brihad bhagavatamrita 5

8/14/2019 Brihad Bhagavatamrita 5

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Priya:TheBeloved


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TEXT 1[qParqi+aduvac

Ta}a [qNaardae hzR>ara==aNTa" SaNaTaRNaMa( )ku-deXa& GaTaae DaavNa( raJaDaaNYaa& Pa[ivvaNa( ))

r-parkid uvca

tatra r-nrado hara-bharkrnta sa-nartanamkuru-dea gato dhvan

rjadhny praviavn

r-parkit uvca r Parkit said; tatra there; r-nrada r Nrada; hara-bhara by an excess of joy; krntaovercome; sa-nartanam while dancing; kuru-deam to the

kingdom of the Kurus; gata went; dhvan running; rja-dhnym the capital city; praviavn entered.

r Parkit said: r Nrada, beside himself with joy, ar-rived dancing at the kingdom of the Kurus and raced intotheir capital city.

COMMENTARY:In this chapter the Pavas refute Nradas glo-

rification of them by instead glorifying the Yadus, especiallyUddhava.

After the annihilation of Duryodhanas army at Kuruketra,Yudhihira assumed his rightful throne and began ruling at Hasti-npura. Thus Nrada went to Hastinpura to see the Pavas.


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/CHAPTER FIVE388

TEXTS 23

TaavTk-SYaaiPa YaaGaSYa ivPaTPaaTaSYa va iMazaTa( )k*-Z


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PRIYA: The BELOVED/ 389

The king and his family at once stood up to greet Nrada, eventhough they had been busy deliberating on how to induce Ka

to come to Hastinpura. One idea had been to send Bhma orsomeone else to invite Ka to an Avamedha sacrifice, but theassembly thought this wouldnt make Ka come soon enough,because sacrifices take a long time to arrange. A second pro-posal was to ask Ka to help defend Hastinpura from enemyattack. Even though there was no need for another sacrificeand no threat of attack on the city, the Pavas were schem-

ing to get Kas association by whatever means. In general,the Supreme Lords devotees encounter two kinds of danger,one created by the Lord to proclaim His devotees glories, theother simulated by the Lords devotees when they are intenselyanxious to see Him.

TEXT 4

SaSaM>a]Ma& DaavTaa Tau Saae_i>aGaMYa Pa[aaMaaNaqYa SaTPaq#e= Pa[YaaduPaveiXaTa" ))

sa sambhrama dhvat tuso bhigamya praamya ca

sabhm nya sat-phe

prayatnd upaveita

sa-sambhramam eagerly; dhvat as he (Yudhihira)was rushing; tu but; sa he (Nrada); abhigamya com-ing close; praamya bowing down; ca and; sabhmto the assembly hall; nya being brought; sat-phe on aseat of honor;prayatnt with endeavor; upaveita madeto sit.

As Yudhihira eagerly rushed forward to meet him, Nradacame close and bowed down. Yudhihira brought him intothe assembly hall and with some effort made him accept aseat of honor.


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/CHAPTER FIVE390

TEXT 5

raja PaUJaaQaRMaaNaqTaE" PaUvRvd( d]VYaSaYaE" )MaaTaSTvC^(vXauraNaev Sa>a*TYaaNaacRYaTSa TaaNa( ))

rj pjrtham ntaiprva-vad dravya-sacayai

mtas tvac-chvaurn evasa-bhtyn rcayat sa tn

rj by the king;pj-artham for performing worship;ntai brought;prva-vat as done before; dravya-saca-

yai with the collected items; mta O mother; tvat your;vaurn fathers-in-law; eva indeed; sa-bhtyn withtheir servants; rcayat worshiped; sa he; tn them.

As others had done before, dear mother, the king brought

a large assortment of items for worshiping Nrada. ButNrada took those items and instead worshiped yourfathers-in-law and their servants.

COMMENTARY:Before the Pavas could reach Nrada at thedoor, the sage had already come close and offered his prostrateobeisances. Yudhihira then at once arranged for paraphernalia

for worship of Nrada. Although other devotees, like Prahlda,had also tried to worship Nrada, Yudhihira had the means tooffer the opulence of royal worship. But as soon as Yudhihirabegan the worship, Nrada stopped him, seized the items, andused them to worship the entire Pava household, includingthe servants. Parkit Mahrjas mother, being a close relative ofthe Pavas, could feel special pride in hearing this account.

TEXT 6

hNaUMaidTa& Taezu k*-ZavMa( )Mauhu" SaqTaRYaaMaaSa vqaUizTaMa( ))


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hanmad-gadita teuknugraha-vaibhavam

muhu sakrtaym sav-gta-vibhitam

hanmat-gaditam spoken by Hanumn; teu upon them;ka-anugraha of Kas favor; vaibhavam the precioustreasure; muhu extensively; sakrtaym sa he glori-fied; v-gta by the music of his v;vibhitam accom-

panied.

Nrada chanted at length the glories of the precious trea-sure of which Hanumn had spoken Kas favor onthe Pavas. Nrada accompanied his words by playinghis v.

COMMENTARY:Kas favor towards the Pavas, like a vasttreasure of material wealth, was precious and too extensive tomeasure. Nrada sang the glories of the Pavas in a sweetvoice, embellishing the verses of his song with accompanimentfrom his musical instrument, the v.

TEXT 7

[qNaard ovacYaUYa& Na*l/aeke- bTa >aUir>aaGaa

Yaeza& iPa[Yaae_SaaE JaGadqreXa" )devae GaubRNDauzu MaaTaule/Yaae

dUTa" SauTSaariQai-TaN}a" ))

r-nrada uvcayya n-loke bata bhri-bhg

ye priyo sau jagad-vareadevo gurur bandhuu mtuleyo

dta suht srathir ukti-tantra


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/CHAPTER FIVE392

r-nrada uvca r Nrada said; yyam you; n-lokeon the earth; bata indeed; bhri-bhg the most fortu-

nate; yem whose; priya dear friend; asau He; jagat of the universe; vara-a the Lord of lords; deva God;guru spiritual master; bandhuu among blood relations;mtuleya maternal cousin; dta messenger; suhtwell-wisher; srathi chariot driver; ukti-tantra ordercarrier.

r Nrada said: You are indeed the most fortunate personson earth! The Lord of all lords of the universe is your dear-est friend. He is your God, your spiritual master, your

blood relation, your maternal cousin. He is your messen-ger, well-wisher, order carrier, and charioteer.

COMMENTARY:In texts 7 through 44, Nrada tells of Kas spe-cial grace on the Pavas. He begins in this verse by indicating

the various ways the Pavas enjoyed personal association withKa. Because of these manifold relationships with Ka, thePavas should be considered the most fortunate Vaiavas onearth. This world of human beings is actually the most suitableplace to cultivate pure devotion for Ka. On higher planets likeSvarga-loka greater power and sense gratification are easily to behad, but such material resources, though attractive to condi-

tioned souls, are obstacles to renunciation and pure devotion.The Pavas are fortunate, therefore, to be with Ka in Hisdescent upon earth.

The Pavas good fortune is bhri, virtually unlimited.The word bhgameans good fortune (bhgadheyam), and italso means worship (bhajanam). In this second sense, bhri-bhgmeans that the Pavas worship of Ka is exception-ally exalted. Another meaning ofbhgais part. The Pavasenjoy a small share of the Supreme Lords special favor, since theLord has many other devotees besides them, but even that smallpart of His favor is great beyond measure.

Although the Pavas are richly endowed with love andcompassion for one another and for all creatures, the prime fo-


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cus of their love and affection is r Ka, the son of Devak. ThePavas are exceptionally fortunate because the same Ka

who is the sole object of their love is the supreme controller ofthe lords of the universe Brahm, Rudra, and the other demi-gods. The Pavas not only love Ka as their friend but alsoworship Him as their eternal master and protector. He is theirspiritual master, guiding them in all matters of life. He becomesone of their family members, specifically on their mothers side;Kunt, the Pavas mother, is the sister of Vasudeva, Kas

father, both of them being children of King rasena. And mater-nal cousins are normally affectionate to one another.Ka sometimes becomes the Pavas messenger. For

example, they once sent Him to Hastinpura from the city ofUpaplava in the kingdom of Vira to convey a message toDuryodhanas court. Ka is also the Pavas well-wisher(suht), their unmotivated benefactor who never expects anyreward for His services. And sometimes He drives Arjunas

chariot, as He did during the Battle of Kuruketra. Arjuna said,senayor ubhayor madhye/ ratha sthpaya me cyuta: OAcyuta, please draw up my chariot in the midst of both armies.(Bg .)

On such occasions Ka obeys the Pavas orders with-out question. Thus Ka is called ukti-tantra, subordinate to the words of His pure devotees. In a broader sense, also, all of

Kas dealings with the Pavas display His eagerness to sub-mit Himself to their control. He readily agrees to whatever theywish Him to do. This implies the other ways Hanumn had men-tioned to Nrada that Ka helps the Pavas His standingguard for them at night and so on. Ukti-tantra is also a politesynonym for the word sevaka (servant), which Nrada mayhave considered an unsuitably discourteous word for describingLord Ka.

All these relationships between Ka and the Pavasare pervaded by intimate affection. For the Pavas, Ka isthe eternal object of worship, but more than that He is theireternal friend. Arjuna and his brothers also worship demigodslike Lord iva and spiritual masters like Droa, but the Pavas


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worship of Ka is unique because it comes forth from unal-loyedprema.

TEXT 8

Yaae b]d]aidSaMaaiDadul/R>aaevedaei-TaaTPaYaRivXaezGaaecr" )

[qMaa*iSa&h" ik-l/ vaMaNa

[qragaveNd]ae_iPa Yad&XaPa" ))yo brahma-rudrdi-samdhi-durlabho

vedokti-ttparya-viea-gocararmn nsiha kila vmana ca

r-rghavendro pi yad-aa-rpa

ya who; brahma-rudra-di of Brahm, Rudra, and oth-

ers; samdhi in the advanced meditation; durlabha diffi-cult to realize; veda-ukti of the statements of the Vedas; tt-

parya by the purport; viea special; gocara who canbe perceived; rmn nsiha rmn Nsiha; kila in-deed; vmana r Vmana; ca and; r-rghavendrar Rghavendra (Rmacandra); api also;yat whose; aa-rpa plenary expansion.

For Brahm, Rudra, and other demigods He is difficult torealize even in advanced meditation. He can be knownthrough the words of the Vedas only when one under-stands their special purport. rmn Nsiha, r Vmana,and r Rghavendra are His plenary expansions.

COMMENTARY:The supremely charming transcendental personr Ka is difficult to understand. Great demigods may knowHis supremacy theoretically, but they cannot begin to tasteka-prema. All Vedic texts are ultimately descriptions of rKa, yet His all-attractive charm is not obvious in the literalmeaning of the Vedic mantrasnor in their ritualistic explana-


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tions. One must discover the secret purport of the Vedas,which is possible only by the mercy of r Kas pure devo-

tees. Jnsfollow the process ofatan-nirasana, negating allinessential concepts, to find the Supreme gradually in Hisimpersonal feature; but to obtain a more confidential under-standing of the Personality of Godhead this neti netimethod isinadequate.

Vaiavas adore the Supreme Brahman in various aspects ofHis personality. They worship Him at different times as the ava-

trasNsiha, Vmana, Rmacandra, and so on. Each Vaiavahas his own favorite form of the Lord, his ia-deva. Even thoughLord Nsiha is frightening and prone to anger, He has manydevotees, who constantly remember how He cared for Prahldaand protected him from all dangers. Lord Vmana is also populareven though a dwarf; His devotees remember how He coveredthe universe with three steps and displayed His universal form toBali. Countless devotees for millions of years have revered Lord

Rmacandra, remembering His example as a perfect monarch.But the attraction of each of these avatrasis but a reflection ofr Kas supreme attractiveness. All the avatrasof Godhead,finally, are His partial expansions. Each of them is the absolutelypotent Supreme Person, but none of them exhibits all the aspectsof His potency. Only r Ka manifests completely the gloriesof God.

By the word kila (indeed) Nrada indicates that Kasprimacy among the forms of Godhead is a well-known fact, es-tablished by scripture. In particular, rmad-Bhgavatam (..)declares:

ete ca-kal pusakas tu bhagavn svayam

These avatrasare all parts, and parts of parts, of the SupremePerson, but Ka is the original Personality of Godhead.

Ka is superior to Lord Nsiha, Lord Vmana, and LordRghavendra, and therefore the Pavas are superior to rPrahlda, Bali, and Hanumn.


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TEXT 9

ANYae_vTaara Yad&Xale/XaTaaeb]adYaae YaSYa iv>aUTaYaae MaTaa" )

MaaYaa c YaSYae+a


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reciprocates with loving devotees like Prahlda and Hanumn.Brahm explains this to Nrada in the Second Canto ofrmad-

Bhgavatam(..):

aha bhavo yaja ime prajedakdayo ye bhavad-daya ca

svar-loka-pl khaga-loka-pln-loka-pls tala-loka-pl

gandharva-vidydhara-craeye yaka-rakoraga-nga-nthye v m abh pit

daityendra-siddhevara-dnavendranye ca ye preta-pica-bhta-

kma-ydo-mga-paky-adh

yat kica loke bhagavan mahasvad

oja-sahasvad balavat kamvatr-hr-vibhty-tmavad adbhutra

tattva para rpavad asvarpam

Whether in form or formless, any being in the material worldexceptionally possessed of strength, power, beauty, riches, breed-ing, modesty, forgiveness, or mental and perceptual dexterity

may appear to be the specific truth and the form of the Lord, butactually is not so. This applies to me [Brahm], Lord iva, LordViu, and great generators of living beings like Daka and Praj-pati. It applies to you [Nrada and the Kumras] and to heavenlydemigods like Indra and Candra. It applies to the leaders of theBhrloka planets, the earthly planets, the lower planets, and theGandharva, Vidydhara, and Craa planets. It applies to theleaders of the Yakas, Rakas, and Uragas. And it applies to thegreat sages, the great demons, the great atheists, and the greatspacemen, as well as to the dead bodies, evil spirits, satans,jinn, Kmas, great aquatics, great beasts, and great birds.They are only fragments of the transcendental potency of theLord.


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/CHAPTER FIVE398

prdhnyato yn a manantillvatrn puruasya bhmna

pyat kara-kaya-onanukramiye ta imn su-pen

O Nrada, now I shall state, one after another, the transcenden-tal incarnations of the Lord known as ll-avatras. Hearing oftheir activities counteracts all foul matters accumulated in theear. These pastimes are pleasing to hear and are to be relished.

Therefore they are in my heart.Commenting on these verses of the Second Canto, rla r-dhara Svm explains that many opulent expansions of the Su-preme Person exist in this world and each of them displays part ofthe Supreme Lords potency. Some display great mahas(physicalstrength), others displayojas (sensory strength), and yet othersdisplaysahas (mental power), bala(steadfastness), r (beauty),hr(avoidance of karmic entanglement), vibhti (wealth), tm

(intelligence), or adbhuta-ara(amazing effulgence).Brahm mentions the gua-avatras(himself, Viu, and iva)

among the material opulences of the Supreme Person, in the sameway that Ka does in the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gt.But starting with the verse beginning prdhnyato yn, Brahmseparately describes the transcendental pastime incarnations ofthe Lord. Brahm enumerates only the most prominent of these

ll-avatras, because there are many lesser-known pastime ava-trasof Viu, more than could ever be listed. As r Sta Gosvmstates:

avatr hy asakhyeyhare sattva-nidher dvij

yathvidsina kulysarasa syu sahasraa

O brhmaas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, likerivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water. (Bhgava-tam ..) r Ka is sattva-nidhi, the original source of allsattva,which rla Santana Gosvm defines here as compas-


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sion. The Lord expresses this compassion by descending to thematerial world in numerous forms, which are all secondary rivu-

lets flowing from Him, their inexhaustible source.Brahm, Viu, and iva are incarnations of the Personality of

Godhead for ruling the modes of nature; the three Lords are notmere material opulences. But because Brahm and iva take therole of devotees and work as preachers of Ka consciousness,they are sometimes counted among Kas vibhtis. Lord Viuappears from time to time as the companion of Brahm and iva,

and therefore He also is sometimes described as a material vibhtiof the Supreme. For example, Lord Viu incarnates in eachmanvantara in His forms of Yaja and so on. Strictly speaking,Yaja and the other manvantara-avatrasare pastime incarna-tions, but they are also considered vibhtisbecause they collabo-rate with Brahm and iva to uphold the reigns of the variousManus and because they sometimes accept the post of Indra.

All the incarnations and vibhtisof the Supreme Lord have

their source in r Ka. My, the controller of material exist-ence, cannot have an intimate loving relationship with Him butmust constantly attend Him as a maidservant. She appears priorto the gua-avatras, and she is the creator, maintainer, anddestroyer of the universe. Thus Brahm and iva, being subordi-nate to her, are humbly situated as servants of the servant of thePersonality of Godhead.

TEXT 10

YaSYa Pa[Saad& Dar


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yasya whose;prasdam favor; dhara of Mother Earth;vilpata because of the lamenting; kra-uda of the Milk

Ocean; tre on the shore; vrata of vows; nihay withstrict observance; sthit standing; brahma-daya Brahmand the other demigods; kacana any; na alabhanta couldnot obtain; stutv reciting prayers; api although; upasthna in worshiping;par absorbed; samhit with com-plete concentration.

When Brahm and other demigods responded to the la-menting Mother Earth, together they all stood on the shoreof the Milk Ocean, observing strict vows. They recitedprayers and worshiped the Supreme Lord, meditating

with full concentration. Nonetheless, they were unable toobtain His favor.

COMMENTARY:At the end of Dvpara-yuga, when armies of god-

less kings burdened the earth, the rulers of the universe found outfor themselves that the Supreme Person cannot be easily seen byfocusing the hearts attention in yogic samdhi. To relieve MotherEarth of her distress, the demigods accepted severe vows, restrict-ing their eating and even their breathing to sharpen their mentalconcentration. They then approached the shore of the Ocean ofMilk, which surrounds the island on which Lord Krodaka-yViu resides. They recited the Purua-sktaand other Vedicprayers for His pleasure and tried to fix their external and inter-nal senses on Him. But after all this, they obtained no sign of Hissatisfaction not a single word or gesture to reassure them. Fromthis experience, recorded in the Tenth Canto, first chapter, ofrmad-Bhgavatam, the demigods learned that mechanicalmeditation is not an effective means for achieving personalassociation with the Supreme Lord.

TEXT 11

b]


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brahmaaiva samdhau khejtm adhigat hdi

yasya prakya tm jsukhit nikhil sur

brahma by Brahm; eva only; samdhau in trance;khe in the sky; jtm generated; adhigatm perceived;hdi in his heart;yasya whose; prakya manifesting;tm that; jm command; sukhit satisfied; nikhil all; sur the demigods.

Brahm then perceived in his heart the Lords command, which he heard as an unembodied voice in the sky. Herepeated that command to the demigods, and they all

became satisfied.

COMMENTARY:Because sincere worship of the Personality of

Godhead never goes in vain, the demigods did receive their an-swer. But because their worship was formal and reverential theLord chose not to answer them in person. He wanted to remindthem that official worship alone does not satisfy Him. Brahmreceived the Lords order, but only in the core of his heart andafter he had carefully withdrawn all the external functions of hissenses and mind. Furthermore, he was able to hear the orderonly as a voice in the sky from an unseen speaker. What Brahm

heard in his meditation and repeated to the demigods is nowfamous. Lord Brahm said:

puraiva pusvadhto dhar-jvarobhavadbhir aair yadupajanyatm

sa yvad urvy bharam varevarasva-kla-akty kapaya cared bhuvi

Before we submitted our petition to the Lord, He was alreadyaware of the distress on earth. Consequently, for as long as theLord moves on earth to diminish its burden by His own potency inthe form of time, all of you demigods should appear through ple-nary portions as sons and grandsons in the family of the Yadus.


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vasudeva-ghe skdbhagavn purua para

janiyate tat-priyrthasambhavantv amara-striya

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, r Ka, who has fullpotency, will personally appear as the son of Vasudeva. There-fore all the wives of the demigods should also appear in order tosatisfy Him.

vsudeva-kalnantasahasra-vadana sva-r

agrato bhavit devohare priya-cikray

The foremost manifestation of Ka is Sakaraa, who isknown as Ananta. He is the origin of all incarnations within this

material world. Previous to the appearance of Lord Ka, thisoriginal Sakaraa will appear as Baladeva, just to please theSupreme Lord Ka in His transcendental pastimes.

vior my bhagavatyay sammohita jagat

di prabhuenakryrthe sambhaviyati

The potency of the Lord, known as Viu-my, who is as goodas the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will also appear withLord Ka. This potency, acting in different capacities, capti-vates all the worlds, both material and spiritual. At the request ofher master, she will appear with her different potencies in orderto execute the work of the Lord. (Bhgavatam..)

TEXT 12

k-iSMaiPa Pa[ajvrEivRive-=GaGaaRidi>aYaaeR iNa>a*Ta& Pa[k-aXYaTae )


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NaaraYaaGavaNaNaeNa

SaaMYa& k-Qai>aTae Na caPar" ))kasminn api prja-varair viviktegargdibhir yo nibhta prakyate

nryao sau bhagavn anenasmya kathacil labhate na cpara

kasmin in some place; api only; prja of wise men;varai by the most excellent; vivikte secluded; garga-dibhi by Garga and others;ya who; nibhtam pri-

vately;prakyate is divulged; nryaa Nryaa; asau He; bhagavn the Personality of Godhead; anena withHim; smyam equal; kathacit in some aspects; labhatena cannot be found; ca and; apara another.

Only in some confidential meetings did wise sages like

Garga divulge who Ka really is: He whom the Personal-ity of Godhead Nryaa only partly equals, no one elseeven coming close.

TEXT 13

ATa" [qMaDauPauYaa| Yaae dqgaRivZ


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COMMENTARY: We should not surmise that when Ka ap-peared in response to the request of the demigods He did so

only as another avatraof r Nryaa. Ka is the originalGodhead, superior to Nryaa, and Kas devotees like thePavas are superior to Nryaas devotees, including Garuaand the Lords other attendants in Vaikuha.

Nrada mentions that Garga Muni revealed Kas identityin some confidential meetings. Nrada prefers not to mentionthat these meetings had been with Nanda Mahrja; Nandas

position as a recipient of Kas mercy is so advanced that hisname should not be mentioned until later, when the discussionreaches a higher level.

Garga Muni only tactfully alluded to Kas supremacy. Hesaid that Ka and the Supreme Lord Nryaa are equal insome ways. These words imply that although Nryaa is likeKa in the sense of also being the source of all incarnationsand having a divine body, the Lord of Vaikuha is not equal to

Ka in all respects.Garga referred to Lord Nryaa as bhagavn, and accord-

ing to Parara is definition bhagavnrefers to that person who fully possesses all authority, strength, fame, opulence,knowledge, and renunciation. Nryaameans the Personalityof Godhead who casts His merciful glance (ayate) on the multi-tude of living beings (nra). By this glance He bestows the

potencies of knowledge and action, thus engaging the jvas inuseful and sanctifying activities. Only Lord Nryaa equalsKa in some respects; the secondary expansions of Godheaddo not even begin to equal Ka.

The creative Purua form of Viu is glorified as the sourceof all avatras:

etan nnvatrnidhna bjam avyayam

This Purua is the source and indestructible seed of multifariousincarnations within the universe. (Bhgavatam ..) But inspite of belonging to the exclusive category ofavatr(source


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of incarnations), the Purua Viu does not display all-attractive,supremely sweet pleasure pastimes like r Ka. Only Nryaa

in Vaikuha exhibits personal pastimes somewhat resemblingKas, but these llsof Vaikuha cannot match the charm andintimacy of Kas sports in Goloka Vndvana.

As we read in the Tenth Canto of the Bhgavatam(..),Garga Muni specifically told Nanda Mahrja:

tasmn nandtmajo ya te

nryaa-samo guairiy krtynubhvenagopyasva samhita

O Nanda Mahrja, this child of yours is therefore as good asNryaa. In His transcendental qualities, opulence, name, fame,and influence, He is exactly like Nryaa. You should all raisethis child very carefully and cautiously. The real meaning ofGargas words is hidden: Nryaa is similar to Ka in thequalities that define the status of God, but He does not share theunbounded sweetness of Kas appearance and attire, His pas-times, and so on. Outwardly Garga encourages Nanda to takegreat care in raising and protecting Ka, but secretly the wordgopa-ya-svahas another interpretation: Because of Ka therewill be a constant increase (ya) of the cowherds ecstatic love,

and also because of Him all their desires and needs (sva) will befulfilled.

TEXT 14

YaSYa Pa[Saad" SaNMaaENaXaaiNTa>a-yaidSaaDaNaE" )

Pa[aQYaaeR Na" Sa SvYa& vae_>aUTPa[Saae vXavTYaRiPa ))yasya prasda san-mauna-

nti-bhakty-di-sdhanaiprrthyo na sa svaya vo bht

prasanno vaa-varty api


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yasya whose;prasda satisfaction; sat first-class; mau-na by silence; nti peacefulness; bhakti devotion; di

and so on; sdhanai by these disciplines;prrthyaprayed for; na by us; sa that (satisfaction); svayamautomatically; va for you; abht arose;prasanna sat-isfied; vaa-vart submitting to control; api even.

We can only pray to satisfy Him through our disciplinesof silence, peace, and devotion. But being naturally sat-

isfied with you, He has even submitted Himself to yourcontrol.

COMMENTARY:Comparing the Pavas with world-renownedsages like himself, Nrada finds the Pavas greater. Nradaand other great sages worship the Supreme Lord with seriousintent. They are self-satisfied, free from material entanglement,

and strict in their execution of the nine kinds of devotional prac-tice. But by all their proper sdhana, self-controlled sagescan only hope to obtain the Lords mercy in the distant future.Even though Nrada is in fact a first-class Vaiava, he humblyincludes himself among impersonalist sages who have not yetreceived the Supreme Lords mercy.

The Pavas, however, have gained Kas favor without

having undergone spiritual disciplines. So strong and spontane-ous is their love for Ka that He falls under its sway, obeyingHis devotees commands like a menial servant. As described inthe Seventh Canto ofrmad-Bhgavatam, during one visit toHastinpura Nrada discussed this at length with Yudhihirawhile telling him the history of Prahlda. At the end of this narra-tion, Nrada assured Yudhihira and his brothers that they wereno less exalted than Prahlda:

yya n-loke bata bhri-bhgloka punn munayo bhiyanti

ye ghn vasatti skdgha para brahma manuya-ligam


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My dear Mahrja Yudhihira, all of you [the Pavas] areextremely fortunate, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

Ka, lives in your palace just like a human being. Great saintlypersons know this very well, and therefore they constantly visitthis house.

sa v aya brahma mahad-vimgya-kaivalya-nirva-sukhnubhti

priya suhd va khalu mtuleya

tmrhayo vidhi-kd guru ca

The impersonal Brahman is Ka Himself because Ka is thesource of the impersonal Brahman. He is the origin of the tran-scendental bliss sought by great saintly persons, yet He, the Su-preme Person, is your most dear friend and constant well-wisherand is intimately related to you as the son of your maternal uncle.Indeed, He is always like your body and soul. He is worshipable,

yet He acts as your servant and sometimes as your spiritualmaster.

na yasya skd bhava-padmajdibhrpa dhiy vastutayopavaritam

maunena bhaktyopaamena pjitaprasdatm ea sa stvat pati

Exalted persons like Lord iva and Lord Brahm could not prop-erly describe the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Ka. He is always worshiped as the protector of all devotees bygreat saints who observe vows of silence, meditation, devotionalservice, and renunciation. May that Supreme Lord be pleasedwith us. (Bhgavatam..)

While finishing the account of Prahldas deliverance byLord Nsihadeva, Nrada had observed that the Pavasseemed a little discouraged, as if they had no hope of receivingfrom the Lord the same mercy as Prahlda. To pacify this anxiety,Nrada spoke these three verses. The life of the Pavas couldnot factually be as hopeless as they considered it; after all,


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venerated sages from all over the universe came to their homejust to visit Ka. Kas living always with the Pavas shows

the Pavas great fortune and Kas extreme favor uponthem. Nradas father, Brahm, and other great mystics like thefour Kumras can only strive to realize Ka with a dim hope offuture success.

The unconditional bliss of oneness hinted at in the Vedasisactually embodied in the personality of Ka, and He associateswith the Pavas in the most intimate ways. He is their most

dear friend, always showing them affection. He is their constantwell-wisher, acting for their benefit without any calculation ofprofit. And He is their worshipable Lord and the executor of theirorders. He is not a distant goal of perfection, but is directly pres-ent in the Pava assembly. By using the proximate pronounayam(this person close by), Nrada implies that Ka is readyto reciprocate with the Pavas at their pleasure. Nrada thusindicates that by Kas presence in their royal court the su-

preme good fortune of the Pavas overflows and floods thewhole world.

A skeptic may ask, If Ka in fact is the Absolute Truth,then why does He become attached to sixteen thousand wives,and why does He obey ordinary religious principles? In thethird of these Seventh Canto verses, Nrada answers: Do notexpect to understand everything about Ka. Even Lord iva,

Brahm, and other great mystics cannot describe Him com-pletely. They cannot even fully describe the beauty of any one ofHis limbs. They cannot put these transcendental facts into words,nor even conceive them in their minds. And if such exaltedauthorities are frustrated in trying to explain Ka, Nrada im-plies, what can someone like me do? The Pavas, however,have a special relationship with r Ka, by which they knowHim much more intimately than do any of the demigods. Kais obviously satisfied with the Pavas, whereas the demigods,by various spiritual practices, must still endeavor to obtain Hissatisfaction.

The Absolute Truth does not live in the house of Prahlda,and therefore sages do not regularly visit Prahldas house to see


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the Lord. The Personality of Godhead does not assume the roleof Prahldas maternal uncle, nor constantly show Prahlda His

satisfaction in so many ways. Therefore, Nrada argues, thePavas should admit that they are more fortunate than every-one else the sages, demigods, and other devotees.

TEXT 15

Ahae Xa*ak-


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/CHAPTER FIVE410

Maui&- Na NaqTaa >ai-NaR dtaa k-SMaEicdutaMaa )

Pa[adaYa Par& dtaa [qNa*iSa&havTaarTa" ))klanemir hirayko

hirayakaipus tathrvaa kumbhakara ca

tathnye ghtit svayam

mukti na nt bhaktir na

datt kasmaicid uttamprahldya para datt

r-nsihvatrata

klanemi Klanemi; hirayka Hirayka; hiraya-kaipu Hirayakaipu; tath and; rvaa Rvaa;kumbhakara Kumbhakara; ca and; tath also; anye

others; ghtit killed; svayam personally; muktim toliberation; na not; nt led; bhakti devotional ser-vice; na not; datt given; kasmaicit to anyone; utta-m pure;prahldya to Prahlda; param only; dattgiven; r-nsiha-avatrata by the incarnation r Nsiha.

Klanemi, Hirayka, Hirayakaipu, Rvaa, Kumbha-

kara, and others were killed by the Supreme Lord, butnone of them received liberation. And pure devotional service was given to no one but Prahlda, who received itfrom the incarnation r Nsiha.

COMMENTARY:Klanemi was killed by the Lord of Vaikuhaduring a battle between the demigods and demons. Hiraykawas killed by Lord Varha, Hirayakaipu by Lord Nsiha,

and the two brothers Rvaa and Kumbhakara by LordRmacandra. Other Daityas and Rkasas, including relatives ofthe demons mentioned in these verses, also met death at thehands of the Supreme Lord. Nonetheless we know that uponbeing killed by the Lord none of them attained liberation, since


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history records that they all took birth again. Only in the pas-times of r Ka did many demons obtain liberation.

Lord Vius avatras rarely give liberation, but they evenmore rarely bestow pure devotional service. This is confirmed byrla Rpa Gosvm in his Laghu-bhgavatmta. The Purasdescribe only one case in which pure devotional service wasgranted when Lord Nsiha blessed Prahlda and that devotion, at least according to Prahldas own testimony, wasmixed with the tendency to cultivate knowledge.

TEXTS 1819

hNaUMaaNa( JaaMbuvaNa( [qMaaNa( SauGa]qvae_Qa iv>aqzai&- Tau le/i>are )

ivXauSYa c k-SYaaiPa Pa[eM


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Later, the incarnation Lord Raghuntha bestowed pure devotion upon a few Guha, Hanumn, Jmbavn, Vibh-

aa, Daaratha, and the blessed Sugrva. But in relation tothose devotees we never hear of prema, the utmost stage ofpure devotion.

COMMENTARY:Some of the participants in Lord Rmacandrasllswere not finite living entities. Lord Rmas three brothers were incarnations of the masters of Vaikuha Sakaraa,

Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. The Lords wife, Stdev, was di-rectly the goddess Lakm. These infallible persons need not riseto the level of love of God, because they are situated on thatlevel eternally. But some of Lord Rmacandras servants who are

jvas, Hisjanas(personal dependents), reaped from His associa-tion the benefit of pure bhakti. Love of God is pure when freefrom the material motives ofkarma and jna. Lord Devak-

nandana in His appearance as the Lord of the Raghus grantedsuch bhaktito only a few of His devotees.Guha, a king of the Nidas, became a friend of Lord

Rmacandras.Here Nrada says that even Daaratha (daaratho pi) ob-

tained bhaktifrom Lord Rma. Nrada qualifies his statement inthis way to answer a potential doubt that Daaratha was anunfortunate person. After all, Daaratha had been cursed by abrhmaato suffer separation from his son, and that separationled to his dying untimely and in lamentation. Still, he was blessedwith pure bhaktiby virtue of his intense attachment to his sonRma. His apparent suffering is properly understood to be anecstatic symptom of transcendental separation from the Person-ality of Godhead.

TEXT 20

wdaNaq=& >avdqYaeNa MaaTaule/YaeNa Naae k*==Taa" )Mau-a >a-aSTaQaa XauPa[eMaSaMPaUirTaa" k-iTa ))


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idn bhavadyenamtuleyena no kt

mukt bhakts tath uddha-prema-samprit kati

idnm nowadays; bhavadyena your; mtuleyena bythe maternal cousin; na not; u indeed; kt made; muk-t liberated; bhakt devotees; tath also; uddha-

prema with pure prema; samprit filled; kati how

many.

But now so many persons have been granted liberation,made devotees, and filled with pure prema, all by yourmaternal cousin!

COMMENTARY:Even persons who came into casual contact with

Ka gained liberation and pure devotion, what to speak of thePavas, who lived with Ka constantly as His intimate friends.The Pavas should not imagine themselves bereft of thesebenefits.

TEXT 21

AaTMaNaa MaairTaa Yae c gaaiTaTaa vaJauRNaaidi>a" )Nark-ahaR dETaeYaaSTaNMaihMNaaMa*Ta& GaTaa" ))

tman mrit ye caghtit vrjundibhi

narakrh ca daiteystan-mahimnmta gat

tman by Himself; mrit being killed;ye who; ca and; ghtit being caused to be killed; v and; arjuna-dibhi by Arjuna and others; naraka-arh fit to be sentto hell; ca and; daitey demons; tat His; mahimnby the glory; amtam immortality; gat attained.


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And by the power of His glory, demons fit for hell have become immortal after being slain by Him or by such

companions as Arjuna.

COMMENTARY:From infancy Ka killed many demons, begin-ning with the witch Ptan. Arjuna and other devotees alsokilled demons, and kings who were partial incarnations of de-mons, like Kara and Duryodhana. These demons and inimicalkings were candidates for punishment in hell because they were

active opponents of the Vaiavas. But despite being destined forhell, by the transcendental influence of r Ka they obtainedliberation. In the words ofrmad-Bhgavatam(..):

ye ca pralamba-khara-dardra-key-aria-mallebha-kasa-yavan kuja-paurakdy

anye ca lva-kapi-balvala-dantavakra-saptoka-sambara-vidratha-rukmi-mukhy

ye v mdhe samiti-lina tta-cpkmboja-matsya-kuru-sjaya-kaikaydy

ysyanty adaranam ala bala-prtha-bhma-vyjhvayena hari nilaya tadyam

Many demonic enemies fought vigorously either against the

Lord Hari directly or against Him under His names such asBaladeva, Arjuna, and Bhma. Among such demons were Baka,Ke, Pralamba, Dhenuka, Aria, Cra, Muika, and the ele-phant Kuvalaypa. Others were Kasa, Klayavana, Pau-raka, Naraksura, and great marshals like lva. Still others wereRukm, Balvala, ambara, Dantavakra, Vidratha, the seven bulls,and Dvivida the monkey. And there were also great warriors likeKuru, Matsya, Sjaya, Kmboja, and Kekaya. All such demonsattained either the impersonal brahma-jyoti or the Lordspersonal abode in the Vaikuha planets.

Lord Balarma killed Dhenuka, Dvivida, Balvala, and others;Pradyumna killed ambara; Mucukunda killed Klayavana; andBhma, Arjuna, and other devotees killed enemies like the king


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of Kmboja. But actually Ka Himself killed these demons.Ka simply acted through the agency of His devotees to let

them share the glories of His acts.

TEXTS 2223

TaPaaeJaPajaNaPara MauNaYaae Yae_QaRSaaDak-a" )ivaiMa}aae GaaETaMa viXaae_iPa TaQaa Pare ))

Tae ku-+ae}aYaa}aaYaa& GaTva k*-Z


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they were on pilgrimage at Kuruketra, r Ka merci-fully inspired them to pray to Him for pure devotion. Thus

they obtained it and became fully dedicated to His devo-tional service.

COMMENTARY:Vivmitra is an especially austere sage, Gautamaan expert chanter ofmantras, and Vasiha a deep knower ofspiritual philosophy. Prior to meeting Lord Ka, they were notpure devotees but were seeking success on the paths of mundane

religiosity, prosperity, enjoyment, and liberation. Purified and in-spired by seeing Ka at the holy site of Kuruketra, these threeand other sages submitted a transcendental request, which wefind recorded in rmad-Bhgavatam(..):

tasydya te dadimghrim aghaugha-mara-trthspada hdi kta su-vipakva-yogai

utsikta-bhakty-upahataya-jva-kocpur bhavad-gatim athnugha bhaktn

Today we have directly seen Your feet, the source of the holyGanges, which washes away volumes of sins. Perfected yogscan at best meditate upon Your feet within their hearts. But onlythose who render You wholehearted devotional service and in

this way vanquish the souls covering the material mind attain You as their final destination. Therefore kindly showmercy to us, Your devotees.

rla rdhara Svm explains in his commentary on rmad-Bhgavatamthat the sages considered their audience with Kathe ultimate reward for their accumulated religious achieve-ments. Aware of their exceptional good fortune, they dared toask Ka for the favor of pure devotional service. In case Kamight try to dissuade them, saying, Why do you need devo-tional service? Just continue performing austerities as you alwayshave, they reminded Ka that in the past the coverings of thegross and subtle bodies were transcended only by His puredevotees, not by impersonalist ascetics.


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TEXT 24

SQaavra TaMaaeYaaeiNaGaTaaSTal/TaadYa" )XauSaaitvk->aavaPTYaa TaTPa[eMarSavizR


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/CHAPTER FIVE418

All these cities and villages are flourishing in all respectsbecause the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are

full of fruits, the rivers flowing, the hills full of minerals, andthe oceans full of wealth. And this is all due to Your glancingover them. (Bhgavatam..) Although originally coveredbytamo-gua, the trees and plants of Hastinpura flourished,achieving the highest treasure of love of God, because Kasimply looked at them. These sub-animal species were upliftedto the pure consciousness called uddha-sattva, in which Vai-

avas realize Ka consciousness. Or, taking another meaningof the word uddha-sttvika-bhva, the trees and plants ofHastinpura manifested the sttvikaecstasies of being stunned,having ones bodily hair stand on end, and so on. They con-stantly rained down love for Ka, in tears of love disguised assweet sap.

TEXT 25

he k*-Za]aTarSTaSYa ik&- v


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COMMENTARY:Why are liberation and pure devotion obtainedmore easily from Ka than from any other form of Godhead?

Because He is supremely attractive. The beauty of His all-attractivefeatures has never been seen in anyone else not in the Lord ofVaikuha nor in any of the incarnations of Viu. In Nradasopinion, even to try to describe Kas unique beauty wouldbe futile.

TEXT 26

APaUvRTveNa TaSYaEv Yaae ivSMaYaivDaaYak-" )TaQaa l/Il/a Gau


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/CHAPTER FIVE420

of all who enter. The Pavas, whom Nrada has addressed asKas brothers, have certainly realized these truths and are

therefore most fortunate among human beings.

TEXT 27

MaNYae_}aavTairZYaNa( Na SvYaMaevMaSaaE Yaid )TadaSYa >aGavtaEva>aivZYaTPa[k-$=a Na ih ))

manye trvatariyan nasvayam evam asau yadi

tadsya bhagavattaiv-bhaviyat praka na hi

manye I think; atra here; avatariyat na had not de-scended; svayam in His original form; evam in this way;

asau He;yadi if; tad then; asya His; bhagavattstatus of being the Personality of Godhead; eva even;abhaviyat would have been;praka manifested; nanot; hi indeed.

I think that had He not descended in His own originalform, the world would never have known His true identity

as the Personality of Godhead.

COMMENTARY:There is a logical dilemma in this description: Ifthe Supreme Lords superlative charm did not exist before Kasappearance, that charm would not be eternal. If it did exist,then Ka would not be superior to the other forms of Godhead.This apparent contradiction, however, is easily resolved: BeforeKa appeared in Mathur five thousand years ago, His eternal

complete attractiveness had not been seen in this world for avery long time. It had been forgotten, even by the Vedic sagesand demigods. Thus without the advent of Ka Himself, noone would have had any idea of the extent of His perpetualglories.


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TEXT 28

wdaNaq=& ParMaa& k-aa& Pa[aa>aUTSavRTa" Sfu-$=a )iviXaMaihMa[e


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/CHAPTER FIVE422

kasya kruya-kaths tu dretasya praasyo bata nigraho pi

kasdaya kliya-ptandybaly-daya prg api skio tra

kasya of Ka; kruya about the kindness; kathdiscussion; tu but; dre putting aside; tasya by Him;

praasya praiseworthy; bata indeed; nigraha punish-ment; api even; kasa-daya Kasa and others; kliya-

ptan-dy Kliya, Ptan, and others; bali-daya Baliand others;prk previously; api and; skia witnesses;atra in this matter.

We speak of Kas kindness, but even the punishmentsHe metes out are worthy of praise. To this there have beenmany witnesses including Kasa, Kliya, and Ptanand, in the more distant past, Bali and others.

COMMENTARY:While Kasa was ruling Mathur, the dread ofbeing killed by Ka tormented him constantly. But as a side-effect of this involuntary meditation, Kasa became completelyKa conscious. ukadeva Gosvm describes:

sna savias tihan

bhujna paryaan pibancintayno hkeam

apayat tan-maya jagat

While sitting on his throne or in his sitting room, while lying onhis bed, or indeed while situated anywhere, and while eating,sleeping, walking, or drinking, Kasa saw only his enemy, theSupreme Lord, Hkea. In other words, by thinking of this all-pervading enemy, Kasa became unfavorably Ka conscious.(Bhgavatam..)

At the time of Kasas death, Ka dragged him from hisplatform in the arena and jumped on his chest. Thus, as Kasaleft his body he was able to feel Kas foot on his chest and see


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Kas blessed face. After Kasas death, Ka arranged a royalfuneral, attended by the Yadu princes, the cowherds of Vraja,

and Lord Ka Himself. Like a dear friend of the family, Kafurther consoled Kasas widows and granted the vacant throneto Kasas father, Ugrasena.

Being punished by Ka also spiritually benefited many al-lies of Kasa, including the wrestlers of Mathur and kings like Jarsandha. Only the most malevolent enemies of the Lord,namely iupla and Dantavakra, failed to obtain His full mercy

during their lives. These two demons displeased Ka by com-mitting offenses against brhmaas, but because the demonswere actually His eternal servants in disguise, in the end theyalso received His mercy.

Opponents like the wrestlers Cra and Muika were lessculpable. Fighting against Ka under Kasas orders, they hadbecome infected by Kasas envious spirit. Still, the wrestlerswere allowed to enjoy the favor of being embraced by Ka

during combat, just like the cowherd boys of Vraja in their mockfights with Ka. Ka also honored the wrestlers by conduct-ing their funerals:

rja-yoita vsyabhagavlloka-bhvana

ym hur laukik sasth

hatn samakrayat

After consoling the royal ladies, Lord Ka, sustainer of all theworlds, arranged for the prescribed funeral rites to be performed.(Bhgavatam..)

Lord Balarma repeatedly captured Jarsandha in combat buteach time released him, just to glorify Jarsandhas prowess.Ka, Balarma, and Their friends paid a personal visit toJarsandhas palace to forever establish his reputation as a greatfollower of brahminical culture and a great giver of charity.Pauraka and other enemies of the Lord received similar merci-ful treatment. In Text , by the words tman mrit (allkilled by Him in person), Nrada has implied that they all

m


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/CHAPTER FIVE424

attained liberation. Nrada further confirmed this in a conversationwith Kas father, Vasudeva:

vairea ya n-pataya iupla-paura-lvdayo gati-vilsa-vilokandyai

dhyyanta kti-dhiya ayansandautat-smyam pur anurakta-dhiy puna kim

Inimical kings like iupla, Pauraka, and lva were always

thinking about Lord Ka. Even while lying down, sitting, orengaging in other activities, they enviously meditated upon thebodily movements of the Lord, His sporting pastimes, His lovingglances upon His devotees, and other attractive features dis-played by the Lord. Being thus always absorbed in Ka, theyachieved spiritual liberation in the Lords own abode. What thencan be said of the benedictions offered to those who constantlyfix their minds on Lord Ka in a favorable loving mood?(Bhgavatam..)

Demons who invaded Kas sacred land of Gokula obtainedfrom Ka even greater mercy than the kings who opposed Himin Mathur and Dvrak. Kliya was blessed with the touch ofKas limbs more thoroughly than the wrestlers in Kasasarena. While Ka enthusiastically danced on Kliyas heads,the serpent received Vndvana dust directly from Kas feet, a

benefit that Kliyas wives praised in ecstasy:

kasynubhvo sya na deva vidmahetavghri-reu-sparadhikra

yad-vchay rr lalancarat tapovihya kmn su-cira dhta-vrat

O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kliya has attained thisgreat opportunity of being touched by the dust of Your lotus feet.For this end, the goddess of fortune performed austerities forcenturies, giving up all other desires and taking austere vows.(Bhgavatam..) Thus Kliya received special mercy, forKa used each one of Kliyas heads as a dancing stage. Ka


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also accepted worship and prayers from Kliya, issued him per-sonal orders, and granted him the island of Ramaaka, where he

could live free from fear of his archenemy Garua. Indeed, byleaving the mark of the Sudarana disc on Kliyas heads, Kaarranged for Kliya to gain Garuas friendship and respect.

Ka allowed Ptan to enter Gokula respectably, appearingamong the cowherds dressed as a first-class lady. At the begin-ning of ukadeva Gosvms description of Ptans encounterwith Ka, we are told:

na yatra ravadnirako-ghnni sva-karmasu

kurvanti stvat bharturytudhnya ca tatra hi

My dear king, wherever people in any position perform theiroccupational duties of devotional service by chanting and hear-ing [ravaa krtana vio], there cannot be any dangerfrom bad elements. Therefore there was no need for anxietyabout Gokula while the Supreme Personality of Godhead waspersonally present. (Bhgavatam..)

In other words, the witch Ptan posed no threat to the in-habitants of Gokula. Ka allowed her to enter simply to giveher His mercy. Ka placed His lotus feet, the object of Lord

Brahms meditation, on Ptans lap and allowed her to caressHim. By this, Yaod and Rohi were greatly astonished:

t tka-cittm ati-vma-ceitvkyntar koa-paricchadsi-vat

vara-striya tat-prabhay ca dharitenirkyame janan hy atihatm

Ptan Rkass heart was fierce and cruel, but she looked like avery affectionate mother. Thus she resembled a sword in a sheath.Although seeing her within the room, Yaod and Rohi, over-whelmed by her beauty, did not stop her, but remained silentbecause she treated the child like a mother. (Bhgavatam..)


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Thanks to having the opportunity to treat Ka as her infant,Ptan became His mother eternally, as several authorities in

rmad-Bhgatavamaffirm. According to ukadeva Gosvm:

ptan loka-bla-ghnrkas rudhiran

jighsaypi harayestana dattvpa sad-gatim

Ptan was always hankering for the blood of human children,

and with that desire she came to kill Ka; but because sheoffered her breast to the Lord, she attained the greatest achieve-ment. (Bhgavatam..)

As Lord Brahm said to Lord Ka, sad-ved iva ptanpisa-kul tvm eva devpit: You have already arranged to giveYourself to Ptan and her family members in exchange for herdisguising herself as a devotee. (Bhgavatam..)

And in the words of r Uddhava:

aho bak ya stana-kla-kajighsaypyayad apy asdhv

lebhe gati dhtry-ucit tato nyaka v daylu araa vrajema

Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who

granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Ptan] althoughshe was unfaithful and she had prepared deadly poison to besucked from her breast? (Bhgavatam..)

Even Ptans dead body, restored to the horrible form of awitch, was sanctified as Kas playground:

bla ca tasy urasi

krantam akuto-bhayamgopyas tra samabhyetyajaghur jta-sambhram

Without fear, the child Ka was playing on the upper portionof Ptan Rkass breast, and when the gops saw the childs


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wonderful activities, they immediately came forward with greatjubilation and picked Him up. (Bhgavatam..) And when

her corpse was burned, it gave off a fragrance like preciousaguru,which spread in all directions:

dahyamnasya dehasyadhma cguru-saurabha

utthita ka-nirbhukta-sapady hata-ppmana

Because of Kas having sucked the breast of the RkasPtan, when Ka killed her she was immediately freed of allmaterial contamination. Her sinful reactions automatically van-ished, and therefore when her gigantic body was being burnt,the smoke emanating from her body was fragrant like aguruincense. (Bhgavatam..)

Other persons who came to Gokula also obtained special

mercy from Ka. The sons of Kuvera entrapped in the bodies ofarjunatrees found themselves in the midst of the wonderful pas-times of Dmodara. Ka released these two sons from Nradascurse, listened to their prayers, and bestowed upon themprema-bhakti. Aghsura was graced by Kas entrance into Aghas hugemouth along with the cowherd boys and calves. And Agha ob-tained liberation from Ka in a way that astounded the whole

world. His dead body served as an attraction in Vraja:

rjann jagara carmauka vndvane dbhutam

vrajaukas bahu-tithababhvkra-gahvaram

O King Parkit, when the python-shaped body of Aghsuradried up into merely a big skin, it became a wonderful place forthe inhabitants of Vndvana to visit, and it remained so for along, long time. (Bhgavatam..)

Sometimes Ka would also punish His loving devotees inVraja, as when He abandoned the gopsduring the rsadance.


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This He did to increase the intensity of their love for Him. Be-cause Ka was enchanted by the gopslove, His prime reason

for abandoning them was to hear them speak like madwomen,in separation from Him. As He explained:

nha tu sakhyo bhajato pi jantnbhajmy amm anuvtti-vttaye

yathdhano labdha-dhane vinaetac-cintaynyan nibhto na veda

The reason I do not at once reciprocate the affection of livingbeings even when they worship Me, O gops, is that I want tointensify their loving devotion. They then become like a poorman who has gained some wealth and then lost it, and who thusbecomes so anxious about it that he can think of nothing else.

eva mad-arthojjhita-loka-veda-

svn hi vo mayy anuvttaye balmayparoka bhajat tirohita

msyitu mrhatha tat priya priy

My dear girls, understanding that simply for My sake you hadrejected the authority of worldly opinion, of the Vedas, and ofyour relatives, I acted as I did only to increase your attachment toMe. Even when I removed Myself from your sight by suddenly

disappearing, I never stopped loving you. Therefore, My be-loved gops, please do not harbor any bad feelings toward Me,your beloved.

na praye ha niravadya-sayujsva-sdhu-ktya vibudhyupi va

y mbhajan durjara-geha-khal

savcya tad va pratiytu sdhun

I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, evenwithin a lifetime of Brahm. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all do-mestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let


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your own glorious deeds be your compensation. (Bhgavatam..)

The mercy of Kas punishment was evident not onlywhen He appeared in His original form in Gokula, but also inmany of His incarnations. As r Vmana, for example, when theLord arrested Bali Daityarja and humiliated him, the Lord de-clared to the world the strength of Balis sober determination.Then, having taken away from him the throne of heaven, LordVmana gave him in exchange the greater kingdom of Sutala-

loka with all its riches. The Lord took up the post of doorkeeperat Balis palace and defended the palace gates from the incursionof Rvaa, and when Durvs begged Lord Vmana to leave Balifor some time and defend Durvs against the demon Kua, LordVmana refused to do so without Balis permission.

In yet other incarnations, the Personality of Godhead killeddemons like Madhu, Kaiabha, and Klanemi, who had enjoyedthe pleasure of opposing the Lord in battle. They received great

mercy from Him. These histories are recounted in various Pur-as. The mercy shown by r Ka through His incarnations is anatural reflection of the supreme mercy He displays in His origi-nal form. The source of incarnations is glorified by the glories ofeach of His expansions.

TEXT 30

[qParqi+aduvacwiTa Pa[GaaYaNa( rSaNaa& MauiNaiNaRJaaMa(

AiXa+aYaNa( MaaDavk==IiTaRl/MPa$=aMa( )Ahae Pa[v*taaiSa MahtvvaaerPaqiTa SvrdEivRdXYa TaaMa( ))

r-parkid uvcaiti pragyan rasan munir nijm

aikayan mdhava-krti-lampamaho pravttsi mahattva-varane

prabhor apti sva-radair vidaya tm


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/CHAPTER FIVE430

r-parkit uvca r Parkit said; iti thus; pragyanwhile singing; rasanm tongue; muni the sage; nijm

his own; aikayat instructed; mdhava of Lord Mdhava;krti about the glories; lampam greedy; aho oh; pra-vtt busy; asi you are; mahattva of the greatness; var-ane with describing;prabho of our master; api indeed;iti thus saying; sva-radai with his teeth; vidaya biting;tm it.

r Parkit said: While singing enthusiastically in this way,the sage instructed his own tongue, which was greedy tochant the glories of Lord Mdhava, Oh, you are too busytalking about the greatness of our master! To stop thattongue, he then seized it with his teeth.

COMMENTARY: In jest, Nrada chastised his tongue for mis-

behaving. His tongue was sincerely relishing the pleasure ofglorifying the moon born from the ocean of the Madhu dynasty,but there was little hope to accomplish much by this attempt.Brahm with his four tongues and Ananta with his thousandshad failed to fully describe the glories of r Mdhava. How thencould Nradas one insignificant tongue be so impudent as to try?

TEXT 31

rSaNae Tae MahaGYaMaeTadev YadqihTaMa( )ik-iduarYaEvEza& TaiTPa[Yaa


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em about these; tat-priym beloved devotees of His;sva-aktita according to your ability.

Dear tongue, he then acknowledged, this effort of yoursattests to your great fortune. As far as you are able, just goon speaking something about these beloved devotees ofKa.

COMMENTARY:Toavoid discouraging his tongue, Nrada gave itsome practical advice: If you cannot adequately praise Ka,

then at least try to praise His devotees. If you cannot describe thedevotees transcendental glories, then simply describe their ac-tivities. If you cannot describe everything about those activities,then just describe something. Even if you cannot speak with fullrealization, speak anyway. The attempt to say something will beall-auspicious.

Nrada proposes to his tongue: You would do better to

glorify the Lords devotees than to glorify the Lord. Although thegreatness of the devotees is also ultimately indescribable, theLords greatness has no beginning or end, defeats all attempts atanalysis and classification, and cannot be fully understood evenby the Lord Himself. To Nrada, however, the Lords devoteesappear similar to human beings; he has seen them, so his tongueshould be able to describe their deeds. If his tongue offends thedevotees by making false statements about them or by distorting

accounts of their activities, the devotees will easily overlook thosemistakes, because devotees are always compassionate to unfor-tunate persons. Therefore Nrada recommends glorifying theVaiavas as the best engagement for his tongue.

TEXT 32

[qNaard ovacMahaNau>aava >avTaa& Tau TaiSMaNa(Pa[iTaSvk&- Ya" iPa[YaTaaivXaez" )

>avTSau TaSYaaiPa k*-PaaivXaezaeDa*eNa NaqYaeTa Sa ke-Na iJaaMa( ))


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/CHAPTER FIVE432

r-nrada uvcamahnubhv bhavat tu tasmin

prati-svaka ya priyat-vieabhavatsu tasypi kp-vieo

dhena nyeta sa kena jihvm

r-nrada uvca r Nrada said; mah-anubhv Ogreat self-realized souls; bhavatm of you; tu but; tasmin for Him;prati-svakam on the part of each individually;

ya which;priyat love; viea unique; bhavatsu forall of you; tasya His; api also; kp mercy; vieaspecial; dhena arrogant; nyeta can bring; sa it; kena by whom;jihvm to the tongue.

r Nrada continued: O great saintly Pavas, is anyonebold enough to let his tongue describe the unique love forKa that each of you has or the special mercy He bestows

upon you?

COMMENTARY:Feeling himself unfit, Nrada indicates that onlya shameless person would dare attempt to elaborate on thegreatness of each of the Pavas. But Nrada cannot stop, be-cause his tongue is reluctant to speak about anything else andrefuses to remain silent.

TEXT 33

MaaTaa Pa*QaeYa& YaduNaNdNaSYaehad]RMaaaSaNavaKYaMaek-Ma( )

AU-rv-aTPa[QaMa& iNaXaMYa

Pa[eMaPa[vahe iNaMaMa Sa" ))mt ptheya yadu-nandanasya

snehrdram vsana-vkyam ekamakrra-vaktrt prathama niamya

prema-pravhe nimamajja sadya


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mt the mother;pth Pth; iyam this; yadu-nanda-nasya of the darling son of the Yadus; sneha by affection;

rdram moistened; vsana of consolation; vkyamstatement; ekam one; akrra of Akrra; vaktrt fromthe mouth; prathamam at first; niamya hearing; prema-

pravhe in a flowing current of transcendental love; nima-majja she became submerged; sadya immediately.

Your mother, Pth, once heard from the mouth of Akrra

a single statement by Ka, sweet with affection andmeant to console her. As soon as she heard it, she plungedinto a swiftly flowing current of prema.

COMMENTARY:On one occasion in Mathur, as recounted in theTenth Canto ofrmad-Bhgavatam, Ka asked Akrra to visitthe Pavas to see how they were withstanding Duryodhanasharassments. Ka told Akrra:

sa bhavn suhd vai nareyn reya-cikray

jijsrtha pavngacchasva gajashvayam

You are indeed the best of Our friends, so please go to Hastin-

pura and, as the well-wisher of the Pavas, find out how theyare doing. (Bhgavatam..) During this visit, the Pa-vas mother, Pth, met with Akrra. Because Akrra was a pureVaiava, the very first words she heard him speak kindled in herheart the ecstasies of love for Ka.

TEXT 34

ivic}avaKYaEbRhuDaa raedSfu-$e=*


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/CHAPTER FIVE434

vicitra-vkyair bahudh rurodasphuen n yac-chravaena vaka

bhavatsv api sneha-bhara para sraraka ka-priyatm apekya

vicitra vivid; vkyai with words; bahudh variously;ruroda she lamented; sphuet could shatter; nm ofmen; yat which; ravaena by hearing; vaka thechests; bhavatsu for you; api also; sneha-bharam the

burden of love;param only; s she; raraka maintained;ka to Ka;priyatm your dearness; apekya con-sidering.

She often lamented with poignant words that could shatterthe heart of anyone who heard them. And she bore the

burden of love for all of you, staying tied to you only be-cause you are very dear to Lord Ka.

COMMENTARY:Mother Pth fully trusted Kas protection be-cause she was a surrendered devotee. Her complaints and ex-pressions of anxiety did not arise from a materially contaminatedconsciousness, but rather were her own special symptoms ofecstasy. She did not hesitate to open her heart directly to Ka,as she did during the reunion at Kuruketra:

ka ka mah-yoginvivtman viva-bhvana

prapann phi govindaiubhi cvasdatm

nnyat tava padmbhojtpaymi araa nm

bibhyat mtyu-sasrdvarasypavargikt

Ka, Ka! O greatyog!O Supreme Soul and protector of theuniverse! O Govinda! Please protect me, who have surrendered


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to You. I and my sons are being overwhelmed by trouble.For persons fearful of death and rebirth, I see no shelter other

than Your liberating lotus feet, for You are the Supreme Lord.(Bhgavatam..)

Naturally for a pure devotee of Ka, Pth wanted to giveall her love to Him, forgetting material attachments to familyand everything else. But because her sons were also exclusivedevotees of Ka, she maintained her affection for them.

TEXT 35

icre


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/CHAPTER FIVE436

TEXT 36

YauiDairaYaaiPa MahaPa[iTaal/aek-YaaeTk*==Tara Pa[dtaa )TaQaa JaraSaNDavDaaidNaa c

>aqMaaYa TaeNaaTMaNa Wv k==IiTaR" ))

yudhihirypi mah-pratihloka-dvayotkatar pradatt

tath jarsandha-vadhdin cabhmya tentmana eva krti

yudhihirya to Yudhihira; api also; mah-pratihhigh prestige; loka-dvaya in the two planetary systems; utka-tar the most exalted;pradatt bestowed; tath in addi-tion;jarsandha of Jarsandha; vadha-din by the killingand so on; ca and; bhmya to Bhma; tena by Him;tmana of his own only; eva indeed; krti fame.

Ka bestowed upon Yudhihira the highest prestige,greater than that of anyone else in the upper and lower

worlds. And by favors like allowing Bhma to kill Jar-sandha, Ka granted Bhma unequaled fame.

COMMENTARY:To enhance the reputation of King Yudhihira,Ka encouraged him to perform the Rjasya sacrifice. Kahelped the Pavas dispose of Jarsandha, who was the majorobstacle to this sacrifice, by giving Bhma the honor of defeatingJarsandha in one-to-one combat. During Jarsandhas repeatedattacks on Mathur, Ka Himself had gotten many opportuni-ties to kill him, but Ka patiently waited for the suitable oppor-tunity so that the credit would go to Bhma.

TEXT 37

>aGavaNaYaMaJauRNa TaTa=(iPa[YaSa:YaeNa GaTa" Pa[iSaTaaMa( )


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Na Paura


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/CHAPTER FIVE438

nakula sahadeva caydk-prti-parau yamau

agra-pj-vicrdausarvais tad vttam kitam

nakula Nakula; sahadeva Sahadeva; ca and; ydk of which sort;prti love; parau fixed in; yamau thetwins; agra-pj of the initial worship of the most respectableperson attending the sacrifice; vicra in the decision; dau

and in other matters; sarvai by everyone; tat their; vttam behavior; kitam witnessed.

And as for Nakula and Sahadeva, everyone has seen manytimes how fixed they are in love for Ka, as shown, forexample, by how those twins behaved in the deliberationson whom to worship first in the Rjasya.

COMMENTARY:The twins Nakula and Sahadeva worked togetherso closely that whatever either of them did could as well havebeen done by the other. And everything either of them did wasimpelled by pure love for Ka.

TEXT 39

[qd]aEPadq c hiraiz-ke-Xaa )

SaMbaeDYaTae iPa[YaSa%qTYaivTaai}aPau}a=du"XaaSaNaaid>aYaTaae TaSavRXaaek-a ))

r-draupad ca hari svayam eva rja-syditsava-varev abhiikta-ke

sambodhyate priya-sakhty avittri-putra-dusandi-bhayato hta-sarva-ok

r-draupad r Draupad; ca and; hari by Lord Hari;svayam personally; eva indeed; rjasya at the Rjasya;


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diu and other; utsava festivals; vareu most impor-tant; abhiikta anointed; ke whose hair; sambodhyate

is called;priya-sakhi dear friend; iti thus; avit pro-tected; atri-putra of the son of Atri (Durvs); dusana-di and of Dusana and others; bhayata from fear; htaremoved; sarva all; ok whose sorrow.

Lord Hari personally sanctified r Draupads hair duringthe Rjasya sacrifice and other special festivals. He wouldcall Draupad dear friend. He relieved her of fear of Atrisson Durvs and fear of others, including Dusana. Heremoved all her sorrow.

COMMENTARY:During the Rjasya and other sacrifices, Kawith His own hand sprinkled Queen Draupads hair with waterfrom the ritual vessel sanctified bymantras. He spoke to herwith the affection reserved for intimate family members. He pro-

tected her in frightening situations involving Durvs Muni, thetemperamental son of Atri, and saved her from the shame ofbeing disrobed by Dusana in the royal assembly. Finally, Karelieved all her pain by destroying Dusana and his friends atKuruketra.

TEXT 40

AaSvadNa& [qivduraEdNaSYa[q>aqZMaiNaYaaR


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/CHAPTER FIVE440

the passing away; mah-utsava the festival; ca and; tat-tat in each such instance; kta taken; tvda your;

paka-ptasya of the choice of taking the side; apekaytaking into account; eva indeed; iti thus; vicrayadhvam please judge.

Ka relished r Viduras porridge and organized the cele- bration of r Bhmas passing away. Please, therefore,judge your own standing from how in many controversiesboth Vidura and Bhma took your side.

COMMENTARY:r Ka appeared partial to both Vidura andBhma. Even though Vidura was the son of a lowborn dr,Ka happily shared Viduras humble food, praising it as verytasty. And Ka graced Bhma with His presence as Bhmawas passing away on the battlefield. Niryameans the soulsexit from the body, but as applied to a perfect transcendentalist

like Bhma it also means merging into the existence of God.For devotees of the Lord, merging into His existence can onlymean attaining a spiritual body and entering the eternal kingdomof Vaikuha. Because Grandfather Bhma saw Ka before hiseyes at the moment of death, Bhma certainly achieved theVaikuha liberation deserved only by pure devotees.

It appears, then, that Ka highly favored Vidura and Bhma,even more than He favored the Pavas. But here Nrada cor-rects that popular misunderstanding. Why indeed were Viduraand Bhma so dear to Ka? Ka was pleased with them notonly because of their own devotional service, which was not thatexceptional, but mainly because they served the Pavas, pro-tecting them from Duryodhana and other enemies. Vidura andBhma earned high esteem in the opinion of the Lord by givingshelter and affection to sons of Pth when they were helpless.

TEXT 41

Ahae bTa MahaYa| k-vqNaa& GaeYaTaa& GaTaa" )>avdqYaPaurqa-yu-Yaae hraE ))


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aho bata mahcaryakavn geyat gat

bhavadya-pura-strjna-bhakty-uktayo harau

aho oh; bata indeed; mah-caryam most amazing;kavnm by poets; geyatm the status of being sung; gat achieved; bhavadya your;pura of the city; strmof the women;jna joined with transcendental knowledge;

bhakti and devotion; uktaya the words; harau aboutLord Hari.

Truly, the words spoken by the ordinary women of yourcity amaze me. Those words, focused on Ka and imbued

with transcendental knowledge and devotion, are praisedin songs by accomplished poets.

COMMENTARY:Generally speaking, the citizens of a state arevirtuous when their rulers are virtuous. As Vysadeva and othersages depict in their epics, everyone in Hastinpura under theadministration of Yudhihira and his brothers was saintly andlearned. In the First Canto ofrmad-Bhgavatam, the womenstanding on the roofs of Hastinpura spoke to one another whileKa was passing on the road. Their first comments sounded

like those of profound scholars:

sa vai kilya purua purtanoya eka sd aviea tmani

agre guebhyo jagad-tmanvarenimlittman nii supta-aktiu

Here He is, the original Personality of Godhead as we definitelyremember Him. He alone existed before the manifested creationof the modes of nature, and in Him only, because He is theSupreme Lord, all living beings merge, as if sleeping at night,their energy suspended. (Bhgavatam..) Then the womenbegan speaking like Vaiavas steeped in devotional ecstasy:


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/CHAPTER FIVE442

aho ala lghya-tama yado kulamaho ala puya-tama madhor vanam

yad ea pusm abha priya riyasva-janman cakramaena ccati

Oh, how supremely glorious is the dynasty of King Yadu, andhow virtuous the land of Mathur, where the supreme leader of allliving beings, the beloved husband of the goddess of fortune, hastaken His birth and wandered in His childhood. (Bhgavatam..)

Since the Pavas were the leaders of a community in whichthe ordinary people spoke like this, the Pavas must have beenexceptionally saintly.

TEXT 42

SahEk-PaaE}aeavad*XaaMahahre" Pa[eMak*-Paa>araSPadMa( ))

sahaika-pautrea kaydhu-nandanonukampito nena kapndra ekala

sa-sarva-bandhu sva-jan bhavd

mah-hare prema-kp-bharspadam

saha along with; eka-pautrea one grandson; kaydhu-nandana the son of Kaydhu (Prahlda); anukampitashown mercy; anena by Him; kapi-indra the best of mon-keys (Hanumn); ekala alone; sa along with; sarva all;bandhu their family members; sva-jan along with their

subordinates; bhavd such as you; mah-hare of theSupreme Lord Hari; prema of the love; kp and mercy;bhara of the full extent; spadam the recipients.

When Prahlda, the son of Kaydhu, obtained the Su-preme Lords grace, he did so along with a grandson.


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The best of monkeys was favored alone. But you raresouls have received the complete love and mercy of

the great Lord Hari with all your family members andsubordinates.

COMMENTARY:Here Nrada confirms the assertions by Prahldaand Hanumn that the Pavas are greater devotees. Otherthan Prahlda, the only pure devotee among Hirayakaipusdescendants was Prahldas grandson Bali. Hanumn alone in

his family received Lord Rmacandras mercy, since Hanumnwas a lifelong brahmacrand so had no offspring. The P-avas, in contrast, shared Kas mercy with their entire familyand entourage. According to one interpretation, bandhuin this

verse means the Pavas sons, wives, and other relatives, whilesva-janmeans their ministers and the residents of their capital.Or, alternatively, bandhumeans the relations of the Pavas bymarriage, like King Drupada and King Vira, svmeans their

blood relatives, including Duryodhana and his brothers, andjan means their servants and citizens. Either way, everyoneassociated with the Pavas obtained the mercy of r Ka,the all-attractive source of all expansions of Godhead.

TEXT 43

oiXYa YaaNa( k-aErvSa&Sad& GaTa"k*-Z


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/CHAPTER FIVE444

Ka; samakam in their presence; nijagda said; md-m of persons like me;ye those who;pavnm of

the Pavas; suhda well-wishing friends; atha or; vairi-a enemies; te they; td likewise; me to Me;api also; mama My; asava life airs; hi indeed; tethey.

Once, in the court of the Kauravas, with me and othersages present, Ka said of you, A friend of the Pavas

is My friend, and their enemy My enemy. The Pavas areMy very life airs.

COMMENTARY:Whatever Ka says must be absolutely true,especially what He says in the presence of pious sages likeNrada. So by making this declaration in such a respectablepublic forum, Ka ensured that His feelings for the Pa-

vas would become well known throughout the world. Justas the five pras maintain the spirit soul in a living body,the five Pavas assisted Ka in His pastimes; and as the lifeair is very dear to the soul, the Pavas were very dear toKa. Ka therefore says in the Mahbhrata (Udyoga-parva.):

yas tn dvei sa m dveiyas tn anu sa mm anu

aiktmyam gata viddhipavair dharma-cribhi

He who hates the Pavas hates Me, and he who follows themfollows Me. Know that I am one in spirit with the righteousPavas. And Ka elsewhere says:

dviad-anna na bhoktavyadvianta naiva bhojayet

pavn dviase rjanmama pr hi pav


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One should not eat the food of one who is hateful, nor shouldone feed a hateful person. You, O king, hate the Pavas, and

the Pavas are My very life airs.

TEXT 44

Daay| MaMaahae >avTaa& GauaveTSa Wk-l/" )

iNaau"Saae_}aavTaqavTaa& k*==Tae ParMa( ))

dhrya mamho bhavat gun kilajtu ca vaktu prabhavet sa ekala

nirtam etat tu may mah-prabhuso trvatro bhavat kte param

dhryam arrogance; mama my; aho oh; bhavatmyour; gun good qualities; kila indeed; jtum to beaware of; ca and; vaktum to describe;prabhavet is ca-pable; sa He (Ka); ekala alone; nirtam definitelydecided; etat this; tu but; may by me; mah-prabhu the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sa He; atra here;avatra descended; bhavatm of you; kte for thesake;param only.

Just see my arrogance! Only Ka can adequately knowand describe your good qualities. But at least I am con-

vinced that the Supreme Lord has descended to this worldonly for the sake of you.

COMMENTARY:It is evident from Kas dealings with the P-avas that Ka understood their sublime character. No onebut Ka was fully qualified to reciprocate with them. Nrada,ashamed to have impudently tried to glorify the brothers, apolo-gizes by submitting one fact of which he is certain: r Kadescended to this world only to please the Pavas and spreadtheir fame.


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/CHAPTER FIVE446

TEXT 45

[qParqi+aduvacAQa +a


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vicrybhkam asmbhirjtu kpy avadhryate

vvadka of brilliant speakers; ira-dhrya O crest jewel;na eva not at all; asmsu for us; kp mercy; hareof Lord Hari; vicrya being considered; abhkam for along duration; asmbhi by us;jtu at all; k api any;avadhryate is ascertained.

Yudhihira said: O crest jewel of brilliant speakers, LordHari has no mercy for us. We cannot remember any mercyHe has shown us, even after we consider this for a long time.

COMMENTARY:By calling Nrada an eloquent speaker, Yudhi-hira subtly accused him of distorting the truth. In Yudhihirasopinion, proof that Ka blessed him and his brothers with spe-cial favor cannot be found.

TEXT 47

Pa[ak*==TaaNaa& JaNaaNaa& ih Maad*GaaPa


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/CHAPTER FIVE448

COMMENTARY:In texts through , King Yudhihira refutesthe idea that the Pavas possess Kas mercy. Simple people

believe, Kas devotees never suffer misfortune. Yudhihirasays that when such people see the Pavas extreme adversi-ties, this faith will be spoiled. But since he knows that the oppo-site is true that by hearing about Kas loving dealings withthe Pavas people gain faith Yudhihira qualifies his state-ment with the word iva(as if).

TEXT 48

WTadevaiTak==& NaSTadek-Pa[a


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TEXT 49

ATaae_iQaRTa& MaYaa YajSaMPaadNaiMazaiddMa( )iNaa& dXaRYa >a-aNaaMa>a==aNaaMaiPa Pa[>aae ))

ato rthita may yaja-sampdana-mid idam

nih daraya bhaktnmabhaktnm api prabho

ata therefore; arthitam requested; may by me;yaja of a sacrifice; sampdana of the arranging; mit onthe pretext; idam this; nihm position; daraya pleasedemonstrate; bhaktnm of the devotees; abhaktnm ofthe nondevotees; api and;prabho O master.

Therefore, on the pretext of arranging a sacrifice, I beggedHim, Dear master, please show how the fortunes of thedevotees and the nondevotees differ.

COMMENTARY:Yudhihira did not undertake the demandingRjasya-yaja for the power and fame it would earn him. Heand his brothers were untouched by such material motives. He

wanted only to help the world better understand the glories ofKa and His devotees:

tad deva-deva bhavata cararavinda-sevnubhvam iha payatu loka ea

ye tv bhajanti na bhajanty uta vobhayenih pradaraya vibho kuru-sjaynm

Therefore, O Lord of lords, let the people of this world see thepower of devotional service rendered to Your lotus feet. Pleaseshow them, O almighty one, the position of those Kurus andSjayas who worship You, and the position of those who donot. (Bhgavatam..)


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/CHAPTER FIVE450

TEXTS 5051

l/aek-YaNTaae YaTaae l/aek-a" SaveR Tv-SaMPad" )Weihk-aMauiZMak==Ii}aa" Xaua" SavRivl/+aaRYaa iNaTYa& Saui%Tv& YaaiNTa SavRTa" ))

lokayanto yato lok

sarve tvad-bhakta-sampadaaihikmumik citruddh sarva-vilaka

bhtv parama-vivastbhajantas tvat-padmbujam

nirdukh nirbhay nityasukhitva ynti sarvata

lokayanta seeing;yata because of which; lok peo-ple; sarve all; tvat-bhakta of Your devotees; sampadathe assets; aihika in this world; mumik and in the next;citr wonderful; uddh pure; sarva-vilaka al-together unique; bhtv becoming; parama completely;vivast convinced; bhajanta worshiping; tvat Your;

pada-ambujam lotus feet; nirdukh free from misery;nirbhay free from fear; nityam eternally; sukhitvamthe state of being happy;ynti they will attain; sarvata inall respects.

By this sacrifice, all people will see the wonderful assetsthat belong to Your devotees in this life and the next,opulences all-pure and utterly distinct from material as-

sets. Then, gaining absolute trust in You, people will wor-ship Your lotus feet, become ever free of misery and fear,and achieve happiness in all respects.

COMMENTARY:People tend to be strongly influenced by the ex-ample of their leaders. The Pavas fulfilled their sovereign


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responsibilities perfectly. By the devotion and precise care withwhich they carried out the Rjasya sacrifice, by the perfect jus-

tice of their administration in this life, and by the exalted positionamong the demigods they were sure to attain in the next, thePavas inspired the innocent people to follow the path ofdevotional service to Ka. Everyone could see that the extraor-dinary wealth and power of the Pavas was untainted by ma-terial faults because that wealth and power was intended onlyfor the service of Ka.

TEXT 52

SaMPa[TYa>a==aNaSMaak&- ivPa+aa&STaaNa( ivNaaXYa c )raJYa& Pa[dta& YataeNa Xaaek-ae_>aUTPaUvRTaae_iDak-" ))

sampraty abhaktn asmkavipaks tn vinya ca

rjya pradatta yat tenaoko bht prvato dhika

samprati now; abhaktn nondevotees; asmkam our;vipakn antagonists; tn them; vinya having de-stroyed; ca and; rjyam kingdom;pradattam given;yat in that; tena by this; oka unhappiness; abht be-

came;prvata than before; adhika greater.

Now our nondevotee enemies have been destroyed, ourkingdom returned to us and our grief made greater thanever before.

COMMENTARY:After the Rjasya sacrifice and the Kuruketra

war, Jarsandha, iupla, Duryodhana, and their allies were alldead, but in fact their existence had been annihilated in aneven fuller sense, because they were never to take birth again. And although the Pavas, after long years of suppression,were free to rule, in Yudhihiras opinion they had been happierwhen struggling against one threat of destruction after another.


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/CHAPTER FIVE452

TEXT 53

d]aeaqZMaaidGaurvae_i>aMaNYauPa[Mau%a" SauTaa" )Pare_iPa bhv" SaNTaae_SMaeTaaeiNaRDaNa& GaTaa" ))

droa-bhmdi-guravobhimanyu-pramukh sut

pare pi bahava santosmad-dhetor nidhana gat

droa-bhma-di Droa, Bhma, and others; guravavenerable teachers; abhimanyu-pramukh headed by Abhi-manyu; sut sons; pare others; api also; bahavamany; santa saintly persons; asmat-heto on our account;nidhanam demise; gat met.

It is our fault that many saintly persons met their demise,including venerable teachers like Droa and Bhma, andsons like Abhimanyu.

COMMENTARY:This is why gaining the kingdom brought nohappiness to the Pavas. Most of their noble relatives, manyof them saintly devotees of Ka, had been killed in theconflict for sovereignty. Yudhihira blamed himself for these

deaths, since the war had been fought to install him on thethrone.

TEXT 54

SvJaqvNaaiDak-Pa[aQYaR[qivZ


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sva-jvana than our own lives; adhika more; prrthyadesirable; r-viu-jana of the devotees of r Viu; saga-

te of the association; vicchedena because of the depriva-tion; kaam a single moment; ca and; atra here; nanot; sukha of happiness; aam a fragment; labhmahe we can find.

The company of those devotees of r Viu is more desira-ble to us than life itself. Deprived of that association, we

can no longer find any happiness.

TEXT 55

[qk*-ZaaeJaSaNdXaRNaSau%& c TaTa( )k-daicTk-aYaRYaaeGaeNa ke-NaicaYaTae icraTa( ))

r-ka-vadanmbhoja-sandarana-sukha ca tat

kadcit krya-yogenakenacij jyate cirt

r-ka of r Ka; vadana-ambhoja the lotus face;sandarana from seeing; sukham the happiness; ca and;

tat that; kadcit once in a while; krya-yogena becauseof some obligation; kenacit somehow; jyate arises; cirt after a long time.

We enjoy the pleasure of seeing r Kas lotus face onlyonce in a while, when after long times absent He visits uson some business.

COMMENTARY:Ka did return to Hastinpura a few times afterthe Kuruketra war, as when Yudhihira invited Him to attendthe Avamedha sacrifices. But these few visits were far too shortto allay the pain of separation the Pavas suffered most of thetime.


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TEXT 56

YaadvaNaev SaNDaUNa( ark-aYaaMaSaaE vSaNa( )Sada ParMaSaaGYavTaae rMaYaiTa iPa[YaaNa( ))

ydavn eva sad-bandhndvrakym asau vasan

sad parama-sad-bhgya-vato ramayati priyn

ydavn the Ydavas; eva alone; sat true; bandhnHis friends; dvrakym in Dvrak; asau He; vasanresiding; sad always;parama supreme; sat-bhgya-vata

who possess good fortune; ramayati He gives satisfaction;priyn to His dear friends.

The Ydavas alone are His true friends. Living always with

them in Dvrak, He is always busy satisfying those dearand supremely fortunate friends.

COMMENTARY:Nrada might suggest to the Pavas that Kawill soon finish His business and return to them, because to Kathey are dearer than anyone else. No, Yudhihira replies, theYdavas are even more dear. Ka very much favors the Ydavassimply because they are the most exalted members of the Lords

own dynasty. Moreover, the Ydavas are endowed with the price-less treasure of pure love for Ka. Therefore Ka goes out

brihad bhagavatamrita 5

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