muni
controlled the senses by yogic trance, but when he
happened to meet Menak" 3a heavenly society woman6, he
became a victim of se:, and the artificial way of controlling
the senses failed. %ut in the case of a pure devotee, the
senses are not at all artificially stopped from doing anything,
but they are given different good engagements. When the
senses are engaged in more attractive activities, there is no
chance of their being attracted by any inferior engagements.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' it is said that the senses can be controlled
only by better engagements. 7evotional service necessitates
purifying the senses or engaging them in the activities of
devotional service. 7evotional service is not inaction.
Anything done in the service of the Eord becomes at once
purified of its material nature. The material conception is
due to ignorance only. There is nothing beyond !"sudeva.
The !"sudeva conception gradually develops in the heart of
the learned after a prolonged acceleration of the receptive
organs. %ut the process ends in the knowledge of accepting
!"sudeva as all in all. n the case of devotional service, this
very same method is accepted from the very beginning, and
by the grace of the Eord all factual knowledge becomes
revealed in the heart of a devotee due to dictation by the
Eord from within. Therefore controlling the senses by
devotional service is the only and easiest means.
T!T NZ
Sa 'a A(a; Sae(a#au&a?TaSaTk6Qaae
'ede=u &au7e=u c &au7'aidi%a0 9
(a Vk6 J-!aae )a&adaT$alRIlR(aa
Sa:)aT(a'T(aita #a Ta<a SaTae 99 NZ 99
sa (' aya- sakhy an!g$ta%sat%katho
(ede.! g!hye.! ca g!hya%('dibhi*
ya eka $1o )agad%'tma%l$lay'
s4)aty a(aty atti na tatra sa))ate
S(#O#($S
sa*ZHeV (aiZalsoV ayamZthisV sakhiZ9 my friendV an!g$taZ
describedV sat%katha*Zthe e:cellent pastimesV (ede.!Zin the
!edic literaturesV g!hye.!ZconfidentiallyV caZas alsoV g!hya%
('dibhi*Zby the confidential devoteesV ya*Zone whoV eka*Z
one onlyV $1a*Zthe supreme controllerV )agatZof the
complete creationV 'tmaZ$upersoulV l$lay'Zby
manifestation of pastimesV s4)atiZcreatesV a(ati attiZalso
maintains and annihilatesV naZneverV tatraZthereV sa))ateZ
becomes attached to it.
T-A#SLATIO#
O dear friends, here is that 'ery Personality of &odhead Jhose
attracti'e and confidential pasti@es are described in the
confidential parts of Gedic literature by Iis great de'oteesH It is Ie
only Jho creates, @aintains and annihilates the @aterial Jorld and
yet re@ains unaffectedH
P8-PO-T
As it is stated in the &haga(ad%g$t', all the !edic literatures
are glorifying the greatness of Eord <r= >?@Aa. Here it is
confirmed in the &h'ga(atam also. The /edas are e:panded
by many branches and subbranches by great devotees and
empowered incarnations of the Eord like !y"sa, K"rada,
<ukadeva 8osv"m=, the >um"ras, >apila, 1rahl"da, Oanaka,
%ali and Xamar"2a, but in the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam especially,
the confidential parts of His activities are described by the
confidential devotee <ukadeva 8osv"m=. n the /ed'nta%
s0tras or 7"ani.ads there is only a hint of the confidential
parts of His pastimes. n such !edic literatures as the
7"ani.ads, the Eord has e:pressively been distinguished
from the mundane conception of His e:istence. His identity
being fully spiritual, His form, name, (uality, and
paraphernalia, etc., have been elaborately distinguished
from matter, and therefore He is sometimes misunderstood
by less intelligent persons as impersonal. %ut factually He is
the $upreme 1erson, %hagav"n, and He is partially
represented as 1aram"tm" or impersonal %rahman.
T!T N[
(ada 7>a$ae-Qa Ta$aaei>a(aae #a:Paa
)a?'i#Ta Ta<a= ih Sat'Ta0 ik6lR 9
>atae %a&a; SaT(a$a:Ta; d(aa; (a!aae
%a'a(a ~PaaiQa d>a*u&ae (au&ae 99 N[ 99
yad' hy adharme5a tamo%dhiyo n4"'
)$(anti tatrai.a hi satt(ata* kila
dhatte bhaga- satyam 4ta- day'- ya1o
bha('ya r0"'5i dadhad y!ge y!ge
S(#O#($S
yad'ZwheneverV hiZassuredlyV adharme5aZagainst the
principles of 8odJs willV tama*%dhiya*Zpersons in the lowest
material modesV n4"'*Zkings and administratorsV )$(antiZ
live like animalsV tatraZthereuponV e.a*ZHeV hiZonlyV
satt(ata*ZtranscendentalV kilaZcertainlyV dhatteZis
manifestedV bhagamZsupreme powerV satyamZtruthV 4tamZ
positivenessV day'mZmercyV ya1a*Zwonderful activitiesV
bha('yaZfor the maintenanceV r0"'5iZin various formsV
dadhatZmanifestedV y!geZdifferent periodsV y!geZand ages.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhene'er there are kings and ad@inistrators li'ing like ani@als in
the loJest @odes of eMistence, the Lord in Iis transcendental for@
@anifests Iis supre@e poJer, the Truth Positi'e, shoJs special
@ercy to the faithful, perfor@s Jonderful acti'ities and @anifests
'arious transcendental for@s as is necessary in different periods
and agesH
P8-PO-T
As mentioned above, the cosmic creation is the property of
the $upreme Eord. This is the basic philosophy of
U1o"ani.adI everything is the property of the $upreme
%eing. Ko one should encroach upon the property of the
$upreme Eord. 9ne should accept only what is kindly
awarded by Him. Therefore, the earth or any other planet or
universe is the absolute property of the Eord. The living
beings are certainly His parts and parcels, or sons, and thus
every one of them has a right to live at the mercy of the Eord
to e:ecute his prescribed work. Ko one, therefore, can
encroach upon the right of another individual man or animal
without being so sanctioned by the Eord. The king or the
administrator is the representative of the Eord to look after
the management of the EordJs will. He must therefore be a
recogni)ed person like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira or 1ar=k@it.
$uch kings have full responsibility and knowledge from
authorities about the administration of the world. %ut at
times, due to the influence of the ignorance mode of
material nature 3tamo%g!5a6, the lowest of the material
modes, kings and administrators come into power without
knowledge and responsibility, and such foolish
administrators live like animals for the sake of their own
personal interest. The result is that the whole atmosphere
becomes surcharged with anarchy and vicious elements.
Kepotism, bribery, cheating, aggression and, therefore,
famine, epidemic, war and similar other disturbing features
become prominent in human society. And the devotees of
the Eord or the faithful are persecuted by all means. All
these symptoms indicate the time of an incarnation of the
Eord to reestablish the principles of religion and to van(uish
the maladministrators. This is also confirmed in the
&haga(ad%g$t'.
The Eord then appears in His transcendental form without
any tinge of material (ualities. He descends 2ust to keep the
state of His creation in a normal condition. The normal
condition is that the Eord has provided each and every
planet with all the needs of the native living beings. They
can happily live and e:ecute their predestined occupations
to attain salvation at the end, following the rules and
regulations mentioned in the revealed scriptures. The
material world is created to satisfy the whims of the nitya%
baddha, or everlasting conditioned souls, 2ust as naughty
boys are provided with playing cradles. 9therwise, there was
no need of the material world. %ut when they become
into:icated with the power of material science to e:ploit the
resources unlawfully without the sanction of the Eord, and
that also only for sense gratification, there is necessity of the
EordJs incarnation to chastise the rebellious and to protect
the faithful.
When He descends, He e:hibits superhuman acts 2ust to
prove His supreme right, and materialists like 0"vaAa,
HiraAyakaPipu and >a[sa are sufficiently punished. He acts
in a manner which no one can imitate. Hor e:ample, the
Eord, when He appeared as 0"ma, bridged the ndian 9cean.
When He appeared as >?@Aa, from His very childhood He
showed superhuman activities by killing 1Ltan", Agh"sura,
<akaT"sura, >"liya, etc., and then His maternal uncle >a[sa.
When He was at 7v"rak" He married ,5,,N. (ueens, and all
of them were blessed with a sufficient number of children.
The sum total of His personal family members amounted to
about ,NN,NNN, popularly known as the Xadu'va[Pa. And
again, during His lifetime, He managed to van(uish them all.
He is famous as the 8ovardhana'dh"r= Hari because He
lifted at the age of only seven the hill known as 8ovardhana.
The Eord killed many undesirable kings in His time, and as a
k.atriya He fought chivalrously. He is famous as the
asama!rdh(a, unparalleled. Ko one is e(ual to or greater than
Him.
T!T N\
Ahae Al;R Fag(aTa$a; (adae0 ku6lRx
$ahae Al;R PauQ(aTa$a; $a>aae'-#a$a2 9
(ade= Pau;Saa$a:=%a0 iBO(a0 PaiTa0
S')a#$a#aa cM2k36$aQae#a ca}iTa 99 N\ 99
aho ala- 1l'ghyatama- yado* k!lam
aho ala- "!5yatama- madhor (anam
yad e.a "!-s'm 4.abha* 1riya* "ati*
s(a%)anman' ca3krama5ena c',cati
S(#O#($S
ahoZohV alamZverilyV 1l'ghya%tamamZsupremely glorifiedV
yado*Zof >ing XaduV k!lamZdynastyV ahoZohV alamZverilyV
"!5ya%tamamZsupremely virtuousV madho* (anamZthe land
of Mathur"V yatZbecauseV e.a*ZthisV "!-s'mZof all the
living beingsV 4.abha*Zsupreme leaderV 1riya*Zof the
goddess of fortuneV "ati*ZhusbandV s(a%)anman'Zby His
appearanceV ca3krama5enaZby crawlingV ca a,catiZglories.
T-A#SLATIO#
Oh, hoJ supre@ely glorified is the dynasty of Cing (adu, and hoJ
'irtuous is the land of $athurL, Jhere the supre@e leader of all
li'ing beings, the husband of the goddess of fortune, has taken Iis
birth and Jandered in Iis childhoodH
P8-PO-T
n the &haga(ad%g$t' the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa
has e:pressively given a description of His transcendental
appearance, disappearance and activities. The Eord appears
in a particular family or place by His inconceivable potency.
He does not take His birth as a conditioned soul (uits his
body and accepts another body. His birth is like the
appearance and disappearance of the sun. The sun arises on
the eastern hori)on, but that does not mean that the eastern
hori)on is the parent of the sun. The sun is e:istent in every
part of the solar system, but he becomes visible at a
scheduled time and so also becomes invisible at another
scheduled time. $imilarly, the Eord appears in this universe
like the sun and again leaves our sight at another time. He
e:ists at all times and at every place, but by His causeless
mercy when He appears before us we take it for granted that
He has taken His birth. Anyone who can understand this
truth, in terms of the statements of revealed scriptures,
certainly becomes liberated 2ust after (uitting the present
body. Eiberation is obtainable after many births and after
great endeavor in patience and perseverance, in knowledge
and renunciation. %ut simply by knowing in truth about the
EordJs transcendental births and activities, one can get
liberation at once. That is the verdict of the &haga(ad%g$t'.
%ut those who are in the darkness of ignorance conclude
that the EordJs birth and activities in the material world are
similar to those of the ordinary living being. $uch imperfect
conclusions cannot give anyone liberation. His birth,
therefore, in the family of >ing Xadu as the son of >ing
!asudeva and His transfer into the family of Kanda Mah"r"2a
in the land of Mathur" are all transcendental arrangements
made by the internal potency of the Eord. The fortunes of
the Xadu dynasty and that of the inhabitants of the land of
Mathur" cannot be materially estimated. f simply by
knowing the transcendental nature of the birth and activities
of the Eord one can get liberation easily, we can 2ust imagine
what is in store for those who actually en2oyed the company
of the Eord in person as a family member or as a neighbor.
All those who were fortunate enough to associate with the
Eord, the husband of the goddess of fortune, certainly
obtained something more than what is known as liberation.
Therefore, rightly, the dynasty and the land are both ever
glorious by the grace of the Eord.
T!T N]
Ahae bTa S'(a-!aSaiSTarSk6r?
ku6!aSQalRI PauQ(a(a!aSk6r? %au'0 9
Pa!(ai#Ta i#aT(a; (ad#au&a3hei=Ta;
iS$aTaa'lRaek;6 S'PaiTa; S$a (aTPaO)aa0 99 N] 99
aho bata s(ar%ya1asas tiraskar$
k!1asthal$ "!5ya%ya1askar$ bh!(a*
"a1yanti nitya- yad an!grahe.ita-
smit'(aloka- s(a%"ati- sma yat%"ra)'*
S(#O#($S
aho bataZhow wonderful this isV s(a*%ya1asa*Zthe glories of
the heavenly planetsV tiraskar$Zthat which defeatsV
k!1asthal$Z7v"rak"V "!5yaZvirtueV ya1askar$ZfamousV
bh!(a*Zthe planet earthV "a1yantiZseeV nityamZconstantlyV
yatZthat whichV an!graha%i.itamZto bestow benedictionV
smita%a(alokamZglance with the favor of sweet smilingV s(a%
"atimZunto the soul of the living being 3>?@Aa6V smaZused
toV yat%"ra)'*Zthe inhabitants of the place.
T-A#SLATIO#
8ndoubtedly it is Jonderful that >'LrakL has defeated the glories
of the hea'enly planets and has enhanced the celebrity of the
earthH The inhabitants of >'LrakL are alJays seeing the soul of all
li'ing beings OCDEFa3 in Iis lo'ing featureH Ie glances at the@ and
fa'ors the@ Jith sJeet s@ilesH
P8-PO-T
The heavenly planets are inhabited by demigods like ndra,
*andra, !aruAa and !"yu and the pious souls reach there
after performance of many virtuous acts on earth. Modern
scientists agree that the timing arrangement in higher
planetary systems is different from that of the earth. Thus it
is understood from the revealed scriptures that the duration
of life there is ten thousand years 3by our calculation6. $i:
months on earth is e(ual to one day on the heavenly
planets. Hacilities of en2oyment are also similarly enhanced,
and the beauty of the inhabitants is legendary. *ommon
men on the earth are very much fond of reaching the
heavenly planets because they have heard that comforts of
life are far greater there than on the earth. They are now
trying to reach the moon by spacecraft. *onsidering all this,
the heavenly planets are more celebrated than the earth.
%ut the celebrity of earth has defeated that of the heavenly
planets because of 7v"rak", where Eord <r= >?@Aa reigned
as >ing. Three places, namely !?nd"vana, Mathur" and
7v"rak", are more important than the famous planets within
the universe. These places are perpetually sanctified
because whenever the Eord descends on earth He displays
His transcendental activities particularly in these three
places. They are perpetually the holy lands of the Eord, and
the inhabitants still take advantage of the holy places, even
though the Eord is now out of their sight. The Eord is the soul
of all living beings, and He desires always to have all the
living beings, in their s(ar0"a, in their constitutional position,
to participate in transcendental life in His association. His
attractive features and sweet smiles go deep into the heart
of everyone, and once it is so done the living being is
admitted into the kingdom of 8od, from which no one
returns. This is confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t'.
The heavenly planets may be very famous for offering better
facilities of material en2oyment, but as we learn from the
&haga(ad%g$t' 3-.GNaG,6, one has to come back again to the
earth planet as soon as the ac(uired virtue is finished.
7v"rak" is certainly more important than the heavenly
planets because whoever has been favored with the smiling
glance of the Eord shall never come back again to this rotten
earth, which is certified by the Eord Himself as a place of
misery. Kot only this earth but also all the planets of the
universes are places of misery because in none of the
planets within the universe is there eternal life, eternal bliss
and eternal knowledge. Any person engaged in the
devotional service of the Eord is recommended to live in one
of the above'mentioned three places, namely 7v"rak",
Mathur" or !?nd"vana. %ecause devotional service in these
three places is magnified, those who go there to follow the
principles in terms of instructions imparted in the revealed
scriptures surely achieve the same result as obtained during
the presence of Eord <r= >?@Aa. His abode and He Himself
are identical, and a pure devotee under the guidance of
another e:perienced devotee can obtain all the results, even
at present.
T!T N^
#a8#a; '3Taha#ahuTaaid#aeTr0
Sa$aic-Taae 7S(a &a:h?TaPaaiQai%a0 9
iPabi#Ta (aa0 Sae(a>ara$a:Ta; $auhux
'3-)aiE(a0 Sa$$au$auhu(a-da!a(aa0 99 N^ 99
n0na- (rata%sn'na%h!t'dine1(ara*
samarcito hy asya g4h$ta%"'5ibhi*
"ibanti y'* sakhy adhar'm4ta- m!h!r
(ra)a%striya* samm!m!h!r yad%'1ay'*
S(#O#($S
n0namZcertainly in the previous birthV (rataZvowV sn'naZ
bathV h!taZsacrifice in the fireV 'din'Zby all theseV $1(ara*Z
the 1ersonality of 8odheadV samarcita*Zperfectly worshipedV
hiZcertainlyV asyaZHisV g4h$ta%"'5ibhi*Zby the married
wivesV "ibantiZrelishesV y'*Zthose whoV sakhiZ9 friendV
adhara%am4tamZthe nectar from His lipsV m!h!*Zagain and
againV (ra)a%striya*Zthe damsels of !ra2abhLmiV
samm!m!h!*Zoften faintedV yat%'1ay'*Ze:pecting to be
favored in that way.
T-A#SLATIO#
O friends, /ust think of Iis Ji'es, Jhose hands Ie has acceptedH
IoJ they @ust ha'e undergone 'oJs, baths, fire sacrifices and
perfect Jorship of the Lord of the uni'erse to constantly relish noJ
the nectar fro@ Iis lips Oby kissing3H The da@sels of Gra/abhd@i
Jould often faint /ust by eMpecting such fa'orsH
P8-PO-T
0eligious rites prescribed in the scriptures are meant to
purify the mundane (ualities of the conditioned souls to
enable them to be gradually promoted to the stage of
rendering transcendental service unto the $upreme Eord.
Attainment of this stage of pure spiritual life is the highest
perfection, and this stage is called s(ar0"a, or the factual
identity of the living being. Eiberation means renovation of
this stage of s(ar0"a. n that perfect stage of s(ar0"a, the
living being is established in five phases of loving service,
one of which is the stage of m'dh!rya%rasa, or the humor of
con2ugal love. The Eord is always perfect in Himself, and thus
He has no hankering for Himself. He, however, becomes a
master, a friend, a son or a husband to fulfill the intense love
of the devotee concerned. Herein two classes of devotees of
the Eord are mentioned in the stage of con2ugal love. 9ne is
s(ak$ya, and the other is "arak$ya. %oth of them are in
con2ugal love with the 1ersonality of 8odhead >?@Aa. The
(ueens at 7v"rak" were s(ak$ya, or duly married wives, but
the damsels of !ra2a were young friends of the Eord while He
was unmarried. The Eord stayed at !?nd"vana till the age of
si:teen, and His friendly relations with the neighboring girls
were in terms of "arak$ya. These girls, as well as the (ueens,
underwent severe penances by taking vows, bathing and
offering sacrifices in the fire, as prescribed in the scriptures.
The rites, as they are, are not an end in themselves, nor are
fruitive action, culture of knowledge or perfection in mystic
powers ends in themselves. They are all means to attain to
the highest stage of s(ar0"a, to render constitutional
transcendental service to the Eord. ;ach and every living
being has his individual position in one of the above'
mentioned five different kinds of reciprocating means with
the Eord, and in oneJs pure spiritual form of s(ar0"a the
relation becomes manifest without mundane affinity. The
kissing of the Eord, either by His wives or His young girl
friends who aspired to have the Eord as their fiance, is not of
any mundane perverted (uality. Had such things been
mundane, a liberated soul like <ukadeva would not have
taken the trouble to relish them, nor would Eord <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu have been inclined to participate in
those sub2ects after renouncing worldly life. The stage is
earned after many lives of penance.
T!T N_
(aa '?(a-BuLke6#a 5Taa0 S'(a;'re
PaO$aQ(a c*PaO$auYa#a2 ih Bui.$aQa0 9
PaO*u$anSaa$ba$bSauTaad(aae+Para
(aa,a5Taa %aa$a'>ae Sahb!a0 99 N_ 99
y' ($rya%1!lkena h4t'* s(aya-(are
"ramathya caidya%"ram!kh'n hi 1!.mi5a*
"rady!mna%s'mb'mba%s!t'dayo 2"ar'
y'1 c'h4t' bha!ma%(adhe sahasra1a*
S(#O#($S
y'Zthe ladyV ($ryaZprowessV 1!lkenaZby payment of the
priceV h4t'*Ztaken away by forceV s(aya-(areZin the open
selection of the bridegroomV "ramathyaZharassingV caidyaZ
>ing <iPup"laV "ram!kh'nZheaded byV hiZpositivelyV
1!.mi5a*Zall very powerfulV "rady!mnaZ1radyumna
3>?@AaJs son6V s'mbaZ$"mbaV ambaZAmbaV s!ta%'daya*Z
childrenV a"ar'*Zother ladiesV y'*ZthoseV caZalsoV 'h4t'*Z
similarly broughtV bha!ma%(adheZafter killing kingsV
sahasra1a*Zby the thousands.
T-A#SLATIO#
The children of these ladies are Pradyu@na, SL@ba, A@ba, etce
Ladies like -uk@iFB, SatyabhL@L and )L@ba'atB Jere forcibly
taken aJay by Ii@ fro@ their s'ayak'ara cere@onies after Ie
defeated @any poJerful kings, headed by AiwupLlaH And other
ladies Jere also forcibly taken aJay by Ii@ after Ie killed
Khau@Lsura and thousands of his assistantsH All of these ladies are
gloriousH
P8-PO-T
;:ceptionally (ualified daughters of powerful kings were
allowed to make a choice of their own bridegrooms in open
competition, and such ceremonies were called s(aya-(ara, or
selection of the bridegroom. %ecause the s(aya-(ara was an
open competition between the rival and valiant princes, such
princes were invited by the father of the princess, and
usually there were regular fights between the invited
princely order in a sporting spirit. %ut it so happened that
sometimes the belligerent princes were killed in such
marriage'fighting, and the victorious prince was offered the
trophy princess for whom so many princes died. 0ukmiA=,
the principal (ueen of Eord >?@Aa, was the daughter of the
>ing of !idarbha, who wished that his (ualified and beautiful
daughter be given away to Eord >?@Aa. %ut her eldest
brother wanted her to be given away to >ing <iPup"la, who
happened to be a cousin of >?@Aa. $o there was open
competition, and as usual Eord >?@Aa emerged successful,
after harassing <iPup"la and other princes by His unrivalled
prowess. 0ukmiA= had ten sons, like 1radyumna. There were
other (ueens also taken away by Eord >?@Aa in a similar
way. Hull description of this beautiful booty of Eord >?@Aa
will be given in the Tenth *anto. There were ,5,,NN beautiful
girls who were daughters of many kings and were forcibly
stolen by %haum"sura, who kept them captive for his carnal
desire. These girls prayed piteously to Eord >?@Aa for their
deliverance, and the merciful Eord, called by their fervent
prayer, released them all by fighting and killing %haum"sura.
All these captive princesses were then accepted by the Eord
as His wives, although in the estimation of society they were
all fallen girls. The all'powerful Eord >?@Aa accepted the
humble prayers of these girls and married them with the
adoration of (ueens. $o altogether Eord >?@Aa had ,5,,N.
(ueens at 7v"rak", and in each of them He begot ten
children. All these children grew up, and each had as many
children as the father. The aggregate of the family
numbered ,N,NNN,NNN.
T!T X`
VTaa0 Par; E?T'$aPaaSTaPae!al;R
i#arSTa!aac; bTa Saa>au ku6'-Tae 9
(aaSaa; &a:haTPau.k6rlRaec#a0 PaiTax
#a- )aaT'PaT(aa5iTai%a5-id SPa:!a#a2 99 X` 99
et'* "ara- str$t(am a"'sta"e1ala-
nirasta%1a!ca- bata s'dh! k!r(ate
y's'- g4h't "!.kara%locana* "atir
na )'t( a"aity 'h4tibhir h4di s"41an
S(#O#($S
et'*Zall these womenV "aramZhighestV str$t(amZ
womanhoodV a"'sta"e1alamZwithout individualityV nirastaZ
withoutV 1a!camZpurityV bata s'dh!Zauspiciously glorifiedV
k!r(ateZdo they makeV y's'mZfrom whoseV g4h'tZhomesV
"!.kara%locana*Zthe lotus'eyedV "ati*ZhusbandV na )'t!Z
never at any timeV a"aitiZgoes awayV 'h4tibhi*Zby
presentationV h4diZin the heartV s"41anZendeared.
T-A#SLATIO#
All these Jo@en auspiciously glorified their li'es despite their
being Jithout indi'iduality and Jithout purityH Their husband, the
lotus6eyed Personality of &odhead, ne'er left the@ alone at ho@eH
Ie alJays pleased their hearts by @aking 'aluable presentationsH
P8-PO-T
The devotees of the Eord are purified souls. As soon as the
devotees surrender unto the lotus feet of the Eord sincerely,
the Eord accepts them, and thus the devotees at once
become free from all material contaminations. $uch
devotees are above the three modes of material nature.
There is no bodily dis(ualification of a devotee, 2ust as there
is no (ualitative difference between the 8anges water and
the filthy drain water when they are amalgamated. Women,
merchants and laborers are not very intelligent, and thus it
is very difficult for them to understand the science of 8od or
to be engaged in the devotional service of the Eord. They are
more materialistic, and less than them are the >ir"tas,
HLAas, Wndhras, 1ulindas, 1ulkaPas, Wbh=ras, >aIkas,
Xavanas, >hasas, etc., but all of them can be delivered if
they are properly engaged in the devotional service of the
Eord. %y engagement in the service of the Eord, the
designative dis(ualifications are removed, and as pure souls
they become eligible to enter into the kingdom of 8od.
The fallen girls under the clutches of %haum"sura sincerely
prayed to Eord <r= >?@Aa for their deliverance, and their
sincerity of purpose made them at once pure by virtue of
devotion. The Eord therefore accepted them as His wives,
and thus their lives became glorified. $uch auspicious
glorification was still more glorified when the Eord played
with them as the most devoted husband.
The Eord used to live with His ,5,,N. wives constantly. He
e:panded Himself into ,5,,N. plenary portions, and each
and every one of them was the Eord Himself without
deviation from the 9riginal 1ersonality. The #r!ti%mantra
affirms that the Eord can e:pand Himself into many. As
husband of so many wives, He pleased them all with
presentations, even at a costly endeavor. He brought the
"'ri)'ta plant from heaven and implanted it at the palace of
$atyabh"m", one of the principal (ueens. f, therefore,
anyone desires the Eord to become oneJs husband, the Eord
fulfills such desires in full.
T!T X"
V';i'>aa &ad#Ta?#aa; Sa i&ar0 Paur(aaei=Taa$a2 9
i#ar?UaQae#aai%a#a#d#a2 SaiS$aTae#a (a(aa hir0 99 X" 99
e(a-(idh' gadant$n'-
sa gira* "!ra%yo.it'm
nir$k.a5en'bhinandan
sasmitena yaya! hari*
S(#O#($S
e(a-(idh'*Zin this wayV gadant$n'mZthus praying and
talking about HimV sa*ZHe 3the Eord6V gira*Zof wordsV "!ra%
yo.it'mZof the ladies of the capitalV nir$k.a5enaZby His
grace of glancing over themV abhinandanZand greeting
themV sa%smitenaZwith a smiling faceV yaya!ZdepartedV
hari*Zthe 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile the ladies of the capital of IastinLpura Jere greeting Ii@
and talking in this Jay, the Lord, s@iling, accepted their good
greetings, and casting the grace of Iis glance o'er the@, Ie
departed fro@ the cityH
T!T XN
A)aaTa!a<au0 Pa:Ta#aa; &aaePa?Qaa(a $a>auij=0 9
Pare%(a0 !aiTa0 hehaTPaOa(au cTaurilQa?$a2 99 XN 99
a)'ta%1atr!* "4tan'-
go"$th'ya madh!%d(i.a*
"arebhya* 1a3kita* sneh't
"r'y!3kta cat!r%a3gi5$m
S(#O#($S
a)'ta%1atr!*ZMah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, who was no oneJs
enemyV "4tan'mZdefensive forcesV go"$th'yaZfor giving
protectionV madh!%d(i.a*Zof the enemy of Madhu 3<r=
>?@Aa6V "arebhya*Zfrom others 3enemies6V 1a3kita*Zbeing
afraid ofV sneh'tZout of affectionV "r'y!3ktaZengagedV cat!*%
a3gi5$mZfour defensive divisions.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, although no oners ene@y, engaged four
di'isions of defense Ohorse, elephant, chariot and ar@y3 to
acco@pany Lord CDEFa, the ene@y of the asuras Ode@ons3H The
$ahLrL/a did this because of the ene@y, and also out of affection
for the LordH
P8-PO-T
Katural defensive measures are horses and elephants
combined with chariots and men. Horses and elephants are
trained to move to any part of the hills or forests and plains.
The charioteers could fight with many horses and elephants
by the strength of powerful arrows, even up to the standard
of the brahm'stra 3similar to modern atomic weapons6.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira knew well that >?@Aa is everyoneJs
friend and well'wisher, and yet there were as!ras who were
by nature envious of the Eord. $o out of fear of attack from
others and out of affection also, he engaged all varieties of
defensive forces as bodyguards of Eord >?@Aa. f re(uired,
Eord >?@Aa Himself was sufficient to defend Himself from the
attack of others who counted the Eord as their enemy, but
still He accepted all the arrangements made by Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira because He could not disobey the >ing, who was
His elder cousin. The Eord plays the part of a subordinate in
His transcendental sporting, and thus sometimes He puts
Himself in the care of XaPod"m"t" for His protection in His
so'called helplessness of childhood. That is the
transcendental l$l', or pastime of the Eord. The basic
principle for all transcendental e:changes between the Eord
and His devotees is e:hibited to en2oy a transcendental bliss
for which there is no comparison, even up to the level of
brahm'nanda.
T!T XX
AQa d8ra&aTaa#a2 !aair0 k6ar'a#a2 i'rhaTaura#a2 9
Saik'T(a- d:t; ih&>aa#a2 PaOa(aaTS'#a&ar?; iPaO(a0 99 XX 99
atha d0r'gat'n 1a!ri*
ka!ra('n (irah't!r'n
sanni(artya d4;ha- snigdh'n
"r'y't s(a%nagar$- "riyai*
S(#O#($S
athaZthusV d0r'gat'nZhaving accompanied Him for a long
distanceV 1a!ri*ZEord >?@AaV ka!ra('nZthe 1"AQavasV
(irah't!r'nZoverwhelmed by a sense of separationV
sanni(artyaZpolitely persuadedV d4;hamZdeterminedV
snigdh'nZfull of affectionV "r'y'tZproceededV s(a%nagar$mZ
towards His own city 37v"rak"6V "riyai*Zwith dear
companions.
T-A#SLATIO#
Out of profound affection for Lord CDEFa, the PLFha'as, Jho Jere
of the Curu dynasty, acco@panied Ii@ a considerable distance to
see Ii@ offH They Jere o'erJhel@ed Jith the thought of future
separationH The Lord, hoJe'er, persuaded the@ to return ho@e,
and Ie proceeded toJards >'LrakL Jith Iis dear co@panionsH
T!TS XZX[
ku6D)aallRPaa}alRa#a2 B8rSae#aa#a2 Sa(aa$au#aa#a2 9
b34a'Tag ku6DUae<a; $aTS(aa#a2 SaarS'Taa#aQa 99 XZ 99
$aD>a#'$aiTas6$(a Saa'?ra%a?r(aae0 Para#a2 9
Aa#aTaa-#a2 %aa&a-'aePaa&aaCc|a#Ta'ahae $a#aai&'%au0 99
X[ 99
k!r!%)'3gala%"',c'l'n
10rasen'n say'm!n'n
brahm'(arta- k!r!k.etra-
matsy'n s'ras(at'n atha
mar!%dhan(am atikramya
sa!($r'bh$rayo* "ar'n
'nart'n bh'rga(o"'g'c
chr'nta('ho man'g (ibh!*
S(#O#($S
k!r!%)'3galaZthe province of 7elhiV "',c'l'nZpart of the
province 1un2abV 10rasen'nZpart of the province of Rttar
1radeshV saZwithV y'm!n'nZthe districts on the bank of the
Xamun"V brahm'(artamZpart of northern Rttar 1radeshV
k!r!k.etramZthe place where the battle was foughtV matsy'n
Zthe province Matsy"V s'ras(at'nZpart of 1un2abV athaZand
so onV mar!Z0a2asthan, the land of desertsV dhan(amZ
Madhya 1radesh, where water is very scantyV ati%kramyaZ
after passingV sa!($raZ$aurastraV 'bh$rayo*Zpart of 8u2aratV
"ar'nZwestern sideV 'nart'nZthe province of 7v"rak"V
bh'rga(aZ9 <aunakaV !"'g'tZovertaken byV 1r'ntaZfatigueV
('ha*Zthe horsesV man'k (ibh!*Zslightly, because of the
long 2ourney.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Aaunaka, the Lord then proceeded toJards Curu/LTgala, PLfcLlL,
AdrasenL, the land on the bank of the -i'er (a@unL, Krah@L'arta,
CurukEetra, $atsyL, SLras'atL, the pro'ince of the desert and the
land of scanty JaterH After crossing these pro'inces Ie gradually
reached the Sau'Bra and }bhBra pro'inces, then Jest of these,
reached >'LrakL at lastH
P8-PO-T
The provinces passed over by the Eord in those days were
differently named, but the direction given is sufficient to
indicate that He traveled through 7elhi, 1un2ab, 0a2asthan,
Madhya 1radesh, $aurastra and 8u2arat and at last reached
His home province at 7v"rak". We do not gain any profit
simply by researching the analogous provinces of those days
up to now, but it appears that the desert of 0a2asthan and
the provinces of scanty water like Madhya 1radesh were
present even five thousand years ago. The theory of soil
e:perts that the desert developed in recent years is not
supported by the statements of &h'ga(atam. We may leave
the matter for e:pert geologists to research because the
changing universe has different phases of geological
development. We are satisfied that the Eord has now
reached His own province, 7v"rak"dh"ma, from the >uru
provinces. >uruk@etra continues to e:ist since the !edic age,
and it is sheer foolishness when interpreters ignore or deny
the e:istence of >uruk@etra.
T!T X\
Ta<a Ta<a h Ta<aT(ah-ir0 PaOT(au*Taah-Qa0 9
Saa(a; %ae)ae id!a; Pa,ai'fae &aa; &aTaSTada 99 X\ 99
tatra tatra ha tatratyair
hari* "raty!dyat'rha5a*
s'ya- bhe)e di1a- "a1c'd
ga(i.<ho g'- gatas tad'
S(#O#($S
tatra tatraZat different placesV haZit so happenedV tatratyai*
Zby local inhabitantsV hari*Zthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV
"raty!dyata%arha5a*Zbeing offered presentations and
worshipful regardsV s'yamZthe eveningV bhe)eZhaving
overtakenV di1amZdirectionV "a1c'tZeasternV ga(i.<ha*Zthe
sun in the skyV g'mZto the oceanV gata*Zhaving goneV tad'
Zat that time.
T-A#SLATIO#
On Iis /ourney through these pro'inces Ie Jas Jelco@ed,
Jorshiped and gi'en 'arious presentationsH In the e'ening, in all
places, the Lord suspended Iis /ourney to perfor@ e'ening ritesH
This Jas regularly obser'ed after sunsetH
P8-PO-T
t is said here that the Eord observed the religious principles
regularly while He was on the 2ourney. There are certain
philosophical speculations that even the Eord is under the
obligations of fruitive action. %ut actually this is not the case.
He does not depend on the action of any good or bad work.
Since the :ord is absol!te, e(erything done by >im is good for
e(eryone. %ut when He descends on earth, He acts for the
protection of the devotees and for the annihilation of the
impious nondevotees. Although He has no obligatory duty,
still He does everything so that others may follow. That is
the way of factual teachingV one must act properly himself
and teach the same to others, otherwise no one will accept
oneJs blind teaching. He is Himself the awarder of fruitive
results. He is self'sufficient, and yet He acts according to the
rulings of the revealed scripture in order to teach us the
process. f He does not do so, the common man may go
wrong. %ut in the advanced stage, when one can understand
the transcendental nature of the Eord, one does not try to
imitate Him. This is not possible.
The Eord in human society does what is the duty of
everyone, but sometimes He does something e:traordinary
and not to be imitated by the living being. His acts of
evening prayer as stated herein must be followed by the
living being, but it is not possible to follow His mountain'
lifting or dancing with the go"$s. 9ne cannot imitate the sun,
which can e:haust water even from a filthy placeV the most
powerful can do something which is all'good, but our
imitation of such acts will put us into endless difficulty.
Therefore, in all actions, the e:perienced guide, the spiritual
master, who is the manifested mercy of the Eord, should
always be consulted, and the path of progress will be
assured.
Th!s end the &hakti(edanta "!r"orts of the Hirst 9anto, Tenth
9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KDe"art!re of
:ord A4.5a for D('rak'.M
Chapter le'en
Lord CDEFars ntrance into >'LrakL
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
Aa#aTaa-#a2 Sa oPa'3)(a S':pai#aPada#a2 S'k6a#a2 9
d>$aa dr'r; Tae=a; i'=ad; !a$a(aik' 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
'nart'n sa !"a(ra)ya
s(4ddh', )ana%"ad'n s(ak'n
dadhma! dara(arate.'-
(i.'da- 1amayann i(a
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV 'nart'nZthe country
known as Wnart"n 37v"rak"6V sa*ZHeV !"a(ra)yaZreaching
the border ofV s(4ddh'nZmost prosperousV )ana%"ad'nZcityV
s(ak'nZHis ownV dadhma!ZsoundedV dara(aramZthe
auspicious conchshell 31"^ca2anya6V te.'mZof themV (i.'dam
Zde2ectionV 1amayanZpacifyingV i(aZseemingly.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide 8pon reaching the border of Iis @ost
prosperous @etropolis, knoJn as the country of the }nartas
O>'LrakL3, the Lord sounded Iis auspicious conchshell, heralding
Iis arri'al and apparently pacifying the de/ection of the
inhabitantsH
P8-PO-T
The beloved Eord was away from His own prosperous
metropolis of 7v"rak" for a considerably long period
because of the %attle of >uruk@etra, and thus all the
inhabitants were overcome with melancholia due to the
separation. When the Eord descends on the earth, His
eternal associates also come with Him, 2ust as the entourage
of a king accompanies him. $uch associates of the Eord are
eternally liberated souls, and they cannot bear the
separation of the Eord even for a moment because of intense
affection for the Eord. Thus the inhabitants of the city of
7v"rak" were in a mood of de2ection and e:pected the
arrival of the Eord at any moment. $o the heralding sound of
the auspicious conchshell was very encouraging, and
apparently the sound pacified their de2ection. They were still
more aspirant to see the Eord amongst themselves, and all
of them became alert to receive Him in the befitting manner.
These are the signs of spontaneous love of 8odhead.
T!T N
Sa ok6a!ae >a'lRaedrae drae
+P(auDs6$aS(aa>ar!aaeQa!aaeiQa$aa 9
da>$aa(a$aa#a0 k6rk6iSa$Pau1eu
(aQaaK)aYQoe k6lRh;Sa oTS'#a0 99 N 99
sa !ccak'1e dha(alodaro daro
2"y !r!kramasy'dhara1o5a%1o5im'
d'dhm'yam'na* kara%ka,)a%sam"!<e
yath'b)a%kha5;e kala%ha-sa !ts(ana*
S(#O#($S
sa*ZthatV !ccak'1eZbecame brilliantV dha(ala%!dara*Zwhite
and fat'boweledV dara*ZconchshellV a"iZalthough it is soV
!r!kramasyaZof the great adventurerV adhara1o5aZby the
transcendental (uality of His lipsV 1o5im'ZreddenedV
d'dhm'yam'na*Zbeing soundedV kara%ka,)a%sam"!<eZbeing
caught by the grip of the lotus handV yath'Zas it isV ab)a%
kha5;eZby the stems of lotus flowersV kala%ha-sa*Zducking
swanV !ts(ana*Zloudly sounding.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Jhite and fat6boJeled conchshell, being gripped by the hand
of Lord CDEFa and sounded by Ii@, appeared to be reddened by
the touch of Iis transcendental lipsH It see@ed that a Jhite sJan
Jas playing in the ste@s of red lotus floJersH
P8-PO-T
The redness of the white conchshell due to the lip'touch of
the Eord is a symbol of spiritual significance. The Eord is all
spirit, and matter is ignorance of this spiritual e:istence.
Hactually there is nothing like matter in spiritual
enlightenment, and this spiritual enlightenment takes place
at once by the contact of the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa. The
Eord is present in every particle of all e:istence, and He can
manifest His presence in anyone. %y ardent love and
devotional service to the Eord, or in other words by spiritual
contact with the Eord, everything becomes spiritually
reddened like the conchshell in the grip of the Eord, and the
"aramaha-sa, or the supremely intelligent person, plays the
part of the ducking swan in the water of spiritual bliss,
eternally decorated by the lotus flower of the EordJs feet.
T!T X
Ta$auPaBOuT(a i#a#ad; )a&aS(a%a(aa'h$a2 9
PaOT(au*(au0 PaO)aa0 Sa'a- %aTa:-d!a-#alRalRSaa0 99 X 99
tam !"a1r!tya ninada-
)agad%bhaya%bhay'(aham
"raty!dyay!* "ra)'* sar('
bhart4%dar1ana%l'las'*
S(#O#($S
tamZthatV !"a1r!tyaZhaving overheardV ninadamZsoundV
)agat%bhayaZthe fear of material e:istenceV bhaya%'(ahamZ
the threatening principleV "ratiZtowardsV !dyay!*Zrapidly
proceededV "ra)'*Zthe citi)ensV sar('*ZallV bhart4Zthe
protectorV dar1anaZaudienceV l'las'*Zhaving so desired.
T-A#SLATIO#
The citi=ens of >'LrakL, ha'ing heard that sound Jhich threatens
fear personified in the @aterial Jorld, began to run toJards Ii@
fast, /ust to ha'e a long desired audience Jith the Lord, Jho is the
protector of all de'oteesH
P8-PO-T
As already e:plained, the citi)ens of 7v"rak" who lived at
the time of Eord >?@AaJs presence there were all liberated
souls who descended there along with the Eord as
entourage. All were very an:ious to have an audience with
the Eord, although because of spiritual contact they were
never separated from the Eord. Oust as the go"$s at
!?nd"vana used to think of >?@Aa while He was away from
the village for cowherding engagements, the citi)ens of
7v"rak" were all immersed in thought of the Eord while He
was away from 7v"rak" to attend the %attle of >uruk@etra.
$ome distinguished fiction writer in %engal concluded that
the >?@Aa of !?nd"vana, that of Mathur" and that of
7v"rak" were different personalities. Historically there is no
truth in this conclusion. The >?@Aa of >uruk@etra and the
>?@Aa of 7v"rak" are one and the same personality.
The citi)ens of 7v"rak" were thus in a state of melancholy
due to the EordJs absence from the transcendental city, as
much as we are put in a state of melancholy at night
because of the absence of the sun. The sound heralded by
Eord >?@Aa was something like the heralding of the sunrise
in the morning. $o all the citi)ens of 7v"rak" awoke from a
state of slumber because of the sunrise of >?@Aa, and they
all hastened towards Him 2ust to have an audience. The
devotees of the Eord know no one else as protector.
This sound of the Eord is identical with the Eord, as we have
tried to e:plain by the nondual position of the Eord. The
material e:istence of our present status is full of fear. 9ut of
the four problems of material e:istence, namely the food
problem, the shelter problem, the fear problem and the
mating problem, the fear problem gives us more trouble
than the others. We are always fearful due to our ignorance
of the ne:t problem. The whole material e:istence is full of
problems, and thus the fear problem is always prominent.
This is due to our association with the illusory energy of the
Eord, known as m'y' or e:ternal energy, yet all fear is
vanished as soon as there is the sound of the Eord,
represented by His holy name, as it was sounded by Eord <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu in the following si:teen wordsC
>are A4.5a, >are A4.5a, A4.5a A4.5a, >are >are
>are R'ma, >are R'ma, R'ma R'ma, >are >are
We can take advantage of these sounds and be free from all
threatening problems of material e:istence.
T!TS Z[
Ta<aaePa#a?TablR(aae r'edsPai$a'ad:Taa0 9
AaT$aara$a; Pa8Qa-k6a$a; i#a)alRa%ae#a i#aT(ada 99 Z 99
PaO?T(auTfu6w$auYa0 PaOaecuh-=-&ad(aa i&ara 9
iPaTar; Sa'-Sau5d$ai'Taari$a'a%a-k6a0 99 [ 99
tatro"an$ta%balayo
ra(er d$"am i('d4t'*
'tm'r'ma- "0r5a%k'ma-
ni)a%l'bhena nityad'
"r$ty%!t"h!lla%m!kh'* "roc!r
har.a%gadgaday' gir'
"itara- sar(a%s!h4dam
a(it'ram i('rbhak'*
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereuponV !"an$taZhaving offeredV balaya*Z
presentationsV ra(e*Zup to the sunV d$"amZlampV i(aZlikeV
'd4t'*Zbeing evaluatedV 'tma%'r'mamZunto the self'
sufficientV "0r5a%k'mamZfully satisfiedV ni)a%l'bhenaZby His
own potenciesV nitya%d'Zone who supplies incessantlyV "r$ti
ZaffectionV !t"h!lla%m!kh'*Zcheerful facesV "roc!*ZsaidV
har.aZgladdenedV gadgaday'ZecstaticV gir'ZspeechesV
"itaramZunto the fatherV sar(aZallV s!h4damZfriendsV
a(it'ramZthe guardianV i(aZlikeV arbhak'*Zwards.
T-A#SLATIO#
The citi=ens arri'ed before the Lord Jith their respecti'e
presentations, offering the@ to the fully satisfied and self6
sufficient one, Jho, by Iis oJn potency, incessantly supplies
othersH These presentations Jere like the offering of a la@p to the
sunH (et the citi=ens began to speak in ecstatic language to recei'e
the Lord, /ust as Jards Jelco@e their guardian and fatherH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord >?@Aa is described herein as 'tm'r'ma.
He is self'sufficient, and there is no need for Him to seek
happiness from anything beyond Himself. He is self'sufficient
because His very transcendental e:istence is total bliss. He
is eternally e:istentV He is all'cogni)ant and all'blissful.
Therefore, any presentation, however valuable it may be, is
not needed by Him. %ut still, because He is the well'wisher
for one and all, He accepts from everyone everything that is
offered to Him in pure devotional service. t is not that He is
in want for such things, because the things are themselves
generated from His energy. The comparison is made herein
that making offerings to the Eord is something like offering a
lamp in the worship of the sun'god. Anything fiery and
illuminating is but an emanation of the energy of the sun,
and yet to worship the sun'god it is necessary to offer him a
lamp. n the worship of the sun, there is some sort of
demand made by the worshiper, but in the case of
devotional service to the Eord, there is no (uestion of
demand from either side. t is all a sign of pure love and
affection between the Eord and the devotee.
The Eord is the $upreme Hather of all living beings, and
therefore those who are conscious of this (ital relation with
8od can make filial demands from the Hather, and the Hather
is pleased to supply the demands of such obedient sons
without bargaining. The Eord is 2ust like the desire tree, and
from Him everyone can have everything by the causeless
mercy of the Eord. As the $upreme Hather, the Eord,
however, does not supply to a pure devotee what is
considered to be a barrier to the discharge of devotional
service. Those who are engaged in the devotional service of
the Eord can rise to the position of unalloyed devotional
service by His transcendental attraction.
T!T \
#aTaa0 S$a Tae #aaQa SadaM2iga3Pa)a;
i'ir}'irIC(aSaure#d3'i#dTa$a2 9
Para(aQa; Uae$ai$aheCcTaa; Par;
#a (a<a k6alR0 PaO%a'eTa2 Par0 PaO%au0 99 \ 99
nat'* sma te n'tha sad'3ghri%"a3ka)a-
(iri,ca%(airi,cya%s!rendra%(anditam
"ar'ya5a- k.emam ihecchat'- "ara-
na yatra k'la* "rabha(et "ara* "rabh!*
S(#O#($S
nat'*Zbowed downV smaZwe had done soV teZunto XouV
n'thaZ9 EordV sad'ZalwaysV a3ghri%"a3ka)amZthe lotus feetV
(iri,caZ%rahm", the first living beingV (airi,cyaZsons of
%rahm" like $anaka and $an"tanaV s!ra%indraZthe >ing of
heavenV (anditamZworshiped byV "ar'ya5amZthe supremeV
k.emamZwelfareV ihaZin this lifeV icchat'mZone who so
desiresV "aramZthe highestV naZneverV yatraZwhereinV
k'la*Zinevitable timeV "rabha(etZcan e:ert its influenceV
"ara*ZtranscendentalV "rabh!*Zthe $upreme Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
The citi=ens saide O Lord, (ou are Jorshiped by all de@igods like
Krah@L, the four Sanas and e'en the Cing of hea'enH (ou are the
ulti@ate rest for those Jho are really aspiring to achie'e the
highest benefit of lifeH (ou are the supre@e transcendental Lord,
and ine'itable ti@e cannot eMert its influence upon (ouH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord is <r= >?@Aa, as confirmed in &haga(ad%
g$t', &rahma%sa-hit' and other authori)ed !edic literatures.
Ko one is e(ual to or greater than Him, and that is the
verdict of all scriptures. The influence of time and space is
e:erted upon the dependent living entities, who are all parts
and parcels of the $upreme Eord. The living entities are
predominated %rahman, whereas the $upreme Eord is the
predominating Absolute. As soon as we forget this clear fact,
we are at once in illusion, and thus we are put into threefold
miseries, as one is put into dense darkness. The clear
consciousness of the cogni)ant living being is 8od
consciousness, in which one bows down unto Him in all
circumstances.
T!T ]
%a'a(a #aST'; %a' i'T%aa'#a
T'$ae' $aaTaaQa Sau5TPaiTa0 iPaTaa 9
T'; Sad2&auD#a-0 Par$a; c d'Ta;
(aS(aa#au':t(aa k:6iTa#aae b%a8i'$a 99 ] 99
bha('ya nas t(a- bha(a (i1(a%bh'(ana
t(am e(a m't'tha s!h4t%"ati* "it'
t(a- sad%g!r!r na* "arama- ca dai(ata-
yasy'n!(4tty' k4tino babh0(ima
S(#O#($S
bha('yaZfor welfareV na*Zfor usV t(amZXour EordshipV bha(a
Z2ust becomeV (i1(a%bh'(anaZthe creator of the universeV
t(amZXour EordshipV e(aZcertainlyV m't'ZmotherV athaZas
alsoV s!h4tZwell'wisherV "ati*ZhusbandV "it'ZfatherV t(amZ
Xour EordshipV sat%g!r!*Zspiritual masterV na*ZourV
"aramamZthe supremeV caZandV dai(atamZworshipable
7eityV yasyaZwhoseV an!(4tty'Zfollowing in the footstepsV
k4tina*ZsuccessfulV babh0(imaZwe have become.
T-A#SLATIO#
O creator of the uni'erse, (ou are our @other, Jell6Jisher, Lord,
father, spiritual @aster and Jorshipable >eityH Ky folloJing in
(our footsteps Je ha'e beco@e successful in e'ery respectH Ve
pray, therefore, that (ou continue to bless us Jith (our @ercyH
P8-PO-T
The all'good 1ersonality of 8odhead, being the creator of the
universe, also plans for the good of all good living beings.
The good living beings are advised by the Eord to follow His
good advice, and by doing so they become successful in all
spheres of life. There is no need to worship any deity but the
Eord. The Eord is all'powerful, and if He is satisfied by our
obedience unto His lotus feet, He is competent to bestow
upon us all kinds of blessings for the successful e:ecution of
both our material and spiritual lives. Hor attaining spiritual
e:istence, the human form is a chance for all to understand
our eternal relation with 8od. 9ur relation with Him is
eternalV it can neither be broken nor van(uished. t may be
forgotten for the time being, but it can be revived also by
the grace of the Eord, if we follow His in2unctions, which are
revealed in the scriptures of all times and all places.
T!T ^
Ahae Sa#aaQaa %a'Taa S$a (aj(a;
<ai'nPaa#aa$aiPa d8rd!a-#a$a2 9
PaOe$aiS$aTaih&>ai#ar?UaQaa#a#a;
Pa!(ae$a ~Pa; Ta' Sa'-Saa%a&a$a2 99 ^ 99
aho san'th' bha(at' sma yad (aya-
trai(i.<a"'n'm a"i d0ra%dar1anam
"rema%smita%snigdha%nir$k.a5'nana-
"a1yema r0"a- ta(a sar(a%sa!bhagam
S(#O#($S
ahoZoh, it is our good luckV sa%n'th'*Zto be under the
protection of the masterV bha(at'Zby Xour good selfV smaZas
we have becomeV yat (ayamZas we areV trai(i.<a%"'n'mZof
the demigodsV a"iZalsoV d0ra%dar1anamZvery rarely seenV
"rema%smitaZsmiling with loveV snigdhaZaffectionateV
nir$k.a5a%'nanamZface looking in that modeV "a1yemaZlet
us lookV r0"amZbeautyV ta(aZXourV sar(aZallV sa!bhagamZ
auspiciousness.
T-A#SLATIO#
Oh, it is our good luck that Je ha'e co@e again today under (our
protection by (our presence, for (our Lordship rarely 'isits e'en
the deni=ens of hea'enH #oJ it is possible for us to look into (our
s@iling face, Jhich is full of affectionate glancesH Ve can noJ see
(our transcendental for@, full of all auspiciousnessH
P8-PO-T
The Eord in His eternal personal form can be seen only by
the pure devotees. The Eord is never impersonal, but He is
the $upreme Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead, possible to be
visited by devotional service face to face, which is
impossible to be done even by the deni)ens of higher
planets. When %rahm"2= and other demigods want to consult
Eord !i@Au, the plenary portion of Eord >?@Aa, they have to
wait on the shore of the ocean of milk where Eord !i@Au is
lying on White Eand 3<vetadv=pa6. This ocean of milk and
the <vetadv=pa planet are the replica of !aikuAThaloka
within the universe. Keither %rahm"2= nor the demigods like
ndra can enter into this island of <vetadv=pa, but they can
stand on the shore of the ocean of milk and transmit their
message to Eord !i@Au, known as >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au.
Therefore, the Eord is rarely seen by them, but the
inhabitants of 7v"rak", because of their being pure devotees
without any tinge of the material contamination of fruitive
activities and empiric philosophical speculation, can see Him
face to face by the grace of the Eord. This is the original
state of the living entities and can be attained by reviving
our natural and constitutional state of life, which is
discovered by devotional service only.
T!T _
(a7-$bu)aaUaaPaSaSaar %aae %a'a#a2
ku6~#a2 $a>a8#a2 'aQa Sau5iqd:Ua(aa 9
Ta<aaKdk6aei1uPaOiTa$a0 UaQaae %a'ed2
ri'; i'#aaUQaaeir' #aSTa'aC(auTa 99 _ 99
yarhy amb!)'k.'"asas'ra bho bha('n
k!r0n madh0n ('tha s!h4d%did4k.ay'
tatr'bda%ko<i%"ratima* k.a5o bha(ed
ra(i- (in'k.5or i(a nas ta('cy!ta
S(#O#($S
yarhiZwheneverV amb!)a%ak.aZ9 lotus'eyed oneV a"asas'ra
ZXou go awayV bhoZohV bha('nZXourselfV k!r0nZthe
descendants of >ing >uruV madh0nZthe inhabitants of
Mathur" 3!ra2abhLmi6V ('ZeitherV athaZthereforeV s!h4t%
did4k.ay'Zfor meeting themV tatraZat that timeV abda%ko<iZ
millions of yearsV "ratima*ZlikeV k.a5a*ZmomentsV bha(etZ
becomesV ra(imZthe sunV (in'ZwithoutV ak.5o*Zof the
eyesV i(aZlike thatV na*ZoursV ta(aZXourV acy!taZ9
infallible one.
T-A#SLATIO#
O lotus6eyed Lord, Jhene'er (ou go aJay to $athurL, GDndL'ana
or IastinLpura to @eet (our friends and relati'es, e'ery @o@ent
of (our absence see@s like a @illion yearsH O infallible one, at that
ti@e our eyes beco@e useless, as if bereft of sunH
P8-PO-T
We are all proud of our material senses for making
e:periments to determine the e:istence of 8od. %ut we
forget that our senses are not absolute by themselves. They
can only act under certain conditions. Hor e:ample, our eyes.
As long as the sunshine is there, our eyes are useful to a
certain e:tent. %ut in the absence of sunshine, the eyes are
useless. Eord <r= >?@Aa, being the primeval Eord, the
$upreme Truth, is compared to the sun. Without Him all our
knowledge is either false or partial. The opposite of the sun
is the darkness, and similarly the opposite of >?@Aa is m'y',
or illusion. The devotees of the Eord can see everything in
true perspective due to the light disseminated by Eord
>?@Aa. %y the grace of the Eord the pure devotee cannot be
in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore, it is necessary that
we must always be in the sight of Eord >?@Aa so that we can
see both ourselves and the Eord with His different energies.
As we cannot see anything in the absence of the sun, so also
we cannot see anything including our own self, without the
factual presence of the Eord. Without Him all our knowledge
is covered by illusion.
T!T "`
k6Qa; '(a; #aaQa icraei=Tae T'i(a PaOSakd:nyai
YlRTaaPa!aae=Qa$a2 9
)a?'e$a Tae Sau#drhaSa!aaei%aTa$aPa!(a$aa#aa 'd#a;
$a#aaehr$a2 9
JiTa caed?irTaa 'ac0 PaO)aa#aa; %av6'TSalR0 9
B:Q'a#aae+#au&a3h; d:nya i'Ta#'#a2 PaOai'!aTa2 Paur$a2 99
"` 99
katha- (aya- n'tha ciro.ite t(ayi
"rasanna%d4.<y'khila%t'"a%1o.a5am
)$(ema te s!ndara%h'sa%1obhitam
a"a1yam'n' (adana- manoharam
iti cod$rit' ('ca*
"ra)'n'- bhakta%(atsala*
145('no 2n!graha- d4.<y'
(itan(an "r'(i1at "!ram
S(#O#($S
kathamZhowV (ayamZweV n'thaZ9 EordV ciro.iteZbeing
abroad almost alwaysV t(ayiZby XouV "rasannaZsatisfactionV
d4.<y'Zby the glanceV akhilaZuniversalV t'"aZmiseriesV
1o.a5amZvan(uishingV )$(emaZshall be able to liveV teZ
XourV s!ndaraZbeautifulV h'saZsmilingV 1obhitamZdecoratedV
a"a1yam'n'*Zwithout seeingV (adanamZfaceV manoharamZ
attractiveV itiZthusV caZandV !d$rit'*ZspeakingV ('ca*Z
wordsV "ra)'n'mZof the citi)ensV bhakta%(atsala*Zkind to the
devoteesV 145('na*Zthus learningV an!grahamZkindnessV
d4.<y'Zby glancesV (itan(anZdistributingV "r'(i1atZ
enteredV "!ramZ7v"rak"pur=.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @aster, if (ou li'e abroad all the ti@e, then Je cannot look at
(our attracti'e face, Jhose s@iles 'an?uish all our sufferingsH IoJ
can Je eMist Jithout (our presenceW8pon hearing their speeches,
the Lord, Jho is 'ery kind to the citi=ens and the de'otees, entered
the city of >'LrakL and acknoJledged all their greetings by casting
Iis transcendental glance o'er the@H
P8-PO-T
Eord >?@AaJs attraction is so powerful that once being
attracted by Him one cannot tolerate separation from Him.
Why is this so? %ecause we are all eternally related with Him
as the sun rays are eternally related with the sun disc. The
sun rays are molecular parts of the solar radiation. Thus the
sun rays and the sun cannot be separated. The separation
by the cloud is temporary and artificial, and as soon as the
cloud is cleared, the sun rays again display their natural
effulgence in the presence of the sun. $imilarly, the living
entities, who are molecular parts of the whole spirit, are
separated from the Eord by the artificial covering of m'y',
illusory energy. This illusory energy, or the curtain of m'y',
has to be removed, and when it is so done, the living entity
can see the Eord face to face, and all his miseries are at
once removed. ;very one of us wants to remove the miseries
of life, but we do not know how to do it. The solution is given
here, and it rests on us to assimilate it or not.
T!T ""
$a>au%aae)ad!aaha-h-ku6ku6ra#>ak6':i.Qai%a0 9
AaT$aTauL(ablR&au-a; #aa&a%aae-&a'Ta?i$a' 99 "" 99
madh!%bho)a%da1'rh'rha%
k!k!r'ndhaka%(4.5ibhi*
'tma%t!lya%balair g!"t'-
n'gair bhoga(at$m i(a
S(#O#($S
madh!ZMadhuV bho)aZ%ho2aV da1'rhaZ7aP"rhaV arhaZArhaV
k!k!raZ>ukuraV andhakaZAndhakaV (4.5ibhi*Zby the
descendants of !?@AiV 'tma%t!lyaZas good as HimselfV balai*
Zby strengthV g!"t'mZprotectedV n'gai*Zby the K"gasV
bhoga(at$mZthe capital of K"galokaV i(aZlike.
T-A#SLATIO#
As Khoga'atB, the capital of #Lgaloka, is protected by the #Lgas,
so Jas >'LrakL protected by the descendants of GDEFiKho/a,
$adhu, >awLrha, Arha, Cukura, Andhaka, etcHJho Jere as strong
as Lord CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
The K"galoka planet is situated below the earth planet, and
it is understood that the sun rays are hampered there. The
darkness of the planet is, however, removed by the flashes
of the 2ewels set on the heads of the K"gas 3celestial
serpents6, and it is said that there are beautiful gardens,
rivulets, etc., for the en2oyment of the K"gas. t is
understood here also that the place is well protected by the
inhabitants. $o also the city of 7v"rak" was well protected
by the descendants of !?@Ai, who were as powerful as the
Eord, insofar as He manifested His strength upon this earth.
T!T "N
Sa'-Tau-Sa'-i'%a'PauQ(a':UalRTaaBO$a0 9
o*a#aaePa'#aara$a':-TaPaak6riBO(a$a2 99 "N 99
sar(art!%sar(a%(ibha(a%
"!5ya%(4k.a%lat'1ramai*
!dy'no"a(an'r'mair
(4ta%"adm'kara%1riyam
S(#O#($S
sar(aZallV 4t!ZseasonsV sar(aZallV (ibha(aZopulencesV
"!5yaZpiousV (4k.aZtreesV lat'ZcreepersV '1ramai*Zwith
hermitagesV !dy'naZorchardsV !"a(anaZflower gardensV
'r'mai*Zpleasure gardens and beautiful parksV (4taZ
surrounded byV "adma%'karaZthe birthplaces of lotuses or
nice reservoirs of waterV 1riyamZincreasing the beauty.
T-A#SLATIO#
The city of >'LrakLpurB Jas filled Jith the opulences of all
seasonsH There Jere her@itages, orchards, floJer gardens, parks
and reser'oirs of Jater breeding lotus floJers all o'erH
P8-PO-T
1erfection of human civili)ation is made possible by utili)ing
the gifts of nature in their own way. As we find herewith in
the description of its opulence, 7v"rak" was surrounded by
flower gardens and fruit orchards along with reservoirs of
water and growing lotuses. There is no mention of mills and
factories supported by slaughterhouses, which are the
necessary paraphernalia of the modern metropolis. The
propensity to utili)e natureJs own gifts is still there, even in
the heart of modern civili)ed man. The leaders of modern
civili)ation select their own residential (uarters in a place
where there are such naturally beautiful gardens and
reservoirs of water, but they leave the common men to
reside in congested areas without parks and gardens. Herein
of course we find a different description of the city of
7v"rak". t is understood that the whole dh'ma, or
residential (uarter, was surrounded by such gardens and
parks with reservoirs of water where lotuses grew. t is
understood that all the people depended on natureJs gifts of
fruits and flowers without industrial enterprises promoting
filthy huts and slums for residential (uarters. Advancement
of civili)ation is estimated not on the growth of mills and
factories to deteriorate the finer instincts of the human
being, but on developing the potent spiritual instincts of
human beings and giving them a chance to go back to
8odhead. 7evelopment of factories and mills is called !gra%
karma, or pungent activities, and such activities deteriorate
the finer sentiments of the human being and society to form
a dungeon of demons.
We find herein the mention of pious trees which produce
seasonal flowers and fruits. The impious trees are useless
2ungles only, and they can only be used to supply fuels. n
the modern civili)ation such impious trees are planted on the
sides of roads. Human energy should be properly utili)ed in
developing the finer senses for spiritual understanding, in
which lies the solution of life. Hruits, flowers, beautiful
gardens, parks and reservoirs of water with ducks and swans
playing in the midst of lotus flowers, and cows giving
sufficient milk and butter are essential for developing the
finer tissues of the human body. As against this, the
dungeons of mines, factories and workshops develop
demoniac propensities in the working class. The vested
interests flourish at the cost of the working class, and
conse(uently there are severe clashes between them in so
many ways. The description of 7v"rak"'dh"ma is the ideal of
human civili)ation.
T!T "X
&aaePaurjar$aa&ae-=u k:6Tak6aTauk6TaaerQaa$a2 9
ic<a)aPaTaak6a&a3r#Ta0 PaOiTahTaaTaPaa$a2 99 "X 99
go"!ra%d('ra%m'rge.!
k4ta%ka!t!ka%tora5'm
citra%dh(a)a%"at'k'grair
anta* "ratihat'ta"'m
S(#O#($S
go"!raZthe gateway of the cityV d('raZdoorV m'rge.!Zon
different roadsV k4taZundertakenV ka!t!kaZbecause of the
festivalV tora5'mZdecorated archV citraZpaintedV dh(a)aZ
flagsV "at'k'%agrai*Zby the foremost signsV anta*ZwithinV
"ratihataZcheckedV 'ta"'mZsunshine.
T-A#SLATIO#
The city gateJay, the household doors and festooned arches along
the roads Jere all nicely decorated Jith festi'e signs like plantain
trees and @ango lea'es, all to Jelco@e the LordH Flags, garlands
and painted signs and slogans all co@bined to shade the sunshineH
P8-PO-T
$igns of decoration in special festivals were also collected
from the gifts of nature, such as the plantain trees, the
mango trees, fruits and flowers. Mango trees, coconut palms
and plantain trees are still accepted as auspicious signs. The
flags mentioned above were all painted with the picture of
either 8aruQa or Hanum"n, the two great servitors of the
Eord. Hor devotees, such paintings and decorations are still
adored, and the servitor of the master is paid more respects
for the satisfaction of the Eord.
T!T "Z
Sa$$aai)a-Ta$aha$aa&a-rQ(aaPaQak6cT'ra$a2 9
iSav6a; &a#>a)alRDa; f6lRPau.PaaUaTaaM2ku6r0 99 "Z 99
samm'r)ita%mah'%m'rga%
rathy'"a5aka%cat(ar'm
sikt'- gandha%)alair !"t'-
"hala%"!."'k.at'3k!rai*
S(#O#($S
samm'r)itaZthoroughly cleansedV mah'%m'rgaZhighwaysV
rathyaZlanes and subwaysV '"a5akaZshopping
marketplacesV cat(ar'mZpublic meeting placesV sikt'mZ
moistened withV gandha%)alai*Zscented waterV !"t'mZwas
strewn withV "halaZfruitsV "!."aZflowersV ak.ataZunbrokenV
a3k!rai*Zseeds.
T-A#SLATIO#
The highJays, subJays, lanes, @arkets and public @eeting places
Jere all thoroughly cleansed and then @oistened Jith scented
JaterH And to Jelco@e the Lord, fruits, floJers and unbroken
seeds Jere streJn e'eryJhereH
P8-PO-T
$cented waters prepared by distilling flowers like rose and
keora were re(uisitioned to wet the roads, streets and lanes
of 7v"rak"'dh"ma. $uch places, along with the marketplace
and public meeting places, were thoroughly cleansed. Hrom
the above description, it appears that the city of
7v"rak"dh"ma was considerably big, containing many
highways, streets and public meeting places with parks,
gardens and reservoirs of water, all very nicely decorated
with flowers and fruits. And to welcome the Eord such
flowers and fruits with unbroken seeds of grain were also
strewn over the public places. Rnbroken seeds of grain or
fruits in the seedling stage were considered auspicious, and
they are still so used by the Hindus in general on festival
days.
T!T "[
jair jair &a:haQaa; c d>(aUaTaf6leRUaui%a0 9
AlRM2k:6Taa; Pa8Qa-ku6$%ab-ilRi%a>a8-Pad?Pak60 99 "[ 99
d('ri d('ri g4h'5'- ca
dadhy%ak.ata%"halek.!bhi*
ala3k4t'- "0r5a%k!mbhair
balibhir dh0"a%d$"akai*
S(#O#($S
d('ri d('riZthe door of each and every houseV g4h'5'mZof
all the residential buildingsV caZandV dadhiZcurdV ak.ataZ
unbrokenV "halaZfruitV ik.!bhi*ZsugarcaneV ala3k4t'mZ
decoratedV "0r5a%k!mbhai*Zfull water potsV balibhi*Zalong
with articles for worshipV dh0"aZincenseV d$"akai*Zwith
lamps and candles.
T-A#SLATIO#
In each and e'ery door of the residential houses, auspicious things
like curd, unbroken fruits, sugarcane and full Jaterpots Jith
articles for Jorship, incense and candles Jere all displayedH
P8-PO-T
The process of reception according to !edic rites is not at all
dry. The reception was made not simply by decorating the
roads and streets as above mentioned, but by worshiping
the Eord with re(uisite ingredients like incense, lamps,
flowers, sweets, fruits and other palatable eatables,
according to oneJs capacity. All were offered to the Eord, and
the remnants of the foodstuff were distributed amongst the
gathering citi)ens. $o it was not like a dry reception of these
modern days. ;ach and every house was ready to receive
the Eord in a similar way, and thus each and every house on
the roads and streets distributed such remnants of food to
the citi)ens, and therefore the festival was successful.
Without distribution of food, no function is complete, and
that is the way of !edic culture.
T!TS "\"]
i#a!a$(a PaOef$aa(aa#Ta; 'Saude'ae $aha$a#aa0 9
As86r,ae&a3Sae#a, ra$a,ad2%auTai's6$a0 99 "\ 99
PaO*u$an,aDde.Qa, Saa$bae )aa$b'Ta?SauTa0 9
PaOh=-'e&aaeCci!aTa!a(a#aaSa#a%aae)a#aa0 99 "] 99
ni1amya "re.<ham 'y'nta-
(as!de(o mah'%man'*
akr0ra1 cograsena1 ca
r'ma1 c'dbh!ta%(ikrama*
"rady!mna1 c'r!de.5a1 ca
s'mbo )'mba(at$%s!ta*
"rahar.a%(egoccha1ita%
1ayan'sana%bho)an'*
S(#O#($S
ni1amyaZ2ust hearingV "re.<hamZthe dearmostV 'y'ntamZ
coming homeV (as!de(a*Z!asudeva 3the father of >?@Aa6V
mah'%man'*Zthe magnanimousV akr0ra*ZAkrLraV caZandV
!grasena*ZRgrasenaV caZandV r'ma*Z%alar"ma 3the elder
brother of >?@Aa6V caZandV adbh!taZsuperhumanV (ikrama*
ZprowessV "rady!mna*Z1radyumnaV c'r!de.5a*Z
*"rude@AaV caZandV s'mba*Z$"mbaV )'mba(at$%s!ta*Zthe
son of O"mbavat=V "rahar.aZe:treme happinessV (egaZ
forceV !ccha1itaZbeing influenced byV 1ayanaZlying downV
'sanaZsitting onV bho)an'*Zdining.
T-A#SLATIO#
On hearing that the @ost dear CDEFa Jas approaching
>'LrakLdhL@a, @agnani@ous Gasude'a, Akrdra, 8grasena,
KalarL@a 2the superhu@anly poJerful9, Pradyu@na, CLrudeEFa
and SL@ba the son of )L@ba'atB, all eMtre@ely happy, abandoned
resting, sitting and diningH
P8-PO-T
/as!de(aI $on of >ing <Lrasena, husband of 7evak= and
father of Eord <r= >?@Aa. He is the brother of >unt= and
father of $ubhadr". $ubhadr" was married with her cousin
Ar2una, and this system is still prevalent in some parts of
ndia. !asudeva was appointed minister of Rgrasena, and
later on he married eight daughters of RgrasenaJs brother
7evaka. 7evak= is only one of them. >a[sa was his brother'
in'law, and !asudeva accepted voluntary imprisonment by
>a[sa on mutual agreement to deliver the eighth son of
7evak=. This was foiled by the will of >?@Aa. As maternal
uncle of the 1"AQavas, he took active parts in the
purificatory process of the 1"AQavas. He sent for the priest
>aPyapa at the <atas?Iga 1arvata, and he e:ecuted the
functions. When >?@Aa appeared within the bars of >a[saJs
prison house, He was transferred by !asudeva to the house
of Kanda Mah"r"2a, the foster father of >?@Aa, at 8okula.
>?@Aa disappeared along with %aladeva prior to the
disappearance of !asudeva, and Ar2una 3!asudevaJs
nephew6 undertook the charge of the funeral ceremony after
!asudevaJs disappearance.
Pkr0raI The commander in chief of the !?@Ai dynasty and a
great devotee of Eord >?@Aa. AkrLra attained success in
devotional service to the Eord by the one single process of
offering prayers. He was the husband of $Ltan=, daughter of
AhLka. He supported Ar2una when Ar2una took $ubhadr"
forcibly away by the will of >?@Aa. %oth >?@Aa and AkrLra
went to see Ar2una after his successful kidnapping of
$ubhadr". %oth of them presented dowries to Ar2una after
this incidence. AkrLra was present also when Abhimanyu,
the son of $ubhadr", was married with Rttar", mother of
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. AhLka, the father'in'law of AkrLra, was
not on good terms with AkrLra. %ut both of them were
devotees of the Eord.
7grasenaI 9ne of the powerful kings of the !?@Ai dynasty
and cousin of Mah"r"2a >untibho2a. His other name is AhLka.
His minister was !asudeva, and his son was the powerful
>a[sa. This >a[sa imprisoned his father and became the
>ing of Mathur". %y the grace of Eord >?@Aa and His brother,
Eord %aladeva, >a[sa was killed, and Rgrasena was
reinstalled on the throne. When <"lva attacked the city of
7v"rak", Rgrasena fought very valiantly and repulsed the
enemy. Rgrasena in(uired from K"rada2= about the divinity
of Eord >?@Aa. When the Xadu dynasty was to be
van(uished, Rgrasena was entrusted with the iron lump
produced from the womb of $"mba. He cut the iron lump
into pieces and then pasted it and mi:ed it up with the sea
water on the coast of 7v"rak". After this, he ordered
complete prohibition within the city of 7v"rak" and the
kingdom. He got salvation after his death.
&alade(aI He is the divine son of !asudeva by his wife
0ohiA=. He is also known as 0ohiA='nandana, the beloved
son of 0ohiA=. He was also entrusted to Kanda Mah"r"2a
along with His mother, 0ohiA=, when !asudeva embraced
imprisonment by mutual agreement with >a[sa. $o Kanda
Mah"r"2a is also the foster father of %aladeva along with
Eord >?@Aa. Eord >?@Aa and Eord %aladeva were constant
companions from Their very childhood, although They were
stepbrothers. He is the plenary manifestation of the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, and therefore He is as
good and powerful as Eord >?@Aa. He belongs to the (i.5!%
tatt(a 3the principle of 8odhead6. He attended the s(aya-(ara
ceremony of 7raupad= along with <r= >?@Aa. When
$ubhadr" was kidnapped by Ar2una by the organi)ed plan of
<r= >?@Aa, %aladeva was very angry with Ar2una and wanted
to kill him at once. <r= >?@Aa, for the sake of His dear friend,
fell at the feet of Eord %aladeva and implored Him not to be
so angry. <r= %aladeva was thus satisfied. $imilarly, He was
once very angry with the >auravas, and He wanted to throw
their whole city into the depths of the Xamun". %ut the
>auravas satisfied Him by surrendering unto His divine lotus
feet. He was actually the seventh son of 7evak= prior to the
birth of Eord >?@Aa, but by the will of the Eord He was
transferred to the womb of 0ohiA= to escape the wrath of
>a[sa. His other name is therefore $aIkar@aAa, who is also
the plenary portion of <r= %aladeva. %ecause He is as
powerful as Eord >?@Aa and can bestow spiritual power to
the devotees, He is therefore known as %aladeva. n the
/edas also it is en2oined that no one can know the $upreme
Eord without being favored by %aladeva. &ala means
spiritual strength not physical. $ome less intelligent persons
interpret bala as the strength of the body. %ut no one can
have spiritual reali)ation by physical strength. 1hysical
strength ends with the end of the physical body, but spiritual
strength follows the spirit soul to the ne:t transmigration,
and therefore the strength obtained by %aladeva is never
wasted. The strength is eternal, and thus %aladeva is the
original spiritual master of all devotees.
<r= %aladeva was also a class friend of Eord <r= >?@Aa as a
student of $"nd=pani Muni. n His childhood He killed many
as!ras along with <r= >?@Aa, and specifically He killed the
7henuk"sura at T"lavana. 7uring the >uruk@etra battle, He
remained neutral, and He tried His best not to bring about
the fight. He was in favor of 7uryodhana, but still He
remained neutral. When there was a club'fight between
7uryodhana and %h=masena, He was present on the spot.
He was angry at %h=masena when the latter struck
7uryodhana on the thigh or below the belt, and He wanted
to retaliate the unfair action. Eord <r= >?@Aa saved %h=ma
from His wrath. %ut He left the place at once, being
disgusted at %h=masena, and after His departure
7uryodhana fell to the ground to meet his death. The funeral
ceremony of Abhimanyu, the son of Ar2una, was performed
by Him, as He was the maternal uncle. t was impossible to
be performed by any one of the 1"AQavas, who were all
overwhelmed with grief. At the last stage, He departed from
this world by producing a great white snake from His mouth,
and thus He was carried by <e@an"ga in the shape of a
serpent.
rady!mnaI ncarnation of >"madeva or, according to others,
incarnation of $anat'kum"ra, born as the son of the
1ersonality of 8odhead Eord <r= >?@Aa and Eak@m=dev=
<r=mat= 0ukmiA=, the principal (ueen at 7v"rak". He was
one of those who went to congratulate Ar2una upon his
marrying $ubhadr". He was one of the great generals who
fought with <"lva, and while fighting with him he became
unconscious on the battlefield. His charioteer brought him
back to the camp from the battlefield, and for this action he
was very sorry and rebuked his charioteer. However, he
fought again with <"lva and was victorious. He heard all
about the different demigods from K"rada2=. He is one of the
four plenary e:pansions of Eord <r= >?@Aa. He is the third
one. He in(uired from his father, <r= >?@Aa, about the
glories of the br'hma5as. 7uring the fratricidal war amongst
the descendants of Xadu, he died at the hand of %ho2a,
another king of the !?@Ais. After his death, he was installed
in his original position.
9'r!de.5aI Another son of Eord <r= >?@Aa and 0ukmiA=dev=.
He was also present during the s(aya-(ara ceremony of
7raupad=. He was a great warrior like his brothers and
father. He fought with !ivinidhaka and killed him in the fight.
S'mbaI 9ne of the great heroes of the Xadu dynasty and the
son of Eord <r= >?@Aa by His wife O"mbavat=. He learned the
military art of throwing arrows from Ar2una, and he became a
member of parliament during the time of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira. He was present during the 0"2asLya'ya2â of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. When all the !?@Ais were assembled
during the time of 1rabh"sa'ya2â, his glorious activities were
narrated by $"tyaki before Eord %aladeva. He was also
present along with his father, Eord <r= >?@Aa, during the
APvamedha'ya2â performed by Xudhi@Thira. He was
presented before some 4.is falsely dressed as a pregnant
woman by his brothers, and in fun he asked the 4.is what he
was going to deliver. The 4.is replied that he would deliver a
lump of iron, which would be the cause of fratricidal war in
the family of Xadu. The ne:t day, in the morning, $"mba
delivered a large lump of iron, which was entrusted with
Rgrasena for necessary action. Actually later on there was
the foretold fratricidal war, and $"mba died in that war.
$o all these sons of Eord >?@Aa left their respective palaces
and leaving aside all engagements, including lying down,
sitting and dining, hastened toward their e:alted father.
T!T "^
'arQae#d3; PaurSk:6T(a b3a4Qa0 SaSau$allR0 9
!aTa8(a-i#a#aade#a b34gaae=eQa cad:Taa0 9
PaOT(au&$a8 rQa5-na0 PaOQa(aa&aTaSaaSaa0 99 "^ 99
('ra5endra- "!rask4tya
br'hma5ai* sas!ma3galai*
1a3kha%t0rya%nin'dena
brahma%gho.e5a c'd4t'*
"raty!))agm0 rathair h4.<'*
"ra5ay'gata%s'dh(as'*
S(#O#($S
('ra5a%indramZelephants on the auspicious missionV
"!rask4tyaZputting in the frontV br'hma5ai*Zby the
br'hma5asC sa%s!ma3galai*Zwith all'auspicious signsV 1a3khaZ
conchshellV t0ryaZbugleV nin'denaZby the sound ofV brahma%
gho.e5aZby chanting the hymns of the /edasC caZandV
'd4t'*ZglorifiedV "ratiZtowardsV !))agm!*Zproceeded
hurriedlyV rathai*Zon the chariotsV h4.<'*Zin cheerfulnessV
"ra5ay'gataZsaturated with affectionV s'dh(as'*Zall'
respectful.
T-A#SLATIO#
They hastened toJard the Lord on chariots Jith brLh@aFas
bearing floJersH Kefore the@ Jere elephants, e@ble@s of good
fortuneH Conchshells and bugles Jere sounded, and Gedic hy@ns
Jere chantedH Thus they offered their respects, Jhich Jere
saturated Jith affectionH
P8-PO-T
The !edic way of receiving a great personality creates an
atmosphere of respect, which is saturated with affection and
veneration for the person received. The auspicious
atmosphere of such a reception depends on the
paraphernalia described above, including conchshells,
flowers, incense, decorated elephants, and the (ualified
br'hma5as reciting verses from the !edic literatures. $uch a
program of reception is full of sincerity, on the part of both
the receiver and the received.
T!T "_
'ar$aue(aa, !aTa!aae (aa#aSTaq!a-#aaeTSauk6a0 9
lRSaTku6QolRi#a%aa-Tak6PaaelR'd#aiBO(a0 99 "_ 99
('ram!khy'1 ca 1ata1o
y'nais tad%dar1anots!k'*
lasat%k!5;ala%nirbh'ta%
ka"ola%(adana%1riya*
S(#O#($S
('ram!khy'*Zwell'known prostitutesV caZandV 1ata1a*Z
hundreds ofV y'nai*Zby vehiclesV tat%dar1anaZfor meeting
Him 3Eord <r= >?@Aa6V !ts!k'*Zvery much an:iousV lasatZ
hangingV k!5;alaZearringsV nirbh'taZda))lingV ka"olaZ
foreheadV (adanaZfaceV 1riya*Zbeauty.
T-A#SLATIO#
At the sa@e ti@e, @any hundreds of Jell6knoJn prostitutes began
to proceed on 'arious 'ehiclesH They Jere all 'ery eager to @eet
the Lord, and their beautiful faces Jere decorated Jith da==ling
earrings, Jhich enhanced the beauty of their foreheadsH
P8-PO-T
We may not hate even the prostitutes if they are devotees of
the Eord. ;ven to date there are many prostitutes in great
cities of ndia who are sincere devotees of the Eord. %y tricks
of chance one may be obliged to adopt a profession which is
not very adorable in society, but that does not hamper one
in e:ecuting devotional service to the Eord. 7evotional
service to the Eord is uncheckable in all circumstances. t is
understood herewith that even in those days, about five
thousand years ago, there were prostitutes in a city like
7v"rak", where Eord >?@Aa resided. This means that
prostitutes are necessary citi)ens for the proper upkeep of
society. The government opens wine shops, but this does not
mean that the government encourages the drinking of wine.
The idea is that there is a class of men who will drink at any
cost, and it has been e:perienced that prohibition in great
cities encouraged illicit smuggling of wine. $imilarly, men
who are not satisfied at home re(uire such concessions, and
if there is no prostitute, then such low men will induce others
into prostitution. t is better that prostitutes be available in
the marketplace so that the sanctity of society can be
maintained. t is better to maintain a class of prostitutes
than to encourage prostitutes within society. The real
reformation is to enlighten all people to become devotees of
the Eord, and that will check all kinds of deteriorating factors
of life.
<r= %ilvamaIgala Sh"kura, a great 'c'rya of the !i@Ausv"m=
!ai@Aava sect, in his householder life was overly attached to
a prostitute who happened to be a devotee of the Eord. 9ne
night when the Sh"kura came to *int"maAiJs house in
torrents of rain and thunder, *int"maAi was astonished to
see how the Sh"kura could come on such a dreadful night
after crossing a foaming river which was full of waves. $he
said to Sh"kura %ilvamaIgala that his attraction for the flesh
and bone of an insignificant woman like her would be
properly utili)ed if it could be diverted to the devotional
service of the Eord to achieve attraction for the
transcendental beauty of the Eord. t was a momentous hour
for the Sh"kura, and he took a turn towards spiritual
reali)ation by the words of a prostitute. Eater on the Sh"kura
accepted the prostitute as his spiritual master, and in
several places of his literary works he has glorified the name
of *int"maAi, who showed him the right path.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' 3-.\G6 the Eord says, D9 son of 1?th",
even the low'born ca5;'las and those who are born in a
family of unbelievers, and even the prostitutes, shall attain
perfection of life if they take shelter of unalloyed devotional
service to Me, because in the path of devotional service
there are no impediments due to degraded birth and
occupation. The path is open for everyone who agrees to
follow it.F
t appears that the prostitutes of 7v"rak", who were so
eager to meet the Eord, were all His unalloyed devotees, and
thus they were all on the path of salvation according to the
above version of the &haga(ad%g$t'. Therefore, the only
reformation that is necessary in society is to make an
organi)ed effort to turn the citi)ens into devotees of the
Eord, and thus all good (ualities of the deni)ens of heaven
will overtake them in their own way. 9n the other hand,
those who are nondevotees have no good (ualifications
whatsoever, however they may be materially advanced. The
difference is that the devotees of the Eord are on the path of
liberation, whereas the nondevotees are on the path of
further entanglement in material bondage. The criterion of
advancement of civili)ation is whether the people are
educated and advanced on the path of salvation.
T!T N`
#a1u#aTa-k6&a#>a'a-0 Sa8Ta$aa&a>a'i#d#a0 9
&aa(ai#Ta caeta$aFaek6cirTaa#(ad2%auTaai#a c 99 N` 99
na<a%nartaka%gandhar('*
s0ta%m'gadha%(andina*
g'yanti cottama1loka%
carit'ny adbh!t'ni ca
S(#O#($S
na<aZdramatistsV nartakaZdancersV gandhar('*Zcelestial
singersV s0taZprofessional historiansV m'gadhaZprofessional
genealogistsV (andina*Zprofessional learned speakersV
g'yantiZchantV caZrespectivelyV !ttama1lokaZthe $upreme
EordV carit'niZactivitiesV adbh!t'niZall superhumanV caZ
and.
T-A#SLATIO#
Mpert dra@atists, artists, dancers, singers, historians,
genealogists and learned speakers all ga'e their respecti'e
contributions, being inspired by the superhu@an pasti@es of the
LordH Thus they proceeded on and onH
P8-PO-T
t appears that five thousand years ago the society also
needed the services of the dramatists, artists, dancers,
singers, historians, genealogists, public speakers, etc.
7ancers, singers and dramatic artists mostly hailed from the
10dra community, whereas the learned historians,
genealogists and public speakers hailed from the br'hma5a
community. All of them belonged to a particular caste, and
they became so trained in their respective families. $uch
dramatists, dancers, singers, historians, genealogists and
public speakers would dwell on the sub2ect of the EordJs
superhuman activities in different ages and millenniums, and
not on ordinary events. Kor were they in chronological order.
All the !r'5as are historical facts described only in relation
with the $upreme Eord in different ages and times as well as
on different planets also. Therefore, we do not find any
chronological order. The modern historians, therefore,
cannot catch up the link, and thus they unauthoritatively
remark that the !r'5as are all imaginary stories only.
;ven one hundred years ago in ndia, all dramatic
performances were centered around the superhuman
activities of the $upreme Eord. The common people would
be verily entertained by the performances of dramas, and
y'tr' parties played wonderfully on the superhuman
activities of the Eord, and thus even the illiterate agriculturist
would be a participant in the knowledge of !edic literature,
despite a considerable lack of academic (ualifications.
Therefore, e:pert players in drama, dancers, singers,
speakers, etc., are re(uired for the spiritual enlightenment of
the common man. The genealogists would give account
completely of the descendants of a particular family. ;ven at
the present moment the guides in the pilgrimage sites of
ndia submit a complete account of genealogical tables
before a newcomer. This wonderful act sometimes attracts
more customers to receive such important information.
T!T N"
%a&a'a;STa<a b#>a8#aa; PaaraQaa$a#au'iTa-#aa$a2 9
(aQaai'>(auPaSal$(a Sa'e-=a; $aa#a$aad>ae 99 N" 99
bhaga('-s tatra bandh0n'-
"a!r'5'm an!(artin'm
yath'%(idhy !"asa3gamya
sar(e.'- m'nam 'dadhe
S(#O#($S
bhaga('nZ<r= >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odheadV tatraZin
that placeV bandh0n'mZof the friendsV "a!r'5'mZof the
citi)ensV an!(artin'mZthose who approached Him to receive
and welcomeV yath'%(idhiZas it behoovesV !"asa3gamyaZ
going nearerV sar(e.'mZfor each and every oneV m'namZ
honor and respectsV 'dadheZoffered.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lord CDEFa, the Personality of &odhead, approached the@ and
offered due honor and respect to each and e'ery one of the friends,
relati'es, citi=ens and all others Jho ca@e to recei'e and Jelco@e
Ii@H
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord 1ersonality of 8odhead is neither
impersonal nor an inert ob2ect unable to reciprocate the
feelings of His devotees. Here the word yath'%(idhi, or D2ust
as it behoovesF is significant. He reciprocates D2ust as it
behoovesF with His different types of admirers and devotees.
9f course, the pure devotees are of one type only because
they have no other ob2ect for service but the Eord, and
therefore the Eord also reciprocates with such pure devotees
2ust as it behooves, namely, He is always attentive to all the
matters of His pure devotees. There are others who
designate Him as impersonal, and so the Eord also does not
take any personal interest. He satisfies everyone in terms of
oneJs development of spiritual consciousness, and a sample
of such reciprocation is e:hibited here with His different
welcomers.
T!T NN
PaOai%a'ad#aaFe=k6rSPa!a-iS$aTaeUaQa0 9
AaTaS(a caTPaake6%(aae 'r,ai%a$aTai'-%au0 99 NN 99
"rah('bhi('dan'1le.a%
kara%s"ar1a%smitek.a5ai*
'1('sya c'1(a"'kebhyo
(arai1 c'bhimatair (ibh!*
S(#O#($S
"rah('Zby bowing His headV abhi('danaZby greeting with
wordsV '1le.aZembracingV kara%s"ar1aZshaking handsV
smita%$k.a5ai*Zby a glancing smileV '1('syaZby
encouragementV caZandV '1(a"'kebhya*Zdown to the lowest
rank of dog'eatersV (arai*Zby benedictionsV caZalsoV
abhimatai*Zas desired byV (ibh!*Zthe Almighty.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Al@ighty Lord greeted e'eryone present by boJing Iis head,
eMchanging greetings, e@bracing, shaking hands, looking and
s@iling, gi'ing assurances and aJarding benedictions, e'en to the
loJest in rankH
P8-PO-T
To receive the Eord <r= >?@Aa there were all grades of
population, beginning from !asudeva, Rgrasena and
8argamuniZthe father, grandfather and teacherZdown to
the prostitutes and ca5;'las, who are accustomed to eat
dogs. And every one of them was properly greeted by the
Eord in terms of rank and position. As pure living entities, all
are the separated parts and parcels of the Eord, and thus no
one is alien by His eternal relation. $uch pure living entities
are graded differently in terms of contamination of the
modes of material nature, but the Eord is e(ually
affectionate to all His parts and parcels, despite material
gradation. He descends only to recall these materialistic
living beings back to His kingdom, and intelligent persons
take advantage of this facility offered by the 1ersonality of
8odhead to all living beings. Ko one is re2ected by the Eord
from the kingdom of 8od, and it remains with the living
being to accept this or not.
T!T NX
S'(a; c &auDi%ai'-PaO0 Sadar0 SQai'rriPa 9
Aa!a?i%a-(au-)(a$aa#aae+#(a'-i#di%a,ai'!aTPaur$a2 99
NX 99
s(aya- ca g!r!bhir (i"rai*
sad'rai* stha(irair a"i
'1$rbhir y!)yam'no 2nyair
(andibhi1 c'(i1at "!ram
S(#O#($S
s(ayamZHimselfV caZalsoV g!r!bhi*Zby elderly relativesV
(i"rai*Zby the br'hma5asC sad'rai*Zwith their wivesV
stha(irai*ZinvalidV a"iZalsoV '1$rbhi*Zby the blessing ofV
y!)yam'na*Zbeing praised byV anyai*Zby othersV (andibhi*Z
admirersV caZandV a(i1atZenteredV "!ramZthe city.
T-A#SLATIO#
Then the Lord personally entered the city acco@panied by elderly
relati'es and in'alid brLh@aFas Jith their Ji'es, all offering
benedictions and singing the glories of the LordH Others also
praised the glories of the LordH
P8-PO-T
The br'hma5as in society were never attentive to banking
money for future retired life. When they were old invalids,
they used to approach the assembly of the kings, and simply
by praising the glorious deeds performed by the kings, along
with their wives, they would be provided with all necessities
of life. $uch br'hma5as were not, so to speak, flatterers of the
kings, but the kings were actually glorified by their actions,
and they were sincerely still more encouraged in pious acts
by such br'hma5as in a dignified way. Eord <r= >?@Aa is
worthy of all glories, and the praying br'hma5as and others
were glorified themselves by chanting the glories of the
Eord.
T!T NZ
ra)a$aa&ag &aTae k:6.Qae jark6a(aa0 ku6lRiE(a0 9
h$(aa-Q(aaDDhui'-PaO Tad?UaQa$ahaeTSa'a0 99 NZ 99
r')a%m'rga- gate k4.5e
d('rak'y'* k!la%striya*
harmy'5y 'r!r!h!r (i"ra
tad%$k.a5a%mahotsa('*
S(#O#($S
r')a%m'rgamZthe public roadsV gateZwhile passing overV
k4.5eZby Eord >?@AaV d('rak'y'*Zof the city of 7v"rak"V
k!la%striya*Zladies of the respectable familiesV harmy'5iZon
the palacesV 'r!r!h!*Zgot upV (i"raZ9 br'hma5asC tat%
$k.a5aZ2ust to look upon Him 3>?@Aa6V mah'%!tsa('*Z
accepted as the greatest festival.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen Lord CDEFa passed o'er the public roads, all the ladies fro@
the respectable fa@ilies of >'LrakL Jent up to the roofs of their
palaces /ust to ha'e a look at the LordH They considered this to be
the greatest festi'alH
P8-PO-T
To have a look at the Eord is a great festive occasion
undoubtedly, as it was considered by the metropolitan ladies
of 7v"rak". This is still followed by the devout ladies of ndia.
;specially during the days of the Ohulana and Oanm"@Tam=
ceremonies, the ladies of ndia still throng up in the greatest
number at the temple of the Eord, where His transcendental
eternal form is worshiped. The transcendental form of the
Eord installed in a temple is not different from the Eord
personally. $uch a form of the Eord is called arca%(igraha, or
arc' incarnation, and is e:panded by the Eord by His internal
potency 2ust to facilitate the devotional service of His
innumerable devotees who are in the material world. The
material senses cannot perceive the spiritual nature of the
Eord, and therefore the Eord accepts the arca%(igraha, which
is apparently made of material elements like earth, wood
and stone but actually there is no material contamination.
The Eord being kai(alya 3one alone6, there is no matter in
Him. He is one without a second, and therefore the Almighty
Eord can appear in any form without being contaminated by
the material conception. Therefore, festivities in the temple
of the Eord, as held generally, are like festivals performed
during the manifestive days of the Eord of 7v"rak", about
five thousand years ago. The authori)ed 'c'ryas, who know
the science perfectly, install such temples of the Eord under
regulative principles 2ust to offer facilities to the common
man, but persons who are less intelligent, without being
conversant with the science, mistake this great attempt to
be idol worshi" and poke their nose into that to which they
have no access. Therefore, the ladies or men who observe
festivals in the temples of the Eord 2ust to have a look at the
transcendental form are a thousand times more glorious
than those who are nonbelievers in the transcendental form
of the Eord.
t appears from the verse that the inhabitants of 7v"rak"
were all owners of big palaces. This indicates the prosperity
of the city. The ladies got up on the roofs 2ust to have a look
at the procession and the Eord. The ladies did not mi: with
the crowd on the street, and thus their respectability was
perfectly observed. There was no artificial e(uality with the
man. Hemale respectability is preserved more elegantly by
keeping the woman separate from the man. The se:es
should not mi: unrestrictedly.
T!T N[
i#aT(a; i#ar?Ua$aaQaa#aa; (adiPa jark6ak6Saa$a2 9
#a i'Ta:P(ai#Ta ih d:!a0 iBO(aae>aa$aal$aC(auTa$a2 99
N[ 99
nitya- nir$k.am'5'n'-
yad a"i d('raka!kas'm
na (it4"yanti hi d41a*
1riyo dh'm'3gam acy!tam
S(#O#($S
nityamZregularly, alwaysV nir$k.am'5'n'mZof those who
look at HimV yatZalthoughV a"iZin spite ofV d('rak'%okas'mZ
the inhabitants of 7v"rak"V naZneverV (it4"yantiZsatisfiedV
hiZe:actlyV d41a*ZsightV 1riya*ZbeautiesV dh'ma%a3gamZ
the bodily reservoirV acy!tamZthe infallible.
T-A#SLATIO#
The inhabitants of >'LrakL Jere regularly accusto@ed to look
upon the reser'oir of all beauty, the infallible Lord, yet they Jere
ne'er satiatedH
P8-PO-T
When the ladies of the city of 7v"rak" got up on the roofs of
their palaces, they never thought that they had previously
many times seen the beautiful body of the infallible Eord.
This indicates that they had no satiation in desiring to see
the Eord. Anything material seen for a number of times
ultimately becomes unattractive by the law of satiation. The
law of satiation acts materially, but there is no scope for it in
the spiritual realm. The word infallible is significant here,
because although the Eord has mercifully descended on
earth, He is still infallible. The living entities are fallible
because when they come in contact with the material world
they lack their spiritual identity, and thus the body materially
obtained becomes sub2ected to birth, growth,
transformation, situation, deterioration and annihilation
under the laws of nature. The EordJs body is not like that. He
descends as He is and is never under the laws of the
material modes. His body is the source of everything that be,
the reservoir of all beauties beyond our e:perience. Ko one,
therefore, is satiated by seeing the transcendental body of
the Eord because there are always manifestations of newer
and newer beauties. The transcendental name, form,
(ualities, entourage, etc., are all spiritual manifestations,
and there is no satiation in chanting the holy name of the
Eord, there is no satiation in discussing the (ualities of the
Eord, and there is no limitation of the entourage of the Eord.
He is the source of all and is limitless.
T!T N\
iBO(aae i#a'aSaae (aS(aaer0 Paa#aPaa<a; $auY; d:!aa$a2 9
bah'ae lRaek6PaalRa#aa; SaarlaQaa; Pada$bu)a$a2 99 N\ 99
1riyo ni('so yasyora*
"'na%"'tra- m!kha- d41'm
b'ha(o loka%"'l'n'-
s'ra3g'5'- "ad'mb!)am
S(#O#($S
1riya*Zof the goddess of fortuneV ni('sa*Zresidential placeV
yasyaZone whoseV !ra*ZchestV "'na%"'tramZthe drinking
potV m!khamZfaceV d41'mZof eyesV b'ha(a*Zthe armsV loka%
"'l'n'mZof the administrative demigodsV s'ra3g'5'mZof the
devotees who talk and sing of the essence or substanceV
"ada%amb!)amZthe lotus feet.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Lordrs chest is the abode of the goddess of fortuneH Iis
@oonlike face is the drinking 'essel for eyes Jhich hanker after all
that is beautifulH Iis ar@s are the resting places for the
ad@inistrati'e de@igodsH And Iis lotus feet are the refuge of pure
de'otees Jho ne'er talk or sing of any sub/ect eMcept Iis
LordshipH
P8-PO-T
There are different classes of human beings, all seeking
different en2oyments from different ob2ects. There are
persons who are seeking after the favor of the goddess of
fortune, and for them the !edic literatures give information
that the Eord is always served with all reverence by
thousands and thousands of goddesses of fortune at the
cint'ma5i%dh'ma,
viii
Y the transcendental abode of the Eord
where the trees are all desire trees and the buildings are
made of touchstone. The Eord 8ovinda is engaged there in
herding the s!rabhi cows as His natural occupation. These
goddesses of fortune can be seen automatically if we are
attracted by the bodily features of the Eord. The
impersonalists cannot observe such goddesses of fortune
because of their dry speculative habit. And those who are
artists, overtaken by the beautiful creation, should better
see to the beautiful face of the Eord for complete
satisfaction. The face of the Eord is the embodiment of
beauty. What they call beautiful nature is but His smile, and
what they call the sweet songs of the birds are but
specimens of the whispering voice of the Eord. There are
administrative demigods in charge of departmental service
of cosmic management, and there are tiny administrative
gods in the state service. They are always afraid of other
competitors, but if they take shelter of the arms of the Eord,
the Eord can protect them always from the attacks of
enemies. A faithful servant of the Eord engaged in the
service of administration is the ideal e:ecutive head and can
well protect the interest of the people in general. 9ther so'
called administrators are symbols of anachronisms leading
to the acute distress of the people who are governed by
them. The administrators can remain safely under the
protection of the arms of the Eord. The essence of
everything is the $upreme EordC He is called the s'ram. And
those who sing and talk about Him are called the s'ra3gas, or
the pure devotees. The pure devotees are always hankering
after the lotus feet of the Eord. The lotus has a kind of honey
which is transcendentally relished by the devotees. They are
like the bees who are always after the honey. <r=la 0Lpa
8osv"m=, the great devotee 'c'rya of the 8auQ=ya'
!ai@Aava'samprad"ya, has sung a song about this lotus
honey, comparing himself to the beeC D9 my Eord >?@Aa,
beg to offer my prayers unto Xou. My mind is like the bee,
and it is after some honey. >indly, therefore, give my bee'
mind a place at Xour lotus feet, which are the resources for
all transcendental honey. know that even big demigods like
%rahm" do not see the rays of the nails of Xour lotus feet,
even though they are engaged in deep meditation for years
together. $till, 9 infallible one, my ambition is such, for Xou
are very merciful to your surrendered devotees. 9 M"dhava,
know also that have no genuine devotion for the service of
Xour lotus feet, but because Xour Eordship is inconceivably
powerful, Xou can do what is impossible to be done. Xour
lotus feet can deride even the nectar of the heavenly
kingdom, and therefore am very much attracted by them. 9
supreme eternal, please, therefore, let my mind be fi:ed at
Xour lotus feet so that eternally may be able to relish the
taste of Xour transcendental service.F The devotees are
satisfied with being placed at the lotus feet of the Eord and
have no ambition to see His all'beautiful face or aspire for
the protection of the strong arms of the Eord. They are
humble by nature, and the Eord is always leaning towards
such humble devotees.
T!T N]
iSaTaaTaPa<aG(a)a#aDPaSk:6Ta0
PaOSa8#a'={ri%a'i=-Ta0 PaiQa 9
iPa!al'aSaa '#a$aalR(aa b%aa
ga#aae (aQaak6ae-ouPacaPa'*uTa0 99 N] 99
sit'ta"atra%(ya)anair !"ask4ta*
"ras0na%(ar.air abhi(ar.ita* "athi
"i1a3ga%('s' (ana%m'lay' babha!
ghano yath'rko;!"a%c'"a%(aidy!tai*
S(#O#($S
sita%'ta"atraZwhite umbrellaV (ya)anai*Zwith a c'mara fanV
!"ask4ta*Zbeing served byV "ras0naZflowersV (ar.ai*Zby
the showersV abhi(ar.ita*Zthus being coveredV "athiZon the
roadV "i1a3ga%('s'*Zby the yellow garmentsV (ana%m'lay'Z
by the flower garlandsV babha!Zthus it becameV ghana*Z
cloudV yath'Zas ifV arkaZthe sunV !;!"aZthe moonV c'"aZ
the rainbowV (aidy!tai*Zby the lightning.
T-A#SLATIO#
As the Lord passed along the public road of >'LrakL, Iis head Jas
protected fro@ the sunshine by a Jhite u@brellaH Vhite feathered
fans @o'ed in se@icircles, and shoJers of floJers fell upon the
roadH Iis yelloJ gar@ents and garlands of floJers @ade it appear
as if a dark cloud Jere surrounded si@ultaneously by sun, @oon,
lightning and rainboJsH
P8-PO-T
The sun, moon, rainbow and lightning do not appear in the
sky simultaneously. When there is sun, the moonlight
becomes insignificant, and if there are clouds and a rainbow,
there is no manifestation of lightning. The EordJs bodily hue
is 2ust like a new monsoon cloud. He is compared herein to
the cloud. The white umbrella over His head is compared to
the sun. The movement of the bunch'hair fan of flukes is
compared to the moon. The showers of flowers are
compared to the stars. His yellow garments are compared to
the rainbow. $o all these activities of the firmament, being
impossible simultaneous factors, cannot be ad2usted by
comparison. The ad2ustment is possible only when we think
of the inconceivable potency of the Eord. The Eord is all'
powerful, and in His presence anything impossible can be
made possible by His inconceivable energy. %ut the situation
created at the time of His passing on the roads of 7v"rak"
was beautiful and could not be compared to anything
besides the description of natural phenomena.
T!T N^
PaOi'nSTau &a:h; iPa<aae0 Pair.'v60 S'$aaTa:i%a0 9
''#de i!arSaa Sa de'k6IPaO$auYa $auda 99 N^ 99
"ra(i.<as t! g4ha- "itro*
"ari.(akta* s(a%m't4bhi*
(a(ande 1iras' sa"ta
de(ak$%"ram!kh' m!d'
S(#O#($S
"ra(i.<a*Zafter enteringV t!ZbutV g4hamZhousesV "itro*Zof
the fatherV "ari.(akta*ZembracedV s(a%m't4bhi*Zby His own
mothersV (a(andeZoffered obeisancesV 1iras'ZHis headV
sa"taZsevenV de(ak$Z7evak=V "ram!kh'Zheaded byV m!d'Z
gladly.
T-A#SLATIO#
After entering the house of Iis father, Ie Jas e@braced by the
@others present, and the Lord offered Iis obeisances unto the@
by placing Iis head at their feetH The @others Jere headed by
>e'akB OIis real @other3H
P8-PO-T
t appears that !asudeva, the father of Eord >?@Aa, had
completely separate residential (uarters where he lived with
his eighteen wives, out of whom <r=mat= 7evak= is the real
mother of Eord >?@Aa. %ut in spite of this, all other
stepmothers were e(ually affectionate to Him, as will be
evident from the following verse. Eord >?@Aa also did not
distinguish His real mother from His stepmothers, and He
e(ually offered His obeisances unto all the wives of
!asudeva present on the occasion. According to scriptures
also, there are seven mothersC 3"6 the real mother, 3N6 the
wife of the spiritual master, 3X6 the wife of a br'hma5a, 3Z6
the wife of the king, 3[6 the cow, 3\6 the nurse, and 3]6 the
earth. All of them are mothers. ;ven by this in2unction of the
1'stras, the stepmother, who is the wife of the father, is also
as good as the mother because the father is also one of the
spiritual masters. Eord >?@Aa, the Eord of the universe, plays
the part of an ideal son 2ust to teach others how to treat
their stepmothers.
T!T N_
Taa0 Pau<a$a$aaraeP(a hehhuTaPa(aae>ara0 9
h=-i'ilRTaaT$aa#a0 iSai=cu#ae-<a)a)a-lR0 99 N_ 99
t'* "!tram a3kam 'ro"ya
sneha%sn!ta%"ayodhar'*
har.a%(ih(alit'tm'na*
si.ic!r netra)air )alai*
S(#O#($S
t'*Zall of themV "!tramZthe sonV a3kamZthe lapV 'ro"yaZ
having placed onV sneha%sn!taZmoistened by affectionV
"ayodhar'*Zbreasts filled upV har.aZdelightV (ih(alita%
'tm'na*Zoverwhelmed byV si.ic!*ZwetV netra)ai*Zfrom the
eyesV )alai*Zwater.
T-A#SLATIO#
The @others, after e@bracing their son, sat Ii@ on their lapsH >ue
to pure affection, @ilk sprang fro@ their breastsH They Jere
o'erJhel@ed Jith delight, and the tears fro@ their eyes Jetted the
LordH
P8-PO-T
When Eord >?@Aa was at !?nd"vana even the cows would
become moistened by affection towards Him, and He would
draw milk from the nipples of every affectionate living being,
so what to speak of the stepmothers who were already as
good as His own mother.
T!T X`
AQaai'!aTa2 S'%a'#a; Sa'-k6a$a$a#auta$a$a2 9
PaOaSaada (a<a Pa?#aa; SahbaiQa c =aeo!a 99 X` 99
ath'(i1at s(a%bha(ana-
sar(a%k'mam an!ttamam
"r's'd' yatra "atn$n'-
sahasr'5i ca .o;a1a
S(#O#($S
athaZthereafterV a(i1atZenteredV s(a%bha(anamZpersonal
palacesV sar(aZallV k'mamZdesiresV an!ttamamZperfect to
the fullest e:tentV "r's'd'*ZpalacesV yatraZwhereV
"atn$n'mZof the wives numberingV sahasr'5iZthousandsV ca
Zover and aboveV .o;a1aZsi:teen.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter, the Lord entered Iis palaces, Jhich Jere perfect to the
fullest eMtentH Iis Ji'es li'ed in the@, and they nu@bered o'er
siMteen thousandH
P8-PO-T
Eord >?@Aa had ,5,,N. wives, and for each and every one of
them there was a fully e(uipped palace complete with
necessary compounds and gardens. Hull description of these
palaces is given in the Tenth *anto. All the palaces were
made of the best marble stone. They were illuminated by
2ewels and decorated by curtains and carpets of velvet and
silk, nicely bedecked and embroidered with gold lace. The
1ersonality of 8odhead means one who is full with all power,
all energy, all opulences, all beauties, all knowledge and all
renunciation. Therefore, in the palaces of the Eord there was
nothing wanting for fulfilling all desires of the Eord. The Eord
is unlimited, and therefore His desires are also unlimited,
and the supply is also unlimited. ;verything being unlimited,
it is concisely described here as sama%k'mam, or full with all
desirable e(uipment.
T!T X"
PaT#(a0 PaiTa; PaOae.(a &a:ha#auPaa&aTa;
i'lRaeC(a SaiaTa$a#aae$ahaeTSa'a0 9
otaSQauraraTa2 SahSaaSa#aa!a(aaTa2
Saak;6 '3Ta'3sioTalRaec#aa#a#aa0 99 X" 99
"atnya* "ati- "ro.ya g4h'n!"'gata-
(ilokya sa,)'ta%mano%mahotsa('*
!ttasth!r 'r't sahas'san'1ay't
s'ka- (ratair (r$;ita%locan'nan'*
S(#O#($S
"atnya*Zthe ladies 3wives of Eord <r= >?@Aa6V "atimZ
husbandV "ro.yaZwho was away from homeV g4ha%
an!"'gatamZnow returned homeV (ilokyaZthus seeingV
sa,)'taZhaving developedV mana*%mah'%!tsa('*Za sense of
2oyful ceremony within the mindV !ttasth!*Zgot upV 'r'tZ
from a distanceV sahas'Zall of a suddenV 'san'Zfrom the
seatsV '1ay'tZfrom the state of meditationV s'kamZalong
withV (ratai*Zthe vowV (r$;itaZlooking coylyV locanaZeyesV
'nan'*Zwith such faces.
T-A#SLATIO#
The ?ueens of Lord ArB CDEFa re/oiced Jithin their @inds to see
their husband ho@e after a long period abroadH The ?ueens got up
at once fro@ their seats and @editationsH As Jas socially
custo@ary, they co'ered their faces shyly and looked about coylyH
P8-PO-T
As mentioned above, the Eord entered His home palaces
occupied by ,5,,N. (ueens. This means that the Eord at
once e:panded Himself in as many plenary e:pansions as
there were (ueens and palaces and entered in each and
every one of them simultaneously and separately. Here is
another manifestation of the feature of His internal potency.
He can e:pand Himself in as many forms of spiritual identity
as He desires, even though He is one without a second. t is
confirmed by the #r!ti%mantra that the Absolute is one
alone, and yet He becomes many as soon as He so desires.
These manifold e:pansions of the $upreme Eord are
manifested as plenary and separated portions. The
separated portions are representations of His energy, and
the plenary portions are manifestations of His 1ersonality.
Thus the 1ersonality of 8odhead manifested Himself in
,5,,N. plenary e:pansions and simultaneously entered into
each and every one of the palaces of the (ueens. This is
called (aibha(a, or the transcendental potency of the Eord.
And because He can do so, He is also known as XogePvara.
9rdinarily, a yog$ or mystic living being is able to e:pand
himself at utmost to tenfold e:pansions of his body, but the
Eord can do so to the e:tent of as many thousands or
infinitely, as He likes. Rnbelievers become astonished to
learn that Eord >?@Aa married more than ,5,NNN (ueens
because they think of Eord >?@Aa as one of them and
measure the potency of the Eord by their own limited
potency. 9ne should know, therefore, that the Eord is never
on the level of the living beings, who are but e:pansions of
His marginal potency, and one should never e(uali)e the
potent and the potency, although there is very little
difference of (uality between the potent and the potency.
The (ueens were also e:pansions of His internal potency,
and thus the potent and potencies are perpetually
e:changing transcendental pleasures, known as pastimes of
the Eord. 9ne should not, therefore, become astonished to
learn that the Eord married so many wives. 9n the contrary,
one should affirm that even if the Eord marries si:teen
thousand million wives, He is not completely manifesting His
unlimited and ine:haustible potency. He married only ,5,NNN
wives and entered in each and every one of the different
palaces 2ust to impress in the history of the human beings on
the surface of the earth that the Eord is never e(ual to or
less than any human being, however powerful he may be. Ko
one, therefore, is either e(ual to or greater than the Eord.
The Eord is always great in all respects. D8od is greatF is
eternal truth.
Therefore, as soon as the (ueens saw from a distance their
husband, who was away from home for long periods due to
the %attle of >uruk@etra, they all arose from the slumber of
meditation and prepared to receive their most beloved.
According to X"2âvalkyaJs religious in2unctions, a woman
whose husband is away from home should not take part in
any social functions, should not decorate her body, should
not laugh and should not go to any relativeJs house in any
circumstance. This is the vow of the ladies whose husbands
are away from home. At the same time, it is also en2oined
that a wife should never present herself before the husband
in an unclean state. $he must decorate herself with
ornaments and good dress and should always be present
before the husband in a happy and 2oyous mood. The (ueens
of Eord >?@Aa were all in meditation, thinking of the EordJs
absence, and were always meditating upon Him. The EordJs
devotees cannot live for a moment without meditating on
the Eord, and what to speak of the (ueens, who were all
goddesses of fortune incarnated as (ueens in the pastimes
of the Eord at 7v"rak". They can never be separated from
the Eord, either by presence or by trance. The go"$s at
!?nd"vana could not forget the Eord when the Eord was
away in the forest cow herding. When the Eord boy >?@Aa
was absent from the village, the go"$s at home used to worry
about Him traversing the rough ground with His soft lotus
feet. %y thinking thus, they were sometimes overwhelmed in
trance and mortified in the heart. $uch is the condition of the
pure associates of the Eord. They are always in trance, and
so the (ueens also were in trance during the absence of the
Eord. 1resently, having seen the Eord from a distance, they
at once gave up all their engagements, including the vows of
women as described above. According to <r= !iPvan"tha
*arkavart= Sh"kura, there was a regular psychological
reaction on the occasion. Hirst of all, rising from their seats,
although they wanted to see their husband, they were
deterred because of feminine shyness. %ut due to strong
ecstasy, they overcame that stage of weakness and became
caught up with the idea of embracing the Eord, and this
thought factually made them unconscious of their
surrounding environment. This prime state of ecstasy
annihilated all other formalities and social conventions, and
thus they escaped all stumbling blocks on the path of
meeting the Eord. And that is the perfect stage of meeting
the Eord of the soul, <r= >?@Aa.
T!T XN
Ta$aaT$a)ad:-ini%ar#TaraT$a#aa
dur#Ta%aa'a0 Pairrei%are PaiTa$a2 9
i#aDp$aP(aab'd$bu #ae<a(aaex
i'-lRTa?#aa; %a:&au'(a- '6'aTa2 99 XN 99
tam 'tma)air d4.<ibhir antar'tman'
d!ranta%bh'('* "arirebhire "atim
nir!ddham a"y 'sra(ad amb! netrayor
(ila))at$n'- bh4g!%(arya (aikla('t
S(#O#($S
tamZHim 3the Eord6V 'tma%)ai*Zby the sonsV d4.<ibhi*Zby
the sightV antara%'tman'Zby the innermost part of the heartV
d!ranta%bh'('*Zinsuperable ecstasyV "arirebhireZembracedV
"atimZhusbandV nir!ddhamZchoked upV a"iZin spite ofV
'sra(atZtearsV amb!Zlike drops of waterV netrayo*Zfrom the
eyesV (ila))at$n'mZof those situated in shynessV bh4g!%(arya
Z9 chief of the %h?gusV (aikla('tZinadvertently.
T-A#SLATIO#
The insuperable ecstasy Jas so strong that the ?ueens, Jho Jere
shy, first e@braced the Lord in the inner@ost recesses of their
heartsH Then they e@braced Ii@ 'isually, and then they sent their
sons to e@brace Ii@ OJhich is e?ual to personal e@bracing3H Kut,
O chief a@ongst the KhDgus, though they tried to restrain their
feelings, they inad'ertently shed tearsH
P8-PO-T
Although due to feminine shyness there were many
hindrances to embracing the dear husband, Eord <r= >?@Aa,
the (ueens performed that act by seeing Him, by putting
Him in the cores of their hearts, and by sending their sons to
embrace Him. $till, the act remained unfinished, and tears
rolled down their cheeks despite all endeavors to check
them. 9ne indirectly embraces the husband by sending the
son to embrace him because the son is developed as part of
the motherJs body. The embrace of the son is not e:actly the
embrace of husband and wife from the se:ual point of view,
but the embrace is satisfaction from the affectionate point of
view. The embrace of the eyes is more effective in the
con2ugal relation, and thus according to <r=la O=va 8osv"m=
there is nothing wrong in such an e:change of feeling
between husband and wife.
T!T XX
(a*P(aSaa PaaT-&aTaae rhae&aTax
STaQaaiPa TaS(aaM2iga3(au&a; #a'; #a'$a2 9
Pade Pade k6a i'r$aeTa TaTPadax
lRaiPa (aCc|?#a- )ahaiTa k6ih-icTa2 99 XX 99
yadya"y asa! "'r1(a%gato raho%gatas
tath'"i tasy'3ghri%y!ga- na(a- na(am
"ade "ade k' (irameta tat%"ad'c
cal'"i yac chr$r na )ah'ti karhicit
S(#O#($S
yadiZalthoughV a"iZcertainlyV asa!ZHe 3Eord <r= >?@Aa6V
"'r1(a%gata*Z2ust by the sideV raha*%gata*Ze:clusively
aloneV tath'"iZstillV tasyaZHisV a3ghri%y!gamZthe feet of the
EordV na(am na(amZnewer and newerV "adeZstepV "adeZin
every stepV k'ZwhoV (irametaZcan be detached fromV tat%
"ad'tZfrom His feetV cal'"iZmovingV yatZwhomV 1r$*Zthe
goddess of fortuneV naZneverV )ah'tiZ(uitsV karhicitZat any
time.
T-A#SLATIO#
Although Lord Sri CDEFa Jas constantly by their sides, as Jell as
eMclusi'ely alone, Iis feet appeared to the@ to be neJer and
neJerH The goddess of fortune, although by nature alJays restless
and @o'ing, could not ?uit the Lordrs feetH So Jhat Jo@an can be
detached fro@ those feet, ha'ing once taken shelter of the@W
P8-PO-T
*onditioned living beings are always after the favor of the
goddess of fortune, although by nature she is moving from
one place to another. n the material world no one is
permanently fortunate, however clever one may be. There
have been so many big empires in different parts of the
world, there have been so many powerful kings all over the
world, and there have been so many fortunate men, but all
of them have been li(uidated gradually. This is the law of
material nature. %ut spiritually it is different. According to
&rahma%sa-hit', the Eord is served very respectfully by
hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. They are
always in a lonely place also with the Eord. %ut still the
association of the Eord is so inspiringly newer and newer that
they cannot (uit the Eord for a moment, even though they
are by nature very restless and are moving about. The
spiritual relation with the Eord is so enlivening and
resourceful that no one can leave the company of the Eord,
once having taken shelter of Him.
The living beings are by constitution feminine by nature. The
male or en2oyer is the Eord, and all manifestations of His
different potencies are feminine by nature. n the &haga(ad%
g$t', the living beings are designated as "ar'%"rak4ti, or the
superior potency. The material elements are a"ar'%"rak4ti, or
inferior potency. $uch potencies are always employed for the
satisfaction of the employer, or the en2oyer. The supreme
en2oyer is the Eord Himself, as stated in the &haga(ad%g$t'
3B.G-6. The potencies, therefore, when engaged directly in
the service of the Eord, revive the natural color, and thus
there is no disparity in the relation of the potent and
potency.
8enerally people engaged in service are always seeking
some post under the government or the supreme en2oyer of
the state. $ince the Eord is the supreme en2oyer of
everything in or outside the universe, it is happiness to be
employed by Him. 9nce engaged in the supreme
governmental service of the Eord, no living being wishes to
be relieved from the engagement. The highest perfection of
human life is to seek some employment under the EordJs
supreme service. That will make one e:tremely happy. 9ne
need not seek the moving goddess of fortune without the
relation of the Eord.
T!T XZ
V'; #a:PaaQaa; iUaiTa%aar)a#$a#aax
$aUaaihQa?i%a0 Pair':taTae)aSaa$a2 9
i'>aa(a 'r; TSa#aae (aQaa#al;R
i$aQaae '>ae#aaeParTaae i#ara(au>a0 99 XZ 99
e(a- n4"'5'- k.iti%bh'ra%)anman'm
ak.a!hi5$bhi* "ari(4tta%te)as'm
(idh'ya (aira- 1(asano yath'nala-
mitho (adheno"arato nir'y!dha*
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV n4"'5'mZof the kings or administratorsV k.iti%
bh'raZthe burden of the earthV )anman'mZborn in that wayV
ak.a!hi5$bhi*Zempowered by a military strength of horses,
elephants, chariots and infantryV "ari(4ttaZbeing puffed up
by such surroundingsV te)as'mZprowessV (idh'yaZhaving
createdV (airamZhostilityV 1(asana*Zinteraction of the wind
and the pipe plantsV yath'Zas it isV analamZfireV mitha*Z
with one anotherV (adhenaZby killing themV !"arata*Z
relievedV nir'y!dha*Zby Himself without being a party to
such fighting.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Lord Jas pacified after killing those kings Jho Jere
burdenso@e to the earthH They Jere puffed up Jith their @ilitary
strength, their horses, elephants, chariots, infantry, etcH Ie
Ii@self Jas not a party in the fightH Ie si@ply created hostility
betJeen the poJerful ad@inistrators, and they fought a@ongst
the@sel'esH Ie Jas like the Jind Jhich causes friction betJeen
ba@boos and so sparks a fireH
P8-PO-T
As stated above, the living beings are not factual en2oyers of
things which are manifested as 8odJs creation. The Eord is
the genuine proprietor and en2oyer of everything manifested
in His creation. Rnfortunately, influenced by the deluding
energy, the living being becomes a false en)oyer under the
dictation of the modes of nature. 1uffed up by such a false
sense of becoming 8od, the deluded living being increases
his material strength by so many activities and thus
becomes the burden of the earth, so much so that the earth
becomes completely uninhabitable by the sane. This state of
affairs is called dharmasya gl'5i, or misuse of the energy of
the human being. When such misuse of human energy is
prominent, the saner living beings become perturbed by the
awkward situation created by the vicious administrators,
who are simply burdens of the earth, and the Eord appears
by His internal potency 2ust to save the saner section of
humanity and to alleviate the burden due to the earthly
administrators in different parts of the world. He does not
favor either of the unwanted administrators, but by His
potential power He creates hostility between such unwanted
administrators, as the air creates fire in the forest by the
friction of the bamboos. The fire in the forest takes place
automatically by the force of the air, and similarly the
hostility between different groups of politicians takes place
by the unseen design of the Eord. The unwanted
administrators, puffed up by false power and military
strength, thus become engaged in fighting amongst
themselves over ideological conflicts and so e:haust
themselves of all powers. The history of the world reflects
this factual will of the Eord, and it will continue to be enacted
until the living beings are attached to the service of the Eord.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' this fact is very vividly described 3%g.
4.,M6. t is said, DThe deluding energy is My potency, and
thus it is not possible for the dependent living beings to
supersede the strength of the material modes. %ut those
who take shelter in Me #the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r=
>?@Aa& can cross over the gigantic ocean of material
energy.F This means that no one can establish peace and
prosperity in the world by fruitive activities or by speculative
philosophy or ideology. The only way is to surrender unto the
$upreme Eord and thus become free from the illusion of the
deluding energy.
Rnfortunately persons who are engaged in destructive work
are unable to surrender to the 1ersonality of 8odhead. They
are all fools of the first orderV they are the lowest of the
human species of lifeV they are robbed of their knowledge,
although apparently they seem to be academically
educated. They are all of the demoniac mentality, always
challenging the supreme power of the Eord. Those who are
very materialistic, always hankering after material power
and strength, are undoubtedly fools of the first order
because they have no information of the living energy, and
being ignorant of that supreme spiritual science, they are
absorbed in material science, which ends with the end of the
material body. They are the lowest of human beings because
the human life is especially meant for reestablishing the lost
relation with the Eord, and they miss this opportunity by
being engaged in material activities. They are robbed of
their knowledge because even after prolonged speculation
they cannot reach to the stage of knowing the 1ersonality of
8odhead, the s!mm!m bon!m of everything. And all of them
are men of demoniac principle, and they suffer the
conse(uences, as did such materialistic heroes as 0"vaAa,
HiraAyakaPipu, >a[sa and others.
T!T X[
Sa V= #arlRaeke6+iS$ak'Ta?Qa-0 S'$aa(a(aa 9
re$ae E?rk861uSQaae %a&a'a#a2 PaOak:6Taae (aQaa 99 X[ 99
sa e.a nara%loke 2sminn
a(at$r5a* s(a%m'yay'
reme str$%ratna%k0<astho
bhaga('n "r'k4to yath'
S(#O#($S
sa*ZHe 3the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead6V e.a*Zall
theseV nara%lokeZon this planet of human beingsV asminZon
thisV a(at$r5a*Zhaving appearedV s(aZpersonal, internalV
m'yay'Zcauseless mercyV remeZen2oyedV str$%ratnaZ
woman who is competent to become a wife of the EordV
k0<astha*ZamongV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV
"r'k4ta*ZmundaneV yath'Zas if it were.
T-A#SLATIO#
That Supre@e Personality of &odhead ArB CDEFa, out of Iis
causeless @ercy, appeared on this planet by Iis internal potency
and en/oyed Ii@self a@ongst co@petent Jo@en as if Ie Jere
engaging in @undane affairsH
P8-PO-T
The Eord married and lived like a householder. This is
certainly like a mundane affair, but when we learn that He
married ,5,,N. wives and li(ed with them se"arately in each
and every palace, certainly it is not mundane. Therefore, the
Eord, living as a householder amongst His competent wives,
is never mundane, and His behavior with them is never to be
understood as mundane se: relation. The women who
became the wives of the Eord are certainly not ordinary
women, because to get the Eord as oneJs husband is the
result of many, many millions of birthsJ ta"asya 3austerity6.
When the Eord appears on different lokas, or planets, or on
this planet of human beings, He displays His transcendental
pastimes 2ust to attract the conditioned souls to become His
eternal servitors, friends, parents and lovers respectively in
the transcendental world, where the Eord eternally
reciprocates such e:changes of service. $ervice is
pervertedly represented in the material world and broken
untimely, resulting in sad e:perience. The illusioned living
being conditioned by material nature cannot understand out
of ignorance that all our relations here in the mundane world
are temporary and full of inebrieties. $uch relations cannot
help us be happy perpetually, but if the same relation is
established with the Eord, then we are transferred to the
transcendental world after leaving this material body and
become eternally related with Him in the relation we desire.
The women amongst whom He lived as their husband are
not, therefore, women of this mundane world, but are
eternally related with Him as transcendental wives, a
position which they attained by perfection of devotional
service. That is their competency. The Eord is "ara- brahma,
or the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. *onditioned souls
seek after perpetual happiness in all placesZnot only on this
earth but also on other planets throughout the universeZ
because constitutionally a spiritual spark, as he is, can travel
to any part of 8odJs creation. %ut being conditioned by the
material modes, he tries to travel in space by spacecraft and
so fails to reach his destination. The law of gravitation is
binding upon him like the shackles of a prisoner. %y other
processes he can reach anywhere, but even if he reaches
the highest planet, he cannot attain that perpetual
happiness for which he is searching life after life. When he
comes to his senses, however, he seeks after %rahman
happiness, knowing it for certain that unlimited happiness,
which he is seeking, is never attainable in the material
world. As such, the $upreme %eing, 1arabrahman, certainly
does not seek His happiness anywhere in the material world.
Kor can His paraphernalia of happiness be found in the
material world. He is not impersonal. %ecause He is the
leader and $upreme %eing amongst innumerable living
beings, He cannot be impersonal. He is e:actly like us, and
He has all the propensities of an individual living being in
fullness. He marries e:actly like us, but His marriage is
neither mundane nor limited by our e:perience in the
conditioned state. His wives, therefore, appear like mundane
women, but factually they are all transcendental liberated
souls, perfect manifestations of internal energy.
T!T X\
oqa$a%aa'iPaBu#aa$alR'L&auhaSax
'3?oa'lRaek6i#ahTaae $ad#aae+iPa (aaSaa$a2 9
Sa$$au7 caPa$a)ahaTPaO$adaeta$aaSTaa
(aS(aei#d3(a; i'$aiQaTau; ku6hk6#a- !aeku60 99 X\ 99
!dd'ma%bh'(a%"i1!n'mala%(alg!%h'sa%
(r$;'(aloka%nihato madano 2"i y's'm
samm!hya c'"am a)ah't "ramadottam's t'
yasyendriya- (imathit!- k!hakair na 1ek!*
S(#O#($S
!dd'maZvery graveV bh'(aZe:pressionV "i1!naZe:citingV
amalaZspotlessV (alg!%h'saZbeautiful smilingV (r$;aZcorner
of the eyeV a(alokaZlookingV nihata*Zcon(ueredV madana*Z
*upid 3or amadanaZthe greatly tolerant <iva6V a"iZalsoV
y's'mZwhoseV samm!hyaZbeing overpowered byV c'"amZ
bowsV a)ah'tZgave upV "ramadaZwoman, who maddensV
!ttam'*Zof high gradeV t'ZallV yasyaZwhoseV indriyamZ
sensesV (imathit!mZto perturbV k!hakai*Zby magical featsV
naZneverV 1ek!*Zwas able.
T-A#SLATIO#
Although the ?ueensr beautiful s@iles and furti'e glances Jere all
spotless and eMciting, and although they could con?uer Cupid
hi@self by @aking hi@ gi'e up his boJ in frustration, and although
e'en the tolerant Ai'a could fall 'icti@ to the@, still, despite all
their @agical feats and attractions, they could not agitate the
senses of the LordH
P8-PO-T
The path of salvation or the path going back to 8odhead
always forbids the association of women, and the complete
san'tana%dharma or (ar5'1rama%dharma scheme forbids or
restricts association with women. How, then, can one be
accepted as the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead who is
addicted to more than si:teen thousand wives? This (uestion
may be relevantly raised by in(uisitive persons really
an:ious to know about the transcendental nature of the
$upreme Eord. And to answer such (uestions, the sages at
Kaimi@"raAya have discussed the transcendental character
of the Eord in this and in following verses. t is clear herein
that the feminine attractive features which can con(uer
*upid or even the supermost tolerant Eord <iva could not
con(uer the senses of the Eord. *upidJs business is to invoke
mundane lust. The whole universe is moving being agitated
by *upidJs arrow. The activities of the world are being
carried on by the central attraction of male and female. A
male is searching after a mate to his liking, and the female is
looking after a suitable male. That is the way of material
stimulus. And as soon as a male is combined with a female,
the material bondage of the living being is at once tightly
interlocked by se: relation, and as a result of this, both the
maleJs and femaleJs attraction for sweet home, motherland,
bodily offspring, society and friendship and accumulation of
wealth becomes the illusory field of activities, and thus a
false but indefatigable attraction for the temporary material
e:istence, which is full of miseries, is manifest. Those who
are, therefore, on the path of salvation for going back home
back to 8odhead, are especially advised by all scriptural
instruction to become free from such paraphernalia of
material attraction. And that is possible only by the
association of the devotees of the Eord, who are called the
mah'tm's. *upid throws his arrow upon the living beings to
make them mad after the opposite se:, whether the party is
actually beautiful or not. *upidJs provocations are going on,
even among beastly societies who are all ugly'looking in the
estimation of the civili)ed nations. Thus *upidJs influence is
e:erted even amongst the ugliest forms, and what to speak
of the most perfect beauties. Eord <iva, who is considered to
be most tolerant, was also struck by *upidJs arrow because
he also became mad after the 8ohin$ incarnation of the Eord
and acknowledged himself to be defeated. *upid, however,
was himself captivated by the grave and e:citing dealings of
the goddesses of fortune, and he voluntarily gave up his bow
and arrow in a spirit of frustration. $uch was the beauty and
attraction of the (ueens of Eord >?@Aa. Xet they could not
disturb the transcendental senses of the Eord. This is
because the Eord is all'perfect 'tm'r'ma, or self'sufficient.
He does not re(uire anyoneJs e:traneous help for His
personal satisfaction. Therefore, the (ueens could not satisfy
the Eord by their feminine attractiveness, but they satisfied
>im by their sincere affection and ser(ice. 9nly by unalloyed
transcendental loving service could they satisfy the Eord,
and the Eord was pleased to treat them as wives in
reciprocation. Thus being satisfied by their unalloyed service
only, the Eord reciprocated the service 2ust like a devout
husband. 9therwise He had no business becoming the
husband of so many wives. He is the husband of everyone,
but to one who accepts Him as such, He reciprocates. This
unalloyed affection for the Eord is never to be compared to
mundane lust. t is purely transcendental. And the grave
dealings, which the (ueens displayed in natural feminine
ways, were also transcendental because the feelings were
e:pressed out of transcendental ecstasy. t is already
e:plained in the previous verse that the Eord appeared like a
mundane husband, but factually His relation with His wives
was transcendental, pure and unconditioned by the modes
of material nature.
T!T X]
Ta$a(a; $a#(aTae lRaek6ae 7Sal$aiPa Sail#a$a2 9
AaT$aaPa$(ae#a $a#au)a; G(aaPa:Q'a#a;
(aTaae+bu>a0 99 X] 99
tam aya- manyate loko
hy asa3gam a"i sa3ginam
'tma!"amyena man!)a-
(y'"45('na- yato 2b!dha*
S(#O#($S
tamZunto Eord >?@AaV ayamZall these 3common men6V
manyateZdo speculate within the mindV loka*Zthe
conditioned soulsV hiZcertainlyV asa3gamZunattachedV a"iZ
in spite ofV sa3ginamZaffectedV 'tmaZselfV a!"amyenaZby
comparison with the selfV man!)amZordinary manV
(y'"45('namZbeing engaged inV yata*ZbecauseV ab!dha*Z
foolish because of ignorance.
T-A#SLATIO#
The co@@on @aterialistic conditioned souls speculate that the
Lord is one of the@H Out of their ignorance they think that the Lord
is affected by @atter, although Ie is unattachedH
P8-PO-T
The word ab!dha* is significant here. 7ue to ignorance only,
the foolish mundane wranglers misunderstand the $upreme
Eord and spread their foolish imaginations amongst innocent
persons by propaganda. The $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa is the
original primeval 1ersonality of 8odhead, and when He was
personally present before the eyes of everyone, He
displayed full'fledged divine potency in every field of
activities. As we have already e:plained in the first verse of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam, He is completely independent to act
however He likes, but all His actions are full of bliss,
knowledge and eternity. 9nly the foolish mundaners
misunderstand Him, unaware of His eternal form of
knowledge and bliss, which is confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t'
and 7"ani.ads. His different potencies work in a perfect plan
of natural se(uence, and doing everything by the agency of
His different potencies, He remains eternally the supreme
independent. When He descends on the material world by
His causeless mercy to different living beings, He does so by
His own potency. He is not sub2ect to any condition of the
material modes of nature, and He descends as He is
originally. The mental speculators misunderstand Him as the
$upreme 1erson, and they consider His impersonal features
as ine:plicable %rahman to be all. $uch a conception is also
the product of conditioned life because they cannot go
beyond their own personal capacity. Therefore, one who
considers the Eord on the level of oneJs limited potency is
only a common man. $uch a man cannot be convinced that
the 1ersonality of 8odhead is always unaffected by the
modes of material nature. He cannot understand that the
sun is always unaffected by infectious matter. The mental
speculators compare everything from the standpoint of
e:perimental knowledge of their own selves. Thus when the
Eord is found to act like an ordinary person in matrimonial
bondage, they consider Him to be like one of them, without
considering that the Eord can at once marry si:teen
thousand wives or more. 7ue to a poor fund of knowledge
they accept one side of the picture while disbelieving the
other. This means that due to ignorance only they always
think of Eord >?@Aa as like themselves and make their own
conclusions, which are absurd and unauthentic from the
version of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
T!T X^
VTad?!a#a$a?!aS(a PaOk:6iTaSQaae+iPa Tad2&auQa0 9
#a (au)(aTae SadaT$aSQa(a-Qaa buipSTadaBO(aa 99 X^ 99
etad $1anam $1asya
"rak4ti%stho 2"i tad%g!5ai*
na y!)yate sad'tma%sthair
yath' b!ddhis tad%'1ray'
S(#O#($S
etatZthisV $1anamZdivinityV $1asyaZof the 1ersonality of
8odheadV "rak4ti%stha*Zbeing in contact with material
natureV a"iZin spite ofV tat%g!5ai*Zby the (ualitiesV naZ
neverV y!)yateZis affectedV sad' 'tma%sthai*Zby those who
are situated in eternityV yath'Zas isV b!ddhi*ZintelligenceV
tatZthe EordV '1ray'Zthose who are under the shelter of.
T-A#SLATIO#
This is the di'inity of the Personality of &odheade Ie is not
affected by the ?ualities of @aterial nature, e'en though Ie is in
contact Jith the@H Si@ilarly, the de'otees Jho ha'e taken shelter
of the Lord do not beco@e influenced by the @aterial ?ualitiesH
P8-PO-T
n the /edas and !edic literatures 3#r!ti and Sm4ti6 it is
affirmed that in the 7ivinity there is nothing material. He is
transcendental 3nirg!5a6 only, the supreme cogni)ant. Hari,
or the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is the supreme
transcendental person situated beyond the range of material
affection. These statements are also confirmed even by
Wc"rya <aIkara. 9ne may argue that His relation with the
goddesses of fortune may be transcendental, but what about
His relation with the Xadu dynasty, being born in that family,
or His killing the nonbelievers like Oar"sandha and other
as!ras directly in contact with the modes of material nature.
The answer is that the divinity of the 1ersonality of 8odhead
is never in contact with the (ualities of material nature in
any circumstances. Actually He is in contact with such
(ualities because He is the ultimate source of everything,
yet He is above the actions of such (ualities. He is known,
therefore, as XogePvara, or the master of mystic power, or in
other words the all'powerful. ;ven His learned devotees are
not affected by the influence of the material modes. The
great si: 8osv"m=s of !?nd"vana all came from greatly rich
and aristocratic families, but when they adopted the life of
mendicants at !?nd"vana, superficially they appeared to be
in wretched conditions of life, but factually they were the
richest of all in spiritual values. $uch mah'%bh'ga(atas, or
first'grade devotees, although moving amongst men, are not
contaminated by honor or insult, hunger or satisfaction,
sleep or wakefulness, which are all resultant actions of the
three modes of material nature. $imilarly, some of them are
engaged in worldly dealings, yet are unaffected. Rnless
these neutralities of life are there, one cannot be considered
situated in transcendence. The 7ivinity and His associates
are on the same transcendental plane, and their glories are
always sanctified by the action of yogam'y', or the internal
potency of the Eord. The devotees of the Eord are always
transcendental, even if they are sometimes found to have
fallen in their behavior. The Eord emphatically declares in
the &haga(ad%g$t' 3-.\N6 that even if an unalloyed devotee is
found to be fallen due to a previous material contamination,
he is nevertheless to be accepted as fully transcendental
because of his being engaged cent percent in the devotional
service of the Eord. The Eord protects him always because of
his rendering service unto Him, and the fallen conditions are
to be considered accidental and temporary. They will vanish
in no time.
T!T X_
Ta; $aei#are+blRa $a8ta0 EQa; ca#au'3Ta; rh0 9
APaO$aaQai'dae %aTau-r?Tr; $aTa(aae (aQaa 99 X_ 99
ta- menire 2bal' m0;h'*
strai5a- c'n!(rata- raha*
a"ram'5a%(ido bhart!r
$1(ara- matayo yath'
S(#O#($S
tamZunto Eord <r= >?@AaV menireZtook it for grantedV
abal'*ZdelicateV m0;h'*Zbecause of simplicityV strai5amZ
one who is dominated by his wifeV caZalsoV an!(ratamZ
followerV raha*Zlonely placeV a"ram'5a%(ida*Zunaware of
the e:tent of gloriesV bhart!*Zof their husbandV $1(aramZ
the supreme controllerV mataya*ZthesisV yath'Zas it is.
T-A#SLATIO#
The si@ple and delicate Jo@en truly thought that Lord Sri CDEFa,
their belo'ed husband, folloJed the@ and Jas do@inated by the@H
They Jere unaJare of the eMtent of the glories of their husband, as
the atheists are unaJare of Ii@ as the supre@e controllerH
P8-PO-T
;ven the transcendental wives of Eord <r= >?@Aa did not
know completely the unfathomable glories of the Eord. This
ignorance is not mundane because there is some action of
the internal potency of the Eord in the e:change of feelings
between Him and His eternal associates. The Eord
e:changes transcendental relations in five ways, as
proprietor, master, friend, son and lover, and in each of
these pastimes He plays fully by the potency of yogam'y',
the internal potency. He plays e:actly like an e(ual friend
with the cowherd boys or even with friends like Ar2una. He
plays e:actly like a son in the presence of XaPod"m"t", He
plays e:actly like a lover in the presence of the cowherd
damsels, and He plays e:actly like a husband in the
presence of the (ueens of 7v"rak". $uch devotees of the
Eord never think of the Eord as the $upreme, but think of
Him e:actly as a common friend, a pet son, or a lover or
husband very much dear to heart and soul. That is the
relation between the Eord and His transcendental devotees,
who act as His associates in the spiritual sky, where there
are innumerable !aikuATha planets. When the Eord
descends, He does so along with His entourage to display a
complete picture of the transcendental world, where pure
love and devotion for the Eord prevail without any mundane
tinge of lording it over the creation of the Eord. $uch
devotees of the Eord are all liberated souls, perfect
representations of the marginal or internal potency in
complete negation of the influence of the e:ternal potency.
The wives of Eord >?@Aa were made to forget the
immeasurable glories of the Eord by the internal potency so
that there might not be any flaw of e:change, and they took
it for granted that the Eord was a henpecked husband,
always following them in lonely places. n other words, even
the personal associates of the Eord do not know Him
perfectly well, so what do the thesis writers or mental
speculators know about the transcendental glories of the
Eord? The mental speculators present different theses as to
His becoming the causes of the creation, the ingredients of
the creation, or the material and efficient cause of the
creation, etc., but all this is but partial knowledge about the
Eord. Hactually they are as ignorant as the common man.
The Eord can be known by the mercy of the Eord only, and
by no other means. %ut since the dealings of the Eord with
His wives are based on pure transcendental love and
devotion, the wives are all on the transcendental plane
without material contamination.
Sle(enth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled K:ord
A4.5a2s Sntrance into D('rak'.M
Chapter TJel'e
Kirth of @peror ParBkEit
T!T "
BO?!aa#ak6 o'ac
ATTQaa$anaePaSa:ne#a b34!a?.Qaae-DTae)aSaa 9
otara(aa hTaae &a%a- J-!ae#aa)a?i'Ta0 Pau#a0 99 " 99
1a!naka !('ca
a1(atth'mno"as4.<ena
brahma%1$r.5or!%te)as'
!ttar'y' hato garbha
$1en')$(ita* "!na*
S(#O#($S
1a!naka* !('caZthe sage <aunaka saidV a1(atth'mnaZof
APvatth"m" 3the son of 7roAa6V !"as4.<enaZby release ofV
brahma%1$r.5'Zthe invincible weapon, brahm'straC !r!%te)as'
Zby high temperatureV !ttar'y'*Zof Rttar" 3mother of
1ar=k@it6V hata*Zbeing spoiledV garbha*ZwombV $1enaZby
the $upreme EordV ')$(ita*Zbrought to lifeV "!na*Zagain.
T-A#SLATIO#
The sage Aaunaka saide The Jo@b of 8ttarL, @other of $ahLrL/a
ParBkEit, Jas spoiled by the dreadful and in'incible brah@Lstra
Jeapon released by Aw'atthL@LH Kut $ahLrL/a ParBkEit Jas sa'ed
by the Supre@e LordH
P8-PO-T
The sages assembled in the forest of Kaimi@"raAya in(uired
from $Lta 8osv"m= about the birth of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, but
in the course of the narration other topics like the release of
the brahm'stra by the son of 7roAa, his punishment by
Ar2una, ùeen >unt=dev=Js prayers, the 1"AQavasJ visit to
the place where %h=@madeva was lying, his prayers and
thereafter the EordJs departure for 7v"rak" were discussed.
His arrival at 7v"rak" and residing with the si:teen thousand
(ueens, etc., were narrated. The sages were absorbed in
hearing such descriptions, but now they wanted to turn to
the original topic, and thus the in(uiry was made by
<aunaka _@i. $o the sub2ect of the release of the brahm'stra
weapon by APvatth"m" is renewed.
T!T N
TaS(a )a#$a $ahabupe0 k6$aa-iQa c $ahaT$a#a0 9
i#a>a#a; c (aQa'aSa?TSa PaOeT(a &aTa'a#a2 (aQaa 99 N 99
tasya )anma mah'%b!ddhe*
karm'5i ca mah'tmana*
nidhana- ca yathai('s$t
sa "retya gata('n yath'
S(#O#($S
tasyaZhis 3of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it6V )anmaZbirthV mah'%b!ddhe*
Zof great intelligenceV karm'5iZactivitiesV caZalsoV mah'%
'tmana*Zof the great devoteeV nidhanamZdemiseV caZalsoV
yath'Zas it wasV e(aZof courseV 's$tZhappenedV sa*ZheV
"retyaZdestination after deathV gata('nZachievedV yath'Zas
it were.
T-A#SLATIO#
IoJ Jas the great e@peror ParBkEit, Jho Jas a highly intelligent
and great de'otee, born in that Jo@bW IoJ did his death take
place, and Jhat did he achie'e after his deathW
P8-PO-T
The king of Hastin"pura 3now 7elhi6 used to be the emperor
of the world, at least till the time of the son of ;mperor
1ar=k@it. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was saved by the Eord in the
womb of his mother, so he could certainly be saved from an
untimely death due to the ill will of the son of a br'hma5a.
%ecause the age of >ali began to act 2ust after the
assumption of power by Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, the first sign of
misgivings was e:hibited in the cursing of such a greatly
intelligent and devoted king as Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. The king
is the protector of the helpless citi)ens, and their welfare,
peace and prosperity depend on him. Rnfortunately, by the
instigation of the fallen age of >ali, an unfortunate
br'hma5a2s son was employed to condemn the innocent
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, and so the >ing had to prepare himself
for death within seven days. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is especially
famous as one who is protected by !i@Au, and when he was
unduly cursed by a br'hma5a2s son, he could have invoked
the mercy of the Eord to save him, but he did not want to
because he was a pure devotee. A pure devotee never asks
the Eord for any undue favor. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it knew that
the curse of the br'hma5a2s son upon him was un2ustified, as
everyone else knew, but he did not want to counteract it
because he knew also that the age of >ali had begun and
that the first symptom of the age, namely degradation of the
highly talented br'hma5a community, had also begun. He did
not want to interfere with the current of the time, but he
prepared himself to meet death very cheerfully and very
properly. %eing fortunate, he got at least seven days to
prepare himself to meet death, and so he properly utili)ed
the time in the association of <ukadeva 8osv"m=, the great
saint and devotee of the Eord.
T!T X
Taidd; BOaeTaui$aCca$aae &aidTau; (aid $a#(aSae 9
b38ih #a0 BOq>aa#aa#aa; (aS(a /a#a$adaCcuk60 99 X 99
tad ida- 1rot!m icch'mo
gadit!- yadi manyase
br0hi na* 1raddadh'n'n'-
yasya ),'nam ad'c ch!ka*
S(#O#($S
tatZallV idamZthisV 1rot!mZto hearV icch'ma*Zall willingV
gadit!mZto narrateV yadiZifV manyaseZyou thinkV br0hiZ
please speakV na*ZweV 1raddadh'n'n'mZwho are very much
respectfulV yasyaZwhoseV ),'namZtranscendental
knowledgeV ad'tZdeliveredV 1!ka*Z<r= <ukadeva 8osv"m=.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ve all respectfully Jant to hear about hi@ O$ahLrL/a ParBkEit3 to
Jho@ Aukade'a &os'L@B i@parted transcendental knoJledgeH
Please speak on this @atterH
P8-PO-T
<ukadeva 8osv"m= imparted transcendental knowledge to
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it during the remaining seven days of his
life, and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it heard him properly, 2ust like an
ardent student. The effect of such a bona fide hearing and
chanting of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam was e(ually shared by both
the hearer and the chanter. %oth of them were benefited.
9ut of the nine different transcendental means of devotional
service to the Eord prescribed in the &h'ga(atam, either all of
them, or some of them or even one of them are e(ually
beneficial if properly discharged. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it and
<ukadeva 8osv"m= were serious performers of the first two
important items, namely the process of chanting and the
process of hearing, and therefore both of them were
successful in their laudable attempt. Transcendental
reali)ation is attained by such serious hearing and chanting
and not otherwise. There is a type of spiritual master and
disciple much advertised in this age of >ali. t is said that the
master in2ects spiritual force into the disciple by an electrical
current generated by the master, and the disciple begins to
feel the shock. He becomes unconscious, and the master
weeps for his e:hausting his store of so'called spiritual
assets. $uch bogus advertisement is going on in this age,
and the poor common man is becoming the victim of such
advertisement. We do not find such folk tales in the dealings
of <ukadeva 8osv"m= and his great disciple Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it. The sage recited #r$mad%&h'ga(atam in devotion,
and the great >ing heard him properly. The >ing did not feel
any shock of electrical current from the master, nor did he
become unconscious while receiving knowledge from the
master. 9ne should not, therefore, become a victim of these
unauthori)ed advertisements made by some bogus
representative of !edic knowledge. The sages of
Kaimi@"raAya were very respectful in hearing about
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it because of his receiving knowledge from
<ukadeva 8osv"m= by means of ardent hearing. Ardent
hearing from the bona fide master is the only way to receive
transcendental knowledge, and there is no need for medical
performances or occult mysticism for miraculous effects. The
process is simple, but only the sincere party can achieve the
desired result.
T!T Z
Sa8Ta o'ac
APa?PalRp$a-ra)a0 iPaTa:'d2 ri(a#a2 PaO)aa0 9
i#a0SPa:h0 Sa'-k6a$ae%(a0 k:6.QaPaada#auSae'(aa 99 Z 99
s0ta !('ca
a"$"alad dharma%r')a*
"it4(ad ra,)ayan "ra)'*
ni*s"4ha* sar(a%k'mebhya*
k4.5a%"'d'n!se(ay'
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV a"$"alatZadministered
prosperityV dharma%r')a*Z>ing Xudhi@ThiraV "it4%(atZe:actly
like his fatherV ra,)ayanZpleasingV "ra)'*Zall those who took
birthV ni*s"4ha*Zwithout personal ambitionV sar(aZallV
k'mebhya*Zfrom sense gratificationV k4.5a%"'daZthe lotus
feet of Eord <r= >?@AaV an!se(ay'Zby dint of rendering
continuous service.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide @peror (udhiEhira ad@inistered
generously to e'eryone during his reignH Ie Jas eMactly like his
fatherH Ie had no personal a@bition and Jas freed fro@ all sorts of
sense gratification because of his continuous ser'ice unto the lotus
feet of the Lord ArB CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
As mentioned in our introduction, DThere is a need for the
science of >?@Aa in human society for all the suffering
humanity of the world, and we simply re(uest the leading
personalities of all nations to take to the science of >?@Aa for
their own good, for the good of society, and for the good of
all the people of the world.F $o it is confirmed herein by the
e:ample of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, the personality of
goodness. n ndia the people hanker after R'ma%r')ya
because the 1ersonality of 8odhead was the ideal king and
all other kings or emperors in ndia controlled the destiny of
the world for the prosperity of every living being who took
birth on the earth. Herein the word "ra)'* is significant. The
etymological import of the word is Dthat which is born.F 9n
the earth there are many species of life, from the a(uatics
up to the perfect human beings, and all are known as "ra)'s.
Eord %rahm", the creator of this particular universe, is
known as the "ra)'"ati because he is the grandfather of all
who have taken birth. Thus "ra)' is used in a broader sense
than it is now used. The king represents all living beings, the
a(uatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, animals and man.
;very one of them is a part and parcel of the $upreme Eord
3%g. ,M.M6, and the king, being the representative of the
$upreme Eord, is duty'bound to give proper protection to
every one of them. This is not the case with the presidents
and dictators of this demorali)ed system of administration,
where the lower animals are given no protection while the
higher animals are given so'called protection. %ut this is a
great science which can be learned only by one who knows
the science of A4.5a. %y knowing the science of >?@Aa, one
can become the most perfect man in the world, and unless
one has knowledge in this science, all (ualifications and
doctorate diplomas ac(uired by academic education are
spoiled and useless. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira knew this science
of >?@Aa very well, for it is stated here that by continuous
cultivation of this science, or by continuous devotional
service to Eord >?@Aa, he ac(uired the (ualification of
administering the state. The father is sometimes seemingly
cruel to the son, but that does not mean that the father has
lost the (ualification to be a father. A father is always a
father because he always has the good of the son at heart.
The father wants every one of his sons to become a better
man than himself. Therefore, a king like Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, who was the personality of goodness, wanted
everyone under his administration, especially human beings
who have better developed consciousness, to become
devotees of Eord >?@Aa so that everyone can become free
from the trifles of material e:istence. His motto of
administration was all good for the citi)ens, for as
personified goodness he knew perfectly well what is actually
good for them. He conducted the administration on that
principle, and not on the r'k.asi, demonic, principle of sense
gratification. As an ideal king, he had no personal ambition,
and there was no place for sense gratification because all his
senses at all times were engaged in the loving service of the
$upreme Eord, which includes the partial service to the living
beings, who form the parts and parcels of the complete
whole. Those who are busy rendering service to the parts
and parcels, leaving aside the whole, only spoil time and
energy, as one does when watering the leaves of a tree
without watering the root. f water is poured on the root, the
leaves are enlivened perfectly and automatically, but if
water is poured on the leaves only, the whole energy is
spoiled. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, therefore, was constantly
engaged in the service of the Eord, and thus the parts and
parcels of the Eord, the living beings under his careful
administration, were perfectly attended with all comforts in
this life and all progress in the ne:t. That is the way of
perfect management of state administration.
T!T [
Sa$Pad0 s6Ta'ae lRaek6a $aih=? %a3aTarae $ah? 9
)a$b8j?Paai>aPaT(a; c (a!a, i<aid'; &aTa$a2 99 [ 99
sam"ada* krata(o lok'
mahi.$ bhr'taro mah$
)amb0d($"'dhi"atya- ca
ya1a1 ca tri%di(a- gatam
S(#O#($S
sam"ada*ZopulenceV krata(a*ZsacrificesV lok'*Zfuture
destinationV mahi.$Zthe (ueensV bhr'tara*Zthe brothersV
mah$Zthe earthV )amb0%d($"aZthe globe or planet of our
residenceV 'dhi"atyamZsovereigntyV caZalsoV ya1a*ZfameV
caZandV tri%di(amZcelestial planetsV gatamZspread over.
T-A#SLATIO#
#eJs e'en reached the celestial planets about $ahLrL/a
(udhiEhirars Jorldly possessions, the sacrifices by Jhich he
Jould attain a better destination, his ?ueen, his stalJart brothers,
his eMtensi'e land, his so'ereignty o'er the planet earth, and his
fa@e, etcH
P8-PO-T
9nly a rich and great manJs name and fame are known all
over the world, and the name and fame of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira reached the higher planets because of his good
administration, worldly possessions, glorious wife 7raupad=,
the strength of his brothers %h=ma and Ar2una, and his solid
sovereign power over the world, known as OambLdv=pa. Here
the word lok'* is significant. There are different lokas or
higher planets scattered all over the sky, both material and
spiritual. A person can reach them by dint of his work in the
present life, as stated in &haga(ad%g$t' 3-.GB6. Ko forceful
entrance is allowed there. The tiny material scientists and
engineers who have discovered vehicles to travel over a few
thousand miles in outer space will not be allowed entrance.
That is not the way to reach the better planets. 9ne must
(ualify himself to enter into such happy planets by sacrifice
and service. Those who are sinful in every step of life can
e:pect only to be degraded into animal life to suffer more
and more the pangs of material e:istence, and this is also
stated in &haga(ad%g$t' 3,5.,-6. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraJs good
sacrifices and (ualifications were so lofty and virtuous that
even the residents of the higher celestial planets were
already prepared to receive him as one of them.
T!T \
ik;6 Tae k6a$aa0 SaurSPaaha- $auku6#d$a#aSaae ij)aa0 9
Ai>a)ahu$au-d; ra/0 Uaui>aTaS(a (aQaeTare 99 \ 99
ki- te k'm'* s!ra%s"'rh'
m!k!nda%manaso d(i)'*
adhi)ahr!r m!da- r'),a*
k.!dhitasya yathetare
S(#O#($S
kimZwhat forV teZall thoseV k'm'*Zob2ects of sense
en2oymentV s!raZof the deni)ens of heavenV s"'rh'*Z
aspirationsV m!k!nda%manasa*Zof one who is already 8od
consciousV d(i)'*Z9 br'hma5asC adhi)ahr!*Zcould satisfyV
m!damZpleasureV r'),a*Zof the kingV k.!dhitasyaZof the
hungryV yath'Zas it isV itareZin other things.
T-A#SLATIO#
O brLh@aFas, the opulence of the Cing Jas so enchanting that the
deni=ens of hea'en aspired for itH Kut because he Jas absorbed in
the ser'ice of the Lord, nothing could satisfy hi@ eMcept the Lordrs
ser'iceH
P8-PO-T
There are two things in the world which can satisfy living
beings. When one is materially engrossed, he is satisfied
only by sense gratification, but when one is liberated from
the conditions of the material modes, he is satisfied only by
rendering loving service for the satisfaction of the Eord. This
means that the living being is constitutionally a ser(itor, and
not one who is ser(ed. %eing illusioned by the conditions of
the e:ternal energy, one falsely thinks himself to be the
served, but actually he is not servedV he is servant of the
senses like lust, desire, anger, avarice, pride, madness and
intolerance. When one is in his proper senses by attainment
of spiritual knowledge, he reali)es that he is not the master
of the material world, but is only a servant of the senses. At
that time he begs for the service of the Eord and thus
becomes happy without being illusioned by so'called
material happiness. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was one of the
liberated souls, and therefore for him there was no pleasure
in a vast kingdom, good wife, obedient brothers, happy
sub2ects and prosperous world. These blessings
automatically follow for a pure devotee, even though the
devotee does not aspire for them. The e:ample set herein is
e:actly suitable. t is said that one who is hungry is never
satisfied by anything other than food.
The whole material world is full of hungry living beings. The
hunger is not for good food, shelter or sense gratification.
The h!nger is for the s"irit!al atmos"here. 7ue to ignorance
only they think that the world is dissatisfied because there is
not sufficient food, shelter, defense and ob2ects of sense
gratification. This is called illusion. When the living being is
hungry for spiritual satisfaction, he is misrepresented by
material hunger. %ut the foolish leaders cannot see that
even the people who are most sumptuously materially
satisfied are still hungry. And what is their hunger and
poverty? This hunger is actually for spiritual food, spiritual
shelter, spiritual defense and spiritual sense gratification.
These can be obtained in the association of the $upreme
$pirit, Eord <r= >?@Aa, and therefore one who has them
cannot be attracted by the so'called food, shelter, defense
and sense gratification of the material world, even if they are
relished by the deni)ens of the heavenly planets. Therefore,
in the Bhagavad-gt 3..,56 it is said by the Eord that even in
the topmost planet of the universe, namely the %rahmaloka,
where the duration of life is multiplied by millions of years by
earth calculation, one cannot satisfy his hunger. $uch hunger
can be satisfied only when the living being is situated in
immortality, which is attained in the spiritual sky, far, far
above the %rahmaloka, in the association of Eord Mukunda,
the Eord who awards His devotees the transcendental
pleasure of liberation.
T!T ]
$aaTau&a-%a-&aTaae '?r0 Sa Tada %a:&au#a#d#a 9
dd!a- PauD=; k6i}q7$aa#aae+ETae)aSaa 99 ] 99
m't!r garbha%gato ($ra*
sa tad' bh4g!%nandana
dadar1a "!r!.a- ka,cid
dahyam'no 2stra%te)as'
S(#O#($S
m't!*ZmotherV garbhaZwombV gata*Zbeing situated thereV
($ra*Zthe great fighterV sa*Zchild 1ar=k@itV tad'Zat that
timeV bh4g!%nandanaZ9 son of %h?guV dadar1aZcould seeV
"!r!.amZthe $upreme EordV ka,citZas someone elseV
dahyam'na*Zsuffering from being burnedV astraZthe
brahm'straC te)as'Ztemperature.
T-A#SLATIO#
O son of KhDgu OAaunaka3, Jhen the child ParBkEit, the great
fighter, Jas in the Jo@b of his @other, 8ttarL, and Jas suffering
fro@ the burning heat of the brah@Lstra OthroJn by Aw'atthL@L3,
he could obser'e the Supre@e Lord co@ing to hi@H
P8-PO-T
7eath generally involves remaining in trance for seven
months. A living being, according to his own action, is
allowed to enter into the womb of a mother by the vehicle of
a fatherJs semina, and thus he develops his desired body.
This is the law of birth in specific bodies according to oneJs
past actions. When he is awake from trance, he feels the
inconvenience of being confined within the womb, and thus
he wants to come out of it and sometimes fortunately prays
to the Eord for such liberation. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, while in
the womb of his mother, was struck by the brahm'stra
released by APvatth"m", and he was feeling the burning
heat. %ut because he was a devotee of the Eord, the Eord at
once appeared Himself within the womb by His all'powerful
energy, and the child could see that someone else had come
to save him. ;ven in that helpless condition, the child
1ar=k@it endured the unbearable temperature due to his
being a great fighter by nature. And for this reason the word
($ra* has been used.
T!T ^
AM2&auf$aa<a$a$al;R Sfu6rTPaur1u$aailR#a$a2 9
APa?G(ad!a-#a; !(aa$a; TaiojaSaSa$aC(auTa$a2 99 ^ 99
a3g!.<ha%m'tram amala-
s"h!rat%"!ra<a%ma!linam
a"$(ya%dar1ana- 1y'ma-
ta;id ('sasam acy!tam
S(#O#($S
a3g!.<haZby the measure of a thumbV m'tramZonlyV
amalamZtranscendentalV s"h!ratZbla)ingV "!ra<aZgoldV
ma!linamZhelmetV a"$(yaZvery beautifulV dar1anamZto look
atV 1y'mamZblackishV ta;itZlightningV ('sasamZclothingV
acy!tamZthe nfallible 3the Eord6.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie Othe Lord3 Jas only thu@b high, but Ie Jas all transcendentalH
Ie had a 'ery beautiful, blackish, infallible body, and Ie Jore a
dress of lightning yelloJ and a hel@et of bla=ing goldH Thus Ie
Jas seen by the childH
T!T _
BO?$aq?ga-cTauba-hu; Tak6a}#aku6QolR$a2 9
UaTa)aaUa; &adaPaaiQa$aaT$a#a0 Sa'-Taaeid!a$a2 9
Pair%a3$a#Ta$auLk6a%aa; %a3a$a(a#Ta; &ada; $auhu0 99
_ 99
1r$mad%d$rgha%cat!r%b'h!-
ta"ta%k',cana%k!5;alam
k.ata)'k.a- gad'%"'5im
'tmana* sar(ato di1am
"aribhramantam !lk'bh'-
bhr'mayanta- gad'- m!h!*
S(#O#($S
1r$matZenrichedV d$rghaZprolongedV cat!*%b'h!mZfour'
handedV ta"ta%k',canaZmolten goldV k!5;alamZearringsV
k.ata)a%ak.amZeyes with the redness of bloodV gad'%"'5imZ
hand with a clubV 'tmana*ZownV sar(ata*ZallV di1amZ
aroundV "aribhramantamZloiteringV !lk'bh'mZlike shooting
starsV bhr'mayantamZencirclingV gad'mZthe clubV m!h!*Z
constantly.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Lord Jas enriched Jith four hands, earrings of @olten gold
and eyes blood red Jith furyH As Ie loitered about, Iis club
constantly encircled Ii@ like a shooting starH
P8-PO-T
t is said in the &rahma%sa-hit' 3*h. B6 that the $upreme Eord
8ovinda, by His one plenary portion, enters into the halo of
the universe and distributes himself as 1aram"tm", or the
$upersoul, not only within the heart of every living being, but
also within every atom of the material elements. Thus the
Eord is all'pervading by His inconceivable potency, and thus
He entered the womb of Rttar" to save His beloved devotee
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. n the Bhagavad-gt 3-.\,6 the Eord
assured everyone that His devotees are never to be
van(uished. Ko one can kill a devotee of the Eord because
he is protected by the Eord, and no one can save a person
whom the Eord desires to kill. The Eord is all'powerful, and
therefore He can both save and kill as He likes. He became
visible to His devotee Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it even in that
awkward position 3in the womb of his mother6 in a shape 2ust
suitable for his vision. The Eord can become bigger than
thousands of universes and can become smaller than an
atom at the same time. Merciful as He is, He becomes 2ust
suitable to the vision of the limited living being. He is
unlimited. He is not limited by any measurement of our
calculation. He can become bigger than what we can think
of, and He can become smaller than what we can conceive.
%ut in all circumstances He is the same all'powerful Eord.
There is no difference between the thumblike !i@Au in the
womb of Rttar" and the full'fledged K"r"yaAa in the
!aikuATha'dh"ma, the kingdom of 8odhead. He accepts the
form of arca%(igraha 3worshipable 7eity6 2ust to accept
service from His different incapable devotees. %y the mercy
of the arca%(igraha, the form of the Eord in material
elements, the devotees who are in the material world can
easily approach the Eord, although He is not conceivable by
the material senses. The arca%(igraha is therefore an all'
spiritual form of the Eord to be perceived by the material
devoteesV such an arca%(igraha of the Eord is never to be
considered material. There is no difference between matter
and spirit for the Eord, although there is a gulf of difference
between the two in the case of the conditioned living being.
Hor the Eord there is nothing but spiritual e:istence, and
similarly there is nothing e:cept spiritual e:istence for the
pure devotee of the Eord in his intimate relation with the
Eord.
T!T "`
AETae)a0 S'&ad(aa #a?hari$a' &aaePaiTa0 9
i'>a$a#Ta; Saikk6=e- Pa(a{UaTa k6 JT(aSaa 99 "` 99
astra%te)a* s(a%gaday'
n$h'ram i(a go"ati*
(idhamanta- sannikar.e
"aryaik.ata ka ity asa!
S(#O#($S
astra%te)a*Zradiation of the brahm'straC s(a%gaday'Zby
means of His own clubV n$h'ramZdrops of dewV i(aZlikeV
go"ati*Zthe sunV (idhamantamZthe act of vanishingV
sannikar.eZnearbyV "aryaik.ataZobservingV ka*ZwhoV iti
asa!Zthis body.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Lord Jas thus engaged in 'an?uishing the radiation of the
brah@Lstra, /ust as the sun e'aporates a drop of deJH Ie Jas
obser'ed by the child, Jho thought about Jho Ie JasH
T!T ""
i'>a8(a Tad$ae(aaT$aa %a&a'a#>a$a-&aub2 i'%au0 9
i$a=Taae d!a$aaSaS(a Ta<a'a#Tad->ae hir0 99 "" 99
(idh0ya tad amey'tm'
bhaga('n dharma%g!b (ibh!*
mi.ato da1am'sasya
tatrai('ntardadhe hari*
S(#O#($S
(idh0yaZhaving completely washed offV tatZthatV amey'tm'
Zthe all'pervading $upersoulV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV dharma%g!"Zthe protector of righteousnessV (ibh!*
Zthe $upremeV mi.ata*Zwhile observingV da1am'sasyaZof
one who is dressed by all directionsV tatra e(aZthen and
thereV anta*Zout of sightV dadheZbecameV hari*Zthe Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile thus being obser'ed by the child, the Supre@e Lord
Personality of &odhead, the Supersoul of e'eryone and the
protector of the righteous, Jho stretches in all directions and Jho
is unli@ited by ti@e and space, disappeared at onceH
P8-PO-T
*hild 1ar=k@it was not observing a living being who is limited
by time and space. There is a gulf of difference between the
Eord and the individual living being. The Eord is mentioned
herein as the supreme living being unlimited by time and
space. ;very living being is limited by time and space. ;ven
though a living being is (ualitatively one with the Eord,
(uantitatively there is a great difference between the
$upreme $oul and the common individual soul. n the
&haga(ad%g$t' both the living beings and the $upreme %eing
are said to be all'pervading 3yena sar(am ida- tatam6, yet
there is a difference between these two kinds of all'
pervasiveness. A common living being or soul can be all'
pervading within his own limited body, but the supreme
living being is all'pervading in all space and all time. A
common living being cannot e:tend its influence over
another common living being by its all'pervasiveness, but
the $upreme $upersoul, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is
unlimitedly able to e:ert His influence over all places and all
times and over all living beings. And because He is all'
pervasive, unlimited by time and space, He can appear even
within the womb of the mother of child 1ar=k@it. He is
mentioned herein as the protector of the righteous. Anyone
who is a surrendered soul unto the $upreme is righteous,
and he is specifically protected by the Eord in all
circumstances. The Eord is the indirect protector of the
unrighteous also, for He rectifies their sins through His
e:ternal potency. The Eord is mentioned herein as one who
is dressed in the ten directions. This means dressed with
garments on ten sides, up and down. He is present
everywhere and can appear and disappear at His will from
everywhere and anywhere. His disappearance from the sight
of the child 1ar=k@it does not mean that He appeared on the
spot from any other place. He was present there, and even
after His disappearance He was there, although invisible to
the eyes of the child. This material covering of the effulgent
firmament is also something like a womb of the mother
nature, and we are all put into the womb by the Eord, the
father of all living beings. He is present everywhere, even in
this material womb of mother 7urg", and those who are
deserving can see the Eord.
T!T "N
TaTa0 Sa'-&auQaaedke-6 Saa#auk86lR&a3haed(ae 9
)a/e ';!a>ar0 PaaQoae%a8-(a0 PaaQouir'a)aSaa 99 "N 99
tata* sar(a%g!5odarke
s'n!k0la%grahodaye
)a),e (a-1a%dhara* "'5;or
bh0ya* "'5;!r i(a!)as'
S(#O#($S
tata*ZthereuponV sar(aZallV g!5aZgood signsV !darkeZ
having gradually evolvedV sa%an!k0laZall favorableV
grahodayeZconstellation of stellar influenceV )a),eZtook birthV
(a-1a%dhara*Zheir apparentV "'5;o*Zof 1"AQuV bh0ya*Z
beingV "'5;!* i(aZe:actly like 1"AQuV o)as'Zby prowess.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereupon, Jhen all the good signs of the =odiac gradually
e'ol'ed, the heir apparent of PLFhu, Jho Jould be eMactly like hi@
in proJess, took birthH
P8-PO-T
Astronomical calculations of stellar influences upon a living
being are not suppositions, but are factual, as confirmed in
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam. ;very living being is controlled by the
laws of nature at every minute, 2ust as a citi)en is controlled
by the influence of the state. The state laws are grossly
observed, but the laws of material nature, being subtle to
our gross understanding, cannot be e:perienced grossly. As
stated in the Bhagavad-gt 3\.-6, every action of life
produces another reaction, which is binding upon us, and
only those who are acting on behalf of Xa2â 3!i@Au6 are not
bound by reactions. 9ur actions are 2udged by the higher
authorities, the agents of the Eord, and thus we are awarded
bodies according to our activities. The law of nature is so
subtle that every part of our body is influenced by the
respective stars, and a living being obtains his working body
to fulfill his terms of imprisonment by the manipulation of
such astronomical influence. A manJs destiny is therefore
ascertained by the birthtime constellation of stars, and a
factual horoscope is made by a learned astrologer. t is a
great science, and misuse of a science does not make it
useless. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it or even the 1ersonality of
8odhead appear in certain constellations of good stars, and
thus the influence is e:erted upon the body thus born at an
auspicious moment. The most auspicious constellation of
stars takes place during the appearance of the Eord in this
material world, and it is specifically called )ayant$, a word not
to be abused for any other purposes. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was
not only a great k.atriya emperor, but also a great devotee
of the Eord. Thus he cannot take his birth at any inauspicious
moment. As a proper place and time is selected to receive a
respectable personage, so also to receive such a personality
as Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, who was especially cared for by the
$upreme Eord, a suitable moment is chosen when all good
stars assembled together to e:ert their influence upon the
>ing. Thus he took his birth 2ust to be known as the great
hero of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. This suitable arrangement of
astral influences is never a creation of manJs will, but is the
arrangement of the superior management of the agency of
the $upreme Eord. 9f course, the arrangement is made
according to the good or bad deeds of the living being.
Herein lies the importance of pious acts performed by the
living being. 9nly by pious acts can one be allowed to get
good wealth, good education and beautiful features. The
sa-sk'ras of the school of san'tana%dharma 3manJs eternal
engagement6 are highly suitable for creating an atmosphere
for taking advantage of good stellar influences, and
therefore garbh'dh'na%sa-sk'ra, or the first seedling
purificatory process prescribed for the higher castes, is the
beginning of all pious acts to receive a good pious and
intelligent class of men in human society. There will be
peace and prosperity in the world due to good and sane
population onlyV there is hell and disturbance only because
of the unwanted, insane populace addicted to se:
indulgence.
T!T "X
TaS(a PaO?Ta$a#aa ra)aa i'PaO>aa{$(ak:6Paaidi%a0 9
)aaTak;6 k6ar(aa$aaSa 'aci(aT'a c $allR$a2 99 "X 99
tasya "r$ta%man' r')'
(i"rair dha!mya%k4"'dibhi*
)'taka- k'ray'm 'sa
('cayit(' ca ma3galam
S(#O#($S
tasyaZhisV "r$ta%man'*ZsatisfiedV r')'Z>ing Xudhi@ThiraV
(i"rai*Zby the learned br'hma5asC dha!myaZ7haumyaV k4"a
Z>?paV 'dibhi*Zand others alsoV )'takamZone of the
purificatory processes performed 2ust after the birth of a
childV k'ray'm 'saZhad them performedV ('cayit('Zby
recitationV caZalsoV ma3galamZauspicious.
T-A#SLATIO#
Cing (udhiEhira, Jho Jas 'ery satisfied Jith the birth of
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, had the purificatory process of birth perfor@edH
Learned brLh@aFas, headed by >hau@ya and CDpa, recited
auspicious hy@nsH
P8-PO-T
There is a need for a good and intelligent class of br'hma5as
who are e:pert in performing the purificatory processes
prescribed in the system of (ar5'1rama%dharma. Rnless such
purificatory processes are performed, there is no possibility
of good population, and in the age of >ali the population all
over the world is of 10dra (uality or lower for want of this
purificatory process. t is not possible, however, to revive the
!edic process of purification in this age, for want of proper
facilities and good br'hma5as, but there is the ',car'trika
system also recommended for this age. The ',car'trika
system acts on the 10dra class of men, supposedly the
population of the >ali'yuga, and it is the prescribed
purificatory process suitable to the age and time. $uch a
purificatory process is allowed only for spiritual upliftment
and not for any other purpose. $piritual upliftment is never
conditioned by higher or lower parentage.
After the garbh'dh'na purificatory process, there are certain
other sa-sk'ras like s$mantonnayana, sadhabhak.a5am, etc.,
during the period of pregnancy, and when the child is born
the first purificatory process is )'takarman. This was
performed duly by Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira with the help of
good and learned br'hma5as like 7haumya, the royal priest,
and >?p"c"rya, who was not only a priest but also a great
general. %oth these learned and perfect priests, assisted by
other good br'hma5as, were employed by Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira to perform the ceremony. Therefore all the
sa-sk'ras, purificatory processes, are not mere formalities or
social functions only, but they are all for practical purposes
and can be successfully performed by e:pert br'hma5as like
7haumya and >?pa. $uch br'hma5as are not only rare, but
also not available in this age, and therefore, for the purpose
of spiritual upliftment in this fallen age, the 8osv"m=s prefer
the purificatory processes under ',car'trika formulas to the
!edic rites.
>?p"c"rya is the son of the great _@i $ardban and was born
in the family of 8autama. The birth is said to be accidental.
%y chance, the great _@i $ardban met Oanapad=, a famous
society girl of heaven, and the _@i $ardban discharged
semina in two parts. %y one part immediately a male child
and by the other part a female child were born as twins. The
male child was later on known as >?pa, and the female child
was known as >?p=. Mah"r"2a <antanu, while engaged in
chase in the 2ungle, picked up the children and brought them
up to the brahminical status by the proper purificatory
process. >?p"c"rya later became a great general like
7roA"c"rya, and his sister was married to 7roA"c"rya.
>?p"c"rya later on took part in the %attle of >uruk@etra and
2oined the party of 7uryodhana. >?p"c"rya helped kill
Abhimanyu, the father of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, but he was still
held in esteem by the family of the 1"AQavas due to his
being as great a br'hma5a as 7roA"c"rya. When the
1"AQavas were sent to the forest after being defeated in the
gambling game with 7uryodhana, 7h?tar"@Tra entrusted the
1"AQavas to >?p"c"rya for guidance. After the end of the
battle, >?p"c"rya again became a member of the royal
assembly, and he was called during the birth of Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it for recitation of auspicious !edic hymns to make
the ceremony successful. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, while
(uitting the palace for his great departure to the Himalayas,
entrusted >?p"c"rya with Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it as his disciple,
and he left home satisfied because of >?p"c"ryaJs taking
charge of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. The great administrators, kings
and emperors were always under the guidance of learned
br'hma5as like >?p"c"rya and thus were able to act properly
in the discharge of political responsibilities.
T!T "Z
ihrQ(a; &aa; $ah?; &a3a$aa#a2 hST(aTak:PaiTa'-ra#a2 9
PaOadaTS'k; c i'PaOe%(a0 PaO)aaTa?Qae- Sa Ta?Qa-i'Ta2 99 "Z 99
hira5ya- g'- mah$- gr'm'n
hasty%a1('n n4"atir (ar'n
"r'd't s(anna- ca (i"rebhya*
"ra)'%t$rthe sa t$rtha(it
S(#O#($S
hira5yamZgoldV g'mZcowsV mah$mZlandV gr'm'nZvillagesV
hastiZelephantsV a1('nZhorsesV n4"ati*Zthe >ingV (ar'nZ
rewardsV "r'd'tZgave in charityV s!%annamZgood food
grainsV caZandV (i"rebhya*Zunto the br'hma5asC "ra)'%t$rthe
Zon the occasion of giving in charity on the birthday of a
sonV sa*ZheV t$rtha%(itZone who knows how, when and
where charity is to be given.
T-A#SLATIO#
8pon the birth of a son, the Cing, Jho kneJ hoJ, Jhere and Jhen
charity should be gi'en, ga'e gold, land, 'illages, elephants,
horses and good food grains to the brLh@aFasH
P8-PO-T
9nly the br'hma5as and sanny's$s are authori)ed to accept
charity from the householders. n all the different occasions
of sa-sk'ras, especially during the time of birth, marriage and
death, wealth is distributed to the br'hma5as because the
br'hma5as give the highest (uality of service in regard to the
prime necessity of humankind. The charity was substantial in
the shape of gold, land, villages, horses, elephants and food
grains, with other materials for cooking complete foodstuff.
The br'hma5as were not, therefore, poor in the actual sense
of the term. 9n the contrary, because they possessed gold,
land, villages, horses, elephants and sufficient grains, they
had nothing to earn for themselves. They would simply
devote themselves to the well'being of the entire society.
The word t$rtha(it is significant because the >ing knew well
where and when charity has to be given. *harity is never
unproductive or blind. n the 1'stras charity was offered to
persons who deserve to accept charity by dint of spiritual
enlightenment. The so'called daridra%n'r'ya5a, a
misconception of the $upreme Eord by unauthori)ed
persons, is never to be found in the 1'stras as the ob2ect of
charity. Kor can a wretched poor man receive much
munificent charity in the way of horses, elephants, land and
villages. The conclusion is that the intelligent men, or the
br'hma5as specifically engaged in the service of the Eord,
were properly maintained without an:iety for the needs of
the body, and the >ing and other householders gladly looked
after all their comforts.
t is en2oined in the 1'stras that as long as a child is 2oined
with the mother by the navel pipe, the child is considered to
be of one body with the mother, but as soon as the pipe is
cut and the child is separated from the mother, the
purificatory process of )'takarman is performed. The
administrative demigods and past forefathers of the family
come to see a newly born child, and such an occasion is
specifically accepted as the proper time for distributing
wealth to the right persons productively for the spiritual
advancement of society.
T!T "[
Ta$a8cub3a-4QaaSTauna ra)aa#a; PaOBO(aai#'Ta$a2 9
V= 7iS$a#a2 PaO)aaTa#Taa Pau~Qaa; Paar'=-%a 99 "[ 99
tam 0c!r br'hma5's t!.<'
r')'na- "ra1ray'n(itam
e.a hy asmin "ra)'%tanta!
"!r05'- "a!ra(ar.abha
S(#O#($S
tamZunto himV 0c!*ZaddressedV br'hma5'*Zthe learned
br'hma5asC t!.<'*Zvery much satisfiedV r')'namZunto the
>ingV "ra1raya%an(itamZvery much obligingV e.a*ZthisV hiZ
certainlyV asminZin the chain ofV "ra)'%tanta!Zdescending
lineV "!r05'mZof the 1LrusV "a!ra(a%4.abhaZthe chief
among the 1Lrus.
T-A#SLATIO#
The learned brLh@aFas, Jho Jere 'ery satisfied Jith the charities
of the Cing, addressed hi@ as the chief a@ongst the Pdrus and
infor@ed hi@ that his son Jas certainly in the line of descent fro@
the PdrusH
T!T "\
d'e#aaPaOiTagaaTae#a Bue6 Sa;SQaa$auPae(aui= 9
raTaae 'ae+#au&a3haQaa-(a i'.Qau#aa PaO%ai'.Qau#aa 99 "\ 99
dai(en'"ratigh'tena
1!kle sa-sth'm !"ey!.i
r'to (o 2n!grah'rth'ya
(i.5!n' "rabha(i.5!n'
S(#O#($S
dai(enaZby supernatural powerV a"ratigh'tenaZby what is
irresistibleV 1!kleZunto the pureV sa-sth'mZdestructionV
!"ey!.iZhaving been enforcedV r'ta*ZrestoredV (a*Zfor
youV an!graha%arth'yaZfor the sake of obligingV (i.5!n'Zby
the all'pervasive EordV "rabha(i.5!n'Zby the all'powerful.
T-A#SLATIO#
The brLh@aFas saide This spotless son has been restored by the all6
poJerful and all6per'asi'e Lord GiEFu, the Personality of &odhead,
in order to oblige youH Ie Jas sa'ed Jhen he Jas doo@ed to be
destroyed by an irresistible supernatural JeaponH
P8-PO-T
The child 1ar=k@it was saved by the all'powerful and all'
pervasive !i@Au 3Eord >?@Aa6 for two reasons. The first
reason is that the child in the womb of his mother was
spotless due to his being a pure devotee of the Eord. The
second reason is that the child was the only surviving male
descendant of 1uru, the pious forefather of the virtuous >ing
Xudhi@Thira. The Eord wants to continue the line of pious
kings to rule over the earth as His representatives for the
actual progress of a peaceful and prosperous life. After the
%attle of >uruk@etra, even up to the ne:t generation of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was annihilated, and there were none
who could generate another son in the great royal family.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, the son of Abhimanyu, was the only
surviving heir apparent in the family, and by the irresistible
supernatural brahm'stra weapon of APvatth"m", he was
forced to be annihilated. Eord >?@Aa is described herein as
!i@Au, and this is also significant. Eord >?@Aa, the original
1ersonality of 8odhead, does the work of protection and
annihilation in His capacity of !i@Au. Eord !i@Au is the
plenary e:pansion of Eord >?@Aa. The all'pervasive activities
of the Eord are e:ecuted by Him in His !i@Au feature. *hild
1ar=k@it is described here as spotlessly white because he is
an unalloyed devotee of the Eord. $uch unalloyed devotees
of the Eord appear on the earth 2ust to e:ecute the mission
of the Eord. The Eord desires the conditioned souls hovering
in the material creation to be reclaimed to go back home,
back to 8odhead, and thus He helps them by preparing the
transcendental literatures like the /edas, by sending
missionaries of saints and sages and by deputing His
representative, the spiritual master. $uch transcendental
literatures, missionaries and representatives of the Eord are
spotlessly white because the contamination of the material
(ualities cannot even touch them. They are always protected
by the Eord when they are threatened with annihilation. $uch
foolish threats are made by the gross materialists. The
brahm'stra, which was thrown by APvatth"m" at the child
1ar=k@it, was certainly supernaturally powerful, and nothing
of the material world could resist its force of penetration. %ut
the all'powerful Eord, who is present everywhere, within and
without, could counteract it by His all'powerful potency 2ust
to save a bona fide servant of the Eord and descendant of
another devotee, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, who was always
obliged by the Eord by His causeless mercy.
T!T "]
TaS$aaka$ana i'.QauraTa JiTa lRaeke6 %ai'.(aiTa 9
#a Sa#dehae $aha%aa&a $aha%aa&a'Taae $aha#a2 99 "] 99
tasm'n n'mn' (i.5!%r'ta
iti loke bha(i.yati
na sandeho mah'%bh'ga
mah'%bh'ga(ato mah'n
S(#O#($S
tasm'tZthereforeV n'mn'Zby the nameV (i.5!%r'ta*Z
protected by !i@Au, the 1ersonality of 8odheadV itiZthusV
lokeZin all the planetsV bha(i.yatiZshall become well knownV
naZnoV sandeha*ZdoubtsV mah'%bh'gaZmost fortunateV
mah'%bh'ga(ata*Zthe first'class devotee of the EordV mah'n
Z(ualified by all good (ualities.
T-A#SLATIO#
For this reason this child Jill be Jell knoJn in the Jorld as one
Jho is protected by the Personality of &odheadH O @ost fortunate
one, there is no doubt that this child Jill beco@e a first6class
de'otee and Jill be ?ualified Jith all good ?ualitiesH
P8-PO-T
The Eord gives protection to all living beings because He is
their supreme leader. The !edic hymns confirm that the Eord
is the $upreme 1erson amongst all personalities. The
difference between the two living beings is that the one, the
1ersonality of 8odhead, provides for all other living beings,
and by knowing Him one can achieve eternal peace 3Aa<ha
7"ani.ad6. $uch protection is given by His different
potencies to different grades of living beings. %ut as far as
His unalloyed devotees are concerned, He gives the
protection personally. Therefore, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is
protected from the very beginning of his appearance in the
womb of his mother. And because he is especially given
protection by the Eord, the indication must be concluded
that the child would be a first'grade devotee of the Eord with
all good (ualities. There are three grades of devotees,
namely the mah'%bh'ga(ata, madhyam%adhik'r$ and the
kani.<ha%adhik'r$. Those who go to the temples of the Eord
and offer worshipful respect to the 7eity without sufficient
knowledge in the theological science and therefore without
any respect for the devotees of the Eord are called
materialistic devotees, or kani.<ha%adhik'r$, the third'grade
devotees. $econdly, the devotees who have developed a
mentality of genuine service to the Eord and who thus make
friendships only with similar devotees, show favor to the
neophytes and avoid the atheists are called the second'
grade devotees. %ut those who see everything in the Eord or
everything of the Eord and also see in everything an eternal
relation of the Eord, so that there is nothing within their
purview of sight e:cept the Eord, are called the mah'%
bh'ga(atas, or the first'grade devotees of the Eord. $uch first'
grade devotees of the Eord are perfect in all respects. A
devotee who may be in any of these categories is
automatically (ualified by all good (ualities, and thus a
mah'%bh'ga(ata devotee like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is certainly
perfect in all respects. And because Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it took
his birth in the family of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, he is
addressed herein as the mah'%bh'ga(ata, or the greatest of
the fortunates. The family in which a mah'%bh'ga(ata takes
his birth is fortunate because due to the birth of a first'grade
devotee the members of the family, past, present and future
up to one hundred generations, become liberated by the
grace of the Eord, out of respect for His beloved devotee.
Therefore, the highest benefit is done to oneJs family simply
by becoming an unalloyed devotee of the Eord.
T!T "^
BO?ra)aae'ac
AP(ae= ';!(aa#a2 ra)a=s#a2 PauQ(aFaek6a#a2 $ahaT$a#a0 9
A#au'iTa-Taa iS'*!aSaa Saa>au'ade#a Sata$aa0 99 "^ 99
1r$%r')o('ca
a"y e.a (a-1y'n r')ar.$n
"!5ya%1lok'n mah'tmana*
an!(artit' s(id ya1as'
s'dh!%('dena sattam'*
S(#O#($S
1r$%r')'Zthe all'good king 3Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira6V !('caZ
saidV a"iZwhetherV e.a*ZthisV (a-1y'nZfamilyV r')a%4.$nZof
saintly kingsV "!5ya%1lok'nZpious by the very nameV mah'%
'tmana*Zall great soulsV an!(artit'ZfollowerV s(itZwill it beV
ya1as'Zby achievementsV s'dh!%('denaZby glorificationV sat%
tam'*Z9 great souls.
T-A#SLATIO#
The good Cing O(udhiEhira3 in?uirede O great souls, Jill he
beco@e as saintly a king, as pious in his 'ery na@e and as fa@ous
and glorified in his achie'e@ents, as others Jho appeared in this
great royal fa@ilyW
P8-PO-T
The forefathers of >ing Xudhi@Thira were all great saintly
kings, pious and glorified by their great achievements. They
were all saints on the royal throne. And therefore all the
members of the state were happy, pious, well behaved,
prosperous and spiritually enlightened. Rnder strict guidance
of the great souls and spiritual in2unctions, such great saintly
kings were trained up, and as a result the kingdom was full
of saintly persons and was a happy land of spiritual life.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was himself a replica of his ancestors,
and he desired that the ne:t king after him become e:actly
like his great forefathers. He was happy to learn from the
learned br'hma5as that by astrological calculations the child
would be born a first'grade devotee of the Eord, and more
confidentially he wanted to know whether the child was
going to follow in the footsteps of his great forefathers. That
is the way of the monarchical state. The reigning king should
be a pious, chivalrous devotee of the Eord and fear
personified for the upstarts. He must also leave an heir
apparent e(ually (ualified to rule over the innocent citi)ens.
n the modern setup of the democratic states, the people
themselves are fallen to the (ualities of the 10dras or less,
and the government is run by their representative, who is
ignorant of the scriptural mode of administrative education.
Thus the whole atmosphere is surcharged with 10dra
(ualities, manifested by lust and avarice. $uch
administrators (uarrel every day among themselves. The
cabinet of ministers changes often due to party and group
selfishness. ;veryone wants to e:ploit the state resources till
he dies. Ko one retires from political life unless forced to do
so. How can such low'grade men do good to the people? The
result is corruption, intrigue and hypocrisy. They should
learn from the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam how ideal the
administrators must be before they can be given charge of
different posts.
T!T "_
BO?b3a4Qaa Ocu0
PaaQa- PaO)aai'Taa SaaUaaidU'aku6ir' $aa#a'0 9
b34Q(a0 SaT(aSa#>a, ra$aae da!ariQa(a-Qaa 99 "_ 99
br'hma5' 0c!*
"'rtha "ra)'(it' s'k.'d
ik.('k!r i(a m'na(a*
brahma5ya* satya%sandha1 ca
r'mo d'1arathir yath'
S(#O#($S
br'hma5'*Zthe good br'hma5asC 0c!*ZsaidV "'rthaZ9 son of
1?th" 3>unt=6V "ra)'Zthose who are bornV a(it'ZmaintainerV
s'k.'tZdirectlyV ik.('k!* i(aZe:actly like >ing k@v"kuV
m'na(a*Zson of ManuV brahma5ya*Zfollowers and respectful
to the br'hma5asC satya%sandha*Ztruthful by promiseV caZ
alsoV r'ma*Zthe 1ersonality of 8odhead 0"maV d'1arathi*Z
the son of Mah"r"2a 7aParathaV yath'Zlike Him.
T-A#SLATIO#
The learned brLh@aFas saide O son of PDthL, this child shall be
eMactly like Cing IkE'Lku, son of $anu, in @aintaining all those
Jho are bornH And as for folloJing the brah@inical principles,
especially in being true to his pro@ise, he shall be eMactly like
-L@a, the Personality of &odhead, the son of $ahLrL/a >awarathaH
P8-PO-T
ra)' means the living being who has taken his birth in the
material world. Actually the living being has no birth and no
death, but because of his separation from the service of the
Eord and due to his desire to lord it over material nature, he
is offered a suitable body to satisfy his material desires. n
doing so, one becomes conditioned by the laws of material
nature, and the material body is changed in terms of his own
work. The living entity thus transmigrates from one body to
another in .,MNN,NNN species of life. %ut due to his being the
part and parcel of the Eord, he not only is maintained with all
necessaries of life by the Eord, but also is protected by the
Eord and His representatives, the saintly kings. These saintly
kings give protection to all the "ra)'s, or living beings, to live
and to fulfill their terms of imprisonment. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
was actually an ideal saintly king because while touring his
kingdom he happened to see that a poor cow was about to
be killed by the personified >ali, whom he at once took to
task as a murderer. This means that even the animals were
given protection by the saintly administrators, not from any
sentimental point of view, but because those who have
taken their birth in the material world have the right to live.
All the saintly kings, beginning from the >ing of the sun
globe down to the >ing of the earth, are so inclined by the
influence of the !edic literatures. The !edic literatures are
taught in higher planets also, as there is reference in the
Bhagavad-gt 3M.,6 about the teachings to the sun'god
3!ivasv"n6 by the Eord, and such lessons are transferred by
disciplic succession, as it was done by the sun'god to his son
Manu, and from Manu to Mah"r"2a k@v"ku. There are
fourteen Manus in one day of %rahm", and the Manu
referred to herein is the seventh Manu, who is one of the
"ra)'"atis 3those who create progeny6, and he is the son of
the sun'god. He is known as the !aivasvata Manu. He had
ten sons, and Mah"r"2a k@v"ku is one of them. Mah"r"2a
k@v"ku also learned bhakti%yoga as taught in the &haga(ad%
g$t' from his father, Manu, who got it from his father, the
sun'god. Eater on the teaching of the &haga(ad%g$t' came
down by disciplic succession from Mah"r"2a k@v"ku, but in
course of time the chain was broken by unscrupulous
persons, and therefore it again had to be taught to Ar2una on
the %attlefield of >uruk@etra. $o all the !edic literatures are
current from the very beginning of creation of the material
world, and thus the !edic literatures are known as
a"a!r!.eya 3not made by man6. The !edic knowledge was
spoken by the Eord and first heard by %rahm", the first
created living being within the universe.
8ah'r')a Ik.('k!I 9ne of the sons of !aivasvata Manu. He
had one hundred sons. He prohibited meat eating. His son
<aP"da became the ne:t king after his death.
8an!I The Manu mentioned in this verse as the father of
k@v"ku is the seventh Manu, of the name !aivasvata Manu,
the son of sun'god !ivasv"n, to whom Eord >?@Aa instructed
the teachings of &haga(ad%g$t' prior to His teaching them to
Ar2una. Mankind is the descendant of Manu. This !aivasvata
Manu had ten sons, named k@v"ku, Kabhaga, 7h?@Ta,
<ary"ti, Kari@yanta, K"bh"ga, 7i@Ta, >arL@a, 1?@adhra and
!asum"n. The EordJs incarnation Matsya 3the gigantic fish6
was advented during the beginning of !aivasvata ManuJs
reign. He learned the principles of &haga(ad%g$t' from his
father, !ivasv"n, the sun'god, and he reinstructed the same
to his son Mah"r"2a k@v"ku. n the beginning of the Tret"'
yuga the sun'god instructed devotional service to Manu, and
Manu in his turn instructed it to k@v"ku for the welfare of
the whole human society.
:ord R'maI The $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead incarnated
Himself as <r= 0"ma, accepting the sonhood of His pure
devotee Mah"r"2a 7aParatha, the >ing of Ayodhy". Eord
0"ma descended along with His plenary portions, and all of
them appeared as His younger brothers. n the month of
*aitra on the ninth day of the growing moon in the Tret"'
yuga, the Eord appeared, as usual, to establish the principles
of religion and to annihilate the disturbing elements. When
He was 2ust a young boy, He helped the great sage
!iPv"mitra by killing $ubahu and striking M"r=ca, the she'
demon, who was disturbing the sages in their daily discharge
of duties. The br'hma5as and k.atriyas are meant to
cooperate for the welfare of the mass of people. The
br'hma5a sages endeavor to enlighten the people by perfect
knowledge, and the k.atriyas are meant for their protection.
Eord 0"macandra is the ideal king for maintaining and
protecting the highest culture of humanity, known as
brahma5ya%dharma. The Eord is specifically the protector of
the cows and the br'hma5as, and hence He enhances the
prosperity of the world. He rewarded the administrative
demigods by effective weapons to con(uer the demons
through the agency of !iPv"mitra. He was present in the bow
sacrifice of >ing Oanaka, and by breaking the invincible bow
of <iva, He married $=t"dev=, daughter of Mah"r"2a Oanaka.
After His marriage He accepted e:ile in the forest for
fourteen years by the order of His father, Mah"r"2a
7aParatha. To help the administration of the demigods, He
killed fourteen thousand demons, and by the intrigues of the
demons, His wife, $=t"dev=, was kidnapped by 0"vaAa. He
made friendship with $ugr=va, who was helped by the Eord
to kill !ali, brother of $ugr=va. %y the help of Eord 0"ma,
$ugr=va became the king of the !"Aaras 3a race of gorillas6.
The Eord built a floating bridge of stones on the ndian 9cean
and reached EaIk", the kingdom of 0"vaAa, who had
kidnapped $=t". Eater on 0"vaAa was killed by Him, and
0"vaAaJs brother !ibh=@aAa was installed on the throne of
EaIk". !ibh=@aAa was one of the brothers of 0"vaAa, a
demon, but Eord 0"ma made him immortal by His blessings.
9n the e:piry of fourteen years, after settling the affairs at
EaIk", the Eord came back to His kingdom, Ayodhy", by
flower plane. He instructed His brother <atrughna to attack
EavA"sura, who reigned at Mathur", and the demon was
killed. He performed ten APvamedha sacrifices, and later on
He disappeared while taking a bath in the <arayu 0iver. The
great epic R'm'ya5a is the history of Eord 0"maJs activities
in the world, and the authoritative R'm'ya5a was written by
the great poet !"lm=ki.
T!T N`
V= daTaa !arQ(a, (aQaa 7a!a?#ar0 i!aib0 9
(a!aae i'Tai#aTaa S'a#aa; da.(ai#Tair' (a)'#aa$a2 99 N` 99
e.a d't' 1ara5ya1 ca
yath' hy a!1$nara* 1ibi*
ya1o (itanit' s('n'-
da!.yantir i(a ya)(an'm
S(#O#($S
e.a*Zthis childV d't'Zdonor in charityV 1ara5ya*Zprotector
of the surrenderedV caZandV yath'ZasV hiZcertainlyV
a!1$nara*Zthe country named RP=naraV 1ibi*Z<ibiV ya1a*Z
fameV (itanit'ZdisseminatorV s('n'mZof the kinsmenV
da!.yanti* i(aZlike %harata, the son of 7u@yantaV ya)(an'm
Zof those who have performed many sacrifices.
T-A#SLATIO#
This child Jill be a @unificent donor of charity and protector of the
surrendered, like the fa@ous Cing Aibi of the 8wBnara countryH And
he Jill eMpand the na@e and fa@e of his fa@ily like Kharata, the
son of $ahLrL/a >uEyantaH
P8-PO-T
A king becomes famous by his acts of charity, performances
of ya),as, protection of the surrendered, etc. A k.atriya king is
proud to give protection to the surrendered souls. This
attitude of a king is called $1(ara%bha(a, or factual power to
give protection in a righteous cause. n the &haga(ad%g$t' the
Eord instructs living beings to surrender unto Him, and He
promises all protection. The Eord is all'powerful and true to
His word, and therefore He never fails to give protection to
His different devotees. The king, being the representative of
the Eord, must possess this attitude of giving protection to
the surrendered souls at all risk. Mah"r"2a <ibi, the >ing of
RP=nara, was an intimate friend of Mah"r"2a Xay"ti, who was
able to reach the heavenly planets along with Mah"r"2a <ibi.
Mah"r"2a <ibi was aware of the heavenly planet where he
was to be transferred after his death, and the description of
this heavenly planet is given in the 8ah'bh'rata 3di-parva
-5.5a-6. Mah"r"2a <ibi was so charitably disposed that he
wanted to give over his ac(uired position in the heavenly
kingdom to Xay"ti, but he did not accept it. Xay"ti went to
the heavenly planet along with great 4.is like A@Taka and
others. 9n in(uiry from the 4.is, Xay"ti gave an account of
<ibiJs pious acts when all of them were on the path to
heaven. He has become a member of the assembly of
Xamar"2a, who has become his worshipful deity. As
confirmed in the &haga(ad%g$t', the worshiper of the
demigods goes to the planets of the demigods 3y'nti de(a%
(rat' de('n #%g. V.W5&6V so Mah"r"2a <ibi has become an
associate of the great !ai@Aava authority Xamar"2a on that
particular planet. While he was on the earth he became very
famous as a protector of surrendered souls and a donor of
charities. The >ing of heaven once took the shape of a
pigeon'hunter bird 3eagle6, and Agni, the fire'god, took the
shape of a pigeon. The pigeon, while being chased by the
eagle, took shelter on the lap of Mah"r"2a <ibi, and the
hunter eagle wanted the pigeon back from the >ing. The
>ing wanted to give it some other meat to eat and re(uested
the bird not to kill the pigeon. The hunter bird refused to
accept the >ingJs offer, but it was settled later on that the
eagle would accept flesh from the body of the >ing of the
pigeonJs e(uivalent weight. The >ing began to cut flesh from
his body to weigh in the balance e(uivalent to the weight of
the pigeon, but the mystic pigeon always remained heavier.
The >ing then put himself on the balance to e(uate with the
pigeon, and the demigods were pleased with him. The >ing
of heaven and the fire'god disclosed their identity, and the
>ing was blessed by them. 7evar@i K"rada also glorified
Mah"r"2a <ibi for his great achievements, specifically in
charity and protection. Mah"r"2a <ibi sacrificed his own son
for the satisfaction of human beings in his kingdom. And
thus child 1ar=k@it was to become a second <ibi in charity
and protection.
Da!.yanti &harataI There are many %haratas in history, of
which %harata the brother of Eord 0"ma, %harata the son of
>ing _@abha, and %harata the son of Mah"r"2a 7u@yanta are
very famous. And all these %haratas are historically known to
the universe. This earth planet is known as %h"rata, or
%h"rata'var@a, due to >ing %harata the son of _@abha, but
according to some this land is known as %h"rata due to the
reign of the son of 7u@yanta. $o far as we are convinced,
this landJs name %h"rata'var@a was established from the
reign of %harata the son of >ing _@abha. %efore him the land
was known as l"vati'var@a, but 2ust after the coronation of
%harata, the son of _@abha, this land became famous as
%h"rata'var@a.
%ut despite all this, %harata, the son of Mah"r"2a 7u@yanta
was not less important. He is the son of the famous beauty
<akuntal". Mah"r"2a 7u@yanta fell in love with <akuntal" in
the forest, and %harata was conceived. After that, Mah"r"2a
forgot his wife <akuntal" by the curse of >aAva Muni, and
the child %harata was brought up in the forest by his mother.
;ven in his childhood he was so powerful that he challenged
the lions and elephants in the forest and would fight with
them as little children play with cats and dogs. %ecause of
the boyJs becoming so strong, more than the so'called
modern Tar)an, the 4.is in the forest called him
$arvadaman, or one who is able to control everyone. A full
description of Mah"r"2a %harata is given in the 8ah'bh'rata,
Jdi%"ar(a. The 1"AQavas, or the >urus, are sometimes
addressed as %h"rata due to being born in the dynasty of
the famous Mah"r"2a %harata, the son of >ing 7u@yanta.
T!T N"
>ai#'#aa$a&a3Qa?re= TauL(a,a)au-#a(aaej-(aae0 9
huTaa!a J' du>a-=-0 Sa$aud3 J' duSTar0 99 N" 99
dhan(in'm agra5$r e.a
t!lya1 c'r)!nayor d(ayo*
h!t'1a i(a d!rdhar.a*
sam!dra i(a d!stara*
S(#O#($S
dhan(in'mZof the great bowmenV agra5$*Zthe foremanV
e.a*Zthis childV t!lya*Ze(ually goodV caZandV ar)!nayo*Zof
the Ar2unasV d(ayo*Zof the twoV h!t'1a*ZfireV i(aZlikeV
d!rdhar.a*ZirresistibleV sam!dra*ZoceanV i(aZlikeV d!stara*
Zunsurpassable.
T-A#SLATIO#
A@ongst great boJ@en, this child Jill be as good as Ar/unaH Ie
Jill be as irresistible as fire and as unsurpassable as the oceanH
P8-PO-T
n history there are two Ar2unas. 9ne is >"rttav=rya Ar2una,
the >ing of Haihaya, and the other is the grandfather of the
child. %oth the Ar2unas are famous for their bowmanship,
and the child 1ar=k@it is foretold to be e(ual to both of them,
particularly in fighting. A short description of the 1"AQava
Ar2una is given belowC
'5;a(a Pr)!naI The great hero of the &haga(ad%g$t'. He is
the k.atriya son of Mah"r"2a 1"AQu. ùeen >unt=dev= could
call for any one of the demigods, and thus she called ndra,
and Ar2una was born by him. Ar2una is therefore a plenary
part of the heavenly >ing ndra. He was born in the month of
1halguna 3HebruaryaMarch6, and therefore he is also called
1halguni. When he appeared as the son of >unt=, his future
greatness was proclaimed by air messages, and all the
important personalities from different parts of the universe,
such as the demigods, the 8andharvas, the Wdityas 3from
the sun globe6, the 0udras, the !asus, the K"gas, the
different 4.is 3sages6 of importance, and the Apsar"s 3the
society girls of heaven6, all attended the ceremony. The
Apsar"s pleased everyone by their heavenly dances and
songs. !asudeva, the father of Eord >?@Aa and the maternal
uncle of Ar2una, sent his priest representative >aPyapa to
purify Ar2una by all the prescribed sa-sk'ras, or reformatory
processes. His sa-sk'ra of being given a name was
performed in the presence of the 4.is, residents of
<atas?Iga. He married four wives, 7raupad=, $ubhadr",
*itraIgada and RlLp=, from whom he got four sons of the
names <rutak=rti, Abhimanyu, %abhruv"hana and r"v"n
respectively.
7uring his student life he was entrusted to study under the
great professor 7roA"c"rya, along with other 1"AQavas and
the >urus. %ut he e:celled everyone by his studious
intensity, and 7roA"c"rya was especially attracted by his
disciplinary affection. 7roA"c"rya accepted him as a first'
grade scholar and loved heartily to bestow upon him all the
blessings of military science. He was so ardent a student
that he used to practice bowmanship even at night, and for
all these reasons 1rofessor 7roA"c"rya was determined to
make him the topmost bowman of the world. He passed very
brilliantly the e:amination in piercing the target, and
7roA"c"rya was very pleased. 0oyal families at MaAipur and
Tripura are descendants of Ar2unaJs son %abhruv"hana.
Ar2una saved 7roA"c"rya from the attack of a crocodile, and
the Wc"rya, being pleased with him, rewarded him with a
weapon of the name brahma1ira. Mah"r"2a 7rupada was
inimical toward 7roA"c"rya, and thus when he attacked the
Wc"rya, Ar2una got him arrested and brought him before
7roA"c"rya. He besieged a city of the name Ahichhatra,
belonging to Mah"r"2a 7rupada, and after taking it over he
gave it to 7roA"c"rya. The confidential treatment of the
weapon brahma1ira was e:plained to Ar2una, and 7roA"c"rya
was promised by Ar2una that he would use the weapon if
necessary when he 37roA"c"rya6 personally became an
enemy of Ar2una. %y this, the Wc"rya forecasted the future
battle of >uruk@etra, in which 7roA"c"rya was on the
opposite side. Mah"r"2a 7rupada, although defeated by
Ar2una on behalf of his professor 7roA"c"rya, decided to
hand over his daughter 7raupad= to his young combatant,
but he was disappointed when he heard the false news of
Ar2unaJs death in the fire of a shellac house intrigued by
7uryodhana. He therefore arranged for 7raupad=Js personal
selection of a groom who could pierce the eye of a fish
hanging on the ceiling. This trick was especially made
because only Ar2una could do it, and he was successful in his
desire to hand over his e(ually worthy daughter to Ar2una.
Ar2unaJs brothers were at that time living incognito under
agreement with 7uryodhana, and Ar2una and his brothers
attended the meeting of 7raupad=Js selection in the dress of
br'hma5as. When all the k.atriya kings assembled saw that a
poor br'hma5a had been garlanded by 7raupad= for her lord,
<r= >?@Aa disclosed his identity to %alar"ma.
He met RlLp= at Haridv"ra 3Hardwar6, and he was attracted
by a girl belonging to K"galoka, and thus rav"n was born.
$imilarly, he met *itraIgada, a daughter of the >ing of
MaAipura, and thus %abhruv"hana was born. Eord <r= >?@Aa
made a plan to help Ar2una to kidnap $ubhadr", sister of <r=
>?@Aa, because %aladeva was inclined to hand her over to
7uryodhana. Xudhi@Thira also agreed with <r= >?@Aa, and
thus $ubhadr" was taken by force by Ar2una and then
married to him. $ubhadr"Js son is Abhimanyu, the father of
1ar=k@it Mah"r"2a, the posthumous child. Ar2una satisfied
the fire'god by setting fire to the >h"AQava Horest, and thus
the fire'god gave him one weapon. ndra was angry when
the fire was set in the >h"AQava Horest, and thus ndra,
assisted by all other demigods, began fighting with Ar2una
for his great challenge. They were defeated by Ar2una, and
ndradeva returned to his heavenly kingdom. Ar2una also
promised all protection to one May"sura, and the latter
presented him one valuable conchshell celebrated as the
7evadatta. $imilarly, he received many other valuable
weapons from ndradeva when he was satisfied to see his
chivalry.
When Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was disappointed in defeating
the >ing of Magadha, Oar"sandha, it was Ar2una only who
gave >ing Xudhi@Thira all kinds of assurances, and thus
Ar2una, %h=ma and Eord >?@Aa started for Magadha to kill
Oar"sandha. When he went out to bring all other kings of the
world under the sub2ection of the 1"AQavas, as was usual
after the coronation of every emperor, he con(uered the
country named >elinda and brought in sub2ugation >ing
%hagdutt. Then he traveled through countries like Antagiri,
Rlukpur and Modapur and brought under sub2ugation all the
rulers.
$ometimes he underwent severe types of penances, and
later on he was rewarded by ndradeva. Eord <iva also
wanted to try the strength of Ar2una, and in the form of an
aborigine, Eord <iva met him. There was a great fight
between the two, and at last Eord <iva was satisfied with him
and disclosed his identity. Ar2una prayed to the lord in all
humbleness, and the lord, being pleased with him, presented
him the "a1!"ata weapon. He ac(uired many other important
weapons from different demigods. He received da5;'stra
from Xamar"2a, "a1'stra from !aruAa, and antardhana%astra
from >uvera, the treasurer of the heavenly kingdom. ndra
wanted him to come to the heavenly kingdom, the ndraloka
planet beyond the moon planet. n that planet he was
cordially received by the local residents, and he was
awarded reception in the heavenly parliament of ndradeva.
Then he met ndradeva, who not only presented him with his
(a)ra weapon, but also taught him the military and musical
science as used in the heavenly planet. n one sense, ndra is
the real father of Ar2una, and therefore indirectly he wanted
to entertain Ar2una with the famous society girl of heaven,
RrvaP=, the celebrated beauty. The society girls of heaven
are lusty, and RrvaP= was very eager to contact Ar2una, the
strongest human being. $he met him in his room and
e:pressed her desires but Ar2una sustained his
unimpeachable character by closing his eyes before RrvaP=,
addressing her as mother of the >uru dynasty and placing
her in the category of his mothers >unt=, M"dr= and
<ac=dev=, wife of ndradeva. 7isappointed, RrvaP= cursed
Ar2una and left. n the heavenly planet he also met the great
celebrated ascetic Eomasa and prayed to him for the
protection of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira.
When his inimical cousin 7uryodhana was under the clutches
of the 8andharvas, he wanted to save him and re(uested
the 8andharvas to release 7uryodhana, but the 8andharvas
refused, and thus he fought with them and got 7uryodhana
released. When all the 1"AQavas lived incognito, he
presented himself in the court of >ing !ir"Ta as a eunuch
and was employed as the musical teacher of Rttar", his
future daughter'in'law, and was known in the !ir"Ta court as
the %?hannala. As %?hannala, he fought on behalf of Rttara,
the son of >ing !ir"Ta, and thus defeated the >urus in the
fight incognito. His secret weapons were safely kept in the
custody of a somi tree, and he ordered Rttara to get them
back. His identity and his brothersJ identity were later on
disclosed to Rttara. 7roA"c"rya was informed of Ar2unaJs
presence in the fight of the >urus and the !ir"Tas. Eater, on
the %attlefield of >uruk@etra, Ar2una killed many great
generals like >arAa and others. After the %attle of
>uruk@etra, he punished APvatth"m", who had killed all the
five sons of 7raupad=. Then all the brothers went to
%h=@madeva.
t is due to Ar2una only that the great philosophical
discourses of the &haga(ad%g$t' were again spoken by the
Eord on the %attlefield of >uruk@etra. His wonderful acts on
the %attlefield of >uruk@etra are vividly described in the
8ah'bh'rata. Ar2una was defeated, however, by his son
%abhruv"hana at MaAipura and fell unconscious when RlLp=
saved him. After the disappearance of Eord >?@Aa, the
message was brought by Ar2una to Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira.
Again, Ar2una visited 7v"rak", and all the widow wives of
Eord >?@Aa lamented before him. He took them all in the
presence of !asudeva and pacified all of them. Eater on,
when !asudeva passed away, he performed his funeral
ceremony in the absence of >?@Aa. While Ar2una was taking
all the wives of >?@Aa to ndraprastha, he was attacked on
the way, and he could not protect the ladies in his custody.
At last, advised by !y"sadeva, all the brothers headed for
Mah"prasthan. 9n the way, at the re(uest of his brother, he
gave up all important weapons as useless, and he dropped
them all in the water.
T!T NN
$a:&ae#d3 J' i's6a#Taae i#a=eG(aae ih$a'ai#a' 9
iTaiTaUau'-Sau>ae'aSaa Saih.Qau0 iPaTarai'' 99 NN 99
m4gendra i(a (ikr'nto
ni.e(yo hima('n i(a
titik.!r (as!dhe('sa!
sahi.5!* "itar'( i(a
S(#O#($S
m4gendra*Zthe lionV i(aZlikeV (ikr'nta*ZpowerfulV ni.e(ya*
Zworthy of taking shelterV hima('nZthe Himalaya
MountainsV i(aZlikeV titik.!*ZforbearanceV (as!dh' i(aZlike
the earthV asa!Zthe childV sahi.5!*ZtolerantV "itara!Z
parentsV i(aZlike.
T-A#SLATIO#
This child Jill be as strong as a lion, and as Jorthy a shelter as the
Ii@alaya $ountainsH Ie Jill be forbearing like the earth, and as
tolerant as his parentsH
P8-PO-T
9ne is compared to the lion when one is very strong in
chasing an enemy. 9ne should be a lamb at home and a lion
in the chase. The lion never fails in the chase of an animalV
similarly, the head of the state should never fail in chasing
an enemy. The Himalaya Mountains are famous for all
richness. There are innumerable caves to live in, numberless
trees of good fruits to eat, good springs to drink water from
and profuse drugs and minerals to cure diseases. Any man
who is not materially prosperous can take shelter of these
great mountains, and he will be provided with everything
re(uired. %oth the materialist and the spiritualist can take
advantage of the great shelter of the Himalayas. 9n the
surface of the earth there are so many disturbances caused
by the inhabitants. n the modern age the people have
begun to detonate atomic weapons on the surface of the
earth, and still the earth is forbearing to the inhabitants, like
a mother who e:cuses a little child. 1arents are always
tolerant to children for all sorts of mischievous acts. An ideal
king may be possessed of all these good (ualities, and the
child 1ar=k@it is foretold to have all these (ualities in
perfection.
T!T NX
iPaTaa$ahSa$a0 Saa$(ae PaOSaade i&air!aaePa$a0 9
AaBO(a0 Sa'-%a8Taa#aa; (aQaa de'ae r$aaBO(a0 99 NX 99
"it'maha%sama* s'mye
"ras'de giri1o"ama*
'1raya* sar(a%bh0t'n'-
yath' de(o ram'1raya*
S(#O#($S
"it'mahaZthe grandfather, or %rahm"V sama*Ze(ually goodV
s'myeZin the matterV "ras'deZin charity or in munificenceV
giri1aZEord <ivaV !"ama*Zcomparison of e(uilibriumV
'1raya*ZresortV sar(aZallV bh0t'n'mZof the living beingsV
yath'ZasV de(a*Zthe $upreme EordV ram'%'1raya*Zthe
T-A#SLATIO#
This child Jill be like his grandfather (udhiEhira or Krah@L in
e?uani@ity of @indH Ie Jill be @unificent like the lord of the
CailLsa Iill, Ai'aH And he Jill be the resort of e'eryone, like the
Supre@e Personality of &odhead #LrLyaFa, Jho is e'en the shelter
of the goddess of fortuneH
P8-PO-T
Mental e(uanimity refers both to Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and
to %rahm", the grandfather of all living beings. According to
<r=dhara $v"m=, the grandfather referred to is %rahm", but
according to !iPvan"tha *akravart=, the grandfather is
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira himself. %ut in both cases the
comparison is e(ually good because both of them are
recogni)ed representatives of the $upreme Eord, and thus
both of them have to maintain mental e(uanimity, being
engaged in welfare work for the living being. Any responsible
e:ecutive agent at the top of administration has to tolerate
different types of onslaughts from the very persons for
whom he works. %rahm"2= was critici)ed even by the go"$s,
the highest perfectional devotees of the Eord. The go"$s were
dissatisfied with the work of %rahm"2= because Eord %rahm",
as creator of this particular universe, created eyelids which
obstructed their seeing Eord >?@Aa. They could not tolerate
a momentJs blinking of the eyes, for it kept them from
seeing their beloved Eord >?@Aa. $o what to speak of others,
who are naturally very critical of every action of a
responsible man? $imilarly, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira had to
cross over many difficult situations created by his enemies,
and he proved to be the most perfect maintainer of mental
e(uanimity in all critical circumstances. Therefore the
e:ample of both grandfathers for maintaining e(uanimity of
mind is (uite fitting.
Eord <iva is a celebrated demigod who awards gifts to
beggars. His name is therefore WPuto@a, or one who is
pleased very easily. He is also called the %hLtan"tha, or the
lord of the common folk, who are mainly attached to him
because of his munificent gifts, even without consideration
of the aftereffects. 0"vaAa was very attached to Eord <iva,
and by easily pleasing him, 0"vaAa became so powerful that
he wanted to challenge the authority of Eord 0"ma. 9f
course, 0"vaAa was never helped by Eord <iva when he
fought with 0"ma, the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead and
the Eord of Eord <iva. To !?k"sura, Eord <iva awarded a
benediction which was not only awkward, but also
disturbing. !?k"sura became empowered, by the grace of
Eord <iva, to vanish anyoneJs head simply by touching it.
Although this was awarded by Eord <iva, the cunning fellow
wanted to make an e:periment of the power by touching the
head of Eord <iva. Thus the lord had to take shelter of !i@Au
to save himself from trouble, and the Eord !i@Au, by His
illusory potency, asked !?k"sura to make an e:periment
with his own head. The fellow did it and was finished himself,
and so the world was saved from all sorts of trouble by such
a cunning beggar of the demigods. The e:cellent point is
that Eord <iva never denies anyone any sort of gift. He is
therefore the most generous, although sometimes some kind
of a mistake is made.
Ram' means the goddess of fortune. And her shelter is Eord
!i@Au. Eord !i@Au is the maintainer of all living beings. There
are innumerable living beings, not only on the surface of this
planet but also in all other hundreds of thousands of planets.
All of them are provided with all necessities of life for the
progressive march towards the end of self'reali)ation, but on
the path of sense gratification they are put into difficulty by
the agency of m'y', the illusory energy, and so travel the
path of a false plan of economic development. $uch
economic development is never successful because it is
illusory. These men are always after the mercy of the illusory
goddess of fortune, but they do not know that the goddess of
fortune can live only under the protection of !i@Au. Without
!i@Au, the goddess of fortune is an illusion. We should
therefore seek the protection of !i@Au instead of directly
seeking the protection of the goddess of fortune. 9nly !i@Au
and the devotees of !i@Au can give protection to all, and
because Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was himself protected by !i@Au,
it was (uite possible for him to give complete protection to
all who wanted to live under his rule.
T!T NZ
Sa'-Sad2&auQa$aahaT$(ae V= k:6.Qa$a#au'3Ta0 9
ri#Tade' J'aedarae (a(aaiTair' >aai$a-k60 99 NZ 99
sar(a%sad%g!5a%m'h'tmye
e.a k4.5am an!(rata*
rantide(a i(od'ro
yay'tir i(a dh'rmika*
S(#O#($S
sar(a%sat%g!5a%m'h'tmyeZglorified by all godly attributesV
e.a*Zthis childV k4.5amZlike Eord >?@AaV an!(rata*Za
follower in His footstepsV rantide(a*Z0antidevaV i(aZlikeV
!d'ra*Zin the matter of magnanimityV yay'ti*ZXay"tiV i(aZ
likeV dh'rmika*Zconcerning religion.
T-A#SLATIO#
This child Jill be al@ost as good as Lord ArB CDEFa by folloJing in
Iis footstepsH In @agnani@ity he Jill beco@e as great as Cing
-antide'aH And in religion he Jill be like $ahLrL/a (ayLtiH
P8-PO-T
The last instruction of Eord <r= >?@Aa in the &haga(ad%g$t' is
that one should give up everything and should follow in the
footsteps of the Eord alone. Eess intelligent persons do not
agree to this great instruction of the Eord, as ill luck would
have it, but one who is actually intelligent catches up this
sublime instruction and is immensely benefited. Hoolish
people do not know that association is the cause of ac(uiring
(ualities. Association with fire makes an ob2ect hot, even in
the material sense. Therefore, association with the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead makes one (ualified like the Eord. As
we have discussed previously, one can achieve seventy'
eight percent of the godly (ualities by the EordJs intimate
association. To follow the instructions of the Eord is to
associate with the Eord. The :ord is not a material ob)ect
whose "resence one has to feel for s!ch association. The Eord is
present everywhere and at all times. t is (uite possible to
have His association simply by following His instruction
because the Eord and His instruction and the Eord and His
name, fame, attributes and paraphernalia are all identical
with Him, being absolute knowledge. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
associated with the Eord even from the womb of his mother
up to the last day of his valuable life, and thus he ac(uired
all the essential good (ualities of the Eord in all perfection.
Rantide(aI An ancient king prior to the 8ah'bh'rata period,
referred to by K"rada Muni while instructing $a^2aya, as
mentioned in 8ah'bh'rata 3Droa-parva 546. He was a great
king, liberal for hospitality and distribution of foodstuff. ;ven
Eord <r= >?@Aa praised his acts of charity and hospitality. He
was blessed by the great !asi@Tha Muni for supplying him
cold water, and thus he achieved the heavenly planet. He
used to supply fruits, roots and leaves to the 4.is, and thus
he was blessed by them with fulfillment of his desires.
Pltho!gh a k.atriya by birth, he ne(er ate flesh in his life. He
was especially hospitable to !asi@Tha Muni, and by his
blessings only he attained the higher planetary residence.
He is one of those pious kings whose names are
remembered in the morning and evening.
Yay'tiI The great emperor of the world and the original
forefather of all great nations of the world who belong to the
Wryan and ndo';uropean stock. He is the son of Mah"r"2a
Kabu@a, and he became the emperor of the world due to his
elder brotherJs becoming a great and liberated saintly
mystic. He ruled over the world for several thousands of
years and performed many sacrifices and pious activities
recorded in history, although his early youth was very lustful
and full of romantic stories. He fell in love with 7evay"n=,
the most beloved daughter of <ukr"c"rya. 7evay"n= wished
to marry him, but at first he refused to accept her because of
her being a daughter of a br'hma5a. According to 1'stras, a
br'hma5a could marry the daughter of a k.atriya but a
k.atriya could not marry the daughter of a br'hma5a. They
were very much cautious about (ar5a%sa3kara population in
the world. <ukr"c"rya amended this law of forbidden
marriage and induced ;mperor Xay"ti to accept 7evay"n=.
7evay"n= had a girl friend named <armi@Th", who also fell
in love with the emperor and thus went with her friend
7evay"n=. <ukr"c"rya forbade ;mperor Xay"ti to call
<armi@Th" into his bedroom, but Xay"ti could not strictly
follow his instruction. He secretly married <armi@Th" also
and begot sons by her. When this was known by 7evay"n=,
she went to her father and lodged a complaint. Xay"ti was
much attached to 7evay"n=, and when he went to his
father'in'lawJs place to call her, <ukr"c"rya was angry with
him and cursed him to become impotent. Xay"ti begged his
father'in'law to withdraw his curse, but the sage asked
Xay"ti to ask youthfulness from his sons and let them
become old as the condition of his becoming potent. He had
five sons, two from 7evay"n= and three from <armi@Th".
Hrom his five sons, namely 3,6 Xadu, 3G6 Turvasu, 3\6 7ruhyu,
3M6 Anu and 3B6 1Lru, five famous dynasties, namely 3,6 the
Xadu dynasty, 3G6 the Xavana 3Turk6 dynasty, 3\6 the %ho2a
dynasty, 3M6 the Mleccha dynasty 38reek6 and 3B6 the
1aurava dynasty, all emanated to spread all over the world.
He reached the heavenly planets by dint of his pious acts,
but he fell down from there because of his self'
advertisement and critici)ing other great souls. After his fall,
his daughter and grandson bestowed upon him their
accumulated virtues, and by the help of his grandson and
friend <ibi, he was again promoted to the heavenly kingdom,
becoming one of the assembly members of Xamar"2a, with
whom he is staying as a devotee. He performed more than
one thousand different sacrifices, gave in charity very
liberally and was a very influential king. His ma2estic power
was felt all over the world. His youngest son agreed to award
him his youthfulness when he was troubled with lustful
desires, even for one thousand years. Hinally he became
detached from worldly life and returned the youthfulness
again to his son 1Lru. He wanted to hand over the kingdom
to 1Lru, but his noblemen and the sub2ects did not agree.
%ut when he e:plained to his sub2ects the greatness of 1Lru,
they agreed to accept 1Lru as the >ing, and thus ;mperor
Xay"ti retired from family life and left home for the forest.
T!T N[
>a:T(aa bilRSa$a0 k:6.Qae PaOhad J' Sad2&a3h0 9
AahTa{=ae+T$ae>aa#aa; ':pa#aa; Pa(au-PaaSak60 99 N[ 99
dh4ty' bali%sama* k4.5e
"rahr'da i(a sad%graha*
'hartai.o 21(amedh'n'-
(4ddh'n'- "ary!"'saka*
S(#O#($S
dh4ty'Zby patienceV bali%sama*Zlike %ali Mah"r"2aV k4.5eZ
unto Eord <r= >?@AaV "rahr'daZ1rahl"da Mah"r"2aV i(aZlikeV
sat%graha*Zdevotee ofV 'hart'ZperformerV e.a*Zthis childV
a1(amedh'n'mZof APvamedha sacrificesV (4ddh'n'mZof the
old and e:perienced menV "ary!"'saka*Zfollower.
T-A#SLATIO#
This child Jill be like Kali $ahLrL/a in patience, a staunch de'otee
of Lord CDEFa like PrahlLda $ahLrL/a, a perfor@er of @any
Aw'a@edha Ohorse3 sacrifices and a folloJer of the old and
eMperienced @enH
P8-PO-T
&ali 8ah'r')aI 9ne of the twelve authorities in the
devotional service of the Eord. %ali Mah"r"2a is a great
authority in devotional service because he sacrificed
everything to please the Eord and relin(uished the
connection of his so'called spiritual master who obstructed
him on the path of risking everything for the service of the
Eord. The highest perfection of religious life is to attain to the
stage of un(ualified devotional service of the Eord without
any cause or without being obstructed by any kind of worldly
obligation. %ali Mah"r"2a was determined to give up
everything for the satisfaction of the Eord, and he did not
care for any obstruction whatsoever. He is the grandson of
1rahl"da Mah"r"2a, another authority in the devotional
service of the Eord. %ali Mah"r"2a and the history of his
dealings with !i@Au !"manadeva are described in the ;ighth
*anto of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam 3*hapter ,,aGM6.
rahl'da 8ah'r')aI A perfect devotee of Eord >?@Aa 3!i@Au6.
His father, HiraAyakaPipu, chastised him severely when he
was only five years old for his becoming an unalloyed
devotee of the Eord. He was the first son of HiraAyakaPipu,
and his motherJs name was >ay"dhu. 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a was
an authority in the devotional service of the Eord because he
had his father killed by Eord K?si[hadeva, setting the
e:ample that even a father should be removed from the
path of devotional service if such a father happens to be an
obstacle. He had four sons, and the eldest son, !irocana, is
the father of %ali Mah"r"2a, mentioned above. The history of
1rahl"da Mah"r"2aJs activities is described in the $eventh
*anto of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
T!T N\
ra)a=sQaa; )a#ai(aTaa !aaSTaa caeTPaQa&aai$a#aa$a2 9
i#a&a3h?Taa k6leRre= %au'ae >a$a-S(a k6arQaaTa2 99 N\ 99
r')ar.$5'- )anayit'
1'st' cot"atha%g'min'm
nigrah$t' kaler e.a
bh!(o dharmasya k'ra5't
S(#O#($S
r')a%4.$5'mZof kings as good as sagesV )anayit'ZproducerV
1'st'ZchastiserV caZandV !t"atha%g'min'mZof the upstartsV
nigrah$t'ZmolesterV kale*Zof the (uarrelsomeV e.a*ZthisV
bh!(a*Zof the worldV dharmasyaZof religionV k'ra5'tZon
account of.
T-A#SLATIO#
This child Jill be the father of kings Jho Jill be like sagesH For
Jorld peace and for the sake of religion, he Jill be the chastiser of
the upstarts and the ?uarrelso@eH
P8-PO-T
The wisest man in the world is a devotee of the Eord. The
sages are called wise men, and there are different types of
wise men for different branches of knowledge. Rnless,
therefore, the king or the head of the state is the wisest
man, he cannot control all types of wise men in the state. n
the line of royal succession in the family of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, all the kings, without e:ception, were the
wisest men of their times, and so also it is foretold about
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it and his son Mah"r"2a Oaname2aya, who
was yet to be born. $uch wise kings can become chastisers
of upstarts and uprooters of >ali, or (uarrelsome elements.
As will be clear in the chapters ahead, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
wanted to kill the personified >ali, who was attempting to kill
a cow, the emblem of peace and religion. The symptoms of
>ali are 3,6 wine, 3G6 women, 3\6 gambling and 3M6
slaughterhouses. Wise rulers of all states should take lessons
from Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it in how to maintain peace and
morality by subduing the upstarts and (uarrelsome people
who indulge in wine, illicit connection with women, gambling
and meat'eating supplied by regularly maintained
slaughterhouses. n this age of >ali, regular license is issued
for maintaining all of these different departments of (uarrel.
$o how can they e:pect peace and morality in the state? The
state fathers, therefore, must follow the principles of
becoming wiser by devotion to the Eord, by chastising the
breaker of discipline and by uprooting the symptoms of
(uarrel, as mentioned above. f we want bla)ing fire, we
must use dry fuel. %la)ing fire and moist fuel go ill together.
1eace and morality can prosper only by the principles of
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it and his followers.
T!T N]
TaUak6adaT$a#aae $a:T(au; ij)aPau<aaePaSai)a-TaaTa2 9
PaOPaTS(aTa oPaBOuT(a $auv6Sal0 Pad; hre0 99 N] 99
tak.ak'd 'tmano m4ty!-
d(i)a%"!tro"asar)it't
"ra"atsyata !"a1r!tya
m!kta%sa3ga* "ada- hare*
S(#O#($S
tak.ak'tZby the snake'birdV 'tmana*Zof his personal selfV
m4ty!mZdeathV d(i)a%"!traZthe son of a br'hma5aC
!"asar)it'tZbeing sent byV "ra"atsyateZhaving taken shelter
ofV !"a1r!tyaZafter hearingV m!kta%sa3ga*Zfreed from all
attachmentV "adamZpositionV hare*Zof the Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
After hearing about his death, Jhich Jill be caused by the bite of a
snake6bird sent by a son of a brLh@aFa, he Jill get hi@self freed
fro@ all @aterial attach@ent and surrender unto the Personality of
&odhead, taking shelter of Ii@H
P8-PO-T
Material attachment and taking shelter of the lotus feet of
the Eord go ill together. Material attachment means
ignorance of transcendental happiness under the shelter of
the Eord. 7evotional service to the Eord, while e:isting in the
material world, is a way to practice oneJs transcendental
relation with the Eord, and when it is matured, one gets
completely free from all material attachment and becomes
competent to go back home, back to 8odhead. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, being especially attached to the Eord from the
beginning of his body in the womb of his mother, was
continuously under the shelter of the Eord, and the so'called
warning of his death within seven days from the date of the
curse by the br'hma5a2s son was a boon to him to enable him
to prepare himself to go back home, back to 8odhead. $ince
he was always protected by the Eord, he could have avoided
the effect of such a curse by the grace of the Eord, but he
did not take such undue advantage for nothing. 0ather, he
made the best use of a bad bargain. Hor seven days
continuously he heard #r$mad%&h'ga(atam from the right
source, and thus he got shelter at the lotus feet of the Eord
by that opportunity.
T!T N^
i)a/aiSaTaaT$a(aaQaaQ(aae- $au#aeG(aa-SaSauTaadSaa 9
ihT'ed; #a:Pa &ala(aa; (aaS(aT(apaku6Taae%a(a$a2 99 N^ 99
)i),'sit'tma%y'th'rthyo
m!ner (y'sa%s!t'd asa!
hit(eda- n4"a ga3g'y'-
y'syaty addh'k!tobhayam
S(#O#($S
)i),'sitaZhaving in(uired ofV 'tma%y'th'rthya*Zright
knowledge of oneJs own selfV m!ne*Zfrom the learned
philosopherV (y'sa%s!t'tZthe son of !y"saV asa!ZheV hit('Z
(uittingV idamZthis material attachmentV n4"aZ9 >ingV
ga3g'y'mZon the bank of the 8angesV y'syatiZwill goV addh'
ZdirectlyV ak!ta*%bhayamZthe life of fearlessness.
T-A#SLATIO#
After in?uiring about proper self6knoJledge fro@ the son of
GyLsade'a, Jho Jill be a great philosopher, he Jill renounce all
@aterial attach@ent and achie'e a life of fearlessnessH
P8-PO-T
Material knowledge means ignorance of the knowledge of
oneJs own self. 1hilosophy means to seek after the right
knowledge of oneJs own self, or the knowledge of self'
reali)ation. Without self'reali)ation, philosophy is dry
speculation or a waste of time and energy. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam gives the right knowledge of oneJs own self, and
by hearing #r$mad%&h'ga(atam one can get free from
material attachment and enter into the kingdom of
fearlessness. This material world is fearfulness. ts prisoners
are always fearful as within a prison house. n the prison
house no one can violate the 2ail rules and regulations, and
violating the rules means another term for e:tension of
prison life. $imilarly, we in this material e:istence are always
fearful. This fearfulness is called an:iety. ;veryone in the
material life, in all species and varieties of life, is full of
an:ieties, either by breaking or without breaking the laws of
nature. Eiberation, or m!kti, means getting relief from these
constant an:ieties. This is possible only when the an:iety is
changed to the devotional service of the Eord. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam gives us the chance to change the (uality of
an:iety from matter to spirit. This is done in the association
of a learned philosopher like the self'reali)ed <ukadeva
8osv"m=, the great son of <r= !y"sadeva. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, after receiving warning of his death, took
advantage of this opportunity by association with <ukadeva
8osv"m= and achieved the desired result.
There is a sort of imitation of this reciting and hearing of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam by professional men, and their foolish
audience thinks that they will get free from the clutches of
material attachment and attain the life of fearlessness. $uch
imitative hearing of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam is a caricature only,
and one should not be misled by such a performance of
bh'ga(atam sa"t'ha undertaken by ridiculous greedy fellows
to maintain an establishment of material en2oyment.
T!T N_
JiTa ra/ oPaaid!(a i'PaOa )aaTak6k6aei'da0 9
lRK>aaPaicTa(a0 Sa'e- PaOiTa)a&$au0 S'k6a#a2 &a:ha#a2 99
N_ 99
iti r'),a !"'di1ya
(i"r' )'taka%ko(id'*
labdh'"acitaya* sar(e
"rati)agm!* s(ak'n g4h'n
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV r'),eZunto the >ingV !"'di1yaZhaving advisedV
(i"r'*Zpersons well versed in the /edasC )'taka%ko(id'*Z
persons e:pert in astrology and in the performance of birth
ceremoniesV labdha%a"acitaya*Zthose who had received
sumptuously as remunerationV sar(eZall of themV
"rati)agm!*Zwent backV s(ak'nZtheir ownV g4h'nZhouses.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus those Jho Jere eMpert in astrological knoJledge and in
perfor@ance of the birth cere@ony instructed Cing (udhiEhira
about the future history of his childH Then, being su@ptuously
re@unerated, they all returned to their respecti'e ho@esH
P8-PO-T
The /edas are the storehouse of knowledge, both material
and spiritual. %ut such knowledge aims at perfection of self'
reali)ation. n other words, the /edas are the guides for the
civili)ed man in every respect. $ince human life is the
opportunity to get free from all material miseries, it is
properly guided by the knowledge of the /edas, in the
matters of both material needs and spiritual salvation. The
specific intelligent class of men who were devoted
particularly to the knowledge of the /edas were called the
(i"ras, or the graduates of the !edic knowledge. There are
different branches of knowledge in the /edas, of which
astrology and pathology are two important branches
necessary for the common man. $o the intelligent men,
generally known as the br'hma5as, took up all the different
branches of !edic knowledge to guide society. ;ven the
department of military education 3Dhan!r%(eda6 was also
taken up by such intelligent men, and the (i"ras were also
teachers of this section of knowledge, as were 7roA"c"rya,
>?p"c"rya, etc.
The word (i"ra mentioned herein is significant. There is a
little difference between the (i"ras and the br'hma5as. The
(i"ras are those who are e:pert in karma%k'5;a, or fruitive
activities, guiding the society towards fulfilling the material
necessities of life, whereas the br'hma5as are e:pert in
spiritual knowledge of transcendence. This department of
knowledge is called ),'na%k'5;a, and above this there is the
!"'san'%k'5;a. The culmination of !"'san'%k'5;a is the
devotional service of the Eord !i@Au, and when the
br'hma5as achieve perfection, they are called !ai@Aavas.
!i@Au worship is the highest of the modes of worship.
;levated br'hma5as are !ai@Aavas engaged in the
transcendental loving service of the Eord, and thus #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam, which is the science of devotional service, is
very dear to the !ai@Aavas. And as e:plained in the
beginning of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, it is the mature fruit of
!edic knowledge and is superior sub2ect matter, above the
three k'5;as, namely karma, ),'na and !"'san'.
Amongst the karma%k'5;a e:perts, the )'taka e:pert (i"ras
were good astrologers who could tell all the future history of
a born child simply by the astral calculations of the time
3lagna6. $uch e:pert )'taka%(i"ras were present during the
birth of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, and his grandfather, Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, awarded the (i"ras sufficiently with gold, land,
villages, grains and other valuable necessaries of life, which
also include cows. There is a need of such (i"ras in the social
structure, and it is the duty of the state to maintain them
comfortably, as designed in the !edic procedure. $uch
e:pert (i"ras, being sufficiently paid by the state, could give
free service to the people in general, and thus this
department of !edic knowledge could be available for all.
T!T X`
Sa V= lRaeke6 i'e(aaTa0 Par?iUaidiTa (aTPaO%au0 9
Pa8'g d:n$a#au>(aa(a#a2 Par?UaeTa #arei.'h 99 X` 99
sa e.a loke (ikhy'ta*
"ar$k.id iti yat "rabh!*
"0r(a- d4.<am an!dhy'yan
"ar$k.eta nare.( iha
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV e.a*Zin thisV lokeZworldV (ikhy'ta*ZfamousV
"ar$k.itZone who e:aminesV itiZthusV yatZwhatV "rabh!*Z
9 my >ingV "0r(amZbeforeV d4.<amZseenV an!dhy'yanZ
constantly contemplatingV "ar$k.etaZshall e:amineV nare.!
Zunto every manV ihaZhere.
T-A#SLATIO#
So his son Jould beco@e fa@ous in the Jorld as ParBkEit
OeMa@iner3 because he Jould co@e to eMa@ine all hu@an beings in
his search after that personality Jho@ he saJ before his birthH
Thus he Jould co@e to constantly conte@plate Ii@H
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, fortunate as he was, got the impression
of the Eord even in the womb of his mother, and thus his
contemplation on the Eord was constantly with him. 9nce
the impression of the transcendental form of the Eord is
fi:ed in oneJs mind, one can never forget Him in any
circumstance. *hild 1ar=k@it, after coming out of the womb,
was in the habit of e:amining everyone to see whether he
was the same personality whom he first saw in the womb.
%ut no one could be e(ual to or more attractive than the
Eord, and therefore he never accepted anyone. %ut the Eord
was constantly with him by such e:amination, and thus
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was always engaged in the devotional
service of the Eord by remembrance.
#r$la N$(a @os('m$ remarks in this connection that e(ery
child, if gi(en an im"ression of the :ord from his (ery
childhood, certainly becomes a great de(otee of the :ord like
8ah'r')a ar$k.it. 9ne may not be as fortunate as Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it to have the opportunity to see the Eord in the womb
of his mother, but even if he is not so fortunate, he can be
made so if the parents of the child desire him to be so. There
is a practical e:ample in my personal life in this connection.
My father was a pure devotee of the Eord, and when was
only four or five years old, my father gave me a couple of
forms of 0"dh" and >?@Aa. n a playful manner, used to
worship these 7eities along with my sister, and used to
imitate the performances of a neighboring temple of 0"dh"'
8ovinda. %y constantly visiting this neighboring temple and
copying the ceremonies in connection with my own 7eities
of play, developed a natural affinity for the Eord. My father
used to observe all the ceremonies befitting my position.
Eater on, these activities were suspended due to my
association in the schools and colleges, and became
completely out of practice. %ut in my youthful days, when
met my spiritual master, <r= <r=mad %haktisiddh"nta
$arasvat= 8osv"m= Mah"r"2a, again revived my old habit,
and the same playful 7eities became my worshipful 7eities
in proper regulation. This was followed up until left the
family connection, and am pleased that my generous father
gave the first impression which was developed later into
regulative devotional service by His 7ivine 8race. Mah"r"2a
1rahl"da also advised that such impressions of a godly
relation must be impregnated from the beginning of
childhood, otherwise one may miss the opportunity of the
human form of life, which is very valuable although it is
temporary like others.
T!T X"
Sa ra)aPau<aae '':>ae AaBu Bu6 J'aeouPa0 9
AaPa8(a-$aaQa0 iPaTa:i%a0 k6afai%air' Saae+#'h$a2 99 X" 99
sa r')a%"!tro (a(4dhe
'1! 1!kla i(o;!"a*
'"0ryam'5a* "it4bhi*
k'.<h'bhir i(a so 2n(aham
S(#O#($S
sa*ZthatV r')a%"!tra*Zthe royal princeV (a(4dheZgrew upV
'1!Zvery soonV 1!kleZwa:ing moonV i(aZlikeV !;!"a*Zthe
moonV '"0ryam'5a*Zlu:uriantlyV "it4bhi*Zby the parental
guardiansV k'.<h'bhi*Zplenary developmentV i(aZlikeV sa*Z
heV an(ahamZday after day.
T-A#SLATIO#
As the @oon, in its JaMing fortnight, de'elops day after day, so the
royal prince OParBkEit3 'ery soon de'eloped luMuriantly under the
care and full facilities of his guardian grandfathersH
T!T XN
(aU(a$aaQaae+T$ae>ae#a /aiTad3aehi)ahaSa(aa 9
ra)aalRK>a>a#aae d>(aa#aa#(a<a k6rdQo(aae0 99 XN 99
yak.yam'5o 21(amedhena
),'ti%droha%)ih'say'
r')' labdha%dhano dadhya!
n'nyatra kara%da5;ayo*
S(#O#($S
yak.yam'5a*Zdesiring to performV a1(amedhenaZby the
horse sacrifice ceremonyV ),'ti%drohaZfighting with kinsmenV
)ih'say'Zfor getting freeV r')'Z>ing Xudhi@ThiraV labdha%
dhana*Zfor getting some wealthV dadhya!Zthought about itV
na anyatraZnot otherwiseV kara%da5;ayo*Zta:es and fines.
T-A#SLATIO#
)ust at this ti@e, Cing (udhiEhira Jas considering perfor@ing a
horse sacrifice to get freed fro@ sins incurred fro@ fighting Jith
kins@enH Kut he beca@e anMious to get so@e Jealth, for there
Jere no surplus funds outside of fines and taM collectionH
P8-PO-T
As the br'hma5as and (i"ras had a right to be subsidi)ed by
the state, the state e:ecutive head had the right to collect
ta:es and fines from the citi)ens. After the %attle of
>uruk@etra the state treasury was e:hausted, and therefore
there was no surplus fund e:cept the fund from ta:
collection and fines. $uch funds were sufficient only for the
state budget, and having no e:cess fund, the >ing was
an:ious to get more wealth in some other way in order to
perform the horse sacrifice. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira wanted to
perform this sacrifice under the instruction of %h=@madeva.
T!T XX
Tadi%aPaOeTa$aalRU(a %a3aTarae+C(auTacaeidTaa0 9
>a#a; PaOh?Qa$aa)ahuDd?C(aa; idi!a %a8ir!a0 99 XX 99
tad abhi"retam 'lak.ya
bhr'taro 2cy!ta%codit'*
dhana- "rah$5am ')ahr!r
!d$cy'- di1i bh0ri1a*
S(#O#($S
tatZhisV abhi"retamZwishes of the mindV 'lak.yaZobservingV
bhr'tara*Zhis brothersV acy!taZthe infallible 3Eord <r=
>?@Aa6V codit'*Zbeing advised byV dhanamZrichesV
"rah$5amZto collectV ')ahr!*Zbrought aboutV !d$cy'mZ
northernV di1iZdirectionV bh0ri1a*Zsufficient.
T-A#SLATIO#
8nderstanding the hearty Jishes of the Cing, his brothers, as
ad'ised by the infallible Lord CDEFa, collected sufficient riches
fro@ the #orth Oleft by Cing $arutta3H
P8-PO-T
8ah'r')a 8ar!ttaI one of the great emperors of the world.
He reigned over the world long before the reign of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira. He was the son of Mah"r"2a Avik@it and was a
great devotee of the son of the sun'god, known as Xamar"2a.
His brother $amvarta was a rival priest of the great
%?haspati, the learned priest of the demigods. He conducted
one sacrifice called $aIk"ra'ya2â by which the Eord was so
satisfied that He was pleased to hand over to him the charge
of a mountain peak of gold. This peak of gold is somewhere
in the Himalaya Mountains, and modern adventurers may try
to find it there. He was so powerful an emperor that at the
dayJs end of sacrifice, the demigods from the other planets
like ndra, *andra and %?haspati used to visit his palace. And
because he had the gold peak at his disposal, he had
sufficient gold in his possession. The canopy of the sacrificial
altar was completely made of gold. in his daily performances
of the sacrificial ceremonies, some of the inhabitants of the
!"yuloka 3airy planets6 were invited to e:pedite the cooking
work of the ceremony. And the assembly of the demigods in
the ceremony was led by !iPvadeva.
%y his constant pious work he was able to drive out all kinds
of diseases from the 2urisdiction of his kingdom. All the
inhabitants of higher planets like 7evaloka and 1it?loka were
pleased with him for his great sacrificial ceremonies. ;very
day he used to give in charity to the learned br'hma5as such
things as beddings, seats, conveyances and sufficient
(uantities of gold. %ecause of munificent charities and
performances of innumerable sacrifices, the >ing of heaven,
ndradeva, was fully satisfied with him and always wished for
his welfare. 7ue to his pious activities, he remained a young
man throughout his life and reigned over the world for one
thousand years, surrounded by his satisfied sub2ects,
ministers, legitimate wife, sons and brothers. ;ven Eord <r=
>?@Aa praised his spirit of pious activities. He handed over
his only daughter to Mahar@i AIgir", and by his good
blessings, he was elevated to the kingdom of heaven. Hirst of
all, he wanted to offer the priesthood of his sacrifices to
learned %?haspati, but the demigod refused to accept the
post because of the >ingJs being a human being, a man of
this earth. He was very sorry for this, but on the advice of
K"rada Muni he appointed $amvarta to the post, and he was
successful in his mission.
The success of a particular type of sacrifice completely
depends on the priest in charge. n this age, all kinds of
sacrifice are forbidden because there is no learned priest
amongst the so'called br'hma5as, who go by the false notion
of becoming sons of br'hma5as without brahminical
(ualifications. n this age of >ali, therefore, only one kind of
sacrifice is recommended, sa3k$rtana%ya),a, as inaugurated by
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu.
T!T XZ
Tae#a Sa$%a:TaSa$%aarae >a$a-Pau<aae (aui>aifr0 9
'ai)a$ae>aiEi%a%asTaae (a/0 Sa$a(a)apir$a2 99 XZ 99
tena sambh4ta%sambh'ro
dharma%"!tro y!dhi.<hira*
(')imedhais tribhir bh$to
ya),ai* samaya)ad dharim
S(#O#($S
tenaZwith that wealthV sambh4taZcollectedV sambh'ra*Z
ingredientsV dharma%"!tra*Zthe pious kingV y!dhi.<hira*Z
Xudhi@ThiraV (')imedhai*Zby horse sacrificesV tribhi*Zthree
timesV bh$ta*Zbeing greatly afraid after the %attle of
>uruk@etraV ya),ai*ZsacrificesV samaya)atZperfectly
worshipedV harimZthe 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ky those riches, the Cing could procure the ingredients for three
horse sacrificesH Thus the pious Cing (udhiEhira, Jho Jas 'ery
fearful after the Kattle of CurukEetra, pleased Lord Iari, the
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was the ideal and celebrated pious
>ing of the world, and still he was greatly afraid after the
e:ecution of the %attle of >uruk@etra because of the mass
killing in the fight, all of which was done only to install him
on the throne. He therefore took all the responsibility for sins
committed in the warfare, and to get rid of all these sins, he
wanted to perform three sacrifices in which horses are
offered at the altar. $uch a sacrifice is very costly. ;ven
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira had to collect the necessary heaps of
gold left by Mah"r"2a Marutta and the br'hma5as who were
given gold in charity by >ing Marutta. The learned br'hma5as
could not take away all the loads of gold given by Mah"r"2a
Marutta, and therefore they left behind the ma2or portion of
the gift. And Mah"r"2a Marutta also did not again collect
such heaps of gold given away in charity. %esides that, all
the golden plates and utensils which were used in the
sacrifice were also thrown in the dustbins, and all such
heaps of gold remained unclaimed property for a long time,
till Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira collected them for his own
purposes. Eord <r= >?@Aa advised the brothers of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira to collect the unclaimed property because it
belonged to the >ing. The more astonishing thing is that no
sub2ect of the state also collected such unclaimed gold for
industrial enterprise or anything like that. This means that
the state citi)ens were completely satisfied with all
necessities of life and therefore not inclined to accept
unnecessary productive enterprises for sense gratification.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira also re(uisitioned the heaps of gold
for performing sacrifices and for pleasing the $upreme Hari
1ersonality of 8odhead. 9therwise he had no desire to
collect them for the state treasury.
9ne should take lessons from the acts of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira. He was afraid of sins committed on the
battlefield, and therefore he wanted to satisfy the supreme
authority. This indicates that unintentional sins are also
committed in our daily occupational discharge of duties, and
to counteract even such unintentional crimes, one must
perform sacrifices as they are recommended in the revealed
scriptures. The Eord says in &haga(ad%g$t' 3ya),'rth't karma5o
2nyatra loko 2ya- karma%bandhana* #%g. X.V&6 that one must
perform sacrifices recommended in the scriptures in order to
get rid of commitments of all unauthori)ed work, or even
unintentional crimes which we are apt to commit. %y doing
so, one shall be freed from all kinds of sins. And those who
do not do so but work for self'interest or sense gratification
have to undergo all tribulations accrued from committed
sins. Therefore, the main purpose of performing sacrifices is
to satisfy the $upreme 1ersonality Hari. The process of
performing sacrifices may be different in terms of different
times, places and persons, but the aim of such sacrifices is
one and the same at all times and in all circumstances, (iQ. ,
satisfaction of the $upreme Eord Hari. That is the way of
pious life, and that is the way of peace and prosperity in the
world at large. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira did all these as the
ideal pious king in the world.
f Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira is a sinner in his daily discharge of
duties, in royal administration of state affairs, wherein killing
of man and animals is a recogni)ed art, then we can 2ust
imagine the amount of sins committed consciously or
unconsciously by the untrained population of the >ali'yuga
who have no way to perform sacrifice to please the $upreme
Eord. The &h'ga(atam says, therefore, that the prime duty of
the human being is to satisfy the $upreme Eord by the
performance of oneJs occupational duty 3Bhg. ,.G.,\6.
Eet any man of any place or community, caste or creed be
engaged in any sort of occupational duty, but he must agree
to perform sacrifices as it is recommended in the scriptures
for the particular place, time and person. n the !edic
literatures it is recommended that in >ali'yuga people
engage in glorifying the Eord by chanting the holy name of
>?@Aa 3k$rtan'd e(a k4.5asya m!kta%sa3ga* "ara- (ra)et6
without offense. %y doing so one can be freed from all sins
and thus can attain the highest perfection of life by returning
home, back to 8odhead. We have already discussed this
more than once in this great literature in different places,
especially in the introductory portion by sketching the life of
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, and still we are repeating
the same with a view to bring about peace and prosperity in
society.
The Eord has declared openly in &haga(ad%g$t' how He
becomes pleased with us, and the same process is
practically demonstrated in the life and preaching work of
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu. The perfect process of
performing ya),as, or sacrifice, to please the $upreme Eord
Hari 3the 1ersonality of 8odhead, who gets us free from all
miseries of e:istence6 is to follow the ways of Eord <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu in this dark age of (uarrel and
dissension.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira had to collect heaps of gold to secure
the paraphernalia for the horse sacrifice ya),as in days of
sufficiency, so we can hardly think of such performance of
ya),as in these days of insufficiency and complete scarcity of
gold. At the present moment we have heaps of papers and
promises of their being converted into gold by economic
development of modern civili)ation, and still there is no
possibility of spending riches like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira,
either individually or collectively or by state patroni)ation.
Oust suitable, therefore, for the age, is the method
recommended by Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu in terms of
the 1'stra. $uch a method re(uires no e:penditure at all and
yet can award more benefit than other e:pensive methods
of ya),a performances.
The horse sacrifice ya),a or cow sacrifice ya),a performed by
the !edic regulations shouldnJt be misunderstood as a
process of killing animals. 9n the contrary, animals offered
for the ya),a were re2uvenated to a new span of life by the
transcendental power of chanting the !edic hymns, which, if
properly chanted, are different from what is understood by
the common layman. The /eda%mantras are all practical, and
the proof is re2uvenation of the sacrificed animal.
There is no possibility of such methodical chanting of the
!edic hymns by the so'called br'hma5as or priests of the
present age. The untrained descendants of the twice'born
families are no more like their forefathers, and thus they are
counted amongst the 10dras, or once'born men. The once'
born man is unfit to chant the !edic hymns, and therefore
there is no practical utility of chanting the original hymns.
And to save them all, Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu
propounded the sa3k$rtana movement or ya),a for all practical
purposes, and the people of the present age are strongly
recommended to follow this sure and recogni)ed path.
T!T X[
Aah8Taae %a&a'a#a2 ra/a (aa)ai(aT'a ij)a#a:-Pa$a2 9
o'aSa k6iTaic#$aaSaa#a2 Sau5da; iPaO(ak6a$(a(aa 99 X[ 99
'h0to bhaga('n r'),'
y')ayit(' d(i)air n4"am
!('sa katicin m's'n
s!h4d'- "riya%k'myay'
S(#O#($S
'h0ta*Zbeing called byV bhaga('nZEord >?@Aa, the
1ersonality of 8odheadV r'),'Zby the >ingV y')ayit('Z
causing to be performedV d(i)ai*Zby the learned br'hma5asC
n4"amZon behalf of the >ingV !('saZresidedV katicitZa fewV
m's'nZmonthsV s!h4d'mZfor the sake of the relativesV
"riya%k'myay'Zfor the pleasure.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lord ArB CDEFa, the Personality of &odhead, being in'ited to the
sacrifices by $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, saJ to it that they Jere
perfor@ed by ?ualified OtJice6born3 brLh@aFasH After that, for the
pleasure of the relati'es, the Lord re@ained a feJ @onthsH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa was invited by Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira to look
into the supervision of the performances of ya),a, and the
Eord, to abide by the orders of His elderly cousin, caused the
performance of ya),as by learned twice'born br'hma5as.
$imply taking birth in the family of a br'hma5a does not
make one (ualified to perform ya),as. 9ne must be twice'
born by proper training and initiation from the bona fide
'c'rya. The once'born scions of br'hma5a families are e(ual
with the once'born 10dras, and such brahma%bandh!s, or
un(ualified once'born scions, must be re2ected for any
purpose of religious or !edic function. Eord <r= >?@Aa was
entrusted to look after this arrangement, and perfect as He
is, He caused the ya),as to be performed by the bona fide
twice'born br'hma5as for successful e:ecution.
T!T X\
TaTaae ra/a%(a#au/aTa0 k:6.Qa(aa Sah b#>aui%a0 9
(a(aa jar'Ta?; b34#a2 Saa)au-#aae (adui%a':-Ta0 99 X\ 99
tato r'),'bhyan!),'ta*
k4.5ay' saha%bandh!bhi*
yaya! d('ra(at$- brahman
s'r)!no yad!bhir (4ta*
S(#O#($S
tata*ZthereafterV r'),'Zby the >ingV abhyan!),'ta*Zbeing
permittedV k4.5ay'Zas well as by 7raupad=V sahaZalong
withV bandh!bhi*Zother relativesV yaya!Zwent toV d('ra(at$m
Z7v"rak"dh"maV brahmanZ9 br'hma5asC sa%ar)!na*Zalong
with Ar2unaV yad!bhi*Zby the members of the Xadu dynastyV
(4ta*Zsurrounded.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Aaunaka, thereafter the Lord, ha'ing bade fareJell to Cing
(udhiEhira, >raupadB and other relati'es, started for the city of
>'LrakL, acco@panied by Ar/una and other @e@bers of the (adu
dynastyH
Twelfth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled K&irth of
Sm"eror ar$k.it.M
Chapter Thirteen
>hDtarLEra Quits Io@e
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
i'durSTa?Qa-(aa<aa(aa; $a<ae(aadaT$a#aae &aiTa$a2 9
/aT'a&aapaiSTa#aPaur; Ta(aa'ai'i'iTSaTa0 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
(id!ras t$rtha%y'tr'y'-
maitrey'd 'tmano gatim
),'t('g'd dh'stina"!ra-
tay'('"ta%(i(itsita*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV (id!ra*Z!iduraV t$rtha%
y'tr'y'mZwhile traveling to different places of pilgrimageV
maitrey'tZfrom the great sage MaitreyaV 'tmana*Zof the
selfV gatimZdestinationV ),'t('Zby knowing itV 'g'tZwent
backV h'stina"!ramZthe city of Hastin"puraV tay'Zby that
knowledgeV a('"taZsufficiently a gainerV (i(itsita*Zbeing
well versed in everything knowable.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide Vhile tra'eling on a pilgri@age, Gidura
recei'ed knoJledge of the destination of the self fro@ the great
sage $aitreya and then returned to IastinLpuraH Ie beca@e as
Jell 'ersed in the sub/ect as he desiredH
P8-PO-T
/id!raI 9ne of the prominent figures in the history of the
8ah'bh'rata. He was conceived by !y"sadeva in the womb
of the maidservant of Ambik", mother of Mah"r"2a 1"AQu. He
is the incarnation of Xamar"2a. %eing cursed by MaAQLka
Muni, he was to become a 10dra. The story is narrated as
follows. 9nce upon a time the state police caught some
thieves who had concealed themselves in the hermitage of
MaAQLka Muni. The police constables, as usual, arrested all
the thieves and MaAQLka Muni along with them. The
magistrate specifically punished the m!ni to death by being
pierced with a lance. When he was 2ust to be pierced, the
news reached the king, and he at once stopped the act on
consideration of his being a great m!ni. The king personally
begged the m!ni2s pardon for the mistake of his men, and
the saint at once went to Xamar"2a, who prescribes the
destiny of the living beings. Xamar"2a, being (uestioned by
the m!ni, replied that the m!ni in his childhood pierced an
ant with a sharpened straw, and for that reason he was put
into difficulty. The m!ni thought it unwise on the part of
Xamar"2a that he was punished for his childish innocence,
and thus the m!ni cursed Xamar"2a to become a 10dra, and
this 10dra incarnation of Xamar"2a was known as !idura, the
10dra brother of 7h?tar"@Tra and Mah"r"2a 1"AQu. %ut this
10dra son of the >uru dynasty was e(ually treated by
%h=@madeva, along with his other nephews, and in due
course !idura was married with a girl who was also born in
the womb of a 10dr'5$ by a br'hma5a. Although !idura did
not inherit the property of his father 3the brother of
%h=@madeva6, still he was given sufficient state property by
7h?tar"@Tra, the elder brother of !idura. !idura was very
much attached to his elder brother, and all along he tried to
guide him on the right path. 7uring the fratricidal war of
>uruk@etra, !idura repeatedly implored his elder brother to
do 2ustice to the sons of 1"AQu, but 7uryodhana did not like
such interference by his uncle, and thus he practically
insulted !idura. This resulted in !iduraJs leaving home for
pilgrimage and taking instructions from Maitreya.
T!T N
(aa'Ta0 k:6Ta'a#a2 PaOBna#a2 Uataa k6a=ar'a&a3Ta0 9
)aaTak6%aiv6&aae-i'#de Tae%(a,aeParra$a h 99 N 99
y'(ata* k4ta('n "ra1n'n
k.att' ka!.'ra('grata*
)'taika%bhaktir go(inde
tebhya1 co"arar'ma ha
S(#O#($S
y'(ata*Zall thatV k4ta('nZdid he putV "ra1n'nZ(uestionsV
k.att'Za name of !iduraV ka!.'ra(aZa name of MaitreyaV
agrata*Zin the presence ofV )'taZhaving grown upV ekaZ
oneV bhakti*Ztranscendental loving serviceV go(indeZunto
Eord >?@AaV tebhya*Zregarding further (uestionsV caZandV
!"arar'maZretired fromV haZin the past.
T-A#SLATIO#
After asking 'arious ?uestions and beco@ing established in the
transcendental lo'ing ser'ice of Lord CDEFa, Gidura retired fro@
putting ?uestions to $aitreya $uniH
P8-PO-T
!idura retired from putting (uestions before Maitreya Muni
when he was convinced by Maitreya _@i that the s!mm!m
bon!m of life is to be finally situated in the transcendental
loving service of Eord <r= >?@Aa, who is 8ovinda, or one who
satisfies His devotees in all respects. The conditioned soul,
the living being in material e:istence, seeks happiness by
employing his senses in the modes of materialism, but that
cannot give him satisfaction. He then searches after the
$upreme Truth by the empiric philosophic speculative
method and intellectual feats. %ut if he does not find the
ultimate goal, he again goes down to material activities and
engages himself in various philanthropic and altruistic works,
which all fail to give him satisfaction. $o neither fruitive
activities nor dry philosophical speculation can give one
satisfaction because by nature a living being is the eternal
servitor of the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa, and all the !edic
literatures give him direction towards that ultimate end. The
Bhagavad-gt 3,B.,B6 confirms this statement.
Eike !idura, an in(uisitive conditioned soul must approach a
bona fide spiritual master like Maitreya and by intelligent
in(uiries must try to know everything about karma 3fruitive
activities6, ),'na 3philosophical research for the $upreme
Truth6 and yoga 3the linking process of spiritual reali)ation6.
9ne who is not seriously inclined to put (uestions before a
spiritual master need not accommodate a show'bottle
spiritual master, nor should a person who may be a spiritual
master for others pose to be so if he is unable to engage his
disciple ultimately in the transcendental loving service of
Eord <r= >?@Aa. !idura was successful in approaching such a
spiritual master like Maitreya, and he got the ultimate goal
of lifeC bhakti unto 8ovinda. Thus there was nothing to be
known further about spiritual progress.
T!TS XZ
Ta; b#>au$aa&aTa; d:a >a$a-Pau<a0 Saha#au)a0 9
>a:Taran|ae (au(auTSau, Sa8Ta0 !aarjTa0 Pa:Qaa 99 X 99
&aa#>aar? d3aPad? b34#a2 Sau%ad3a caetara k:6Pa? 9
A#(aa, )aa$a(a0 PaaQoae/a-Ta(a0 SaSauTaa0 iE(a0 99 Z 99
ta- bandh!m 'gata- d4.<('
dharma%"!tra* sah'n!)a*
dh4tar'.<ro y!y!ts!1 ca
s0ta* 1'rad(ata* "4th'
g'ndh'r$ dra!"ad$ brahman
s!bhadr' cottar' k4"$
any'1 ca )'maya* "'5;or
),'taya* sas!t'* striya*
S(#O#($S
tamZhimV bandh!mZrelativeV 'gatamZhaving arrived thereV
d4.<('Zby seeing itV dharma%"!tra*ZXudhi@ThiraV saha%
an!)a*Zalong with his younger brothersV dh4tar'.<ra*Z
7h?tar"@TraV y!y!ts!*Z$"tyakiV caZandV s0ta*Z$a^2ayaV
1'rad(ata*Z>?p"c"ryaV "4th'Z>unt=V g'ndh'r$Z8"ndh"r=V
dra!"ad$Z7raupad=V brahmanZ9 br'hma5asC s!bhadr'Z
$ubhadr"V caZandV !ttar'ZRttar"V k4"$Z>?p=V any'*Z
othersV caZandV )'maya*Zwives of other family membersV
"'5;o*Zof the 1"AQavasV ),'taya*Zfamily membersV sa%s!t'*
Zalong with their sonsV striya*Zthe ladies.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen they saJ Gidura return to the palace, all the inhabitants
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, his younger brothers, >hDtarLEra, SLtyaki,
Saf/aya, CDpLcLrya, CuntB, &LndhLrB, >raupadB, SubhadrL, 8ttarL,
CDpB, @any other Ji'es of the Caura'as, and other ladies Jith
childrenall hurried to hi@ in great delightH It so appeared that
they had regained their consciousness after a long periodH
P8-PO-T
@'ndh'r$I The ideal chaste lady in the history of the world.
$he was the daughter of Mah"r"2a $ubala, the >ing of
8"ndh"ra 3now >andahar in >abul6, and in her maiden state
she worshiped Eord <iva. Eord <iva is generally worshiped by
Hindu maidens to get a good husband. 8"ndh"r= satisfied
Eord <iva, and by his benediction to obtain one hundred
sons, she was betrothed to 7h?tar"@Tra, despite his being
blind forever. When 8"ndh"r= came to know that her would'
be husband was a blind man, to follow her life companion
she decided to become voluntarily blind. $o she wrapped up
her eyes with many silk linens, and she was married to
7h?tar"@Tra under the guidance of her elder brother <akuni.
$he was the most beautiful girl of her time, and she was
e(ually (ualified by her womanly (ualities, which endeared
every member of the >aurava court. %ut despite all her good
(ualities, she had the natural frailties of a woman, and she
was envious of >unt= when the latter gave birth to a male
child. %oth the (ueens were pregnant, but >unt= first gave
birth to a male child. Thus 8"ndh"r= became angry and
gave a blow to her own abdomen. As a result, she gave birth
to a lump of flesh only, but since she was a devotee of
!y"sadeva, by the instruction of !y"sadeva the lump was
divided into one hundred parts, and each part gradually
developed to become a male child. Thus her ambition to
become the mother of one hundred sons was fulfilled, and
she began to nourish all the children according to her
e:alted position. When the intrigue of the %attle of
>uruk@etra was going on, she was not in favor of fighting
with the 1"AQavasV rather, she blamed 7h?tar"@Tra, her
husband, for such a fratricidal war. $he desired that the
state be divided into two parts, for the sons of 1"AQu and her
own. $he was very affected when all her sons died in the
%attle of >uruk@etra, and she wanted to curse %h=masena
and Xudhi@Thira, but she was checked by !y"sadeva. Her
mourning over the death of 7uryodhana and 7ubP"sana
before Eord >?@Aa was very pitiful, and Eord >?@Aa pacified
her by transcendental messages. $he was e(ually aggrieved
on the death of >arAa, and she described to Eord >?@Aa the
lamentation of >arAaJs wife. $he was pacified by <r=la
!y"sadeva when he showed her dead sons, then promoted
to the heavenly kingdoms. $he died along with her husband
in the 2ungles of the Himalayas near the mouth of the
8angesV she burned in a forest fire. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira
performed the death ceremony of his uncle and aunt.
4th'I 7aughter of Mah"r"2a <Lrasena and sister of
!asudeva, Eord >?@AaJs father. Eater she was adopted by
Mah"r"2a >untibho2a, and hence she is known as >unt=. $he
is the incarnation of the success potency of the 1ersonality
of 8odhead. The heavenly deni)ens from the upper planets
used to visit the palace of >ing >untibho2a, and >unt= was
engaged for their reception. $he also served the great
mystic sage 7urv"s", and being satisfied by her faithful
service, 7urv"s" Muni gave her a mantra by which it was
possible for her to call for any demigod she pleased. As a
matter of in(uisitiveness, she at once called for the sun'god,
who desired couplement with her, but she declined. %ut the
sun'god assured her immunity from virgin adulteration, and
so she agreed to his proposal. As a result of this couplement,
she became pregnant, and >arAa was born by her. %y the
grace of the sun, she again turned into a virgin girl, but
being afraid of her parents, she (uitted the newly born child,
>arAa. After that, when she actually selected her own
husband, she preferred 1"AQu to be her husband. Mah"r"2a
1"AQu later wanted to retire from family life and adopt the
renounced order of life. >unt= refused to allow her husband
to adopt such life, but at last Mah"r"2a 1"AQu gave her
permission to become a mother of sons by calling some
other suitable personalities. >unt= did not accept this
proposal at first, but when vivid e:amples were set by 1"AQu
she agreed. Thus by dint of the mantra awarded by 7urv"s"
Muni she called for 7harmar"2a, and thus Xudhi@Thira was
born. $he called for the demigod !"yu 3air6, and thus %h=ma
was born. $he called for ndra, the >ing of heaven, and thus
Ar2una was born. The other two sons, namely Kakula and
$ahadeva, were begotten by 1"AQu himself in the womb of
M"dr=. Eater on, Mah"r"2a 1"AQu died at an early age, for
which >unt= was so aggrieved that she fainted. Two co'
wives, namely >unt= and M"dr=, decided that >unt= should
live for the maintenance of the five minor children, the
1"AQavas, and M"dr= should accept the sat$ rituals by
meeting voluntary death along with her husband. This
agreement was endorsed by great sages like <atas?Iga and
others present on the occasion.
Eater on, when the 1"AQavas were banished from the
kingdom by the intrigues of 7uryodhana, >unt= followed her
sons, and she e(ually faced all sorts of difficulties during
those days. 7uring the forest life one demon girl, HiQimb",
wanted %h=ma as her husband. %h=ma refused, but when
the girl approached >unt= and Xudhi@Thira, they ordered
%h=ma to accept her proposal and give her a son. As a result
of this combination, 8haTotkaca was born, and he fought
very valiantly with his father against the >auravas. n their
forest life they lived with a br'hma5a family that was in
trouble because of one %ak"sura demon, and >unt= ordered
%h=ma to kill the %ak"sura to protect the br'hma5a family
against troubles created by the demon. $he advised
Xudhi@Thira to start for the 1"^c"ladePa. 7raupad= was
gained in this 1"^c"ladePa by Ar2una, but by order of >unt=
all five of the 1"AQava brothers became e(ually the
husbands of 1"^c"l=, or 7raupad=. $he was married with five
1"AQavas in the presence of !y"sadeva. >unt=dev= never
forgot her first child, >arAa, and after >arAaJs death in the
%attle of >uruk@etra she lamented and admitted before her
other sons that >arAa was her eldest son prior to her
marriage with Mah"r"2a 1"AQu. Her prayers for the Eord after
the %attle of >uruk@etra, when Eord >?@Aa was going back
home, are e:cellently e:plained. Eater she went to the forest
with 8"ndh"r= for severe penance. $he used to take meals
after each thirty days. $he finally sat down in profound
meditation and later burned to ashes in a forest fire.
Dra!"ad$I The most chaste daughter of Mah"r"2a 7rupada
and partly an incarnation of goddess <ac=, the wife of ndra.
Mah"r"2a 7rupada performed a great sacrifice under the
superintendence of the sage Xa2a. %y his first offering,
7h?@Tadyumna was born, and by the second offering,
7raupad= was born. $he is therefore the sister of
7h?@Tadyumna, and she is also named 1"^c"l=. The five
1"AQavas married her as a common wife, and each of them
begot a son in her. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira begot a son named
1ratibhit, %h=masena begot a son named $utasoma, Ar2una
begot <rutak=rti, Kakula begot <at"n=ka, and $ahadeva
begot <rutakarm". $he is described as a most beautiful lady,
e(ual to her mother'in'law, >unt=. 7uring her birth there was
an aeromessage that she should be called >?@A". The same
message also declared that she was born to kill many a
k.atriya. %y dint of her blessings from <aIkara, she was
awarded five husbands, e(ually (ualified. When she
preferred to select her own husband, princes and kings were
invited from all the countries of the world. $he was married
with the 1"AQavas during their e:ile in the forest, but when
they went back home Mah"r"2a 7rupada gave them
immense wealth as a dowry. $he was well received by all the
daughters'in'law of 7h?tar"@Tra. When she was lost in a
gambling game, she was forcibly dragged into the assembly
hall, and an attempt was made by 7ubP"sana to see her
naked beauty, even though there were elderly persons like
%h=@ma and 7roAa present. $he was a great devotee of Eord
>?@Aa, and by her praying, the Eord Himself became an
unlimited garment to save her from the insult. A demon of
the name OaT"sura kidnapped her, but her second husband,
%h=masena, killed the demon and saved her. $he saved the
1"AQavas from the curse of Mahar@i 7urv"s" by the grace of
Eord >?@Aa. When the 1"AQavas lived incognito in the palace
of !ir"Ta, >=caka was attracted by her e:(uisite beauty, and
by arrangement with %h=ma the devil was killed and she was
saved. $he was very much aggrieved when her five sons
were killed by APvatth"m". At the last stage, she
accompanied her husband Xudhi@Thira and others and fell
on the way. The cause of her falling was e:plained by
Xudhi@Thira, but when Xudhi@Thira entered the heavenly
planet he saw 7raupad= gloriously present there as the
goddess of fortune in the heavenly planet.
S!bhadr'I 7aughter of !asudeva and sister of Eord <r=
>?@Aa. $he was not only a very dear daughter of !asudeva,
but also a very dear sister to both >?@Aa and %aladeva. The
two brothers and sister are represented in the famous
Oagann"tha temple of 1ur=, and the temple is still visited by
thousands of pilgrims daily. This temple is in remembrance
of the EordJs visit at >uruk@etra during an occasion of solar
eclipse and His subse(uent meeting with the residents of
!?nd"vana. The meeting of 0"dh" and >?@Aa during this
occasion is a very pathetic story, and Eord <r= *aitanya, in
the ecstasy of 0"dh"r"A=, always pined for Eord <r= >?@Aa
at Oagann"tha 1ur=. While Ar2una was at 7v"rak", he wanted
to have $ubhadr" as his (ueen, and he e:pressed his desire
to Eord >?@Aa. <r= >?@Aa knew that His elder brother, Eord
%aladeva, was arranging her marriage elsewhere, and since
He did not dare to go against the arrangement of %aladeva,
He advised Ar2una to kidnap $ubhadr". $o when all of them
were on a pleasure trip on the 0aivata Hill, Ar2una managed
to kidnap $ubhadr" according to the plan of <r= >?@Aa. <r=
%aladeva was very angry at Ar2una, and He wanted to kill
him, but Eord >?@Aa implored His brother to e:cuse Ar2una.
Then $ubhadr" was duly married with Ar2una, and
Abhimanyu was born of $ubhadr". At the premature death of
Abhimanyu, $ubhadr" was very mortified, but on the birth of
1ar=k@it she was happy and solaced.
T!T [
PaOT(au&$au0 PaOh=e-Qa PaOaQa; Ta#' J'a&aTa$a2 9
Ai%aSal$(a i'i>a'Ta2 Pair.'lai%a'ad#a0 99 [ 99
"raty!))agm!* "rahar.e5a
"r'5a- tan(a i('gatam
abhisa3gamya (idhi(at
"ari.(a3g'bhi('danai*
S(#O#($S
"ratiZtowardsV !))agm!*ZwentV "rahar.e5aZwith great
delightV "r'5amZlifeV tan(a*Zof the bodyV i(aZlikeV 'gatamZ
returnedV abhisa3gamyaZapproachingV (idhi%(atZin due formV
"ari.(a3gaZembracingV abhi('danai*Zby obeisances.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vith great delight they all approached hi@, as if life had returned
to their bodiesH They eMchanged obeisances and Jelco@ed each
other Jith e@bracesH
P8-PO-T
n the absence of consciousness, the limbs of the body
remain inactive. %ut when consciousness returns, the limbs
and senses become active, and e:istence itself becomes
delightful. !idura was so dear to the members of the
>aurava family that his long absence from the palace was
comparable to inactivity. All of them were feeling acute
separation from !idura, and therefore his return to the
palace was 2oyful for all.
T!T \
$au$aucu0 PaOe$aba.Paaga; i'rhaTk6Qyk6aTara0 9
ra)aa Ta$ah-(aa; cse6 k:6TaaSa#aPair&a3h$a2 99 \ 99
m!m!c!* "rema%b'."a!gha-
(iraha!tka5<hya%k'tar'*
r')' tam arhay'- cakre
k4t'sana%"arigraham
S(#O#($S
m!m!c!*ZemanatedV "remaZaffectionateV b'."a%oghamZ
emotional tearsV (irahaZseparationV a!tka5<hyaZ
an:iousnessV k'tar'*Zbeing aggrievedV r')'Z>ing
Xudhi@ThiraV tamZunto him 3!idura6V arhay'm cakreZofferedV
k4taZperformance ofV 'sanaZsitting accommodationsV
"arigrahamZarrangement of.
T-A#SLATIO#
>ue to anMieties and long separation, they all cried out of affectionH
Cing (udhiEhira then arranged to offer sitting acco@@odations
and a receptionH
T!T ]
Ta; %auv6'#Ta; i'BOa#Ta$aaSa?#a; SauY$aaSa#ae 9
PaOBO(aa'#aTaae ra)aa PaOah Tae=a; c B:Q'Taa$a2 99 ] 99
ta- bh!kta(anta- (i1r'ntam
's$na- s!kham 'sane
"ra1ray'(anato r')'
"r'ha te.'- ca 145(at'm
S(#O#($S
tamZhim 3!idura6V bh!kta(antamZafter feeding him
sumptuouslyV (i1r'ntamZand having taken restV 's$namZ
being seatedV s!kham 'saneZon a comfortable seatV
"ra1raya%a(anata*Znaturally very gentle and meekV r')'Z
>ing Xudhi@ThiraV "r'haZbegan to speakV te.'m caZand by
themV 145(at'mZbeing heard.
T-A#SLATIO#
After Gidura ate su@ptuously and took sufficient rest, he Jas
co@fortably seatedH Then the Cing began to speak to hi@, and all
Jho Jere present there listenedH
P8-PO-T
>ing Xudhi@Thira was e:pert in reception also, even in the
case of his family members. !idura was well received by all
the family members by e:change of embraces and
obeisances. After that, bathing and arrangements for a
sumptuous dinner were made, and then he was given
sufficient rest. After finishing his rest, he was offered a
comfortable place to sit, and then the >ing began to talk
about all happenings, both family and otherwise. That is the
proper way to receive a beloved friend, or even an enemy.
According to ndian moral codes, even an enemy received at
home should be so well received that he will not feel any
fearful situation. An enemy is always afraid of his enemy, but
this should not be so when he is received at home by his
enemy. This means that a person, when received at home,
should be treated as a relative, so what to speak of a family
member like !idura, who was a well'wisher for all the
members of the family. Thus Xudhi@Thira Mah"r"2a began to
speak in the presence of all the other members.
T!T ^
(aui>aifr o'ac
AiPa S$arQa #aae (au.$aTPaUaCca(aaSa$aei>aTaa#a2 9
i'PaQaaij=a&#(aade$aae-icTaa (aTSa$aaTa:k6a0 99 ^ 99
y!dhi.<hira !('ca
a"i smaratha no y!.mat%
"ak.a%cch'y'%samedhit'n
(i"ad%ga5'd (i.'gny'der
mocit' yat sam't4k'*
S(#O#($S
y!dhi.<hira* !('caZMah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira saidV a"iZ
whetherV smarathaZyou rememberV na*ZusV y!.matZfrom
youV "ak.aZpartiality towards us like the wings of a birdV
ch'y'ZprotectionV samedhit'nZwe who were brought up by
youV (i"at%ga5'tZfrom various types of calamitiesV (i.aZby
administration of poisonV agni%'de*Zby setting on fireV
mocit'*Zreleased fromV yatZwhat you have doneV saZalong
withV m't4k'*Zour mother.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira saide $y uncle, do you re@e@ber hoJ you
alJays protected us, along Jith our @other, fro@ all sorts of
cala@itiesW (our partiality, like the Jings of a bird, sa'ed us fro@
poisoning and arsonH
P8-PO-T
7ue to 1"AQuJs death at an early age, his minor children and
widow were the ob2ect of special care by all the elderly
members of the family, especially %h=@madeva and
Mah"tm" !idura. !idura was more or less partial to the
1"AQavas due to their political position. Although
7h?tar"@Tra was e(ually careful for the minor children of
Mah"r"2a 1"AQu, he was one of the intriguing parties who
wanted to wash away the descendants of 1"AQu and replace
them by raising his own sons to become the rulers of the
kingdom. Mah"tm" !idura could follow this intrigue of
7h?tar"@Tra and company, and therefore, even though he
was a faithful servitor of his eldest brother, 7h?tar"@Tra, he
did not like his political ambition for the sake of his own
sons. He was therefore very careful about the protection of
the 1"AQavas and their widow mother. Thus he was, so to
speak, partial to the 1"AQavas, preferring them to the sons
of 7h?tar"@Tra, although both of them were e(ually
affectionate in his ordinary eyes. He was e(ually affectionate
to both the camps of nephews in the sense that he always
chastised 7uryodhana for his intriguing policy against his
cousins. He always critici)ed his elder brother for his policy
of encouragement to his sons, and at the same time he was
always alert in giving special protection to the 1"AQavas. All
these different activities of !idura within the palace politics
made him well'known as partial to the 1"AQavas. Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira has referred to the past history of !idura before
his going away from home for a prolonged pilgrimJs 2ourney.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira reminded him that he was e(ually kind
and partial to his grown'up nephews, even after the %attle of
>uruk@etra, a great family disaster.
%efore the %attle of >uruk@etra, 7h?tar"@TraJs policy was
peaceful annihilation of his nephews, and therefore he
ordered 1urocana to build a house at !"raA"vata, and when
the building was finished 7h?tar"@Tra desired that his
brotherJs family live there for some time. When the
1"AQavas were going there in the presence of all the
members of the royal family, !idura tactfully gave
instructions to the 1"AQavas about the future plan of
7h?tar"@Tra. This is specifically described in the
8ah'bh'rata 3di-parva ,,M6. He indirectly hinted, DA weapon
not made of steel or any other material element can be more
than sharp to kill an enemy, and he who knows this is never
killed.F That is to say, he hinted that the party of the
1"AQavas was being sent to !"raA"vata to be killed, and
thus he warned Xudhi@Thira to be very careful in their new
residential palace. He also gave indications of fire and said
that fire cannot e:tinguish the soul but can annihilate the
material body. %ut one who protects the soul can live. >unt=
could not follow such indirect conversations between
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and !idura, and thus when she
in(uired from her son about the purport of the conversation,
Xudhi@Thira replied that from the talks of !idura it was
understood that there was a hint of fire in the house where
they were proceeding. Eater on, !idura came in disguise to
the 1"AQavas and informed them that the housekeeper was
going to set fire to the house on the fourteenth night of the
waning moon. t was an intrigue of 7h?tar"@Tra that the
1"AQavas might die all together with their mother. And by
his warning the 1"AQavas escaped through a tunnel
underneath the earth so that their escape was also unknown
to 7h?tar"@Tra, so much so that after setting the fire, the
>auravas were so certain of the death of the 1"AQavas that
7h?tar"@Tra performed the last rites of death with great
cheerfulness. And during the mourning period all the
members of the palace became overwhelmed with
lamentation, but !idura did not become so, because of his
knowledge that the 1"AQavas were alive somewhere. There
are many such instances of calamities, and in each of them
!idura gave protection to the 1"AQavas on one hand, and on
the other he tried to restrain his brother 7h?tar"@Tra from
such intriguing policies. Therefore, he was always partial to
the 1"AQavas, 2ust as a bird protects its eggs by its wing.
T!T _
k6(aa ':t(aa 'iTa-Ta; ',riS0 iUaiTa$aQolR$a2 9
Ta?Qaa-i#a Uae<a$aue(aai#a Saei'Taa#a?h %a8TaleR 99 _ 99
kay' (4tty' (artita- (a1
caradbhi* k.iti%ma5;alam
t$rth'ni k.etra%m!khy'ni
se(it'n$ha bh0tale
S(#O#($S
kay'Zby whichV (4tty'ZmeansV (artitamZmaintained your
livelihoodV (a*Zyour good selfV caradbhi*Zwhile travelingV
k.iti%ma5;alamZon the surface of the earthV t$rth'niZplaces
of pilgrimageV k.etra%m!khy'niZthe principal holy placesV
se(it'niZserved by youV ihaZin this worldV bh0taleZon this
planet.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile tra'eling on the surface of the earth, hoJ did you @aintain
your li'elihoodW At Jhich holy places and pilgri@age sites did you
render ser'iceW
P8-PO-T
!idura went out from the palace to detach himself from
household affairs, especially political intrigues. As referred to
hereinbefore, he was practically insulted by 7uryodhanaJs
calling him a son of a 10dr'5$, although it was not out of
place to talk loosely in the case of oneJs grandmother.
!iduraJs mother, although a 10dr'5$, was the grandmother of
7uryodhana, and funny talks are sometimes allowed
between grandmother and grandchildren. %ut because the
remark was an actual fact, it was unpalatable talk to !idura,
and it was accepted as a direct insult. He therefore decided
to (uit his paternal house and prepare for the renounced
order of life. This preparatory stage is called ('na"rastha%
'1rama, or retired life for traveling and visiting the holy
places on the surface of the earth. n the holy places of ndia,
like !?nd"vana, Hardwar, Oagann"tha 1ur=, and 1ray"ga,
there are many great devotees, and there are still free
kitchen houses for persons who desire to advance spiritually.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was in(uisitive to learn whether !idura
maintained himself by the mercy of the free kitchen houses
3chatras6.
T!T "`
%a'ij>aa %aa&a'TaaSTa?Qa-%a8Taa0 S'(a; i'%aae 9
Ta?Qasku6'-i#Ta Ta?Qaa-i#a S'a#Ta0SQae#a &ada%a:Taa 99
"` 99
bha(ad%(idh' bh'ga(at's
t$rtha%bh0t'* s(aya- (ibho
t$rth$%k!r(anti t$rth'ni
s('nta*%sthena gad'bh4t'
S(#O#($S
bha(atZyour good selfV (idh'*ZlikeV bh'ga(at'*ZdevoteesV
t$rthaZthe holy places of pilgrimageV bh0t'*Zconverted intoV
s(ayamZpersonallyV (ibhoZ9 powerful oneV t$rth$%k!r(antiZ
make into a holy place of pilgrimageV t$rth'niZthe holy
placesV s(a%anta*%sthenaZhaving been situated in the heartV
gad'%bh4t'Zthe 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y Lord, de'otees like your good self are 'erily holy places
personifiedH Kecause you carry the Personality of &odhead Jithin
your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgri@ageH
P8-PO-T
The 1ersonality of 8odhead is omnipresent by His diverse
potencies everywhere, 2ust as the power of electricity is
distributed everywhere within space. $imilarly, the EordJs
omnipresence is perceived and manifested by His unalloyed
devotees like !idura, 2ust as electricity is manifested in an
electric bulb. A pure devotee like !idura always feels the
presence of the Eord everywhere. He sees everything in the
potency of the Eord and the Eord in everything. The holy
places all over the earth are meant for purifying the polluted
consciousness of the human being by an atmosphere
surcharged with the presence of the EordJs unalloyed
devotees. f anyone visits a holy place, he must search out
the pure devotees residing in such holy places, take lessons
from them, try to apply such instructions in practical life and
thus gradually prepare oneself for the ultimate salvation,
going back to 8odhead. To go to some holy place of
pilgrimage does not mean only to take a bath in the 8anges
or Xamun" or to visit the temples situated in those places.
9ne should also find representatives of !idura who have no
desire in life save and e:cept to serve the 1ersonality of
8odhead. The 1ersonality of 8odhead is always with such
pure devotees because of their unalloyed service, which is
without any tinge of fruitive action or utopian speculation.
They are in the actual service of the Eord, specifically by the
process of hearing and chanting. The pure devotees hear
from the authorities and chant, sing and write of the glories
of the Eord. Mah"muni !y"sadeva heard from K"rada, and
then he chanted in writingV <ukadeva 8osv"m= studied from
his father, and he described it to 1ar=k@itV that is the way of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam. $o by their actions the pure devotees of
the Eord can render any place into a place of pilgrimage, and
the holy places are worth the name only on their account.
$uch pure devotees are able to rectify the polluted
atmosphere of any place, and what to speak of a holy place
rendered unholy by the (uestionable actions of interested
persons who try to adopt a professional life at the cost of the
reputation of a holy place.
T!T ""
AiPa #a0 Sau5dSTaaTa ba#>a'a0 k:6.Qade'Taa0 9
d:na0 BOuTaa 'a (ad'0 S'Pau(aag SauY$aaSaTae 99 "" 99
a"i na* s!h4das t'ta
b'ndha('* k4.5a%de(at'*
d4.<'* 1r!t' (' yada(a*
s(a%"!ry'- s!kham 'sate
S(#O#($S
a"iZwhetherV na*ZourV s!h4da*Zwell'wishersV t'taZ9 my
uncleV b'ndha('*ZfriendsV k4.5a%de(at'*Zthose who are
always rapt in the service of Eord <r= >?@AaV d4.<'*Zby
seeing themV 1r!t'*Zor by hearing about themV ('ZeitherV
yada(a*Zthe descendants of XaduV s(a%"!ry'mZalong with
their residential placeV s!kham 'sateZif they are all happy.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y uncle, you @ust ha'e 'isited >'LrakLH In that holy place are our
friends and Jell6Jishers, the descendants of (adu, Jho are alJays
rapt in the ser'ice of the Lord ArB CDEFaH (ou @ight ha'e seen
the@ or heard about the@H Are they all li'ing happily in their
abodesW
P8-PO-T
The particular word k4.5a%de(at'*, i.e., those who are always
rapt in the service of Eord >?@Aa, is significant. The X"davas
and the 1"AQavas, who were always rapt in the thought of
the Eord >?@Aa and His different transcendental activities,
were all pure devotees of the Eord like !idura. !idura left
home in order to devote himself completely to the service of
the Eord, but the 1"AQavas and the X"davas were always
rapt in the thought of Eord >?@Aa. Thus there is no difference
in their pure devotional (ualities. ;ither remaining at home
or leaving home, the real (ualification of a pure devotee is to
become rapt in the thought of >?@Aa favorably, i.e., knowing
well that Eord >?@Aa is the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead.
>a[sa, Oar"sandha, <iPup"la and other demons like them
were also always rapt in the thought of Eord >?@Aa, but they
were absorbed in a different way, namely unfavorably, or
thinking Him to be a powerful man only. Therefore, >a[sa
and <iPup"la are not on the same level as pure devotees like
!idura, the 1"AQavas and the X"davas.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was also always rapt in the thought of
Eord >?@Aa and His associates at 7v"rak". 9therwise he
could not have asked all about them from !idura. Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira was therefore on the same level of devotion as
!idura, although engaged in the state affairs of the kingdom
of the world.
T!T "N
JT(auv6ae >a$a-ra)ae#a Sa'g TaTa2 Sa$a'Qa-(aTa2 9
(aQaa#au%a8Ta; s6$a!aae i'#aa (aduku6lRUa(a$a2 99 "N 99
ity !kto dharma%r')ena
sar(a- tat sama(ar5ayat
yath'n!bh0ta- krama1o
(in' yad!%k!la%k.ayam
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV !kta*Zbeing askedV dharma%r')enaZby >ing
Xudhi@ThiraV sar(amZallV tatZthatV sama(ar5ayatZproperly
describedV yath'%an!bh0tamZas he e:periencedV krama1a*Z
one after anotherV (in'ZwithoutV yad!%k!la%k.ayamZ
annihilation of the Xadu dynasty.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus being ?uestioned by $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, $ahLt@L Gidura
gradually described e'erything he had personally eMperienced,
eMcept neJs of the annihilation of the (adu dynastyH
T!T "X
#a#'iPaO(a; dui'-=h; #a:Qaa; S'(a$auPaiSQaTa$a2 9
#aa'ed(aTa2 Sak6DQaae du0iYTaa#a2 d3nu$aUa$a0 99 "X 99
nan( a"riya- d!r(i.aha-
n45'- s(ayam !"asthitam
n'(edayat sakar!5o
d!*khit'n dra.<!m ak.ama*
S(#O#($S
nan!Zas a matter of factV a"riyamZunpalatableV d!r(i.aham
ZunbearableV n45'mZof humankindV s(ayamZin its own
wayV !"asthitamZappearanceV naZdid notV '(edayatZ
e:pressedV sakar!5a*ZcompassionateV d!*khit'nZ
distressedV dra.<!mZto seeV ak.ama*Zunable.
T-A#SLATIO#
Co@passionate $ahLt@L Gidura could not stand to see the
PLFha'as distressed at any ti@eH Therefore he did not disclose this
unpalatable and unbearable incident because cala@ities co@e of
their oJn accordH
P8-PO-T
According to N$ti%1'stra 3civic laws6 one should not speak an
unpalatable truth to cause distress to others. 7istress comes
upon us in its own way by the laws of nature, so one should
not aggravate it by propaganda. Hor a compassionate soul
like !idura, especially in his dealings with the beloved
1"AQavas, it was almost impossible to disclose an
unpalatable piece of news like the annihilation of the Xadu
dynasty. Therefore he purposely refrained from it.
T!T "Z
k6i}Tk6alR$aQaa'aTSa?TSaTk:6Taae de''TSauY$a2 9
%a3aTau)(ae-fS(a BOe(aSk:6TSa'e-=a; SauY$aa'h#a2 99 "Z 99
ka,cit k'lam ath'('ts$t
sat%k4to de(a(at s!kham
bhr't!r )ye.<hasya 1reyas%k4t
sar(e.'- s!kham '(ahan
S(#O#($S
ka,citZfor a few daysV k'lamZtimeV athaZthusV a('ts$tZ
residedV sat%k4ta*Zbeing well treatedV de(a%(atZ2ust like a
godly personalityV s!khamZamenitiesV bhr't!*Zof the
brotherV )ye.<hasyaZof the elderV 1reya*%k4tZfor doing good
to himV sar(e.'mZall othersV s!khamZhappinessV '(ahanZ
made it possible.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus $ahLt@L Gidura, being treated /ust like a godly person by his
kins@en, re@ained there for a certain period /ust to rectify the
@entality of his eldest brother and in this Jay bring happiness to
all the othersH
P8-PO-T
$aintly persons like !idura must be treated as well as a
deni)en from heaven. n those days deni)ens of heavenly
planets used to visit homes like that of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, and sometimes persons like Ar2una and others
used to visit higher planets. K"rada is a spaceman who can
travel unrestrictedly, not only within the material universes
but also in the spiritual universes. ;ven K"rada used to visit
the palace of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and what to speak of
other celestial demigods. t is only the spiritual culture of the
people concerned that makes interplanetary travel possible,
even in the present body. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira therefore
received !idura in the manner of reception offered to the
demigods.
Mah"tm" !idura had already adopted the renounced order
of life, and therefore he did not return to his paternal palace
to en2oy some material comforts. He accepted out of his own
mercy what was offered to him by Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, but
the purpose of living in the palace was to deliver his elder
brother, 7h?tar"@Tra, who was too much materially
attached. 7h?tar"@Tra lost all his state and descendants in
the fight with Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, and still, due to his
sense of helplessness, he did not feel ashamed to accept the
charity and hospitality of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. 9n the part
of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, it was (uite in order to maintain his
uncle in a befitting manner, but acceptance of such
magnanimous hospitality by 7h?tar"@Tra was not at all
desirable. He accepted it because he thought that there was
no alternative. !idura particularly came to enlighten
7h?tar"@Tra and to give him a lift to the higher status of
spiritual cognition. t is the duty of enlightened souls to
deliver the fallen ones, and !idura came for that reason. %ut
talks of spiritual enlightenment are so refreshing that while
instructing 7h?tar"@Tra, !idura attracted the attention of all
the members of the family, and all of them took pleasure in
hearing him patiently. This is the way of spiritual reali)ation.
The message should be heard attentively, and if spoken by a
reali)ed soul, it will act on the dormant heart of the
conditioned soul. And by continuously hearing, one can
attain the perfect stage of self'reali)ation.
T!T "[
Aib%a3d(a-$aa dQo; (aQaa'dgak6air=u 9
(aa'q>aar B8d3T'; !aaPaaj=-!aTa; (a$a0 99 "[ 99
abibhrad aryam' da5;a-
yath'(ad agha%k'ri.!
y'(ad dadh'ra 10drat(a-
1'"'d (ar.a%1ata- yama*
S(#O#($S
abibhratZadministeredV aryam'ZAryam"V da5;amZ
punishmentV yath'(atZas it was suitableV agha%k'ri.!Zunto
persons who had committed sinsV y'(atZas long asV dadh'ra
ZacceptedV 10drat(amZthe tabernacle of a 10draC 1'"'tZas
the result of a curseV (ar.a%1atamZfor one hundred yearsV
yama*ZXamar"2a.
T-A#SLATIO#
As long as Gidura played the part of a wddra, being cursed by
$aFhdka $uni, Arya@L officiated at the post of (a@arL/a to
punish those Jho co@@itted sinful actsH
P8-PO-T
!idura, born in the womb of a 10dra woman, was forbidden
even to be a party of royal heritage along with his brothers
7h?tar"@Tra and 1"AQu. Then how could he occupy the post
of a preacher to instruct such learned kings and k.atriyas as
7h?tar"@Tra and Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira? The first answer is
that even though it is accepted that he was a 10dra by birth,
because he renounced the world for spiritual enlightenment
by the authority of _@i Maitreya and was thoroughly
educated by him in transcendental knowledge, he was (uite
competent to occupy the post of an 'c'rya, or spiritual
preceptor. According to <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, anyone
who is conversant in the transcendental knowledge, or the
science of 8odhead, be he a br'hma5a or a 10dra, a
householder or a sanny's$, is eligible to become a spiritual
master. ;ven in the ordinary moral codes 3maintained by
*"Aakya 1aAQita, the great politician and moralist6 there is
no harm in taking lessons from a person who may be by
birth less than a 10dra. This is one part of the answer. The
other is that !idura was not actually a 10dra. He was to play
the part of a so'called 10dra for one hundred years, being
cursed by MaAQLka Muni. He was the incarnation of
Xamar"2a, one of the twelve mah')anas, on the level with
such e:alted personalities as %rahm", K"rada, <iva, >apila,
%h=@ma, 1rahl"da, etc. %eing a mah')ana, it is the duty of
Xamar"2a to preach the cult of devotion to the people of the
world, as K"rada, %rahm", and other mah')anas do. %ut
Xamar"2a is always busy in his plutonic kingdom punishing
the doers of sinful acts. Xamar"2a is deputed by the Eord to a
particular planet, some hundreds of thousands of miles away
from the planet of earth, to take away the corrupt souls after
death and convict them in accordance with their respective
sinful activities. Thus Xamar"2a has very little time to take
leave from his responsible office of punishing the
wrongdoers. There are more wrongdoers than righteous
men. Therefore Xamar"2a has to do more work than other
demigods who are also authori)ed agents of the $upreme
Eord. %ut he wanted to preach the glories of the Eord, and
therefore by the will of the Eord he was cursed by MaAQLka
Muni to come into the world in the incarnation of !idura and
work very hard as a great devotee. $uch a devotee is neither
a 10dra nor a br'hma5a. He is transcendental to such
divisions of mundane society, 2ust as the 1ersonality of
8odhead assumes His incarnation as a hog, but He is neither
a hog nor a %rahm". He is above all mundane creatures. The
Eord and His different authori)ed devotees sometimes have
to play the role of many lower creatures to claim the
conditioned souls, but both the Eord and His pure devotees
are always in the transcendental position. When Xamar"2a
thus incarnated himself as !idura, his post was officiated by
Aryam", one of the many sons of >aPyapa and Aditi. The
Wdityas are sons of Aditi, and there are twelve Wdityas.
Aryam" is one of the twelve Wdityas, and therefore it was
(uite possible for him to take charge of the office of
Xamar"2a during his one hundred yearsJ absence in the form
of !idura. The conclusion is that !idura was never a 10dra,
but was greater than the purest type of br'hma5a.
T!T "\
(aui>aifrae lRK>ara)(aae d:a Paa<a; ku6lR#>ar$a2 9
%a3aTa:i%alRae-k6PaalRa%a$au-$aude Par(aa iBO(aa 99 "\ 99
y!dhi.<hiro labdha%r')yo
d4.<(' "a!tra- k!lan%dharam
bhr't4bhir loka%"'l'bhair
m!m!de "aray' 1riy'
S(#O#($S
y!dhi.<hira*ZXudhi@ThiraV labdha%r')ya*Zpossessing his
paternal kingdomV d4.<('Zby seeingV "a!tramZthe
grandsonV k!lam%dharamZ2ust suitable for the dynastyV
bhr't4bhi*Zby the brothersV loka%"'l'bhai*Zwho were all
e:pert administratorsV m!m!deZen2oyed lifeV "aray'Z
uncommonV 1riy'Zopulence.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ia'ing Jon his kingdo@ and obser'ed the birth of one grandson
co@petent to continue the noble tradition of his fa@ily, $ahLrL/a
(udhiEhira reigned peacefully and en/oyed unco@@on opulence
in cooperation Jith his younger brothers, Jho Jere all eMpert
ad@inistrators to the co@@on peopleH
P8-PO-T
%oth Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and Ar2una were unhappy from
the beginning of the %attle of >uruk@etra, but even though
they were unwilling to kill their own men in the fight, it had
to be done as a matter of duty, for it was planned by the
supreme will of Eord <r= >?@Aa. After the battle, Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira was unhappy over such mass killings. 1ractically
there was none to continue the >uru dynasty after them, the
1"AQavas. The only remaining hope was the child in the
womb of his daughter'in'law, Rttar", and he was also
attacked by APvatth"m", but by the grace of the Eord the
child was saved. $o after the settlement of all disturbing
conditions and reestablishment of the peaceful order of the
state, and after seeing the surviving child, 1ar=k@it, well
satisfied, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira felt some relief as a human
being, although he had very little attraction for material
happiness, which is always illusory and temporary.
T!T "]
V'; &a:he=u Sav6a#aa; PaO$ataa#aa; Tad?h(aa 9
AT(as6a$adi'/aTa0 k6alR0 Par$aduSTar0 99 "] 99
e(a- g4he.! sakt'n'-
"ramatt'n'- tad%$hay'
atyakr'mad a(i),'ta*
k'la* "arama%d!stara*
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV g4he.!Zin the family affairsV sakt'n'mZof
persons who are too attachedV "ramatt'n'mZinsanely
attachedV tat%$hay'Zengrossed in such thoughtsV atyakr'mat
ZsurpassedV a(i),'ta*ZimperceptiblyV k'la*Zeternal timeV
"aramaZsupremelyV d!stara*Zinsurmountable.
T-A#SLATIO#
Insur@ountable, eternal ti@e i@perceptibly o'erco@es those Jho
are too @uch attached to fa@ily affairs and are alJays engrossed
in their thoughtH
P8-PO-T
D am now happyV have everything in orderV my bank
balance is (uite enoughV can now give my children enough
estateV am now successfulV the poor beggar sanny's$s
depend on 8od, but they come to beg from meV therefore
am more than the $upreme 8od.F These are some of the
thoughts which engross the insanely attached householder
who is blind to the passing of eternal time. 9ur duration of
life is measured, and no one is able to enhance it even by a
second against the scheduled time ordained by the supreme
will. $uch valuable time, especially for the human being,
should be cautiously spent because even a second passed
away imperceptibly cannot be replaced, even in e:change
for thousands of golden coins amassed by hard labor. ;very
second of human life is meant for making an ultimate
solution to the problems of life, i.e. repetition of birth and
death and revolving in the cycle of .,MNN,NNN different
species of life. The material body, which is sub2ect to birth
and death, diseases and old age, is the cause of all
sufferings of the living being, otherwise the living being is
eternalV he is never born, nor does he ever die. Hoolish
persons forget this problem. They do not know at all how to
solve the problems of life, but become engrossed in
temporary family affairs not knowing that eternal time is
passing away imperceptibly and that their measured
duration of life is diminishing every second, without any
solution to the big problem, namely repetition of birth and
death, disease and old age. This is called illusion.
%ut such illusion cannot work on one who is awake in the
devotional service of the Eord. Xudhi@Thira Mah"r"2a and his
brothers the 1"AQavas were all engaged in the service of the
Eord <r= >?@Aa, and they had very little attraction for the
illusory happiness of this material world. As we have
discussed previously, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was fi:ed in the
service of the Eord Mukunda 3the Eord, who can award
salvation6, and therefore he had no attraction even for such
comforts of life as are available in the kingdom of heaven,
because even the happiness obtained on the planet
%rahmaloka is also temporary and illusory. %ecause the
living being is eternal, he can be happy only in the eternal
abode of the kingdom of 8od 3"ara(yoma6, from which no one
returns to this region of repeated birth and death, disease
and old age. Therefore, any comfort of life or any material
happiness which does not warrant an eternal life is but
illusion for the eternal living being. 9ne who understands
this factually is learned, and such a learned person can
sacrifice any amount of material happiness to achieve the
desired goal known as brahma%s!kham, or absolute
happiness. 0eal transcendentalists are hungry for this
happiness, and as a hungry man cannot be made happy by
all comforts of life minus foodstuff, so the man hungry for
eternal absolute happiness cannot be satisfied by any
amount of material happiness. Therefore, the instruction
described in this verse cannot be applied to Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira or his brothers and mother. t was meant for
persons like 7h?tar"@Tra, for whom !idura came especially
to impart lessons.
T!T "^
i'durSTadi%aPaOeT(a >a:Taran|$a%aa=Ta 9
ra)aik&a-$(aTaa; !a?ga3; Pa!(aed; %a(a$aa&aTa$a2 99 "^ 99
(id!ras tad abhi"retya
dh4tar'.<ram abh'.ata
r')an nirgamyat'- 1$ghra-
"a1yeda- bhayam 'gatam
S(#O#($S
(id!ra*ZMah"tm" !iduraV tatZthatV abhi"retyaZknowing it
wellV dh4tar'.<ramZunto 7h?tar"@TraV abh'.ataZsaidV r')an
Z9 >ingV nirgamyat'mZplease get out immediatelyV 1$ghram
Zwithout the least delayV "a1yaZ2ust seeV idamZthisV
bhayamZfearV 'gatamZalready arrived.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLt@L Gidura kneJ all this, and therefore he addressed
>hDtarLEra, sayinge $y dear Cing, please get out of here
i@@ediatelyH >o not delayH )ust see hoJ fear has o'ertaken youH
P8-PO-T
*ruel death cares for no one, be he 7h?tar"@Tra or even
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraV therefore spiritual instruction, as was
given to old 7h?tar"@Tra, was e(ually applicable to younger
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. As a matter of fact, everyone in the
royal palace, including the >ing and his brothers and mother,
was raptly attending the lectures. %ut it was known to !idura
that his instructions were especially meant for 7h?tar"@Tra,
who was too materialistic. The word r')an is especially
addressed to 7h?tar"@Tra significantly. 7h?tar"@Tra was the
eldest son of his father, and therefore according to law he
was to be installed on the throne of Hastin"pura. %ut
because he was blind from birth, he was dis(ualified from his
rightful claim. %ut he could not forget the bereavement, and
his disappointment was somewhat compensated after the
death of 1"AQu, his younger brother. His younger brother left
behind him some minor children, and 7h?tar"@Tra became
the natural guardian of them, but at heart he wanted to
become the factual king and hand the kingdom over to his
own sons, headed by 7uryodhana. With all these imperial
ambitions, 7h?tar"@Tra wanted to become a king, and he
contrived all sorts of intrigues in consultation with his
brother'in'law <akuni. %ut everything failed by the will of the
Eord, and at the last stage, even after losing everything,
men and money, he wanted to remain as king, being the
eldest uncle of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira,
as a matter of duty, maintained 7h?tar"@Tra in royal honor,
and 7h?tar"@Tra was happily passing away his numbered
days in the illusion of being a king or the royal uncle of >ing
Xudhi@Thira. !idura, as a saint and as the duty'bound
affectionate youngest brother of 7h?tar"@Tra, wanted to
awaken 7h?tar"@Tra from his slumber of disease and old
age. !idura therefore sarcastically addressed 7h?tar"@Tra
as the D>ing,F which he was actually not. ;veryone is the
servant of eternal time, and therefore no one can be king in
this material world. >ing means the person who can order.
The celebrated ;nglish king wanted to order time and tide,
but the time and tide refused to obey his order. Therefore
one is a false king in the material world, and 7h?tar"@Tra
was particularly reminded of this false position and of the
factual fearful happenings which had already approached
him at that time. !idura asked him to get out immediately, if
he wanted to be saved from the fearful situation which was
approaching him fast. He did not ask Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira
in that way because he knew that a king like Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira is aware of all the fearful situations of this flimsy
world and would take care of himself, in due course, even
though !idura might not be present at that time.
T!T "_
PaOiTais6(aa #a (aS(aeh ku6Tai,Tk6ih-icTPaO%aae 9
Sa V= %a&a'a#a2 k6alR0 Sa'e-=a; #a0 Sa$aa&aTa0 99 "_ 99
"ratikriy' na yasyeha
k!ta1cit karhicit "rabho
sa e.a bhaga('n k'la*
sar(e.'- na* sam'gata*
S(#O#($S
"ratikriy'Zremedial measureV naZthere is noneV yasyaZof
whichV ihaZin this material worldV k!ta1citZby any meansV
karhicitZor by anyoneV "rabhoZ9 my lordV sa*ZthatV e.a*Z
positivelyV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV k'la*Z
eternal timeV sar(e.'mZof allV na*Zof usV sam'gata*Z
arrived.
T-A#SLATIO#
This frightful situation cannot be re@edied by any person in this
@aterial JorldH $y lord, it is the Supre@e Personality of &odhead
as eternal ti@e OkLla3 that has approached us allH
P8-PO-T
There is no superior power which can check the cruel hands
of death. Ko one wants to die, however acute the source of
bodily sufferings may be. ;ven in the days of so'called
scientific advancement of knowledge, there is no remedial
measure either for old age or for death. 9ld age is the notice
of the arrival of death served by cruel time, and no one can
refuse to accept either summon calls or the supreme
2udgment of eternal time. This is e:plained before
7h?tar"@Tra because he might ask !idura to find out some
remedial measure for the imminent fearful situation, as he
had ordered many times before. %efore ordering, however,
!idura informed 7h?tar"@Tra that there was no remedial
measure by anyone or from any source in this material
world. And because there is no such thing in the material
world, death is identical with the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead, as it is said by the Eord Himself in the Bhagavad-
gt 3,N.\M6.
7eath cannot be checked by anyone or from any source
within this material world. HiraAyakaPipu wanted to be
immortal and underwent a severe type of penance by which
the whole universe trembled, and %rahm" himself
approached him to dissuade HiraAyakaPipu from such a
severe type of penance. HiraAyakaPipu asked %rahm" to
award him the blessings of immortality, but %rahm" said
that he himself was sub2ect to death, even in the topmost
planet, so how could he award him the benediction of
immortality? $o there is death even in the topmost planet of
this universe, and what to speak of other planets, which are
far, far inferior in (uality to %rahmaloka, the residing planet
of %rahm". Wherever there is the influence of eternal time,
there is this set of tribulations, namely birth, disease, old age
and death, and all of them are invincible.
T!T N`
(ae#a c'ai%aPakae+(a; PaOaQa0 iPaO(aTa$ariPa 9
)a#a0 Sa*ae i'(au)(aeTa ik6$auTaa#(a>a-#aaidi%a0 99 N` 99
yena cai('bhi"anno 2ya-
"r'5ai* "riyatamair a"i
)ana* sadyo (iy!)yeta
kim !t'nyair dhan'dibhi*
S(#O#($S
yenaZpulled by such timeV caZandV e(aZcertainlyV
abhi"anna*ZovertakenV ayamZthisV "r'5ai*Zwith lifeV "riya%
tamai*Zwhich is most dear to everyoneV a"iZeven thoughV
)ana*ZpersonV sadya*ZforthwithV (iy!)yetaZdo give upV kim
!ta anyai*Zwhat to speak of any other thingV dhana%'dibhi*Z
such as wealth, honor, children, land and house.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhoe'er is under the influence of supre@e kLla Oeternal ti@e3 @ust
surrender his @ost dear life, and Jhat to speak of other things,
such as Jealth, honor, children, land and ho@eH
P8-PO-T
A great ndian scientist, busy in the planmaking business,
was suddenly called by invincible eternal time while going to
attend a very important meeting of the planning
commission, and he had to surrender his life, wife, children,
house, land, wealth, etc. 7uring the political upsurge in ndia
and its division into 1akistan and Hindustan, so many rich
and influential ndians had to surrender life, property and
honor due to the influence of time, and there are hundreds
and thousands of e:amples like that all over the world, all
over the universe, which are all effects of the influence of
time. Therefore, the conclusion is that there is no powerful
living being within the universe who can overcome the
influence of time. Many poets have written verses lamenting
the influence of time. Many devastations have taken place
over the universes due to the influence of time, and no one
could check them by any means. ;ven in our daily life, so
many things come and go in which we have no hand, but we
have to suffer or tolerate them without remedial measure.
That is the result of time.
T!T N"
iPaTa:%a3aTa:Sau5TPau<aa hTaaSTae i'&aTa; '(a$a2 9
AaT$aa c )ar(aa &a3STa0 Par&aeh$auPaaSaSae 99 N" 99
"it4%bhr't4%s!h4t%"!tr'
hat's te (igata- (ayam
'tm' ca )aray' grasta*
"ara%geham !"'sase
S(#O#($S
"it4ZfatherV bhr't4ZbrotherV s!h4tZwell'wishersV "!tr'*Z
sonsV hat'*Zall deadV teZyoursV (igatamZe:pendedV (ayamZ
ageV 'tm'Zthe bodyV caZalsoV )aray'Zby invalidityV grasta*
ZovercomeV "ara%gehamZanotherJs homeV !"'saseZyou do
live.
T-A#SLATIO#
(our father, brother, Jell6Jishers and sons are all dead and passed
aJayH (ou yourself ha'e eMpended the @a/or portion of your life,
your body is noJ o'ertaken by in'alidity, and you are li'ing in the
ho@e of anotherH
P8-PO-T
The >ing is reminded of his precarious condition, influenced
by cruel time, and by his past e:perience he should have
been more intelligent to see what was going to happen to his
own life. His father, !icitrav=rya, died long ago, when he and
his younger brothers were all little children, and it was due
to the care and kindness of %h=@madeva that they were
properly brought up. Then again his brother 1"AQu died also.
Then in the %attlefield of >uruk@etra his one hundred sons
and his grandsons all died, along with all other well'wishers
like %h=@madeva, 7roA"c"rya, >arAa and many other kings
and friends. $o he had lost all men and money, and now he
was living at the mercy of his nephew, whom he had put into
troubles of various types. And despite all these reverses, he
thought that he would prolong his life more and more. !idura
wanted to point out to 7h?tar"@Tra that everyone has to
protect himself by his action and the grace of the Eord. 9ne
has to e:ecute his duty faithfully, depending for the result on
the supreme authority. Ko friend, no children, no father, no
brother, no state and no one else can protect a person who
is not protected by the $upreme Eord. 9ne should, therefore,
seek the protection of the $upreme Eord, for the human form
of life is meant for seeking that protection. He was warned of
his precarious conditions more and more by the following
words.
T!T NN
A#>a0 Paur' 'i>arae $a#dPaO/a, Saa$PaOTa$a2 9
i'!a?Qa-d#Taae $a#dai&an0 Sara&a0 k6f6$aujh#a2 99 NN 99
andha* "!rai(a (adhiro
manda%"ra),'1 ca s'm"ratam
(i1$r5a%danto mand'gni*
sar'ga* ka"ham !d(ahan
S(#O#($S
andha*ZblindV "!r'Zfrom the beginningV e(aZcertainlyV
(adhira*Zhard of hearingV manda%"ra),'*Zmemory
shortenedV caZandV s'm"ratamZrecentlyV (i1$r5aZloosenedV
danta*ZteethV manda%agni*Zliver action decreasedV sa%r'ga*
Zwith soundV ka"hamZcoughing much mucusV !d(ahanZ
coming out.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou ha'e been blind fro@ your 'ery birth, and recently you ha'e
beco@e hard of hearingH (our @e@ory is shortened, and your
intelligence is disturbedH (our teeth are loose, your li'er is
defecti'e, and you are coughing up @ucusH
P8-PO-T
The symptoms of old age, which had already developed in
7h?tar"@Tra, were all one after another pointed out to him
as warning that death was nearing very (uickly, and still he
was foolishly carefree about his future. The signs pointed out
by !idura in the body of 7h?tar"@Tra were signs of a"ak.aya,
or dwindling of the material body before the last stroke of
death. The body is born, it develops, stays, creates other
bodies, dwindles and then vanishes. %ut foolish men want to
make a permanent settlement of the perishable body and
think that their estate, children, society, country, etc., will
give them protection. With such foolish ideas, they become
overtaken by such temporary engagements and forget
altogether that they must give up this temporary body and
take a new one, again to arrange for another term of society,
friendship and love, again to perish ultimately. They forget
their permanent identity and become foolishly active for
impermanent occupations, forgetting altogether their prime
duty. $aints and sages like !idura approach such foolish men
to awaken them to the real situation, but they take such
s'dh!s and saints as parasites of society, and almost all of
them refuse to hear the words of such s'dh!s and saints,
although they welcome show'bottle s'dh!s and so'called
saints who can satisfy their senses. !idura was not a s'dh! to
satisfy the ill'gotten sentiment of 7h?tar"@Tra. He was
correctly pointing out the real situation of life, and how one
can save oneself from such catastrophies.
T!T NX
Ahae $ah?(aSa? )a#Taae)asi'Taa!aa (aQaa %a'a#a2 9
%a?$aaPa'i)a-Ta; iPaQo$aadtae &a:hPaalR'Ta2 99 NX 99
aho mah$yas$ )antor
)$(it'1' yath' bha('n
bh$m'"a(ar)ita- "i5;am
'datte g4ha%"'la(at
S(#O#($S
ahoZalasV mah$yas$ZpowerfulV )anto*Zof the living beingsV
)$(ita%'1'Zhope for lifeV yath'Zas much asV bha('nZyou areV
bh$maZof %h=masena 3a brother of Xudhi@ThiraJs6V
a"a(ar)itamZremnantsV "i5;amZfoodstuffV 'datteZeaten byV
g4ha%"'la%(atZlike a household dog.
T-A#SLATIO#
Alas, hoJ poJerful are the hopes of a li'ing being to continue his
lifeH Gerily, you are li'ing /ust like a household dog and are eating
re@nants of food gi'en by KhB@aH
P8-PO-T
A s'dh! should never flatter kings or rich men to live
comfortably at their cost. A s'dh! is to speak to the
householders about the naked truth of life so that they may
come to their senses about the precarious life in material
e:istence. 7h?tar"@Tra is a typical e:ample of an attached
old man in household life. He had become a pauper in the
true sense, yet he wanted to live comfortably in the house of
the 1"AQavas, of whom %h=ma especially is mentioned
because personally he killed two prominent sons of
7h?tar"@Tra, namely 7uryodhana and 7ubP"sana. These
two sons were very much dear to him for their notorious and
nefarious activities, and %h=ma is particularly pointed out
because he killed these two pet sons. Why was 7h?tar"@Tra
living there at the house of the 1"AQavas? %ecause he
wanted to continue his life comfortably, even at the risk of
all humiliation. !idura, therefore, was astonished how
powerful is the urge to continue life. This sense of continuing
oneJs life indicates that a living being is eternally a living
entity and does not want to change his bodily habitation. The
foolish man does not know that a particular term of bodily
e:istence is awarded to him to undergo a term of
imprisonment, and the human body is awarded, after many,
many births and deaths, as a chance for self'reali)ation to go
back home, back to 8odhead. %ut persons like 7h?tar"@Tra
try to make plans to live there in a comfortable position with
profit and interest, for they do not see things as they are.
7h?tar"@Tra is blind and continues to hope to live
comfortably in the midst of all kinds of reverses of life. A
s'dh! like !idura is meant to awaken such blind persons and
thus help them go back to 8odhead, where life is eternal.
9nce going there, no one wants to come back to this
material world of miseries. We can 2ust imagine how
responsible a task is entrusted to a s'dh! like Mah"tm"
!idura.
T!T NZ
Ai&ani#a-Sa:nae dta, &arae dara, d8i=Taa0 9
5Ta; Uae<a; >a#a; (ae=a; TaqtarSaui%a0 ik6(aTa2 99 NZ 99
agnir nis4.<o datta1 ca
garo d'r'1 ca d0.it'*
h4ta- k.etra- dhana- ye.'-
tad%dattair as!bhi* kiyat
S(#O#($S
agni*ZfireV nis4.<a*ZsetV datta*ZgivenV caZandV gara*Z
poisonV d'r'*Zmarried wifeV caZandV d0.it'*ZinsultedV
h4tamZusurpedV k.etramZkingdomV dhanamZwealthV ye.'m
Zof thoseV tatZtheirV dattai*Zgiven byV as!bhi*ZsubsistingV
kiyatZis unnecessary.
T-A#SLATIO#
There is no need to li'e a degraded life and subsist on the charity
of those Jho@ you tried to kill by arson and poisoningH (ou also
insulted one of their Ji'es and usurped their kingdo@ and JealthH
P8-PO-T
The system of (ar5'1rama religion sets aside a part of oneJs
life completely for the purpose of self'reali)ation and
attainment of salvation in the human form of life. That is a
routine division of life, but persons like 7h?tar"@Tra, even at
their weary ripened age, want to stay home, even in a
degraded condition of accepting charity from enemies.
!idura wanted to point this out and impressed upon him that
it was better to die like his sons than accept such humiliating
charity. Hive thousand years ago there was one 7h?tar"@Tra,
but at the present moment there are 7h?tar"@Tras in every
home. 1oliticians especially do not retire from political
activities unless they are dragged by the cruel hand of death
or killed by some opposing element. To stick to family life to
the end of oneJs human life is the grossest type of
degradation and there is an absolute need for the !iduras to
educate such 7h?tar"@Tras, even at the present moment.
T!T N[
TaS(aaiPa Ta' dehae+(a; k:6PaQaS(a i)a)a?i'=ae0 9
ParT(ai#aCcTaae )a?Qaae- )ar(aa 'aSaSa? J' 99 N[ 99
tasy'"i ta(a deho 2ya-
k4"a5asya )i)$(i.o*
"araity anicchato )$r5o
)aray' ('sas$ i(a
S(#O#($S
tasyaZof thisV a"iZin spite ofV ta(aZyourV deha*ZbodyV ayam
ZthisV k4"a5asyaZof one who is miserlyV )i)$(i.o*Zof you
who desire lifeV "araitiZwill dwindleV anicchata*Zeven
unwillingV )$r5a*ZdeterioratedV )aray'ZoldV ('sas$Z
garmentsV i(aZlike.
T-A#SLATIO#
>espite your unJillingness to die and your desire to li'e e'en at
the cost of honor and prestige, your @iserly body Jill certainly
dJindle and deteriorate like an old gar@entH
P8-PO-T
The words k4"a5asya )i)$(i.o* are significant. There are two
classes of men. 9ne is called the k4"a5a, and the other is
called the br'hma5a. The k4"a5a, or the miserly man, has no
estimation of his material body, but the br'hma5a has a true
estimation of himself and the material body. The k4"a5a,
having a wrong estimation of his material body, wants to
en2oy sense gratification with his utmost strength, and even
in old age he wants to become a young man by medical
treatment or otherwise. 7h?tar"@Tra is addressed herein as
a k4"a5a because without any estimation of his material body
he wants to live at any cost. !idura is trying to open his eyes
to see that he cannot live more than his term and that he
must prepare for death. $ince death is inevitable, why
should he accept such a humiliating position for living? t is
better to take the right path, even at the risk of death.
Human life is meant for finishing all kinds of miseries of
material e:istence, and life should be so regulated that one
can achieve the desired goal. 7h?tar"@Tra, due to his wrong
conception of life, had already spoiled eighty percent of his
achieved energy, so it behooved him to utili)e the remaining
days of his miserly life for the ultimate good. $uch a life is
called miserly because one cannot properly utili)e the assets
of the human form of life. 9nly by good luck does such a
miserly man meet a self'reali)ed soul like !idura and by his
instruction gets rid of the nescience of material e:istence.
T!T N\
&aTaS'aQa-i$a$a; deh; i'rv6ae $auv6b#>a#a0 9
Ai'/aTa&aiTa)a-7aTa2 Sa ' >a?r oda5Ta0 99 N\ 99
gata%s('rtham ima- deha-
(irakto m!kta%bandhana*
a(i),'ta%gatir )ahy't
sa (ai dh$ra !d'h4ta*
S(#O#($S
gata%s(a%arthamZwithout being properly utili)edV imamZthisV
dehamZmaterial bodyV (irakta*ZindifferentlyV m!ktaZbeing
freedV bandhana*Zfrom all obligationsV a(i),'ta%gati*Z
unknown destinationV )ahy'tZone should give up this bodyV
sa*Zsuch a personV (aiZcertainlyV dh$ra*ZundisturbedV
!d'h4ta*Zis said to be so.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie is called undisturbed Jho goes to an unknoJn, re@ote place
and, freed fro@ all obligations, ?uits his @aterial body Jhen it has
beco@e uselessH
P8-PO-T
Karottama d"sa Sh"kura, a great devotee and 'c'rya of the
8auQ=ya !ai@Aava sect, has sungC DMy Eord, have simply
wasted my life. Having obtained the human body, have
neglected to worship Xour Eordship, and therefore have
willingly drunk poison.F n other words, the human body is
especially meant for cultivating knowledge of devotional
service to the Eord, without which life becomes full of
an:ieties and miserable conditions. Therefore, one who has
spoiled his life without such cultural activities is advised to
leave home without knowledge of friends and relatives and,
being thus freed from all obligations of family, society,
country, etc., give up the body at some unknown destination
so that others may not know where and how he has met his
death. Dh$ra means one who is not disturbed, even when
there is sufficient provocation. 9ne cannot give up a
comfortable family life due to his affectionate relation with
wife and children. $elf'reali)ation is obstructed by such
undue affection for family, and if anyone is at all able to
forget such a relation, he is called undisturbed, or dh$ra. This
is, however, the path of renunciation based on a frustrated
life, but stabili)ation of such renunciation is possible only by
association with bona fide saints and self'reali)ed souls by
which one can be engaged in the loving devotional service of
the Eord. $incere surrender unto the lotus feet of the Eord is
possible by awakening the transcendental sense of service.
This is made possible by association with pure devotees of
the Eord. 7h?tar"@Tra was lucky enough to have a brother
whose very association was a source of liberation for his
frustrated life.
T!T N]
(a0 S'k6aTParTaae 'eh )aaTai#a'e-d AaT$a'a#a2 9
5id k:6T'a hir; &aehaTPaO'3)aeTSa #araeta$a0 99 N] 99
ya* s(ak't "arato (eha
)'ta%nir(eda 'tma('n
h4di k4t(' hari- geh't
"ra(ra)et sa narottama*
S(#O#($S
ya*Zanyone whoV s(ak'tZby his own awakeningV "arata* ('
Zor by hearing from anotherV ihaZhere in this worldV )'taZ
becomesV nir(eda*Zindifferent to material attachmentV
'tma('nZconsciousnessV h4diZwithin the heartV k4t('Z
having been taken byV harimZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV
geh'tZfrom homeV "ra(ra)etZgoes awayV sa*Zhe isV nara%
!ttama*Zthe first'class human being.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie is certainly a first6class @an Jho aJakens and understands,
either by hi@self or fro@ others, the falsity and @isery of this
@aterial Jorld and thus lea'es ho@e and depends fully on the
Personality of &odhead residing Jithin his heartH
P8-PO-T
There are three classes of transcendentalists, namely, 3,6
the dh$ra, or the one who is not disturbed by being away
from family association, 3G6 one in the renounced order of
life, a sanny's$ by frustrated sentiment, and 3\6 a sincere
devotee of the Eord, who awakens 8od consciousness by
hearing and chanting and leaves home depending
completely on the 1ersonality of 8odhead, who resides in his
heart. The idea is that the renounced order of life, after a
frustrated life of sentiment in the material world, may be the
stepping stone on the path of self'reali)ation, b!t real
"erfection of the "ath of liberation is attained when one is
"racticed to de"end f!lly on the S!"reme ersonality of
@odhead, who lives in everyoneJs heart as 1aram"tm". 9ne
may live in the darkest 2ungle alone out of home, but a
steadfast devotee knows very well that he is not alone. The
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead is with him, and He can
protect His sincere devotee in any awkward circumstance.
9ne should therefore practice devotional service at home,
hearing and chanting the holy name, (uality, form, pastimes,
entourage, etc., in association with pure devotees, and this
practice will help one awaken 8od consciousness in
proportion to oneJs sincerity of purpose. 9ne who desires
material benefit by such devotional activities can never
depend on the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, although
He sits in everyoneJs heart. Kor does the Eord give any
direction to persons who worship Him for material gain. $uch
materialistic devotees may be blessed by the Eord with
material benefits, but they cannot reach the stage of the
first'class human being, as above mentioned. There are
many e:amples of such sincere devotees in the history of
the world, especially in ndia, and they are our guides on the
path of self'reali)ation. Mah"tm" !idura is one such great
devotee of the Eord, and we should all try to follow in his
lotus footsteps for self'reali)ation.
T!T N^
AQaaed?c?; id!a; (aaTau S'r/aTa&aiTa%a-'a#a2 9
JTaae+'a-CPaOa(a!a0 k6alR0 Pau;Saa; &auQai'k6=-Qa0 99 N^ 99
athod$c$- di1a- y't!
s(air a),'ta%gatir bha('n
ito 2r('k "r'ya1a* k'la*
"!-s'- g!5a%(ikar.a5a*
S(#O#($S
athaZthereforeV !d$c$mZnorthern sideV di1amZdirectionV
y't!Zplease go awayV s(ai*Zby your relativesV a),'taZ
without knowledgeV gati*ZmovementsV bha('nZof yourselfV
ita*Zafter thisV ar('kZwill usher inV "r'ya1a*ZgenerallyV
k'la*ZtimeV "!-s'mZof menV g!5aZ(ualitiesV (ikar.a5a*Z
diminishing.
T-A#SLATIO#
Please, therefore, lea'e for the #orth i@@ediately, Jithout letting
your relati'es knoJ, for soon that ti@e Jill approach Jhich Jill
di@inish the good ?ualities of @enH
P8-PO-T
9ne can compensate for a life of frustration by becoming a
dh$ra, or leaving home for good without communicating with
relatives, and !idura advised his eldest brother to adopt this
way without delay because very (uickly the age of >ali was
approaching. A conditioned soul is already degraded by the
material association, and still in the >ali'yuga the good
(ualities of a man will deteriorate to the lowest standard. He
was advised to leave home before >ali'yuga approached
because the atmosphere which was created by !idura, his
valuable instructions on the facts of life, would fade away
due to the influence of the age which was fast approaching.
To become narottama, or a first'class human being
depending completely on the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa, is
not possible for any ordinary man. t is stated in Bhagavad-
gt 34.G.6 that a person who is completely relieved of all
taints of sinful acts can alone depend on the $upreme Eord
<r= >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead. 7h?tar"@Tra was
advised by !idura at least to become a dh$ra in the
beginning if it were impossible for him to become a sanny's$
or a narottama. 1ersistently endeavoring on the line of self'
reali)ation helps a person to rise to the conditions of a
narottama from the stage of a dh$ra. The dh$ra stage is
attained after prolonged practice of the yoga system, but by
the grace of !idura one can attain the stage immediately
simply by willing to adopt the means of the dh$ra stage,
which is the preparatory stage for sanny'sa. The sanny'sa
stage is the preparatory stage of "aramaha-sa, or the first'
grade devotee of the Eord.
T!T N_
V'; ra)aa i'dureQaa#au)ae#a
PaO/acUaubae-i>aTa Aa)a$a?t0 9
ict'a S'e=u hehPaa!aa#d3it$anae
i#a,s6a$a %a3aTa:Sa#di!a-Taaa 99 N_ 99
e(a- r')' (id!re5'n!)ena
"ra),'%cak.!r bodhita ')am$;ha*
chitt(' s(e.! sneha%"'1'n dra;himno
ni1cakr'ma bhr't4%sandar1it'dh('
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV r')'Z>ing 7h?tar"@TraV (id!re5a an!)enaZby his
younger brother !iduraV "ra),'Zintrospective knowledgeV
cak.!*ZeyesV bodhita*Zbeing understoodV ')am$;ha*Z
7h?tar"@Tra, scion of the family of A2am=QhaV chitt('Zby
breakingV s(e.!Zregarding kinsmenV sneha%"'1'nZstrong
network of affectionV dra;himna*Zbecause of steadfastnessV
ni1cakr'maZgot outV bhr't4Zby his brotherV sandar1itaZ
direction toV adh('Zthe path of liberation.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus $ahLrL/a >hDtarLEra, the scion of the fa@ily of A/a@Bhha,
fir@ly con'inced by introspecti'e knoJledge Opra/fL3, broke at once
the strong netJork of fa@ilial affection by his resolute
deter@inationH Thus he i@@ediately left ho@e to set out on the
path of liberation, as directed by his younger brother GiduraH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, the great preacher of the
principles of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, has stressed the
importance of association with s'dh!s, pure devotees of the
Eord. He said that even by a moments association with a
pure devotee, one can achieve all perfection. We are not
ashamed to admit that this fact was e:perienced in our
practical life. Were we not favored by His 7ivine 8race
<r=mad %haktisiddh"nta $arasvat= 8osv"m= Mah"r"2a, by
our first meeting for a few minutes only, it would have been
impossible for us to accept this mighty task of describing
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam in ;nglish. Without seeing him at that
opportune moment, we could have become a very great
business magnate, but never would we have been able to
walk the path of liberation and be engaged in the factual
service of the Eord under instructions of His 7ivine 8race.
And here is another practical e:ample by the action of
!iduraJs association with 7h?tar"@Tra. Mah"r"2a
7h?tar"@Tra was tightly bound in a network of material
affinities related to politics, economy and family attachment,
and he did everything in his power to achieve so'called
success in his planned pro2ects, but he was frustrated from
the beginning to the end so far as his material activities
were concerned. And yet, despite his life of failure, he
achieved the greatest of all success in self'reali)ation by the
forceful instructions of a pure devotee of the Eord, who is the
typical emblem of a s'dh!. The scriptures en2oin, therefore,
that one should associate with s'dh!s only, re2ecting all other
kinds of association, and by doing so one will have ample
opportunity to hear the s'dh!s, who can cut to pieces the
bonds of illusory affection in the material world. t is a fact
that the material world is a great illusion because everything
appears to be a tangible reality but at the ne:t moment
evaporates like the dashing foam of the sea or a cloud in the
sky. A cloud in the sky undoubtedly appears to be a reality
because it rains, and due to rains so many temporary green
things appear, but in the ultimate issue, everything
disappears, namely the cloud, rain and green vegetation, all
in due course. %ut the sky remains, and the varieties of sky
or luminaries also remain forever. $imilarly, the Absolute
Truth, which is compared to the sky, remains eternally, and
the temporary cloudlike illusion comes and goes away.
Hoolish living beings are attracted by the temporary cloud,
but intelligent men are more concerned with the eternal sky
with all its variegatedness.
T!T X`
PaiTa; PaO(aa#Ta; SaublRS(a Pau<a?
PaiTa'3Taa ca#au)a&aa$a Saa? 9
ih$aalR(a; #(aSTadQoPaOh=g
$a#aiS'#aai$a' SaTSa$PaOhar0 99 X` 99
"ati- "ray'nta- s!balasya "!tr$
"ati%(rat' c'n!)ag'ma s'dh($
him'laya- nyasta%da5;a%"rahar.a-
manas(in'm i(a sat sam"rah'ra*
S(#O#($S
"atimZher husbandV "ray'ntamZwhile leaving homeV
s!balasyaZof >ing $ubalaV "!tr$Zthe worthy daughterV "ati%
(rat'Zdevoted to her husbandV caZalsoV an!)ag'maZ
followedV s'dh($Zthe chasteV him'layamZtowards the
Himalaya MountainsV nyasta%da5;aZone who has accepted
the rod of the renounced orderV "rahar.amZob2ect of delightV
manas(in'mZof the great fightersV i(aZlikeV satZlegitimateV
sam"rah'ra*Zgood lashing.
T-A#SLATIO#
The gentle and chaste &LndhLrB, Jho Jas the daughter of Cing
Subala of Candahar Oor &LndhLra3, folloJed her husband, seeing
that he Jas going to the Ii@alaya $ountains, Jhich are the
delight of those Jho ha'e accepted the staff of the renounced
order like fighters Jho ha'e accepted a good lashing fro@ the
ene@yH
P8-PO-T
$aubalin=, or 8"ndh"r=, daughter of >ing $ubala and wife of
>ing 7h?tar"@Tra, was ideal as a wife devoted to her
husband. The !edic civili)ation especially prepares chaste
and devoted wives, of whom 8"ndh"r= is one amongst many
mentioned in history. Eak@m=2= $=t"dev= was also a
daughter of a great king, but she followed her husband, Eord
0"macandra, into the forest. $imilarly, as a woman
8"ndh"r= could have remained at home or at her fatherJs
house, but as a chaste and gentle lady she followed her
husband without consideration. nstructions for the
renounced order of life were imparted to 7h?tar"@Tra by
!idura, and 8"ndh"r= was by the side of her husband. %ut
he did not ask her to follow him because he was at that time
fully determined, like a great warrior who faces all kinds of
dangers in the battlefield. He was no longer attracted to so'
called wife or relatives, and he decided to start alone, but as
a chaste lady 8"ndh"r= decided to follow her husband till
the last moment. Mah"r"2a 7h?tar"@Tra accepted the order
of ('na"rastha, and at this stage the wife is allowed to
remain as a voluntary servitor, but in the sanny'sa stage no
wife can stay with her former husband. A sanny's$ is
considered to be a dead man civilly, and therefore the wife
becomes a civil widow without connection with her former
husband. Mah"r"2a 7h?tar"@Tra did not deny his faithful
wife, and she followed her husband at her own risk.
The sanny's$s accept a rod as the sign of the renounced
order of life. There are two types of sanny's$s. Those who
follow the M"y"v"d= philosophy, headed by <r=p"da
<aIkar"c"rya, accept only one rod 3eka%da5;a6, but those who
follow the !ai@Aavite philosophy accept three combined rods
3tri%da5;a6. The M"y"v"d= sanny's$s are ekada5;i%s('m$s,
whereas the !ai@Aava sanny's$s are known as trida5;i%
s('m$s, or more distinctly, trida5;i%gos('m$s, in order to be
distinguished from the M"y"v"d= philosophers. The ekada5;i%
s('m$s are mostly fond of the Himalayas, but the !ai@Aava
sanny's$s are fond of !?nd"vana and 1ur=. The !ai@Aava
sanny's$s are narottamas, whereas the M"y"v"d= sanny's$s
are dh$ras. Mah"r"2a 7h?tar"@Tra was advised to follow the
dh$ras because at that stage it was difficult for him to
become a narottama.
T!T X"
A)aaTa!a<au0 k:6Ta$a<aae huTaai&anx
i'-PaOa#a2 #aT'a iTalR&aae%a8i$aDC$a0 9
&a:h; PaOi'nae &auD'#d#aa(a
#a caPa!(aiTPaTara SaablRI; c 99 X" 99
a)'ta%1atr!* k4ta%maitro h!t'gnir
(i"r'n nat(' tila%go%bh0mi%r!kmai*
g4ha- "ra(i.<o g!r!%(andan'ya
na c'"a1yat "itara! sa!bal$- ca
S(#O#($S
a)'taZnever bornV 1atr!*ZenemyV k4taZhaving performedV
maitra*Zworshiping the demigodsV h!ta%agni*Zand offering
fuel in the fireV (i"r'nZthe br'hma5asC nat('Zoffering
obeisancesV tila%go%bh0mi%r!kmai*Zalong with grains, cows,
land and goldV g4hamZwithin the palaceV "ra(i.<a*Zhaving
entered intoV g!r!%(andan'yaZfor offering respect to the
elderly membersV naZdid notV caZalsoV a"a1yatZseeV "itara!
Zhis unclesV sa!bal$mZ8"ndh"r=V caZalso.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, Jhose ene@y Jas ne'er born, perfor@ed
his daily @orning duties by praying, offering fire sacrifice to the
sun6god, and offering obeisances, grains, coJs, land and gold to
the brLh@aFasH Ie then entered the palace to pay respects to the
elderlyH IoJe'er, he could not find his uncles or aunt, the
daughter of Cing SubalaH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was the most pious king because he
personally practiced daily the pious duties for the
householders. The householders are re(uired to rise early in
the morning, and after bathing they should offer respects to
the 7eities at home by prayers, by offering fuel in the sacred
fire, by giving the br'hma5as in charity land, cows, grains,
gold, etc., and at last offering to the elderly members due
respects and obeisances. 9ne who is not prepared to
practice in2unctions prescribed in the 1'stras cannot be a
good man simply by book knowledge. Modern householders
are practiced to different modes of life, namely to rise late
and then take bed tea without any sort of cleanliness and
without any purificatory practices as mentioned above. The
household children are taken to practice what the parents
practice, and therefore the whole generation glides towards
hell. Kothing good can be e:pected from them unless they
associate with s'dh!s. Eike 7h?tar"@Tra, the materialistic
person may take lessons from a s'dh! like !idura and thus
be cleansed of the effects of modern life.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, however, could not find in the palace
his two uncles, namely 7h?tar"@Tra and !idura, along with
8"ndh"r=, the daughter of >ing $ubala. He was an:ious to
see them and therefore asked $a^2aya, the private secretary
of 7h?tar"@Tra.
T!T XN
Ta<a Sai(a$aaSa?#a; PaPaOCcaeij&an$aa#aSa0 9
&aa'L&aQae C' #aSTaaTaae ':pae h?#a, #ae<a(aae0 99 XN 99
tatra sa,)ayam 's$na-
"a"racchod(igna%m'nasa*
g'(alga5e k(a nas t'to
(4ddho h$na1 ca netrayo*
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereV sa,)ayamZunto $a^2ayaV 's$namZseatedV
"a"racchaZhe in(uired fromV !d(igna%m'nasa*Zfilled with
an:ietyV g'(alga5eZthe son of 8avalgaAa, $a^2ayaV k(aZ
where isV na*ZourV t'ta*ZuncleV (4ddha*ZoldV h$na* caZ
and bereft ofV netrayo*Zthe eyes.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, full of anMiety, turned to Saf/aya, Jho Jas
sitting there, and saide O Saf/aya, Jhere is our uncle, Jho is old
and blindW
T!T XX
A$ba c hTaPau<aaTaa- iPaTa:G(a0 C' &aTa0 Sau5Ta2 9
AiPa $a((ak:6TaPaO/e hTab#>au0 Sa %aa(a-(aa 9
Aa!a;Sa$aa#a0 !a$al;R &ala(aa; du0iYTaae+PaTaTa2 99
XX 99
amb' ca hata%"!tr'rt'
"it4(ya* k(a gata* s!h4t
a"i mayy ak4ta%"ra),e
hata%bandh!* sa bh'ryay'
'1a-sam'na* 1amala-
ga3g'y'- d!*khito 2"atat
S(#O#($S
amb'Zmother auntV caZandV hata%"!tr'Zwho had lost all her
sonsV 'rt'Zin a sorry plightV "it4(ya*Zuncle !iduraV k(aZ
whereV gata*ZgoneV s!h4tZwell'wisherV a"iZwhetherV mayiZ
unto meV ak4ta%"ra),eZungratefulV hata%bandh!*Zone who
has lost all his sonsV sa*Z7h?tar"@TraV bh'ryay'Zwith his
wifeV '1a-sam'na*Zin doubtful mindV 1amalamZoffensesV
ga3g'y'mZin the 8anges waterV d!*khita*Zin distressed
mindV a"atatZfell down.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhere is @y Jell6Jisher, uncle Gidura, and @other &LndhLrB, Jho
is 'ery afflicted due to all her sonsr de@iseW $y uncle >hDtarLEra
Jas also 'ery @ortified due to the death of all his sons and
grandsonsH 8ndoubtedly I a@ 'ery ungratefulH >id he, therefore,
take @y offenses 'ery seriously and, along Jith his Jife, droJn
hi@self in the &angesW
P8-PO-T
The 1"AQavas, especially Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and Ar2una,
anticipated the aftereffects of the %attle of >uruk@etra, and
therefore Ar2una declined to e:ecute the fighting. The fight
was e:ecuted by the will of the Eord, but the effects of family
aggrievement, as they had thought of it before, had come to
be true. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was always conscious of the
great plight of his uncle 7h?tar"@Tra and aunt 8"ndh"r=,
and therefore he took all possible care of them in their old
age and aggrieved conditions. When, therefore, he could not
find his uncle and aunt in the palace, naturally his doubts
arose, and he con2ectured that they had gone down to the
water of the 8anges. He thought himself ungrateful because
when the 1"AQavas were fatherless, Mah"r"2a 7h?tar"@Tra
had given them all royal facilities to live, and in return he
had killed all 7h?tar"@TraJs sons in the %attle of >uruk@etra.
As a pious man, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira took into account all
his unavoidable misdeeds, and he never thought of the
misdeeds of his uncle and company. 7h?tar"@Tra had
suffered the effects of his own misdeeds by the will of the
Eord, but Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was thinking only of his own
unavoidable misdeeds. That is the nature of a good man and
devotee of the Eord. A devotee never finds fault with others,
but tries to find his own and thus rectify them as far as
possible.
T!T XZ
iPaTa(au-ParTae PaaQoa Sa'a-k0 Sau5d0 i!aB8#a2 9
ArUaTaa; G(aSa#aTa0 iPaTa:G(aa C' &aTaai'Ta0 99 XZ 99
"itary !"arate "'5;a!
sar('n na* s!h4da* 1i10n
arak.at'- (yasanata*
"it4(ya! k(a gat'( ita*
S(#O#($S
"itariZupon my fatherV !"arateZfalling downV "'5;a!Z
Mah"r"2a 1"AQuV sar('nZallV na*Zof usV s!h4da*Zwell'
wishersV 1i10nZsmall childrenV arak.at'mZprotectedV
(yasanata*Zfrom all kinds of dangersV "it4(ya!ZunclesV k(aZ
whereV gata!Zhave departedV ita*Zfrom this place.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen @y father, PLFhu, fell doJn and Je Jere all s@all children,
these tJo uncles ga'e us protection fro@ all kinds of cala@itiesH
They Jere alJays our good Jell6JishersH Alas, Jhere ha'e they
gone fro@ hereW
T!T X[
Sa8Ta o'ac
k:6Pa(aa heh'6G(aaTSa8Taae i'rhk6i!a-Ta0 9
AaT$aeTr$acUaaQaae #a PaOT(aahaiTaPa?ioTa0 99 X[ 99
s0ta !('ca
k4"ay' sneha%(aikla(y't
s0to (iraha%kar1ita*
'tme1(aram acak.'5o
na "raty'h'ti"$;ita*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV k4"ay'Zout of full
compassionV sneha%(aikla(y'tZmental derangement due to
profound affectionV s0ta*Z$a^2ayaV (iraha%kar1ita*Z
distressed by separationV 'tma%$1(aramZhis masterV
acak.'5a*Zhaving not seenV naZdid notV "raty'haZrepliedV
ati%"$;ita*Zbeing too aggrieved.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Kecause of co@passion and @ental agitation,
Saf/aya, not ha'ing seen his oJn @aster, >hDtarLEra, Jas
aggrie'ed and could not properly reply to $ahLrL/a (udhiEhiraH
P8-PO-T
$a^2aya was the personal assistant of Mah"r"2a 7h?tar"@Tra
for a very long time, and thus he had the opportunity to
study the life of 7h?tar"@Tra. And when he saw at last that
7h?tar"@Tra had left home without his knowledge, his
sorrows had no bound. He was fully compassionate toward
7h?tar"@Tra because in the game of the %attle of
>uruk@etra, >ing 7h?tar"@Tra had lost everything, men and
money, and at last the >ing and the ùeen had to leave
home in utter frustration. He studied the situation in his own
way because he did not know that the inner vision of
7h?tar"@Tra has been awakened by !idura and that
therefore he had left home in enthusiastic cheerfulness for a
better life after departure from the dark well of home. Rnless
one is convinced of a better life after renunciation of the
present life, one cannot stick to the renounced order of life
simply by artificial dress or staying out of the home.
T!T X\
i'$a:)(aaBO8iQa PaaiQa%(aa; i'n%(aaT$aa#a$aaT$a#aa 9
A)aaTa!a<au; PaOT(a8ce PaO%aae0 Paada'#auS$ar#a2 99 X\ 99
(im4)y'1r05i "'5ibhy'-
(i.<abhy'tm'nam 'tman'
a)'ta%1atr!- "raty0ce
"rabho* "'d'( an!smaran
S(#O#($S
(im4)yaZsmearingV a1r05iZtears of the eyesV "'5ibhy'mZ
with his handsV (i.<abhyaZsituatedV 'tm'namZthe mindV
'tman'Zby intelligenceV a)'ta%1atr!mZunto Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@ThiraV "raty0ceZbegan to replyV "rabho*Zof his
masterV "'da!ZfeetV an!smaranZthinking after.
T-A#SLATIO#
First he sloJly pacified his @ind by intelligence, and Jiping aJay
his tears and thinking of the feet of his @aster, >hDtarLEra, he
began to reply to $ahLrL/a (udhiEhiraH
T!T X]
Sai(a o'ac
#aah; 'ed G(a'iSaTa; iPa<aae'-0 ku6lR#a#d#a 9
&aa#>aa(aa- 'a $ahabahae $aui=Taae+iS$a $ahaT$ai%a0 99
X] 99
sa,)aya !('ca
n'ha- (eda (ya(asita-
"itror (a* k!la%nandana
g'ndh'ry' (' mah'%b'ho
m!.ito 2smi mah'tmabhi*
S(#O#($S
sa,)aya* !('caZ$a^2aya saidV naZnotV ahamZV (edaZknowV
(ya(asitamZdeterminationV "itro*Zof your unclesV (a*ZyourV
k!la%nandanaZ9 descendant of the >uru dynastyV g'ndh'ry'*
Zof 8"ndh"r=V ('ZorV mah'%b'hoZ9 great >ingV m!.ita*Z
cheatedV asmiZ have beenV mah'%'tmabhi*Zby those great
souls.
T-A#SLATIO#
Saf/aya saide $y dear descendant of the Curu dynasty, I ha'e no
infor@ation of the deter@ination of your tJo uncles and &LndhLrBH
O Cing, I ha'e been cheated by those great soulsH
P8-PO-T
That great souls cheat others may be astonishing to know,
but it is a fact that great souls cheat others for a great
cause. t is said that Eord >?@Aa also advised Xudhi@Thira to
tell a lie before 7roA"c"rya, and it was also for a great
cause. The Eord wanted it, and therefore it was a great
cause. $atisfaction of the Eord is the criterion of one who is
bona fide, and the highest perfection of life is to satisfy the
Eord by oneJs occupational duty. That is the verdict of @$t'
and &h'ga(atam.
i:
Y 7h?tar"@Tra and !idura, followed by
8"ndh"r=, did not disclose their determination to $a^2aya,
although he was constantly with 7h?tar"@Tra as his personal
assistant. $a^2aya never thought that 7h?tar"@Tra could
perform any act without consulting him. %ut 7h?tar"@TraJs
going away from home was so confidential that it could not
be disclosed even to $a^2aya. $an"tana 8osv"m= also
cheated the keeper of the prison house while going away to
see <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu, and similarly 0aghun"tha
d"sa 8osv"m= also cheated his priest and left home for good
to satisfy the Eord. To satisfy the Eord, anything is good, for
it is in relation with the Absolute Truth. We also had the
same opportunity to cheat the family members and leave
home to engage in the service of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. $uch
cheating was necessary for a great cause, and there is no
loss for any party in such transcendental fraud.
T!T X^
AQaa)a&aa$a %a&a'a#a2 #aard0 SahTau$buD0 9
PaOT(auTQaa(aai%a'a*ah Saa#au)aae+%(ac-(a#$aui#a$a2 99
X^ 99
ath')ag'ma bhaga('n
n'rada* saha%t!mb!r!*
"raty!tth'y'bhi('dy'ha
s'n!)o 2bhyarcayan m!nim
S(#O#($S
athaZthereafterV ')ag'maZarrivedV bhaga('nZthe godly
personalityV n'rada*ZK"radaV saha%t!mb!r!*Zalong with his
t!mb!r! 3musical instrument6V "raty!tth'yaZhaving gotten
up from their seatsV abhi('dyaZoffering their due obeisancesV
'haZsaidV sa%an!)a*Zalong with younger brothersV
abhyarcayanZthus while receiving in a proper moodV m!nimZ
the sage.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile Saf/aya Jas thus speaking, ArB #Lrada, the poJerful de'otee
of the Lord, appeared on the scene carrying his tu@buruH $ahLrL/a
(udhiEhira and his brothers recei'ed hi@ properly by getting up
fro@ their seats and offering obeisancesH
P8-PO-T
7evar@i K"rada is described herein as bhaga('n due to his
being the most confidential devotee of the Eord. The Eord
and His very confidential devotees are treated on the same
level by those who are actually engaged in the loving service
of the Eord. $uch confidential devotees of the Eord are very
much dear to the Eord because they travel everywhere to
preach the glories of the Eord in different capacities and try
their utmost to convert the nondevotees of the Eord into
devotees in order to bring them to the platform of sanity.
Actually a living being cannot be a nondevotee of the Eord
because of his constitutional position, but when one
becomes a nondevotee or nonbeliever, it is to be understood
that the person concerned is not in a sound condition of life.
The confidential devotees of the Eord treat such illusioned
living beings, and therefore they are most pleasing in the
eyes of the Eord. The Eord says in the &haga(ad%g$t' that no
one is dearer to Him than one who actually preaches the
glories of the Eord to convert the nonbelievers and
nondevotees. $uch personalities as K"rada must be offered
all due respects, like those offered to the 1ersonality of
8odhead Himself, and Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, along with his
noble brothers, were e:amples for others in receiving a pure
devotee of the Eord like K"rada, who had no other business
save and e:cept singing the glories of the Eord along with
his ($5', a musical stringed instrument.
T!T X_
(aui>aifr o'ac
#aah; 'ed &aiTa; iPa<aae%a-&a'#a2 C' &aTaai'Ta0 9
A$ba 'a hTaPau<aaTaa- C' &aTaa c TaPaiS'#a? 99 X_ 99
y!dhi.<hira !('ca
n'ha- (eda gati- "itror
bhaga(an k(a gat'( ita*
amb' (' hata%"!tr'rt'
k(a gat' ca ta"as(in$
S(#O#($S
y!dhi.<hira* !('caZMah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira saidV naZdo notV
ahamZmyselfV (edaZknow itV gatimZdepartureV "itro*Zof
the unclesV bhaga(anZ9 godly personalityV k(aZwhereV gata!
ZgoneV ita*Zfrom this placeV amb'Zmother auntV ('Z
eitherV hata%"!tr'Zbereft of her sonsV 'rt'ZaggrievedV k(aZ
whereV gat'ZgoneV caZalsoV ta"as(in$Zascetic.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira saide O godly personality, I do not knoJ
Jhere @y tJo uncles ha'e goneH #or can I find @y ascetic aunt
Jho is grief6stricken by the loss of all her sonsH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, as a good soul and devotee of the
Eord, was always conscious of the great loss of his aunt and
her sufferings as an ascetic. An ascetic is never disturbed by
all kinds of sufferings, and that makes him strong and
determined on the path of spiritual progress. ùeen
8"ndh"r= is a typical e:ample of an ascetic because of her
marvelous character in many trying situations. $he was an
ideal woman as mother, wife and ascetic, and in the history
of the world such character in a woman is rarely found.
T!T Z`
k6Qa->aar J'aPaare %a&a'a#a2 Paard!a-k60 9
AQaab%aa=e %a&a'a#a2 #aardae $aui#aSata$a0 99 Z` 99
kar5adh'ra i('"'re
bhaga('n "'ra%dar1aka*
ath'babh'.e bhaga('n
n'rado m!ni%sattama*
S(#O#($S
kar5a%dh'ra*Zcaptain of the shipV i(aZlikeV a"'reZin the
e:tensive oceansV bhaga('nZrepresentative of the EordV
"'ra%dar1aka*Zone who can give directions to the other sideV
athaZthusV 'babh'.eZbegan to sayV bhaga('nZthe godly
personalityV n'rada*Zthe great sage K"radaV m!ni%sat%tama*
Zthe greatest among the devotee philosophers.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou are like a captain of a ship in a great ocean and you can direct
us to our destinationH Thus addressed, the godly personality,
>e'arEi #Lrada, greatest of the philosopher de'otees, began to
speakH
P8-PO-T
There are different types of philosophers, and the greatest of
all of them are those who have seen the 1ersonality of
8odhead and have surrendered themselves in the
transcendental loving service of the Eord. Among all such
pure devotees of the Eord, 7evar@i K"rada is the chief, and
therefore he has been described herein as the greatest of all
philosopher devotees. Rnless one has become a sufficiently
learned philosopher by hearing the !ed"nta philosophy from
a bona fide spiritual master, one cannot be a learned
philosopher devotee. 9ne must be very faithful, learned and
renounced, otherwise one cannot be a pure devotee. A pure
devotee of the Eord can give us direction towards the other
end of nescience. 7evar@i K"rada used to visit the palace of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira because the 1"AQavas were all pure
devotees of the Eord, and the 7evar@i was always ready to
give them good counsel whenever needed.
T!T Z"
#aard o'ac
$aa k6}#a Bucae ra)a#a2 (ad?Tr'!a; )a&aTa2 9
lRaek6a0 SaPaalRa (aS(ae$ae 'hi#Ta bilR$a?i!aTau0 9
Sa Sa;(au#aiv6 %a8Taai#a Sa V' i'(au#aiv6 c 99 Z" 99
n'rada !('ca
m' ka,cana 1!co r')an
yad $1(ara%(a1a- )agat
lok'* sa"'l' yasyeme
(ahanti balim $1it!*
sa sa-y!nakti bh0t'ni
sa e(a (iy!nakti ca
S(#O#($S
n'rada* !('caZK"rada saidV m'ZneverV ka,canaZby all
meansV 1!ca*Zdo you lamentV r')anZ9 >ingV yatZbecauseV
$1(ara%(a1amZunder the control of the $upreme EordV )agatZ
worldV lok'*Zall living beingsV sa%"'l'*Zincluding their
leadersV yasyaZwhoseV imeZall theseV (ahantiZdo bearV
balimZmeans of worshipV $1it!*Zfor being protectedV sa*Z
HeV sa-y!naktiZgets togetherV bh0t'niZall living beingsV sa*
ZHeV e(aZalsoV (iy!naktiZdispersesV caZand.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB #Lrada saide O pious Cing, do not la@ent for anyone, for
e'eryone is under the control of the Supre@e LordH Therefore all
li'ing beings and their leaders carry on Jorship to be Jell
protectedH It is Ie only Jho brings the@ together and disperses
the@H
P8-PO-T
;very living being, either in this material world or in the
spiritual world, is under the control of the $upreme Eord, the
1ersonality of 8odhead. %eginning from %rahm"2=, the
leader of this universe, down to the insignificant ant, all are
abiding by the order of the $upreme Eord. Thus the
constitutional position of the living being is subordination
under the control of the Eord. The foolish living being,
especially man, artificially rebels against the law of the
$upreme and thus becomes chastised as an as!ra, or
lawbreaker. A living being is placed in a particular position
by the order of the $upreme Eord, and he is again shifted
from that place by the order of the $upreme Eord or His
authori)ed agents. %rahm", <iva, ndra, *andra, Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira or, in modern history, Kapoleon, Akbar,
Ale:ander, 8andhi, $hubhash and Kehru all are servants of
the Eord, and they are placed in and removed from their
respective positions by the supreme will of the Eord. Kone of
them is independent. ;ven though such men or leaders rebel
so as not to recogni)e the supremacy of the Eord, they are
put under still more rigorous laws of the material world by
different miseries. 9nly the foolish man, therefore, says that
there is no 8od. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was being convinced
of this naked truth because he was greatly overwhelmed by
the sudden departure of his old uncles and aunt. Mah"r"2a
7h?tar"@Tra was placed in that position according to his
past deedsV he had already suffered or en2oyed the benefits
accrued to him in the past, but due to his good luck,
somehow or other he had a good younger brother, !idura,
and by his instruction he left to achieve salvation by closing
all accounts in the material world.
9rdinarily one cannot change the course of oneJs due
happiness and distress by plan. ;veryone has to accept
them as they come under the subtle arrangement of k'la, or
invincible time. There is no use trying to counteract them.
The best thing is, therefore, that one should endeavor to
achieve salvation, and this prerogative is given only to man
because of his developed condition of mental activities and
intelligence. 9nly for man are there different !edic
instructions for attainment of salvation during the human
form of e:istence. 9ne who misuses this opportunity of
advanced intelligence is verily condemned and put into
different types of miseries, either in this present life or in the
future. That is the way the $upreme controls everyone.
T!T ZN
(aQaa &aa'ae #aiSa PaOaeTaaSTa#T(aa; bpa, da$ai%a0 9
'av6#T(aa; #aa$ai%ab-pa 'hi#Ta bilR$a?i!aTau0 99 ZN 99
yath' g'(o nasi "rot's
tanty'- baddh'1 ca d'mabhi*
('k%tanty'- n'mabhir baddh'
(ahanti balim $1it!*
S(#O#($S
yath'Zas much asV g'(a*ZcowV nasiZby the noseV "rot'*Z
strungV tanty'mZby the threadV baddh'*Zbound byV caZalsoV
d'mabhi*Zby ropesV ('k%tanty'mZin the network of !edic
hymnsV n'mabhi*Zby nomenclaturesV baddh'*ZconditionedV
(ahantiZcarry onV balimZordersV $1it!*Zfor being controlled
by the $upreme Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
As a coJ, bound through the nose by a long rope, is conditioned,
so also hu@an beings are bound by different Gedic in/unctions and
are conditioned to obey the orders of the Supre@eH
P8-PO-T
;very living being, whether a man or an animal or a bird,
thinks that he is free by himself, but actually no one is free
from the severe laws of the Eord. The laws of the Eord are
severe because they cannot be disobeyed in any
circumstance. The man'made laws may be evaded by
cunning outlaws, but in the codes of the supreme lawmaker
there is not the slightest possibility of neglecting the laws. A
slight change in the course of 8od'made law can bring about
a massive danger to be faced by the lawbreaker. $uch laws
of the $upreme are generally known as the codes of religion,
under different conditions, but the principle of religion
everywhere is one and the same, namely, obey the orders of
the $upreme 8od, the codes of religion. That is the condition
of material e:istence. All living beings in the material world
have taken up the risk of conditioned life by their own
selection and are thus entrapped by the laws of material
nature. The only way to get out of the entanglement is to
agree to obey the $upreme. %ut instead of becoming free
from the clutches of m'y', or illusion, foolish human beings
become bound up by different nomenclatures, being
designated as br'hma5as, k.atriyas, (ai1yas, 10dras, Hindus,
Mohammedans, ndians, ;uropeans, Americans, *hinese,
and many others, and thus they carry out the orders of the
$upreme Eord under the influence of respective scriptural or
legislative in2unctions. The statutory laws of the state are
imperfect imitation replicas of religious codes. The secular
state, or the godless state, allows the citi)ens to break the
laws of 8od, but restricts them from disobeying the laws of
the stateV the result is that the people in general suffer more
by breaking the laws of 8od than by obeying the imperfect
laws made by man. ;very man is imperfect by constitution
under conditions of material e:istence, and there is not the
least possibility that even the most materially advanced man
can enact perfect legislation. 9n the other hand, there is no
such imperfection in the laws of 8od. f leaders are educated
in the laws of 8od, there is no necessity of a makeshift
legislative council of aimless men. There is necessity of
change in the makeshift laws of man, but there is no change
in the 8od'made laws because they are made perfect by the
all'perfect 1ersonality of 8odhead. The codes of religion,
scriptural in2unctions, are made by liberated representatives
of 8od in consideration of different conditions of living, and
by carrying out the orders of the Eord, the conditioned living
beings gradually become free from the clutches of material
e:istence. The factual position of the living being is,
however, that he is the eternal servitor of the $upreme Eord.
n his liberated state he renders service to the Eord in
transcendental love and thus en2oys a life of full freedom,
even sometimes on an e(ual level with the Eord or
sometimes more than the Eord. %ut in the conditioned
material world, every living being wants to be the Eord of
other living beings, and thus by the illusion of m'y' this
mentality of lording it over becomes a cause of further
e:tension of conditional life. $o in the material world the
living being is still more conditioned, until he surrenders unto
the Eord by reviving his original state of eternal servitorship.
That is the last instruction of the &haga(ad%g$t' and all other
recogni)ed scriptures of the world.
T!T ZX
(aQaa s6IoaePaSk6raQaa; Sa;(aae&ai'&a$aai'h 9
JCc(aa s6IioTau0 S(aaTaa; TaQa'e!aeCc(aa #a:Qaa$a2 99 ZX
99
yath' kr$;o"askar'5'-
sa-yoga%(igam'( iha
icchay' kr$;it!* sy't'-
tathai(e1ecchay' n45'm
S(#O#($S
yath'Zas much asV kr$;a%!"askar'5'mZplaythingsV sa-yogaZ
unionV (igama!ZdisunionV ihaZin this worldV icchay'Zby the
will ofV kr$;it!*Z2ust to play a partV sy't'mZtakes placeV
tath'Zso alsoV e(aZcertainlyV $1aZthe $upreme EordV
icchay'Zby the will ofV n45'mZof the human beings.
T-A#SLATIO#
As a player sets up and disperses his playthings according to his
oJn sJeet Jill, so the supre@e Jill of the Lord brings @en
together and separates the@H
P8-PO-T
We must know for certain that the particular position in
which we are now set up is an arrangement of the supreme
will in terms of our own acts in the past. The $upreme Eord is
present as the locali)ed 1aram"tm" in the heart of every
living being, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gt 3,\.G\6, and
therefore he knows everything of our activities in every
stage of our lives. He rewards the reactions of our actions by
placing us in some particular place. A rich man gets his son
born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but the child who
came as the rich manJs son deserved such a place, and
therefore he is placed there by the will of the Eord. And at a
particular moment when the child has to be removed from
that place, he is also carried by the will of the $upreme,
even if the child or the father does not wish to be separated
from the happy relation. The same thing happens in the case
of a poor man also. Keither rich man nor poor man has any
control over such meetings or separations of living beings.
The e:ample of a player and his playthings should not be
misunderstood. 9ne may argue that since the Eord is bound
to award the reactionary results of our own actions, the
e:ample of a player cannot be applied. %ut it is not so. We
must always remember that the Eord is the supreme will,
and He is not bound by any law. 8enerally the law of karma
is that one is awarded the result of oneJs own actions, but in
special cases, by the will of the Eord, such resultant actions
are changed also. %ut this change can be affected by the will
of the Eord only, and no other. Therefore, the e:ample of the
player cited in this verse is (uite appropriate, for the
$upreme Will is absolutely free to do whatever He likes, and
because He is all'perfect, there is no mistake in any of His
actions or reactions. These changes of resultant actions are
especially rendered by the Eord when a pure devotee is
involved. t is assured in the Bhagavad-gt 3-.\Na\,6 that the
Eord saves a pure devotee who has surrendered unto Him
without reservation from all sorts of reactions of sins, and
there is no doubt about this. There are hundreds of
e:amples of reactions changed by the Eord in the history of
the world. f the Eord is able to change the reactions of oneJs
past deeds, then certainly He is not Himself bound by any
action or reaction of His own deeds. He is perfect and
transcendental to all laws.
T!T ZZ
(a#$a#(aSae >a3u'; lRaek6$a>a3u'; 'a #a cae%a(a$a2 9
Sa'-Qaa #a ih !aaeC(aaSTae hehad#(a<a $aaeh)aaTa2 99 ZZ 99
yan manyase dhr!(a- lokam
adhr!(a- (' na cobhayam
sar(ath' na hi 1ocy's te
sneh'd anyatra moha)'t
S(#O#($S
yatZeven thoughV manyaseZyou thinkV dhr!(amZAbsolute
TruthV lokamZpersonsV adhr!(amZnonrealityV ('ZeitherV na
Zor notV caZalsoV !bhayamZor bothV sar(ath'Zin all
circumstancesV naZneverV hiZcertainlyV 1ocy'*Zsub2ect for
lamentationV teZtheyV sneh'tZdue to affectionV anyatraZor
otherwiseV moha%)'tZdue to bewilderment.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cing, in all circu@stances, Jhether you consider the soul to be
an eternal principle, or the @aterial body to be perishable, or
e'erything to eMist in the i@personal Absolute Truth, or e'erything
to be an ineMplicable co@bination of @atter and spirit, feelings of
separation are due only to illusory affection and nothing @oreH
P8-PO-T
The actual fact is that every living being is an individual part
and parcel of the $upreme %eing, and his constitutional
position is subordinate cooperative service. ;ither in his
conditional material e:istence or in his liberated position of
full knowledge and eternity, the living entity is eternally
under the control of the $upreme Eord. %ut those who are
not conversant with factual knowledge put forward many
speculative propositions about the real position of the living
entity. t is admitted, however, by all schools of philosophy,
that the living being is eternal and that the covering body of
the five material elements is perishable and temporary. The
eternal living entity transmigrates from one material body to
another by the law of karma, and material bodies are
perishable by their fundamental structures. Therefore there
is nothing to be lamented in the case of the soulJs being
transferred into another body, or the material bodyJs
perishing at a certain stage. There are others also who
believe in the merging of the spirit soul in the $upreme $pirit
when it is uncovered by the material encagement, and there
are others also who do not believe in the e:istence of spirit
or soul, but believe in tangible matter. n our daily
e:perience we find so many transformations of matter from
one form to another, but we do not lament such changing
features. n either of the above cases, the force of divine
energy is uncheckableV no one has any hand in it, and thus
there is no cause of grief.
T!T Z[
TaS$aa7l '6G(a$a/a#ak:6Ta$aaT$a#a0 9
k6Qa; T'#aaQaa0 k:6PaQaa 'Tae-r;STae c $aa; i'#aa 99 Z[ 99
tasm') )ahy a3ga (aikla(yam
a),'na%k4tam 'tmana*
katha- t( an'th'* k4"a5'
(artera-s te ca m'- (in'
S(#O#($S
tasm'tZthereforeV )ahiZgive upV a3gaZ9 >ingV (aikla(yamZ
mental disparityV a),'naZignoranceV k4tamZdue toV 'tmana*
Zof yourselfV kathamZhowV t!ZbutV an'th'*ZhelplessV
k4"a5'*Zpoor creaturesV (arteranZbe able to surviveV teZ
theyV caZalsoV m'mZmeV (in'Zwithout.
T-A#SLATIO#
Therefore gi'e up your anMiety due to ignorance of the selfH (ou are
noJ thinking of hoJ they, Jho are helpless poor creatures, Jill
eMist Jithout youH
P8-PO-T
When we think of our kith and kin as being helpless and
dependent on us, it is all due to ignorance. ;very living
creature is allowed all protection by the order of the
$upreme Eord in terms of each oneJs ac(uired position in the
world. The Eord is known as bh0ta%bh4t, one who gives
protection to all living beings. 9ne should discharge his
duties only, for no one but the $upreme Eord can give
protection to anyone else. This is e:plained more clearly in
the following verse.
T!T Z\
k6alRk6$a-&auQaa>a?#aae dehae+(a; Paa}%aaiTak60 9
k6Qa$a#(aa;STau &aaePaa(aeTSaPa-&a3STaae (aQaa
Par$a2 99 Z\ 99
k'la%karma%g!5'dh$no
deho 2ya- "',ca%bha!tika*
katham any'-s t! go"'yet
sar"a%grasto yath' "aram
S(#O#($S
k'laZeternal timeV karmaZactionV g!5aZmodes of natureV
adh$na*Zunder the control ofV deha*Zmaterial body and
mindV ayamZthisV "',ca%bha!tika*Zmade of the five
elementsV kathamZhowV any'nZothersV t!ZbutV go"'yetZ
give protectionV sar"a%grasta*Zone who is bitten by the
snakeV yath'Zas much asV "aramZothers.
T-A#SLATIO#
This gross @aterial body @ade of fi'e ele@ents is already under
the control of eternal ti@e OkLla3, action Okar@a3 and the @odes of
@aterial nature OguFa3H IoJ, then, can it, being already in the /aJs
of the serpent, protect othersW
P8-PO-T
The worldJs movements for freedom through political,
economic, social, and cultural propaganda can do no benefit
to anyone, for they are controlled by superior power. A
conditioned living being is under the full control of material
nature, represented by eternal time and activities under the
dictation of different modes of nature. There are three
material modes of nature, namely goodness, passion and
ignorance. Rnless one is situated in the mode of goodness,
one cannot see things as they are. The passionate and the
ignorant cannot even see things as they are. Therefore a
person who is passionate and ignorant cannot direct his
activities on the right path. 9nly the man in the (uality of
goodness can help to a certain e:tent. Most persons are
passionate and ignorant, and therefore their plans and
pro2ects can hardly do any good to others. Above the modes
of nature is eternal time, which is called k'la because it
changes the shape of everything in the material world. ;ven
if we are able to do something temporarily beneficial, time
will see that the good pro2ect is frustrated in course of time.
The only thing possible to be done is to get rid of eternal
time, k'la, which is compared to k'la%sar"a, or the cobra
snake, whose bite is always lethal. Ko one can be saved from
the bite of a cobra. The best remedy for getting out of the
clutches of the cobralike k'la or its integrity, the modes of
nature, is bhakti%yoga, as it is recommended in the Bhagavad-
gt 3,M.G56. The highest perfectional pro2ect of philanthropic
activities is to engage everyone in the act of preaching
bhakti%yoga all over the world because that alone can save
the people from the control of m'y', or the material nature
represented by k'la, karma and g!5a, as described above.
The Bhagavad-gt 3,M.G56 confirms this definitely.
T!T Z]
AhSTaai#a SahSTaa#aa$aPadai#a cTau.Pada$a2 9
f6L&a8i#a Ta<a $ahTaa; )a?'ae )a?'S(a )a?'#a$a2 99 Z] 99
ahast'ni sahast'n'm
a"ad'ni cat!.%"ad'm
"halg0ni tatra mahat'-
)$(o )$(asya )$(anam
S(#O#($S
ahast'niZthose who are devoid of handsV sa%hast'n'mZof
those who are endowed with handsV a"ad'niZthose who are
devoid of legsV cat!*%"ad'mZof those who have four legsV
"halg0niZthose who are weakV tatraZthereV mahat'mZof the
powerfulV )$(a*Zthe living beingV )$(asyaZof the living beingV
)$(anamZsubsistence.
T-A#SLATIO#
Those Jho are de'oid of hands are prey for those Jho ha'e hands
those de'oid of legs are prey for the four6leggedH The Jeak are the
subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one
li'ing being is food for anotherH
P8-PO-T
A systematic law of subsistence in the struggle for e:istence
is there by the supreme will, and there is no escape for
anyone by any amount of planning. The living beings who
have come to the material world against the will of the
$upreme %eing are under the control of a supreme power
called m'y'%1akti, the deputed agent of the Eord, and this
dai($ m'y' is meant to pinch the conditioned souls by
threefold miseries, one of which is e:plained here in this
verseC the weak are the s!bsistence of the strong. Ko one is
strong enough to protect himself from the onslaught of a
stronger, and by the will of the Eord there are systematic
categories of the weak, the stronger and the strongest.
There is nothing to be lamented if a tiger eats a weaker
animal, including a man, because that is the law of the
$upreme Eord. %ut although the law states that a human
being must subsist on another living being, there is the law
of good sense also, for the human being is meant to obey
the laws of the scriptures. This is impossible for other
animals. The human being is meant for self'reali)ation, and
for that purpose he is not to eat anything which is not first
offered to the Eord. The Eord accepts from His devotee all
kinds of food preparations made of vegetables, fruits, leaves
and grains. Hruits, leaves and milk in different varieties can
be offered to the Eord, and after the Eord accepts the
foodstuff, the devotee can partake of the "ras'da, by which
all suffering in the struggle for e:istence will be gradually
mitigated. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gt 3-.G56. ;ven
those who are accustomed to eat animals can offer
foodstuff, not to the Eord directly, but to an agent of the
Eord, under certain conditions of religious rites. n2unctions of
the scriptures are meant not to encourage the eaters of
animals, but to restrict them by regulated principles.
The living being is the source of subsistence for other,
stronger living beings. Ko one should be very an:ious for his
subsistence in any circumstances because there are living
beings everywhere, and no living being starves for want of
food at any place. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira is advised by
K"rada not to worry about his unclesJ suffering for want of
food, for they could live on vegetables available in the
2ungles as "ras'da of the $upreme Eord and thus reali)e the
path of salvation.
;:ploitation of the weaker living being by the stronger is the
natural law of e:istenceV there is always an attempt to
devour the weak in different kingdoms of living beings.
There is no possibility of checking this tendency by any
artificial means under material conditionsV it can be checked
only by awakening the spiritual sense of the human being by
practice of spiritual regulations. The spiritual regulative
principles, however, do not allow a man to slaughter weaker
animals on one side and teach others peaceful coe:istence.
f man does not allow the animals peaceful coe:istence, how
can he e:pect peaceful e:istence in human society? The
blind leaders must therefore understand the $upreme %eing
and then try to implement the kingdom of 8od. The kingdom
of 8od, or 0"ma'r"2ya, is impossible without the awakening
of 8od consciousness in the mass mind of the people of the
world.
T!T Z^
Taidd; %a&a'a#a2 ra)akek6 AaT$aaT$a#aa; S'd:k26 9
A#Tarae+#a#Tarae %aaiTa Pa!(a Ta; $aa(a(aaeD>aa 99 Z^ 99
tad ida- bhaga('n r')ann
eka 'tm'tman'- s(a%d4k
antaro 2nantaro bh'ti
"a1ya ta- m'yayor!dh'
S(#O#($S
tatZthereforeV idamZthis manifestationV bhaga('nZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV r')anZ9 >ingV eka*Zone without a
secondV 'tm'Zthe $upersoulV 'tman'mZby His energiesV
s(a%d4kZ(ualitatively like HimV antara*ZwithoutV anantara*Z
within and by HimselfV bh'tiZso manifestsV "a1yaZlookV tam
Zunto Him onlyV m'yay'Zby manifestations of different
energiesV !r!dh'Zappears to be many.
T-A#SLATIO#
Therefore, O Cing, you should look to the Supre@e Lord only, Jho
is one Jithout a second and Jho @anifests Ii@self by different
energies and is both Jithin and JithoutH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord 1ersonality of 8odhead is one without a
second, but He manifests Himself by different energies
because He is by nature blissful. The living beings are also
manifestations of His marginal energy, (ualitatively one with
the Eord, and there are innumerable living beings both
within and without the e:ternal and internal energies of the
Eord. $ince the spiritual world is a manifestation of the EordJs
internal energy, the living beings within that internal potency
are (ualitatively one with the Eord without contamination
from the e:ternal potency. Although (ualitatively one with
the Eord, the living being, due to contamination of the
material world, is pervertedly manifested, and therefore he
e:periences so'called happiness and distress in the material
world. $uch e:periences are all ephemeral and do not affect
the spirit soul. The perception of such ephemeral happiness
and distress is due only to the forgetfulness of his (ualities,
which are e(ual to the EordJs. There is, however, a regular
current from the Eord Himself, from within and without, by
which to rectify the fallen condition of the living being. Hrom
within He corrects the desiring living beings as locali)ed
1aram"tm", and from without He corrects by His
manifestations, the spiritual master and the revealed
scriptures. 9ne should look unto the EordV one should not be
disturbed by the so'called manifestations of happiness or
distress, but he should try to cooperate with the Eord in His
outward activities for correcting the fallen souls. %y His order
only, one should become a spiritual master and cooperate
with the Eord. 9ne should not become a spiritual master for
oneJs personal benefit, for some material gain or as an
avenue of business or occupation for earning livelihood.
%ona fide spiritual masters who look unto the $upreme Eord
to cooperate with Him are actually (ualitatively one with the
Eord, and the forgetful ones are perverted reflections only.
Xudhi@Thira Mah"r"2a is advised by K"rada, therefore, not to
be disturbed by the affairs of so'called happiness and
distress, but to look only unto the Eord to e:ecute the
mission for which the Eord has descended. That was his
prime duty.
T!T Z_
Saae+(a$a* $ahara)a %a&a'a#a2 %a8Ta%aa'#a0 9
k6alR~Paae+'Ta?Qaae-+S(aa$a%aa'a(a Saurij=a$a2 99 Z_ 99
so 2yam adya mah'r')a
bhaga('n bh0ta%bh'(ana*
k'la%r0"o 2(at$r5o 2sy'm
abh'('ya s!ra%d(i.'m
S(#O#($S
sa*Zthat $upreme EordV ayamZthe Eord <r= >?@AaV adyaZat
presentV mah'r')aZ9 >ingV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV bh0ta%bh'(ana*Zthe creator or the father of
everything createdV k'la%r0"a*Zin the disguise of all'
devouring timeV a(at$r5a*ZdescendedV asy'mZupon the
worldV abh'('yaZfor eliminatingV s!ra%d(i.'mZthose who are
against the will of the Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
That Supre@e Personality of &odhead, Lord ArB CDEFa, in the guise
of all6de'ouring ti@e OkLla6rdpa3 has noJ descended on earth to
eli@inate the en'ious fro@ the JorldH
P8-PO-T
There are two classes of human beings, namely the envious
and the obedient. $ince the $upreme Eord is one and the
father of all living beings, the envious living beings are also
His sons, but they are known as the as!ras. %ut the living
beings who are obedient to the supreme father are called
de(at's, or demigods, because they are not contaminated by
the material conception of life. Kot only are the as!ras
envious of the Eord in even denying the e:istence of the
Eord, but they are also envious of all other living beings. The
predominance of as!ras in the world is occasionally rectified
by the Eord when He eliminates them from the world and
establishes a rule of de(at's like the 1"AQavas. His
designation as k'la in disguise is significant. He is not at all
dangerous, but He is the transcendental form of eternity,
knowledge and bliss. Hor the devotees His factual form is
disclosed, and for the nondevotees He appears like k'la%
r0"a, which is causal form. This causal form of the Eord is not
at all pleasing to the as!ras, and therefore they think of the
Eord as formless in order to feel secure that they will not be
van(uished by the Eord.
T!T [`
i#a.PaaidTa; de'k:6T(a$a'!ae=; PaOTa?UaTae 9
Taa'd2 (a8(a$a'eUa; %a'ed2 (aa'idheTr0 99 [` 99
ni."'dita- de(a%k4tyam
a(a1e.a- "rat$k.ate
t'(ad y0yam a(ek.adh(a-
bha(ed y'(ad ihe1(ara*
S(#O#($S
ni."'ditamZperformedV de(a%k4tyamZwhat was to be done
on behalf of the demigodsV a(a1e.amZthe restV "rat$k.ateZ
being awaitedV t'(atZup to that timeV y0yamZall of you
1"AQavasV a(ek.adh(amZobserve and waitV bha(etZmayV
y'(atZas long asV ihaZin this worldV $1(ara*Zthe $upreme
Eord.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Lord has already perfor@ed Iis duties to help the de@igods,
and Ie is aJaiting the restH (ou PLFha'as @ay Jait as long as the
Lord is here on earthH
P8-PO-T
The Eord descends from His abode 3>?@Aaloka6, the topmost
planet in the spiritual sky, in order to help the demigod
administrators of this material world when they are greatly
ve:ed by the as!ras, who are envious not only of the Eord
but also of His devotees. As referred to above, the
conditioned living beings contact material association by
their own choice, dictated by a strong desire to lord it over
the resources of the material world and become imitation
lords of all they survey. ;veryone is trying to become an
imitation 8odV there is keen competition amongst such
imitation gods, and such competitors are generally known as
as!ras. When there are too many as!ras in the world, then it
becomes a hell for those who are devotees of the Eord. 7ue
to the growth of the as!ras, the mass of people who are
generally devoted to the Eord by nature and the pure
devotees of the Eord, including the demigods in higher
planets, pray to the Eord for relief, and the Eord either
descends personally from His abode or deputes some of His
devotees to remodel the fallen condition of human society,
or even animal society. $uch disruptions take place not only
in human society but also among animals, birds or other
living beings, including the demigods in the higher planets.
Eord <r= >?@Aa descended personally to van(uish as!ras like
>a[sa, Oar"sandha and <iPup"la, and during the reign of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira almost all these as!ras were killed by
the Eord. Kow he was awaiting the annihilation of His own
dynasty, called the Xadu'va[Pa, who appeared by His will in
this world. He wanted to take them away before His own
departure to His eternal abode. K"rada, like !idura, did not
disclose the imminent annihilation of the Xadu dynasty, but
indirectly gave a hint to the >ing and his brothers to wait till
the incident happened and the Eord departed.
T!T ["
>a:Taran|0 Sah %a3a<aa &aa#>aa(aa- c S'%aa(a-(aa 9
diUaQae#a ih$a'Ta a=?Qaa$aaBO$a; &aTa0 99 [" 99
dh4tar'.<ra* saha bhr'tr'
g'ndh'ry' ca s(a%bh'ryay'
dak.i5ena hima(ata
4.$5'm '1rama- gata*
S(#O#($S
dh4tar'.<ra*Z7h?tar"@TraV sahaZalong withV bhr'tr'Zhis
brother !iduraV g'ndh'ry'Z8"ndh"r= alsoV caZandV s(a%
bh'ryay'Zhis own wifeV dak.i5enaZby the southern sideV
hima(ata*Zof the Himalaya MountainsV 4.$5'mZof the 4.isC
'1ramamZin shelterV gata*Zhe has gone.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cing, your uncle >hDtarLEra, his brother Gidura and his Jife
&LndhLrB ha'e gone to the southern side of the Ii@alaya
$ountains, Jhere there are shelters of the great sagesH
P8-PO-T
To pacify the mourning Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, K"rada first of
all spoke from the philosophical point of view, and then he
began to describe the future movements of his uncle, which
he could see by his foreseeing powers, and thus began to
describe as follows.
T!T [N
baeTaaei%a0 Sai%a(aa- ' S'>au-#a? Sa>aa G(a>aaTa2 9
Saa#aa; PaO?Ta(ae #aa#aa SabaeTa0 PaOcUaTae 99 [N 99
srotobhi* sa"tabhir y' (ai
s(ardh!n$ sa"tadh' (yadh't
sa"t'n'- "r$taye n'n'
sa"ta%srota* "racak.ate
S(#O#($S
srotobhi*Zby currentsV sa"tabhi*Zby seven 3divisions6V y'Z
the riverV (aiZcertainlyV s(ardh!n$Zthe sacred 8angesV
sa"tadh'Zseven branchesV (yadh'tZcreatedV sa"t'n'mZof
the sevenV "r$tayeZfor the satisfaction ofV n'n'ZvariousV
sa"ta%srota*Zseven sourcesV "racak.ateZknown by name.
T-A#SLATIO#
The place is called Saptasrota Oydi'ided by se'enz3 because there
the Jaters of the sacred &anges Jere di'ided into se'en branchesH
This Jas done for the satisfaction of the se'en great DEisH
T!T [X
haT'a#auSa'#a; TaiS$a#huT'a ca&an?#(aQaai'i>a 9
AK%aUa oPa!aa#TaaT$aa Sa AaSTae i'&aTa=Qa0 99 [X 99
sn't('n!sa(ana- tasmin
h!t(' c'gn$n yath'%(idhi
ab%bhak.a !"a1'nt'tm'
sa 'ste (igatai.a5a*
S(#O#($S
sn't('Zby taking bathV an!sa(anamZregularly three times
3morning, noon and evening6V tasminZin that 8anges divided
into sevenV h!t('Zby performing the Agni'hotra sacrificeV ca
ZalsoV agn$nZin the fireV yath'%(idhiZ2ust according to the
tenets of the scriptureV a"%bhak.a*Zfasting by drinking only
waterV !"a1'ntaZcompletely controlledV 'tm'Zthe gross
senses and the subtle mindV sa*Z7h?tar"@TraV 'steZwould
be situatedV (igataZdevoid ofV e.a5a*Zthoughts in relation
with family welfare.
T-A#SLATIO#
On the banks at Saptasrota, >hDtarLEra is noJ engaged in
beginning aELTga6yoga by bathing three ti@es daily, in the
@orning, noon and e'ening, by perfor@ing the Agni6hotra sacrifice
Jith fire and by drinking only JaterH This helps one control the
@ind and the senses and frees one co@pletely fro@ thoughts of
fa@ilial affectionH
P8-PO-T
The yoga system is a mechanical way to control the senses
and the mind and divert them from matter to spirit. The
preliminary processes are the sitting posture, meditation,
spiritual thoughts, manipulation of air passing within the
body, and gradual situation in trance, facing the Absolute
1erson, 1aram"tm". $uch mechanical ways of rising to the
spiritual platform prescribe some regulative principles of
taking bath daily three times, fasting as far as possible,
sitting and concentrating the mind on spiritual matters and
thus gradually becoming free from (i.aya, or material
ob2ectives. Material e:istence means to be absorbed in the
material ob2ective, which is simply illusory. House, country,
family, society, children, property, and business are some of
the material coverings of the spirit, 'tm', and the yoga
system helps one to become free from all these illusory
thoughts and gradually turn towards the Absolute 1erson,
1aram"tm". %y material association and education, we learn
simply to concentrate on flimsy things, but yoga is the
process of forgetting them altogether. Modern so'called
yog$s and yoga systems manifest some magical feats, and
ignorant persons are attracted by such false things, or they
accept the yoga system as a cheap healing process for
diseases of the gross body. %ut factually the yoga system is
the process of learning to forget what we have ac(uired
throughout the struggle for e:istence. 7h?tar"@Tra was all
along engaged in improving family affairs by raising the
standard of living of his sons or by usurping the property of
the 1"AQavas for the sake of his own sons. These are
common affairs for a man grossly materialistic and without
knowledge of the spiritual force. He does not see how this
can drag one from heaven to hell. %y the grace of his
younger brother !idura, 7h?tar"@Tra was enlightened and
could see his grossly illusory engagements, and by such
enlightenment he was able to leave home for spiritual
reali)ation. <r= K"radadeva was 2ust foretelling the way of
his spiritual progress in a place which was sanctified by the
flow of the celestial 8anges. 7rinking water only, without
solid food, is also considered fasting. This is necessary for
advancement of spiritual knowledge. A foolish man wants to
be a cheap yog$ without observing the regulative principles.
A man who has no control over the tongue at first can hardly
become a yog$. Yog$ and bhog$ are two opposite terms. The
bhog$, or the merry man who eats and drinks, cannot be a
yog$, for a yog$ is never allowed to eat and drink
unrestrictedly. We may note with profit how 7h?tar"@Tra
began his yoga system by drinking water only and sitting
calmly in a place with a spiritual atmosphere, deeply
absorbed in the thoughts of the Eord Hari, the 1ersonality of
8odhead.
T!T [Z
i)aTaaSa#aae i)aTaTaSa0 PaOT(aa5Ta=ioi#d3(a0 9
hir%aa'#a(aa STar)a0Sat'Ta$aae$alR0 99 [Z 99
)it'sano )ita%1('sa*
"raty'h4ta%.a;%indriya*
hari%bh'(anay' dh(asta%
ra)a*%satt(a%tamo%mala*
S(#O#($S
)ita%'sana*Zone who has controlled the sitting postureV )ita%
1('sa*Zone who has controlled the breathing processV
"raty'h4taZturning backV .a<Zsi:V indriya*ZsensesV hariZ
the Absolute 1ersonality of 8odheadV bh'(anay'Zabsorbed
inV dh(astaZcon(ueredV ra)a*ZpassionV satt(aZgoodnessV
tama*ZignoranceV mala*Zcontaminations.
T-A#SLATIO#
One Jho has controlled the sitting postures Othe yogic Lsanas3 and
the breathing process can turn the senses toJard the Absolute
Personality of &odhead and thus beco@e i@@une to the
conta@inations of the @odes of @aterial nature, na@ely @undane
goodness, passion and ignoranceH
P8-PO-T
The preliminary activities of the way of yoga are 'sana,
"r'5'y'ma, "raty'h'ra, dhy'na, dh'ra5', etc. Mah"r"2a
7h?tar"@Tra was to attain success in those preliminary
actions because he was seated in a sanctified place and was
concentrating upon one ob2ective, namely the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead 3Hari6. Thus all his senses were being
engaged in the service of the Eord. This process directly
helps the devotee to get freedom from the contaminations of
the three material modes of nature. ;ven the highest mode,
the material mode of goodness, is also a cause of material
bondage, and what to speak of the other (ualities, namely
passion and ignorance. 1assion and ignorance increase the
material propensities of hankering for material en2oyment,
and a strong sense of lust provokes the accumulation of
wealth and power. 9ne who has con(uered these two base
mentalities and has raised himself to the platform of
goodness, which is full of knowledge and morality, cannot
also control the senses, namely the eyes, the tongue, the
nose, the ear and touch. %ut one who has surrendered
himself unto the lotus feet of Eord Hari, as above mentioned,
can transcend all influences of the modes of material nature
and be fi:ed in the service of the Eord. The bhakti%yoga
process, therefore, directly applies the senses to the loving
service of the Eord. This prohibits the performer from
engaging in material activities. This process of turning the
senses from material attachment to the loving
transcendental service of the Eord is called "raty'h'ra, and
the very process is called "r'5'y'ma, ultimately ending in
sam'dhi, or absorption in pleasing the $upreme Eord Hari by
all means.
T!T [[
i'/a#aaT$ai#a Sa;(aae)(a Uae<a/e PaOi'lRaP(a Ta$a2 9
b34Q(aaT$aa#a$aa>aare ga1ua$bri$a'a$bre 99 [[ 99
(i),'n'tmani sa-yo)ya
k.etra),e "ra(il'"ya tam
brahma5y 'tm'nam 'dh're
gha<'mbaram i('mbare
S(#O#($S
(i),'naZpurified identityV 'tmaniZin intelligenceV sa-yo)yaZ
perfectly fi:ingV k.etra%),eZin the matter of the living beingV
"ra(il'"yaZmergingV tamZhimV brahma5iZin the $upremeV
'tm'namZpure living beingV 'dh'reZin the reservoirV gha<a%
ambaramZsky within the blockV i(aZlikeV ambareZin the
supreme sky.
T-A#SLATIO#
>hDtarLEra Jill ha'e to a@alga@ate his pure identity Jith
intelligence and then @erge into the Supre@e Keing Jith
knoJledge of his ?ualitati'e oneness, as a li'ing entity, Jith the
Supre@e Krah@anH Keing freed fro@ the blocked sky, he Jill ha'e
to rise to the spiritual skyH
P8-PO-T
The living being, by his desiring to lord it over the material
world and declining to cooperate with the $upreme Eord,
contacts the sum total of the material world, namely the
mahat%tatt(a, and from the mahat%tatt(a his false identity with
the material world, intelligence, mind and senses is
developed. This covers his pure spiritual identity. %y the
yogic process, when his pure identity is reali)ed in self'
reali)ation, one has to revert to the original position by
amalgamating the five gross elements and the subtle
elements, mind and intelligence, into the mahat%tatt(a again.
Thus getting freed from the clutches of the mahat%tatt(a, he
has to merge in the e:istence of the $upersoul. n other
words, he has to reali)e that (ualitatively he is nondifferent
from the $upersoul, and thus he transcends the material sky
by his pure identical intelligence and thus becomes engaged
in the transcendental loving service of the Eord. This is the
highest perfectional development of spiritual identity, which
was attained by 7h?tar"@Tra by the grace of !idura and the
Eord. The EordJs mercy was bestowed upon him by his
personal contact with !idura, and when he was actually
practicing the instructions of !idura, the Eord helped him to
attain the highest perfectional stage.
A pure devotee of the Eord does not live on any planet of the
material sky, nor does he feel any contact with material
elements. His so'called material body does not e:ist, being
surcharged with the spiritual current of the EordJs identical
interest, and thus he is permanently freed from all
contaminations of the sum total of the mahat%tatt(a. He is
always in the spiritual sky, which he attains by being
transcendental to the sevenfold material covering by the
effect of his devotional service. The conditioned souls are
within the coverings, whereas the liberated soul is far
beyond the cover.
T!T [\
STa$aa(aa&auQaaedk6ae- i#aDpk6rQaa!a(a0 9
i#a'iTa-TaaiYlRahar AaSTae SQaaQauir'aclR0 9
TaS(aa#Tara(aae $a'a%a80 Sa;#(aSTaaiYlRk6$a-Qa0 99 [\ 99
dh(asta%m'y'%g!5odarko
nir!ddha%kara5'1aya*
ni(artit'khil'h'ra
'ste sth'5!r i('cala*
tasy'ntar'yo mai('bh0*
sannyast'khila%karma5a*
S(#O#($S
dh(astaZbeing destroyedV m'y'%g!5aZthe modes of material
natureV !darka*Zafter effectsV nir!ddhaZbeing suspendedV
kara5a%'1aya*Zthe senses and the mindV ni(artitaZstoppedV
akhilaZallV 'h'ra*Zfood for the sensesV 'steZis sittingV
sth'5!*ZimmovableV i(aZlikeV acala*Zfi:edV tasyaZhisV
antar'ya*ZhindrancesV m' e(aZnever like thatV abh0*ZbeV
sannyastaZrenouncedV akhilaZall sortsV karma5a*Zmaterial
duties.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie Jill ha'e to suspend all the actions of the senses, e'en fro@ the
outside, and Jill ha'e to be i@per'ious to interactions of the
senses, Jhich are influenced by the @odes of @aterial natureH After
renouncing all @aterial duties, he @ust beco@e i@@o'ably
established, beyond all sources of hindrances on the pathH
P8-PO-T
7h?tar"@Tra had attained, by the yogic process, the stage of
negation of all sorts of material reaction. The effects of the
material modes of nature draw the victim to indefatigable
desires of en2oying matter, but one can escape such false
en2oyment by the yogic process. ;very sense is always busy
in searching for its food, and thus the conditioned soul is
assaulted from all sides and has no chance to become
steady in any pursuit. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was advised by
K"rada not to disturb his uncle by attempting to bring him
back home. He was now beyond the attraction of anything
material. The material modes of nature 3the g!5as6 have their
different modes of activities, but above the material modes
of nature is a spiritual mode, which is absolute. Nirg!5a
means without reaction. The spiritual mode and its effect are
identicalV therefore the spiritual (uality is distinguished from
its material counterpart by the word nirg!5a. After complete
suspension of the material modes of nature, one is admitted
to the spiritual sphere, and action dictated by the spiritual
modes is called devotional service, or bhakti. &hakti is
therefore nirg!5a attained by direct contact with the
Absolute.
T!T []
Sa 'a A*Ta#aad2 ra)a#a2 ParTa0 Pa}$ae+hi#a 9
k6leR'r; haS(aiTa S'; Ta %aS$a?%ai'.(aiTa 99 [] 99
sa (' adyatan'd r')an
"arata* "a,came 2hani
kale(ara- h'syati s(a-
tac ca bhasm$%bha(i.yati
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV ('Zin all probabilityV adyaZtodayV tan'tZfromV
r')anZ9 >ingV "arata*ZaheadV "a,cameZon the fifthV ahaniZ
dayV kale(aramZbodyV h'syatiZshall (uitV s(amZhis ownV tat
ZthatV caZalsoV bhasm$ZashesV bha(i.yatiZwill turn into.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cing, he Jill ?uit his body, @ost probably on the fifth day fro@
todayH And his body Jill turn to ashesH
P8-PO-T
K"rada MuniJs prophecy prohibited Xudhi@Thira Mah"r"2a
from going to the place where his uncle was staying because
even after (uitting the body by his own mystic power,
7h?tar"@Tra would not be in need of any funeral ceremonyV
K"rada Muni indicated that his body by itself would burn to
ashes. The perfection of the yoga system is attained by such
mystic power. The yog$ is able to (uit his body by his own
choice of time and can attain any planet he desires by
turning the present body into ashes by self'made fire.
T!T [^
d7$aa#ae+i&ani%ade-he PaT(au0 Pa? Sahae1u)ae 9
bih0 iSQaTaa PaiTa; Saa? Ta$ai&an$a#au 'eU(aiTa 99 [^ 99
dahyam'ne 2gnibhir dehe
"aty!* "atn$ saho<a)e
bahi* sthit' "ati- s'dh($
tam agnim an! (ek.yati
S(#O#($S
dahyam'neZwhile it is burningV agnibhi*Zby the fireV deheZ
the bodyV "aty!*Zof the husbandV "atn$Zthe wifeV saha%!<a)e
Zalong with the thatched cottageV bahi*ZoutsideV sthit'Z
situatedV "atimZunto the husbandV s'dh($Zthe chaste ladyV
tamZthatV agnimZfireV an! (ek.yatiZlooking with great
attention will enter the fire.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile outside obser'ing her husband, Jho Jill burn in the fire of
@ystic poJer along Jith his thatched cottage, his chaste Jife Jill
enter the fire Jith rapt attentionH
P8-PO-T
8"ndh"r= was an ideal chaste lady, a life companion of her
husband, and therefore when she saw her husband burning
in the fire of mystic yoga along with his cottage of leaves,
she despaired. $he left home after losing her one hundred
sons, and in the forest she saw that her most beloved
husband was also burning. Kow she actually felt alone, and
therefore she entered the fire of her husband and followed
her husband to death. This entering of a chaste lady into the
fire of her dead husband is called the sat$ rite, and the action
is considered to be most perfect for a woman. n a later age,
this sat$ rite became an obno:ious criminal affair because
the ceremony was forced upon even an unwilling woman. n
this fallen age it is not possible for any lady to follow the sat$
rite as chastely as it was done by 8"ndh"r= and others in
past ages. A chaste wife like 8"ndh"r= would feel the
separation of her husband to be more burning than actual
fire. $uch a lady can observe the sat$ rite voluntarily, and
there is no criminal force by anyone. When the rite became a
formality only and force was applied upon a lady to follow
the principle, actually it became criminal, and therefore the
ceremony was to be stopped by state law. This prophecy of
K"rada Muni to Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira forbade him to go to
his widowed aunt.
T!T [_
i'durSTau Tada,(ag i#a!aa$(a ku6D#a#d#a 9
h=-!aaek6(auTaSTaS$aad2 &a#Taa Ta?Qa-i#a=e'k60 99 [_ 99
(id!ras t! tad '1carya-
ni1'mya k!r!%nandana
har.a%1oka%y!tas tasm'd
gant' t$rtha%ni.e(aka*
S(#O#($S
(id!ra*Z!idura alsoV t!ZbutV tatZthat incidentV '1caryamZ
wonderfulV ni1'myaZseeingV k!r!%nandanaZ9 son of the
>uru dynastyV har.aZdelightV 1okaZgriefV y!ta*Zaffected byV
tasm'tZfrom that placeV gant'Zwill go awayV t$rthaZplace of
pilgrimageV ni.e(aka*Zfor being enlivened.
T-A#SLATIO#
Gidura, being affected Jith delight and grief, Jill then lea'e that
place of sacred pilgri@ageH
P8-PO-T
!idura was astonished to see the marvelous departure of his
brother 7h?tar"@Tra as a liberated yog$, for in his past life he
was much attached to materialism. 9f course it was only due
to !idura that his brother attained the desirable goal of life.
!idura was therefore glad to learn about it. %ut he was sorry
that he could not make his brother turn into a pure devotee.
This was not done by !idura because of 7h?tar"@TraJs being
inimical to the 1"AQavas, who were all devotees of the Eord.
An offense at the feet of a !ai@Aava is more dangerous than
an offense at the lotus feet of the Eord. !idura was certainly
very liberal to bestow mercy upon his brother 7h?tar"@Tra,
whose past life was very materialistic. %ut ultimately the
result of such mercy certainly depended on the will of the
$upreme Eord in the present lifeV therefore 7h?tar"@Tra
attained liberation only, and after many such liberated states
of life one can attain to the stage of devotional service.
!idura was certainly very mortified by the death of his
brother and sister'in'law, and the only remedy to mitigate
such lamentation was to go out to pilgrimage. Thus Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira had no chance to call back !idura, his surviving
uncle.
T!T \`
JT(au6aQaaDhTa2 S'&ag #aard0 SahTau$buD0 9
(aui>aifrae 'cSTaS(a 5id k:6T'a)ahaCcuc0 99 \` 99
ity !kt('th'r!hat s(arga-
n'rada* saha%t!mb!r!*
y!dhi.<hiro (acas tasya
h4di k4t(')ah'c ch!ca*
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV !kt('Zhaving addressedV athaZthereafterV 'r!hatZ
ascendedV s(argamZinto outer spaceV n'rada*Zthe great
sage K"radaV sahaZalong withV t!mb!r!*Zhis stringed
instrumentV y!dhi.<hira*ZMah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraV (aca*Z
instructionsV tasyaZof hisV h4di k4t('Zkeeping in the heartV
a)ah'tZgave upV 1!ca*Zall lamentations.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ia'ing spoken thus, the great sage #Lrada, along Jith his 'BFL,
ascended into outer spaceH (udhiEhira kept his instruction in his
heart and so Jas able to get rid of all la@entationsH
P8-PO-T
<r= K"rada2= is an eternal spaceman, having been endowed
with a spiritual body by the grace of the Eord. He can travel
in the outer spaces of both the material and spiritual worlds
without restriction and can approach any planet in unlimited
space within no time. We have already discussed his
previous life as the son of a maidservant. %ecause of his
association with pure devotees, he was elevated to the
position of an eternal spaceman and thus had freedom of
movement. 9ne should therefore try to follow in the
footsteps of K"rada Muni and not make a futile effort to
reach other planets by mechanical means. Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira was a pious king, and therefore he could see
K"rada Muni occasionallyV anyone who desires to see K"rada
Muni must first be pious and follow in the footsteps of
K"rada Muni.
Thirteenth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled
KDh4tar'.<ra L!its >ome.M
Chapter Fourteen
The >isappearance of Lord CDEFa
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
Sa$PaOiSQaTae jark6a(aa; i)a.Qaa b#>auidd:Ua(aa 9
/aTau; c PauQ(aFaek6S(a k:6.QaS(a c i'ceinTa$a2 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
sam"rasthite d('rak'y'-
)i.5a! bandh!%did4k.ay'
),'t!- ca "!5ya%1lokasya
k4.5asya ca (ice.<itam
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV sam"rasthiteZhaving
gone toV d('rak'y'mZthe city of 7v"rak"V )i.5a!ZAr2unaV
bandh!Zfriends and relativesV did4k.ay'Zfor meeting themV
),'t!mZto knowV caZalsoV "!5ya%1lokasyaZof one whose
glories are sung by !edic hymnsV k4.5asyaZof Eord >?@AaV
caZandV (ice.<itamZfurther programs of work.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide Ar/una Jent to >'LrakL to see Lord ArB
CDEFa and other friends and also to learn fro@ the Lord of Iis neMt
acti'itiesH
P8-PO-T
As stated in &haga(ad%g$t', the Eord descended on earth for
the protection of the faithful and annihilation of the impious,
so after the %attle of >uruk@etra and establishment of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, the mission of the Eord was complete.
The 1"AQavas, especially <r= Ar2una, were eternal
companions of the Eord, and therefore Ar2una went to
7v"rak" to hear from the Eord of His ne:t program of work.
T!T N
G(aTa?Taa0 k6iTaic#$aaSaaSTada #aa(aataTaae+)au-#a0 9
dd!a- gaaer~PaaiQa i#ai$ataai#a ku6~jh0 99 N 99
(yat$t'* katicin m's's
tad' n'y't tato 2r)!na*
dadar1a ghora%r0"'5i
nimitt'ni k!r0d(aha*
S(#O#($S
(yat$t'*Zafter passingV katicitZa fewV m's'*ZmonthsV tad'
Zat that timeV na 'y'tZdid not returnV tata*Zfrom thereV
ar)!na*ZAr2unaV dadar1aZobservedV ghoraZfearfulV r0"'5iZ
appearancesV nimitt'niZvarious causesV k!r!%!d(aha*Z
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira.
T-A#SLATIO#
A feJ @onths passed, and Ar/una did not returnH $ahLrL/a
(udhiEhira then began to obser'e so@e inauspicious o@ens,
Jhich Jere fearful in the@sel'esH
P8-PO-T
Eord <r= >?@Aa the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead is ad
infinit!m, more powerful than the most powerful sun of our
e:perience. Millions and billions of suns are created by Him
and annihilated by Him within His one breathing period. n
the material world the sun is considered to be the source of
all productivity and material energy, and only due to the sun
can we have the necessities of life. Therefore, during the
personal presence of the Eord on the earth, all paraphernalia
for our peace and prosperity, especially religion and
knowledge, were in full display because of the EordJs
presence, 2ust as there is a full flood of light in the presence
of the glowing sun. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira observed some
discrepancies in his kingdom, and therefore he became very
an:ious about Ar2una, who was long absent, and there was
also no news about 7v"rak"Js well'being. He suspected the
disappearance of Eord >?@Aa, otherwise there would have
been no possibility of fearful omens.
T!T X
k6alRS(a c &aiTa; rad3a; i'Pa(a-STaTau->ai$a-Qa0 9
PaaPa?(aSa?; #a:Qaa; 'aTaag s6
ae>alRae%aa#a:TaaT$a#aa$a2 99 X 99
k'lasya ca gati- ra!dr'-
(i"aryastart!%dharmi5a*
"'"$yas$- n45'- ('rt'-
krodha%lobh'n4t'tman'm
S(#O#($S
k'lasyaZof eternal timeV caZalsoV gatimZdirectionV ra!dr'm
ZfearfulV (i"aryastaZreversedV 4t!ZseasonalV dharmi5a*Z
regularitiesV "'"$yas$mZsinfulV n45'mZof the human beingV
('rt'mZmeans of livelihoodV krodhaZangerV lobhaZgreedV
an4taZfalsehoodV 'tman'mZof the people.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie saJ that the direction of eternal ti@e had changed, and this
Jas 'ery fearfulH There Jere disruptions in the seasonal
regularitiesH The people in general had beco@e 'ery greedy, angry
and deceitfulH And he saJ that they Jere adopting foul @eans of
li'elihoodH
P8-PO-T
When civili)ation is disconnected from the loving relation of
the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, symptoms like
changes of seasonal regulations, foul means of livelihood,
greed, anger and fraudulence become rampant. The change
of seasonal regulations refers to one seasonJs atmosphere
becoming manifest in another seasonZfor e:ample the rainy
seasonJs being transferred to autumn, or the fructification of
fruits and flowers from one season in another season. A
godless man is invariably greedy, angry and fraudulent.
$uch a man can earn his livelihood by any means, black or
white. 7uring the reign of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, all the
above symptoms were conspicuous by their absence. %ut
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was astonished to e:perience even a
slight change in the godly atmosphere of his kingdom, and
at once he suspected the disappearance of the Eord. Houl
means of livelihood implies deviation from oneJs
occupational duty. There are prescribed duties for everyone,
such as the br'hma5a, k.atriya, (ai1ya and 10dra, but anyone
who deviates from his prescribed duty and declares
anotherJs duty to be his own is following a foul and improper
duty. A man becomes too greedy for wealth and power when
he has no higher ob2ective in life and when he thinks that
this earthly life of a few years is all in all. gnorance is the
cause for all these anomalies in human society, and to
remove this ignorance, especially in this age of degradation,
the powerful sun is there to distribute light in the shape of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
T!T Z
i)a4PaOa(a; G(a'5Ta; !aayi$aBO; c Saa5d$a2 9
iPaTa:$aaTa:Sau5d2%a3aTa:d$PaTa?#aa; c k6Lk6#a$a2 99 Z 99
)ihma%"r'ya- (ya(ah4ta-
1'<hya%mi1ra- ca sa!h4dam
"it4%m't4%s!h4d%bhr't4%
dam%"at$n'- ca kalkanam
S(#O#($S
)ihma%"r'yamZcheatingV (ya(ah4tamZin all ordinary
transactionsV 1'<hyaZduplicityV mi1ramZadulterated inV caZ
andV sa!h4damZregarding friendly well'wishersV "it4ZfatherV
m't4Zregarding the motherV s!h4tZwell'wishersV bhr't4Z
oneJs own brotherV dam%"at$n'mZregarding husband and
wifeV caZalsoV kalkanamZmutual (uarrel.
T-A#SLATIO#
All ordinary transactions and dealings beca@e polluted Jith
cheating, e'en betJeen friendsH And in fa@ilial affairs, there Jas
alJays @isunderstanding betJeen fathers, @others and sons,
betJeen Jell6Jishers, and betJeen brothersH 'en betJeen
husband and Jife there Jas alJays strain and ?uarrelH
P8-PO-T
A conditioned living being is endowed with four principles of
malpractice, namely errors, insanity, inability and cheating.
These are signs of imperfection, and out of the four the
propensity to cheat others is most prominent. And this
cheating practice is there in the conditioned souls because
the conditioned souls are primarily in the material world
imbued with an unnatural desire to lord it over the material
world. A living being in his pure state is not conditioned by
the laws because in his pure state he is conscious that a
living being is eternally subservient to the $upreme %eing,
and thus it is always good for him to remain subservient,
instead of falsely trying to lord it over the property of the
$upreme Eord. n the conditioned state the living being is not
satisfied even if he actually becomes the lord of all that he
surveys, which he never becomes, and therefore he
becomes the victim of all kinds of cheating, even with his
nearest and most intimate relations. n such an
unsatisfactory state of affairs, there is no harmony, even
between father and sons or between husband and wife. %ut
all these contending difficulties can be mitigated by one
process, and that is the devotional service of the Eord. The
world of hypocrisy can be checked only by counteraction
through devotional service to the Eord and nothing else.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, having observed the disparities,
con2ectured the disappearance of the Eord from the earth.
T!T [
i#ai$ataa#(aT(airnai#a k6aleR T'#au&aTae #a:Qaa$a2 9
lRae%aa*>a$a-PaOk:6iTa; d:ae'aca#au)a; #a:Pa0 99 [ 99
nimitt'ny atyari.<'ni
k'le t( an!gate n45'm
lobh'dy%adharma%"rak4ti-
d4.<(o('c'n!)a- n4"a*
S(#O#($S
nimitt'niZcausesV atiZvery seriousV ari.<'niZbad omensV
k'leZin course of timeV t!ZbutV an!gateZpassing awayV
n45'mZof humanity at largeV lobha%'diZsuch as greedV
adharmaZirreligiousV "rak4timZhabitsV d4.<('Zhaving
observedV !('caZsaidV an!)amZyounger brotherV n4"a*Zthe
>ing.
T-A#SLATIO#
In course of ti@e it ca@e to pass that people in general beca@e
accusto@ed to greed, anger, pride, etcH $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira,
obser'ing all these o@ens, spoke to his younger brotherH
P8-PO-T
$uch a pious king as Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira at once became
perturbed when there were such inhuman symptoms as
greed, anger, irreligiosity and hypocrisy rampant in society.
t appears from this statement that all these symptoms of
degraded society were unknown to the people of the time,
and it was astonishing for them to have e:perienced them
with the advent of the >ali'yuga, or the age of (uarrel.
T!T \
(aui>aifr o'ac
Sa$PaOei=Taae jark6a(aa; i)a.Qaub-#>auidd:Ua(aa 9
/aTau; c PauQ(aFaek6S(a k:6.QaS(a c i'ceinTa$a2 99 \ 99
y!dhi.<hira !('ca
sam"re.ito d('rak'y'-
)i.5!r bandh!%did4k.ay'
),'t!- ca "!5ya%1lokasya
k4.5asya ca (ice.<itam
S(#O#($S
y!dhi.<hira* !('caZMah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira saidV sam"re.ita*
Zhas gone toV d('rak'y'mZ7v"rak"V )i.5!*ZAr2unaV bandh!
ZfriendsV did4k.ay'Zfor the sake of meetingV ),'t!mZto
knowV caZalsoV "!5ya%1lokasyaZof the 1ersonality of
8odheadV k4.5asyaZof Eord <r= >?@AaV caZandV (ice.<itamZ
program of work.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira said to his younger brother KhB@asena, I
sent Ar/una to >'LrakL to @eet his friends and to learn fro@ the
Personality of &odhead CDEFa of Iis progra@ of JorkH
T!T ]
&aTaa0 Saa>au#aa $aaSaa %a?$aSae#a Ta'a#au)a0 9
#aa(aaiTa k6S(a 'a heTaae#aa-h; 'eded$aiSaa 99 ] 99
gat'* sa"t'dh!n' m's'
bh$masena ta('n!)a*
n'y'ti kasya (' hetor
n'ha- (ededam a,)as'
S(#O#($S
gat'*Zhas goneV sa"taZsevenV adh!n'Zto dateV m's'*Z
monthsV bh$masenaZ9 %h=masenaV ta(aZyourV an!)a*Z
younger brotherV naZdoes notV 'y'tiZcome backV kasyaZfor
whatV ('ZorV heto*ZreasonV naZnotV ahamZV (edaZknowV
idamZthisV a,)as'Zfactually.
T-A#SLATIO#
Since he departed, se'en @onths ha'e passed, yet he has not
returnedH I do not knoJ factually hoJ things are going thereH
T!T ^
AiPa de'i=-Qaaidn0 Sa k6alRae+(a$auPaiSQaTa0 9
(adaT$a#aae+l$aas6Io; %a&a'a#auiTSaSa:UaiTa 99 ^ 99
a"i de(ar.i5'di.<a*
sa k'lo 2yam !"asthita*
yad'tmano 23gam 'kr$;a-
bhaga('n !tsis4k.ati
S(#O#($S
a"iZwhetherV de(a%4.i5'Zby the demigod'saint 3K"rada6V
'di.<a*ZinstructedV sa*ZthatV k'la*Zeternal timeV ayamZ
thisV !"asthita*ZarrivedV yad'ZwhenV 'tmana*Zof His own
selfV a3gamZplenary portionV 'kr$;amZmanifestationV
bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV !tsis4k.atiZis going
to (uit.
T-A#SLATIO#
Is Ie going to ?uit Iis earthly pasti@es, as >e'arEi #Lrada
indicatedW Ias that ti@e already arri'edW
P8-PO-T
As we have discussed many times, the $upreme 1ersonality
of 8odhead Eord <r= >?@Aa has many plenary e:pansions,
and each and every one of them, although e(ually powerful,
e:ecutes different functions. n &haga(ad%g$t' there are
different statements by the Eord, and each of these
statements is meant for different plenary portions or
portions of the plenary portions. Hor e:ample, <r= >?@Aa, the
Eord, says in &haga(ad%g$t'I
DWhenever and wherever there is a decline in religious
practice, 9 descendant of %harata, and a predominant rise of
irreligionZat that time descend Myself.F 3%g. M.46
DTo deliver the faithful, to annihilate the miscreants and also
to reestablish the principles of occupational duty, appear in
every age.F 3%g. M..6
Df should cease to work, then all humanity would be
misdirected. would also be the cause of creating unwanted
population, and would thereby destroy the peace of all
sentient beings.F 3%g. \.GM6
DWhatever action a great man performs, common men will
follow. And whatever standards he sets by e:emplary acts,
all the world pursues.F 3%g. \.G,6
All the above statements by the Eord apply to different
plenary portions of the Eord, namely His e:pansions such as
$aIkar@aAa, !"sudeva, 1radyumna, Aniruddha and
K"r"yaAa. These are all He Himself in different
transcendental e:pansions, and still the Eord as <r= >?@Aa
functions in a different sphere of transcendental e:change
with different grades of devotees. And yet Eord >?@Aa as He
is appears once every twenty'four hours of %rahm"Js time
3or after a lapse of .,5MN,NNN,NNN solar years6 in each and
every universe, and all His transcendental pastimes are
displayed in each and every universe in a routine spool. %ut
in that routine spool the functions of Eord >?@Aa, Eord
!"sudeva, etc., are comple: problems for the layman. There
is no difference between the EordJs $elf and the EordJs
transcendental body. The e:pansions e:ecute differential
activities. When the Eord, however, appears in His person as
Eord <r= >?@Aa, His other plenary portions also 2oin in Him
by His inconceivable potency called yogam'y', and thus the
Eord >?@Aa of !?nd"vana is different from the Eord >?@Aa of
Mathur" or the Eord >?@Aa of 7v"rak". The (ir'<%r0"a of Eord
>?@Aa is also different from Him, by His inconceivable
potency. The (ir'<%r0"a e:hibited on the %attlefield of
>uruk@etra is the material conception of His form. Therefore
it should be understood that when Eord >?@Aa was
apparently killed by the bow and arrow of the hunter, the
Eord left His so'called material body in the material world.
The Eord is kai(alya, and for Him there is no difference
between matter and spirit because everything is created
from Him. Therefore His (uitting one sort of body or
accepting another body does not mean that He is like the
ordinary living being. All such activities are simultaneously
one and different by His inconceivable potency. When
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was lamenting the possibility of His
disappearance, it was 2ust in pursuance of a custom of
lamenting the disappearance of a great friend, but factually
the Eord never (uits His transcendental body, as is
misconceived by less intelligent persons. $uch less
intelligent persons have been condemned by the Eord
Himself in &haga(ad%g$t', and they are known as the m0;has.
That the Eord left His body means that He left again His
plenary portions in the respective dh'mas 3transcendental
abodes6, as He left His (ir'<%r0"a in the material world.
T!T _
(aS$aak0 Sa$Padae ra)(a; dara0 PaOaQaa0 ku6l;R PaO)aa0 9
AaSa#a2 SaPai')a(aae lRaek6a, (ad#au&a3haTa2 99 _ 99
yasm'n na* sam"ado r')ya-
d'r'* "r'5'* k!la- "ra)'*
'san sa"atna%(i)ayo
lok'1 ca yad%an!grah't
S(#O#($S
yasm'tZfrom whomV na*ZourV sam"ada*ZopulenceV r')yam
ZkingdomV d'r'*Zgood wivesV "r'5'*Ze:istence of lifeV
k!lamZdynastyV "ra)'*Zsub2ectsV 'sanZhave become
possibleV sa"atnaZcompetitorsV (i)aya*Zcon(ueringV lok'*Z
future accommodation in higher planetsV caZandV yatZby
whoseV an!grah'tZby the mercy of.
T-A#SLATIO#
Fro@ Ii@ only, all our kingly opulence, good Ji'es, li'es, progeny,
control o'er our sub/ects, 'ictory o'er our ene@ies, and future
acco@@odations in higher planets ha'e beco@e possibleH All this
is due to Iis causeless @ercy upon usH
P8-PO-T
Material prosperity consists of a good wife, good home,
sufficient land, good children, aristocratic family relations,
victory over competitors and, by pious work, attainment of
accommodations in the higher celestial planets for better
facilities of material amenities. These facilities are earned
not only by oneJs hard manual labor or by unfair means, but
by the mercy of the $upreme Eord. 1rosperity earned by
oneJs personal endeavor also depends on the mercy of the
Eord. 1ersonal labor must be there in addition to the EordJs
benediction, but without the EordJs benediction no one is
successful simply by personal labor. The moderni)ed man of
>ali'yuga believes in personal endeavor and denies the
benediction of the $upreme Eord. ;ven a great sanny's$ of
ndia delivered speeches in *hicago protesting the
benedictions of the $upreme Eord. %ut as far as !edic 1'stras
are concerned, as we find in the pages of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam, the ultimate sanction for all success rests in the
hands of the $upreme Eord. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira admits
this truth in his personal success, and it behooves one to
follow in the footsteps of a great king and devotee of the
Eord to make life a full success. f one could achieve success
without the sanction of the Eord then no medical practitioner
would fail to cure a patient. 7espite the most advanced
treatment of a suffering patient by the most up'to'date
medical practitioner, there is death, and even in the most
hopeless case, without medical treatment, a patient is cured
astonishingly. Therefore the conclusion is that 8odJs
sanction is the immediate cause for all happenings, good or
bad. Any successful man should feel grateful to the Eord for
all he has achieved.
T!T "`
Pa!(aaeTPaaTaakrG(aaga3 idG(aa#a2 %aa$aa#a2 Sadihk6a#a2
9
daDQaa#a2 !a;SaTaae+d8raS(a; #aae buip$aaeh#a$a2 99
"` 99
"a1yot"'t'n nara%(y'ghra
di(y'n bha!m'n sadaihik'n
d'r!5'n 1a-sato 2d0r'd
bhaya- no b!ddhi%mohanam
S(#O#($S
"a1yaZ2ust seeV !t"'t'nZdisturbancesV nara%(y'ghraZ9 man
of tigerlike strengthV di(y'nZhappenings in the sky or by
planetary influenceV bha!m'nZhappenings on the earthV sa%
daihik'nZhappenings of the body and the mindV d'r!5'nZ
awfully dangerousV 1a-sata*ZindicatingV ad0r'tZin the near
futureV bhayamZdangerV na*ZourV b!ddhiZintelligenceV
mohanamZdeluding.
T-A#SLATIO#
)ust see, O @an Jith a tigerrs strength, hoJ @any @iseries due to
celestial influences, earthly reactions and bodily painsall 'ery
dangerous in the@sel'esare foreboding danger in the near
future by deluding our intelligenceH
P8-PO-T
Material advancement of civili)ation means advancement of
the reactions of the threefold miseries due to celestial
influence, earthly reactions and bodily or mental pains. %y
the celestial influence of the stars there are many calamities
like e:cessive heat, cold, rains or no rains, and the
aftereffects are famine, disease and epidemic. The
aggregate result is agony of the body and the mind. Man'
made material science cannot do anything to counteract
these threefold miseries. They are all punishments from the
superior energy of m'y' under the direction of the $upreme
Eord. Therefore our constant touch with the Eord by
devotional service can give us relief without our being
disturbed in the discharge of our human duties. The as!ras,
however, who do not believe in the e:istence of 8od, make
their own plans to counteract all these threefold miseries,
and so they meet with failures every time. The Bhagavad-gt
34.,M6 clearly states that the reaction of material energy is
never to be con(uered, because of the binding effects of the
three modes. They can simply be overcome by one who
surrenders fully in devotion under the lotus feet of the Eord.
T!T ""
O'-iUabah'ae $a7; Sfu6r#T(al Pau#a0 Pau#a0 9
'ePaQau,aiPa 5d(ae AaraqaS(ai#Ta i'iPaO(a$a2 99 "" 99
0r(%ak.i%b'ha(o mahya-
s"h!ranty a3ga "!na* "!na*
(e"ath!1 c'"i h4daye
'r'd d'syanti (i"riyam
S(#O#($S
0r!ZthighsV ak.iZeyesV b'ha(a*Zthe armsV mahyamZin myV
s"h!rantiZ(uiveringV a3gaZleft side of the bodyV "!na* "!na*
Zagain and againV (e"ath!*ZpalpitationsV caZalsoV a"iZ
certainlyV h4dayeZin the heartV 'r'tZdue to fearV d'syantiZ
indicatingV (i"riyamZundesirables.
T-A#SLATIO#
The left side of @y body, @y thighs, ar@s and eyes are all
?ui'ering again and againH I a@ ha'ing heart palpitations due to
fearH All this indicates undesirable happeningsH
P8-PO-T
Material e:istence is full of undesirables. Things we do not
want are forced upon us by some superior energy, and we
do not see that these undesirables are under the grip of the
three modes of material nature. When a manJs eyes, arms
and thighs all (uiver constantly, one must know that
something is going to happen which is undesirable. These
undesirables are compared to fire in a forest. Ko one goes
into the forest to set fires, but fires automatically take place
in the forest, creating inconceivable calamities for the living
beings of the forest. $uch a fire cannot be e:tinguished by
any human efforts. The fire can be e:tinguished only by the
mercy of the Eord, who sends clouds to pour water on the
forest. $imilarly, undesirable happenings in life cannot be
checked by any number of plans. $uch miseries can be
removed only by the mercy of the Eord, who sends His bona
fide representatives to enlighten human beings and thus
save them from all calamities.
T!T "N
i!a'=ae*#Ta$aaidT(a$ai%araT(a#alRa#a#aa 9
$aa$al Saar$ae(aae+(a$ai%are%aT(a%a?D'Ta2 99 "N 99
1i(ai.odyantam 'dityam
abhira!ty anal'nan'
m'm a3ga s'rameyo 2yam
abhirebhaty abh$r!(at
S(#O#($S
1i('Z2ackalV e.'ZthisV !dyantamZrisingV 'dityamZunto the
sunV abhiZtowardsV ra!tiZcryingV analaZfireV 'nan'ZfaceV
m'mZunto meV a3gaZ9 %h=maV s'rameya*ZdogV ayamZthisV
abhirebhatiZbarks towardsV abh$r!%(atZwithout fear.
T-A#SLATIO#
)ust see, O KhB@a, hoJ the she /ackal cries at the rising sun and
'o@its fire, and hoJ the dog barks at @e fearlesslyH
P8-PO-T
These are some bad omens indicating something
undesirable in the near future.
T!T "X
!aSTaa0 ku6'-i#Ta $aa; SaG(a; diUaQa; Pa!a'ae+Pare 9
'aha;, PauD=G(aaga3 lRUa(ae DdTaae $a$a 99 "X 99
1ast'* k!r(anti m'- sa(ya-
dak.i5a- "a1a(o 2"are
('h'-1 ca "!r!.a%(y'ghra
lak.aye r!dato mama
S(#O#($S
1ast'*Zuseful animals like the cowV k!r(antiZare keepingV
m'mZmeV sa(yamZon the leftV dak.i5amZcircumambulatingV
"a1a(a* a"areZother lower animals like assesV ('h'nZthe
horses 3carriers6V caZalsoV "!r!.a%(y'ghraZ9 tiger among
menV lak.ayeZ seeV r!data*ZweepingV mamaZof mine.
T-A#SLATIO#
O KhB@asena, tiger a@ongst @en, noJ useful ani@als like coJs
are passing @e on @y left side, and loJer ani@als like the asses
are circu@a@bulating @eH $y horses appear to Jeep upon seeing
@eH
T!T "Z
$a:T(aud8Ta0 k6PaaeTaae+(a$aul8Rk60 k6$Pa(a#a2 $a#a0 9
PaOT(aul8Rk6, ku6a#ai'-T; 'B8#(ai$aCcTa0 99 "Z 99
m4ty!%d0ta* ka"oto 2yam
!l0ka* kam"ayan mana*
"raty!l0ka1 ca k!h('nair
(i1(a- (ai 10nyam icchata*
S(#O#($S
m4ty!ZdeathV d0ta*Zmessenger ofV ka"ota*ZpigeonV ayamZ
thisV !l0ka*ZowlV kam"ayanZtremblingV mana*ZmindV
"raty!l0ka*Zthe rivals of owls 3crows6V caZandV k!h('nai*Z
shrieking screamV (i1(amZthe cosmosV (aiZeitherV 10nyamZ
voidV icchata*Zwishing.
T-A#SLATIO#
)ust seet This pigeon is like a @essenger of deathH The shrieks of
the oJls and their ri'al croJs @ake @y heart tre@bleH It appears
that they Jant to @ake a 'oid of the Jhole uni'erseH
T!T "[
>a8$a3a id!a0 Pair>a(a0 k6$PaTae %a80 Sahaid3i%a0 9
i#agaa-Ta, $aha;STaaTa Saak;6 c STa#ai(aui%a0 99 "[ 99
dh0mr' di1a* "aridhaya*
kam"ate bh0* sah'dribhi*
nirgh'ta1 ca mah'-s t'ta
s'kaca stanayitn!bhi*
S(#O#($S
dh0mr'*ZsmokyV di1a*Zall directionsV "aridhaya*Z
encirclementV kam"ateZthrobbingV bh0*Zthe earthV saha
adribhi*Zalong with the hills and mountainsV nirgh'ta*Zbolt
from the blueV caZalsoV mah'nZvery greatV t'taZ9 %h=maV
s'kamZwithV caZalsoV stanayitn!bhi*Zthundering sound
without any cloud.
T-A#SLATIO#
)ust see hoJ the s@oke encircles the skyH It appears that the earth
and @ountains are throbbingH )ust hear the cloudless thunder and
see the bolts fro@ the blueH
T!T "\
'a(au'a-iTa YrSPa!aae- r)aSaa i'Sa:)a;STa$a0 9
ASa:&a2 '=-i#Ta )alRda b?%aTSai$a' Sa'-Ta0 99 "\ 99
('y!r ('ti khara%s"ar1o
ra)as' (is4)a-s tama*
as4g (ar.anti )alad'
b$bhatsam i(a sar(ata*
S(#O#($S
('y!*ZwindV ('tiZblowingV khara%s"ar1a*ZsharplyV ra)as'Z
by the dustV (is4)anZcreatingV tama*ZdarknessV as4kZbloodV
(ar.antiZare rainingV )alad'*Zthe cloudsV b$bhatsamZ
disastrousV i(aZlikeV sar(ata*Zeverywhere.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Jind bloJs 'iolently, blasting dust e'eryJhere and creating
darknessH Clouds are raining e'eryJhere Jith bloody disastersH
T!T "]
Sa8(ag hTaPaO%a; Pa!(a &a3h$adg i$aQaae idi' 9
SaSaM2ku6lR%a8-Ta&aQa)'-ilRTae J' raedSa? 99 "] 99
s0rya- hata%"rabha- "a1ya
graha%marda- mitho di(i
sasa3k!lair bh0ta%ga5air
)(alite i(a rodas$
S(#O#($S
s0ryamZthe sunV hata%"rabhamZits rays decliningV "a1yaZ
2ust seeV graha%mardamZclashes of the starsV mitha*Zamong
one anotherV di(iZin the skyV sa%sa3k!lai*Zbeing mi:ed withV
bh0ta%ga5ai*Zby the living entitiesV )(aliteZbeing ignitedV i(a
Zas ifV rodas$Zcrying.
T-A#SLATIO#
The rays of the sun are declining, and the stars appear to be
fighting a@ongst the@sel'esH Confused li'ing entities appear to be
abla=e and JeepingH
T!T "^
#a*ae #ada, Uaui%aTaa0 Sara;iSa c $a#aa;iSa c 9
#a )'lRT(ai&anra)(ae#a k6alRae+(a; ik;6 i'>aaS(aiTa 99 "^ 99
nadyo nad'1 ca k.!bhit'*
sar'-si ca man'-si ca
na )(alaty agnir ')yena
k'lo 2ya- ki- (idh'syati
S(#O#($S
nadya*ZriversV nad'* caZand the tributariesV k.!bhit'*Zall
perturbedV sar'-siZreservoirs of waterV caZandV man'-siZ
the mindV caZalsoV naZdoes notV )(alatiZigniteV agni*ZfireV
')yenaZwith the help of butterV k'la*Zthe timeV ayamZ
e:traordinary it isV kimZwhatV (idh'syatiZgoing to happen.
T-A#SLATIO#
-i'ers, tributaries, ponds, reser'oirs and the @ind are all
perturbedH Kutter no longer ignites fireH Vhat is this eMtraordinary
ti@eW Vhat is going to happenW
T!T "_
#a iPabi#Ta STa#a; 'TSaa #a du7i#Ta c $aaTar0 9
Dd#T(aBOu$auYa &aa'ae #a 5.(a#T(a:=%aa '3)ae 99 "_ 99
na "ibanti stana- (ats'
na d!hyanti ca m'tara*
r!danty a1r!%m!kh' g'(o
na h4.yanty 4.abh' (ra)e
S(#O#($S
naZdoes notV "ibantiZsuckV stanamZbreastV (ats'*Zthe
calvesV naZdo notV d!hyantiZallow milkingV caZalsoV
m'tara*Zthe cowsV r!dantiZcryingV a1r!%m!kh'*Zwith a
tearful faceV g'(a*Zthe cowsV naZdo notV h4.yantiZtake
pleasureV 4.abh'*Zthe bullsV (ra)eZin the pasturing ground.
T-A#SLATIO#
The cal'es do not suck the teats of the coJs, nor do the coJs gi'e
@ilkH They are standing, crying, tears in their eyes, and the bulls
take no pleasure in the pasturing groundsH
T!T N`
d'Taai#a Dd#Ta?' iS'*i#Ta 7ulRi#Ta c 9
J$ae )a#aPada &a3a$aa0 Paurae*a#aak6raBO$aa0 9
%a3niBO(aae i#ara#a#da0 ik6$aga; d!a-(ai#Ta #a0 99 N` 99
dai(at'ni r!dant$(a
s(idyanti hy !ccalanti ca
ime )ana%"ad' gr'm'*
"!rody'n'kar'1ram'*
bhra.<a%1riyo nir'nand'*
kim agha- dar1ayanti na*
S(#O#($S
dai(at'niZthe 7eities in the templesV r!dantiZseem to be
cryingV i(aZlike thatV s(idyantiZperspiringV hiZcertainlyV
!ccalantiZas if going outV caZalsoV imeZtheseV )ana%"ad'*Z
citiesV gr'm'*ZvillagesV "!raZtownsV !dy'naZgardensV
'karaZminesV '1ram'*Zhermitages, etc.V bhra.<aZdevoid
ofV 1riya*ZbeautyV nir'nand'*Zbereft of all happinessV kimZ
what sort ofV aghamZcalamitiesV dar1ayantiZshall manifestV
na*Zto us.
T-A#SLATIO#
The >eities see@ to be crying in the te@ple, la@enting and
perspiringH They see@ about to lea'eH All the cities, 'illages, toJns,
gardens, @ines and her@itages are noJ de'oid of beauty and
bereft of all happinessH I do not knoJ Jhat sort of cala@ities are
noJ aJaiting usH
T!T N"
$a#(a VTa$a-haeTPaaTa#a8-#a; %a&a'Ta0 Pad0 9
A#a#(aPauD=BO?i%ahs#aa %a8h-TaSaa%a&aa 99 N" 99
manya etair mahot"'tair
n0na- bhaga(ata* "adai*
ananya%"!r!.a%1r$bhir
h$n' bh0r hata%sa!bhag'
S(#O#($S
manyeZ take it for grantedV etai*Zby all theseV mah'ZgreatV
!t"'tai*ZupsurgesV n0namZfor want ofV bhaga(ata*Zof the
1ersonality of 8odheadV "adai*Zthe marks on the sole of the
footV ananyaZe:traordinaryV "!r!.aZof the $upreme
1ersonalityV 1r$bhi*Zby the auspicious signsV h$n'Z
dispossessedV bh0*Zthe earthV hata%sa!bhag'Zwithout the
fortune.
T-A#SLATIO#
I think that all these earthly disturbances indicate so@e greater
loss to the good fortune of the JorldH The Jorld Jas fortunate to
ha'e been @arked Jith the footprints of the lotus feet of the LordH
These signs indicate that this Jill no longer beH
T!T NN
JiTa ic#Ta(aTaSTaS(a d:nairne#a ceTaSaa 9
ra/0 PaOT(aa&a$ad2 b34#a2 (aduPau(aa-0 k6iPa)a0 99 NN 99
iti cintayatas tasya
d4.<'ri.<ena cetas'
r'),a* "raty'gamad brahman
yad!%"!ry'* ka"i%dh(a)a*
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV cintayata*Zwhile thinking to himselfV tasyaZheV
d4.<'Zby observingV ari.<enaZbad omensV cetas'Zby the
mindV r'),a*Zthe >ingV "ratiZbackV 'gamatZcameV brahman
Z9 br'hma5aC yad!%"!ry'*Zfrom the kingdom of the XadusV
ka"i%dh(a)a*ZAr2una.
T-A#SLATIO#
O KrLh@aFa Aaunaka, Jhile $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira, obser'ing the
inauspicious signs on the earth at that ti@e, Jas thus thinking to
hi@self, Ar/una ca@e back fro@ the city of the (adus O>'LrakL3H
T!T NX
Ta; Paad(aaei#a-PaiTaTa$a(aQaaPa8'-$aaTaur$a2 9
A>aae'd#a$aiKb#d8#a2 Sa:)a#Ta; #a(a#aaK)a(aae0 99 NX 99
ta- "'dayor ni"atitam
ayath'%"0r(am 't!ram
adho%(adanam ab%bind0n
s4)anta- nayan'b)ayo*
S(#O#($S
tamZhim 3Ar2una6V "'dayo*Zat the feetV ni"atitamZbowing
downV ayath'%"0r(amZunprecedentedV 't!ramZde2ectedV
adha*%(adanamZdownward faceV a"%bind0nZdrops of waterV
s4)antamZcreatingV nayana%ab)ayo*Zfrom the lotuslike eyes.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen he boJed at his feet, the Cing saJ that his de/ection Jas
unprecedentedH Iis head Jas doJn, and tears glided fro@ his
lotus eyesH
T!T NZ
i'lRaeC(aaeij&an5d(aae i'Cca(a$a#au)a; #a:Pa0 9
Pa:CciTa S$a Sau5#$a>(ae Sa;S$arkardeirTa$a2 99 NZ 99
(ilokyod(igna%h4dayo
(icch'yam an!)a- n4"a*
"4cchati sma s!h4n madhye
sa-smaran n'raderitam
S(#O#($S
(ilokyaZby seeingV !d(ignaZan:iousV h4daya*ZheartV
(icch'yamZpale appearanceV an!)amZAr2unaV n4"a*Zthe
>ingV "4cchati smaZaskedV s!h4tZfriendsV madhyeZamongstV
sa-smaranZrememberingV n'radaZ$age K"radaV $ritamZ
indicated by.
T-A#SLATIO#
Seeing Ar/una pale due to heartfelt anMieties, the Cing,
re@e@bering the indications of the sage #Lrada, ?uestioned hi@
in the @idst of friendsH
T!T N[
(aui>aifr o'ac
k6ida#aTa-Pau(aag #a0 S')a#aa0 SauY$aaSaTae 9
$a>au%aae)ad!aaha-h-SaaT'Taa#>ak6':.Qa(a0 99 N[ 99
y!dhi.<hira !('ca
kaccid 'narta%"!ry'- na*
s(a%)an'* s!kham 'sate
madh!%bho)a%da1'rh'rha%
s't(at'ndhaka%(4.5aya*
S(#O#($S
y!dhi.<hira* !('caZXudhi@Thira saidV kaccitZwhetherV
'narta%"!ry'mZof 7v"rak"V na*ZourV s(a%)an'*ZrelativesV
s!khamZhappilyV 'sateZare passing their daysV madh!Z
MadhuV bho)aZ%ho2aV da1'rhaZ7aP"rhaV 'rhaZWrhaV s't(ata
Z$"tvataV andhakaZAndhakaV (4.5aya*Zof the family of
!?@Ai.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira saide $y dear brother, please tell @e
Jhether our friends and relati'es, such as $adhu, Kho/a, >awLrha,
}rha, SLt'ata, Andhaka and the @e@bers of the (adu fa@ily are all
passing their days in happinessH
T!T N\
B8rae $aaTaa$ah0 k6iTS'ST(aaSTae 'aQa $aair=0 9
$aaTaulR0 Saa#au)a0 k6iTku6!aL(aa#ak6du#dui%a0 99 N\ 99
10ro m't'maha* kaccit
s(asty 'ste ('tha m'ri.a*
m't!la* s'n!)a* kaccit
k!1aly 'nakad!nd!bhi*
S(#O#($S
10ra*Z<LrasenaV m't'maha*Zmaternal grandfatherV kaccitZ
whetherV s(astiZall goodV 'steZpassing his daysV ('ZorV atha
ZthereforeV m'ri.a*ZrespectfulV m't!la*Zmaternal uncleV
sa%an!)a*Zwith his younger brothersV kaccitZwhetherV k!1al$
Zall wellV 'naka%d!nd!bhi*Z!asudeva.
T-A#SLATIO#
Is @y respectable grandfather Adrasena in a happy @oodW And are
@y @aternal uncle Gasude'a and his younger brothers all doing
JellW
T!T N]
Sa S'SaarSTaTPaT#(aae $aaTaulRa#(a0 SahaT$a)aa0 9
AaSaTae Sahu=a0 Uae$a; de'k6IPaO$auYa0 S'(a$a2 99 N] 99
sa"ta s(a%s'ras tat%"atnyo
m't!l'nya* sah'tma)'*
'sate sasn!.'* k.ema-
de(ak$%"ram!kh'* s(ayam
S(#O#($S
sa"taZsevenV s(a%s'ra*Zown sistersV tat%"atnya*Zhis wivesV
m't!l'nya*Zmaternal auntsV sahaZalong withV 'tma%)'*Z
sons and grandsonsV 'sateZare allV sasn!.'*Zwith their
daughters'in'lawV k.emamZhappinessV de(ak$Z7evak=V
"ram!kh'*Zheaded byV s(ayamZpersonally.
T-A#SLATIO#
Iis se'en Ji'es, headed by >e'akB, are all sistersH Are they and
their sons and daughters6in6laJ all happyW
T!TS N^N_
k6id3a)aahuk6ae )a?'T(aSaTPau<aae+S(a ca#au)a0 9
5d?k60 SaSauTaae+s86rae )a(a#Ta&adSaarQaa0 99 N^ 99
AaSaTae ku6!al;R k6i*e c !a<aui)adad(a0 9
k6idaSTae SauY; ra$aae %a&a'a#a2 SaaT'Taa; PaO%au0 99 N_ 99
kaccid r')'h!ko )$(aty
asat%"!tro 2sya c'n!)a*
h4d$ka* sas!to 2kr0ro
)ayanta%gada%s'ra5'*
'sate k!1ala- kaccid
ye ca 1atr!)id%'daya*
kaccid 'ste s!kha- r'mo
bhaga('n s't(at'- "rabh!*
S(#O#($S
kaccitZwhetherV r')'Zthe >ingV 'h!ka*Zanother name of
RgrasenaV )$(atiZstill livingV asatZmischievousV "!tra*ZsonV
asyaZhisV caZalsoV an!)a*Zyounger brotherV h4d$ka*Z
H?d=kaV sa%s!ta*Zalong with son, >?tavarm"V akr0ra*Z
AkrLraV )ayantaZOayantaV gadaZ8adaV s'ra5'*Z$"raAaV 'sate
Zare they allV k!1alamZin happinessV kaccitZwhetherV yeZ
theyV caZalsoV 1atr!)itZ<atru2itV 'daya*Zheaded byV kaccitZ
whetherV 'steZare theyV s!khamZall rightV r'ma*Z%alar"maV
bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV s't(at'mZof the
devoteesV "rabh!*Zprotector.
T-A#SLATIO#
Are 8grasena, Jhose son Jas the @ischie'ous Caksa, and his
younger brother still li'ingW Are IDdBka and his son CDta'ar@L
happyW Are Akrdra, )ayanta, &ada, SLraFa and Aatru/it all happyW
IoJ is KalarL@a, the Personality of &odhead and the protector of
de'oteesW
P8-PO-T
Hastin"pura, the capital of the 1"AQavas, was situated
somewhere near present Kew 7elhi, and the kingdom of
Rgrasena was situated in Mathur". While returning to 7elhi
from 7v"rak", Ar2una must have visited the city of Mathur",
and therefore the in(uiry about the >ing of Mathur" is valid.
Amongst various names of the relatives, the name of 0"ma
or %alar"ma, eldest brother of Eord >?@Aa, is added with the
words Dthe 1ersonality of 8odheadF because Eord %alar"ma
is the immediate e:pansion of (i.5!%tatt(a as "rak'1a%(igraha
of Eord >?@Aa. The $upreme Eord, although one without a
second, e:pands Himself as many other living beings. The
(i.5!%tatt(a living beings are e:pansions of the $upreme
Eord, and all of them are (ualitatively and (uantitatively
e(ual with the Eord. %ut e:pansions of the )$(a%1akti, the
category of the ordinary living beings, are not at all e(ual
with the Eord. 9ne who considers the )$(a%1akti and the
(i.5!%tatt(a to be on an e(ual level is considered a
condemned soul of the world. <r= 0"ma, or %alar"ma, is the
protector of the devotees of the Eord. %aladeva acts as the
spiritual master of all devotees, and by His causeless mercy
the fallen souls are delivered. <r= %aladeva appeared as <r=
Kity"nanda 1rabhu during the advent of Eord *aitanya, and
the great Eord Kity"nanda 1rabhu e:hibited His causeless
mercy by delivering a pair of e:tremely fallen souls, namely
Oag"i and M"dh"i. Therefore it is particularly mentioned
herein that %alar"ma is the protector of the devotees of the
Eord. %y His divine grace only one can approach the
$upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa, and thus <r= %alar"ma is the
mercy incarnation of the Eord, manifested as the spiritual
master, the savior of the pure devotees.
T!T X`
PaO*u$an0 Sa'-':.Qa?#aa; SauY$aaSTae $aharQa0 9
&a$%a?rr(aae+i#aDpae '>a-Tae %a&a'a#auTa 99 X` 99
"rady!mna* sar(a%(4.5$n'-
s!kham 'ste mah'%ratha*
gambh$ra%rayo 2nir!ddho
(ardhate bhaga('n !ta
S(#O#($S
"rady!mna*Z1radyumna 3a son of Eord >?@Aa6V sar(aZallV
(4.5$n'mZof the members of the !?@Ai familyV s!khamZ
happinessV 'steZare inV mah'%ratha*Zthe great generalV
gambh$raZdeeplyV raya*Zde:terityV anir!ddha*ZAniruddha
3a grandson of Eord >?@Aa6V (ardhateZflourishingV bhaga('nZ
the 1ersonality of 8odheadV !taZmust.
T-A#SLATIO#
IoJ is Pradyu@na, the great general of the GDEFi fa@ilyW Is Ie
happyW And is Aniruddha, the plenary eMpansion of the Personality
of &odhead, faring JellW
P8-PO-T
1radyumna and Aniruddha are also e:pansions of the
1ersonality of 8odhead, and thus They are also (i.5!%tatt(a.
At 7v"rak" Eord !"sudeva is engaged in His transcendental
pastimes along with His plenary e:pansions, namely
$aIkar@aAa, 1radyumna and Aniruddha, and therefore each
and every one of Them can be addressed as the 1ersonality
of 8odhead, as it is mentioned in connection with the name
Aniruddha.
T!T X"
Sau=eQa,aDde.Qa, Saa$bae )aa$b'Ta?SauTa0 9
A#(ae c k6ai.Qa-PaO'ra0 SaPau<aa a=%aad(a0 99 X" 99
s!.e5a1 c'r!de.5a1 ca
s'mbo )'mba(at$%s!ta*
anye ca k'r.5i%"ra(ar'*
sa"!tr' 4.abh'daya*
S(#O#($S
s!.e5a*Z$u@eAaV c'r!de.5a*Z*"rude@AaV caZandV s'mba*Z
$"mbaV )'mba(at$%s!ta*Zthe son of O"mbavat=V anyeZothersV
caZalsoV k'r.5iZthe sons of Eord >?@AaV "ra(ar'*Zall
chieftainsV sa%"!tr'*Zalong with their sonsV 4.abhaZ_@abhaV
'daya*Zetc.
T-A#SLATIO#
Are all the chieftain sons of Lord CDEFa, such as SuEeFa,
CLrudeEFa, SL@ba the son of )L@ba'atB, and iEabha, along Jith
their sons, all doing JellW
P8-PO-T
As already mentioned, Eord >?@Aa married ,5,,N. wives,
and each of them had ten sons. Therefore ,5,,N. : ,N
,5,,N.N sons. They all grew up, and each of them had as
many sons as their father, and the whole aggregate was
something near ,,5,N,.NN family members of the Eord. The
Eord is the father of all living beings, who are countless in
numberV therefore only a few of them are called to associate
with the Eord in His transcendental pastimes as the Eord of
7v"rak" on this earth. t is not astonishing that the Eord
maintained a visible family consisting of so many members.
t is better to refrain from comparing the EordJs position to
ours, and it becomes a simple truth as soon as we
understand at least a partial calculation of the EordJs
transcendental position. >ing Xudhi@Thira, while in(uiring
about the EordJs sons and grandsons at 7v"rak", mentioned
only the chieftains amongst them, for it was impossible for
him to remember all the names of the EordJs family
members.
T!TS XNXX
TaQa'a#aucra0 !aare0 BOuTade'aep'ad(a0 9
Sau#a#d#a#d!a?=-Q(aa (ae ca#(ae SaaT'Ta=-%aa0 99 XN 99
AiPa S'ST(aaSaTae Sa'e- ra$ak:6.Qa%au)aaBO(aa0 9
AiPa S$ari#Ta ku6!alR$aS$aak;6 bpSaa5da0 99 XX 99
tathai('n!car'* 1a!re*
1r!tade(oddha('daya*
s!nanda%nanda%1$r.a5y'
ye c'nye s't(atar.abh'*
a"i s(asty 'sate sar(e
r'ma%k4.5a%bh!)'1ray'*
a"i smaranti k!1alam
asm'ka- baddha%sa!h4d'*
S(#O#($S
tath' e(aZsimilarlyV an!car'*Zconstant companionsV 1a!re*
Zof Eord <r= >?@Aa such asV 1r!tade(aZ<rutadevaV !ddha(a%
'daya*ZRddhava and othersV s!nandaZ$unandaV nandaZ
KandaV 1$r.a5y'*Zother leadersV yeZall of themV caZandV
anyeZothersV s't(ataZliberated soulsV 4.abh'*Zthe best
menV a"iZifV s(astiZdoing wellV 'sateZareV sar(eZall of
themV r'maZ%alar"maV k4.5aZEord >?@AaV bh!)a%'1ray'*Z
under the protection ofV a"iZif alsoV smarantiZdo rememberV
k!1alamZwelfareV asm'kamZabout ourselvesV baddha%
sa!h4d'*Zbound by eternal friendship.
T-A#SLATIO#
Also, Arutade'a, 8ddha'a and others, #anda, Sunanda and other
leaders of liberated souls Jho are constant co@panions of the Lord
are protected by Lord KalarL@a and CDEFaH Are they all doing Jell
in their respecti'e functionsW >o they, Jho are all eternally bound
in friendship Jith us, re@e@ber our JelfareW
P8-PO-T
The constant companions of Eord >?@Aa, such as Rddhava,
are all liberated souls, and they descended along with Eord
>?@Aa to this material world to fulfill the mission of the Eord.
The 1"AQavas are also liberated souls who descended along
with Eord >?@Aa to serve Him in His transcendental pastimes
on this earth. As stated in the Bhagavad-gt 3M..6, the Eord
and His eternal associates, who are also liberated souls like
the Eord, come down on this earth at certain intervals. The
Eord remembers them all, but His associates, although
liberated souls, forget due to their being ta<asth' 1akti, or
marginal potency of the Eord. That is the difference between
the (i.5!%tatt(a and )$(a%tatt(a. The )$(a%tatt(as are
infinitesimal potential particles of the Eord, and therefore
they re(uire the protection of the Eord at all times. And to
the eternal servitors of the Eord, the Eord is pleased to give
all protection at all times. The liberated souls never,
therefore, think themselves as free as the Eord or as
powerful as the Eord, but they always seek the protection of
the Eord in all circumstances, both in the material world and
in the spiritual world. This dependence of the liberated soul
is constitutional, for the liberated souls are like sparks of a
fire that are able to e:hibit the glow of fire along with the fire
and not independently. ndependently the glow of the sparks
is e:tinguished, although the (uality of fire or the glowing is
there. Thus those who give up the protection of the Eord and
become so'called lords themselves, out of spiritual
ignorance, come back again to this material world, even
after prolonged ta"asya of the severest type. That is the
verdict of all !edic literature.
T!T XZ
%a&a'a#aiPa &aaei'#dae b34Q(aae %av6'TSalR0 9
k6iTPaure Sau>a$aa-(aa; SauY$aaSTae Sau5d2':Ta0 99 XZ 99
bhaga('n a"i go(indo
brahma5yo bhakta%(atsala*
kaccit "!re s!dharm'y'-
s!kham 'ste s!h4d%(4ta*
S(#O#($S
bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odhead, >?@AaV a"iZalsoV
go(inda*Zone who enlivens the cows and the sensesV
brahma5ya*Zdevoted to the devotees of the br'hma5asC
bhakta%(atsala*Zaffectionate to the devoteesV kaccitZ
whetherV "!reZin 7v"rak" 1ur=V s!dharm'y'mZpious
assemblyV s!khamZhappinessV 'steZdoes en2oyV s!h4t%(4ta*
Zsurrounded by friends.
T-A#SLATIO#
Is Lord CDEFa, the Supre@e Personality of &odhead, Jho gi'es
pleasure to the coJs, the senses and the brLh@aFas, Jho is 'ery
affectionate toJards Iis de'otees, en/oying the pious asse@bly at
>'LrakL PurB surrounded by friendsW
P8-PO-T
Here in this particular verse the Eord is described as
bhaga('n, go(inda, brahma5ya and bhakta%(atsala. He is
bhaga('n s(ayam, or the original $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead, full with all opulences, all power, all knowledge, all
beauty, all fame and all renunciation. Ko one is e(ual to or
greater than Him. He is 8ovinda because He is the pleasure
of the cows and the senses. Those who have purified their
senses by the devotional service of the Eord can render unto
Him real service and thereby derive transcendental pleasure
out of such purified senses. 9nly the impure conditioned
living being cannot derive any pleasure from the senses, but
being illusioned by false pleasures of the senses, he
becomes servant of the senses. Therefore, we need His
protection for our own interest. The Eord is the protector of
cows and the brahminical culture. A society devoid of cow
protection and brahminical culture is not under the direct
protection of the Eord, 2ust as the prisoners in the 2ails are
not under the protection of the king but under the protection
of a severe agent of the king. Without cow protection and
cultivation of the brahminical (ualities in human society, at
least for a section of the members of society, no human
civili)ation can prosper at any length. %y brahminical culture,
the development of the dormant (ualities of goodness,
namely truthfulness, e(uanimity, sense control, forbearance,
simplicity, general knowledge, transcendental knowledge,
and firm faith in the !edic wisdom, one can become a
br'hma5a and thus see the Eord as He is. And after
surpassing the brahminical perfection, one has to become a
devotee of the Eord so that His loving affection in the form of
proprietor, master, friend, son and lover can be
transcendentally achieved. The stage of a devotee, which
attracts the transcendental affection of the Eord, does not
develop unless one has developed the (ualities of a
br'hma5a as above mentioned. The Eord is inclined to a
br'hma5a of (uality and not of false prestige. Those who are
less than a br'hma5a by (ualification cannot establish any
relation with the Eord, 2ust as fire cannot be kindled from the
raw earth unless there is wood, although there is a relation
between wood and the earth. $ince the Eord is all'perfect in
Himself, there could not be any (uestion of His welfare, and
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira refrained from asking this (uestion. He
simply in(uired about His residential place, 7v"rak" 1ur=,
where pious men assemble. The Eord stays only where pious
men assemble and takes pleasure in their glorifying the
$upreme Truth. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was an:ious to know
about the pious men and their pious acts in the city of
7v"rak".
T!TS X[X\
$allRa(a c lRaek6a#aa; Uae$aa(a c %a'a(a c 9
AaSTae (aduku6lRa$%aae>aa'a*ae+#a#TaSaY0 Pau$aa#a2 99
X[ 99
(amahudQo&aua(aa; S'Pau(aag (ad'ae+ic-Taa0 9
s6Ioi#Ta Par$aa#a#d; $ahaPaaDi=k6a J' 99 X\ 99
ma3gal'ya ca lok'n'-
k.em'ya ca bha('ya ca
'ste yad!%k!l'mbhodh'(
'dyo 2nanta%sakha* "!m'n
yad b'h!%da5;a%g!"t'y'-
s(a%"!ry'- yada(o 2rcit'*
kr$;anti "aram'nanda-
mah'%"a!r!.ik' i(a
S(#O#($S
ma3gal'yaZfor all goodV caZalsoV lok'n'mZof all the planetsV
k.em'yaZfor protectionV caZandV bha('yaZfor elevationV ca
ZalsoV 'steZis thereV yad!%k!la%ambhodha!Zin the ocean of
the Xadu dynastyV 'dya*Zthe originalV ananta%sakha*Zin the
company of Ananta 3%alar"ma6V "!m'nZthe supreme
en2oyerV yatZwhoseV b'h!%da5;a%g!"t'y'mZbeing protected
by His armsV s(a%"!ry'mZin His own cityV yada(a*Zthe
members of the Xadu familyV arcit'*Zas they deserveV
kr$;antiZare relishingV "arama%'nandamZtranscendental
pleasureV mah'%"a!r!.ik'*Zthe residents of the spiritual skyV
i(aZlike.
T-A#SLATIO#
The original Personality of &odhead, the en/oyer, and KalarL@a,
the pri@e'al Lord Ananta, are staying in the ocean of the (adu
dynasty for the Jelfare, protection and general progress of the
entire uni'erseH And the @e@bers of the (adu dynasty, being
protected by the ar@s of the Lord, are en/oying life like the
residents of the spiritual skyH
P8-PO-T
As we have discussed many times, the 1ersonality of
8odhead !i@Au resides within each and every universe in
two capacities, namely as the 8arbhodakaP"y= !i@Au and
the >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au. The >@=rodakaP"y= !i@Au has His
own planet on the northern top of the universe, and there is
a great ocean of milk where the Eord resides on the bed of
the Ananta incarnation of %aladeva. Thus Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira has compared the Xadu dynasty to the ocean of
milk and <r= %alar"ma to the Ananta where Eord >?@Aa
resides. He has compared the citi)ens of 7v"rak" to the
liberated inhabitants of the !aikuAThalokas. %eyond the
material sky, further than we can see with our eyes and
beyond the sevenfold coverings of the universe, there is the
*ausal 9cean in which all the universes are floating like
footballs, and beyond the *ausal 9cean there is an unlimited
span of spiritual sky generally known as the effulgence of
%rahman. Within this effulgence there are innumerable
spiritual planets, and they are known as the !aikuATha
planets. ;ach and every !aikuATha planet is many, many
times bigger than the biggest universe within the material
world, and in each of them there are innumerable
inhabitants who look e:actly like Eord !i@Au. These
inhabitants are known as the Mah"'pauru@ikas, or persons
directly engaged in the service of the Eord. They are happy
in those planets and are without any kind of misery, and
they live perpetually in full youthfulness, en2oying life in full
bliss and knowledge without fear of birth, death, old age or
disease, and without the influence of k'la, eternal time.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira has compared the inhabitants of
7v"rak" to the Mah"'pauru@ikas of !aikuAThaloka because
they are so happy with the Eord. n the &haga(ad%g$t' there
are many references to the !aikuAThalokas, and they are
mentioned there as mad%dh'ma, or the kingdom of the Eord.
T!T X]
(aTPaadBuBO8=Qa$aue(ak6$a-Qaa
SaT(aad(aae jynSahb(aaei=Ta0 9
i#ai)a-T(a Sa;e(ae i<ad!aa;STadai!a=ae
hri#Ta ')a3a(au>a'w%aaeicTaa0 99 X] 99
yat%"'da%1!1r0.a5a%m!khya%karma5'
saty'dayo d(y%a.<a%sahasra%yo.ita*
nir)itya sa3khye tri%da1'-s tad%'1i.o
haranti (a)r'y!dha%(allabhocit'*
S(#O#($S
yatZwhoseV "'daZfeetV 1!1r0.a5aZadministration of
comfortsV m!khyaZthe most importantV karma5'Zby the acts
ofV satya%'daya*Z(ueens headed by $atyabh"m"V d(i%a.<aZ
twice eightV sahasraZthousandV yo.ita*Zthe fair se:V nir)itya
Zby subduingV sa3khyeZin the battleV tri%da1'nZof the
deni)ens of heavenV tat%'1i.a*Zwhat is en2oyed by the
demigodsV harantiZdo take awayV (a)ra%'y!dha%(allabh'Zthe
wives of the personality who controls the thunderboltV !cit'*
Zdeserving.
T-A#SLATIO#
Si@ply by ad@inistering co@forts at the lotus feet of the Lord,
Jhich is the @ost i@portant of all ser'ices, the ?ueens at >'LrakL,
headed by SatyabhL@L, induced the Lord to con?uer the
de@igodsH Thus the ?ueens en/oy things Jhich are prerogati'es of
the Ji'es of the controller of thunderboltsH
P8-PO-T
Satyabh'm'I 9ne of the principal (ueens of Eord <r= >?@Aa at
7v"rak". After killing Karak"sura, Eord >?@Aa visited the
palace of Karak"sura accompanied by $atyabh"m". He went
to ndraloka also with $atyabh"m", and she was received by
<ac=dev=, who introduced her to the mother of the
demigods, Aditi. Aditi was very much pleased with
$atyabh"m", and she blessed her with the benediction of
permanent youth as long as Eord >?@Aa remained on the
earth. Aditi also took her with her to show her the special
prerogatives of the demigods in the heavenly planets. When
$atyabh"m" saw the "'ri)'ta flower, she desired to have it in
her palace at 7v"rak". After that, she came back to 7v"rak"
along with her husband and e:pressed her willingness to
have the "'ri)'ta flower at her palace. $atyabh"m"Js palace
was especially bedecked with valuable 2ewels, and even in
the hottest season of summer the inside of the palace
remained cool, as if air'conditioned. $he decorated her
palace with various flags, heralding the news of her great
husbandJs presence there. 9nce, along with her husband,
she met 7raupad=, and she was an:ious to be instructed by
7raupad= in the ways and means of pleasing her husband.
7raupad= was e:pert in this affair because she kept five
husbands, the 1"AQavas, and all were very much pleased
with her. 9n receipt of 7raupad=Js instructions, she was very
much pleased and offered her good wishes and returned to
7v"rak". $he was the daughter of $atr"2it. After the
departure of Eord >?@Aa, when Ar2una visited 7v"rak", all
the (ueens, including $atyabh"m" and 0ukmiA=, lamented
for the Eord with great feeling. At the last stage of her life,
she left for the forest to undergo severe penance.
$atyabh"m" instigated her husband to get the "'ri)'ta
flower from the heavenly planets, and the Eord got it even
by force from the demigods, as a common husband secures
things to please his wife. As already e:plained, the Eord had
very little to do with so many wives to carry out their orders
like an ordinary man. %ut because the (ueens accepted the
high (uality of devotional service, namely administering the
Eord all comforts, the Eord played the part of a faithful and
complete husband. Ko earthly creature can e:pect to have
things from the heavenly kingdom, especially the "'ri)'ta
flowers, which are simply to be used by the demigods. %ut
due to their becoming the EordJs faithful wives, all of them
en2oyed the special prerogatives of the great wives of the
deni)ens of heaven. n other words, since the Eord is the
proprietor of everything within His creation, it is not very
astonishing for the (ueens of 7v"rak" to have any rare thing
from any part of the universe.
T!T X^
(amahudQoa%(aud(aa#au)a?i'#aae
(aduPaO'?ra 7ku6Taae%a(aa $auhu0 9
Ai>as6$a#T(aM2iga3i%ara5Taa; blRaTa2
Sa%aa; Sau>a$aag SaurSata$aaeicTaa$a2 99 X^ 99
yad b'h!%da5;'bhy!day'n!)$(ino
yad!%"ra($r' hy ak!tobhay' m!h!*
adhikramanty a3ghribhir 'h4t'- bal't
sabh'- s!dharm'- s!ra%sattamocit'm
S(#O#($S
yatZwhoseV b'h!%da5;aZarmsV abhy!dayaZinfluenced byV
an!)$(ina*Zalways livingV yad!Zthe members of the Xadu
dynastyV "ra($r'*Zgreat heroesV hi ak!tobhay'*Zfearless in
every respectV m!h!*ZconstantlyV adhikramantiZtraversingV
a3ghribhi*Zby footV 'h4t'mZbrought aboutV bal'tZby forceV
sabh'mZassembly houseV s!dharm'mZ$udharm"V s!ra%sat%
tamaZthe best among the demigodsV !cit'mZdeserving.
T-A#SLATIO#
The great heroes of the (adu dynasty, being protected by the ar@s
of Lord ArB CDEFa, alJays re@ain fearless in e'ery respectH And
therefore their feet tra@ple o'er the Sudhar@L asse@bly house,
Jhich the best de@igods deser'ed but Jhich Jas taken aJay fro@
the@H
P8-PO-T
Those who are directly servitors of the Eord are protected by
the Eord from all fearfulness, and they also en2oy the best of
things, even if they are forcibly accumulated. The Eord is
e(ual in behavior to all living beings, but He is partial to His
pure devotees, being very affectionate toward them. The
city of 7v"rak" was flourishing, being enriched with the best
of things in the material world. The state assembly house is
constructed according to the dignity of the particular state.
n the heavenly planets, the state assembly house called
$udharm" was deserving of the dignity of the best of the
demigods. $uch an assembly house is never meant for any
state on the globe because the human being on the earth is
unable to construct it, however far a particular state may be
materially advanced. %ut during the time of Eord >?@AaJs
presence on the earth, the members of the Xadu family
forcibly brought the celestial assembly house to earth and
placed it at 7v"rak". They were able to use such force
because they were certain of the indulgence and protection
of the $upreme Eord >?@Aa. n other words, the Eord is
provided with the best things in the universe by His pure
devotees. Eord >?@Aa was provided with all kinds of comforts
and facilities available within the universe by the members
of the Xadu dynasty, and in return such servitors of the Eord
were protected and fearless.
A forgetful, conditioned soul is fearful. %ut a liberated soul is
never fearful, 2ust as a small child completely dependent on
the mercy of his father is never fearful of anyone.
Hearfulness is a sort of illusion for the living being when he is
in slumber and forgetting his eternal relation with the Eord.
$ince the living being is never to die by his constitution, as
stated in Bhagavad-gt 3G.GN6, then what is the cause of
fearfulness? A person may be fearful of a tiger in a dream,
but another man who is awake by his side sees no tiger
there. The tiger is a myth for both of them, namely the
person dreaming and the person awake, because actually
there is no tigerV but the man forgetful of his awakened life is
fearful, whereas the man who has not forgotten his position
is not at all fearful. Thus the members of the Xadu dynasty
were fully awake in their service to the Eord, and therefore
there was no tiger for them to be afraid of at any time. ;ven
if there were a real tiger, the Eord was there to protect them.
T!T X_
k6itae+#aa$a(a; TaaTa %a3nTae)aa i'%aaiSa $ae 9
AlRK>a$aa#aae+'/aTa0 ik;6 'a TaaTa icraei=Ta0 99 X_ 99
kaccit te 2n'maya- t'ta
bhra.<a%te)' (ibh'si me
alabdha%m'no 2(a),'ta*
ki- (' t'ta ciro.ita*
S(#O#($S
kaccitZwhetherV teZyourV an'mayamZhealth is all rightV t'ta
Zmy dear brotherV bhra.<aZbereftV te)'*ZlusterV (ibh'siZ
appearV meZto meV alabdha%m'na*Zwithout respectV
a(a),'ta*ZneglectedV kimZwhetherV ('ZorV t'taZmy dear
brotherV ciro.ita*Zbecause of long residence.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y brother Ar/una, please tell @e Jhether your health is all rightH
(ou appear to ha'e lost your bodily lusterH Is this due to others
disrespecting and neglecting you because of your long stay at
>'LrakLW
P8-PO-T
Hrom all angles of vision, the Mah"r"2a in(uired from Ar2una
about the welfare of 7v"rak", but he concluded at last that
as long as Eord <r= >?@Aa Himself was there, nothing
inauspicious could happen. %ut at the same time, Ar2una
appeared to be bereft of his bodily luster, and thus the >ing
in(uired of his personal welfare and asked so many vital
(uestions.
T!T Z`
k6ikai%ahTaae+%aa'0 !aKdaidi%ar$allR0 9
#a dta$auv6$aiQa-%(a Aa!a(aa (aTPaOiTaBOuTa$a2 99 Z` 99
kaccin n'bhihato 2bh'(ai*
1abd'dibhir ama3galai*
na dattam !ktam arthibhya
'1ay' yat "rati1r!tam
S(#O#($S
kaccitZwhetherV naZcould notV abhihata*Zaddressed byV
abh'(ai*ZunfriendlyV 1abda%'dibhi*Zby soundsV ama3galai*Z
inauspiciousV naZdid notV dattamZgive in charityV !ktamZis
saidV arthibhya*Zunto one who askedV '1ay'Zwith hopeV yat
ZwhatV "rati1r!tamZpromised to be paid.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ias so@eone addressed you Jith unfriendly Jords or threatened
youW Could you not gi'e charity to one Jho asked, or could you not
keep your pro@ise to so@eoneW
P8-PO-T
A k.atriya or a rich man is sometimes visited by persons who
are in need of money. When they are asked for a donation, it
is the duty of the possessor of wealth to give in charity in
consideration of the person, place and time. f a k.atriya or a
rich man fails to comply with this obligation, he must be very
sorry for this discrepancy. $imilarly, one should not fail to
keep his promise to give in charity. These discrepancies are
sometimes causes of despondency, and thus failing, a
person becomes sub2ected to criticism, which might also be
the cause of Ar2unaJs plight.
T!T Z"
k6it'; b3a4Qa; bal;R &aa; ':p; raei&aQa; iE(a$a2 9
!arQaaePaSa:Ta; Sat'; #aaT(aaUa?0 !arQaPaOd0 99 Z" 99
kaccit t(a- br'hma5a- b'la-
g'- (4ddha- rogi5a- striyam
1ara5o"as4ta- satt(a-
n'ty'k.$* 1ara5a%"rada*
S(#O#($S
kaccitZwhetherV t(amZyourselfV br'hma5amZthe br'hma5asC
b'lamZthe childV g'mZthe cowV (4ddhamZoldV rogi5amZthe
diseasedV striyamZthe womanV 1ara5a%!"as4tamZhaving
approached for protectionV satt(amZany living beingV naZ
whetherV aty'k.$*Znot given shelterV 1ara5a%"rada*Z
deserving protection.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou are alJays the protector of the deser'ing li'ing beings, such
as brLh@aFas, children, coJs, Jo@en and the diseasedH Could you
not gi'e the@ protection Jhen they approached you for shelterW
P8-PO-T
The br'hma5as, who are always engaged in researching
knowledge for the societyJs welfare work, both materially
and spiritually, deserve the protection of the king in all
respects. $imilarly, the children of the state, the cow, the
diseased person, the woman and the old man specifically
re(uire the protection of the state or a k.atriya king. f such
living beings do not get protection by the k.atriya, or the
royal order, or by the state, it is certainly shameful for the
k.atriya or the state. f such things had actually happened to
Ar2una, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was an:ious to know about
these discrepancies.
T!T ZN
k6it'; #aa&a$aae+&a$(aa; &a$(aa; 'aSaTk:6Taa;
iE(a$a2 9
Parai)aTaae 'aQa %a'akaeta$a#aa-Sa$a0 PaiQa 99 ZN 99
kaccit t(a- n'gamo 2gamy'-
gamy'- ('sat%k4t'- striyam
"ar')ito ('tha bha('n
nottamair n'samai* "athi
S(#O#($S
kaccitZwhetherV t(amZyourselfV naZnotV agama*Zdid
contactV agamy'mZimpeachableV gamy'mZacceptableV ('Z
eitherV asat%k4t'mZimproperly treatedV striyamZa womanV
"ar')ita*Zdefeated byV ('ZeitherV athaZafter allV bha('nZ
your good selfV naZnorV !ttamai*Zby superior powerV naZ
notV asamai*Zby e(ualsV "athiZon the road.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ia'e you contacted a Jo@an of i@peachable character, or ha'e
you not properly treated a deser'ing Jo@anW Or ha'e you been
defeated on the Jay by so@eone Jho is inferior or e?ual to youW
P8-PO-T
t appears from this verse that during the time of the
1"AQavas free contact between man and woman was
allowed in certain conditions only. The higher'caste men,
namely the br'hma5as and k.atriyas, could accept a woman
of the (ai1ya or the 10dra community, but a man from the
lower castes could not contact a woman of the higher caste.
;ven a k.atriya could not contact a woman of the br'hma5a
caste. The wife of a br'hma5a is considered one of the seven
mothers 3namely oneJs own mother, the wife of the spiritual
master or teacher, the wife of a br'hma5a, the wife of a king,
the cow, the nurse, and the earth6. $uch contact between
man and woman was known as !ttama and adhama. *ontact
of a br'hma5a with a k.atriya woman is !ttama, but the
contact of a k.atriya with a br'hma5a woman is adhama and
therefore condemned. A woman approaching a man for
contact should never be refused, but at the same time the
discretion as above mentioned may also be considered.
%h=ma was approached by HiQimb= from a community lower
than the 10dras, and Xay"ti refused to marry the daughter of
<ukr"c"rya because of <ukr"c"ryaJs being a br'hma5a.
!y"sadeva, a br'hma5a, was called to beget 1"AQu and
7h?tar"@Tra. $atyavat= belonged to a family of fishermen,
but 1ar"Para, a great br'hma5a, begot in her !y"sadeva. $o
there are so many e:amples of contacts with woman, but in
all cases the contacts were not abominable nor were the
results of such contacts bad. *ontact between man and
woman is natural, but that also must be carried out under
regulative principles so that social consecration may not be
disturbed or unwanted worthless population be increased for
the unrest of the world.
t is abominable for a k.atriya to be defeated by one who is
inferior in strength or e(ual in strength. f one is defeated at
all, he should be defeated by some superior power. Ar2una
was defeated by %h=@madeva, and Eord >?@Aa saved him
from the danger. This was not an insult for Ar2una because
%h=@madeva was far superior to Ar2una in all ways, namely
age, respect and strength. %ut >arAa was e(ual to Ar2una,
and therefore Ar2una was in crisis when fighting with >arAa.
t was felt by Ar2una, and therefore >arAa was killed even by
crooked means. $uch are the engagements of the k.atriyas,
and Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira in(uired from his brother whether
anything undesirable happened on the way home from
7v"rak".
T!T ZX
AiPa iS'TPa(a-%au;CQaaST'; Sa$%aae)(aa#a2 ':pbalRk6
a#a2 9
)au&auiPSaTa; k6$a- ik6i}Tk:6Ta'ak (adUa$a$a2 99 ZX 99
a"i s(it "arya%bh!3kth's t(a-
sambho)y'n (4ddha%b'lak'n
)!g!"sita- karma ki,cit
k4ta('n na yad ak.amam
S(#O#($S
a"i s(itZif it were so thatV "aryaZby leaving asideV bh!3kth'*
Zhave dinedV t(amZyourselfV sambho)y'nZdeserving to dine
togetherV (4ddhaZthe old menV b'lak'nZboysV )!g!"sitamZ
abominableV karmaZactionV ki,citZsomethingV k4ta('nZyou
must have doneV naZnotV yatZthat whichV ak.amamZ
unpardonable.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ia'e you not taken care of old @en and boys Jho deser'e to dine
Jith youW Ia'e you left the@ and taken your @eals aloneW Ia'e
you co@@itted so@e unpardonable @istake Jhich is considered to
be abo@inableW
P8-PO-T
t is the duty of a householder to feed first of all the children,
the old members of the family, the br'hma5as and the
invalids. %esides that, an ideal householder is re(uired to call
for any unknown hungry man to come and dine before he
himself goes to take his meals. He is re(uired to call for such
a hungry man thrice on the road. The neglect of this
prescribed duty of a householder, especially in the matter of
the old men and children, is unpardonable.
T!T ZZ
k6iTa2 PaOefTa$ae#aaQa 5d(ae#aaT$ab#>au#aa 9
B8#(aae+iS$a rihTaae i#aT(a; $a#(aSae Tae+#(aQaa #a Dk26
99 ZZ 99
kaccit "re.<hatamen'tha
h4dayen'tma%bandh!n'
10nyo 2smi rahito nitya-
manyase te 2nyath' na r!k
S(#O#($S
kaccitZwhetherV "re.<ha%tamenaZunto the most dear oneV
athaZmy brother Ar2unaV h4dayenaZmost intimateV 'tma%
bandh!n'Zown friend Eord >?@AaV 10nya*ZvoidV asmiZ amV
rahita*Zhaving lostV nityamZfor all timeV manyaseZyou
thinkV teZyourV anyath'ZotherwiseV naZneverV r!kZmental
distress.
T-A#SLATIO#
Or is it that you are feeling e@pty for all ti@e because you @ight
ha'e lost your @ost inti@ate friend, Lord CDEFaW O @y brother
Ar/una, I can think of no other reason for your beco@ing so
de/ectedH
P8-PO-T
All the in(uisitiveness of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira about the
world situation was already con2ectured by Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira on the basis of Eord >?@AaJs disappearance from
the vision of the world, and this was now disclosed by him
because of the acute de2ection of Ar2una, which could not
have been possible otherwise. $o even though he was
doubtful about it, he was obliged to in(uire frankly from
Ar2una on the basis of <r= K"radaJs indication.
Ho!rteenth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KThe
Disa""earance of :ord A4.5a.M
Chapter Fifteen
The PLFha'as -etire Ti@ely
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
V'; k:6.QaSaY0 k:6.Qaae %a3a<aa ra/ai'k6iLPaTa0 9
#aa#aa!aaSPad; ~Pa; k:6.Qai'Fe=k6i!a-Ta0 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
e(a- k4.5a%sakha* k4.5o
bhr'tr' r'),' (ikal"ita*
n'n'%1a3k's"ada- r0"a-
k4.5a%(i1le.a%kar1ita*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV e(amZthusV k4.5a%sakha*Z
the celebrated friend of >?@AaV k4.5a*ZAr2unaV bhr'tr'Zby
his elder brotherV r'),'Z>ing Xudhi@ThiraV (ikal"ita*Z
speculatedV n'n'ZvariousV 1a3ka%'s"adamZbased on many
doubtsV r0"amZformsV k4.5aZEord <r= >?@AaV (i1le.aZ
feelings of separationV kar1ita*Zbecame greatly bereaved.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Ar/una, the celebrated friend of Lord CDEFa,
Jas grief6stricken because of his strong feeling of separation fro@
CDEFa, o'er and abo'e all $ahLrL/a (udhiEhirars speculati'e
in?uiriesH
P8-PO-T
%eing too much aggrieved, Ar2una practically became
choked up, and therefore it was not possible for him to reply
properly to the various speculative in(uiries of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira.
T!T N
!aaeke6#a Bu.(ajd#a5TSarae)aae hTaPaO%a0 9
i'%au; Ta$ae'a#auS$arka!a6aeTPaOiTa%aai=Tau$a2 99 N 99
1okena 1!.yad%(adana%
h4t%saro)o hata%"rabha*
(ibh!- tam e('n!smaran
n'1aknot "ratibh'.it!m
S(#O#($S
1okenaZdue to bereavementV 1!.yat%(adanaZdrying up of
the mouthV h4t%saro)a*Zlotuslike heartV hataZlostV "rabha*Z
bodily lusterV (ibh!mZthe $upremeV tamZunto Eord >?@AaV
e(aZcertainlyV an!smaranZthinking withinV naZcould notV
a1aknotZbe ableV "ratibh'.it!mZproperly replying.
T-A#SLATIO#
>ue to grief, Ar/unars @outh and lotuslike heart had dried upH
Therefore his body lost all lusterH #oJ, re@e@bering the Supre@e
Lord, he could hardly utter a Jord in replyH
T!T X
k:6Cc|eQa Sa;STa%(a Buc0 PaaiQa#aa$a:)(a #ae<a(aae0 9
ParaeUaeQa Sa$aukpPaOQa(aaTk6Qyk6aTar0 99 X 99
k4cchre5a sa-stabhya 1!ca*
"'5in'm4)ya netrayo*
"arok.e5a sam!nnaddha%
"ra5aya!tka5<hya%k'tara*
S(#O#($S
k4cchre5aZwith great difficultyV sa-stabhyaZby checking the
forceV 1!ca*Zof bereavementV "'5in'Zwith his handsV
'm4)yaZsmearingV netrayo*Zthe eyesV "arok.e5aZdue to
being out of sightV sam!nnaddhaZincreasinglyV "ra5aya%
a!tka5<hyaZeagerly thinking of the affectionV k'tara*Z
distressed.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vith great difficulty he checked the tears of grief that s@eared his
eyesH Ie Jas 'ery distressed because Lord CDEFa Jas out of his
sight, and he increasingly felt affection for Ii@H
T!T Z
Sae(a; $a<a?; Saa5d; c SaarQ(aaid=u Sa;S$ar#a2 9
#a:Pa$a&a3)ai$aT(aah ba.Pa&ad(aa i&ara 99 Z 99
sakhya- maitr$- sa!h4da- ca
s'rathy'di.! sa-smaran
n4"am agra)am ity 'ha
b'."a%gadgaday' gir'
S(#O#($S
sakhyamZwell'wishingV maitr$mZbenedictionV sa!h4damZ
intimately relatedV caZalsoV s'rathya%'di.!Zin becoming the
chariot driverV sa-smaranZremembering all theseV n4"amZ
unto the >ingV agra)amZthe eldest brotherV itiZthusV 'haZ
saidV b'."aZheavily breathingV gadgaday'ZoverwhelminglyV
gir'Zby speeches.
T-A#SLATIO#
-e@e@bering Lord CDEFa and Iis Jell6Jishes, benefactions,
inti@ate fa@ilial relations and Iis chariot dri'ing, Ar/una,
o'erJhel@ed and breathing 'ery hea'ily, began to speakH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eiving %eing is perfect in all relations with His
pure devotee. <r= Ar2una is one of the typical pure devotees
of the Eord reciprocating in the fraternal relationship, and
the EordJs dealings with Ar2una are displays of friendship of
the highest perfect order. He was not only a well'wisher of
Ar2una but actually a benefactor, and to make it still more
perfect the Eord tied him into a family relationship by
arranging $ubhadr"Js marriage with him. And above all, the
Eord agreed to become a chariot driver of Ar2una in order to
protect His friend from warfare risks, and the Eord became
actually happy when He established the 1"AQavas to rule
over the world. Ar2una remembered all these one after
another, and thus he became overwhelmed with such
thoughts.
T!T [
A)au-#a o'ac
'i}Taae+h; $ahara)a hirQaa b#>au~iPaQaa 9
(ae#a $ae+Pa5Ta; Tae)aae de'i'S$aaPa#a; $ahTa2 99 [ 99
ar)!na !('ca
(a,cito 2ha- mah'%r')a
hari5' bandh!%r0"i5'
yena me 2"ah4ta- te)o
de(a%(ism'"ana- mahat
S(#O#($S
ar)!na* !('caZAr2una saidV (a,cita*Zleft by HimV ahamZ
myselfV mah'%r')aZ9 >ingV hari5'Zby the 1ersonality of
8odheadV bandh!%r0"i5'Zas if an intimate friendV yenaZby
whomV meZmyV a"ah4tamZ have been bereftV te)a*ZpowerV
de(aZthe demigodsV (ism'"anamZastonishingV mahatZ
astounding.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ar/una saide O Cingt The Supre@e Personality of &odhead Iari,
Jho treated @e eMactly like an inti@ate friend, has left @e aloneH
Thus @y astounding poJer, Jhich astonished e'en the de@igods,
is no longer Jith @eH
P8-PO-T
n the Bhagavad-gt 3,N.M,6 the Eord says, DAnyone
specifically powerful and opulent in wealth, strength, beauty,
knowledge and all that is materially desirable is to be
considered but a product of an insignificant portion of the
complete whole of My energy.F Ko one, therefore, can be
independently powerful in any measure without being
endowed by the Eord. When the Eord descends on the earth
along with His eternal ever'liberated associates, He not only
displays the divine energy possessed by Himself, but also
empowers His associate devotees with the re(uired energy
to e:ecute His mission of incarnation. t is also stated in the
Bhagavad-gt 3M.B6 that the Eord and His eternal associates
descend on the earth many times, but the Eord remembers
all the different roles of incarnations, whereas the
associates, by His supreme will, forget them. $imilarly, the
Eord takes away with Him all His associates when He
disappears from the earth. The power and energy which
were bestowed upon Ar2una were re(uired for fulfillment of
the mission of the Eord, but when His mission was fulfilled,
the emergency powers were withdrawn from Ar2una because
the astounding powers of Ar2una, which were astonishing
even to the deni)ens of heaven, were no longer re(uired,
and they were not meant for going back home, back to
8odhead. f endowment of powers and withdrawal of powers
by the Eord are possible even for a great devotee like Ar2una,
or even the demigods in heaven, then what to speak of the
ordinary living beings who are but figs compared to such
great souls. The lesson is, therefore, that no one should be
puffed up for his powers borrowed from the Eord. The sane
man should rather feel obliged to the Eord for such
benefactions and must utili)e such power for the service of
the Eord. $uch power can be withdrawn at any time by the
Eord, so the best use of such power and opulence is to
engage them in the service of the Eord.
T!T \
(aS(a UaQai'(aae&ae#a lRaek6ae 7iPaO(ad!a-#a0 9
oCQae#a rihTaae 7e= $a:Tak60 PaOaeC(aTae (aQaa 99 \ 99
yasya k.a5a%(iyogena
loko hy a"riya%dar1ana*
!kthena rahito hy e.a
m4taka* "rocyate yath'
S(#O#($S
yasyaZwhoseV k.a5aZa momentV (iyogenaZby separationV
loka*Zall the universesV hiZcertainlyV a"riya%dar1ana*Z
everything appears unfavorableV !kthenaZby lifeV rahita*Z
being devoid ofV hiZcertainlyV e.a*Zall these bodiesV
m4taka*Zdead bodiesV "rocyateZare designatedV yath'Zas it
were.
T-A#SLATIO#
I ha'e /ust lost Ii@ Jhose separation for a @o@ent Jould render
all the uni'erses unfa'orable and 'oid, like bodies Jithout lifeH
P8-PO-T
Hactually for a living being there is no one dearer than the
Eord. The Eord e:pands Himself by innumerable parts and
parcels as s('-1a and (ibhinn'-1a. 1aram"tm" is the s('-1a
part of the Eord, whereas the (ibhinn'-1a parts are the living
beings. As the living being is the important factor in the
material body, for without the living being the material body
has no value, similarly without 1aram"tm" the living being
has no status (uo. $imilarly, %rahman or 1aram"tm" has no
loc!s standi without the $upreme Eord >?@Aa. This is
thoroughly e:plained in the &haga(ad%g$t'. They are all
interlinked with one another, or interdependent factorsV thus
in the ultimate issue the Eord is the s!mm!m bon!m and
therefore the vital principle of everything.
T!T ]
(aTSa;BO(aad2 d3uPad&aeh$auPaa&aTaa#aa;
ra/a; S'(a;'r$auYe S$ardu$a-da#aa$a2 9
Tae)aae 5Ta; YluR $a(aai%ahTa, $aTS(a0
Sa?k:6Tae#a >a#au=ai>a&aTaa c k:6.Qaa 99 ] 99
yat%sa-1ray'd dr!"ada%geham !"'gat'n'-
r'),'- s(aya-(ara%m!khe smara%d!rmad'n'm
te)o h4ta- khal! may'bhihata1 ca matsya*
sa))$k4tena dhan!.'dhigat' ca k4.5'
S(#O#($S
yatZby whose mercifulV sa-1ray'tZby strengthV dr!"ada%
gehamZin the palace of >ing 7rupadaV !"'gat'n'mZall those
assembledV r'),'mZof the princesV s(aya-(ara%m!kheZon the
occasion of the selection of the bridegroomV smara%
d!rmad'n'mZall lusty in thoughtV te)a*ZpowerV h4tamZ
van(uishedV khal!Zas it wereV may'Zby meV abhihata*Z
piercedV caZalsoV matsya*Zthe fish targetV sa))$%k4tenaZby
e(uipping the bowV dhan!.'Zby that bow alsoV adhigat'Z
gainedV caZalsoV k4.5'Z7raupad=.
T-A#SLATIO#
Only by Iis @erciful strength Jas I able to 'an?uish all the lusty
princes asse@bled at the palace of Cing >rupada for the selection
of the bridegroo@H Vith @y boJ and arroJ I could pierce the fish
target and thereby gain the hand of >raupadBH
P8-PO-T
7raupad= was the most beautiful daughter of >ing 7rupada,
and when she was a young girl almost all the princes desired
her hand. %ut 7rupada Mah"r"2a decided to hand over his
daughter to Ar2una only and therefore contrived a peculiar
way. There was a fish hanging on the inner roof of the house
under the protection of a wheel. The condition was that out
of the princely order, one must be able to pierce the fishJs
eyes through the wheel of protection, and no one would be
allowed to look up at the target. 9n the ground there was a
waterpot in which the target and wheel were reflected, and
one had to fi: his aim towards the target by looking at the
trembling water in the pot. Mah"r"2a 7rupada well knew that
only Ar2una or alternately >arAa could successfully carry out
the plan. %ut still he wanted to hand his daughter to Ar2una.
And in the assembly of the princely order, when
7h?@Tadyumna, the brother of 7raupad=, introduced all the
princes to his grown'up sister, >arAa was also present in the
game. %ut 7raupad= tactfully avoided >arAa as the rival of
Ar2una, and she e:pressed her desires through her brother
7h?@Tadyumna that she was unable to accept anyone who
was less than a k.atriya. The (ai1yas and the 10dras are less
important than the k.atriyas. >arAa was known as the son of
a carpenter, a 10dra. $o 7raupad= avoided >arAa by this
plea. When Ar2una, in the dress of a poor br'hma5a, pierced
the difficult target, everyone was astonished, and all of
them, especially >arAa, offered a stiff fight to Ar2una, but as
usual by the grace of Eord >?@Aa he was able to emerge
very successful in the princely fight and thus gain the
valuable hand of >?@A", or 7raupad=. Ar2una was
lamentingly remembering the incident in the absence of the
Eord, by whose strength only he was so powerful.
T!T ^
(aTSaik>aa'h$au YaQo'$a&an(ae+dax
i$a#d3; c Saa$ar&aQa; TarSaa i'i)aT(a 9
lRK>aa Sa%aa $a(ak:6Taad2%auTai!aLPa$aa(aa
id&%(aae+hrk:PaTa(aae bilR$are Tae 99 ^ 99
yat%sannidh'( aham ! kh'5;a(am agnaye 2d'm
indra- ca s'mara%ga5a- taras' (i)itya
labdh' sabh' maya%k4t'dbh!ta%1il"a%m'y'
digbhyo 2haran n4"atayo balim adh(are te
S(#O#($S
yatZwhoseV sannidha!Zbeing nearbyV ahamZmyselfV !Znote
of astonishmentV kh'5;a(amZthe protected forest of ndra,
>ing of heavenV agnayeZunto the fire'godV ad'mZdeliveredV
indramZndraV caZalsoV saZalong withV amara%ga5amZthe
demigodsV taras'Zwith all de:terityV (i)ityaZhaving
con(ueredV labdh'Zhaving obtainedV sabh'Zassembly houseV
maya%k4t'Zbuilt by MayaV adbh!taZvery wonderfulV 1il"aZart
and workmanshipV m'y'ZpotencyV digbhya*Zfrom all
directionsV aharanZcollectedV n4"ataya*Zall princesV balimZ
presentationsV adh(areZbroughtV teZyour.
T-A#SLATIO#
Kecause Ie Jas near @e, it Jas possible for @e to con?uer Jith
great deMterity the poJerful Cing of hea'en, Indrade'a, along Jith
his de@igod associates and thus enable the fire6god to de'astate
the ChLFha'a ForestH And only by Iis grace Jas the de@on na@ed
$aya sa'ed fro@ the bla=ing ChLFha'a Forest, and thus Je could
build our asse@bly house of Jonderful architectural Jork@anship,
Jhere all the princes asse@bled during the perfor@ance of
-L/asdya6ya/fa and paid you tributesH
P8-PO-T
The demon Maya 7"nava was an inhabitant of the forest
>h"AQava, and when the >h"AQava Horest was set on fire, he
asked protection from Ar2una. Ar2una saved his life, and as a
result of this the demon felt obliged. He reciprocated by
building a wonderful assembly house for the 1"AQavas,
which attracted the e:traordinary attention of all state
princes. They felt the supernatural power of the 1"AQavas,
and thus without grudge all of them submitted and paid
tributes to the ;mperor. The demons possess wonderful and
supernatural powers to create material wonders. %ut they
are always disturbing elements of the society. The modern
demons are the harmful material scientists who create some
material wonders for disturbance in the society. Hor
e:ample, the creation of nuclear weapons has caused some
panic in human society. Maya was also a materialist like
that, and he knew the art of creating such wonderful things.
And yet Eord >?@Aa wanted to kill him. When he was chased
both by the fire and by the wheel of Eord >?@Aa, he took
shelter of such a devotee as Ar2una, who saved him from the
wrath of the fire of Eord <r= >?@Aa. 7evotees are therefore
more merciful than the Eord, and in devotional service the
mercy of a devotee is more valuable than the mercy of the
Eord. %oth the fire and the Eord ceased from chasing the
demon as soon as both of them saw that the demon was
given shelter by such a devotee as Ar2una. This demon,
feeling obliged to Ar2una, wanted to do him some service to
show his gratefulness, but Ar2una declined to accept
anything from him in e:change. Eord <r= >?@Aa, however,
being pleased with Maya for his taking shelter of a devotee,
asked him to render service unto >ing Xudhi@Thira by
building a wonderful assembly house. The process is that by
the grace of the devotee the mercy of the Eord is obtained,
and by the mercy of the Eord a chance to serve the EordJs
devotee is obtained. The club of %h=masena was also a gift
of Maya 7"nava.
T!T _
(atae)aSaa #a:Pai!arae+M2iga3$ah#$aYaQa-$a2
Aa(aae-+#au)aSTa' &a)aa(auTaSat''?(a-0 9
Tae#aa5Taa0 PaO$aQa#aaQa$aYa(a %a8Paa
(a#$aaeicTaaSTad#a(a#a2 bilR$are Tae 99 _ 99
yat%te)as' n4"a%1iro%23ghrim ahan makh'rtham
'ryo 2n!)as ta(a ga)'y!ta%satt(a%($rya*
ten'h4t'* "ramatha%n'tha%makh'ya bh0"'
yan%mocit's tad%anayan balim adh(are te
S(#O#($S
yatZwhoseV te)as'Zby influenceV n4"a%1ira*%a3ghrimZone
whose feet are adored by the heads of kingsV ahanZkilledV
makha%arthamZfor the sacrificeV 'rya*ZrespectableV an!)a*Z
younger brotherV ta(aZyourV ga)a%ay!taZten thousand
elephantsV satt(a%($rya*Zpowerful e:istenceV tenaZby himV
'h4t'*ZcollectedV "ramatha%n'thaZthe lord of the ghosts
3Mah"bhairava6V makh'yaZfor sacrificeV bh0"'*ZkingsV yat%
mocit'*Zby whom they were releasedV tat%anayanZall of
them broughtV balimZta:esV adh(areZpresentedV teZyour.
T-A#SLATIO#
(our respectable younger brother, Jho possesses the strength of
ten thousand elephants, killed, by Iis grace, )arLsandha, Jhose
feet Jere Jorshiped by @any kingsH These kings had been brought
for sacrifice in )arLsandhars $ahLbhaira'a6ya/fa, but they Jere
thus releasedH Later they paid tribute to (our $a/estyH
P8-PO-T
Oar"sandha was a very powerful king of Magadha, and the
history of his birth and activities is also very interesting. His
father, >ing %?hadratha, was also a very prosperous and
powerful king of Magadha, but he had no son, although he
married two daughters of the >ing of >"P=. %eing
disappointed in not getting a son from either of the two
(ueens, the >ing, along with his wives, left home to live in
the forest for austerities, but in the forest he was blessed by
one great 4.i to have a son, and he gave him one mango to
be eaten by the (ueens. The (ueens did so and were very
soon pregnant. The >ing was very happy to see the (ueens
bearing children, but when the ripe time approached, the
(ueens delivered one child in two parts, one from each of
the (ueensJ wombs. The two parts were thrown in the forest,
where a great she'demon used to live, and she was glad to
have some delicate flesh and blood from the newly born
child. 9ut of curiosity she 2oined the two parts, and the child
became complete and regained life. The she'demon was
known as Oar", and being compassionate on the childless
>ing, she went to the >ing and presented him with the nice
child, The >ing was very pleased with the she'demon and
wanted to reward her according to her desire. The she'
demon e:pressed her desire that the child be named after
her, and thus the child was surnamed Oar"sandha, or one
who was 2oined by Oar", the she'demon. n fact, this
Oar"sandha was born as one of the parts and parcels of the
demon !ipracitti. The saint by whose benedictions the
(ueens bore the child was called *andra >auPika, who
foretold of the child before his father %?hadratha.
$ince he possessed demoniac (ualities from birth, naturally
he became a great devotee of Eord <iva, who is the lord of
all ghostly and demoniac men. 0"vaAa was a great devotee
of Eord <iva, and so also >ing Oar"sandha. He used to
sacrifice all arrested kings before Eord Mah"bhairava 3<iva6
and by his military power he defeated many small kings and
arrested them to butcher before Mah"bhairava. There are
many devotees of Eord Mah"bhairava, or >"labhairava, in
the province of %ihar, formerly called Magadha. Oar"sandha
was a relative of >a[sa, the maternal uncle of >?@Aa, and
therefore after >a[saJs death >ing Oar"sandha became a
great enemy of >?@Aa, and there were many fights between
Oar"sandha and >?@Aa. Eord >?@Aa wanted to kill him, but He
also wanted that those who served as military men for
Oar"sandha might not be killed. Therefore a plan was
adopted to kill him. >?@Aa, %h=ma and Ar2una together went
to Oar"sandha in the dress of poor br'hma5as and begged
charity from >ing Oar"sandha. Oar"sandha never refused
charity to any br'hma5a, and he performed many sacrifices
also, yet he was not on a par with devotional service. Eord
>?@Aa, %h=ma and Ar2una asked Oar"sandha for the facility of
fighting him, and it was settled that Oar"sandha would fight
with %h=ma only. $o all of them were both guests and
combatants of Oar"sandha, and %h=ma and Oar"sandha
fought every day for several days. %h=ma became
disappointed, but >?@Aa gave him hints about Oar"sandhaJs
being 2oined together as an infant, and thus %h=ma
dissected him again and so killed him. All the kings who were
detained in the concentration camp to be killed before
Mah"bhairava were thus released by %h=ma. Heeling thus
obliged to the 1"AQavas, they paid tribute to >ing
Xudhi@Thira.
T!T "`
PaT#(aaSTa'ai>a$aY$ahai%a=ek6x
FaigafcaDk6br; ik6Ta'0 Sa%aa(aa$a2 9
SPa:n; i'k6I(a- Pad(aae0 PaiTaTaaBOu$aue(aa
(aSTaiTE(aae+k:6TahTae!ai'$auv6ke6!aa0 99 "` 99
"atny's ta('dhimakha%kY"ta%mah'bhi.eka%
1l'ghi.<ha%c'r!%kabara- kita(ai* sabh'y'm
s"4.<a- (ik$rya "adayo* "atit'1r!%m!khy'
yas tat%striyo 2k4ta%hate1a%(im!kta%ke1'*
S(#O#($S
"atny'*Zof the wifeV ta(aZyourV adhimakhaZduring the great
sacrificial ceremonyV kY"taZdressedV mah'%abhi.ekaZgreatly
sanctifiedV 1l'ghi.<haZthus glorifiedV c'r!ZbeautifulV
kabaramZclustered hairV kita(ai*Zby the miscreantsV
sabh'y'mZin the great assemblyV s"4.<amZbeing caughtV
(ik$ryaZbeing loosenedV "adayo*Zon the feetV "atita%a1r!%
m!khy'*Zof the one who fell down with tears in the eyesV
ya*ZHeV tatZtheirV striya*ZwivesV ak4taZbecameV hata%$1aZ
bereft of husbandsV (im!kta%ke1'*Zloosened hair.
T-A#SLATIO#
It Jas Ie only Jho loosened the hair of all the Ji'es of the
@iscreants Jho dared open the cluster of your Queenrs hair, Jhich
had been nicely dressed and sanctified for the great -L/asdya
sacrificial cere@onyH At that ti@e she fell doJn at the feet of Lord
CDEFa Jith tears in her eyesH
P8-PO-T
ùeen 7raupad= had a beautiful bunch of hair which was
sanctified in the ceremonial function of 0"2asLya'ya2â. %ut
when she was lost in a bet, 7ubP"sana touched her glorified
hair to insult her. 7raupad= then fell down at the lotus feet
of Eord >?@Aa, and Eord >?@Aa decided that all the wives of
7ubP"sana and company should have their hair loosened as
a result of the %attle of >uruk@etra. Thus after the %attle of
>uruk@etra, after all the sons and grandsons of 7h?tar"@Tra
died in battle, all the wives of the family were obliged to
loosen their hair as widows. n other words, all the wives of
the >uru family became widows because of 7ubP"sanaJs
insulting a great devotee of the Eord. The Eord can tolerate
insults upon Himself by any miscreant because the father
tolerates even insults from the son. %ut He never tolerates
insults upon His devotees. %y insulting a great soul, one has
to forego all the results of pious acts and benedictions also.
T!T ""
(aae #aae )au&aaePa '#a VT(a dur#Tak:6Cc|ad2
du'a-SaSaae+irricTaad(auTaa&a3%au&a2 (a0 9
!aak6aki!an$auPa(au)(a (aTaiElRaek6I;
Ta:a$a$a;STa SailRleR i'i#a$a&anSa0 99 "" 99
yo no )!go"a (ana etya d!ranta%k4cchr'd
d!r('saso 2ri%racit'd ay!t'gra%bh!g ya*
1'k'nna%1i.<am !"ay!)ya yatas tri%lok$-
t4"t'm ama-sta salile (inimagna%sa3gha*
S(#O#($S
ya*Zone whoV na*ZusV )!go"aZgave protectionV (aneZ
forestV etyaZgetting inV d!rantaZdangerouslyV k4cchr'tZ
troubleV d!r('sasa*Zof 7urv"s" MuniV ariZenemyV racit'tZ
fabricated byV ay!taZten thousandV agra%bh!kZone who eats
beforeV ya*Zthat personV 1'ka%anna%1i.<amZremnants of
foodstuffV !"ay!)yaZhaving acceptedV yata*ZbecauseV tri%
lok$mZall the three worldsV t4"t'mZsatisfiedV ama-staZ
thought within the mindV salileZwhile in the waterV
(inimagna%sa3gha*Zall merged into the water.
T-A#SLATIO#
>uring our eMile, >ur'LsL $uni, Jho eats Jith his ten thousand
disciples, intrigued Jith our ene@ies to put us in dangerous
troubleH At that ti@e Ie OLord CDEFa3, si@ply by accepting the
re@nants of food, sa'ed usH Ky Iis accepting food thus, the
asse@bly of @unis, Jhile bathing in the ri'er, felt su@ptuously fedH
And all the three Jorlds Jere also satisfiedH
P8-PO-T
D!r('s' 8!niI A powerful mystic br'hma5a determined to
observe the principles of religion with great vows and under
strict austerities. His name is associated with many historical
events, and it appears that the great mystic could be both
easily satisfied and easily annoyed, like Eord <iva. When he
was satisfied, he could do tremendous good to the servitor,
but if he was dissatisfied he could bring about the greatest
calamity. >um"r= >unt=, at her fatherJs house, used to
minister all kinds of services to all great br'hma5as, and
being satisfied with her good reception 7urv"s" Muni
blessed her with a power to call any demigod she desired. t
is understood that he was a plenary incarnation of Eord <iva,
and thus he could be either easily satisfied or annoyed. He
was a great devotee of Eord <iva, and by Eord <ivaJs order
he accepted the priesthood of >ing <vetaketu because of the
>ingJs performance of sacrifice for one hundred years.
$ometimes he used to visit the parliamentary assembly of
the heavenly kingdom of ndradeva. He could travel in space
by his great mystic powers, and it is understood that he
traveled a great distance through space, even up to the
!aikuATha planets beyond material space. He traveled all
these long distances within one year, during his (uarrel with
>ing Ambar=@a, the great devotee and ;mperor of the world.
He had about ten thousand disciples, and wherever he
visited and became a guest of the great k.atriya kings, he
used to be accompanied by a number of followers. 9nce he
visited the house of 7uryodhana, the enemy cousin of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. 7uryodhana was intelligent enough to
satisfy the br'hma5a by all means, and the great 4.i wanted
to give some benediction to 7uryodhana. 7uryodhana knew
his mystic powers, and he knew also that the mystic
br'hma5a, if dissatisfied, could cause some havoc, and thus
he designed to engage the br'hma5a to show his wrath upon
his enemy cousins, the 1"AQavas. When the 4.i wanted to
award some benediction to 7uryodhana, the latter wished
that he should visit the house of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, who
was the eldest and chief among all his cousins. %ut by his
re(uest he would go to him after he had finished his meals
with his ùeen, 7raupad=. 7uryodhana knew that after
7raupad=Js dinner it would be impossible for Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira to receive such a large number of br'hma5a
guests, and thus the 4.i would be annoyed and would create
some trouble for his cousin Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. That was
the plan of 7uryodhana. 7urv"s" Muni agreed to this
proposal, and he approached the >ing in e:ile, according to
the plan of 7uryodhana, after the >ing and 7raupad= had
finished their meals.
9n his arrival at the door of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, he was at
once well received, and the >ing re(uested him to finish his
noontime religious rites in the river, for by that time the
foodstuff would be prepared. 7urv"s" Muni, along with his
large number of disciples, went to take a bath in the river,
and Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was in great an:iety about the
guests. As long as 7raupad= had not taken her meals, food
could be served to any number of guests, but the 4.i, by the
plan of 7uryodhana, reached there after 7raupad= had
finished her meals.
When the devotees are put into difficulty, they have an
opportunity to recollect the Eord with rapt attention. $o
7raupad= was thinking of Eord >?@Aa in that dangerous
position, and the all'pervading Eord could at once know the
dangerous position of His devotees. He therefore came there
on the scene and asked 7raupad= to give whatever food she
might have in her stock. 9n her being so re(uested by the
Eord, 7raupad= was sorrowful because the $upreme Eord
asked her for some food and she was unable to supply it at
that time. $he said to the Eord that the mysterious dish
which she had received from the sun'god could supply any
amount of food if she herself had not eaten. %ut on that day
she had already taken her meals, and thus they were in
danger. %y e:pressing her difficulties she began to cry
before the Eord as only a woman would do in such a position.
The Eord, however, asked 7raupad= to bring up the cooking
pots to see if there was any particle of foodstuff left, and on
7raupad=Js doing so, the Eord found some particle of
vegetable sticking to the pot. The Eord at once picked it up
and ate it. After doing so, the Eord asked 7raupad= to call for
her guests, the company of 7urv"s".
%h=ma was sent to call them from the river. %h=ma said,
DWhy are you delaying, sirs? *ome on, the food is ready for
you.F %ut the br'hma5as, because of Eord >?@AaJs accepting
a little particle of food, felt sumptuously fed, even while they
were in the water. They thought that since Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira must have prepared many valuable dishes for
them and since they were not hungry and could not eat, the
>ing would feel very sorry, so it was better not to go there.
Thus they decided to go away.
This incident proves that the Eord is the greatest mystic, and
therefore He is known as XogePvara. Another instruction is
that every householder must offer food to the Eord, and the
result will be that everyone, even a company of guests
numbering ten thousand, will be satisfied because of the
EordJs being satisfied. That is the way of devotional service.
T!T "N
(atae)aSaaQa %a&a'a#a2 (aui>a B8lRPaaiQax
i'-S$aaiPaTa0 Sai&air)aae+E$adaik)a; $ae 9
A#(ae+iPa cah$a$au#a' k6leR'reQa
PaOaae $ahe#d3%a'#ae $ahdaSa#aa>a-$a2 99 "N 99
yat%te)as'tha bhaga('n y!dhi 10la%"'5ir
(ism'"ita* sagiri)o 2stram ad'n ni)a- me
anye 2"i c'ham am!nai(a kale(are5a
"r'"to mahendra%bha(ane mahad%'san'rdham
S(#O#($S
yatZby whoseV te)as'Zby influenceV athaZat one timeV
bhaga('nZthe personality of god 3Eord <iva6V y!dhiZin the
battleV 10la%"'5i*Zone who has a trident in his handV
(ism'"ita*ZastonishedV sa%giri)a*Zalong with the daughter
of the Himalaya MountainsV astramZweaponV ad'tZawardedV
ni)amZof his ownV meZunto meV anye a"iZso also othersV ca
ZandV ahamZmyselfV am!n'Zby thisV e(aZdefinitelyV
kale(are5aZby the bodyV "r'"ta*ZobtainedV mah'%indra%
bha(aneZin the house of ndradevaV mahatZgreatV 'sana%
ardhamZhalf'elevated seat.
T-A#SLATIO#
It Jas by Iis influence only that in a fight I Jas able to astonish
the personality of god Lord Ai'a and his Jife, the daughter of
$ount Ii@alayaH Thus he OLord Ai'a3 beca@e pleased Jith @e and
aJarded @e his oJn JeaponH Other de@igods also deli'ered their
respecti'e Jeapons to @e, and in addition I Jas able to reach the
hea'enly planets in this present body and Jas alloJed a half6
ele'ated seatH
P8-PO-T
%y the grace of the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead <r=
>?@Aa, all the demigods, including Eord <iva, were pleased
with Ar2una. The idea is that one who is favored by Eord <iva
or any other demigod may not necessarily be favored by the
$upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa. 0"vaAa was certainly a great
devotee of Eord <iva, but he could not be saved from the
wrath of the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead Eord
0"macandra. And there are many instances like that in the
histories of the !r'5as. %ut here is an instance where we
can see that Eord <iva became pleased even in the fight with
Ar2una. The devotees of the $upreme Eord know how to
respect the demigods, but the devotees of the demigods
sometimes foolishly think that the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead is no greater than the demigods. %y such a
conception, one becomes an offender and ultimately meets
with the same end as 0"vaAa and others. The instances
described by Ar2una during his friendly dealings with Eord
<r= >?@Aa are instructive for all who may be convinced by
the lessons that one can achieve all favors simply by
pleasing the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa, whereas the devotees
or worshipers of the demigods may achieve only partial
benefits, which are also perishable, 2ust as the demigods
themselves are.
Another significance of the present verse is that Ar2una, by
the grace of Eord <r= >?@Aa, was able to reach the heavenly
planet even with the selfsame body and was honored by the
heavenly demigod ndradeva, being seated with him half'
elevated. 9ne can reach the heavenly planets by the pious
acts recommended in the 1'stras in the category of fruitive
activities. And as stated in the Bhagavad-gt 3-.G,6, when
the reactions of such pious acts are spent, the en2oyer is
again degraded to this earthly planet. The moon is also on
the level with the heavenly planets, and only persons who
have performed virtues onlyZperforming sacrifices, giving
charity and undergoing severe austeritiesZcan be allowed to
enter into the heavenly planets after the duration of life of
the body. Ar2una was allowed to enter into the heavenly
planets in the selfsame body simply by the grace of the Eord,
otherwise it is not possible to do so. The present attempts to
enter into the heavenly planets by the modern scientists will
certainly prove futile because such scientists are not on the
level of Ar2una. They are ordinary human beings, without any
assets of sacrifice, charity or austerities. The material body
is influenced by the three modes of material nature, namely
goodness, passion and ignorance. The present population is
more or less influenced by the modes of passion and
ignorance, and the symptoms for such influence are
e:hibited in their becoming very lusty and greedy. $uch
degraded fellows can hardly approach the higher planetary
systems. Above the heavenly planets there are many other
planets also, which only those who are influenced by
goodness can reach. n heavenly and other planets within
the universe, the inhabitants are all highly intelligent, many
more times than the human beings, and they are all pious in
the higher and highest mode of goodness. They are all
devotees of the Eord, and although their goodness is not
unadulterated, still they are known as demigods possessing
the ma:imum amount of good (ualities possible within the
material world.
T!T "X
Ta<a' $ae i'hrTaae %au)adQo(au&$a;
&aaQo?'lRUaQa$araiTa'>aa(a de'a0 9
Sae#d3a0 iBOTaa (ad#au%aai'Ta$aa)a$a?t
Tae#aah$a* $aui=Ta0 PauD=eQa %a8$ana 99 "X 99
tatrai(a me (iharato bh!)a%da5;a%y!gma-
g'5;$(a%lak.a5am ar'ti%(adh'ya de('*
sendr'* 1rit' yad%an!bh'(itam ')am$;ha
ten'ham adya m!.ita* "!r!.e5a bh0mn'
S(#O#($S
tatraZin that heavenly planetV e(aZcertainlyV meZmyselfV
(iharata*Zwhile staying as a guestV bh!)a%da5;a%y!gmamZ
both of my armsV g'5;$(aZthe bow named 8"AQ=vaV
lak.a5amZmarkV ar'tiZa demon named Kiv"takavacaV
(adh'yaZfor killingV de('*Zall the demigodsV saZalong withV
indr'*Zthe heavenly >ing, ndraV 1rit'*Ztaken shelter ofV
yatZby whoseV an!bh'(itamZmade it possible to be
powerfulV ')am$;haZ9 descendant of >ing A2am=QhaV tenaZ
by HimV ahamZmyselfV adyaZat the present momentV
m!.ita*Zbereft ofV "!r!.e5aZthe personalityV bh0mn'Z
supreme.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen I stayed for so@e days as a guest in the hea'enly planets, all
the hea'enly de@igods, including Cing Indrade'a, took shelter of
@y ar@s, Jhich Jere @arked Jith the &LFhB'a boJ, to kill the
de@on na@ed #i'Ltaka'acaH O Cing, descendant of A/a@Bhha, at
the present @o@ent I a@ bereft of the Supre@e Personality of
&odhead, by Jhose influence I Jas so poJerfulH
P8-PO-T
The heavenly demigods are certainly more intelligent,
powerful and beautiful, and yet they had to take help from
Ar2una because of his 8"AQ=va bow, which was empowered
by the grace of Eord <r= >?@Aa. The Eord is all'powerful, and
by His grace His pure devotee can be as powerful as He may
desire, and there is no limit to it. And when the Eord
withdraws His power from anyone, he is powerless by the
will of the Eord.
T!T "Z
(ama#>a'0 ku6DblRaiK>a$a#a#TaPaarx
$aek6ae rQae#a TaTare+h$aTa?(a-Sat'$a2 9
PaOT(aa5Ta; bhu >a#a; c $a(aa Pare=a;
Tae)aaSPad; $aiQa$a(a; c 5Ta; i!arae%(a0 99 "Z 99
yad%b'ndha(a* k!r!%bal'bdhim ananta%"'ram
eko rathena tatare 2ham at$rya%satt(am
"raty'h4ta- bah! dhana- ca may' "are.'-
te)'s%"ada- ma5imaya- ca h4ta- 1irobhya*
S(#O#($S
yat%b'ndha(a*Zby whose friendship onlyV k!r!%bala%abdhimZ
the ocean of the military strength of the >urusV ananta%"'ram
Zwhich was insurmountableV eka*ZaloneV rathenaZbeing
seated on the chariotV tatareZwas able to cross overV ahamZ
myselfV at$ryaZinvincibleV satt(amZe:istenceV "raty'h4tamZ
drew backV bah!Zvery large (uantityV dhanamZwealthV caZ
alsoV may'Zby myV "are.'mZof the enemyV te)'*%"adamZ
source of brillianceV ma5i%mayamZbedecked with 2ewelsV caZ
alsoV h4tamZtaken by forceV 1irobhya*Zfrom their heads.
T-A#SLATIO#
The @ilitary strength of the Caura'as Jas like an ocean in Jhich
there dJelled @any in'incible eMistences, and thus it Jas
insur@ountableH Kut because of Iis friendship, I, seated on the
chariot, Jas able to cross o'er itH And only by Iis grace Jas I able
to regain the coJs and also collect by force @any hel@ets of the
kings Jhich Jere bedecked Jith /eJels that Jere sources of all
brillianceH
P8-PO-T
9n the >aurava side there were many stalwart commanders
like %h=@ma, 7roAa, >?pa and >arAa, and their military
strength was as insurmountable as the great ocean. And yet
it was due to Eord >?@AaJs grace that Ar2una alone, sitting on
the chariot, could manage to van(uish them one after
another without difficulty. There were many changes of
commanders on the other side, but on the 1"AQavasJ side
Ar2una alone on the chariot driven by Eord >?@Aa could
manage the whole responsibility of the great war. $imilarly,
when the 1"AQavas were living at the palace of !ir"Ta
incognito, the >auravas picked a (uarrel with >ing !ir"Ta
and decided to take away his large number of cows. While
they were taking away the cows, Ar2una fought with them
incognito and was able to regain the cows along with some
booty taken by forceZthe 2ewels set on the turbans of the
royal order. Ar2una remembered that all this was possible by
the grace of the Eord.
T!T "[
(aae %a?.$ak6Qa-&auD!aL(ac$a8.'d%a3x
ra)a#(a'(a-rQa$aQolR$aiQoTaaSau 9
A&a3ecrae $a$a i'%aae rQa(a8QaPaa#aax
$aa(au$a-#aa;iSa c d:!aa Sah Aae)a AaCc-Ta2 99 "[ 99
yo bh$.ma%kar5a%g!r!%1alya%cam0.( adabhra%
r')anya%(arya%ratha%ma5;ala%ma5;it's!
agrecaro mama (ibho ratha%y0tha"'n'm
'y!r man'-si ca d41' saha o)a 'rcchat
S(#O#($S
ya*Zit is He onlyV bh$.maZ%h=@maV kar5aZ>arAaV g!r!Z
7roA"c"ryaV 1alyaZ<alyaV cam0.!Zin the midst of the
military phalan:V adabhraZimmenseV r')anya%(aryaZgreat
royal princesV ratha%ma5;alaZchain of chariotsV ma5;it's!Z
being decorated withV agrecara*Zgoing forwardV mamaZof
mineV (ibhoZ9 great >ingV ratha%y0tha%"'n'mZall the
charioteersV 'y!*Zduration of life or fruitive activitiesV
man'-siZmental upsurgesV caZalsoV d41'Zby glanceV saha*
ZpowerV o)a*ZstrengthV 'rcchatZwithdrew.
T-A#SLATIO#
It Jas Ie only Jho JithdreJ the duration of life fro@ e'eryone
and Jho, in the battlefield, JithdreJ the speculati'e poJer and
strength of enthusias@ fro@ the great @ilitary phalanM @ade by
the Caura'as, headed by KhBE@a, CarFa, >roFa, Aalya, etcH Their
arrange@ent Jas eMpert and @ore than ade?uate, but Ie OLord ArB
CDEFa3, Jhile going forJard, did all thisH
P8-PO-T
The Absolute 1ersonality of 8odhead, Eord <r= >?@Aa,
e:pands Himself by His plenary 1aram"tm" portion in
everyone s heart, and thus He directs everyone in the matter
of recollection, forgetfulness, knowledge, the absence of
intelligence and all psychological activities 3%g. ,B.,B6. As
the $upreme Eord, He can increase or decrease the duration
of life of a living being. Thus the Eord conducted the %attle of
>uruk@etra according to His own plan. He wanted that battle
to establish Xudhi@Thira as the ;mperor of this planet, and
to facilitate this transcendental business He killed all who
were on the opposite party by His omnipotent will. The other
party was e(uipped with all military strength supported by
big generals like %h=@ma, 7roAa and <alya and it would
have been physically impossible for Ar2una to win the battle
had the Eord not helped him by every kind of tactic. $uch
tactics are generally followed by every statesman, even in
modern warfare, but they are all done materially by powerful
espionages, military tactics and diplomatic maneuvers. %ut
because Ar2una was the EordJs affectionate devotee, the
Eord did all this Himself without personal an:iety by Ar2una.
That is the way of the devotional service to the Eord.
T!T "\
(aqae0=u $aa PaOiQaihTa; &auD%a?.$ak6Qa-x
#a:i<a&aTa-!aL(aSa#>a'baik6a*0 9
AEaQ(a$aaega$aih$aai#a i#a~iPaTaai#a
#aaePaSPa:Bu#a:-hirdaSai$a'aSauraiQa 99 "\ 99
yad%do*.! m' "ra5ihita- g!r!%bh$.ma%kar5a%
na"t4%trigarta%1alya%saindha(a%b'hlik'dyai*
astr'5y amogha%mahim'ni nir0"it'ni
no"as"41!r n4hari%d'sam i('s!r'5i
S(#O#($S
yatZunder whoseV do*.!Zprotection of armsV m' "ra5ihitam
Zmyself being situatedV g!r!Z7roA"c"ryaV bh$.maZ
%h=@maV kar5aZ>arAaV na"t4Z%hLriPrav"V trigartaZ>ing
$uParm"V 1alyaZ<alyaV saindha(aZ>ing OayadrathaV b'hlikaZ
brother of Mah"r"2a <"ntanu 3%h=@maJs father6V 'dyai*Z
etc.V astr'5iZweaponsV amoghaZinvincibleV mahim'niZvery
powerfulV nir0"it'niZappliedV naZnotV !"as"41!*ZtouchedV
n4hari%d'samZservitor of K?si[hadeva 31rahl"da6V i(aZlikeV
as!r'5iZweapons employed by the demons.
T-A#SLATIO#
&reat generals like KhBE@a, >roFa, CarFa, Khdriwra'L, Suwar@L,
Aalya, )ayadratha, and KLhlika all directed their in'incible Jeapons
against @eH Kut by Iis OLord CDEFars3 grace they could not e'en
touch a hair on @y headH Si@ilarly, PrahlLda $ahLrL/a, the
supre@e de'otee of Lord #Dsikhade'a, Jas unaffected by the
Jeapons the de@ons used against hi@H
P8-PO-T
The history of 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a, the great devotee of
K?si[hadeva, is narrated in the $eventh *anto of #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam. 1rahl"da Mah"r"2a, a small child of only five
years, became the ob2ect of envy for his great father,
HiraAyakaPipu, only because of his becoming a pure devotee
of the Eord. The demon father employed all his weapons to
kill the devotee son, 1rahl"da, but by the grace of the Eord
he was saved from all sorts of dangerous actions by his
father. He was thrown in a fire, in boiling oil, from the top of
a hill, underneath the legs of an elephant, and he was
administered poison. At last the father himself took up a
chopper to kill his son, and thus K?si[hadeva appeared and
killed the heinous father in the presence of the son. Thus no
one can kill the devotee of the Eord. $imilarly, Ar2una was
also saved by the Eord, although all dangerous weapons
were employed by his great opponents like %h=@ma.
Aar5aI %orn of >unt= by the sun'god prior to her marriage
with Mah"r"2a 1"AQu, >arAa took his birth with bangles and
earrings, e:traordinary signs for an undaunted hero. n the
beginning his name was !asusena, but when he grew up he
presented his natural bangles and earrings to ndradeva, and
thenceforward he became known as !aikartana. After his
birth from the maiden >unt=, he was thrown in the 8anges.
Eater he was picked up by Adhiratha, and he and his wife
0"dh" brought him up as their own offspring. >arAa was very
charitable, especially toward the br'hma5as. There was
nothing he could not spare for a br'hma5a. n the same
charitable spirit he gave in charity his natural bangles and
earrings to ndradeva, who, being very much satisfied with
him, gave him in return a great weapon called <akti. He was
admitted as one of the students of 7roA"c"rya, and from the
very beginning there was some rivalry between him and
Ar2una. $eeing his constant rivalry with Ar2una, 7uryodhana
picked him up as his companion, and this gradually grew into
greater intimacy. He was also present in the great assembly
of 7raupad=Js s(aya-(ara function, and when he attempted
to e:hibit his talent in that meeting, 7raupad=Js brother
declared that >arAa could not take part in the competition
because of his being the son of a 10dra carpenter. Although
he was refused in the competition, still when Ar2una was
successful in piercing the fish target on the ceiling and
7raupad= bestowed her garland upon Ar2una, >arAa and the
other disappointed princes offered an unusual stumbling
block to Ar2una while he was leaving with 7raupad=.
$pecifically, >arAa fought with him very valiantly, but all of
them were defeated by Ar2una. 7uryodhana was very much
pleased with >arAa because of his constant rivalry with
Ar2una, and when he was in power he enthroned >arAa in the
state of AIga. %eing baffled in his attempt to win 7raupad=,
>arAa advised 7uryodhana to attack >ing 7rupada, for after
defeating him both Ar2una and 7raupad= could be arrested.
%ut 7roA"c"rya rebuked them for this conspiracy, and they
refrained from the action. >arAa was defeated many times,
not only by Ar2una but also by %h=masena. He was the king
of the kingdom of %engal, 9rissa and Madras combined.
Eater on he took an active part in the 0"2asLya sacrifice of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, and when there was gambling
between the rival brothers, designed by <akuni, >arAa took
part in the game, and he was very pleased when 7raupad=
was offered as a bet in the gambling. This fed his old grudge.
When 7raupad= was in the game he was very enthusiastic to
declare the news, and it is he who ordered 7ubP"sana to
take away the garments of both the 1"AQavas and
7raupad=. He asked 7raupad= to select another husband
because, being lost by the 1"AQavas, she was rendered a
slave of the >urus. He was always an enemy of the
1"AQavas, and whenever there was an opportunity, he tried
to curb them by all means. 7uring the %attle of >uruk@etra,
he foresaw the conclusive result, and he e:pressed his
opinion that due to Eord >?@AaJs being the chariot driver of
Ar2una, the battle should be won by Ar2una. He always
differed with %h=@ma, and sometimes he was proud enough
to say that within five days he could finish up the 1"AQavas,
if %h=@ma would not interfere with his plan of action. %ut he
was much mortified when %h=@ma died. He killed
8haTotkaca with the <akti weapon obtained from ndradeva.
His son, !?@asena, was killed by Ar2una. He killed the largest
number of 1"AQava soldiers. At last there was a severe fight
with Ar2una, and it was he only who was able to knock off the
helmet of Ar2una. %ut it so happened that the wheel of his
chariot stuck in the battlefield mud, and when he got down
to set the wheel right, Ar2una took the opportunity and killed
him, although he re(uested Ar2una not to do so.
Na"t', or &h0ri1ra('I %hLriPrav" was the son of $omadatta, a
member of the >uru family. His other brother was <alya.
%oth the brothers and the father attended the s(aya-(ara
ceremony of 7raupad=. All of them appreciated the
wonderful strength of Ar2una due to his being the devotee
friend of the Eord, and thus %hLriPrav" advised the sons of
7h?tar"@Tra not to pick any (uarrel or fight with them. All of
them also attended the 0"2asLya ya),a of Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira. He possessed one ak.a!hi5$ regiment of army,
cavalry, elephants and chariots, and all these were
employed in the %attle of >uruk@etra on behalf of
7uryodhanaJs party. He was counted by %h=ma as one of
the y0tha%"atis. n the %attle of >uruk@etra he was especially
engaged in a fight with $"tyaki, and he killed ten sons of
$"tyaki. Eater on, Ar2una cut off his hands, and he was
ultimately killed by $"tyaki. After his death he merged into
the e:istence of !iPvadeva.
Trigarta, or S!1arm'I $on of Mah"r"2a !?ddhak@etra, he was
the >ing of TrigartadePa, and he was also present in the
s(aya-(ara ceremony of 7raupad=. He was one of the allies
of 7uryodhana, and he advised 7uryodhana to attack the
MatsyadePa 37arbhaIga6. 7uring the time of cow'stealing in
!ir"Ta'nagara, he was able to arrest Mah"r"2a !ir"Ta, but
later Mah"r"2a !ir"Ta was released by %h=ma. n the %attle
of >uruk@etra he also fought very valiantly, but at the end he
was killed by Ar2una.
NayadrathaI Another son of Mah"r"2a !?ddhak@etra. He was
the >ing of $indhudePa 3modern $ind 1akistan6. His wifeJs
name was 7ubPal". He was also present in the s(aya-(ara
ceremony of 7raupad=, and he desired very strongly to have
her hand, but he failed in the competition. %ut since then he
always sought the opportunity to get in touch with
7raupad=. When he was going to marry in the <alyadePa, on
the way to >"myavana he happened to see 7raupad= again
and was too much attracted to her. The 1"AQavas and
7raupad= were then in e:ile, after losing their empire in
gambling, and Oayadratha thought it wise to send news to
7raupad= in an illicit manner through >oTiPa@ya, one of his
associates. 7raupad= at once refused vehemently the
proposal of Oayadratha, but being so much attracted by the
beauty of 7raupad=, he tried again and again. ;very time he
was refused by 7raupad=. He tried to take her away forcibly
on his chariot, and at first 7raupad= gave him a good
dashing, and he fell like a cut'root tree. %ut he was not
discouraged, and he was able to force 7raupad= to sit on the
chariot. This incident was seen by 7haumya Muni, and he
strongly protested the action of Oayadratha. He also followed
the chariot, and through 7h"treyik" the matter was brought
to the notice of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. The 1"AQavas then
attacked the soldiers of Oayadratha and killed them all, and
at last %h=ma caught hold of Oayadratha and beat him very
severely, almost dead. Then all but five hairs were cut off his
head and he was taken to all the kings and introduced as the
slave of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. He was forced to admit
himself to be the slave of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira before all
the princely order, and in the same condition he was brought
before Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was kind
enough to order him released, and when he admitted to
being a tributary prince under Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, ùeen
7raupad= also desired his release. After this incident, he was
allowed to return to his country. %eing so insulted, he went
to 8aIg"tri in the Himalayas and undertook a severe type of
penance to please Eord <iva. He asked his benediction to
defeat all the 1"AQavas, at least one at a time. Then the
%attle of >uruk@etra began, and he took sides with
7uryodhana. n the first dayJs fight he was engaged with
Mah"r"2a 7rupada, then with !ir"Ta and then with
Abhimanyu. While Abhimanyu was being killed, mercilessly
surrounded by seven great generals, the 1"AQavas came to
his help, but Oayadratha, by the mercy of Eord <iva, repulsed
them with great ability. At this, Ar2una took a vow to kill him,
and on hearing this, Oayadratha wanted to leave the warfield
and asked permission from the >auravas for this cowardly
action. %ut he was not allowed to do so. 9n the contrary, he
was obliged to fight with Ar2una, and while the fight was
going on Eord >?@Aa reminded Ar2una that the benediction of
<iva upon Oayadratha was that whoever would cause his
head to fall on the ground would die at once. He therefore
advised Ar2una to throw the head of Oayadratha directly onto
the lap of his father, who was engaged in penances at the
$amanta'pa^caka pilgrimage. This was actually done by
Ar2una. OayadrathaJs father was surprised to see a severed
head on his lap, and he at once threw it to the ground. The
father immediately died, his forehead being cracked in seven
pieces.
T!T "]
SaaT(ae ':Ta0 ku6$aiTa#aaT$ad J-Trae $ae
(aTPaadPa$a%a'a(a %a)ai#Ta %aG(aa0 9
$aa; BOa#Ta'ah$ar(aae riQa#aae %aui'f;
#a PaOahr#a2 (ad#au%aa'i#arSTaictaa0 99 "] 99
sa!tye (4ta* k!matin'tmada $1(aro me
yat%"'da%"admam abha('ya bha)anti bha(y'*
m'- 1r'nta%('ham arayo rathino bh!(i%.<ha-
na "r'haran yad%an!bh'(a%nirasta%citt'*
S(#O#($S
sa!tyeZregarding a chariot driverV (4ta*ZengagedV k!matin'
Zby bad consciousnessV 'tma%da*Zone who deliversV
$1(ara*Zthe $upreme EordV meZmyV yatZwhoseV "'da%
"admamZlotus feetV abha('yaZin the matter of salvationV
bha)antiZdo render serviceV bha(y'*Zthe intelligent class of
menV m'mZunto meV 1r'ntaZthirstyV ('hamZmy horsesV
araya*Zthe enemiesV rathina*Za great generalV bh!(i%.<ham
Zwhile standing on the groundV naZdid notV "r'haranZ
attackV yatZwhoseV an!bh'(aZmercyV nirastaZbeing absentV
citt'*Zmind.
T-A#SLATIO#
It Jas by Iis @ercy only that @y ene@ies neglected to kill @e
Jhen I descended fro@ @y chariot to get Jater for @y thirsty
horsesH And it Jas due to @y lack of estee@ for @y Lord that I
dared engage Ii@ as @y chariot dri'er, for Ie is Jorshiped and
offered ser'ices by the best @en to attain sal'ationH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord, the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@Aa, is
the ob2ect of worship both by impersonalists and by the
devotees of the Eord. The impersonalists worship His glowing
effulgence, emanating from His transcendental body of
eternal form, bliss and knowledge, and the devotees worship
Him as the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. Those who are
below even the impersonalists consider Him to be one of the
great historical personalities. The Eord, however, descends
to attract all by His specific transcendental pastimes, and
thus He plays the part of the most perfect master, friend,
son and lover. His transcendental relation with Ar2una was in
friendship, and the Eord therefore played the part perfectly,
as He did with His parents, lovers and wives. While playing in
such a perfect transcendental relation, the devotee forgets,
by the internal potency of the Eord, that his friend or son is
the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, although sometimes
the devotee is bewildered by the acts of the Eord. After the
departure of the Eord, Ar2una was conscious of his great
friend, but there was no mistake on the part of Ar2una, nor
any ill estimation of the Eord. ntelligent men are attracted
by the transcendental acting of the Eord with a pure,
unalloyed devotee like Ar2una.
n the warfield, scarcity of water is a well'known fact. Water
is very rare there, and both the animals and men, working
strenuously on the warfield, constantly re(uire water to
(uench their thirst. ;specially wounded soldiers and generals
feel very thirsty at the time of death, and it sometimes so
happens that simply for want of water one has to die
unavoidably. %ut such scarcity of water was solved in the
%attle of >uruk@etra by means of boring the ground. %y
8odJs grace, water can be easily obtained from any place if
there is facility for boring the ground. The modern system
works on the same principle of boring the ground, but
modern engineers are still unable to dig immediately
wherever necessary. t appears, however, from the history
as far back as the days of the 1"AQavas, that big generals
like Ar2una could at once supply water even to the horses,
and what to speak of men, by drawing water from
underneath the hard ground simply by penetrating the
stratum with a sharp arrow, a method still unknown to the
modern scientists.
T!T "^
#a$aa-Q(audarDicriS$aTa!aaei%aTaai#a
he PaaQa- he+)au-#a SaYe ku6D#a#d#aeiTa 9
SaiiLPaTaai#a #arde' 5idSPa:!aai#a
S$aTau-lu-Rui#Ta 5d(a; $a$a $aa>a'S(a 99 "^ 99
narm'5y !d'ra%r!cira%smita%1obhit'ni
he "'rtha he 2r)!na sakhe k!r!%nandaneti
sa,)al"it'ni nara%de(a h4di%s"41'ni
smart!r l!<hanti h4daya- mama m'dha(asya
S(#O#($S
narm'5iZconversation in 2okesV !d'raZtalked very franklyV
r!ciraZpleasingV smita%1obhit'niZdecorated with a smiling
faceV heZnote of addressV "'rthaZ9 son of 1?th"V heZnote
of addressV ar)!naZAr2unaV sakheZfriendV k!r!%nandanaZson
of the >uru dynastyV itiZand so onV sa,)al"it'niZsuch
conversationV nara%de(aZ9 >ingV h4diZheartV s"41'niZ
touchingV smart!*Zby remembering themV l!<hantiZ
overwhelmsV h4dayamZheart and soulV mamaZmyV
m'dha(asyaZof M"dhava 3>?@Aa6.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cingt Iis /okings and frank talks Jere pleasing and beautifully
decorated Jith s@ilesH Iis addresses unto @e as yO son of PDthL,
O friend, O son of the Curu dynasty,z and all such heartiness are
noJ re@e@bered by @e, and thus I a@ o'erJhel@edH
T!T "_
!a((aaSa#aa1u#ai'k6TQa#a%aae)a#aaidx
.'C(aaj(aS(a aTa'ai#aiTa i'PaOlRK>a0 9
Sae(au0 SaYe' iPaTa:'ta#a(aS(a Sa'g
Saehe $aha#$aihTa(aa ku6$aTaerga; $ae 99 "_ 99
1ayy'san'<ana%(ikatthana%bho)an'di.(
aiky'd (ayasya 4ta('n iti (i"ralabdha*
sakhy!* sakhe(a "it4(at tanayasya sar(a-
sehe mah'n mahitay' k!mater agha- me
S(#O#($S
1ayyaZsleeping on one bedV 'sanaZsitting on one seatV
a<anaZwalking togetherV (ikatthanaZself'adorationV bho)ana
Zdining togetherV 'di.!Zand in all such dealingsV aiky'tZ
because of onenessV (ayasyaZ9 my friendV 4ta('nZtruthfulV
itiZthusV (i"ralabdha*ZmisbehavedV sakhy!*Zunto a friendV
sakh' i(aZ2ust like a friendV "it4(atZ2ust like the fatherV
tanayasyaZof a childV sar(amZallV seheZtoleratedV mah'nZ
greatV mahitay'Zby gloriesV k!mate*Zof one who is of low
mentalityV aghamZoffenseV meZmine.
T-A#SLATIO#
&enerally both of us used to li'e together and sleep, sit and loiter
togetherH And at the ti@e of ad'ertising oneself for acts of chi'alry,
so@eti@es, if there Jere any irregularity, I used to reproach Ii@
by saying, y$y friend, (ou are 'ery truthfulHz 'en in those hours
Jhen Iis 'alue Jas @ini@i=ed, Ie, being the Supre@e Soul, used
to tolerate all those utterings of @ine, eMcusing @e eMactly as a
true friend eMcuses his true friend, or a father eMcuses his sonH
P8-PO-T
$ince the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa is all'perfect, His
transcendental pastimes with His pure devotees never lack
anything in any respect, either as a friend, son or lover. The
Eord relishes the reproaches of friends, parents or fiancees
more than the !edic hymns offered to Him by great learned
scholars and religionists in an official fashion.
T!T N`
Saae+h; #a:Pae#d3 rihTa0 PauD=aeta$ae#a
Sae(aa iPaO(aeQa Sau5da 5d(ae#a B8#(a0 9
A#(auDs6$aPair&a3h$al rUa#a2
&aaeParSaiSrbleR' i'i#ai)a-Taae+iS$a 99 N` 99
so 2ha- n4"endra rahita* "!r!.ottamena
sakhy' "riye5a s!h4d' h4dayena 10nya*
adh(any !r!krama%"arigraham a3ga rak.an
go"air asadbhir abale(a (inir)ito 2smi
S(#O#($S
sa*ZthatV ahamZmyselfV n4"a%indraZ9 ;mperorV rahita*Z
bereft ofV "!r!.a%!ttamenaZby the $upreme EordV sakhy'Zby
my friendV "riye5aZby my dearmostV s!h4d'Zby the well'
wisherV h4dayenaZby the heart and soulV 10nya*ZvacantV
adh(aniZrecentlyV !r!krama%"arigrahamZthe wives of the all'
powerfulV a3gaZbodiesV rak.anZwhile protectingV go"ai*Zby
the cowherdsV asadbhi*Zby the infidelsV abal' i(aZlike a
weak womanV (inir)ita* asmiZ have been defeated.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @peror, noJ I a@ separated fro@ @y friend and dear@ost Jell6
Jisher, the Supre@e Personality of &odhead, and therefore @y
heart appears to be 'oid of e'erythingH In Iis absence I ha'e been
defeated by a nu@ber of infidel coJherd @en Jhile I Jas guarding
the bodies of all the Ji'es of CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
The important point in this verse is how it was possible that
Ar2una could be defeated by a gang of ignoble cowherd men
and how such mundane cowherd men could touch the bodies
of the wives of Eord >?@Aa, who were under the protection of
Ar2una. <r=la !iPvan"tha *akravart= Sh"kura has 2ustified
the contradiction by research in the /i.5! !r'5a and
&rahma !r'5a. n these !r'5as it is said that once the fair
deni)ens of heaven pleased A@T"vakra Muni by their service
and were blessed by the m!ni to have the $upreme Eord as
their husband. A@T"vakra Muni was curved in eight 2oints of
his body, and thus he used to move in a peculiar curved
manner. The daughters of the demigods could not check
their laughter upon seeing the movements of the m!ni, and
the m!ni, being angry at them, cursed them that they would
be kidnapped by rogues, even if they would get the Eord as
their husband. Eater on, the girls again satisfied the m!ni by
their prayers, and the m!ni blessed them that they would
regain their husband even after being robbed by the rogues.
$o, in order to keep the words of the great m!ni, the Eord
Himself kidnapped His wives from the protection of Ar2una,
otherwise they would have at once vanished from the scene
as soon as they were touched by the rogues. %esides that,
some of the go"$s who prayed to become wives of the Eord
returned to their respective positions after their desire was
fulfilled. After the departure of Eord >?@Aa, He wanted all His
entourage back to 8odhead, and they were called back
under different conditions only.
T!T N"
Taj >a#auSTa J='0 Sa rQaae h(aaSTae
Saae+h; rQa? #a:PaTa(aae (aTa Aa#a$ai#Ta 9
Sa'g UaQae#a Tad%a8dSad?!airv;6
%aS$a#a2 huTa; ku6hk6rapi$a'ae$a8.(aa$a2 99 N" 99
tad (ai dhan!s ta i.a(a* sa ratho hay's te
so 2ha- rath$ n4"atayo yata 'namanti
sar(a- k.a5ena tad abh0d asad $1a%rikta-
bhasman h!ta- k!haka%r'ddham i(o"tam 0.y'm
S(#O#($S
tatZthe sameV (aiZcertainlyV dhan!* teZthe same bowV
i.a(a*ZarrowsV sa*Zthe very sameV ratha*ZchariotV hay'*
teZthe very same horsesV sa* ahamZ am the same Ar2unaV
rath$Zthe chariot'fighterV n4"ataya*Zall the kingsV yata*Z
whomV 'namantiZoffered their respectsV sar(amZallV k.a5ena
Zat a momentJs noticeV tatZall thoseV abh0tZbecameV asatZ
uselessV $1aZbecause of the EordV riktamZbeing voidV
bhasmanZashesV h!tamZoffering butterV k!haka%r'ddhamZ
money created by magical featsV i(aZlike thatV !"tamZsownV
0.y'mZin barren land.
T-A#SLATIO#
I ha'e the 'ery sa@e &LFhB'a boJ, the sa@e arroJs, the sa@e
chariot draJn by the sa@e horses, and I use the@ as the sa@e
Ar/una to Jho@ all the kings offered their due respectsH Kut in the
absence of Lord CDEFa, all of the@, at a @o@entrs notice, ha'e
beco@e null and 'oidH It is eMactly like offering clarified butter on
ashes, accu@ulating @oney Jith a @agic Jand or soJing seeds on
barren landH
P8-PO-T
As we have discussed more than once, one should not be
puffed up by borrowed plumes. All energies and powers are
derived from the supreme source, Eord >?@Aa, and they act
as long as He desires and cease to function as soon as He
withdraws. All electrical energies are received from the
powerhouse, and as soon as the powerhouse stops supplying
energy, the bulbs are of no use. n a momentJs time such
energies can be generated or withdrawn by the supreme will
of the Eord. Material civili)ation without the blessing of the
Eord is childJs play only. As long as the parents allow the
child to play, it is all right. As soon as the parents withdraw,
the child has to stop. Human civili)ation and all activities
thereof must be dovetailed with the supreme blessing of the
Eord, and without this blessing all advancement of human
civili)ation is like decoration on a dead body. t is said here
that a dead civili)ation and its activities are something like
clarified butter on ashes, the accumulation of money by a
magic wand and the sowing of seeds in a barren land.
T!TS NNNX
ra)a;ST'(aa#auPa:na#aa; Sau5da; #a0 Sau5TPaure 9
i'PaO!aaPai'$a8ta#aa; i#aganTaa; $auini%ai$a-Qa0 99 NN 99
'aDQa?; $aidra; Pa?T'a $adae#$aiQaTaceTaSaa$a2 9
A)aa#aTaai$a'a#(aae#(a; cTau0Pa}a'!aei=Taa0 99 NX 99
r')a-s t(ay'n!"4.<'n'-
s!h4d'- na* s!h4t%"!re
(i"ra%1'"a%(im0;h'n'-
nighnat'- m!.<ibhir mitha*
('r!5$- madir'- "$t('
madonmathita%cetas'm
a)'nat'm i('nyonya-
cat!*%"a,c'(a1e.it'*
S(#O#($S
r')anZ9 >ingV t(ay'Zby youV an!"4.<'n'mZas you in(uiredV
s!h4d'mZof friends and relativesV na*ZourV s!h4t%"!reZin
the city of 7v"rak"V (i"raZthe br'hma5asC 1'"aZby the curse
ofV (im0;h'n'mZof the befooledV nighnat'mZof the killedV
m!.<ibhi*Zwith bunches of sticksV mitha*Zamong
themselvesV ('r!5$mZfermented riceV madir'mZwineV "$t('
Zhaving drunkV mada%!nmathitaZbeing into:icatedV cetas'm
Zof that mental situationV a)'nat'mZof the unrecogni)edV
i(aZlikeV anyonyamZone anotherV cat!*ZfourV "a,caZfiveV
a(a1e.it'*Znow remaining.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cing, since you ha'e asked @e about our friends and relati'es in
the city of >'LrakL, I Jill infor@ you that all of the@ Jere cursed
by the brLh@aFas, and as a result they all beca@e intoMicated Jith
Jine @ade of putrefied rice and fought a@ong the@sel'es Jith
sticks, not e'en recogni=ing one anotherH #oJ all but four or fi'e of
the@ are dead and goneH
T!T NZ
PaOa(aeQaTad2 %a&a'Ta J-TrS(a i'ceinTa$a2 9
i$aQaae i#agani#Ta %a8Taai#a %aa'(ai#Ta c (ai#$aQa0 99
NZ 99
"r'ye5aitad bhaga(ata
$1(arasya (ice.<itam
mitho nighnanti bh0t'ni
bh'(ayanti ca yan mitha*
S(#O#($S
"r'ye5a etatZit is almost byV bhaga(ata*Zof the 1ersonality of
8odheadV $1(arasyaZof the EordV (ice.<itamZby the will ofV
mitha*Zone anotherV nighnantiZdo killV bh0t'niZthe living
beingsV bh'(ayantiZas also protectV caZalsoV yatZof whomV
mitha*Zone another.
T-A#SLATIO#
Factually this is all due to the supre@e Jill of the Lord, the
Personality of &odheadH So@eti@es people kill one another, and at
other ti@es they protect one anotherH
P8-PO-T
According to the anthropologists, there is natureJs law of
struggle for e:istence and survival of the fittest. %ut they do
not know that behind the law of nature is the supreme
direction of the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. n the
&haga(ad%g$t' it is confirmed that the law of nature is
e:ecuted under the direction of the Eord. Whenever,
therefore, there is peace in the world, it must be known that
it is due to the good will of the Eord. And whenever there is
upheaval in the world, it is also due to the supreme will of
the Eord. Kot a blade of grass moves without the will of the
Eord. Whenever, therefore, there is disobedience of the
established rules enacted by the Eord, there is war between
men and nations. The surest way to the path of peace,
therefore, is dovetailing everything to the established rule of
the Eord. The established rule is that whatever we do,
whatever we eat, whatever we sacrifice or whatever we give
in charity must be done to the full satisfaction of the Eord.
Ko one should do anything, eat anything, sacrifice anything
or give anything in charity against the will of the Eord.
7iscretion is the better part of valor, and one must learn how
to discriminate between actions which may be pleasing to
the Eord and those which may not be pleasing to the Eord.
An action is thus 2udged by the EordJs pleasure or
displeasure. There is no room for personal whimsV we must
always be guided by the pleasure of the Eord. $uch action is
called yoga* karmas! ka!1alam, or actions performed which
are linked with the $upreme Eord. That is the art of doing a
thing perfectly.
T!TS N[N\
)alRak6Saa; )aleR (aj#$aha#Taae+d#T(aQa?(aSa0 9
dub-lRa#bilR#aae ra)a#$aha#Taae bilR#aae i$aQa0 99 N[ 99
V'; bilRf(a-dui%a$a-hiSirTara#a2 i'%au0 9
(ad8#a2 (adui%ar#(aae#(a; %a8%aara#a2 Saihar h 99 N\ 99
)ala!kas'- )ale yad(an
mah'nto 2danty a5$yasa*
d!rbal'n balino r')an
mah'nto balino mitha*
e(a- bali.<hair yad!bhir
mahadbhir itar'n (ibh!*
yad0n yad!bhir anyonya-
bh0%bh'r'n sa,)ah'ra ha
S(#O#($S
)ala!kas'mZof the a(uaticsV )aleZin the waterV yad(atZas it
isV mah'nta*Zthe larger oneV adantiZswallowsV a5$yasa*Z
smaller onesV d!rbal'nZthe weakV balina*Zthe strongerV
r')anZ9 >ingV mah'nta*Zthe strongestV balina*Zless strongV
mitha*Zin a duelV e(amZthusV bali.<hai*Zby the strongestV
yad!bhi*Zby the descendants of XaduV mahadbhi*Zone who
has greater strengthV itar'nZthe common onesV (ibh!*Zthe
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odheadV yad0nZall the XadusV
yad!bhi*Zby the XadusV anyonyamZamong one anotherV
bh0%bh'r'nZthe burden of the worldV sa,)ah'raZhas
unloadedV haZin the past.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Cing, as in the ocean the bigger and stronger a?uatics sJalloJ
up the s@aller and Jeaker ones, so also the Supre@e Personality
of &odhead, to lighten the burden of the earth, has engaged the
stronger (adu to kill the Jeaker, and the bigger (adu to kill the
s@allerH
P8-PO-T
n the material world the struggle for e:istence and survival
of the fittest are laws because in the material world there is
disparity between conditioned souls due to everyoneJs desire
to lord it over the material resources. This very mentality of
lording it over the material nature is the root cause of
conditioned life. And to give facility to such imitation lords,
the illusory energy of the Eord has created a disparity
between conditioned living beings by creating the stronger
and the weaker in every species of life. The mentality of
lording it over the material nature and the creation has
naturally created a disparity and therefore the law of
struggle for e:istence. n the spiritual world there is no such
disparity, nor is there such a struggle for e:istence. n the
spiritual world there is no struggle for e:istence because
everyone there e:ists eternally. There is no disparity
because everyone wants to render service to the $upreme
Eord, and no one wants to imitate the Eord in becoming the
beneficiary. The Eord, being creator of everything, including
the living beings, factually is the proprietor and en2oyer of
everything that be, but in the material world, by the spell of
m'y', or illusion, this eternal relation with the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead is forgotten, and so the living being
is conditioned under the law of struggle for e:istence and
survival of the fittest.
T!T N]
de!ak6alRaQa-(auv6ai#a 5taaPaaePa!a$aai#a c 9
hri#Ta S$arTai,ta; &aaei'#dai%aihTaai#a $ae 99 N] 99
de1a%k'l'rtha%y!kt'ni
h4t%t'"o"a1am'ni ca
haranti smarata1 citta-
go(ind'bhihit'ni me
S(#O#($S
de1aZspaceV k'laZtimeV arthaZimportanceV y!kt'niZ
impregnated withV h4tZthe heartV t'"aZburningV !"a1am'ni
Ze:tinguishingV caZandV harantiZare attractingV smarata*Z
by rememberingV cittamZmindV go(indaZthe $upreme
1ersonality of pleasureV abhihit'niZnarrated byV meZunto
me.
T-A#SLATIO#
#oJ I a@ attracted to those instructions i@parted to @e by the
Personality of &odhead O&o'inda3 because they are i@pregnated
Jith instructions for relie'ing the burning heart in all
circu@stances of ti@e and spaceH
P8-PO-T
Herein Ar2una refers to the instruction of the &haga(ad%g$t',
which was imparted to him by the Eord on the %attlefield of
>uruk@etra. The Eord left behind Him the instructions of the
&haga(ad%g$t' not for the benefit of Ar2una alone, but also for
all time and in all lands. The &haga(ad%g$t', being spoken by
the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, is the essence of all
!edic wisdom. t is nicely presented by the Eord Himself for
all who have very little time to go through the vast !edic
literatures like the 7"ani.ads, !r'5as and /ed'nta%s0tras. t
is put within the study of the great historical epic
8ah'bh'rata, which was especially prepared for the less
intelligent class, namely the women, the laborers and those
who are worthless descendants of the br'hma5as, k.atriyas
and higher sections of the (ai1yas. The problem which arose
in the heart of Ar2una on the %attlefield of >uruk@etra was
solved by the teachings of the &haga(ad%g$t'. Again, after the
departure of the Eord from the vision of earthly people, when
Ar2una was face to face with being van(uished in his
ac(uired power and prominence, he wanted again to
remember the great teachings of the &haga(ad%g$t' 2ust to
teach all concerned that the &haga(ad%g$t' can be consulted
in all critical times, not only for solace from all kinds of
mental agonies, but also for the way out of great
entanglements which may embarrass one in some critical
hour.
The merciful Eord left behind Him the great teachings of the
&haga(ad%g$t' so that one can take the instructions of the
Eord even when He is not visible to material eyesight.
Material senses cannot have any estimation of the $upreme
Eord, but by His inconceivable power the Eord can incarnate
Himself to the sense perception of the conditioned souls in a
suitable manner through the agency of matter, which is also
another form of the EordJs manifested energy. Thus the
&haga(ad%g$t', or any authentic scriptural sound
representation of the Eord, is also the incarnation of the
Eord. There is no difference between the sound
representation of the Eord and the Eord Himself. 9ne can
derive the same benefit from the &haga(ad%g$t' as Ar2una did
in the personal presence of the Eord.
The faithful human being who is desirous of being liberated
from the clutches of material e:istence can very easily take
advantage of the &haga(ad%g$t', and with this in view, the
Eord instructed Ar2una as if Ar2una were in need of it. n the
&haga(ad%g$t', five important factors of knowledge have
been delineated pertaining to 3,6 the $upreme Eord, 3G6 the
living being, 3\6 nature, 3M6 time and space and 3B6 the
process of activity. 9ut of these, the $upreme Eord and the
living being are (ualitatively one. The difference between
the two has been analy)ed as the difference between the
whole and the part and parcel. Kature is inert matter
displaying the interaction of three different modes, and
eternal time and unlimited space are considered to be
beyond the e:istence of the material nature. Activities of the
living being are different varieties of aptitudes which can
entrap or liberate the living being within and without
material nature. All these sub2ect matters are concisely
discussed in the &haga(ad%g$t', and later the sub2ect matters
are elaborated in the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam for further
enlightenment. 9ut of the five sub2ects, the $upreme Eord,
the living entity, nature, and time and space are eternal, but
the living entity, nature and time are under the direction of
the $upreme Eord, who is absolute and completely
independent of any other control. The $upreme Eord is the
supreme controller. The material activity of the living being
is beginningless, but it can be rectified by transferral into the
spiritual (uality. Thus it can cease its material (ualitative
reactions. %oth the Eord and the living entity are cogni)ant,
and both have the sense of identification, of being conscious
as a living force. %ut the living being under the condition of
material nature, called mahat%tatt(a, misidentifies himself as
being different from the Eord. The whole scheme of !edic
wisdom is targeted to the aim of eradicating such a
misconception and thus liberating the living being from the
illusion of material identification. When such an illusion is
eradicated by knowledge and renunciation, the living beings
are responsible actors and en2oyers also. The sense of
en2oyment in the Eord is real, but such a sense in the living
being is a sort of wishful desire only. This difference in
consciousness is the distinction of the two identities, namely
the Eord and the living being. 9therwise there is no
difference between the Eord and the living being. The living
being is therefore eternally one and different simultaneously.
The whole instruction of the &haga(ad%g$t' stands on this
principle.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord and the living beings are both
described as san'tana, or eternal, and the EordJs abode, far
beyond the material sky, is also described as san'tana. The
living being is invited to live in the san'tana e:istence of the
Eord, and the process which can help a living being to
approach the EordJs abode, where the liberated activity of
the soul is e:hibited, is called san'tana%dharma. 9ne cannot,
however, reach the eternal abode of the Eord without being
free from the misconception of material identification, and
the &haga(ad%g$t' gives us the clue how to achieve this stage
of perfection. The process of being liberated from the
misconception of material identification is called, in different
stages, fruitive activity, empiric philosophy and devotional
service, up to transcendental reali)ation. $uch
transcendental reali)ation is made possible by dovetailing all
the above items in relation with the Eord. 1rescribed duties
of the human being, as directed in the /edas, can gradually
purify the sinful mind of the conditioned soul and raise him
to the stage of knowledge. The purified stage of ac(uiring
knowledge becomes the basis of devotional service to the
Eord. As long as one is engaged in researching the solution
of the problems of life, his knowledge is called ),'na, or
purified knowledge, but on reali)ing the actual solution of
life, one becomes situated in the devotional service of the
Eord. The &haga(ad%g$t' begins with the problems of life by
discriminating the soul from the elements of matter and
proves by all reason and argument that the soul is
indestructible in all circumstances and that the outer
covering of matter, the body and the mind, change for
another term of material e:istence which is full of miseries.
The &haga(ad%g$t' is therefore meant for terminating all
different types of miseries, and Ar2una took shelter of this
great knowledge, which had been imparted to him during
the >uruk@etra battle.
T!T N^
Sa8Ta o'ac
V'; ic#Ta(aTaae i)a.Qaae0 k:6.QaPaadSaraeDh$a2 9
Saahade-#aaiTa&aate#a !aa#TaaSa?ij$alRa $aiTa0 99 N^ 99
s0ta !('ca
e(a- cintayato )i.5o*
k4.5a%"'da%saror!ham
sa!h'rden'tig';hena
1'nt's$d (imal' mati*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV e(amZthusV cintayata*Z
while thinking of the instructionsV )i.5o*Zof the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odheadV k4.5a%"'daZthe feet of >?@AaV
saror!hamZresembling lotusesV sa!h'rdenaZby deep
friendshipV ati%g';henaZin great intimacyV 1'nt'ZpacifiedV
's$tZit so becameV (imal'Zwithout any tinge of material
contaminationV mati*Zmind.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Thus being deeply absorbed in thinking of the
instructions of the Lord, Jhich Jere i@parted in the great inti@acy
of friendship, and in thinking of Iis lotus feet, Ar/unars @ind
beca@e pacified and free fro@ all @aterial conta@inationH
P8-PO-T
$ince the Eord is absolute, deep meditation upon Him is as
good as yogic trance. The Eord is nondifferent from His
name, form, (uality, pastimes, entourage and specific
actions. Ar2una began to think of the EordJs instructions to
him on the %attlefield of >uruk@etra. 9nly those instructions
began to eliminate the tinges of material contamination in
the mind of Ar2una. The Eord is like the sunV the sunJs
appearance means immediate dissipation of darkness, or
ignorance, and the EordJs appearance within the mind of the
devotee can at once drive away the miserable material
effects. Eord *aitanya has therefore recommended constant
chanting of the name of the Eord for protection from all
contamination of the material world. The feeling of
separation from the Eord is undoubtedly painful to the
devotee, but because it is in connection with the Eord, it has
a specific transcendental effect which pacifies the heart.
Heelings of separation are also sources of transcendental
bliss, and they are never comparable to contaminated
material feelings of separation.
T!T N_
'aSaude'aM2gaOy#au>(aa#aPairb:;ihTar;hSaa 9
%av6ya i#a$a-iQaTaa!ae=k6=a(ai>a=Qaae+)au-#a0 99 N_ 99
('s!de('3ghry%an!dhy'na%
"arib4-hita%ra-has'
bhakty' nirmathit'1e.a%
ka.'ya%dhi.a5o 2r)!na*
S(#O#($S
('s!de(a%a3ghriZthe lotus feet of the EordV an!dhy'naZby
constant remembranceV "arib4-hitaZe:pandedV ra-has'Z
with great velocityV bhakty'Zin devotionV nirmathitaZ
subsidedV a1e.aZunlimitedV ka.'yaZdintV dhi.a5a*Z
conceptionV ar)!na*ZAr2una.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ar/unars constant re@e@brance of the lotus feet of Lord ArB CDEFa
rapidly increased his de'otion, and as a result all the trash in his
thoughts subsidedH
P8-PO-T
Material desires in the mind are the trash of material
contamination. %y such contamination, the living being is
faced with so many compatible and incompatible things that
discourage the very e:istence of spiritual identity. %irth after
birth the conditioned soul is entrapped with so many
pleasing and displeasing elements, which are all false and
temporary. They accumulate due to our reactions to material
desires, but when we get in touch with the transcendental
Eord in His variegated energies by devotional service, the
naked forms of all material desires become manifest, and
the intelligence of the living being is pacified in its true color.
As soon as Ar2una turned his attention towards the
instructions of the Eord, as they are inculcated in the
&haga(ad%g$t', his true color of eternal association with the
Eord became manifest, and thus he felt freed from all
material contaminations.
T!T X`
&a?Ta; %a&a'Taa /a#a; (aTa2 TaTa2 Saa$a$a8>a-i#a 9
k6alRk6$a-Ta$aaeDp; Pau#ar>(a&a$aTa2 PaO%au0 99 X` 99
g$ta- bhaga(at' ),'na-
yat tat sa3gr'ma%m0rdhani
k'la%karma%tamo%r!ddha-
"!nar adhyagamat "rabh!*
S(#O#($S
g$tamZinstructedV bhaga(at'Zby the 1ersonality of 8odheadV
),'namZtranscendental knowledgeV yatZwhichV tatZthatV
sa3gr'ma%m0rdhaniZin the midst of battleV k'la%karmaZtime
and actionsV tama*%r!ddhamZenwrapped by such darknessV
"!na* adhyagamatZrevived them againV "rabh!*Zthe lord of
his senses.
T-A#SLATIO#
Kecause of the Lordrs pasti@es and acti'ities and because of Iis
absence, it appeared that Ar/una forgot the instructions left by the
Personality of &odheadH Kut factually this Jas not the case, and
again he beca@e lord of his sensesH
P8-PO-T
A conditioned soul is enwrapped in his fruitive activities by
the force of eternal time. %ut the $upreme Eord, when He
incarnates on the earth, is not influenced by k'la, or the
material conception of past, present and future. The
activities of the Eord are eternal, and they are
manifestations of His 'tma%m'y', or internal potency. All
pastimes or activities of the Eord are spiritual in nature, but
to the laymen they appear to be on the same level with
material activities. t so appeared that Ar2una and the Eord
were engaged in the %attle of >uruk@etra as the other party
was also engaged, but factually the Eord was e:ecuting His
mission of incarnation and association with His eternal friend
Ar2una. Therefore such apparently material activities of
Ar2una did not drive him away from his transcendental
position, but on the contrary revived his consciousness of
the songs of the Eord, as He sang them personally. This
revival of consciousness is assured by the Eord in the
Bhagavad-gt 3,..5B6 as followsC
man%man' bha(a mad%bhakto
mad%y')$ m'- namask!r!
m'm e(ai.yasi satya- te
"rati)'ne "riyo 2si me
9ne should think of the Eord alwaysV the mind should not
forget Him. 9ne should become a devotee of the Eord and
offer obeisances unto Him. 9ne who lives in that fashion
becomes undoubtedly endowed with the blessing of the Eord
by achieving the shelter of His lotus feet. There is nothing to
doubt about this eternal truth. %ecause Ar2una was His
confidential friend, the secret was disclosed to him.
Ar2una had no desire to fight with his relatives, but he fought
for the mission of the Eord. He was always engaged in the
e:ecution of His mission only, and therefore after the EordJs
departure he remained in the same transcendental position,
even though it appeared that he forgot all the instructions of
the &haga(ad%g$t'. 9ne should, therefore, ad2ust the
activities of life in pace with the mission of the Eord, and by
doing this one is sure to return back home, back to 8odhead.
This is the highest perfection of life.
T!T X"
i'!aaek6ae b34Sa$Pat(aa SaiIckjTaSa;!a(a0 9
lRI#aPaOk:6iTa#a&au-Q(aadilRlT'adSa$%a'0 99 X" 99
(i1oko brahma%sam"atty'
sa,chinna%d(aita%sa-1aya*
l$na%"rak4ti%nairg!5y'd
ali3gat('d asambha(a*
S(#O#($S
(i1oka*Zfree from bereavementV brahma%sam"atty'Zby
possession of spiritual assetsV sa,chinnaZbeing completely
cut offV d(aita%sa-1aya*Zfrom the doubts of relativityV l$naZ
merged inV "rak4tiZmaterial natureV nairg!5y'tZdue to being
in transcendenceV ali3gat('tZbecause of being devoid of a
material bodyV asambha(a*Zfree from birth and death.
T-A#SLATIO#
Kecause of his possessing spiritual assets, the doubts of duality
Jere co@pletely cut offH Thus he Jas freed fro@ the three @odes of
@aterial nature and placed in transcendenceH There Jas no longer
any chance of his beco@ing entangled in birth and death, for he
Jas freed fro@ @aterial for@H
P8-PO-T
7oubts of duality begin from the misconception of the
material body, which is accepted as the self by less
intelligent persons. The most foolish part of our ignorance is
our identifying this material body with the self. ;verything in
relation with the body is ignorantly accepted as our own.
7oubts due to misconceptions of DmyselfF and DmineFZin
other words, Dmy body,F Dmy relatives,F Dmy property,F Dmy
wife,F Dmy children,F Dmy wealth,F Dmy country,F Dmy
community,F and hundreds and thousands of similar illusory
contemplationsZcause bewilderment for the conditioned
soul. %y assimilating the instructions of the &haga(ad%g$t',
one is sure to be released from such bewilderment because
real knowledge is knowledge that the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odhead, !"sudeva, Eord >?@Aa, is everything, including
oneJs self. ;verything is a manifestation of His potency as
part and parcel. The potency and the potent are
nondifferent, so the conception of duality is at once
mitigated by attainment of perfect knowledge. As soon as
Ar2una took up the instructions of the &haga(ad%g$t', e:pert
as he was, he could at once eradicate the material
conception of Eord >?@Aa, his eternal friend. He could reali)e
that the Eord was still present before him by His instruction,
by His form, by His pastimes, by His (ualities and everything
else related to Him. He could reali)e that Eord >?@Aa, his
friend, was still present before him by His transcendental
presence in different nondual energies, and there was no
(uestion of attainment of the association of the Eord by
another change of body under the influence of time and
space. %y attainment of absolute knowledge, one can be in
association with the Eord constantly, even in this present
life, simply by hearing, chanting, thinking of and worshiping
the $upreme Eord. 9ne can see Him, one can feel His
presence even in this present life simply by understanding
the ad(aya%),'na Eord, or the Absolute Eord, through the
process of devotional service, which begins with hearing
about Him. Eord *aitanya says that simply by chanting the
holy name of the Eord one can at once wash off the dust on
the mirror of pure consciousness, and as soon as the dust is
removed, one is at once freed from all material conditions.
To become free from material conditions means to liberate
the soul. As soon as one is, therefore, situated in absolute
knowledge, his material conception of life is removed, or he
emerges from a false conception of life. Thus the function of
the pure soul is revived in spiritual reali)ation. This practical
reali)ation of the living being is made possible due to his
becoming free from the reaction of the three modes of
material nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance.
%y the grace of the Eord, a pure devotee is at once raised to
the place of the Absolute, and there is no chance of the
devoteeJs becoming materially entangled again in
conditioned life. 9ne is not able to feel the presence of the
Eord in all circumstances until one is endowed with the
re(uired transcendental vision made possible by devotional
service prescribed in the revealed scriptures. Ar2una had
attained this stage long before on the %attlefield of
>uruk@etra, and when he apparently felt the absence of the
Eord, he at once took shelter of the instructions of the
&haga(ad%g$t', and thus again he was placed in his original
position. This is the position of (i1oka, or the stage of being
freed from all grief and an:ieties.
T!T XN
i#a!a$(a %a&a'#$aa&ag Sa;SQaa; (aduku6lRS(a c 9
S'0PaQaa(a $aiTa; cse6 i#a%a:TaaT$aa (aui>aifr0 99 XN 99
ni1amya bhaga(an%m'rga-
sa-sth'- yad!%k!lasya ca
s(a*%"ath'ya mati- cakre
nibh4t'tm' y!dhi.<hira*
S(#O#($S
ni1amyaZdeliberatingV bhaga(atZregarding the EordV m'rgam
Zthe ways of His appearance and disappearanceV sa-sth'mZ
endV yad!%k!lasyaZof the dynasty of >ing XaduV caZalsoV
s(a*Zthe abode of the EordV "ath'yaZon the way ofV matimZ
desireV cakreZgave attentionV nibh4ta%'tm'Zlonely and
aloneV y!dhi.<hira*Z>ing Xudhi@Thira.
T-A#SLATIO#
8pon hearing of Lord CDEFars returning to Iis abode, and upon
understanding the end of the (adu dynastyrs earthly
@anifestation, $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira decided to go back ho@e,
back to &odheadH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira also turned his attention to the
instructions of the &haga(ad%g$t' after hearing about the
EordJs departure from the vision of earthly people. He began
to deliberate on the EordJs way of appearance and
departure. The mission of the EordJs appearance and
disappearance in the mortal universe is completely
dependent on His supreme will. He is not forced to appear or
disappear by any superior energy, as the living beings
appear and disappear, being forced by the laws of nature.
Whenever the Eord likes, He can appear Himself from
anywhere and everywhere without disturbing His
appearance and disappearance in any other place. He is like
the sun. The sun appears and disappears on its own accord
at any place without disturbing its presence in other places.
The sun appears in the morning in ndia without
disappearing from the Western Hemisphere. The sun is
present everywhere and anywhere all over the solar system,
but it so appears that in a particular place the sun appears in
the morning and also disappears at some fi:ed time in the
evening. The time limitation even of the sun is of no concern,
and so what to speak of the $upreme Eord who is the creator
and controller of the sun. Therefore, in the &haga(ad%g$t' it is
stated that anyone who factually understands the
transcendental appearance and disappearance of the Eord
by His inconceivable energy becomes liberated from the
laws of birth and death and is placed in the eternal spiritual
sky where the !aikuATha planets are. There such liberated
persons can eternally live without the pangs of birth, death,
old age and disease. n the spiritual sky the Eord and those
who are eternally engaged in the transcendental loving
service of the Eord are all eternally young because there is
no old age and disease and there is no death. %ecause there
is no death there is no birth. t is concluded, therefore, that
simply by understanding the EordJs appearance and
disappearance in truth, one can attain the perfectional stage
of eternal life. Therefore, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira also began
to consider going back to 8odhead. The Eord appears on the
earth or any other mortal planet along with His associates
who live with Him eternally, and the members of the Xadu
family who were engaged in supplementing the pastimes of
the Eord are no other than His eternal associates, and so
also Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and his brothers and mother, etc.
$ince the appearance and disappearance of the Eord and His
eternal associates are transcendental, one should not be
bewildered by the e:ternal features of appearance and
disappearance.
T!T XX
Pa:QaaP(a#auBOuT(a >a#ai(aaeidTa;
#aa!a; (ad8#aa; %a&a'iTa; c Taa$a2 9
Vk6a#Ta%av6ya %a&a'T(a>aaeUa)ae
i#a'ei!aTaaT$aaeParra$a Sa;Sa:Tae0 99 XX 99
"4th'"y an!1r!tya dhana,)ayodita-
n'1a- yad0n'- bhaga(ad%gati- ca t'm
ek'nta%bhakty' bhaga(aty adhok.a)e
ni(e1it'tmo"arar'ma sa-s4te*
S(#O#($S
"4th'Z>unt=V a"iZalsoV an!1r!tyaZoverhearingV dhana,)aya
ZAr2unaV !ditamZuttered byV n'1amZendV yad0n'mZof the
Xadu dynastyV bhaga(atZof the 1ersonality of 8odheadV gatim
ZdisappearanceV caZalsoV t'mZall thoseV eka%antaZ
unalloyedV bhakty'ZdevotionV bhaga(atiZunto the $upreme
Eord, <r= >?@AaV adhok.a)eZtranscendenceV ni(e1ita%'tm'Z
with full attentionV !"arar'maZbecame released fromV
sa-s4te*Zmaterial e:istence.
T-A#SLATIO#
CuntB, after o'erhearing Ar/unars telling of the end of the (adu
dynasty and disappearance of Lord CDEFa, engaged in the
de'otional ser'ice of the transcendental Personality of &odhead
Jith full attention and thus gained release fro@ the course of
@aterial eMistenceH
P8-PO-T
The setting of the sun does not mean the end of the sun. t
means that the sun is out of our sight. $imilarly, the end of
the mission of the Eord on a particular planet or universe
only means that He is out of our sight. The end of the Xadu
dynasty also does not mean that it is annihilated. t
disappears, along with the Eord, out of our sight. As
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira decided to prepare to go back to
8odhead, so also >unt= decided, and thus she fully engaged
herself in the transcendental devotional service of the Eord
which guarantees one a passport for going back to 8odhead
after (uitting this present material body. The beginning of
devotional service to the Eord is the beginning of
spirituali)ing the present body, and thus an unalloyed
devotee of the Eord loses all material contact in the present
body. The abode of the Eord is not a myth, as is thought by
the unbelievers or ignorant people, but one cannot reach
there by any material means like a sputnik or space capsule.
%ut one can certainly reach there after leaving this present
body, and one must prepare himself to go back to 8odhead
by practicing devotional service. That guarantees a passport
for going back to 8odhead, and >unt= adopted it.
T!T XZ
(a(aahrd2 %au'ae %aar; Taa; Ta#au; i')aha')a0 9
k6Q1uk;6 k6Q1uke6#ae' j(a; caPa?i!aTau0 Sa$a$a2 99 XZ 99
yay'harad bh!(o bh'ra-
t'- tan!- (i)ah'( a)a*
ka5<aka- ka5<akene(a
d(aya- c'"$1it!* samam
S(#O#($S
yay'Zthat by whichV aharatZtook awayV bh!(a*Zof the
worldV bh'ramZburdenV t'mZthatV tan!mZbodyV (i)aha!Z
relin(uishedV a)a*Zthe unbornV ka5<akamZthornV ka5<akenaZ
by the thornV i(aZlike thatV d(ayamZbothV caZalsoV a"iZ
althoughV $1it!*ZcontrollingV samamZe(ual.
T-A#SLATIO#
The supre@e unborn, Lord ArB CDEFa, caused the @e@bers of the
(adu dynasty to relin?uish their bodies, and thus Ie relie'ed the
burden of the JorldH This action Jas like picking out a thorn Jith a
thorn, though both are the sa@e to the controllerH
P8-PO-T
<r=la !iPvan"tha *akravart= Sh"kura suggests that the 4.is
like <aunaka and others who were hearing #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam from $Lta 8osv"m= at Kaimi@"raAya were not
happy to hear about the XaduJs dying in the madness of
into:ication. To give them relief from this mental agony,
$Lta 8osv"m= assured them that the Eord caused the
members of the Xadu dynasty to relin(uish their bodies by
which they had to take away the burden of the world. The
Eord and His eternal associates appeared on earth to help
the administrative demigods in eradicating the burden of the
world. He therefore called for some of the confidential
demigods to appear in the Xadu family and serve Him in His
great mission. After the mission was fulfilled, the demigods,
by the will of the Eord, relin(uished their corporeal bodies by
fighting amongst themselves in the madness of into:ication.
The demigods are accustomed to drinking the soma%rasa
beverage, and therefore the drinking of wine and
into:ication are not unknown to them. $ometimes they were
put into trouble for indulging in into:ication. 9nce the sons
of >uvera fell in the wrath of K"rada for being into:icated,
but afterwards they regained their original forms by the
grace of the Eord <r= >?@Aa. We shall find this story in the
Tenth *anto. Hor the $upreme Eord, both the as!ras and the
demigods are e(ual, but the demigods are obedient to the
Eord, whereas the as!ras are not. Therefore, the e:ample of
picking out a thorn by another thorn is (uite befitting. 9ne
thorn, which causes pinpricks on the leg of the Eord, is
certainly disturbing to the Eord, and the other thorn, which
takes out the disturbing elements, certainly gives service to
the Eord. $o although every living being is a part and parcel
of the Eord, still one who is a pinprick to the Eord is called an
as!ra, and one who is a voluntary servitor of the Eord is
called a de(at', or demigod. n the material world the de(at's
and as!ras are always contending, and the de(at's are
always saved from the hands of the as!ras by the Eord. %oth
of them are under the control of the Eord. The world is full of
two kinds of living beings, and the EordJs mission is always
to protect the de(at's and destroy the as!ras, whenever
there is such a need in the world, and to do good to both of
them.
T!T X[
(aQaa $aTS(aaid~PaaiQa >atae )a7ad2 (aQaa #a1u0 9
%a8%aar0 UaiPaTaae (ae#a )aha Ta k6leR'r$a2 99 X[ 99
yath' matsy'di%r0"'5i
dhatte )ahy'd yath' na<a*
bh0%bh'ra* k.a"ito yena
)aha! tac ca kale(aram
S(#O#($S
yath'Zas much asV matsya%'diZincarnation as a fish, etc.V
r0"'5iZformsV dhatteZeternally acceptsV )ahy'tZapparently
relin(uishesV yath'Ze:actly likeV na<a*ZmagicianV bh0%
bh'ra*Zburden of the worldV k.a"ita*ZrelievedV yenaZby
whichV )aha!Zlet goV tatZthatV caZalsoV kale(aramZbody.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Supre@e Lord relin?uished the body Jhich Ie @anifested to
di@inish the burden of the earthH )ust like a @agician, Ie
relin?uishes one body to accept different ones, like the fish
incarnation and othersH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord 1ersonality of 8odhead is neither
impersonal nor formless, but His body is nondifferent from
Him, and therefore He is known as the embodiment of
eternity, knowledge and bliss. n the &4had%(ai.5a(a Tantra it
is clearly mentioned that anyone who considers the form of
Eord >?@Aa to be made of material energy must be
ostraci)ed by all means. And if by chance the face of such an
infidel is seen, one must clean himself by 2umping in the
river with his clothing. The Eord is described as am4ta, or
deathless, because He has no material body. Rnder the
circumstances, the EordJs dying or (uitting His body is like
the 2ugglery of a magician. The magician shows by his tricks
that he is cut to pieces, burnt to ashes or made unconscious
by hypnotic influences, but all are false shows only. Hactually
the magician himself is neither burnt to ashes nor cut to
pieces, nor is he dead or unconscious at any stage of his
magical demonstration. $imilarly, the Eord has His eternal
forms of unlimited variety, of which the fish incarnation, as
was e:hibited within this universe, is also one. %ecause
there are innumerable universes, somewhere or other the
fish incarnation must be manifesting His pastimes without
cessation. n this verse, the particular word dhatte 3Deternally
accepted,F and not the word dhit(', Daccepted for the
occasionF6 is used. The idea is that the Eord does not create
the fish incarnationV He eternally has such a form, and the
appearance and disappearance of such an incarnation
serves particular purposes. n the Bhagavad-gt 34.GMaGB6
the Eord says, DThe impersonalists think that have no form,
that am formless, but that at present have accepted a
form to serve a purpose, and now am manifested. %ut such
speculators are factually without sharp intelligence. Though
they may be good scholars in the !edic literatures, they are
practically ignorant of My inconceivable energies and My
eternal forms of personality. The reason is that reserve the
power of not being e:posed to the nondevotees by My
mystic curtain. The less intelligent fools are therefore
unaware of My eternal form, which is never to be van(uished
and is unborn.F n the adma !r'5a it is said that those who
are envious and always angry at the Eord are unfit to know
the actual and eternal form of the Eord. n the &h'ga(atam
also it is said that the Eord appeared like a thunderbolt to
those who were wrestlers. <iPup"la, at the time of being
killed by the Eord, could not see Him as >?@Aa, being
da))led by the glare of the brahma)yoti. Therefore, the
temporary manifestation of the Eord as a thunderbolt to the
wrestlers appointed by >a[sa, or the glaring appearance of
the Eord before <iPup"la, was relin(uished by the Eord, but
the Eord as a magician is eternally e:istent and is never
van(uished in any circumstance. $uch forms are temporarily
shown to the as!ras only, and when such e:hibitions are
withdrawn, the as!ras think that the Eord is no more e:istent,
2ust as the foolish audience thinks the magician to be burnt
to ashes or cut to pieces. The conclusion is that the Eord has
no material body, and therefore He is never to be killed or
changed by His transcendental body.
T!T X\
(ada $auku6#dae %a&a'ai#a$aa; $ah?;
)aha S'Ta#'a BO'Qa?(aSaTk6Qa0 9
Tadahre'aPaOiTabupceTaSaax
$a%ad3heTau0 k6ilRr#''Ta-Ta 99 X\ 99
yad' m!k!ndo bhaga('n im'- mah$-
)aha! s(a%tan(' 1ra(a5$ya%sat%katha*
tad'har e('"ratib!ddha%cetas'm
abhadra%het!* kalir an(a(artata
S(#O#($S
yad'ZwhenV m!k!nda*ZEord >?@AaV bhaga('nZthe
1ersonality of 8odheadV im'mZthisV mah$mZearthV )aha!Z
leftV s(a%tan('Zwith His selfsame bodyV 1ra(a5$ya%sat%katha*
Zhearing about Him is worthwhileV tad'Zat that timeV aha*
e(aZfrom the very dayV a"rati%b!ddha%cetas'mZof those
whose minds are not sufficiently developedV abhadra%het!*Z
cause of all ill fortuneV kali* an(a(artataZ>ali fully
manifested.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen the Personality of &odhead, Lord CDEFa, left this earthly
planet in Iis selfsa@e for@, fro@ that 'ery day Cali, Jho had
already partially appeared, beca@e fully @anifest to create
inauspicious conditions for those Jho are endoJed Jith a poor
fund of knoJledgeH
P8-PO-T
The influence of >ali can be enforced only upon those who
are not fully developed in 8od consciousness. 9ne can
neutrali)e the effects of >ali by keeping oneself fully under
the supreme care of the 1ersonality of 8odhead. The age of
>ali ensued 2ust after the %attle of >uruk@etra, but it could
not e:ert its influence because of the presence of the Eord.
The Eord, however, left this earthly planet in His own
transcendental body, and as soon as He left, the symptoms
of the >ali'yuga, as were envisioned by Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira prior to Ar2unaJs arrival from 7v"rak", began to
manifest, and Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira rightly con2ectured on
the departure of the Eord from the earth. As we have already
e:plained, the Eord left our sight 2ust as when the sun sets it
is out of our sight.
T!T X]
(aui>aifrSTaTPairSaPa-Qa; bu>a0
Paure c ran|e c &a:he TaQaaT$ai#a 9
i'%aaG(a lRae%aa#a:Tai)a4ih;Sa#aax
*>a$a-cs;6 &a$a#aa(a Pa(a->aaTa2 99 X] 99
y!dhi.<hiras tat "arisar"a5a- b!dha*
"!re ca r'.<re ca g4he tath'tmani
(ibh'(ya lobh'n4ta%)ihma%hi-san'dy%
adharma%cakra- gaman'ya "aryadh't
S(#O#($S
y!dhi.<hira*ZMah"r"2a Xudhi@ThiraV tatZthatV "arisar"a5am
Ze:pansionV b!dha*Zthoroughly e:periencedV "!reZin the
capitalV caZas alsoV r'.<reZin the stateV caZandV g4heZat
homeV tath'Zas alsoV 'tmaniZin personV (ibh'(yaZ
observingV lobhaZavariceV an4taZuntruthV )ihmaZdiplomacyV
hi-sana%'diZviolence, envyV adharmaZirreligionV cakramZa
vicious circleV gaman'yaZfor departureV "aryadh'tZdressed
himself accordingly.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira Jas intelligent enough to understand the
influence of the age of Cali, characteri=ed by increasing a'arice,
falsehood, cheating and 'iolence throughout the capital, state,
ho@e and a@ong indi'idualsH So he Jisely prepared hi@self to
lea'e ho@e, and he dressed accordinglyH
P8-PO-T
The present age is influenced by the specific (ualities of >ali.
$ince the days of the %attle of >uruk@etra, about five
thousand years ago, the influence of the age of >ali began
manifesting, and from authentic scriptures it is learned that
the age of >ali is still to run on for MG4,NNN years. The
symptoms of the >ali'yuga, as mentioned above, namely
avarice, falsehood, diplomacy, cheating, nepotism, violence
and all such things, are already in vogue, and no one can
imagine what is going to happen gradually with further
increase of the influence of >ali till the day of annihilation.
We have already come to know that the influence of the age
of >ali is meant for godless so'called civili)ed manV those
who are under the protection of the Eord have nothing to
fear from this horrible age. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira was a
great devotee of the Eord, and there was no necessity of his
being afraid of the age of >ali, but he preferred to retire from
active household life and prepare himself to go back home,
back to 8odhead. The 1"AQavas are eternal companions of
the Eord, and therefore they are more interested in the
company of the Eord than anything else. %esides that, being
an ideal king, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira wanted to retire 2ust to
set an e:ample for others. As soon as there is some young
fellow to look after the household affairs, one should at once
retire from family life to uplift oneself to spiritual reali)ation.
9ne should not rot in the dark well of household life till one
is dragged out by the will of Xamar"2a. Modern politicians
should take lessons from Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira about
voluntary retirement from active life and should make room
for the younger generation. Also retired old gentlemen
should take lessons from him and leave home for spiritual
reali)ation before forcefully dragged away to meet death.
T!T X^
S'ra12 Paa<a; i'#ai(a#a$aaT$a#a0 SauSa$a; &auQa0 9
Taae(a#a?G(aa0 PaiTa; %a8$aer%(ai=})aa(ae 99 X^ 99
s(a%r'< "a!tra- (inayinam
'tmana* s!sama- g!5ai*
toya%n$(y'* "ati- bh0mer
abhya.i,cad ga)'h(aye
S(#O#($S
s(a%r'<Zthe emperorV "a!tramZunto the grandsonV
(inayinamZproperly trainedV 'tmana*Zhis own selfV s!%
samamZe(ual in all respectsV g!5ai*Zby the (ualitiesV toya%
n$(y'*Zbordered by the seasV "atimZmasterV bh0me*Zof
the landV abhya.i,catZenthronedV ga)'h(ayeZin the capital of
Hastin"pura.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter, in the capital of IastinLpura, he enthroned his
grandson, Jho Jas trained and e?ually ?ualified, as the e@peror
and @aster of all land bordered by the seasH
P8-PO-T
The total land on the earth bordered by the seas was under
the sub2ugation of the >ing of Hastin"pura. Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira trained his grandson, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, who
was e(ually (ualified, in state administration in terms of the
kingJs obligation to the citi)ens. Thus 1ar=k@it was
enthroned on the seat of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira prior to his
departure back to 8odhead. *oncerning Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it,
the specific word used, (inayinam, is significant. Why was the
>ing of Hastin"pura, at least till the time of Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, accepted as the ;mperor of the world? The only
reason is that the people of the world were happy because of
the good administration of the emperor. The happiness of
the citi)ens was due to the ample production of natural
produce such as grains, fruits, milk, herbs, valuable stones,
minerals and everything that the people needed. They were
even free from all bodily miseries, an:ieties of mind, and
disturbances caused by natural phenomena and other living
beings. %ecause everyone was happy in all respects, there
was no resentment, although there were sometimes battles
between the state kings for political reasons and supremacy.
;veryone was trained to attain the highest goal of life, and
therefore the people were also enlightened enough not to
(uarrel over trivialities. The influence of the age of >ali
gradually infiltrated the good (ualities of both the kings and
the citi)ens, and therefore a tense situation developed
between the ruler and the ruled, but still even in this age of
disparity between the ruler and the ruled, there can be
spiritual emolument and 8od consciousness. That is a
special prerogative.
T!T X_
$aQaura(aa; TaQaa ')a3; B8rSae#aPaiTa; TaTa0 9
PaOa)aaPaT(aa; i#a~P(aein$a&an?#aiPabd?Tr0 99 X_ 99
math!r'y'- tath' (a)ra-
10rasena%"ati- tata*
"r')'"aty'- nir0"ye.<im
agn$n a"ibad $1(ara*
S(#O#($S
math!r'y'mZat Mathur"V tath'ZalsoV (a)ramZ!a2raV
10rasena%"atimZ>ing of the <LrasenasV tata*ZthereafterV
"r')'"aty'mZ1r"2"patya sacrificeV nir0"yaZhaving
performedV i.<imZgoalV agn$nZfireV a"ibatZplaced in
himselfV $1(ara*Zcapable.
T-A#SLATIO#
Then he posted Ga/ra, the son of Aniruddha Ograndson of Lord
CDEFa3, at $athurL as the Cing of AdrasenaH AfterJards $ahLrL/a
(udhiEhira perfor@ed a PrL/Lpatya sacrifice and placed in hi@self
the fire for ?uitting household lifeH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, after placing Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it on the
imperial throne of Hastin"pura, and after posting !a2ra, the
great'grandson of Eord >?@Aa, as the >ing of Mathur",
accepted the renounced order of life. The system of four
orders of life and four castes in terms of (uality and work,
known as (ar5'1rama%dharma, is the beginning of real human
life, and Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, as the protector of this
system of human activities, timely retired from active life as
a sanny's$, handing over the charge of the administration to
a trained prince, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. The scientific system of
(ar5'1rama%dharma divides the human life into four divisions
of occupation and four orders of life. The four orders of life
as brahmac'r$, g4hastha, ('na"rastha and sanny's$ are to be
followed by all, irrespective of the occupational division.
Modern politicians do not wish to retire from active life, even
if they are old enough, but Xudhi@Thira Mah"r"2a, as an ideal
king, voluntarily retired from active administrative life to
prepare himself for the ne:t life. ;veryoneJs life must be so
arranged that the last stage of life, say at least the last
fifteen to twenty years prior to death, can be absolutely
devoted to the devotional service of the Eord to attain the
highest perfection of life. t is really foolishness to engage
oneself all the days of oneJs life in material en2oyment and
fruitive activities, because as long as the mind remains
absorbed in fruitive work for material en2oyment, there is no
chance of getting out from conditioned life, or material
bondage. Ko one should follow the suicidal policy of
neglecting oneJs supreme task of attaining the highest
perfection of life, namely going back home, back to
8odhead.
T!T Z`
i'Sa:)(a Ta<a TaTa2 Sa'g duk86lR'lR(aaidk6$a2 9
i#a$a-$aae i#arhar0 SaiIcka!ae=b#>a#a0 99 Z` 99
(is4)ya tatra tat sar(a-
d!k0la%(alay'dikam
nirmamo niraha3k'ra*
sa,chinn'1e.a%bandhana*
S(#O#($S
(is4)yaZrelin(uishingV tatraZall thoseV tatZthatV sar(amZ
everythingV d!k0laZbeltV (alaya%'dikamZand banglesV
nirmama*ZuninterestedV niraha3k'ra*ZunattachedV
sa,chinnaZperfectly cut offV a1e.a%bandhana*Zunlimited
attachment.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a (udhiEhira at once relin?uished all his gar@ents, belt
and orna@ents of the royal order and beca@e co@pletely
disinterested and unattached to e'erythingH
P8-PO-T
To become purified of material contamination is the
necessary (ualification for becoming one of the associates of
the Eord. Ko one can become an associate of the Eord or can
go back to 8odhead without such purification. Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira, therefore, to become spiritually pure, at once
gave up his royal opulence, relin(uishing his royal dress and
garments. The ka.'ya, or saffron loincloth of a sanny's$,
indicates freedom from all attractive material garments, and
thus he changed his dress accordingly. He became
disinterested in his kingdom and family and thus became
free from all material contamination, or material designation.
1eople are generally attached to various kinds of
designationsZthe designations of family, society, country,
occupation, wealth, position and many others. As long as
one is attached to such designations, he is considered
materially impure. The so'called leaders of men in the
modern age are attached by national consciousness, but
they do not know that such false consciousness is also
another designation of the materially conditioned soulV one
has to relin(uish such designations before one can become
eligible to go back to 8odhead. Hoolish people adore such
men who die in national consciousness, but here is an
e:ample of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, a royal king who prepared
himself to leave this world without such national
consciousness. And yet he is remembered even today
because he was a great pious king, almost on the same level
with the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= 0"ma. And because
people of the world were dominated by such pious kings,
they were happy in all respects, and it was (uite possible for
such great emperors to rule the world.
T!T Z"
'ac; )auha' $a#aiSa TaTPaOaQa JTare c Ta$a2 9
$a:T(aa'Paa#a; SaaeTSa&ag Ta; Pa}T'e 7)aaeh'?Ta2 99 Z" 99
('ca- )!h'(a manasi
tat "r'5a itare ca tam
m4ty'( a"'na- sotsarga-
ta- "a,cat(e hy a)oha($t
S(#O#($S
('camZspeechesV )!h'(aZrelin(uishedV manasiZinto the
mindV tat "r'5eZmind into breathingV itare caZother senses
alsoV tamZinto thatV m4tya!Zinto deathV a"'namZbreathingV
sa%!tsargamZwith all dedicationV tamZthatV "a,cat(eZinto the
body made of five elementsV hiZcertainlyV a)oha($tZ
amalgamated it.
T-A#SLATIO#
Then he a@alga@ated all the sense organs into the @ind, then the
@ind into life, life into breathing, his total eMistence into the
e@bodi@ent of the fi'e ele@ents, and his body into deathH Then, as
pure self, he beca@e free fro@ the @aterial conception of lifeH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, like his brother Ar2una, began to
concentrate and gradually became freed from all material
bondage. Hirst he concentrated all the actions of the senses
and amalgamated them into the mind, or in other words he
turned his mind toward the transcendental service of the
Eord. He prayed that since all material activities are
performed by the mind in terms of actions and reactions of
the material senses, and since he was going back to
8odhead, the mind would wind up its material activities and
be turned towards the transcendental service to the Eord.
There was no longer a need for material activities. Actually
the activities of the mind cannot be stopped, for they are the
reflection of the eternal soul, but the (uality of the activities
can be changed from matter to the transcendental service of
the Eord. The material color of the mind is changed when
one washes it from contaminations of life'breathing and
thereby frees it from the contamination of repeated births
and deaths and situates it in pure spiritual life. All is
manifested by the temporary embodiment of the material
body, which is a production of the mind at the time of death,
and if the mind is purified by practice of transcendental
loving service to the Eord and is constantly engaged in the
service of the lotus feet of the Eord, there is no more chance
of the mindJs producing another material body after death. t
will be freed from absorption in material contamination. The
pure soul will be able to return home, back to 8odhead.
T!T ZN
i<aT'e huT'a c Pa}T'; Tak6T'e+)auhae#$aui#a0 9
Sa'-$aaT$a#(a)auh'?d2b34Q(aaT$aa#a$aG(a(ae 99 ZN 99
trit(e h!t(' ca "a,cat(a-
tac caikat(e 2)!hon m!ni*
sar(am 'tmany a)!ha($d
brahma5y 'tm'nam a(yaye
S(#O#($S
trit(eZinto the three (ualitiesV h!t('Zhaving offeredV caZ
alsoV "a,cat(amZfive elementsV tatZthatV caZalsoV ekat(eZin
one nescienceV a)!hotZamalgamatedV m!ni*Zthe
thoughtfulV sar(amZthe sum totalV 'tmaniZin the soulV
a)!ha($tZfi:edV brahma5iZunto the spiritV 'tm'namZthe
soulV a(yayeZunto the ine:haustible.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus annihilating the gross body of fi'e ele@ents into the three
?ualitati'e @odes of @aterial nature, he @erged the@ in one
nescience and then absorbed that nescience in the self, Krah@an,
Jhich is ineMhaustible in all circu@stancesH
P8-PO-T
All that is manifested in the material world is the product of
the mahat%tatt(a%a(yakta, and things that are visible in our
material vision are nothing but combinations and
permutations of such variegated material products. %ut the
living entity is different from such material products. t is due
to the living entityJs forgetfulness of his eternal nature as
eternal servitor of the Eord, and his false conception of being
a so'called lord of the material nature, that he is obliged to
enter into the e:istence of false sense en2oyment. Thus a
concomitant generation of material energies is the principal
cause of the mindJs being materially affected. Thus the gross
body of five elements is produced. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira
reversed the action and merged the five elements of the
body in the three modes of material nature. The (ualitative
distinction of the body as being good, bad or mediocre is
e:tinguished, and again the (ualitative manifestations
become merged in the material energy, which is produced
from a false sense of the pure living being. When one is thus
inclined to become an associate of the $upreme Eord, the
1ersonality of 8odhead, in one of the innumerable planets of
the spiritual sky, especially in 8oloka !?nd"vana, one has to
think always that he is different from the material energyV he
has nothing to do with it, and he has to reali)e himself as
pure spirit, %rahman, (ualitatively e(ual with the $upreme
%rahman 31aramePvara6. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, after
distributing his kingdom to 1ar=k@it and !a2ra, did not think
himself ;mperor of the world or head of the >uru dynasty.
This sense of freedom from material relations, as well as
freedom from the material encagement of the gross and
subtle encirclement, makes one free to act as the servitor of
the Eord, even though one is in the material world. This
stage is called the )$(an%m!kta stage, or the liberated stage,
even in the material world. That is the process of ending
material e:istence. 9ne must not only think that he is
%rahman, but must act like %rahman. 9ne who only thinks
himself %rahman is an impersonalist. And one who acts like
%rahman is the pure devotee.
T!T ZX
c?r'aSaa i#araharae bp'aM2 $auv6$a8>a-)a0 9
d!a-(akaT$a#aae ~Pa; )aoae#$ataiPa!aac'Ta2 9
A#a'eUa$aaQaae i#ar&aadB:Q'#a2 bi>arae (aQaa 99 ZX 99
c$ra%('s' nir'h'ro
baddha%('3 m!kta%m0rdha)a*
dar1ayann 'tmano r0"a-
)a;onmatta%"i1'ca(at
ana(ek.am'5o nirag'd
a145(an badhiro yath'
S(#O#($S
c$ra%('s'*Zaccepted torn clothingV nir'h'ra*Zgave up all
solid foodstuffV baddha%('kZstopped talkingV m!kta%
m0rdha)a*Zuntied his hairV dar1ayanZbegan to showV
'tmana*Zof himselfV r0"amZbodily featuresV )a;aZinertV
!nmattaZmadV "i1'ca%(atZ2ust like an urchinV ana(ek.am'5a*
Zwithout waiting forV nirag'tZwas situatedV a145(anZ
without hearingV badhira*Z2ust like a deaf manV yath'Zas if.
T-A#SLATIO#
After that, $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira dressed hi@self in torn clothing,
ga'e up eating all solid foods, 'oluntarily beca@e du@b and let his
hair hang looseH All this co@bined to @ake hi@ look like an urchin
or @ad@an Jith no occupationH Ie did not depend on his brothers
for anythingH And, /ust like a deaf @an, he heard nothingH
P8-PO-T
Thus being freed from all e:ternal affairs, he had nothing to
do with imperial life or family prestige, and for all practical
purposes he posed himself e:actly like an inert mad urchin
and did not speak of material affairs. He had no dependence
on his brothers, who had all along been helping him. This
stage of complete independence from everything is also
called the purified stage of fearlessness.
T!T ZZ
od?c?; PaOi''e!aa!aa; &aTaPa8'ag $ahaT$ai%a0 9
5id b34 Par; >(aa(aka'Tae-Ta (aTaae &aTa0 99 ZZ 99
!d$c$- "ra(i(e1'1'-
gata%"0r('- mah'tmabhi*
h4di brahma "ara- dhy'yan
n'(arteta yato gata*
S(#O#($S
!d$c$mZthe northern sideV "ra(i(e1a%'1'mZthose who
wanted to enter thereV gata%"0r('mZthe path accepted by
his forefathersV mah'%'tmabhi*Zby the broad'mindedV h4diZ
within the heartV brahmaZthe $upremeV "aramZ8odheadV
dhy'yanZconstantly thinking ofV na '(artetaZpassed his
daysV yata*ZwhereverV gata*Zwent.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie then started toJards the north, treading the path accepted by
his forefathers and great @en, to de'ote hi@self co@pletely to the
thought of the Supre@e Personality of &odheadH And he li'ed in
that Jay Jhere'er he JentH
P8-PO-T
t is understood from this verse that Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira
followed in the footsteps of his forefathers and the great
devotees of the Eord. We have discussed many times before
that the system of (ar5'1rama%dharma, as it was strictly
followed by the inhabitants of the world, specifically by those
who inhabited the Wry"varta province of the world,
emphasi)es the importance of leaving all household
connections at a certain stage of life. The training and
education was so imparted, and thus a respectable person
like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira had to leave all family connection
for self'reali)ation and going back to 8odhead. Ko king or
respectable gentleman would continue family life till the end,
because that was considered suicidal and against the
interest of the perfection of human life. n order to be free
from all family encumbrances and devote oneself cent
percent in the devotional service of Eord >?@Aa, this system
is always recommended for everyone because it is the path
of authority. The Eord instructs in the Bhagavad-gt 3,..5G6
that one must become a devotee of the Eord at least at the
last stage of oneJs life. A sincere soul of the Eord like
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira must abide by this instruction of the
Eord for his own interest.
The specific words brahma "aram indicate Eord <r= >?@Aa.
This is corroborated in the Bhagavad-gt 3,N.,\6 by Ar2una
with reference to great authorities like Asita, 7evala, K"rada
and !y"sa. Thus Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, while leaving home
for the north, constantly remembered Eord <r= >?@Aa within
himself, following in the footsteps of his forefathers as well
as the great devotees of all times.
T!T Z[
Sa'e- Ta$a#aui#a)a-&$au%a3a-Tar0 k:6Tai#a,(aa0 9
k6ilR#aa>a$a-i$a<aeQa d:a SPa:na0 PaO)aa %aui' 99 Z[ 99
sar(e tam an!nir)agm!r
bhr'tara* k4ta%ni1cay'*
kalin'dharma%mitre5a
d4.<(' s"4.<'* "ra)' bh!(i
S(#O#($S
sar(eZall his younger brothersV tamZhimV an!nir)agm!*Zleft
home by following the elderV bhr'tara*ZbrothersV k4ta%
ni1cay'*ZdecidedlyV kalin'Zby the age of >aliV adharmaZ
principle of irreligionV mitre5aZby the friendV d4.<('Z
observingV s"4.<'*Zhaving overtakenV "ra)'*Zall citi)ensV
bh!(iZon the earth.
T-A#SLATIO#
The younger brothers of $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira obser'ed that the
age of Cali had already arri'ed throughout the Jorld and that the
citi=ens of the kingdo@ Jere already affected by irreligious
practiceH Therefore they decided to folloJ in the footsteps of their
elder brotherH
P8-PO-T
The younger brothers of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira were already
obedient followers of the great ;mperor, and they had
sufficiently been trained to know the ultimate goal of life.
They therefore decidedly followed their eldest brother in
rendering devotional service to Eord <r= >?@Aa. According to
the principles of san'tana%dharma, one must retire from
family life after half the duration of life is finished and must
engage himself in self'reali)ation. %ut the (uestion of
engaging oneself is not always decided. $ometimes retired
men are bewildered about how to engage themselves for the
last days of life. Here is a decision by authorities like the
1"AQavas. All of them engaged themselves in favorably
culturing the devotional service of the Eord <r= >?@Aa, the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. According to $v"m=
<r=dhara, dharma, artha, k'ma and mok.a, or fruitive
activities, philosophical speculations and salvation, as
conceived by several persons, are not the ultimate goal of
life. They are more or less practiced by persons who have no
information of the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of
life is already indicated by the Eord Himself in the Bhagavad-
gt 3,..5M6, and the 1"AQavas were intelligent enough to
follow it without hesitation.
T!T Z\
Tae Saa>auk:6TaSa'a-Qaa- /aT'aT(ai#Tak6$aaT$a#a0 9
$a#aSaa >aar(aa$aaSau'{ku6QucrQaa$bu)a$a2 99 Z\ 99
te s'dh!%k4ta%sar('rth'
),'t('tyantikam 'tmana*
manas' dh'ray'm 's!r
(aik!5<ha%cara5'mb!)am
S(#O#($S
teZall of themV s'dh!%k4taZhaving performed everything
worthy of a saintV sar(a%arth'*Zthat which includes
everything worthyV ),'t('Zknowing it wellV 'tyantikamZthe
ultimateV 'tmana*Zof the living beingV manas'Zwithin the
mindV dh'ray'm 's!*ZsustainedV (aik!5<haZthe Eord of the
spiritual skyV cara5a%amb!)amZthe lotus feet.
T-A#SLATIO#
They all had perfor@ed all the principles of religion and as a result
rightly decided that the lotus feet of the Lord ArB CDEFa are the
supre@e goal of allH Therefore they @editated upon Iis feet
Jithout interruptionH
P8-PO-T
n the Bhagavad-gt 34.G.6 the Eord says that only those who
have done pious deeds in previous lives and have become
freed from the results of all impious acts can concentrate
upon the lotus feet of the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa. The
1"AQavas, not only in this life but also in their previous lives,
had always performed the supreme pious work, and thus
they are ever free from all the reactions of impious work. t is
(uite reasonable, therefore, that they concentrated their
minds upon the lotus feet of the $upreme Eord <r= >?@Aa.
According to <r= !iPvan"tha *akravart=, dharma, artha,
k'ma and mok.a principles are accepted by persons who are
not free from the results of impious action. $uch persons
affected with the contaminations of the above four principles
cannot at once accept the lotus feet of the Eord in the
spiritual sky. The !aikuATha world is situated far beyond the
material sky. The material sky is under the management of
7urg" 7ev=, or the material energy of the Eord, but the
!aikuATha world is managed by the personal energy of the
Eord.
T!TS Z]Z^
Tapya#aaeid3v6(aa %av6ya i'Bupi>a=Qaa0 Pare 9
TaiS$a#a2 #aara(aQaPade Vk6a#Ta$aTa(aae &aiTa$a2 99 Z] 99
A'aPaudu-r'aPaa; Tae ASaiSi'-=(aaT$ai%a0 9
i'>a8Tak6L$a=a SQaa#a; i'r)ae#aaT$a#a' ih 99 Z^ 99
tad%dhy'nodriktay' bhakty'
(i1!ddha%dhi.a5'* "are
tasmin n'r'ya5a%"ade
ek'nta%matayo gatim
a('"!r d!ra('"'- te
asadbhir (i.ay'tmabhi*
(idh0ta%kalma.' sth'na-
(ira)en'tmanai(a hi
S(#O#($S
tatZthatV dhy'naZpositive meditationV !triktay'Zbeing freed
fromV bhakty'Zby a devotional attitudeV (i1!ddhaZpurifiedV
dhi.a5'*Zby intelligenceV "areZunto the TranscendenceV
tasminZin thatV n'r'ya5aZthe 1ersonality of 8odhead <r=
>?@AaV "adeZunto the lotus feetV ek'nta%mataya*Zof those
who are fi:ed in the $upreme, who is oneV gatimZ
destinationV a('"!*ZattainedV d!ra('"'mZvery difficult to
obtainV teZby themV asadbhi*Zby the materialistsV (i.aya%
'tmabhi*Zabsorbed in material needsV (idh0taZwashed offV
kalma.'*Zmaterial contaminationsV sth'namZabodeV
(ira)enaZwithout material passionV 'tman' e(aZby the
selfsame bodyV hiZcertainly.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus by pure consciousness due to constant de'otional
re@e@brance, they attained the spiritual sky, Jhich is ruled o'er
by the Supre@e #LrLyaFa, Lord CDEFaH This is attained only by
those Jho @editate upon the one Supre@e Lord Jithout de'iationH
This abode of the Lord ArB CDEFa, knoJn as &oloka GDndL'ana,
cannot be attained by persons Jho are absorbed in the @aterial
conception of lifeH Kut the PLFha'as, being co@pletely Jashed of
all @aterial conta@ination, attained that abode in their 'ery sa@e
bodiesH
P8-PO-T
According to <r=la O=va 8osv"m=, a person freed from the
three modes of material (ualities, namely goodness, passion
and ignorance, and situated in transcendence can reach the
highest perfection of life without change of body. <r=la
$an"tana 8osv"m= in his >ari%bhakti%(il'sa says that a
person, whatever he may be, can attain the perfection of a
twice'born br'hma5a by undergoing the spiritual disciplinary
actions under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master,
e:actly as a chemist can turn gun metal into gold by
chemical manipulation. t is therefore the actual guidance
that matters in the process of becoming a br'hma5a, even
without change of body, or in going back to 8odhead without
change of body. <r=la O=va 8osv"m= remarks that the word
hi used in this connection positively affirms this truth, and
there is no doubt about this factual position. The Bhagavad-
gt 3,M.G56 also affirms this statement of <r=la O=va
8osv"m= when the Eord says that anyone who e:ecutes
devotional service systematically without deviation can
attain the perfection of %rahman by surpassing the
contamination of the three modes of material nature, and
when the %rahman perfection is still more advanced by the
selfsame e:ecution of devotional service, there is no doubt
at all that one can attain the supreme spiritual planet,
8oloka !?nd"vana, without change of body, as we have
already discussed in connection with the EordJs returning to
His abode without a change of body.
T!T Z_
i'durae+iPa PairT(a)(a PaO%aaSae deh$aaT$a#a0 9
k:6.Qaa'e!ae#a Taita0 iPaTa:i%a0 S'Ua(a; (a(aa 99 Z_ 99
(id!ro 2"i "aritya)ya
"rabh'se deham 'tmana*
k4.5'(e1ena tac%citta*
"it4bhi* s(a%k.aya- yaya!
S(#O#($S
(id!ra*Z!idura 3the uncle of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira6V a"iZ
alsoV "aritya)yaZafter (uitting the bodyV "rabh'seZin the
place of pilgrimage at 1rabh"saV deham 'tmana*Zhis bodyV
k4.5aZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV '(e1enaZbeing absorbed
in that thoughtV tatZhisV citta*Zthoughts and actionsV
"it4bhi*Zalong with the residents of 1it?lokaV s(a%k.ayamZ
his own abodeV yaya!Zdeparted.
T-A#SLATIO#
Gidura, Jhile on pilgri@age, left his body at PrabhLsaH Kecause he
Jas absorbed in thought of Lord CDEFa, he Jas recei'ed by the
deni=ens of PitDloka planet, Jhere he returned to his original postH
P8-PO-T
The difference between the 1"AQavas and !idura is that the
1"AQavas are eternal associates of the Eord, the 1ersonality
of 8odhead, whereas !idura is one of the administrative
demigods in charge of the 1it?loka planet and is known as
Xamar"2a. Men are afraid of Xamar"2a because it is he only
who awards punishment to the miscreants of the material
world, but those who are devotees of the Eord have nothing
to fear from him. To the devotees he is a cordial friend, but
to the nondevotees he is fear personified. As we have
already discussed, it is understood that Xamar"2a was cursed
by MaAQLka Muni to be degraded as a 10dra, and therefore
!idura was an incarnation of Xamar"2a. As an eternal servitor
of the Eord, he displayed his devotional activities very
ardently and lived a life of a pious man, so much so that a
materialistic man like 7h?tar"@Tra also got salvation by his
instruction. $o by his pious activities in the devotional
service of the Eord he was able to always remember the
lotus feet of the Eord, and thus he became washed of all
contamination of a 10dra%born life. At the end he was again
received by the deni)ens of 1it?loka and posted in his
original position. The demigods are also associates of the
Eord without personal touch, whereas the direct associates
of the Eord are in constant personal touch with Him. The
Eord and His personal associates incarnate in many
universes without cessation. The Eord remembers them all,
whereas the associates forget due to their being very minute
parts and parcels of the EordV they are apt to forget such
incidents due to being infinitesimal. This is corroborated in
the Bhagavad-gt 3M.B6.
T!T [`
d3aPad? c Tada/a(a PaTa?#aa$a#aPaeUaTaa$a2 9
'aSaude'e %a&a'iTa 7ek6a#Ta$aiTaraPa Ta$a2 99 [` 99
dra!"ad$ ca tad'),'ya
"at$n'm ana"ek.at'm
('s!de(e bhaga(ati
hy ek'nta%matir '"a tam
S(#O#($S
dra!"ad$Z7raupad= 3the wife of the 1"AQavas6V caZandV
tad'Zat that timeV '),'yaZknowing Eord >?@Aa fully wellV
"at$n'mZof the husbandsV ana"ek.at'mZwho did not care
for herV ('s!de(eZunto Eord !"sudeva 3>?@Aa6V bhaga(atiZ
the personality of 8odheadV hiZe:actlyV eka%antaZ
absolutelyV mati*ZconcentrationV '"aZgotV tamZHim 3the
Eord6.
T-A#SLATIO#
>raupadB also saJ that her husbands, Jithout caring for her, Jere
lea'ing ho@eH She kneJ Jell about Lord GLsude'a, CDEFa, the
Personality of &odheadH Koth she and SubhadrL beca@e absorbed
in thoughts of CDEFa and attained the sa@e results as their
husbandsH
P8-PO-T
When flying an airplane, one cannot take care of other
planes. ;veryone has to take care of his own plane, and if
there is any danger, no other plane can help another in that
condition. $imilarly, at the end of life, when one has to go
back home, back to 8odhead, everyone has to take care of
himself without help rendered by another. The help is,
however, offered on the ground before flying in space.
$imilarly, the spiritual master, the father, the mother, the
relatives, the husband and others can all render help during
oneJs lifetime, but while crossing the sea one has to take
care of himself and utili)e the instructions formerly received.
7raupad= had five husbands, and no one asked 7raupad= to
comeV 7raupad= had to take care of herself without waiting
for her great husbands. And because she was already
trained, she at once took to concentration upon the lotus
feet of Eord !"sudeva, >?@Aa, the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
The wives also got the same result as their husbands, in the
same mannerV that is to say, without changing their bodies
they reached the destination of 8odhead. <r=la !iPvan"tha
*akravart= Sh"kura suggests that both 7raupad= and
$ubhadr", although her name is not mentioned herein, got
the same result. Kone of them had to (uit the body.
T!T ["
(a0 BOp(aTad2 %a&a'iTPaO(aaQaa;
PaaQoae0 SauTaa#aai$aiTa Sa$PaO(aaQa$a2 9
B:QaaeT(al;R S'ST(a(a#a; Pai'<a;
lRKa hra %aiv6$auPaiTa iSaip$a2 99 [" 99
ya* 1raddhayaitad bhaga(at%"riy'5'-
"'5;o* s!t'n'm iti sam"ray'5am
145oty ala- s(astyayana- "a(itra-
labdh(' hara! bhaktim !"aiti siddhim
S(#O#($S
ya*Zanyone whoV 1raddhay'Zwith devotionV etatZthisV
bhaga(at%"riy'5'mZof those who are very dear to the
1ersonality of 8odheadV "'5;o*Zof 1"AQuV s!t'n'mZof the
sonsV itiZthusV sam"ray'5amZdeparture for the ultimate
goalV 145otiZhearsV alamZonlyV s(astyayanamZgood fortuneV
"a(itramZperfectly pureV labdh('Zby obtainingV hara!Zunto
the $upreme EordV bhaktimZdevotional serviceV !"aitiZ
gainsV siddhimZperfection.
T-A#SLATIO#
The sub/ect of the departure of the sons of PLFhu for the ulti@ate
goal of life, back to &odhead, is fully auspicious and is perfectly
pureH Therefore anyone Jho hears this narration Jith de'otional
faith certainly gains the de'otional ser'ice of the Lord, the highest
perfection of lifeH
P8-PO-T
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is a narration about the 1ersonality of
8odhead and the devotees of the Eord like the 1"AQavas.
The narration of the 1ersonality of 8odhead and His
devotees is absolute in itself, and thus to hear it with a
devotional attitude is to associate with the Eord and constant
companions of the Eord. %y the process of hearing #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam one can attain the highest perfection of life,
namely going back home, back to 8odhead, without failure.
Hifteenth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KThe
'5;a(as Retire Timely.M
Chapter SiMteen
IoJ ParBkEit -ecei'ed the Age of Cali
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
TaTa0 Par?iUad2 ij)a'(a-i!aUa(aa
$ah?; $aha%aa&a'Ta0 !a!aaSa h 9
(aQaa ih Sa8T(aa$ai%a)aaTak6aei'da0
Sa$aaid!a#a2 i'PaO $ahd2&auQaSTaQaa 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
tata* "ar$k.id d(i)a%(arya%1ik.ay'
mah$- mah'%bh'ga(ata* 1a1'sa ha
yath' hi s0ty'm abhi)'ta%ko(id'*
sam'di1an (i"ra mahad%g!5as tath'
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV tata*ZthereafterV "ar$k.it
ZMah"r"2a 1ar=k@itV d(i)a%(aryaZthe great twice'born
br'hma5asC 1ik.ay'Zby their instructionsV mah$mZthe earthV
mah'%bh'ga(ata*Zthe great devoteeV 1a1'saZruledV haZin
the pastV yath'Zas they told itV hiZcertainlyV s0ty'mZat the
time of his birthV abhi)'ta%ko(id'*Ze:pert astrologers at the
time of birthV sam'di1anZgave their opinionsV (i"raZ9
br'hma5asC mahat%g!5a*Zgreat (ualitiesV tath'Ztrue to that.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide O learned brLh@aFas, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit then
began to rule o'er the Jorld as a great de'otee of the Lord under
the instructions of the best of the tJice6born brLh@aFasH Ie ruled
by those great ?ualities Jhich Jere foretold by eMpert astrologers
at the ti@e of his birthH
P8-PO-T
At the time of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs birth, the e:pert
astrologer'br'hma5as foretold some of his (ualities. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it developed all those (ualities, being a great devotee
of the Eord. The real (ualification is to become a devotee of
the Eord, and gradually all the good (ualities worthy of
possession develop. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was a mah'%
bh'ga(ata, or a first'class devotee, who was not only well
versed in the science of devotion but also able to convert
others to become devotees by his transcendental
instructions. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was, therefore, a devotee of
the first order, and thus he used to consult great sages and
learned br'hma5as, who could advise him by the 1'stras how
to e:ecute the state administration. $uch great kings were
more responsible than modern elected e:ecutive heads
because they obliged the great authorities by following their
instructions left in !edic literatures. There was no need for
impractical fools to enact daily a new legislative bill and to
conveniently alter it again and again to serve some purpose.
The rules and regulations were already set forth by great
sages like Manu, X"2âvalkya, 1ar"Para and other liberated
sages, and the enactments were all suitable for all ages in all
places. Therefore the rules and regulations were standard
and without flaw or defect. >ings like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it had
their council of advisers, and all the members of that council
were either great sages or br'hma5as of the first order. They
did not accept any salary, nor had they any necessity for
such salaries. The state wo!ld get the best ad(ice witho!t
e?"endit!re. They were themselves sama%dar1$, e(ual to
everyone, both man and animal. They would not advise the
king to give protection to man and instruct him to kill the
poor animals. $uch council members were not fools or
representatives to compose a foolJs paradise. They were all
self'reali)ed souls, and they knew perfectly well how all
living beings in the state would be happy, both in this life
and in the ne:t. They were not concerned with the
hedonistic philosophy of eat, drink, be merry and en2oy. They
were philosophers in the real sense, and they knew well
what is the mission of human life. Rnder all these
obligations, the advisory council of the king would give
correct directions, and the king or e:ecutive head, being
himself a (ualified devotee of the Eord, would scrutini)ingly
follow them for the welfare of the state. The state in the
days of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira or Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was a
welfare state in the real sense of the term because no one
was unhappy in that state, be he man or animal. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it was an ideal king for a welfare state of the world.
T!T N
Sa otarS(a Ta#a(aa$auPa(ae$a Jra'Ta?$a2 9
)a#a$ae)a(aad?;,TaurSTaS(aa$auTPaad(aTa2 SauTaa#a2 99
N 99
sa !ttarasya tanay'm
!"ayema ir'(at$m
)aname)ay'd$-1 cat!ras
tasy'm !t"'dayat s!t'n
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV !ttarasyaZof >ing RttaraV tanay'mZdaughterV
!"ayemeZmarriedV ir'(at$mZr"vat=V )aname)aya%'d$nZ
headed by Mah"r"2a Oaname2ayaV cat!ra*ZfourV tasy'mZin
herV !t"'dayatZbegotV s!t'nZsons.
T-A#SLATIO#
Cing ParBkEit @arried the daughter of Cing 8ttara and begot four
sons, headed by $ahLrL/a )ana@e/ayaH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a Rttara was the son of !ir"Ta and maternal uncle of
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. r"vat=, being the daughter of Mah"r"2a
Rttara, was the cousin'sister of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, but
cousin'brothers and 'sisters were allowed to get married if
they did not belong to the same gotra, or family. n the !edic
system of marriage, the importance of the gotra, or family,
was stressed. Ar2una also married $ubhadr", although she
was his maternal cousin'sister.
Naname)ayaI 9ne of the r')ar.i kings and the famous son of
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. His motherJs name was r"vat=, or
according to some, M"dravat=. Mah"r"2a Oaname2aya begot
two sons of the names O^"t"n=ka and <aIkukarAa. He
celebrated several sacrifices in the >uruk@etra pilgrimage
site, and he had three younger brothers named <rutasena,
Rgrasena and %h=masena . He invaded Tak@al" 3A2anta6,
and he decided to avenge the unlawful curse upon his great
father, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. He performed a great sacrifice
called $arpa'ya2â, to kill the race of serpents, including the
tak.aka, which had bitten his father to death. 9n re(uest
from many influential demigods and sages, he had to change
his decision to kill the race of snakes, but despite stopping
the sacrifice, he satisfied everyone concerned in the sacrifice
by rewarding them properly. n the ceremony, Mah"muni
!y"sadeva also was present, and he personally narrated the
history of the %attle of >uruk@etra before the >ing. Eater on
by the order of !y"sadeva, his disciple !aiPamp"yana
narrated before the >ing the sub2ect matter of 8ah'bh'rata.
He was much affected by his great fatherJs untimely death
and was very an:ious to see him again, and he e:pressed
his desire before the great sage !y"sadeva. !y"sadeva also
fulfilled his desire. His father was present before him, and he
worshiped both his father and !y"sadeva with great respect
and pomp. %eing fully satisfied, he most munificently gave
charities to the br'hma5as present at the sacrifice.
T!T X
Aa)aharaT$ae>aa;E?#a2 &ala(aa; %a8irdiUaQaa#a2 9
!aarjTa; &auD; k:6T'a de'a (a<aaiUa&aaecra0 99 X 99
')ah'r'1(a%medh'-s tr$n
ga3g'y'- bh0ri%dak.i5'n
1'rad(ata- g!r!- k4t('
de(' yatr'k.i%gocar'*
S(#O#($S
')ah'raZperformedV a1(a%medh'nZhorse sacrificesV tr$nZ
threeV ga3g'y'mZthe bank of the 8angesV bh0riZsufficientlyV
dak.i5'nZrewardsV 1'rad(atamZunto >?p"c"ryaV g!r!mZ
spiritual masterV k4t('Zhaving selectedV de('*Zthe
demigodsV yatraZwhereinV ak.iZeyesV gocar'*Zwithin the
purview.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, after ha'ing selected CDpLcLrya for guidance
as his spiritual @aster, perfor@ed three horse sacrifices on the
banks of the &angesH These Jere eMecuted Jith sufficient reJards
for the attendantsH And at these sacrifices, e'en the co@@on @an
could see de@igodsH
P8-PO-T
t appears from this verse that interplanetary travel by the
deni)ens of higher planets is easy. n many statements in
&h'ga(atam, we have observed that the demigods from
heaven used to visit this earth to attend sacrifices performed
by influential kings and emperors. Herein also we find that
during the time of the horse sacrifice ceremony of Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, the demigods from other planets were visible even
to the common man, due to the sacrificial ceremony. The
demigods are not generally visible to common men, as the
Eord is not visible. %ut as the Eord, by His causeless mercy,
descends to be visible to the common man, similarly the
demigods also become visible to the common man by their
own grace. Although celestial beings are not visible to the
naked eyes of the inhabitants of this earth, it was due to the
influence of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it that the demigods also
agreed to be visible. The kings used to spend lavishly during
such sacrifices, as a cloud distributes rains. A cloud is
nothing but another form of water, or, in other words, the
waters of the earth transform into clouds. $imilarly, the
charity made by the kings in such sacrifices are but another
form of the ta:es collected from the citi)ens. %ut, as the
rains fall down very lavishly and appear to be more than
necessary, the charity made by such kings also seems to be
more than what the citi)en needs. $atisfied citi)ens will
never organi)e agitation against the king, and thus there
was no need in changing the monarchial state.
;ven for a king like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it there was need of a
spiritual master for guidance. Without such guidance one
cannot make progress in spiritual life. The spiritual master
must be bona fide, and one who wants to have self'
reali)ation must approach and take shelter of a bona fide
spiritual master to achieve real success.
T!T Z
i#a)a&a3aha)aSaa '?r0 k6il;R idi&')a(ae C'icTa2 9
#a:PailRl>ar; B8d3; gan#Ta; &aaei$aQau#a; Pada 99 Z 99
ni)agr'ha!)as' ($ra*
kali- dig(i)aye k(acit
n4"a%li3ga%dhara- 10dra-
ghnanta- go%mith!na- "ad'
S(#O#($S
ni)agr'haZsufficiently punishedV o)as'Zby prowessV ($ra*Z
valiant heroV kalimZunto >ali, the master of the ageV
dig(i)ayeZon his way to con(uer the worldV k(acitZonce
upon a timeV n4"a%li3ga%dharamZone who passes in the dress
of a kingV 10dramZthe lower classV ghnantamZhurtingV go%
mith!namZa cow and bullV "ad'Zon the leg.
T-A#SLATIO#
Once, Jhen $ahLrL/a ParBkEit Jas on his Jay to con?uer the
Jorld, he saJ the @aster of Cali6yuga, Jho Jas loJer than a wddra,
disguised as a king and hurting the legs of a coJ and bullH The
Cing at once caught hold of hi@ to deal sufficient punish@entH
P8-PO-T
The purpose of a kingJs going out to con(uer the world is not
for self'aggrandi)ement. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it went out to
con(uer the world after his ascendance to the throne, but
this was not for the purpose of aggression on other states.
He was the ;mperor of the world, and all small states were
already under his regime. His purpose in going out was to
see how things were going on in terms of the godly state.
The king, being the representative of the Eord, has to
e:ecute the will of the Eord duly. There is no (uestion of self'
aggrandi)ement. Thus as soon as Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it saw
that a lower'class man in the dress of a king was hurting the
legs of a cow and a bull, at once he arrested and punished
him. The king cannot tolerate insults to the most important
animal, the cow, nor can he tolerate disrespect for the most
important man, the br'hma5a. Human civili)ation means to
advance the cause of brahminical culture, and to maintain it,
cow protection is essential. There is a miracle in milk, for it
contains all the necessary vitamins to sustain human
physiological conditions for higher achievements.
%rahminical culture can advance only when man is educated
to develop the (uality of goodness, and for this there is a
prime necessity of food prepared with milk, fruits and grains.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was astonished to see that a black 10dra,
dressed like a ruler, was mistreating a cow, the most
important animal in human society.
The age of >ali means mismanagement and (uarrel. And the
root cause of all mismanagement and (uarrel is that
worthless men with the modes of lower'class men, who have
no higher ambition in life, come to the helm of the state
management. $uch men at the post of a king are sure to first
hurt the cow and the brahminical culture, thereby pushing all
society towards hell. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, trained as he was,
got the scent of this root cause of all (uarrel in the world.
Thus he wanted to stop it in the very beginning.
T!T [
!aa#ak6 o'ac
k6S(a heTaaei#a-)a&a3ah k6il;R idi&')a(ae #a:Pa0 9
#a:de'ic>a:k26 B8d3k6ae+Saa &aa; (a0 Padah#aTa2 9
TaTk6Q(aTaa; $aha%aa&a (aid k:6.Qak6QaaBO(a$a2 99 [ 99
1a!naka !('ca
kasya hetor ni)agr'ha
kali- dig(i)aye n4"a*
n4de(a%cihna%dh4k 10dra%
ko 2sa! g'- ya* "ad'hanat
tat kathyat'- mah'%bh'ga
yadi k4.5a%kath'1rayam
S(#O#($S
1a!naka* !('caZ<aunaka _@i saidV kasyaZfor whatV heto*Z
reasonV ni)agr'haZsufficiently punishedV kalimZthe master
of the age of >aliV dig(i)ayeZduring the time of his world
tourV n4"a*Zthe >ingV n4%de(aZroyal personV cihna%dh4kZ
decorated likeV 10draka*Zlowest of the 10drasC asa!ZheV g'm
ZcowV ya*Zone whoV "ad' ahanatZstruck on the legV tatZall
thatV kathyat'mZplease describeV mah'%bh'gaZ9 greatly
fortunate oneV yadiZif, howeverV k4.5aZabout >?@AaV kath'%
'1rayamZrelated with His topics.
T-A#SLATIO#
Aaunaka iEi in?uirede Vhy did $ahLrL/a ParBkEit si@ply punish
hi@, since he Jas the loJest of the wddras, ha'ing dressed as a
king and ha'ing struck a coJ on the legW Please describe all these
incidents if they relate to the topics of Lord CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
<aunaka and the 4.is were astonished to hear that the pious
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it simply punished the culprit and did not kill
him. This suggests that a pious king like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
should have at once killed an offender who wanted to cheat
the public by dressing like a king and at the same time
daring to insult the purest of the animals, a cow. The 4.is in
those days, however, could not even imagine that in the
advanced days of the age of >ali the lowest of the 10dras will
be elected as administrators and will open organi)ed
slaughterhouses for killing cows. Anyway, although hearing
about a 10draka who was a cheat and insulter of a cow was
not very interesting to the great 4.is, they nevertheless
wanted to hear about it to see if the event had any
connection with Eord >?@Aa. They were simply interested in
the topics of Eord >?@Aa, for anything that is dovetailed with
the narration of >?@Aa is worth hearing. There are many
topics in the &h'ga(atam about sociology, politics,
economics, cultural affairs, etc., but all of them are in
relation with >?@Aa, and therefore all of them are worth
hearing. >?@Aa is the purifying ingredient in all matters,
regardless of what they are. n the mundane world,
everything is impure due to its being a product of the three
mundane (ualities. The purifying agent, however, is >?@Aa.
T!T \
AQa'aS(a Pada$%aae)a$ak6r#dilRha; SaTaa$a2 9
ik6$a#(arSadalRaPara(au=ae (adSajy(a0 99 \ 99
atha('sya "ad'mbho)a%
makaranda%lih'- sat'm
kim anyair asad%'l'"air
'y!.o yad asad%(yaya*
S(#O#($S
atha('ZotherwiseV asyaZof His 3Eord >?@AaJs6V "ada%ambho)a
Zlotus feetV makaranda%lih'mZof those who lick the honey
from such a lotus flowerV sat'mZof those who are to e:ist
eternallyV kim anyai*Zwhat is the use of anything elseV asat
ZillusoryV 'l'"ai*ZtopicsV 'y!.a*Zof the duration of lifeV yat
Zthat which isV asat%(yaya*Zunnecessary waste of life.
T-A#SLATIO#
The de'otees of the Lord are accusto@ed to licking up the honey
a'ailable fro@ the lotus feet of the LordH Vhat is the use of topics
Jhich si@ply Jaste oners 'aluable lifeW
P8-PO-T
Eord >?@Aa and His devotees are both on the transcendental
planeV therefore the topics of Eord >?@Aa and of His pure
devotees are e(ually good. The %attle of >uruk@etra is full of
politics and diplomacy, but because the topics are related
with Eord >?@Aa, the &haga(ad%g$t' is therefore adored all
over the world. There is no need to eradicate politics,
economics, sociology, etc., which are mundane to the
mundaners. To a pure devotee, who is actually related with
the Eord, such mundane things are transcendental if
dovetailed with the Eord or with His pure devotees. We have
heard and talked about the activities of the 1"AQavas, and
we now are dealing with the topics of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, but
because all these topics are related to the Eord <r= >?@Aa,
they are all transcendental, and pure devotees have great
interest in hearing them. We have already discussed this
matter in connection with the prayers of %h=@madeva.
9ur duration of life is not very long, and there is no certainty
of when we shall be ordered to leave everything for the ne:t
stage. Thus it is our duty to see that not a moment of our life
is wasted in topics which are not related with Eord >?@Aa.
Any topic, however pleasant, is not worth hearing if it is
devoid of its relation to >?@Aa.
The spiritual planet, 8oloka !?nd"vana, the eternal abode of
Eord >?@Aa, is shaped like the whorl of a lotus flower. ;ven
when the Eord descends to any one of the mundane planets,
He does so by manifesting His own abode as it is. Thus His
feet remain always on the same big whorl of the lotus flower.
His feet are also as beautiful as the lotus flower. Therefore it
is said that Eord >?@Aa has lotus feet.
A living being is eternal by constitution. He is, so to speak, in
the whirlpool of birth and death due to his contact with
material energy. Hreed from such material energy, a living
entity is liberated and is eligible to return home, back to
8odhead. Those who want to live forever without changing
their material bodies should not waste valuable time with
topics other than those relating to Eord >?@Aa and His
devotees.
T!T ]
Uaud3a(au=a; #a:Qaa$al $aT(aa-#aa$a:Tai$aCcTaa$a2 9
JhaePah8Taae %a&a'a#a2 $a:T(au0 !aai$a<ak6$a-iQa 99 ] 99
k.!dr'y!.'- n45'm a3ga
marty'n'm 4tam icchat'm
iho"ah0to bhaga('n
m4ty!* 1'mitra%karma5i
S(#O#($S
k.!draZvery smallV 'y!.'mZof the duration of lifeV n45'mZ
of the human beingsV a3gaZ9 $Lta 8osv"m=V marty'n'mZof
those who are sure to meet deathV 4tamZeternal lifeV
icchat'mZof those who desire itV ihaZhereinV !"ah0ta*Z
called for being presentV bhaga('nZrepresenting the EordV
m4ty!*Zthe controller of death, Xamar"2aV 1'mitraZ
suppressingV karma5iZperformances.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Sdta &os'L@B, there are those a@ongst @en Jho desire freedo@
fro@ death and get eternal lifeH They escape the slaughtering
process by calling the controller of death, (a@arL/aH
P8-PO-T
The living entity, as he develops from lower animal life to a
higher human being and gradually to higher intelligence,
becomes an:ious to get free from the clutches of death.
Modern scientists try to avoid death by physiochemical
advancement of knowledge, but alas, the controller of death,
Xamar"2a, is so cruel that he does not spare even the very
life of the scientist himself. The scientist, who puts forward
the theory of stopping death by advancement of scientific
knowledge, becomes himself a victim of death when he is
called by Xamar"2a. What to speak of stopping death, no one
can enhance the short period of life even by a fraction of a
moment. The only hope of suspending the cruel slaughtering
process of Xamar"2a is to call him to hear and chant the holy
name of the Eord. Xamar"2a is a great devotee of the Eord,
and he likes to be invited to k$rtanas and sacrifices by the
pure devotees, who are constantly engaged in the
devotional service of the Eord. Thus the great sages, headed
by <aunaka and others, invited Xamar"2a to attend the
sacrifice performed at Kaimi@"raAya. This was good for
those who did not want to die.
T!T ^
#a k6i,i#$a3(aTae Taa'd2 (aa'daSTa Jha#Tak60 9
VTadQag ih %a&a'a#aah8Ta0 Par$ai=-i%a0 9
Ahae #a:lRaeke6 Pa?(aeTa hirlRIlRa$a:Ta; 'c0 99 ^ 99
na ka1cin mriyate t'(ad
y'(ad 'sta ih'ntaka*
etad%artha- hi bhaga('n
'h0ta* "aramar.ibhi*
aho n4%loke "$yeta
hari%l$l'm4ta- (aca*
S(#O#($S
naZnotV ka1citZanyoneV mriyateZwill dieV t'(atZso longV
y'(atZas long asV 'steZis presentV ihaZhereinV antaka*Zone
who causes the end of lifeV etatZthisV arthamZreasonV hiZ
certainlyV bhaga('nZthe representative of the EordV 'h0ta*Z
invitedV "arama%4.ibhi*Zby the great sagesV ahoZalasV n4%
lokeZin human societyV "$yetaZlet them drinkV hari%l$l'Z
transcendental pastimes of the EordV am4tamZnectar for
eternal lifeV (aca*Znarrations.
T-A#SLATIO#
As long as (a@arL/a, Jho causes e'eryoners death, is present here,
no one shall @eet Jith deathH The great sages ha'e in'ited the
controller of death, (a@arL/a, Jho is the representati'e of the
LordH Li'ing beings Jho are under his grip should take ad'antage
by hearing the deathless nectar in the for@ of this narration of the
transcendental pasti@es of the LordH
P8-PO-T
;very human being dislikes meeting death, but he does not
know how to get rid of death. The surest remedy for avoiding
death is to accustom oneself to hearing the nectarean
pastimes of the Eord as they are systematically narrated in
the te:t of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. t is advised herein,
therefore, that any human being who desires freedom from
death should take to this course of life as recommended by
the 4.is headed by <aunaka.
T!T _
$a#dS(a $a#dPaO/S(a '(aae $a#da(au=, ' 9
i#ad3(aa ih(aTae #av;6 id'a c G(aQa-k6$a-i%a0 99 _ 99
mandasya manda%"ra),asya
(ayo mand'y!.a1 ca (ai
nidray' hriyate nakta-
di(' ca (yartha%karmabhi*
S(#O#($S
mandasyaZof the la)yV mandaZpaltryV "ra),asyaZof
intelligenceV (aya*ZageV mandaZshortV 'y!.a*Zof duration
of lifeV caZandV (aiZe:actlyV nidray'Zby sleepingV hriyateZ
passes awayV naktamZnightV di('ZdaytimeV caZalsoV (yartha
Zfor nothingV karmabhi*Zby activities.
T-A#SLATIO#
La=y hu@an beings Jith paltry intelligence and a short duration of
life pass the night sleeping and the day perfor@ing acti'ities that
are for naughtH
P8-PO-T
The less intelligent do not know the real value of the human
form of life. The human form is a special gift of material
nature in the course of her enforcing stringent laws of
miseries upon the living being. t is a chance to achieve the
highest boon of life, namely to get out of the entanglement
of repeated birth and death. The intelligent take care of this
important gift by strenuously endeavoring to get out of the
entanglement. %ut the less intelligent are la)y and unable to
evaluate the gift of the human body to achieve liberation
from the material bondageV they become more interested in
so'called economic development and work very hard
throughout life simply for the sense en2oyment of the
temporary body. $ense en2oyment is also allowed to the
lower animals by the law of nature, and thus a human being
is also destined to a certain amount of sense en2oyment
according to his past or present life. %ut one should
definitely try to understand that sense en2oyment is not the
ultimate goal of human life. Herein it is said that during the
daytime one works Dfor nothingF because the aim is nothing
but sense en2oyment. We can particularly observe how the
human being is engaged for nothing in the great cities and
industrial towns. There are so many things manufactured by
human energy, but they are all meant for sense en2oyment,
and not for getting out of material bondage. And after
working hard during the daytime, a tired man either sleeps
or engages in se: habits at night. That is the program of
materialistic civili)ed life for the less intelligent. Therefore
they are designated herein as la)y, unfortunate and short'
lived.
T!T "`
Sa8Ta o'ac
(ada Par?iUaTa2 ku6D)aalleR+'SaTa2
k6il;R PaOi'n; i#a)acs6'iTa-Tae 9
i#a!a$(a 'aTaa-$a#aiTaiPaO(aa; TaTa0
!araSa#a; Sa;(au&a!aaiQoradde 99 "` 99
s0ta !('ca
yad' "ar$k.it k!r!%)'3gale 2(asat
kali- "ra(i.<a- ni)a%cakra(artite
ni1amya ('rt'm anati"riy'- tata*
1ar'sana- sa-y!ga%1a!5;ir 'dade
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV yad'ZwhenV "ar$k.itZ
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itV k!r!%)'3galeZin the capital of >uruJs
empireV a(asatZwas residingV kalimZthe symptoms of the
age of >aliV "ra(i.<amZenteredV ni)a%cakra(artiteZwithin his
2urisdictionV ni1amyaZthus hearingV ('rt'mZnewsV anati%
"riy'mZnot very palatableV tata*ZthereafterV 1ar'sanamZ
arrows and bowV sa-y!gaZhaving gotten a chance forV
1a!5;i*Zmartial activitiesV 'dadeZtook up.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide Vhile $ahLrL/a ParBkEit Jas residing in the
capital of the Curu e@pire, the sy@pto@s of the age of Cali began
to infiltrate Jithin the /urisdiction of his stateH Vhen he learned
about this, he did not think the @atter 'ery palatableH This did,
hoJe'er, gi'e hi@ a chance to fightH Ie took up his boJ and
arroJs and prepared hi@self for @ilitary acti'itiesH
P8-PO-T
The state administration of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was so perfect
that he was sitting in his capital peacefully. %ut he got the
news that the symptoms of the age of >ali had already
infiltrated into the 2urisdiction of his state, and he did not like
this news. What are the symptoms of the age of >ali? They
are 3,6 illicit connection with women, 3G6 indulgence in meat'
eating, 3\6 into:ication and 3M6 taking pleasure in gambling.
The age of >ali literally means the age of (uarrel, and the
abovementioned four symptoms in human society are the
root causes for all kinds of (uarrel. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it heard
that some of the people of the state had already taken to
those symptoms, and he wanted to take immediate steps
against such causes of unrest. This means that at least up to
the regime of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, such symptoms of public
life were practically unknown, and as soon as they were
slightly detected, he wanted to root them out. The news was
not palatable for him, but in a way it was, because Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it got a chance to fight. There was no need to fight
with small states because everyone was peacefully under his
subordination, but the >ali'yuga miscreants gave his fighting
spirit a chance for e:hibition. A perfect k.atriya king is
always 2ubilant as soon as he gets a chance to fight, 2ust as a
sportsman is eager when there is a chance for a sporting
match. t is no argument that in the age of >ali such
symptoms are predestined. f so, then why was there
preparation for fighting out such symptoms? $uch
arguments are offered by la)y and unfortunate men. n the
rainy season, rain is predestined, and yet people take
precautions to protect themselves. $imilarly, in the age of
>ali the symptoms as above mentioned are sure to infiltrate
into social life, but it is the duty of the state to save the
citi)ens from the association of the agents of the age of >ali.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it wanted to punish the miscreants indulging
in the symptoms of >ali, and thus save the innocent citi)ens
who were pure in habit by culture of religion. t is the duty of
the king to give such protection, and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was
perfectly right when he prepared himself to fight.
T!T ""
S'lRM2k:6Ta; !(aa$aTaurl(aaei)aTa;
rQa; $a:&ae#d3)a$aaiBOTa0 PauraTa2 9
':Taae rQaaTijPaPaita(auv6(aa
S'Sae#a(aa idi&')a(aa(a i#a&a-Ta0 99 "" 99
s(ala3k4ta- 1y'ma%t!ra3ga%yo)ita-
ratha- m4gendra%dh(a)am '1rita* "!r't
(4to rath'1(a%d(i"a"atti%y!ktay'
s(a%senay' dig(i)ay'ya nirgata*
S(#O#($S
s!%ala3k4tamZvery well decoratedV 1y'maZblackV t!ra3gaZ
horsesV yo)itamZtackledV rathamZchariotV m4ga%indraZlionV
dh(a)amZflaggedV '1rita*Zunder the protectionV "!r'tZfrom
the capitalV (4ta*Zsurrounded byV rathaZcharioteersV a1(aZ
cavalryV d(i"a"attiZelephantsV y!ktay'Zthus being e(uippedV
s(a%senay'Zalong with infantryV dig(i)ay'yaZfor the purpose
of con(ueringV nirgata*Zwent out.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit sat on a chariot draJn by black horsesH Iis flag
Jas @arked Jith the sign of a lionH Keing so decorated and
surrounded by charioteers, ca'alry, elephants and infantry
soldiers, he left the capital to con?uer in all directionsH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is distinguished from his grandfather
Ar2una, for black horses pulled his chariot instead of white
horses. He marked his flag with the mark of a lion, and his
grandfather marked his with the mark of Hanum"n2=. A royal
procession like that of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it surrounded by well'
decorated chariots, cavalry, elephants, infantry and band not
only is pleasing to the eyes, but also is a sign of a civili)ation
that is aesthetic even on the fighting front.
T!T "N
%ad3aT; ke6Tau$aal;R c %aarTa; caetara#a2 ku6~#a2 9
ik6$PauD=ad?i#a '=a-iQa i'i)aT(a )a&a:he bilR$a2 99 "N 99
bhadr'1(a- ket!m'la- ca
bh'rata- cottar'n k!r0n
kim"!r!.'d$ni (ar.'5i
(i)itya )ag4he balim
S(#O#($S
bhadr'1(amZ%hadr"PvaV ket!m'lamZ>etum"laV caZalsoV
bh'ratamZ%h"rataV caZandV !ttar'nZthe northern countriesV
k!r0nZthe kingdom of the >uru dynastyV kim"!r!.a%'d$niZa
country beyond the northern side of the HimalayasV (ar.'5iZ
parts of the earth planetV (i)ityaZcon(ueringV )ag4heZ
e:actedV balimZstrength.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit then con?uered all parts of the earthly planet
KhadrLw'a, Cetu@Lla, KhLrata, the northern Curu, Ci@puruEa, etcH
and eMacted tributes fro@ their respecti'e rulersH
P8-PO-T
&hadr'1(aI t is a tract of land near Meru 1arvata, and it
e:tends from 8andha'm"dana 1arvata to the saltwater
ocean. There is a description of this (ar.a in the 8ah'bh'rata
3Bhma-parva 4.,Ma,.6. The description was narrated by
$a^2aya to 7h?tar"@Tra.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira also con(uered this (ar.a, and thus
the province was included within the 2urisdiction of his
empire. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was formerly declared to be the
emperor of all lands ruled by his grandfather, but still he had
to establish his supremacy while he was out of his capital to
e:act tribute from such states.
Aet!m'laI This earth planet is divided into seven d($"as by
seven oceans, and the central d($"a, called OambLdv=pa, is
divided into nine (ar.as, or parts, by eight huge mountains.
%h"rata'var@a is one of the above'mentioned nine (ar.as,
and >etum"la is also described as one of the above (ar.as. t
is said that in >etum"la (ar.a, women are the most
beautiful. This (ar.a was con(uered by Ar2una also. A
description of this part of the world is available in the
8ah'bh'rata 3Sabh G..56.
t is said that this part of the world is situated on the western
side of the Meru 1arvata, and inhabitants of this province
used to live up to ten thousand years 3Bhma-parva 5.\,6.
Human beings living in this part of the globe are of golden
color, and the women resemble the angels of heaven. The
inhabitants are free from all kinds of diseases and grief.
&h'rata%(ar.aI This part of the world is also one of the nine
(ar.as of the OambLdv=pa. A description of %h"rata'var@a is
given in the 8ah'bh'rata 3&h$.ma%"ar(a, *hapters - and ,N6.
n the center of OambLdv=pa is l"v?ta'var@a, and south of
l"v?ta'var@a is Hari'var@a. The description of these (ar.as is
given in the 8ah'bh'rata 3Sabh-parva G..4a.6 as followsC
nagar'-1 ca (an'-1 cai(a
nad$1 ca (imalodak'*
"!r!.'n de(a%kal"'-1 ca
n'r$1 ca "riya%dar1an'*
ad4.<a%"0r('n s!bhag'n
sa dadar1a dhana,)aya*
sadan'ni ca 1!bhr'5i
n'r$1 c'"saras'- nibh'*
t is mentioned here that the women in both these (ar.as are
beautiful, and some of them are e(ual to the Apsar"s, or
heavenly women.
7ttarak!r!I According to !edic geography the northernmost
portion of OambLdv=pa is called Rttarakuru'var@a. t is
surrounded by the saltwater ocean from three sides and
divided by <?Igav"n Mountain from the HiraAmaya'var@a.
Aim"!r!.a%(ar.aI t is stated to be situated north of the
great Himalaya Mountain, which is eighty thousand miles in
length and height and which covers si:teen thousand miles
in width. These parts of the world were also con(uered by
Ar2una 3Sabh G..,aG6. The >impuru@as are descendants of a
daughter of 7ak@a. When Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira performed a
horse sacrifice ya),a, the inhabitants of these countries were
also present to take part in the festival, and they paid
tributes to the ;mperor. This part of the world is called
>impuru@a'var@a, or sometimes the Himalayan provinces
3Himavat=6. t is said that <ukadeva 8osv"m= was born in
these Himalayan provinces and that he came to %h"rata'
var@a after crossing the Himalayan countries.
n other words, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it con(uered all the world.
He con(uered all the continents ad2oining all the seas and
oceans in all directions, namely the eastern, western,
northern and southern parts of the world.
T!TS "X"[
Ta<a Ta<aaePaB:Q'a#a0 S'Pa8'e-=a; $ahaT$a#aa$a2 9
PaO&a?(a$aaQa; c (a!a0 k:6.Qa$aahaT$(aSa8ck6$a2 99 "X 99
AaT$aa#a; c Pair<aaTa$aTTQaa$anae+ETae)aSa0 9
heh; c ':i.QaPaaQaa-#aa; Tae=a; %aiv;6 c ke6!a'e 99 "Z 99
Tae%(a0 Par$aSa#Taun0 PaO?T(au:i$%aTalRaec#a0 9
$aha>a#aai#a 'aSaa;iSa dda hara#a2 $aha$a#aa0 99 "[ 99
tatra tatro"a145('na*
s(a%"0r(e.'- mah'tman'm
"rag$yam'5a- ca ya1a*
k4.5a%m'h'tmya%s0cakam
'tm'na- ca "aritr'tam
a1(atth'mno 2stra%te)asa*
sneha- ca (4.5i%"'rth'n'-
te.'- bhakti- ca ke1a(e
tebhya* "arama%sant!.<a*
"r$ty%!))4mbhita%locana*
mah'%dhan'ni ('s'-si
dada! h'r'n mah'%man'*
S(#O#($S
tatra tatraZeverywhere the >ing visitedV !"a145('na*Z
continuously he heardV s(a%"0r(e.'mZabout his own
forefathersV mah'%'tman'mZwho were all great devotees of
the EordV "rag$yam'5amZunto those who were thus
addressingV caZalsoV ya1a*ZgloriesV k4.5aZEord >?@AaV
m'h'tmyaZglorious actsV s0cakamZindicatingV 'tm'namZhis
personal selfV caZalsoV "aritr'tamZdeliveredV a1(atth'mna*Z
of APvatth"m"V astraZweaponV te)asa*Zpowerful raysV
snehamZaffectionV caZalsoV (4.5i%"'rth'n'mZbetween
descendants of !?@Ai and those of 1?th"V te.'mZof all of
themV bhaktimZdevotionV caZalsoV ke1a(eZunto Eord >?@AaV
tebhya*Zunto themV "aramaZe:tremelyV sant!.<a*ZpleasedV
"r$tiZattractionV !))4mbhitaZpleasingly openV locana*Zone
who has such eyesV mah'%dhan'niZvaluable richesV ('s'-siZ
clothingV dada!Zgave in charityV h'r'nZnecklaceV mah'%
man'*Zone who has a broader outlook.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhere'er the Cing 'isited, he continuously heard the glories of his
great forefathers, Jho Jere all de'otees of the Lord, and also of
the glorious acts of Lord CDEFaH Ie also heard hoJ he hi@self had
been protected by the Lord fro@ the poJerful heat of the Jeapon
of Aw'atthL@LH People also @entioned the great affection betJeen
the descendants of GDEFi and PDthL due to the latterrs great
de'otion to Lord Cewa'aH The Cing, being 'ery pleased Jith the
singers of such glories, opened his eyes in great satisfactionH Out
of @agnani@ity he Jas pleased to aJard the@ 'ery 'aluable
necklaces and clothingH
P8-PO-T
>ings and great personalities of the state are presented with
welcome addresses. This is a system from time immemorial,
and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, since he was one of the well'known
emperors of the world, was also presented with addresses of
welcome in all parts of the world as he visited those places.
The sub2ect matter of those welcome addresses was >?@Aa.
>?@Aa means >?@Aa and His eternal devotees, as the king
means the king and his confidential associates.
>?@Aa and His unalloyed devotees cannot be separated, and
therefore glorifying the devotee means glorifying the Eord
and vice versa. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it would not have been glad
to hear about the glories of his forefathers like Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira and Ar2una had they not been connected with
the acts of Eord >?@Aa. The Eord descends specifically to
deliver His devotees 3"aritr'5'ya s'dh0n'm6. The devotees
are glorified by the presence of the Eord because they
cannot live for a moment without the presence of the Eord
and His different energies. The Eord is present for the
devotee by His acts and glories, and therefore Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it felt the presence of the Eord when He was glorified
by His acts, especially when he was saved by the Eord in the
womb of his mother. The devotees of the Eord are never in
danger, but in the material world which is full of dangers at
every step, the devotees are apparently placed into
dangerous positions, and when they are saved by the Eord,
the Eord is glorified. Eord >?@Aa would not have been
glorified as the speaker of the &haga(ad%g$t' had His
devotees like the 1"AQavas not been entangled in the
%attlefield of >uruk@etra. All such acts of the Eord were
mentioned in the addresses of welcome, and Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, in full satisfaction, rewarded those who presented
such addresses. The difference between the presentation of
welcome addresses today and in those days is that formerly
the welcome addresses were presented to a person like
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. The welcome addresses were full of facts
and figures, and those who presented such addresses were
sufficiently rewarded, whereas in the present days the
welcome addresses are presented not always with factual
statements but to please the postholder, and often they are
full of flattering lies. And rarely are those who present such
welcome addresses rewarded by the poor receiver.
T!T "\
SaarQ(aPaar=dSae'#aSae(adaT(ax
'?raSa#aa#au&a$a#aSTa'#aPaOQaa$aa#a2 9
ih&>ae=u PaaQou=u )a&aTPaOQaiTa; ci'.Qaaex
%a-iv;6 k6raeiTa #a:PaiTa,rQaari'#de 99 "\ 99
s'rathya%"'ra.ada%se(ana%sakhya%da!tya%
($r'san'n!gamana%sta(ana%"ra5'm'n
snigdhe.! "'5;!.! )agat%"ra5ati- ca (i.5or
bhakti- karoti n4%"ati1 cara5'ra(inde
S(#O#($S
s'rathyaZacceptance of the post of a chariot driverV
"'ra.adaZacceptance of the presidency in the assembly of
the 0"2asLya sacrificeV se(anaZengaging the mind constantly
in the service of the EordV sakhyaZto think of the Eord as a
friendV da!tyaZacceptance of the post of a messengerV ($ra%
'sanaZacceptance of the post of a watchman with a drawn
sword at nightV an!gamanaZfollowing in the footstepsV
sta(anaZoffering of prayersV "ra5'm'nZoffering obeisancesV
snigdhe.!Zunto them who are malleable to the will of the
EordV "'5;!.!Zunto the sons of 1"AQuV )agatZthe universalV
"ra5atimZone who is obeyedV caZandV (i.5o*Zof !i@AuV
bhaktimZdevotionV karotiZdoesV n4%"ati*Zthe >ingV cara5a%
ara(indeZunto His lotus feet.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit heard that out of Iis causeless @ercy Lord
CDEFa OGiEFu3, Jho is uni'ersally obeyed, rendered all kinds of
ser'ice to the @alleable sons of PLFhu by accepting posts ranging
fro@ chariot dri'er to president to @essenger, friend, night
Jatch@an, etcH, according to the Jill of the PLFha'as, obeying
the@ like a ser'ant and offering obeisances like one younger in
yearsH Vhen he heard this, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit beca@e
o'erJhel@ed Jith de'otion to the lotus feet of the LordH
P8-PO-T
Eord >?@Aa is everything to the unalloyed devotees like the
1"AQavas. The Eord was for them the $upreme Eord, the
spiritual master, the worshipable 7eity, the guide, the
chariot driver, the friend, the servant, the messenger and
everything they could conceive of. And thus the Eord also
reciprocated the feelings of the 1"AQavas. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, as a pure devotee of the Eord, could appreciate the
EordJs transcendental reciprocation of the feelings of His
devotees, and thus he himself also was overwhelmed with
the dealings of the Eord. $imply by appreciating the dealings
of the Eord with His pure devotees, one can attain salvation.
The EordJs dealings with His devotees appear to be ordinary
human dealings, but one who knows them in truth becomes
at once eligible to go back home, back to 8odhead. The
1"AQavas were so malleable to the will of the Eord that they
could sacrifice any amount of energy for the service of the
Eord, and by such unalloyed determination they could secure
the EordJs mercy in any shape they desired.
T!T "]
TaS(a'; 'Ta-$aa#aS(a Pa8'e-=a; ':ita$a#'h$a2 9
#aaiTad8re ik6lRa,(ag (adaSa?Ta2 Taikbae>a $ae 99 "] 99
tasyai(a- (artam'nasya
"0r(e.'- (4ttim an(aham
n'tid0re kil'1carya-
yad 's$t tan nibodha me
S(#O#($S
tasyaZof Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itV e(amZthusV (artam'nasyaZ
remaining absorbed in such thoughtV "0r(e.'mZof his
forefathersV (4ttimZgood engagementV an(ahamZday after
dayV naZnotV ati%d0reZfar offV kilaZverilyV '1caryamZ
astonishingV yatZthatV 's$tZwasV tatZwhichV nibodhaZknow
itV meZfrom me.
T-A#SLATIO#
#oJ you @ay hear fro@ @e of Jhat happened Jhile $ahLrL/a
ParBkEit Jas passing his days hearing of the good occupations of
his forefathers and being absorbed in thought of the@H
T!T "^
>a$a-0 Padke6#a cr#a2 i'Cca(aa$auPalR%(a &aa$a2 9
Pa:CciTa S$aaBOu'd#aa; i''TSaai$a' $aaTar$a2 99 "^ 99
dharma* "adaikena caran
(icch'y'm !"alabhya g'm
"4cchati sm'1r!%(adan'-
(i(ats'm i(a m'taram
S(#O#($S
dharma*Zthe personality of religious principlesV "ad'ZlegV
ekenaZon one onlyV caranZwanderingV (icch'y'mZovertaken
by the shadow of griefV !"alabhyaZhaving metV g'mZthe
cowV "4cchatiZaskingV smaZwithV a1r!%(adan'mZwith tears
on the faceV (i(ats'mZone who has lost her offspringV i(aZ
likeV m'taramZthe mother.
T-A#SLATIO#
The personality of religious principles, >har@a, Jas Jandering
about in the for@ of a bullH And he @et the personality of earth in
the for@ of a coJ Jho appeared to grie'e like a @other Jho had
lost her childH She had tears in her eyes, and the beauty of her body
Jas lostH Thus >har@a ?uestioned the earth as folloJsH
P8-PO-T
The bull is the emblem of the moral principle, and the cow is
the representative of the earth. When the bull and the cow
are in a 2oyful mood, it is to be understood that the people of
the world are also in a 2oyful mood. The reason is that the
bull helps production of grains in the agricultural field, and
the cow delivers milk, the miracle of aggregate food values.
The human society, therefore, maintains these two
important animals very carefully so that they can wander
everywhere in cheerfulness. %ut at the present moment in
this age of >ali both the bull and the cow are now being
slaughtered and eaten up as foodstuff by a class of men who
do not know the brahminical culture. The bull and the cow
can be protected for the good of all human society simply by
the spreading of brahminical culture as the topmost
perfection of all cultural affairs. %y advancement of such
culture, the morale of society is properly maintained, and so
peace and prosperity are also attained without e:traneous
effort. When brahminical culture deteriorates, the cow and
bull are mistreated, and the resultant actions are prominent
by the following symptoms.
T!T "_
>a$a- o'ac
k6iSd3e+#aa$a(a$aaT$a#aSTae
i'Cca(aaiSa a(aTae=#$auYe#a 9
AalRUa(ae %a'Ta?$a#Tarai>a;
d8re b#>au; !aaeciSa k6}#aa$b 99 "_ 99
dharma !('ca
kaccid bhadre 2n'mayam 'tmanas te
(icch'y'si ml'yate.an m!khena
'lak.aye bha(at$m antar'dhi-
d0re bandh!- 1ocasi ka,can'mba
S(#O#($S
dharma* !('caZ7harma in(uiredV kaccitZwhetherV bhadreZ
madamV an'mayamZ(uite hale and heartyV 'tmana*ZselfV te
Zunto youV (icch'y' asiZappear to be covered with the
shadow of griefV ml'yat'Zwhich darkensV $.atZslightlyV
m!khenaZby the faceV 'lak.ayeZyou lookV bha(at$mZunto
yourselfV antar'dhimZsome disease withinV d0reZlong
distantV bandh!mZfriendV 1ocasiZthinking ofV ka,canaZ
someoneV ambaZ9 mother.
T-A#SLATIO#
>har@a Oin the for@ of a bull3 askede $ada@, are you not hale and
heartyW Vhy are you co'ered Jith the shadoJ of griefW It appears
by your face that you ha'e beco@e blackH Are you suffering fro@
so@e internal disease, or are you thinking of so@e relati'e Jho is
aJay in a distant placeW
P8-PO-T
The people of the world in this age of >ali are always full of
an:ieties. ;veryone is diseased with some kind of ailment.
Hrom the very faces of the people of this age, one can find
out the inde: of the mind. ;veryone feels the absence of his
relative who is away from home. The particular symptom of
the age of >ali is that no family is now blessed to live
together. To earn a livelihood, the father lives at a place far
away from the son, or the wife lives far away from the
husband and so on. There are sufferings from internal
diseases, separation from those near and dear, and an:ieties
for maintaining the status (uo. These are but some
important factors which make the people of this age always
unhappy.
T!T N`
Paad#(a8-#a; !aaeciSa $ak6Paadx
$aaT$aa#a; 'a ':=lR%aae-U(a$aaQa$a2 9
Aahae Saurad?#a2 5Ta(a/%aa&aa#a2
PaO)aa oTa iS'#$aga'T(a'=-iTa 99 N` 99
"'dair ny0na- 1ocasi maika%"'dam
'tm'na- (' (4.alair bhok.yam'5am
'ho s!r'd$n h4ta%ya),a%bh'g'n
"ra)' !ta s(in magha(aty a(ar.ati
S(#O#($S
"'dai*Zby three legsV ny0namZdiminishedV 1ocasiZif you
are lamenting for thatV m'ZmyV eka%"'damZonly one legV
'tm'namZown bodyV ('ZorV (4.alai*Zby the unlawful meat'
eatersV bhok.yam'5amZto be e:ploitedV 'ho*Zin sacrificeV
s!ra%'d$nZthe authori)ed demigodsV h4ta%ya),aZdevoid of
sacrificialV bh'g'nZshareV "ra)'*Zthe living beingsV !taZ
increasingV s(itZwhetherV magha(atiZin famine and scarcityV
a(ar.atiZbecause of rainlessness.
T-A#SLATIO#
I ha'e lost @y three legs and a@ noJ standing on one onlyH Are
you la@enting for @y state of eMistenceW Or are you in great
anMiety because henceforJard the unlaJful @eat6eaters Jill
eMploit youW Or are you in a sorry plight because the de@igods are
noJ bereft of their share of sacrificial offerings because no
sacrifices are being perfor@ed at presentW Or are you grie'ing for
li'ing beings because of their sufferings due to fa@ine and
droughtW
P8-PO-T
With the progress of the age of >ali, four things particularly,
namely the duration of life, mercy, the power of recollection,
and moral or religious principles will gradually diminish.
$ince 7harma, or the principles of religion, would be lost in
the proportion of three out of four, the symbolic bull was
standing on one leg only. When three fourths of the
population of the whole world become irreligious, the
situation is converted into hell for the animals. n the age of
>ali, godless civili)ations will create so many so'called
religious societies in which the 1ersonality of 8odhead will
be directly or indirectly defied. And thus faithless societies of
men will make the world uninhabitable for the saner section
of people. There are gradations of human beings in terms of
proportionate faith in the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead.
The first'class faithful men are the !ai@Aavas and the
br'hma5as, then the k.atriyas, then the (ai1yas, then the
10dras, then the mlecchas, the ya(anas and at last the
ca5;'las. The degradation of the human instinct begins from
the mlecchas, and the ca5;'la state of life is the last word in
human degradation. All the above terms mentioned in the
!edic literatures are never meant for any particular
community or birth. They are different (ualifications of
human beings in general. There is no (uestion of birthright
or community. 9ne can ac(uire the respective (ualifications
by oneJs own efforts, and thus the son of a !ai@Aava can
become a mleccha, or the son of a ca5;'la can become more
than a br'hma5a, all in terms of their association and
intimate relation with the $upreme Eord.
The meat'eaters are generally called mlecchas. %ut all meat'
eaters are not mlecchas. Those who accept meat in terms of
scriptural in2unctions are not mlecchas, but those who accept
meat without restriction are called mlecchas. %eef is
forbidden in the scriptures, and the bulls and cows are
offered special protection by followers of the /edas. %ut in
this age of >ali, people will e:ploit the body of the bull and
the cow as they like, and thus they will invite sufferings of
various types.
The people of this age will not perform any sacrifice. The
mleccha population will care very little for performances of
sacrifices, although performance of sacrifice is essential for
persons who are materially engaged in sense en2oyment. n
the &haga(ad%g$t' performance of sacrifices is strongly
recommended 3%g. \.,Ma,56.
The living beings are created by the creator %rahm", and
2ust to maintain the created living being progressively
towards the path back to 8odhead, the system of performing
sacrifice is also created by him. The system is that living
beings live on the produce of grains and vegetables, and by
eating such foodstuff they get vital power of the body in the
shape of blood and semen, and from blood and semen one
living being is able to create other living beings. %ut the
production of grains, grass, etc. becomes possible by rain,
and this rain is made to shower properly by performance of
recommended sacrifices. $uch sacrifices are directed by the
rites of the /edas, namely S'ma, Ya)!r, Og and Pthar(a. n
the 8an!%sm4ti it is recommended that by offerings of
sacrifice on the altar of the fire, the sun'god is pleased.
When the sun'god is pleased, he properly collects water
from the sea, and thus sufficient clouds collect on the
hori)on and rains fall. After sufficient rains fall, there is
sufficient production of grains for men and all animals, and
thus there is energy in the living being for progressive
activity. The mlecchas, however, make plans to install
slaughterhouses for killing bulls and cows along with other
animals, thinking that they will prosper by increasing the
number of factories and live on animal food without caring
for performance of sacrifices and production of grains. %ut
they must know that even for the animals they must produce
grass and vegetables, otherwise the animals cannot live.
And to produce grass for the animals, they re(uire sufficient
rains. Therefore they have to depend ultimately on the
mercy of the demigods like the sun'god, ndra and *andra,
and such demigods must be satisfied by performances of
sacrifice.
This material world is a sort of prison house, as we have
several times mentioned. The demigods are the servants of
the Eord who see to the proper upkeep of the prison house.
These demigods want to see that the rebel living beings,
who want to survive faithlessly, are gradually turned towards
the supreme power of the Eord. Therefore, the system of
offering sacrifice is recommended in the scriptures.
The materialistic men want to work hard and en2oy fruitive
results for sense en2oyment. Thus they are committing many
types of sins at every step of life. Those, however, who are
consciously engaged in the devotional service of the Eord
are transcendental to all varieties of sin and virtue. Their
activities are free from the contamination of the three modes
of material nature. Hor the devotees there is no need for
performance of prescribed sacrifices because the very life of
the devotee is a symbol of sacrifice. %ut persons who are
engaged in fruitive activities for sense en2oyment must
perform the prescribed sacrifices because that is the only
means to get free from the reaction of all sins committed by
fruitive workers. $acrifice is the means for counteracting
such accumulated sins. The demigods are pleased when
such sacrifices are performed, 2ust as prison officers are
satisfied when the prisoners are turned into obedient
sub2ects. Eord *aitanya, however, has recommended only
one ya),a, or sacrifice, called the sa3k$rtana%ya),a, the
chanting of Hare >?@Aa, in which everyone can take part.
Thus both devotees and fruitive workers can derive e(ual
benefit from the performances of sa3k$rtana%ya),a.
T!T N"
ArU(a$aaQaa0 iE(a oi'- balRa#a2
!aaecS(aQaae PauD=adir'aTaa-#a2 9
'ac; de'?; b34ku6leR ku6k6$a-x
Q(ab34Q(ae ra)aku6leR ku6lRa&(Oaa#a2 99 N" 99
arak.yam'5'* striya !r(i b'l'n
1ocasy atho "!r!.'dair i('rt'n
('ca- de($- brahma%k!le k!karma5y
abrahma5ye r')a%k!le k!l'gry'n
S(#O#($S
arak.yam'5'*ZunprotectedV striya*ZwomenV !r(iZon the
earthV b'l'nZchildrenV 1ocasiZyou are feeling compassionV
athoZas suchV "!r!.a%'dai*Zby menV i(aZlike thatV 'rt'nZ
those who are unhappyV ('camZvocabularyV de($mZthe
goddessV brahma%k!leZin the family of the br'hma5aC
k!karma5iZacts against the principles of religionV abrahma5ye
Zpersons against the brahminical cultureV r')a%k!leZin the
administrative familyV k!la%agry'nZmost of all the families
3the br'hma5as6.
T-A#SLATIO#
Are you feeling co@punction for the unhappy Jo@en and children
Jho are left forlorn by unscrupulous personsW Or are you unhappy
because the goddess of learning is being handled by brLh@aFas
addicted to acts against the principles of religionW Or are you sorry
to see that the brLh@aFas ha'e taken shelter of ad@inistrati'e
fa@ilies that do not respect brah@inical cultureW
P8-PO-T
n the age of >ali, the women and the children, along with
br'hma5as and cows, will be grossly neglected and left
unprotected. n this age illicit connection with women will
render many women and children uncared for.
*ircumstantially, the women will try to become independent
of the protection of men, and marriage will be performed as
a matter of formal agreement between man and woman. n
most cases, the children will not be taken care of properly.
The br'hma5as are traditionally intelligent men, and thus
they will be able to pick up modern education to the topmost
rank, but as far as moral and religious principles are
concerned, they shall be the most fallen. ;ducation and bad
character go ill together, but such things will run parallel.
The administrative heads as a class will condemn the tenets
of !edic wisdom and will prefer to conduct a so'called
secular state, and the so'called educated br'hma5as will be
purchased by such unscrupulous administrators. ;ven a
philosopher and writer of many books on religious principles
may also accept an e:alted post in a government which
denies all the moral codes of the 1'stras. The br'hma5as are
specifically restricted from accepting such service. %ut in this
age they will not only accept service, but they will do so
even if it is of the meanest (uality. These are some of the
symptoms of the >ali age which are harmful to the general
welfare of human society.
T!T NN
ik;6 Ua<ab#>a8#a2 k6ilR#aaePaSa:na#a2
ran|aiQa 'a Tar'raeiPaTaai#a 9
JTaSTaTaae 'a!a#aPaa#a'aSa0x
ha#aG(a'a(aae#$auY)a?'lRaek6$a2 99 NN 99
ki- k.atra%bandh0n kalino"as4.<'n
r'.<r'5i (' tair a(aro"it'ni
itas tato ('1ana%"'na%('sa*%
sn'na%(ya('yonm!kha%)$(a%lokam
S(#O#($S
kimZwhetherV k.atra%bandh0nZthe unworthy administratorsV
kalin'Zby the influence of the age of >aliV !"as4.<'nZ
bewilderedV r'.<r'5iZstate affairsV ('ZorV tai*Zby themV
a(aro"it'niZput into disorderV ita*ZhereV tata*ZthereV ('Z
orV a1anaZaccepting foodstuffV "'naZdrinkV ('sa*Z
residenceV sn'naZbathV (ya('yaZse:ual intercourseV
!nm!khaZinclinedV )$(a%lokamZhuman society.
T-A#SLATIO#
The so6called ad@inistrators are noJ beJildered by the influence
of this age of Cali, and thus they ha'e put all state affairs into
disorderH Are you noJ la@enting this disorderW #oJ the general
populace does not folloJ the rules and regulations for eating,
sleeping, drinking, @ating, etcH, and they are inclined to perfor@
such anyJhere and e'eryJhereH Are you unhappy because of thisW
P8-PO-T
There are some necessities of life on a par with those of the
lower animals, and they are eating, sleeping, fearing and
mating. These bodily demands are for both the human
beings and the animals. %ut the human being has to fulfill
such desires not like animals, but like a human being. A dog
can mate with a bitch before the public eyes without
hesitation, but if a human being does so the act will be
considered a public nuisance, and the person will be
criminally prosecuted. Therefore for the human being there
are some rules and regulations, even for fulfilling common
demands. The human society avoids such rules and
regulations when it is bewildered by the influence of the age
of >ali. n this age, people are indulging in such necessities
of life without following the rules and regulations, and this
deterioration of social and moral rules is certainly
lamentable because of the harmful effects of such beastly
behavior. n this age, the fathers and the guardians are not
happy with the behavior of their wards. They should know
that so many innocent children are victims of bad
association awarded by the influence of this age of >ali. We
know from #r$mad%&h'ga(atam that A2"mila, an innocent son
of a br'hma5a, was walking down a road and saw a 10dra pair
se:ually embracing. This attracted the boy, and later on the
boy became a victim of all debaucheries. Hrom a pure
br'hma5a, he fell down to the position of a wretched urchin,
and it was all due to bad association. There was but one
victim like A2"mila in those days, but in this age of >ali the
poor innocent students are daily victims of cinemas which
attract men only for se: indulgence. The so'called
administrators are all untrained in the affairs of a k.atriya.
The k.atriyas are meant for administration, as the br'hma5as
are meant for knowledge and guidance. The word k.atra%
bandh! refers to the so'called administrators or persons
promoted to the post of the administrator without proper
training by culture and tradition. Kowadays they are
promoted to such e:alted posts by the votes of the people
who are themselves fallen in the rules and regulations of life.
How can such people select a proper man when they are
themselves fallen in the standard of life? Therefore, by the
influence of the age of >ali, everywhere, politically, socially
or religiously, everything is topsy'turvy, and therefore for the
sane man it is all regrettable.
T!T NX
(aja$b Tae %a8ir%ara'Taarx
k:6Taa'TaarS(a hre>a-iri<a 9
A#Taih-TaS(a S$arTa? i'Sa:na
k6$aa-iQa i#a'a-Qai'lRi$bTaai#a 99 NX 99
yad('mba te bh0ri%bhar'(at'ra%
k4t'(at'rasya harer dharitri
antarhitasya smarat$ (is4.<'
karm'5i nir('5a%(ilambit'ni
S(#O#($S
yad('Zthat may beV ambaZ9 motherV teZyourV bh0riZ
heavyV bharaZloadV a(at'raZdecreasing the loadV k4taZ
doneV a(at'rasyaZone who incarnatedV hare*Zof Eord <r=
>?@AaV dharitriZ9 earthV antarhitasyaZof Him who is now out
of sightV smarat$Zwhile thinking ofV (is4.<'Zall that were
performedV karm'5iZactivitiesV nir('5aZsalvationV
(ilambit'niZthat which entails.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @other earth, the Supre@e Personality of &odhead, Iari,
incarnated Ii@self as Lord ArB CDEFa /ust to unload your hea'y
burdenH All Iis acti'ities here are transcendental, and they ce@ent
the path of liberationH (ou are noJ bereft of Iis presenceH (ou are
probably noJ thinking of those acti'ities and feeling sorry in their
absenceH
P8-PO-T
The activities of the Eord include liberation, but they are
more relishable than the pleasure derived from nir('5a, or
liberation. According to <r=la O=va 8osv"m= and !iPvan"tha
*akravart= Sh"kura, the word used here is nir('5a%
(ilambit'ni, that which minimi)es the value of liberation. To
attain nir('5a, liberation, one has to undergo a severe type
of ta"asya, austerity, but the Eord is so merciful that He
incarnates to diminish the burden of the earth. $imply by
remembering such activities, one can defy the pleasure
derived from nir('5a and reach the transcendental abode of
the Eord to associate with Him, eternally engaged in His
blissful loving service.
T!T NZ
Jd; $a$aacU' Ta'ai>a$a8l;R
'Sau#>are (ae#a i'k6i!a-TaaiSa 9
k6aleR#a 'a Tae bilR#aa; blRI(aSaa
Sauraic-Ta; ik;6 5Ta$a$b Saa%a&a$a2 99 NZ 99
ida- mam'cak.(a ta('dhi%m0la-
(as!ndhare yena (ikar1it'si
k'lena (' te balin'- bal$yas'
s!r'rcita- ki- h4tam amba sa!bhagam
S(#O#($S
idamZthisV mamaZunto meV 'cak.(aZkindly informV ta(aZ
yourV 'dhim0lamZthe root cause of your tribulationsV
(as!ndhareZ9 reservoir of all richesV yenaZby whichV
(ikar1it' asiZreduced to much weaknessV k'lenaZby the
influence of timeV ('ZorV teZyourV balin'mZvery powerfulV
bal$yas'Zmore powerfulV s!ra%arcitamZadored by the
demigodsV kimZwhetherV h4tamZtaken awayV ambaZ
motherV sa!bhagamZfortune.
T-A#SLATIO#
$other, you are the reser'oir of all richesH Please infor@ @e of the
root cause of your tribulations by Jhich you ha'e been reduced to
such a Jeak stateH I think that the poJerful influence of ti@e,
Jhich con?uers the @ost poJerful, @ight ha'e forcibly taken aJay
all your fortune, Jhich Jas adored e'en by the de@igodsH
P8-PO-T
%y the grace of the Eord, each and every planet is created
fully e(uipped. $o not only is this earth fully e(uipped with
all the riches for the maintenance of its inhabitants, but also
when the Eord descends on the earth the whole earth
becomes so enriched with all kinds of opulences that even
the deni)ens of heaven worship it with all affection. %ut by
the will of the Eord, the whole earth can at once be changed.
He can do and undo a thing by His sweet will. Therefore no
one should consider himself to be self'sufficient or
independent of the Eord.
T!T N[
>arQ(au'ac
%a'a#a2 ih 'ed TaTSa'g (a#$aa; >a$aa-#auPa:CciSa 9
cTaui%a-'-Ta-Sae (ae#a PaadlRae-k6SauYa'h0 99 N[ 99
dhara5y !('ca
bha('n hi (eda tat sar(a-
yan m'- dharm'n!"4cchasi
cat!rbhir (artase yena
"'dair loka%s!kh'(ahai*
S(#O#($S
dhara5$ !('caZmother earth repliedV bha('nZyour good selfV
hiZcertainlyV (edaZknowV tat sar(amZall that you have
in(uired from meV yatZthatV m'mZfrom meV dharmaZ9
personality of religious principlesV an!"4cchasiZyou have
in(uired one after anotherV cat!rbhi*Zby fourV (artaseZyou
e:istV yenaZby whichV "'dai*Zby the legsV lokaZin each and
every planetV s!kha%'(ahai*Zincreasing the happiness.
T-A#SLATIO#
The earthly deity Oin the for@ of a coJ3 thus replied to the
personality of religious principles Oin the for@ of a bull3e O >har@a,
Jhate'er you ha'e in?uired fro@ @e shall be knoJn to youH I shall
try to reply to all those ?uestionsH Once you too Jere @aintained
by your four legs, and you increased happiness all o'er the
uni'erse by the @ercy of the LordH
P8-PO-T
The principles of religion are laid down by the Eord Himself,
and the e:ecutor of such laws is 7harmar"2a, or Xamar"2a.
$uch principles work fully in the age of $atya'yugaV in the
Tret"'yuga they are reduced by a fraction of one fourthV in
the 7v"para'yuga they are reduced to one half, and in the
>ali'yuga they are reduced to one fourth, gradually
diminishing to the )ero point, and then devastation takes
place. Happiness in the world depends proportionately on
the maintenance of the religious principles, individually or
collectively. The best part of valor is to maintain the
principles despite all kinds of odds. Thus one can be happy
during the span of life and ultimately return to 8odhead.
T!TS N\X`
SaT(a; !aac; d(aa Uaai#TaST(aa&a0 Sa#Taae= Aa)a-'$a2 9
!a$aae d$aSTaPa0 Saa$(a; iTaiTaUaaePariTa0 BOuTa$a2 99
N\ 99
/a#a; i'riv6rT(ag !aa(ag Tae)aae bl;R S$a:iTa0 9
S'aTa#<(a; k6a!al;R k6ai#Ta>a{(ag $aad-'$ae' c 99 N] 99
PaOa&aL%(a; PaOBO(a0 !a?l;R Sah Aae)aae bl;R %a&a0 9
&aa$%a?(ag SQa(a-$aaiSTaC(a; k6IiTa-$aa-#aae+#ahM2k:6
iTa0 99 N^ 99
VTae ca#(ae c %a&a'ikT(aa (a<a $aha&auQaa0 9
PaOaQ(aa- $aht'i$aCciS#a- i'(ai#Ta S$a k6ih-icTa2 99 N_ 99
Tae#aah; &auQaPaa<aeQa BO?i#a'aSae#a Saa$PaOTa$a2 9
!aaecai$a rihTa; lRaek;6 PaaP$a#aa k6ilR#aeiUaTa$a2 99 X` 99
satya- 1a!ca- day' k.'ntis
ty'ga* santo.a 'r)a(am
1amo damas ta"a* s'mya-
titik.o"arati* 1r!tam
),'na- (iraktir ai1(arya-
1a!rya- te)o bala- sm4ti*
s('tantrya- ka!1ala- k'ntir
dhairya- m'rda(am e(a ca
"r'galbhya- "ra1raya* 1$la-
saha o)o bala- bhaga*
g'mbh$rya- sthairyam 'stikya-
k$rtir m'no 2naha3k4ti*
ete c'nye ca bhaga(an
nity' yatra mah'%g!5'*
"r'rthy' mahatt(am icchadbhir
na (iyanti sma karhicit
ten'ha- g!5a%"'tre5a
1r$%ni('sena s'm"ratam
1oc'mi rahita- loka-
"'"man' kalinek.itam
S(#O#($S
satyamZtruthfulnessV 1a!camZcleanlinessV day'Zintolerance
of othersJ unhappinessV k.'nti*Zself'control even if there is
cause of angerV ty'ga*ZmagnanimityV santo.a*Zself'
satisfactionV 'r)a(amZstraightforwardnessV 1ama*Zfi:ing of
the mindV dama*Zcontrol of the sense organsV ta"a*Z
trueness to oneJs responsibilityV s'myamZindiscrimination
between friend and foeV titik.'Ztolerance of the offenses of
othersV !"arati*Zindifference to loss and gainV 1r!tamZ
following scriptural in2unctionsV ),'namZknowledge 3self'
reali)ation6V (irakti*Zdetachment from sense en2oymentV
ai1(aryamZleadershipV 1a!ryamZchivalryV te)a*ZinfluenceV
balamZto render possible that which is impossibleV sm4ti*Z
to find oneJs proper dutyV s('tantryamZnot to depend on
othersV ka!1alamZde:terity in all activitiesV k'nti*ZbeautyV
dhairyamZfreedom from disturbanceV m'rda(amZ
kindheartednessV e(aZthusV caZalsoV "r'galbhyamZ
ingenuityV "ra1raya*ZgentilityV 1$lamZmannerlinessV saha*Z
determinationV o)a*Zperfect knowledgeV balamZproper
e:ecutionV bhaga*Zob2ect of en2oymentV g'mbh$ryamZ
2oyfulnessV sthairyamZimmovabilityV 'stikyamZfaithfulnessV
k$rti*ZfameV m'na*Zworthy of being worshipedV anaha3k4ti*
ZpridelessnessV eteZall theseV ca anyeZalso many othersV
caZandV bhaga(anZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV nity'*Z
everlastingV yatraZwhereV mah'%g!5'*Zgreat (ualitiesV
"r'rthy'*Zworthy to possessV mahatt(amZgreatnessV
icchadbhi*Zthose who desire soV naZneverV (iyantiZ
deterioratesV smaZeverV karhicitZat any timeV tenaZby HimV
ahamZmyselfV g!5a%"'tre5aZthe reservoir of all (ualitiesV 1r$
Zthe goddess of fortuneV ni('senaZby the resting placeV
s'm"ratamZvery recentlyV 1oc'miZ am thinking ofV rahitam
Zbereft ofV lokamZplanetsV "'"man'Zby the store of all sinsV
kalin'Zby >aliV $k.itamZis seen.
T-A#SLATIO#
In Ii@ reside 2"9 truthfulness, 2N9 cleanliness, 2X9 intolerance of
anotherrs unhappiness, 2Z9 the poJer to control anger, 2[9 self6
satisfaction, 2\9 straightforJardness, 2]9 steadiness of @ind, 2^9
control of the sense organs, 2_9 responsibility, 2"`9 e?uality, 2""9
tolerance, 2"N9 e?uani@ity, 2"X9 faithfulness, 2"Z9 knoJledge, 2"[9
absence of sense en/oy@ent, 2"\9 leadership, 2"]9 chi'alry, 2"^9
influence, 2"_9 the poJer to @ake e'erything possible, 2N`9 the
discharge of proper duty, 2N"9 co@plete independence, 2NN9
deMterity, 2NX9 fullness of all beauty, 2NZ9 serenity, 2N[9
kindheartedness, 2N\9 ingenuity, 2N]9 gentility, 2N^9 @agnani@ity,
2N_9 deter@ination, 2X`9 perfection in all knoJledge, 2X"9 proper
eMecution, 2XN9 possession of all ob/ects of en/oy@ent, 2XX9
/oyfulness, 2XZ9 i@@o'ability, 2X[9 fidelity, 2X\9 fa@e, 2X]9
Jorship, 2X^9 pridelessness, 2X_9 being 2as the Personality of
&odhead9, 2Z`9 eternity, and @any other transcendental ?ualities
Jhich are eternally present and ne'er to be separated fro@ Ii@H
That Personality of &odhead, the reser'oir of all goodness and
beauty, Lord ArB CDEFa, has noJ closed Iis transcendental
pasti@es on the face of the earthH In Iis absence the age of Cali
has spread its influence e'eryJhere, so I a@ sorry to see this
condition of eMistenceH
P8-PO-T
;ven if it were possible to count the atoms after smashing
the earth into powder, still it would not be possible to
estimate the unfathomable transcendental (ualities of the
Eord. t is said that Eord Anantadeva has tried to e:pound
the transcendental (ualities of the $upreme Eord with His
numberless tongues, and that for numberless years together
it has been impossible to estimate the (ualities of the Eord.
The above statement of the (ualities of the Eord is 2ust to
estimate His (ualities as far as a human being is able to see
Him. %ut even if it is so, the above (ualities can be divided
into many subheadings. According to <r=la O=va 8osv"m=,
the third (uality, intolerance of anotherJs unhappiness, can
be subdivided into 3,6 protection of the surrendered souls
and 3G6 well wishes for the devotees. n the &haga(ad%g$t' the
Eord states that He wants every soul to surrender unto Him
only, and He assures everyone that if one does so He will
give protection from the reactions of all sins. Rnsurrendered
souls are not devotees of the Eord, and thus there is no
particular protection for everyone in general. Hor the
devotees He has all good wishes, and for those who are
actually engaged in loving transcendental service of the
Eord, He gives particular attention. He gives direction to such
pure devotees to help them discharge their responsibilities
on the path back to 8odhead. %y e(uality 3,N6, the Eord is
e(ually kind to everyone, as the sun is e(ual in distributing
its rays over everyone. Xet there are many who are unable
to take advantage of the sunJs rays. $imilarly, the Eord says
that surrendering unto Him is the guarantee for all
protection from Him, but unfortunate persons are unable to
accept this proposition, and therefore they suffer from all
material miseries. $o even though the Eord is e(ually well'
wishing to everyone, the unfortunate living being, due to bad
association only, is unable to accept His instructions in toto,
and for this the Eord is never to be blamed. He is called the
well'wisher for the devotees only. He appears to be partial to
His devotees, but factually the matter rests on the living
being to accept or re2ect e(ual treatment by the Eord.
The Eord never deviates from His word of honor. When He
gives assurance for protection, the promise is e:ecuted in all
circumstances. t is the duty of the pure devotee to be fi:ed
in the discharge of the duty entrusted to him by the Eord or
the EordJs bona fide representative, the spiritual master. The
rest is carried on by the Eord without a break.
The responsibility of the Eord is also uni(ue. The Eord has no
responsibility because all His work is done by His different
appointed energies. %ut still He accepts voluntary
responsibilities in displaying different roles in His
transcendental pastimes. As a boy, He was playing the part
of a cowboy. As the son of Kanda Mah"r"2a, He discharged
responsibility perfectly. $imilarly, when He was playing the
part of a k.atriya as the son of Mah"r"2a !asudeva, He
displayed all the skill of a martially spirited k.atriya. n
almost all cases, the k.atriya king has to secure a wife by
fighting or kidnapping. This sort of behavior for a k.atriya is
praiseworthy in the sense that a k.atriya must show his
power of chivalry to his would'be wife so that the daughter
of a k.atriya can see the valor of her would'be husband.
;ven the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= 0"ma displayed such a
spirit of chivalry during His marriage. He broke the strongest
bow, called Haradhanur, and achieved the hand of $=t"dev=,
the mother of all opulence. The k.atriya spirit is displayed
during marriage festivals, and there is nothing wrong in such
fighting. Eord <r= >?@Aa discharged such responsibility fully
because although He had more than si:teen thousand wives,
in each and every case He fought like a chivalrous k.atriya
and thus secured a wife. To fight si:teen thousand times to
secure si:teen thousand wives is certainly possible only for
the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. $imilarly, He displayed
full responsibility in every action of His different
transcendental pastimes.
The fourteenth (uality, knowledge, can be further e:tended
into five subheadings, namely 3,6 intelligence, 3G6
gratefulness, 3\6 power of understanding the circumstantial
environments of place, ob2ect and time, 3M6 perfect
knowledge of everything, and 3B6 knowledge of the self. 9nly
fools are ungrateful to their benefactors. The Eord, however,
does not re(uire benefit from anyone besides Himself
because He is full in HimselfV still He feels benefited by the
unalloyed services of His devotees. The Eord feels grateful to
His devotees for such unsophisticated, unconditional service
and tries to reciprocate it by rendering service, although the
devotee also has no such desire in his heart. The
transcendental service of the Eord is itself a transcendental
benefit for the devotee, and therefore the devotee has
nothing to e:pect from the Eord. 9n the assertion of the
!edic aphorism sar(a- khal( ida- brahma, we can understand
that the Eord, by the omnipresent rays of His effulgence,
called brahma)yoti, is all'pervading inside or outside of
everything, like the omnipresent material sky, and thus He is
also omniscient.
As far as the beauty of the Eord is concerned, He has some
special features that distinguish Him from all other living
beings, and over and above that He has some special
attractive beautiful features by which He attracts the mind of
even 0"dh"r"A=, the supermost beautiful creation of the
Eord. He is known, therefore, as Madana'mohana, or one
who attracts the mind of even *upid. <r=la O=va 8osv"m=
1rabhu has scrutini)ingly analy)ed other transcendental
(ualities of the Eord and affirms that Eord <r= >?@Aa is the
Absolute $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead 31arabrahman6.
He is omnipotent by His inconceivable energies, and
therefore He is the XogePvara, or the supreme master of all
mystic powers. %eing the XogePvara, His eternal form is
spiritual, a combination of eternity, bliss and knowledge. The
nondevotee class cannot understand the dynamic nature of
His knowledge because they are satisfied to reach up to His
eternal form of knowledge. All great souls aspire to be e(ual
in knowledge with Him. This means that all other knowledge
is ever insufficient, fle:ible and measurable, whereas the
knowledge of the Eord is ever fi:ed and unfathomable. <r=la
$Lta 8osv"m= affirms in the &h'ga(atam that although He
was observed by the citi)ens of 7v"rak" every day, they
were ever increasingly an:ious to see Him again and again.
The living beings can appreciate the (ualities of the Eord as
the ultimate goal, but they cannot attain the status (uo of
such e(uality. This material world is a product of the mahat%
tatt(a, which is a state of the EordJs dreaming condition in
His yoga%nidr' mystic slumber in the *ausal 9cean, and yet
the whole creation appears to be a factual presentation of
His creation. This means that the EordJs dreaming conditions
are also factual manifestations. He can therefore bring
everything under His transcendental control, and thus
whenever and wherever He does appear, He does so in His
fullness.
The Eord, being all that is described above, maintains the
affairs of the creation, and by His so doing He gives salvation
even to His enemies who are killed by Him. He is attractive
even to the topmost liberated soul, and thus He is
worshipable even by %rahm" and <iva, the greatest of all
demigods. ;ven in His incarnation of "!r!.a%a(at'ra He is the
Eord of the creative energy. The creative material energy is
working under His direction, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-
gt 3-.,N6. He is the control switch of the material energy,
and to control the material energy in the innumerable
universes, He is the root cause of innumerable incarnations
in all the universes. There are more than five hundred
thousand incarnations of Manu in only one universe, besides
other incarnations in different universes. n the spiritual
world, however, beyond the mahat%tatt(a, there is no
(uestion of incarnations, but there are plenary e:pansions of
the Eord in different !aikuAThas. The planets in the spiritual
sky are at least three times the number of those within the
innumerable universes in the mahat%tatt(a. And all the
K"r"yaAa forms of the Eord are but e:pansions of His
!"sudeva feature, and thus He is !"sudeva, K"r"yaAa and
>?@Aa simultaneously. He is 1r$%k4.5a go(inda hare m!r're,
he n'tha n'r'ya5a ('s!de(a, all in one. His (ualities,
therefore, cannot be counted by anyone, however great one
may be.
T!T X"
AaT$aa#a; ca#au!aaecai$a %a'#Ta; ca$araeta$a$a2 9
de'a#a2 iPaTa#a:=?#a2 Saa>a8#a2 Sa'a-#a2 'Qaag
STaQaaBO$aa#a2 99 X" 99
'tm'na- c'n!1oc'mi
bha(anta- c'marottamam
de('n "itRn 4.$n s'dh0n
sar('n (ar5'-s tath'1ram'n
S(#O#($S
'tm'namZmyselfV caZalsoV an!1oc'miZlamentingV
bha(antamZyourselfV caZas well asV amara%!ttamamZthe
best amongst the demigodsV de('nZabout the demigodsV
"itRnZabout the deni)ens of the 1it?loka planetV 4.$nZabout
the sagesV s'dh0nZabout the devoteesV sar('nZall of themV
(ar5'nZsectionsV tath'Zas alsoV '1ram'nZorders of human
society.
T-A#SLATIO#
I a@ thinking about @yself and also, O best a@ongst the
de@igods, about you, as Jell as about all the de@igods, sages,
deni=ens of PitDloka, de'otees of the Lord and all @en obedient to
the syste@ of 'arFa and Lwra@a in hu@an societyH
P8-PO-T
To effect the perfection of human life there is cooperation
between men and demigods, sages, deni)ens of the 1it?loka,
devotees of the Eord and the scientific system of (ar5a and
'1rama orders of life. The distinction between human life and
animal life therefore begins with the scientific system of
(ar5a and '1rama, guided by the e:perience of the sages in
relation with the demigods, gradually rising to the summit of
reestablishing our eternal relation with the $upreme
Absolute Truth, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, Eord <r= >?@Aa.
When 8od'made (ar5'1rama%dharma, which is strictly meant
for developing animal consciousness into human
consciousness and human consciousness into godly
consciousness, is broken by advancement of foolishness, the
whole system of peaceful and progressive life is at once
disturbed. n the age of >ali, the first attack of the venomous
snake strikes against the 8od'made (ar5'1rama%dharma, and
thus a person properly (ualified as a br'hma5a is called a
10dra, and a 10dra by (ualification is passing as a br'hma5a,
all on a false birthright claim. To become a br'hma5a by a
birthright claim is not at all bona fide, although it may be a
fulfillment of one of the conditions. %ut the real (ualification
of a br'hma5a is to control the mind and the senses, and to
cultivate tolerance, simplicity, cleanliness, knowledge,
truthfulness, devotion and faith in the !edic wisdom. n the
present age, consideration of the necessary (ualification is
being neglected, and the false birthright claim is being
supported even by a popular, sophisticated poet, the author
of R'ma%carita%m'nasa.
This is all due to the influence of the age of >ali. Thus
mother earth, represented as a cow, was lamenting the
regrettable condition.
T!TS XNXX
b34ad(aae bhuiTaQa; (adPaal$aaeUax
k6a$aaSTaPa0 Sa$acr#a2 %a&a'TPaOPaka0 9
Saa BO?0 S''aSa$ari'#d'#a; i'ha(a
(aTPaadSaa%a&a$al;R %a)aTae+#aurv6a 99 XN 99
TaS(aah$aK)aku6ilR!aaM2ku6!ake6Tauke6Ta0
BO?$aTPad%a-&a'Ta0 Sa$alRM2k:6Taal? 9
<a?#aT(araec oPalR%(a TaTaae i'%a8iTa;
lRaek6a#a2 Sa $aa; G(aSa:)aduTS$a(aTa?; Tad#Tae 99 XX 99
brahm'dayo bah!%titha- yad%a"'3ga%mok.a%
k'm's ta"a* samacaran bhaga(at%"ra"ann'*
s' 1r$* s(a%('sam ara(inda%(ana- (ih'ya
yat%"'da%sa!bhagam ala- bha)ate 2n!rakt'
tasy'ham ab)a%k!li1'3k!1a%ket!%ketai*
1r$mat%"adair bhaga(ata* samala3k4t'3g$
tr$n atyaroca !"alabhya tato (ibh0ti-
lok'n sa m'- (yas4)ad !tsmayat$- tad%ante
S(#O#($S
brahma%'daya*Zdemigods such as %rahm"V bah!%tithamZfor
many daysV yatZof Eak@m=, the goddess of fortuneV a"'3ga%
mok.aZglance of graceV k'm'*Zbeing desirous ofV ta"a*Z
penancesV samacaranZe:ecutingV bhaga(atZunto the
1ersonality of 8odheadV "ra"ann'*ZsurrenderedV s'Zshe
3the goddess of fortune6V 1r$*ZEak@m=2=V s(a%('samZher
own abodeV ara(inda%(anamZthe forest of lotus flowersV
(ih'yaZleaving asideV yatZwhoseV "'daZfeetV sa!bhagamZ
all'blissfulV alamZwithout hesitationV bha)ateZworshipsV
an!rakt'Zbeing attachedV tasyaZHisV ahamZmyselfV ab)aZ
lotus flowerV k!li1aZthunderboltV a3k!1aZrod for driving
elephantsV ket!ZflagV ketai*ZimpressionsV 1r$matZthe
owner of all opulenceV "adai*Zby the soles of the feetV
bhaga(ata*Zof the 1ersonality of 8odheadV samala3k4ta%a3g$Z
one whose body is so decoratedV tr$nZthreeV atiZ
supersedingV aroceZbeautifully decoratedV !"alabhyaZhaving
obtainedV tata*ZthereafterV (ibh0timZspecific powersV lok'n
Zplanetary systemsV sa*ZHeV m'mZmeV (yas4)atZgave upV
!tsmayat$mZwhile feeling proudV tat%anteZat the end.
T-A#SLATIO#
LakE@B/B, the goddess of fortune, Jhose glance of grace Jas
sought by de@igods like Krah@L and for Jho@ they surrendered
@any a day unto the Personality of &odhead, ga'e up her oJn
abode in the forest of lotus floJers and engaged herself in the
ser'ice of the lotus feet of the LordH I Jas endoJed Jith specific
poJers to supersede the fortune of all the three planetary syste@s
by being decorated Jith the i@pressions of the flag, thunderbolt,
elephant6dri'ing rod and lotus floJer, Jhich are signs of the lotus
feet of the LordH Kut at the end, Jhen I felt I Jas so fortunate, the
Lord left @eH
P8-PO-T
The beauty and opulence of the world can be enhanced by
the grace of the Eord and not by any man'made planning.
When the Eord <r= >?@Aa was present on this earth, the
impressions of the special signs of His lotus feet were
stamped on the dust, and as a result of this specific grace,
the whole earth was made as perfect as possible. n other
words, the rivers, the seas, the forests, the hills and the
mines, which are the supplying agents for the necessities of
men and animals, were fully discharging their respective
duties. Therefore the riches of the world surpassed all the
riches of all other planets in the three planetary systems of
the universe. 9ne should, therefore, ask that the grace of
the Eord always be present on earth so that we may be
favored with His causeless mercy and be happy, having all
necessities of life. 9ne may ask how we can detain the
$upreme Eord on this earth after His mission is fulfilled and
He has left this earth for His own abode. The answer is that
there is no need to detain the Eord. The Eord, being
omnipresent, can be present with us if we want Him at all.
%y His omnipresence, He can always be with us if we are
attached to His devotional service by hearing, chanting,
remembering, etc.
There is nothing in the world with which the Eord is
disconnected. The only thing we must learn is to e:cavate
the source of connection and thus be linked with Him by
offenseless service. We can be connected with Him by the
transcendental sound representation of the Eord. The holy
name of the Eord and the Eord Himself are identical, and one
who chants the holy name of the Eord in an offenseless
manner can at once reali)e that the Eord is present before
him. ;ven by the vibration of radio sound, we can partially
reali)e sound relativity, and by resounding the sound of
transcendence we can verily feel the presence of the Eord. n
this age, when everything is polluted by the contamination
of >ali, it is instructed in the scriptures and preached by Eord
<r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu that by chanting the holy name of
the Eord, we can at once be free from contamination and
gradually rise to the status of transcendence and go back to
8odhead. The offenseless chanter of the holy name of the
Eord is as auspicious as the Eord Himself, and the movement
of pure devotees of the Eord all over the world can at once
change the troublesome face of the world. 9nly by the
propagation of the chanting of the holy name of the Eord can
we be immune from all effects of the age of >ali.
T!T XZ
(aae ' $a$aaiTa%ar$aaSaur';!ara/ax
$aUaaihQa?!aTa$aPaa#auddaT$aTa#<a0 9
T'a; du0SQa$a8#aPad$aaT$ai#a PaaD=eQa
Sa$Paad(a#a2 (adu=u r$(a$aib%a3dl$a2 99 XZ 99
yo (ai mam'tibharam 's!ra%(a-1a%r'),'m
ak.a!hi5$%1atam a"'n!dad 'tma%tantra*
t('- d!*stham 0na%"adam 'tmani "a!r!.e5a
sam"'dayan yad!.! ramyam abibhrad a3gam
S(#O#($S
ya*ZHe whoV (aiZcertainlyV mamaZmineV ati%bharamZtoo
burdensomeV 's!ra%(a-1aZunbelieversV r'),'mZof the kingsV
:
ak@auhiA=Zone military divisionV 1atamZhundreds of such
divisionsV a"'n!datZe:tirpatedV 'tma%tantra*Zself'sufficientV
t('mZunto youV d!*sthamZput into difficultyV 0na%"adamZ
devoid of strength to standV 'tmaniZinternalV "a!r!.e5aZby
dint of energyV sam"'dayanZfor e:ecutingV yad!.!Zin the
Xadu dynastyV ramyamZtranscendentally beautifulV abibhrat
ZacceptedV a3gamZbody.
T-A#SLATIO#
O personality of religion, I Jas greatly o'erburdened by the undue
@ilitary phalanMes arranged by atheistic kings, and I Jas relie'ed
by the grace of the Personality of &odheadH Si@ilarly you Jere also
in a distressed condition, Jeakened in your standing strength, and
thus Ie also incarnated by Iis internal energy in the fa@ily of the
(adus to relie'e youH
P8-PO-T
The as!ras want to en2oy a life of sense gratification, even at
the cost of othersJ happiness. n order to fulfill this ambition,
the as!ras, especially atheistic kings or state e:ecutive
heads, try to e(uip themselves with all kinds of deadly
weapons to bring about a war in a peaceful society. They
have no ambition other than personal aggrandi)ement, and
thus mother earth feels overburdened by such undue
increases of military strength. %y increase of the asuric
population, those who follow the principles of religion
become unhappy, especially the devotees, or de(as.
n such a situation, the 1ersonality of 8odhead incarnates to
van(uish the unwanted as!ras and to reestablish the true
principles of religion. This was the mission of Eord <r= >?@Aa,
and He fulfilled it.
T!T X[
k6a 'a SaheTa i'rh; PauD=aeta$aS(a
PaOe$aa'lRaek6DicriS$aTa'L&au)aLPa0 9
SQa(ag Sa$aa#a$ahr#$a>au$aai#a#a?#aa;
rae$aaeTSa'ae $a$a (adM2iga3i'1uiTaa(aa0 99 X[ 99
k' (' saheta (iraha- "!r!.ottamasya
"rem'(aloka%r!cira%smita%(alg!%)al"ai*
sthairya- sam'nam aharan madh!%m'nin$n'-
romotsa(o mama yad%a3ghri%(i<a3kit'y'*
S(#O#($S
k'ZwhoV ('ZeitherV sahetaZcan tolerateV (irahamZ
separationV "!r!.a%!ttamasyaZof the $upreme 1ersonality of
8odheadV "remaZlovingV a(alokaZglancingV r!cira%smitaZ
pleasing smileV (alg!%)al"ai*Zhearty appealsV sthairyamZ
gravityV sa%m'namZalong with passionate wrathV aharatZ
con(ueredV madh!ZsweetheartsV m'nin$n'mZwomen such
as $atyabh"m"V roma%!tsa(a*Zhair standing on end out of
pleasureV mamaZmineV yatZwhoseV a3ghriZfeetV (i<a3kit'y'*
Zimprinted with.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vho, therefore, can tolerate the pangs of separation fro@ that
Supre@e Personality of &odheadW Ie could con?uer the gra'ity
and passionate Jrath of Iis sJeethearts like SatyabhL@L by Iis
sJeet s@ile of lo'e, pleasing glance and hearty appealsH Vhen Ie
tra'ersed @y Oearthrs3 surface, I Jould be i@@ersed in the dust of
Iis lotus feet and thus Jould be su@ptuously co'ered Jith grass
Jhich appeared like hairs standing on @e out of pleasureH
P8-PO-T
There were chances of separation between the Eord and His
thousands of (ueens because of the EordJs being absent
from home, but as far as His connection with earth was
concerned, the Eord would traverse the earth with His lotus
feet, and therefore there was no chance of separation. When
the Eord left the surface of the earth to return to His spiritual
abode, the earthJs feelings of separation were therefore
more acute.
T!T X\
Ta(aaere'; k6Qa(aTaae0 Pa:iQa'?>a$a-(aaeSTada 9
Par?iUaka$a ra)ai=-0 PaOa0 PaOac?; SarS'Ta?$a2 99 X\ 99
tayor e(a- kathayato*
"4thi($%dharmayos tad'
"ar$k.in n'ma r')ar.i*
"r'"ta* "r'c$- saras(at$m
S(#O#($S
tayo*Zbetween themV e(amZthusV kathayato*Zengaged in
conversationV "4thi($ZearthV dharmayo*Zand the personality
of religionV tad'Zat that timeV "ar$k.itZ>ing 1ar=k@itV n'ma
Zof the nameV r')a%4.i*Za saint amongst kingsV "r'"ta*Z
arrivedV "r'c$mZflowing towards the eastV saras(at$mZ0iver
$arasvat=.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile the earth and the personality of religion Jere thus engaged
in con'ersation, the saintly Cing ParBkEit reached the shore of the
Saras'atB -i'er, Jhich floJed toJards the eastH
Si?teenth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled K>ow
ar$k.it Recei(ed the Pge of Aali.M
Chapter Se'enteen
Punish@ent and -eJard of Cali
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
Ta<a &aaei$aQau#a; ra)aa h#(a$aa#a$a#aaQa'Ta2 9
dQohSTa; c ':=l;R dd:!ae #a:PalRaIc#a$a2 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
tatra go%mith!na- r')'
hanyam'nam an'tha(at
da5;a%hasta- ca (4.ala-
dad41e n4"a%l',chanam
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV tatraZthereuponV go%
mith!namZa cow and a bullV r')'Zthe >ingV hanyam'namZ
being beatenV an'tha%(atZappearing to be bereft of their
ownerV da5;a%hastamZwith a club in handV caZalsoV (4.alam
Zlower'caste 10draC dad41eZobservedV n4"aZa kingV
l',chanamZdressed like.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide After reaching that place, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit
obser'ed that a loJer6caste wddra, dressed like a king, Jas beating
a coJ and a bull Jith a club, as if they had no oJnerH
P8-PO-T
The principal sign of the age of >ali is that lower'caste
10dras, i.e., men without brahminical culture and spiritual
initiation, will be dressed like administrators or kings, and
the principal business of such non'k.atriya rulers will be to
kill the innocent animals, especially the cows and the bulls,
who shall be unprotected by their masters, the bona fide
(ai1yas, the mercantile community. n the Bhagavad-gt
3,..MM6, it is said that the (ai1yas are meant to deal in
agriculture, cow protection and trade. n the age of >ali, the
degraded (ai1yas, the mercantile men, are engaged in
supplying cows to slaughterhouses. The k.atriyas are meant
to protect the citi)ens of the state, whereas the (ai1yas are
meant to protect the cows and bulls and utili)e them to
produce grains and milk. The cow is meant to deliver milk,
and the bull is meant to produce grains. %ut in the age of
>ali, the 10dra class of men are in the posts of
administrators, and the cows and bulls, or the mothers and
the fathers, unprotected by the (ai1yas, are sub2ected to the
slaughterhouses organi)ed by the 10dra administrators.
T!T N
':=; $a:QaalR>a'l;R $aeh#Tai$a' ib%(aTa$a2 9
'ePa$aa#a; Padke6#a Sa?d#Ta; B8d3TaaioTa$a2 99 N 99
(4.a- m45'la%dha(ala-
mehantam i(a bibhyatam
(e"am'na- "adaikena
s$danta- 10dra%t';itam
S(#O#($S
(4.amZthe bullV m45'la%dha(alamZas white as a white lotusV
mehantamZurinatingV i(aZas ifV bibhyatamZbeing too afraidV
(e"am'namZtremblingV "ad' ekenaZstanding on only one
legV s$dantamZterrifiedV 10dra%t';itamZbeing beaten by a
10dra.
T-A#SLATIO#
The bull Jas as Jhite as a Jhite lotus floJerH Ie Jas terrified of
the wddra Jho Jas beating hi@, and he Jas so afraid that he Jas
standing on one leg, tre@bling and urinatingH
P8-PO-T
The ne:t symptom of the age of >ali is that principles of
religion, which are all spotlessly white, like the white lotus
flower, will be attacked by the uncultured 10dra population of
the age. They may be descendants of br'hma5a or k.atriya
forefathers, but in the age of >ali, for want of sufficient
education and culture of !edic wisdom, such a 10dra%like
population will defy the principles of religion, and persons
who are religiously endowed will be terrified by such men.
They will declare themselves as adherents of no religious
principles, and many DismsF and cults will spring up in >ali'
yuga only to kill the spotless bull of religion. The state will be
declared to be secular, or without any particular principle of
religion, and as a result there will be total indifference to the
principles of religion. The citi)ens will be free to act as they
like, without respect for s'dh!, 1'stra and g!r!. The bull
standing on one leg indicates that the principles of religion
are gradually diminishing. ;ven the fragmental e:istence of
religious principles will be embarrassed by so many
obstacles as if in the trembling condition of falling down at
any time.
T!T X
&aa; c >a$a-dugaa; d?#aa; %a:!a; B8d3PadahTaa$a2 9
i''TSaa$aaBOu'd#aa; Uaa$aa; (a'Sai$aCcTa?$a2 99 X 99
g'- ca dharma%d!gh'- d$n'-
bh41a- 10dra%"ad'hat'm
(i(ats'm '1r!%(adan'-
k.'m'- ya(asam icchat$m
S(#O#($S
g'mZthe cowV caZalsoV dharma%d!gh'mZbeneficial because
one can draw religion from herV d$n'mZnow rendered poorV
bh41amZdistressedV 10draZthe lower casteV "ada%'hat'mZ
beaten on the legsV (i(ats'mZwithout any calfV '1r!%(adan'm
Zwith tears in her eyesV k.'m'mZvery weakV ya(asamZ
grassV icchat$mZas if desiring to have some grass to eat.
T-A#SLATIO#
Although the coJ is beneficial because one can draJ religious
principles fro@ her, she Jas noJ rendered poor and calflessH Ier
legs Jere being beaten by a wddraH There Jere tears in her eyes,
and she Jas distressed and JeakH She Jas hankering after so@e
grass in the fieldH
P8-PO-T
The ne:t symptom of the age of >ali is the distressed
condition of the cow. Milking the cow means drawing the
principles of religion in a li(uid form. The great 4.is and
m!nis would live only on milk. <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=
would go to a householder while he was milking a cow, and
he would simply take a little (uantity of it for subsistence.
;ven fifty years ago, no one would deprive a s'dh! of a (uart
or two of milk, and every householder would give milk like
water. Hor a $an"tanist 3a follower of !edic principles6 it is
the duty of every householder to have cows and bulls as
household paraphernalia, not only for drinking milk, but also
for deriving religious principles. The $an"tanist worships
cows on religious principles and respects br'hma5as. The
cowJs milk is re(uired for the sacrificial fire, and by
performing sacrifices the householder can be happy. The
cowJs calf not only is beautiful to look at, but also gives
satisfaction to the cow, and so she delivers as much milk as
possible. %ut in the >ali'yuga, the calves are separated from
the cows as early as possible for purposes which may not be
mentioned in these pages of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. The cow
stands with tears in her eyes, the 10dra milkman draws milk
from the cow artificially, and when there is no milk the cow is
sent to be slaughtered. These greatly sinful acts are
responsible for all the troubles in present society. 1eople do
not know what they are doing in the name of economic
development. The influence of >ali will keep them in the
darkness of ignorance. 7espite all endeavors for peace and
prosperity, they must try to see the cows and the bulls
happy in all respects. Hoolish people do not know how one
earns happiness by making the cows and bulls happy, but it
is a fact by the law of nature. Eet us take it from the
authority of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam and adopt the principles for
the total happiness of humanity.
T!T Z
PaPaOCc rQa$aa~t0 k6aTa-S'rPairCcd$a2 9
$aega&a$%a?r(aa 'aca Sa$aaraeiPaTak6a$au-k60 99 Z 99
"a"raccha ratham 'r0;ha*
k'rtas(ara%"aricchadam
megha%gambh$ray' ('c'
sam'ro"ita%k'rm!ka*
S(#O#($S
"a"racchaZin(uiredV rathamZchariotV 'r0;ha*Zseated onV
k'rtas(araZgoldV "aricchadamZembossed withV meghaZ
cloudV gambh$ray'Ze:oneratingV ('c'ZsoundV sam'ro"itaZ
well e(uippedV k'rm!ka*Zarrows and bow.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, Jell e?uipped Jith arroJs and boJ and seated
on a gold6e@bossed chariot, spoke to hi@ Othe wddra3 Jith a deep
'oice sounding like thunderH
P8-PO-T
An administrative head or king like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, with
full ma2estic authority, well e(uipped with weapons to
chastise miscreants, can challenge the agents of the age of
>ali. Then only will it be possible to counteract the degraded
age. And in the absence of such strong e:ecutive heads,
there is always disruption of tran(uillity. The elected show'
bottle e:ecutive head, as representative of a degraded
public, cannot be e(ual with a strong king like Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it. The dress or style of royal order does not count. t
is oneJs actions which are counted.
T!T [
k6ST'; $aCcrQae lRaeke6 blRap;S(ablRa#a2 blRI 9
#arde'ae+iSa 'e=eQa #a1u'Tk6$a-Qaaij)a0 99 [ 99
kas t(a- mac%chara5e loke
bal'd dha-sy abal'n bal$
nara%de(o 2si (e.e5a
na<a(at karma5'd(i)a*
S(#O#($S
ka*Zwho areV t(amZyouV matZmyV 1ara5eZunder
protectionV lokeZin this worldV bal'tZby forceV ha-siZkillingV
abal'nZthose who are helplessV bal$Zalthough full of
strengthV nara%de(a*Zman'godV asiZappear to beV (e.e5aZ
by your dressV na<a%(atZlike a theatrical playerV karma5'Zby
deedsV ad(i%)a*Za man not twice'born by culture.
T-A#SLATIO#
Oh, Jho are youW (ou appear to be strong and yet you dare kill,
Jithin @y protection, those Jho are helplesst Ky your dress you
pose yourself to be a godly @an Oking3, but by your deeds you are
opposing the principles of the tJice6born kEatriyasH
P8-PO-T
The br'hma5as, k.atriyas and (ai1yas are called twice'born
because for these higher classes of men there is one birth by
parental con2ugation and there is another birth of cultural
re2uvenation by spiritual initiation from the bona fide 'c'rya,
or spiritual master. $o a k.atriya is also twice'born like a
br'hma5a, and his duty is to give protection to the helpless.
The k.atriya king is considered to be the representative of
8od to give protection to the helpless and chastise the
miscreants. Whenever there are anomalies in this routine
work by the administrators, there is an incarnation of the
Eord to reestablish the principles of a godly kingdom. n the
age of >ali, the poor helpless animals, especially the cows,
which are meant to receive all sorts of protection from the
administrative heads, are killed without restriction. Thus the
administrative heads under whose noses such things happen
are representatives of 8od in name only. $uch powerful
administrators are rulers of the poor citi)ens by dress or
office, but factually they are worthless, lower'class men
without the cultural assets of the twice'born. Ko one can
e:pect 2ustice or e(uality of treatment from once'born
3spiritually uncultured6 lower'class men. Therefore in the age
of >ali everyone is unhappy due to the maladministration of
the state. The modern human society is not twice'born by
spiritual culture. Therefore the peopleJs government, by the
people who are not twice'born, must be a government of >ali
in which everyone is unhappy.
T!T \
(aST'; k:6.Qae &aTae d8r; Sah&aaQo?'>a#'#aa 9
!aaeC(aae+S(a!aaeC(aa#a2 rhiSa PaOhr#a2 '>a$ah-iSa 99 \ 99
yas t(a- k4.5e gate d0ra-
saha%g'5;$(a%dhan(an'
1ocyo 2sy a1ocy'n rahasi
"raharan (adham arhasi
S(#O#($S
ya*Zon account ofV t(amZyou rogueV k4.5eZEord >?@AaV
gateZhaving gone awayV d0ramZout of sightV sahaZalong
withV g'5;$(aZthe bow named 8"AQ=vaV dhan(an'Zthe
carrier, Ar2unaV 1ocya*ZculpritV asiZyou are consideredV
a1ocy'nZinnocentV rahasiZin a secluded placeV "raharanZ
beatingV (adhamZto be killedV arhasiZdeserve.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou rogue, do you dare beat an innocent coJ because Lord CDEFa
and Ar/una, the carrier of the &LFhB'a boJ, are out of sightW Since
you are beating the innocent in a secluded place, you are
considered a culprit and therefore deser'e to be killedH
P8-PO-T
n a civili)ation where 8od is conspicuously banished, and
there is no devotee warrior like Ar2una, the associates of the
age of >ali take advantage of this lawless kingdom and
arrange to kill innocent animals like the cow in secluded
slaughterhouses. $uch murderers of animals stand to be
condemned to death by the order of a pious king like
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. Hor a pious king, the culprit who kills an
animal in a secluded place is punishable by the death
penalty, e:actly like a murderer who kills an innocent child in
a secluded place.
T!T ]
T'; 'a $a:QaalR>a'lR0 Paad#(a8-#a0 Pada cr#a2 9
':=~PaeQa ik;6 k6i,d2 de'ae #a0 PairYed(a#a2 99 ] 99
t(a- (' m45'la%dha(ala*
"'dair ny0na* "ad' caran
(4.a%r0"e5a ki- ka1cid
de(o na* "arikhedayan
S(#O#($S
t(amZyouV ('ZeitherV m45'la%dha(ala*Zas white as a lotusV
"'dai*Zof three legsV ny0na*Zbeing deprivedV "ad'Zon one
legV caranZmovingV (4.aZbullV r0"e5aZin the form ofV kimZ
whetherV ka1citZsomeoneV de(a*ZdemigodV na*ZusV
"arikhedayanZcausing grief.
T-A#SLATIO#
Then he O$ahLrL/a ParBkEit3 asked the bulle Oh, Jho are youW Are
you a bull as Jhite as a Jhite lotus, or are you a de@igodW (ou
ha'e lost three of your legs and are @o'ing on only oneH Are you
so@e de@igod causing us grief in the for@ of a bullW
P8-PO-T
At least up to the time of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, no one could
imagine the wretched conditions of the cow and the bull.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, therefore, was astonished to see such a
horrible scene. He in(uired whether the bull was not a
demigod assuming such a wretched condition to indicate the
future of the cow and the bull.
T!T ^
#a )aaTau k6ar'e#d3aQaa; daed-QoPairri$%aTae 9
%a8TaleR+#auPaTa#T(aiS$a#a2 i'#aa Tae PaOaiQa#aa; Buc0 99
^ 99
na )'t! ka!ra(endr'5'-
dorda5;a%"arirambhite
bh0%tale 2n!"atanty asmin
(in' te "r'5in'- 1!ca*
S(#O#($S
naZnotV )'t!Zat any timeV ka!ra(a%indr'5'mZof the kings in
the >uru dynastyV dorda5;aZstrength of armsV "arirambhiteZ
protected byV bh0%taleZon the surface of the earthV
an!"atantiZgrievingV asminZup till nowV (in'Zsave and
e:ceptV teZyouV "r'5in'mZof the living beingV 1!ca*Ztears
in the eyes.
T-A#SLATIO#
#oJ for the first ti@e in a kingdo@ Jell protected by the ar@s of
the kings of the Curu dynasty, I see you grie'ing Jith tears in your
eyesH 8p till noJ no one on earth has e'er shed tears because of
royal negligenceH
P8-PO-T
The protection of the lives of both the human beings and the
animals is the first and foremost duty of a government. A
government must not discriminate in such principles. t is
simply horrible for a pure'hearted soul to see organi)ed
animal'killing by the state in this age of >ali. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it was lamenting for the tears in the eyes of the bull,
and he was astonished to see such an unprecedented thing
in his good kingdom. Men and animals were e(ually
protected as far as life was concerned. That is the way in
8odJs kingdom.
T!T _
$aa Saar%ae(aa<a Bucae G(aeTau Tae ':=lRad2 %a(a$a2 9
$aa raed?r$b %ad3; Tae YlRa#aa; $ai(a !aaSTair 99 _ 99
m' sa!rabhey'tra 1!co
(yet! te (4.al'd bhayam
m' rod$r amba bhadra- te
khal'n'- mayi 1'stari
S(#O#($S
m'Zdo notV sa!rabheyaZ9 son of $urabhiV atraZin my
kingdomV 1!ca*ZlamentationV (yet!Zlet there beV teZyourV
(4.al'tZby the 10draC bhayamZcause of fearV m'Zdo notV
rod$*ZcryV ambaZmother cowV bhadramZall goodV teZunto
youV khal'n'mZof the enviousV mayiZwhile am livingV
1'stariZthe ruler or subduer.
T-A#SLATIO#
O son of Surabhi, you need la@ent no longer noJH There is no need
to fear this loJ6class wddraH And, O @other coJ, as long as I a@
li'ing as the ruler and subduer of all en'ious @en, there is no cause
for you to cryH 'erything Jill be good for youH
P8-PO-T
1rotection of bulls and cows and all other animals can be
possible only when there is a state ruled by an e:ecutive
head like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it addresses
the cow as mother, for he is a cultured, twice'born, k.atriya
king. S!rabhi is the name of the cows which e:ist in the
spiritual planets and are especially reared by Eord <r= >?@Aa
Himself. As men are made after the form and features of the
$upreme Eord, so also the cows are made after the form and
features of the s!rabhi cows in the spiritual kingdom. n the
material world the human society gives all protection to the
human being, but there is no law to protect the descendants
of $urabhi, who can give all protection to men by supplying
the miracle food, milk. %ut Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it and the
1"AQavas were fully conscious of the importance of the cow
and bull, and they were prepared to punish the cow'killer
with all chastisement, including death. There has sometimes
been agitation for the protection of the cow, but for want of
pious e:ecutive heads and suitable laws, the cow and the
bull are not given protection. The human society should
recogni)e the importance of the cow and the bull and thus
give all protection to these important animals, following in
the footsteps of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. Hor protecting the cows
and brahminical culture, the Eord, who is very kind to the
cow and the br'hma5as 3go%br'hma5a%hit'ya6, will be pleased
with us and will bestow upon us real peace.
T!TS "`""
(aS(a ran|e PaO)aa0 Sa'a-ES(a#Tae Saa>G(aSaa>aui%a0 9
TaS(a $ataS(a #a!(ai#Ta k6IiTa-ra(au%a-&aae &aiTa0 99 "` 99
V= ra/a; Parae >a$aae- 7aTaa-#aa$aaiTa-i#a&a3h0 9
ATa V#a; 'i>a.(aai$a %a8Tad3uh$aSata$a$a2 99 "" 99
yasya r'.<re "ra)'* sar('s
trasyante s'dh(y as'dh!bhi*
tasya mattasya na1yanti
k$rtir 'y!r bhago gati*
e.a r'),'- "aro dharmo
hy 'rt'n'm 'rti%nigraha*
ata ena- (adhi.y'mi
bh0ta%dr!ham asattamam
S(#O#($S
yasyaZone whoseV r'.<reZin the stateV "ra)'*Zliving
beingsV sar('*Zone and allV trasyanteZare terrifiedV s'dh(iZ
9 chaste oneV as'dh!bhi*Zby the miscreantsV tasyaZhisV
mattasyaZof the illusionedV na1yantiZvanishesV k$rti*ZfameV
'y!*Zduration of lifeV bhaga*ZfortuneV gati*Zgood rebirthV
e.a*Zthese areV r'),'mZof the kingsV "ara*ZsuperiorV
dharma*ZoccupationV hiZcertainlyV 'rt'n'mZof the
sufferersV 'rtiZsufferingsV nigraha*ZsubduingV ata*Z
thereforeV enamZthis manV (adhi.y'miZ shall killV bh0ta%
dr!hamZrevolter against other living beingsV asat%tamamZ
the most wretched.
T-A#SLATIO#
O chaste one, the kingrs good na@e, duration of life and good
rebirth 'anish Jhen all kinds of li'ing beings are terrified by
@iscreants in his kingdo@H It is certainly the pri@e duty of the king
to subdue first the sufferings of those Jho sufferH Therefore I @ust
kill this @ost Jretched @an because he is 'iolent against other
li'ing beingsH
P8-PO-T
When there is some disturbance caused by wild animals in a
village or town, the police or others take action to kill them.
$imilarly, it is the duty of the government to kill at once all
bad social elements such as thieves, dacoits and murderers.
The same punishment is also due to animal'killers because
the animals of the state are also the "ra)'. ra)' means one
who has taken birth in the state, and this includes both men
and animals. Any living being who takes birth in a state has
the primary right to live under the protection of the king. The
2ungle animals are also sub2ect to the king, and they also
have a right to live. $o what to speak of domestic animals
like the cows and bulls.
Any living being, if he terrifies other living beings, is a most
wretched sub2ect, and the king should at once kill such a
disturbing element. As the wild animal is killed when it
creates disturbances, similarly any man who unnecessarily
kills or terrifies the 2ungle animals or other animals must be
punished at once. %y the law of the $upreme Eord, all living
beings, in whatever shape they may be, are the sons of the
Eord, and no one has any right to kill another animal, unless
it is so ordered by the codes of natural law. The tiger can kill
a lower animal for his subsistence, but a man cannot kill an
animal for his subsistence. That is the law of 8od, who has
created the law that a living being subsists by eating another
living being. Thus the vegetarians are also living by eating
other living beings. Therefore, the law is that one should live
only by eating specific living beings, as ordained by the law
of 8od. The U1o"ani.ad directs that one should live by the
direction of the Eord and not at oneJs sweet will. A man can
subsist on varieties of grains, fruits and milk ordained by
8od, and there is no need of animal food, save and e:cept in
particular cases.
The illusioned king or e:ecutive head, even though
sometimes advertised as a great philosopher and learned
scholar, will allow slaughterhouses in the state without
knowing that torturing poor animals clears the way to hell for
such foolish kings or e:ecutive heads. The e:ecutive head
must always be alert to the safety of the "ra)'s, both man
and animal, and in(uire whether a particular living being is
harassed at any place by another living being. The harassing
living being must at once be caught and put to death, as
shown by Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it.
The peopleJs government, or government by the people,
should not allow killing of innocent animals by the sweet will
of foolish government men. They must know the codes of
8od, as mentioned in the revealed scriptures. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it (uotes here that according to the codes of 8od the
irresponsible king or state e:ecutive 2eopardi)es his good
name, duration of life, power and strength and ultimately his
progressive march towards a better life and salvation after
death. $uch foolish men do not even believe in the e:istence
of a ne:t life.
While commenting on this particular verse, we have in our
presence the statement of a great modern politician who has
recently died and left his will, which discloses his poor fund
of knowledge of the codes of 8od mentioned by Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it. The politician was so ignorant of the codes of 8od
that he writesC D do not believe in any such ceremonies, and
to submit to them, even as a matter of form, would be
hypocrisy and an attempt to delude ourselves and others...
have no religious sentiment in the matter.F
*ontrasting these statements of a great politician in the
modern age with those of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, we find a vast
difference. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was pious according to the
scriptural codes, whereas the modern politician goes by his
personal belief and sentiments. Any great man of the
material world is, after all, a conditioned soul. He is bound by
his hands and feet by the ropes of material nature, and still
the foolish conditioned soul thinks of himself as free to act
by his whimsical sentiments. The conclusion is that people in
the time of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it were happy, and the animals
were given proper protection because the e:ecutive head
was not whimsical or ignorant of 8odJs law. Hoolish, faithless
creatures try to avoid the e:istence of the Eord and proclaim
themselves secular at the cost of valuable human life. The
human life is especially meant for knowing the science of
8od, but foolish creatures, especially in this age of >ali,
instead of knowing 8od scientifically, make propaganda
against religious belief as well as the e:istence of 8od, even
though they are always bound by the laws of 8od by the
symptoms of birth, death, old age and disease.
T!T "N
k6ae+':,Ta2 Ta' Paada;E?#a2 Saar%ae(a cTau.Pad 9
$aa %a8';ST'ad:!aa ran|e ra/a; k:6.Qaa#au'iTa-#aa$a2 99
"N 99
ko 2(41cat ta(a "'d'-s tr$n
sa!rabheya cat!.%"ada
m' bh0(a-s t('d41' r'.<re
r'),'- k4.5'n!(artin'm
S(#O#($S
ka*Zwho is heV a(41catZcut offV ta(aZyourV "'d'nZlegsV
tr$nZthreeV sa!rabheyaZ9 son of $urabhiV cat!*%"adaZyou
are four'leggedV m'Znever to beV bh0(anZit so happenedV
t('d41'*Zas yourselfV r'.<reZin the stateV r'),'mZof the
kingsV k4.5a%an!(artin'mZthose who follow the codes of
>?@Aa, the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie O$ahLrL/a ParBkEit3 repeatedly addressed and ?uestioned the
bull thuse O son of Surabhi, Jho has cut off your three legsW In the
state of the kings Jho are obedient to the laJs of the Supre@e
Personality of &odhead, CDEFa, there is no one as unhappy as youH
P8-PO-T
The kings or the e:ecutive heads of all states must know the
codes of Eord >?@Aa 3generally &haga(ad%g$t' and #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam6 and must act accordingly in order to fulfill the
mission of human life, which is to make an end to all
miseries of material conditions. 9ne who knows the codes of
Eord >?@Aa can achieve this end without any difficulty. n the
&haga(ad%g$t', in a synopsis, we can understand the codes of
8odhead, and in the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam the same codes are
e:plained further.
n a state where the codes of >?@Aa are followed, no one is
unhappy. Where such codes are not followed, the first sign is
that three legs of the representative of religion are cut off,
and thereby all miseries follow. When >?@Aa was personally
present, the codes of >?@Aa were being followed without
(uestion, but in His absence such codes are presented in the
pages of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam for the guidance of the blind
persons who happen to be at the helm of all affairs.
T!T "X
Aae(aaih ':= %ad3; '0 Saa>a8#aa$ak:6Taa&aSaa$a2 9
AaT$a'~P(ak6Taa-r; PaaQaa-#aa; k6IiTa-d8=Qa$a2 99 "X 99
'khy'hi (4.a bhadra- (a*
s'dh0n'm ak4t'gas'm
'tma%(air0"ya%kart'ra-
"'rth'n'- k$rti%d0.a5am
S(#O#($S
'khy'hiZ2ust let me knowV (4.aZ9 bullV bhadramZgoodV (a*
Zfor youV s'dh0n'mZof the honestV ak4ta%'gas'mZof those
who are offenselessV 'tma%(air0"yaZdeformation of the selfV
kart'ramZthe doerV "'rth'n'mZof the sons of 1?th"V k$rti%
d0.a5amZblackmailing the reputation.
T-A#SLATIO#
O bull, you are offenseless and thoroughly honest therefore I Jish
all good to youH Please tell @e of the perpetrator of these
@utilations, Jhich black@ail the reputation of the sons of PDthLH
P8-PO-T
The reputation of the reign of Mah"r"2a 0"macandra and
that of the kings who followed in the footsteps of Mah"r"2a
0"macandra, like the 1"AQavas and their descendants, are
never to be forgotten because in their kingdom offenseless
and honest living beings were never in trouble. The bull and
the cow are the symbols of the most offenseless living
beings because even the stool and urine of these animals
are utili)ed to benefit human society. The descendants of
the sons of 1?th", like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, were afraid of
losing their reputations, but in the modern days the leaders
are not even afraid of killing such offenseless animals.
Herein lies the difference between the reign of those pious
kings and the modern states ruled by irresponsible e:ecutive
heads without knowledge of the codes of 8od.
T!T "Z
)a#ae+#aa&aS(aga; (aui#a2 Sa'-Taae+S(a c $aS(a$a2 9
Saa>a8#aa; %ad3$ae' S(aadSaa>aud$a#ae k:6Tae 99 "Z 99
)ane 2n'gasy agha- y!,)an
sar(ato 2sya ca mad%bhayam
s'dh0n'- bhadram e(a sy'd
as'dh!%damane k4te
S(#O#($S
)aneZto the living beingsV an'gasiZthose who are
offenselessV aghamZsufferingsV y!,)anZby applyingV sar(ata*
Zanywhere and everywhereV asyaZof such offendersV caZ
andV mat%bhayamZfear meV s'dh0n'mZof the honest
personsV bhadramZgood fortuneV e(aZcertainlyV sy'tZwill
take placeV as'dh!Zdishonest miscreantsV damaneZcurbedV
k4teZbeing so done.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhoe'er causes offenseless li'ing beings to suffer @ust fear @e
anyJhere and e'eryJhere in the JorldH Ky curbing dishonest
@iscreants, one auto@atically benefits the offenselessH
P8-PO-T
7ishonest miscreants flourish because of cowardly and
impotent e:ecutive heads of state. %ut when the e:ecutive
heads are strong enough to curb all sorts of dishonest
miscreants, in any part of the state, certainly they cannot
flourish. When the miscreants are punished in an e:emplary
manner, automatically all good fortune follows. As said
before, it is the prime duty of the king or the e:ecutive head
to give protection in all respects to the peaceful, offenseless
citi)ens of the state. The devotees of the Eord are by nature
peaceful and offenseless, and therefore it is the prime duty
of the state to arrange to convert everyone to become a
devotee of the Eord. Thus automatically there will be
peaceful, offenseless citi)ens. Then the only duty of the king
will be to curb the dishonest miscreants. That will bring
about peace and harmony all over human society.
T!T "[
A#aa&a0iS'h %a8Tae=u (a Aa&aSk:6ikrM2ku6!a0 9
AahTaa-iS$a %au)a; SaaUaad$aT(a-S(aaiPa Saald$a2 99 "[ 99
an'ga*s( iha bh0te.!
ya 'gas%k4n nira3k!1a*
'hart'smi bh!)a- s'k.'d
amartyasy'"i s'3gadam
S(#O#($S
an'ga*s! ihaZto the offenselessV bh0te.!Zliving beingsV ya*
Zthe personV 'ga*%k4tZcommits offenseV nira3k!1a*Z
upstartV 'hart' asmiZ shall bring forthV bh!)amZarmsV s'k.'t
ZdirectlyV amartyasya a"iZeven one who is a demigodV sa%
a3gadamZwith decorations and armor.
T-A#SLATIO#
An upstart li'ing being Jho co@@its offenses by torturing those
Jho are offenseless shall be directly uprooted by @e, e'en though
he be a deni=en of hea'en Jith ar@or and decorationsH
P8-PO-T
The deni)ens of the heavenly kingdom are called amara, or
deathless, due to their possessing a long span of life, far
greater than that of the human beings. Hor a human being,
who has only a ma:imum one'hundred'year duration of life,
a span of life spreading over millions of years is certainly
considered to be deathless. Hor e:ample, from the &haga(ad%
g$t' we learn that on the %rahmaloka planet the duration of
one day is calculated to be M,\NN,NNN : ,,NNN solar years.
$imilarly, in other heavenly planets one day is calculated to
be si: months of this planet, and the inhabitants get a life of
ten million of their years. Therefore, in all higher planets,
since the span of life is far greater than that of the human
being, the deni)ens are called deathless by imagination,
although actually no one within the material universe is
deathless.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it challenges even such deni)ens of heaven
if they torture the offenseless. This means that the state
e:ecutive head must be as strong as Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it so
that he may be determined to punish the strongest
offenders. t should be the principle of a state e:ecutive
head that the offender of the codes of 8od is always
punished.
T!T "\
ra/ae ih Par$aae >a$a-0 S'>a$a-SQaa#auPaalR#a$a2 9
!aaSaTaae+#(aa#a2 (aQaa!aaE$a#aaPa*uTPaQaai#ah 99 "\ 99
r'),o hi "aramo dharma*
s(a%dharma%sth'n!"'lanam
1'sato 2ny'n yath'%1'stram
an'"ady !t"ath'n iha
S(#O#($S
r'),a*Zof the king or the e:ecutive headV hiZcertainlyV
"arama*ZsupremeV dharma*Zoccupational dutyV s(a%
dharma%sthaZone who is faithful to his prescribed dutyV
an!"'lanamZgiving protection alwaysV 1'sata*Zwhile rulingV
any'nZothersV yath'Zaccording toV 1'stramZrulings of
scripturesV an'"adiZwithout dangerV !t"ath'nZpersons going
astrayV ihaZas a matter of fact.
T-A#SLATIO#
The supre@e duty of the ruling king is to gi'e all protection to laJ6
abiding persons and to chastise those Jho stray fro@ the
ordinances of the scriptures in ordinary ti@es, Jhen there is no
e@ergencyH
P8-PO-T
n the scriptures there is mention of '"ad%dharma, or
occupational duty at times of e:traordinary happenings. t is
said that sometimes the great sage !iPv"mitra had to live on
the flesh of dogs in some e:traordinary dangerous position.
n cases of emergency, one may be allowed to live on the
flesh of animals of all description, but that does not mean
that there should be regular slaughterhouses to feed the
animal'eaters and that this system should he encouraged by
the state. Ko one should try to live on flesh in ordinary times
simply for the sake of the palate. f anyone does so, the king
or the e:ecutive head should punish him for gross
en2oyment.
There are regular scriptural in2unctions for different persons
engaged in different occupational duties, and one who
follows them is called s(adharma%stha, or faithful in oneJs
prescribed duties. n the Bhagavad-gt 3,..M.6 it is advised
that one should not give up his occupational prescribed
duties, even if they are not always flawless. $uch s(a%dharma
might be violated in cases of emergency, if one is forced by
circumstances, but they cannot be violated in ordinary
times. The state e:ecutive head is to see that such s(a%
dharma is not changed by the follower, whatever it may be,
and he should give all protection to the follower of s(a%
dharma. The violator is sub2ect to punishment in terms of the
1'stra, and the duty of the king is to see that everyone
strictly follows his occupational duty, as prescribed in the
scripture.
T!T "]
>a$a- o'ac
VTad2 '0 PaaQo'e(aa#aa; (auv6$aaTaa-%a(a; 'c0 9
(ae=a; &auQa&aQa0 k:6.Qaae daT(aada %a&a'a#a2 k:6Ta0 99
"] 99
dharma !('ca
etad (a* "'5;a(ey'n'-
y!ktam 'rt'bhaya- (aca*
ye.'- g!5a%ga5ai* k4.5o
da!ty'da! bhaga('n k4ta*
S(#O#($S
dharma* !('caZthe personality of religion saidV etatZall
theseV (a*Zby youV "'5;a(ey'n'mZof those who are in the
1"AQava dynastyV y!ktamZ2ust befittingV 'rtaZthe suffererV
abhayamZfreedom from all fearsV (aca*ZspeechesV ye.'mZ
thoseV g!5a%ga5ai*Zby the (ualificationsV k4.5a*Zeven Eord
>?@AaV da!tya%'da!Zthe duty of a messenger, etc.V bhaga('n
Zthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV k4ta*Zperformed.
T-A#SLATIO#
The personality of religion saide These Jords /ust spoken by you
befit a person of the PLFha'a dynastyH Capti'ated by the
de'otional ?ualities of the PLFha'as, e'en Lord CDEFa, the
Personality of &odhead, perfor@ed duties as a @essengerH
P8-PO-T
The assurances and challenges made by Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
are never e:aggerations of his real power. The Mah"r"2a said
that even the deni)ens of heaven could not escape his
stringent government if they were violators of religious
principles. He was not falsely proud, for a devotee of the
Eord is e(ually as powerful as the Eord or sometimes more
powerful by His grace, and any promise made by a devotee,
though it may be ordinarily very difficult to fulfill, is properly
e:ecuted by the grace of the Eord. The 1"AQavas, by their
unalloyed devotional service and full surrender unto the
Eord, made it possible for the Eord to become a chariot
driver or sometimes their letter messenger. $uch duties
e:ecuted by the Eord for His devotee are always very
pleasing to the Eord because the Eord wants to render
service to His unalloyed devotee, whose life has no other
engagement than to serve the Eord with full love and
devotion. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, grandson of Ar2una, the
celebrated friendly servitor of the Eord, was a pure devotee
of the Eord like his grandfather, and therefore the Eord was
always with him, even from the time when he was helplessly
lying in the womb of his mother and was attacked by the
bla)ing brahm'stra weapon of APvatth"m". A devotee is
always under the protection of the Eord, and therefore the
assurance of protection by Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it could never be
without meaning. The personality of religion accepted this
fact and thus thanked the >ing for his being true to his
e:alted position.
T!T "^
#a '(a; e6!ab?)aai#a (aTa0 S(au0 PauD==-%a 9
PauD=; Ta; i')aa#a?$aae 'aC(a%aedi'$aaeihTaa0 99 "^ 99
na (aya- kle1a%b$)'ni
yata* sy!* "!r!.ar.abha
"!r!.a- ta- (i)'n$mo
('kya%bheda%(imohit'*
S(#O#($S
naZnotV (ayamZweV kle1a%b$)'niZthe root cause of
sufferingsV yata*ZwherefromV sy!*Zit so happensV "!r!.a%
4.abhaZ9 greatest of all human beingsV "!r!.amZthe
personV tamZthatV (i)'n$ma*ZknowV ('kya%bhedaZdifference
of opinionV (imohit'*Zbewildered by.
T-A#SLATIO#
O greatest a@ong hu@an beings, it is 'ery difficult to ascertain the
particular @iscreant Jho has caused our sufferings, because Je
are beJildered by all the different opinions of theoretical
philosophersH
P8-PO-T
There are many theoretical philosophers in the world who
put forward their own theories of cause and effect especially
about the cause of suffering and its effect on different living
beings. 8enerally there are si: great philosophersC >aA"da,
the author of !aiPe@ika philosophyV 8autama, the author of
logicV 1ata^2ali, the author of mystic yogaC >apila, the author
of $"Ikhya philosophyV Oaimini, the author of >arma'
m=m"[s"V and !y"sadeva, the author of !ed"nta'darPana.
Although the bull, or the personality of religion, and the cow,
the personality of the earth, knew perfectly well that the
personality of >ali was the direct cause of their sufferings,
still, as devotees of the Eord, they knew well also that
without the sanction of the Eord no one could inflict trouble
upon them. According to the adma !r'5a, our present
trouble is due to the fructifying of seedling sins, but even
those seedling sins also gradually fade away by e:ecution of
pure devotional service. Thus even if the devotees see the
mischief'mongers, they do not accuse them for the
sufferings inflicted. They take it for granted that the
mischief'monger is made to act by some indirect cause, and
therefore they tolerate the sufferings, thinking them to be
8od'given in small doses, for otherwise the sufferings should
have been greater.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it wanted to get a statement of accusation
against the direct mischief'monger, but they declined to give
it on the abovementioned grounds. $peculative
philosophers, however, do not recogni)e the sanction of the
EordV they try to find out the cause of sufferings in their own
way, as will be described in the following verses. According
to <r=la O=va 8osv"m=, such speculators are themselves
bewildered, and thus they cannot know that the ultimate
cause of all causes is the $upreme Eord, the 1ersonality of
8odhead.
T!T "_
ke6icd2 i'k6LPa'Sa#aa AahuraT$aa#a$aaT$a#a0 9
d'$a#(ae+Pare k6$a- S'%aa'$aPare PaO%au$a2 99 "_ 99
kecid (ikal"a%(asan'
'h!r 'tm'nam 'tmana*
dai(am anye 2"are karma
s(abh'(am a"are "rabh!m
S(#O#($S
kecitZsome of themV (ikal"a%(asan'*Zthose who deny all
kinds of dualityV 'h!*ZdeclareV 'tm'namZown selfV 'tmana*
Zof the selfV dai(amZsuperhumanV anyeZothersV a"areZ
someone elseV karmaZactivityV s(abh'(amZmaterial natureV
a"areZmany otherV "rabh!mZauthorities.
T-A#SLATIO#
So@e of the philosophers, Jho deny all sorts of duality, declare
that oners oJn self is responsible for his personal happiness and
distressH Others say that superhu@an poJers are responsible,
Jhile yet others say that acti'ity is responsible, and the gross
@aterialists @aintain that nature is the ulti@ate causeH
P8-PO-T
As referred to above, philosophers like Oaimini and his
followers establish that fruitive activity is the root cause of
all distress and happiness, and that even if there is a
superior authority, some superhuman powerful 8od or gods,
He or they are also under the influence of fruitive activity
because they reward result according to oneJs action. They
say that action is not independent because action is
performed by some performerV therefore, the performer
himself is the cause of his own happiness or distress. n the
Bhagavad-gt 35.B6 also it is confirmed that by oneJs mind,
freed from material affection, one can deliver himself from
the sufferings of material pangs. $o one should not entangle
oneself in matter by the mindJs material affections. Thus
oneJs own mind is oneJs friend or enemy in oneJs material
happiness and distress.
Atheistic, materialistic $"Ikhyaites conclude that material
nature is the cause of all causes. According to them,
combinations of material elements are the causes of
material happiness and distress, and disintegration of matter
is the cause of freedom from all material pangs. 8autama
and >aA"da find that atomic combination is the cause of
everything, and impersonalists like A@T"vakra discover that
the spiritual effulgence of %rahman is the cause of all
causes. %ut in the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord Himself declares
that He is the source of impersonal %rahman, and therefore
He, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is the ultimate cause of all
causes. t is also confirmed in the &rahma%sa-hit' that Eord
>?@Aa is the ultimate cause of all causes.
T!T N`
APaOTaC(aa-di#ade-!(aaidiTa ke6.'iPa i#a,(a0 9
A<aa#au~Pa; ra)a=e- i'$a:!a S'$a#a?=(aa 99 N` 99
a"ratarky'd anirde1y'd
iti ke.( a"i ni1caya*
atr'n!r0"a- r')ar.e
(im41a s(a%man$.ay'
S(#O#($S
a"ratarky'tZbeyond the power of reasoningV anirde1y'tZ
beyond the power of thinkingV itiZthusV ke.!ZsomeoneV a"i
ZalsoV ni1caya*Zdefinitely concludedV atraZhereinV
an!r0"amZwhich of them is rightV r')a%4.eZ9 sage amongst
the kingsV (im41aZ2udge yourselfV s(aZby your ownV
man$.ay'Zpower of intelligence.
T-A#SLATIO#
There are also so@e thinkers Jho belie'e that no one can ascertain
the cause of distress by argu@entation, nor knoJ it by
i@agination, nor eMpress it by JordsH O sage a@ongst kings, /udge
for yourself by thinking o'er all this Jith your oJn intelligenceH
P8-PO-T
The !ai@Aavites, the devotees of the Eord, do believe, as
above e:plained, that nothing can take place without the
sanction of the $upreme Eord. He is the supreme director,
for He confirms in the Bhagavad-gt 3,B.,B6 that He, as all'
pervading 1aram"tm", stays in everyoneJs heart and keeps
vigilance over all actions and witnesses all activities. The
argument of the atheist that one cannot be punished for
oneJs misdeeds unless proved before a (ualified 2ustice is
refuted herein, for we accept the perpetual witness and
constant companion of the living being. A living being may
forget all that he might have done in his past or present life,
but one must know that in the same tree of the material
body, the individual soul and the $upreme $oul as
1aram"tm" are sitting like two birds. 9ne of them, the living
being, is en2oying the fruits of the tree, whereas the
$upreme %eing is there to witness the activities. Therefore
the 1aram"tm" feature, the $upreme $oul, is actually the
witness of all activities of the living being, and only by His
direction can the living being remember or forget what he
might have done in the past. He is, therefore, both the all'
pervading impersonal %rahman and the locali)ed 1aram"tm"
in everyoneJs heart. He is the knower of all past, present and
future, and nothing can be concealed from Him. The
devotees know this truth, and therefore they discharge their
duties sincerely, without being overly an:ious for rewards.
%esides that, one cannot estimate the EordJs reactions,
either by speculation or by scholarship. Why does He put
some into difficulty and not others? He is the supreme
knower of the !edic knowledge, and thus He is the factual
!ed"ntist. At the same time He is the compiler of the
/ed'nta. Ko one is independent of Him, and everyone is
engaged in His service in different ways. n the conditioned
state, such services are rendered by the living being under
force of the material nature, whereas in the liberated state
the living being is helped by the spiritual nature in the
voluntary loving service of the Eord. There is no incongruity
or inebriety in His actions. All are on the path of Absolute
Truth. %h=@madeva correctly estimated the inconceivable
actions of the Eord. The conclusion is, therefore, that the
sufferings of the representative of religion and the
representative of the earth, as present before Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, were planned to prove that Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was
the ideal e:ecutive head because he knew well how to give
protection to the cows 3the earth6 and the br'hma5as
3religious principles6, the two pillars of spiritual
advancement. ;veryone is under the full control of the Eord.
He is (uite correct in His action when He desires something
to be done by someone, irrespective of the consideration of
the particular case. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was thus put to test
for his greatness. Kow let us see how he solves it by his
sagacious mind.
T!T N"
Sa8Ta o'ac
V'; >a$ae- PaO'diTa Sa Sa$a3ao2 ij)aSata$aa0 9
Sa$aaihTae#a $a#aSaa i'Yed0 Pa(a-cn Ta$a2 99 N" 99
s0ta !('ca
e(a- dharme "ra(adati
sa samr'; d(i)a%sattam'*
sam'hitena manas'
(ikheda* "aryaca.<a tam
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV e(amZsoV dharmeZthe
personality of religionV "ra(adatiZthus having spokenV sa*Z
heV samr'<Zthe ;mperorV d(i)a%sattam'*Z9 best among the
br'hma5asC sam'hitenaZwith proper attentionV manas'Zby
the mindV (ikheda*Zwithout any mistakeV "aryaca.<aZ
counterrepliedV tamZunto him.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide O best a@ong the brLh@aFas, the @peror
ParBkEit, thus hearing the personality of religion speak, Jas fully
satisfied, and Jithout @istake or regret he ga'e his replyH
P8-PO-T
The statement of the bull, the personality of religion, was full
of philosophy and knowledge, and the >ing was satisfied,
since he could understand that the suffering bull was not an
ordinary one. Rnless one is perfectly conversant with the law
of the $upreme Eord, one cannot speak such things touching
philosophical truths. The ;mperor, being also on an e(ual
level of sagacity, replied to the point, without doubts or
mistakes.
T!T NN
ra)aae'ac
>a$ag b3'?i= >a$a-/ >a$aae-+iSa ':=~Pa>a:k26 9
(ad>a$a-k:6Ta0 SQaa#a; Sa8ck6S(aaiPa TaS'eTa2 99 NN 99
r')o('ca
dharma- bra($.i dharma%),a
dharmo 2si (4.a%r0"a%dh4k
yad adharma%k4ta* sth'na-
s0cakasy'"i tad bha(et
S(#O#($S
r')' !('caZthe >ing saidV dharmamZreligionV bra($.iZas you
speakV dharma%),aZ9 one who knows the codes of religionV
dharma*Zthe personality of religionV asiZyou areV (4.a%r0"a%
dh4kZin the disguise of a bullV yatZwhateverV adharma%k4ta*
Zone who acts irreligiouslyV sth'namZplaceV s0cakasyaZof
the identifierV a"iZalsoV tatZthatV bha(etZbecomes.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Cing saide O you, Jho are in the for@ of a bullt (ou knoJ the
truth of religion, and you are speaking according to the principle
that the destination intended for the perpetrator of irreligious acts
is also intended for one Jho identifies the perpetratorH (ou are no
other than the personality of religionH
P8-PO-T
A devoteeJs conclusion is that no one is directly responsible
for being a benefactor or mischief'monger without the
sanction of the EordV therefore he does not consider anyone
to be directly responsible for such action. %ut in both the
cases he takes it for granted that either benefit or loss is
8od'sent, and thus it is His grace. n case of benefit, no one
will deny that it is 8od'sent, but in case of loss or reverses
one becomes doubtful about how the Eord could be so
unkind to His devotee as to put him in great difficulty. Oesus
*hrist was seemingly put into such great difficulty, being
crucified by the ignorant, but he was never angry at the
mischief'mongers. That is the way of accepting a thing,
either favorable or unfavorable. Thus for a devotee the
identifier is e(ually a sinner, like the mischief'monger. %y
8odJs grace, the devotee tolerates all reverses. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it observed this, and therefore he could understand
that the bull was no other than the personality of religion
himself. n other words, a devotee has no suffering at all
because so'called suffering is also 8odJs grace for a devotee
who sees 8od in everything. The cow and bull never placed
any complaint before the >ing for being tortured by the
personality of >ali, although everyone lodges such
complaints before the state authorities. The e:traordinary
behavior of the bull made the >ing conclude that the bull
was certainly the personality of religion, for no one else
could understand the finer intricacies of the codes of
religion.
T!T NX
AQa'a de'$aa(aa(aa #a8#a; &aiTar&aaecra 9
ceTaSaae 'cSa,aiPa %a8Taa#aai$aiTa i#a,(a0 99 NX 99
atha(' de(a%m'y'y'
n0na- gatir agocar'
cetaso (acasa1 c'"i
bh0t'n'm iti ni1caya*
S(#O#($S
atha('ZalternativelyV de(aZthe EordV m'y'y'*ZenergiesV
n0namZvery littleV gati*ZmovementV agocar'Z
inconceivableV cetasa*Zeither by the mindV (acasa*Zby
wordsV caZorV a"iZalsoV bh0t'n'mZof all living beingsV itiZ
thusV ni1caya*Zconcluded.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus it is concluded that the Lordrs energies are inconcei'ableH #o
one can esti@ate the@ by @ental speculation or by Jord /uggleryH
P8-PO-T
A (uestion may be raised as to why a devotee should refrain
from identifying an actor, although he knows definitely that
the Eord is the ultimate doer of everything. >nowing the
ultimate doer, one should not pose himself as ignorant of the
actual performer. To answer this doubt, the reply is that the
Eord is also not directly responsible, for everything is done
by His deputed m'y'%1akti, or material energy. The material
energy is always provoking doubts about the supreme
authority of the Eord. The personality of religion knew
perfectly well that nothing can take place without the
sanction of the $upreme Eord, and still he was put into
doubts by the deluding energy, and thus he refrained from
mentioning the supreme cause. This doubtfulness was due
to the contamination of both >ali and the material energy.
The whole atmosphere of the age of >ali is magnified by the
deluding energy, and the proportion of measurement is
ine:plicable.
T!T NZ
TaPa0 !aac; d(aa SaT(ai$aiTa Paada0 k:6Tae k:6Taa0 9
A>a$aag!aE(aae %a&ana0 S$a(aSal$adSTa' 99 NZ 99
ta"a* 1a!ca- day' satyam
iti "'d'* k4te k4t'*
adharm'-1ais trayo bhagn'*
smaya%sa3ga%madais ta(a
S(#O#($S
ta"a*ZausterityV 1a!camZcleanlinessV day'ZmercyV satyamZ
truthfulnessV itiZthusV "'d'*ZlegsV k4teZin the age of $atyaV
k4t'*ZestablishedV adharmaZirreligiosityV a-1ai*Zby the
partsV traya*Zthree combinedV bhagn'*ZbrokenV smayaZ
prideV sa3gaZtoo much association with womenV madai*Z
into:icationV ta(aZyour.
T-A#SLATIO#
In the age of Satya Otruthfulness3 your four legs Jere established
by the four principles of austerity, cleanliness, @ercy and
truthfulnessH Kut it appears that three of your legs are broken due
to ra@pant irreligion in the for@ of pride, lust for Jo@en, and
intoMicationH
P8-PO-T
The deluding energy, or material nature, can act upon the
living beings proportionately in terms of the living beingsJ
falling prey to the deluding attraction of m'y'. Moths are
captivated by the glaring brightness of light, and thus they
become prey to the fire. $imilarly, the deluding energy is
always captivating the conditioned souls to become prey to
the fire of delusion, and the !edic scriptures warn the
conditioned souls not to become prey to delusion but to get
rid of it. The /edas warn us to go not to the darkness of
ignorance but to the progressive path of light. The Eord
Himself also warns that the deluding power of material
energy is too powerful to overcome, but one who completely
surrenders unto the Eord can easily do so. %ut to surrender
unto the lotus feet of the Eord is also not very easy. $uch
surrender is possible by persons of austerity, cleanliness,
mercy and truthfulness. These four principles of advanced
civili)ation were remarkable features in the age of $atya. n
that age, every human being was practically a (ualified
br'hma5a of the highest order, and in the social orders of life
they were all "aramaha-sas, or the topmost in the renounced
order. %y cultural standing, the human beings were not at all
sub2ected to the deluding energy. $uch strong men of
character were competent enough to get away from the
clutches of m'y'. %ut gradually, as the basic principles of
brahminical culture, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy
and truthfulness, became curtailed by proportionate
development of pride, attachment for women and
into:ication, the path of salvation or the path of
transcendental bliss retreated far, far away from human
society. With the progression of the age of >ali, people are
becoming very proud, and attached to women and
into:ication. %y the influence of the age of >ali, even a
pauper is proud of his penny, the women are always dressed
in an overly attractive fashion to victimi)e the minds of men,
and the man is addicted to drinking wine, smoking, drinking
tea and chewing tobacco, etc. All these habits, or so'called
advancement of civili)ation, are the root causes of all
irreligiosities, and therefore it is not possible to check
corruption, bribery and nepotism. Man cannot check all
these evils simply by statutory acts and police vigilance, but
he can cure the disease of the mind by the proper medicine,
namely advocating the principles of brahminical culture or
the principles of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and
truthfulness. Modern civili)ation and economic development
are creating a new situation of poverty and scarcity with the
result of blackmailing the consumerJs commodities. f the
leaders and the rich men of the society spend fifty percent of
their accumulated wealth mercifully for the misled mass of
people and educate them in 8od consciousness, the
knowledge of &h'ga(atam, certainly the age of >ali will be
defeated in its attempt to entrap the conditioned souls. We
must always remember that false pride, or too high an
estimation of oneJs own values of life, undue attachment to
women or association with them, and into:ication will divert
human civili)ation from the path of peace, however much
the people clamor for peace in the world. The preaching of
the &h'ga(atam principles will automatically render all men
austere, clean both inside and outside, merciful to the
suffering, and truthful in daily behavior. That is the way of
correcting the flaws of human society, which are very
prominently e:hibited at the present moment.
T!T N[
Jda#a?; >a$a- PaadSTae SaT(a; i#a'-Ta-(ae*Ta0 9
Ta; i)aga:UaT(a>a$aae-+(a$a#a:Tae#ai>aTa0 k6ilR0 99 N[ 99
id'n$- dharma "'das te
satya- nir(artayed yata*
ta- )igh4k.aty adharmo 2yam
an4tenaidhita* kali*
S(#O#($S
id'n$mZat the present momentV dharmaZ9 personality of
religionV "'da*ZlegV teZof youV satyamZtruthfulnessV
nir(artayetZhobbling along somehow or otherV yata*Z
wherebyV tamZthatV )igh4k.atiZtrying to destroyV adharma*Z
the personality of irreligionV ayamZthisV an4tenaZby deceitV
edhita*ZflourishingV kali*Z(uarrel personified.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou are noJ standing on one leg only, Jhich is your truthfulness,
and you are so@ehoJ or other hobbling alongH Kut ?uarrel
personified OCali3, flourishing by deceit, is also trying to destroy
that legH
P8-PO-T
The principles of religion do not stand on some dogmas or
man'made formulas, but they stand on four primary
regulative observances, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy
and truthfulness. The mass of people must be taught to
practice these principles from childhood. Austerity means to
accept voluntarily things which may not be very comfortable
for the body but are conducive for spiritual reali)ation, for
e:ample, fasting. Hasting twice or four times a month is a
sort of austerity which may be voluntarily accepted for
spiritual reali)ation only, and not for any other purposes,
political or otherwise. Hastings which are meant not for self'
reali)ation but for some other purposes are condemned in
the Bhagavad-gt 3,4.Ba56. $imilarly, cleanliness is
necessary both for the mind and for the body. $imply bodily
cleanliness may help to some e:tent, but cleanliness of the
mind is necessary, and it is effected by glorifying the
$upreme Eord. Ko one can cleanse the accumulated mental
dust without glorifying the $upreme Eord. A godless
civili)ation cannot cleanse the mind because it has no idea
of 8od, and for this simple reason people under such a
civili)ation cannot have good (ualifications, however they
may be materially e(uipped. We have to see things by their
resultant action. The resultant action of human civili)ation in
the age of >ali is dissatisfaction, so everyone is an:ious to
get peace of mind. This peace of mind was complete in the
$atya age because of the e:istence of the above'mentioned
attributes of the human beings. 8radually these attributes
have diminished in the Tret"'yuga to three fourths, in the
7v"para to half, and in this age of >ali to one fourth, which is
also gradually diminishing on account of prevailing
untruthfulness. %y pride, either artificial or real, the resultant
action of austerity is spoiledV by too much affection for
female association, cleanliness is spoiledV by too much
addiction to into:ication, mercy is spoiledV and by too much
lying propaganda, truthfulness is spoiled. The revival of
bh'ga(ata%dharma can save human civili)ation from falling
prey to evils of all description.
T!T N\
J(a; c %a8i$a%a-&a'Taa #(aaiSaTaaeD%ara SaTa? 9
BO?$aiSSTaTPad#(aaSa0 Sa'-Ta0 k:6Tak6aTauk6a 99 N\ 99
iya- ca bh0mir bhaga(at'
ny'sitor!%bhar' sat$
1r$madbhis tat%"ada%ny'sai*
sar(ata* k4ta%ka!t!k'
S(#O#($S
iyamZthisV caZandV bh0mi*Zsurface of the earthV bhaga(at'
Zby the 1ersonality of 8odheadV ny'sitaZbeing performed
personally as well as by othersV !r!ZgreatV bhar'ZburdenV
sat$Zbeing so doneV 1r$madbhi*Zby the all'auspiciousV tatZ
thatV "ada%ny'sai*ZfootprintsV sar(ata*Zall aroundV k4taZ
doneV ka!t!k'Zgood fortune.
T-A#SLATIO#
The burden of the earth Jas certainly di@inished by the
Personality of &odhead and by others as JellH Vhen Ie Jas
present as an incarnation, all good Jas perfor@ed because of Iis
auspicious footprintsH
T!T N]
!aaecT(aBOuk6lRa Saa? du%a-&ae'aei)PTaaSaTa? 9
Ab34Q(aa #a:PaG(aa)aa0 B8d3a %aaeU(ai#Ta $aai$aiTa 99 N] 99
1ocaty a1r!%kal' s'dh($
d!rbhage(o))hit' sat$
abrahma5y' n4"a%(y')'*
10dr' bhok.yanti m'm iti
S(#O#($S
1ocatiZlamentingV a1r!%kal'Zwith tears in the eyesV s'dh($Z
the chasteV d!rbhag'Zas if the most unfortunateV i(aZlikeV
!))hit'ZforlornV sat$Zbeing so doneV abrahma5y'*Zdevoid of
brahminical cultureV n4"a%(y')'*Zposed as the rulerV 10dr'*
Zlower classV bhok.yantiZwould en2oyV m'mZmeV itiZthus.
T-A#SLATIO#
#oJ she, the chaste one, being unfortunately forsaken by the
Personality of &odhead, la@ents her future Jith tears in her eyes,
for noJ she is being ruled and en/oyed by loJer6class @en Jho
pose as rulersH
P8-PO-T
The k.atriya, or the man who is (ualified to protect the
sufferers, is meant to rule the state. Rntrained lower'class
men, or men without ambition to protect the sufferers,
cannot be placed on the seat of an administrator.
Rnfortunately, in the age of >ali the lower'class men, without
training, occupy the post of a ruler by strength of popular
votes, and instead of protecting the sufferers, such men
create a situation (uite intolerable for everyone. $uch rulers
illegally gratify themselves at the cost of all comforts of the
citi)ens, and thus the chaste mother earth cries to see the
pitiable condition of her sons, both men and animals. That is
the future of the world in the age of >ali, when irreligiosity
prevails most prominently. And in the absence of a suitable
king to curb irreligious tendencies, educating the people
systematically in the teaching of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam will
clear up the ha)y atmosphere of corruption, bribery,
blackmail, etc.
T!T N^
JiTa >a$ag $ah?; c' Saa#T'i(aT'a $aharQa0 9
i#a!aaTa$aadde Y; k6lR(ae+>a$a-heTa'e 99 N^ 99
iti dharma- mah$- cai(a
s'nt(ayit(' mah'%ratha*
ni1'tam 'dade kha;ga-
kalaye 2dharma%heta(e
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV dharmamZthe personality of religionV mah$mZthe
earthV caZalsoV e(aZasV s'nt(ayit('Zafter pacifyingV mah'%
ratha*Zthe general who could fight alone with thousands of
enemiesV ni1'tamZsharpV 'dadeZtook upV kha;gamZswordV
kalayeZto kill the personified >aliV adharmaZirreligionV heta(e
Zthe root cause.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, Jho could fight one thousand ene@ies single6
handedly, thus pacified the personality of religion and the earthH
Then he took up his sharp sJord to kill the personality of Cali, Jho
is the cause of all irreligionH
P8-PO-T
As described above, the personality of >ali is he who
deliberately commits all kinds of sinful acts which are
forbidden in the revealed scriptures. This age of >ali will
certainly be full of all activities of >ali, but this does not
mean that the leaders of society, the e:ecutive heads, the
learned and intelligent men, or above all the devotees of the
Eord should sit down tightly and become callous to the
reactions of the age of >ali. n the rainy season certainly
there will be profuse rainfalls, but that does not mean that
men should not take means to protect themselves from the
rains. t is the duty of the e:ecutive heads of state and
others to take all necessary actions against the activities of
>ali or the persons influenced by the age of >aliV and
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is the ideal e:ecutive head of the state,
for at once he was ready to kill the personality of >ali with
his sharp sword. The administrators should not simply pass
resolutions for anticorruptional steps, but they must be
ready with sharp swords to kill the persons creating
corruptions from the angle of vision of the recogni)ed
1'stras. The administrators cannot prevent corrupt activities
by allowing wine shops. They must at once close all shops of
into:icating drugs and wine and force punishment even by
death for those who indulge in habits of into:ication of all
description. That is the way of stopping the activities of >ali,
as e:hibited herein by Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, the mah'%ratha.
T!T N_
Ta; i)agaa;Sau$ai%aPaOeT(a i'ha(a #a:PalRaIc#a$a2 9
TaTPaad$a8l;R i!arSaa Sa$a&aad2 %a(ai'lR0 99 N_ 99
ta- )igh'-s!m abhi"retya
(ih'ya n4"a%l',chanam
tat%"'da%m0la- 1iras'
samag'd bhaya%(ih(ala*
S(#O#($S
tamZhimV )igh'-s!mZwilling to killV abhi"retyaZknowing it
wellV (ih'yaZleaving asideV n4"a%l',chanamZthe dress of a
kingV tat%"'da%m0lamZat his feetV 1iras'Zby the headV
samag'tZfully surrenderedV bhaya%(ih(ala*Zunder pressure
of fearfulness.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhen the personality of Cali understood that the Cing Jas Jilling
to kill hi@, he at once abandoned the dress of a king and, under
pressure of fear, co@pletely surrendered to hi@, boJing his headH
P8-PO-T
The royal dress of the personality of >ali is artificial. The
royal dress is suitable for a king or k.atriya, but when a
lower'class man artificially dresses himself as a king, his real
identity is disclosed by the challenge of a bona fide k.atriya
like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. A real k.atriya never surrenders. He
accepts the challenge of his rival k.atriya, and he fights
either to die or to win. $urrender is unknown to a real
k.atriya. n the age of >ali there are so many pretenders
dressed and posed like administrators or e:ecutive heads,
but their real identity is disclosed when they are challenged
by a real k.atriya. Therefore when the artificially dressed
personality of >ali saw that to fight Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was
beyond his ability, he bowed down his head like a
subordinate and gave up his royal dress.
T!T X`
PaiTaTa; Paad(aae'sr0 k:6Pa(aa d?#a'TSalR0 9
!arQ(aae #aa'>a?Cc2lRaeC(a Aah ced; hSaik' 99 X` 99
"atita- "'dayor ($ra*
k4"ay' d$na%(atsala*
1ara5yo n'(adh$c chlokya
'ha ceda- hasann i(a
S(#O#($S
"atitamZfallenV "'dayo*Zat the feetV ($ra*Zthe heroV k4"ay'
Zout of compassionV d$na%(atsala*Zkind to the poorV
1ara5ya*Zone who is (ualified to accept surrenderV naZnotV
a(adh$tZdid killV 1lokya*Zone who is worthy of being sungV
'haZsaidV caZalsoV idamZthisV hasanZsmilingV i(aZlike.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, Jho Jas ?ualified to accept surrender and
Jorthy of being sung in history, did not kill the poor surrendered
and fallen Cali, but s@iled co@passionately, for he Jas kind to the
poorH
P8-PO-T
;ven an ordinary k.atriya does not kill a surrendered person,
and what to speak of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, who was by nature
compassionate and kind to the poor. He was smiling because
the artificially dressed >ali had disclosed his identity as a
lower'class man, and he was thinking how ironic it was that
although no one was saved from his sharp sword when he
desired to kill, the poor lower'class >ali was spared by his
timely surrender. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs glory and kindness are
therefore sung in history. He was a kind and compassionate
emperor, fully worthy of accepting surrender even from his
enemy. Thus the personality of >ali was saved by the will of
1rovidence.
T!T X"
ra)aae'ac
#a Tae &auoake6!a(a!aae>araQaa;
bpaileR'{ %a(a$aiSTa ik6i}Ta2 9
#a 'iTa-TaG(a; %a'Taa k6Qa}#a
Uae<ae $ad?(ae T'$a>a$a-b#>au0 99 X" 99
r')o('ca
na te g!;'ke1a%ya1o%dhar'5'-
baddh',)aler (ai bhayam asti ki,cit
na (artita(ya- bha(at' katha,cana
k.etre mad$ye t(am adharma%bandh!*
S(#O#($S
r')' !('caZthe >ing saidV naZnotV teZyourV g!;'ke1aZ
Ar2unaV ya1a*%dhar'5'mZof us who inherited the fameV
baddha%a,)ale*Zone with folded handsV (aiZcertainlyV bhayam
ZfearV astiZthere isV ki,citZeven a slightV naZneitherV
(artita(yamZcan be allowed to liveV bha(at'Zby youV
katha,canaZby all meansV k.etreZin the landV mad$yeZin my
kingdomV t(amZyouV adharma%bandh!*Zthe friend of
irreligion.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Cing thus saide Ve ha'e inherited the fa@e of Ar/una
therefore since you ha'e surrendered yourself Jith folded hands
you need not fear for your lifeH Kut you cannot re@ain in @y
kingdo@, for you are the friend of irreligionH
P8-PO-T
The personality of >ali, who is the friend of all kinds of
irreligiosities, may be e:cused if he surrenders, but in all
circumstances he cannot be allowed to live as a citi)en in
any part of a welfare state. The 1"AQavas were entrusted
representatives of the 1ersonality of 8odhead, Eord >?@Aa,
who practically brought into being the %attle of >uruk@etra,
but not for any personal interest. He wanted an ideal king
like Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and his descendants like Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it to rule the world, and therefore a responsible king
like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it could not allow the friend of
irreligiosity to flourish in his kingdom at the cost of the good
fame of the 1"AQavas. That is the way of wiping out
corruption in the state, and not otherwise. The friends of
irreligiosity should be banished from the state, and that will
save the state from corruption.
T!T XN
T'a; 'Ta-$aa#a; #arde'dehex
.'#auPaO':taae+(a$a>a$a-Pa8&a0 9
lRae%aae+#a:Ta; ca(a-$a#aa(a-$a;hae
)(aefa c $aa(aa k6lRh, d$%a0 99 XN 99
t('- (artam'na- nara%de(a%dehe.(
an!"ra(4tto 2yam adharma%"0ga*
lobho 2n4ta- ca!ryam an'ryam a-ho
)ye.<h' ca m'y' kalaha1 ca dambha*
S(#O#($S
t('mZyouV (artam'namZwhile presentV nara%de(aZa man'
god, or a kingV dehe.!Zin the bodyV an!"ra(4tta*Ztaking
place everywhereV ayamZall theseV adharmaZirreligious
principlesV "0ga*Zin the massesV lobha*ZgreedV an4tamZ
falsityV ca!ryamZrobberyV an'ryamZincivilityV a-ha*Z
treacheryV )ye.<h'ZmisfortuneV caZandV m'y'ZcheatingV
kalaha*Z(uarrelV caZandV dambha*Zvanity.
T-A#SLATIO#
If the personality of Cali, irreligion, is alloJed to act as a @an6god
or an eMecuti'e head, certainly irreligious principles like greed,
falsehood, robbery, inci'ility, treachery, @isfortune, cheating,
?uarrel and 'anity Jill aboundH
P8-PO-T
The principles of religion, namely a!sterity, cleanliness, mercy
and tr!thf!lness, as we have already discussed, may be
followed by the follower of any faith. There is no need to turn
from Hindu to Mohammedan to *hristian or some other faith
and thus become a renegade and not follow the principles of
religion. The &h'ga(atam religion urges following the
"rinci"les of religion. The principles of religion are not the
dogmas or regulative principles of a certain faith. $uch
regulative principles may be different in terms of the time
and place concerned. 9ne has to see whether the aims of
religion have been achieved. $ticking to the dogmas and
formulas without attaining the real principles is not good. A
secular state may be impartial to any particular type of faith,
but the state cannot be indifferent to the principles of
religion as above'mentioned. %ut in the age of >ali, the
e:ecutive heads of state will be indifferent to such religious
principles, and therefore under their patronage the
opponents of religious principles, such as greed, falsehood,
cheating and pilfery, will naturally follow, and so there will be
no meaning to propaganda crying to stop corruption in the
state.
T!T XX
#a 'iTa-TaG(a; Tad>a$a-b#>aae
>a$ae-Qa SaT(ae#a c 'iTa-TaG(ae 9
b34a'Tae- (a<a (a)ai#Ta (a/x
(a-/eTr; (a/i'Taa#ai'/a0 99 XX 99
na (artita(ya- tad adharma%bandho
dharme5a satyena ca (artita(ye
brahm'(arte yatra ya)anti ya),air
ya),e1(araya),a%(it'na%(i),'*
S(#O#($S
naZnotV (artita(yamZdeserve to remainV tatZthereforeV
adharmaZirreligiosityV bandhoZfriendV dharme5aZwith
religionV satyenaZwith truthV caZalsoV (artita(yeZbeing
situated inV brahma%'(arteZplace where sacrifice is
performedV yatraZwhereV ya)antiZduly performV ya),ai*Zby
sacrifices or devotional servicesV ya),a%$1(aramZunto the
$upreme Eord, the 1ersonality of 8odheadV ya),aZsacrificeV
(it'naZspreadingV (i),'*Ze:perts.
T-A#SLATIO#
Therefore, O friend of irreligion, you do not deser'e to re@ain in a
place Jhere eMperts perfor@ sacrifices according to truth and
religious principles for the satisfaction of the Supre@e Personality
of &odheadH
P8-PO-T
Ya),e1(ara, or the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, is the
beneficiary of all kinds of sacrificial ceremonies. $uch
sacrificial ceremonies are prescribed differently in the
scriptures for different ages. n other words, sacrifice means
to accept the supremacy of the Eord and thereby perform
acts by which the Eord may be satisfied in all respects. The
atheists do not believe in the e:istence of 8od, and they do
not perform any sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Eord. Any
place or country where the supremacy of the Eord is
accepted and thus sacrifice is performed is called
brahm'(arta. There are different countries in different parts
of the world, and each and every country may have different
types of sacrifice to please the $upreme Eord, but the central
point in pleasing Him is ascertained in the &h'ga(atam, and it
is truthfulness. The basic principle of religion is truthfulness,
and the ultimate goal of all religions is to satisfy the Eord. n
this age of >ali, the greatest common formula of sacrifice is
the sa3k$rtana%ya),a. That is the opinion of the e:perts who
know how to propagate the process of ya),a. Eord *aitanya
preached this method of ya),a, and it is understood from this
verse that the sacrificial method of sa3k$rtana%ya),a may be
performed anywhere and everywhere in order to drive away
the personality of >ali and save human society from falling
prey to the influence of the age.
T!T XZ
(aiS$a#a2 hir%a-&a'ai#a)(a$aa#a
J)(aaT$a$a8iTa-(a-)aTaa; !a; Ta#aaeiTa 9
k6a$aa#a$aaegaa#a2 iSQar)al$aa#aax
$a#Tab-ih'a-(auir'= AaT$aa 99 XZ 99
yasmin harir bhaga('n i)yam'na
i)y'tma%m0rtir ya)at'- 1a- tanoti
k'm'n amogh'n sthira%)a3gam'n'm
antar bahir ('y!r i(ai.a 'tm'
S(#O#($S
yasminZin such sacrificial ceremoniesV hari*Zthe $upreme
EordV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV i)yam'na*Z
being worshipedV i)ya%'tmaZthe soul of all worshipable
deitiesV m0rti*Zin the formsV ya)at'mZthose who worshipV
1amZwelfareV tanotiZspreadsV k'm'nZdesiresV amogh'nZ
inviolableV sthira%)a3gam'n'mZof all the moving and
nonmovingV anta*ZwithinV bahi*ZoutsideV ('y!*ZairV i(aZ
likeV e.a*Zof all of themV 'tm'Zspirit soul.
T-A#SLATIO#
In all sacrificial cere@onies, although so@eti@es a de@igod is
Jorshiped, the Supre@e Lord Personality of &odhead is Jorshiped
because Ie is the Supersoul of e'eryone, and eMists both inside
and outside like the airH Thus it is Ie only Jho aJards all Jelfare
to the JorshiperH
P8-PO-T
t is even sometimes seen that demigods like ndra and
*andra are worshiped and offered sacrificial awards, yet the
rewards of all such sacrifices are awarded to the worshiper
by the $upreme Eord, and it is the Eord only who can offer all
welfare to the worshiper. The demigods, although worshiped,
cannot do anything without the sanction of the Eord because
the Eord is the $upersoul of everyone, both moving and
nonmoving.
n Bhagavad-gt 3-.G\6 the Eord Himself confirms this in the
following 1lokaI
ye 2"y anya%de(at'%bhakt'
ya)ante 1raddhay'n(it'*
te 2"i m'm e(a ka!nteya
ya)anty a(idhi%"0r(akam
DWhatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, 9 son of
>unt=, is really meant for Me alone, but it is offered without
true understanding.F
The fact is that the $upreme Eord is one without a second.
There is no 8od other than the Eord Himself. Thus the
$upreme Eord is eternally transcendental to the material
creation. %ut there are many who worship the demigods like
the sun, the moon and ndra, who are only material
representatives of the $upreme Eord. These demigods are
indirect, (ualitative representations of the $upreme Eord. A
learned scholar or devotee, however, knows who is who.
Therefore he directly worships the $upreme Eord and is not
diverted by the material, (ualitative representations. Those
who are not so learned worship such (ualitative, material
representations, but their worship is unceremonious because
it is irregular.
T!T X[
Sa8Ta o'ac
Par?iUaTa'$aaidn0 Sa k6ilR)aa-Ta'ePaQau0 9
Ta$au*TaaiSa$aahed; dQoPaaiQai$a'ae*Ta$a2 99 X[ 99
s0ta !('ca
"ar$k.itai(am 'di.<a*
sa kalir )'ta%(e"ath!*
tam !dyat'sim 'heda-
da5;a%"'5im i(odyatam
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV "ar$k.it'Zby Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@itV e(amZthusV 'di.<a*Zbeing orderedV sa*ZheV kali*
Zthe personality of >aliV )'taZthere wasV (e"ath!*Z
tremblingV tamZhimV !dyataZraisedV asimZswordV 'haZsaidV
idamZthusV da5;a%"'5imZXamar"2a, the personality of deathV
i(aZlikeV !dyatamZalmost ready.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide The personality of Cali, thus being ordered
by $ahLrL/a ParBkEit, began to tre@ble in fearH Seeing the Cing
before hi@ like (a@arL/a, ready to Cill hi@, Cali spoke to the Cing
as folloJsH
P8-PO-T
The >ing was ready to kill the personality of >ali at once, as
soon as he disobeyed his order. 9therwise the >ing had no
ob2ection to allowing him to prolong his life. The personality
of >ali also, after attempting to get rid of the punishment in
various ways, decided that he must surrender unto him, and
thus he began to tremble in fear of his life. The king, or the
e:ecutive head, must be so strong as to stand before the
personality of >ali like the personality of death, Xamar"2a.
The >ingJs order must be obeyed, otherwise the culpritJs life
is in risk. That is the way to rule the personalities of >ali who
create disturbance in the normal life of the state citi)ens.
T!T X\
k6ilRD'ac
(a<a C''aQa 'TS(aai$a Saa'-%aa$a Ta'a/(aa 9
lRUa(ae Ta<a Ta<aaiPa T'a$aatae=u!araSa#a$a2 99 X\ 99
kalir !('ca
yatra k(a ('tha (atsy'mi
s'r(a%bha!ma ta('),ay'
lak.aye tatra tatr'"i
t('m 'tte.!%1ar'sanam
S(#O#($S
kali* !('caZthe personality of >ali saidV yatraZanywhereV
k(aZand everywhereV ('ZeitherV athaZthereofV (atsy'miZ
shall resideV s'r(a%bha!maZ9 lord 3or emperor6 of the earthV
ta(aZyourV '),ay'Zby the orderV lak.ayeZ seeV tatra tatraZ
anywhere and everywhereV a"iZalsoV t('mZXour Ma2estyV
'ttaZtaken overV i.!ZarrowsV 1ar'sanamZbows.
T-A#SLATIO#
O (our $a/esty, though I @ay li'e anyJhere and e'eryJhere under
your order, I shall but see you Jith boJ and arroJs Jhere'er I
lookH
P8-PO-T
The personality of >ali could see that Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was
the emperor of all lands all over the world, and thus
anywhere he might live he would have to meet with the
same mood of the >ing. The personality of >ali was meant
for mischief, and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was meant for subduing
all kinds of mischief'mongers, especially the personality of
>ali. t was better, therefore, for the personality of >ali to
have been killed by the >ing then and there instead of being
killed elsewhere. He was, after all, a surrendered soul before
the >ing, and it was for the >ing to do what was re(uired.
T!T X]
Ta#$ae >a$a-%a:Taa; BOef SQaa#a; i#ade-nu$ah-iSa 9
(a<a' i#a(aTaae 'TS(a AaiTaf;STae+#au!aaSa#a$a2 99 X] 99
tan me dharma%bh4t'- 1re.<ha
sth'na- nirde.<!m arhasi
yatrai(a niyato (atsya
'ti.<ha-s te 2n!1'sanam
S(#O#($S
tatZthereforeV meZmeV dharma%bh4t'mZof all the protectors
of religionV 1re.<haZ9 chiefV sth'namZplaceV nirde.<!mZfi:V
arhasiZmay you do soV yatraZwhereV e(aZcertainlyV niyata*
ZalwaysV (atsyeZcan resideV 'ti.<hanZpermanently
situatedV teZyourV an!1'sanamZunder your rule.
T-A#SLATIO#
Therefore, O chief a@ongst the protectors of religion, please fiM
so@e place for @e Jhere I can li'e per@anently under the
protection of your go'ern@entH
P8-PO-T
The personality of >ali addressed Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it as the
chief amongst the protectors of religiosity because the >ing
refrained from killing a person who surrendered unto him. A
surrendered soul should be given all protection, even though
he may be an enemy. That is the principle of religion. And
we can 2ust imagine what sort of protection is given by the
1ersonality of 8odhead to the person who surrenders unto
Him, not as an enemy but as a devoted servitor. The Eord
protects the surrendered soul from all sins and all resultant
reactions of sinful acts 3%g. ,..556.
T!T X^
Sa8Ta o'ac
A%(aiQa-TaSTada TaS$a SQaa#aai#a k6lR(ae dda 9
*8Ta; Paa#a; iE(a0 Sa8#aa (a<aa>a$a-,Taui'->a0 99 X^ 99
s0ta !('ca
abhyarthitas tad' tasmai
sth'n'ni kalaye dada!
dy0ta- "'na- striya* s0n'
yatr'dharma1 cat!r%(idha*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV abhyarthita*Zthus being
petitionedV tad'Zat that timeV tasmaiZunto himV sth'n'niZ
placesV kalayeZto the personality of >aliV dada!Zgave him
permissionV dy0tamZgamblingV "'namZdrinkingV striya*Z
illicit association with womenV s0n'Zanimal slaughterV yatra
ZwhereverV adharma*Zsinful activitiesV cat!*%(idha*Zfour
kinds of.
T-A#SLATIO#
Sdta &os'L@B saide $ahLrL/a ParBkEit, thus being petitioned by
the personality of Cali, ga'e hi@ per@ission to reside in places
Jhere ga@bling, drinking, prostitution and ani@al slaughter Jere
perfor@edH
P8-PO-T
The basic principles of irreligiosity, such as pride,
prostitution, into:ication and falsehood, counteract the four
principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy
and truthfulness. The personality of >ali was given
permission to live in four places particularly mentioned by
the >ing, namely the place of gambling, the place of
prostitution, the place of drinking and the place of animal
slaughter.
<r=la O=va 8osv"m= directs that drinking against the
principles of scriptures, such as the sa!tr'ma5$%ya),a,
association with women outside marriage, and killing
animals against the in2unctions of scriptures are irreligious.
n the /edas two different types of in2unctions are there for
the "ra(4ttas, or those who are engaged in material
en2oyment, and for the ni(4ttas, or those who are liberated
from material bondage. The !edic in2unction for the "ra(4ttas
is to gradually regulate their activities towards the path of
liberation. Therefore, for those who are in the lowest stage of
ignorance and who indulge in wine, women and flesh,
drinking by performing sa!tr'ma5$%ya),a, association of
women by marriage and flesh'eating by sacrifices are
sometimes recommended. $uch recommendations in the
!edic literature are meant for a particular class of men, and
not for all. %ut because they are in2unctions of the /edas for
particular types of persons, such activities by the "ra(4ttas
are not considered adharma. 9ne manJs food may be poison
for othersV similarly, what is recommended for those in the
mode of ignorance may be poison for those in the mode of
goodness. <r=la O=va 8osv"m= 1rabhu, therefore, affirms
that recommendations in the scriptures for a certain class of
men are never to be considered adharma, or irreligious. %ut
such activities are factually adharma, and they are never to
be encouraged. The recommendations in the scriptures are
not meant for the encouragement of such adharma, but for
regulating the necessary adharma gradually toward the path
of dharma.
Hollowing in the footsteps of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, it is the duty
of all e:ecutive heads of states to see that the principles of
religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and
truthfulness, are established in the state, and that the
principles of irreligion, namely pride, illicit female association
or prostitution, into:ication and falsity, are checked by all
means. And to make the best use of a bad bargain, the
personality of >ali may be transferred to places of gambling,
drinking, prostitution and slaughterhouses, if there are any
places like that. Those who are addicted to these irreligious
habits may be regulated by the in2unctions of the scripture.
n no circumstances should they be encouraged by any
state. n other words, the state should categorically stop all
sorts of gambling, drinking, prostitution and falsity. The state
which wants to eradicate corruption by ma2ority may
introduce the principles of religion in the following mannerC
,. Two compulsory fasting days in a month, if not more
3austerity6. ;ven from the economic point of view, such two
fasting days in a month in the state will save tons of food,
and the system will also act very favorably on the general
health of the citi)ens.
G. There must be compulsory marriage of young boys and
girls attaining twenty'four years of age and si:teen years of
age respectively. There is no harm in coeducation in the
schools and colleges, provided the boys and girls are duly
married, and in case there is any intimate connection
between a male and female student, they should be married
properly without illicit relation. The divorce act is
encouraging prostitution, and this should be abolished.
\. The citi)ens of the state must give in charity up to fifty
percent of their income for the purpose of creating a spiritual
atmosphere in the state or in human society, both
individually and collectively. They should preach the
principles of &h'ga(atam by 3a6 karma%yoga, or doing
everything for the satisfaction of the Eord, 3b6 regular
hearing of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam from authori)ed persons
or reali)ed souls, 3c6 chanting of the glories of the Eord
congregationally at home or at places of worship, 3d6
rendering all kinds of service to bh'ga(atas engaged in
preaching #r$mad%&h'ga(atam and 3e6 residing in a place
where the atmosphere is saturated with 8od consciousness.
f the state is regulated by the above process, naturally
there will be 8od consciousness everywhere.
8ambling of all description, even speculative business
enterprise, is considered to be degrading, and when
gambling is encouraged in the state, there is a complete
disappearance of truthfulness. Allowing young boys and girls
to remain unmarried more than the above'mentioned ages
and licensing animal slaughterhouses of all description
should be at once prohibited. The flesh'eaters may be
allowed to take flesh as mentioned in the scriptures, and not
otherwise. nto:ication of all descriptionZeven smoking
cigarettes, chewing tobacco or the drinking of teaZmust be
prohibited.
T!T X_
Pau#a, (aac$aa#aa(a )aaTa~Pa$adaTPaO%au0 9
TaTaae+#a:Ta; $ad; k6a$a; r)aae 'r; c Pa}$a$a2 99 X_ 99
"!na1 ca y'cam'n'ya
)'ta%r0"am ad't "rabh!*
tato 2n4ta- mada- k'ma-
ra)o (aira- ca "a,camam
S(#O#($S
"!na*ZagainV caZalsoV y'cam'n'yaZto the beggarV )'ta%
r0"amZgoldV ad'tZgave awayV "rabh!*Zthe >ingV tata*Z
wherebyV an4tamZfalsehoodV madamZinto:icationV k'mamZ
lustV ra)a*Zon account of a passionate moodV (airamZ
enmityV caZalsoV "a,camamZthe fifth one.
T-A#SLATIO#
The personality of Cali asked for so@ething @ore, and because of
his begging, the Cing ga'e hi@ per@ission to li'e Jhere there is
gold because Jhere'er there is gold there is also falsity,
intoMication, lust, en'y and en@ityH
P8-PO-T
Although Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it gave >ali permission to live in
four places, it was very difficult for him to find the places
because during the reign of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it there were no
such places. Therefore >ali asked the >ing to give him
something practical which could be utili)ed for his nefarious
purposes. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it thus gave him permission to
live in a place where there is gold, because wherever there
is gold there are all the above'mentioned four things, and
over and above them there is enmity also. $o the personality
of >ali became gold'standardi)ed. According to #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam, gold encourages falsity, into:ication,
prostitution, envy and enmity. ;ven a gold'standard
e:change and currency is bad. 8old'standard currency is
based on falsehood because the currency is not on a par
with the reserved gold. The basic principle is falsity because
currency notes are issued in value beyond that of the actual
reserved gold. This artificial inflation of currency by the
authorities encourages prostitution of the state economy.
The price of commodities becomes artificially inflated
because of bad money, or artificial currency notes. %ad
money drives away good money. nstead of paper currency,
actual gold coins should be used for e:change, and this will
stop prostitution of gold. 8old ornaments for women may be
allowed by control, not by (uality, but by (uantity. This will
discourage lust, envy and enmity. When there is actual gold
currency in the form of coins, the influence of gold in
producing falsity, prostitution, etc., will automatically cease.
There will be no need of an anticorruption ministry for
another term of prostitution and falsity of purpose.
T!T Z`
A$a8i#a Pa} SQaa#aai#a 7>a$a-PaO%a'0 k6ilR0 9
Aatare(aeQa dtaai#a #(a'SaTa2 Taikde!ak:6Ta2 99 Z` 99
am0ni "a,ca sth'n'ni
hy adharma%"rabha(a* kali*
a!ttareye5a datt'ni
nya(asat tan%nide1a%k4t
S(#O#($S
am0niZall thoseV "a,caZfiveV sth'n'niZplacesV hiZcertainlyV
adharmaZirreligious principlesV "rabha(a*ZencouragingV
kali*Zthe age of >aliV a!ttareye5aZby the son of Rttar"V
datt'niZdeliveredV nya(asatZdweltV tatZby himV nide1a%k4tZ
directed.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus the personality of Cali, by the directions of $ahLrL/a
ParBkEit, the son of 8ttarL, Jas alloJed to li'e in those fi'e placesH
P8-PO-T
Thus the age of >ali began with gold standardi)ation, and
therefore falsity, into:ication, animal slaughter and
prostitution are rampant all over the world, and the saner
section is eager to drive out corruption. The counteracting
process is suggested above, and everyone can take
advantage of this suggestion.
T!T Z"
AQaTaai#a #a Sae'eTa bu%a8=u0 PauD=0 C'icTa2 9
i'!ae=Taae >a$a-!a?lRae ra)aa lRaek6PaiTa&au-D0 99 Z" 99
athait'ni na se(eta
b!bh0.!* "!r!.a* k(acit
(i1e.ato dharma%1$lo
r')' loka%"atir g!r!*
S(#O#($S
athaZthereforeV et'niZall theseV naZneverV se(etaZcome in
contactV b!bh0.!*Zthose who desire well'beingV "!r!.a*Z
personV k(acitZin any circumstancesV (i1e.ata*ZspecificallyV
dharma%1$la*Zthose who are on the progressive path of
liberationV r')'Zthe kingV loka%"ati*Zpublic leaderV g!r!*Z
the br'hma5as and the sanny's$s.
T-A#SLATIO#
Therefore, Jhoe'er desires progressi'e Jell6being, especially
kings, religionists, public leaders, brLh@aFas and sannyLsBs,
should ne'er co@e in contact Jith the four abo'e6@entioned
irreligious principlesH
P8-PO-T
The br'hma5as are the religious preceptors for all other
castes, and the sanny's$s are the spiritual masters for all the
castes and orders of society. $o also are the king and the
public leaders who are responsible for the material welfare
of all people. The progressive religionists and those who are
responsible human beings or those who do not want to spoil
their valuable human lives should refrain from all the
principles of irreligiosity, especially illicit connection with
women. f a br'hma5a is not truthful, all his claims as a
br'hma5a at once become null and void. f a sanny's$ is
illicitly connected with women, all his claims as a sanny's$ at
once become false. $imilarly, if the king and the public
leader are unnecessarily proud or habituated to drinking and
smoking, certainly they become dis(ualified to discharge
public welfare activities. Truthfulness is the basic principle
for all religions. The four leaders of the human society,
namely the sanny's$s, the br'hma5a, the king and the public
leader, must be tested crucially by their character and
(ualification. %efore one can be accepted as a spiritual or
material master of society, he must be tested by the above'
mentioned criteria of character. $uch public leaders may be
less (ualified in academic (ualifications, but it is necessary
primarily that they be free from the contamination of the
four dis(ualifications, namely gambling, drinking,
prostitution and animal slaughter.
T!T ZN
':=S(a #ana;E?#a2 Paada#a2 TaPa0 !aac; d(aai$aiTa 9
PaOiTaSa#d>a AaTaS(a $ah?; c Sa$a'>a-(aTa2 99 ZN 99
(4.asya na.<'-s tr$n "'d'n
ta"a* 1a!ca- day'm iti
"ratisandadha '1('sya
mah$- ca sama(ardhayat
S(#O#($S
(4.asyaZof the bull 3the personality of religion6V na.<'nZ
lostV tr$nZthreeV "'d'nZlegsV ta"a*ZausterityV 1a!camZ
cleanlinessV day'mZmercyV itiZthusV "ratisandadheZ
reestablishedV '1('syaZby encouraging activitiesV mah$mZ
the earthV caZandV sama(ardhayatZperfectly improved.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter the Cing reestablished the lost legs of the personality of
religion Othe bull3, and by encouraging acti'ities he sufficiently
i@pro'ed the condition of the earthH
P8-PO-T
%y designating particular places for the personality of >ali,
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it practically cheated >ali. n the presence of
>ali, 7harma 3in the shape of a bull6, and the earth 3in the
shape of a cow6, he could actually estimate the general
condition of his kingdom, and therefore he at once took
proper steps to reestablish the legs of the bull, namely
austerity, cleanliness and mercy. And for the general benefit
of the people of the world, he saw that the gold stock might
be employed for stabili)ation. 8old is certainly a generator of
falsity, into:ication, prostitution, enmity and violence, but
under the guidance of a proper king or public leader, or a
br'hma5a or sanny's$, the same gold can be properly utili)ed
to reestablish the lost legs of the bull, the personality of
religion.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, therefore, like his grandfather Ar2una,
collected all illicit gold kept for the propensities of >ali and
employed it in the sa3k$rtana%ya),a, as per instruction of the
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam. As we have suggested before, oneJs
accumulated wealth may be divided into three parts for
distribution, namely fifty percent for the service of the Eord,
twenty'five percent for the family members and twenty'five
percent for personal necessities. $pending fifty percent for
the service of the Eord or for propagation of spiritual
knowledge in society by way of the sa3k$rtana%ya),a is the
ma:imum display of human mercy. people of the world are
generally in darkness regarding spiritual knowledge,
especially in regard to the devotional service of the Eord,
and therefore to propagate the systematic transcendental
knowledge of devotional service is the greatest mercy that
one can show in this world. When everyone is taught to
sacrifice fifty percent of his accumulated gold for the EordJs
service, certainly austerity, cleanliness and mercy
automatically ensue, and thus the lost three legs of the
personality of religion are automatically established. When
there is sufficient austerity, cleanliness, mercy and
truthfulness, naturally mother earth is completely satisfied,
and there is very little chance for >ali to infiltrate the
structure of human society.
T!TS ZXZZ
Sa V= VTa7->(aaSTa AaSa#a; PaaiQa-'aeicTa$a2 9
iPaTaa$ahe#aaePa#(aSTa; ra/arQ(a; i'i'UaTaa 99 ZX 99
AaSTae+>au#aa Sa ra)ai=-0 k6ar'e#d3iBO(aaewSa#a2 9
&a)aa(ae $aha%aa&a,s6'Tas b:hCc|'a0 99 ZZ 99
sa e.a etarhy adhy'sta
'sana- "'rthi(ocitam
"it'maheno"anyasta-
r'),'ra5ya- (i(ik.at'
'ste 2dh!n' sa r')ar.i*
ka!ra(endra%1riyollasan
ga)'h(aye mah'%bh'ga1
cakra(art$ b4hac%chra('*
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV e.a*ZthisV etarhiZat the presentV adhy'steZis ruling
overV 'sanamZthe throneV "'rthi(a%!citamZ2ust befitting a
kingV "it'mahenaZby the grandfatherV !"anyastamZbeing
handed overV r'),'Zby the >ingV ara5yamZforestV (i(ik.at'Z
desiringV 'steZis thereV adh!n'Zat presentV sa*ZthatV r')a%
4.i*Zthe sage amongst the kingsV ka!ra(a%indraZthe chief
amongst the >uru kingsV 1riy'ZgloriesV !llasanZspreadingV
ga)'h(ayeZin Hastin"puraV mah'%bh'ga*Zthe most fortunateV
cakra(art$Zthe ;mperorV b4hat%1ra('*Zhighly famous.
T-A#SLATIO#
The @ost fortunate @peror $ahLrL/a ParBkEit, Jho Jas entrusted
Jith the kingdo@ of IastinLpura by $ahLrL/a (udhiEhira Jhen
he desired to retire to the forest, is noJ ruling the Jorld Jith great
success due to his being glorified by the deeds of the kings of the
Curu dynastyH
P8-PO-T
The prolonged sacrificial ceremonies undertaken by the
sages of Kaimi@"raAya were begun shortly after the demise
of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. The sacrifice was to continue for one
thousand years, and it is understood that in the beginning
some of the contemporaries of %aladeva, the elder brother
of Eord >?@Aa, also visited the sacrificial place. According to
some authorities, the present tense is also used to indicate
the nearest margin of time from the past. n that sense, the
present tense is applied to the reign of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
here. Hor a continuous fact, also, present tense can be used.
The principles of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it can be still continued,
and human society can still be improved if there is
determination by the authorities. We can still purge out from
the state all the activities of immorality introduced by the
personality of >ali if we are determined to take action like
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. He allotted some place for >ali, but in fact
>ali could not find such places in the world at all because
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was strictly vigilant to see that there were
no places for gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal
slaughter. Modern administrators want to banish corruption
from the state, but fools as they are, they do not know how
to do it. They want to issue licenses for gambling houses,
wine and other into:icating drug houses, brothels, hotel
prostitution and cinema houses, and falsity in every dealing,
even in their own, and they want at the same time to drive
out corruption from the state. They want the kingdom of 8od
without 8od consciousness. How can it be possible to ad2ust
two contradictory matters? f we want to drive out corruption
from the state, we must first of all organi)e society to accept
the principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness,
mercy and truthfulness, and to make the condition favorable
we must close all places of gambling, drinking, prostitution
and falsity. These are some of the practical lessons from the
pages of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
T!T Z[
JTQa$%a8Taa#au%aa'ae+(a$ai%a$a#(auSauTaae #a:Pa0 9
(aS(a PaalR(aTa0 UaaQa?; (a8(a; Sa<aa(a d?iUaTaa0 99 Z[ 99
ittham%bh0t'n!bh'(o 2yam
abhimany!%s!to n4"a*
yasya "'layata* k.a!5$-
y0ya- satr'ya d$k.it'*
S(#O#($S
ittham%bh0taZbeing thusV an!bh'(a*Ze:perienceV ayamZof
thisV abhimany!%s!ta*Zson of AbhimanyuV n4"a*Zthe kingV
yasyaZwhoseV "'layata*Zon account of his rulingV k.a!5$mZ
on the earthV y0yamZyou allV satr'yaZin performing
sacrificesV d$k.it'*Zinitiated.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, the son of Abhi@anyu, is so eMperienced that
by dint of his eMpert ad@inistration and patronage, it has been
possible for you to perfor@ a sacrifice such as thisH
P8-PO-T
The br'hma5as and the sanny's$s are e:pert in the spiritual
advancement of society, whereas the k.atriyas or the
administrators are e:pert in the material peace and
prosperity of human society. %oth of them are the pillars of
all happiness, and therefore they are meant for full
cooperation for common welfare. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was
e:perienced enough to drive away >ali from his field of
activities and thereby make the state receptive to spiritual
enlightenment. f the common people are not receptive, it is
very difficult to impress upon them the necessity of spiritual
enlightenment. Austerity, cleanliness, mercy and
truthfulness, the basic principles of religion, prepare the
ground for the reception of advancement in spiritual
knowledge, and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it made this favorable
condition possible. Thus the 4.is of Kaimi@"raAya were able
to perform the sacrifices for a thousand years. n other
words, without state support, no doctrines of philosophy or
religious principles can progressively advance. There should
be complete cooperation between the br'hma5as and the
k.atriyas for this common good. ;ven up to Mah"r"2a APoka,
the same spirit was prevailing. Eord %uddha was sufficiently
supported by >ing APoka, and thus his particular cult of
knowledge was spread all over the world.
Se(enteenth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled
K!nishment and Reward of Aali.M
Chapter ighteen
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit Cursed by a KrLh@aFa Koy
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
(aae ' d3aQ(aEi'PluRnae #a $aaTauDdre $a:Ta0 9
A#au&a3had2 %a&a'Ta0 k:6.QaS(aad2%auTak6$a-Qa0 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
yo (ai dra!5y%astra%(i"l!.<o
na m't!r !dare m4ta*
an!grah'd bhaga(ata*
k4.5asy'dbh!ta%karma5a*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV ya*Zone whoV (aiZ
certainlyV dra!5i%astraZby the weapon of the son of 7roAaV
(i"l!.<a*Zburned byV naZneverV m't!*Zof the motherV
!dareZin the wombV m4ta*Zmet his deathV an!grah'tZby
the mercyV bhaga(ata*Zof the 1ersonality of 8odheadV
k4.5asyaZ>?@AaV adbh!ta%karma5a*Zwho acts wonderfully.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide >ue to the @ercy of the Personality of
&odhead, ArB CDEFa, Jho acts Jonderfully, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit,
though struck by the Jeapon of the son of >roFa in his @otherrs
Jo@b, could not be burnedH
P8-PO-T
The sages of Kaimi@"raAya became struck with wonder after
hearing about the wonderful administration of Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, especially in reference to his punishing the
personality of >ali and making him completely unable to do
any harm within the kingdom. $Lta 8osv"m= was e(ually
an:ious to describe Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs wonderful birth and
death, and this verse is stated by $Lta 8osv"m= to increase
the interest of the sages of Kaimi@"raAya.
T!T N
b34k6aePaaeiTQaTaad2 (aSTau TaUak6aTPaOaQai''aTa2 9
#a Sa$$au$aaehaeD%a(aad2 %a&a'T(aiPa-Taa!a(a0 99 N 99
brahma%ko"otthit'd yas t!
tak.ak't "r'5a%(i"la('t
na samm!mohor!bhay'd
bhaga(aty ar"it'1aya*
S(#O#($S
brahma%ko"aZfury of a br'hma5aC !tthit'tZcaused byV ya*Z
what wasV t!ZbutV tak.ak'tZby the snake'birdV "r'5a%(i"la('t
Zfrom dissolution of lifeV naZneverV samm!mohaZwas
overwhelmedV !r!%bhay'tZgreat fearV bhaga(atiZunto the
1ersonality of 8odheadV ar"itaZsurrenderedV '1aya*Z
consciousness.
T-A#SLATIO#
Further@ore, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit Jas alJays consciously
surrendered to the Personality of &odhead, and therefore he Jas
neither afraid nor o'erJhel@ed by fear due to a snake6bird Jhich
Jas to bite hi@ because of the fury of a brLh@aFa boyH
P8-PO-T
A self'surrendered devotee of the Eord is called n'r'ya5a%
"ar'ya5a. $uch a person is never afraid of any place or
person, not even of death. Hor him nothing is as important as
the $upreme Eord, and thus he gives e(ual importance to
heaven and hell. He knows well that both heaven and hell
are creations of the Eord, and similarly life and death are
different conditions of e:istence created by the Eord. %ut in
all conditions and in all circumstances, remembrance of
K"r"yaAa is essential. The n'r'ya5a%"ar'ya5a practices this
constantly. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was such a pure devotee. He
was wrongfully cursed by an ine:perienced son of a
br'hma5a, who was under the influence of >ali, and Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it took this to be sent by K"r"yaAa. He knew that
K"r"yaAa 3Eord >?@Aa6 had saved him when he was burned
in the womb of his mother, and if he were to be killed by a
snake bite, it would also take place by the will of the Eord.
The devotee never goes against the will of the EordV
anything sent by 8od is a blessing for the devotee. Therefore
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was neither afraid of nor bewildered by
such things. That is the sign of a pure devotee of the Eord.
T!T X
oTSa:)(a Sa'-Ta0 Sal; i'/aTaai)aTaSa;iSQaiTa0 9
'(aaSake6)a-ha i!a.(aae &ala(aa; S'; k6leR'r$a2 99 X 99
!ts4)ya sar(ata* sa3ga-
(i),'t')ita%sa-sthiti*
(aiy'saker )aha! 1i.yo
ga3g'y'- s(a- kale(aram
S(#O#($S
!ts4)yaZafter leaving asideV sar(ata*Zall aroundV sa3gamZ
associationV (i),'taZbeing understoodV a)itaZone who is
never con(uered 3the 1ersonality of 8odhead6V sa-sthiti*Z
actual positionV (aiy'sake*Zunto the son of !y"saV )aha!Z
gave upV 1i.ya*Zas a discipleV ga3g'y'mZon the bank of the
8angesV s(amZhis ownV kale(aramZmaterial body.
T-A#SLATIO#
Further@ore, after lea'ing all his associates, the Cing surrendered
hi@self as a disciple to the son of GyLsa OAukade'a &os'L@B3, and
thus he Jas able to understand the actual position of the
P8-PO-T
The word a)ita is significant here. The 1ersonality of
8odhead, <r= >?@Aa, is known as A2ita, or uncon(uerable,
and He is so in every respect. Ko one can know His actual
position. He is uncon(uerable by knowledge also. We have
heard about His dh'ma, or place, eternal 8oloka !?nd"vana,
but there are many scholars who interpret this abode in
different ways. %ut by the grace of a spiritual master like
<ukadeva 8osv"m=, unto whom the >ing gave himself up as
a most humble disciple, one is able to understand the actual
position of the Eord, His eternal abode, and His
transcendental paraphernalia in that dh'ma, or abode.
>nowing the transcendental position of the Eord and the
transcendental method by which one can approach that
transcendental dh'ma, the >ing was confident about his
ultimate destination, and by knowing this he could leave
aside everything material, even his own body, without any
difficulty of attachment. n the &haga(ad%g$t', it is stated,
"ara- d4.<(' ni(artateI one can give up all connection with
material attachment when one is able to see the "aram, or
the superior (uality of things. Hrom &haga(ad%g$t' we
understand the (uality of the EordJs energy that is superior
to the material (uality of energy, and by the grace of a bona
fide spiritual master like <ukadeva 8osv"m=, it is (uite
possible to know everything of the superior energy of the
Eord by which the Eord manifests His eternal name, (uality,
pastimes, paraphernalia and variegatedness. Rnless one
thoroughly understands this superior or eternal energy of the
Eord, it is not possible to leave the material energy, however
one may theoretically speculate on the true nature of the
Absolute Truth. %y the grace of Eord >?@Aa, Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it was able to receive the mercy of such a personality
as <ukadeva 8osv"m=, and thus he was able to know the
actual position of the uncon(uerable Eord. t is very difficult
to find the Eord from the !edic literatures, but it is very easy
to know Him by the mercy of a liberated devotee like
<ukadeva 8osv"m=.
T!T Z
#aaeta$aFaek6'aTaa-#aa; )au=Taa; TaTk6Qaa$a:Ta$a2 9
S(aaTSa$%a3$aae+#Tak6aleR+iPa S$arTaa;
TaTPada$bu)a$a2 99 Z 99
nottama1loka%('rt'n'-
)!.at'- tat%kath'm4tam
sy't sambhramo 2nta%k'le 2"i
smarat'- tat%"ad'mb!)am
S(#O#($S
naZneverV !ttama%1lokaZthe 1ersonality of 8odhead, of
whom the !edic hymns singV ('rt'n'mZof those who live on
themV )!.at'mZof those who are engaged inV tatZHisV kath'%
am4tamZtranscendental topics about HimV sy'tZit so
happensV sambhrama*ZmisconceptionV antaZat the endV k'le
Zin timeV a"iZalsoV smarat'mZrememberingV tatZHisV "ada%
amb!)amZlotus feet.
T-A#SLATIO#
This Jas so because those Jho ha'e dedicated their li'es to the
transcendental topics of the Personality of &odhead, of Jho@ the
Gedic hy@ns sing, and Jho are constantly engaged in
re@e@bering the lotus feet of the Lord, do not run the risk of
ha'ing @isconceptions e'en at the last @o@ent of their li'esH
P8-PO-T
The highest perfection of life is attained by remembering the
transcendental nature of the Eord at the last moment of
oneJs life. This perfection of life is made possible by one who
has learned the actual transcendental nature of the Eord
from the !edic hymns sung by a liberated soul like <ukadeva
8osv"m= or someone in that line of disciplic succession.
There is no gain in hearing the !edic hymns from some
mental speculator. When the same is heard from an actual
self'reali)ed soul and is properly understood by service and
submission, everything becomes transparently clear. Thus a
submissive disciple is able to live transcendentally and
continue to the end of life. %y scientific adaptation, one is
able to remember the Eord even at the end of life, when the
power of remembrance is slackened due to derangement of
bodily membranes. Hor a common man, it is very difficult to
remember things as they are at the time of death, but by the
grace of the Eord and His bona fide devotees, the spiritual
masters, one can get this opportunity without difficulty. And
it was done in the case of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it.
T!T [
Taa'Tk6ilR#a- PaO%a'eTa2 PaOi'nae+Pa?h Sa'-Ta0 9
(aa'd?!aae $aha#auG(aa-$aai%a$a#(a' Vk6ra12 99 [ 99
t'(at kalir na "rabha(et
"ra(i.<o 2"$ha sar(ata*
y'(ad $1o mah'n !r(y'm
'bhimanya(a eka%r'<
S(#O#($S
t'(atZso longV kali*Zthe personality of >aliV naZcannotV
"rabha(etZflourishV "ra(i.<a*Zentered inV a"iZeven thoughV
ihaZhereV sar(ata*ZeverywhereV y'(atZas long asV $1a*Z
the lordV mah'nZgreatV !r(y'mZpowerfulV 'bhimanya(a*Z
the son of AbhimanyuV eka%r'<Zthe one emperor.
T-A#SLATIO#
As long as the great, poJerful son of Abhi@anyu re@ains the
@peror of the Jorld, there is no chance that the personality of
Cali Jill flourishH
P8-PO-T
As we have already e:plained, the personality of >ali had
entered the 2urisdiction of this earth long ago, and he was
looking for an opportunity to spread his influence all over the
world. %ut he could not do so satisfactorily due to the
presence of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. That is the way of good
government. The disturbing elements like the personality of
>ali will always try to e:tend their nefarious activities, but it
is the duty of the able state to check them by all means.
Although Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it allotted places for the
personality of >ali, at the same time he gave no chance for
the citi)ens to be swayed by the personality of >ali.
T!T \
(aiS$akhi#a (a7e-' %a&a'a#auTSaSa)a- &aa$a2 9
Tad'eha#au':taae+Saa'>a$a-PaO%a'0 k6ilR0 99 \ 99
yasminn ahani yarhy e(a
bhaga('n !tsasar)a g'm
tadai(eh'n!(4tto 2s'(
adharma%"rabha(a* kali*
S(#O#($S
yasminZon thatV ahaniZvery dayV yarhi e(aZin the very
momentV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV !tsasar)aZ
left asideV g'mZthe earthV tad'Zat that timeV e(aZcertainlyV
ihaZin this worldV an!(4tta*ZfollowedV asa!ZheV adharmaZ
irreligionV "rabha(a*ZacceleratingV kali*Zthe personality of
(uarrel.
T-A#SLATIO#
The 'ery day and @o@ent the Personality of &odhead, Lord ArB
CDEFa, left this earth, the personality of Cali, Jho pro@otes all
kinds of irreligious acti'ities, ca@e into this JorldH
P8-PO-T
The 1ersonality of 8odhead and His holy name, (ualities,
etc., are all identical. The personality of >ali was not able to
enter the 2urisdiction of the earth due to the presence of the
1ersonality of 8odhead. And similarly, if there is an
arrangement for the constant chanting of the holy names,
(ualities, etc., of the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead, there
is no chance at all for the personality of >ali to enter. That is
the techni(ue of driving away the personality of >ali from
the world. n moderni)ed human society there are great
advancements of material science, and they have invented
the radio to distribute sound in the air. $o instead of
vibrating some nuisance sound for sense en2oyment, if the
state arranges to distribute transcendental sound by
resounding the holy name, fame and activities of the Eord,
as they are authori)ed in the &haga(ad%g$t' or #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam, then a favorable condition will be created, the
principles of religion in the world will be reestablished, and
thus the e:ecutive heads, who are so an:ious to drive away
corruption from the world, will be successful. Kothing is bad
if properly used for the service of the Eord.
T!T ]
#aa#aujein k6il;R Sa$a3a12 Saarl J' Saar%auk26 9
ku6!alRa#(aaBu iSapyi#Ta #aeTaraiQa k:6Taai#a (aTa2 99 ] 99
n'n!d(e.<i kali- samr'<
s'ra3ga i(a s'ra%bh!k
k!1al'ny '1! siddhyanti
netar'5i k4t'ni yat
S(#O#($S
naZneverV an!d(e.<iZenviousV kalimZunto the personality
of >aliV samr'<Zthe ;mperorV s'ram%gaZrealist, like the
beesV i(aZlikeV s'ra%bh!kZone who accepts the substanceV
k!1al'niZauspicious ob2ectsV '1!ZimmediatelyV siddhyantiZ
become successfulV naZneverV itar'5iZwhich are
inauspiciousV k4t'niZbeing performedV yatZas much as.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit Jas a realist, like the bees Jho only accept the
essence Oof a floJer3H Ie kneJ perfectly Jell that in this age of
Cali, auspicious things produce good effects i@@ediately, Jhereas
inauspicious acts @ust be actually perfor@ed Oto render effects3H
So he Jas ne'er en'ious of the personality of CaliH
P8-PO-T
The age of >ali is called the fallen age. n this fallen age,
because the living beings are in an awkward position, the
$upreme Eord has given some special facilities to them. $o
by the will of the Eord, a living being does not become a
victim of a sinful act until the act is actually performed. n
other ages, simply by thinking of performing a sinful act, one
used to become a victim of the act. 9n the contrary, a living
being in this age is awarded with the results of pious acts
simply by thinking of them. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, being the
most learned and e:perienced king by the grace of the Eord,
was not unnecessarily envious of the personality of >ali
because he did not intend to give him any chance to perform
any sinful act. He protected his sub2ects from falling prey to
the sinful acts of the age of >ali, and at the same time he
gave full facility to the age of >ali by allotting him some
particular places. At the end of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam it is
said that even though all nefarious activities of the
personality of >ali are present, there is a great advantage in
the age of >ali. 9ne can attain salvation simply by chanting
the holy name of the Eord. Thus Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it made an
organi)ed effort to propagate the chanting of the EordJs holy
name, and thus he saved the citi)ens from the clutches of
>ali. t is for this advantage only that great sages sometimes
wish all good for the age of >ali. n the /edas also it is said
that by discourse on Eord >?@AaJs activities, one can get rid
of all the disadvantages of the age of >ali. n the beginning
of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam it is also said that by the
recitation of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, the $upreme Eord becomes
at once arrested within oneJs heart. These are some of the
great advantages of the age of >ali, and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
took all the advantages and did not think any ill of the age of
>ali, true to his !ai@Aavite cult.
T!T ^
ik;6 #au baleR=u B8reQa k6ilR#aa >a?r%a?DQaa 9
APaO$ata0 PaO$atae=u (aae ':k6ae #a:=u 'Ta-Tae 99 ^ 99
ki- n! b'le.! 10re5a
kalin' dh$ra%bh$r!5'
a"ramatta* "ramatte.!
yo (4ko n4.! (artate
S(#O#($S
kimZwhatV n!Zmay beV b'le.!Zamong the less intelligent
personsV 10re5aZby the powerfulV kalin'Zby the personality
of >aliV dh$raZself'controlledV bh$r!5'Zby one who is afraid
ofV a"ramatta*Zone who is carefulV "ramatte.!Zamong the
carelessV ya*Zone whoV (4ka*ZtigerV n4.!Zamong menV
(artateZe:ists.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit considered that less intelligent @en @ight find
the personality of Cali to be 'ery poJerful, but that those Jho are
self6controlled Jould ha'e nothing to fearH The Cing Jas poJerful
like a tiger and took care for the foolish, careless personsH
P8-PO-T
Those who are not devotees of the Eord are careless and
unintelligent. Rnless one is thoroughly intelligent, one
cannot be a devotee of the Eord. Those who are not
devotees of the Eord fall prey to the actions of >ali. t will not
be possible to bring about a saner condition in society unless
we are prepared to accept the modes of action adopted by
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, i.e., propagation of the devotional service
of the Eord to the common man.
T!T _
oPa'iQa-Ta$aeTaj0 PauQ(a; Paar?iUaTa; $a(aa 9
'aSaude'k6QaaePaeTa$aae(aa#a; (adPa:CcTa 99 _ 99
!"a(ar5itam etad (a*
"!5ya- "'r$k.ita- may'
('s!de(a%katho"etam
'khy'na- yad a"4cchata
S(#O#($S
!"a(ar5itamZalmost everything describedV etatZall theseV
(a*Zunto youV "!5yamZpiousV "'r$k.itamZabout Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@itV may'Zby meV ('s!de(aZof Eord >?@AaV kath'Z
narrationsV !"etamZin connection withV 'khy'namZ
statementsV yatZwhatV a"4cchataZyou asked from me.
T-A#SLATIO#
O sages, as you did ask @e, noJ I ha'e described al@ost
e'erything regarding the narrations about Lord CDEFa in
connection Jith the history of the pious $ahLrL/a ParBkEitH
P8-PO-T
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam is the history of the activities of the
Eord. And the activities of the Eord are performed in relation
with the devotees of the Eord. Therefore, the history of the
devotees is not different from the history of Eord >?@AaJs
activities. A devotee of the Eord regards both the activities of
the Eord and those of His pure devotees on an e(ual level,
for they are all transcendental.
T!T "`
(aa (aa0 k6Qaa %a&a'Ta0 k6Qa#a?(aaeDk6$a-Qa0 9
&auQak6$aa-BO(aa0 Paui$%a0 Sa;SaeG(aaSTaa bu%a8=ui%a0 99
"` 99
y' y'* kath' bhaga(ata*
kathan$yor!%karma5a*
g!5a%karm'1ray'* "!mbhi*
sa-se(y's t' b!bh0.!bhi*
S(#O#($S
y'*ZwhateverV y'*Zand whatsoeverV kath'*ZtopicsV
bhaga(ata*Zabout the 1ersonality of 8odheadV kathan$yaZ
were to be spoken by meV !r!%karma5a*Zof Him who acts
wonderfullyV g!5aZtranscendental (ualitiesV karmaZ
uncommon deedsV '1ray'*ZinvolvingV "!mbhi*Zby personsV
sa-se(y'*Zought to be heardV t'*Zall of themV b!bh0.!bhi*Z
by those who want their own welfare.
T-A#SLATIO#
Those Jho are desirous of achie'ing co@plete perfection in life
@ust sub@issi'ely hear all topics that are connected Jith the
transcendental acti'ities and ?ualities of the Personality of
&odhead, Jho acts JonderfullyH
P8-PO-T
The systematic hearing of the transcendental activities,
(ualities and names of Eord <r= >?@Aa pushes one towards
eternal life. $ystematic hearing means knowing Him
gradually in truth and fact, and this knowing Him in truth and
fact means attaining eternal life, as stated in the &haga(ad%
g$t'. $uch transcendental, glorified activities of Eord <r=
>?@Aa are the prescribed remedy for counteracting the
process of birth, death, old age and disease, which are
considered to be material awards for the conditioned living
being. The culmination of such a perfectional stage of life is
the goal of human life and the attainment of transcendental
bliss.
T!T ""
a=(a Ocu0
Sa8Ta )a?' Sa$aa0 Saa$(a !aaTTa?i'-!ad; (a!a0 9
(aST'; !a;SaiSa k:6.QaS(a $aT(aa-#aa$a$a:Ta; ih #a0 99
"" 99
4.aya 0c!*
s0ta )$(a sam'* sa!mya
1'1(at$r (i1ada- ya1a*
yas t(a- 1a-sasi k4.5asya
marty'n'm am4ta- hi na*
S(#O#($S
4.aya* 0c!*Zthe good sages saidV s0taZ9 $Lta 8osv"m=V
)$(aZwe wish you life forV sam'*Zmany yearsV sa!myaZ
graveV 1'1(at$*ZeternalV (i1adamZparticularlyV ya1a*Zin
fameV ya* t(amZbecause youV 1a-sasiZspeaking nicelyV
k4.5asyaZof Eord <r= >?@AaV marty'n'mZof those who dieV
am4tamZeternity of lifeV hiZcertainlyV na*Zour.
T-A#SLATIO#
The good sages saide O gra'e Sdta &os'L@Bt $ay you li'e @any
years and ha'e eternal fa@e, for you are speaking 'ery nicely about
the acti'ities of Lord CDEFa, the Personality of &odheadH This is
/ust like nectar for @ortal beings like usH
P8-PO-T
When we hear about the transcendental (ualities and
activities of the 1ersonality of 8odhead, we may always
remember what has been spoken by the Eord Himself in the
Bhagavad-gt 3M.-6. His acts, even when He acts in human
society, are all transcendental, for they are all accentuated
by the spiritual energy of the Eord, which is distinguished
from His material energy. As stated in the &haga(ad%g$t',
such acts are called di(yam. This means that He does not act
or take His birth like an ordinary living being under the
custody of material energy. Kor is His body material or
changeable like that of ordinary living beings. And one who
understands this fact, either from the Eord or from
authori)ed sources, is not reborn after leaving the present
material body. $uch an enlightened soul is admitted into the
spiritual realm of the Eord and engages in the transcendental
loving service of the Eord. Therefore, the more we hear
about the transcendental activities of the Eord, as they are
stated in the &haga(ad%g$t' and #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, the
more we can know about His transcendental nature and thus
make definite progress on the path back to 8odhead.
T!T "N
k6$a-Q(aiS$ak#aaTaSae >a8$a>a8$a3aT$a#aa; %a'a#a2 9
AaPaa(a(aiTa &aaei'#dPaadPaaSa'; $a>au 99 "N 99
karma5y asminn an'1('se
dh0ma%dh0mr'tman'- bha('n
'"'yayati go(inda%
"'da%"adm'sa(a- madh!
S(#O#($S
karma5iZperformance ofV asminZin thisV an'1('seZwithout
certaintyV dh0maZsmokeV dh0mra%'tman'mZtinged body and
mindV bha('nZyour good selfV '"'yayatiZvery much
pleasingV go(indaZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV "'daZfeetV
"adma%'sa(amZnectar of the lotus flowerV madh!Zhoney.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ve ha'e /ust begun the perfor@ance of this fruiti'e acti'ity, a
sacrificial fire, Jithout certainty of its result due to the @any
i@perfections in our actionH Our bodies ha'e beco@e black fro@
the s@oke, but Je are factually pleased by the nectar of the lotus
feet of the Personality of &odhead, &o'inda, Jhich you are
distributingH
P8-PO-T
The sacrificial fire kindled by the sages of Kaimi@"raAya was
certainly full of smoke and doubts because of so many flaws.
The first flaw is that there is an acute scarcity of e:pert
br'hma5as able to carry out such performances successfully
in this age of >ali. Any discrepancy in such sacrifices spoils
the whole show, and the result is uncertain, like agricultural
enterprises. The good result of tilling the paddy field
depends on providential rain, and therefore the result is
uncertain. $imilarly, performance of any kind of sacrifice in
this age of >ali is also uncertain. Rnscrupulous greedy
br'hma5as of the age of >ali induce the innocent public to
such uncertain sacrificial shows without disclosing the
scriptural in2unction that in the age of >ali there is no fruitful
sacrificial performance but the sacrifice of the
congregational chanting of the holy name of the Eord. $Lta
8osv"m= was narrating the transcendental activities of the
Eord before the congregation of sages, and they were
factually perceiving the result of hearing these
transcendental activities. 9ne can feel this practically, as
one can feel the result of eating food. $piritual reali)ation
acts in that way.
The sages of Kaimi@"raAya were practically sufferers from
the smoke of a sacrificial fire and were doubtful about the
result, but by hearing from a reali)ed person like $Lta
8osv"m=, they were fully satisfied. n the &rahma%(ai(arta
!r'5a, !i@Au tells <iva that in the age of >ali, men full of
an:ieties of various kinds can vainly labor in fruitive activity
and philosophical speculations, but when they are engaged
in devotional service, the result is sure and certain, and
there is no loss of energy. n other words, nothing performed
for spiritual reali)ation or for material benefit can be
successful without the devotional service to the Eord.
T!T "X
TaulR(aa$a lR'e#aaiPa #a S'&ag #aaPau#a%a-'$a2 9
%a&a'TSailSalS(a $aT(aa-#aa; ik6$auTaai!a=0 99 "X 99
t!lay'ma la(en'"i
na s(arga- n'"!nar%bha(am
bhaga(at%sa3gi%sa3gasya
marty'n'- kim !t'1i.a*
S(#O#($S
t!lay'maZto be balanced withV la(enaZby a momentV a"iZ
evenV naZneverV s(argamZheavenly planetsV naZnorV
a"!na*%bha(amZliberation from matterV bhaga(at%sa3giZ
devotee of the EordV sa3gasyaZof the associationV marty'n'm
Zthose who are meant for deathV kimZwhat is thereV !taZto
speak ofV '1i.a*Zworldly benediction.
T-A#SLATIO#
The 'alue of a @o@entrs association Jith the de'otee of the Lord
cannot e'en be co@pared to the attain@ent of hea'enly planets or
liberation fro@ @atter, and Jhat to speak of Jorldly benedictions
in the for@ of @aterial prosperity, Jhich are for those Jho are
@eant for deathH
P8-PO-T
When there are some similar points, it is possible to compare
one thing to another. 9ne cannot compare the association of
a pure devotee to anything material. Men who are addicted
to material happiness aspire to reach the heavenly planets
like the moon, !enus and ndraloka, and those who are
advanced in material philosophical speculations aspire after
liberation from all material bondage. When one becomes
frustrated with all kinds of material advancement, one
desires the opposite type of liberation, which is called
a"!nar%bha(a, or no rebirth. %ut the pure devotees of the
Eord do not aspire after the happiness obtained in the
heavenly kingdom, nor do they aspire after liberation from
material bondage. n other words, for the pure devotees of
the Eord the material pleasures obtainable in the heavenly
planets are like phantasmagoria, and because they are
already liberated from all material conceptions of pleasure
and distress, they are factually liberated even in the material
world. This means that the pure devotees of the Eord are
engaged in a transcendental e:istence, namely in the loving
service of the Eord, both in the material world and in the
spiritual world. As a government servant is always the same,
either in the office or at home or at any place, so a devotee
has nothing to do with anything material, for he is
e:clusively engaged in the transcendental service of the
Eord. $ince he has nothing to do with anything material,
what pleasure can he derive from material benedictions like
kingship or other overlordships, which are finished (uickly
with the end of the body? 7evotional service is eternalV it
has no end, because it is spiritual. Therefore, since the
assets of a pure devotee are completely different from
material assets, there is no comparison between the two.
$Lta 8osv"m= was a pure devotee of the Eord, and therefore
his association with the 4.is in Kaimi@"raAya is uni(ue. n
the material world, association with gross materialists is
veritably condemned. The materialist is called yo.it%sa3g$, or
one who is much attached to material entanglement 3women
and other paraphernalia6. $uch attachment is conditioned
because it drives away the benedictions of life and
prosperity. And 2ust the opposite is bh'ga(ata%sa3g$, or one
who is always in the association with the EordJs name, form,
(ualities, etc. $uch association is always desirableV it is
worshipable, it is praiseworthy, and one may accept it as the
highest goal of life.
T!T "Z
k6ae #aa$a Ta:P(aed2 rSai'Tk6Qaa(aa;
$ahta$ak6a#TaPara(aQaS(a 9
#aa#Ta; &auQaa#aa$a&auQaS(a )a&$aux
(aae-&aeTra (ae %a'Paa$aue(aa0 99 "Z 99
ko n'ma t4"yed rasa(it kath'y'-
mahattamaik'nta%"ar'ya5asya
n'nta- g!5'n'm ag!5asya )agm!r
yoge1(ar' ye bha(a%"'dma%m!khy'*
S(#O#($S
ka*Zwho is heV n'maZspecificallyV t4"yetZget full
satisfactionV rasa%(itZe:pert in relishing mellow nectarV
kath'y'mZin the topics ofV mahat%tamaZthe greatest
amongst the living beingsV ek'ntaZe:clusivelyV "ar'ya5asyaZ
of one who is the shelter ofV naZneverV antamZendV g!5'n'm
Zof attributesV ag!5asyaZof the TranscendenceV )agm!*Z
could ascertainV yoga%$1(ar'*Zthe lords of mystic powerV ye
Zall theyV bha(aZEord <ivaV "'dmaZEord %rahm"V m!khy'*Z
heads.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Personality of &odhead, Lord CDEFa O&o'inda3, is the eMclusi'e
shelter for all great li'ing beings, and Iis transcendental
attributes cannot e'en be @easured by such @asters of @ystic
poJers as Lord Ai'a and Lord Krah@LH Can anyone Jho is eMpert in
relishing nectar Orasa3 e'er be fully satiated by hearing topics
about Ii@W
P8-PO-T
Eord <iva and Eord %rahm" are two chiefs of the demigods.
They are full of mystic powers. Hor e:ample, Eord <iva drank
an ocean of poison of which one drop was sufficient to kill an
ordinary living being. $imilarly, %rahm" could create many
powerful demigods, including Eord <iva. $o they are $1(aras,
or lords of the universe. %ut they are not the supreme
powerful. The supreme powerful is 8ovinda, Eord >?@Aa. He
is the Transcendence, and His transcendental attributes
cannot be measured even by such powerful $1(aras as <iva
and %rahm". Therefore Eord >?@Aa is the e:clusive shelter of
the greatest of all living beings. %rahm" is counted amongst
the living beings, but he is the greatest of all of us. And why
is the greatest of all the living beings so much attached to
the transcendental topics of Eord >?@Aa? %ecause He is the
reservoir of all en2oyment. ;veryone wants to relish some
kind of taste in everything, but one who is engaged in the
transcendental loving service of the Eord can derive
unlimited pleasure from such engagement. The Eord is
unlimited, and His name, attributes, pastimes, entourage,
variegatedness, etc. are unlimited, and those who relish
them can do so unlimitedly and still not feel satiated. This
fact is confirmed in the adma !r'5aI
ramante yogino 2nante
saty'nanda%cid%'tmani
iti r'ma%"aden'sa!
"ara- brahm'bhidh$yate
DThe mystics derive unlimited transcendental pleasures from
the Absolute Truth, and therefore the $upreme Absolute
Truth, the 1ersonality of 8odhead, is also known as 0"ma.F
There is no end to such transcendental discourses. n
mundane affairs there is the law of satiation, but in
transcendence there is no such satiation. $Lta 8osv"m=
desired to continue the topics of Eord >?@Aa before the
sages of Kaimi@"raAya, and the sages also e:pressed their
readiness to hear from him continuously. $ince the Eord is
transcendence and His attributes are transcendental, such
discourses increase the receptive mood of the purified
audience.
T!T "[
Takae %a'a#a2 ' %a&a'TPaO>aa#aae
hreDdar; cirTa; i'Bup;
BuBO8=Taa; #aae i'Ta#aaeTau i'j#a2 99 "[ 99
tan no bha('n (ai bhaga(at%"radh'no
harer !d'ra- carita- (i1!ddha-
1!1r0.at'- no (itanot! (id(an
S(#O#($S
tatZthereforeV na*Zof usV bha('nZyour good selfV (aiZ
certainlyV bhaga(atZin relation with the 1ersonality of
8odheadV "radh'na*ZchieflyV mahat%tamaZthe greatest of all
greatsV ek'ntaZe:clusivelyV "ar'ya5asyaZof the shelterV
hare*Zof the EordV !d'ramZimpartialV caritamZactivitiesV
(i1!ddhamZtranscendentalV 1!1r0.at'mZthose who are
receptiveV na*ZourselvesV (itanot!Zkindly describeV (id(anZ
9 learned one.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Sdta &os'L@B, you are a learned and pure de'otee of the Lord
because the Personality of &odhead is your chief ob/ect of ser'iceH
Therefore please describe to us the pasti@es of the Lord, Jhich are
abo'e all @aterial conception, for Je are anMious to recei'e such
@essagesH
P8-PO-T
The speaker on the transcendental activities of the Eord
should have only one ob2ect of worship and service, Eord
>?@Aa, the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. And the
audience for such topics should be an:ious to hear about
Him. When such a combination is possible, namely a
(ualified speaker and a (ualified audience, it is then and
there very much congenial to continue discourses on the
Transcendence. 1rofessional speakers and a materially
absorbed audience cannot derive real benefit from such
discourses. 1rofessional speakers make a show of &h'ga(ata%
sa"t'ha for the sake of family maintenance, and the
materially disposed audience hears such discourses of
&h'ga(ata%sa"t'ha for some material benefit, namely
religiosity, wealth, gratification of the senses, or liberation.
$uch &h'ga(atam discourses are not purified from the
contamination of the material (ualities. %ut the discourses
between the saints of Kaimi@"raAya and <r= $Lta 8osv"m=
are on the transcendental level. There is no motive for
material gain. n such discourses, unlimited transcendental
pleasure is relished both by the audience and by the
speaker, and therefore they can continue the topics for
many thousands of years. Kow &h'ga(ata%sa"t'has are held
for seven days only, and after finishing the show, both the
audience and the speaker become engaged in material
activities as usual. They can do so because the speaker is
not bhaga(at%"radh'na and the audience is not 1!1r0.at'm, as
e:plained above.
T!T "\
Sa ' $aha%aa&a'Ta0 Par?iUad2
(ae#aaPa'&aa-e(a$ad%a3buip0 9
/a#ae#a '(aaSaik6!aiKdTae#a
%ae)ae Y&ae#d3)aPaad$a8lR$a2 99 "\ 99
sa (ai mah'%bh'ga(ata* "ar$k.id
yen'"a(arg'khyam adabhra%b!ddhi*
),'nena (aiy'saki%1abditena
bhe)e khagendra%dh(a)a%"'da%m0lam
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV (aiZcertainlyV mah'%bh'ga(ata*Zfirst'class devoteeV
"ar$k.itZthe >ingV yenaZby whichV a"a(arga%'khyamZby the
name of liberationV adabhraZfi:edV b!ddhi*ZintelligenceV
),'nenaZby knowledgeV (aiy'sakiZthe son of !y"saV
1abditenaZvibrated byV bhe)eZtaken toV khaga%indraZ8aruQa,
the king of the birdsV dh(a)aZflagV "'da%m0lamZsoles of the
feet.
T-A#SLATIO#
O Sdta &os'L@B, please describe those topics of the Lord by Jhich
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, Jhose intelligence Jas fiMed on liberation,
attained the lotus feet of the Lord, Jho is the shelter of &aruha, the
king of birdsH Those topics Jere 'ibrated by the son of GyLsa OArBla
Aukade'a3H
P8-PO-T
There is some controversy amongst the students on the path
of liberation. $uch transcendental students are known as
impersonalists and devotees of the Eord. The devotee of the
Eord worships the transcendental form of the Eord, whereas
the impersonalist meditates upon the glaring effulgence, or
the bodily rays of the Eord, known as the brahma)yoti. Here in
this verse it is said that Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it attained the lotus
feet of the Eord by instructions in knowledge delivered by
the son of !y"sadeva, <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=. <ukadeva
8osv"m= was also an impersonalist in the beginning, as he
himself has admitted in the Bhgavatam 3G.,.-6, but later on
he was attracted by the transcendental pastimes of the Eord
and thus became a devotee. $uch devotees with perfect
knowledge are called mah'%bh'ga(atas, or first'class
devotees. There are three classes of devotees, namely the
"r'k4ta, madhyama, and mah'%bh'ga(ata. The "r'k4ta, or third'
class devotees, are temple worshipers without specific
knowledge of the Eord and the EordJs devotees. The
madhyama, or the second'class devotee, knows well the Eord,
the EordJs devotees, the neophytes, and the nondevotees
also. %ut the mah'%bh'ga(ata, or the first'class devotee, sees
everything in relation with the Eord and the Eord present in
everyoneJs relation. The mah'%bh'ga(ata, therefore, does not
make any distinction, particularly between a devotee and
nondevotee. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was such a mah'%bh'ga(ata
devotee because he was initiated by a mah'%bh'ga(ata
devotee, <ukadeva 8osv"m=. He was e(ually kind, even to
the personality of >ali, and what to speak of others.
$o there are many instances in the transcendental histories
of the world of an impersonalist who has later become a
devotee. %ut a devotee has never become an impersonalist.
This very fact proves that on the transcendental steps, the
step occupied by a devotee is higher than the step occupied
by an impersonalist. t is also stated in the Bhagavad-gt
3,G.B6 that persons stuck on the impersonal step undergo
more sufferings than achievement of reality. Therefore
knowledge imparted by <ukadeva 8osv"m= unto Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it helped him attain the service of the Eord. And this
stage of perfection is called a"a(arga, or the perfect stage of
liberation. $imple knowledge of liberation is material
knowledge. Actual freedom from material bondage is called
liberation, but attainment of the transcendental service of
the Eord is called the perfect stage of liberation. $uch a
stage is attained by knowledge and renunciation, as we have
already e:plained 3Bhg. ,.G.,G6, and perfect knowledge, as
delivered by <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=, results in the
attainment of the transcendental service of the Eord.
T!T "]
Tak0 Par; PauQ(a$aSa;':TaaQa-x
$aae(aa#a$aT(ad2%auTa(aae&ai#af$a2 9
Aae(aa7#a#TaacirTaaePaPak;
Paar?iUaTa; %aa&a'Taai%ara$a$a2 99 "] 99
tan na* "ara- "!5yam asa-(4t'rtham
'khy'nam atyadbh!ta%yoga%ni.<ham
'khy'hy anant'carito"a"anna-
"'r$k.ita- bh'ga(at'bhir'mam
S(#O#($S
tatZthereforeV na*Zunto usV "aramZsupremeV "!5yamZ
purifyingV asa-(4ta%arthamZas it isV 'khy'namZnarrationV ati
ZveryV adbh!taZwonderfulV yoga%ni.<hamZcompact in
bhakti%yogaC 'khy'hiZdescribeV anantaZthe RnlimitedV 'carita
ZactivitiesV !"a"annamZfull ofV "'r$k.itamZspoken to
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itV bh'ga(ataZof the pure devoteesV
abhir'mamZparticularly very dear.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus please narrate to us the narrations of the 8nli@ited, for they
are purifying and supre@eH They Jere spoken to $ahLrL/a
ParBkEit, and they are 'ery dear to the pure de'otees, being full of
bhakti6yogaH
P8-PO-T
What was spoken to Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it and what is very dear
to the pure devotees is #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam is mainly full of the narrations of the activities of
the $upreme Rnlimited, and therefore it is the science of
bhakti%yoga, or the devotional service of the Eord. Thus it is
"ara, or supreme, because although it is enriched with all
knowledge and religion, it is specifically enriched with the
devotional service of the Eord.
T!T "^
Sa8Ta o'ac
Ahae '(a; )a#$a%a:Taae+* haS$a
':pa#au':t(aaiPa i'lRae$a)aaTaa0 9
da.ku6L(a$aai>a; i'>au#aaeiTa !a?ga3;
$ahta$aa#aa$ai%a>aa#a(aae&a0 99 "^ 99
s0ta !('ca
aho (aya- )anma%bh4to 2dya h'sma
(4ddh'n!(4tty'"i (iloma%)'t'*
da!.k!lyam 'dhi- (idh!noti 1$ghra-
mahattam'n'm abhidh'na%yoga*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV ahoZhowV (ayamZweV
)anma%bh4ta*Zpromoted in birthV adyaZtodayV haZclearlyV
'smaZhave becomeV (4ddha%an!(4tty'Zby serving those who
are advanced in knowledgeV a"iZalthoughV (iloma%)'t'*Z
born in a mi:ed casteV da!.k!lyamZdis(ualification of birthV
'dhimZsufferingsV (idh!notiZpurifiesV 1$ghramZvery soonV
mahat%tam'n'mZof those who are greatV abhidh'naZ
conversationV yoga*Zconnection.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide O &od, although Je are born in a @iMed
caste, Je are still pro@oted in birthright si@ply by ser'ing and
folloJing the great Jho are ad'anced in knoJledgeH 'en by
con'ersing Jith such great souls, one can Jithout delay cleanse
oneself of all dis?ualifications resulting fro@ loJer birthsH
P8-PO-T
$Lta 8osv"m= did not take his birth in a br'hma5a family. He
was born in a family of mi:ed caste, or an uncultured low
family. %ut because of higher association, like <r= <ukadeva
8osv"m= and the great 4.is of Kaimi@"raAya, certainly the
dis(ualification of inferior birth was washed off. Eord <r=
*aitanya Mah"prabhu followed this principle in pursuance of
the !edic usages, and by His transcendental association He
elevated many lowborn, or those dis(ualified by birth or
action, to the status of devotional service and established
them in the position of 'c'ryas, or authorities. He clearly
stated that any man, whatever he may be, whether a
br'hma5a or 10dra by birth, or a householder or mendicant in
the order of society, if he is conversant with the science of
>?@Aa, he can be accepted as an 'c'rya or g!r!, a spiritual
master.
$Lta 8osv"m= learned the science of >?@Aa from great 4.is
and authorities like <ukadeva and !y"sadeva and he was so
(ualified that even the sages of Kaimi@"raAya eagerly
wanted to hear from him the science of >?@Aa in the form of
#r$mad%&h'ga(atam. $o he had the double association of
great souls by hearing and preaching. Transcendental
science, or the science of >?@Aa, has to be learned from the
authorities, and when one preaches the science, he becomes
still more (ualified. $o $Lta 8osv"m= had both the
advantages, and thus undoubtedly he was completely freed
from all dis(ualifications of low birth and mental agonies.
This verse definitely proves that <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=
did not refuse to teach $Lta 8osv"m= about the
transcendental science nor did the sages of Kaimi@"raAya
refuse to hear lessons from him because of his inferior birth.
This means that thousands of years ago there was no bar to
learning or preaching the transcendental science because of
inferior birth. The rigidity of the so'called caste system in
Hindu society became prominent within only one hundred
years or so when the number of d(i)a%bandh!s, or dis(ualified
men in the families of higher castes, increased. Eord <r=
*aitanya revived the original !edic system, and He elevated
Sh"kura Harid"sa to the position of n'm'c'rya, or the
authority in preaching the glories of the holy name of the
Eord, although His Holiness <r=la Harid"sa Sh"kura was
pleased to appear in a family of Mohammedans.
$uch is the power of pure devotees of the Eord. The 8anges
water is accepted as pure, and one can become purified
after taking a bath in the waters of the 8anges. %ut as far as
the great devotees of the Eord are concerned, they can
purify a degraded soul even by being seen by the lowborn,
and what to speak of association. Eord <r= *aitanya
Mah"prabhu wanted to purify the whole atmosphere of the
polluted world by sending (ualified preachers all over the
world, and it remains with the ndians to take up this task
scientifically and thus do the best kind of humanitarian work.
The mental diseases of the present generation are more
acute than bodily diseasesV it is (uite fit and proper to take
up the preaching of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam all over the world
without delay. 8ahattam'n'm abhidh'na also means
dictionary of great devotees, or a book full of the words of
great devotees. $uch a dictionary of the words of great
devotees and those of the Eord are in the /edas and allied
literatures, specifically the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
T!T "_
ku6Ta0 Pau#a&a:-QaTaae #aa$a TaS(a
(aae+#a#Ta!aiv6%a-&a'a#a#a#Taae
$ahd2&auQaT'ad2 (a$a#a#Ta$aahu0 99 "_ 99
k!ta* "!nar g45ato n'ma tasya
yo 2nanta%1aktir bhaga('n ananto
mahad%g!5at('d yam anantam 'h!*
S(#O#($S
k!ta*Zwhat to sayV "!na*ZagainV g45ata*Zone who chantsV
n'maZholy nameV tasyaZHisV mahat%tamaZgreat devoteesV
ek'ntaZe:clusiveV "ar'ya5asyaZof one who takes shelter ofV
ya*ZHe whoV anantaZis the RnlimitedV 1akti*ZpotencyV
bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV ananta*Z
immeasurableV mahatZgreatV g!5at('tZon account of such
attributesV yamZwhomV anantamZby the name anantaC 'h!*
Zis called.
T-A#SLATIO#
And Jhat to speak of those Jho are under the direction of the great
de'otees, chanting the holy na@e of the 8nli@ited, Jho has
unli@ited potencyW The Personality of &odhead, unli@ited in
potency and transcendental by attributes, is called the ananta
O8nli@ited3H
P8-PO-T
The d(i)a%bandh!, or the less intelligent, uncultured men born
of higher castes, put forward many arguments against the
lower'caste men becoming br'hma5as in this life. They argue
that birth in a family of 10dras or less than 10dras is made
possible by oneJs previous sinful acts and that one therefore
has to complete the terms of disadvantages due to lower
birth. And to answer these false logicians, #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam asserts that one who chants the holy name of
the Eord under the direction of a pure devotee can at once
get free from the disadvantages due to a lower'caste birth. A
pure devotee of the Eord does not commit any offense while
chanting the holy name of the Eord. There are ten different
offenses in the chanting of the holy name of the Eord. To
chant the holy name under the direction of a pure devotee is
offenseless chanting. 9ffenseless chanting of the holy name
of the Eord is transcendental, and, therefore, such chanting
can at once purify one from the effects of all kinds of
previous sins. This offenseless chanting indicates that one
has fully understood the transcendental nature of the holy
name and has thus surrendered unto the Eord.
Transcendentally the holy name of the Eord and the Eord
Himself are identical, being absolute. The holy name of the
Eord is as powerful as the Eord. The Eord is the all'powerful
1ersonality of 8odhead, and He has innumerable names,
which are all nondifferent from Him and are e(ually powerful
also. n the last word of the &haga(ad%g$t' the Eord asserts
that one who surrenders fully unto Him is protected from all
sins by the grace of the Eord. $ince His name and He Himself
are identical, the holy name of the Eord can protect the
devotee from all effects of sins. The chanting of the holy
name of the Eord can undoubtedly deliver one from the
disadvantages of a lower'caste birth. The EordJs unlimited
power is e:tended on and on by the unlimited e:pansion of
the devotees and incarnations, and thus every devotee of
the Eord and incarnations also can be e(ually surcharged
with the potency of the Eord. $ince the devotee is
surcharged with the potency of the Eord, even fractionally,
the dis(ualification due to lower birth cannot stand in the
way.
T!T N`
VTaa'Taal;R #a#au Sa8icTae#a
&auQarSaa$(aa#aiTa!aa(a#aS(a 9
ihT'eTara#a2 PaOaQa-(aTaae i'%a8iTax
(a-S(aaM2iga3reQau; )au=Tae+#a%a?PSaae0 99 N` 99
et'(at'la- nan! s0citena
g!5air as'my'nati1'yanasya
hit(etar'n "r'rthayato (ibh0tir
yasy'3ghri%re5!- )!.ate 2nabh$"so*
S(#O#($S
et'(at'Zso farV alamZunnecessaryV nan!Zif at allV s0citenaZ
by descriptionV g!5ai*Zby attributesV as'myaZ
immeasurableV anati%1'yanasyaZof one who is une:celledV
hit('Zleaving asideV itar'nZothersV "r'rthayata*Zof those
who ask forV (ibh0ti*Zfavor of the goddess of fortuneV yasya
Zone whoseV a3ghriZfeetV re5!mZdustV )!.ateZservesV
anabh$"so*Zof one who is unwilling.
T-A#SLATIO#
It is noJ ascertained that Ie Othe Personality of &odhead3 is
unli@ited and there is none e?ual to Ii@H Conse?uently no one can
speak of Ii@ ade?uatelyH &reat de@igods cannot obtain the fa'or
of the goddess of fortune e'en by prayers, but this 'ery goddess
renders ser'ice unto the Lord, although Ie is unJilling to ha'e
such ser'iceH
P8-PO-T
The 1ersonality of 8odhead, or the 1aramePvara
1arabrahman, according to the 1r!tis, has nothing to do. He
has no e(ual. Kor does anyone e:cel Him. He has unlimited
potencies, and His every action is carried out systematically
in His natural and perfect ways. Thus the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead is full in Himself, and He has nothing
to accept from anyone else, including the great demigods
like %rahm". 9thers ask for the favor of the goddess of
fortune, and despite such prayers she declines to award
such favors. %ut still she renders service unto the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead, although He has nothing to accept
from her. The 1ersonality of 8odhead in His 8arbhodakaP"y=
!i@Au feature begets %rahm", the first created person in the
material world, from His navel lotus stem and not in the
womb of the goddess of fortune, who is eternally engaged in
His service. These are some of the instances of His complete
independence and perfection. That He has nothing to do
does not mean that He is impersonal. He is transcendentally
so full of inconceivable potencies that simply by His willing,
everything is done without physical or personal endeavor. He
is called, therefore, XogePvara, or the Eord of all mystic
powers.
T!T N"
AQaaiPa (aTPaad#aYa'Sa:n;
)a&aijir}aePa5Taah-Qaa$%a0 9
Sae!a; Pau#aaT(a#(aTa$aae $auku6#daTa2
k6ae #aa$a lRaeke6 %a&a'TPadaQa-0 99 N" 99
ath'"i yat%"'da%nakh'(as4.<a-
)agad (iri,co"ah4t'rha5'mbha*
se1a- "!n'ty anyatamo m!k!nd't
ko n'ma loke bhaga(at%"ad'rtha*
S(#O#($S
athaZthereforeV a"iZcertainlyV yatZwhoseV "'da%nakhaZnails
of the feetV a(as4.<amZemanatingV )agatZthe whole
universeV (iri,caZ%rahm"2=V !"ah4taZcollectedV arha5aZ
worshipV ambha*ZwaterV saZalong withV $1amZEord <ivaV
"!n'tiZpurifiesV anyatama*Zwho elseV m!k!nd'tZbesides
the 1ersonality of 8odhead <r= >?@AaV ka*ZwhoV n'maZ
nameV lokeZwithin the worldV bhaga(atZ$upreme EordV "ada
ZpositionV artha*Zworth.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vho can be Jorthy of the na@e of the Supre@e Lord but the
Personality of &odhead ArB CDEFaW Krah@L/B collected the Jater
e@anating fro@ the nails of Iis feet in order to aJard it to Lord
Ai'a as a Jorshipful Jelco@eH This 'ery Jater Othe &anges3 is
purifying the Jhole uni'erse, including Lord Ai'aH
P8-PO-T
The conception of many gods in the !edic literatures by the
ignorant is completely wrong. The Eord is one without a
second, but He e:pands Himself in many ways, and this is
confirmed in the /edas. $uch e:pansions of the Eord are
limitless, but some of them are the living entities. The living
entities are not as powerful as the EordJs plenary
e:pansions, and therefore there are two different types of
e:pansions. Eord %rahm" is generally one of the living
entities, and Eord <iva is the via medium between the Eord
and the living entities. n other words, even demigods like
Eord %rahm" and Eord <iva, who are the chief amongst all
demigods, are never e(ual to or greater than Eord !i@Au, the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. The goddess of fortune,
Eak@m=, and all'powerful demigods like %rahm" and <iva
are engaged in the worship of !i@Au or Eord >?@AaV therefore
who can be more powerful than Mukunda 3Eord >?@Aa6 to be
factually called the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead? The
goddess of fortune, Eak@m=2=, Eord %rahm" and Eord <iva
are not independently powerfulV they are powerful as
e:pansions of the $upreme Eord, and all of them are
engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Eord,
and so also are the living entities. There are four sects of
worshipful devotees of the Eord, and the chief amongst them
are the %rahma'samprad"ya, 0udra'samprad"ya and <r='
samprad"ya, descending directly from Eord %rahm", Eord
<iva and the goddess of fortune, Eak@m=, respectively.
%esides the above'mentioned three sam"rad'yas, there is the
>um"ra'samprad"ya, descending from $anat'kum"ra. All of
the four original sam"rad'yas are still scrupulously engaged
in the transcendental service of the Eord up to date, and
they all declare that Eord >?@Aa, Mukunda, is the $upreme
1ersonality of 8odhead, and no other personality is e(ual to
Him or greater than Him.
T!T NN
(a<aa#aurv6a0 SahSa' >a?ra
G(aPaae7 dehaid=u Sal$a8t$a2 9
'3)ai#Ta TaTPaar$ah;S(a$a#T(a;
(aiS$akih;SaaePa!a$a0 S'>a$a-0 99 NN 99
yatr'n!rakt'* sahasai(a dh$r'
(ya"ohya deh'di.! sa3gam 0;ham
(ra)anti tat "'rama%ha-syam antya-
yasminn ahi-so"a1ama* s(a%dharma*
S(#O#($S
yatraZunto whomV an!rakt'*Zfirmly attachedV sahas'Zall of
a suddenV e(aZcertainlyV dh$r'*Zself'controlledV (ya"ohyaZ
leaving asideV dehaZthe gross body and subtle mindV 'di.!Z
relating toV sa3gamZattachmentV 0;hamZtaken toV (ra)antiZ
go awayV tatZthatV "'rama%ha-syamZthe highest stage of
perfectionV antyamZand beyond thatV yasminZin whichV
ahi-s'ZnonviolenceV !"a1ama*Zand renunciationV s(a%
dharma*Zconse(uential occupation.
T-A#SLATIO#
Self6controlled persons Jho are attached to the Supre@e Lord ArB
CDEFa can all of a sudden gi'e up the Jorld of @aterial
attach@ent, including the gross body and subtle @ind, and go
aJay to attain the highest perfection of the renounced order of life,
by Jhich non'iolence and renunciation are conse?uentialH
P8-PO-T
9nly the self'controlled can gradually be attached to the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. $elf'controlled means not
indulging in sense en2oyment more than is necessary. And
those who are not self'controlled are given over to sense
en2oyment. 7ry philosophical speculation is a subtle sense
en2oyment of the mind. $ense en2oyment leads one to the
path of darkness. Those who are self'controlled can make
progress on the path of liberation from the conditional life of
material e:istence. The /edas, therefore, en2oin that one
should not go on the path of darkness but should make a
progressive march towards the path of light or liberation.
$elf'control is actually achieved not by artificially stopping
the senses from material en2oyment, but by becoming
factually attached to the $upreme Eord by engaging oneJs
unalloyed senses in the transcendental service of the Eord.
The senses cannot be forcibly curbed, but they can be given
proper engagement. 1urified senses, therefore, are always
engaged in the transcendental service of the Eord. This
perfectional stage of sense engagement is called bhakti%yoga.
$o those who are attached to the means of bhakti%yoga are
factually self'controlled and can all of a sudden give up their
homely or bodily attachment for the service of the Eord. This
is called the "aramaha-sa stage. >a-sas, or swans, accept
only milk out of a mi:ture of milk and water. $imilarly, those
who accept the service of the Eord instead of m'y'2s service
are called the "aramaha-sas. They are naturally (ualified with
all the good attributes, such as pridelessness, freedom from
vanity, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, respectability,
worship, devotion and sincerity. All these godly (ualities
e:ist in the devotee of the Eord spontaneously. $uch
"aramaha-sas, who are completely given up to the service of
the Eord, are very rare. They are very rare even amongst the
liberated souls. 0eal nonviolence means freedom from envy.
n this world everyone is envious of his fellow being. %ut a
perfect "aramaha-sa, being completely given up to the
service of the Eord, is perfectly nonenvious. He loves every
living being in relation with the $upreme Eord. 0eal
renunciation means perfect dependence on 8od. ;very living
being is dependent on someone else because he is so made.
Actually everyone is dependent on the mercy of the
$upreme Eord, but when one forgets his relation with the
Eord, he becomes dependent on the conditions of material
nature. 0enunciation means renouncing ones dependence
on the conditions of material nature and thus becoming
completely dependent on the mercy of the Eord. 0eal
independence means complete faith in the mercy of the Eord
without dependence on the conditions of matter. This
"aramaha-sa stage is the highest perfectional stage in bhakti%
yoga, the process of devotional service to the $upreme Eord.
T!T NX
Ah; ih Pa:nae+(a-$aQaae %a'iSx
racUa AaT$aa'&a$aae+<a (aa'a#a2 9
#a%a0 PaTa#T(aaT$aSa$a; PaTaiT<aQax
STaQaa Sa$a; i'.Qau&aiTa; i'Pai,Ta0 99 NX 99
aha- hi "4.<o 2ryama5o bha(adbhir
'cak.a 'tm'(agamo 2tra y'('n
nabha* "atanty 'tma%sama- "atattri5as
tath' sama- (i.5!%gati- (i"a1cita*
S(#O#($S
ahamZmy humble selfV hiZcertainlyV "4.<a*Zasked by youV
aryama5a*Zas powerful as the sunV bha(adbhi*Zby youV
'cak.eZmay describeV 'tma%a(agama*Zas far as my
knowledge is concernedV atraZhereinV y'('nZso farV nabha*
ZskyV "atantiZflyV 'tma%samamZas far as it canV "atattri5a*
Zthe birdsV tath'ZthusV samamZsimilarlyV (i.5!%gatimZ
knowledge of !i@AuV (i"a1cita*Zeven though learned.
T-A#SLATIO#
O DEis, Jho are as poJerfully pure as the sun, I shall try to
describe to you the transcendental pasti@es of GiEFu as far as @y
knoJledge is concernedH As the birds fly in the sky as far as their
capacity alloJs, so do the learned de'otees describe the Lord as far
as their reali=ation alloJsH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Absolute Truth is unlimited. Ko living being can
know about the unlimited by his limited capacity. The Eord is
impersonal, personal and locali)ed. %y His impersonal
feature He is all'pervading %rahman, by His locali)ed feature
He is present in everyoneJs heart as the $upreme $oul, and
by His ultimate personal feature He is the ob2ect of
transcendental loving service by His fortunate associates the
pure devotees. The pastimes of the Eord in different features
can only be estimated partly by the great learned devotees.
$o <r=la $Lta 8osv"m= has rightly taken this position in
describing the pastimes of the Eord as far as he has reali)ed.
Hactually only the Eord Himself can describe Himself, and His
learned devotee also can describe Him as far as the Eord
gives him the power of description.
T!TS NZN[
Vk6da >a#auD*$(a i'cr#a2 $a:&a(aa; '#ae 9
$a:&aa#a#au&aTa0 BOa#Ta0 Uaui>aTaSTa:i=Taae %a:!a$a2 99
NZ 99
)alRa!a(a$acUaaQa0 PaOi''e!a Ta$aaBO$a$a2 9
dd!a- $aui#a$aaSa?#a; !aa#Ta; $a?ilRTalRaec#a$a2 99 N[ 99
ekad' dhan!r !dyamya
(icaran m4gay'- (ane
m4g'n an!gata* 1r'nta*
k.!dhitas t4.ito bh41am
)al'1ayam acak.'5a*
"ra(i(e1a tam '1ramam
dadar1a m!nim 's$na-
1'nta- m$lita%locanam
S(#O#($S
ekad'Zonce upon a timeV dhan!*Zarrows and bowV !dyamya
Ztaking firmlyV (icaranZfollowingV m4gay'mZhunting
e:cursionV (aneZin the forestV m4g'nZstagsV an!gata*Zwhile
followingV 1r'nta*ZfatiguedV k.!dhita*ZhungryV t4.ita*Z
being thirstyV bh41amZe:tremelyV )ala%'1ayamZreservoir of
waterV acak.'5a*Zwhile searching forV "ra(i(e1aZentered
intoV tamZthat famousV '1ramamZhermitage of <am=ka _@iV
dadar1aZsawV m!nimZthe sageV 's$namZseatedV 1'ntamZ
all silentV m$litaZclosedV locanamZeyes.
T-A#SLATIO#
Once upon a ti@e $ahLrL/a ParBkEit, Jhile engaged in hunting in
the forest Jith boJ and arroJs, beca@e eMtre@ely fatigued,
hungry and thirsty Jhile folloJing the stagsH Vhile searching for a
reser'oir of Jater, he entered the her@itage of the Jell6knoJn
Aa@Bka iEi and saJ the sage sitting silently Jith closed eyesH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord is so kind to His pure devotees that in
proper time He calls such devotees up to Him and thus
creates an auspicious circumstance for the devotee.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was a pure devotee of the Eord, and there
was no reason for him to become e:tremely fatigued, hungry
and thirsty because a devotee of the Eord never becomes
perturbed by such bodily demands. %ut by the desire of the
Eord, even such a devotee can become apparently fatigued
and thirsty 2ust to create a situation favorable for his
renunciation of worldly activities. 9ne has to give up all
attachment for worldly relations before one is able to go
back to 8odhead, and thus when a devotee is too much
absorbed in worldly affairs, the Eord creates a situation to
cause indifference. The $upreme Eord never forgets His pure
devotee, even though he may be engaged in so'called
worldly affairs. $ometimes He creates an awkward situation,
and the devotee becomes obliged to renounce all worldly
affairs. The devotee can understand by the signal of the
Eord, but others take it to be unfavorable and frustrating.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was to become the medium for the
revelation of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam by Eord <r= >?@Aa, as his
grandfather Ar2una was the medium for the &haga(ad%g$t'.
Had Ar2una not been taken up with an illusion of family
affection by the will of the Eord, the &haga(ad%g$t' would not
have been spoken by the Eord Himself for the good of all
concerned. $imilarly, had Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it not been
fatigued, hungry and thirsty at this time, #r$mad%&h'ga(atam
would not have been spoken by <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m=,
the prime authority of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. $o this is a
prelude to the circumstances under which #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam was spoken for the benefit of all concerned. The
prelude, therefore, begins with the words Donce upon a
time.F
T!T N\
PaOiTaDpei#d3(aPaOaQa$a#aaebuip$auPaarTa$a2 9
SQaa#a<a(aaTPar; PaOa; b34%a8Ta$ai'is6(a$a2 99 N\ 99
"ratir!ddhendriya%"r'5a%
mano%b!ddhim !"'ratam
sth'na%tray't "ara- "r'"ta-
brahma%bh0tam a(ikriyam
S(#O#($S
"ratir!ddhaZrestrainedV indriyaZthe sense organsV "r'5aZ
air of respirationV mana*Zthe mindV b!ddhimZintelligenceV
!"'ratamZinactiveV sth'naZplacesV tray'tZfrom the threeV
"aramZtranscendentalV "r'"tamZachievedV brahma%bh0tamZ
(ualitatively e(ual with the $upreme AbsoluteV a(ikriyamZ
unaffected.
T-A#SLATIO#
The @unirs sense organs, breath, @ind and intelligence Jere all
restrained fro@ @aterial acti'ities, and he Jas situated in a trance
apart fro@ the three OJakefulness, drea@ and unconsciousness3,
ha'ing achie'ed a transcendental position ?ualitati'ely e?ual Jith
the Supre@e AbsoluteH
P8-PO-T
t appears that the m!ni, in whose hermitage the >ing
entered, was in yogic trance. The transcendental position is
attained by three processes, namely the process of ),'na, or
theoretical knowledge of transcendence, the process of yoga,
or factual reali)ation of trance by manipulation of the
physiological and psychological functions of the body, and
the most approved process of bhakti%yoga, or the
engagement of senses in the devotional service of the Eord.
n the &haga(ad%g$t' also we have the information of the
gradual development of perception from matter to a living
entity. 9ur material mind and body develop from the living
entity, the soul, and being influenced by the three (ualities
of matter, we forget our real identity. The ),'na process
theoretically speculates about the reality of the soul. %ut
bhakti%yoga factually engages the spirit soul in activities. The
perception of matter is transcended to still subtler states of
the senses. The senses are transcended to the subtler mind,
and then to breathing activities and gradually to intelligence.
%eyond the intelligence, the living soul is reali)ed by the
mechanical activities of the yoga system, or practice of
meditation restraining the senses, regulating the breathing
system and applying intelligence to rise to the
transcendental position. This trance stops all material
activities of the body. The >ing saw the m!ni in that position.
He also saw the m!ni as follows.
T!T N]
i'PaOk6IQa-)a1uaCck; rar'eQaai)a#ae#a c 9
i'Bu.(ataaluRDdk;6 TaQaa%a8Ta$a(aacTa 99 N] 99
(i"rak$r5a%)a<'cchanna-
ra!ra(e5')inena ca
(i1!.yat%t'l!r !daka-
tath'%bh0tam ay'cata
S(#O#($S
(i"rak$r5aZall scatteredV )a<a%'cchannamZcovered with
compressed, long hairV ra!ra(e5aZby the skin of a stagV
a)inenaZby the skinV caZalsoV (i1!.yatZdried upV t'l!*Z
palateV !dakamZwaterV tath'%bh0tamZin that stateV ay'cataZ
asked for.
T-A#SLATIO#
The sage, in @editation, Jas co'ered by the skin of a stag, and
long, co@pressed hair Jas scattered all o'er hi@H The Cing, Jhose
palate Jas dry fro@ thirst, asked hi@ for JaterH
P8-PO-T
The >ing, being thirsty, asked the sage for water. That such
a great devotee and king asked for water from a sage
absorbed in trance was certainly providential. 9therwise
there was no chance of such a uni(ue happening. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it was thus placed in an awkward position so that
gradually #r$mad%&h'ga(atam could be revealed.
T!T N^
AlRK>aTa:Qa%a8$(aaidrSa$PaOaag(a-Sa8#a:Ta0 9
A'/aTai$a'aT$aa#a; $a#(a$aa#a,uk6aePa h 99 N^ 99
alabdha%t45a%bh0my%'dir
asam"r'"t'rghya%s0n4ta*
a(a),'tam i('tm'na-
manyam'na1 c!ko"a ha
S(#O#($S
alabdhaZhaving not receivedV t45aZseat of strawV bh0miZ
placeV 'di*Zand so onV asam"r'"taZnot properly receivedV
arghyaZwater for receptionV s0n4ta*Zsweet wordsV a(a),'tam
Zthus being neglectedV i(aZlike thatV 'tm'namZpersonallyV
manyam'na*Zthinking like thatV c!ko"aZbecame angryV haZ
in that way.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Cing, not recei'ed by any for@al Jelco@e by @eans of being
offered a seat, place, Jater and sJeet addresses, considered
hi@self neglected, and so thinking he beca@e angryH
P8-PO-T
The law of reception in the codes of the !edic principles
states that even if an enemy is received at home, he must
be received with all respects. He should not be given a
chance to understand that he has come into the house of an
enemy. When Eord >?@Aa, accompanied by Ar2una and
%h=ma, approached Oar"sandha in Magadha, the respectable
enemies were given a royal reception by >ing Oar"sandha.
The guest enemy, namely %h=ma, was to fight with
Oar"sandha, and yet they were given a grand reception. At
night they used to sit down together as friends and guests,
and in the day they used to fight, risking life and death. That
was the law of reception. The reception law en2oins that a
poor man, who has nothing to offer his guest, should be
good enough to offer a straw mat for sitting, a glass of water
for drinking and some sweet words. Therefore, to receive a
guest, either friend or foe, there is no e:pense. t is only a
(uestion of good manners.
When Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it entered the door of <am=ka _@i, he
did not e:pect a royal reception by the 4.i because he knew
that saints and 4.is are not materially rich men. %ut he
never e:pected that a seat of straw, a glass of water and
some sweet words would be denied to him. He was not an
ordinary guest, nor was he an enemy of the 4.i, and
therefore the cold reception by the 4.i astonished the >ing
greatly. As a matter of fact, the >ing was right to get angry
with the 4.i when he needed a glass of water very badly. To
become angry in such a grave situation was not unnatural
for the >ing, but because the >ing himself was not less than
a great saint, his becoming angry and taking action were
astonishing. $o it must be accepted that it was so ordained
by the supreme will of the Eord. The >ing was a great
devotee of the Eord, and the saint was also as good as the
>ing. %ut by the will of the Eord, the circumstances were so
created that they became ways to the >ingJs becoming
unattached to family connection and governmental activities
and thus becoming a completely surrendered soul unto the
lotus feet of Eord >?@Aa. The merciful Eord sometimes
creates such awkward positions for his pure devotees in
order to drag them towards Himself from the mire of
material e:istence. %ut outwardly the situations appear to be
frustrating to the devotees. The devotees of the Eord are
always under the protection of the Eord, and in any
condition, frustration or success, the Eord is the supreme
guide for the devotees. The pure devotees, therefore, accept
all conditions of frustration as blessings from the Eord.
T!T N_
A%a8TaPa8'-0 SahSaa Uauta:o2%(aa$aid-TaaT$a#a0 9
b3a4Qa; PaOT(a%a8d2b34#a2 $aTSarae $a#(aure' c 99 N_ 99
abh0ta%"0r(a* sahas'
k.!t%t4;bhy'm ardit'tmana*
br'hma5a- "raty abh0d brahman
matsaro many!r e(a ca
S(#O#($S
abh0ta%"0r(a*ZunprecedentedV sahas'ZcircumstantiallyV
k.!tZhungerV t4;bhy'mZas well as by thirstV arditaZbeing
distressedV 'tmana*Zof his selfV br'hma5amZunto a
br'hma5aC "ratiZagainstV abh0tZbecameV brahmanZ9
br'hma5asC matsara*ZenviousV many!*ZangryV e(aZthusV ca
Zand.
T-A#SLATIO#
O brLh@aFas, the Cingrs anger and en'y, directed toJard the
brLh@aFa sage, Jere unprecedented, being that circu@stances had
@ade hi@ hungry and thirstyH
P8-PO-T
Hor a king like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it to become angry and
envious, especially at a sage and br'hma5a, was undoubtedly
unprecedented. The >ing knew well that br'hma5as, sages,
children, women and old men are always beyond the
2urisdiction of punishment. $imilarly, the king, even though
he commits a great mistake, is never to be considered a
wrongdoer. %ut in this case, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it became
angry and envious at the sage due to his thirst and hunger,
by the will of the Eord. The >ing was right to punish his
sub2ect for coldly receiving him or neglecting him, but
because the culprit was a sage and a br'hma5a, it was
unprecedented. As the Eord is never envious of anyone, so
also the EordJs devotee is never envious of anyone. The only
2ustification for Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs behavior is that it was
ordained by the Eord.
T!T X`
Sa Tau b34a=er;Sae &aTaaSau$aur&a; D=a 9
i'i#a&a-Cc#>a#au.k6ae1ya i#a>aa(a Paur$aa&aTa0 99 X` 99
sa t! brahma%4.er a-se
gat's!m !raga- r!.'
(inirgacchan dhan!.%ko<y'
nidh'ya "!ram 'gata*
S(#O#($S
sa*Zthe >ingV t!ZhoweverV brahma%4.e*Zof the br'hma5a
sageV a-seZon the shoulderV gata%as!mZlifelessV !ragamZ
snakeV r!.'Zin angerV (inirgacchanZwhile leavingV dhan!*%
ko<y'Zwith the front of the bowV nidh'yaZby placing itV
"!ramZpalaceV 'gata*Zreturned.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile lea'ing, the Cing, being so insulted, picked up a lifeless
snake Jith his boJ and angrily placed it on the shoulder of the
sageH Then he returned to his palaceH
P8-PO-T
The >ing thus treated the sage tit for tat, although he was
never accustomed to such silly actions. %y the will of the
Eord, the >ing, while going away, found a dead snake in front
of him, and he thought that the sage, who had coldly
received him, thus might be coldly rewarded by being
offered a garland of a dead snake. n the ordinary course of
dealing, this was not very unnatural, but in the case of
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs dealing with a br'hma5a sage, this was
certainly unprecedented. t so happened by the will of the
Eord.
T!T X"
V= ik;6 i#a%a:Taa!ae=k6rQaae $a?ilRTaeUaQa0 9
$a:=aSa$aai>arahaeiS'iTk;6 #au S(aaTUa<ab#>aui%a0 99 X" 99
e.a ki- nibh4t'1e.a%
kara5o m$litek.a5a*
m4.'%sam'dhir 'hos(it
ki- n! sy't k.atra%bandh!bhi*
S(#O#($S
e.a*ZthisV kimZwhetherV nibh4ta%a1e.aZmeditative moodV
kara5a*ZsensesV m$litaZclosedV $k.a5a*ZeyesV m4.'ZfalseV
sam'dhi*ZtranceV 'hoZremainsV s(itZif it is soV kimZeitherV
n!ZbutV sy'tZmay beV k.atra%bandh!bhi*Zby the lower
k.atriya.
T-A#SLATIO#
8pon returning, he began to conte@plate and argue Jithin hi@self
Jhether the sage had actually been in @editation, Jith senses
concentrated and eyes closed, or Jhether he had /ust been feigning
trance /ust to a'oid recei'ing a loJer kEatriyaH
P8-PO-T
The >ing, being a devotee of the Eord, did not approve of his
own action, and thus he began to wonder whether the sage
was really in a trance or was 2ust pretending in order to
avoid receiving the >ing, who was a k.atriya and therefore
lower in rank. 0epentance comes in the mind of a good soul
as soon as he commits something wrong. <r=la !iPvan"tha
*akravart= Sh"kura and <r=la O=va 8osv"m= do not believe
that the >ingJs action was due to his past misdeeds. The
arrangement was so made by the Eord 2ust to call the >ing
back home, back to 8odhead.
According to <r=la !iPvan"tha *akravart=, the plan was
made by the will of the Eord, and by the will of the Eord the
situation of frustration was created. The plan was that for his
so'called misdeed the >ing could be cursed by an
ine:perienced br'hma5a boy infected by the influence of >ali,
and thus the >ing would leave his hearth and home for good.
His connections with <r=la <ukadeva 8osv"m= would enable
the presentation of the great #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, which is
considered to be the book incarnation of the Eord. This book
incarnation of the Eord gives much fascinating information of
the transcendental pastimes of the Eord, like His r'sa%l$la
with the spiritual cowherd damsels of !ra2abhLmi. This
specific pastime of the Eord has a special significance
because anyone who properly learns about this particular
pastime of the Eord will certainly be dissuaded from
mundane se: desire and be placed on the path of sublime
devotional service to the Eord. The pure devoteeJs mundane
frustration is meant to elevate the devotee to a higher
transcendental position. %y placing Ar2una and the 1"AQavas
in frustration due to the intrigue of their cousin'brothers, the
prelude of the %attle of >uruk@etra was created by the Eord.
This was to incarnate the sound representative of the Eord,
&haga(ad%g$t'. $o by placing >ing 1ar=k@it in an awkward
position, the incarnation of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam was created
by the will of the Eord. %eing distressed by hunger and thirst
was only a show, because the >ing endured much, even in
the womb of his mother. He was never disturbed by the
glaring heat of the brahm'stra released by APvatth"m". The
>ingJs distressed condition was certainly unprecedented. The
devotees like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it are powerful enough to
forbear such distresses, by the will of the Eord, and they are
never disturbed. The situation, in this case, was therefore all
planned by the Eord.
T!T XN
TaS(a Pau<aae+iTaTae)aS'? i'hr#a2 balRk6ae+%a-k60 9
ra/aga; PaOaiPaTa; TaaTa; BOuT'a Ta<aed$ab3'?Ta2 99 XN 99
tasya "!tro 2tite)as($
(iharan b'lako 2rbhakai*
r'),'gha- "r'"ita- t'ta-
1r!t(' tatredam abra($t
S(#O#($S
tasyaZhis 3the sageJs6V "!tra*ZsonV atiZe:tremelyV te)as($Z
powerfulV (iharanZwhile playingV b'laka*Zwith boysV
arbhakai*Zwho were all childishV r'),'Zby the >ingV aghamZ
distressV "r'"itamZmade to haveV t'tamZthe fatherV 1r!t('Z
by hearingV tatraZthen and thereV idamZthisV abra($tZ
spoke.
T-A#SLATIO#
The sage had a son Jho Jas 'ery poJerful, being a brLh@aFars
sonH Vhile he Jas playing Jith ineMperienced boys, he heard of his
fatherrs distress, Jhich Jas occasioned by the CingH Then and
there the boy spoke as folloJsH
P8-PO-T
7ue to Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs good government, even a boy of
tender age, who was playing with other ine:perienced boys,
could become as powerful as a (ualified br'hma5a. This boy
was known as <?Igi, and he achieved good training in
brahmacarya by his father so that he could be as powerful as
a br'hma5a, even at that age. %ut because the age of >ali
was seeking an opportunity to spoil the cultural heritage of
the four orders of life, the ine:perienced boy gave a chance
for the age of >ali to enter into the field of !edic culture.
Hatred of the lower orders of life began from this br'hma5a
boy, under the influence of >ali, and thus cultural life began
to dwindle day after day. The first victim of brahminical
in2ustice was Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, and thus the protection
given by the >ing against the onslaught of >ali was
slackened.
T!T XX
Ahae A>a$a-0 PaalRa#aa; Pa?'na; bilR%au)aai$a' 9
S'ai$a#(aga; (ad2 daSaa#aa; jarPaa#aa; Bu#aai$a' 99 XX 99
aho adharma* "'l'n'-
"$(n'- bali%bh!)'m i(a
s('miny agha- yad d's'n'-
d('ra%"'n'- 1!n'm i(a
S(#O#($S
ahoZ2ust look atV adharma*ZirreligionV "'l'n'mZof the
rulersV "$(n'mZof one who is brought upV bali%bh!)'mZlike
the crowsV i(aZlikeV s('miniZunto the masterV aghamZsinV
yatZwhat isV d's'n'mZof the servantsV d('ra%"'n'mZ
keeping watch at the doorV 1!n'mZof the dogsV i(aZlike.
T-A#SLATIO#
OThe brLh@aFars son, ADTgi, saide3 O /ust look at the sins of the
rulers Jho, like croJs and Jatchdogs at the door, perpetrate sins
against their @asters, contrary to the principles go'erning
ser'antsH
P8-PO-T
The br'hma5as are considered to be the head and brains of
the social body, and the k.atriyas are considered to be the
arms of the social body. The arms are re(uired to protect the
body from all harm, but the arms must act according to the
directions of the head and brain. That is a natural
arrangement made by the supreme order, for it is confirmed
in the &haga(ad%g$t' that four social orders or castes, namely
the br'hma5as, the k.atriyas, the (ai1yas and the 10dras, are
set up according to (uality and work done by them. Katurally
the son of a br'hma5a has a good chance to become a
br'hma5a by the direction of his (ualified father, as a son of a
medical practitioner has a very good chance to become a
(ualified medical practitioner. $o the caste system is (uite
scientific. The son must take advantage of the fatherJs
(ualification and thus become a br'hma5a or medical
practitioner, and not otherwise. Without being (ualified, one
cannot become a br'hma5a or medical practitioner, and that
is the verdict of all scriptures and social orders. Herein <?Igi,
a (ualified son of a great br'hma5a, attained the re(uired
brahminical power both by birth and by training, but he was
lacking in culture because he was an ine:perienced boy. %y
the influence of >ali, the son of a br'hma5a became puffed
up with brahminical power and thus wrongly compared
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it to crows and watchdogs. The >ing is
certainly the watchdog of the state in the sense that he
keeps vigilant eyes over the border of the state for its
protection and defense, but to address him as a watchdog is
the sign of a less'cultured boy. Thus the downfall of the
brahminical powers began as they gave importance to
birthright without culture. The downfall of the br'hma5a caste
began in the age of >ali. And since br'hma5as are the heads
of the social order, all other orders of society also began to
deteriorate. This beginning of brahminical deterioration was
highly deplored by the father of <?Igi, as we will find.
T!T XZ
b3a4Qa0 Ua<ab#>auih- &a:hPaalRae i#a~iPaTa0 9
Sa k6Qa; Tad2&a:he ja0SQa0 Sa%aaQo; %aaevu6$ah-iTa 99 XZ 99
br'hma5ai* k.atra%bandh!r hi
g4ha%"'lo nir0"ita*
sa katha- tad%g4he d('*%stha*
sabh'5;a- bhokt!m arhati
S(#O#($S
br'hma5ai*Zby the brahminical orderV k.atra%bandh!*Zthe
sons of the k.atriyasC hiZcertainlyV g4ha%"'la*Zthe
watchdogV nir0"ita*ZdesignatedV sa*ZheV kathamZon what
groundsV tat%g4heZin the home of him 3the master6V d('*%
stha*Zkeeping at the doorV sa%bh'5;amZin the same potV
bhokt!mZto eatV arhatiZdeserves.
T-A#SLATIO#
The descendants of the kingly orders are definitely designated as
Jatchdogs, and they @ust keep the@sel'es at the doorH On Jhat
grounds can dogs enter the house and clai@ to dine Jith the
@aster on the sa@e plateW
P8-PO-T
The ine:perienced br'hma5a boy certainly knew that the >ing
asked for water from his father and the father did not
respond. He tried to e:plain away his fatherJs inhospitality in
an impertinent manner befitting an uncultured boy. He was
not at all sorry for the >ingJs not being well received. 9n the
contrary, he 2ustified the wrong act in a way characteristic of
the br'hma5as of >ali'yuga. He compared the >ing to a
watchdog, and so it was wrong for the >ing to enter the
home of a br'hma5a and ask for water from the same pot.
The dog is certainly reared by its master, but that does not
mean that the dog shall claim to dine and drink from the
same pot. This mentality of false prestige is the cause of
downfall of the perfect social order, and we can see that in
the beginning it was started by the ine:perienced son of a
br'hma5a. As the dog is never allowed to enter within the
room and hearth, although it is reared by the master,
similarly, according to <?Igi, the >ing had no right to enter
the house of <am=ka _@i. According to the boyJs opinion, the
>ing was on the wrong side and not his father, and thus he
2ustified his silent father.
T!T X[
k:6.Qae &aTae %a&a'iTa !aaSTa(au-TPaQa&aai$a#aa$a2 9
TaiSkSaeTa8#a*ah; !aaiS$a Pa!(aTa $ae blR$a2 99 X[ 99
k4.5e gate bhaga(ati
1'stary !t"atha%g'min'm
tad bhinna%set0n ady'ha-
1'smi "a1yata me balam
S(#O#($S
k4.5eZEord >?@AaV gateZhaving departed from this worldV
bhaga(atiZthe 1ersonality of 8odheadV 1'stariZthe supreme
rulerV !t"atha%g'min'mZof those who are upstartsV tat bhinna
Zbeing separatedV set0nZthe protectorV adyaZtodayV ahamZ
myselfV 1'smiZshall punishV "a1yataZ2ust seeV meZmyV
balamZprowess.
T-A#SLATIO#
After the departure of Lord ArB CDEFa, the Personality of &odhead
and supre@e ruler of e'eryone, these upstarts ha'e flourished, our
protector being goneH Therefore I @yself shall take up this @atter
and punish the@H )ust Jitness @y poJerH
P8-PO-T
The ine:perienced br'hma5a, puffed up by a little brahma%
te)as, became influenced by the spell of >ali'yuga. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it gave license to >ali to live in four places as
mentioned hereinbefore, but by his very e:pert government
the personality of >ali could hardly find the places allotted
him. The personality of >ali'yuga, therefore, was seeking the
opportunity to establish authority, and by the grace of the
Eord he found a hole in the puffed'up, ine:perienced son of a
br'hma5a. The little br'hma5a wanted to show his prowess in
destruction, and he had the audacity to punish such a great
king as Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. He wanted to take the place of
Eord >?@Aa after His departure. These are the principal signs
of upstarts who want to take the place of <r= >?@Aa under
the influence of the age of >ali. An upstart with a little power
wants to become an incarnation of the Eord. There are many
false incarnations after the departure of Eord >?@Aa from the
face of the globe, and they are misleading the innocent
public by accepting the spiritual obedience of the general
mass of people to maintain false prestige. n other words,
the personality of >ali got the opportunity to reign through
this son of a br'hma5a, <?Igi.
T!T X\
JT(au6a rae=Taa$a3aUaae '(aS(aa#a:i=balRk60 9
k6ai!aC(aaPa oPaSPa:!(a 'a&')a3; i'SaSa)a- h 99 X\ 99
ity !kt(' ro.a%t'mr'k.o
(ayasy'n 4.i%b'laka*
ka!1iky%'"a !"as"41ya
('g%(a)ra- (isasar)a ha
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV !kt('ZsayingV ro.a%t'mra%ak.a*Zwith red'hot eyes
due to being angryV (ayasy'nZunto the playmatesV 4.i%
b'laka*Zthe son of a 4.iC ka!1ik$Zthe 0iver >auPikaV '"a*Z
waterV !"as"41yaZby touchingV ('kZwordsV (a)ramZ
thunderboltV (isasar)aZthrewV haZin the past.
T-A#SLATIO#
The son of the DEi, his eyes red6hot Jith anger, touched the Jater
of the -i'er Cauwika Jhile speaking to his play@ates and
discharged the folloJing thunderbolt of JordsH
P8-PO-T
The circumstances under which Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was
cursed were simply childish, as it appears from this verse.
<?Igi was showing his impudency amongst his playmates,
who were innocent. Any sane man would have prevented
him from doing such great harm to all human society. %y
killing a king like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, 2ust to make a show of
ac(uired brahminical power, the ine:perienced son of a
br'hma5a committed a great mistake.
T!T X]
JiTa lRiTa$a(aa-d; TaUak60 Sa$ae+hi#a 9
d;U(aiTa S$a ku6lRalar; caeidTaae $ae TaTad3uh$a2 99 X] 99
iti la3ghita%mary'da-
tak.aka* sa"tame 2hani
da3k.yati sma k!l'3g'ra-
codito me tata%dr!ham
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV la3ghitaZsurpassingV mary'damZeti(uetteV
tak.aka*Zsnake'birdV sa"tameZon the seventhV ahaniZdayV
da3k.yatiZwill biteV smaZcertainlyV k!la%a3g'ramZthe
wretched of the dynastyV codita*Zhaving doneV meZmyV
tata%dr!hamZenmity towards the father.
T-A#SLATIO#
The brLh@aFars son cursed the Cing thuse On the se'enth day fro@
today a snake6bird Jill bite the @ost Jretched one of that dynasty
O$ahLrL/a ParBkEit3 because of his ha'ing broken the laJs of
eti?uette by insulting @y fatherH
P8-PO-T
Thus the beginning of the misuse of brahminical power
began, and gradually the br'hma5as in the age of >ali
became devoid of both brahminical powers and culture. The
br'hma5a boy considered Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it to be k!l'3g'ra,
or the wretched of the dynasty, but factually the br'hma5a
boy himself was so because only from him did the br'hma5a
caste become powerless, like the snake whose poisoned
teeth are broken. The snake is fearful as long as his poison
teeth are there, otherwise he is fearful only to children. The
personality of >ali con(uered the br'hma5a boy first, and
gradually the other castes. Thus the whole scientific system
of the orders of society in this age has assumed the form of
a vitiated caste system, which is now being uprooted by
another class of men similarly influenced by the age of >ali.
9ne should see to the root cause of vitiation and not try to
condemn the system as it is, without knowledge of its
scientific value.
T!T X^
TaTaae+%(aeT(aaBO$a; balRae &aleR SaPa-k6leR'r$a2 9
iPaTar; '?U(a du0YaTaae- $auv6k6Quae Draed h 99 X^ 99
tato 2bhyety'1rama- b'lo
gale sar"a%kale(aram
"itara- ($k.ya d!*kh'rto
m!kta%ka5<ho r!roda ha
S(#O#($S
tata*ZthereafterV abhyetyaZafter entering intoV '1ramamZ
the hermitageV b'la*ZboyV gale sar"aZthe snake on the
shoulderV kale(aramZbodyV "itaramZunto the fatherV ($k.ya
Zhaving seenV d!*kha%'rta*Zin a sorry plightV m!kta%ka5<ha*
ZloudlyV r!rodaZcriedV haZin the past.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thereafter, Jhen the boy returned to the her@itage, he saJ a
snake on his fatherrs shoulder, and out of his grief he cried 'ery
loudlyH
P8-PO-T
The boy was not happy because he committed a great
mistake, and he wanted to be relieved of the burden on his
heart by crying. $o after entering the hermitage and seeing
his father in that condition, he cried loudly so that he might
be relieved. %ut it was too late. The father regretted the
whole incident.
T!T X_
Sa 'a AailrSaae b34#a2 BOuT'a SauTai'lRaPa#a$a2 9
o#$a?L(a !a#ak6#ae-<ae d:a ca;Sae $a:Taaer&a$a2 99 X_ 99
sa (' '3giraso brahman
1r!t(' s!ta%(il'"anam
!nm$lya 1anakair netre
d4.<(' c'-se m4toragam
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV (aiZalsoV '3girasa*Zthe 4.i born in the family of
AIgir"V brahmanZ9 <aunakaV 1r!t('Zon hearingV s!taZhis
sonV (il'"anamZcrying in distressV !nm$lyaZopeningV
1anakai*ZgraduallyV netreZby the eyesV d4.<('Zby seeingV
caZalsoV a-seZon the shoulderV m4taZdeadV !ragamZsnake.
T-A#SLATIO#
O brLh@aFas, the DEi, Jho Jas born in the fa@ily of ATgirL $uni,
hearing his son crying, gradually opened his eyes and saJ the dead
snake around his neckH
T!T Z`
i'Sa:)(a Ta; c PaPaOCc 'TSa k6S$aaip raeidi= 9
ke6#a 'a Tae+Pak:6Tai$aT(auv60 Sa #(a'ed(aTa2 99 Z` 99
(is4)ya ta- ca "a"raccha
(atsa kasm'd dhi rodi.i
kena (' te 2"ak4tam
ity !kta* sa nya(edayat
S(#O#($S
(is4)yaZthrowing asideV tamZthatV caZalsoV "a"racchaZ
askedV (atsaZmy dear sonV kasm'tZwhat forV hiZcertainlyV
rodi.iZcryingV kenaZby whomV ('ZotherwiseV teZtheyV
a"ak4tamZmisbehavedV itiZthusV !kta*Zbeing askedV sa*Z
the boyV nya(edayatZinformed of everything.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie threJ the dead snake aside and asked his son Jhy he Jas
crying, Jhether anyone had done hi@ har@H On hearing this, the
son eMplained to hi@ Jhat had happenedH
P8-PO-T
The father did not take the dead snake on his neck very
seriously. He simply threw it away. Actually there was
nothing seriously wrong in Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs act, but the
foolish son took it very seriously, and being influenced by
>ali he cursed the >ing and thus ended a chapter of happy
history.
T!T Z"
i#a!a$(a !a$aTadhg #are#d3;
Sa b3a4Qaae #aaT$a)a$a%(a#a#dTa2 9
Ahae bTaa;hae $ahd* Tae k:6Tax
$aLPa?(aiSa d3aeh oDd-$aae >a:Ta0 99 Z" 99
ni1amya 1a"tam atad%arha- narendra-
sa br'hma5o n'tma)am abhyanandat
aho bat'-ho mahad adya te k4tam
al"$yasi droha !r!r damo dh4ta*
S(#O#($S
ni1amyaZafter hearingV 1a"tamZcursedV atat%arhamZnever
to be condemnedV nara%indramZunto the >ing, best of
humankindV sa*ZthatV br'hma5a*Zbr'hma5a%4.iC naZnotV
'tma%)amZhis own sonV abhyanandatZcongratulatedV ahoZ
alasV bataZdistressingV a-ha*ZsinsV mahatZgreatV adyaZ
todayV teZyourselfV k4tamZperformedV al"$yasiZ
insignificantV droheZoffenseV !r!*Zvery greatV dama*Z
punishmentV dh4ta*Zawarded.
T-A#SLATIO#
The father heard fro@ his son that the Cing had been cursed,
although he should ne'er ha'e been conde@ned, for he Jas the
best a@ongst all hu@an beingsH The DEi did not congratulate his
son, but, on the contrary, began to repent, sayinge Alast Vhat a
great sinful act Jas perfor@ed by @y sonH Ie has aJarded hea'y
punish@ent for an insignificant offenseH
P8-PO-T
The king is the best of all human beings. He is the
representative of 8od, and he is never to be condemned for
any of his actions. n other words, the king can do no wrong.
The king may order hanging of a culprit son of a br'hma5a,
but he does not become sinful for killing a br'hma5a. ;ven if
there is something wrong with the king, he is never to be
condemned. A medical practitioner may kill a patient by
mistaken treatment, but such a killer is never condemned to
death. $o what to speak of a good and pious king like
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it? n the !edic way of life, the king is
trained to become a r')ar.i, or a great saint, although he is
ruling as king. t is the king only by whose good government
the citi)ens can live peacefully and without any fear. The
r')ar.is would manage their kingdoms so nicely and piously
that their sub2ects would respect them as if they were the
Eord. That is the instruction of the /edas. The king is called
narendra, or the best amongst the human beings. How then
could a king like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it be condemned by an
ine:perienced, puffed'up son of a brahma5a, even though he
had attained the powers of a (ualified br'hma5aB
$ince <am=ka _@i was an e:perienced, good br'hma5a, he
did not approve of the actions of his condemned son. He
began to lament for all that his son had done. The king was
beyond the 2urisdiction of curses as a general rule, and what
to speak of a good king like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. The offense
of the >ing was most insignificant, and his being condemned
to death was certainly a very great sin for <?Igi. Therefore
_@i <am=ka regretted the whole incident.
T!T ZN
#a ' #a:i%a#a-rde'; Parae(a;
Sa$$aaTau$ah-S(ai'PaC'bupe 9
(atae)aSaa dui'-=heQa &aua
i'#di#Ta %ad3aQ(aku6Taae%a(aa0 PaO)aa0 99 ZN 99
na (ai n4bhir nara%de(a- "ar'khya-
samm't!m arhasy a(i"ak(a%b!ddhe
yat%te)as' d!r(i.ahe5a g!"t'
(indanti bhadr'5y ak!tobhay'* "ra)'*
S(#O#($S
naZneverV (aiZas a matter of factV n4bhi*Zby any manV
nara%de(amZunto a man'godV "ara%'khyamZwho is
transcendentalV samm't!mZplace on e(ual footingV arhasiZ
by the prowessV a(i"ak(aZunripe or immatureV b!ddheZ
intelligenceV yatZof whomV te)as'Zby the prowessV
d!r(i.ahe5aZunsurpassableV g!"t'*ZprotectedV (indantiZ
en2oysV bhadr'5iZall prosperityV ak!ta*%bhay'*Zcompletely
defendedV "ra)'*Zthe sub2ects.
T-A#SLATIO#
O @y boy, your intelligence is i@@ature, and therefore you ha'e no
knoJledge that the king, Jho is the best a@ongst hu@an beings, is
as good as the Personality of &odheadH Ie is ne'er to be placed on
an e?ual footing Jith co@@on @enH The citi=ens of the state li'e in
prosperity, being protected by his unsurpassable proJessH
T!T ZX
AlRU(a$aaQae #arde'#aai$an
rQaalPaaQaa'(a$al lRaek60 9
Tada ih carPaOcurae i'#a;U(ax
T(arU(a$aaQaae+i''~Qa'Ta2 UaQaaTa2 99 ZX 99
alak.yam'5e nara%de(a%n'mni
rath'3ga%"'5'( ayam a3ga loka*
tad' hi ca!ra%"rac!ro (ina3k.yaty
arak.yam'5o 2(i(ar0tha(at k.a5't
S(#O#($S
alak.yam'5eZbeing abolishedV nara%de(aZmonarchicalV
n'mniZof the nameV ratha%a3ga%"'5a!Zthe representative of
the EordV ayamZthisV a3gaZ9 my boyV loka*Zthis worldV tad'
hiZat onceV ca!raZthievesV "rac!ra*Ztoo muchV (ina3k.yati
Zvan(uishesV arak.yam'5a*Zbeing not protectedV
a(i(ar0tha%(atZlike lambsV k.a5'tZat once.
T-A#SLATIO#
$y dear boy, the Lord, Jho carries the Jheel of a chariot, is
represented by the @onarchical regi@e, and Jhen this regi@e is
abolished the Jhole Jorld beco@es filled Jith thie'es, Jho then at
once 'an?uish the unprotected sub/ects like scattered la@bsH
P8-PO-T
According to #r$mad%&h'ga(atam the monarchical regime
represents the $upreme Eord, the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
The king is said to be the representative of the Absolute
1ersonality of 8odhead because he is trained to ac(uire the
(ualities of 8od to protect the living beings. The %attle of
>uruk@etra was planned by the Eord to establish the real
representative of the Eord, Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. An ideal
king thoroughly trained by culture and devotional service
with the martial spirit makes a perfect king. $uch a personal
monarchy is far better than the so'called democracy of no
training and responsibility. The thieves and rogues of
modern democracy seek election by misrepresentation of
votes, and the successful rogues and thieves devour the
mass of population. 9ne trained monarch is far better than
hundreds of useless ministerial rogues, and it is hinted
herein that by abolition of a monarchical regime like that of
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, the mass of people become open to
many attacks of the age of >ali. They are never happy in an
overly advertised form of democracy. The result of such a
kingless administration is described in the following verses.
T!T ZZ
Tad* #a0 PaaPa$auPaT(a#a#'(a;
(akn#aaQaS(a 'Saaei'-luR$Pak6aTa2 9
ParSPar; gani#Ta !aPai#Ta ':iTae
PaB8#a2 iE(aae+Qaa-#a2 PauDdS(a'ae )a#aa0 99 ZZ 99
tad adya na* "'"am !"aity anan(aya-
yan na.<a%n'thasya (asor (il!m"ak't
"aras"ara- ghnanti 1a"anti (4,)ate
"a10n striyo 2rth'n "!r!%dasya(o )an'*
S(#O#($S
tatZfor this reasonV adyaZfrom this dayV na*Zupon usV
"'"amZreaction of sinV !"aitiZwill overtakeV anan(ayamZ
disruptionV yatZbecauseV na.<aZabolishedV n'thasyaZof the
monarchV (aso*Zof wealthV (il!m"ak'tZbeing plunderedV
"aras"aramZbetween one anotherV ghnantiZwill killV 1a"anti
Zwill do harmV (4,)ateZwill stealV "a10nZanimalsV striya*Z
womenV arth'nZrichesV "!r!ZgreatlyV dasya(a*ZthievesV
)an'*Zthe mass of people.
T-A#SLATIO#
>ue to the ter@ination of the @onarchical regi@es and the
plundering of the peoplers Jealth by rogues and thie'es, there Jill
be great social disruptionsH People Jill be killed and in/ured, and
ani@als and Jo@en Jill be stolenH And for all these sins Je shall
be responsibleH
P8-PO-T
The word na* 3we6 is very significant in this verse. The sage
rightly takes the responsibility of the br'hma5as as a
community for killing monarchical government and thus
giving an opportunity to the so'called democrats, who are
generally plunderers of the wealth of the state sub2ects. The
so'called democrats capture the administrative machine
without assuming responsibility for the prosperous condition
of the citi)ens. ;veryone captures the post for personal
gratification, and thus instead of one king, a number of
irresponsible kings grow up to ta: the citi)ens. t is foretold
herein that in the absence of good monarchical government,
everyone will be the cause of disturbance for others by
plundering riches, animals, women, etc.
T!T Z[
Tada(a->a$a-0 PaOi'lRI(aTae #a:Qaa;
'Qaa-BO$aacar(auTaE(a?$a(a0 9
TaTaae+Qa-k6a$aai%ai#a'ei!aTaaT$a#aa;
Bu#aa; k6Pa?#aai$a' 'Qa-Sar0 99 Z[ 99
tad'rya%dharma* "ra(il$yate n45'-
(ar5'1ram'c'ra%y!tas tray$maya*
tato 2rtha%k'm'bhini(e1it'tman'-
1!n'- ka"$n'm i(a (ar5a%sa3kara*
S(#O#($S
tad'Zat that timeV 'ryaZprogressive civili)ationV dharma*Z
engagementV "ra(il$yateZis systematically van(uishedV
n45'mZof humankindV (ar5aZcasteV '1ramaZorders of
societyV 'c'ra%y!ta*Zcomposed in a good mannerV tray$%
maya*Zin terms of the !edic in2unctionV tata*ZthereafterV
arthaZeconomic developmentV k'ma%abhini(e1itaZfully
absorbed in sense gratificationV 'tman'mZof menV 1!n'mZ
like dogsV ka"$n'mZlike monkeysV i(aZthusV (ar5a%sa3kara*Z
unwanted population.
T-A#SLATIO#
At that ti@e the people in general Jill fall syste@atically fro@ the
path of a progressi'e ci'ili=ation in respect to the ?ualitati'e
engage@ents of the castes and the orders of society and the Gedic
in/unctionsH Thus they Jill be @ore attracted to econo@ic
de'elop@ent for sense gratification, and as a result there Jill be an
unJanted population on the le'el of dogs and @onkeysH
P8-PO-T
t is foretold herein that in the absence of a monarchical
regime, the general mass of people will be an unwanted
population like dogs and monkeys. As the monkeys are too
se:ually inclined and dogs are shameless in se:ual
intercourse, the general mass of population born of
illegitimate connection will systematically go astray from the
!edic way of good manners and (ualitative engagements in
the castes and orders of life.
The !edic way of life is the progressive march of the
civili)ation of the Wryans. The Wryans are progressive in
!edic civili)ation. The !edic civili)ationJs destination is to go
back to 8odhead, back home, where there is no birth, no
death, no old age and no disease. The /edas direct everyone
not to remain in the darkness of the material world but to go
towards the light of the spiritual kingdom far beyond the
material sky. The (ualitative caste system and the orders of
life are scientifically planned by the Eord and His
representatives, the great 4.is. The perfect way of life gives
all sorts of instruction in things both material and spiritual.
The !edic way of life does not allow any man to be like the
monkeys and dogs. A degraded civili)ation of sense
gratification and economic development is the by'product of
a godless or kingless government of the people, by the
people, and for the people. The people should not, therefore,
begrudge the poor administrations they themselves elect.
T!T Z\
>a$a-PaalRae #arPaiTa0 Sa Tau Sa$a3ao2 b:hCc|'a0 9
SaaUaa#$aha%aa&a'Taae ra)ai=-h-(a$ae>a(aa12 9
Uauta:12BO$a(auTaae d?#aae #a'aS$aCcaPa$ah-iTa 99 Z\ 99
dharma%"'lo nara%"ati*
sa t! samr'; b4hac%chra('*
s'k.'n mah'%bh'ga(ato
r')ar.ir haya%medhay'<
k.!t%t4<%1rama%y!to d$no
nai('smac ch'"am arhati
S(#O#($S
dharma%"'la*Zthe protector of religionV nara%"ati*Zthe >ingV
sa*ZheV t!ZbutV samr'<Z;mperorV b4hatZhighlyV 1ra('*Z
celebratedV s'k.'tZdirectlyV mah'%bh'ga(ata*Zthe first'class
devotee of the EordV r')a%4.i*Zsaint amongst the royal
orderV haya%medhay'<Zgreat performer of horse sacrificesV
k.!tZhungerV t4<ZthirstV 1rama%y!ta*Ztired and fatiguedV
d$na*ZstrickenV naZneverV e(aZthusV asmatZby usV 1'"amZ
curseV arhatiZdeserves.
T-A#SLATIO#
The @peror ParBkEit is a pious kingH Ie is highly celebrated and
is a first6class de'otee of the Personality of &odheadH Ie is a saint
a@ongst royalty, and he has perfor@ed @any horse sacrificesH
Vhen such a king is tired and fatigued, being stricken Jith hunger
and thirst, he does not at all deser'e to be cursedH
P8-PO-T
After e:plaining the general codes relating to the royal
position and asserting that the king can do no wrong and
therefore is never to be condemned, the sage <am=ka
wanted to say something about ;mperor 1ar=k@it
specifically. The specific (ualification of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is
summari)ed herein. The >ing, even calculated as a king only,
was most celebrated as a ruler who administered the
religious principles of the royal order. n the 1'stras the
duties of all castes and orders of society are prescribed. All
the (ualities of a k.atriya mentioned in the Bhagavad-gt
3,..M\6 were present in the person of the ;mperor. He was
also a great devotee of the Eord and a self'reali)ed soul.
*ursing such a king, when he was tired and fatigued with
hunger and thirst, was not at all proper. <am=ka _@i thus
admitted from all sides that Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was cursed
most un2ustly. Although all the br'hma5as were aloof from
the incident, still for the childish action of a br'hma5a boy the
whole world situation was changed. Thus _@i <am=ka, a
br'hma5a, took responsibility for all deterioration of the good
orders of the world.
T!T Z]
APaaPae=u S'%a:T(ae=u baleR#aaPaC'buip#aa 9
PaaPa; k:6Ta; TaS&a'a#a2 Sa'a-T$aa Ua#Tau$ah-iTa 99 Z] 99
a"'"e.! s(a%bh4tye.!
b'len'"ak(a%b!ddhin'
"'"a- k4ta- tad bhaga('n
sar('tm' k.ant!m arhati
S(#O#($S
a"'"e.!Zunto one who is completely free from all sinsV s(a%
bh4tye.!Zunto one who is subordinate and deserves to be
protectedV b'lenaZby a childV a"ak(aZwho is immatureV
b!ddhin'Zby intelligenceV "'"amZsinful actV k4tamZhas
been doneV tat bhaga('nZtherefore the 1ersonality of
8odheadV sar(a%'tm'Zwho is all'pervadingV k.ant!mZ2ust to
pardonV arhatiZdeserve.
T-A#SLATIO#
Then the DEi prayed to the all6per'ading Personality of &odhead to
pardon his i@@ature boy, Jho had no intelligence and Jho
co@@itted the great sin of cursing a person Jho Jas co@pletely
free fro@ all sins, Jho Jas subordinate and Jho deser'ed to be
protectedH
P8-PO-T
;veryone is responsible for his own action, either pious or
sinful. _@i <am=ka could foresee that his son had committed
a great sin by cursing Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, who deserved to be
protected by the br'hma5as, for he was a pious ruler and
completely free from all sins because of his being a first'
class devotee of the Eord. When an offense is done unto the
devotee of the Eord, it is very difficult to overcome the
reaction. The br'hma5as, being at the head of the social
orders, are meant to give protection to their subordinates
and not to curse them. There are occasions when a br'hma5a
may furiously curse a subordinate k.atriya or (ai1ya, etc., but
in the case of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it there were no grounds, as
already e:plained. The foolish boy had done it out of sheer
vanity in being a br'hma5a2s son, and thus he became liable
to be punished by the law of 8od. The Eord never forgives a
person who condemns His pure devotee. Therefore, by
cursing a king the foolish <?Igi had committed not only a sin
but also the greatest offense. Therefore the 4.i could
foresee that only the $upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead could
save his boy from his sinful act. He therefore directly prayed
for pardon from the $upreme Eord, who alone can undo a
thing which is impossible to change. The appeal was made in
the name of a foolish boy who had developed no intelligence
at all.
A (uestion may be raised herein that since it was the desire
of the Eord that 1ar=k@it Mah"r"2a be put into that awkward
position so that he might be delivered from material
e:istence, then why was a br'hma5a2s son made responsible
for this offensive act? The answer is that the offensive act
was performed by a child only so that he could be e:cused
very easily, and thus the prayer of the father was accepted.
%ut if the (uestion is raised why the br'hma5a community as
a whole was made responsible for allowing >ali into the
world affairs, the answer is given in the /ar'ha !r'5a that
the demons who acted inimically toward the 1ersonality of
8odhead but were not killed by the Eord were allowed to
take birth in the families of br'hma5as to take advantage of
the age of >ali. The all'merciful Eord gave them a chance to
have their births in the families of pious br'hma5as so that
they could progress toward salvation. %ut the demons,
instead of utili)ing the good opportunity, misused the
brahminical culture due to being puffed up by vanity in
becoming br'hma5as. The typical e:ample is the son of
<am=ka _@i, and all the foolish sons of br'hma5as are warned
hereby not to become as foolish as <?Igi and be always on
guard against the demoniac (ualities which they had in their
previous births. The foolish boy was, of course, e:cused by
the Eord, but others, who may not have a father like <am=ka
_@i, will be put into great difficulty if they misuse the
advantages obtained by birth in a br'hma5a family.
T!T Z^
iTarSk:6Taa i'PaOlRK>aa0 !aa0 iUaa hTaa AiPa 9
#aaS(a TaTa2 PaOiTaku6'-i#Ta TaSv6a0 PaO%a'ae+iPa ih 99 Z^ 99
tirask4t' (i"ralabdh'*
1a"t'* k.i"t' hat' a"i
n'sya tat "ratik!r(anti
tad%bhakt'* "rabha(o 2"i hi
S(#O#($S
tira*%k4t'*Zbeing defamedV (i"ralabdh'*Zbeing cheatedV
1a"t'*Zbeing cursedV k.i"t'*Zdisturbed by negligenceV
hat'*Zor even being killedV a"iZalsoV naZneverV asyaZfor
all these actsV tatZthemV "ratik!r(antiZcounteractV tatZthe
EordJsV bhakt'*ZdevoteesV "rabha(a*ZpowerfulV a"iZ
althoughV hiZcertainly.
T-A#SLATIO#
The de'otees of the Lord are so forbearing that e'en though they
are defa@ed, cheated, cursed, disturbed, neglected or e'en killed,
they are ne'er inclined to a'enge the@sel'esH
P8-PO-T
_@i <am=ka also knew that the Eord does not forgive a
person who has committed an offense at the feet of a
devotee. The Eord can only give direction to take shelter of
the devotee. He thought within himself that if Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it would countercurse the boy, he might be saved. %ut
he knew also that a pure devotee is callous about worldly
advantages or reverses. As such, the devotees are never
inclined to counteract personal defamation, curses,
negligence, etc. As far as such things are concerned, in
personal affairs the devotees do not care for them. %ut in the
case of their being performed against the Eord and His
devotees, then the devotees take very strong action. t was
a personal affair, and therefore <am=ka _@i knew that the
>ing would not take counteraction. Thus there was no
alternative than to place an appeal to the Eord for the
immature boy.
t is not that only the br'hma5as are powerful enough to
award curses or blessings upon the subordinatesV the
devotee of the Eord, even though he may not be a br'hma5a,
is more powerful than a br'hma5a. %ut a powerful devotee
never misuses the power for personal benefit. Whatever
power the devotee may have is always utili)ed in service
towards the Eord and His devotees only.
T!T Z_
JiTa Pau<ak:6Taagae#a Saae+#auTaae $aha$aui#a0 9
S'(a; i'PaOk:6Taae ra/a #a'aga; Tadic#Ta(aTa2 99 Z_ 99
iti "!tra%k4t'ghena
so 2n!ta"to mah'%m!ni*
s(aya- (i"rak4to r'),'
nai('gha- tad acintayat
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV "!traZsonV k4taZdone byV aghenaZby the sinV sa*
Zhe 3the m!ni6V an!ta"ta*ZregrettingV mah'%m!ni*Zthe
sageV s(ayamZpersonallyV (i"rak4ta*Zbeing so insultedV
r'),'Zby the >ingV naZnotV e(aZcertainlyV aghamZthe sinV
tatZthatV acintayatZthought of it.
T-A#SLATIO#
The sage thus regretted the sin co@@itted by his oJn sonH Ie did
not take the insult paid by the Cing 'ery seriouslyH
P8-PO-T
The whole incident is now cleared up. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs
garlanding the sage with a dead snake was not at all a very
serious offense, but <?IgiJs cursing the >ing was a serious
offense. The serious offense was committed by a foolish
child onlyV therefore he deserved to be pardoned by the
$upreme Eord, although it was not possible to get free from
the sinful reaction. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it also did not mind the
curse offered to him by a foolish br'hma5a. 9n the contrary,
he took full advantage of the awkward situation, and by the
great will of the Eord, Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it achieved the
highest perfection of life through the grace of <r=la
<ukadeva 8osv"m=. Actually it was the desire of the Eord,
and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, _@i <am=ka and his son <?Igi were
all instrumental in fulfilling the desire of the Eord. $o none of
them were put into difficulty because everything was done in
relation with the $upreme 1erson.
T!T [`
PaOa(a!a0 Saa>a'ae lRaeke6 Parj-#je=u (aaei)aTaa0 9
#a G(aQai#Ta #a 5.(ai#Ta (aTa AaT$aa+&auQaaBO(a0 99 [` 99
"r'ya1a* s'dha(o loke
"arair d(and(e.! yo)it'*
na (yathanti na h4.yanti
yata 'tm'g!5'1raya*
S(#O#($S
"r'ya1a*ZgenerallyV s'dha(a*ZsaintsV lokeZin this worldV
"arai*Zby othersV d(and(e.!Zin dualityV yo)it'*Zbeing
engagedV naZneverV (yathantiZdistressedV naZnorV h4.yanti
Ztakes pleasureV yata*ZbecauseV 'tm'ZselfV ag!5a%'1raya*
Ztranscendental.
T-A#SLATIO#
&enerally the transcendentalists, e'en though engaged by others
in the dualities of the @aterial Jorld, are not distressedH #or do
they take pleasure Oin Jorldly things3, for they are transcendentally
engagedH
P8-PO-T
The transcendentalists are the empiric philosophers, the
mystics and the devotees of the Eord. ;mpiric philosophers
aim at the perfection of merging into the being of the
Absolute, mystics aim at perceiving the all'pervading
$upersoul, and the devotees of the Eord are engaged in the
transcendental loving service of the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
$ince %rahman, 1aram"tm" and %hagav"n are different
phases of the same Transcendence, all these
transcendentalists are beyond the three modes of material
nature. Material distresses and happinesses are products of
the three modes, and therefore the causes of such material
distress and happiness have nothing to do with the
transcendentalists. The >ing was a devotee, and the 4.i was
a mystic. Therefore both of them were unattached to the
accidental incident created by the supreme will. The playful
child was an instrument in fulfilling the EordJs will.
Sighteenth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled
K8ah'r')a ar$k.it 9!rsed by a %r"hmaAa &oy.M
Chapter #ineteen
The Appearance of Aukade'a &os'L@B
T!T "
Sa8Ta o'ac
$ah?PaiTaST'Qa TaTk6$a- &a7g
i'ic#Ta(akaT$ak:6Ta; Saudu$a-#aa0 9
Ahae $a(aa #a?c$a#aa(a-'Tk:6Ta;
i#ara&aiSa b34iQa &a8tTae)aiSa 99 " 99
s0ta !('ca
mah$%"atis t( atha tat%karma garhya-
(icintayann 'tma%k4ta- s!d!rman'*
aho may' n$cam an'rya%(at k4ta-
nir'gasi brahma5i g0;ha%te)asi
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ$Lta 8osv"m= saidV mah$%"ati*Zthe >ingV t!Z
butV athaZthus 3while coming back home6V tatZthatV karmaZ
actV garhyamZabominableV (icintayanZthus thinkingV 'tma%
k4tamZdone by himselfV s!%d!rman'*Zvery much
depressedV ahoZalasV may'Zby meV n$camZheinousV an'rya
Zuncivili)edV (atZlikeV k4tamZdoneV nir'gasiZunto one who
is faultlessV brahma5iZunto a br'hma5aC g0;haZgraveV te)asi
Zunto the powerful.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide Vhile returning ho@e, the Cing O$ahLrL/a
ParBkEit3 felt that the act he had co@@itted against the faultless
and poJerful brLh@aFa Jas heinous and unci'ili=edH Conse?uently
he Jas distressedH
P8-PO-T
The pious >ing regretted his accidental improper treatment
of the powerful br'hma5a, who was faultless. $uch
repentance is natural for a good man like the >ing, and such
repentance delivers a devotee from all kinds of sins
accidentally committed. The devotees are naturally faultless.
Accidental sins committed by a devotee are sincerely
regretted, and by the grace of the Eord all sins unwillingly
committed by a devotee are burnt in the fire of repentance.
T!T N
>a3u'; TaTaae $ae k:6Tade'helR#aad2
durT(a(a; G(aSa#a; #aaiTad?gaa-Ta2 9
TadSTau k6a$a; 7gai#a.k:6Taa(a $ae
(aQaa #a ku6(aag Pau#are'$apa 99 N 99
dhr!(a- tato me k4ta%de(a%helan'd
d!ratyaya- (yasana- n'ti%d$rgh't
tad ast! k'ma- hy agha%ni.k4t'ya me
yath' na k!ry'- "!nar e(am addh'
S(#O#($S
dhr!(amZsure and certainV tata*ZthereforeV meZmyV k4ta%
de(a%helan'tZbecause of disobeying the orders of the EordV
d!ratyayamZvery difficultV (yasanamZcalamityV naZnotV atiZ
greatlyV d$rgh'tZfar offV tatZthatV ast!Zlet it beV k'mamZ
desire without reservationsV hiZcertainlyV aghaZsinsV
ni.k4t'yaZfor getting freeV meZmyV yath'Zso thatV naZ
neverV k!ry'mZshall do itV "!na*ZagainV e(amZas have
doneV addh'Zdirectly.
T-A#SLATIO#
OCing ParBkEit thoughte3 >ue to @y neglecting the in/unctions of
the Supre@e Lord I @ust certainly eMpect so@e difficulty to
o'erco@e @e in the near futureH I noJ desire Jithout reser'ation
that the cala@ity co@e noJ, for in this Jay I @ay be freed of the
sinful action and not co@@it such an offense againH
P8-PO-T
The $upreme Eord en2oins that br'hma5as and cows must be
given all protection. The Eord is Himself very much inclined
to do good to br'hma5as and cows 3go%br'hma5a%hit'ya ca6.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it knew all this, and thus he concluded that
his insulting a powerful br'hma5a was certainly to be
punished by the laws of the Eord, and he was e:pecting
something very difficult in the very near future. He therefore
desired the imminent calamity to fall on him and not on his
family members. A manJs personal misconduct affects all his
family members. Therefore Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it desired the
calamity to fall on him alone. %y suffering personally he
would be restrained from future sins, and at the same time
the sin which he had committed would be counteracted so
that his descendants would not suffer. That is the way a
responsible devotee thinks. The family members of a
devotee also share the effects of a devoteeJs service unto
the Eord. Mah"r"2a 1rahl"da saved his demon father by his
personal devotional service. A devotee son in the family is
the greatest boon or blessing of the Eord.
T!T X
A*' ra)(a; blR$a:pk6ae!a;
PaOk6aeiPaTab34ku6lRa#alRae $ae 9
dhT'%ad3S(a Pau#a#a- $ae+%a8Ta2
PaaPa?(aSa? >a?ij-)ade'&aae%(a0 99 X 99
adyai(a r')ya- balam 4ddha%ko1a-
"rako"ita%brahma%k!l'nalo me
dahat( abhadrasya "!nar na me 2bh0t
"'"$yas$ dh$r d(i)a%de(a%gobhya*
S(#O#($S
adyaZthis dayV e(aZon the veryV r')yamZkingdomV balam
4ddhaZstrength and richesV ko1amZtreasuryV "rako"itaZ
ignited byV brahma%k!laZby the br'hma5a communityV anala*
ZfireV me dahat!Zlet it burn meV abhadrasyaZ
inauspiciousnessV "!na*ZagainV naZnotV meZunto meV abh0t
Zmay occurV "'"$yas$ZsinfulV dh$*ZintelligenceV d(i)aZ
br'hma5asC de(aZthe $upreme EordV gobhya*Zand the cows.
T-A#SLATIO#
I a@ unci'ili=ed and sinful due to @y neglect of brah@inical
culture, &od consciousness and coJ protectionH Therefore I Jish
that @y kingdo@, strength and riches burn up i@@ediately by the
fire of the brLh@aFars Jrath so that in the future I @ay not be
guided by such inauspicious attitudesH
P8-PO-T
1rogressive human civili)ation is based on brahminical
culture, 8od consciousness and protection of cows. All
economic development of the state by trade, commerce,
agriculture and industries must be fully utili)ed in relation to
the above principles, otherwise all so'called economic
development becomes a source of degradation. *ow
protection means feeding the brahminical culture, which
leads towards 8od consciousness, and thus perfection of
human civili)ation is achieved. The age of >ali aims at killing
the higher principles of life, and although Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
strongly resisted the domination of the personality of >ali
within the world, the influence of the age of >ali came at an
opportune moment, and even a strong king like Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it was induced to disregard the brahminical culture
due to a slight provocation of hunger and thirst. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it lamented the accidental incident, and he desired
that all his kingdom, strength and accumulation of wealth
would be burned up for not being engaged in brahminical
culture, etc.
Where wealth and strength are not engaged in the
advancement of brahminical culture, 8od consciousness and
cow protection, the state and home are surely doomed by
1rovidence. f we want peace and prosperity in the world, we
should take lessons from this verseV every state and every
home must endeavor to advance the cause of brahminical
culture for self'purification, 8od consciousness for self'
reali)ation and cow protection for getting sufficient milk and
the best food to continue a perfect civili)ation.
T!T Z
Sa ic#Ta(aikTQa$aQaaB:Qaaed2 (aQaa
$au#ae0 SauTaaev6ae i#aa-iTaSTaUak6ae(a0 9
Sa Saa>au $ae#ae #aicreQa TaUak6ax
#al;R PaOSav6S(a i'riv6k6arQa$a2 99 Z 99
sa cintayann ittham ath'145od yath'
m!ne* s!tokto nir4tis tak.ak'khya*
sa s'dh! mene na cire5a tak.ak'%
nala- "rasaktasya (irakti%k'ra5am
S(#O#($S
sa*Zhe, the >ingV cintayanZthinkingV itthamZlike thisV athaZ
nowV a145otZheardV yath'ZasV m!ne*Zof the sageV s!ta%
!kta*Zuttered by the sonV nir4ti*ZdeathV tak.aka%'khya*Zin
relation with the snake'birdV sa*Zhe 3the >ing6V s'dh!Zwell
and goodV meneZacceptedV naZnotV cire5aZvery long timeV
tak.akaZsnake'birdV analamZfireV "rasaktasyaZfor one who
is too attachedV (iraktiZindifferenceV k'ra5amZcause.
T-A#SLATIO#
Vhile the Cing Jas thus repenting, he recei'ed neJs of his
i@@inent death, Jhich Jould be due to the bite of a snake6bird,
occasioned by the curse spoken by the sagers sonH The Cing
accepted this as good neJs, for it Jould be the cause of his
indifference toJard Jorldly thingsH
P8-PO-T
0eal happiness is achieved by spiritual e:istence or by
cessation of the repetition of birth and death. 9ne can stop
the repetition of birth and death only by going back to
8odhead. n the material world, even by attaining the
topmost planet 3%rahmaloka6, one cannot get rid of the
conditions of repeated birth and death, but still we do not
accept the path of attaining perfection. The path of
perfection frees one from all material attachments, and thus
one becomes fit to enter into the spiritual kingdom.
Therefore, those who are materially poverty'stricken are
better candidates than those who are materially prosperous.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was a great devotee of the Eord and a
bona fide candidate for entering into the kingdom of 8od,
but even though he was so, his material assets as the
;mperor of the world were setbacks to perfect attainment of
his rightful status as one of the associates of the Eord in the
spiritual sky. As a devotee of the Eord, he could understand
that the cursing of the br'hma5a boy, although unwise, was a
blessing upon him, being the cause of detachment from
worldly affairs, both political and social. <am=ka Muni also,
after regretting the incident, conveyed the news to the >ing
as a matter of duty so that the >ing would be able to prepare
himself to go back to 8odhead. <am=ka Muni sent news to
the >ing that foolish <?Igi, his son, although a powerful
br'hma5a boy, unfortunately had misused his spiritual power
by cursing the >ing unwarrantedly. The incident of the >ingJs
garlanding the m!ni was not sufficient cause for being
cursed to death, but since there was no way to retract the
curse, the >ing was informed to prepare for death within a
week. %oth <am=ka Muni and the >ing were self'reali)ed
souls. <am=ka Muni was a mystic, and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
was a devotee. Therefore there was no difference between
them in self'reali)ation. Keither of them was afraid of
meeting death. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it could have gone to the
m!ni to beg his pardon, but the news of imminent death was
conveyed to the >ing with so much regret by the m!ni that
the >ing did not want to shame the m!ni further by his
presence there. He decided to prepare himself for his
imminent death and find out the way to go back to 8odhead.
The life of a human being is a chance to prepare oneself to
go back to 8odhead, or to get rid of the material e:istence,
the repetition of birth and death. Thus in the system of
(ar5'1rama%dharma every man and woman is trained for this
purpose. n other words, the system of (ar5'1rama%dharma is
known also as san'tana%dharma, or the eternal occupation.
The system of (ar5'1rama%dharma prepares a man for going
back to 8odhead, and thus a householder is ordered to go to
the forest as ('na"rastha to ac(uire complete knowledge and
then to take sanny'sa prior to his inevitable death. 1ar=k@it
Mah"r"2a was fortunate to get a seven'day notice to meet
his inevitable death. %ut for the common man there is no
definite notice, although death is inevitable for all. Hoolish
men forget this sure fact of death and neglect the duty of
preparing themselves for going back to 8odhead. They spoil
their lives in animal propensities to eat, drink, be merry and
en2oy. $uch an irresponsible life is adopted by the people in
the age of >ali because of a sinful desire to condemn
brahminical culture, 8od consciousness and cow protection,
for which the state is responsible. The state must employ
revenue to advance these three items and thus educate the
populace to prepare for death. The state which does so is the
real welfare state. The state of ndia should better follow the
e:amples of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, the ideal e:ecutive head,
than to imitate other materialistic states which have no idea
of the kingdom of 8odhead, the ultimate goal of human life.
7eterioration of the ideals of ndian civili)ation has brought
about the deterioration of civic life, not only in ndia but also
abroad.
T!T [
AQaae i'ha(ae$a$a$au; c lRaek;6
i'$ai!a-Taa he(aTa(aa PaurSTaaTa2 9
k:6.QaaM2iga3Sae'a$ai>a$a#(a$aa#a
oPaai'!aTa2 PaOa(a$a$aT(a-#a*a$a2 99 [ 99
atho (ih'yemam am!- ca loka-
(imar1ita! heyatay' "!rast't
k4.5'3ghri%se('m adhimanyam'na
!"'(i1at "r'yam amartya%nady'm
S(#O#($S
athoZthusV (ih'yaZgiving upV imamZthisV am!mZand the
ne:tV caZalsoV lokamZplanetsV (imar1ita!Zall of them being
2udgedV heyatay'Zbecause of inferiorityV "!rast'tZ
hereinbeforeV k4.5a%a3ghriZthe lotus feet of the Eord, <r=
>?@AaV se('mZtranscendental loving serviceV
adhimanyam'na*Zone who thinks of the greatest of all
achievementsV !"'(i1atZsat down firmlyV "r'yamZfor
fastingV amartya%nady'mZon the bank of the transcendental
river 3the 8anges or the Xamun"6.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit sat doJn fir@ly on the banks of the &anges to
concentrate his @ind in CDEFa consciousness, re/ecting all other
practices of self6reali=ation, because transcendental lo'ing ser'ice
to CDEFa is the greatest achie'e@ent, superseding all other
@ethodsH
P8-PO-T
Hor a devotee like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, none of the material
planets, even the topmost %rahmaloka, is as desirable as
8oloka !?nd"vana, the abode of Eord <r= >?@Aa, the
primeval Eord and original 1ersonality of 8odhead. This earth
is one of the innumerable material planets within the
universe, and there are innumerable universes also within
the compass of the mahat%tatt(a. The devotees are told by
the Eord and His representatives, the spiritual masters or
'c'ryas, that not one of the planets within all the
innumerable universes is suitable for the residential
purposes of a devotee. The devotee always desires to go
back home, back to 8odhead, 2ust to become one of the
associates of the Eord in the capacity of servitor, friend,
parent or con2ugal lover of the Eord, either in one of the
innumerable !aikuATha planets or in 8oloka !?nd"vana, the
planet of Eord <r= >?@Aa. All these planets are eternally
situated in the spiritual sky, the "ara(yoma, which is on the
other side of the *ausal 9cean within the mahat%tatt(a.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was already aware of all this information
due to his accumulated piety and birth in a high family of
devotees, !ai@Aavas, and thus he was not at all interested in
the material planets. Modern scientists are very eager to
reach the moon by material arrangements, but they cannot
conceive of the highest planet of this universe. %ut a
devotee like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it does not care a fig for the
moon or, for that matter, any of the material planets. $o
when he was assured of his death on a fi:ed date, he
became more determined in the transcendental loving
service of Eord >?@Aa by complete fasting on the bank of the
transcendental 0iver Xamun", which flows down by the
capital of Hastin"pura 3in the 7elhi state6. %oth the 8anges
and the Xamun" are amarty' 3transcendental6 rivers, and
Xamun" is still more sanctified for the following reasons.
T!T \
(aa ' lRSaCc|?TaulRSa?i'i$aBOx
k:6.QaaM2iga3reQ'%(ai>ak6a$bu#ae<a? 9
Pau#aaiTa lRaek6a#au%a(a<a Sae!aa#a2
k6STaa; #a Sae'eTa $air.(a$aaQa0 99 \ 99
y' (ai lasac%chr$%t!las$%(imi1ra%
k4.5'3ghri%re5(%abhyadhik'mb!%netr$
"!n'ti lok'n !bhayatra se1'n
kas t'- na se(eta mari.yam'5a*
S(#O#($S
y'Zthe river whichV (aiZalwaysV lasatZfloating withV 1r$%
t!las$Zt!las$ leavesV (imi1raZmi:edV k4.5a%a3ghriZthe lotus
feet of the Eord, <r= >?@AaV re5!ZdustV abhyadhikaZ
auspiciousV amb!ZwaterV netr$Zthat which is carryingV
"!n'tiZsanctifiesV lok'nZplanetsV !bhayatraZboth the upper
and lower or inside and outsideV sa%$1'nZalong with Eord
<ivaV ka*Zwho elseV t'mZthat riverV naZdoes notV se(etaZ
worshipV mari.yam'5a*Zone who is to die at any moment.
T-A#SLATIO#
The ri'er O&anges, by Jhich the Cing sat to fast3 carries the @ost
auspicious Jater, Jhich is @iMed Jith the dust of the lotus feet of
the Lord and tulasB lea'esH Therefore that Jater sanctifies the
three Jorlds inside and outside and e'en sanctifies Lord Ai'a and
other de@igodsH Conse?uently e'eryone Jho is destined to die
@ust take shelter of this ri'erH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, 2ust after receiving the news of his death
within seven days, at once retired from family life and
shifted himself to the sacred bank of the Xamun" 0iver.
8enerally it is said that the >ing took shelter on the bank of
the 8anges, but according to <r=la O=va 8osv"m=, the >ing
took shelter on the bank of the Xamun". <r=la O=va
8osv"m=Js statement appears to be more accurate because
of the geographical situation. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it resided in
his capital Hastin"pura, situated near present 7elhi, and the
0iver Xamun" flows down past the city. Katurally the >ing
would take shelter of the 0iver Xamun" because she was
flowing past his palace door. And as far as sanctity is
concerned, the 0iver Xamun" is more directly connected
with Eord >?@Aa than the 8anges. The Eord sanctified the
0iver Xamun" from the beginning of His transcendental
pastimes in the world. While His father !asudeva was
crossing the Xamun" with the baby Eord >?@Aa for a safe
place at 8okula on the other bank of the river from Mathur",
the Eord fell down in the river, and by the dust of His lotus
feet the river at once became sanctified. t is especially
mentioned herein that Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it took shelter of that
particular river which is beautifully flowing, carrying the dust
of the lotus feet of Eord >?@Aa, mi:ed with t!las$ leaves. Eord
>?@AaJs lotus feet are always besmeared with the t!las$
leaves, and thus as soon as His lotus feet contact the water
of the 8anges and the Xamun", the rivers become at once
sanctified. The Eord, however, contacted the 0iver Xamun"
more than the 8anges. According to the /ar'ha !r'5a, as
(uoted by <r=la O=va 8osv"m=, there is no difference
between the water of the 8anges and the Xamun", b!t when
the water of the @anges is sanctified one h!ndred times, it is
called the Yam!n'. $imilarly, it is said in the scriptures that
one thousand names of !i@Au are e(ual to one name of
0"ma, and three names of Eord 0"ma are e(ual to one name
of >?@Aa.
T!T ]
JiTa G(a'iCc* Sa PaaQo'e(a0
PaOa(aaePa'e!a; PaOiTa i'.QauPa*a$a2 9
d>aa $auku6#daM2iga3$a#a#(a%aa'ae
$aui#a'3Taae $auv6Sa$aSTaSal0 99 ] 99
iti (ya(acchidya sa "'5;a(eya*
"r'yo"a(e1a- "rati (i.5!%"ady'm
dadha! m!k!nd'3ghrim ananya%bh'(o
m!ni%(rato m!kta%samasta%sa3ga*
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV (ya(acchidyaZhaving decidedV sa*Zthe >ingV
"'5;a(eya*Zworthy descendant of the 1"AQavasV "r'ya%
!"a(e1amZfor fasting until deathV "ratiZtowardV (i.5!%
"ady'mZon the bank of the 8anges 3emanating from the
lotus feet of Eord !i@Au6V dadha!Zgave himself upV m!k!nda%
a3ghrimZunto the lotus feet of Eord >?@AaV ananyaZwithout
deviationV bh'(a*ZspiritV m!ni%(rata*Zwith the vows of a
sageV m!ktaZliberated fromV samastaZall kinds ofV sa3ga*Z
association.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus the Cing, the Jorthy descendant of the PLFha'as, decided
once and for all and sat on the &angesr bank to fast until death and
gi'e hi@self up to the lotus feet of Lord CDEFa, Jho alone is able to
aJard liberationH So, freeing hi@self fro@ all kinds of associations
and attach@ents, he accepted the 'oJs of a sageH
P8-PO-T
The water of the 8anges sanctifies all the three worlds,
including the gods and the demigods, because it emanates
from the lotus feet of the 1ersonality of 8odhead !i@Au. Eord
>?@Aa is the fountainhead of the principle of (i.5!%tatt(a, and
therefore shelter of His lotus feet can deliver one from all
sins, including an offense committed by a king unto a
br'hma5a. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, therefore, decided to meditate
upon the lotus feet of Eord <r= >?@Aa, who is Mukunda, or
the giver of liberations of all description. The banks of the
8anges or the Xamun" give one a chance to remember the
Eord continuously. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it freed himself from all
sorts of material association and meditated upon the lotus
feet of Eord >?@Aa, and that is the way of liberation. To be
free from all material association means to cease completely
from committing any further sins. To meditate upon the lotus
feet of the Eord means to become free from the effects of all
previous sins. The conditions of the material world are so
made that one has to commit sins willingly or unwillingly,
and the best e:ample is Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it himself, who was
a recogni)ed sinless, pious king. %ut he also became a victim
of an offense, even though he was ever unwilling to commit
such a mistake. He was cursed also, but because he was a
great devotee of the Eord, even such reverses of life became
favorable. The principle is that one should not willingly
commit any sin in his life and should constantly remember
the lotus feet of the Eord without deviation. 9nly in such a
mood will the Eord help the devotee make regular progress
toward the path of liberation and thus attain the lotus feet of
the Eord. ;ven if there are accidental sins committed by the
devotee, the Eord saves the surrendered soul from all sins,
as confirmed in all scriptures.
s(a%"'da%m0la- bha)ata* "riyasya
tyakt'ny abh'(asya hari* "are1a*
(ikarma yac cot"atita- katha,cid
dh!noti sar(a- h4di sanni(i.<a*
3Bhg. ,,.B.MG6
T!T ^
Ta<aaePa)a&$au%au-'#a; Pau#aa#aa
$aha#au%aa'a $au#a(a0 Sai!a.(aa0 9
PaOa(aeQa Ta?Qaa-i%a&a$aaPade!a0
S'(a; ih Ta?Qaa-i#a Pau#ai#Ta Sa#Ta0 99 ^ 99
tatro"a)agm!r bh!(ana- "!n'n'
mah'n!bh'(' m!naya* sa%1i.y'*
"r'ye5a t$rth'bhigam'"ade1ai*
s(aya- hi t$rth'ni "!nanti santa*
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereV !"a)agm!*ZarrivedV bh!(anamZthe universeV
"!n'n'*Zthose who can sanctifyV mah'%an!bh'('*Zgreat
mindsV m!naya*ZthinkersV sa%1i.y'*Zalong with their
disciplesV "r'ye5aZalmostV t$rthaZplace of pilgrimageV
abhigamaZ2ourneyV a"ade1ai*Zon the plea ofV s(ayamZ
personallyV hiZcertainlyV t$rth'niZall the places of
pilgrimageV "!nantiZsanctifyV santa*Zsages.
T-A#SLATIO#
At that ti@e all the great @inds and thinkers, acco@panied by their
disciples, and sages Jho could 'erily sanctify a place of pilgri@age
/ust by their presence, arri'ed there on the plea of @aking a
pilgri@rs /ourneyH
P8-PO-T
When Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it sat down on the bank of the
8anges, the news spread in all directions of the universe,
and the great'minded sages, who could follow the
importance of the occasion, all arrived there on the plea of
pilgrimage. Actually they came to meet Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it
and not to take a bath of pilgrimage because all of them
were competent enough to sanctify the places of pilgrimage.
*ommon men go to pilgrimage sites to get themselves
purified of all sins. Thus the places of pilgrimage become
overburdened with the sins of others. %ut when such sages
visit overburdened places of pilgrimage, they sanctify the
places by their presence. Therefore the sages who came to
meet Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it were not very much interested in
getting themselves purified like common men, but on the
plea of taking a bath in that place they came to meet
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it because they could foresee that #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam would be spoken by <ukadeva 8osv"m=. All of
them wanted to take advantage of the great occasion.
T!TS _"`
Ai<a'-iSaf!C(a'#a0 !arjax
#airn#aei$a%a:-&aurilra, 9
Para!arae &aai>aSauTaae+Qa ra$a
oTaQ(a J#d3PaO$ade>$a'aha 99 _ 99
$ae>aaiTaiQade-'lR Aain-=eQaae
%aarja)aae &aaTa$a0 iPaPPalRad0 9
$a<ae(a Aa'-0 k6'=0 ku6$%a(aaei#ax
j{Paa(a#aae %a&a'akard, 99 "` 99
atrir (asi.<ha1 cya(ana* 1arad('n
ari.<anemir bh4g!r a3gir'1 ca
"ar'1aro g'dhi%s!to 2tha r'ma
!tathya indra"ramadedhma('ha!
medh'tithir de(ala 'r.<i.e5o
bh'rad(')o ga!tama* "i""al'da*
maitreya a!r(a* ka(a.a* k!mbhayonir
d(ai"'yano bhaga('n n'rada1 ca
S(#O#($S
atri to n'radaZall names of the different saintly personalities
who arrived there from different parts of the universe.
T-A#SLATIO#
Fro@ different parts of the uni'erse there arri'ed great sages like
Atri, Cya'ana, Aarad'Ln, AriEane@i, KhDgu, GasiEha, ParLwara,
Giw'L@itra, ATgirL, ParawurL@a, 8tathya, Indrapra@ada,
Idh@a'Lhu, $edhLtithi, >e'ala, }rEiEeFa, KhLrad'L/a, &auta@a,
PippalLda, $aitreya, Aur'a, Ca'aEa, Cu@bhayoni, >'aipLyana and
the great personality #LradaH
P8-PO-T
9ya(anaI A great sage and one of the sons of %h?gu Muni.
He was born prematurely when his pregnant mother was
kidnapped. *yavana is one of the si: sons of his father.
&h4g!I When %rahm"2= was performing a great sacrifice on
behalf of !aruAa, Mahar@i %h?gu was born from the
sacrificial fire. He was a great sage, and his very dear wife
was 1ulom". He could travel in space like 7urv"s", K"rada
and others, and he used to visit all the planets of the
universe. %efore the %attle of >uruk@etra, he tried to stop
the battle. $ometimes he instructed %h"radv"2a Muni about
astronomical evolution, and he is the author of the great
&h4g!%sa-hit', the great astrological calculation. He
e:plained how air, fire, water and earth are generated from
ether. He e:plained how the air in the stomach works and
regulates the intestines. As a great philosopher, he logically
established the eternity of the living entity 38ah'bh'rata6. He
was also a great anthropologist, and the theory of evolution
was long ago e:plained by him. He was a scientific
propounder of the four divisions and orders of human society
known as the (ar5'1rama institution. He converted the
k.atriya king !=tahavya into a br'hma5a.
!asi@ThaC $ee #r$mad%&h'ga(atam ,.-.5.
ar'1araI He is the grandson of !asi@Tha Muni and father of
!y"sadeva. He is the son of Mahar@i <akti, and his motherJs
name was Ad?Pyat=. He was in the womb of his mother
when she was only twelve years old. And from within the
womb of his mother he learned the /edas. His father was
killed by a demon, >alm"@ap"da, and to avenge this he
wanted to annihilate the whole world. He was restrained,
however, by his grandfather !asi@Tha. He then performed a
0"k@asa'killing ya),a, but Mahar@i 1ulastya restrained him.
He begot !y"sadeva, being attracted by $atyavat=, who was
to become the wife of Mah"r"2a <"ntanu. %y the blessings of
1ar"Para, $atyavat= became fragrant for miles. He was
present also during the time of %h=@maJs death. He was
spiritual master of Mah"r"2a Oanaka and a great devotee of
Eord <iva. He is the author of many !edic scriptures and
sociological directions.
@'dhi%s!ta, or /i1('mitraI A great sage of austerity and
mystic power. He is famous as 8"dhi'suta because his father
was 8"dhi, a powerful king of the province of >any"kub2a
3part of Rttara 1radesh6. Although he was a k.atriya by birth,
he became a br'hma5a in the very same body by the power
of his spiritual achievements. He picked a (uarrel with
!asi@Tha Muni when he was a k.atriya king and performed a
great sacrifice in cooperation with MagaIga Muni and thus
was able to van(uish the sons of !asi@Tha. He became a
great yog$, and yet he failed to check his senses and thus
was obliged to become the father of <akuntal", the beauty
(ueen of world history. 9nce, when he was a k.atriya king,
he visited the hermitage of !asi@Tha Muni, and he was given
a royal reception. !iPv"mitra wanted from !asi@Tha a cow
named Kandin=, and the Muni refused to deliver it.
!iPv"mitra stole the cow, and thus there was a (uarrel
between the sage and the >ing. !iPv"mitra was defeated by
the spiritual strength of !asi@Tha, and thus the >ing decided
to become a br'hma5a. %efore becoming a br'hma5a he
underwent severe austerity on the bank of the >auPika. He
was also one who tried to stop the >uruk@etra war.
P3gir'I He is one of the si: mental sons of %rahm" and the
father of %?haspati, the great learned priest of the demigods
in the heavenly planets. He was born of the semen of
%rahm"2= given to a cinder of fire. Rtathya and $a[varta are
his sons. t is said that he is still performing austerity and
chanting the holy name of the Eord at a place known as
Alok"nanda on the banks of the 8anges.
ara1!r'maI $ee #r$mad%&h'ga(atam ,.-.5.
7tathyaI 9ne of the three sons of Mahar@i AIgir". He was the
spiritual master of Mah"r"2a Mandh"t". He married %hadr",
the daughter of $oma 3moon6. !aruAa kidnapped his wife
%hadr", and to retaliate the offense of the god of water, he
drank all the water of the world.
8edh'tithiI An old sage of yore. An assembly member of the
heavenly >ing ndradeva. His son was >aAva Muni, who
brought up <akuntal" in the forest. He was promoted to the
heavenly planet by strictly following the principles of retired
life 3('na"rastha6.
De(alaI A great authority like K"rada Muni and !y"sadeva.
His good name is on the list of authorities mentioned in the
&haga(ad%g$t' when Ar2una acknowledged Eord >?@Aa as the
$upreme 1ersonality of 8odhead. He met Mah"r"2a
Xudhi@Thira after the %attle of >uruk@etra, and he was the
elder brother of 7haumya, the priest of the 1"AQava family.
Eike the k.atriyas, he also allowed his daughter to select her
own husband in a s(aya-(ara meeting, and at that ceremony
all the bachelor sons of the 4.is were invited. According to
some, he is not Asita 7evala.
&h'rad(')aI $ee #r$mad%&h'ga(atam ,.-.5.
@a!tamaI 9ne of the seven great sages of the universe.
<aradv"n 8autama was one of his sons. 1ersons in the
8autama'gotra 3dynasty6 today are either his family
descendants or in his disciplic succession. The br'hma5as
who profess 8autama'gotra are generally family
descendants, and the k.atriyas and (ai1yas who profess
8autama'gotra are all in the line of his disciplic succession.
He was the husband of the famous Ahaly" who turned into
stone when ndradeva, the >ing of the heaven, molested her.
Ahaly" was delivered by Eord 0"macandra. 8autama was
the grandfather of >?p"c"rya, one of the heroes of the %attle
of >uruk@etra.
8aitreyaI A great 4.i of yore. He was spiritual master of
!idura and a great religious authority. He advised
7h?tar"@Tra to keep good relations with the 1"AQavas.
7uryodhana disagreed and thus was cursed by him. He met
!y"sadeva and had religious discourses with him.
T!T ""
A#(ae c de'i=-b34i=-'(aa-
ra)ai=-'(aa- ADQaad(a, 9
#aa#aa=e-(aPaO'ra#a2 Sa$aeTaax
#a%(aC(a- ra)aa i!arSaa ''#de 99 "" 99
anye ca de(ar.i%brahmar.i%(ary'
r')ar.i%(ary' ar!5'daya1 ca
n'n'r.eya%"ra(ar'n samet'n
abhyarcya r')' 1iras' (a(ande
S(#O#($S
anyeZmany othersV caZalsoV de(ar.iZsaintly demigodsV
brahmar.iZsaintly br'hma5asC (ary'*ZtopmostV r')ar.i%
(ary'*Ztopmost saintly kingsV ar!5a%'daya*Za special rank
of r')ar.isC caZandV n'n'Zmany othersV 'r.eya%"ra(ar'nZ
chief amongst the dynasties of the sagesV samet'nZ
assembled togetherV abhyarcyaZby worshipingV r')'Zthe
;mperorV 1iras'Zbowed his head to the groundV (a(andeZ
welcomed.
T-A#SLATIO#
There Jere also @any other saintly de@igods, kings and special
royal orders called aruFLdayas Oa special rank of rL/arEis3 fro@
different dynasties of sagesH Vhen they all asse@bled together to
@eet the @peror OParBkEit3, he recei'ed the@ properly and boJed
his head to the groundH
P8-PO-T
The system of bowing the head to the ground to show
respect to superiors is an e:cellent eti(uette which obliges
the honored guest deep into the heart. ;ven the first'grade
offender is e:cused simply by this process, and Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, although honored by all the 4.is and kings,
welcomed all the big men in that humble eti(uette in order
to be e:cused from any offenses. 8enerally at the last stage
of oneJs life this humble method is adopted by every
sensible man in order to be e:cused before departure. n this
way Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it implored everyoneJs good will for
going back home, back to 8odhead.
T!T "N
SauYaePai'ne.'Qa Tae=u %a8(a0
k:6TaPaOQaa$a0 S'ick6Ii=-Ta; (aTa2 9
i'/aPa(aa$aaSa i'i'v6ceTaa
oPaiSQaTaae+&a3e+i%a&a:h?TaPaaiQa0 99 "N 99
s!kho"a(i.<e.( atha te.! bh0ya*
k4ta%"ra5'ma* s(a%cik$r.ita- yat
(i),'"ay'm 'sa (i(ikta%cet'
!"asthito 2gre 2bhig4h$ta%"'5i*
S(#O#($S
s!khaZhappilyV !"a(i.<e.!Zall sitting downV athaZ
thereuponV te.!Zunto them 3the visitors6V bh0ya*ZagainV
k4ta%"ra5'ma*Zhaving offered obeisancesV s(aZhis ownV
cik$r.itamZdecision of fastingV yatZwhoV (i),'"ay'm 'saZ
submittedV (i(ikta%cet'*Zone whose mind is detached from
worldly affairsV !"asthita*Zbeing presentV agreZbefore themV
abhig4h$ta%"'5i*Zhumbly with folded hands.
T-A#SLATIO#
After all the DEis and others had seated the@sel'es co@fortably,
the Cing, hu@bly standing before the@ Jith folded hands, told
the@ of his decision to fast until deathH
P8-PO-T
Although the >ing had already decided to fast until death on
the bank of the 8anges, he humbly e:pressed his decision to
elicit the opinions of the great authorities present there. Any
decision, however important, should be confirmed by some
authority. That makes the matter perfect. This means that
the monarchs who ruled the earth in those days were not
irresponsible dictators. They scrupulously followed the
authoritative decisions of the saints and sages in terms of
!edic in2unction. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, as a perfect king,
followed the principles by consulting the authorities, even up
to the last days of his life.
T!T "X
ra)aae'ac
Ahae '(a; >a#(aTa$aa #a:PaaQaa;
$ahta$aa#au&a3hQa?(a!a?lRa0 9
ra/a; ku6l;R b3a4QaPaad!aacad2
d8rad2 i'Sa:n; bTa &a7-k6$a- 99 "X 99
r')o('ca
aho (aya- dhanyatam' n4"'5'-
mahattam'n!graha5$ya%1$l'*
r'),'- k!la- br'hma5a%"'da%1a!c'd
d0r'd (is4.<a- bata garhya%karma
S(#O#($S
r')' !('caZthe fortunate >ing saidV ahoZahV (ayamZweV
dhanya%tam'*Zmost thankfulV n4"'5'mZof all the kingsV
mahat%tamaZof the great soulsV an!graha5$ya%1$l'*Ztrained
to get favorsV r'),'mZof the royalV k!lamZordersV br'hma5a%
"'daZfeet of the br'hma5asC 1a!c'tZrefuse after cleaningV
d0r'tZat a distanceV (is4.<amZalways left outV bataZon
account ofV garhyaZcondemnableV karmaZactivities.
T-A#SLATIO#
The fortunate Cing saide Indeed, Je are the @ost grateful of all the
kings Jho are trained to get fa'ors fro@ the great soulsH &enerally
you Osages3 consider royalty as refuse to be re/ected and left in a
distant placeH
P8-PO-T
According to religious principles, stool, urine, wash water,
etc., must be left at a long distance. Attached bathrooms,
urinals, etc. may be very convenient amenities of modern
civili)ation, but they are ordered to be situated at a distance
from residential (uarters. That very e:ample is cited herein
in relation to the kingly order for those who are progressively
marching back to 8odhead. Eord <r= *aitanya Mah"prabhu
said that to be in intimate touch with dollars'and'cents men,
or the kingly order, is worse than suicide for one who desires
to go back to 8odhead. n other words, the
transcendentalists do not generally associate with men who
are too enamored by the e:ternal beauty of 8odJs creation.
%y advanced knowledge in spiritual reali)ation, the
transcendentalist knows that this beautiful material world is
nothing but a shadowy reflection of the reality, the kingdom
of 8od. They are not, therefore, very much captivated by
royal opulence or anything like that. %ut in the case of
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, the situation was different. Apparently
the >ing was condemned to death by an ine:perienced
br'hma5a boy, but factually he was called by the Eord to
return to Him. 9ther transcendentalists, the great sages and
mystics who assembled together because of Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@itJs fasting unto death, were (uite an:ious to see him,
for he was going back to 8odhead. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it also
could understand that the great sages who assembled there
were all kind to his forefathers, the 1"AQavas, because of
their devotional service to the Eord. He therefore felt grateful
to the sages for being present there at the last stage of his
life, and he felt that it was all due to the greatness of his late
forefathers or grandfathers. He felt proud, therefore, that he
happened to be the descendant of such great devotees.
$uch pride for the devotees of the Eord is certainly not e(ual
to the puffed'up sense of vanity for material prosperity. The
first is reality, whereas the other is false and vain.
T!T "Z
TaS(a' $ae+gaS(a Para're!aae
G(aaSav6ictaS(a &a:he.'%a?UQa$a2 9
i#a'e-d$a8lRae ij)a!aaPa~Paae
(a<a PaOSav6ae %a(a$aaBu >atae 99 "Z 99
tasyai(a me 2ghasya "ar'(are1o
(y'sakta%cittasya g4he.( abh$k.5am
nir(eda%m0lo d(i)a%1'"a%r0"o
yatra "rasakto bhayam '1! dhatte
S(#O#($S
tasyaZhisV e(aZcertainlyV meZmineV aghasyaZof the sinfulV
"ar'ZtranscendentalV a(araZmundaneV $1a*Zcontroller, the
$upreme EordV (y'saktaZoverly attachedV cittasyaZof the
mindV g4he.!Zto family affairsV abh$k.5amZalwaysV nir(eda%
m0la*Zthe source of detachmentV d(i)a%1'"aZcursing by the
br'hma5aC r0"a*Zform ofV yatraZwhereuponV "rasakta*Zone
who is affectedV bhayamZfearfulnessV '1!Zvery soonV dhatte
Ztake place.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Supre@e Personality of &odhead, the controller of both the
transcendental and @undane Jorlds, has graciously o'ertaken @e
in the for@ of a brLh@aFars curseH >ue to @y being too @uch
attached to fa@ily life, the Lord, in order to sa'e @e, has appeared
before @e in such a Jay that only out of fear I Jill detach @yself
fro@ the JorldH
P8-PO-T
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, although born in a family of great
devotees, the 1"AQavas, and although securely trained in
transcendental attachment for the association of the Eord,
still found the allurement of mundane family life so strong
that he had to be detached by a plan of the Eord. $uch direct
action is taken by the Eord in the case of a special devotee.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it could understand this by the presence of
the topmost transcendentalists in the universe. The Eord
resides with His devotees, and therefore the presence of the
great saints indicated the presence of the Eord. The >ing
therefore welcomed the presence of the great 4.is as a mark
of favor of the $upreme Eord.
T!T "[
Ta; $aaePa(aaTa; PaOiTa(a#Tau i'PaOa
&ala c de'? >a:Taicta$a?!ae 9
ij)aaePaSa:n0 ku6hk6STaUak6ae 'a
d!aT'l;R &aa(aTa i'.Qau&aaQaa0 99 "[ 99
tamo"ay'ta- "ratiyant! (i"r'
ga3g' ca de($ dh4ta%cittam $1e
d(i)o"as4.<a* k!hakas tak.ako ('
da1at( ala- g'yata (i.5!%g'th'*
S(#O#($S
tamZfor that reasonV m'ZmeV !"ay'tamZtaken shelter ofV
"ratiyant!Z2ust accept meV (i"r'*Z9 br'hma5asC ga3g'Z
mother 8angesV caZalsoV de($Zdirect representative of the
EordV dh4taZtaken intoV cittamZheartV $1eZunto the EordV
d(i)a%!"as4.<a*Zcreated by the br'hma5aC k!haka*Z
something magicalV tak.aka*Zthe snakebirdV ('ZeitherV
da1at!Zlet it biteV alamZwithout further delayV g'yataZ
please go on singingV (i.5!%g'th'*Znarration of the deeds of
!i@Au.
T-A#SLATIO#
O brLh@aFas, /ust accept @e as a co@pletely surrendered soul,
and let @other &anges, the representati'e of the Lord, also accept
@e in that Jay, for I ha'e already taken the lotus feet of the Lord
into @y heartH Let the snake6birdor Jhate'er @agical thing the
brLh@aFa createdbite @e at onceH I only desire that you all
continue singing the deeds of Lord GiEFuH
P8-PO-T
As soon as one is given up completely unto the lotus feet of
the $upreme Eord, he is not at all afraid of death. The
atmosphere created by the presence of great devotees of
the Eord on the bank of the 8anges and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@itJs
complete acceptance of the EordJs lotus feet were sufficient
guarantee to the >ing for going back to 8odhead. He thus
became absolutely free from all fear of death.
T!T "\
Pau#a, %a8(aaS&a'T(a#a#Tae
riTa0 PaOSal, TadaBO(ae=u 9
$ahTSau (aa; (aa$auPa(aai$a Sa:in;
$a<(aSTau Sa'-<a #a$aae ij)ae%(a0 99 "\ 99
"!na1 ca bh0y'd bhaga(aty anante
rati* "rasa3ga1 ca tad%'1raye.!
mahats! y'- y'm !"ay'mi s4.<i-
maitry ast! sar(atra namo d(i)ebhya*
S(#O#($S
"!na*ZagainV caZandV bh0y'tZlet it beV bhaga(atiZunto Eord
<r= >?@AaV ananteZwho has unlimited potencyV rati*Z
attractingV "rasa3ga*ZassociationV caZalsoV tatZHisV
'1raye.!Zwith those who are His devoteesV mahats!Zwithin
the material creationV y'm y'mZwhereverV !"ay'miZ may
takeV s4.<imZmy birthV maitr$Zfriendly relationV ast!Zlet it
beV sar(atraZeverywhereV nama*Zmy obeisancesV d(i)ebhya*
Zunto the br'hma5as.
T-A#SLATIO#
Again, offering obeisances unto all you brLh@aFas, I pray that if I
should again take @y birth in the @aterial Jorld I Jill ha'e
co@plete attach@ent to the unli@ited Lord CDEFa, association Jith
Iis de'otees and friendly relations Jith all li'ing beingsH
P8-PO-T
That a devotee of the Eord is the only perfect living being is
e:plained herein by Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it. A devotee of the Eord
is no oneJs enemy, although there may be many enemies of
a devotee. A devotee of the Eord does not like to associate
with nondevotees, although he has no enmity with them. He
desires association with the devotees of the Eord. This is
perfectly natural because birds of the same feather mi:
together. And the most important function of a devotee is to
have complete attachment for Eord <r= >?@Aa, the father of
all living beings. As a good son of the father behaves in a
friendly way with all his other brothers, so also the devotee
of the Eord, being a good son of the supreme father, Eord
>?@Aa, sees all other living beings in relation with the
supreme father. He tries to bring back the upstart sons of
the father to a saner stage and to get them to accept the
supreme fatherhood of 8od. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was certainly
going back to 8odhead, but even if he were not to go back,
he prayed for a pattern of life which is the most perfect way
in the material world. A pure devotee does not desire the
company of a personality as great as %rahm", but he prefers
the association of a petty living being, provided he is a
devotee of the Eord.
T!T "]
JiTa S$a ra)aa>(a'Saa(a(auv60
PaOac?#a$a8leR=u ku6!ae=u >a?r0 9
odM2$auYae diUaQak86lR AaSTae
Sa$aud3PaT#(aa0 S'SauTa#(aSTa%aar0 99 "] 99
iti sma r')'dhya(as'ya%y!kta*
"r'c$na%m0le.! k!1e.! dh$ra*
!da3%m!kho dak.i5a%k0la 'ste
sam!dra%"atny'* s(a%s!ta%nyasta%bh'ra*
S(#O#($S
itiZthusV smaZas in the pastV r')'Zthe >ingV adhya(as'yaZ
perseveranceV y!kta*Zbeing engagedV "r'c$naZeasternV
m0le.!Zwith the rootV k!1e.!Zon a seat made of k!1a strawV
dh$ra*Zself'controlledV !da3%m!kha*Zfacing the northern
sideV dak.i5aZon the southernV k0leZbankV 'steZsituatedV
sam!draZthe seaV "atny'*Zwife of 3the 8anges6V s(aZownV
s!taZsonV nyastaZgiven overV bh'ra*Zthe charge of
administration.
T-A#SLATIO#
In perfect self6control, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit sat doJn on a seat of
straJ, Jith straJ6roots facing the east, placed on the southern
bank of the &anges, and he hi@self faced the northH )ust pre'iously
he had gi'en charge of his kingdo@ o'er to his sonH
P8-PO-T
The 0iver 8anges is celebrated as the wife of the sea. The
seat of k!1a straw is considered to be sanctified if the straw
is taken out of the earth complete with root, and if the root is
pointed toward the east it is considered to be auspicious.
Hacing the north is still more favorable for attaining spiritual
success. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it handed over the charge of
administration to his son before leaving home. He was thus
fully e(uipped for all favorable conditions.
T!T "^
V'; c TaiS$akrde'de'e
PaOa(aaePai'ne idi' de'Saa0 9
PaO!aS(a %a8$aa G(aik6r#a2 PaOSa8#ax
$au-da $auhudu-#du%a(a, #aedu0 99 "^ 99
e(a- ca tasmin nara%de(a%de(e
"r'yo"a(i.<e di(i de(a%sa3gh'*
"ra1asya bh0ma! (yakiran "ras0nair
m!d' m!h!r d!nd!bhaya1 ca ned!*
S(#O#($S
e(amZthusV caZandV tasminZin thatV nara%de(a%de(eZupon
the >ingJsV "r'ya%!"a(i.<eZbeing engaged in fasting to
deathV di(iZin the skyV de(aZdemigodsV sa3gh'*Zall of themV
"ra1asyaZhaving praised the actionV bh0ma!Zon the earthV
(yakiranZscatteredV "ras0nai*Zwith flowersV m!d'Zin
pleasureV m!h!*ZcontinuallyV d!nd!bhaya*Zcelestial drumsV
caZalsoV ned!*Zbeaten.
T-A#SLATIO#
Thus the Cing, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit, sat to fast until deathH All the
de@igods of the higher planets praised the Cingrs actions and in
pleasure continually scattered floJers o'er the earth and beat
celestial dru@sH
P8-PO-T
;ven up to the time of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it there were
interplanetary communications, and the news of Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@itJs fasting unto death to attain salvation reached the
higher planets in the sky where the intelligent demigods live.
The demigods are more lu:urious than human beings, but all
of them are obedient to the orders of the $upreme Eord.
There is no one in the heavenly planets who is an atheist or
nonbeliever. Thus any devotee of the Eord on the surface of
the earth is always praised by them, and in the case of
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it they were greatly delighted and thus gave
tokens of honor by scattering flowers over the earth and by
beating celestial drums. A demigod takes pleasure in seeing
someone go back to 8odhead. He is always pleased with a
devotee of the Eord, so much so that by his adhidaivic
powers he may help the devotees in all respects. And by
their actions, the Eord is pleased with them. There is an
invisible chain of complete cooperation between the Eord,
the demigods and the devotee of the Eord on earth.
T!T "_
$ah=-(aae ' Sa$auPaa&aTaa (ae
PaO!aS(a SaaiT(a#au$aaed$aa#aa0 9
Ocu0 PaO)aa#au&a3h!a?lRSaara
(aduta$aFaek6&auQaai%a~Pa$a2 99 "_ 99
mahar.ayo (ai sam!"'gat' ye
"ra1asya s'dh( ity an!modam'n'*
0c!* "ra)'n!graha%1$la%s'r'
yad !ttama%1loka%g!5'bhir0"am
S(#O#($S
mahar.aya*Zthe great sagesV (aiZas a matter of courseV
sam!"'gat'*Zassembled thereV yeZthose whoV "ra1asyaZby
praisingV s'dh!Z(uite all rightV itiZthusV an!modam'n'*Zall
approvingV 0c!*ZsaidV "ra)'%an!grahaZdoing good to the
living beingV 1$la%s'r'*Z(ualitatively powerfulV yatZbecauseV
!ttama%1lokaZone who is praised by selected poemsV g!5a%
abhir0"amZas beautiful as godly (ualities.
T-A#SLATIO#
All the great sages Jho Jere asse@bled there also praised the
decision of $ahLrL/a ParBkEit and they eMpressed their appro'al
by saying, yGery goodHz #aturally the sages are inclined to do good
to co@@on @en, for they ha'e all the ?ualitati'e poJers of the
Supre@e LordH Therefore they Jere 'ery @uch pleased to see
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, a de'otee of the Lord, and they spoke as
folloJsH
P8-PO-T
The natural beauty of a living being is enhanced by rising up
to the platform of devotional service. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was
absorbed in attachment for Eord >?@Aa. $eeing this, the
great sages assembled were very pleased, and they
e:pressed their approval by saying, D!ery good.F $uch sages
are naturally inclined to do good to the common man, and
when they see a personality like Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it advance
in devotional service, their pleasure knows no bounds, and
they offer all blessings in their power. The devotional service
of the Eord is so auspicious that all demigods and sages, up
to the Eord Himself, became pleased with the devotee, and
therefore the devotee finds everything auspicious. All
inauspicious matters are removed from the path of a
progressive devotee. Meeting all the great sages at the time
of death was certainly auspicious for Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, and
thus he was blessed by the so'called curse of a br'hma5a2s
boy.
T!T N`
#a 'a Jd; ra)ai=-'(a- ic<a;
%a'TSau k:6.Qa; Sa$a#au'3Tae=u 9
(ae+>(aaSa#a; ra)aik6r?1u)aun;
Sa*ae )ahu%a-&a'TPaaT-k6a$aa0 99 N` 99
na (' ida- r')ar.i%(arya citra-
bha(ats! k4.5a- saman!(rate.!
ye 2dhy'sana- r')a%kir$<a%)!.<a-
sadyo )ah!r bhaga(at%"'r1(a%k'm'*
S(#O#($S
naZneitherV ('Zlike thisV idamZthisV r')ar.iZsaintly kingV
(aryaZthe chiefV citramZastonishingV bha(ats!Zunto all of
youV k4.5amZEord >?@AaV saman!(rate.!Zunto those who
are strictly in the line ofV yeZwhoV adhy'sanamZseated on
the throneV r')a%kir$<aZhelmets of kingsV )!.<amZ
decoratedV sadya*ZimmediatelyV )ah!*Zgave upV bhaga(atZ
the 1ersonality of 8odheadV "'r1(a%k'm'*Zdesiring to
achieve association.
T-A#SLATIO#
OThe sages saide3 O chief of all the saintly kings of the PLFhu
dynasty Jho are strictly in the line of Lord ArB CDEFat It is not at all
astonishing that you gi'e up your throne, Jhich is decorated Jith
the hel@ets of @any kings, to achie'e eternal association Jith the
P8-PO-T
Hoolish politicians who hold political administrative posts
think that the temporary posts they occupy are the highest
material gain of life, and therefore they stick to those posts
even up to the last moment of life, without knowing that
achievement of liberation as one of the associates of the
Eord in His eternal abode is the highest gain of life. The
human life is meant for achieving this end. The Eord has
assured us in the &haga(ad%g$t' many times that going back
to 8odhead, His eternal abode, is the highest achievement.
1rahl"da Mah"r"2a, while praying to Eord K?si[ha, said, D9
my Eord, am very much afraid of the materialistic way of
life, and am not the least afraid of Xour present ghastly
ferocious feature as K?si[hadeva. This materialistic way of
life is something like a grinding stone, and we are being
crushed by it. We have fallen into this horrible whirlpool of
the tossing waves of life, and thus, my Eord, pray at Xour
lotus feet to call me back to Xour eternal abode as one of
Xour servitors. This is the summit liberation of this
materialistic way of life. have very bitter e:perience of the
materialistic way of life. n whichever species of life have
taken birth, compelled by the force of my own activities,
have very painfully e:perienced two things, namely
separation from my beloved and meeting with what is not
wanted. And to counteract them, the remedies which
undertook were more dangerous than the disease itself. $o
drift from one point to another birth after birth, and pray to
Xou therefore to give me a shelter at Xour lotus feet.F
The 1"AQava kings, who are more than many saints of the
world, knew the bitter results of the materialistic way of life.
They were never captivated by the glare of the imperial
throne they occupied, and they sought always the
opportunity of being called by the Eord to associate with Him
eternally. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was the worthy grandson of
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira. Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira gave up the
imperial throne to his grandson, and similarly Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, the grandson of Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira, gave up the
imperial throne to his son Oaname2aya. That is the way of all
the kings in the dynasty because they are all strictly in the
line of Eord >?@Aa. Thus the devotees of the Eord are never
enchanted by the glare of materialistic life, and they live
impartially, unattached to the ob2ects of the false, illusory
materialistic way of life.
T!T N"
Sa'e- '(a; Taa'idhaS$ahe+Qa
k6leR'r; (aa'dSaa i'ha(a 9
lRaek;6 Par; i'r)aSk;6 i'!aaek;6
(aaS(aT(a(a; %aa&a'TaPaO>aa#a0 99 N" 99
sar(e (aya- t'(ad ih'smahe 2tha
kale(ara- y'(ad asa! (ih'ya
loka- "ara- (ira)aska- (i1oka-
y'syaty aya- bh'ga(ata%"radh'na*
S(#O#($S
sar(eZallV (ayamZof usV t'(atZas long asV ihaZat this placeV
'smaheZshall stayV athaZhereafterV kale(aramZthe bodyV
y'(atZso longV asa!Zthe >ingV (ih'yaZgiving upV lokamZthe
planetV "aramZthe supremeV (ira)askamZcompletely free
from mundane contaminationV (i1okamZcompletely freed
from all kinds of lamentationV y'syatiZreturnsV ayamZthisV
bh'ga(ataZdevoteeV "radh'na*Zthe foremost.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ve shall all Jait here until the fore@ost de'otee of the Lord,
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, returns to the supre@e planet, Jhich is
co@pletely free fro@ all @undane conta@ination and all kinds of
la@entationH
P8-PO-T
%eyond the limitation of the material creation, which is
compared to the cloud in the sky, there is the "ara(yoma, or
the spiritual sky, full of planets called !aikuAThas. $uch
!aikuATha planets are also differently known as the
1uru@ottamaloka, Acyutaloka, Trivikramaloka,
H?@=kePaloka, >ePavaloka, Aniruddhaloka, M"dhavaloka,
1radyumnaloka, $aIkar@aAaloka, <r=dharaloka,
!"sudevaloka, Ayodhy"loka, 7v"rak"loka and many other
millions of spiritual lokas wherein the 1ersonality of 8odhead
predominatesV all the living entities there are liberated souls
with spiritual bodies as good as that of the Eord. There is no
material contaminationV everything there is spiritual, and
therefore there is nothing ob2ectively lamentable. They are
full of transcendental bliss, and are without birth, death, old
age and disease. And amongst all the above'mentioned
!aikuAThalokas, there is one supreme loka called 8oloka
!?nd"vana, which is the abode of the Eord <r= >?@Aa and
His specific associates. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was destined to
achieve this particular loka, and the great 4.is assembled
there could foresee this. All of them consulted among
themselves about the great departure of the great >ing, and
they wanted to see him up to the last moment because they
would no more be able to see such a great devotee of the
Eord. When a great devotee of the Eord passes away, there
is nothing to be lamented because the devotee is destined to
enter into the kingdom of 8od. %ut the sorry plight is that
such great devotees leave our sight, and therefore there is
every reason to be sorry. As the Eord is rarely to be seen by
our present eyes, so also are the great devotees. The great
4.is, therefore, correctly decided to remain on the spot till
the last moment.
T!T NN
AaBOuT(a Tad:i=&aQa'c0 Par?iUaTa2
Sa$a; $a>auC(aud2 &auD caG(alRIk6$a2 9
Aa%aa=Ta#aa#ai%a#a#* (auv6a#a2
BuBO8=$aaQa,irTaai#a i'.Qaae0 99 NN 99
'1r!tya tad 4.i%ga5a%(aca* "ar$k.it
sama- madh!%cy!d g!r! c'(yal$kam
'bh'.atain'n abhinandya y!kt'n
1!1r0.am'5a1 carit'ni (i.5o*
S(#O#($S
'1r!tyaZ2ust after hearingV tatZthatV 4.i%ga5aZthe sages
assembledV (aca*ZspeakingV "ar$k.itZMah"r"2a 1ar=k@itV
samamZimpartialV madh!%cy!tZsweet to hearV g!r!ZgraveV
caZalsoV a(yal$kamZperfectly trueV 'bh'.ataZsaidV en'nZall
of themV abhinandyaZcongratulatedV y!kt'nZappropriately
presentedV 1!1r0.am'5a*Zbeing desirous to hearV carit'niZ
activities ofV (i.5o*Zthe 1ersonality of 8odhead.
T-A#SLATIO#
All that Jas spoken by the great sages Jas 'ery sJeet to hear, full
of @eaning and appropriately presented as perfectly trueH So after
hearing the@, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit, desiring to hear of the acti'ities
of Lord ArB CDEFa, the Personality of &odhead, congratulated the
great sagesH
T!T NX
Sa$aa&aTaa0 Sa'-Ta V' Sa'e-
'eda (aQaa $a8iTa->araiEPa:fe 9
#aehaQa#aa$au<a c k6,#aaQa-
aTae Para#au&a3h$aaT$a!a?lR$a2 99 NX 99
sam'gat'* sar(ata e(a sar(e
(ed' yath' m0rti%dhar's tri%"4.<he
neh'tha n'm!tra ca ka1can'rtha
4te "ar'n!graham 'tma%1$lam
S(#O#($S
sam'gat'*ZassembledV sar(ata*Zfrom all directionsV e(aZ
certainlyV sar(eZall of youV (ed'*Zsupreme knowledgeV
yath'ZasV m0rti%dhar'*ZpersonifiedV tri%"4.<heZon the
planet of %rahm" 3which is situated above the three
planetary systems, namely the upper, intermediate and
lower worlds6V naZnotV ihaZin this worldV athaZthereafterV
naZnorV am!traZin the other worldV caZalsoV ka1canaZany
otherV artha*ZinterestV 4teZsave and e:ceptV "araZothersV
an!grahamZdoing good toV 'tma%1$lamZown nature.
T-A#SLATIO#
The Cing saide O great sages, you ha'e all 'ery kindly asse@bled
here, ha'ing co@e fro@ all parts of the uni'erseH (ou are all as
good as supre@e knoJledge personified, Jho resides in the planet
abo'e the three Jorlds OSatyaloka3H Conse?uently you are naturally
inclined to do good to others, and but for this you ha'e no interest,
either in this life or in the neMtH
P8-PO-T
$i: kinds of opulences, namely wealth, strength, fame,
beauty, knowledge and renunciation, are all originally the
different attributes pertaining to the Absolute 1ersonality of
8odhead. The living beings, who are part'and'parcel entities
of the $upreme %eing, have all these attributes partially, up
to the full strength of seventy'eight percent. n the material
world these attributes 3up to seventy'eight percent of the
EordJs attributes6 are covered by the material energy, as the
sun is covered by a cloud. The covered strength of the sun is
very dim, compared to the original glare, and similarly the
original color of the living beings with such attributes
becomes almost e:tinct. There are three planetary systems,
namely the lower worlds, the intermediate worlds and the
upper worlds. The human beings on earth are situated at the
beginning of the intermediate worlds, but living beings like
%rahm" and his contemporaries live in the upper worlds, of
which the topmost is $atyaloka. n $atyaloka the inhabitants
are fully cogni)ant of !edic wisdom, and thus the mystic
cloud of material energy is cleared. Therefore they are
known as the /edas personified. $uch persons, being fully
aware of knowledge both mundane and transcendental,
have no interest in either the mundane or transcendental
worlds. They are practically desireless devotees. n the
mundane world they have nothing to achieve, and in the
transcendental world they are full in themselves. Then why
do they come to the mundane world? They descend on
different planets as messiahs by the order of the Eord to
deliver the fallen souls. 9n the earth they come down and do
good to the people of the world in different circumstances
under different climatic influences. They have nothing to do
in this world save and e:cept reclaim the fallen souls rotting
in material e:istence, deluded by material energy.
T!T NZ
TaTa, '0 Pa:Ccyi$a$a; i'Pa:Cce
i'BO%(a i'PaOa JiTak:6T(aTaa(aa$a2 9
Sa'a-T$a#aa i$a3(a$aaQa, k:6T(a;
Bup; c Ta<aa$a:!aTaai%a(auv6a0 99 NZ 99
tata1 ca (a* "4cchyam ima- (i"4cche
(i1rabhya (i"r' iti k4tyat'y'm
sar('tman' mriyam'5ai1 ca k4tya-
1!ddha- ca tatr'm41at'bhiy!kt'*
S(#O#($S
tata*Zas suchV caZandV (a*Zunto youV "4cchyamZthat
which is to be askedV imamZthisV (i"4ccheZbeg to ask youV
(i1rabhyaZtrustworthyV (i"r'*Zbr'hma5asC itiZthusV
k4tyat'y'mZout of all different dutiesV sar(a%'tman'Zby
everyoneV mriyam'5ai*Zespecially those who are 2ust about
to dieV caZandV k4tyamZdutifulV 1!ddhamZperfectly correctV
caZandV tatraZthereinV 'm41ataZby complete deliberationV
abhiy!kt'*Z2ust befitting.
T-A#SLATIO#
O trustJorthy brLh@aFas, I noJ ask you about @y i@@ediate dutyH
Please, after proper deliberation, tell @e of the unalloyed duty of
e'eryone in all circu@stances, and specifically of those Jho are
/ust about to dieH
P8-PO-T
n this verse the >ing has placed two (uestions before the
learned sages. The first (uestion is what is the duty of
everyone in all circumstances, and the second (uestion is
what is the specific duty of one who is to die very shortly.
9ut of the two, the (uestion relating to the dying man is
most important because everyone is a dying man, either
very shortly or after one hundred years. The duration of life
is immaterial, but the duty of a dying man is very important.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it placed these two (uestions before
<ukadeva 8osv"m= also on his arrival, and practically the
whole of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, beginning from the $econd
*anto up to the last Twelfth *anto, deals with these two
(uestions. The conclusion arrived at thereof is that
devotional service of the Eord <r= >?@Aa, as it is confirmed
by the Eord Himself in the last phases of the &haga(ad%g$t', is
the last word in relation to everyoneJs permanent duty in
life. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was already aware of this fact, but he
wanted the great sages assembled there to unanimously
give their verdict on his conviction so that he might be able
to go on with his confirmed duty without controversy. He has
especially mentioned the word 1!ddha, or perfectly correct.
Hor transcendental reali)ation or self'reali)ation, many
processes are recommended by various classes of
philosophers. $ome of them are first'class methods, and
some of them are second' or third'class methods. The first'
class method demands that one give up all other methods
and surrender unto the lotus feet of the Eord and thus be
saved from all sins and their reactions.
T!T N[
Ta<aa%a'S&a'a#a2 G(aaSaPau<aae
(ad:Cc(aa &aa$a1u$aa#aae+#aPaeUa0 9
AlRU(ailRlae i#a)alRa%aTaunae
':Ta, balRr'>a8Ta'e=0 99 N[ 99
tatr'bha(ad bhaga('n (y'sa%"!tro
yad4cchay' g'm a<am'no 2na"ek.a*
alak.ya%li3go ni)a%l'bha%t!.<o
(4ta1 ca b'lair a(adh0ta%(e.a*
S(#O#($S
tatraZthereV abha(atZappearedV bhaga('nZpowerfulV (y'sa%
"!tra*Zson of !y"sadevaV yad4cchay'Zas one desiresV g'mZ
the earthV a<am'na*Zwhile travelingV ana"ek.a*Z
disinterestedV alak.yaZunmanifestedV li3ga*ZsymptomsV
ni)a%l'bhaZself'reali)edV t!.<a*ZsatisfiedV (4ta*Z
surroundedV caZandV b'lai*Zby childrenV a(adh0taZ
neglected by othersV (e.a*Zdressed.
T-A#SLATIO#
At that @o@ent there appeared the poJerful son of GyLsade'a,
Jho tra'eled o'er the earth disinterested and satisfied Jith
hi@selfH Ie did not @anifest any sy@pto@s of belonging to any
social order or status of lifeH Ie Jas surrounded Jith Jo@en and
children, and he dressed as if others had neglected hi@H
P8-PO-T
The word bhaga('n is sometimes used in relation with some
of the great devotees of the Eord, like <ukadeva 8osv"m=.
$uch liberated souls are disinterested in the affairs of this
material world because they are self'satisfied by the great
achievements of devotional service. As e:plained before,
<ukadeva 8osv"m= never accepted any formal spiritual
master, nor did he undergo any formal reformatory
performances. His father, !y"sadeva, was his natural
spiritual master because <ukadeva 8osv"m= heard #r$mad%
&h'ga(atam from him. After this, he became completely self'
satisfied. Thus he was not dependent on any formal process.
The formal processes are necessary for those who are
e:pected to reach the stage of complete liberation, but <r=
<ukadeva 8osv"m= was already in that status by the grace
of his father. As a young boy he was e:pected to be properly
dressed, but he went about naked and was uninterested in
social customs. He was neglected by the general populace,
and in(uisitive boys and women surrounded him as if he
were a madman. He thus appears on the scene while
traveling on the earth of his own accord. t appears that
upon the in(uiry of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, the great sages were
not unanimous in their decision as to what was to be done.
Hor spiritual salvation there were many prescriptions
according to the different modes of different persons. %ut
the ultimate aim of life is to attain the highest perfectional
stage of devotional service to the Eord. As doctors differ, so
also sages differ in their different prescriptions. While such
things were going on, the great and powerful son of
!y"sadeva appeared on the scene.
T!T N\
Ta; jyn'=g Sauku6$aarPaadx
k6raeDba;Sak6PaaelR&aa<a$a2 9
ca'a-(aTaaUaaekSaTauL(ak6Qa-x
Sau%'a#a#a; k6$buSau)aaTak6Qu$a2 99 N\ 99
ta- d(ya.<a%(ar.a- s!%k!m'ra%"'da%
karor!%b'h(%a-sa%ka"ola%g'tram
c'r(%'yat'k.onnasa%t!lya%kar5a%
s!bhr(%'nana- kamb!%s!)'ta%ka5<ham
S(#O#($S
tamZhimV d(i%a.<aZsi:teenV (ar.amZyearsV s!%k!m'raZ
delicateV "'daZlegsV karaZhandsV 0r!ZthighsV b'h!ZarmsV
a-saZshouldersV ka"olaZforeheadV g'tramZbodyV c'r!Z
beautifulV 'yataZbroadV ak.aZeyesV !nnasaZhigh noseV t!lya
ZsimilarV kar5aZearsV s!bhr!Znice browsV 'nanamZfaceV
kamb!ZconchshellV s!)'taZnicely builtV ka5<hamZneck.
T-A#SLATIO#
This son of GyLsade'a Jas only siMteen years oldH Iis legs, hands,
thighs, ar@s, shoulders, forehead and the other parts of his body
Jere all delicately for@edH Iis eyes Jere beautifully Jide, and his
nose and ears Jere highly raisedH Ie had a 'ery attracti'e face,
and his neck Jas Jell for@ed and beautiful like a conchshellH
P8-PO-T
A respectable personality is described beginning with the
legs, and this honored system is observed here with
<ukadeva 8osv"m=. He was only si:teen years of age. A
person is honored for his achievements and not for
advanced age. A person can be older by e:perience and not
by age. <r= <ukadeva 8osv"m=, who is described herein as
the son of !y"sadeva, was by his knowledge more
e:perienced than all the sages present there, although he
was only si:teen years old.
T!T N]
i#a&a8t)a<au; Pa:QauTaul'UaSax
$aa'Ta-#aai%a; 'ilR'L&a8dr; c 9
id&a$br; '6i'k6IQa-ke6!a;
PaOlR$bbahu; S'$araeta$aa%a$a2 99 N] 99
nig0;ha%)atr!- "4th!%t!3ga%(ak.asam
'(arta%n'bhi- (ali%(alg0dara- ca
dig%ambara- (aktra%(ik$r5a%ke1a-
"ralamba%b'h!- s(amarottam'bham
S(#O#($S
nig0;haZcoveredV )atr!mZcollarboneV "4th!ZbroadV t!3gaZ
swollenV (ak.asamZchestV '(artaZwhirledV n'bhimZnavelV
(ali%(alg!ZstripedV !daramZabdomenV caZalsoV dik%ambaram
Zdressed by all directions 3naked6V (aktraZcurledV (ik$r5aZ
scatteredV ke1amZhairV "ralambaZelongatedV b'h!mZhandsV
s!%amara%!ttamaZthe best among the gods 3>?@Aa6V 'bhamZ
hue.
T-A#SLATIO#
Iis collarbone Jas fleshy, his chest broad and thick, his na'el deep
and his abdo@en beautifully stripedH Iis ar@s Jere long, and curly
hair Jas streJn o'er his beautiful faceH Ie Jas naked, and the hue
of his body reflected that of Lord CDEFaH
P8-PO-T
His bodily features indicate him to be different from common
men. All the signs described in connection with the bodily
features of <ukadeva 8osv"m= are uncommon symptoms,
typical of great personalities, according to physiognomical
calculations. His bodily hue resembled that of Eord >?@Aa,
who is the supreme among the gods, demigods and all living
beings.
T!T N^
!(aa$a; SadaPa?G(a'(aae+llRU$(aa
E?Qaa; $a#aae/; DicriS$aTae#a 9
PaOT(auiTQaTaaSTae $au#a(a0 S'aSa#ae%(ax
STawUaQa/a AiPa &a8t'c-Sa$a2 99 N^ 99
1y'ma- sad'"$(ya%(ayo%23ga%lak.my'
str$5'- mano%),a- r!cira%smitena
"raty!tthit's te m!naya* s('sanebhyas
tal%lak.a5a%),' a"i g0;ha%(arcasam
S(#O#($S
1y'mamZblackishV sad'ZalwaysV a"$(yaZe:cessivelyV (aya*
ZageV a3gaZsymptomsV lak.my'Zby the opulence ofV
str$5'mZof the fair se:V mana*%),amZattractiveV r!ciraZ
beautifulV smitenaZsmilingV "raty!tthit'*Zstood upV teZall of
themV m!naya*Zthe great sagesV s(aZownV 'sanebhya*Z
from the seatsV tatZthoseV lak.a5a%),'*Ze:pert in the art of
physiognomyV a"iZevenV g0;ha%(arcasamZcovered glories.
T-A#SLATIO#
Ie Jas blackish and 'ery beautiful due to his youthH Kecause of
the gla@or of his body and his attracti'e s@iles, he Jas pleasing to
Jo@enH Though he tried to co'er his natural glories, the great
sages present there Jere all eMpert in the art of physiogno@y, and
so they honored hi@ by rising fro@ their seatsH
T!T N_
Sa i'.QauraTaae+iTaQa(a Aa&aTaa(a
TaS$a SaPa(aag i!arSaa)ahar 9
TaTaae i#a':taa 7bu>aa0 iE(aae+%a-k6a
$ahaSa#ae SaaePai''e!a Pa8i)aTa0 99 N_ 99
sa (i.5!%r'to 2tithaya 'gat'ya
tasmai sa"ary'- 1iras')ah'ra
tato ni(4tt' hy ab!dh'* striyo 2rbhak'
mah'sane so"a(i(e1a "0)ita*
S(#O#($S
sa*ZheV (i.5!%r'ta*ZMah"r"2a 1ar=k@it 3who is always
protected by Eord !i@Au6V atithayeZto become a guestV
'gat'yaZone who arrived thereV tasmaiZunto himV sa"ary'm
Zwith the whole bodyV 1iras'Zwith bowed headV ')ah'raZ
offered obeisancesV tata*ZthereafterV ni(4tt'*ZceasedV hiZ
certainlyV ab!dh'*Zless intelligentV striya*ZwomenV arbhak'*
ZboysV mah'%'saneZe:alted seatV saZheV !"a(i(e1aZsat
downV "0)ita*Zbeing respected.
T-A#SLATIO#
$ahLrL/a ParBkEit, Jho is also knoJn as GiEFurLta Oone Jho is
alJays protected by GiEFu3, boJed his head to recei'e the chief
guest, Aukade'a &os'L@BH At that ti@e all the ignorant Jo@en and
boys ceased folloJing ArBla Aukade'aH -ecei'ing respect fro@ all,
Aukade'a &os'L@B took his eMalted seatH
P8-PO-T
9n <ukadeva 8osv"m=Js arrival at the meeting, everyone,
e:cept <r=la !y"sadeva, K"rada and a few others, stood up,
and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, who was glad to receive a great
devotee of the Eord, bowed down before him with all the
limbs of his body. <ukadeva 8osv"m= also e:changed the
greetings and reception by embrace, shaking of hands,
nodding and bowing down, especially before his father and
K"rada Muni. Thus he was offered the presidential seat at
the meeting. When he was so received by the king and
sages, the street boys and less intelligent women who
followed him were struck with wonder and fear. $o they
retired from their frivolous activities, and everything was full
of gravity and calm.
T!T X`
Sa Sa;':TaSTa<a $aha#a2 $ah?(aSaa;
b34i=-ra)ai=-de'i=-Sa0 9
G(araecTaal;R %a&a'a#a2 (aQae#dux
&a3-hUa-Taarai#ak6r0 Par?Ta0 99 X` 99
sa sa-(4tas tatra mah'n mah$yas'-
brahmar.i%r')ar.i%de(ar.i%sa3ghai*
(yarocat'la- bhaga('n yathend!r
grahark.a%t'r'%nikarai* "ar$ta*
S(#O#($S
sa*Z<r= <ukadeva 8osv"m=V sa-(4ta*Zsurrounded byV tatra
ZthereV mah'nZgreatV mah$yas'mZof the greatestV
brahmar.iZsaint among the br'hma5asC r')ar.iZsaint among
the kingsV de(ar.iZsaint among the demigodsV sa3ghai*Zby
the assembly ofV (yarocataZwell deservedV alamZableV
bhaga('nZpowerfulV yath'ZasV ind!*Zthe moonV grahaZ
planetsV 4k.aZheavenly bodiesV t'r'ZstarsV nikarai*Zby the
assembly ofV "ar$ta*Zsurrounded by.
T-A#SLATIO#
Aukade'a &os'L@B Jas then surrounded by saintly sages and
de@igods /ust as the @oon is surrounded by stars, planets and
other hea'enly bodiesH Iis presence Jas gorgeous, and he Jas
respected by allH
P8-PO-T
n the great assembly of saintly personalities, there was
!y"sadeva the brahmar.i, K"rada the de(ar.i, 1araPur"ma
the great ruler of the k.atriya kings, etc. $ome of them were
powerful incarnations of the Eord. <ukadeva 8osv"m= was
not known as brahmar.i, r')ar.i or de(ar.i, nor was he an
incarnation like K"rada, !y"sa or 1araPur"ma. And yet he
e:celled them in respects paid. This means that the devotee
of the Eord is more honored in the world than the Eord
Himself. 9ne should therefore never minimi)e the
importance of a devotee like <ukadeva 8osv"m=.
T!T X"
PaO!aa#Ta$aaSa?#a$aku6Qu$ae>aSa;
$aui#a; #a:Paae %aa&a'Taae+%(auPaeT(a 9
PaOQa$(a $a8>#aa-'ihTa0 k:6TaaiilRx
#a-T'a i&ara Sa8#a:Ta(aa#'Pa:CcTa2 99 X" 99
"ra1'ntam 's$nam ak!5<ha%medhasa-
m!ni- n4"o bh'ga(ato 2bhy!"etya
"ra5amya m0rdhn'(ahita* k4t',)alir
nat(' gir' s0n4tay'n(a"4cchat
S(#O#($S
"ra1'ntamZperfectly pacifiedV 's$namZsittingV ak!5<haZ
without hesitationV medhasamZone who has sufficient
intelligenceV m!nimZunto the great sageV n4"a*Zthe >ing
3Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it6V bh'ga(ata*Zthe great devoteeV
abhy!"etyaZapproaching himV "ra5amyaZbowing downV
m0rdhn'Zhis headV a(ahita*ZproperlyV k4ta%a,)ali*Zwith
folded handsV nat('ZpolitelyV gir'Zby wordsV s0n4tay'Zin
sweet voicesV an(a"4cchatZin(uired.
T-A#SLATIO#
The sage ArB Aukade'a &os'L@B sat perfectly pacified, intelligent
and ready to ansJer any ?uestion Jithout hesitationH The great
de'otee, $ahLrL/a ParBkEit, approached hi@, offered his respects
by boJing before hi@, and politely in?uired Jith sJeet Jords and
folded handsH
P8-PO-T
The gesture now adopted by Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it of
(uestioning a master is (uite befitting in terms of scriptural
in2unctions. The scriptural in2unction is that one should
humbly approach a spiritual master to understand the
transcendental science. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was now
prepared for meeting his death, and within the very short
time of seven days he was to know the process of entering
the kingdom of 8od. n such important cases, one is re(uired
to approach a spiritual master. There is no necessity of
approaching a spiritual master unless one is in need of
solving the problems of life. 9ne who does not know how to
put (uestions before the spiritual master has no business
seeing him. And the (ualification of the spiritual master is
perfectly manifested in the person of <ukadeva 8osv"m=.
%oth the spiritual master and the disciple, namely <r=
<ukadeva 8osv"m= and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it, attained
perfection through the medium of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
<ukadeva 8osv"m= learned #r$mad%&h'ga(atam from his
father, !y"sadeva, but he had no chance to recite it. %efore
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it he recited #r$mad%&h'ga(atam and
answered the (uestions of Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it unhesitatingly,
and thus both the master and the disciple got salvation.
T!T XN
Par?iUadu'ac
Ahae A* '(a; b34#a2 SaTSaeG(aa0 Ua<ab#>a'0 9
k:6Pa(aaiTaiQa~PaeQa %a'iSSTa?Qa-k6a0 k:6Taa0 99 XN 99
"ar$k.id !('ca
aho adya (aya- brahman
sat%se(y'* k.atra%bandha(a*
k4"ay'tithi%r0"e5a
bha(adbhis t$rthak'* k4t'*
S(#O#($S
"ar$k.it !('caZthe fortunate Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it saidV ahoZ
ahV adyaZtodayV (ayamZweV brahmanZ9 br'hma5aC sat%
se(y'*Zeligible to serve the devoteeV k.atraZthe ruling
classV bandha(a*ZfriendsV k4"ay'Zby your mercyV atithi%
r0"e5aZin the manner of a guestV bha(adbhi*Zby your good
selfV t$rthak'*Z(ualified for being places of pilgrimageV k4t'*
Zdone by you.
T-A#SLATIO#
The fortunate Cing ParBkEit saide O brLh@aFa, by your @ercy only,
you ha'e sanctified us, @aking us like unto places of pilgri@age,
all by your presence here as @y guestH Ky your @ercy, Je, Jho are
but unJorthy royalty, beco@e eligible to ser'e the de'oteeH
P8-PO-T
$aintly devotees like <ukadeva 8osv"m= generally do not
approach worldly en2oyers, especially those in royal orders.
Mah"r"2a 1rat"parudra was a follower of Eord *aitanya, but
when he wanted to see the Eord, the Eord refused to see him
because he was a king. Hor a devotee who desires to go back
to 8odhead, two things are strictly prohibitedC worldly
en2oyers and women. Therefore, devotees of the standard of
<ukadeva 8osv"m= are never interested in seeing kings.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was, of course, a different case. He was a
great devotee, although a king, and therefore <ukadeva
8osv"m= came to see him in his last stage of life. Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it, out of his devotional humility, felt himself an
unworthy descendant of his great k.atriya forefathers,
although he was as great as his predecessors. The unworthy
sons of the royal orders are called k.atra%bandha(as, as the
unworthy sons of the br'hma5as are called d(i)a%bandh!s or
brahma%bandh!s. Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it was greatly encouraged
by the presence of <ukadeva 8osv"m=. He felt himself
sanctified by the presence of the great saint whose presence
turns any place into a place of pilgrimage.
T!T XX
(ae=a; Sa;S$arQaaTa2 Pau;Saa; Sa*0 Bupyi#Ta ' &a:ha0 9
ik;6 Pau#ad-!a-#aSPa!a-Paad!aacaSa#aaidi%a0 99 XX 99
ye.'- sa-smara5't "!-s'-
sadya* 1!ddhyanti (ai g4h'*
ki- "!nar dar1ana%s"ar1a%
"'da%1a!c'san'dibhi*
S(#O#($S
ye.'mZof whomV sa-smara5'tZby remembranceV "!-s'mZof
a personV sadya*ZinstantlyV 1!ddhyantiZcleansesV (aiZ
certainlyV g4h'*Zall housesV kimZwhatV "!na*ZthenV
dar1anaZmeetingV s"ar1aZtouchingV "'daZthe feetV 1a!caZ
washingV 'sana%'dibhi*Zby offering a seat, etc.
T-A#SLATIO#
Si@ply by our re@e@bering you, our houses beco@e instantly
sanctifiedH And Jhat to speak of seeing you, touching you, Jashing
your holy feet and offering you a seat in our ho@eW
P8-PO-T
The importance of holy places of pilgrimage is due to the
presence of great sages and saints. t is said that sinful
persons go to the holy places and leave their sins there to
accumulate. %ut the presence of the great saints disinfects
the accumulated sins, and thus the holy places continue to
remain sanctified by the grace of the devotees and saints
present there. f such saints appear in the homes of worldly
people, certainly the accumulated sins of such worldly
en2oyers become neutrali)ed. Therefore, the holy saints
actually have no self'interest with the householders. The
only aim of such saints is to sanctify the houses of the
householders, and the householders therefore should feel
grateful when such saints and sages appear at their doors. A
householder who dishonors such holy orders is a great
offender. t is en2oined, therefore, that a householder who
does not bow down before a saint at once must undergo
fasting for the day in order to neutrali)e the great offense.
T!T XZ
Saaik>(aatae $aha(aaei&a#PaaTak6ai#a $aha#T(aiPa 9
Sa*ae #a!(ai#Ta ' Pau;Saa; i'.Qaaeir' SaureTara0 99 XZ 99
s'nnidhy't te mah'%yogin
"'tak'ni mah'nty a"i
sadyo na1yanti (ai "!-s'-
(i.5or i(a s!retar'*
S(#O#($S
s'nnidhy'tZon account of the presenceV teZyourV mah'%yogin
Z9 great mysticV "'tak'niZsinsV mah'ntiZinvulnerableV a"i
Zin spite ofV sadya*ZimmediatelyV na1yantiZvan(uishedV (ai
ZcertainlyV "!-s'mZof a personV (i.5o*Zlike the presence
of the 1ersonality of 8odheadV i(aZlikeV s!ra%itar'*Zother
than the demigods.
T-A#SLATIO#
)ust as the atheist cannot re@ain in the presence of the Personality
of &odhead, so also the in'ulnerable sins of a @an are i@@ediately
'an?uished in your presence, O saintt O great @ystict
P8-PO-T
There are two classes of human beings, namely the atheist
and the devotee of the Eord. The devotee of the Eord,
because of manifesting godly (ualities, is called a demigod,
whereas the atheist is called a demon. The demon cannot
stand the presence of !i@Au, the 1ersonality of 8odhead.
The demons are always busy in trying to van(uish the
1ersonality of 8odhead, but factually as soon as the
1ersonality of 8odhead appears, by either His
transcendental name, form, attributes, pastimes,
paraphernalia or variegatedness, the demon is at once
van(uished. t is said that a ghost cannot remain as soon as
the holy name of the Eord is chanted. The great saints and
devotees of the Eord are in the list of His paraphernalia, and
thus as soon as a saintly devotee is present, the ghostly sins
are at once van(uished. That is the verdict of all !edic
literatures. 9ne is recommended, therefore, to associate
only with saintly devotees so that worldly demons and
ghosts cannot e:ert their sinister influence.
T!T X[
AiPa $ae %a&a'a#a2 PaO?Ta0 k:6.Qa0 PaaQouSauTaiPaO(a0 9
PaTa:.'Sae(aPaO?T(aQag Taae<aS(aataba#>a'0 99 X[ 99
a"i me bhaga('n "r$ta*
k4.5a* "'5;!%s!ta%"riya*
"ait4%.(aseya%"r$ty%artha-
tad%gotrasy'tta%b'ndha(a*
S(#O#($S
a"iZdefinitelyV meZunto meV bhaga('nZthe 1ersonality of
8odheadV "r$ta*ZpleasedV k4.5a*Zthe EordV "'5;!%s!taZthe
sons of >ing 1"AQuV "riya*ZdearV "ait4Zin relation with the
fatherV s(aseyaZthe sons of the sisterV "r$tiZsatisfactionV
arthamZin the matter ofV tatZtheirV gotrasyaZof the
descendantV 'ttaZacceptedV b'ndha(a*Zas a friend.
T-A#SLATIO#
Lord CDEFa, the Personality of &odhead, Jho is 'ery dear to the
sons of Cing PLFhu, has accepted @e as one of those relati'es /ust
to please Iis great cousins and brothersH
P8-PO-T
A pure and e:clusive devotee of the Eord serves his family
interest more de:terously than others, who are attached to
illusory family affairs. 8enerally people are attached to
family matters, and the whole economic impetus of human
society is moving under the influence of family affection.
$uch deluded persons have no information that one can
render better service to the family by becoming a devotee of
the Eord. The Eord gives special protection to the family
members and descendants of a devotee, even though such
members are themselves nondevotees] Mah"r"2a 1rahl"da
was a great devotee of the Eord, but his father,
HiraAyakaPipu, was a great atheist and declared enemy of
the Eord. %ut despite all this, HiraAyakaPipu was awarded
salvation due to his being the father of Mah"r"2a 1rahl"da.
The Eord is so kind that he gives all protection to the family
members of His devotee, and thus the devotee has no need
to bother about his family members, even if one leaves such
family members aside to discharge devotional service.
Mah"r"2a Xudhi@Thira and his brothers were the sons of
>unt=, the paternal aunt of Eord >?@Aa, and Mah"r"2a
1ar=k@it admits the patronage of Eord >?@Aa because of his
being the only grandson of the great 1"AQavas.
T!T X\
A#(aQaa Tae+G(av6&aTaed-!a-#a; #a0 k6Qa; #a:Qaa$a2 9
i#aTara; i$a3(a$aaQaa#aa; Sa;iSapS(a '#a?(aSa0 99 X\ 99
anyath' te 2(yakta%gater
dar1ana- na* katha- n45'm
nitar'- mriyam'5'n'-
sa-siddhasya (an$yasa*
S(#O#($S
anyath'ZotherwiseV teZyourV a(yakta%gate*Zof one whose
movements are invisibleV dar1anamZmeetingV na*Zfor usV
kathamZhowV n45'mZof the peopleV nitar'mZspecificallyV
mriyam'5'n'mZof those who are about to dieV sa-siddhasyaZ
of one who is all'perfectV (an$yasa*Zvoluntary appearance.
T-A#SLATIO#
OtherJise OJithout being inspired by Lord CDEFa3 hoJ is it that
you ha'e 'oluntarily appeared here, though you are @o'ing
incognito to the co@@on @an and are not 'isible to us Jho are on
the 'erge of deathW
P8-PO-T
The great sage <ukadeva 8osv"m= was certainly inspired by
Eord >?@Aa to appear voluntarily before Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it,
the great devotee of the Eord, 2ust to give him the teachings
of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. 9ne can achieve the nucleus of the
devotional service of the Eord by the mercy of the spiritual
master and the 1ersonality of 8odhead. The spiritual master
is the manifested representative of the Eord to help one
achieve ultimate success. 9ne who is not authori)ed by the
Eord cannot become a spiritual master. <r=la <ukadeva
8osv"m= is an authori)ed spiritual master, and thus he was
inspired by the Eord to appear before Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it and
instruct him in the teachings of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. 9ne can
achieve the ultimate success of going back to 8odhead if he
is favored by the EordJs sending His true representative. As
soon as a true representative of the Eord is met by a devotee
of the Eord, the devotee is assured a guarantee for going
back to 8odhead 2ust after leaving the present body. This,
however, depends on the sincerity of the devotee himself.
The Eord is seated in the heart of all living beings, and thus
he knows very well the movements of all individual persons.
As soon as the Eord finds that a particular soul is very eager
to go back to 8odhead, the Eord at once sends His bona fide
representative. The sincere devotee is thus assured by the
Eord of going back to 8odhead. The conclusion is that to get
the assistance and help of a bona fide spiritual master
means to recei(e the direct hel" of the :ord >imself.
T!T X]
ATa0 Pa:Ccai$a Sa;iSaip; (aaei&a#aa; Par$a; &auD$a2 9
PauD=S(aeh (aTk6a(ag i$a3(a$aaQaS(a Sa'-Qaa 99 X] 99
ata* "4cch'mi sa-siddhi-
yogin'- "arama- g!r!m
"!r!.asyeha yat k'rya-
mriyam'5asya sar(ath'
S(#O#($S
ata*ZthereforeV "4cch'miZbeg to in(uireV sa-siddhimZthe
way of perfectionV yogin'mZof the saintsV "aramamZthe
supremeV g!r!mZthe spiritual masterV "!r!.asyaZof a
personV ihaZin this lifeV yatZwhateverV k'ryamZdutyV
mriyam'5asyaZof one who is going to dieV sar(ath'Zin every
way.
T-A#SLATIO#
(ou are the spiritual @aster of great saints and de'oteesH I a@
therefore begging you to shoJ the Jay of perfection for all
persons, and especially for one Jho is about to dieH
P8-PO-T
Rnless one is perfectly an:ious to in(uire about the way of
perfection, there is no necessity of approaching a spiritual
master. A spiritual master is not a kind of decoration for a
householder. 8enerally a fashionable materialist engages a
so'called spiritual master without any profit. The pseudo
spiritual master flatters the so'called disciple, and thereby
both the master and his ward go to hell without a doubt.
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is the right type of disciple because he
puts forward (uestions vital to the interest of all men,
particularly for the dying men. The (uestion put forward by
Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it is the basic principle of the complete
thesis of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam. Kow let us see how
intelligently the great master replies.
T!T X^
(aCc|aeTaG(a$aQaae )aP(a; (aTk6Ta-G(a; #a:i%a0 PaO%aae 9
S$aTa-G(a; %a)a#a?(a; 'a b38ih (aja i'Pa(a-(a$a2 99 X^ 99
yac chrota(yam atho )a"ya-
yat karta(ya- n4bhi* "rabho
smarta(ya- bha)an$ya- ('
br0hi yad (' (i"aryayam
S(#O#($S
yatZwhateverV 1rota(yamZworth hearingV athoZthereofV
)a"yamZchantedV yatZwhat alsoV karta(yamZe:ecutedV
n4bhi*Zby the people in generalV "rabhoZ9 masterV
smarta(yamZthat which is rememberedV bha)an$yamZ
worshipableV ('ZeitherV br0hiZplease e:plainV yad ('Zwhat
it may beV (i"aryayamZagainst the principle.
T-A#SLATIO#
Please let @e knoJ Jhat a @an should hear, chant, re@e@ber and
Jorship, and also Jhat he should not doH Please eMplain all this to
@eH
T!T X_
#a8#a; %a&a'Taae b34#a2 &a:he=u &a:h$aei>a#aa$a2 9
#a lRU(aTae 7'SQaa#a$aiPa &aaedaeh#a; C'icTa2 99 X_ 99
n0na- bhaga(ato brahman
g4he.! g4ha%medhin'm
na lak.yate hy a(asth'nam
a"i go%dohana- k(acit
S(#O#($S
n0namZbecauseV bhaga(ata*Zof you, who are powerfulV
brahmanZ9 br'hma5aC g4he.!Zin the housesV g4ha%medhin'm
Zof the householdersV naZnotV lak.yateZare seenV hiZ
e:actlyV a(asth'namZstaying inV a"iZevenV go%dohanamZ
milking the cowV k(acitZrarely.
T-A#SLATIO#
O poJerful brLh@aFa, it is said that you hardly stay in the houses
of @en long enough to @ilk a coJH
P8-PO-T
$aints and sages in the renounced order of life go to the
houses of the householders at the time they milk the cows,
early in the morning, and ask some (uantity of milk for
subsistence. A pound of milk fresh from the milk bag of a
cow is sufficient to feed an adult with all vitamin values, and
therefore saints and sages live only on milk. ;ven the
poorest of the householders keep at least ten cows, each
delivering twelve to twenty (uarts of milk, and therefore no
one hesitates to spare a few pounds of milk for the
mendicants. t is the duty of householders to maintain the
saints and sages, like the children. $o a saint like <ukadeva
8osv"m= would hardly stay at the house of a householder
for more than five minutes in the morning. n other words,
such saints are very rarely seen in the houses of
householders, and Mah"r"2a 1ar=k@it therefore prayed to
him to instruct him as soon as possible. The householders
also should be intelligent enough to get some transcendental
information from visiting sages. The householder should not
foolishly ask a saint to deliver what is available in the
market. That should be the reciprocal relation between the
saints and the householders.
T!T Z`
Sa8Ta o'ac
V'$aa%aai=Ta0 Pa:n0 Sa ra/a FUQa(aa i&ara 9
PaOT(a%aa=Ta >a$a-/ae %a&a'a#a2 badra(aiQa0 99 Z` 99
s0ta !('ca
e(am 'bh'.ita* "4.<a*
sa r'),' 1lak.5ay' gir'
"ratyabh'.ata dharma%),o
bhaga('n b'dar'ya5i*
S(#O#($S
s0ta* !('caZ<r= $Lta 8osv"m= saidV e(amZthusV 'bh'.ita*
Zbeing spokenV "4.<a*Zand asked forV sa*ZheV r'),'Zby
the >ingV 1lak.5ay'Zby sweetV gir'ZlanguageV "ratyabh'.ata
Zbegan to replyV dharma%),a*Zone who knows the principles
of religionV bhaga('nZthe powerful personalityV b'dar'ya5i*Z
son of !y"sadeva.
T-A#SLATIO#
ArB Sdta &os'L@B saide The Cing thus spoke and ?uestioned the
sage, using sJeet languageH Then the great and poJerful
personality, the son of GyLsade'a, Jho kneJ the principles of
religion, began his replyH
Nineteenth 9ha"ter, of the #r$mad%&h'ga(atam, entitled KThe
P""earance of #!kade(a @os('m$.M
#> OF TI FI-ST CA#TO
i
n our Teachings of :ord 9aitanya we have more elaborately e:plained
all these philosophical intricacies. #r$mad%&h'ga(atam clarifies them
all.
ii
The complete te:t of the e:planation given by the Eord will form a booklet itself,
and therefore we have presented it in a chapter in our Teachings of :ord
9aitanya.
iii
The nternational $ociety for >rishna *onsciousness has been formed for this
purpose.
iv
$ummary of #r$mad%&h'ga(atam.
v
#r$"'da #a3kar'c'rya, the head of the M"y"v"da school, accepts this
transcendental position of Eord >?@Aa in his commentation on
&haga(ad%g$t'.
vi
d(' s!"ar5' say!)' sakh'y'
sam'na- (4k.a- "ari.as(a)'te
tayor anya* "i""ala- s('d( atty
ana1nann anyo 2bhic'ka1$ti
3Muaka Upaiad \.,.,6
vii
nityo nity'n'- cetana1 cetan'n'm
eko bah0n'- yo (idadh'ti k'm'n
tam 'tma%stha- ye 2n!"a1yanti dh$r's
te.'- 1'nti* 1'1(at$ netare.'m
3a!ha Upa"iad6
viii
cint'ma5i%"rakara%sadmas! kal"a%(4k.a%
lak.'(4te.! s!rabh$r abhi"'layantam
lak.m$%sahasra%1ata%sambhrama%se(yam'na-
go(indam 'di%"!r!.a- tam aha- bha)'mi
3%s. B.G-6
i:
yata* "ra(4ttir bh0t'n'-
yena sar(am ida- tatam
s(a%karma5' tam abhyarcya
siddhi- (indati m'na(a*
3%g. ,..M56
ata* "!mbhir d(i)a%1re.<h'
(ar5'1rama%(ibh'ga1a*
s(an!.<hitasya dharmasya
sa-siddhir hari%to.a5am
3Bhg. ,.G.,\6
:
Pn ak.a!hi5$ phalan: consists of G,,.4N chariots, G,,.4N elephants,
,N-,\BN infantry'men and 5B,5,N horses.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto1

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