brihad bhagavatamrita 3

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TEXTS 14

[qParqi+aduvac>aGavNTa& hr& Ta}a >aavaivTaYaa hre" )Na*TYaNTa& k-ITaRYaNTa& c k*==TaSazRa*Xa& NaNdqradq=& agaMaaNa& iNaJaaNauGaaNa( )Pa[qTYaa SaJaYaXaBdaiNa GaqTavaaiNa TaNvTa" ))

devq=& caeMaa& Pa[Xa&SaNTa& k-rTaal/Izu k-aeivdaMa( )dUra*a MauiNaRae_NaMaq


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dev com praasantakara-tlu kovidm

drd dv munir honamad v nindayan

paramnughto sikasyeti muhur muhu

jagau sarva ca pitroktasu-svara samakrtayat

r-parkit uvca r Parkit said; bhagavantamgodly;haram Lord iva; tatra there; bhva of devotional love;viatay in a trance; hare for r Hari; ntyantamdancing; krtayantam chanting; ca and; kta having per-formed; sakaraa-arcanam worship of Lord Sakaraa;bham enthusiastically; nandvara-dn Nandvara andothers; ca and; lghamnam praising; nija-anugnhis

own followers; prty affectionately; sa-jaya-abdni withshouts of Jaya; gta song; vdyniand instrumental music;tanvata who were vibrating; devm the goddess; caalso; umm Um; praasantam praising; kara-tluin styles of hand-clapping; kovidm expert; drt from adistance; dv seeing; muni the sage Nrada; hadelighted; anamat he bowed down; vm his v; nin-

dayan and sounding it;parama supremely; anughtafavored; asi you are; kasya by Ka; iti thus; muhumuhu again and again;jagau he sang; sarvam all;ca and; pitr by their father (Brahm); uktam spoken;su-svaram in a sweet voice; samakrtayat he recounted.

r Parkit said: Arriving in ivaloka, from a distance thesage Nrada saw Lord iva, r Hara, who had just finishedhis worship of Lord Sakaraa, r Hari. Entranced in ec-static love, Lord iva was dancing and loudly singing theglories of his Lord, while his associates played instrumen-tal music and shouted Jaya! Jaya! With great affection hepraised his assistants like Nandvara, as well as the god-


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PRAPACTTA: Beyond theMATERIAL WORLD/ 1 7 9

dess Um, who was expertly clapping her hands. The sightof all this delighted Nrada. Vibrating his v and nodding

his head to show respect, he called out several times, Youare the greatest recipient of Kas mercy! and in a sweet

voice he recounted to Lord iva everything just told him bytheir father, Lord Brahm.

COMMENTARY:Lord iva had just finished worshiping his Deity,Lord Sakaraa. The rituals of his worship were similar to those

Nrada had witnessed on earth at Prayga, but at the end of theworship Lord iva displayed the symptoms of ecstasy describedin this verse. Worship of the Supreme Lords Deity attracts bothneophytes and advanced souls, but Vaiavas who are fully self-realized enjoy intimate relationships with their worshipable Deity.For such Vaiavas the Lords acceptance of even the simplestact of devotion brings profound devotional ecstasies.

Thus Nrada found Lord iva in a trance ofsakrtana, recit-

ing prayers to Lord Sakaraa similar to those recorded in theFifth Canto ofrmad-Bhgavatam(..):

bhaje bhajanyraa-pda-pakajabhagasya ktsnasya para paryaam

bhaktev ala bhvita-bhta-bhvanabhavpaha tv bhava-bhvam varam

O my Lord, You are the only worshipable person, for You arethe Supreme Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of all opu-lences. Your secure lotus feet are the only source of protectionfor all Your devotees, whom You satisfy by manifesting Yourselfin various forms. O my Lord, You deliver Your devotees from theclutches of material existence. Nondevotees, however, remainentangled in material existence by Your will. Kindly accept me asYour eternal servant.

Since Lord iva is an incarnation of the Personality of God-head, and Lord iva and the Personality of Godhead are thereforenondifferent, Lord iva does not need to worship Lord Sakaraato become purified from material illusion. Lord iva performs


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worship externally with standard paraphernalia to educate theworld about the transcendental tastes of devotional service.

Brahm is also considered an incarnation of Godhead, butiva and Brahm are not equal in status. Lord iva is nondifferentfrom Viu in a more literal sense: the post of Brahm is almostalways occupied by a jva, whereas no jvacan ever becomeiva-tattva.

Many statements from revealed scriptures characterize Lordiva as nondifferent from Lord Viu. For example, in the Padma

Pura (Brahma-khaa .), in the description of the tenoffenses against Lord Vius holy names, we read:

ivasya r-vior ya iha gua-nmdi-sakala dhiy bhinna payet sa khalu hari-nmhita-kara

One who sees differences between any of Lord ivas qualitiesand names and those of r Viu is an antagonist to hari-

nma. There are no similar injunctions about the nondifferenceof Brahm and Viu.

Authorized scriptures state that persons like Vasiha, whoare certainly finitejvas,will become Lord Brahm in their ownuniverses in future lives. Theoretically anyjvasoul can attainthe post of Brahm. As Lord iva told the Pracets:

sva-dharma-niha ata-janmabhi pumnviricatm eti tata para hi mm

A person who strictly executes his occupational duty, withoutdeviation, for one hundred births becomes qualified to occupythe post of Brahm, and if he becomes more qualified he canapproach me, Lord iva. (Bhgavatam ..) These wordsstate that ajvacan join Lord iva, not that he can become iva.Nrada has included Lord iva in his search for recipients of theSupreme Lords mercy because Lord iva is a special incarnationof the Lord in the form of His own devotee.

The followers of Lord iva whom Nrada saw on ivalokawere all great Vaiavas who deeply imbibed their masters mood


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ofviu-bhakti. Lord iva praised them for their artistic accom-paniment, especially his consort Prvat for her hand-clapping,

because their performance was manifested directly from puredevotion.

Witnessing all this, Nrada also became ecstatic. He dancedso enthusiastically that he was unable to offer prostrate obei-sances, and since he did not want to stop playing his v, heshowed respect simply by nodding his head. Then, wanting tosay something to show approval of Lord ivas behavior, he pro-

ceeded to recount what Brahm had told him about Lord ivasglories.

TEXTS 56

AQa [qd]PaadaBJareYaaGaTa& devae vEZ


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Ka; rasa of transcendental taste; dhray by a flood;bham suddenly;papraccha asked; kim what; bre

are you saying; brahma-putra O son of Brahm; iti thus;sa-daram respectfully.

Nrada came closer, hoping to touch the dust of the lotusfeet of Lord iva, the best friend of the Vaiavas. But as thesage came near, Lord iva, a flood of Ka conscious plea-sure driving him wild, forcibly drew Nrada closer andembraced him. Without hesitating he asked Nrada withrespect, Dear son of Brahm, what are you saying?

COMMENTARY:Totally absorbed in ecstasy, Lord iva, when turn-ing to greet Nrada, at first found what Nrada was telling himdifficult to understand.

TEXTS 78

TaTa" [qvEZaaz


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dancing; kutukam his sport; mita gentle;jana by asso-ciates; vtam surrounded;prvat-pra-ntham the life

and soul of Prvat; tam him (Lord iva); vym on a strawmat; vra-sanena in the herosposture; sa he (Nrada);snam seated; praaman bowed down; bhakty withdevotion; pahan reciting; rudra-a-agakam the six-syllable Rudra mantra.

Absorbed in the taste of talking with that superlative

Vaiava Nrada, Lord iva then stopped his playful danc-ing and sat down. He sat on a straw mat in the vrsanaposture, and a few of his gentle companions seated them-selves around him. With devotion Nrada bowed down toLord iva, the life and soul of Prvat, and chanted the six-syllable Rudramantra.COMMENTARY:One who is observing a serious vow should sit

on a kua mat, called a v, assuming the meditative herosposture, which expresses ones firm determination. This sanais defined in theyoga-stras. The Rudra-a-agakais a mantraof the Vedas. It begins with the words namas te.

TEXT 9

JaGadqXaTvMaahaTMYaPa[k-aXaNaParE" STavE" )ASTaaEiv*TYa TaiSMa& JaGaaE k*-ZarMa( ))

jagad-atva-mhtmya-prakana-parai stavai

astaud vivtya tasmi cajagau ka-kp-bharam

jagat of the universe; atva as the supreme controller;mhtmya glories;prakana-parai revealing; stavai

with prayers; astaut he praised; vivtya elaborately; tasmin upon him; ca and;jagau he glorified; ka of LordKa; kp of the mercy; bharam the fullness.


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Nrada then recited prayers glorifying Lord iva as thesupreme controller of the universe and elaborately pro-

claimed the fullness of the mercy bestowed upon iva byLord Ka.

TEXT 10

k-


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r-rudra uvcana jtu jagad-o ha

npi ka-kpspadampara tad-dsa-dsn

sadnugraha-kmuka

r-rudra uvca r Rudra said: na not;jtu at all;jagat of the universe; a the Lord; aham I; na apinor;ka of Ka; kp-spadam a recipient of the mercy;

param rather; tat His; dsa-dsnm of the servantsof the servants; sad always; anugraha for the favor;kmuka hankering.

r Rudra said: I am not the Lord of the universe, noran object of Kas mercy! I am just a poor soul alwayshankering for the favor of the servants of His servants.

COMMENTARY: I can only hanker for the mercy of Kasservants, because I am not fortunate enough to have it.

TEXT 12

[qParqi+aduvac

SaM>a]aNTaae_Qa MauiNaihRTva k*-Z


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TEXT 14

ATaae ih vEZa-ya >avNTaMaaraDYa Ga*hqTaa" k-iTa SaiNTa Na ))

kati vr ca kenavar vividha-mrtibhi

bhakty bhavantam rdhyaght kati santi na

kativrn how many times; ca and; kena by Ka;var boons; vividha various; mrtibhi in incarna-tions; bhakty with devotion; bhavantam you; rdhya


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worshiping; ght accepted; kati how many; santithere are; na not.

Has Ka not worshiped you many times in His variousincarnations and taken from you many boons?

COMMENTARY:Those who want to see examples of Lord ivasbestowing a boon upon Ka can read the Dna-dharmasec-tion and other parts of the Vmana Pura, which describe howr Ka received the Sudarana cakraand how Smba became

His son.

TEXT 16

[qParqi+aduvacwiTa [uTva Tau SahSaa DaEYa| k-TauRMaXau==vNa( )l/iTaae d]uTaMauTQaaYa NaardSYa Mau%& hr" )

k-ra>Yaa& iPadDae Daay| MaMa TaNa( Na vdeiriTa ))r-parkid uvca

iti rutv tu sahasdhairya kartum aaknuvan

lajjito drutam utthyanradasya mukha hara

karbhy pidadhe dhryamama tan na vader iti

r-parkituvca r Parkit said; iti thus; rutv hearing;tu and; sahas suddenly; dhairyam soberness; kartum to maintain; aaknuvan unable; lajjita feeling ashamed;drutam quickly; utthya standing up; nradasya ofNrada; mukham the mouth; hara Lord iva; karbhym

with his hands;pidadhe covered; dhryam arrogance;mama my; tat that; na vade you should not speakabout; iti thus.

r Parkit said: Hearing this, Lord iva could no longermaintain his gravity. Ashamed, he sprang to his feet, cov-


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ered Nradas mouth with both hands, and said, Donteven mention that arrogance of mine!

COMMENTARY: Lord iva felt embarrassed to be reminded that hehad offered benedictions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 17

ANaNTarMauvacaeE" SaivSMaYaMahae MauNae )

duivRTaKYaRTar& l/Il/avE>av& d*XYaTaa& Pa[>aae" ))anantaram uvcoccai

sa-vismayam aho munedurvitarkya-tara ll-

vaibhava dyat prabho

anantaram after this; uvca he said; uccai loudly; sa-vismayam with surprise; aho oh; mune my dear sage;durvitarkya-taram most incomprehensible; ll of the pas-times; vaibhavam the influence; dyatm just see;prabho of the Supreme Lord.

He then boldly told Nrada with surprise in his voice, Justsee the most incomprehensible power of the pastimes of

the Supreme Lord!

COMMENTARY: Putting aside his embarrassment, Lord ivapointed out to Nrada the wonderful uniqueness of the pastimesthe Supreme Lord enacts with His devotees, in which the Lordtakes upon Himself many severe vows and penances just to winthe devotees blessings.

TEXT 18

Ahae ivic}aGaM>aqrMaihMaaiBDaMaRdqr" )ivivDaeZvParaDaezu NaaePae+aeTa k*==TaeZviPa ))


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aho vicitra-gambhra-mahimbdhir mad-vara

vividhev apardheunopeketa ktev api

aho oh; vicitra of all kinds; gambhra deep; mahimaof greatness; abdhi an ocean; mat-vara my Lord; vi-vidheu various; apardheu offenses; na upeketa hedoes not reject me; kteu when they have been committed;

api even.

Oh, my Lord is so sober. He is such a deep and variedocean of great qualities. Even though I have committedmany kinds of offenses against Him, He still does not rejectme.

COMMENTARY:The ocean is too deep for one to measure, whatto speak of diving into it and reaching its bottom. The oceancannot be moved from its fixed place, and the opposite shore isfar beyond anyones vision. Similarly, the Supreme Lords quali-ties are countless, they include every possible kind of greatness,and each of His qualities is unrestricted and boundless.

Lord iva considered himself offensive to have shown off hisown power before Lord Ka by offering Him benedictions.

Other offenses he had committed against the Lord were toopainful for him to recall. But r Ka never considers anythingdone by Lord iva offensive, since Lord iva always acts in thisworld only to promote the cause of Kas devotional service,either directly or indirectly.

TEXT 19

[qParqi+aduvacParMaaNaiNdTaae Da*Tva PaadYaaePaveXYa TaMa( )Naard" PairTauav k*-Zai-rSauTaMa( ))


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r-parkid uvcaparamnandito dhtv

pdayor upaveya tamnrada parituva

ka-bhakti-rasa-plutam

r-parkit uvca r Parkit said;parama supremely;nandita pleased; dhtv grasping; pdayo his feet;upaveya making sit down; tam him (Lord iva); nrada

Nrada; parituva appeased; ka for Ka; bhakti of pure devotion; rasa in the transcendental mood;plu-tam absorbed.

r Parkit said: Seeing Lord iva completely absorbed inthe transcendental taste of pure devotion for Ka, Nrada,pleased beyond limit, grasped Lord ivas feet, made himsit down again, and spoke to appease him.

TEXT 20

[qNaard ovacNaaParaDaavk-aXaSTae Pa[eYaSa" k-idCYauTae )k-daicaek-d*yaiPa JaaTaae NaaiSMaNa( Pa[k-aXaTae ))

r-nrada uvcanpardhvakas te

preyasa kacid acyutekadcil loka-dypi

jto nsmin prakate

r-nrada uvca r Nrada said; na no; apardhafor offense; avaka opportunity; te for you;preyasawho are very dear; kacit any; acyute against Lord Acyuta;kadcit ever; loka of ordinary people; dy in the eyes;api even; jta has arisen; na nor; asmin from Hispoint of view;prakate it is visible.


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r Nrada said: You are so dear to Lord Acyuta. Is it pos-sible you could ever offend Him? Though people some-

times see what they think are your offenses, He never seesthem at all.

TEXTS 2122

Svbahubl/d*SYa SaaDaUPad]vk-air


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ruddha and fight against Ka, the wielder of the disc. When you saw that Ba, your devotee, whom you had

maintained like a son, was on the verge of being killed, tosave his life you offered prayers to r Hari.

TEXT 23

Saae ihTva z& Pa[qTaae dtva iNaJaSvPaTaaMa( )>avTPaazRdTaa& iNaNYae Ta& duraPaa& SaurEriPa ))

sadyo hitv rua prtodattv nija-svarpatm

bhavat-pradat ninyeta durp surair api

sadya at once; hitv putting aside; ruam anger;prta pleased; dattv giving; nija his (Bas) own; sva-rpatm a form like His (the Lords); bhavat of you (Lordiva); pradatm to the position of a personal associate;ninye He brought; tam him; durpm rarely obtained;surai by demigods; api even.

At once, Lord Ka put aside His anger. Now pleased, theLord gave Ba a form like His own and raised him to be-

ing one of your associates, a position rarely obtained evenby demigods.

COMMENTARY: In the fight against Bsura, Lord Ka hadalready lifted His Sudarana disc to kill Ba, His sons enemy,but at that moment Lord iva interceded. Despite Bas long listof offenses against Viu and the Vaiavas, Ba had the onecredit of being Lord ivas sincere devotee. This impressed LordKa so much that He gave Ba a four-armed form of his own.r Ka then told Lord iva:

catvro sya bhuj ibhaviyaty ajarmara


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prada-mukhyo bhavatona kutacid-bhayo sura

This demon, who still has four arms, will be immune to old ageand death, and he will serve as one of your principal attendants.Thus he will have nothing to fear on any account. (Bhgavatam..)

TEXT 24

>ava& vEZYa" SaudurE" )TaPaaei>a>aRJaMaaNae>Yaae NaaVYal/Ik&- vr& dde ))

bhav ca vaiava-drohi-grgydibhya su-ducarai

tapobhir bhajamnebhyonvyalka vara dade

bhavn you; ca and; vaiava-drohi who were en-emies of the Vaiavas; grgya-dibhya to Grgya and oth-ers; su-ducarai most difficult to perform; tapobhi bypenances; bhajamnebhya who were worshiping; na avya-lkam not without loopholes; varam benedictions; dadegave.

When such enemies of the Vaiavas as Grgya worshipedyou by severe penances, the benedictions you gave themwere not without loopholes.

COMMENTARY:Because Grgya and others were inimical to theYdavas and Pavas, who were all staunch Vaiavas, Lord

iva rewarded their worship with imperfect boons. Accordingto the Bhad-rayaka Upaniad (.), Grgya Blki was alearned son of the sage Garga who was too proud of his ac-quired knowledge. By Lord ivas blessing, Grgya obtained ason, but not one who could destroy the Yadu dynasty, as Grgyahad wanted only one who could frighten and frustrate the


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Yadus. Similarly, Jayadratha received the limited boon that hecould only once defeat each of the Pavas, except Arjuna.

Sudakia was allowed to destroy any enemy of his choice whowas not a proper follower of brahminical culture, but this powerultimately turned against him. The full stories of these haplessdevotees of Lord iva are recorded in r Hari-vaa, ViuPura, and rmad-Bhgavatam.

TEXT 25

ic}ake==TauPa[>a*TaYaae_iDaYaae_PYa&Xaai[Taa hre" )iNaNdk-a YaiPa SvSYa Tae>Yaae_ku-PYaSTaQaaiPa Na ))

citraketu-prabhtayodhiyo py arit hare

nindak yady api svasyatebhyo kupyas tathpi na

citraketu-prabhtaya Citraketu and others; adhiya unin-telligent; api even; aa of plenary portions; ritwho took shelter; hare of Lord Hari; nindak criticizers;yadi api although; svasya of you; tebhya at them; akup-ya you became angry; tath api nonetheless; na not.

Although Citraketu and others like him foolishly daredcriticize you, you never became angry at them, becausethey were surrendered devotees of plenary portions ofLord Hari.

COMMENTARY: It is foolish for anyone to criticize Lord iva.When Citraketu committed this mistake he was not yet a pure

Vaiava; otherwise he would not have exercised his discrimi-nation so wrongly. But Citraketu, even as a neophyte, had aconnection with Lord ea, an expansion of r Kas first ex-pansion, Balarma. So Lord iva was not offended by Citraketuslaughing when Lord iva sat with Prvat on his lap in thepresence of a group of sages.


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TEXT 26

k*-ZavaH^Taa )Ta-TaEv caTauYaRivXaeze


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effacing by nature, He does not like exalted persons like iva toact subordinate to Him. So Lord iva instead submitted what

seemed the opposite request. Ka has declared His servantgreater than Himself. Mad-bhakta-pjbhyadhik: More impor-tant than worshiping Me is worshiping My devotee. (Bhga-vatam..) Therefore Lord iva cleverly asked for that greaterposition. Lord iva had also once overheard Ka, while playingdice with His queen Rukmi, declare His devotee even moreglorious than Himself, in order to allure the dice into acting as

His devotees by serving Him nicely.

TEXT 27

ATaae b]aidSaMPa[aQYaRMaui-daNaaiDak-airTaaMa( )>avTae >aGavTYaE c duGaaRYaE >aGavaNadaTa( ))

ato brahmdi-samprrthya-mukti-dndhikritm

bhavate bhagavatyai cadurgyai bhagavn adt

ata therefore; brahma-di by Brahm and others; sam-prrthya suitable to be prayed for; mukti of liberation;

dna in the granting; adhikritm authority; bhavate toyour good self; bhagavatyai to the goddess; ca and; dur-gyai Durg; bhagavn the Supreme Lord; adt gave.

Therefore the Supreme Lord granted you and the goddessDurg the authority to give liberation, the liberation for

which Brahm and many others pray.

COMMENTARY:Without Lord Vius personal sanction, no onecan become free from the cycle of birth and death: hari vinnaiva sti taranti(Bhvrtha-dpik..). Moreover, Lord

Viu abides by such statements from the Vedic stras, whichconstitute His own laws. But having promised Lord iva a position


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even better than His own, Lord Viu deputed to both Lord ivaand his wife the power to bestow liberation on His behalf.

TEXT 28

Ahae b]aidduZPa[aPYae WeYaeR SaTYaPaqd*Xae )TaTSav| Sau%MaPYaaTMYaMaNaad*TYaavDaUTavTa( ))

aho brahmdi-duprpye

aivarye saty apdetat sarva sukham apy tmyam

andtyvadhta-vat

aho oh; brahma-di by Brahm and other demigods; du-prpye which is unobtainable; aivarye controlling power;sati there being; api even though; de such; tat that;

sarvam all; sukham happiness; api also; tmyampersonal; andtya disregarding; avadhta-vat like a holymadman.

Just see! Though you have power and opulence unobtain-able by Brahm and the other demigods, you disregard

your material happiness and live like a holy madman.

TEXT 29

>aavaiv" Sada ivZ


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ghta-vat as if seized; ka who; anya else; patnysamam with his wife; ntyet would dance; gaai with

attendants; api and; dik-ambara naked.

Always fixed in a trance of devotion for Lord Viu, youappear totally insane. Who else but you would go dance naked! with his wife and attendants?

TEXT 30

d*ae_ >aGavi-l/aMPa$yMaihMaauTa" )TavaNaev k*==Za" ))

do dya bhagavad-bhakti-lmpaya-mahimdbhuta

tad bhavn eva kasya

nitya parama-vallabha

da seen; adya today; bhagavat-bhakti for the Su-preme Lords devotional service; lmpaya of the uncontrol-lable eagerness; mahim the greatness; adbhuta amaz-ing; tat therefore; bhavn you; eva alone; kasyaof Ka; nityam perpetually; parama the supreme; val-labha beloved.

Today I have finally seen your amazing uncontrollable ea-gerness to serve the Supreme Lord in pure devotion. No

wonder Ka always loves you the most.

TEXT 31

Aa" ik&- vaCYaaNaviC^a k*-Z


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tvat-prasdena bahavonye pi tat-priyat gat

ah; kim what; vcy is to be said; anavacchinnuninterrupted; kasya of Ka;priyat affection; tvayi upon you; tvat-prasdena by your mercy; bahavamany; anye others; api also; tat-priyatm dearness tohim; gat attained.

What more can I say? Kas love for you is never inter-

rupted. And by your mercy many others have become dearto Him.

COMMENTARY: Nrada is amazed that the greatest master ofyogadiscipline, the chief of self-satisfied sages, the husband ofmaterial nature, completely disregards common standards of cul-tured behavior; he does not even walk and dance normally.

Lord ivas natural expressions of his inner feelings, if exhib-ited by anyone else, would be considered unacceptable or in-sane. Nrada understands, however, that Lord ivas unusualbehavior is a sign of his exceptional greatness as a Vaiava whodeeply tastes the ecstasies of devotional exchanges with the Su-preme Person. Therefore many serious aspirants for spiritual per-fection, such as the ten Pracets, have taken shelter of Lord ivato obtain the rare gift ofviu-bhakti.

TEXT 32

PaavRTYaa Pa[SaadeNa bhvSTaiTPa[Yaa" k*-Taa" )Tatvai>aja ivXaezeavTaaeirYaMaev ih ))

prvaty ca prasdena

bahavas tat-priy kttattvbhij vieea

bhavator iyam eva hi

prvaty of Mother Prvat; ca and;prasdena by themercy; bahava many persons; tat-priy dear to Lord


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Ka; kt have become; tattva of the reality; abhijwho knows well; vieea in particular detail; bhavato of

you two; iyam she; eva hi indeed.

By Mother Prvats mercy, also, many other persons havebecome dear to Lord Ka. She knows in detail the truenature of both Lord Ka and you.

COMMENTARY:The Purastell of persons like Janaarm who

by Prvats mercy became great Vaiavas. Janaarms storywill be told in the Second Part ofr Bhad-bhgavatmta.

TEXT 33

k*-ZaiGaNaq vEza ehPaa}a& SadaiMbk-a )

ATa Wv >avaNaaTMaaraMaae_PYaeTaaMaPae+aTae ))kasya bhagin vai

sneha-ptra sadmbikata eva bhavn tm-

rmo py etm apekate

kasya of Ka; bhagin the sister; v indeed; e

she; sneha of the affection; ptram the recipient; sadalways; ambik Ambik; ata eva therefore; bhavnyou; tma-rma self-satisfied; api although; etm her;apekate pay regard to.

Mother Prvat, Ambik, is Kas own sister, who alwaysreceives His affection. That is why you care for her eventhough fully satisfied in yourself.

COMMENTARY: Prvat is a nondifferent expansion of Yoga-my, who appeared on earth from the womb of Yaod-devat the same time that Ka was born from Devak. r Katherefore regards Prvat as His sister.


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TEXT 34

ivic}a>aGavaMaSaqTaRNak-QaaeTSavE" )SadeMaa& rMaYaNa( ivZaJaeTa( ))

vicitra-bhagavan-nma-sakrtana-kathotsavai

sadem ramayan viu-jana-saga-sukha bhajet

vicitra wonderful; bhagavat-nma the names of the Su-preme Lord; sakrtana of congregational chanting; kathand of descriptive narrations; utsavai by festivals; sadalways; imm her; ramayan gratifying; viu-jana ofLord Vius devotees; saga of the association; sukhamthe happiness; bhajet she experiences.

You give her pleasure by always holding wonderful festi-vals with singing of Lord Vius names and recitation ofHis glories. At those times she enjoys the company of Lord

Vius devotees.

TEXT 35

[qParqi+aduvacTaTaae Maherae MaaTaS}aPaavNaiMaTaaNaNa" )Naard& >aGav-MavdEZ


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reason to blame himself for the false ego that pervades the ma-terial universe. Nrada, in contrast, is free from the influence of

ahakraand so should not be idolizing Lord iva. At the oppo-site end to Lord iva in the spectrum of egotism, Lord Ka isthe source of pure pridelessness. Lord iva implies by this com-parison that no real relationship can exist between himself andLord Ka, who are so opposite in nature.

TEXT 37

l/aeke==Xaae jaNadae jaNaq Mau-ae Maui-Pa[dae_PYahMa( )>a-ae >ai-Pa[dae ivZ


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TEXT 38

SavRGa]aSak-re gaaere Mahak-ale/ SaMaaGaTae )ivJae_XaezSa&harTaaMaSaSvPa[YaaeJaNaaTa( ))

sarva-grsa-kare ghoremah-kle samgate

villaje ea-sahra-tmasa-sva-prayojant

sarva-grsa-kare all-devouring; ghore fearful; mah-kle when the time of annihilation; samgate comes; villaje Iam ashamed; aea of all; sahra destruction; tmasabased on the mode of ignorance; sva my; prayojant ofthe responsibility.

When the fearful time of annihilation arrives, in which

everything must be devoured, I am obliged by the mode ofignorance to destroy the entire cosmos. When I think ofthis, I feel ashamed.

TEXT 39

MaiYa Naard vTaeRTa k*-Paale/Xaae_iPa cere" )

Tada ik&- PaairJaaTaaezahr


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Dear Nrada, if I had even a drop of the mercy of Lord Hari,why did He fight me when He took away the prijta flower,

when Aniruddha stole , and on other such occasions?

TEXT 40

Maa& ik-MaaraDaYaeaSa& ik-MaeTaaidXaeTPa[>au" )SvaGaMaE" k-iLPaTaESTv& c JaNaaNa( MaiMau%aNa( ku- ))

m kim rdhayed dsakim etac cdiet prabhu

svgamai kalpitais tva cajann mad-vimukhn kuru

mm me; kim why; rdhayet would He worship; d-sam His servant; kim why; etat this; ca and; dietwould order;prabhu the Lord; sva your own; gamai with scriptures; kalpitai concocted; tvam you; caand; jann the general populace; mat-vimukhn indiffer-ent to Me; kuru make.

Why would He worship me, His servant, and why wouldHe order me, Turn people away from Me by concocting

your own versions of scripture?

COMMENTARY:Here Lord iva tries to prove not only that rKa hardly cares for him but that the Lord actually holds him incontempt. Otherwise, Lord iva argues, Ka would not haveopposed him in battle on several occasions, as when Ka stoleIndras prijta flower and when Aniruddha stole , thedaughter of Bsura.

Furthermore, when a master pretends to worship a servant,that servant is actually insulted and exposed to public ridicule.The pretense may even indicate that the master secretly holdssome grudge against the servant and wants to humiliate him.This may have been the case in such instances as when Kaworshiped iva to obtain an excellent son. Lord iva thus con-


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cludes that Kas asking benedictions from him indicates notKas favor but Kas contempt.

Rather than overlook Lord ivas transgressions, Ka pun-ishes him in subtle ways. Lord iva is supposed to be a greatdevotee of Ka because he teaches pure devotional service,yet Ka ordered him to teach Myvda atheism. Of course,Lord iva is actually a pure devotee and a recipient of LordKas favor; even his teaching atheism is done for the sake ofprotecting the confidentiality of devotional service. But a pure

devotee, naturally dissatisfied with himself, may often claim tohave no spiritual status.The last two lines of this verse are a quotation from the

Bhat-sahasra-nmaof the Padma Pura(Uttara.).

TEXT 41

AavYaaeMauRi-daTa*Tv& YavaNa( STaaEiTa vTa( )TaaiTadaa-aNaa& [uiTadu"%dMa( ))

vayor mukti-dttvayad bhavn stauti ha-vat

tac cti-drua tasyabhaktn ruti-dukha-dam

vayo of the two of us (iva and Prvat); mukti-dttvamthe power to bestow liberation; yat which; bhavn you;stauti praise; ha-vat joyfully; tat that; ca also; ati-druam extremely distasteful; tasya His; bhaktnmto the devotees; ruti by being heard; dukha-dam caus-ing unhappiness.

You joyfully praise the power of me and my wife to bestowliberation. But we think this power terrible, because theLords devotees feel distressed to hear of it.

COMMENTARY: Vaiavas do not like to hear that anyone otherthan Lord Viu can award liberation.


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TEXT 42

TaTk*-ZaaJaae vEku-


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yai by whom; sarvam everything; ta-vat like straw;tyaktv being given up; bhakty in pure devotion; rdhya

worshiping;priyam their dear; harim Lord Hari; sarva-artha of all goals; siddhaya the achievements; labdhv being gained; apga-dy by a sidelong glance; apieven; na not; dt respected.

They have given up everything as worthless straw. Wor-shiping their dear Lord Hari in pure devotion, they have

no respect for the desirable achievements of this world;they will not even glance at those perfections.

COMMENTARY:Some devotees have always been residents ofVaikuha, and others are elevated to Vaikuha from the ma-terial world. Even the process of self-surrender by which thesdhana-siddhaVaiavas attain Vaikuha is glorious. The suc-cessful sdhakasattract the favor of Lord Viu by focusing their

devotion on Him alone, ignoring every other means of success,including the religious principles of the Vedas and the mysticperfections ofyoga. When material perfections come automati-cally to advanced Vaiavas, as secondary effects of exclusivedevotion, the Vaiavas pay no attention to them, as if thesetreasures that others struggle to obtain were worthless garbage.

TEXT 44

TYa-SavaRi>aMaaNaa Yae SaMaSTa>aYaviJaRTaMa( )vEku-


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the place of eternal knowledge and bliss; gua-attam beyond the material modes;padam the abode; gat they

attained.

Those devotees have abandoned every kind of false pride. And they have attained the world beyond the materialmodes and devoid of all fear: Vaikuha, which is sac-cid-nanda full of eternity, knowledge, and bliss.

COMMENTARY:The residents of Vaikuha are greater not only

than the materialists, the candidates for liberation, and the liber-ated, but even than Lord iva, the giver of liberation. Accordingto his own view of himself, Lord iva is subject to the influenceof false ego, whereas the devotees in Vaikuha are free fromthis defect. By virtue of this freedom from false pride, Vaiavasattain Vaikuha, which in spite of being a particular place is nottemporary and illusory like the places of the material world. The

eternal existence of Vaikuha is full of pure consciousness andunlimitedly satisfying bliss. It has none of the restrictions ofmaterial existence.

ManyPurasdescribe the absolute perfection of Vaikuha.For example, in the conversation between Brahm and Nradain r Nrada Pacartra, we can read, in theJita-te-stotra:

loka vaikuha-nmna

divya-a-gua-sayutamavaiavnm aprpya

gua-traya-vivarjitam

nitya-siddhai samkratan-mayai paca-klikai

sabh-prsda-sayukta

vanai copavanai ubham

vp-kpa-tagai cavka-aai su-maitam

aprkta surair vandyamayutrka-sama-prabham


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Impossible to attain for non-Vainavas, the world called Vai-kuha is devoid of the three material modes and full in the six

divine traits. It is rich with eternally perfect souls, who all havethose same six traits and who appear in the five different agesof life. All-auspicious Vaikuha is beautified by many palacesand assembly halls and by wells, tanks, ponds, gardens, forests,and groves of trees. That transcendental world, worshiped bythe demigods, is more brilliantly effulgent than ten thousandsuns.

In the Brahma Pura:

tam ananta-guvsamahat-tejo dursadam

apratyaka nirupamaparnandam atndriyam

It is the abode of countless spiritual qualities, a world of unap-

proachable supreme light. It cannot be perceived by materialsenses, nor compared to anything known. It is supremely ec-static and beyond the scope of the senses.

In rmad-Bhgavatam, Second Canto (..):

tasmai sva-loka bhagavn sabhjitasandaraym sa para na yat-param

vyapeta-saklea-vimoha-sdhvasasva-davadbhi puruair abhiutam

pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayosattva ca mira na ca kla-vikrama

na yatra my kim utpare hareranuvrat yatra sursurrcit

Very much satisfied with the penance of Lord Brahm, the Per-sonality of Godhead was pleased to manifest His personalabode, Vaikuha, the supreme planet above all others. Thistranscendental abode of the Lord is adored by all self-realizedpersons freed from all miseries and fear of illusory existence. In


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that personal abode of the Lord, the material modes of ignoranceand passion do not prevail, nor have they any influence in good-

ness. There is no predominance of the influence of time, sowhat to speak of the illusory, external energy; it cannot enterthat region. Without discrimination, both the demigods and thedemons worship the Lord as devotees.

And in the Tenth Canto (..):

iti sacintya bhagavnmah-kruiko hari

daraym sa loka svagopn tamasa param

satya jnam ananta yadbrahma-jyoti santanam

yad dhi payanti munayogupye samhit

Thus deeply considering the situation of the cowherd men, theall-merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari revealed to themHis abode, which is beyond material darkness. Lord Ka revealedthe indestructible spiritual effulgence, which is unlimited, con-scious, and eternal. Sages see that spiritual existence in trance,when their consciousness is free of the modes of material nature.

These verses identify Vaikuha with thebrahma-jyoti,

theeffulgent light of the all-pervading Supreme that is, with thesame absolute existence described in the Upaniadsunder thename Brahman. With the eye of intelligence, self-satisfied sages(munis) envision Vaikuha, but they are not fit to achieve it.

TEXT 45

Ta}a Yae SaidaNaNddeha" ParMavE>avMa( )SaMPa[a& SaidaNaNd& hirSaai| c Naa>aJaNa( ))

tatra ye sac-cid-nanda-deh parama-vaibhavam


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samprpta sac-cid-nandahari-sri ca nbhajan

tatra there; ye who; sat composed of eternity; citknowledge; nanda and bliss; deh whose bodies;para-ma supreme; vaibhavam opulence; samprptam ob-tained; sat-cit-nandam on the level of eternity, knowledge,and bliss; hari-srim the perfection of equal power withLord Hari; ca and; na abhajan they have not accepted.

In Vaikuha the residents have sac-cid-nanda bodies andmay avail themselves of the supreme opulence of LordHari. They have sac-cid-nanda powers, equal to His.But the residents of Vaikuha do not like to accept suchequality with the Lord.

COMMENTARY:The residents of Vaikuha have individual bodilyforms, but these are not forms of material illusion. As YudhihiraMahrja said in a question to Nrada Muni, dehendriysu-hnn/ vaikuha-pura-vsinm: The bodies of the inhabit-ants of Vaikuha are completely spiritual, having nothing to dowith the material body, senses, or life air. (Bhgavatam..)

The Vaikuha-vss are transcendental, and so also are theirexternal opulences. Each resident has more power and wealth

than are available in millions of material universes and their cov-ering shells. These opulences, which the Vaikuha residentsachieve without effort and without limitations, are spiritual, eter-nal, and absolutely real; they are expansions of the SupremeLords divine energy, and so they are all infinitely desirable andfull of variety. Logical and scriptural evidence of these facts willbe presented later in r Bhad-bhgavatmta.

TEXT 46

hre>aR-ya Par& Pa[qTaa >a-aNa( >ai&- c SavRTa" )r+aNTaae vDaRYaNTa SariNTa Yad*C^Yaa ))


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TEXT 47

Mau-aNauPahSaNTaqv vEku-auMa( )>aJaNTa" Pai+av*+aaidPaEivRivDaSaevYaa ))

muktn upahasantvavaikuhe satata prabhum

bhajanta paki-vkdi-rpair vividha-sevay

muktn at liberated persons; upahasanti they laugh; iva as if; vaikuhe in Vaikuha; satatam always;prabhum the Supreme Lord; bhajanta worshiping;paki of birds;vka trees; di and so on; rpai in the forms; vividha

various; sevay with services.

Always worshiping the Lord in Vaikuha, they seemamused by those who are merely liberated. The Vaikuha-vss are always busy in various services, for which theyeven take on forms like those of birds and trees.

TEXT 48

k-Mal/al/aLYaMaaNaaix(ga]k-Mal&/ MaaedvDaRNaMa( )SaMPaXYaNTaae hir& Saa+aad( rMaNTae Sah TaeNa Yae ))

kamal-llyamnghri-kamala moda-vardhanam

sampayanto hari skdramante saha tena ye

kamal by the goddess Lakm; llyamna lovingly tended;aghri-kamalam whose lotus feet; moda-vardhanam theinspirer of pleasure; sampayanta directly seeing; harimLord Hari; skt in person; ramante they enjoy; sahatena with him;ye who.


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They can always see Him in person, Lord Hari, who in-spires everyones pleasure and whose lotus feet are cared

for by the goddess of fortune. Their life in His company ispure joy.

COMMENTARY:Those who have attained liberation from ma-terial existence enjoy boundless varieties of loving service. Onlyfoolish, unfortunate persons ignore such an opportunity and in-stead pursue an impersonal idea of liberation. The devotees in

Vaikuha feel compassion for the impersonalists, but it seemsthat while exuberantly serving Lord Nryaa the devotees ridi-cule the impersonalists by taking on the forms of animals, birds,and plants. Impersonalists cannot understand the difference be-tween the tmasic forms of lower life in the material world andthe transcendental varieties of life in Vaikuha. Still, Vaikuhadevotees never actually make fun of others to belittle them, be-cause devotees are always kind to the fallen. The Vaikuha

devotees never indulge in useless frivolity, which is a deviationfrom the mood of pure devotion.

That many kinds of animals and plants live in Vaikuha, andthat they all enthusiastically serve the Supreme Person, is con-firmed by the description ofrmad-Bhgavatam(..):

prvatnyabhta-srasa-cakravka-

dtyha-hasa-uka-tittiri-barhi yakolhalo viramate cira-mtram uccair

bhgdhipe hari-kathm iva gyamne

mandra-kunda-kurabotpala-campakra-punnga-nga-bakulmbuja-prijt

gandhair yute tulasikbharaena tasyyasmis tapa sumanaso bahu mnayanti

When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the gloriesof the Lord, there is a temporary lull in the noise of the pigeon,the cuckoo, the crane, the cakravka, the swan, the parrot, thepartridge, and the peacock. Such transcendental birds stop their


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yasmin mah-mudrntaprabho sakrtandibhi

vicitrm antar bhaktinsty anyat prema-vhinm

yasmin where; mah-mud with great enthusiasm; arn-tam incessantly;prabho of the Lord; sakrtana by thecollective glorification; dibhi and so on; vicitrm vari-ous; antar other than; bhaktim pure devotional service;

na asti there is not; anyat anything else;prema-vhinm delivering pure love of God.

In Vaikuha nothing exists but devotional service, ren-dered through sakrtana and in many other forms. Itgoes on incessantly, with great enthusiasm, spreading theecstasy of pure love.

COMMENTARY: Devotees in the spiritual world never tire ofchanting the Supreme Lords glories and singing and dancing forHis pleasure. There,prema-bhaktiis the only activity. Anythinganyone does in Vaikuha is pure service and nothing else,because all the residents are fixed unswervingly in bhakti.

TEXT 51

Ahae TaTParMaaNaNdrSaaBDaeMaRihMaauTa" )b]aNaNdSTaul/a& NaaheRd( YaTk-


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tad-eka-prema-lbh-tyaktrtha-jana-jvan

r-ka of r Ka; caraa-ambhoja to the lotus feet;arpita offered; tmna whose selves; hi certainly;yewho; kila indeed; tat for Him; eka exclusive; premalove; lbha of obtaining; with the hope; tyakta hav-ing abandoned; artha wealth;jana families;jvan andlives.

Such expert relishers surrender themselves fully to the lo-tus feet of r Ka. Hoping to obtain exclusive love forHim, they abandon their wealth, their families, and their

very lives.

TEXT 56

Weihk-aMauiZMak-aXaezSaaDYaSaaDaNaiNaSPa*ha" )JaaiTav


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TEXT 57

ai-bl/aveGaadku==TaiYaa" Sada ))

a-trayd anirmuktveda-mrgtig api

hari-bhakti-balvegdakutacid-bhay sad

a-trayt from the three kinds of debts; anirmukt notcompletely freed; veda-mrga the Vedic path; atig trans-gressing; api even though; hari-bhakti of devotion to Hari;bala-vegt by the power; akutacit-bhay fearless; sad always.

Even if they have not repaid their three debts and aretherefore transgressing Vedic principles, by the power oftheir devotion to Lord Hari they are ever fearless.

TEXT 58

NaaNYaiTk-MaiPa vaH^iNTa Tai-rSal/MPa$=a" )SvGaaRPavGaRNarke==ZviPa TauLYaaQaRdiXaRNa" ))

nnyat kim api vchantitad-bhakti-rasa-lampa

svargpavarga-narakevapi tulyrtha-darina

na not; anyat else; kim api anything; vchanti dothey desire; tat to Him; bhakti-rasa for the taste of devo-tion; lampa greedy; svarga in heaven; apavarga lib-eration; narakeu and hell; api also; tulya-artha as allthe same; darina viewing.


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Greedy to taste the pleasure of devotion to Him, they haveno desire for anything else. To them liberation, heaven,

and hell all appear the same.

COMMENTARY:Fearlessness and freedom from selfish desiresare spontaneous symptoms of those who enjoy the transcenden-tal tastes of Ka consciousness. The residents of Vaikuha arealready perfect, but they humbly think themselves only potentialcandidates for prema-bhakti. Aspiring to be awarded exclusivelove of God, they abandon attachment to property and family.They are not even interested in protecting themselves fromthreats to their lives. Since they have no desire for the worldlygoals of prestige, security, and sense enjoyment, they have nourge to work to earn the money and pious credits required forobtaining these objects of desire. And as a further consequenceof their freedom from material ambition, they have transcendedidentifying the self in terms of material social divisions, the brh-

maacaste and other occupational designations, and even hu-man and demigod species. They have risen above the regularand occasional obligations of all these categories.

From the very day of ones birth, one is encumbered withthree kinds of debts. To the demigods, who provide the basicneeds of life, one owes the performance of sacrifice; to the par-ents, from whom one inherits the good karmaand cultural heri-

tage of ones family, one owes offspring; and to the sages, whoteach how to fulfill the spiritual potential of human life, oneowes study of the Vedas. One who fails to absolve oneself fromthese debts by doing what is required and avoiding what is for-bidden can expect severe punishment from Yamarja, the judgeof the sinful:

ais tribhir dvijo jto

devari-pit prabhoyajdhyayana-putrais tny

anistrya tyajan patet

Dear Prabhu, a member of the twice-born classes is born withthree kinds of debts those owed to the demigods, to the


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yatra kva vbhadram abhd amuya kiko vrtha pto bhajat sva-dharmata

One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in thedevotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while inan immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccess-ful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engagedin occupational duties, does not gain anything. (Bhgavatam..)

The fearless residents of Vaikuha are also free from allselfish concerns. They have no interest in transcendental perfec-tions such as a personal form like the Supreme Lords, what tospeak of the refined sense enjoyment of the residents of LordBrahms planet, or the happiness of impersonal nirva. In theeyes of the residents of Vaikuha, everything other than purelove of God is not only insignificant but also detrimental to theadvancement ofbhakti. Thus they consider impersonal libera-

tion and being elevated to heaven the same as being sent to hell.Speaking here to Nrada, Lord iva echoes his own words fromthe Sixth Canto of the Bhgavatam(..):

nryaa-par sarvena kutacana bibhyati

svargpavarga-narakev

api tulyrtha-darina

Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Su-preme Personality of Godhead, Nryaa, never fear any condi-tion of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation, and thehellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interestedonly in the service of the Lord.

TEXT 59

>aGavaiNav SaTYa& Mae Ta Wv ParMaiPa[Yaa" )ParMaPa[aQaRNaqYa MaMa TaE" Sah SaMa" ))


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bhagavn iva satya meta eva parama-priy

parama-prrthanya camama tai saha sagama

bhagavn the Supreme Lord; iva just as; satyam truly; me to me; te they; eva indeed;parama limitlessly; priy dear;parama highest; prrthanya ambition; ca and;mama my; tai saha with them; sagama association.

Truly I tell you, such devotees are as limitlessly dear to meas the Supreme Lord Himself. My highest ambition is tohave their company.

COMMENTARY:Lord iva has higher regard for pure Vaiavasthan for his own associates, headed by Nandvara. As Lord ivatold the ten Pracet brothers:

atha bhgavat yyapriy stha bhagavn yath

na mad bhgavatn capreyn anyo sti karhicit

You are all devotees of the Lord, and so I appreciate thatyou are as respectable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Himself. I know that the devotees also respect me in this wayand that I am dear to them. Thus no one can be as dear to thedevotees as I am. (Bhgavatam..)

TEXT 60

NaardahiMad& MaNYae Taad*XaaNaa& YaTa" iSQaiTa" )

>aveTSa Wv vEku-


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nrada dear Nrada; aham I; idam this; manye con-sider; tdnm of such persons;yata where; sthiti

the location; bhavet may be; sa that; eva only; vaiku-ha loka the spiritual world; na there is not; atra inthis matter; vicra room for argument.

In my opinion, dear Nrada, anywhere such devotees arefound is actually Vaikuha-loka. Arguing against this fact

would be useless.

COMMENTARY:For Lord iva, pure Vaiavas living on earth oranywhere else are no less glorious than the residents of Vai-kuha. Vaiavas should never be judged by whether they livein Lord Vius kingdom or not, because one who possesses thetreasure ofprema-bhaktialways has the Lord living with him.The Personality of Godhead Himself has said:

nha vasmi vaikuhena yogi-hdaye ravau

mad-bhakt yatra gyantitatra tihmi nrada

I do not live in Vaikuha, in the hearts of the yogs, or in-side the sun. Rather, My dear Nrada, I am present whereverMy devotees sing about Me. (Padma Pura, Uttara-khaa.)

TEXT 61

k*-Zai-SauDaaPaaNaad( dehdEihk-ivSMa*Tae" )

Taeza& >aaEiTak-dehe_iPa SaidaNaNdPaTaa ))ka-bhakti-sudh-pnd

deha-daihika-vismtete bhautika-dehe pi

sac-cid-nanda-rpat


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and illuminating as molten gold. He was thus completely pre-pared to board the transcendental plane. (Bhgavatam..)

Commenting on this verse, rla rdhara Svm explains hira-mayamas meaning full of effulgence. In other words, DhruvaMahrja obtained a new body made of pure spiritual energy. Tothus obtain a better body is quite possible. rla Santana Gosvmmentions that even drinking a special herbal tonic can give onea more attractive material body; then what to speak of the attrac-tive form one can attain by always drinking the transcendental

tonic ofbhakti-rasa.

TEXT 62

Par& >aGavTaa Saak&- Saa+aaT-I@aParMPara" )SadaNau>aivTau& TaEihR vEku-


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varieties of ecstatic pastimes. These loving reciprocations appearin Vaikuha and nowhere else. For that reason, Vaikuha has

received its name. It is the world where no one ever feels theanxiety (kuhat) of not tasting the perpetual flow of devo-tional rasa. When the Personality of Godhead momentarily dis-appears from the external or internal sight of His devotees inVaikuha, His disappearance only increases their eagerness tosee Him and be with Him. In Vaikuha even the Lords absenceincreases His devotees awareness of Him and their enjoyment

ofrasa.

TEXT 63

ATaae ih SaveR Ta}aTYaa MaYaae-a" SavRTaae_iDak-a" )dYaaivXaezivzYaa" k*-Z


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TEXT 64

[qPaavRTYauvacTa}aaiPa [qivRXaeze


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TEXT 65

YaSYaa" k-$=a+aPaaTaeNa l/aek-Paal/iv>aUTaYa" )jaNa& ivri->aRi- iSaDYaiNTa YadNauGa]haTa( ))

yasy kaka-ptenaloka-pla-vibhtaya

jna viraktir bhakti casidhyanti yad-anugraht

yasy whose; kaa-aka of the sidelong glance;ptenaby the fall; loka-pla of the rulers of the planets; vibhtaya the powers;jnam knowledge; virakti detachment;bhakti devotion; ca and; sidhyanti come into being;

yat whose; anugraht by the mercy.

Her mercy expands wherever she casts her sidelong glance.

Thus the rulers of the various planets obtain their powers,their knowledge, their detachment, and their devotion.

COMMENTARY:According to Mother Prvat, the demigods arepowerful only by the blessings of the goddess r. It is thanks tor that the demigods correctly understand the relative positionsof God and the finite living entities, that they have given up

interest in material enjoyment and liberation, and that they havebecome devotees of the Personality of Godhead. As DurvsMuni told Indra inthe Viu Pura(..):

yata sattva tato lakmsattva bhty-anusri ca

nirkn kuta sattvavin tena gu kuta

Where there is patience, opulence arises, and patience also fol-lows opulence. But how can those not favored by the goddessr have patience, and without patience how can they have goodqualities?


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In the same chapter of the Viu Pura (..), Lord Indraoffered the following prayer to Lakm:

yaja-vidy mah-vidyguhya-vidy ca obhane

tma-vidy ca devi tvavimukti-phala-dyin

O resplendent goddess, you personify the mystic knowledge

of sacrifice, of material nature, of the secrets of devotional ser-vice, and of perfection for the soul. You are the giver of ulti-mate liberation. Ultimate liberation is pure devotional service, which is ruled by the consort of the Supreme Person andgained by a fortunate soul only when she recommends thatsoul to the Lord.

TEXT 66

Yaa ivhaYaadreaJaMaaNaaNa( >avad*XaaNa( )vv]e TaPaaei>araraDYa iNarPae+a& c Ta& iPa[YaMa( ))

y vihydarepibhajamnn bhavdn

vavre tapobhir rdhyanirapeka ca ta priyam

y who; vihya leaving aside; darea with great re-spect; api even; bhajamnn who are worshiping; bhav-dn persons like you (Nrada); vavre she chose; tapo-bhi by severe penances; rdhya worshiping; nirapekam who was indifferent; ca and; tam Him; priyam herbeloved.

Ignoring people like you who worship her with great re-spect, she vowed to undergo severe penances to worshipher beloved Lord, even though He was indifferent to her.


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COMMENTARY:Only devotional service to the Supreme Lord canattract the attention of the goddess Lakm, who worships Lord

Nryaa with pure devotion. She willingly accepts any difficultyand any menial service to please Him, although He, being satis-fied in Himself, does not need anyones help to fulfill His desires.Many Vaiavas look to Mother Lakms example of perfect sur-render, hoping to follow in her footsteps. The wives of the Kliyasnake, for example, prayed to r Ka:

kasynubhvo sya na deva vidmahetavghri-reu-sparadhikrayad-vchay rr lalancarat tapo

vihya kmn su-cira dhta-vrat

O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kliya has attainedthis great opportunity of being touched by the dust of Your lotusfeet. For this end, the goddess of fortune performed austeritiesfor centuries, giving up all other desires and taking austerevows. (Bhgavatam..)

The supreme goddess Mah-lakm is the eternal beloved ofthe Lord of Vaikuha; she does not have to worship Him toachieve Him. But her expansions descend as avatras to ac-company the various incarnations of Nryaa, and some ofthese avatras of Mah-lakm, such as the daughter of Bhgu

Muni, are described in Vedic scriptures as performing penancesto obtain the Lord as their husband.

TEXT 67

k-raeiTa vSaiTa& iNaTYa& Yaa rMYae TaSYa v+aiSa )

PaiTav]TaaetaMaaXaezavTaareZvNauYaaTYaMauMa( ))karoti vasati nitya

y ramye tasya vakasipati-vratottame-

vatrev anuyty amum


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/CHAPTER THREE236

karoti does; vasatim residence; nityam perpetually;ywho; ramye beautiful; tasya His; vakasi on the chest;

pati-vrata of chaste wives; uttam the most perfect; aea in all; avatreu His incarnations; anuyti she follows;amum Him.

This most perfect of chaste wives resides forever on Hisbeautiful chest and follows Him in all His incarnations.

COMMENTARY:One of r Mah-lakms expansions is the Lakm

who controls and dispenses the opulences of this material world.Those who seek this Lakms grace know from their experiencethat she is fickle, cacal. But the original Lakm is never un-steady in her devotion to Lord Nryaa. She always stays in Hiscompany, residing on His chest and following wherever He goes:

eva yath jagat-svmdeva-devo janrdana

avatra karoty eatath rs tat-sahyin

Just as the Lord of the universe, the God of gods Janrdana,descends to this world, so does His helpmate the goddess r.

devatve deva-deheyamanuyatve ca mnu

vior dehnurp vaikaroty etmanas tanm

When He appears as a demigod she appears as a goddess, andwhen He becomes a human man she becomes a human woman.She accepts for herself a body that exactly corresponds to what-ever body Lord Viu assumes. (Viu Pura.., )

TEXT 68

[qParqi+aduvacTaTa" ParMahzeRaTaaTMaal/PaNa( MauiNa" )JaYa [qk-Mal/ak-aNTa he vEku-


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r-parkid uvcatata parama-harea

kobhittmlapan munijaya r-kamal-knta

he vaikuha-pate hare

r-parkit uvca r Parkit said; tata then; parama-harea with extreme delight; kobhita agitated; tmhis mind; lapan exclaiming; muni the sage;jaya glo-

ries to You; r-kamal-knta O husband of the goddessKamal; hevaikuha-pate O Lord of Vaikuha; hare OHari.

r Parkit said: Then the sage, his mind vibrating withextreme delight, called out, Glories to You, O husband ofthe goddess Kamal, O Hari, Lord of Vaikuha!

TEXT 69

JaYa vEku-


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COMMENTARY:Having heard Lord iva and Prvats descriptionof the glories of Vaikuha, its residents, and its presiding god-

dess, Nrada was overwhelmed with ecstasy. Although the Su-preme Person was currently present on earth in Dvrak, Nradaforgot this and wanted to go at once to Vaikuha. Expressinghis ecstasy, he first praised Lord Nryaa, then His kingdomand its residents, and last the greatest devotee in Vaikuha, rMah-lakm.

TEXT 70

AQaai>aNaNdNaaYaaSYaa vEku-


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TEXT 71

[qMaheXa ovack*-Z


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/CHAPTER THREE240

rukmi s mah-lakmkas tu bhagavn svayam

tasy avatr hivmandi-sampata

rukmi Rukmi; s she; mah-lakm the supremegoddess of fortune; ka Ka; tu but; bhagavn svayam the original Personality of Godhead; tasy her; aa-avatr partial incarnations; hi indeed; vmana-di

of Lord Vmana and other incarnations of Viu; sampata inthe company.

Queen Rukmi is the supreme goddess of fortune her-self, and Ka is the original Personality of Godhead.Rukmis partial incarnations accompany Lord Vmanaand the other avatras of the Lord.

COMMENTARY:In case Nrada has any doubt that the goddessMah-lakm is appearing with r Ka, Lord iva remindsNrada that she has descended as the daughter of King Bh-maka. Still, Nrada might raise the doubt that r Mah-lakmnever leaves the side of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Nryaa. Lord iva answers this by quoting the assertion givenin the Bhgavatam(..) kas tu bhagavn svayam: Ka as

He appears on earth isthat original Personality of Godhead. Butwhy then is Lakm sometimes seen in the company of incarna-tions of the Lord such as r Vmana, the thousand-headed Mah-purua, and Kapiladeva? Because these Lakms are avatrasofMah-lakm. That original goddess of fortune, the dearest devo-tee of the Lord in Vaikuha, has descended to Dvrak asQueen Rukmi.

TEXT 73

SaMPaU


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sampr pariprasyalakmr bhagavata sad

nievate padmbhojer-kasyaiva rukmi

sampr perfectly complete;pariprasya of the perfectlycomplete; lakm the divine consort; bhagavata of thePersonality of Godhead; sad always; nievate serves;pada-ambhoje at the lotus feet; r-kasya of r Ka; evaindeed; rukmi Rukmi.

Rukmi is the perfectly complete divine consort of thecomplete Personality of Godhead. She always serves at rKas lotus feet.

COMMENTARY:Because r Ka is not a mere incarnation ofViu but the source of all incarnations, rmat Rukmi is equally

supreme. She is the source of all goddesses of fortune.

TEXT 74

TaSMaaduPaivXa b]Na( rhSYa& ParMa& XaNaE" )k-


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COMMENTARY:Since the original Personality of Godhead andHis original consort have appeared on earth, Nrada should put

aside his eagerness to run off to Vaikuha and should just sit fora minute to hear what more Lord iva has to say. Nor shouldNrada run immediately to Dvrak without first listening to Lordivas confidential advice. Because what Lord iva wishes to sayshould not be heard by everyone, not even by his personal asso-ciates, he wants to whisper it into Nradas ear, thus also avoid-ing the possibility of displeasing Prvat, who is a close friend of

Mah-lakms.

TEXT 75

TvtaaTaTaae Ma@aidTai[Yaae_iPa k-a


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COMMENTARY:Do not expect to fulfill your intentions by visit-ing Dvrak just now, Lord iva is telling Nrada. There is a

devotee in this world even greater than the supreme goddess offortune, and that is Prahlda. Before going anywhere else youshould visit him. Because Prahldas devotion to the SupremeLord is so deep, he is exceptionally dear to the Lord. He isgreater than all the Lords servants in Vaikuha, includingGarua and Vivaksena and even Lakm.

TEXT 76

>aGavcNaaiNa Tv& ik&- Nau ivSMa*TavaNaiSa )ADaqTaaiNa PauraaivRNaa )i[YaMaaTYaiNTak-I& vaiPa Yaeza& GaiTarh& Para ))

nham tmnam semad-bhaktai sdhubhir vin


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riyam tyantik vpiye gatir aha par

na not; aham I; tmnam Myself; se hold in highregard; mat-bhaktai My devotees; sdhubhi the saintlypersons; vin without; riyam the goddess Lakm and theopulences she provides; tyantikm ultimate; v or; apieven; yem for which (devotees); gati the destination;aham I;par final.

Without saintly persons for whom I am the only destina-tion, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss or Mysupreme opulences.

COMMENTARY: This verse, spoken by the Supreme Lord toDurvs Muni in the Ninth Canto ofrmad-Bhgavatam(..),is cited here to establish the greatness of the Vaiavas in gen-

eral. The Personality of Godhead derives great satisfaction fromHis pure devotees on the earth and elsewhere, and in contrastHe is not as much attracted to His own consort in Vaikuha orthe imperishable opulences she creates for His pleasure. Nor isHe as much attracted by His own beauty. As the Lord further toldDurvs:

aha bhakta-pardhnohy asvatantra iva dvija

sdhubhir grasta-hdayobhaktair bhakta-jana-priya

I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I amnot at all independent. Because My devotees are completelydevoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of theirhearts. What to speak of My devotees, even the devotees of Mydevotees are very dear to Me.

mayi nirbaddha-hdaysdhava sama-darina


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vae kurvanti m bhaktysat-striya sat-pati yath

As chaste women bring their gentle husbands under control byservice, pure devotees, who are equal to everyone and com-pletely attached to Me in the core of the heart, bring Me undertheir full control. (Bhgavatam.., )

Uddhava heard similar words from r Ka:

na tath me priya-tamatma-yonir na akara

na ca sakarao na rrnaivtm ca yath bhavn

My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahm, Lord iva, Lord Sa-karaa, the goddess of fortune, nor indeed My own self is as

dear to Me as you. (Bhgavatam..) rla Santana Gosvmcomments that r Ka, in this verse from the Bhgavatam,meant to make the general statement that no one else is as dearto Him as His pure devotees, but because Ka became so ec-static thinking about the specific glories of His devotees, insteadof saying My devotee He unintentionally said you, Uddhava.

TEXT 78

MadaiddevTaaYaaeiNaiNaRJa>a-ivNaaedk*==Ta( )[qMaUiTaRriPa Saa Yae>Yaae NaaPae+Yaa k-ae ih NaaETau TaaNa( ))

mad-di-devat-yonirnija-bhakta-vinoda-kt

r-mrtir api s yebhyonpeky ko hi nautu tn

mat-di beginning with me; devat of the demigods;yoni the source; nija His own; bhakta to devotees; vinoda-kt the giver of pleasure; r-mrti His divine personal form;


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skt personally; bhagavat by the Supreme Lord; evaindeed; asau he; prahlda Prahlda; atarkya incon-

ceivable; bhgya-vn possessor of good fortune.

Moreover, among those countless devotees Prahlda standsout as the example of perfection. The Lord Himself hasdescribed him in this way. Prahldas good fortune isinconceivable.

COMMENTARY:

Prahlda is one of the rare Vaiavas, describedin the previous verse, who have no trace of material motivation.The Supreme Lord cherishes such pure devotees more than Hisown self, what to speak of Brahm and other demigods. Further-more, as the present verse states, Prahldas surrender is espe-cially complete, conferring on him a devotional position superiorto that of pure devotees such as ea and Garua. His goodfortune is unique among Vaiavas, as the Lord has declared

to him:

bhavanti puru lokemad-bhakts tvm anuvrat

bhavn me khalu bhaktnsarve pratirpa-dhk

Those who follow your example will naturally become My puredevotees. You are the best example of My devotee, and othersshould follow in your footsteps. (Bhgavatam..)

TEXT 80

TaSYa SaaE>aaGYaMaSMaai>a" Savl/R+MYaaPYaNautaMaMa( )

Saa+aairaUTa& ivdar


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tasya his; saubhgyam good fortune; asmbhi by us;sarvai all; lakmy by the goddess Lakm; api also;

anuttamam unexcelled; skt directly; hirayakaipoof Hirayakaipu; anubhtam experienced; vidrae at thetime of the tearing apart.

When the Lord tore apart Hirayakaipu, I, all the demi-gods, and the goddess Lakm witnessed with our own eyesthe incomparable good fortune of Prahlda.

COMMENTARY:Lord iva, Brahm, and many other demigodsand devotees, headed by Lakmdev and Garua, witnessed thekilling of Hirayakaipu by Lord Nsiha. With such substantialfirst-hand evidence for the Lords special kindness to Prahlda,no one should think that Prahldas birth in a family of demonsdisqualified him from being a Vaiava. The Lords appearancefor the sake of Prahlda is further described in the Seventh Canto

ofrmad-Bhgavatam, Chapter Eight.

TEXT 81

PauNa" PauNavRraNa( idTSauivRZ


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COMMENTARY:This verse, quoted from the Nryaa-vyha-stava, highlights the exclusiveness of Prahldas devotion to the

Supreme Lord. Lord Nsiha tried hard to entice Prahlda withliberation, just to let others see Prahldas resolve to stay fixed inpure devotion. The wordspuna puna(again and again) canbe understood in several logical contexts. The idea may be, asgiven in this translation, that Lord Nsiha offered Prahlda lib-eration several times. Or else it may be that Prahlda repeatedlyasked for pure devotion. Or else Prahlda asked for pure devo-

tion in his repeated future births. Prahlda expresses this lastidea in his prayer to Lord Nsiha recorded by Parara Muni inr Viu Pura(..):

ntha yoni-sahasreuyeu yeu vrajmy aham

teu tev acyut bhaktiracyutstu sad tvayi

O master, in all the thousands of births through which I mustwander in this world, please let me have unfailing devotion toYou, the infallible Supreme Lord. Prahldas readiness to beborn again thousands of times means he is not at all interested inliberation.

TEXTS 8283

MaYaaRdal/k-SYaaiPa GauvaRdeXaak*-Taae MauNae )ASaMPaSvvaGJaal/SaTYaTaaNTaSYa Yale/" ))

are Taad*GavSQaaNa& TauC^daNaf-l&/ ik-Mau )

r+a


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dvre tdg avasthnatuccha-dna-phala kim u

rakaa dua-basyaki nu mat-stava-kritam

maryd etiquette; laghakasya of one who had trans-gressed; api even; guru-dea the order of his spiritual mas-ter; akta who had failed to follow; mune O sage; asam-

panna who had not achieved; sva-vk of his own words;

jla of the network; satyat of truthfulness; antasya thecompletion;yat which; bale of Bali; dvre at the door;tdk such; avasthnam being stationed; tuccha insig-nificant; dna of charity;phalam the consequence; kimwhether; u indeed; rakaam protection; dua-basya of the wicked Ba; kim whether; nu indeed; matmy; stava by the offering of prayers; kritam effected.

My dear sage, Bali violated spiritual etiquette by disobeyingthe order of his spiritual master and failing to be true to hisown words. Still, as we know, the Lord agreed to becomethe guard at Balis door. Was that simply the fruit of Balisinsignificant charity? The Lord also granted protection tothe wicked Ba. Was that the result of my offering theLord prayers?

COMMENTARY:Because the Personality of Godhead blessed BaliMahrja by becoming his doorkeeper, someone might suggestthat Bali received more mercy than Prahlda. But according toLord iva this is not true. Rather, Lord Viu favored Bali onlybecause Bali was Prahldas grandson. Fighting for the demonsagainst the demigods, Bali overturned the law of the universe,set by Lord Brahm, that the demigods should rule heaven,the demons the subterranean Ptla-loka. By invading heaven,usurping the throne of Indra, and awarding the posts of variousdemigods to demons, Bali violated this natural order.

Bali also disobeyed specific instructions from his spiritualmaster, ukrcrya. ukra warned Bali not to give anything


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to Vmanadeva, even though Bali had offered Lord VmanaHis choice of gifts in charity. By committing the worst possible

crime of denying ones spiritual masters order, Bali earnedukrcryas curse. rla ukadeva Gosvm describes this in theBhgavatam(..):

evam araddhita iyamandea-kara guru

apa daiva-prahita

satya-sandha manasvinam

The spiritual master, ukrcrya, inspired by the Supreme Lord,cursed his exalted disciple Bali Mahrja, who was so magnani-mous and fixed in truth that instead of respecting the spiritualmasters instructions he wanted to disobey them.

After being cursed for agreeing to give Lord Vmana whatHe had asked, Bali could not even provide the charity he had

offered. Vmanadeva covered the entire universe with only twosteps, and no land remained on which He could place His third.Thus Balis elegant words promising charity became an emptypromise. He had told the Lord:

yad yad vao vchasi tat pratccha metvm arthina vipra-sutnutarkaye

g kcana guavad dhma matathnna-peyam uta v vipra-kanym

grmn samddhs turagn gajn vraths tathrhat-tama sampratccha

O son of a brhmaa, it appears that You have come here toask me for something. Therefore, whatever You want You maytake from me. O best of those who are worshipable, You may takefrom me a cow, gold, horses, elephants, chariots, a furnishedhouse, prosperous villages, palatable food and drink, the daugh-ter of a brhmaafor Your wife, or whatever You desire. (Bh-gavatam ..) When Vmanadeva submitted a request thatseemed too modest, Bali laughed at Him and said:


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aho brhmaa-dydavcas te vddha-sammat

tva blo blia-matisvrtha praty abudho yath

O son of a brhmaa, Your instructions are as good as thoseof learned and elderly persons. Nonetheless, You are a boy,and Your intelligence is insufficient. Thus You are not very pru-dent in regard to Your self-interest. (Bhgavatam..) And

when Vmanadeva insisted that He wanted nothing more thanas much land as He could cover with three steps, Bali repliedwith confidence. As stated in rmad-Bhgavatam(..):

ity ukta sa hasan prhavchta pratighyatm

When the Lord had thus spoken, Bali smiled and told Him, Allright. Take whatever You like. But when his promise provedimpossible to fulfill, these proud words became a reason for Balito be ashamed.

It seems that Bali did not give away anything very important,just the three insignificant material worlds and then his ownbody. Pada ttya kuru ri me nijam: Please place Yourthird lotus footstep on my head. (Bhgavatam..) Vmana-

devas becoming Balis doorkeeper could not have been the re-sult of just this meager charity, Lord iva proposes. The Lordmust have reciprocated with Bali in this way because Balis grand-father Prahlda was a great soul and a dear devotee of Viu.Bali did not deserve this benediction, because he was a violatorof the universal order, a transgressor of his gurusorder, and abreaker of promises. We see in this world that, as a general rule,in exchange for worthless trifles nothing substantial can be ob-tained. Balis petty charity, therefore, could not have purchasedthe Personality of Godhead, who is the embodiment of eternalknowledge and bliss. That charity certainly could not have re-sulted in the Lords entering Balis household entourage. Theonly feasible explanation for Balis good fortune is the intimate


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Lord iva here asks, Was it because of my prayers that r Kaexcused Ba for all his nonsense? Of course not, Lord iva in-

sists. Only because of Prahldas pure devotion did Lord Kadeliver Bsura. Offenses against Vaiavas such as those Bacommitted can be absolved only by the Vaiavas mercy. It wasby Prahldas grace that his grandson Bali and great-grandsonBa were dealt with favorably by the Lord. The only reason theLord pardoned them for their offenses and elevated them was toplease Prahlda.

TEXT 84

ke-vl&/ TaNMahaPa[ePa[adPa[qTYaPae+aYaa )ik&- b]UYaa& ParMa}aaSTae GaaErq l/+MYaa" iPa[Yaa Sa%q ))

kevala tan-mah-preha-

prahlda-prty-apekayki bry param atrstegaur lakmy priy sakh

kevalam only; tat His (Lord Vius); mah-prehamostbeloved;prahlda for Prahlda;prti His love; apekayby virtue of; kim what; brym can I say;param more;atra here; ste is present; gaur Gaur; lakmy of

the goddess Lakm;priy-sakh the dear friend.

No, in both cases the Lord acted out of affection forPrahlda, His most beloved devotee. But what more aboutthis can I say in the presence of Gaur, the close friend ofthe goddess Lakm?

COMMENTARY:Nrada might like to hear more about the gloriesof Prahlda Mahrja, but Lord iva is afraid to arouse the anger ofhis wife. If he says much more in praise of Prahlda, he will doubt-lessly fall into an ecstatic trance. If he then speaks too loudly,Prvat might hear what he is saying. She is a good friend of Mah-lakms and would not like to hear about Prahldas being a


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you. (Bhgavatam..) Lord Nryaa similarly tells DurvsMuni:

nham tmnam semad-bhaktai sdhubhir vin

riyam tyantik vpiye gatir aha par

Without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I

am not attracted to My own self or to My supreme consort, thegoddess r. (Bhgavatam..) One reason why the SupremeLord speaks like this is that although His eternal associates Sakaraa, Mah-lakm, and so on are ever established inunswerving devotion, they underwent no tribulations to gain it,whereas His new devotees in the material world have sacrificedall comforts and security to gain pure devotional service. For thetrouble such devotees have taken, Lord Ka is especially grate-ful. Besides this, the Lord wants to encourage all His devotees tosurrender themselves more fully, and to accomplish this He em-phatically praises devotees like Prahlda who have taken greatrisks for His satisfaction.

One might ask how Prahlda can be greater than Brahm,Indra, and other demigods. The demigods, on one hand, arefrequently able to have the audience of Lord Viu, which is the

final perfection of all spiritual practices. r Prahlda, on theother hand, associates with the Lord mostly by rememberingHim. We will hear Prahlda say about himself in the next chapterof the Bhad-bhgavatmta(Text ):

hanmad-di-vat tasyakpi sev ktsti na

para vighnkule cittesmaraa kriyate may

I have never performed any real service for the Lord likeHanumn and others. I have only remembered the Lord some-times, when my mind was troubled. Nonetheless, we should


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person; liya embracing; mat-lea of my embrace; va-lim a series; vade please relate.

Go quickly to Sutala. Offer Prahlda your countless bless-ings, embrace him, and tell him I embrace him again andagain.

COMMENTARY:At the time of Lord ivas speaking, Prahlda wasresiding on Sutala, the third Ptla planet, ruled by Bali Mahrja.

When Prahlda had come to witness Balis encounter with LordVmana, the Lord had invited Prahlda to visit Sutala-loka andenjoy His own association there for some time:

vatsa prahlda bhadra teprayhi sutallayam

modamna sva-pautreajtn sukham vaha

nitya drasi m tatragad-pim avasthitam

mad-darana-mahhlda-dhvasta-karma-nibandhana

My dear son Prahlda, all good fortune unto you. For the time

being, please go to the place known as Sutala and there enjoyhappiness with your grandson and your other relatives andfriends. You shall be able to see Me there in My usual featurewith disc, club, lotus, and conchshell in My hands. Because ofyour transcendental bliss from always personally seeing Me, youwill have no further bondage to fruitive activities. (Bhgavatam..)

TEXT 86

Ahae Na SahTae_SMaak&- Pa[


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aho na sahate smkaprama saj-jangra

stuti ca m pramd systatra cet sukham icchasi

aho oh; na sahate he does not tolerate; asmkam our;pramam bowing down; sat-jana of saintly persons; agra-n the foremost; stutim praise; ca also; m do not;

pramd careless; sy be; tatra about this; cet if;

sukham comfort; icchasi you want.

Unfortunately, that best of saintly persons will not tolerateour bowing down to him or praising him. If you want toavoid getting into trouble, do not neglect this fact.

COMMENTARY:Lord iva warns Nrada not to be careless andshow any respect to Prahlda. If he does, Prahlda will become

unhappy and refuse to talk with Nrada, or even see him.

Thus ends the third chapter of Part One of rla Santana Go-svms Bhad-bhgavatmta, entitled Prapactta: Beyondthe Material World.

brihad bhagavatamrita 3

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