brhad bhagavatamrta vol2 uni.pdf

8/20/2019 Brhad Bhagavatamrta Vol2 UNI.pdf

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own reign he limited the spread of Kali’s influence. For this accomplishment he becameworld-famous.By Kṛṣṇa’s grace Parīkṣit’s rule was a source of amazement to everyone. The kingdom wasfree from disturbance and abundant in wealth. But Parīkṣit lost interest in his royal opulencein a moment, when cursed by Śṛṅgi, the son of the sage Śamīka. The brāhmaṇa’s son cursedthe king thus:iti laṅghita-maryādaṁtakṣakaḥ saptame ’hanidaṅkṣyati sma kulāṅgāraṁcodito me tata-druham“On the seventh day from today a snake-bird will bite that most wretched member of thedynasty because of his having broken the laws of etiquette by insulting my father.”(Bhāgavatam 1.18.37)Parīkṣit understood, however, that this curse was also Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement for his benefit;otherwise, the king would never have committed such an offense against a pure sage, theyoung son of the sage would never have cursed the king, or Kṛṣṇa would have empowered theking to neutralize the curse. The immediate effect of the curse was to awaken Parīkṣit’s senseof renunciation:

tasyaiva me ’ghasya parāvareśovyāsakta-cittasya gṛheṣv abhīkṣṇamnirveda-mūlo dvija-śāpa-rūpoyatra prasakto bhayam āśu dhatte“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of both the transcendental and mundaneworlds, has graciously overtaken me in the form of a brāhmaṇa’s curse. Because of my beingtoo much attached to family life, the Lord, in order to save me, has appeared before me in

such a way that only out of fear I will detach myself from the world.” (Bhāgavatam 1.19.14)Because Parīkṣit was engrossed in household obligations, he considered himself sinful. But hewas grateful that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, just to draw him close, appeared to him in the form of the brāhmaṇa’s curse. When an attached person in family life receives such a curse, he naturally becomes frightened. This is auspicious for the conditioned soul because fear can help inspirerenunciation and in renunciation Kṛṣṇa can be achieved. Therefore Kṛṣṇa arranged for the brāhmaṇa boy to curse Parīkṣit.

BB 2.1.30TEXT 30


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TEXTtac-chiṣya-rūpeṇa ca mat-priyaṁ taṁsaṁśrāvya śāpaṁ nilayāndha-kūpātśrī-vāsudevena vikṛṣya nītaḥ prāyopaveśāya matiṁ dyu-nadyāmSYNONYMStat—of him (the brāhmaṇa sage Śamīka); śiṣya-rūpeṇa—in the form of a disciple (his sonŚṛṅgi); ca—and; mat—to me; priyam—dear; tam—that; saṁśrāvya—being made to hear;śāpam—the curse; nilaya—of home; andha-kūpāt—out of the blind well; śrī-vāsudevena—byŚrī Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa); vikṛṣya—being pulled; nītaḥ—being led; prāya-upaveśāya—to fast tilldeath; matim—to the decision; dyu-nadyām—by the river of heaven (Śrī Gaṅgā).TRANSLATIONWhen I heard of that curse, I took it as most welcome. Śrī Vāsudeva, in the form of a brāhmaṇa’s disciple, was dragging me out of the blind well of family life and guiding me tochoose to fast till death on the shore of the celestial Gaṅgā.COMMENTARYBy another fortunate circumstance, someone informed Parīkṣit that he was cursed to die inseven days. Had Parīkṣit remained unaware of this news, he would never have gone to the

bank of the Gaṅgā to fast in preparation for death. Although Parīkṣit has poetically describedthe brāhmaṇa’s curse as a cause of fear, the truth is that when Parīkṣit learned of the curse hewas unfearing and even pleased. He was already hoping for such a reaction to his offense.Thus he says here, mat-priyaṁ tam: “I took it as most welcome.” In the last chapter of theFirst Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (1.19.2), just before hearing of the curse, Parīkṣitexpressed his mind:dhruvaṁ tato me kṛta-deva-helanād

duratyayaṁ vyasanaṁ nāti-dīrghāttad astu kāmaṁ hy agha-niṣkṛtāya meyathā na kuryāṁ punar evam addhā“Due to neglecting the injunctions of the Supreme Lord, I must certainly expect somedifficulty to overcome me in the near future. I now desire without reservation that thecalamity come directly upon me at once, for in this way I may be freed of the sinful reactionand not commit such an offense again.” He wanted the reaction to come immediately, without

delay (nāti-dīrghāt). And he wanted the punishment to fall directly on himself (addhā), ratherthan on one of his sons or someone else.


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Here Parīkṣit calls his family life a blind well, a well from which he was incapable of liftinghimself. Śrī Kṛṣṇa very kindly pulled him out of that well and brought him to the shore of thecelestial river Gaṅgā. Kṛṣṇa, as Lord Vāsudeva, the presiding Deity of consciousness, alsoattracted Parīkṣit’s mind to the idea of fasting from food and drink until death. Because theLord personally took control of him, Parīkṣit did not remain in his palace and try to counteractthe curse by performing yajṣa (sacrifice) and prāyaścitta (atonement for an accidental fall intosinful activity).Kṛṣṇa is Vāsudeva, the Supersoul of all, and He is the son of Śrī Vasudeva, who is a reservoirof supreme compassion and gentleness. Therefore it was only natural for Kṛṣṇa to favor Hisdear devotee Parīkṣit by arranging such a circumstance.BB 2.1.31TEXT 31TEXTmunīndra-goṣṭhyām upadeśya tattvaṁśukātmanā yena bhayaṁ nirasya

pramodya ca sva-priya-saṅga-dānātkathāmṛtaṁ samprati ca prapāyyeSYNONYMS

muni-indra—of most eminent sages; goṣṭhyām—in the assembly; upadeśya—being taught;tattvam—the Supreme Truth; śuka-ātmanā—in the form of Śukadeva; yena—by whom; bhayam—fear; nirasya—being dispelled; pramodya—being delighted; ca—and; sva-priya— of His dear devotees; saṅga—of the association; dānāt—by the gift; kathā-amṛtam—the nectarof His topics; samprati—now; ca—and; prapāyye—I shall help you drink.TRANSLATIONIn the assembly of most eminent sages, the Lord dispelled my fear by explaining the truth

through Śukadeva. And the Lord delighted me by granting the association of His deardevotees. Now I shall help you drink the nectar of topics about the Lord.COMMENTARYMany eminent sages like Vasiṣṭha, Parāśara, Vyāsa, and Nārada assembled to witnessParīkṣit’s passing away. The word goṣṭhyām, which sometimes means “in a discussion,”indicates that first there was some debate among the sages, as described in Śrī Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya:

tena te devatā-tattvaṁ pṛṣṭā vādān vitenire


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nānā-śāstra-vido viprāmithaḥ sādhana-dūṣaṇaiḥharir daivaṁ śivo daivaṁ bhāskaro daivam ity utakāla eva svabhāvas tukarmaiveti pṛthag jaguḥ“Having been asked the truth about the Supreme Lord, the sages, who were expert in manyscriptures, expounded a number of different theories. Each sage tried to refute the validity ofwhat the others recommended for spiritual practice. They made various opposing claims:‘Hari is the Supreme Lord.’ ‘Śiva is the Supreme Lord.’ ‘The sun is the Supreme Lord.’‘Time is the Supreme.’ ‘Man’s nature is supreme.’ ‘Karma is supreme.’ ”The word goṣṭhyām can also mean “in the assembly.” Taken that way, it indicates that whatŚukadeva told Parīkṣit was irrefutably authoritative because the greatest sages of the universeunanimously approved it. The philosophical disagreements ended with the arrival ofŚukadeva. Through Śukadeva, the son of Vyāsa, Kṛṣṇa Himself imparted to Parīkṣit theessential spiritual instructions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śukadeva enlightened Parīkṣit in twoways. By teaching the factual nature of the body and the soul, he removed Parīkṣit’s fear—hisfear of the bite of the snake-bird Takṣaka and of the cycle of birth and death. And by teaching

about transcendental topics such as the glories of devotional service to the Personality ofGodhead, Śukadeva filled Parīkṣit with joy.By the time Parīkṣit spoke this verse to his mother, his divine spiritual master had alreadygone away, and the time for death had arrived. But Kṛṣṇa continued to favor Parīkṣit by again blessing him with the association of a saintly Vaiṣṇava, namely his own mother. Parīkṣittherefore says to her, “Now let me serve you hari-kathāmṛta, the excellent nectarean topics ofthe Lord.” To be able to drink hari-kathāmṛta in the company of the Lord’s beloved devotees

is the most desirable achievement in life.BB 2.1.32TEXT 32TEXTkṛṣṇaṁ praṇamya nirupādhi-kṛpākaraṁ tamsaṁvardhya vipra-vacanādarato gṛhītaṁsvasyānta-kālam idam eka-manā bruve te

praśnottaraṁ sakala-vaiṣṇava-śāstra-sāramSYNONYMS


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kṛṣṇam—to Kṛṣṇa; praṇamya—paying my obeisances; nirupādhi—unconditional; kṛpā—ofmercy; ākaram—the reservoir; tam—to Him; saṁvardhya—being postponed; vipra—of the brāhmaṇa; vacana—for the words; ādarataḥ—out of respect; gṛhītam—accepted; svasya— my; anta—of the demise; kālam—the time; idam—this; eka-manāḥ—with one-pointedattention; bruve—I shall speak; te—you; praśna—to the question; uttaram—the answer;sakala—of all; vaiṣṇava-śāstra—Vaiṣṇava scriptures; sāram—the essence.TRANSLATIONI bow down to Him, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of causeless mercy. Out of respect for the wordsof the brāhmaṇa, I have accepted the appointed time for my demise. That time beingmomentarily delayed, I shall answer your question with one-pointed attention by describingthe essence of all Vaiṣṇava scriptures.COMMENTARYSomeone might suggest it inappropriate for a saintly person like Parīkṣit Mahārāja toadvertise his own good qualities. Anticipating such a doubt, Parīkṣit explains that everything praiseworthy he has said about himself is due only to the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa isthe source of all undeserved mercy; if we see a generous person act kindly to someoneundeserving, that kindness is but a small portion from the original, infinite repository ofcauseless mercy. “Thus,” Parīkṣit submits, “even though I am the most fallen and unworthy

soul, devoid of good qualities, many excellences have appeared in me, and these are nothingother than excellences of Kṛṣṇa. My speaking praise of myself, therefore, is faultless.”These moments are supposed to be the last of King Parīkṣit’s life, but somehow they are beingextended so that he has time to satisfy his mother, who wants to hear the essence of the nectarof Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parīkṣit thus intends to give full attention to his answer, even at thecost of the yogic meditation he should perform while preparing for death.BB 2.1.33

TEXT 33TEXTśruti-smṛtīnāṁ vākyānisākṣāt tātparyato ’py ahamvyākhyāya bodhayitvaitattvāṁ santoṣayituṁ kṣamaḥSYNONYMS

śruti—of śrutis; smṛtīnām—and of smṛtis; vākyāni—the statements; sākṣāt—literally;tātparyataḥ—by the implication of their purports; api—also; aham—I; vyākhyāya—by


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explaining; bodhayitvā—making you understand; etat—this; tvām—you; santoṣayitum—tosatisfy; kṣamaḥ—am capable.TRANSLATIONI could satisfy your request by explaining to you the statements of the śrutis and smṛtis, bothin their literal meaning and in their implications.COMMENTARYOne way to answer his mother’s inquiry would be to systematically explain the authoritative philosophical statements of revealed scriptures. To do this, he would carefully have to discernwhich scriptural passages should be accepted literally and which need to be interpretedconditionally or figuratively to agree with what has already been established as real.BB 2.1.34TEXT 34TEXTtathāpi sva-guroḥ prāptaṁ prasādāt saṁśaya-cchidamatretihāsam ādau tevyaktārthaṁ kathayāmy amumSYNONYMS

tathā api—nonetheless; sva-guroḥ—of my spiritual master; prāptam—obtained; prasādāt—bythe mercy; saṁśaya—doubts; chidam—which destroys; atra—taking this opportunity;itihāsam—a history; ādau—first; te—your; vyakta-artham—for the clarification; kathayāmi— I shall tell; amum—this.TRANSLATIONBut I prefer to clarify this subject for you by first relating a history I learned by the mercy ofmy spiritual master. This narration will dispel your doubts.

COMMENTARYVyāsa never formally initiated his son Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva never formallyinitiated his student Parīkṣit. Nonetheless, the entire tradition of hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatamin the transcendental bhāgavata line of disciplic succession rests on the foundation of therelationship between Śukadeva and Parīkṣit as guru and disciple.Parīkṣit will recount in his own words the essence of what he heard from his guru, taking careto present the literal facts in the most straightforward way. He does not want his mother to

suffer any confusion or doubt.BB 2.1.35


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TEXT 35TEXTvipro niṣkiṣcanaḥ kaścit purā prāgjyotiṣe purevasann ajṣāta-śāstrārtho bahu-draviṇa-kāmyayāSYNONYMSvipraḥ—a brāhmaṇa; niṣkiṣcanaḥ—poor; kaścit—certain; purā—long ago; prāgjyotiṣe pure— in the city of Prāgjyotiṣa; vasan—was living; ajṣāta—not knowing; śāstra-arthaḥ—themeaning of the scriptures; bahu-draviṇa—after much wealth; kāmyayā—hankering.TRANSLATIONLong ago in the city of Prāgjyotiṣa there lived a poor brāhmaṇa. He was ignorant of theteachings of scripture, and he hankered after abundant wealth.BB 2.1.36-37TEXTS 36–37TEXTtatratya-devīṁ kāmākhyāṁśraddhayānu-dinaṁ bhajan

tasyāḥ sakāśāt tuṣṭāyāḥsvapne mantraṁ daśākṣaram

lebhe madana-gopāla-caraṇāmbhoja-daivatamtad-dhyānādi-vidhānāḍhyaṁsākṣād iva mahā-nidhim

SYNONYMStatratya—of that place; devīm—the goddess; kāma-ākhyām—Kāmākhyā; śraddhayā— faithfully; anu-dinam—every day; bhajan—worshiping; tasyāḥ sakāśāt—from her; tuṣṭāyāḥ— who was satisfied; svapne—in a dream; mantram—the mantra; daśa-akṣaram—of tensyllables; lebhe—he received; madana-gopāla—of Madana-gopāla; caraṇa-ambhoja—thelotus feet; daivatam—whose object of worship; tat—of that; dhyāna-ādi—for the meditationand so on; vidhāna—with the prescriptions; āḍhyam—included; sākṣāt—directly; iva—as if;

mahā-nidhim—a great treasure.TRANSLATION


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Every day he would faithfully worship Kāmākhyā, the goddess of that place. And when she became satisfied he received from her in a dream the ten-syllable mantra for worshiping thelotus feet of Madana-gopāla. The goddess also gave him instructions on how to meditate uponthe mantra and perform various details of practice. The mantra manifested itself before himlike a valuable treasure-chest opened right before his eyes.COMMENTARYThis brāhmaṇa lived in the northeast of India, in what is now the state of Assam. His city,Prāgjyotiṣa, had been the capital of Bhaumāsura during the time of the advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa.The brāhmaṇa had never studied the scriptures properly and had never heard a basicexplanation of their message from authorized teachers. That such an unfortunate fool achievedall his ambitions is proof of the potency of the mantra he received.The ten-syllable gopāla-mantra is defined in esoteric terms in the book Krama-dīpikā, an oldVaiṣṇava tantra by Keśava Ācārya. Vedic and tantric mantras should be chanted only byqualified persons who have received them through proper initiation. Therefore, when booksdiscuss these mantras, special efforts are made to disguise the exact syllables of the mantra.Sometimes a few syllables are changed or inverted in the description, or sometimes, as in theKrama-dīpikā’s presentation of this gopāla-mantra, the explanation is impossible tounderstand by those who are unfamiliar with the cryptic code being used. Thus Krama-dīpikā

describes the ten-syllable gopāla-mantra as follows: śārṅgī sottara-dantaḥ śūro vāmākṣi-yug-dvitīyo ’rṇaḥ, śūlī śaurir bālo balānuja-dvayam athākṣara-catuṣkam. “The holder of the bowŚarṅga, the upper teeth, then Śūra, and the second letter conjoined with the goddess Vānākṣī,then the bearer of the trident, and Śauri, and Bāla, and twice the younger brother of Bala, andfour more syllables.”The Deity worshiped by this mantra is Śrī Madana-gopāla, who happens to be the worshipableDeity of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. Kāmākhyā Devī gave the brāhmaṇa not only the mantra but

also the method for meditating on the mantra’s Deity; and, as implied by the word ādi (“andso on”), she also told him how to touch one’s body to sanctify it with the syllables of themantra and how to worship the Deity through various means, including appropriate handgestures.How was the brāhmaṇa’s attention attracted away from his worship of Devī? The gopāla-mantra made such a vivid impression on him that he completely forgot his other religiousactivities.

BB 2.1.38TEXT 38


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TEXTdevy-ādeśena taṁ mantraṁvivikte satataṁ japandhanecchāyā nivṛtto ’bhūllebhe ca hṛdi nirvṛtimSYNONYMSdevī—of the goddess; ādeśena—on the order; tam—that; mantram—mantra; vivikte—in a private place; satatam—constantly; japan—chanting; dhana—for wealth; icchāyāḥ—from thedesire; nivṛttaḥ—detached; abhūt—he became; lebhe—he obtained; ca—and; hṛdi—in hisheart; nirvṛtim—satisfaction.TRANSLATIONOn the order of the goddess, he chanted the mantra constantly to himself in a secluded place.Gradually he gave up his desire for wealth, and his heart became satisfied.COMMENTARYThe brāhmaṇa was so foolish that he ignored the advice of the goddess and dismissed themantra as the false creation of a dream. She then appeared to him in a second dream to repeather instructions.BB 2.1.39

TEXT 39TEXTvastu-tattvānabhijṣo ’nyatsa kiṣcit pāra-laukikamsādhanaṁ kila sādhyaṁ cavartamānam amanyataSYNONYMS

vastu-tattva—of the real facts; anabhijṣaḥ—ignorant; anyat—other; saḥ—he; kiṣcit— something; pāra-laukikam—in the next world; sādhanam—the means; kila—indeed;sādhyam—the goal; ca—and; vartamānam—existing; amanyata—thought.TRANSLATIONIgnorant of the real facts, he thought that something other than this mantra, something in thenext life, must be his means of success and the goal of his endeavors.COMMENTARY

Lacking discrimination, the brāhmaṇa was unable to recognize the value of the mantrarelative to other things in his life; his judgment of what to accept and what to reject was


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impaired. But by the grace of the mantra, his mind, previously uninterested in the next life,now began to turn in that direction. The goddess had withheld from him knowledge about thefull power of this mantra, and so he was imagining other goals and means of success. But aswe shall see later in this narration, the effectiveness of the gopāla-mantra, even whenknowledge about it is lacking, is evidence of its great potency. The mantra bestows all benefits even when chanted without faith or understanding.BB 2.1.40TEXT 40TEXTgṛhādikaṁ parityajya bhramaṁs tīrtheṣu bhikṣayāgato nirvāhayan dehaṁgaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgamamSYNONYMSgṛha-ādikam—his home and so on; parityajya—leaving; bhraman—wandering; tīrtheṣu— among various pilgrimage places; bhikṣayā—by begging; gataḥ—he went; nirvāhayan— maintaining; deham—his body; gaṅgā-sāgara—of the river Gaṅgā and the ocean;saṅgamam—to the meeting place.

TRANSLATIONHe left his home and other connections and began wandering among pilgrimage places,maintaining his bodily needs by begging. And thus he traveled to the place where the Gaṅgāmeets the ocean.COMMENTARYThe brāhmaṇa’s chanting gradually increasing its effect, he soon gave up sinful activities andneedless sense gratification and took up a renounced life.

BB 2.1.41TEXT 41TEXTviprān gaṅgā-taṭe ’paśyatsarva-vidyā-viśāradānsva-dharmācāra-niratān prāyaśo gṛhiṇo bahūn

SYNONYMS


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viprān—brāhmaṇas; gaṅgā-taṭe—on the shore of the Gaṅgā; apaśyat—he saw; sarva-vidyā— in all fields of knowledge; viśāradān—proficient; sva-dharma-ācāra—in their prescribedduties; niratān—fixed; prāyaśaḥ—for the most part; gṛhiṇaḥ—family men; bahūn—many.TRANSLATIONThere on the shore of the Gaṅgā he saw many brāhmaṇas, mostly family men, who wereexpert in all fields of knowledge and devoted to performing their prescribed duties.COMMENTARYSince the tīrtha he was visiting, Gaṅgā-sāgara, was in southern Bengal at the confluence of theGaṅgā and the sea, the brāhmaṇas he met were Bengalis. They were expert in the fourteenVedic departments of learning enumerated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.6.27):aṅgāni vedāś catvāromīmāṁsā nyāya-vistaraḥdharma-śāstraṁ purāṇaṁ cavidyā hy etāś caturdaśa“The four Vedas, their six supplements, the Purāṇas, the Dharma-śāstras, the Mīmāṁsāinterpretation of the Vedas, and the elaborate science of Nyāya logic—these are the fourteendepartments of learning.”BB 2.1.42

TEXT 42TEXTtair varṇyamānam ācāraṁnitya-naimittikādikamāvaśyakaṁ tathā kāmyaṁsvargaṁ śuśrāva tat-phalamSYNONYMS

taiḥ—by them; varṇyamānam—being described; ācāram—proper behavior; nitya—regularduties; naimittika—occasional duties; ādikam—and so on; āvaśyakam—obligatory; tathā— and; kāmyam—optional, for the fulfillment of personal desires; svargam—heaven; śuśrāva— he heard; tat—of these; phalam—the fruit.TRANSLATIONHe heard them describe regular and occasional duties one is obliged to perform, optionalduties for particular desires, and the fruit of these acts—attainment of heaven.

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Brāhmaṇas initiated into the Vedic rituals are expected to perform certain sacrifices regularlyas a matter of duty, sacrifices like the Agnihotra yajṣa, which must be done twice every day,at sunrise and sunset. Such brāhmaṇas may also be obliged to execute other rituals because ofspecial circumstances in their lives, when, for example, they must perform the śrāddhamemorial on the anniversary of an elder’s death. Besides these obligatory nitya and naimittikaduties, a brāhmaṇa may also elect to undertake certain sacrifices and vows, called kāmyarituals, to fulfill personal ambitions. Thus there are three kinds of duties for Vedic brāhmaṇas.The brāhmaṇa from Prāgjyotiṣa-pura may have heard the local brāhmaṇas of Gaṅgā-sāgarathus glorify the principles of dharma:ācāra-prabhavo dharmodharmasya prabhur acyutaḥ“Dharma arises from proper behavior, and the Lord of dharma is the infallible Personality ofGodhead.”sad-ācāravatā puṁsā jitau lokāv ubhāv api“A person who possesses good behavior has conquered both this world and the next.”The local brāhmaṇas may have also glorified heaven as the fruit of dharma with such wordsas these:

yan na duḥkhena sambhinnaṁna ca grastam anantaramabhilāṣopanītaṁ casukhaṁ tat svar“The happiness of the residents of heaven is untainted, never consumed by misery, and itcomes to them just as they desire. .” (Vādārtha of Gadādhara Bhaṭṭa)BB 2.1.43

TEXT 43TEXTnānā-saṅkalpa-vākyaiś catad-anuṣṭhāna-niṣṭhatāmdṛṣṭvā tatrodita-śraddhaḥ pravṛttaḥ śikṣitaḥ sa taiḥSYNONYMS

nānā—various; saṅkalpa-vākyaiḥ—with statements of firm intention; ca—and; tat—of these(vows); anuṣṭhāna—for the performance; niṣṭhatām—the determination; dṛṣṭvā—seeing;


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tatra—in this; udita—arose; śraddhaḥ—his faith; pravṛttaḥ—became engaged; śikṣitaḥ— taught; saḥ—he; taiḥ—by them.TRANSLATIONFrom the various words they spoke to express their determined vows, he saw how firm the brāhmaṇas were in their intentions to perform these duties. His faith aroused, he began tofollow this process according to their instructions.COMMENTARYThe brāhmaṇa not only heard the glories of dharma in theory but saw exemplars practicingwhat they preached. He heard them declare their intentions (saṅkalpas) to perform such dutiesas bathing daily in the Gaṅgā and then watched as they diligently carried these duties out.Although in all his life he had received no useful spiritual education, these brāhmaṇas werenow carefully teaching him the principles of dharma according to their understanding.BB 2.1.44TEXT 44TEXTdevy-ājṣādarato mantramapi nityaṁ raho japantat-prabhāvān na lebhe ’ntaḥ

santoṣaṁ teṣu karmasuSYNONYMSdevī—of the goddess; ājṣā—for the order; ādarataḥ—out of respect; mantram—his mantra;api—still; nityam—regularly; rahaḥ—in private; japan—chanting quietly; tat—of it; prabhāvāt—by the influence; na lebhe—he did not obtain; antaḥ—inner; santoṣam— satisfaction; teṣu—their; karmasu—in the ritual activities.TRANSLATION

Out of respect for the goddess’s order, he regularly continued to chant his mantra quietly in private. And by the influence of the mantra, he felt no inner satisfaction from those rituals.COMMENTARYAttraction to worshiping the Supreme Lord defeats attraction to lesser religious practices.BB 2.1.45TEXT 45TEXT

sa nirvidya gataḥ kāśīṁdadarśa bahu-deśa-jān


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yati-prāyān janāṁs tatrā-dvaita-vyākhyā-vivādinaḥSYNONYMSsaḥ—he; nirvidya—becoming uninterested; gataḥ—went; kāśīm—to Vārāṇasī; dadarśa—hesaw; bahu-deśa-jān—born in many different regions; yati—renounced sannyāsīs; prāyān— mostly; janān—people; tatra—there; advaita—of strict monism; vyākhyā—of theinterpretation; vivādinaḥ—proponents.TRANSLATIONHe therefore lost interest and went to Kāśī, where he saw people from many different regions,especially sannyāsīs propounding the theory of monism.BB 2.1.46TEXT 46TEXTviśveśvaraṁ praṇamyādaugatvā prati-maṭhaṁ yatīnnatvā sambhāṣya viśrāmaṁteṣāṁ pārśve cakāra saḥSYNONYMS

viśva-īśvaram—to Lord Viśveśvara; praṇamya—offering obeisances; ādau—first; gatvā— going; prati-maṭham—to each āśrama; yatīn—to the sannyāsīs; natvā—bowing down;sambhāṣya—having discussions; viśrāmam—rest; teṣām—of them; pārśve—in the company;cakāra—took; saḥ—he.TRANSLATIONHe first offered his obeisances to Lord Viśveśvara and then visited the various āśramas, wherehe bowed down to the sannyāsīs, had discussions with them, and rested in their company.

COMMENTARYAs the deity Viśveśvara, Lord Śiva presides over his sacred abode of Kāśī, also known inSanskrit as Vārāṇasī and known popularly as Benares.BB 2.1.47TEXT 47TEXTvādeṣu śuddha-buddhīnāṁ

teṣāṁ pāṇi-tala-stha-vatmokṣaṁ bodhayatāṁ vākyaiḥ


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sāraṁ mene sa tan-matamSYNONYMSvādeṣu—in philosophical talks; śuddha-buddhīnām—whose intelligence was pure; teṣām—ofthem; pāṇi-tala—in the palm of one’s hand; stha-vat—as if held; mokṣam—liberation; bodhayatām—who were explaining; vākyaiḥ—by the words; sāram—essential; mene— considered; saḥ—he; tat—their; matam—opinions.TRANSLATIONThe intelligence of these sannyāsīs was pure, or at least it seemed so from their philosophicaltalks. Their words described liberation as something readily available, as if held in the palm ofone’s hand, and this inspired him to accept their opinions as perfect.BB 2.1.40TEXTS 48–49TEXTśṛṇvann avirataṁ nyāsa-mokṣotkarṣa-parāṇi saḥtebhyo vedānta-vākyānimaṇikarṇyāṁ samācaran

snānaṁ viśveśvaraṁ paśyaṁsteṣāṁ saṅge ’prayāsataḥmiṣṭeṣṭa-bhogān bhuṣjānaḥsannyāsaṁ kartum iṣṭavānSYNONYMSśṛṇvan—hearing; aviratam—without cease; nyāsa—to renunciation; mokṣa—of liberation;utkarṣa—and to the excellence; parāṇi—dedicated; saḥ—he; tebhyaḥ—from them; vedānta-

vākyāni—statements of Vedānta; maṇikarṇyām—at the holy site Maṇikarṇikā; samācaran— performing; snānam—his ritual bath; viśveśvaram—Lord Viśveśvara; paśyan—seeing;teṣām—of them; saṅge—in the association; aprayāsataḥ—effortlessly; miṣṭa—palatable;iṣṭa—to his taste; bhogān—food; bhuṣjānaḥ—partaking of; sannyāsam—the renounced orderof life; kartum—to take up; iṣṭavān—he began to desire.TRANSLATIONHe would constantly hear from them descriptions of the Vedānta doctrine, glorifying

renunciation and liberation. He would bathe at Maṇikarṇikā-ghāṭa and have darśana of Lord


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Viśveśvara, and, without having to work for his meals, he would enjoy tasty food to his likingin the company of the sannyāsīs. He thus developed the desire to become a sannyāsī himself.BB 2.1.50TEXT 50TEXTsva-japyaṁ gauravād devyāstathāntaḥ-sukha-lābhataḥatyajann ekadā svapne’paśyat tan-mantra-devatāmSYNONYMSsva-japyam—the chanting of his mantra; gauravāt—out of respect; devyāḥ—for the goddess;tathā—and; antaḥ—inner; sukha—pleasure; lābhataḥ—because of obtaining; atyajan—notgiving up; ekadā—one day; svapne—in a dream; apaśyat—he saw; tat-mantra—of thatmantra; devatām—the Deity.TRANSLATIONStill, out of respect for the goddess, and because it gave him pleasure within, he never gave upchanting his mantra. And one day he saw the Deity of his mantra in a dream.COMMENTARY

The Prāgjyotiṣa-pura brāhmaṇa’s faith was damaged by the impersonal propaganda he heardin Kāśī, by which his hope to meet the Lord of the universe was replaced with a false hope tomerge into oneness. Nonetheless, he went on with his mantra-japa because he held thegoddess Kāmākhyā in awe and was unwilling to violate her order. Despite his weakened faithin the mantra, it continued to exert its transcendental influence. His heart could derive nosubstantial contentment from the promises of the Vedānta texts, because he spontaneously feltmore gratification from chanting Lord Gopāla’s mantra. Perhaps the brāhmaṇa’s attraction to

liberation could never have been dispelled had Śrī Gopāla, the Deity of his mantra, not personally appeared in his dream. Or perhaps his hope for liberation would have dissipatedanyway by the power of the mantra. In any case, his heart changed.BB 2.1.51TEXT 51TEXTtan-mahā-ramyatākṛṣṭaḥ

paramānanda-gocaraḥtaj-japānya-pravṛttau hi


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na lebhe sa mano-balamSYNONYMStat—of Him (Śrī Gopāla); mahā—great; ramyatā—by the charm; ākṛṣṭaḥ—attracted; parama-ānanda—the greatest ecstasy; gocaraḥ—experiencing; tat—of that (mantra); japa—than thechanting; anya—other; pravṛttau—for engagements; hi—indeed; na lebhe—did not obtain;saḥ—he; manaḥ—mental; balam—strength.TRANSLATIONThe charm of Śrī Gopāla attracted him and gave him the greatest ecstasy. And thereafter hecould no longer find the mental strength to engage in anything other than chanting his mantra.COMMENTARYHe no longer felt any enthusiasm for sannyāsa or liberation, what to speak of sacred baths andother rituals.BB 2.1.52TEXT 52TEXTiti-kartavyatā-mūḍhodīnaḥ san svapnam āgataḥtayā devyā sahāgatya

tatrādiṣṭaḥ śivena saḥSYNONYMSiti-kartavyatā—about specifically what he should do to fulfill his duties; mūḍhaḥ—confused;dīnaḥ—depressed; san—becoming; svapnam—a dream; āgataḥ—he experienced; tayā—her;devyā saha—along with the goddess; āgatya—who came; tatra—there; ādiṣṭaḥ—instructed;śivena—by Lord Śiva; saḥ—he.TRANSLATION

Confused about what he should do, he became depressed. Then, in another dream, Lord Śivacame to him, along with the goddess, to instruct him.COMMENTARYHis heart was drawn to Lord Gopāla, but his mind was in a dilemma: “Should I take sannyāsaand strive for liberation, or should I just chant my mantra?” Such is the likely result offellowship with impersonalists: one’s determination becomes fickle, and one cannot choosethe right thing to do. In this third appearance in the brāhmaṇa’s dreams, the goddess

Kāmākhyā brought along her husband, the lord of Kāśī, to make her presentation moreconvincing.


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BB 2.1.53TEXT 53TEXTmā mūrkha kuru sannyāsaṁdrutaṁ śrī-mathurāṁ vrajatatra vṛndāvane ’vaśyaṁ pūrṇārthas tvaṁ bhaviṣyasiSYNONYMSmā—do not; mūrkha—O foolish one; kuru—take; sannyāsam—the renounced order;drutam—immediately; śrī-mathurām—to Śrī Mathurā; vraja—go; tatra—there; vṛndāvane— in the Vṛndāvana forest; avaśyam—necessarily; pūrṇa-arthaḥ—fulfilled in all ambitions;tvam—you; bhaviṣyasi—will become.TRANSLATION[Lord Śiva said:] Foolish man, don’t take sannyāsa! Go at once to Śrī Mathurā. There in theVṛndāvana forest you will surely fulfill all your desires.”BB 2.1.54TEXT 54TEXT

sotkaṇṭho mathurāṁ gantuṁmuhus tāṁ kīrtayaṁs tataḥsa tad-deśa-diśaṁ gacchan prayāgaṁ prāpa vartmaniSYNONYMSsa-utkaṇṭhaḥ—with eagerness; mathurām—to Mathurā; gantum—to go; muhuḥ—repeatedly;tām—that (Mathurā); kīrtayan—glorifying; tataḥ—then; saḥ—he; tat-deśa—of that district;

diśam—in the direction; gacchan—going; prayāgam—at Prayāga; prāpa—arrived;vartmani—on the way.TRANSLATIONEager to go to Mathurā, the brāhmaṇa set off toward that district, all the while chanting itsglories. On the way he came to Prayāga.COMMENTARYThe brāhmaṇa headed west, repeatedly chanting, “Mathurā! Mathurā!”.

BB 2.1.55TEXT 55


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TEXTtasmil+ lasan-mādhava-pāda-padmegaṅgāśrita-śrī-yamunā-manojṣesnānāya māghoṣasi tīrtha-rāje prāptān sa sādhūn śataśo dadarśaSYNONYMStasmin—there; lasat—shining; mādhava—of Lord Mādhava; pāda-padme—at the lotus feet;gaṅgā-āśrita—sheltered in the Gaṅgā; śrī-yamunā—at the divine Yamunā; manaḥ-jṣe— charming; snānāya—for taking a bath; māgha—in the month of Māgha (January-February);ūṣasi—at dawn; tīrtha-rāje—at the king of holy places; prāptān—who had come; saḥ—he;sādhūn—spiritual persons; śataśaḥ—by the hundreds; dadarśa—saw.TRANSLATIONThere at the king of holy places, by the charming Yamunā within the Gaṅgā, he foundhundreds of saints who had gathered near the effulgent lotus feet of Lord Mādhava to bathe atdawn in the month of Māgha.COMMENTARYPrayāga is called the king of tīrthas because there one discovers one’s heart’s devotion for thePersonality of Godhead. At Prayāga the Gaṅga and Yamunā unite, and downstream from their

confluence the Yamunā is considered present on one side of the Gaṅga. This is “the Yamunāwithin the Gaṅga.” Gaṅgā and Yamunā are not only physically united at Prayāga—they alsoshare an intimate bond of love for Kṛṣṇa.BB 2.1.56TEXT 56TEXTteṣāṁ sadā-gīta-nati-stavādibhiḥ

śrī-viṣṇu-pūjotsavam aikṣatābhitaḥtan-nāma-saṅkīrtana-vādya-nartanaiḥ premṇārta-nādai ruditaiś ca śobhitamSYNONYMSteṣām—of them; sadā—constant; gīta—with singing; nati—offering of obeisances; stava-ādibhiḥ—prayers and so on; śrī-viṣṇu—Śrī Viṣṇu; pūjā—of worshiping; utsavam—a festival;aikṣata—he saw; abhitaḥ—all around; tat—His; nāma-saṅkīrtana—with chanting of the holy

names; vādya—music; nartanaiḥ—and dancing; premṇā—in pure love; ārta-nādaiḥ—with plaintive cries; ruditaiḥ—with sobbing; ca—and; śobhitam—attractive.


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TRANSLATIONOn every side before him, he saw them conducting a great festival of worship for Śrī Viṣṇu,with expressions of joyous devotion like constant singing, offering of obeisances, andrecitation of prayers. The loud congregational chanting of the Lord’s names, along withmusic, dancing, sobbing, and plaintive cries of love, was attractive.COMMENTARYIn addition to what the verse specifically mentions, the brāhmaṇa saw the elaboratearrangements for feeding and worshiping the Lord in His Deity form. This same Deity, BinduMādhava, was seen by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He visited Prāyaga.BB 2.1.57TEXT 57TEXTso ’budho vismayaṁ prāptovaiṣṇavān pṛcchati sma tānhe gāyakā vandino redaṇḍa-vat pātino bhuviSYNONYMSsaḥ—he; abudhaḥ—innocent; vismayam—amazement; prāptaḥ—obtained; vaiṣṇavān—the

Vaiṣṇavas; pṛcchati sma—asked; tān—them; he gāyakāḥ—O singers; vandinaḥ re—Oofferers of prayers; daṇḍa-vat—like rods; pātinaḥ—O you who are falling; bhuvi—on theground.TRANSLATIONInnocent, ignorant, and amazed, he said to those Vaiṣṇavas, “Excuse me, you singers, youreciters of prayers, and you who are falling on the ground like rods.COMMENTARY

Never before having seen such behavior or even heard of it, the brāhmaṇa didn’t know whatto think. He was unaware of Vaiṣṇava etiquette and unable to distinguish the Vaiṣṇavas fromordinary stage performers and court reciters. And so he naively interrupted the saṅkīrtana andaddressed the Vaiṣṇavas disrespectfully. He could see only their external behavior but nottheir internal spiritual status.BB 2.1.58-59TEXTS 58-59

TEXT bho vādakā nartakā re


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rāma-kṛṣṇeti-vādinaḥrodakā ramya-tilakāścāru-mālā-dharā narāḥ

bhavataikaṁ kṣaṇaṁ svasthāna kolāhalam arhathavadatedaṁ vidhaddhve kiṁkaṁ vārcayatha sādaramSYNONYMS bhoḥ vādakāḥ—O chanters; nartakāḥ re—O dancers; rāma—Rāma; kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa; iti—thus;vādinaḥ—O you who are saying; rodakāḥ—you who are crying; ramya—charming; tilakāḥ— whose auspicious marks on the forehead; cāru—beautiful; mālā—garlands; dharāḥ—wearing;narāḥ—men; bhavatā—you; ekam—one; kṣaṇam—for a moment; svasthāḥ—becoming calm;na—not; kolāhalam—commotion; arhatha—you should make; vadata—please tell; idam— this; vidhaddhve—you are performing; kim—what; kam—whom; vā—or; arcayatha—you areworshiping; sa-ādaram—with respect.TRANSLATION“My dear musicians, dear chanters and dancers, loudly crying out ‘Rāma Kṛṣṇa,’ you men

adorned with beautiful tilaka and attractive garlands, please calm down for a moment and stopmaking such a racket! What is this ceremony you are observing? Whom are you so reverentlyworshiping?”COMMENTARYHe mistook some of the Vaiṣṇavas for ordinary musicians, dancers, and chanters of mundaneslogans, but at least he admired the beauty of their viṣṇu-tilaka, which resembled in form atemple of Viṣṇu. Since he was unaware of the transcendental value of the sound of the

Supreme Lord’s names sung loudly in public congregation, he judged the saṅkīrtana to beneedless noise. He assumed that these people had meaningful work to do and wondered whythey were neglecting their duties to indulge in frivolity. Or, as he suggested in his questions,he thought this might be some strange kind of ritual duty or even the unusual worship of somedeity.BB 2.1.60TEXT 60

TEXTtac chrutvopahasanti sma


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kecit taṁ kecid abruvanre mūḍha tūṣṇīṁ tiṣṭhetike ’py ūcur dīna-vatsalāḥSYNONYMStat—that; śrutvā—hearing; upahasanti sma—laughed; kecit—some; tam—him; kecit—some;abruvan—said; re mūḍha—O fool; tūṣṇīm—quiet; tiṣṭha—remain; iti—thus; ke api—others;api—and; ūcuḥ—said; dīna-vatsalāḥ—compassionate to unfortunate persons.TRANSLATIONSome of the Vaiṣṇavas simply laughed at hearing this. Others told him, “You fool, just bequiet!” Yet others, compassionate to fallen souls, said to him something else.COMMENTARYSome participants in the saṅkīrtana festival who were newcomers to devotional service beganridiculing the brāhmaṇa: “Oh, you are the best of sages, the most learned scholar! Yes, youare right, we are all out of our wits, and this noise is a public nuisance.” Some of theintermediate sādhakas in the group were angered by his comments. Others, the fully self-realized devotees in the assembly, showed him the same compassion they felt for all living beings. As real friends of the conditioned souls, they frankly told him what he needed to hear.BB 2.1.61

TEXT 61TEXTśrī-vaiṣṇavā ūcuḥaye vipra-ja jānāsina kiṣcid bata mūḍha-dhīḥviṣṇu-bhaktān punar maivaṁsambodhaya na jalpa ca

SYNONYMSśrī-vaiṣṇavāḥ ūcuḥ—the holy Vaiṣṇavas said; aye—hey; vipra-ja—O you who were born a brāhmaṇa; jānāsi na—you do not understand; kiṣcit—anything; bata—indeed; mūḍha— bewildered; dhīḥ—whose intelligence; viṣṇu-bhaktān—devotees of Viṣṇu; punaḥ—again;mā—do not; evam—like this; sambodhaya—address; na—do not; jalpa—speak loosely; ca— and.TRANSLATION

The holy Vaiṣṇavas said: Hey, bewildered son of a brāhmaṇa, don’t you understand anything?Don’t ever again address devotees of Viṣṇu like that and speak to them such nonsense!


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COMMENTARYThe paramahaṁsas were obviously disappointed that despite his birth in a brāhmaṇa family hewas such a fool. Out of kindness they advised him to refrain from treating Vaiṣṇavas likematerialistic people; he should never again ask them to stop making noise as if they wereordinary singers and reciters.BB 2.1.62TEXT 62TEXT bhagavantam ime viṣṇuṁnityaṁ vayam upāsmaheguror gṛhīta-dīkṣākāyathā-mantraṁ yathā-vidhiSYNONYMS bhagavantam—the Supreme Lord; ime—these persons; viṣṇum—Viṣṇu; nityam—always;vayam—we; upāsmahe—worship; guroḥ—from the spiritual master; gṛhīta-dīkṣākāḥ—havingtaken initiation; yathā—according to; mantram—our mantras; yathā—according to; vidhi— our methods.TRANSLATION

Initiated by our gurus, we always worship the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu with the mantras andmethods they have given us.COMMENTARYWhat distinguished the saṅkīrtana devotees from the Prāgjyotiṣa-pura brāhmaṇa was that theyhad accepted Vaiṣṇava initiation from authorized ācāryas and were practicing devotionalservice according to the instructions of their spiritual masters. Because the brāhmaṇa lackedthe mercy of a pure devotee, his chanting of the gopāla-mantra was bearing undeveloped

results instead of mature fruit. Real spiritual knowledge had eluded him.BB 2.1.63TEXT 63TEXTśrī-nṛsiṁha-tanuṁ kecidraghunāthaṁ tathāpareeke gopālam ity evaṁ

nānā-rūpaṁ dvijottamaSYNONYMS


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śrī-nṛsiṁha—of Śrī Nṛsiṁha; tanum—in the form; kecit—some; raghunātham—LordRāmacandra; tathā—also; apare—others; eke—some; gopālam—Śrī Gopāla; iti—thus;evam—in this way; nānā-rūpam—in various forms; dvija-uttama—O best of the brāhmaṇas.TRANSLATIONO best of brāhmaṇas, we are worshiping the Lord in various forms. Some of us worship Himin His feature as Nṛsiṁha, some as Lord Raghunātha, and others as Śrī Gopāla.COMMENTARYHaving been initiated into various viṣṇu-mantras, the Vaiṣṇavas were worshiping the Lord invarious expansions, including four-armed Nārāyaṇa and His avatāras Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha,and Vāmana.BB 2.1.64TEXT 64TEXTśrī-parīkṣid uvācatato ’sau lajjito vipro’pṛcchat sa-praśrayaṁ mudākuto vasati kīdṛk sakiṁ vārthaṁ dātum īśvaraḥ

SYNONYMSśrī-parīkṣit uvāca—Śrī Parīkṣit said; tataḥ—then; asau—he; lajjitaḥ—ashamed; vipraḥ—the brāhmaṇa; apṛcchat—asked; sa-praśrayam—with humility; mudā—with pleasure; kutaḥ— where; vasati—lives; kīdṛk—like what; saḥ—He; kim—what; vā—and; artham—benefit;dātum—of giving; īśvaraḥ—capable.TRANSLATIONŚrī Parīkṣit said: Hearing this made the brāhmaṇa feel ashamed. With great humility but with

joy he asked them, “Where does this Lord live? What is He like? What benefits is He able togrant?”COMMENTARYThis Lord the devotees called Viṣṇu was unknown to the brāhmaṇa, who was curious whetherthe Lord lived in a village, a city, or somewhere else. What god, human, or animal did Hisform resemble? What special powers did He have, and what wealth could He give to Hisdevotees?

BB 2.1.65TEXT 65


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TEXTśrī-vaiṣṇavā ūcuḥsadā sarvatra vasati bahiś cāntaś ca sa prabhuḥkaścin na sadṛśas tenakathaṣcid vidyate kvacitSYNONYMSśrī-vaiṣṇavāḥ ūcuḥ—the holy Vaiṣṇavas said; sadā—always; sarvatra—everywhere; vasati— lives; bahiḥ—outside; ca—and; antaḥ—inside; ca—and; saḥ—He; prabhuḥ—the Lord; kaścitna—no one; sadṛśaḥ—comparable; tena—with Him; kathaṣcit—in any respect; vidyate— exists; kvacit—anywhere.TRANSLATIONThe holy Vaiṣṇavas said: He is the supreme master, and He always lives everywhere, bothwithin and without. No one anywhere compares to Him in any respect.COMMENTARYIn the material world, all things are limited in time, space, and substance. A person in a particular body, for example, has only a certain life span. Before and after, he is absent fromthat body. His bodily existence occupies but a small space within the universe; he may move

from one place to another, but only within strict limits. And his identity is separate from thatof any other person or thing. Lord Viṣṇu, however, is not an ordinary person limited in theseor other ways. He pervades all time and space, and all other individual people and things arealso part of Him. This answers the question “Where does He live?”In reply to the question “What is He like?” the Vaiṣṇavas say that He is unique andincomparable. No one’s beauty or other personal qualities are equal to His, neither within thismaterial world nor outside it.

BB 2.1.66TEXT 66TEXTsarvāntar-ātmā jagad-īśvareśvaroyaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-ghano mano-ramaḥvaikuṇṭha-loke prakaṭaḥ sadā vasedyaḥ sevakebhyaḥ svam api prayacchati

SYNONYMS


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sarva—of all beings; antaḥ-ātmā—the inner self; jagat—of the universe; īśvara-īśvaraḥ—theLord of all lords; yaḥ—who; sat-cit-ānanda—of eternity, knowledge, and bliss; ghanaḥ—thefull embodiment; manaḥ-ramaḥ—attracting the mind; vaikuṇṭha-loke—in the world ofVaikuṇṭha; prakaṭaḥ—visible; sadā—always; vaset—dwells; yaḥ—who; sevakebhyaḥ—toHis servants; svam—Himself; api—even; prayacchati—gives.TRANSLATIONHe is the Supersoul within the heart of every living being, the Lord of all lords of theuniverse, the all-attractive concentrated embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Hedwells in the world of Vaikuṇṭha, where He always can be seen. And to His servants He givesHis very self.COMMENTARYIgnorant of the many aspects of the Supreme Lord’s personality, the brāhmaṇa might doubthow one could devote oneself to a person who has no particular identity or location. Here theVaiṣṇavas assure the brāhmaṇa that the Lord does have His own manifold identities andlocations. He is the Supersoul both of the entire universe and of each individual living being.Thus His greatness manifests itself within and without. He is the ruler of all lords of the manyuniverses; whatever powers and assets other rulers possess He has also, but in quantitywithout limit. He is the Supreme Absolute Truth in person, and His primary location is

Vaikuṇṭha. Even though as the indwelling Supersoul He is hidden, His opulences are fullyvisible in His form as the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, whom His devotees can see to their heart’sdelight. His beauty, charm, and countless other transcendental qualities are all-attractive. Andin answer to the question “What is He capable of giving?” the answer is “His own self.” Bythis the Vaiṣṇavas imply that He can easily bestow pure devotion and eternal residence inVaikuṇṭha, what to speak of the four goals of material life. As expressed by the prefix pra- inthe verb prayacchati, He liberally gives all this plus Himself, which further implies that He

and His servants share a flood of boundless ecstasy.BB 2.1.67TEXT 67TEXTśruti-smṛti-stūyamānaḥkenāsya mahimocyatāmtad atra vācyamānāni

purāṇāni muhuḥ śṛṇuSYNONYMS


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śruti—by the original revealed scriptures; smṛti—and by their supplements; stūyamānaḥ— glorified; kena—by whom; asya—His; mahimā—the greatness; ucyatām—can be described;tat—therefore; atra—here; vācyamānāni—which are being spoken; purāṇāni—the Purāṇas;muhuḥ—profusely; śṛṇu—please hear.TRANSLATIONThe śrutis and smṛtis glorify Him. Who can describe His greatness? But while you are here, please listen to the profuse histories spoken about Him from the Purāṇas.COMMENTARYThis holy pilgrimage site Prayāga, the king of tīrthas, is a most suitable place for hearing theglories of the Supreme Lord from the authoritative histories recorded in the Purāṇas.BB 2.1.68TEXT 68TEXTmādhavaṁ nama cālokya pratirūpaṁ jagat-prabhoḥtato ’cirād idaṁ sarvaṁ paraṁ ca jṣāsyasi svayamSYNONYMS

mādhavam—to Lord Mādhava; nama—please bow down; ca—and; ālokya—looking at; pratirūpam—the direct manifestation; jagat-prabhoḥ—of the Lord of the universe; tataḥ— thus; acirāt—in a short time; idam—this; sarvam—all; param—more; ca—and; jṣāsyasi—youwill understand; svayam—yourself.TRANSLATIONJust bow down to Lord Mādhava and behold Him, the direct manifestation of the Lord of theuniverse. And soon you will understand for yourself all this and much more.

COMMENTARYThe Lord of Vaikuṇṭha can be seen directly in His image as Mādhava, the presiding Deity ofDaśāśvamedha-ghāṭa at Prayāga. In the short time the Vaiṣṇavas were speaking to thePrāgjyotiṣa-pura brāhmaṇa, they could only hint at the glories of Lord Viṣṇu, but if the brāhmaṇa were to follow their advice by hearing from them the Purāṇas, bowing down toLord Mādhava, and meditating on the Deity’s beautiful form, more realization wouldautomatically be revealed within his heart.

BB 2.1.69TEXT 69


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TEXTśrī-parīkṣid uvācatataḥ śrī-mādhavaṁ vīkṣyanamaṁs tasmin vyacaṣṭa saḥsārūpyaṁ sva-jape cintya-māna-devasya kiṣcanaSYNONYMSśrī-parīkṣit uvāca—Śrī Parīkṣit said; tataḥ—thus; śrī-mādhavam—at Śrī Mādhava; vīkṣya— looking; naman—bowing down; tasmin—within Him; vyacaṣṭa—saw; saḥ—he; sārūpyam— similarity in appearance; sva-jape—in the chanting of his mantra; cintyamāna—beingmeditated on; devasya—with the Deity; kiṣcana—some.TRANSLATIONŚrī Parīkṣit said: Thus, while looking at Śrī Mādhava and bowing down to Him, the brāhmaṇanoticed some likeness in appearance between Śrī Mādhava and the Lord on whom hemeditated while chanting his mantra.COMMENTARYJust as the Vaiṣṇavas had predicted, by associating with Lord Mādhava the brāhmaṇa beganto realize transcendental knowledge. He noticed that certain features of the Deity, like the

shape of His mouth and eyes, were similar to the features of the Lord whom he sometimesenvisioned while chanting his mantra.BB 2.1.70TEXT 70TEXTtatra kiṣcit purāṇaṁ saśṛṇoti saha vaiṣṇavaiḥ

tair arcyamānā vividhāviṣṇu-mūrtīś ca paśyatiSYNONYMStatra—there; kiṣcit—some; purāṇam—Purāṇas; saḥ—he; śṛṇoti—heard; saha vaiṣṇavaiḥ— along with the Vaiṣṇavas; taiḥ—by them; arcyamānāḥ—worshiped; vividhā—various; viṣṇu-mūrtīḥ—Deities of Viṣṇu; ca—and; paśyati—saw.TRANSLATION

There at Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa he heard some passages from the Purāṇas in the company ofthe Vaiṣṇavas, and he saw various Deities of Viṣṇu they worshiped.


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COMMENTARYIn the presence of Lord Mādhava he listened to discussions on such portions of the Purāṇas asthe Māgha-māhātmya of Śrī Padma Purāṇa (Uttara-khaṇḍa), which praises bathing at Prayāgain the month of Māgha. By hearing in the company of pure devotees, he became affected bytheir strong faith and ecstatic mood.BB 2.1.71TEXT 71TEXTtathāpi pratyabhijṣeyaṁtasya na syād acetasaḥmad-devo jagad-īśo ’yaṁmādhavo ’pi satāṁ prabhuḥSYNONYMStathā api—nonetheless; pratyabhijṣā—recognition; iyam—this; tasya—by him; na syāt—therewas not; acetasaḥ—who was ignorant; mat-devaḥ—my Lord; jagat-īśaḥ—ruler of theuniverse; ayam—this; mādhavaḥ—Lord Mādhava; api—also; satām—of the saintly devotees; prabhuḥ—the master.TRANSLATION

Nonetheless he remained ignorant, unable to recognize his own worshipable Deity to be thesame Lord Mādhava, the ruler of the universe and master of the saintly devotees.COMMENTARYAnyone with good discrimination would have been able to deduce from the similarities between Lord Mādhava and Lord Gopāla that the Deity of the brāhmaṇa’s mantra was thevery same Lord of the universe appearing at Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa. The brāhmaṇa, however,was too foolish.

BB 2.1.72TEXT 72TEXTidaṁ sa vimṛśaty eṣāmupāsyo jagad-īśvaraḥsa eva mādhavaś cāyaṁmayānyaḥ ko ’py upāsyate

SYNONYMS


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idam—this; saḥ—he; vimṛśati—thought; eṣām—of them; upāsyaḥ—the object of worship; jagat-īśvaraḥ—the Lord of the universe; saḥ—He; eva—only; mādhavaḥ—Mādhava; ca— and; ayam—this; mayā—by me; anyaḥ—another; kaḥ api—someone; upāsyate—is beingworshiped.TRANSLATIONHe continued to think that this Mādhava, the Lord of the universe, was the object of worshipfor these Vaiṣṇavas, and that his object of worship was someone else.COMMENTARYThe brāhmaṇa had enough trust in the words of the Vaiṣṇavas to be convinced that the Deityof Mādhava was indeed the Supreme Lord, but he hadn’t accepted enough of their mercy tounderstand that all along he had been worshiping with his mantra the same Lord.BB 2.1.73TEXT 73TEXTśaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma-vibhūṣita-catur-bhujaḥna mad-devas tataḥ kasmāt pratīyeta sa mādhavaḥ

SYNONYMSśaṅkha—with a conchshell; cakra—disc; gadā—club; padma—and lotus; vibhūṣita— decorated; catuḥ-bhujaḥ—having four hands; na—not; mat—my; devaḥ—Deity; tataḥ— therefore; kasmāt—why; pratīyeta—should be perceived; saḥ—He; mādhavaḥ—as LordMādhava.TRANSLATION“Lord Mādhava has four arms,” he thought, “and is decorated with a conchshell, disc, club,

and lotus. This is not my Deity. Why should my Lord look like this?COMMENTARYThe Paṣcarātras describe the form of Lord Mādhava among the twenty-four vyūha expansionsof Nārāyaṇa. Gadā-śaṅkha-cakra-padmān bibhran mādhava ucyate: “When the Lord isholding His club, conchshell, disc, and lotus [in that order, clockwise, from His lower righthand], He is called Mādhava.”BB 2.1.74

TEXT 74TEXT


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nāyaṁ narārdha-siṁhārdha-rūpa-dhārī ca mat-prabhuḥna vāmano ’py asau mīna-kūrma-kolādi-rūpavānSYNONYMSna—not; ayam—this; nara-ardha—of half man; siṁha-ardha—half lion; rūpa-dhārī—takingthe form; ca—and; mat—my; prabhuḥ—Lord; na—nor; vāmanaḥ—a dwarf; api—either;asau—He; mīna—of a fish; kūrma—a turtle; kola—a boar; ādi—and so on; rūpa-vān—havingthe form.TRANSLATION“My Lord doesn’t appear as half man, half lion. He doesn’t become a dwarf or take the formsof a fish, a turtle, a hog, and the like.BB 2.1.75TEXT 75TEXTnāpi kodaṇḍa-pāṇiḥ syādrāghavo rāja-lakṣaṇaḥkeṣāṣcid eṣāṁ pūjyena

gopālenāstu vā sadṛkSYNONYMSna api—nor; kodaṇḍa—a bow; pāṇiḥ—in whose hand; syāt—is; rāghavaḥ—the Lord of theRaghus; rāja-lakṣaṇaḥ—marked with the signs of a king; keṣāṣcit—by some; eṣām—of these persons; pūjyena—who is worshiped; gopālena—with Gopāla; astu vā—He may be; sadṛk— similar.TRANSLATION

“Nor does He become the Lord of the Raghus, with the signs of a king and a bow in His hand.But maybe my Deity does somewhat resemble the Gopāla worshiped by some of thesedevotees.COMMENTARYThe brāhmaṇa could not identify the Deity of His mantra with Lord Rāmacandra, whoappeared as a great king with the royal symbols of throne, cāmaras, and white umbrella.BB 2.1.76

TEXT 76TEXT


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manye ’thāpi madīyo ’yaṁna bhavej jagad-īśvaraḥnāsti tal-lakṣaṇaṁ māgha-māhātmyādau śrutaṁ hi yatSYNONYMSmanye—I think; atha api—still; madīyaḥ—my; ayam—this; na bhavet—cannot be; jagat- īśvaraḥ—the Lord of the universe; na asti—there are not; tat—of Him; lakṣaṇam—thecharacteristics; māgha-māhātmya—in the descriptions of the glories of the month of Māgha;ādau—and elsewhere; śrutam—heard from scripture; hi—certainly; yat—which.TRANSLATION“Still, I cannot imagine that my Deity is the Lord of the universe. My Deity doesn’t have thecharacteristics I have heard described in ‘The Glorification of the Month of Māgha’ and otherscriptural texts.COMMENTARYLord Mādhava of Prayāga is described in the story of Devadyuti, which is included in theMāgha-māhātmya of the Padma Purāṇa (Uttara-khaṇḍa 128.202, 129.44):taṁ dṛṣṭvā garuḍārūḍhaṁ pratyagra-jalada-cchavim

catur-bāhuṁ viśālākṣaṁsarvālaṅkāra-bhūṣitam“He saw the Lord seated on Garuḍa. The Lord’s complexion was the color of a new raincloud. He had four arms and broad eyes, and He was decorated with all kinds of ornaments.” brahmādayaḥ surāḥ sarveyoginaḥ sanakādayaḥtvāṁ sākṣāt-kartum icchanti

siddhāś ca kapilādayaḥ“All the demigods led by Brahmā, the yogīs led by Sanaka, and the perfected mystics led byKapila want to see You in person.”The current verse says that the brāhmaṇa heard from māgha-māhātmyādau, “the Māgha-māhātmya and other texts.” Those other texts may have included the section of Śrī SkandaPurāṇa that glorifies Prayāga-tīrtha.BB 2.1.77

TEXT 77TEXT


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gopārbha-vargaiḥ sakhibhir vane sa gāvaṁśī-mukho rakṣati vanya-bhūṣaṇaḥgopāṅganā-varga-vilāsa-lampaṭodharmaṁ satāṁ laṅghayatītaro yathāSYNONYMSgopa-arbha—of cowherd boys; vargaiḥ—with groups; sakhibhiḥ—who are His friends;vane—in the forest; saḥ—He; gāḥ—cows; vaṁśī—a flute; mukhaḥ—at His mouth; rakṣati— tends; vanya-bhūṣaṇaḥ—decorated with forest ornaments; gopa-aṅganā—of cowherd girls;varga—with the groups; vilāsa—sports; lampaṭaḥ—greedy to enjoy; dharmam—the religious principles; satām—of saintly persons; laṅghayati—He transgresses; itaraḥ—an ordinary person; yathā—like.TRANSLATION“My Lord takes care of the cows in the forest along with His many cowherd friends. He holdsa flute to His mouth and is decorated with forest ornaments. Just like an ordinary person, Hetransgresses the religious principles of saints, being always addicted to playful sports with allthe cowherd girls.COMMENTARYArguing on the strength of the evidence he has gathered about his Gopāla from meditating on

the mantra, the brāhmaṇa here tries to prove that the Deity of his own mantra cannot be theLord of the universe. The brāhmaṇa’s worshipable Gopāla is always in the forest with Hisfriends, busy taking care of His cows. His flute is usually near His mouth because He verymuch likes playing on it. He also likes to decorate Himself with forest items like peacockfeathers, garlands of kadamba flowers, red oxide tilaka for His forehead, and rings of guṣja berries for His ears. Like a wayward materialist, He violates the laws of cultured behavior byconsorting with other men’s wives and behaving in other socially forbidden ways, none of

which suits the character of the Supreme Lord of the universe. Even if in some features the brāhmaṇa’s Gopāla resembles the Gopāla worshiped by some of the local Vaiṣṇavas—the Nārāyaṇa expansion called Gopāla—that Gopāla Nārāyaṇa cannot be the same person. Lord Nārāyaṇa could hardly go wandering in the forest tending cows, nor habitually break the principles of religion.BB 2.1.78TEXT 78

TEXTdevyāḥ prabhāvād ānandam


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asyāpy ārādhane labhetan na jahyāṁ kadāpy enametan-mantra-japaṁ na caSYNONYMSdevyāḥ—of the goddess; prabhāvāt—by the power; ānandam—bliss; asya—His; api—and;ārādhane—in the worship; labhe—I obtain; tat—therefore; na jahyām—I shall not abandon;kadā api—ever; enam—Him; etat-mantra—of this mantra; japam—the chanting; na ca—nor.TRANSLATION“By the power of the goddess I have felt bliss in worshiping Him. Therefore I shall neverabandon Him or my chanting of His mantra.”COMMENTARYVaiṣṇavas may question how one can realize ecstasy in worshiping anyone other than theSupreme Lord, but the brāhmaṇa counters that it is possible by the potency of the goddessKāmākhyā. Since she ordered him to always chant this mantra and since he feels such pleasure in chanting, why should he give it up?BB 2.1.79TEXT 79TEXT

evaṁ sa pūrva-van mantraṁtaṁ japan nirjane nijamdevaṁ sākṣād ivekṣetasatāṁ saṅga-prabhāvataḥSYNONYMSevam—thus; saḥ—he; pūrva-vat—as before; mantram—mantra; tam—that; japan—chanting;nirjane—in seclusion; nijam—his own; devam—Lord; sākṣāt—in person; iva—as if; īkṣeta—

he would see; satām—of the saintly Vaiṣṇavas; saṅga—of the association; prabhāvataḥ—bythe power.TRANSLATIONThus the brāhmaṇa continued chanting his mantra in seclusion as before. And by the power ofthe saintly company of the Vaiṣṇavas, he would see his Lord, as if directly in person.COMMENTARYSince the ignorant brāhmaṇa lacked the instructions and blessings of a pure devotee spiritual

master, he had not yet developed true knowledge and faith. But still he was reaping the benefits of sādhu-saṅga in Prayāga. Even without the support of guru and śāstra, he was


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making some advancement by associating favorably with Vaiṣṇavas. He kept chanting theten-syllable Gopāla mantra, renowned among all mantras as the most excellent, and as hisheart became more and more cleansed he entered into an intense meditation in which he sawHis Lord as vividly as if the Lord were physically present.BB 2.1.80TEXT 80TEXTvastu-svabhāvād ānanda-mūrchām āpnoti karhicitvyutthāya japa-kālāpa-gamam ālakṣya śocatiSYNONYMSvastu—of the object; svabhāvāt—because of the nature; ānanda—from ecstasy; mūrchām— fainting; āpnoti—he experienced; karhicit—sometimes; vyutthāya—standing up; japa—forchanting; kāla—of the time; apagamam—the expiration; ālakṣya—noticing; śocati—he wouldlament.TRANSLATIONBecause of the nature of the object of his meditation, he sometimes fainted in ecstasy, and

when he woke up and noticed that the time for chanting his mantra had been lost he wouldlament.COMMENTARYSometimes the ecstasy of his meditation made all the external functions of his senses stop, asif he had achieved samādhi. This symptom was but a superficial reflection of the advancedconditions of bhāva and prema. It arose not from mature understanding of the object ofmeditation but from the transcendental influence of the object Himself.

BB 2.1.81TEXT 81TEXTupadravo ’yaṁ ko me ’nu- jāto vighno mahān kilana samāpto japo me ’dya-tano rātrīyam āgatā

SYNONYMS


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upadravaḥ—disturbance; ayam—this; kaḥ—what; me—for me; anujātaḥ—arisen; vighnaḥ— obstruction; mahān—great; kila—indeed; na—not; samāptaḥ—finished; japaḥ—chanting;me—my; adyatanaḥ—for today; rātrī—night; iyam—this; āgatā—come.TRANSLATION“What is the cause of this disturbance? Now I am in great trouble! Night has fallen before Icould finish today’s chanting.COMMENTARYThat night had come before he could finish his chanting was an upadrava, or cause of pain, aswell as a vighna, an obstruction to fulfilling his vow to chant a prescribed number of mantrasdaily.BB 2.1.82TEXT 82TEXTkiṁ nidrābhibhavo ’yaṁ mekiṁ bhūtābhibhavo ’tha vāaho mad-duḥsvabhāvo yacchoka-sthāne ’pi hṛt-sukhamSYNONYMS

kim—whether; nidrā—by sleep; abhibhavaḥ—being overcome; ayam—this; me—my; kim— whether; bhūta—by a ghost; abhibhavaḥ—being overcome; atha vā—or; aho—oh; mat—my;duḥ-svabhāvaḥ—bad nature; yat—which; śoka—of sadness; sthāne—in a situation; api— even; hṛt—in the heart; sukham—happiness.TRANSLATION“Have I fallen asleep? Or become haunted by a ghost? Oh, I am so wicked that even when Ihave reason to be sad I feel happiness in my heart!”

COMMENTARYTrying to answer his own question about the cause of the problem, the brāhmaṇa guessed thathe might have fallen asleep. But since he didn’t feel tired, he guessed again that somethingelse might have happened, like having been attacked by a ghost.BB 2.1.83TEXT 83TEXT

ekadā tu tathaivāsauśocann akṛta-bhojanaḥ


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nidrāṇo mādhavenedaṁsamādiṣṭaḥ sa-sāntvanamSYNONYMSekadā—one day; tu—however; tathā eva—in this same way; asau—he; śocan—lamenting;akṛta-bhojanaḥ—not having eaten; nidrāṇaḥ—sleepy; mādhavena—by Lord Mādhava;idam—this; samādiṣṭaḥ—instructed; saḥ—he; sāntvanam—consolation.TRANSLATIONOne day, however, while lamenting in this way, as he began to feel drowsy from fasting hesaw Lord Mādhava, who consoled him and gave him this instruction:COMMENTARYOnce again the brāhmaṇa had fallen into a trance of ecstasy and upon waking had becomeupset with himself. This time he felt so discouraged that he finished the day without eating,which made him feel sleepy. Lord Mādhava, the Deity of Daśāśvamedha-tīrtha, then appearedto him in this sleeplike state and said something like this: “Why are you lamenting for nogood reason? And why are you causing distress to Me, your worshipable Deity? I assure youthat all your ambitions will soon be achieved.”BB 2.1.84TEXT 84

TEXTvipra viśveśvarasyānu-smara vākyam umā-pateḥyamunā-tīra-mārgeṇatac chrī-vṛndāvanaṁ vrajaSYNONYMSvipra—O brāhmaṇa; viśveśvarasya—of Viśveśvara; anusmara—just remember; vākyam—the

words; umā-pateḥ—the husband of Umā; yamunā—of the Yamunā; tīra—along the shore;mārgeṇa—by the path; tat—to that; śrī-vṛndāvanam—Śrī Vṛndāvana; vraja—go.TRANSLATION“Dear brāhmaṇa, please remember the words of Viśveśvara, the husband of Umā. Go by the path along the shore of the Yamunā to Śrī Vṛndāvana.COMMENTARYWhile reminding the brāhmaṇa of Lord Viśveśvara’s instruction, Lord Gopāla repeated it

from His own mouth and in His own words, thus making it His direct order also. Apart from


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this, Viśveśvara (Lord Śiva) is the husband of the goddess Kāmākhyā, the spiritual authoritywho gave the brāhmaṇa his mantra, so the brāhmaṇa should not neglect the instruction.BB 2.1.85TEXT 85TEXTtatrāsādhāraṇaṁ harṣaṁlapsyase mat-prasādataḥvilambaṁ pathi kutrāpimā kuruṣva kathaṣcanaSYNONYMStatra—there; asādhāraṇam—extraordinary; harṣam—pleasure; lapsyase—you will obtain;mat—My; prasādataḥ—by the mercy; vilambam—delay; pathi—on the road; kutra api— anywhere; mā kuruṣva—do not do; kathaṣcana—for any reason.TRANSLATION“By My mercy, there you will obtain extraordinary pleasure. Go, and don’t delay anywhereon the road for any reason.”COMMENTARYThe pleasure to be had in Śrī Vṛndāvana is incomparable, superior to all four kinds of success

in worldly endeavor—religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation.The brāhmaṇa should be undistracted while on the road to Vṛndāvana. He shouldn’t strayfrom devotional service onto the side roads of jṣāna and karma. Lord Mādhava here advisesthe brāhmaṇa that good fortune will arise by His mercy alone, the Lord’s mercy, not that ofanyone else. But that mercy of Lord Mādhava will appear especially in certain places, atcertain times, and in certain company.BB 2.1.86

TEXT 86TEXTtataḥ sa prātar utthāyahṛṣṭaḥ san prasthitaḥ kramātśrīman-madhu-purīṁ prāptaḥsnāto viśrānti-tīrthakeSYNONYMS


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tataḥ—thus; saḥ—he; prātaḥ—early in the morning; utthāya—arising; hṛṣṭaḥ—happy; san— feeling; prasthitaḥ—he set out; kramāt—gradually; śrīmat—blessed; madhu-purīm—atMathurā; prāptaḥ—arrived; snātaḥ—bathed; viśrānti-tīrthake—at Viśrānti-tīrtha.TRANSLATIONThus the brāhmaṇa arose early in the morning and happily set out on his journey. Graduallyhe came to blessed Madhupurī and bathed at Viśrānti-tīrtha.COMMENTARYObeying the Lord’s order, the brāhmaṇa at once started for Vṛndāvana. And when he enteredthe holy dhāma, he came first to Mathurā City. Following the standard custom of pilgrims, hefirst visited the bathing place on the Yamunā known as Viśrānti-tīrtha (Viśrāma-ghāṭa).BB 2.1.87TEXT 87TEXTgato vṛndāvanaṁ tatradhyāyamānaṁ nije japetaṁ taṁ parikaraṁ prāyovīkṣyābhīkṣṇaṁ nananda saḥSYNONYMS

gataḥ—gone; vṛndāvanam—to Vṛndāvana; tatra—there; dhyāyamānam—meditated upon;nije—his own; jape—in the chanting; tam tam—the various; parikaram—entourage and paraphernalia; prāyaḥ—the greater part; vīkṣya—seeing; abhīkṣṇam—constantly; nananda— rejoiced; saḥ—he.TRANSLATIONHe went on to Vṛndāvana and there felt enlivened at every moment, for while chanting hismantra he saw in meditation most of the companions and surroundings from Kṛṣṇa’s

pastimes.COMMENTARYHe saw Kṛṣṇa’s supremely beautiful cows, cowherds, kadamba trees, and so on, which,although famous, are beyond the power of unqualified people to describe.BB 2.1.88TEXT 88TEXT

tasmin go-bhūṣite ’paśyankam apītas tato bhraman


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keśī-tīrthasya pūrvasyāṁdiśi śuśrāva rodanamSYNONYMStasmin—in that place; go-bhūṣite—decorated with cows; apaśyan—not seeing; kam api— anyone; itaḥ tataḥ—here and there; bhraman—wandering; keśī-tīrthasya—of Keśī-tīrtha; pūrvasyām—eastern; diśi—on the side; śuśrāva—he heard; rodanam—crying.TRANSLATIONHe wandered here and there in that cow-adorned land, without meeting any people. But at one place on the eastern side of Keśī-tīrtha, he heard someone crying.COMMENTARYAt the holy place where Kṛṣṇa had once killed the horse demon, Keśī, the brāhmaṇa met thefirst human being he was to encounter in Vṛndāvana. This sacred place Keśī-tīrtha isdescribed in the Mathurā-māhātmya of the Varāha Purāṇa (152.30-31):gaṅgā śata-guṇā proktāmāthure mama maṇḍaleyamunā viśrutā devinātra kāryā vicāraṇātasyāḥ śata-guṇā proktā

yatra keśī nipātitaḥkeśyāḥ śata-guṇā proktāyatra viśramito hariḥ“One hundred times more sacred than the Gaṅgā, O goddess Earth, is the Yamunā in My ownabode, Mathurā. No one need doubt this. More sacred than Mathurā by a hundred times is the place on the Yamunā where the Keśī demon fell, and one hundred times more sacred than thatKeśī-tīrtha is the spot nearby where Kṛṣṇa rested after the demon was killed.”

BB 2.1.89TEXT 89TEXTtad-dig-bhāgaṁ gataḥ premṇānāma-saṅkīrtanair yutamtad ākarṇya muhus tatrataṁ manuṣyam amārgayat

SYNONYMS


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tat—in that; dik-bhāgam—direction; gataḥ—going; premṇā—in pure love; nāma-saṅkīrtanaiḥ—with the sounds of nāma-saṅkīrtana; yutam—joined; tat—that; ākarṇya— hearing; muhuḥ—constantly; tatra—there; tam—that; manuṣyam—for the person;amārgayat—he looked.TRANSLATIONHeading in the direction of that sound, he heard it mingled with constant nāma-saṅkīrtana performed in pure love. And so he looked for the person chanting.COMMENTARYFrom a distance he recognized only the sound of crying, but as he approached he heard thenames of the Supreme Lord being sweetly chanted with great affection, with syllables drawnout long and melodious, by someone whose heart seemed completely softened by love ofGod. He became intent upon finding the person chanting.BB 2.1.90TEXT 90TEXTghanāndhakārāraṇyāntaḥso ’paśyan kaṣcid unmukhaḥnirdhārya tad-dhvani-sthānaṁ

yamunā-tīram avrajatSYNONYMSghana—dense; andhakāra—with darkness; araṇya—a forest; antaḥ—within; saḥ—he;apaśyan—not seeing; kaṣcit—anyone; unmukhaḥ—eagerly turning toward; nirdhārya— noticing; tat—of that; dhvani—sound; sthānam—the place; yamunā-tīram—to the bank of theYamunā; avrajat—he went.TRANSLATION

He entered a dense, dark forest where he couldn’t see anyone. But he discerned the place fromwhich the sound came, and he eagerly went there, to the bank of the Yamunā.COMMENTARYSo thick was the forest that the leaves of the trees left no space for the light of the sun toenter. The brāhmaṇa saw no one but could still hear the sound of nāma-saṅkīrtana, whichdrew him further on.BB 2.1.91

TEXT 91TEXT


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tatra nīpa-nikuṣjāntargopa-veśa-paricchadamkiśoraṁ su-kumārāṅgaṁsundaraṁ tam udaikṣataSYNONYMStatra—there; nīpa—of kadamba trees; nikuṣja-antaḥ—in a grove; gopa—of a cowherd; veśa— whose dress; paricchadam—and paraphernalia; kiśoram—a young man; su-kumāra—verytender; aṅgam—whose body; sundaram—handsome; tam—him; udaikṣata—he saw.TRANSLATIONThere, in a grove of kadamba trees, he found a handsome young man whose body was verytender, with the dress and accouterments of a cowherd.COMMENTARYThe person the brāhmaṇa discovered was dressed like a cowherd boy, with a flute, buffalohorn, and herding stick and with a peacock feather on his head. Every part of his bodyappeared auspicious.BB 2.1.92TEXT 92TEXT

nijeṣṭa-devatā-bhrāntyāgopāleti mahā-mudāsamāhvayan praṇāmāya papāta bhuvi daṇḍa-vatSYNONYMSnija—for his own; iṣṭa-devatā—worshipable Deity; bhrāntyā—because of mistaking;gopāla—O Gopāla!; iti—thus; mahā-mudā—with great joy; samāhvayan—calling out;

praṇāmāya—for offering respects; papāta—he fell; bhuvi—to the ground; daṇḍa-vat—like arod.TRANSLATIONMistaking this person for his worshipable Deity, the brāhmaṇa joyfully called out “OGopāla!” and fell to the ground like a rod to offer respects.COMMENTARYBecause the cowherd sitting before the brāhmaṇa was dressed and ornamented just like

Madana-gopāla, the brāhmaṇa thought that this was the Deity in person. The brāhmaṇawanted to offer a fitting salutation, so he at once fell flat on the ground and with spontaneous


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enthusiasm sweetly called out, “O Gopāla!” The offering of these three syllables go-pā-la washis way of properly honoring the Lord.BB 2.1.93-94TEXTS 93–94TEXTtato jāta-bahir-dṛṣṭiḥsa sarva-jṣa-śiromaṇiḥ

jṣātvā taṁ māthuraṁ vipraṁkāmākhyā-deśa-vāsinam

śrīman-madana-gopālo- pāsakaṁ ca samāgatamniḥsṛtya kuṣjād utthāpyanatvāliṅgya nyaveśayatSYNONYMStataḥ—then; jāta—appearing; bahiḥ-dṛṣṭiḥ—his external consciousness; saḥ—he; sarva-jṣa— of knowers of everything; śiraḥ-maṇiḥ—the crest jewel; jṣātvā—knowing; tam—him;māthuram—of Mathurā; vipram—a brāhmaṇa; kāmākhyā-deśa—in the land of the goddess

Kāmākhyā; vāsinam—a resident; śrīmat-madana-gopāla—of Śrīmān Madana-gopāla;upāsakam—a worshiper; ca—and; samāgatam—arrived; niḥsṛtya—coming out; kuṣjāt—fromthe grove; utthāpya—standing up to show respect; natvā—bowing down; āliṅgya—embracinghim; nyaveśayat—he made the brāhmaṇa sit down.TRANSLATIONThis young man was the crest jewel of those who know everything. As he regained externalconsciousness, he recognized his visitor as a Mathurā brāhmaṇa living in the district of the

goddess Kāmākhyā and worshiping Śrīmān Madana-gopāla. The young cowherd stood up andcame out of the grove, bowed down to the brāhmaṇa and embraced him, and made him sitdown.COMMENTARYThe cowherd knew without being told that his guest was a brāhmaṇa who had traveled toVṛndāvana from a long distance. More specifically he knew that his visitor was the child of a brāhmaṇa family of Mathurā who had moved to the Kāmarūpā district in Assam to worship

the presiding goddess Kāmākhyā. Furthermore, the young cowherd knew that this brāhmaṇawas now worshiping the lotus feet of Śrīmān Madana-gopāla and had come for some special


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purpose of the Lord’s. Actually, Śrī Rādhā-devī had ordered the cowherd to go to the grovethat morning. So he bowed down to his guest, raised him from the ground, embraced him, andinvited him to sit down.BB 2.1.95TEXT 95TEXTathātithyena santoṣyaviśvāsotpādanāya saḥkiṣcit tenānubhūtaṁ yadvyaṣjayām āsa sa-smitamSYNONYMSatha—then; ātithyena—with hospitality; santoṣya—satisfying him; viśvāsa—his confidence;utpādanāya—for generating; saḥ—he; kiṣcit—something; tena—by him; anubhūtam— experienced; yat—which; vyaṣjayām āsa—revealed; sa-smitam—with a smile.TRANSLATIONTo further gain the brāhmaṇa’s confidence, the cowherd pleased him with hospitality and thensmiled and revealed something about the brāhmaṇa’s life.COMMENTARY

The young cowherd, Gopa-kumāra, greeted his brāhmaṇa guest in a manner befitting the timeand place and then briefly recounted what had happened in the brāhmaṇa’s life, beginningwith his worship of the goddess Kāmākhyā and leading up to his coming to this place on theshore of the Yamunā. The cowherd expertly revealed things hidden in the brāhmaṇa’s heartthat no one else could have known. Why did he do this? He wanted to win the brāhmaṇa’strust so that the brāhmaṇa would believe what he was about to be told. Otherwise, the brāhmaṇa might be skeptical about Gopa-kumāra’s fantastic story.

BB 2.1.96TEXT 96TEXT buddhvā gopa-kumāraṁ taṁlabdhvevātma-priyaṁ mudāviśvasto ’kathayat tasminsva-vṛttaṁ brāhmaṇo ’khilam

SYNONYMS


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buddhvā—recognizing; gopa-kumāram—a young cowherd boy; tam—him; labdhvā— accepting; iva—as if; ātma-priyam—a dear friend; mudā—happily; viśvastaḥ—trusting;akathayat—he recounted; tasmin—to him (the cowherd); sva-vṛttam—his own story; brāhmaṇaḥ—the brāhmaṇa; akhilam—entire.TRANSLATIONThe brāhmaṇa now understood that this was a young cowherd boy and accepted him as if the boy were a dear friend. Happily trusting him, the brāhmaṇa then recounted his own entire lifestory.COMMENTARYWhen the brāhmaṇa understood that this was not his worshipable Lord but a cowherd with allgood qualities, the brāhmaṇa relaxed.BB 2.1.97TEXT 97TEXTsa-kārpaṇyam idaṁ cāsau praśritaḥ punar abravīttaṁ sarva-jṣa-varaṁ matvāsat-tamaṁ gopa-nandanam

SYNONYMSsa-kārpaṇyam—with humility; idam—the following; ca—and; asau—he (the brāhmaṇa); praśritaḥ—submissive; punaḥ—further; abravīt—said; tam—to him (the cowherd); sarva- jṣa—of knowers of everything; varam—the best; matvā—considering him; sat-tamam—themost saintly; gopa-nandanam—young child of the cowherds.TRANSLATIONThen with great humility, considering this young child of the cowherds the best of wise men

and a great saint, the brāhmaṇa submissively added an inquiry.BB 2.1.98TEXT 98TEXTśrī-brāhmaṇa uvācaśrutvā bahu-vidhaṁ sādhyaṁsādhanaṁ ca tatas tataḥ

prāpyaṁ kṛtyaṁ ca nirṇetuṁna kiṣcic chakyate mayā


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SYNONYMSśrī-brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca—the brāhmaṇa said; śrutvā—having heard; bahu-vidham—of variouskinds; sādhyam—goals; sādhanam—methods of achievement; ca—and; tataḥ tataḥ—fromvarious sources; prāpyam—what is to be attained; kṛtyam—what is to be done; ca—and;nirṇetum—to determine; na—not; kiṣcit—anything; śakyate—can be done; mayā—by me.TRANSLATIONThe brāhmaṇa said: From various sources I have heard of various goals and various methodsto achieve them, but still I cannot definitely decide what goal I should strive for and what Ishould do to reach it.COMMENTARYOn the bank of the Gaṅgā, at Kāśī and elsewhere, the brāhmaṇa had heard various kinds ofspiritual advice. He had heard in one place that heaven is the ultimate goal of life, and inanother that liberation from the cycle of birth and death is the goal. And as for means ofsuccess he had heard claims that karma was the means, or jṣāna, or other methods. No wonderhe was confused.BB 2.1.99TEXT 99TEXT

yac ca devy-ājṣayā kiṣcidanutiṣṭhāmi nityaśaḥtasyāpi kiṁ phalaṁ tac cakatamat karma vedmi naSYNONYMSyat—what; ca—and; devī—of the goddess; ājṣayā—by the order; kiṣcit—something;anutiṣṭhāmi—I perform; nityaśaḥ—regularly; tasya—of that; api—even; kim—what;

phalam—result; tat—that; ca—and; katamat—of which kind; karma—activity; vedmi na—Ido not know.TRANSLATIONWhatever the goddess ordered me, I regularly do. But I have no idea about the results of thoseduties, or even what kind of acts they are.COMMENTARYIf the brāhmaṇa did not know what the goal of his endeavor was and how he might achieve it,

why was he continuing to chant his mantra? He was doing so because he had respect for theorder of the goddess Kāmākhyā. The little she had asked him to do, namely chant this mantra,


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was not much compared to the complex duties of householders and sannyāsīs that he hadlearned about from others. He continued chanting out of reverence for the goddess, not because he understood the essence of what he was doing. He was even unaware whether thischanting belonged to the category of ritual duties, cultivation of knowledge, or devotionalservice. Therefore, he thought, since his practice was not based on definite knowledge andfaith, it had no real value for h

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