Bhagavatam Tikas 05

Canto
5: The Creative
Impetus
1. The Activities of Mahārāja Priyavrata
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41
Chapter Summary
This chapter describes how King Priyavrata enjoyed royal

opulence and majesty and then returned to full knowledge.
King Priyavrata was detached from worldly opulence, and then
he became attached to his kingdom, but finally he again
became detached from material enjoyment and thus achieved
liberation. When King Parīkṣit heard about this, he was struck
with wonder, but he was somewhat bewildered as to how a
devotee with no attachment for material enjoyment could later
become attached to it. Thus in astonishment he questioned
Śukadeva Gosvāmī about this.
In response to the King's inquiries, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that

devotional service, being transcendental, cannot be deviated by
any material influences. Priyavrata had received transcendental
knowledge from the instructions of Nārada, and therefore he
did not want to enter a materialistic life of enjoyment in a
kingdom. He accepted the kingdom, however, at the request of
such superior demigods as Lord Brahmā and Lord Indra, the
King of heaven.
Everything is under the control of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, the supreme controller, and everyone must work
accordingly. Just as a bull is controlled by a rope tied to its
nose, so all conditioned souls are forced to work under the
spells of the modes of nature. A civilized man, therefore, works
according to the institution of varṇa and āśrama. Even in
materialistic life, however, no one is free to act. Everyone is
compelled to accept a certain type of body offered by the
Supreme Lord and thus be allotted different grades of
happiness and distress. Therefore even if one artificially leaves
home and goes to the forest, he again becomes attached to
materialistic life. Family life is compared to a fortress for
practicing sense control. When the senses are controlled. one
may live either at home or in the forest; there is no difference.
When Mahārāja Priyavrata, following the instruction of Lord

Brahmā. accepted the royal throne, his father, Manu, left home
for the forest. Mahārāja Priyavrata then married Barhiṣmatī, the
daughter of Viśvakarmā. In the womb of Barhiṣmatī he begot
ten sons, named Āgnīdhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu, Mahāvīra,
Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, Savana, Medhātithi, Vītihotra and
Kavi. He also begot one daughter, whose name was Ūrjasvatī.
Mahārāja Priyavrata lived with his wife and family for many
thousands of years. The impressions from the rims of Mahārāja
Priyavrata's chariot wheels created seven oceans and seven
islands. Of the ten sons of Priyavrata, three sons named Kavi,
Mahāvīra and Savana accepted sannyāsa, the fourth order of
life, and the remaining seven sons became the rulers of the
seven islands. Mahārāja Priyavrata also had a second wife, in
whom he begot three sons named Uttama, Raivata and Tāmasa.
All of them were elevated to the post of Manu. Śukadeva
Gosvāmī thus described how Mahārāja Priyavrata achieved
liberation.
TEXT - SB 5.1.1
rājovāca
priyavrato bhāgavata
ātmārāmaḥ kathaṁ mune
gṛhe 'ramata yan-mūlaḥ
karma-bandhaḥ parābhavaḥ
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca—King Parīkṣit said; priya-vrataḥ—King

Priyavrata; bhāgavataḥ—the great devotee; ātma-ārāmaḥ—
who takes pleasure in self-realization; katham—why; mune—O
great sage; gṛhe—at home; aramata—enjoyed; yat-mūlaḥ—
having which as the root cause; karma-bandhaḥ—the bondage
of fruitive activities; parābhavaḥ—the defeat of one's human
mission.
TRANSLATION
King Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O great
sage, why did King Priyavrata, who was a great, self-
realized devotee of the Lord, remain in household life,
which is the root cause of the bondage of karma [fruitive
activities] and which defeats the mission of human life?
PURPORT
In the Fourth Canto, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī explains that

Nārada Muni perfectly instructed King Priyavrata about the
mission of human life. The mission of human life is to realize
one's self and then gradually to go back home, back to
Godhead. Since Nārada Muni instructed the King fully on this
subject, why did he again enter household life, which is the
main cause of material bondage? Mahārāja Parīkṣit was greatly
astonished that King Priyavrata remained in household life,
especially since he was not only a self-realized soul but also a
first-class devotee of the Lord. A devotee actually has no
attraction for household life, but surprisingly, King Priyavrata
enjoyed household life very much. One may argue, "Why is it
wrong to enjoy household life?" The reply is that in household
life one becomes bound by the results of fruitive activities. The
essence of household life is sense enjoyment, and as long as
one engrosses his mind in working hard for sense enjoyment,
one becomes bound by the reactions of fruitive activities. This
ignorance of self-realization is the greatest defeat in human life.
The human form of life is especially meant for getting out of
the bondage of fruitive activities, but as long as one is forgetful
of his life's mission and acts like an ordinary animal—eating,
sleeping, mating and defending—he must continue his
conditioned life of material existence. Such a life is called
svarūpa-vismṛti, forgetfulness of one's real constitutional
position. Therefore in Vedic civilization one is trained in the
very beginning of life as a brahmacārī. A brahmacārī must
execute austerities and refrain from sex indulgence. Therefore
if one is completely trained in the principles of brahmacarya,
he generally does not enter household life. He is then called a
naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī, which indicates total celibacy. King
Parīkṣit was thus astonished that the great King Priyavrata,
although trained in the principles of naiṣṭhika-brahmacarya,
entered household life.
The words bhāgavata ātmārāmaḥ are very significant in this

verse. If one is self-satisfied as is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, he is called bhāgavata ātmārāmaḥ. There are
different types of satisfaction. Karmīs are satisfied in their
fruitive activities, jñānīs are satisfied to merge into the
effulgence of Brahman, and devotees are satisfied to engage in
the Lord's service. The Lord is self-satisfied because He is fully
opulent, and one who is satisfied by serving Him is called
bhāgavata ātmārāmaḥ. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: [Bg. 7.3] out
of many thousands of persons, one may endeavor for liberation,
and of many thousands of persons attempting to become
liberated, one may achieve liberation from the anxieties of
material existence and become self-satisfied. Even that
satisfaction, however, is not the ultimate satisfaction. The
jñānīs and the karmīs have desires, as do the yogīs, but
devotees have no desires. Satisfaction in the service of the Lord
is called akāma, freedom from desire, and this is the ultimate
satisfaction. Therefore Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired, "How could
one who was fully satisfied on the highest platform be satisfied
with family life?"
The word parābhavaḥ in this verse is also significant. When

one is satisfied in family life, he is doomed because he must
already have forgotten his relationship with the Lord. Prahlāda
Mahārāja describes how the activities of family life implicate
one more and more. Ātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam:
household life is like a dark well. If one falls into this well, his
spiritual death is assured. How Priyavrata Mahārāja remained a
liberated paramahaṁsa even within family life is described in
the next verse.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - 5.1.1
Offering respects to guru and Kṛṣṇa, the ocean of mercy, I take

shelter of Śrī Śukadeva, the eye for the universe, and master of
the worlds. I offer myself and everything I possess to Kṛṣṇa,
the life of the gopīs, the controller, for service to his dear
devotees.
Three chapters tell the stories of Priyavrata, Āgnīdhra and

Nābhī. Three chapters describe Ṛṣabha, and eight chapters
describe Bharata. One chapter describes the story of King
Gaya. Four chapters describe Jambudvīpa, its mountains and
trees. One chapter describes the other islands with their
mountains and rivers. Two chapters describe the zodiac and one
chapter describes Dhruvaloka. Two chapters describe the many
places below the sun. One chapter describes hell. In this Canto,
the geography of the universe (or sthāna ) where the devatās
men and demons reside and its protection by the devatās are
described.
This First Chapter described how Priyavrata, following the

order of Brahmā, ruled the kingdom, and then, after giving it
up, attained the Supreme Lord. Hearing that Priyavrata first
renounced and then accepted material enjoyment (SB
4.31.26_27), Parīkṣit was surprised. He thus asks a question.
He was a devotee and an ātmārāma like you. How could he
enjoy family life, which is a cause (yan-mūlaḥ) of bondage to
karma and defeats even a pure person like him?
TEXT - SB 5.1.2
na nūnaṁ mukta-saṅgānāṁ
tādṛśānāṁ dvijarṣabha
gṛheṣv abhiniveśo 'yaṁ
puṁsāṁ bhavitum arhati
SYNONYMS
na—not; nūnam—certainly; mukta-saṅgānām—who are free

from attachment; tādṛśānām—such; dvija-ṛṣabha—O greatest
of the brāhmaṇas; gṛheṣu—to family life; abhiniveśaḥ—
excessive attachment; ayam—this; puṁsām—of persons;
bhavitum—to be; arhati—is possible.
TRANSLATION
Devotees are certainly liberated persons. Therefore, O
greatest of the brāhmaṇas, they cannot possibly be
absorbed in family affairs.
PURPORT
In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu it is said that by executing

devotional service to the Lord, one can understand the
transcendental position of the living being and the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead
cannot be understood by any means except bhakti. The Lord
confirms this in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.21). Bhaktyāham
ekayā grāhyaḥ: "only by executing devotional service can one
appreciate Me." Similarly, in Bhagavad-gītā (18.55) Lord
Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: "simply by discharging
devotional service, one can understand Me." Thus for a bhakta
to become attached to family affairs is impossible, since a
bhakta and his associates are liberated. Everyone is searching
after ānanda, or bliss, but in the material world there can never
be any bliss. It is only possible in devotional service.
Attachment for family affairs and devotional service are
incompatible. Therefore Mahārāja Parīkṣit was somewhat
surprised to hear that Mahārāja Priyavrata was simultaneously
attached to devotional service and to family life.

Being a great devotee, such attachment is not possible.
TEXT - SB 5.1.3
mahatāṁ khalu viprarṣe
uttamaśloka-pādayoḥ
chāyā-nirvṛta-cittānāṁ
na kuṭumbe spṛhā-matiḥ
SYNONYMS
mahatām—of great devotees; khalu—certainly; vipra-ṛṣe—O

great sage among the brāhmaṇas; uttama-śloka-pādayoḥ—of
the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; chāyā—
by the shade; nirvṛta—satiated; cittānām—whose
consciousness; na—never; kuṭumbe—to family members;
spṛhā-matiḥ—consciousness with attachment.
TRANSLATION
Elevated mahātmās who have taken shelter of the lotus feet
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are fully satiated by
the shade of those lotus feet. Their consciousness cannot
possibly become attached to family members.
PURPORT
Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, nitāi pada-kamala,

koṭī-candra suśītala, ye chāyāya jagat juḍāya. He describes the
shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda as being so nice and
cooling that all materialists, who are always in the blazing fire
of material activities, may come under the shade of His lotus
feet and be fully relieved and satiated. The distinction between
family life and spiritual life can be experienced by any person
who has undergone the tribulations of living with a family. One
who comes under the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord never
becomes attracted by the activities of family life. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā (2.59), paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate: one gives up
lower engagements when he experiences a higher taste. Thus
one becomes detached from family life as soon as he comes
under the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.
The reason s is that they are attached to the Lord. Those whose
minds, constantly engaged in meditation on the Lord, are
blissful because of the shade of the Lord’s lotus feet, which
extinguish saṁsāra, do not have the ignorance (amatiḥ) of
desires for family.
TEXT - SB 5.1.4
saṁśayo 'yaṁ mahān brahman
dārāgāra-sutādiṣu
saktasya yat siddhir abhūt

kṛṣṇe ca matir acyutā
SYNONYMS
saṁśayaḥ—doubt; ayam—this; mahān—great; brahman—O

brāhmaṇa; dāra—to the wife; āgāra—home; suta—children;
ādiṣu—and so on; saktasya—of a person attached; yat—
because; siddhiḥ—perfection; abhūt—became; kṛṣṇe—unto
Kṛṣṇa; ca—also; matiḥ—attachment; acyutā—infallible.
TRANSLATION
The King continued: O great brāhmaṇa, this is my great
doubt. How was it possible for a person like King
Priyavrata, who was so attached to wife, children and
home, to achieve the topmost infallible perfection in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness?
PURPORT
King Parīkṣit wondered how a person so attached to wife,

children and home could become so perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Prahlāda Mahārāja has said:
matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
A gṛhavrata, one who has taken a vow to execute family

duties, has no chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is
because most gṛhavratas are guided by sense gratification and
therefore gradually glide down to the darkest regions of
material existence (adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram [SB
7.5.30]). How can they possibly become perfect in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness? Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī to
resolve this great doubt.
How is it that though, because of some aparādha, he became

attached to household life, he still attained perfection and his
attention did not waver from Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT - SB 5.1.5
ī[qXauk- ovac
ba!Mau¢&- >aGavTa otaMaṇaek-SYa ī[qMaṀr<aarivNdMak-
rNdrSa AaveiXaTa‚
ceTaSaae >aaGavTaParMah&Sa diYaTak-Qaa& ik-
iĀdNTaraYaivhTaa& Sva& iXavTaMaa&
Padvq& Na Pa[aYae<a ihNviNTa )) 5 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
bāḍham uktaṁ bhagavata uttamaślokasya śrīmac-

caraṇāravinda-makaranda-rasa āveśita-cetaso bhāgavata-
paramahaṁsa-dayita-kathāṁ kiñcid antarāya-vihatāṁ svāṁ
śivatamāṁ padavīṁ na prāyeṇa hinvanti.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; bāḍham—
correct; uktam—what you have said; bhagavataḥ—of the
Personality of Godhead; uttama-ślokasya—who is praised with
excellent verses; śrīmat-caraṇa-aravinda—of the feet, which
are just like the most beautiful fragrant lotus flowers;
makaranda—honey; rase—in the nectar; āveśita—absorbed;
cetasaḥ—whose hearts; bhāgavata—to the devotees;
paramahaṁsa—liberated persons; dayita—pleasing; kathām—
glorification; kiñcit—sometimes; antarāya—by impediments;
vihatām—checked; svām—own; śiva-tamām—most exalted;
padavīm—position; na—do not; prāyeṇa—almost always;
hinvanti—give up.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: What you have said is correct.
The glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
praised in eloquent, transcendental verses by such exalted
personalities as Brahmā, are very pleasing to great devotees
and liberated persons. One who is attached to the nectarean
honey of the Lord's lotus feet, and whose mind is always
absorbed in His glories, may sometimes be checked by some
impediment, but he still never gives up the exalted position
he has acquired.
PURPORT
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī accepted both of the King's propositions

—that a person who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot
embrace materialistic life again and that one who has embraced
materialistic life cannot take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness at any
stage of his existence. Although accepting both these
statements, Śukadeva Gosvāmī qualified them by saying that a
person who has once absorbed his mind in the glories of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead may sometimes be influenced
by impediments, but he still does not give up his exalted
devotional position.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, there are

two kinds of impediments to devotional service. The first is an
offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava. This is called vaiṣṇava-
aparādha. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu warned His devotees not
to commit vaiṣṇava-aparādha, which He described as the mad
elephant offense. When a mad elephant enters a beautiful
garden, it destroys everything, leaving a barren field. Similarly,
the power of vaiṣṇava-aparādha is so great that even an
advanced devotee becomes almost devoid of his spiritual assets
if he commits it. Since Kṛṣṇa consciousness is eternal, it cannot
be destroyed altogether, but advancement may be checked for
the time being. Thus vaiṣṇava-aparādha is one kind of
impediment to devotional service. Sometimes, however, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee desires to
impede one's devotional service. For example, Hiraṇyakaśipu
and Hiraṇyākṣa were formerly Jaya and Vijaya, the gatekeepers
in Vaikuṇṭha, but by the desire of the Lord, they became His
enemies for three lives. Thus the desire of the Lord is another
kind of impediment. But in both cases, the pure devotee, once
advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, cannot be lost. Following the
orders of his superiors (Svāyambhuva and Lord Brahmā),
Priyavrata accepted family life, but this did not mean he lost his
position in devotional service. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is perfect
and eternal, and therefore it cannot be lost under any
circumstances. Because the material world is full of
obstructions to advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there may
appear to be many impediments, yet Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, declares in Bhagavad-gītā (9.31),
kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: once one has
taken shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, he cannot be lost.
In this verse, the word śivatamām is very significant.

Śivatamām means "the most auspicious." The devotional path
is so auspicious that a devotee cannot be lost under any
circumstances. This is described in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā
by the Lord Himself. pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśas tasya
vidyate: "My dear Arjuna, for a devotee there is no question of
being lost, either in this life or in the next." (Bg. 6.40) In
Bhagavad-gītā (6.43) the Lord clearly explains how this is so.
tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ

labhate paurva-dehikam
yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ
saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana
By the order of the Lord, a perfect devotee sometimes comes to

this material world like an ordinary human being. Because of
his previous practice, such a perfect devotee naturally becomes
attached to devotional service, apparently without cause.
Despite all kinds of impediments due to surrounding
circumstances, he automatically perseveres in devotional
service and gradually advances until he once again becomes
perfect. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura had been an advanced devotee
in his previous life, but in his next life he became greatly fallen
and was attached to a prostitute. Suddenly, however, his entire
behavior was changed by the words of the very prostitute who
had so much attracted him, and he became a great devotee. In
the lives of exalted devotees, there are many such instances,
proving that once one has taken to the shelter of the lotus feet
of the Lord, he cannot be lost (kaunteya pratijānīhi na me
bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]).
The fact is, however, that one becomes a devotee when he is

completely freed from all reactions to sinful life. As Kṛṣṇa
states in Bhagavad-gītā (7.28):
yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvanda-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this

life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who
are freed from the duality of illusion, engage themselves in My
service with determination." On the other hand, as Prahlāda
Mahārāja said:
matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
A person who is too attached to materialistic family life—

home, family, wife, children and so on—cannot develop Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
These apparent contradictions are resolved in the life of a

devotee by the grace of the Supreme Lord, and therefore a
devotee is never bereft of his position on the path of liberation,
which is described in this verse as śivatamāṁ padavīm.
Śukadeva accepts the question but refutes it. It is true that it is

not possible for the ātmārāma to become attached to household
life and for the person attached to household life to be attached
to Kṛṣṇa. But you should not think that the great devotees of
inconceivable character would ever, even temporarily, become
attached to material things. That is expressed in this verse.
Those whose minds are absorbed in the Lord do not reject the
topics of the Lord which are most dear to the paramahaṁsas,
persons related to the Lord (bhāgavata), though the topics are
somewhat interrupted. Those topics are the path (padavīm)
giving happiness to the devotees, since by that path the devotee
attains the Lord. But does the following verse not show there is
an obstacle?
tathā na te mādhava tāvakāḥ kvacid
bhraśyanti mārgāt tvayi baddha-sauhṛdāḥ
tvayābhiguptā vicaranti nirbhayā
vināyakānīkapa-mūrdhasu prabho
O Mādhava, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of the
goddess of fortune, if devotees completely in love with you
sometimes fall from the path of devotion, they do not fall like
nondevotees, for you still protect them. Thus they fearlessly
traverse the heads of their opponents and continue to progress
in devotional service. SB 10.2.33
True, the devotee does not have any obstacle arising from time
and karma. However there are two types of obstacle for the
devotees: that caused by great offense and that caused by the
Lord’s desire. Great offense is pacified over a long time after
undergoing appropriate difficulties, or is quickly removed by
the mercy of great devotees. Examples are Dvividha and
Rahūgaṇa. “The Lord’s desire” means to teach proper conduct
to the devotee, and the obstacle arising from the Lord’s desire
only increases prema in the devotee. An example is Bharata.
Since Priyavrata did not commit offense, his obstacle arose by
the desire of the Lord. The Lord taught his devotees by
showing through adoration for a deer that the devotees should
not have attachment, though they may think such attachment is
a good quality. It should be understood in the case of Priyavrata
that the Lord taught that the devotees should follow the order of
superiors though it is not suitable for bhakti, by showing how
Priyavrata followed the order of Brahmā.
TEXT - SB 5.1.6
yarhi vāva ha rājan sa rāja-putraḥ priyavrataḥ parama-

bhāgavato nāradasya caraṇopasevayāñjasāvagata-paramārtha-
satattvo brahma-satreṇa dīkṣiṣyamāṇo 'vani-tala-
paripālanāyāmnāta-pravara-guṇa-gaṇaikānta-bhājanatayā sva-
pitropāmantrito bhagavati vāsudeva evāvyavadhāna-samādhi-
yogena samāveśita-sakala-kāraka-kriyā-kalāpo
naivābhyanandad yadyapi tad apratyāmnātavyaṁ tad-
adhikaraṇa ātmano 'nyasmād asato 'pi parābhavam
anvīkṣamāṇaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yarhi—because; vāva ha—indeed; rājan—O King; saḥ—he;

rāja-putraḥ—the Prince; priyavrataḥ—Priyavrata; parama—
supreme; bhāgavataḥ—devotee; nāradasya—of Nārada;
caraṇa—the lotus feet; upasevayā—by serving; añjasā—
quickly; avagata—became aware of; parama-artha—
transcendental subject matter; sa-tattvaḥ—with all knowable
facts; brahma-satreṇa—by continuous discussion of the
Supreme; dīkṣiṣyamāṇaḥ—desiring to fully dedicate himself;
avani-tala—the surface of the globe; paripālanāya—to rule
over; āmnāta—directed in the revealed scriptures; pravara—
highest; guṇa—of qualities; gaṇa—the sum total; ekānta—
without deviation; bhājanatayā—because of his possessing;
sva-pitrā—by his father; upāmantritaḥ—being asked;
bhagavati—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudeve
—the all-pervading Lord; eva—certainly; avyavadhāna—
without cessation; samādhi-yogena—by practicing yoga in
complete absorption; samāveśita—completely dedicated;
sakala—all; kāraka—senses; kriyā-kalāpaḥ—whose total
activities; na—not; eva—thus; abhyanandat—welcomed;
yadyapi—although; tat—that; apratyāmnātavyam—not to be
rejected for any reason; tat-adhikaraṇe—in occupying that
post; ātmanaḥ—of himself; anyasmāt—by other engagements;
asataḥ—material; api—certainly; parābhavam—deterioration;
anvīkṣamāṇaḥ—foreseeing.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, Prince
Priyavrata was a great devotee because he sought the lotus
feet of Nārada, his spiritual master, and thus achieved the
highest perfection in transcendental knowledge. With
advanced knowledge, he always engaged in discussing
spiritual subjects and did not divert his attention to
anything else. The Prince's father then asked him to take
charge of ruling the world. He tried to convince Priyavrata
that this was his duty as indicated in the revealed
scriptures. Prince Priyavrata, however, was continuously
practicing bhakti-yoga by constantly remembering the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, thus engaging all his
senses in the service of the Lord. Therefore, although the
order of his father could not be rejected, the Prince did not
welcome it. Thus he very conscientiously raised the question
of whether he might be diverted from devotional service by
accepting the responsibility of ruling over the world.
PURPORT
Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā

nistāra pāyeche kebā: "Without serving the lotus feet of a pure
Vaiṣṇava or spiritual master, no one has ever attained perfect
liberation from material bondage." prince Priyavrata regularly
served the lotus feet of Nārada, and thus the Prince perfectly
understood transcendental subjects in truth (sa-tattvaḥ). The
word sa-tattvaḥ means that Priyavrata knew all the facts about
the spirit soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the
relationship between the spirit soul and the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and he also knew all about this
material world and the relationship of the spirit soul and the
Supreme Lord within the material world. Thus the Prince
decided to engage himself only in rendering service to the
Lord.
When Priyavrata's father, Svāyambhuva Manu, requested him

to accept the responsibility of ruling over the world, he did not
welcome the suggestion. This is the symptom of a great,
liberated devotee. Even though engaged in worldly affairs, he
does not take pleasure in them, but remains always absorbed in
the Lord's service. While thus serving the Lord, he deals
externally with worldly affairs without being affected. For
example, although he has no attraction for his children, he cares
for them and educates them to become devotees. Similarly, he
speaks to his wife with affectionate words, but he is not
attached to her. By rendering devotional service, a devotee
acquires all the good qualities of the Supreme Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa
had sixteen thousand wives, all of them very beautiful, and
although He dealt with each of them as a beloved husband, He
was not attracted or attached to any of them. In the same way,
although a devotee may enter family life and act very
affectionately toward his wife and children, he is never attached
to these activities.
This verse states that by serving the lotus feet of his spiritual
master, prince Priyavrata very soon attained the perfectional
stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the only way to advance
in spiritual life. As stated in the Vedas:
yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
[ŚU 6.23]
"If one has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord and the
spiritual master, the essence of all Vedic knowledge is revealed
to him. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23) A devotee always thinks
of the Lord continuously. While chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa
mantra, the words Kṛṣṇa and Hare immediately remind him of
all the Lord's activities. Since his entire life is engaged in the
service of the Lord, a devotee cannot forget the Lord at any
time. Just as an ordinary man always engages his mind in
material activities, a devotee always engages his mind in
spiritual activities. This is called brahma-satra, or meditating
upon the Supreme Lord always. Prince Priyavrata was perfectly
initiated into this practice by Śrī Nārada.
Priyavrata’s status as an ātmārāma was natural. By the mercy

of Nārada, he had become the greatest among devotees. Only
by the order of Brahmā did he take up household life. That is
stated in this verse. Vāva means certainly. When (yarhi),
ordered by his father to do this for protecting the earth, he did
not welcome the order, Brahmā made his appearance from his
own abode. The sentence continues for two verses. By serving
Nārada he quickly (añjasā) became fully knowledgeable of the
highest goals and truths, and attained initiation though
meditation on ātmā (brahma-satreṇa). Then he became eager to
limit himself with determination to experience only the
Supreme Lord full of eternity, knowledge and bliss, and not any
material object. At that moment, because he steadily manifested
all the qualities mentioned in the scriptures for ruling the
kingdom, his father Manu asked him to rule the world. “O
Priyavrata! Now you must protect the world.” He did not
welcome that request. He did not desire to do so because he
thought it was not beneficial for him. Why? He was constantly
engaged in concentrating without break on the Lord with all his
senses and activities. Though what his father said could not be
rejected, he protested saying “I will not rule the kingdom.”
Why? He considered that he would be affected by improper
qualities like lust and anger (asataḥ) in ruling the kingdom.
TEXT - SB 5.1.7
atha ha bhagavān ādi-deva etasya guṇa-visargasya

paribṛṁhaṇānudhyāna-vyavasita-sakala-jagad-abhiprāya ātma-
yonir akhila-nigama-nija-gaṇa-pariveṣṭitaḥ sva-bhavanād
avatatāra.
SYNONYMS
atha—thus; ha—indeed; bhagavān—the most powerful; ādi-

devaḥ—the first demigod; etasya—of this universe; guṇa-
visargasya—the creation of the three modes of material nature;
paribṛṁhaṇa—the welfare; anudhyāna—always thinking of;
vyavasita—known; sakala—whole; jagat—of the universe;
abhiprāyaḥ—by whom the ultimate purpose; ātma—the
Supreme Self; yoniḥ—whose source of birth; akhila—all;
nigama—by the Vedas; nija-gaṇa—by personal associates;
pariveṣṭitaḥ—being surrounded; sva-bhavanāt—from his own
abode; avatatāra—descended.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: The first created being
and most powerful demigod in this universe is Lord
Brahmā, who is always responsible for developing universal
affairs. Born directly from the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, he dedicates his activities to the welfare of the
entire universe, for he knows the purpose of the universal
creation. This supremely powerful Lord Brahmā,
accompanied by his associates and the personified Vedas,
left his own abode in the highest planetary system and
descended to the place of Prince Priyavrata's meditation.
PURPORT
Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Self (ātmā), is the source of

everything, as explained in the Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya
yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Because Brahmā was born directly from Lord
Viṣṇu, he is called ātma-yoni. He is also called bhagavān,
although generally bhagavān refers to the Supreme Personality
of Godhead (Viṣṇu or Lord Kṛṣṇa). Sometimes great
personalities—such as demigods like Lord Brahmā, Nārada or
Lord Śiva—are also addressed as bhagavān because they carry
out the purpose of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord
Brahmā is called bhagavān because he is the secondary creator
of this universe. He is always thinking of how to improve the
situation of the conditioned souls who have come to the
material world to enjoy material activities. For this reason, he
disseminates the Vedic knowledge throughout the universe for
everyone's guidance.
Vedic knowledge is divided into two parts: pravṛtti-mārga and

nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga is the path of negating sense
enjoyment, and pravṛtti-mārga is the path by which the living
entities are given a chance to enjoy and at the same time are
directed in such a way that they can go back home, back to
Godhead. Because ruling over this universe is a great
responsibility, Brahmā must force many Manus in different
ages to take charge of universal affairs. Under each Manu there
are different kings who also execute the purpose of Lord
Brahmā. It is understood from previous explanations that the
father of Dhruva Mahārāja, King Uttānapāda, ruled over the
universe because his elder brother, Priyavrata, practiced
austerity from the very beginning of his life. Thus up to the
point of the Pracetās, the kings of the universe were all
descendants of Uttānapāda Mahārāja. Since there were no
suitable kings after the Pracetās, Svāyambhuva Manu went to
the Gandhamādana Hill to bring back his eldest son, Priyavrata,
who was meditating there. Svāyambhuva Manu requested
Priyavrata to rule over the universe. When he refused, Lord
Brahmā descended from the supreme planetary system, known
as Satyaloka, to request Priyavrata to accept the order. Lord
Brahmā did not come alone. He came with other great sages
like Marīci, Ātreya and Vasiṣṭha. To convince Priyavrata that it
was necessary for him to follow the Vedic injunctions and
accept the responsibility of ruling over the world, Lord Brahmā
also brought with him the personified Vedas, his constant
associates.
A significant word in this verse is sva-bhavanāt, indicating that

Lord Brahmā descended from his own abode. Every demigod
has his own abode. Indra, the King of the demigods, has his
own abode, as do Candra, the lord of the moon planet, and
Sūrya, the predominating deity of the sun planet. There are
many millions of demigods, and the stars and planets are their
respective homes. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti
deva-vratā devān: [Bg. 9.25] "Those who worship the
demigods go to their different planetary systems." Lord
Brahmā's abode. the highest planetary system, is called
Satyaloka or sometimes Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka usually
refers to the spiritual world. The abode of Lord Brahmā is
Satyaloka, but because Lord Brahmā resides there, it is also
sometimes called Brahmaloka.
Then (atha ha), Brahmā (ādi-devaḥ), always engaged in

contemplating the prosperity (paribṛṁhana) of the creation of
the universe (guṇa-visargasya), while determining the
intentions of all the living beings, just as the king determines
the intentions of all his subjects though his servants, surrounded
by Marīci and others, as well as the personified Vedas,
appeared on earth from Satyaloka to show proof of the dharma
to be taught to Priyavrata.
Knowing that Priyavrata, detached since childhood, would

leave the house and go to the forest, Manu appointed his
younger brother to rule the kingdom. His descendents up to the
Pracetās ruled the kingdom. In this way, half of Svāyambhuva
Manvantara passed. Dakṣa was born a second time as the son of
the Pracetās during Svāyambhuva Manvantara, but with a
desire to attain his previous powers, he went to perform
austerities. Since there was no king, Manu, seeing no
alternative, wanted to bring Priyavrata back from the forest.
When he was not able to bring him back, Brahmā came and
made Priyavrata rule the kingdom. Priyavrata’s descendents
ruled until the fifth Manvantara. Since the third, fourth and fifth
Manus, Uttama, Tāmasa and Raivata were the sons of
Priyavrata, with only the second Manu Svārociṣa intervening
(he was the son of Agni), the sons and grandsons of these
Manus ruled as kings over the earth as descendents of
Priyavrata’s line. Then at the beginning of the Cākṣuṣa
Manvantara, giving up his austerities, Dakṣa (in Uttanapāda’s
line) became the King and engaged in producing population.
cākṣuṣe tv antare prāpte prāk-sarge kāla-vidrute
yaḥ sasarja prajā iṣṭāḥ sa dakṣo daiva-coditaḥ
His previous body had been destroyed, but he, the same Dakṣa,
inspired by the supreme will, created all the desired living
entities in the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara. SB 4.30.49
Since Cākṣuṣa was in the line from Uttānapāda,[290] it should

be understood that Svāyambhuva’ descendents reigned until
that time.
TEXT - SB 5.1.8
sa tatra tatra gagana-tala uḍu-patir iva vimānāvalibhir

anupatham amara-parivṛḍhair abhipūjyamānaḥ pathi pathi ca
varūthaśaḥ siddha-gandharva-sādhya-cāraṇa-muni-gaṇair
upagīyamāno gandha-mādana-droṇīm avabhāsayann
upasasarpa.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (Lord Brahmā); tatra tatra—here and there; gagana-

tale—under the canopy of the sky; uḍu-patiḥ—the moon; iva—
like; vimāna-āvalibhiḥ—in their different airplanes; anupatham
—along the path; amara—of the demigods; parivṛḍhaiḥ—by
the leaders; abhipūjyamānaḥ—being worshiped; pathi pathi—
on the way, one after another; ca—also; varūthaśaḥ—in
groups; siddha—by the residents of Siddhaloka; gandharva—
by the residents of Gandharvaloka; sādhya—by the residents of
Sādhyaloka; cāraṇa—by the residents of Cāraṇaloka; muni-
gaṇaiḥ—and by great sages; upagīyamānaḥ—being worshiped;
gandha-mādana—of the planet where the Gandhamādana Hill
is found; droṇīm—the border; avabhāsayan—illuminating;
upasasarpa—he approached.
TRANSLATION
As Lord Brahmā descended on his carrier, the great swan,
all the residents of the planets named Siddhaloka,
Gandharvaloka, Sādhyaloka and Cāraṇaloka, as well as
great sages and demigods flying in their different airplanes,
assembled within the canopy of the sky to receive Lord
Brahmā and worship him. As he received respect and
adoration from the residents of the various planets, Lord
Brahmā appeared just like the full moon surrounded by
illuminating stars. Lord Brahmā's great swan then arrived
at the border of Gandhamādana Hill and approached
Prince Priyavrata, who was sitting there.
PURPORT
It appears from this description that there is regular

interplanetary travel between the planets of the demigods.
Another significant point is that there is a planet covered
mostly by great mountains, one of which is Gandhamādana
Hill. Three great personalities—Priyavrata, Nārada and
Svāyambhuva Manu—were sitting on this hill. According to
Brahmā-saṁhitā, each universe is filled with different
planetary systems, and every system has a unique opulence. For
example, on Siddhaloka, all the residents are very advanced in
the powers of mystic yoga. They can fly from one planet to
another without airplanes or other flying machines. Similarly,
the residents of Gandharvaloka are expert in musical science,
and those on Sādhyaloka are all great saints. The interplanetary
system undoubtedly exists, and residents of different planets
may go from one to another. On this earth, however, we have
not invented any machine that can go directly from one planet
to another, although an unsuccessful attempt has been made to
go directly to the moon.
This verse describes Brahmā’s spectacular appearance on earth.

Saḥ refers to Brahmā. He was worshipped by the chief
(parivṛddhaiḥ) devatās who had fleets of airplanes.
TEXT - SB 5.1.9
tatra ha vā enaṁ devarṣir haṁsa-yānena pitaraṁ bhagavantaṁ

hiraṇya-garbham upalabhamānaḥ sahasaivotthāyārhaṇena saha
pitā-putrābhyām avahitāñjalir upatasthe.
SYNONYMS
tatra—there; ha vā—certainly; enam—him; deva-ṛṣiḥ—the

great saint Nārada; haṁsa-yānena—by the swan carrier;
pitaram—his father; bhagavantam—most powerful; hiraṇya-
garbham—Lord Brahmā; upalabhamānaḥ—understanding;
sahasā eva—immediately; utthāya—having stood up;
arhaṇena—with paraphernalia for worship; saha—
accompanied; pitā-putrābhyām—by Priyavrata and his father.
Svāyambhuva Manu; avahita-añjaliḥ—with respect and folded
hands; upatasthe—worshiped.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā, the father of Nārada Muni, is the supreme
person within this universe. As soon as Nārada saw the
great swan, he could understand that Lord Brahmā had
arrived. Therefore he immediately stood up, along with
Svāyambhuva Manu and his son Priyavrata, whom Nārada
was instructing. Then they folded their hands and began to
worship Lord Brahmā with great respect.
PURPORT
As stated in the previous verse, Lord Brahmā was accompanied

by other demigods, but his specific carrier was the great swan.
Therefore as soon as Nārada Muni saw the swan, he could
understand that his father, Lord Brahmā, who is also known as
Hiraṇyagarbha, was arriving. Thus he immediately stood up
with Svāyambhuva Manu and his son Priyavrata to receive
Lord Brahmā and offer him respect.
Nārada recognized him by the swan carrier. Pitāputrābhyām

means by Manu and Priyavrata.
TEXT - SB 5.1.10
bhagavān api bhārata tad-upanītārhaṇaḥ sūkta-vākenātitarām

udita-guṇa-gaṇāvatāra-sujayaḥ priyavratam ādi-puruṣas taṁ
sadaya-hāsāvaloka iti hovāca.
SYNONYMS
bhagavān—Lord Brahmā; api—moreover; bhārata—O King
Parīkṣit; tat—by them; upanīta—brought forward; arhaṇaḥ—
worshipable paraphernalia; sūkta—according to Vedic
etiquette; vākena—by language; atitarām—highly; udita—
praised; guṇa-gaṇa—qualities; avatāra—because of the
descent; su-jayaḥ—whose glories; priyavratam—unto
Priyavrata; ādi-puruṣaḥ—the original person; tam—unto him;
sa-daya—with compassion; hāsa—smiling; avalokaḥ—whose
looking; iti—thus; ha—certainly; uvāca—said.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Parīkṣit, because Lord Brahmā had finally
descended from Satyaloka to Bhūloka, Nārada Muni,
Prince Priyavrata and Svāyambhuva Manu came forward
to offer him objects of worship and to praise him in highly
qualified language, according to Vedic etiquette. At that
time, Lord Brahmā, the original person of this universe, felt
compassion for Priyavrata and, looking upon him with a
smiling face, spoke to him as follows.
PURPORT
That Lord Brahmā descended from Satyaloka to see Priyavrata

indicates that the matter was very serious. Nārada Muni had
come to advise Priyavrata about the value of spiritual life,
knowledge, renunciation and bhakti, and Lord Brahmā knew
that Nārada's instructions were very impressive. Therefore
unless Lord Brahmā personally went to Gandhamādana Hill to
request Priyavrata, Lord Brahmā knew that prince Priyavrata
would not accept his father's order. Brahmā's purpose was to
break Priyavrata's determination. Therefore Brahmā first
looked upon Priyavrata with compassion. His smile and
compassionate features also indicated that although Brahmā
would request Priyavrata to accept household life, Priyavrata
would not be out of touch with devotional service. By the
blessings of a Vaiṣṇava, everything is possible. This is
described in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu as kṛpā-siddhi, or
perfection attained simply by the blessings of a superior person.
One usually becomes liberated and perfect by executing the
regulative principles set down in the śāstras. Nonetheless,
many persons have achieved perfection simply by the blessings
of a spiritual master or superior.
Priyavrata was the grandson of Lord Brahmā, and as joking

competition sometimes takes place between grandson and
grandfather, in this case also Priyavrata was determined to
remain in meditation, whereas Brahmā was determined that he
rule the universe. Thus Lord Brahmā's affectionate smile and
glance meant, "My dear Priyavrata, you have decided not to
accept household life, but I have decided to convince you that
you must accept it." Actually, Brahmā had come to praise
Priyavrata for his high standard of renunciation, austerity,
penance and devotion so that he would not be deviated from
devotional service, even though he would accept household
life.
In this verse, one important word is sūkta-vākena (by Vedic

hymns). In the Vedas, there is the following prayer to Lord
Brahmā: hiraṇyagarbhaḥ samavartatāgre bhūtasya jātaḥ patir
eka āsīt. Brahmā was received with the appropriate Vedic
hymns, and because he was welcomed according to the Vedic
etiquette, he was very pleased.
It should be understood that Nārada had been giving

instructions to Priyavrata at that time, and Manu had come to
bring Priyavrata home. Lord (bhagavān) Brahmā, who was
presented offerings by Nārada, Manu and Priyavrata, who was
glorious for having descended to show affection to his progeny,
described profusely by worship of the Vedas, then spoke to
Priyavrata. Brahmā had a merciful glance. “I have interrupted
his bhakti, jñāna and vairāgya, but even in household life, may
his bhakti should increase!” He looked at his grandson with a
smile. “To refuse the kingdom is your stubbornness. I will
make you rule the kingdom. That is my stubbornness. I will see
whose stubbornness will prevail.”
TEXT - SB 5.1.11
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
nibodha tātedam ṛtaṁ bravīmi
māsūyituṁ devam arhasy aprameyam
vayaṁ bhavas te tata eṣa maharṣir
vahāma sarve vivaśā yasya diṣṭam

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca—the supreme person, Lord Brahmā, said;

nibodha—kindly hear with attention; tāta—my dear son; idam
—this; ṛtam—true; bravīmi—I am speaking; mā—not;
asūyitum—to be jealous of; devam—the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; arhasi—you ought; aprameyam—who is beyond
our experimental knowledge; vayam—we; bhavaḥ—Lord Śiva;
te—your; tataḥ—father; eṣaḥ—this; mahā-ṛṣiḥ—Nārada;
vahāmaḥ—carry out; sarve—all; vivaśāḥ—unable to deviate;
yasya—of whom; diṣṭam—the order.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā, the supreme person within this universe,
said:My dear Priyavrata, kindly hear attentively what I
shall say to you. Do not be jealous of the Supreme Lord,
who is beyond our experimental measurements. All of us,
including Lord Śiva, your father and the great sage
Mahārṣi Nārada, must carry out the order of the Supreme.
We cannot deviate from His order.
PURPORT
Of the twelve great authorities in devotional service, four—

Lord Brahmā himself, his son Nārada, Svāyambhuva Manu and
Lord Śiva—were present before Priyavrata. They were
accompanied by many other authoritative sages. Brahmā first
wanted to impress upon Priyavrata that although these great
personalities are all authorities, they cannot possibly disobey
the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
described in this verse as deva, which means "always glorious."
The power, glory and potencies of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead can never be diminished. In the Īśopaniṣad, the Lord
is described as apāpa-viddha, which indicates that He is never
affected by anything materially considered sinful. Similarly,
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes the Supreme Personality of
Godhead as being so powerful that nothing we might consider
abominable can affect Him. An example sometimes given to
explain the position of the Supreme Lord is that of the sun,
which evaporates urine from the earth but is never affected by
contamination. The Supreme Lord can never be accused of
doing anything wrong.
When Lord Brahmā went to induce Priyavrata to accept the

responsibility for ruling the universe, he did not go
whimsically; he was following the dictations of the Supreme
Lord. Indeed, Brahmā and other genuine authorities never do
anything without His permission. The Supreme Lord is situated
in everyone's heart. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it
is said, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye: [SB 1.1.1] the Lord
dictated Vedic knowledge to Brahmā through his heart. The
more a living entity is purified by devotional service, the more
he comes in direct contact with the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, as confirmed in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā:
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te
"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with
love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."
(Bg. 10.10) Lord Brahmā, therefore, had not come to Priyavrata
by his own whims: rather, it is understood that he had been
ordered to persuade Priyavrata by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, whose activities cannot be understood by material
senses and who is therefore described herein as aprameya.
Thus Lord Brahmā first advised Priyavrata to hear his words
with attention and without envy.
Why one is induced to perform certain acts despite his desire to

do something else is indicated herein. One cannot disobey the
orders of the Supreme Lord, even if one is as powerful as Lord
Śiva. Lord Brahmā. Manu or the great sage Nārada. All these
authorities are certainly very powerful, but they do not have the
power to disobey the orders of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Since Lord Brahmā had come to Priyavrata in
accordance with the orders of the Supreme Lord, he first
wanted to dispel any suspicions that he might be acting as
Priyavrata's enemy. Lord Brahmā was following the orders of
the Supreme Lord, and therefore it would be worthwhile for
Priyavrata to accept Lord Brahmā's order, as the Lord desired.
Do not hate me, thinking that my words fixed on active life are
intolerable to you. I am also dependent on your Lord. I will
speak about what he wants you to do. Consider this with your
intelligence (nibodha). O son! This implies “I am not your
enemy who will make you suffer.” I speak the truth. I am not
deceiving you. I speak as Brahmā, and am not to be taken as a
person without authority, like your father. What is the truth? I,
Śiva and your father Manu, and Nārada, your guru, carry out
the order of the Lord. Whatever he instructs in the heart of any
of us, we must follow. By his order I am engaging you in ruling
the kingdom. Do not find fault with your Lord, thinking that the
Lord whom you worship him with all my heart has cast you
into the ocean of saṁsāra. Do not hate him. He cannot be
estimated. He quickly delivers one person whom he engages in
actions in this world, and he does not quickly deliver another
person who is in the forest. No one knows his activity.
TEXT - SB 5.1.12
na tasya kaścit tapasā vidyayā vā
na yoga-vīryeṇa manīṣayā vā
naivārtha-dharmaiḥ parataḥ svato vā
kṛtaṁ vihantuṁ tanu-bhṛd vibhūyāt
SYNONYMS
na—never; tasya—His; kaścit—anyone; tapasā—by austerity;

vidyayā—by education; vā—or; na—never; yoga—by power of
mystic yoga; vīryeṇa—by personal strength; manīṣayā—by
intelligence; vā—or; na—never; eva—certainly; artha—by
material opulence; dharmaiḥ—by the power of religion;
parataḥ—by any external power; svataḥ—by personal
endeavor; vā—or; kṛtam—the order; vihantum—to avoid; tanu-
bhṛt—a living entity who has accepted a material body;
vibhūyāt—is able.
TRANSLATION
One cannot avoid the order of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, not by the strength of severe austerities, an
exalted Vedic education, or the power of mystic yoga,
physical prowess or intellectual activities. Nor can one use
his power of religion, his material opulence or any other
means, either by himself or with the help of others, to defy
the orders of the Supreme Lord. That is not possible for any
living being, from Brahmā down to the ant.
PURPORT
In the Garga Upaniṣad, Gargamuni says to his wife, etasya vā

akṣarasya praśāsane gargi sūryā-candramasau vidhṛtau
tiṣṭhataḥ: "My dear Gargī, everything is under the control of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even the sun, the moon
and other controllers and demigods like Lord Brahmā and King
Indra are all under His control." An ordinary human being or
animal who has accepted a material body cannot go beyond the
jurisdiction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's control. A
material body includes senses. However, the sense activities of
so-called scientists who try to be free from God's law or the
laws of nature are useless. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-
gītā (7.14). Mama māyā duratyayā: it is impossible to surpass
the control of material nature, for the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is working behind it. Sometimes we are proud of our
austerities, penances and mystic yogic powers, but it is clearly
stated herein that one cannot surpass the laws and directions of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, either by dint of mystic
power, a scientific education, or austerities and penances. It is
impossible.
The word manīṣayā ("by intelligence") is of special

significance. Priyavrata might argue that Lord Brahmā was
requesting him to accept family life and the responsibility for
ruling a kingdom, although Nārada Muni had advised him not
to enter household life and be entangled in material affairs.
Whom to accept would be a puzzle for Priyavrata because both
Lord Brahmā and Nārada Muni are authorities. Under the
circumstances, the use of the word manīṣayā is very
appropriate, for it indicates that since both Nārada Muni and
Lord Brahmā are authorized to give instruction, Priyavrata
should neglect neither of them but should use his intelligence to
follow the advice of both. To solve such dilemmas, Śrīla Rūpa
Gosvāmī has given a very clear conception of intelligence. He
says:
anāsaktasya viṣayān
yathārham upayuñjataḥ
nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe
yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate
Viṣayān,material affairs, should be accepted without

attachment. and everything should be dovetailed with the
service of the Lord. That is real intelligence (manīṣā).
Becoming a family man or king in the material world is not
harmful if one accepts everything for Kṛṣṇa's service. That
necessitates clear intelligence. Māyāvādī philosophers say,
brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: this material world is false, and
only the Absolute Truth is real. However, an intelligent devotee
in the line of Lord Brahmā and the great sage Nārada—or, in
other words, in the Brahma-sampradāya—does not consider
this world false. That which is created by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead cannot be false, but using it for
enjoyment is. Everything is meant to be enjoyed by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed in Bhagavad-
gītā (5.29). Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-
maheśvaram: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
supreme proprietor and enjoyer, and therefore everything
should be dovetailed for His enjoyment and service. Regardless
of one's circumstances, favorable or unfavorable, one should
use everything to serve the Supreme Lord. That is the perfect
way to use one's intelligence.
One should not show one’s strength of austerity, knowledge or

yoga in order to protect one’s stubbornness. One cannot avoid
what is decided by the Lord by performing austerity and other
actions. “But just as the Lord makes me take up the kingdom
through you, he makes me renounce through Nārada. Which do
I decide?” By thinking in this way, you desire to conquer me,
the Lord, by your intelligence. Considering both of these orders
of the Lord, while ruling the kingdom, at the same time you can
practice renunciation by being unattached to those duties. Do
not try to rule by making someone a substitute representative
by giving him sufficient wealth (artha). And do not desire to
cross these difficulties by many pious acts or taking shelter of
other’s strength (paraiḥ) or one’s own strength.
TEXT - SB 5.1.13
bhavāya nāśāya ca karma kartuṁ
śokāya mohāya sadā bhayāya
sukhāya duḥkhāya ca deha-yogam
avyakta-diṣṭaṁ janatāṅga dhatte
SYNONYMS
bhavāya—for birth; nāśāya—for death; ca—also; karma—

activity; kartum—to do; śokāya—for bereavement; mohāya—
for illusion; sadā—always; bhayāya—for fear; sukhāya—for
happiness; duḥkhāya—for distress; ca—also; deha-yogam—
connection with a material body; avyakta—by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; diṣṭam—directed; janatā—the living
entities; aṅga—O Priyavrata; dhatte—accept.
TRANSLATION
My dear Priyavrata, by the order of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, all living entities accept different
types of bodies for birth and death, activity, lamentation,
illusion, fear of future dangers, and happiness and distress.
PURPORT
Every living entity who has come to this material world has
come here for material enjoyment, but according to his own
karma, activities, he must accept a certain type of body given to
him by material nature under the order of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27),
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ: everything is
being done by prakṛti, material nature, under the direction of
the Supreme Lord. Modern scientists do not know why there
are varieties of bodies in 8,400,000 forms. The fact is that all
these bodies are ordained for the living entities by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead according to the living entities' desires.
He gives the living entities freedom to act as they like, but on
the other hand they must accept a body according to the
reactions of their activities. Thus there are different types of
bodies. Some living entities have short durations of life,
whereas others live for fantastic durations. Every one of them,
however, from Brahmā down to the ant, acts according to the
direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is sitting
in everyone's heart. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15):
sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo

mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
"I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come

remembrance. knowledge and forgetfulness." It is not a fact,
however, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives
direction to certain living entities in one way and other living
entities in another way. The truth is that every living entity has
a certain desire, and the Supreme Lord gives him a chance to
fulfill it. The best course, therefore, is to surrender unto the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and act according to His
desire. One who does so is liberated.
One should not lament about this, because all embodied souls,
dependent on the Lord, tolerate all auspicious and inauspicious
conditions by their own desire or others’ desire. All jīvas
(janatā) always accept a combination with bodies given by the
Lord (avyakta) for performing actions for repeated birth and
death. They accept bodies earned by their actions only by the
order of the Lord, just as the citizens accept certain results such
as agricultural land or prison according to their actions only by
the order of the king. The king alone can do otherwise.
Therefore because of him you should obey.
TEXT - SB 5.1.14
yad-vāci tantyāṁ guṇa-karma-dāmabhiḥ
sudustarair vatsa vayaṁ suyojitāḥ
sarve vahāmo balim īśvarāya
protā nasīva dvi-pade catuṣ-padaḥ
SYNONYMS
yat—of whom; vāci—in the form of Vedic instruction; tantyām
—to a long rope; guṇa—of quality; karma—and work;
dāmabhiḥ—by the ropes; su-dustaraiḥ—very difficult to avoid;
vatsa—my dear boy; vayam—we; su-yojitāḥ—are engaged;
sarve—all; vahāmaḥ—carry out; balim—orders to please Him;
īśvarāya—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; protāḥ—
being bound; nasi—in the nose; iva—like; dvi-pade—to the
two-legged (driver); catuḥ-padaḥ—the four-legged (bulls).
TRANSLATION
My dear boy, all of us are bound by the Vedic injunctions to
the divisions of varṇāśrama according to our qualities and
work. These divisions are difficult to avoid because they are
scientifically arranged. We must therefore carry out our
duties of varṇāśrama-dharma, like bulls obliged to move
according to the direction of a driver pulling on ropes
knotted to their noses.
PURPORT
In this verse, the words tantyāṁ guṇa-karma-dāmabhiḥ are

very important. We each get a body according to our
association with the guṇas, the qualities or modes of material
nature, and we act accordingly. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, the
four orders of the social system—namely brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya,
vaiśya and śūdra—are arranged according to guṇa and karma,
their qualities and work. There is some controversy about this,
however, because some say that since one receives a body
according to the guṇa and karma of his past life, it is one's birth
that determines his social status. Others say, however, that
one's birth according to the guṇa and karma of his past life is
not the essential consideration, since one can change his guṇa
and karma even in this life. Thus they say that the four
divisions of the social order—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and
śūdra—should be arranged according to the guṇa and karma of
this life. This version is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by
Nārada Muni. While instructing Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about
the symptoms of guṇa and karma, Nārada Muni said that these
symptoms must govern the division of society. In other words,
if a person born in the family of a brāhmaṇa has the symptoms
of a śūdra, he should be designated as a śūdra. Similarly, if a
śūdra has brahminical qualities, he should be designated a
brāhmaṇa.
The varṇāśrama system is scientific. Therefore if we accept the

divisions of varṇa and āśrama according to the Vedic
instructions, our lives will be successful. Unless human society
is thus divided and arranged, it cannot be perfect. As stated in
the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9):
varṇāśramācāravatā
puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā
nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
[Cc. Madhya 8.58]
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is

worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the
system of varṇa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in
the institution of the four varṇas and āśramas." All of human
society is meant to worship Lord Viṣṇu. At the present
moment, however, human society does not know that this is the
ultimate goal or perfection of life. Therefore instead of
worshiping Lord Viṣṇu. People have been educated to worship
matter. According to the direction of modern society, men think
they can advance in civilization by manipulating matter to build
skyscrapers, big roads, automobiles and so on. Such a
civilization must certainly be called materialistic because its
people do not know the goal of life. The goal of life is to reach
Viṣṇu, but instead of reaching Viṣṇu, people are bewildered by
the external manifestation of the material energy. Therefore
progress in material advancement is blind, and the leaders of
such material advancement are also blind. They are leading
their followers in the wrong way.
It is best, therefore, to accept the injunctions of the Vedas,

which are mentioned in this verse as yad-vāci. In accordance
with those injunctions, everyone should find out whether he is a
brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra and should thus be
educated accordingly. Then his life will be successful.
Otherwise, all of human society will be confused. If human
society is divided scientifically according to varṇa and āśrama,
and if the Vedic directions are followed, one's life, regardless
of his position, will be successful. It is not that brāhmaṇas will
be elevated to the transcendental platform but not the śūdras. If
the Vedic injunctions are followed, all of them—brāhmaṇas,
kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras—will be elevated to the
transcendental platform, and their lives will be successful. The
injunctions in the Vedas are explicit directions from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The example cited in this
verse is that bulls tied by ropes in their nostrils move according
to the direction of the driver. Similarly, if we move according
to the instructions of the Vedas, the perfect paths for our lives
will be set. Otherwise, if we do not move in that way but act
according to our whimsical ideas, our lives will be spoiled by
confusion and will end in despair. Actually, because people at
the present moment are not following the instructions of the
Vedas, they are all confused. We must therefore accept this
instruction by Lord Brahmā to Priyavrata as the factual
scientific direction leading to the success of life. This is also
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (16.23):
yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya

vartate kāma-kārataḥ
na sa siddhim avāpnoti
na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim
If we do not live according to the injunctions of the śāstras, the

Vedas, we shall never achieve success in life, to say nothing of
happiness or elevation to higher statuses of living.
Just as the jīvas are dependent on the Lord for accepting bodies,
they are dependent for doing activities. Dear child! We are all
bound firmly to actions according to the guṇas and to
designations such as brāhmaṇa by the rope of injunctions of the
Lord. To that Lord we offer tribute. We perform actions as he
orders. An example is given. We are like oxen, who, bound by
their noses, in carrying loads given by humans and moving
about without independence, receive punishment.
TEXT - SB 5.1.15
īśābhisṛṣṭaṁ hy avarundhmahe 'ṅga
duḥkhaṁ sukhaṁ vā guṇa-karma-saṅgāt
āsthāya tat tad yad ayuṅkta nāthaś
cakṣuṣmatāndhā iva nīyamānāḥ
SYNONYMS
īśa-abhisṛṣṭam—created or given by the Lord; hi—certainly;

avarundhmahe—we have to accept; aṅga—my dear Priyavrata;
duḥkham—distress; sukham—happiness; vā—or; guṇa-karma
—with quality and work; saṅgāt—by association; āsthāya—
being situated in; tat tat—that condition; yat—which body;
ayuṅkta—He gave; nāthaḥ—the Supreme Lord; cakṣuṣmatā—
by a person having eyes; andhāḥ—blind men; iva—like;
nīyamānāḥ—being conducted.
TRANSLATION
My dear Priyavrata, according to our association with
different modes of material nature, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead gives us our specific bodies and the
happiness and distress we achieve. One must therefore
remain situated as he is and be conducted by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, exactly as a blind man is led by a
person who has eyes with which to see.
PURPORT
By material means, one cannot avoid the happiness and distress

unique to his particular body. There are 8,400,000 bodily
forms, each destined to enjoy and suffer a certain amount of
happiness and distress. This we cannot change, for the
happiness and distress are ordained by the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, in accordance with whose decision we have
received our bodies. Since we cannot avoid the plan of the
Supreme Godhead, we must agree to be directed by Him, just
as a blind man is led by a person who has eyes. Under any
circumstances, if we remain in the condition allotted to us by
the Supreme Lord and follow His instructions, we will become
perfect. The main purpose of life is to follow the instructions of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is such instructions that
constitute one's religion or occupational duty.
In Bhagavad-gītā, therefore, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān

parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Give up all other
engagements. Simply surrender unto Me and follow Me." (Bg.
18.66) This process of surrendering by following the
instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not
meant for any particular caste or creed. A brāhmaṇa can
surrender, and so can a kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra. Everyone can
adopt this process. As stated in this verse, cakṣuṣmatāndhā iva
nīyamānāḥ: one should follow the Lord the way a blind man
follows a person who has eyes. If we follow the Supreme
Personality of Godhead by following the directions He gives in
the Vedas and Bhagavad-gītā, our lives will be successful. The
Lord therefore says:
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te
pratijāne priyo 'si me
"Always think of Me, become My devotee, and offer respect

and obeisances unto Me. Then you will certainly come back
home, back to Godhead. I promise you this because you are My
very dear friend." (Bg. 18.65) This instruction is meant for
everyone—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra. If anyone,
from any division of life, surrenders to the Supreme Personality
of Godhead and follows His instructions, his life will be
successful.
The previous verse has given the analogy of bulls moving

under the direction of the driver of a bullock cart. The bulls,
being completely surrendered to the driver, remain wherever he
wants to place them and eat whatever he wants them to eat.
Similarly, being completely surrendered to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, we should not aspire for happiness, or
regret distress; we must be satisfied with the position allotted to
us by the Lord. We should follow the path of devotional service
and not be dissatisfied with the happiness and distress He has
given. People in the material modes of passion and ignorance
generally cannot understand the plan of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead with its 8,400,000 forms of life, but the
human form affords one the special privilege to understand this
plan, engage in devotional service and elevate oneself to the
highest position of perfection by following the Lord's
instructions. The entire world is working under the influence of
the modes of material nature, especially ignorance and passion,
but if people engage in hearing and chanting about the glories
of the Supreme Lord, their lives can be successful, and they can
be elevated to the highest perfection. In the Bṛhan-nāradīya
Purāṇa, therefore, it is said:
harer nāma harer nāma

harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
[Cc. Ādi 17.21]
"In this age of Kali, there is no other way, no other way, no

other way for spiritual perfection than the holy name, the holy
name, the holy name of the Lord." Everyone should be given
the chance to hear the holy names of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, for thus one will gradually come to understand his
real position in life and be elevated to the transcendental
position above the mode of goodness. Thus all impediments to
his progress will be cut to pieces. In conclusion, therefore, we
must be satisfied in whatever position we have been put into by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we should try to
engage ourselves in His devotional service. Then our lives will
be successful.
We are dependent even in enjoying the results of karma. O

Priyavrata (aṅga)! We receive happiness and distress as given
by the Lord. But this is not some fault in the Lord. It arises
from our attachment to actions connected to the guṇas. Among
all oxen which are equal as far as common characteristics are
concerned, according to the amount of good or bad actions,
their master gives them rice with milk and ghee and puts them
the best stables, or gives them rough chick peas and dhal, or
grass and corn. Or he may put them outside in the mud and sun
without food, beat them and scold them, and feed them straw
and leaves. In what manner should we accept these results?
Whatever the master gives as good or bad results, only
according to our good and bad qualities, we should accept
(āsthāya). What fault is there in the master? We should accept
this with faith. One should see this as a good quality in the
Lord. An example is given. Will the blind man scold the man
with vision who, while leading him on the path, takes him on
the path full of burning sun instead of on the shady path
because he sees thorns on the shady path? The man with sight
is the well-wisher of the blind man. The person with faith will
praise the Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.1.16
mukto 'pi tāvad bibhṛyāt sva-deham
ārabdham aśnann abhimāna-śūnyaḥ

yathānubhūtaṁ pratiyāta-nidraḥ
kiṁ tv anya-dehāya guṇān na vṛṅkte
SYNONYMS
muktaḥ—a liberated person; api—even; tāvat—so long;

bibhṛyāt—must maintain; sva-deham—his own body;
ārabdham—obtained as a result of past activity; aśnan—
accepting; abhimāna-śūnyaḥ—without erroneous conceptions;
yathā—as; anubhūtam—what was perceived; pratiyāta-nidraḥ
—one who has awakened from sleep; kim tu—but; anya-
dehāya—for another material body; guṇān—the material
qualities; na—never; vṛṅkte—enjoys.
TRANSLATION
Even if one is liberated, he nevertheless accepts the body he
has received according to his past karma. Without
misconceptions, however, he regards his enjoyment and
suffering due to that karma the way an awakened person
regards a dream he had while sleeping. He thus remains
steadfast and never works to achieve another material body
under the influence of the three modes of material nature.
PURPORT
The difference between a liberated and conditioned soul is that

the conditioned soul is under the concept of bodily life,
whereas a liberated person knows that he is not the body but a
spirit, different from the body. Priyavrata might have thought
that although a conditioned soul is forced to act according to
the laws of nature, why should he, who was far advanced in
spiritual understanding, accept the same kind of bondage and
impediments to spiritual advancement? To answer this doubt,
Lord Brahmā informed him that even those who are liberated
do not resent accepting, in the present body, the results of their
past activities. While sleeping, one dreams many unreal things,
but when he awakens he disregards them and makes progress in
factual life. Similarly, a liberated person—one who has
completely understood that he is not the body but a spirit soul
—disregards past activities performed in ignorance and
performs his present activities in such a way that they produce
no reactions. This is described in Bhagavad-gītā (3.9).
Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ: if
one performs activities for the satisfaction of the Supreme
Personality, the yajña-puruṣa, his work does not produce
reactions, whereas karmīs, who act for themselves, are bound
by the reactions of their work. A liberated person, therefore,
does not think about whatever he has ignorantly done in the
past; instead, he acts in such a way that he will not produce
another body by fruitive activities. As clearly mentioned in
Bhagavad-gītā:
mām ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
"One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall
down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of
material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman." (Bg.
14.26) Regardless of what we have done in our past lives, if we
engage ourselves in unalloyed devotional service to the Lord in
this life, we will always be situated in the brahma-bhūta [SB
4.30.20] (liberated) state, free from reactions, and will not be
obliged to accept another material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar
janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna (Bg. 4.9). After giving up the
body, one who has acted in that way does not accept another
material body, but instead goes back home, back to Godhead.
“But this applies to action of an ignorant person, not to a jñānī

who knows ātmā, who is above the knots of karma.” This verse
answers. As long as prārabdha-karmas continue the liberated
person maintains his body, just as a person remembers what he
experienced in a dream without false identity when he wakes
up. “But because of desires for enjoyment, he must take another
birth.” But he does not accept the guṇas, actions or desires for
attaining another body.
TEXT - SB 5.1.17
bhayaṁ pramattasya vaneṣv api syād
yataḥ sa āste saha-ṣaṭ-sapatnaḥ
jitendriyasyātma-rater budhasya
gṛhāśramaḥ kiṁ nu karoty avadyam
SYNONYMS
bhayam—fear; pramattasya—of one who is bewildered;

vaneṣu—in forests; api—even; syāt—there must be; yataḥ—
because; saḥ—he (one who is not self-controlled); āste—is
existing; saha—with; ṣaṭ-sapatnaḥ—six co-wives; jita-
indriyasya—for one who has already conquered the senses;
ātma-rateḥ—self-satisfied; budhasya—for such a learned man;
gṛha-āśramaḥ—household life; kim—what; nu—indeed; karoti
—can do; avadyam—harm.
TRANSLATION
Even if he goes from forest to forest, one who is not self-
controlled must always fear material bondage because he is
living with six co-wives—the mind and knowledge-
acquiring senses. Even householder life, however, cannot
harm a self-satisfied, learned man who has conquered his
senses.
PURPORT
Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, gṛhe vā vanete thāke,

'hā gaurāṅga' bale ḍāke: whether one is situated in the forest or
at home, if he is engaged in the devotional service of Lord
Caitanya, he is a liberated person. Here this is also repeated.
For one who has not controlled his senses, going to the forest to
become a so-called yogī is meaningless. Because his
uncontrolled mind and senses are going with him, he cannot
achieve anything, even by giving up household life and staying
in the forest. Formerly many mercantile men from the up-
country of India used to go to Bengal, and thus there is a
familiar saying, "If you go to Bengal, your fortune will go with
you." Our first concern, therefore, should be to control the
senses, and since the senses cannot be controlled unless
engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, our most
important duty is to engage the senses in devotional service.
Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate: [Cc. Madhya
19.170] bhakti means engagement of the purified senses in the
service of the Lord.
Herein Lord Brahmā indicates that instead of going to the forest

with uncontrolled senses, it is better and more secure to engage
the senses in the service of the Lord. Even household life can
do no harm to a self-controlled person acting in this way; it
cannot force him into material bondage. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī
has further enunciated this position:
īhā yasya harer dāsye

karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
"Regardless of one's circumstances, if one fully engages his

activities, mind and words in the devotional service of the Lord,
he should be understood to be a liberated person." Śrīla
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a responsible officer and a
householder, yet his service to the cause of expanding the
mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is unique. Śrīla
Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says, durdāntendriya-kāla-
sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. The sense organs are
certainly our greatest enemies, and they are therefore compared
to venomous serpents. However, if a venomous serpent is
bereft of its poison fangs, it is no longer fearful. Similarly, if
the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, there is no
need to fear their activities. The devotees in the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement move within this material world, but
because their senses are fully engaged in the service of the
Lord, they are always aloof from the material world. They are
always living in a transcendental position.
“Though I am dependent on the Lord, if I leave my present

position in the forest and take up household life, it will be
harmful to me.” This verse replies to that worry. Bhayam
means saṁsāra. The six enemies are the six senses who are
enemies. for one who has intelligence—who sees there is no
difference between the house and the forest, for one who is
ātmārāma, for one has controlled his senses, what faults such as
attachment are there?
TEXT - SB 5.1.18
yaḥ ṣaṭ sapatnān vijigīṣamāṇo
gṛheṣu nirviśya yateta pūrvam

atyeti durgāśrita ūrjitārīn
kṣīṇeṣu kāmaṁ vicared vipaścit
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; ṣaṭ—six; sapatnān—adversaries;

vijigīṣamāṇaḥ—desiring to conquer; gṛheṣu—in household
life; nirviśya—having entered; yateta—must try; pūrvam—
first; atyeti—conquers; durga-āśritaḥ—being in a fortified
place; ūrjita-arīn—very strong enemies; kṣīṇeṣu—decreased;
kāmam—lusty desires; vicaret—can go; vipaścit—the most
experienced, learned.
TRANSLATION
One who is situated in household life and who
systematically conquers his mind and five sense organs is
like a king in his fortress who conquers his powerful
enemies. After one has been trained in household life and
his lusty desires have decreased, he can move anywhere
without danger.
PURPORT
The Vedic system of four varṇas and four āśramas is very

scientific, and its entire purpose is to enable one to control the
senses. Before entering household life (gṛhastha-āśrama), a
student is fully trained to become jitendriya, a conqueror of the
senses. Such a mature student is allowed to become a
householder, and because he was first trained in conquering his
senses, he retires from household life and becomes vānaprastha
as soon as the strong waves of youthful life are past and he
reaches the verge of old age at fifty years or slightly more.
Then, after being further trained, he accepts sannyāsa. He is
then a fully learned and renounced person who can move
anywhere and everywhere without fear of being captivated by
material desires. The senses are considered very powerful
enemies. As a king in a strong fortress can conquer powerful
enemies, so a householder in gṛhastha-āśrama, household life,
can conquer the lusty desires of youth and be very secure when
he takes vānaprastha and sannyāsa.
There are three types of people in the world: those without

sense control, those with senses control and those who desire to
control the senses. There is no fault if the first two types enter
household life. And there is praise for the person in
householder life who desires to conquer the senses. Desiring to
conquer the senses, after first situating himself in household
life, one should endeavor to control them by restricting them,
because an intelligent person, taking shelter of a fort, can
conquer strong enemies. He can act in household life or
elsewhere as he likes when the enemy has been minimized. An
alternative version has yudhyeta: he can assail the depleted
enemy.
TEXT - SB 5.1.19
tvaṁ tv abja-nābhāṅghri-saroja-kośa-
durgāśrito nirjita-ṣaṭ-sapatnaḥ
bhuṅkṣveha bhogān puruṣātidiṣṭān
vimukta-saṅgaḥ prakṛtiṁ bhajasva
SYNONYMS
tvam—yourself; tu—then; abja-nābha—of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, whose navel is like a lotus flower;
aṅghri—feet; saroja—lotus; kośa—hole; durga—the
stronghold; āśritaḥ—taken shelter of; nirjita—conquered; ṣaṭ-
sapatnaḥ—the six enemies (the mind and five senses);
bhuṅkṣva—enjoy; iha—in this material world; bhogān—
enjoyable things; puruṣa—by the Supreme person; atidiṣṭān—
extraordinarily ordered; vimukta—liberated; saṅgaḥ—from
material association; prakṛtim—constitutional position;
bhajasva—enjoy.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā continued: My dear Priyavrata, seek shelter
inside the opening in the lotus of the feet of the Lord, whose
navel is also like a lotus. Thus conquer the six sense organs
[the mind and knowledge-acquiring senses]. Accept
material enjoyment because the Lord, extraordinarily, has
ordered you to do this. You will thus always be liberated
from material association and be able to carry out the
Lord's orders in your constitutional position.
PURPORT
There are three kinds of men within this material world. Those
who are trying to enjoy the senses to the utmost are called
karmīs, above them are the jñānīs, who try to conquer the urges
of the senses, and above them are the yogīs, who have already
conquered the senses. None of them, however, are situated in a
transcendental position. Only devotees. who belong to none of
the above-mentioned groups, are transcendental. As explained
in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26):
māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman." Lord
Brahmā herein advises Priyavrata to remain transcendental in
the fortress not of family life but of the lotus feet of the Lord
(abja-nābhāṅghri-saroja). When a bumblebee enters the
opening of a lotus flower and drinks its honey, it is fully
protected by the petals of the lotus. The bee is undisturbed by
sunshine and other external influences. Similarly, one who
always seeks shelter at the lotus feet of the Personality of
Godhead is protected from all dangers. It is therefore said in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.58):
samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām
For one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord,
everything becomes easier. Indeed, even crossing the great
ocean of nescience (bhavāmbudhi) is exactly like crossing the
hoofprint created by a calf (vatsa-padam). For such a devotee,
there is no question of remaining in a place where every step is
dangerous.
Our actual duty is to carry out the supreme order of the

Personality of Godhead. If we are fixed in our determination to
carry out the supreme order of the Lord, we are always secure,
regardless of where we are situated, whether in hell or in
heaven. Herein the words prakṛtiṁ bhajasva are very
significant. Prakṛtim refers to one's constitutional position.
Every living entity has the constitutional position of being an
eternal servant of God. Therefore Lord Brahmā advised
Priyavrata, "Be situated in your original position as an eternal
servant of the Lord. If you carry out His orders, you will never
fall, even in the midst of material enjoyment." Material
enjoyment achieved by dint of one's fruitive activities differs
from material enjoyment given by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. A devotee sometimes appears to be in a very opulent
position, but he accepts that position to follow the orders of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore a devotee is never
affected by material influences. The devotees in the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement are preaching all over the world in
accordance with the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They
have to meet many karmīs, but by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, they are unaffected by material influences. He has
blessed them, as described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya
7.129):
kabhu nā bādhibe tomāra viṣaya-taraṅga

punarapi ei ṭhāñi pābe mora saṅge
A sincere devotee who engages in the service of Lord Śrī

Caitanya Mahāprabhu by preaching His cult all over the world
will never be affected by viṣaya-taraṅga, material influences.
On the contrary, in due course of time he will return to the
shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and
will thus have perpetual association with Him.
But you are not among these three types of persons. Tu

indicates difference. And the fort you take shelter of is not like
the material household. Your shelter is the lotus feet of the
Lord. You are not like others who have controlled the senses
because you have given up enmity with the senses which you
have conquered (nirjita). Your six senses are the best of friends,
since they are attached to the beauty of the Lord. Enjoy the
objects given especially by your master. Enjoyment arising
from karma is a cause of bondage, but not enjoyment given by
the Lord. Then later hand over the kingdom to your son, go to
the forest and remain there, worshipping the Lord (prakṛtim).
TEXT - SB 5.1.20
ī[qXauk- ovac
wiTa SaMai>aihTaae Maha>aaGavTaae
>aGavTaiṣ>auvNaGauraerNauXaaSaNaMaaTMaNaae
l/gauTaYaavNaTaiXaraeDarae ba!iMaiTa
SabhuMaaNaMauvah )) 20 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
iti samabhihito mahā-bhāgavato bhagavatas tri-bhuvana-guror

anuśāsanam ātmano laghutayāvanata-śirodharo bāḍham iti
sabahu-mānam uvāha.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti—thus;

samabhihitaḥ—completely instructed; mahā-bhāgavataḥ—the
great devotee; bhagavataḥ—of the most powerful Lord
Brahmā; tri-bhuvana—of the three worlds; guroḥ—the spiritual
master; anuśāsanam—the order; ātmanaḥ—of himself;
laghutayā—because of inferiority; avanata—bowed down;
śirodharaḥ—his head; bāḍham—yes, sir; iti—thus; sa-bahu-
mānam—with great respect; uvāha—carried out.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After thus being fully
instructed by Lord Brahmā, who is the spiritual master of
the three worlds, Priyavrata, his own position being
inferior, offered obeisances, accepted the order and carried
it out with great respect.
PURPORT
Śrī Priyavrata was the grandson of Lord Brahmā. Therefore

according to social etiquette, his position was inferior. It is the
duty of the inferior to carry out the order of the superior with
great respect. Priyavrata therefore immediately said, "Yes, sir. I
shall carry out your order." Priyavrata is described as a mahā-
bhāgavata, a great devotee. The duty of a great devotee is to
carry out the order of the spiritual master, or the spiritual
master of the spiritual master in the paramparā system. As
described in Bhagavad-gītā (4.2), evaṁ paramparā prāptam:
one has to receive the instructions of the Supreme Lord through
the disciplic chain of spiritual masters. A devotee of the Lord
always considers himself a servant of the servant of the servant
of the Lord [Cc. Madhya 13.80].
Priyavrata considered himself inferior, since he was the

grandson of Brahmā.
TEXT - SB 5.1.21
bhagavān api manunā yathāvad upakalpitāpacitiḥ priyavrata-

nāradayor aviṣamam abhisamīkṣamāṇayor ātmasam
avasthānam avāṅ-manasaṁ kṣayam avyavahṛtaṁ pravartayann
agamat.
SYNONYMS
bhagavān—the most powerful Lord Brahmā; api—also;

manunā—by Manu; yathāvat—as deserved; upakalpita-
apacitiḥ—being worshiped; priyavrata-nāradayoḥ—in the
presence of Priyavrata and Nārada; aviṣamam—without
aversion; abhisamīkṣamāṇayoḥ—looking on; ātmasam—just
suitable for his position; avasthānam—to his abode; avāk-
manasam—beyond the description of mind and words; kṣayam
—the planet; avyavahṛtam—extraordinarily situated;
pravartayan—departing; agamat—returned.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā was then worshiped by Manu, who
respectfully satisfied him as well as he could. Priyavrata
and Nārada also looked upon Brahmā with no tinges of
resentment. Having engaged Priyavrata in accepting his
father's request, Lord Brahmā returned to his abode,
Satyaloka, which is indescribable by the endeavor of
mundane mind or words.
PURPORT
Manu was certainly very satisfied that Lord Brahmā had

persuaded his son Priyavrata to take the responsibility for
ruling the world. Priyavrata and Nārada were also very
satisfied. Although Brahmā had forced Priyavrata to accept the
management of worldly affairs, thus breaking his vow to
remain brahmacārī and completely engage in devotional
service, Nārada and Priyavrata did not look upon Brahmā with
resentment. Nārada was not at all sorry that he had been
frustrated in making Priyavrata a disciple. Both Priyavrata and
Nārada were exalted personalities who knew how to respect
Lord Brahmā. Therefore instead of looking upon Brahmā with
resentment, they very feelingly offered him their respect. Lord
Brahmā then returned to his celestial abode, known as
Satyaloka, which is described here as being impeccable and
being unapproachable by words.
It is stated in this verse that Lord Brahmā returned to his

residence, which is as important as his own personality. Lord
Brahmā is the creator of this universe and the most exalted
personality within it. His lifetime is described in Bhagavad-
gītā (8.17). Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo
viduḥ. The total duration of the four yugas is 4,300,000 years,
and when that is multiplied a thousand times, it equals twelve
hours in the life of Brahmā. Therefore we cannot factually
comprehend even twelve hours of Brahmā's life, to say nothing
of the one hundred years that constitute his entire lifetime.
How, then, can we understand his abode? The Vedic literatures
describe that in Satyaloka there is no birth, death, old age or
disease. In other words, since Satyaloka is situated next to
Brahmaloka, or the Brahman effulgence, it is almost as good as
Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Lord Brahmā's abode is practically
indescribable from our present status. Therefore it has been
described as avāṅ-manasa-gocara, or beyond the description of
our words and the imagination of our minds. The Vedic
literatures thus describe the abode of Lord Brahmā: yad vai
parārdhyaṁ tad upārameṣṭhyaṁ na yatra śoko na jarā na
mṛtyur nārtir na codvegaḥ. "In Satyaloka, which is situated
many millions and billions of years away, there is no
lamentation, nor is there old age, death, anxiety or the influence
of enemies."
Manu worshipped Brahmā suitably (yathāvat) according to

time and place. It is possible that Nārada would have been a
little disturbed since the desire of his disciple was destroyed
and Priyavrata would be disturbed since his vow was broken.
But that was not so. They did not see this as improper
(aviṣamam). Brahmā departed while remembering
(pravartayan) in his heart the form of Paramātmā (ātmasam
avasthānam), who cannot be approached by material words or
mind and who is the supreme abode (kṣayam), since he is the
shelter of all other abodes. Or in an alternate version (avāk-
manasaḥ kṣayam) the Paramātmā is the abode of the mind
which is beyond the words of the Vedas dealing with the three
guṇas and rules and regulations. The Lord is also beyond
normal dealings (avyavahṛtam). Or the sentence also mean
“Engaging (pravartayan) Priyavrata who was not previously
engaged in ruling, who was devoid of material words and mind
(avāk-manasam), since he was ātmārāma, Brahmā then went to
Satyaloka (kṣayam), his own place (ātmasam avasthānam).”
TEXT - SB 5.1.22
manur api pareṇaivaṁ pratisandhita-manorathaḥ surarṣi-

varānumatenātmajam akhila-dharā-maṇḍala-sthiti-guptaya
āsthāpya svayam ati-viṣama-viṣaya-viṣa-jalāśayāśāyā
upararāma.
SYNONYMS
manuḥ—Svāyambhuva Manu; api—also; pareṇa—by Lord

Brahmā; evam—thus; pratisandhita—executed; manaḥ-rathaḥ
—his mental aspiration; sura-ṛṣi-vara—of the great sage
Nārada; anumatena—by the permission; ātma-jam—his son;
akhila—of the entire universe; dharā-maṇḍala—of planets;
sthiti—maintenance; guptaye—for the protection; āsthāpya—
establishing; svayam—personally; ati-viṣama—very
dangerous; viṣaya—material affairs; viṣa—of poison; jala-
āśaya—ocean; āśāyāḥ—from desires; upararāma—got relief.
TRANSLATION
Svāyambhuva Manu, with the assistance of Lord Brahmā,
thus fulfilled his desires. With the permission of the great
sage Nārada, he delivered to his son the governmental
responsibility for maintaining and protecting all the planets
of the universe. He thus achieved relief from the most
dangerous, poisonous ocean of material desires.
PURPORT
Svāyambhuva Manu was practically hopeless because such a

great personality as Nārada was instructing his son Priyavrata
not to accept household life. Now he was very pleased that
Lord Brahmā had interfered by inducing his son to accept the
responsibility for ruling the government of the universe. From
Bhagavad-gītā we get information that Vaivasvata Manu was
the son of the sun-god and that his son, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku,
ruled this planet earth. Svāyambhuva Manu, however, appears
to have been in charge of the entire universe, and he entrusted
to his son, Mahārāja Priyavrata, the responsibility for
maintaining and protecting all the planetary systems. Dharā-
maṇḍala means "planet." This earth, for instance, is called
dharā-maṇḍala. Akhila, however, means "all" or "universal." It
is therefore difficult to understand where Mahārāja Priyavrata
was situated, but from this literature his position certainly
appears greater than that of Vaivasvata Manu, for he was
entrusted with all the planetary systems of the entire universe.
Another significant statement is that Svāyambhuva Manu took

great satisfaction from abnegating the responsibility for ruling
all the planetary systems of the universe. At present, politicians
are very eager to take charge of the government, and they
engage their men in canvassing from door to door to get votes
to win the post of president or a similar exalted office. On the
contrary, however, herein we find that King Priyavrata had to
be persuaded by Lord Brahmā to accept the post of emperor of
the entire universe. Similarly, his father, Svāyambhuva Manu,
felt relieved to entrust the universal government to Priyavrata.
Thus it is evident that the kings and executive heads of
government in the Vedic age never accepted their positions for
sense enjoyment. Such exalted kings, who were known as
rājarṣis, ruled only to maintain and protect the kingdom for the
welfare of the citizens. The history of Priyavrata and
Svāyambhuva Manu describes how exemplary, responsible
monarchs performed the duties of government with disinterest,
keeping themselves always aloof from the contamination of
material attachment.
Material affairs have herein been compared to an ocean of

poison. They have been described in a similar way by Śrīla
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura in one of his songs:
saṁsāra-viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale,

juḍāite nā kainu upāya
"My heart is always burning in the fire of material existence.

and I have made no provisions for getting out of it."
golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana,

rati nā janmila kene tāya
"The only remedy is hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, the chanting of the

Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, which is imported from the spiritual
world, Goloka Vṛndāvana. How unfortunate I am that I have no
attraction for this." Manu wanted to seek shelter at the lotus
feet of the Lord, and therefore when his son Priyavrata took
charge of his worldly affairs, Manu was very relieved. That is
the system of Vedic civilization. At the end of life, one must
free himself from worldly affairs and completely engage in the
service of the Lord.
The word surarṣi-vara-anumatena is also significant. Manu

entrusted the government to his son with the permission of the
great saint Nārada. This is particularly mentioned because
although Nārada wanted Priyavrata to become free from all
material affairs, when Priyavrata took charge of the universe by
the request of Lord Brahmā and Manu, Nārada was also very
pleased.
Accomplishing (pratisandhitaḥ) his desires through Brahmā

(pareṇa), Manu established his son for maintaining proper
conduct on earth. He became disinterested in the desiring to
enjoy the ocean of poison in the form of disturbing sense
objects.
TEXT - SB 5.1.23
iti ha vāva sa jagatī-patir īśvarecchayādhiniveśita-karmādhikāro

'khila-jagad-bandha-dhvaṁsana-parānubhāvasya bhagavata
ādi-puruṣasyāṅghri-yugalānavarata-dhyānānubhāvena
parirandhita-kaṣāyāśayo 'vadāto 'pi māna-vardhano mahatāṁ
mahītalam anuśaśāsa.
SYNONYMS
iti—thus; ha vāva—indeed; saḥ—he; jagatī-patiḥ—the

emperor of the whole universe; īśvara-icchayā—by the order of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhiniveśita—completely
engaged; karma-adhikāraḥ—in material affairs; akhila-jagat—
of the entire universe; bandha—bondage; dhvaṁsana—
destroying; para—transcendental; anubhāvasya—whose
influence; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; ādi-puruṣasya—the original person; aṅghri—on the
lotus feet; yugala—two; anavarata—constant; dhyāna-
anubhāvena—by meditation; parirandhita—destroyed; kaṣāya
—all the dirty things; āśayaḥ—in his heart; avadātaḥ—
completely pure; api—although; māna-vardhanaḥ—just to
give honor; mahatām—to superiors; mahītalam—the material
world; anuśaśāsa—ruled.
TRANSLATION
Following the order of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Mahārāja Priyavrata fully engaged in worldly
affairs, yet he always thought of the lotus feet of the Lord,
which are the cause of liberation from all material
attachment. Although Priyavrata Mahārāja was completely
freed from all material contamination, he ruled the
material world just to honor the orders of his superiors.
PURPORT
The words māna-vardhano mahatām ("just to show honor to

superiors") are very significant. Although Mahārāja Priyavrata
was already a liberated person and had no attraction for
material things, he engaged himself fully in governmental
affairs just to show respect to Lord Brahmā. Arjuna had also
acted in the same way. Arjuna had no desire to participate in
political affairs or the fighting at Kurukṣetra, but when ordered
to do so by the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, he executed those duties
very nicely. One who always thinks of the lotus feet of the Lord
is certainly above all the contamination of the material world.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā:
yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
"Of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith,

worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most
intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all."
(Bg. 6.47) Mahārāja Priyavrata. therefore, was a liberated
person and was among the highest of yogīs, yet superficially he
became the emperor of the universe in accordance with the
order of Lord Brahmā. Showing respect to his superior in this
way was another of his extraordinary qualifications. As stated
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.28):
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
A devotee who is actually advanced is not afraid of anything,

provided be has the opportunity to execute the order of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the proper
explanation of why Priyavrata engaged in worldly affairs
although he was a liberated person. Also, only because of this
principle does a mahā-bhāgavata, who has nothing to do with
the material world, come down to the second platform of
devotional service to preach the glories of the Lord all over the
world.
This verse answers the question posed in the first verse, “How
did Priyavrata enjoy household life?” Iti ha vāva means thus.
He meditated on the lotus feet of the Lord who had clear power
to destroy the bondage of the whole world. Priyavrata had
burned up all impurities in the heart (parirandhita-kaṣāya
āśayaḥ). Though he was most pure (avadātaḥ), he increased his
respect by following the order of Brahmā.
TEXT - SB 5.1.24
atha ca duhitaraṁ prajāpater viśvakarmaṇa upayeme

barhiṣmatīṁ nāma tasyām u ha vāva ātmajān ātma-samāna-śīla-
guṇa-karma-rūpa-vīryodārān daśa bhāvayām babhūva kanyāṁ
ca yavīyasīm ūrjasvatīṁ nāma.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; ca—also; duhitaram—the daughter;

prajāpateḥ—of one of the prajāpatis entrusted with increasing
population; viśvakarmaṇaḥ—named Viśvakarmā; upayeme—
married; barhiṣmatīm—Barhiṣmatī; nāma—named; tasyām—
in her; u ha—as it is celebrated; vāva—wonderful; ātma-jān—
sons; ātma-samāna—exactly equal to him; śīla—character;
guṇa—quality; karma—activities; rūpa—beauty; vīrya—
prowess; udārān—whose magnanimity; daśa—ten; bhāvayām
babhūva—he begot; kanyām—daughter; ca—also; yavīyasīm—
the youngest of all; ūrjasvatīm—Ūrjasvatī; nāma—named.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, Mahārāja Priyavrata married Barhiṣmatī, the
daughter of the prajāpati named Viśvakarmā. In her he
begot ten sons equal to him in beauty, character,
magnanimity and other qualities. He also begot a daughter,
the youngest of all, named Ūrjasvatī.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Priyavrata not only carried out the order of Lord

Brahmā by accepting the duties of government, but also
married Barhiṣmatī, the daughter of Viśvakarmā, one of the
prajāpatis. Since Mahārāja Priyavrata was fully trained in
transcendental knowledge, he could have returned home and
conducted the business of government as a brahmacārī.
Instead, however, when he returned to household life, he
accepted a wife also. The principle is that when one becomes a
gṛhastha, he must live perfectly in that order, which means he
must live peacefully with a wife and children. When Caitanya
Mahāprabhu's first wife died, His mother requested Him to
marry for a second time. He was twenty years old and was
going to take sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four, yet by the
request of His mother, He married. "As long as I am in
household life," He told His mother, "I must have a wife, for
household life does not mean staying in a house. Real
household life means living in a house with a wife."
Three words in this verse are very significant—u ha vāva.
These words are used to express wonder. Priyavrata Mahārāja
had taken a vow of renunciation, but accepting a wife and
begetting children have nothing to do with the path of
renunciation; these are activities on the path of enjoyment. It
was a source of great wonder, therefore, that Priyavrata
Mahārāja, who had followed the path of renunciation, had now
accepted the path of enjoyment.
Sometimes we are criticized because although I am a sannyāsī,

I have taken part in the marriage ceremonies of my disciples. It
must be explained, however, that since we have started a Kṛṣṇa
conscious society and since a human society must also have
ideal marriages, to correctly establish an ideal society we must
take part in marrying some of its members, although we have
taken to the path of renunciation. This may be astonishing to
persons who are not very interested in establishing daiva-
varṇāśrama, the transcendental system of four social orders
and four spiritual orders. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Ṭhākura, however, wanted to reestablish daiva-varṇāśrama. In
daiva-varṇāśrama there cannot be acknowledgement of social
status according to birthright because in Bhagavad-gītā it is
said that the determining considerations are guṇa and karma,
one's qualities and work. It is this daiva-varṇāśrama that
should be established all over the world to continue a perfect
society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This may be astonishing to
foolish critics, but it is one of the functions of a Kṛṣṇa
conscious society.

He produced sons who were abundant (udarān) in conduct and
qualities.
TEXT - SB 5.1.25
āgnīdhredhmajihva-yajñabāhu-mahāvīra-hiraṇyareto-
ghṛtapṛṣṭha-savana-medhātithi-vītihotra-kavaya iti sarva
evāgni-nāmānaḥ.
SYNONYMS
āgnīdhra—Āgnīdhra; idhma-jihva—Idhmajihva; yajña-bāhu—

Yajñabāhu; mahā-vīra—Mahāvīra; hiraṇya-retaḥ—
Hiraṇyaretā; ghṛtapṛṣṭha—Ghṛtapṛṣṭha; savana—Savana;
medhā-tithi—Medhātithi; vītihotra—Vītihotra; kavayaḥ—and
Kavi; iti—thus; sarve—all these; eva—certainly; agni—of the
demigod controlling fire; nāmānaḥ—names.
TRANSLATION
The ten sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata were named
Āgnīdhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu, Mahāvīra,
Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, Savana, Medhātithi, Vītihotra
and Kavi. These are also names of Agni, the fire-god.
TEXT - SB 5.1.26
eteṣāṁ kavir mahāvīraḥ savana iti traya āsann ūrdhva-retasas ta

ātma-vidyāyām arbha-bhāvād ārabhya kṛta-paricayāḥ
pāramahaṁsyam evāśramam abhajan.
SYNONYMS
eteṣām—of these; kaviḥ—Kavi; mahāvīraḥ—Mahāvīra;

savanaḥ—Savana; iti—thus; trayaḥ—three; āsan—were;
ūrdhva-retasaḥ—completely celibate; te—they; ātma-
vidyāyām—in transcendental knowledge; arbha-bhāvāt—from
childhood; ārabhya—beginning; kṛta-paricayāḥ—very well
versed; pāramahaṁsyam—of the highest spiritual perfection of
human life; eva—certainly; āśramam—the order; abhajan—
executed.
TRANSLATION
Three among these ten—namely Kavi, Mahāvīra and
Savana—lived in complete celibacy. Thus trained in
brahmacārī life from the beginning of childhood, they were
very conversant with the highest perfection, known as the
paramahaṁsa-āśrama.
PURPORT
The word ūrdhva-retasaḥ in this verse is very significant.

Ūrdhva-retaḥ refers to one who can control sex life and who
instead of wasting semen by discharging it, can use this most
important substance accumulated in the body to enrich the
brain. One who can completely control sex life is able to work
wonderfully with his brain, especially in remembering. Thus
students who simply hear Vedic instructions once from their
teacher could remember them verbatim without needing to read
books, which therefore did not exist in former times.
Another significant word is arbha-bhāvāt, which means "from
very childhood." Another meaning is "from being very
affectionate to children." In other words, paramahaṁsa life is
dedicated for the benefit of others. Just as a father sacrifices
many things out of affection for his son, great saintly persons
sacrifice all kinds of bodily comforts for the benefit of human
society. In this connection there is a verse concerning the six
Gosvāmīs:
tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat

bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau
Because of their compassion for the poor fallen souls. the six
Gosvāmīs gave up their exalted positions as ministers and took
vows as mendicants. Thus minimizing their bodily wants as far
as possible, they each accepted only a loincloth and a begging
bowl. Thus they remained in Vṛndāvana to execute the orders
of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by compiling and publishing
various Vaiṣṇava literatures.
TEXT - SB 5.1.27
tasminn u ha vā upaśama-śīlāḥ paramarṣayaḥ sakala-jīva-

nikāyāvāsasya bhagavato vāsudevasya bhītānāṁ śaraṇa-
bhūtasya śrīmac-caraṇāravindāvirata-smaraṇāvigalita-parama-
bhakti-yogānu-bhāvena paribhāvitāntar-hṛdayādhigate
bhagavati sarveṣāṁ bhūtānām ātma-bhūte pratyag-ātmany
evātmanas tādātmyam aviśeṣeṇa samīyuḥ.
SYNONYMS
tasmin—in that paramahaṁsa-āśrama; u—certainly; ha—so
celebrated; vā—indeed; upaśama-śīlāḥ—in the renounced
order of life; parama-ṛṣayaḥ—the great sages; sakala—all; jīva
—of living entities; nikāya—in total; āvāsasya—the residence;
bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
vāsudevasya—Lord Vāsudeva; bhītānām—of those afraid of
material existence; śaraṇa-bhūtasya—the one who is the only
shelter; śrīmat—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
caraṇa-aravinda—the lotus feet; avirata—constantly; smaraṇa
—remembering; avigalita—completely uncontaminated;
parama—supreme; bhakti-yoga—of mystic devotional service;
anubhāvena—by the prowess; paribhāvita—purified; antaḥ—
within; hṛdaya—the heart; adhigate—perceived; bhagavati—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarveṣām—of all;
bhūtānām—living entities; ātma-bhūte—situated within the
body; pratyak—directly; ātmani—with the Supreme Supersoul;
eva—certainly; ātmanaḥ—of the self; tādātmyam—qualitative
equality; aviśeṣeṇa—without differences; samīyuḥ—realized.
TRANSLATION
Thus situated in the renounced order from the beginning of
their lives, all three of them completely controlled the
activities of their senses and thus became great saints. They
concentrated their minds always upon the lotus feet of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the resting place
of the totality of living entities and who is therefore
celebrated as Vāsudeva. Lord Vāsudeva is the only shelter
of those who are actually afraid of material existence. By
constantly thinking of His lotus feet, these three sons of
Mahārāja Priyavrata became advanced in pure devotional
service. By the prowess of their devotional service, they
could directly perceive the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who is situated in everyone's heart as the
Supersoul, and realize that there was qualitatively no
difference between themselves and Him.
PURPORT
The paramahaṁsa stage is the topmost position in renounced

life. In sannyāsa, the renounced order, there are four stages—
kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya and paramahaṁsa.
According to the Vedic system, when one accepts the
renounced order, he stays outside his village in a cottage, and
his necessities, especially his food, are supplied from home.
This is called the kuṭīcaka stage. When a sannyāsī advances
further, he no longer accepts anything from home: instead, he
collects his necessities, especially his food, from many places.
This system is called mādhukarī, which literally means "the
profession of the bumblebees." As bumblebees collect honey
from many flowers, a little from each, so a sannyāsī should beg
from door to door but not accept very much food from any
particular house; he should collect a little bit from every house.
This is called the bahūdaka stage. When a sannyāsī is still more
experienced, he travels all over the world to preach the glories
of Lord Vāsudeva. He is then known as parivrājakācārya. The
sannyāsī reaches the paramahaṁsa stage when he finishes his
preaching work and sits down in one place, strictly for the sake
of advancing in spiritual life. An actual paramahaṁsa is one
who completely controls his senses and engages in the
unalloyed service of the Lord. Therefore all three of these sons
of Priyavrata, namely Kavi, Mahāvīra and Savana, were
situated in the paramahaṁsa stage from the very beginning.
Their senses could not disturb them, for their senses were
completely engaged in serving the Lord. Therefore the three
brothers are described in this verse as upaśama-śīlāḥ. Upaśama
means "completely subdued." Because they completely
subdued their senses, they are understood to have been great
sages and saints.
After subduing their senses, the three brothers concentrated

their minds upon the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa. As
stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19), vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. The lotus
feet of Vāsudeva are everything. Lord Vāsudeva is the reservoir
of all living entities. When this cosmic manifestation is
dissolved, all living entities enter the supreme body of the Lord,
Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who merges within the body of Mahā-
Viṣṇu. Both of these viṣṇu-tattvas are vāsudeva-tattvas, and
therefore the great sages Kavi, Mahāvīra and Savana
concentrated always upon the lotus feet of Lord Vāsudeva,
Kṛṣṇa. In this way they could understand that the Supersoul
within the heart is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
they could recognize their identity with Him. The complete
description of this realization is that simply by discharging the
unalloyed form of devotional service, one can realize his self
completely. The parama-bhakti-yoga mentioned in this verse
means that a living entity, by dint of unalloyed devotional
service, has no other interest than the service of the Lord, as
described in Bhagavad-gītā (vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]).
By parama-bhakti-yoga, by elevating oneself to the highest
platform of loving service, one can automatically be relieved
from the bodily concept of life and see the Supreme Personality
of Godhead face to face. As confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā:
premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.38]
An advanced devotee, who is known as a sat, or saint, can

always see within his heart the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, face to face. Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmasundara, expands Himself
by His plenary portion, and thus a devotee can always see Him
within his heart.
In the paramahaṁsa-āśrama (tasmin), being free from

perception of difference caused by covering of body
(aviśeṣeṇa), the sons realized oneness of the self (tādātmyam)
with the Lord who is perceived (adhigate) within the heart
purified (paribhāvita) by the power (anubhāvena) of bhakti-
yoga which is fixed (avigalita) in remembrance of the Lord’s
lotus feet.
TEXT - SB 5.1.28
anyasyām api jāyāyāṁ trayaḥ putrā āsann uttamas tāmaso

raivata iti manvantarādhipatayaḥ.
SYNONYMS
anyasyām—other; api—also; jāyāyām—in the wife; trayaḥ—

three; putrāḥ—sons; āsan—there were; uttamaḥ tāmasaḥ
raivataḥ—Uttama, Tāmasa and Raivata; iti—thus; manu-
antara—of the manvantara millennium; adhipatayaḥ—rulers.
TRANSLATION
In his other wife, Mahārāja Priyavrata begot three sons,
named Uttama, Tāmasa and Raivata. All of them later took
charge of manvantara millenniums.
PURPORT
In every day of Brahmā there are fourteen manvantaras. The

duration of one manvantara, the lifespan of one Manu, is
seventy-one yugas, and each yuga is 4,320,000 years. Almost
all the Manus selected to rule the manvantaras came from the
family of Mahārāja Priyavrata. Three of them are particularly
mentioned herein, namely Uttama, Tāmasa and Raivata.
TEXT - SB 5.1.29
evam upaśamāyaneṣu sva-tanayeṣv atha jagatī-patir jagatīm

arbudāny ekādaśa parivatsarāṇām avyāhatākhila-puruṣa-kāra-
sāra-sambhṛta-dor-daṇḍa-yugalāpīḍita-maurvī-guṇa-stanita-
viramita-dharma-pratipakṣo barhiṣmatyāś cānudinam
edhamāna-pramoda-prasaraṇa-yauṣiṇya-vrīḍā-pramuṣita-
hāsāvaloka-rucira-kṣvely-ādibhiḥ parābhūyamāna-viveka
ivānavabudhyamāna iva mahāmanā bubhuje.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; upaśama-ayaneṣu—all well qualified; sva-

tanayeṣu—his own sons; atha—thereafter; jagatī-patiḥ—the
master of the universe; jagatīm—the universe; arbudāni
—arbudas (one arbuda equals 100,000,000); ekādaśa—eleven;
parivatsarāṇām—of years; avyāhata—without being
interrupted; akhila—universal; puruṣa-kāra—prowess; sāra—
strength; sambhṛta—endowed with; doḥ-daṇḍaḥ—of powerful
arms; yugala—by the pair; āpīḍita—being drawn; maurvī-guṇa
—of the bowstring; stanita—by the loud sound; viramita—
defeated; dharma—religious principles; pratipakṣaḥ—those
who are against; barhiṣmatyāḥ—of his wife Barhiṣmatī; ca—
and; anudinam—daily; edhamāna—increasing; pramoda—
pleasing intercourse; prasaraṇa—amiability; yauṣiṇya—
feminine behavior; vrīḍā—by shyness; pramuṣita—held back;
hāsa—laughing; avaloka—glancing; rucira—pleasing; kṣveli-
ādibhiḥ—by exchanges of loving propensities; parābhūyamāna
—being defeated; vivekaḥ—his true knowledge; iva—like;
anavabudhyamānaḥ—a less intelligent person; iva—like;
mahā-manāḥ—the great soul; bubhuje—ruled.
TRANSLATION
After Kavi, Mahāvīra and Savana were completely trained
in the paramahaṁsa stage of life, Mahārāja Priyavrata
ruled the universe for eleven arbudas of years. Whenever
he was determined to fix his arrow upon his bowstring with
his two powerful arms, all opponents of the regulative
principles of religious life would flee from his presence in
fear of the unparalleled prowess he displayed in ruling the
universe. He greatly loved his wife Barhiṣmatī, and with the
increase of days, their exchange of nuptial love also
increased. By her feminine behavior as she dressed herself,
walked, got up, smiled, laughed, and glanced about, Queen
Barhiṣmatī increased his energy. Thus although he was a
great soul, he appeared lost in the feminine conduct of his
wife. He behaved with her just like an ordinary man, but
actually he was a great soul.
PURPORT
In this verse, the word dharma-pratipakṣaḥ ("opponents of

religious principles") refers not to a particular faith, but to
varṇāśrama-dharma, the division of society, socially and
spiritually, into four varṇas (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and
śūdra) and four āśramas (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha
and sannyāsa). To maintain proper social order and help the
citizens gradually progress toward the goal of life—namely
spiritual understanding—the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma
must be accepted. From this verse, Mahārāja Priyavrata appears
to have been so strict in maintaining this institution of
varṇāśrama-dharma that anyone neglecting it would
immediately flee from his presence as soon as the King warned
him by fighting or administering light punishment. Indeed,
Mahārāja Priyavrata would not have to fight, for simply
because of his strong determination, they dared not disobey the
rules and regulations of varṇāśrama-dharma. It is said that
unless human society is regulated by varṇāśrama-dharma, it is
no better than a bestial society of cats and dogs. Mahārāja
Priyavrata, therefore, strictly maintained varṇāśrama-dharma
by his extraordinary, unparalleled prowess.
To maintain such a life of strict vigilance, one needs

encouragement from his wife. In the varṇāśrama-dharma
system, certain classes, such as the brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs,
do not need encouragement from the opposite sex. Kṣatriyas
and gṛhasthas, however, actually need the encouragement of
their wives in order to execute their duties. Indeed, a gṛhastha
or kṣatriya cannot properly execute his responsibilities without
the association of his wife. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
personally admitted that a gṛhastha must live with a wife.
Kṣatriyas were even allowed to have many wives to encourage
them in discharging the duties of government. The association
of a good wife is necessary in a life of karma and political
affairs. To execute his duties properly, therefore. Mahārāja
Priyavrata took advantage of his good wife Barhiṣmatī, who
was always very expert in pleasing her great husband by
properly dressing herself, smiling, and exhibiting her feminine
bodily features. Queen Barhiṣmatī always kept Mahārāja
Priyavrata very encouraged, and thus he executed his
governmental duty very properly. In this verse iva has twice
been used to indicate that Mahārāja Priyavrata acted exactly
like a henpecked husband and thereby seemed to have lost his
sense of human responsibility. Actually, however, he was fully
conscious of his position as a spirit soul, although he seemingly
behaved like an acquiescent karmī husband. Mahārāja
Priyavrata thus ruled the universe for eleven arbudas of years.
One arbuda consists of 100,000,000 years, and Mahārāja
Priyavrata ruled the universe for eleven such arbudas.
According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, an arbuda is 100 million.

According to Jīva Gosvāmī an arbuda is a period 10 million
years. Thus Priyavrata ruled the earth for 110,000,000 years.
Among his necessary qualities of power, enjoyment and
influence as a famous king, first his power is described. He
conquered all opposers of dharma without even a fight, by the
sound of his bow drawn by his two arms full of strength arising
from his continuous prowess. Next his enjoyment is described.
It seemed that his sense of discrimination was destroyed by the
ever-increasing joy of his wife seeing him approach, by her
rising up, changing of her ornaments and going to other places
(prasaraṇa), by her feminine qualities (yauṣiṇya) such as
glancing, raising her nose and scratching her ear, indicating her
service attitude, by her smiling glances restricted by her
shyness on seeing her husband’s boldness, and by her
attractive, joking words. By these things he appeared to have
lost his discrimination and forgotten his own self because of
material attachment. This indicates that his conduct was
difficult for ordinary people to understand, since his
discrimination and intelligence actually remained intact. The
reason is given. He had a great mind (mahāmanāḥ). He had an
inconceivable mind because simultaneously he was attached
and detached from material affairs.
TEXT - SB 5.1.30
yāvad avabhāsayati sura-girim anuparikrāman bhagavān ādityo
vasudhā-talam ardhenaiva pratapaty ardhenāvacchādayati tadā
hi bhagavad-upāsanopacitāti-puruṣa-prabhāvas tad
anabhinandan samajavena rathena jyotirmayena rajanīm api
dinaṁ kariṣyāmīti sapta-kṛt vastaraṇim anuparyakrāmad dvitīya
iva pataṅgaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yāvat—so long; avabhāsayati—illuminates; sura-girim—the

Sumeru Hill; anuparikrāman—by circumambulating;
bhagavān—the most powerful; ādityaḥ—sun-god; vasudhā-
talam—the lower planetary system; ardhena—by half; eva—
certainly; pratapati—makes dazzling; ardhena—by half;
avacchādayati—covers with darkness; tadā—at that time; hi—
certainly; bhagavat-upāsanā—by worshiping the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; upacita—by satisfying Him perfectly;
ati-puruṣa—superhuman; prabhāvaḥ—influence; tat—that;
anabhinandan—without appreciating; samajavena—by equally
powerful; rathena—on a chariot; jyotiḥ-mayena—dazzling;
rajanīm—night; api—also; dinam—day; kariṣyāmi—I shall
make it; iti—thus; sapta-kṛt—seven times; vastaraṇim—
exactly following the orbit of the sun; anuparyakrāmat—
circumambulated; dvitīyaḥ—second; iva—like; pataṅgaḥ—
sun.
TRANSLATION
While so excellently ruling the universe, King Priyavrata
once became dissatisfied with the circumambulation of the
most powerful sun-god. Encircling Sumeru Hill on his
chariot, the sun-god illuminates all the surrounding
planetary systems. However, when the sun is on the
northern side of the hill, the south receives less light, and
when the sun is in the south, the north receives less. King
Priyavrata disliked this situation and therefore decided to
make daylight in the part of the universe where there was
night. He followed the orbit of the sun-god on a brilliant
chariot and thus fulfilled his desire. He could perform such
wonderful activities because of the power he had achieved
by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
There is a Bengali saying which describes that someone is so

powerful that he can make the night day and the day night. That
saying is current because of the prowess of Priyavrata. His
activities demonstrate how powerful he became by worshiping
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Kṛṣṇa is known as
Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic powers. In Bhagavad-gītā
(18.78) it is said wherever there is the master of all mystic
powers (yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ), victory, fortune and all
other opulences are present. Devotional service is so powerful.
When a devotee achieves what he wants to accomplish, it is not
by his own mystic power but by the grace of the master of
mystic power. Lord Kṛṣṇa: by His grace, a devotee can
accomplish wonderful things unimaginable even to the most
powerful scientist.
From the description in this verse, it appears that the sun

moves. According to modern astronomers, the sun is fixed in
one place, surrounded by the solar system, but here we find that
the sun is not stationary: it is rotating in a prescribed orbit. This
fact is corroborated by Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52). Yasyājñayā
bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ: the sun is rotating in its fixed
orbit in accordance with the order of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. According to Jyotir Veda, the science of
astronomy in the Vedic literature, the sun moves for six months
on the northern side of the Sumeru Hill and for six months on
the southern side. We have practical experience on this planet
that when there is summer in the north there is winter in the
south and vice versa. Modern materialistic scientists sometimes
present themselves as knowing all the ingredients of the sun,
yet they are unable to offer a second sun like Mahārāja
Priyavrata's.
Although Mahārāja Priyavrata devised a very powerful chariot

as brilliant as the sun, he had no desire to compete with the sun-
god, for a Vaiṣṇava never wants to supersede another Vaiṣṇava.
His purpose was to give abundant benefits in material
existence. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that in
the months of April and May the rays of Mahārāja Priyavrata's
brilliant sun were as pleasing as the rays of the moon, and in
October and November, both morning and evening, that sun
provided more warmth than the sunshine. In short, Mahārāja
Priyavrata was extremely powerful, and his actions extended
his power in all directions.

This verse describes his influence. Priyavrata reigned at the
time when the sun would shine, lighting up half the earth up to
Lokāloka mountain as daytime, as it rotates around Meru, while
covering half the surface of the earth with darkness, which
experienced night. By his worship of the Lord he surpassed all
humans in influence. Discontent with half the earth’s surface
being covered by darkness, he followed the movement of the
sun (taruṇim), so that when the sun set, he would light up that
area. He followed the sun, not to compete with the sun, but to
give happiness to the inhabitants of earth. Because of this
arrangement also, in months like Jyeṣṭhya (hot months) the sun
made by Priyavrata was cooler than the moon, and in cool
months like Mārgaśīrṣa (cold months), the sun made by
Priyavrata was warmer than the other sun at dawn and dusk.
[293] This means that by the power of yoga of sages like
Saubhari, Priyavrata had two bodies, one as the King and one
as the sun.
TEXT - SB 5.1.31
ye vā u ha tad-ratha-caraṇa-nemi-kṛta-parikhātās te sapta
sindhava āsan yata eva kṛtāḥ sapta bhuvo dvīpāḥ.
SYNONYMS
ye—that; vā u ha—certainly; tat-ratha—of his chariot; caraṇa

—of the wheels; nemi—by the rims; kṛta—made; parikhātāḥ—
trenches; te—those; sapta—seven; sindhavaḥ—oceans; āsan—
became; yataḥ—because of which; eva—certainly; kṛtāḥ—
were made; sapta—seven; bhuvaḥ—of the Bhū-maṇḍala;
dvīpāḥ—islands.
TRANSLATION
When Priyavrata drove his chariot behind the sun, the rims
of his chariot wheels created impressions that later became
seven oceans, dividing the planetary system known as Bhū-
maṇḍala into seven islands.
PURPORT
Sometimes the planets in outer space are called islands. We

have experience of various types of islands in the ocean, and
similarly the various planets, divided into fourteen lokas, are
islands in the ocean of space. As Priyavrata drove his chariot
behind the sun, he created seven different types of oceans and
planetary systems, which altogether are known as Bhū-
maṇḍala, or Bhūloka. In the Gāyatrī mantra, we chant, oṁ bhūr
bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyam. Above the Bhūloka
planetary system is Bhuvarloka, and above that is Svargaloka,
the heavenly planetary system. All these planetary systems are
controlled by Savitā, the sun-god. By chanting the Gāyatrī
mantra just after rising early in the morning, one worships the
sun-god.
The movement of the wheel of his chariot produced troughs

which became seven oceans. This means that he had seven
chariots each with one wheel, by the power of his yoga. Their
movement was higher than the sun’s, and they circled around
the plane of the earth. Jīva Gosvāmī says in the Sandarbha that
one should understand that the chariots were successively
larger and larger in size, since the outer circles were larger and
larger. Some say that he made larger and larger chariots in
succession, each one twice the size of the previous one,
traveling higher and higher so that the inhabitants of his city in
Āryāvarta could see his chariot even at a great distance.
Because the wheels of each chariot were broader than the
previous ones, the oceans were successively broader. He rode
in each of these seven chariots for twenty-five days and forty-
five and a half ghaṭikas each (totaling half a year), starting with
the summer equinox, with the sun gradually descending until
Pauṣa month. Then again starting from the winter equinox, he
would travel until the cycle was completed, with the same
number of days fixed, but with the opposite order of chariots,
with the sun gradually ascending until Aṣaḍha month. As the
sun traveled around Meru clockwise along with the dependent
zodiac, it gradually increased in speed,[294] and thus the days
after the summer equinox become shorter each month, and
from the winter equinox the sun gradually slowed down and the
days become longer. In order to decrease the night, Priyavrata
by his own will circled Meru, but slowing down his chariot
increased the length of the days after the winter equinox, and
then decreased the length of the days according to his will by
speeding up his chariot. By the power of yoga, his chariots
were visible or invisible according to the time.[295] Thus
“seven times” in the previous verse means that he traveled in
seven chariots in the manner described above. There is no
contradiction, since it is not proper to say that Priyavrata
stopped pursuing the sun after only seven days, and some say
he did not give up this activity. Because of these seven oceans
(yataḥ), seven continents formed.
TEXT - SB 5.1.32
jambū-plakṣa-śālmali-kuśa-krauñca-śāka-puṣkara-saṁjñās
teṣāṁ parimāṇaṁ pūrvasmāt pūrvasmād uttara uttaro yathā-
saṅkhyaṁ dvi-guṇa-mānena bahiḥ samantata upakḷptāḥ.
SYNONYMS
jambū—Jambū; plakṣa—Plakṣa; śālmali—Śālmali; kuśa—

Kuśa; krauñca—Krauñca; śāka—Śāka; puṣkara—Puṣkara;
saṁjñāḥ—known as; teṣām—of them; parimāṇam—
measurement; pūrvasmāt pūrvasmāt—from the former; uttaraḥ
uttaraḥ—the following; yathā—according to; saṅkhyam—
number; dvi-guṇa—twice as much; mānena—with a measure;
bahiḥ—outside; samantataḥ—all around; upakḷptāḥ—
produced.
TRANSLATION
The names of the islands are Jambū, Plakṣa, Śālmali, Kuśa,
Krauñca, Śāka and Puṣkara. Each island is twice as large
as the one preceding it, and each is surrounded by a liquid
substance, beyond which is the next island.
PURPORT
The ocean in each planetary system has a different type of
liquid. How they are situated is explained in the next verse.
Please hear about the dimensions of the continents. Outside of

each ocean, the next continent is twice the breadth of the
previous, in all directions.
TEXT - SB 5.1.33
kṣārodekṣu-rasoda-suroda-ghṛtoda-kṣīroda-dadhi-maṇḍoda-
śuddhodāḥ sapta jaladhayaḥ sapta dvīpa-parikhā ivābhyantara-
dvīpa-samānā ekaikaśyena yathānupūrvaṁ saptasv api bahir
dvīpeṣu pṛthak parita upakalpitās teṣu jambv-ādiṣu barhiṣmatī-
patir anuvratānātmajān āgnīdhredhmajihva-yajñabāhu-
hiraṇyareto-ghṛtapṛṣṭha-medhātithi-vītihotra-saṁjñān yathā-
saṅkhyenaikaikasminn ekam evādhi-patiṁ vidadhe.
SYNONYMS
kṣāra—salt; uda—water; ikṣu-rasa—the liquid extract from

sugarcane; uda—water; surā—liquor; uda—water; ghṛta—
clarified butter; uda—water; kṣīra—milk; uda—water; dadhi-
maṇḍa—emulsified yogurt; uda—water; śuddha-udāḥ—and
drinking water; sapta—seven; jala-dhayaḥ—oceans; sapta—
seven; dvīpa—islands; parikhāḥ—trenches; iva—like;
abhyantara—internal; dvīpa—islands; samānāḥ—equal to;
eka-ekaśyena—one after another; yathā-anupūrvam—in
chronological order; saptasu—seven; api—although; bahiḥ—
outside; dvīpeṣu—in islands; pṛthak—separate; paritaḥ—all
around; upakalpitāḥ—situated; teṣu—within them; jambū-
ādiṣu—beginning with Jambū; barhiṣmatī—of Barhiṣmatī;
patiḥ—the husband; anuvratān—who were actually followers
of the father's principles; ātma-jān—sons; āgnīdhra-
idhmajihva-yajñabāhu-hiraṇyaretaḥ-ghṛtapṛṣṭha-medhātithi-
vītihotra-saṁjñān—named Āgnīḍhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu,
Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, Medhātithi and Vītihotra; yathā-
saṅkhyena—by the same number; eka-ekasmin—in each island;
ekam—one; eva—certainly; adhi-patim—king; vidadhe—he
made.
TRANSLATION
The seven oceans respectively contain salt water, sugarcane
juice, liquor, clarified butter, milk, emulsified yogurt, and
sweet drinking water. All the islands are completely
surrounded by these oceans, and each ocean is equal in
breadth to the island it surrounds. Mahārāja Priyavrata,
the husband of Queen Barhiṣmatī, gave sovereignty over
these islands to his respective sons, namely Āgnīdhra,
Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu, Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha,
Medhātithi and Vītihotra. Thus they all became kings by
the order of their father.
PURPORT
It is to be understood that all the dvīpas, or islands, are

surrounded by different types of oceans, and it is said herein
that the breadth of each ocean is the same as that of the island it
surrounds. The length of the oceans, however, cannot equal the
length of the islands. According to Vīrarāghava Ācārya, the
breadth of the first island is 100,000 yojanas. One yojana
equals eight miles, and therefore the breadth of the first island
is calculated to be 800,000 miles. The water surrounding it
must have the same breadth, but its length must be different.
Outside of each ocean is a continent, and outside each continent

is another ocean. Within the ocean of churned yogurt is a
continent of equal breath to the ocean. Similarly the other
oceans and continents have equal breath. Outside each
continent is another ocean. They are not limited by being inside
the continent, but are rather outside of each successive
continent.
TEXT - SB 5.1.34
duhitaraṁ corjasvatīṁ nāmośanase prāyacchad yasyām āsīd

devayānī nāma kāvya-sutā.
SYNONYMS
duhitaram—the daughter; ca—also; ūrjasvatīm—Ūrjasvatī;

nāma—named; uśanase—unto the great sage Uśanā
(Śukrācārya); prāyacchat—he gave; yasyām—unto whom; āsīt
—there was; devayānī—Devayānī; nāma—named; kāvya-sutā
—the daughter of Śukrācārya.
TRANSLATION
King Priyavrata then gave his daughter, Ūrjasvatī, in
marriage to Śukrācārya, who begot in her a daughter
named Devayānī.
TEXT - SB 5.1.35
naivaṁ-vidhaḥ puruṣa-kāra urukramasya
puṁsāṁ tad-aṅghri-rajasā jita-ṣaḍ-guṇānām
citraṁ vidūra-vigataḥ sakṛd ādadīta
yan-nāmadheyam adhunā sa jahāti bandham
SYNONYMS
na—not; evam-vidhaḥ—like that; puruṣa-kāraḥ—personal

influence; uru-kramasya—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; puṁsām—of the devotees; tat-aṅghri—of His lotus
feet; rajasā—by the dust; jita-ṣaṭ-guṇānām—who have
conquered the influence of the six kinds of material whips;
citram—wonderful; vidūra-vigataḥ—the fifth-grade person, or
the untouchable; sakṛt—only once; ādadīta—if he utters; yat—
whose; nāmadheyam—holy name; adhunā—immediately; saḥ
—he; jahāti—gives up; bandham—material bondage.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, a devotee who has taken shelter of the dust
from the lotus feet of the Lord can transcend the influence
of the six material whips—namely hunger, thirst,
lamentation, illusion, old age and death—and he can
conquer the mind and five senses. However, this is not very
wonderful for a pure devotee of the Lord because even a
person beyond the jurisdiction of the four castes—in other
words, an untouchable—is immediately relieved of bondage
to material existence if he utters the holy name of the Lord
even once.
PURPORT
Śukadeva Gosvāmī was speaking to Mahārāja Parīkṣit about

the activities of King Priyavrata, and since the King might have
had doubts about these wonderful, uncommon activities,
Śukadeva Gosvāmī reassured him. "My dear King," he said,
"don't be doubtful about the wonderful activities of Priyavrata.
For a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
everything is possible because the Lord is also known as
Urukrama." Urukrama is a name for Lord Vāmanadeva, who
performed the wonderful act of occupying the three worlds
with three footsteps. Lord Vāmanadeva requested three paces
of land from Mahārāja Bali, and when Mahārāja Bali agreed to
grant them, the Lord immediately covered the entire world with
two footsteps, and for His third step He placed His foot upon
Bali Mahārāja's head. Śrī Jayadeva Gosvāmī says:
chalayasi vikramaṇe balim adbhuta-vāmana

pada-nakha-nīra-janita-jana-pāvana
keśava dhṛta-vamāna-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
"All glories to Lord Keśava, who assumed the form of a dwarf.
O Lord of the universe, who takes away everything
inauspicious for the devotees! O wonderful Vāmanadeva! You
tricked the great demon Bali Mahārāja by Your steps. The
water that touched the nails of Your lotus feet when You
pierced through the covering of the universe purifies all living
entities in the form of the River Ganges."
Since the Supreme Lord is all-powerful, He can do things that

seem wonderful for a common man. Similarly, a devotee who
has taken shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord can also do
wonderful things unimaginable to a common man, by the grace
of the dust of those lotus feet. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore
teaches us to take shelter of the Lord's lotus feet:
ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ

patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāṁbudhau
kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya
[Cc. Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5]
"O son of Nanda Mahārāja, I am Your eternal servant, yet

somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and
death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me
as one of the atoms of Your lotus feet." Lord Caitanya teaches
us to come in touch with the dust of the Lord's lotus feet, for
then there will undoubtedly be all success.
Because of the material body, every living entity in material

existence is always disturbed by sad-guṇa, six whips—hunger,
thirst, lamentation, illusion, invalidity and death. Furthermore,
another sad-guṇa are the mind and five sense organs. Not to
speak of a sanctified devotee, even a caṇḍāla, an outcaste, who
is untouchable, is immediately freed from material bondage if
he utters the holy name of the Lord even once. Sometimes caste
brāhmaṇas argue that unless one changes his body he cannot
be accepted as a brāhmaṇa, for since the present body is
obtained as a result of past actions, one who has in the past
acted as a brāhmaṇa takes birth in a brāhmaṇa family.
Therefore, they contend, without such a brahminical body, one
cannot be accepted as a brāhmaṇa. Herein it is said, however,
that even vidūra-vigata, a caṇḍāla—a fifth-class untouchable—
is freed if he utters the holy name even once. Being freed
means that he immediately changes his body. Sanātana
Gosvāmī confirms this:
yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti

kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena
dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām
When a person, even though a caṇḍāla, is initiated by a pure

devotee into chanting the holy name of the Lord, his body
changes as he follows the instructions of the spiritual master.
Although one cannot see how his body has changed, we must
accept, on the grounds of the authoritative statements of the
śāstras, that he changes his body. This is to be understood
without arguments. This verse clearly says, sa jahāti bandham:
"He gives up his material bondage." The body is a symbolic
representation of material bondage according to one's karma.
Although sometimes we cannot see the gross body changing,
chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord immediately
changes the subtle body, and because the subtle body changes,
the living entity is immediately freed from material bondage.
After all, changes of the gross body are conducted by the subtle
body. After the destruction of the gross body, the subtle body
takes the living entity from his present gross body to another. In
the subtle body, the mind is predominant, and therefore if one's
mind is always absorbed in remembering the activities or the
lotus feet of the Lord, he is to be understood to have already
changed his present body and become purified. Therefore it is
irrefutable that a caṇḍāla, or any fallen or lowborn person, can
become a brāhmaṇa simply by the method of bona fide
initiation.
Such prowess or influence is not surprising for those who

conquer the six senses, hard to conquer, by the dust from the
lotus feet of the Lord. Rajasā also means rajoguṇa. Thus there
is virodhālaṁkāra, ornament introducing contradiction. Even
the outcaste at the moment uttering the name of the Lord gives
up bondage. Alternate versions accepted by Śrīdhara Svāmī are
tanvam and tattvam instead of bandham. Bandham means the
bondage of karma. Tanvam means the body. However, one
does not see a person immediately give up his body on chanting
once. Thus the sentence means that the karmas that are
experienced in the body are destroyed. Tattvam means that the
elements from mahat-tattva to earth, the gross and subtle bodies
of the jīva are destroyed. But the body remains by the
inconceivable influence of the name of the Lord, since there is
no alternative.
TEXT - SB 5.1.36
sa evam aparimita-bala-parākrama ekadā tu devarṣi-

caraṇānuśayanānu-patita-guṇa-visarga-saṁsargeṇānirvṛtam
ivātmānaṁ manyamāna ātma-nirveda idam āha.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (Mahārāja Priyavrata); evam—thus; aparimita—

unparalleled; bala—strength; parākramaḥ—whose influence;
ekadā—once upon a time; tu—then; deva-ṛṣi—of the great
saint Nārada; caraṇa-anuśayana—surrendering unto the lotus
feet; anu—thereafter; patita—fallen down; guṇa-visarga—with
material affairs (created by the three material modes of nature);
saṁsargeṇa—by connection; anirvṛtam—not satisfied; iva—
like; ātmānam—himself; manyamānaḥ—thinking like that;
ātma—self; nirvedaḥ—possessing renunciation; idam—this;
āha—said.
TRANSLATION
While enjoying his material opulences with full strength
and influence, Mahārāja Priyavrata once began to consider
that although he had fully surrendered to the great saint
Nārada and was actually on the path of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, he had somehow become again entangled in
material activities. Thus his mind now became restless, and
he began to speak in a spirit of renunciation.
PURPORT
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17) it is said:
tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer

bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
"One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in

the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down
while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being
unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully
engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything." If one
somehow or other comes to the shelter of a great Vaiṣṇava,
takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness because of sentiment or
realization, but in course of time falls down because of
immature understanding, he is not actually fallen, for his
having engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a permanent asset. If
one falls down, therefore, his progress might be checked for a
certain time, but it will again become manifest at an opportune
moment. Although Priyavrata Mahārāja was serving according
to the instructions of Nārada Muni meant for going back home,
back to Godhead, he returned to material affairs at the request
of his father. In due course of time, however, his consciousness
for serving Kṛṣṇa reawakened by the grace of his spiritual
master, Nārada.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (6.41), śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. One who falls down from the process
of bhakti-yoga is again offered the opulence of the demigods,
and after enjoying such material opulence, he is given a chance
to take birth in a noble family of a pure brāhmaṇa, or in a rich
family, to be given the chance to revive his Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. This actually happened in the life of Priyavrata:
he is a most glorious example of this truth. In due course of
time, he no longer wanted to enjoy his material opulences and
his wife, kingdom and sons; instead, he wanted to renounce
them all. Therefore, after having described the material
opulences of Mahārāja Priyavrata, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, in this
verse, describes his tendency for renunciation.
The words devarṣi-caraṇānuśayana indicate that Mahārāja

Priyavrata, having fully surrendered to the great sage Devarṣi
Nārada, was strictly following all the devotional processes and
regulative principles under his direction. In regard to strictly
following the regulative principles, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī
Ṭhākura says; daṇḍavat-praṇāmās tān anupatitaḥ. By
immediately offering obeisances (daṇḍavat) unto the spiritual
master and by strictly following his directions, the student
becomes advanced. Mahārāja Priyavrata was doing all these
things regularly.
As long as one is in the material world, he has to be under the

influence of the modes of material nature (guṇa-visarga). It is
not that Mahārāja Priyavrata was freed from material influence
because he possessed all material opulences. In this material
world, both the very poor man and the very rich man are under
material influences, for both wealth and poverty are creations
of the modes of material nature. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā
(3.27), prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ.
According to the modes of material nature we acquire, the
material nature gives us facility for material enjoyment.
This verse shows his withdrawal from material enjoyment and

the increase in strength of renunciation. He appeared to get no
satisfaction from contact with the material world after having
surrendered to the feet of Nārada, offering respects to him as
guru (anuśayana). Even though he felt inner bliss, since he was
unattached to ruling the kingdom, he felt disgust with the
kingdom. That is the significance of the word iva.
TEXT - SB 5.1.37
aho asādhv anuṣṭhitaṁ yad abhiniveśito 'ham indriyair avidyā-

racita-viṣama-viṣayāndha-kūpe tad alam alam amuṣyā vanitāyā
vinoda-mṛgaṁ māṁ dhig dhig iti garhayāṁ cakāra.
SYNONYMS
aho—alas; asādhu—not good; anuṣṭhitam—executed; yat—

because; abhiniveśitaḥ—being completely absorbed; aham—I;
indriyaiḥ—for sense gratification; avidyā—by nescience;
racita—made; viṣama—causing distress; viṣaya—sense
gratification; andha-kūpe—in the dark well; tat—that; alam—
insignificant; alam—of no importance; amuṣyāḥ—of that;
vanitāyāḥ—wife; vinoda-mṛgam—just like a dancing monkey;
mām—unto me; dhik—all condemnation; dhik—all
condemnation; iti—thus; garhayām—criticism; cakāra—he
did.
TRANSLATION
The King thus began criticizing himself: Alas, how
condemned I have become because of my sense
gratification! I have now fallen into material enjoyment,
which is exactly like a covered well. I have had enough! I
am not going to enjoy any more. Just see how I have
become like a dancing monkey in the hands of my wife.
Because of this, I am condemned.
PURPORT
How condemned is the advancement of material knowledge can

be understood from the behavior of Mahārāja Priyavrata. He
performed such wonderful acts as creating another sun, which
shined during the night, and creating a chariot so great that its
wheels formed vast oceans. These activities are so great that
modern scientists cannot even imagine how such things can be
done. Mahārāja Priyavrata acted very wonderfully in the
material field of activities, but because he was dealing in sense
gratification—ruling his kingdom and dancing to the
indications of his beautiful wife—he personally condemned
himself. When we think about this example of Mahārāja
Priyavrata, we can just consider how degraded is the modern
civilization of materialistic advancement. Modern so-called
scientists and other materialists are very satisfied because they
can construct great bridges, roads and machines, but such
activities are nothing comparable to those of Mahārāja
Priyavrata. If Mahārāja Priyavrata could condemn himself in
spite of his wonderful activities, how condemned we are in our
so-called advancement of material civilization. We can
conclude that such advancement has nothing to do with the
problems of the living entity entangled within this material
world. Unfortunately, modern man does not understand his
entanglement and how condemned he is, nor does he know
what kind of body he is going to have in the next life. From a
spiritual point of view, a great kingdom, beautiful wife and
wonderful material activities are all impediments to spiritual
advancement. Mahārāja Priyavrata had served the great sage
Nārada sincerely. Therefore even though he had accepted
material opulences, he could not be deviated from his own task.
He again became Kṛṣṇa conscious. As confirmed in Bhagavad-
gītā:
nehābhikrama-nāśo 'sti
pratyavāyo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt
"In devotional service there is no loss or diminution, and even a

small service rendered in devotional life is sufficient to save
one from the greatest danger." (Bg. 2.40) Such renunciation as
Mahārāja Priyavrata's is possible only by the grace of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally when people are
powerful or when they have a beautiful wife, a beautiful home
and material popularity, they become more and more entangled.
Priyavrata Mahārāja, however, having been completely trained
by the great sage Nārada, revived his Kṛṣṇa consciousness in
spite of all impediments.
Vinoda-mṛgam means monkey.
TEXT - SB 5.1.38
para-devatā-prasādādhigatātma-
pratyavamarśenānupravṛttebhyaḥ putrebhya imāṁ yathā-dāyaṁ
vibhajya bhukta-bhogāṁ ca mahiṣīṁ mṛtakam iva saha mahā-
vibhūtim apahāya svayaṁ nihita-nirvedo hṛdi gṛhīta-hari-
vihārānubhāvo bhagavato nāradasya padavīṁ punar
evānusasāra.
SYNONYMS
para-devatā—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prasāda

—by the mercy; adhigata—obtained; ātma-pratyavamarśena—
by self-realization; anupravṛttebhyaḥ—who exactly follow his
path; putrebhyaḥ—unto his sons; imām—this earth; yathā-
dāyam—exactly according to the inheritance; vibhajya—
dividing; bhukta-bhogām—whom he enjoyed in so many ways;
ca—also; mahiṣīm—the Queen; mṛtakam iva—exactly like a
dead body; saha—with; mahā-vibhūtim—great opulence;
apahāya—giving up; svayam—himself; nihita—perfectly taken
to; nirvedaḥ—renunciation; hṛdi—in the heart; gṛhīta—
accepted; hari—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
vihāra—pastimes; anubhāvaḥ—in such an attitude;
bhagavataḥ—of the great saintly person; nāradasya—of Saint
Nārada; padavīm—position; punaḥ—again; eva—certainly;
anusasāra—began to follow.
TRANSLATION
By the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Mahārāja Priyavrata reawakened to his senses. He divided
all his earthly possessions among his obedient sons. He gave
up everything, including his wife, with whom he had
enjoyed so much sense gratification, and his great and
opulent kingdom, and he completely renounced all
attachment. His heart, having been cleansed, became a
place of pastimes for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thus he was able to return to the path of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, spiritual life, and resume the position he had
attained by the grace of the great saint Nārada.
PURPORT
As enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Śikṣāṣṭaka,

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam:
[Cc. Antya 20.12] as soon as one's heart is cleansed, the blazing
fire of material existence is immediately extinguished. Our
hearts are meant for the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. This means that one should be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious,
thinking of Kṛṣṇa, as He Himself advises (man-manā bhava
mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]). This
should be our only business. One whose heart is not clean
cannot think of the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme
Lord, but if one can once again place the Supreme Personality
of Godhead in his heart, he very easily becomes qualified to
renounce material attachment. Māyāvādī philosophers, yogīs
and jñānīs try to give up this material world simply by saying,
brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false. There is no
use of it. Let us take to Brahman." Such theoretical knowledge
will not help us. If we believe that Brahman is the real truth, we
have to place within our hearts the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ
[SB 9.4.18]). One has to fix the lotus feet of the Lord within his
heart. Then he gets the strength to be freed from material
entanglement.
Mahārāja Priyavrata was able to give up his opulent kingdom,

and he also gave up the association of his beautiful wife as if
she were a dead body. However beautiful one's wife and
however attractive her bodily features, one is no longer
interested in her when her body is dead. We praise a beautiful
woman for her body, but that same body, when bereft of a spirit
soul, is no longer interesting to any lusty man. Mahārāja
Priyavrata was so strong, by the grace of the Lord, that even
though his beautiful wife was alive, he could give up her
association exactly like one who is forced to give up the
association of a dead wife. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:
na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
"O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor

do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of
followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service birth
after birth." For one who desires to advance in spiritual life,
attachment to material opulence and attachment to a beautiful
wile are two great impediments. Such attachments are
condemned even more than suicide. Therefore anyone desiring
to cross beyond material nescience must, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa,
be freed from attachment to women and money. When
Mahārāja Priyavrata became completely free from these
attachments, he could again peacefully follow the principles
instructed by the great sage Nārada.
He regained (adhigata) his sense of discrimination (ātma-

prayavamarśeṇa), by the mercy of the Lord and again followed
the path instructed by Nārada, after dividing the earth among
his obedient sons. He realized the pastimes of the Lord in his
heart, and shed tears of joy, with hairs standing on end.
TEXT - SB 5.1.39
tasya ha vā ete ślokāḥ—
priyavrata-kṛtaṁ karma
ko nu kuryād vineśvaram
yo nemi-nimnair akaroc
chāyāṁ ghnan sapta vāridhīn
SYNONYMS
tasya—his; ha vā—certainly; ete—all these; ślokāḥ—verses;

priyavrata—by King Priyavrata; kṛtam—done; karma—
activities; kaḥ—who; nu—then; kuryāt—can execute; vinā—
without; īśvaram—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yaḥ—
one who; nemi—of the rim of the wheels of his chariot;
nimnaiḥ—by the depressions; akarot—made; chāyām—
darkness; ghnan—dissipating; sapta—seven; vāridhīn—
oceans.
TRANSLATION
There are many famous verses regarding Mahārāja
Priyavrata's activities:
"No one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead could do
what Mahārāja Priyavrata has done. Mahārāja Priyavrata
dissipated the darkness of night, and with the rims of his
great chariot, he excavated seven oceans."
PURPORT
There are many excellent verses, famous all over the world,
concerning the activities of Mahārāja Priyavrata. He is so
celebrated that his activities are compared to those of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes a sincere servant
and devotee of the Lord is also called bhagavān. Śrī Nārada is
called bhagavān, and Lord Śiva and Vyāsadeva are also
sometimes called bhagavān. This designation, bhagavān, is
sometimes conferred upon a pure devotee by the grace of the
Lord so that he will be very highly esteemed. Mahārāja
Priyavrata was such a devotee.
Verses previously composed are quoted. Chāyām means night.
TEXT - SB 5.1.40
bhū-saṁsthānaṁ kṛtaṁ yena
sarid-giri-vanādibhiḥ
sīmā ca bhūta-nirvṛtyai
dvīpe dvīpe vibhāgaśaḥ
SYNONYMS
bhū-saṁsthānam—the situation of the earth; kṛtam—done;

yena—by whom; sarit—by rivers; giri—by hills and
mountains; vana-ādibhiḥ—by forests and so on; sīmā—
boundaries; ca—also; bhūta—of different nations; nirvṛtyai—
to stop fighting; dvīpe dvīpe—on the various islands;
vibhāgaśaḥ—separately.
TRANSLATION
"To stop the quarreling among different peoples, Mahārāja
Priyavrata marked boundaries at rivers and at the edges of
mountains and forests so that no one would trespass upon
another's property."
PURPORT
The example set by Mahārāja Priyavrata in marking off

different states is still followed. As indicated here, different
classes of men are destined to live in different areas, and
therefore the boundaries of various tracts of land, which are
described here as islands, should be defined by different rivers,
forests and hills. This is also mentioned in relation to Mahārāja
Pṛthu, who was born from the dead body of his father by the
manipulation of great sages. Mahārāja Pṛthu's father was very
sinful, and therefore a black man called Niṣāda was first born
from his dead body. The Naiṣāda race was given a place in the
forest because by nature they are thieves and rogues. As
animals are given places in various forests and hills, men who
are like animals are also destined to live there. One cannot be
promoted to civilized life unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, for by nature one is destined to live in a
particular situation according to one's karma and association
with the modes of nature. If men want to live in harmony and
peace, they must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for they cannot
achieve the highest standard while absorbed in the bodily
concept of life. Mahārāja Priyavrata divided the surface of the
globe into different islands so that each class of men would live
peacefully and not clash with the others. The modern idea of
nationhood has gradually developed from the divisions made
by Mahārāja Priyavrata.
He arranged the earth with continents, and made boundaries by

rivers and mountains for the happiness of the leaders of the
people, so they could exist without quarrelling.
TEXT - SB 5.1.41
bhaumaṁ divyaṁ mānuṣaṁ ca
mahitvaṁ karma-yogajam
yaś cakre nirayaupamyaṁ
puruṣānujana-priyaḥ
SYNONYMS
bhaumam—of the lower planets; divyam—heavenly; mānuṣam

—of human beings; ca—also; mahitvam—all opulences; karma
—by fruitive activities; yoga—by mystic power; jam—born;
yaḥ—one who; cakre—did; niraya—with hell; aupamyam—
comparison or equality; puruṣa—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; anujana—to the devotee; priyaḥ—most dear.
TRANSLATION
"As a great follower and devotee of the sage Nārada,
Mahārāja Priyavrata considered hellish the opulences he
had achieved by dint of fruitive activities and mystic power,
whether in the lower or heavenly planetary systems or in
human society."
PURPORT
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has said that the position of a devotee is so

superexcellent that a devotee does not consider any material
opulence worth having. There are different types of opulences
on earth, in the heavenly planets and even in the lower
planetary system, known as Pātāla. A devotee, however, knows
that they are all material, and consequently he is not at all
interested in them. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā
nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. Sometimes yogīs and jñānīs voluntarily
give up all material opulences to practice their system of
liberation and taste spiritual bliss. However, they frequently fall
down because artificial renunciation of material opulences
cannot endure. One must have a superior taste in spiritual life;
then he can give up material opulence. Mahārāja Priyavrata had
already tasted spiritual bliss, and therefore he had no interest in
any of the material achievements available in the lower, higher
or middle planetary systems.
Bhaumam means lower planets. Divyam means Svarga.

Mānuṣam means humans on hearth. Mahitvam means wealth.
Thus ends the commentary on the First Chapter of the Fifth

Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in
accordance with the previous ācāryas.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Fifth Canto, First

Chapter, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Activities of
Mahārāja Priyavrata."
2. The Activities of Mahārāja Āgnīdhra
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Chapter Summary
In this chapter, the character of Mahārāja Āgnīdhra is

described. When Mahārāja Priyavrata went off for spiritual
realization, his son Āgnīdhra became the ruler of Jambūdvīpa,
in accordance with Mahārāja Priyavrata's instructions, and
maintained its residents with the same affection a father feels
for his sons. Once Mahārāja Āgnīdhra desired to have a son,
and therefore he entered a cave of Mandara Mountain to
practice austerity. Understanding his desire, Lord Brahmā sent
a celestial girl named Pūrvacitti to Āgnīdhra's hermitage. After
dressing herself very attractively, she presented herself before
him with various feminine movements, and Āgnīdhra was
naturally attracted to her. The girl's actions, expressions, smile,
sweet words and moving eyes were fascinating to him.
Āgnīdhra was expert in flattery. Thus he attracted the celestial
girl, who was pleased to accept him as her husband because of
his mellifluous words. She enjoyed royal happiness with
Āgnīdhra for many years before returning to her abode in the
heavenly planets. In her womb Āgnīdhra begot nine sons-
Nābhi, Kiṁpuruṣa, Harivarṣa, Ilāvṛta, Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya,
Kuru, Bhadrāśva and Ketumāla. He gave them nine islands
with names corresponding to theirs. Āgnīdhra, however, his
senses unsatisfied, was always thinking of his celestial wife,
and therefore in his next life he was born in her celestial planet.
After the death of Āgnīdhra, his nine sons married nine
daughters of Meru named Merudevī, Pratirūpā, Ugradaṁṣṭrī,
Latā, Ramyā, Śyāmā, Nārī, Bhadrā and Devavīti.
TEXT - SB 5.2.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
Wv& iPaTair SaMPa[vtae TadNauXaaSaNae vTaRMaaNa
AaGanqDa]ae JaMbUŪqPaaEk-Sa" Pa[Jaa
AaErSavṬMaaRve+aMaa<a" PaYaRGaaePaaYaTa( )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
evaṁ pitari sampravṛtte tad-anuśāsane vartamāna āgnīdhro

jambūdvīpaukasaḥ prajā aurasavad dharmāvekṣamāṇaḥ
paryagopāyat.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; evam—thus;

pitari—when his father; sampravṛtte—took to the path of
liberation; tat-anuśāsane—according to his order; vartamānaḥ
—situated; āgnīdhraḥ—King Āgnīdhra; jambū-dvīpa-okasaḥ—
the inhabitants of Jambūdvīpa; prajāḥ—citizens; aurasa-vat—
as if they were his sons; dharma—religious principles;
avekṣamāṇaḥ—strictly observing; paryagopāyat—completely
protected.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After his father,
Mahārāja Priyavrata, departed to follow the path of
spiritual life by undergoing austerities, King Āgnīdhra
completely obeyed his order. Strictly observing the
principles of religion, he gave full protection to the
inhabitants of Jambūdvīpa as if they were his own begotten
sons.
PURPORT
Following the instruction of his father, Mahārāja Priyavrata,

Mahārāja Āgnīdhra ruled the inhabitants of Jambūdvīpa
according to religious principles. These principles are exactly
contrary to the modern principles of faithlessness. As clearly
stated here, the King protected the citizens the way a father
protects his begotten children. How he ruled the citizens is also
described here—dharmāvekṣamāṇaḥ, strictly according to
religious principles. It is the duty of the executive head of a
state to see that the citizens strictly follow religious principles.
The Vedic religious principles begin with varṇāśrama-dharma,
the duties of the four varṇas and four āśramas. Dharma refers
to principles given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The first principle of dharma, or religion, is to observe the
duties of the four orders as enjoined by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. According to people's qualities and
activities, society should be divided into brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas,
vaiśyas and śūdras and then again into brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas,
vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs. These are religious principles, and
it is the duty of the head of state to see that his citizens strictly
follow them. He should not merely act officially; he should be
like a father who is always a well-wisher of his sons. Such a
father strictly observes whether his sons are performing their
duties, and sometimes he also punishes them.
Just contrary to the principles mentioned here, the presidents

and chief executives in the age of Kali are simply tax collectors
who do not care whether religious principles are observed.
Indeed, the chief executives of the present day introduce all
kinds of sinful activity, especially illicit sex, intoxication,
animal killing and gambling. These sinful activities are now
very prominently manifested in India. Although a hundred
years ago these four principles of sinful life were strictly
prohibited in the families of India, they have now been
introduced into every Indian family; therefore they cannot
follow religious principles. In contrast to the principles of the
kings of old, the modern state is concerned only with
propaganda for levying taxes and is no longer responsible for
the spiritual welfare of the citizens. The state is now callous to
religious principles. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam predicts that in Kali-
yuga the government will be entrusted with dasyu-dharma,
which means the occupational duty of rogues and thieves.
Modern heads of state are rogues and thieves who plunder the
citizens instead of giving them protection. Rogues and thieves
plunder without regard for law, but in this age of Kali, as stated
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the lawmakers themselves plunder the
citizens. The next prediction to be fulfilled, which is already
coming to pass, is that because of the sinful activities of the
citizens and the government, rain will become increasingly
scarce. Gradually there will be complete drought and no
production of food grains. People will be reduced to eating
flesh and seeds, and many good, spiritually inclined people will
have to forsake their homes because they will be too harassed
by drought, taxation and famine. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement is the only hope to save the world from such
devastation. It is the most scientific and authorized movement
for the actual welfare of the whole human society.
The Second Chapter describes how Āgnīdhra obtained the

Apsarā Pūrvacitti, and exhibiting lust, bore sons in her.
Āgnīdhra observed the principles of dharma.
TEXT - SB 5.2.2
sa ca kadācit pitṛloka-kāmaḥ sura-vara-vanitākrīḍācala-

droṇyāṁ bhagavantaṁ viśva-sṛjāṁ patim ābhṛta-
paricaryopakaraṇa ātmaikāgryeṇa tapasvy ārādhayāṁ babhūva.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (King Āgnīdhra); ca—also; kadācit—once upon a

time; pitṛloka—the Pitṛloka planet; kāmaḥ—desiring; sura-
vara—of the great demigods; vanitā—the women; ākrīḍā—the
place of pastimes; acala-droṇyām—in one valley of the
Mandara Hill; bhagavantam—unto the most powerful (Lord
Brahmā); viśva-sṛjām—of personalities who have created this
universe; patim—the master; ābhṛta—having collected;
paricaryā-upakaraṇaḥ—ingredients for worship; ātma—of the
mind; eka-agryeṇa—with full attention; tapasvī—one who
executes austerity; ārādhayām babhūva—became engaged in
worshiping.
TRANSLATION
Desiring to get a perfect son and become an inhabitant of
Pitṛloka, Mahārāja Āgnīdhra once worshiped Lord
Brahmā, the master of those in charge of material creation.
He went to a valley of Mandara Hill, where the damsels of
the heavenly planets come down to stroll. There he collected
garden flowers and other necessary paraphernalia and then
engaged in severe austerities and worship.
PURPORT
The King became pitṛloka-kāma, or desirous of being

transferred to the planet named Pitṛloka. Pitṛloka is mentioned
in Bhagavad-gītā (yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-
vratāḥ [Bg. 9.25]). To go to this planet, one needs very good
sons who can make offerings to Lord Viṣṇu and then offer the
remnants to their forefathers. The purpose of the śrāddha
ceremony is to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Lord Viṣṇu, so that after pleasing Him one may offer prasāda
to one's forefathers and in this way make them happy. The
inhabitants of Pitṛloka are generally men of the karma-kāṇḍīya,
or fruitive activities category, who have been transferred there
because of their pious activities. They can stay there as long as
their descendants offer them viṣṇu-prasāda. Everyone in
heavenly planets such as Pitṛloka, however, must return to earth
after exhausting the effects of his pious acts. As confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā (9.21), kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti:
persons who perform pious acts are transferred to higher
planets, but when the effects of their pious acts are over, they
are again transferred to earth.
Since Mahārāja Priyavrata was a great devotee, how could he

have begotten a son who desired to be transferred to Pitṛloka?
Lord Kṛṣṇa says, pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ: persons who desire to
go to Pitṛloka are transferred there. Similarly, yānti mad-yājino
'pi mām: [Bg. 9.25] persons who desire to be transferred to the
spiritual planets, Vaikuṇṭhalokas, can also go there. Since
Mahārāja Āgnīdhra was the son of a Vaiṣṇava, he should have
desired to be transferred to the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka.
Why, then, did he desire to be transferred to Pitṛloka? In
answer to this, Gosvāmī Giridhara, one of the Bhāgavatam
commentators, remarks that Āgnīdhra was born when Mahārāja
Priyavrata was infatuated by lusty desires. This may be
accepted as a fact because sons are begotten with different
mentalities according to the time of their conception.
According to the Vedic system, therefore, before a child is
conceived, the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is performed. This
ceremony molds the mentality of the father in such a way that
when he plants his seed in the womb of his wife, he will beget a
child whose mind will be completely saturated with a
devotional attitude. At the present moment, however, there are
no such garbhādhāna-saṁskāras, and therefore people
generally have a lusty attitude when they beget children.
Especially in this age of Kali, there are no garbhādhāna
ceremonies; everyone enjoys sex with his wife like a cat or dog.
Therefore according to śāstric injunctions, almost all the people
of this age belong to the śūdra category. Of course, although
Mahārāja Āgnīdhra had a desire to be transferred to Pitṛloka,
this does not mean that his mentality was that of a śūdra; he
was a kṣatriya.
Mahārāja Āgnīdhra desired to be transferred to Pitṛloka, and

therefore he needed a wife because anyone desiring to be
transferred to Pitṛloka must leave behind a good son to offer
yearly piṇḍa, or prasāda from Lord Viṣṇu. To have a good son,
Mahārāja Āgnīdhra wanted a wife from a family of demigods.
Therefore he went to Mandara Hill. where the women of the
demigods generally come, to worship Lord Brahmā. In
Bhagavad-gītā (4.12) it is said, kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ
yajanta iha devatāḥ: materialists who want quick results in the
material world worship demigods. This is also confirmed in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrī-aiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ: those who
desire beautiful wives, substantial wealth and many sons
worship the demigods, but an intelligent devotee, instead of
being entangled by the happiness of this material world in the
form of a beautiful wife, material opulence and children,
desires to be immediately transferred back home, back to
Godhead. Thus he worships the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Viṣṇu.
Carrying items of worship like flowers, desiring sons

(pitraloka-kāmaḥ) he worshipped Brahmā.
TEXT - SB 5.2.3
tad upalabhya bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ sadasi gāyantīṁ
pūrvacittiṁ nāmāpsarasam abhiyāpayām āsa.
SYNONYMS
tat—that; upalabhya—understanding; bhagavān—the most

powerful; ādi-puruṣaḥ—the first created being within this
universe; sadasi—in his assembly; gāyantīm—dancing girl;
pūrvacittim—Pūrvacitti; nāma—named; apsarasam—the
heavenly dancing girl; abhiyāpayām āsa—sent down.
TRANSLATION
Understanding King Āgnīdhra's desire, the first and most
powerful created being of this universe, Lord Brahmā,
selected the best of the dancing girls in his assembly, whose
name was Pūrvacitti, and sent her to the King.
PURPORT
In this verse, the words bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ are significant.

Bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ is Lord Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ
tam ahaṁ bhajāmi . Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original person. In
Bhagavad-gītā, He is also addressed by Arjuna as puruṣam
ādyam, the original person, and He is called Bhagavān. In this
verse, however, we see that Lord Brahmā is described as
bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ. The reason he is called bhagavān is that
he fully represents the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is
the first-born creature in this universe. Lord Brahmā could
understand Mahārāja Āgnīdhra's desire because he is as
powerful as Lord Viṣṇu. As Lord Viṣṇu, situated as
Paramātmā, can understand the desire of the living entity, so
Lord Brahmā can also understand the living entity's desire, for
Viṣṇu, as a via medium, informs him. As stated in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (1.1.1), tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye: Lord
Viṣṇu informs Lord Brahmā of everything from within his
heart. Because Mahārāja Āgnīdhra specifically worshiped Lord
Brahmā, Lord Brahmā was pleased, and he sent Pūrvacitti, the
Apsarā, to satisfy him.
TEXT - SB 5.2.4
sā ca tad-āśramopavanam ati-ramaṇīyaṁ vividha-nibiḍa-viṭapi-

viṭapa-nikara-saṁśliṣṭa-puraṭa-latārūḍha-sthala-vihaṅgama-
mithunaiḥ procyamāna-śrutibhiḥ pratibodhyamāna-salila-
kukkuṭa-kāraṇḍava-kalahaṁsādibhir vicitram upakūjitāmala-
jalāśaya-kamalākaram upababhrāma.
SYNONYMS
sā—she (Pūrvacitti); ca—also; tat—of Mahārāja Āgnīdhra;

āśrama—of the place of meditation; upavanam—the park; ati
—very; ramaṇīyam—beautiful; vividha—varieties of; nibiḍa—
dense; viṭapi—trees; viṭapa—of branches and twigs; nikara—
masses; saṁśliṣṭa—attached; puraṭa—golden; latā—with
creepers; ārūḍha—going high; sthala-vihaṅgama—of land
birds; mithunaiḥ—with pairs; procyamāna—vibrating;
śrutibhiḥ—pleasing sounds; pratibodhyamāna—responding;
salila-kukkuṭa—water fowl; kāraṇḍava—ducks; kala-haṁsa—
with various kinds of swans; ādibhiḥ—and so on; vicitram—
variegated; upakūjita—resounding with the vibration; amala—
clear; jala-āśaya—in the lake; kamala-ākaram—the source of
lotus flowers; upababhrāma—began to walk in.
TRANSLATION
The Apsarā sent by Lord Brahmā began strolling in a
beautiful park near the place where the King was
meditating and worshiping. The park was beautiful because
of its dense green foliage and golden creepers. There were
pairs of varied birds such as peacocks, and in a lake there
were ducks and swans, all vibrating very sweet sounds.
Thus the park was magnificently beautiful because of the
foliage, the clear water, the lotus flowers and the sweet
singing of various kinds of birds.
She began to wander about the garden of the hermitage. The

hermitage had lakes full of lotuses, and resounded with various
cries of water birds which were awakened by the notes of pairs
of land birds sitting on golden creepers embracing the trunks of
various trees with dense foliage.
TEXT - SB 5.2.5
tasyāḥ sulalita-gamana-pada-vinyāsa-gati-vilāsāyāś cānupadaṁ

khaṇa-khaṇāyamāna-rucira-caraṇābharaṇa-svanam upākarṇya
naradeva-kumāraḥ samādhi-yogenāmīlita-nayana-nalina-
mukula-yugalam īṣad vikacayya vyacaṣṭa.
SYNONYMS
tasyāḥ—of her (Pūrvacitti); sulalita—in a very beautiful;

gamana—movements; pada-vinyāsa—with styles of walking;
gati—in the progression; vilāsāyāḥ—whose pastime; ca—also;
anupadam—with every step; khaṇa-khaṇāyamāna—making a
tinkling sound; rucira—very pleasing; caraṇa-ābharaṇa—of
the ornaments on the feet; svanam—the sound; upākarṇya—
hearing; naradeva-kumāraḥ—the Prince; samādhi—in ecstasy;
yogena—by controlling the senses; āmīlita—half-open; nayana
—eyes; nalina—of lotus; mukula—buds; yugalam—like a pair;
īṣat—slightly; vikacayya—opening; vyacaṣṭa—saw.
TRANSLATION
As Pūrvacitti passed by on the road in a very beautiful style
and mood of her own, the pleasing ornaments on her ankles
tinkled with her every step. Although Prince Āgnīdhra was
controlling his senses, practicing yoga with half-open eyes,
he could see her with his lotuslike eyes, and when he heard
the sweet tinkling of her bangles, he opened his eyes slightly
more and could see that she was just nearby.
PURPORT
It is said that yogīs always think of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead within their hearts. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena
manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is always observed by yogīs who
practice controlling the venomous senses. As recommended in
Bhagavad-gītā, yogīs should practice samprekṣya nāsikāgram,
keeping their eyes half-open. If the eyes are closed completely,
there will be a tendency to sleep. So-called yogīs sometimes
practice a fashionable form of yoga by closing their eyes and
meditating, but we have actually seen such so-called yogīs
sleeping and snoring while meditating. This is not the practice
of yoga. To actually practice yoga, one should keep his eyes
half-open and gaze at the tip of his nose.
Although Āgnīdhra, the son of Priyavrata, was practicing

mystic yoga and trying to control his senses, the tinkling sound
of Pūrvacitti's ankle bells disturbed his practice. Yoga indriya-
saṁyamaḥ: actual yoga practice means controlling the senses.
One must practice mystic yoga, to control the senses, but the
sense control of a devotee who fully engages in the service of
the Lord with his purified senses (hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]) can never be disturbed. Śrīla
Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī therefore stated, durdāntendriya-
kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭra-yate (Caitanya-
candrāmṛta 5). The practice of yoga is undoubtedly good
because it controls the senses, which are like venomous
serpents. When one engages in devotional service, however,
completely employing all the activities of the senses in the
service of the Lord, the venomous quality of the senses is
completely nullified. It is explained that a serpent is to be
feared because of its poison fangs, but if those fangs are
broken. the serpent, although it seems fearsome, is not at all
dangerous. Devotees, therefore, may see hundreds and
thousands of beautiful women with fascinating bodily
movements and gestures but not be allured, whereas such
women would make ordinary yogīs fall. Even the advanced
yogī Viśvāmitra broke his mystic practice to unite with Menakā
and beget a child known as Śakuntalā. The practice of mystic
yoga, therefore, is not sufficiently strong to control the senses.
Another example is Prince Āgnīdhra, whose attention was
drawn to the movements of Pūrvacitti, the Apsarā, simply
because he heard the tinkling of her ankle bells. In the same
way that Viśvāmitra Muni was attracted by the tinkling bangles
of Menakā, Prince Āgnīdhra, upon hearing the tinkling bangles
of Pūrvacitti, immediately opened his eyes to see her beautiful
movements as she walked. The prince was also very handsome.
As described herein, his eyes were just like the buds of lotus
flowers. As he opened his lotuslike eyes, he could immediately
see that the Apsarā was present by his side.
The movements of her body and her footsteps as she walked

gracefully attracted him.
TEXT - SB 5.2.6
tām evāvidūre madhukarīm iva sumanasa upajighrantīṁ divija-

manuja-mano-nayanāhlāda-dughair gati-vihāra-vrīḍā-
vinayāvaloka-susvarākṣarāvayavair manasi nṛṇāṁ
kusumāyudhasya vidadhatīṁ vivaraṁ nija-mukha-
vigalitāmṛtāsava-sahāsa-bhāṣaṇāmoda-madāndha-madhukara-
nikaroparodhena druta-pada-vinyāsena valgu-spandana-stana-
kalaśa-kabara-bhāra-raśanāṁ devīṁ tad-avalokanena
vivṛtāvasarasya bhagavato makara-dhvajasya vaśam upanīto
jaḍavad iti hovāca.
SYNONYMS
tām—to her; eva—indeed; avidūre—nearby; madhukarīm iva

—like a honeybee; sumanasaḥ—beautiful flowers;
upajighrantīm—smelling; divi-ja—of those born in the
heavenly planets; manu-ja—of those born in human society;
manaḥ—mind; nayana—for the eyes; āhlāda—pleasure;
dughaiḥ—producing; gati—by her movement; vihāra—by
pastimes; vrīḍā—by shyness; vinaya—by humility; avaloka—
by glancing; su-svara-akṣara—by her sweet voice; avayavaiḥ
—and by the limbs of the body; manasi—in the mind; nṛṇām—
of men; kusuma-āyudhasya—of Cupid, who has a flower arrow
in his hand; vidadhatīm—making; vivaram—aural reception;
nija-mukha—from her own mouth; vigalita—pouring out;
amṛta-āsava—nectar like honey; sa-hāsa—in her smiling;
bhāṣaṇa—and talking; āmoda—by the pleasure; mada-andha
—blinded by intoxication; madhukara—of bees; nikara—by
groups; uparodhena—because of being surrounded; druta—
hasty; pada—of feet; vinyāsena—by stylish stepping; valgu—a
little; spandana—moving; stana—breasts; kalaśa—like
waterpots; kabara—of her braids of hair; bhāra—weight;
raśanām—the belt upon the hips; devīm—the goddess; tat-
avalokanena—simply by seeing her; vivṛta-avasarasya—
taking the opportunity of; bhagavataḥ—of the greatly
powerful; makara-dhvajasya—of Cupid; vaśam—under the
control; upanītaḥ—being brought in; jaḍa-vat—as if stunned;
iti—thus; ha—certainly; uvāca—he said.
TRANSLATION
Like a honeybee, the Apsarā smelled the beautiful and
attractive flowers. She could attract the minds and vision of
both humans and demigods by her playful movements, her
shyness and humility, her glances, the very pleasing sounds
that poured from her mouth as she spoke, and the motion of
her limbs. By all these qualities, she opened for Cupid, who
bears an arrow of flowers, a path of aural reception into the
minds of men. When she spoke, nectar seemed to flow from
her mouth. As she breathed, the bees, mad for the taste of
her breath, tried to hover about her beautiful lotuslike eyes.
Disturbed by the bees, she tried to move hastily, but as she
raised her feet to walk quickly, her hair, the belt on her
hips, and her breasts, which were like water jugs, also
moved in a way that made her extremely beautiful and
attractive. Indeed, she seemed to be making a path for the
entrance of Cupid, who is most powerful. Therefore the
prince, completely subdued by seeing her, spoke to her as
follows.
PURPORT
How a beautiful woman's movements and gestures, her hair and

the structure of her breasts, hips and other bodily features
attract the minds not only of men but of demigods also is very
finely described in this statement. The words divija and manuja
specifically emphasize that the attraction of feminine gestures
is powerful everywhere within this material world, both on this
planet and in the higher planetary systems. It is said that the
standard of living in the higher planetary systems is thousands
and thousands of times higher than the standard of living on
this planet. Therefore the beautiful bodily features of the
women there are also thousands and thousands of times more
attractive than the features of the women on earth. The creator
has constructed women in such a way that their beautiful voices
and movements and the beautiful features of their hips, their
breasts, and the other parts of their bodies attract the members
of the opposite sex, both on earth and on other planets, and
awaken their lusty desires. When one is controlled by Cupid or
the beauty of women, he becomes stunned like matter such as
stone. Captivated by the material movements of women, he
wants to remain in this material world. Thus one's promotion to
the spiritual world is checked simply by seeing the beautiful
bodily structure and movements of women. Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu has therefore warned all devotees to beware of the
attraction of beautiful women and materialistic civilization. Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu even refused to see Pratāparudra
Mahārāja because he was a very opulent person in the material
world. Lord Caitanya said in this connection, niṣkiñcanasya
bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya: those who are engaged in the
devotional service of the Lord because they are very serious
about going back home, back to Godhead, should be very
careful to avoid seeing the beautiful gestures of women and
should also avoid seeing persons who are very rich.
niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya
sandarśanaṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca
hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu
"Alas, for a person who is seriously desiring to cross the
material ocean and engage in the transcendental loving service
of the Lord without material motives, seeing a materialist
engaged in sense gratification or seeing a woman who is
similarly interested is more abominable than drinking poison
willingly." (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 11.8) One who is
serious about going back home, back to Godhead, should not
contemplate the attractive features of women and the opulence
of rich men. Such contemplation will check one's advancement
in spiritual life. Once a devotee is fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
however, these attractions will not agitate his mind.
Becoming bewildered on seeing her, he speaks the next ten

verses. He appeared to be stunned, but this was imitation,
showing his skillfulness. She had a belt, braids and pot-like
breasts which moved as she walked quickly out of fear when
surrounded by swarms of bees intoxicated by the fragrance as
she spoke with a laugh, which was like sweet nectar flowing
from her mouth. She made a door for Cupid to enter the minds
of men.
TEXT - SB 5.2.7
kā tvaṁ cikīrṣasi ca kiṁ muni-varya śaile
māyāsi kāpi bhagavat-para-devatāyāḥ
vijye bibharṣi dhanuṣī suhṛd-ātmano 'rthe

kiṁ vā mṛgān mṛgayase vipine pramattān
SYNONYMS
kā—who; tvam—are you; cikīrṣasi—are you trying to do; ca—

also; kim—what; muni-varya—O best of munis; śaile—on this
hill; māyā—illusory potency; asi—are you; kāpi—some;
bhagavat—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; para-
devatāyāḥ—of the transcendental Lord; vijye—without strings;
bibharṣi—you are carrying; dhanuṣī—two bows; suhṛt—of a
friend; ātmanaḥ—of yourself; arthe—for the sake; kim vā—or;
mṛgān—forest animals; mṛgayase—are you trying to hunt;
vipine—in this forest; pramattān—who are materially
maddened.
TRANSLATION
The Prince mistakenly addressed the Apsarā: O best of
saintly persons, who are you? Why are you on this hill, and
what do you want to do? Are you one of the illusory
potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? You
seem to be carrying two bows without strings, What is the
reason you carry these bows? Is it for some purpose of your
own or for the sake of a friend? Perhaps you carry them to
kill the mad animals in this forest.
PURPORT
While undergoing severe penances in the forest, Āgnīdhra was

captivated by the movements of Pūrvacitti, the girl sent by Lord
Brahmā. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta
jñānāḥ: [Bg. 7.20] when one becomes lusty, he loses his
intelligence. Therefore Āgnīdhra, having lost his intelligence,
could not distinguish whether Pūrvacitti was male or female.
He mistook her for a muni-putra, the son of a saintly person in
the forest, and addressed her as muni-varya. Because of her
personal beauty, however, he could not believe her to be a boy.
He therefore began studying her features. First he saw her two
eyebrows, which were so expressive that he wondered whether
he or she might be the māyā of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The words used in this connection are bhagavat-
para-devatāyāḥ. Devatāḥ, the demigods, all belong to this
material world, whereas Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is always beyond this material world and is
therefore known as para-devatā. The material world is
certainly created by māyā, but it is created under the direction
of para-devatā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate
sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]), māyā is not the ultimate authority
for the creation of this material world. Māyā acts on behalf of
Kṛṣṇa.
Pūrvacitti's eyebrows were so beautiful that Āgnīdhra

compared them to bows without strings. He therefore asked her
whether they were to be used for her own purposes or for the
sake of someone else. Her eyebrows were like bows meant to
kill animals in the forest. This material world is like a great
forest, and its inhabitants are like forest animals such as deer
and tigers meant to be killed. The killers are the eyebrows of
beautiful women. Captivated by the beauty of the fair sex, all
the men of the world are killed by bows without strings, but
cannot see how they are killed by māyā. It is a fact, however,
that they are being killed (bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate)[Bg. 8.19].
By dint of his tapasya, Āgnīdhra could understand how māyā
acts under the direction of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
The word pramattān is also significant. pramatta refers to one

who cannot control his senses. The entire material world is
being exploited by people who are pramatta, or vimūḍha.
Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore said:
śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-

māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān
"They are rotting in material activities for transient material

pleasure and spoiling their lives toiling all day and night simply
for sense gratification, with no attachment for love of Godhead.
I am simply lamenting for them and devising various plans to
deliver them from the clutches of māyā." (SB 7.9.43) Karmīs
who act very seriously for sense gratification are always
referred to in the śāstras by such terms as pramatta, vimukha
and vimūḍha. They are killed by māyā. However, one who is
apramatta, a sane, sober person, a dhīra, knows very well that
a human being's primary duty is to render service to the
Supreme Person. Māyā is always ready to kill those who are
pramatta with her invisible bows and arrows. Āgnīdhra
questioned Pūrvacitti about this.

Asking who she is, he is confused. He indicates that he does not
know the difference between a man and a woman since he has
been practicing austerities since childhood. O best of sages!
Are you staying here like me to perform austerities? But then
he thought for a moment, “Why does she bewilder me, if she is
a sage like me?” Then he thought that she was māyā of the
Supreme Lord (para-devatā bhagavān), who had come in the
form of a sage. Seeing her eye brows, he then said, “You are
carrying two bows without bow strings. O friend! Why have
you done this? What use are they? Are you hunting inattentive
animals in the forest? ” The deeper meaning of this is that he
himself is like an animal which she is hunting.
TEXT - SB 5.2.8
bāṇāv imau bhagavataḥ śata-patra-patrau
śāntāv apuṅkha-rucirāv ati-tigma-dantau
kasmai yuyuṅkṣasi vane vicaran na vidmaḥ
kṣemāya no jaḍa-dhiyāṁ tava vikramo 'stu
SYNONYMS
bāṇau—two arrows; imau—these; bhagavataḥ—of you, the

most powerful; śata-patra-patrau—having feathers like the
petals of a lotus flower; śāntau—peaceful; apuṅkha—without a
shaft; rucirau—very beautiful; ati-tigma-dantau—having a
very sharp point; kasmai—whom; yuyuṅkṣasi—you want to
pierce; vane—in the forest; vicaran—loitering; na vidmaḥ—we
cannot understand; kṣemāya—for welfare; naḥ—of us; jaḍa-
dhiyām—who are dull-headed; tava—your; vikramaḥ—
prowess; astu—may be.
TRANSLATION
Then Āgnīdhra observed the glancing eyes of Pūrvacitti and
said: My dear friend, you have two very powerful arrows,
namely your glancing eyes. Those arrows have feathers like
the petals of a lotus flower. Although they have no shafts,
they are very beautiful, and they have very sharp, piercing
points. They appear very peaceful, and thus it seems that
they will not be shot at anyone. You must be loitering in this
forest to shoot those arrows at someone, but I cannot
understand whom. My intelligence is dull, and I cannot
combat you. Indeed, no one can equal you in prowess, and
therefore I pray that your prowess will be for my good
fortune.
PURPORT
Āgnīdhra thus began appreciating Pūrvacitti's powerful glance

upon him. He compared her glancing eyes to very sharp arrows.
Although her eyes were as beautiful as lotuses, they were
simultaneously like shaftless arrows, and Āgnīdhra was
therefore afraid of them. He hoped that her glances upon him
would be favorable because he was already captivated, and the
more captivated he became, the more impossible it would be
for him to remain without her. Āgnīdhra therefore prayed to
Pūrvacitti that her glances at him would be auspicious, not
futile. In other words, he prayed that she would become his
wife.
On seeing her glance he speaks. You have two arrows with

lotus-petal feathers, languid because of coquetry, without shafts
and with very beautiful sharp arrowheads. May your prowess
be auspicious for me. This means that if you shoot me, I will
not live because of the pain of the arrows piercing me.
TEXT - SB 5.2.9
śiṣyā ime bhagavataḥ paritaḥ paṭhanti
gāyanti sāma sarahasyam ajasram īśam
yuṣmac-chikhā-vilulitāḥ sumano 'bhivṛṣṭīḥ
sarve bhajanty ṛṣi-gaṇā iva veda-śākhāḥ
SYNONYMS
śiṣyāḥ—disciples, followers; ime—these; bhagavataḥ—of your

worshipable self; paritaḥ—surrounding; paṭhanti—are reciting;
gāyanti—are singing; sāma—the Sāma Veda; sa-rahasyam—
with the confidential portion; ajasram—incessantly; īśam—
unto the Lord; yuṣmat—your; śikhā—from bunches of hair;
vilulitāḥ—fallen; sumanaḥ—of flowers; abhivṛṣṭīḥ—showers;
sarve—all; bhajanti—enjoy, resort to; ṛṣi-gaṇāḥ—sages; iva—
like; veda-śākhāḥ—branches of Vedic literature.
TRANSLATION
Seeing the bumblebees following Pūrvacitti, Mahārāja
Āgnīdhra said: My dear Lord, the bumblebees surrounding
your body are like disciples surrounding your worshipable
self. They are incessantly chanting the mantras of the Sāma
Veda and the Upaniṣads, thus offering prayers to you. Just
as great sages resort to the branches of Vedic literatures,
the bumblebees are enjoying the showers of flowers falling
from your hair.
Seeing the bees surrounding her out of greed for her fragrance,
he speaks. The bees are compared to disciples.
TEXT - SB 5.2.10
vācaṁ paraṁ caraṇa-pañjara-tittirīṇāṁ
brahmann arūpa-mukharāṁ śṛṇavāma tubhyam
labdhā kadamba-rucir aṅka-viṭaṅka-bimbe
yasyām alāta-paridhiḥ kva ca valkalaṁ te
SYNONYMS
vācam—the resounding vibration; param—only; caraṇa-
pañjara—of the ankle bells; tittirīṇām—of the tittiri birds;
brahman—O brāhmaṇa; arūpa—without form; mukharām—
able to be very distinctly heard; śṛṇavāma—I hear; tubhyam—
your; labdhā—gotten; kadamba—like the kadamba flower;
ruciḥ—lovely color; aṅka-viṭaṅka-bimbe—on the beautiful
circular hips; yasyām—on which; alāta-paridhiḥ—
encirclement of burning cinders; kva—where; ca—also;
valkalam—covering cloth; te—your.
TRANSLATION
O brāhmaṇa, I can simply hear the tinkling of your ankle
bells. Within those bells, tittiri birds seem to be chirping
among themselves. Although I do not see their forms, I can
hear how they are chirping. When I look at your beautiful
circular hips, I see they are the lovely color of kadamba
flowers, and your waist is encircled by a belt of burning
cinders. Indeed, you seem to have forgotten to dress
yourself.
PURPORT
With lusty desires to see Pūrvacitti, Āgnīdhra especially gazed

upon the girl's attractive hips and waist. When a man looks
upon a woman with such lusty desires, he is captivated by her
face, her breasts and her waist, for a woman first attracts a man
to fulfill his sexual desires by the beautiful features of her face,
by the beautiful slope of her breasts and also by her waist.
Pūrvacitti was dressed in fine yellow silk, and therefore her
hips looked like kadamba flowers. Because of her belt, her
waist seemed to be encircled by burning cinders. She was fully
dressed, but Āgnīdhra had become so lusty that he asked, "Why
have you come naked?"
Relishing the sound of her ankle bells he speaks. I assume there

are two partridges encaged on your two feet to give you bliss,
since I hear their loud voices though they are invisible to me. O
brāhmaṇa! This is manifested because of your great power of
yoga arising from austerity. Relishing the beauty of her thin
yellow cloth around her waist, he speaks. It is astonishing that
your blackish hips have become yellow like the kadamba
flower. An alternative version has aṅga nitamba-bimbe. Aṅga is
a vocative address. O sir! Looking at her jeweled belt he
speaks. On your hips is a circle of embers. You are performing
intense penances! Where is your garment made of bark? In
bewilderment you have left your covering in your hermitage
and come to me naked. This suggests his desire for a sexual
encounter.
TEXT - SB 5.2.11
kiṁ sambhṛtaṁ rucirayor dvija śṛṅgayos te
madhye kṛśo vahasi yatra dṛśiḥ śritā me
paṅko 'ruṇaḥ surabhīr ātma-viṣāṇa īdṛg

yenāśramaṁ subhaga me surabhī-karoṣi
SYNONYMS
kim—what; sambhṛtam—filled; rucirayoḥ—very beautiful;

dvija—O brāhmaṇa; śṛṅgayoḥ—within two horns; te—your;
madhye—in the middle; kṛśaḥ—thin; vahasi—you are
carrying; yatra—wherein; dṛśiḥ—eyes; śritā—attached; me—
my; paṅkaḥ—powder; aruṇaḥ—red; surabhiḥ—fragrant; ātma-
viṣāṇe—on the two horns; īdṛk—such; yena—by which;
āśramam—place of residence; su-bhaga—O most fortunate
one; me—my; surabhī-karoṣi—you are perfuming.
TRANSLATION
Āgnīdhra then praised Pūrvacitti's raised breasts. He said:
My dear brāhmaṇa your waist is very thin, yet with great
difficulty you are carefully carrying two horns, to which my
eyes have become attracted. What is filling those two
beautiful horns? You seem to have spread fragrant red
powder upon them, powder that is like the rising morning
sun. O most fortunate one, I beg to inquire where you have
gotten this fragrant powder that is perfuming my āśrama,
my place of residence.
PURPORT
Āgnīdhra appreciated Pūrvacitti's raised breasts. After seeing

the girl's breasts, he became almost mad. Nevertheless, he
could not recognize whether Pūrvacitti was a boy or a girl, for
as a result of his austerity, he saw no distinction between the
two. He therefore addressed her with the word dvija, "O
brāhmaṇa." Yet why should a dvija, a brāhmaṇa boy, have
horns on his chest? Because the boy's waist was thin, Āgnīdhra
thought, he was carrying the horns with great difficulty. and
therefore they must be filled with something very valuable.
Otherwise why would he carry them? When a woman's waist is
thin and her breasts are full, she looks very attractive.
Āgnīdhra, his eyes attracted, contemplated the heavy breasts on
the girl's thin body and imagined how her back must sustain
them. Āgnīdhra imagined that her raised breasts were two horns
she had covered with cloth so that others would not see the
valuables within them. Āgnīdhra, however, was very anxious to
see them. Therefore he requested, "Please uncover them so that
I can see what you are carrying. Rest assured that I shall not
take it away. If you feel an inconvenience in removing the
covering, I can help you; I myself can uncover them to see
what valuable things those raised horns contain." He was also
surprised to see the red dust of perfumed kuṅkuma spread over
her breasts. Nevertheless, still considering Pūrvacitti a boy,
Āgnīdhra addressed her as subhaga, most fortunate muni. The
boy must have been fortunate; otherwise how simply by
standing there could he perfume Āgnīdhra's entire āśrama?
Seeing her breasts he speaks. O brāhmaṇa! What valuable

jewels are within those two horns, which you cover up on
seeing me? Though you are a brāhmaṇa, you are carrying two
horns on your chest, and within them you are holding some
attractive object, since you carrying them with difficulty though
you are very thin at the waist. My seeing this is the proof. Drive
away my doubt by uncovering those horns and showing me
what you are hiding. If you permit me, then I will uncover
them, since I am your friend. Since I am doing austerities, I do
not need these things. I only want to see them. Her breasts were
like horns because they were raised up. Seeing the kuṁkuma
on her breast he speaks. On your two horns you have some
mud, fragrant and red, from some lake. I also want to put this
mud on my chest.
TEXT - SB 5.2.12
lokaṁ pradarśaya suhṛttama tāvakaṁ me
yatratya ittham urasāvayavāv apūrvau
asmad-vidhasya mana-unnayanau bibharti
bahv adbhutaṁ sarasa-rāsa-sudhādi vaktre
SYNONYMS
lokam—residential place; pradarśaya—please show; suhṛt-

tama—O best of friends; tāvakam—your; me—unto me;
yatratyaḥ—a person born wherein; ittham—like this; urasā—
by the chest; avayavau—two limbs (breasts); apūrvau—
wonderful; asmat-vidhasya—of a person like me; manaḥ-
unnayanau—very agitating to the mind; bibharti—sustains;
bahu—many; adbhutam—wonderful; sarasa—sweet words;
rāsa—amorous gestures like smiling; sudhā-ādi—such as
nectar; vaktre—in the mouth.
TRANSLATION
O best friend, will you kindly show me the place where you
reside? I cannot imagine how the residents of that place
have gotten such wonderful bodily features as your raised
breasts, which agitate the mind and eyes of a person like me
who sees them. Judging by the sweet speech and kind smiles
of those residents, I think that their mouths must contain
nectar.
PURPORT
Still bewildered, Āgnīdhra wanted to see the place from which

the brāhmaṇa boy had come, where the men had such raised
breasts. Such attractive features, he thought, must be due to the
severe austerities performed there. Āgnīdhra addressed the girl
as suhṛttama, the best friend, so that she would not refuse to
take him there. Not only was Āgnīdhra captivated by the girl's
raised breasts; he was also attracted by her sweet speech.
Nectar seemed to emanate from her mouth, and therefore he
was increasingly surprised.
If you say that in your place men have similar horns on their
chest, I will go there and perform penance to get such horns. O
best of friends! Out of friendship, show me that place. “But
these are not horns.” In answer he says that the person of that
place carries two astonishing limbs on his chests which attract
the minds of persons like me. An alternative version has mana-
unnayanaiḥ. This means “with great attractive features for the
mind.” The person of your country also carries something very
astonishing in his mouth—nectar from sweet words and the
beauty of the lips. The word ādi indicates the fragrant honey of
her smile and joking.
TEXT - SB 5.2.13
kā vātma-vṛttir adanād dhavir aṅga vāti
viṣṇoḥ kalāsy animiṣonmakarau ca karṇau
udvigna-mīna-yugalaṁ dvija-paṅkti-śocir
āsanna-bhṛṅga-nikaraṁ sara in mukhaṁ te
SYNONYMS
kā—what; vā—and; ātma-vṛttiḥ—food for maintenance of the

body; adanāt—by the chewing (of betel); haviḥ—pure
sacrificial ingredients; aṅga—my dear friend; vāti—emanate;
viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu; kalā—expansion of the body; asi—you
are; animiṣa—without blinking; unmakarau—two brilliant
sharks; ca—also; karṇau—two ears; udvigna—restless; mīna-
yugalam—possessing two fish; dvija-paṅkti—of lines of teeth;
śociḥ—beauty; āsanna—nearby; bhṛṅga-nikaram—possessing
swarms of bumblebees; saraḥ it—like a lake; mukham—face;
te—your.
TRANSLATION
My dear friend, what do you eat to maintain your body?
Because you are chewing betel, a pleasing scent is
emanating from your mouth. This proves that you always
eat the remnants of food offered to Viṣṇu. Indeed, you must
also be an expansion of Lord Viṣṇu's body. Your face is as
beautiful as a pleasing lake. Your jeweled earrings resemble
two brilliant sharks with unblinking eyes like those of
Viṣṇu, and your own eyes resemble two restless fish.
Simultaneously, therefore, two sharks and two restless fish
are swimming in the lake of your face. Besides them, the
white rows of your teeth seem like rows of very beautiful
swans in the water, and your scattered hair resembles
swarms of bumblebees following the beauty of your face.
PURPORT
The devotees of Lord Viṣṇu are also His expansions. They are
called vibhinnāṁśa. Lord Viṣṇu is offered all kinds of
sacrificial ingredients, and because devotees always eat
prasāda, the remnants of His food, the scent of sacrificial
ingredients emanates not only from Viṣṇu but also from the
devotees who eat the remnants of His food or the food of His
devotees. Āgnīdhra considered Pūrvacitti an expansion of Lord
Viṣṇu because of the pleasing scent of her body. Aside from
that, because of her jeweled earrings, shaped like sharks,
because of her scattered hair, resembling bumblebees mad after
the scent of her body, and because of the white rows of her
teeth, which resembled swans, Āgnīdhra compared Pūrvacitti's
face to a beautiful lake decorated with lotus flowers, fish,
swans and bumblebees.
What do people eat to maintain their lives in your place?

Noticing the astonishing fragrance emanating from her chewing
betel nut he speaks. By chewing betel the fragrance of the
sacrifice comes here. Persons of another place are said to be the
performers of sacrifice. The sacrifice is inferred from the
fragrance. This statement indicates that he is not familiar with
either betel nut chewing or sacrifice. Another version is adanād
bahir-aṅga bhāti: you maintain your life without eating, since
you are a portion of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu does not need to eat. Śruti
says anaśnann anyo ’bhicākaśi: the Lord looks at the jīva
without eating. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad) You have signs of
Viṣṇu. You have two makara earrings made of jewels which
shine continuously without blinking. In your face which is like
a lake are two agitated fishes of your eyes, and two rows of
brilliant teeth like swans with locks of hair like a swam of bees.
TEXT - SB 5.2.14
yo 'sau tvayā kara-saroja-hataḥ pataṅgo
dikṣu bhraman bhramata ejayate 'kṣiṇī me
muktaṁ na te smarasi vakra-jaṭā-varūthaṁ

kaṣṭo 'nilo harati lampaṭa eṣa nīvīm
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—which; asau—that; tvayā—by you; kara-saroja—with

the lotus palm; hataḥ—struck; pataṅgaḥ—the ball; dikṣu—in
all directions; bhraman—moving; bhramataḥ—restless;
ejayate—disturbs; akṣiṇī—eyes; me—of me; muktam—
scattered; na—not; te—your; smarasi—are you mindful of;
vakra—curling; jaṭā—of hair; varūtham—bunches; kaṣṭaḥ—
giving trouble; anilaḥ—wind; harati—takes away; lampaṭaḥ—
like a man attached to women; eṣaḥ—this; nīvīm—lower
garment.
TRANSLATION
My mind is already restless, and by playing with a ball,
moving it all about with your lotuslike palm, you are also
agitating my eyes. Your curling black hair is now scattered,
but you are not attentive to arranging it. Are you not going
to arrange it? Like a man attached to women, the most
cunning wind is trying to take off your lower garment. Are
you not mindful of it?
PURPORT
The girl Pūrvacitti was playing with a ball in her hand, and the
ball seemed like nothing but another lotus flower captured by
her lotuslike palm. Because of her movements, her hair was
loose, and the belt holding her cloth was giving way, as if the
cunning wind were trying to make her naked. Yet she paid no
attention to arranging her hair or fixing her dress. As Āgnīdhra
tried to see the girl's naked beauty, his eyes were very agitated
by her movements.
Seeing her play with a ball, he speaks. The ball disturbs my

eyes, and I have already become bewildered in heart. You are
not aware that your hair has become unbound. The crafty wind
has blown away your garment. Are you not aware of this? In
this way you are absorbed in playing with the ball.
TEXT - SB 5.2.15
rūpaṁ tapodhana tapaś caratāṁ tapoghnaṁ
hy etat tu kena tapasā bhavatopalabdham
cartuṁ tapo 'rhasi mayā saha mitra mahyaṁ
kiṁ vā prasīdati sa vai bhava-bhāvano me
SYNONYMS
rūpam—beauty; tapaḥ-dhana—O best of the sages performing

austerity; tapaḥ caratām—of persons engaged in executing
austerities and penances; tapaḥ-ghnam—which dismantles the
austerities; hi—certainly; etat—this; tu—indeed; kena—by
what; tapasā—austerity; bhavatā—by you; upalabdham—
achieved; cartum—to execute; tapaḥ—austerity; arhasi—you
ought; mayā saha—with me; mitra—my dear friend; mahyam
—unto me; kim vā—or maybe; prasīdati—is pleased; saḥ—he;
vai—certainly; bhava-bhāvanaḥ—the creator of this universe;
me—with me.
TRANSLATION
O best among those performing austerities, where did you
get this wonderful beauty that dismantles the austerities
performed by others? Where have you learned this art?
What austerity have you undergone to achieve this beauty,
my dear friend? I desire that you join me to perform
austerity and penance, for it may be that the creator of the
universe, Lord Brahmā, being pleased with me, has sent
you to become my wife.
PURPORT
Āgnīdhra appreciated the wonderful beauty of Pūrvacitti.

Indeed, he was surprised to see such exceptional beauty, which
must have been the result of past austerities and penances. He
therefore asked the girl whether she had achieved such beauty
just to break the penances and austerities of others. He thought
that Lord Brahmā, the creator of the universe, might have been
pleased with him and might therefore have sent her to become
his wife. He requested Pūrvacitti to become his wife so that
together they could perform austerities and penances in family
life. In other words, a suitable wife helps her husband perform
penances and austerities in household life if both of them are on
the same elevated platform of spiritual understanding. Without
spiritual understanding, husband and wife cannot be equally
situated. Lord Brahmā, the creator of the universe, is interested
in good progeny. Therefore unless he is pleased, one cannot get
a suitable wife. In fact, Lord Brahmā is worshiped in marriage
ceremonies. In India even today, wedding invitations are still
issued with a picture of Lord Brahmā on the face of the card.
Perhaps you have been sent to join me in performing

austerities. O wealth of austerity! You have gained to a high
degree (upa) something which destroys others’ austerities. You
should join me in performing austerities to make me happy
(mahyam). Is Brahmā pleased to fulfill my desire?
TEXT - SB 5.2.16
na tvāṁ tyajāmi dayitaṁ dvija-deva-dattaṁ
yasmin mano dṛg api no na viyāti lagnam
māṁ cāru-śṛṅgy arhasi netum anuvrataṁ te
cittaṁ yataḥ pratisarantu śivāḥ sacivyaḥ
SYNONYMS
na—not; tvām—you; tyajāmi—I shall give up; dayitam—very

dear; dvija-deva—by Lord Brahmā, the demigod worshiped by
the brāhmaṇas; dattam—given; yasmin—unto whom; manaḥ
—mind; dṛk—eyes; api—also; naḥ—my; na viyāti—do not go
away; lagnam—tightly attached; mām—me; cāru-śṛṅgi—O
woman with beautiful raised breasts; arhasi—you ought; netum
—to lead; anuvratam—follower; te—your; cittam—desire;
yataḥ—wherever; pratisarantu—may follow; śivāḥ—
favorable; sacivyaḥ—friends.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā, who is worshiped by the brāhmaṇas, has
very mercifully given you to me, and that is why I have met
you. I do not want to give up your company, for my mind
and eyes are fixed upon you and cannot be drawn away. O
woman with beautiful raised breasts, I am your follower.
You may take me wherever you like, and your friends may
also follow me.
PURPORT
Now Āgnīdhra frankly admits his weakness. He was attracted

to Pūrvacitti, and therefore before she could say, "But I have no
business with you," he expressed his desire to be united with
her. He was so attracted that he was ready to go anywhere, hell
or heaven, in her company. When one is absorbed in lust and
the influence of sex, one surrenders to the feet of a woman
without reservations. Śrīla Madhvācārya remarks in this
connection that when one engages in joking and talking like a
crazy person, one may say anything and everything, but his
words will be meaningless.
He fears that she will say, “What is the benefit for me in

obeying you? I am going now.” He speaks. I will not give you
up since you are given by Brahmā. My mind and eyes do not
leave you. O person with beautiful horns! Woman with raised
breasts! Addressing her in the feminine indicates that that his
attempt to conceal his feelings has been destroyed by his lust.
You should take me wherever you like. May your favorable
(śivāḥ) friends follow me!
TEXT - SB 5.2.17
ī[qXauk- ovac
wiTa l/l/NaaNauNaYaaiTaivXaardae Ga]aMYavEdGDYaYaa
Pair>aazYaa Taa& ivbuDavDaU&
ivbuDaMaiTariDaSa>aaJaYaaMaaSa )) 17 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
iti lalanānunayāti-viśārado grāmya-vaidagdhyayā paribhāṣayā

tāṁ vibudha-vadhūṁ vibudha-matir adhisabhājayām āsa.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti—thus; lalanā—

women; anunaya—in winning over; ati-viśāradaḥ—very
expert; grāmya-vaidagdhyayā—expert in fulfilling one's
material desires; paribhāṣayā—by selected words; tām—her;
vibudha-vadhūm—the celestial girl; vibudha-matiḥ—Āgnīdhra,
who possessed intelligence like that of the demigods;
adhisabhājayām āsa—gained the favor of.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Mahārāja Āgnīdhra, whose
intelligence was like that of a demigod, knew the art of
flattering women to win them to his side. He therefore
pleased that celestial girl with his lusty words and gained
her favor.
PURPORT
Since King Āgnīdhra was a devotee, he actually had no

attraction for material enjoyment, but because he wanted a wife
for progeny and Lord Brahmā had sent Pūrvacitti for this
purpose, he expertly pleased her with flattering words. Women
are attracted by a man's flattering words. One who is expert in
this art of flattery is called vidagdha.
His words had the cleverness of a materialist.
TEXT - SB 5.2.18
sā ca tatas tasya vīra-yūtha-pater buddhi-śīla-rūpa-vayaḥ-

śriyaudāryeṇa parākṣipta-manās tena sahāyutāyuta-
parivatsaropalakṣaṇaṁ kālaṁ jambūdvīpa-patinā bhauma-
svarga-bhogān bubhuje.
SYNONYMS
sā—she; ca—also; tataḥ—thereafter; tasya—of him; vīra-

yūtha-pateḥ—the master of heroes; buddhi—by the
intelligence; śīla—behavior; rūpa—beauty; vayaḥ—youth;
śriyā—opulence; audāryeṇa—and by the magnanimity;
parākṣipta—attracted; manāḥ—her mind; tena saha—with
him; ayuta—ten thousand; ayuta—ten thousand; parivatsara—
years; upalakṣaṇam—extending; kālam—time; jambūdvīpa-
patinā—with the King of Jambūdvīpa; bhauma—earthly;
svarga—heavenly; bhogān—pleasures; bubhuje—enjoyed.
TRANSLATION
Attracted by the intelligence, learning, youth, beauty,
behavior, opulence and magnanimity of Āgnīdhra, the King
of Jambūdvīpa and master of all heroes, Pūrvacitti lived
with him for many thousands of years and luxuriously
enjoyed both worldly and heavenly happiness.
PURPORT
By the grace of Lord Brahmā, King Āgnīdhra and the heavenly

girl. Pūrvacitti, found their union quite suitable. Thus they
enjoyed worldly and heavenly happiness for many thousands of
years.
The list of qualities starting with buddhi is a dvandva

compound indicating the group as whole, and is thus expressed
in the singular instead of the plural. The sandhi using śriya is
permissible according to the grammarian Gālava. Normally the
sandhi would be śryaudaryena. Ayutāyuta means a hundred
million.
TEXT - SB 5.2.19
tasyām u ha vā ātmajān sa rāja-vara āgnīdhro nābhi-kimpuruṣa-

harivarṣelāvṛta-ramyaka-hiraṇmaya-kuru-bhadrāśva-ketumāla-
saṁjñān nava putrān ajanayat.
SYNONYMS
tasyām—in her; u ha vā—certainly; ātma-jān—sons; saḥ—he;

rāja-varaḥ—the best of kings; āgnīdhraḥ—Āgnīdhra; nābhi—
Nābhi; kiṁpuruṣa—Kiṁpuruṣa; hari-varṣa—Harivarṣa; ilāvṛta
—Ilāvṛta; ramyaka—Ramyaka; hiraṇmaya—Hiraṇmaya; kuru
—Kuru; bhadrāśva—Bhadrāśva; ketu-māla—Ketumāla;
saṁjñān—named; nava—nine; putrān—sons; ajanayat—
begot.
TRANSLATION
In the womb of Pūrvacitti, Mahārāja Āgnīdhra, the best of
kings, begot nine sons, named Nābhi, Kiṁpuruṣa,
Harivarṣa, Ilāvṛta, Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya, Kuru,
Bhadrāśva and Ketumāla.
TEXT - SB 5.2.20
sā sūtvātha sutān navānuvatsaraṁ gṛha evāpahāya pūrvacittir
bhūya evājaṁ devam upatasthe.
SYNONYMS
sā—she; sūtvā—after giving birth to; atha—thereafter; sutān—

sons; nava—nine; anuvatsaram—year after year; gṛhe—at
home; eva—certainly; apahāya—leaving; pūrvacittiḥ—
Pūrvacitti; bhūyaḥ—again; eva—certainly; ajam—Lord
Brahmā; devam—the demigod; upatasthe—approached.
TRANSLATION
Pūrvacitti gave birth to these nine sons, one each year, but
after they grew up, she left them at home and again
approached Lord Brahmā to worship him.
PURPORT
There are many instances in which Apsarās, heavenly angels,

have descended to this earth by the order of a superior demigod
like Lord Brahmā or Lord Indra, have followed the demigod's
order by marrying someone and giving birth to children, and
have then returned to their celestial homes. For example, after
Menakā, the celestial woman who had come to delude
Viśvāmitra Muni, gave birth to the child Śakuntalā, she left
both the child and her husband and returned to the heavenly
planets. Pūrvacitti did not remain permanently with Mahārāja
Āgnīdhra. After cooperating in his household affairs, she left
Mahārāja Āgnīdhra and all nine sons and returned to Brahmā to
worship him.
She left the children in the house of the King, since she was an
Apsarā. She gave up her affection for them that she previously
had.
TEXT - SB 5.2.21
āgnīdhra-sutās te mātur anugrahād autpattikenaiva saṁhanana-

balopetāḥ pitrā vibhaktā ātma-tulya-nāmāni yathā-bhāgaṁ
jambūdvīpa-varṣāṇi bubhujuḥ.
SYNONYMS
āgnīdhra-sutāḥ—the sons of Mahārāja Āgnīdhra; te—they;

mātuḥ—of the mother; anugrahāt—by the mercy or by
drinking the breast milk; autpattikena—naturally; eva—
certainly; saṁhanana—well-built body; bala—strength; upetāḥ
—obtained; pitrā—by the father; vibhaktāḥ—divided; ātma-
tulya—following their own; nāmāni—possessing names;
yathā-bhāgam—divided properly; jambūdvīpa-varṣāṇi—
different parts of Jambūdvīpa (probably Asia and Europe
combined together); bubhujuḥ—ruled.
TRANSLATION
Because of drinking the breast milk of their mother, the
nine sons of Āgnīdhra naturally had strong, well-built
bodies. Their father gave them each a kingdom in a
different part of Jambūdvīpa. The kingdoms were named
according to the names of the sons. Thus the sons of
Āgnīdhra ruled the kingdoms they received from their
father.
PURPORT
The ācāryas specifically mention that in this verse the words

mātuḥ anugrahāt ("by the mercy of their mother") refer to the
breast milk of their mother. In India it is a common belief that
if a baby is fed his mother's milk for at least six months, his
body will be very strong. Besides that, it is mentioned herein
that all the sons of Āgnīdhra were endowed with the nature of
their mother. Bhagavad-gītā (1.40) also declares, strīṣu duṣṭāsu
vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ: when women are polluted,
varṇa-saṅkara, unqualified children, are generated, and when
the varṇa-saṅkara population increases, the entire world
becomes hellish. Therefore, according to Manu-saṁhitā, a
woman needs a great deal of protection in order to remain pure
and chaste so that her children can be fully engaged for the
benefit of human society.
Because of drinking milk directly from her breast, the sons had
naturally long limbs (saṁhanana). They ruled (bubhujuḥ)
separate kingdoms.
TEXT - SB 5.2.22
āgnīdhro rājātṛptaḥ kāmānām apsarasam evānudinam adhi-
manyamānas tasyāḥ salokatāṁ śrutibhir avārundha yatra pitaro
mādayante.
SYNONYMS
āgnīdhraḥ—Āgnīdhra; rājā—the King; atṛptaḥ—not satisfied;

kāmānām—with sense gratification; apsarasam—the celestial
woman (Pūrvacitti); eva—certainly; anudinam—day after day;
adhi—exceedingly; manyamānaḥ—thinking of; tasyāḥ—of
her; sa-lokatām—promotion to the same planet; śrutibhiḥ—by
the Vedas; avārundha—got; yatra—where; pitaraḥ—the
forefathers; mādayante—take pleasure.
TRANSLATION
After Pūrvacitti's departure, King Āgnīdhra, his lusty
desires not at all satisfied, always thought of her. Therefore,
in accordance with the Vedic injunctions, the King, after his
death, was promoted to the same planet as his celestial wife.
That planet, which is called Pitṛloka, is where the pitās, the
forefathers, live in great delight.
PURPORT
If one always thinks of something, he certainly gets a related

body after death. Mahārāja Āgnīdhra was always thinking of
Pitṛloka, the place where his wife had returned. Therefore after
his death he achieved that same planet, probably to live with
her again. Bhagavad-gītā also says:
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his

body, that state he will attain without fail." (Bg. 8.6) We can
naturally conclude that if we always think of Kṛṣṇa or become
fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, we can be promoted to the planet of
Goloka Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa eternally lives.
He thought of her with great desire (kāmānām). By performing

actions according to the Vedas (śrutibhiḥ), he attains her planet,
where the Pitrṣ enjoy (mādayante)
TEXT - SB 5.2.23
samparete pitari nava bhrātaro meru-duhitṝr merudevīṁ

pratirūpām ugradaṁṣṭrīṁ latāṁ ramyāṁ śyāmāṁ nārīṁ
bhadrāṁ devavītim iti saṁjñā navodavahan.
SYNONYMS
samparete pitari—after the departure of their father; nava—

nine; bhrātaraḥ—brothers; meru-duhitṝḥ—the daughters of
Meru; merudevīm—Merudevī; prati-rūpām—Pratirūpā; ugra-
daṁṣṭrīm—Ugradaṁṣṭrī; latām—Latā; ramyām—Ramyā;
śyāmām—Śyāmā; nārīm—Nārī; bhadrām—Bhadrā; deva-vītim
—Devavīti; iti—thus; saṁjñāḥ—the names; nava—nine;
udavahan—married.
TRANSLATION
After the departure of their father, the nine brothers
married the nine daughters of Meru named Merudevī,
Pratirūpā, Ugradaṁṣṭrī, Latā, Ramyā, Śyāmā, Nārī,
Bhadrā and Devavīti.
Thus ends the commentary on the Second Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Second

Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Activities of
Mahārāja Āgnīdhra."
3. Ṛṣabhadeva's Appearance in the Womb
of Merudevī, the Wife of King Nābhi
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4-5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Chapter Summary
In this chapter the spotless character of King Nābhi, the oldest

son of Āgnīdhra, is described. Wanting to have sons, Mahārāja
Nābhi underwent severe austerities and penances. He
performed many sacrifices along with his wife and worshiped
Lord Viṣṇu, master of all sacrifices. Being very kind to His
devotees, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was very
pleased with the austerities of Mahārāja Nābhi. He personally
appeared before the King in His four-handed feature, and the
priests, who were performing the sacrifices, began to offer their
prayers unto Him. They prayed for a son like the Lord, and
Lord Viṣṇu agreed to take birth in the womb of Merudevī, the
wife of King Nābhi, and incarnate as King Ṛṣabhadeva.
TEXT - SB 5.3.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
Naai>arPaTYak-aMaae_Pa[JaYaa MaeṛdeVYaa >aGavNTa&
YajPauṛzMavihTaaTMaaYaJaTa )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
nābhir apatya-kāmo 'prajayā merudevyā bhagavantaṁ yajña-
puruṣam avahitātmāyajata.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; nābhiḥ—the son of

Mahārāja Āgnīdhra; apatya-kāmaḥ—desiring to have sons;
aprajayā—who had not given birth to any children; merudevyā
—with Merudevī; bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; yajña-puruṣam—Lord Viṣṇu, the master and enjoyer
of all performances of sacrifice; avahita-ātmā—with great
attention; ayajata—offered prayers and worshiped.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak: Mahārāja Nābhi,
the son of Āgnīdhra, wished to have sons, and therefore he
attentively began to offer prayers and worship the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, the master and
enjoyer of all sacrifices. Mahārāja Nābhi's wife, Merudevī,
who had not given birth to any children at that time, also
worshiped Lord Viṣṇu along with her husband.
In the Third Chapter the Lord, satisfied with Nābhi’s

performance of sacrifice, personally became his son as desired
by King Nābhi, on hearing his request to have a son like the
Lord. Nābhi was the first son of King Āgnīdhra.
TEXT - SB 5.3.2
tasya ha vāva śraddhayā viśuddha-bhāvena yajataḥ pravargyeṣu

pracaratsu dravya-deśa-kāla-mantrartvig-dakṣiṇā-vidhāna-
yogopapattyā duradhigamo 'pi bhagavān bhāgavata-
vātsalyatayā supratīka ātmānam aparājitaṁ nija-
janābhipretārtha-vidhitsayā gṛhīta-hṛdayo hṛdayaṅgamaṁ
mano-nayanānandanāvayavābhirāmam āviścakāra.
SYNONYMS
tasya—when he (Nābhi); ha vāva—certainly; śraddhayā—with

great faith and devotion; viśuddha-bhāvena—with a pure,
uncontaminated mind; yajataḥ—was worshiping; pravargyeṣu
—while the fruitive activities called pravargya; pracaratsu—
were being performed; dravya—the ingredients; deśa—place;
kāla—time; mantra—hymns; ṛtvik—priests conducting the
ceremony; dakṣiṇā—gifts to the priests; vidhāna—regulative
principles; yoga—and of the means; upapattyā—by the
performance; duradhigamaḥ—not obtainable; api—although;
bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhāgavata-
vātsalyatayā—because of His being very affectionate to His
devotee; su-pratīkaḥ—possessing a very beautiful form;
ātmānam—Himself; aparājitam—not to be conquered by
anyone; nija-jana—of His devotee; abhipreta-artha—the
desire; vidhitsayā—to fulfill; gṛhīta-hṛdayaḥ—His heart being
attracted; hṛdayaṅgamam—captivating; manaḥ-nayana-
ānandana—pleasing to the mind and eyes; avayava—by the
limbs; abhirāmam—beautiful; āviścakāra—manifested.
TRANSLATION
In the performance of a sacrifice, there are seven
transcendental means to obtain the mercy of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead: (1) by sacrificing valuable things
or eatables, (2) by acting in terms of place, (3) by acting in
terms of time, (4) by offering hymns, (5) by going through
the priest, (6) by offering gifts to the priests and (7) by
observing the regulative principles. However, one cannot
always obtain the Supreme Lord through this
paraphernalia. Nonetheless, the Lord is affectionate to His
devotee; therefore when Mahārāja Nābhi, who was a
devotee, worshiped and offered prayers to the Lord with
great faith and devotion and with a pure uncontaminated
mind, superficially performing some yajña in the line of
pravargya, the kind Supreme Personality of Godhead, due
to His affection for His devotees, appeared before King
Nābhi in His unconquerable and captivating form with four
hands. In this way, to fulfill the desire of His devotee, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead manifested Himself in His
beautiful body before His devotee. This body pleases the
mind and eyes of the devotees.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said:
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
viśate tad-anantaram
"One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by

devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of
the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the
kingdom of God." (Bg. 18.55)
One can understand and see the Supreme Personality of

Godhead through the process of devotional service, and not in
any other way. Although Mahārāja Nābhi performed prescribed
duties and sacrifices, it should still be considered that the Lord
appeared before him not due to his sacrifices but because of his
devotional service. It was for this reason that the Lord agreed to
appear before him in His beautiful bodily features. As stated in
Brahma-saṁhitā (5.30), the Supreme Lord in His original
nature is very beautiful. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-
dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam: the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, although blackish, is very,
very beautiful.
The Lord with beautiful limbs (supratīkaḥ), revealed himself by

the execution of bhakti (yoga) along with seven purificatory
ingredients while Nābhi performed prescribed duties necessary
for material enjoyment (pravaryga pracaratsu). Since his heart
was attracted to his devotee, the Lord revealed his pleasing
form with limbs giving bliss to the mind and eye (such as his
lotus face), though he is not controlled by others.
TEXT - SB 5.3.3
atha ha tam āviṣkṛta-bhuja-yugala-dvayaṁ hiraṇmayaṁ puruṣa-

viśeṣaṁ kapiśa-kauśeyāmbara-dharam urasi vilasac-chrīvatsa-
lalāmaṁ daravara-vanaruha-vana-mālācchūry-amṛta-maṇi-
gadādibhir upalakṣitaṁ sphuṭa-kiraṇa-pravara-mukuṭa-kuṇḍala-
kaṭaka-kaṭi-sūtra-hāra-keyūra-nūpurādy-aṅga-bhūṣaṇa-
vibhūṣitam ṛtvik-sadasya-gṛha-patayo 'dhanā ivottama-dhanam
upalabhya sabahu-mānam arhaṇenāvanata-śīrṣāṇa upatasthuḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; ha—certainly; tam—Him; āviṣkṛta-bhuja-

yugala-dvayam—who manifested Himself with four arms;
hiraṇmayam—very bright; puruṣa-viśeṣam—the topmost of all
living beings, Puruṣottama; kapiśa-kauśeya-ambara-dharam—
wearing a yellow silk garment; urasi—on the chest; vilasat—
beautiful; śrīvatsa—called Śrīvatsa; lalāmam—possessing the
mark; dara-vara—by a conchshell; vana-ruha—lotus flower;
vana-mālā—garland of forest flowers; acchūri—disc; amṛta-
maṇi—the Kaustubha gem; gadā-ādibhiḥ—and by a club and
other symbols; upalakṣitam—symptomized; sphuṭa-kiraṇa—
radiant; pravara—excellent; mukuṭa—helmet; kuṇḍala—
earrings; kaṭaka—bracelets; kaṭi-sūtra—girdle; hāra—
necklace; keyūra—armlets; nūpura—ankle bells; ādi—and so
on; aṅga—of the body; bhūṣaṇa—with ornaments; vibhūṣitam
—decorated; ṛtvik—the priests; sadasya—associates; gṛha-
patayaḥ—and King Nābhi; adhanāḥ—poor persons; iva—like;
uttama-dhanam—a great treasure; upalabhya—having
achieved; sa-bahu-mānam—with great regard; arhaṇena—with
ingredients for worship; avanata—bent; śīrṣāṇaḥ—their heads;
upatasthuḥ—worshiped.
TRANSLATION
Lord Viṣṇu appeared before King Nābhi with four arms.
He was very bright, and He appeared to be the best of all
personalities. Around the lower portion of His body, He
wore a yellow silken garment. On His chest was the mark of
Śrīvatsa, which always displays beauty. He carried a
conchshell, lotus flower, disc and club, and He wore a
garland of forest flowers and the Kaustubha gem. He was
beautifully decorated with a helmet, earrings, bangles, belt,
pearl necklace, armlets, ankle bells and other bodily
ornaments bedecked with radiant jewels. Seeing the Lord
present before them, King Nābhi and his priests and
associates felt just like poor people who have suddenly
attained great riches. They received the Lord and
respectfully bent their heads and offered Him things in
worship.
PURPORT
It is distinctly mentioned here that the Supreme Personality of

Godhead did not appear as an ordinary human being. He
appeared before King Nābhi and his associates as the best of all
personalities (Puruṣottama). As stated in the Vedas: Nityo
nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The
Supreme Personality of Godhead is also a living being, but He
is the supreme living being. In Bhagavad-gītā (7.7), Lord
Kṛṣṇa Himself says. mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti
dhanañjaya: "O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no truth
superior to Me." No one is more attractive or more authoritative
than Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is one of the differences between God
and an ordinary living being. According to this description of
the transcendental body of Lord Viṣṇu, the Lord can easily be
distinguished from all other living beings. Consequently
Mahārāja Nābhi and his priests and associates all offered the
Lord obeisances and began to worship Him with various things.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (6.22), yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ
lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. That is, "Upon gaining this,
one thinks that there is no greater gain." When one realizes God
and sees the Lord face to face, one certainly thinks that he has
gained the best of all things. Raso 'py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā
nivartate: [Bg. 9.59] when one experiences a higher taste, his
consciousness is fixed. After seeing the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, one ceases to be attracted by anything material. One
then remains steady in his worship of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.
The Lord was brilliant (hiraṇmayam). He was special among

puruṣas, the supreme person (puruṣa-viśeṣam). Mention of his
cloth also indicates his dark complexion. This is explained in
Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.5.240 in relation to the phrase
pītāṁśukaṁ vakṣasi lakṣitaṁ śriyā. (SB 2.9.15) Dara-vara is
the conch and vana-ruha is a lotus. Accuri is the cakra and
amṛtamaṇi is the Kaustubha jewel.
TEXT - SB 5.3.4-5
ṛtvija ūcuḥ
arhasi muhur arhattamārhaṇam asmākam anupathānāṁ namo

nama ity etāvat sad-upaśikṣitaṁ ko 'rhati pumān prakṛti-guṇa-
vyatikara-matir anīśa īśvarasya parasya prakṛti-puruṣayor
arvāktanābhir nāma-rūpākṛtibhī rūpa-nirūpaṇam; sakala-jana-
nikāya-vṛjina-nirasana-śivatama-pravara-guṇa-gaṇaika-deśa-
kathanād ṛte.
SYNONYMS
ṛtvijaḥ ūcuḥ—the priests said; arhasi—please (accept); muhuḥ

—again and again; arhat-tama—O most exalted, worshipable
person; arhaṇam—offering of worship; asmākam—of us;
anupathānām—who are Your servants; namaḥ—respectful
obeisances; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; iti—thus; etāvat—
so far; sat—by exalted personalities; upaśikṣitam—instructed;
kaḥ—what; arhati—is able (to make); pumān—man; prakṛti—
of material nature; guṇa—of the modes; vyatikara—in the
transformations; matiḥ—whose mind (is absorbed); anīśaḥ—
who is most incapable; īśvarasya—of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; parasya—beyond; prakṛti-puruṣayoḥ—the
jurisdiction of the three modes of material nature;
arvāktanābhiḥ—which do not reach up to, or which are of this
material world; nāma-rūpa-ākṛtibhiḥ—by names, forms and
qualities; rūpa—of Your nature or position; nirūpaṇam—
ascertainment, perception; sakala—all; jana-nikāya—of
mankind; vṛjina—sinful actions; nirasana—which wipe out;
śivatama—most auspicious; pravara—excellent; guṇa-gaṇa—
of the transcendental qualities; eka-deśa—one part; kathanāt—
by speaking; ṛte—except.
TRANSLATION
The priests began to offer prayers to the Lord, saying: O
most worshipable one, we are simply Your servants.
Although You are full in Yourself, please, out of Your
causeless mercy, accept a little service from us, Your
eternal servants. We are not actually aware of Your
transcendental form, but we can simply offer our respectful
obeisances again and again, as instructed by the Vedic
literatures and authorized ācāryas. Materialistic living
entities are very much attracted to the modes of material
nature, and therefore they are never perfect, but You are
above the jurisdiction of all material conceptions. Your
name, form and qualities are all transcendental and beyond
the conception of experimental knowledge. Indeed, who can
conceive of You? In the material world we can perceive
only material names and qualities. We have no other power
than to offer our respectful obeisances and prayers unto
You, the transcendental person. The chanting of Your
auspicious transcendental qualities will wipe out the sins of
all mankind. That is the most auspicious activity for us, and
we can thus partially understand Your supernatural
position.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has nothing to do with
material perception. Even the impersonalist Śaṅkarācārya says.
nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa. the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, is beyond the material conception." We cannot
concoct the form and attributes of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. We must simply accept the description given in
Vedic literatures about the Lord's form and activities. As stated
in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.29):
cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-
lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor,

who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built
with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose
trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by
hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune." We can have
some conception of the Absolute Truth, His form and His
attributes simply by reading the descriptions given in Vedic
literatures and authoritative statements given by exalted
personalities like Brahmā, Nārada, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and
others. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na
bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ: [Cc. Madhya 17.136] "We cannot
conceive the name, form and qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through our
material senses." Because of this, other names for the Lord are
adhokṣaja and aprākṛta, which indicate that He is beyond any
material senses. Out of His causeless mercy upon His devotees,
the Lord appeared before Mahārāja Nābhi. Similarly, when we
are engaged in the Lord's devotional service, the Lord reveals
Himself to us. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty
adaḥ. This is the only way to understand the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā,
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: [Bg. 18.55]
one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead
through devotional service. There is no other way. We have to
hear from the authorities and from the śāstras and consider the
Supreme Lord in terms of their statements. We cannot imagine
or concoct forms and attributes of the Lord.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - 5.3.4-5
ṛtvija ūcuḥ
arhasi muhur arhattamārhaṇam asmākam anupathānāṁ namo

nama ity etāvat sad-upaśikṣitaṁ ko 'rhati pumān prakṛti-guṇa-
vyatikara-matir anīśa īśvarasya parasya prakṛti-puruṣayor
arvāktanābhir nāma-rūpākṛtibhī rūpa-nirūpaṇam; sakala-jana-
nikāya-vṛjina-nirasana-śivatama-pravara-guṇa-gaṇaika-deśa-
kathanād ṛte.
The praises in prose continue till verse sixteen. Though you are
complete, you should accept our offerings, since we are
following the path of bhakti-yoga (anupathānām). Though we
do not request to attain you directly, since we have material
desires to fulfill, we have a trace of bhakti. Therefore out of
affection accept our offering. We are following your path. This
much we have and not more. Thus we repeatedly offer you
respects. This has been taught by the devotees to us. We do not
know the methods of worship and glorification. “But you are
my learned devotees. You know everything. Why do you
hesitate to praise me?” They reply. In the material world there
are praises making comparisons between your face and the
moon. But who can describe your form by using material
words, mentioning colors like the sapphire and forms which are
blackish? What then to speak of actually making verses of
praise from these material components! You are beyond
(parasya) prakṛti and puruṣa. We cannot produce (or factually
describe) a form which is beyond prakṛti and puruṣa out of
material sapphire and other material components. “Then you
can describe my form by using spiritual objects.” Our minds
are absorbed in the world made of guṇas. It is impossible for
the intelligence of the jīva in the material world to comprehend
spiritual objects. Therefore one should only glorify you
partially for your qualities such as affection for your devotees.
Because the Lord is affectionate to his devotees he destroys all
their sins, even by partial glorification.
TEXT - SB 5.3.6
parijanānurāga-viracita-śabala-saṁśabda-salila-sita-kisalaya-
tulasikā-dūrvāṅkurair api sambhṛtayā saparyayā kila parama
parituṣyasi.
SYNONYMS
parijana—by Your servants; anurāga—in great ecstasy;

viracita—executed; śabala—with a faltering voice; saṁśabda
—with prayers; salila—water; sita-kisalaya—twigs bearing
new leaves; tulasikā—tulasī leaves; dūrvā-aṅkuraiḥ—and with
newly grown grass; api—also; sambhṛtayā—performed;
saparyayā—by worship; kila—indeed; parama—O Supreme
Lord; parituṣyasi—You become satisfied.
TRANSLATION
O Supreme Lord, You are full in every respect. You are
certainly very satisfied when Your devotees offer You
prayers with faltering voices and in ecstasy bring You tulasī
leaves, water, twigs bearing new leaves, and newly grown
grass. This surely makes You satisfied.
PURPORT
One does not need great wealth, education or opulence to

satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one is fully
absorbed in love and ecstasy, he need offer only a flower and a
little water. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ
phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "If one offers Me
with love and devotion a leaf, a flower. fruit or water, I will
accept it." (Bg. 9.26)
The Supreme Lord can be pleased only by devotional service:

therefore it is said here that the Lord is surely satisfied by
devotion and nothing else. Quoting from the Gautamīya-tantra,
the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa states:
tulasī-dala-mātreṇa
jalasya culukena vā
vikrīṇīte svam ātmānaṁ
bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ
"Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is very affectionate toward His devotees, sells

Himself to a devotee who offers merely a tulasī leaf and a
palmful of water." The Supreme Lord is causelessly merciful
upon His devotee, so much so that even the poorest of men can
offer Him a little water and a flower in devotion and thus please
Him. This is due to His affectionate dealings with His devotees.
O Lord (parama)! You are satisfied by worship using water,

branches, of tulasī, sprouts of dūrvā grass and prayers
(samśabda) offered with choked voice (śabala) produced out of
attachment by your devotees.
TEXT - SB 5.3.7
athānayāpi na bhavata ijyayoru-bhāra-bharayā samucitam

artham ihopalabhāmahe.
SYNONYMS
atha—otherwise; anayā—this; api—even; na—not; bhavataḥ

—of Your exalted personality; ijyayā—by performance of
sacrifice; urubhāra-bharayā—encumbered by much
paraphernalia; samucitam—required; artham—use; iha—here;
upalabhāmahe—we can see.
TRANSLATION
We have engaged in Your worship with many things and
have offered sacrifices unto You, but we think that there is
no need for so many arrangements to please Your
Lordship.
PURPORT
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that if one is offered varied foods but
has no appetite, the offering has no value. In a big sacrificial
ceremony there may be many things accumulated to satisfy the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, but if there is no devotion,
attachment or love for the Lord, the arrangement is useless. The
Lord is complete in Himself, and He does not need anything
from us. However, if we offer Him a little water, a flower and a
tulasi leaf, He will accept them. Bhakti, devotional service, is
the main way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It
is not a question of arranging huge sacrifices. The priests were
regretful, thinking that they were not on the path of devotional
service and that their sacrifice was not pleasing to the Lord.
We do not have devotion. How then can you be satisfied? We

see that you have no use for this worship with many parts.
TEXT - SB 5.3.8
ātmana evānusavanam añjasāvyatirekeṇa bobhūyamānāśeṣa-

puruṣārtha-svarūpasya kintu nāthāśiṣa āśāsānānām etad
abhisaṁrādhana-mātraṁ bhavitum arhati.
SYNONYMS
ātmanaḥ—self-sufficiently; eva—certainly; anusavanam—at

every moment; añjasā—directly; avyatirekeṇa—without
stopping; bobhūyamāna—increasing; aśeṣa—unlimitedly;
puruṣa-artha—the goals of life; sva-rūpasya—Your actual
identity; kintu—but; nātha—O Lord; āśiṣaḥ—benedictions for
material enjoyment; āśāsānānām—of us, who are always
desiring; etat—this; abhisaṁrādhana—for getting Your mercy;
mātram—only; bhavitum arhati—can be.
TRANSLATION
All of life's goals and opulences are directly, self-
sufficiently, unceasingly and unlimitedly increasing in You
at every moment. Indeed, You are unlimited enjoyment and
blissful existence itself. As far as we are concerned, O Lord,
we are always after material enjoyment. You do not need
all these sacrificial arrangements, but they are meant for us
so that we may be benedicted by Your Lordship. All these
sacrifices are performed for our fruitive results, and they
are not actually needed by You.
PURPORT
Being self-sufficient, the Supreme Lord does not need huge

sacrifices. Fruitive activity for a more opulent life is for those
who desire such material opulence for their interest. Yajñārthāt
karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ: [Bg. 3.9]) if we
do not act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. we engage in māyā's
activities. We may construct a gorgeous temple and spend
thousands of dollars, but such a temple is not required by the
Lord. The Lord has many millions of temples for His residence.
and He does not need our attempt. He does not require opulent
activity at all. Such engagement is meant for our benefit. If we
engage our money in constructing a gorgeous temple, we are
freed from the reactions of our endeavors. This is for our
benefit. In addition, if we attempt to do something nice for the
Supreme Lord, He is pleased with us and gives us His
benediction. In conclusion, the gorgeous arrangements are not
for the Lord's sake but for our own. If we somehow or other
receive blessings and benedictions from the Lord, our
consciousness can be purified and we can become eligible to
return home, back to Godhead.
ātmana evānusavanam añjasāvyatirekeṇa bobhūyamānāśeṣa-

puruṣārtha-svarūpasya kintu nāthāśiṣa āśāsānānām etad
abhisaṁrādhana-mātraṁ bhavitum arhati.
This verse gives the reason. By yourself, at every moment

(anusavanam), directly, you possess a form composed of
unlimited results, producing bliss, which exist without break.
Though this is so, our worship should not useless. It should be
satisfying for us who desire benedictions. We are not doing it
for you.
TEXT - SB 5.3.9
tad yathā bāliśānāṁ svayam ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ param aviduṣāṁ

parama-parama-puruṣa prakarṣa-karuṇayā sva-mahimānaṁ
cāpavargākhyam upakalpayiṣyan svayaṁ nāpacita evetaravad
ihopalakṣitaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tat—that; yathā—as; bāliśānām—of the fools; svayam—by

Yourself; ātmanaḥ—own; śreyaḥ—welfare; param—ultimate;
aviduṣām—of persons who do not know; parama-parama-
puruṣa—O Lord of lords; prakarṣa-karuṇayā—by abundant
causeless mercy; sva-mahimānam—Your personal glory; ca—
and; apavarga-ākhyam—called apavarga (liberation);
upakalpayiṣyan—desiring to give; svayam—personally; na
apacitaḥ—not properly worshiped; eva—although; itara-vat—
like an ordinary person; iha—here; upalakṣitaḥ—(You are)
present and seen (by us).
TRANSLATION
O Lord of lords, we are completely ignorant of the
execution of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa, the process
of liberation, because we do not actually know the goal of
life. You have appeared personally before us like a person
soliciting worship, but actually You are present here just so
we can see You. You have come out of Your abundant and
causeless mercy in order to serve our purpose, our interest,
and give us the benefit of Your personal glory called
apavarga, liberation. You have come, although You are not
properly worshiped by us due to our ignorance.
PURPORT
Lord Viṣṇu was personally present at the sacrificial arena, but

this does not mean that He had any interest in His own personal
benefit. Similarly, the arcā-vigraha, the Deity in the temple, is
present for the same purpose. Out of His causeless mercy, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead presents Himself before us so
that we can see Him. Since we have no transcendental vision,
we cannot see the spiritual sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha[Bs. 5.1] of
the Lord; therefore, out of His causeless mercy He comes in a
form we can see. We can only see material things like stone
and wood, and therefore He accepts a form of stone and wood
and thus accepts our service in the temple. This is an exhibition
of the Lord's causeless mercy. Although He has no interest in
such things, in order to receive our loving service, He agrees to
act as He does. We cannot actually offer suitable paraphernalia
for the Lord's worship because we are completely ignorant. It
was out of His causeless mercy that the Lord appeared in the
sacrificial arena of Mahārāja Nābhi.
tad yathā bāliśānāṁ svayam ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ param aviduṣāṁ

parama-parama-puruṣa prakarṣa-karuṇayā sva-mahimānaṁ
cāpavargākhyam upakalpayiṣyan svayaṁ nāpacita evetaravad
ihopalakṣitaḥ.
“Then why have I been satisfied and made my appearance
before you?” Just as the person in knowledge appears before
those who are ignorant, though he has not been called or
worshipped, in order to deliver them by his mercy, you also,
superior to all great persons, out of great, causeless mercy, to
give liberation in the form of realization of your glories, and as
well all desired objects (indicated by ca), have appeared here,
not from being worshipped by us, since we do not have bhakti.
You have appeared here like someone who has come out of
curiosity to see the sacrifice.
TEXT - SB 5.3.10
athāyam eva varo hy arhattama yarhi barhiṣi rājarṣer

varadarṣabho bhavān nija-puruṣekṣaṇa-viṣaya āsīt.
SYNONYMS
atha—then; ayam—this; eva—certainly; varaḥ—benediction;

hi—indeed; arhat-tama—O most worshipable of the
worshipable; yarhi—because; barhiṣi—in the sacrifice; rāja-
ṛṣeḥ—of King Nābhi; varada-ṛṣabhaḥ—the best of the
benefactors; bhavān—Your Lordship; nija-puruṣa—of Your
devotees; īkṣaṇa-viṣayaḥ—the object of the sight; āsīt—has
become.
TRANSLATION
O most worshipable of all, You are the best of all
benefactors, and Your appearance at saintly King Nābhi's
sacrificial arena is meant for our benediction. Because You
have been seen by us, You have bestowed upon us the most
valuable benediction.
PURPORT
Nija-puruṣa-īkṣaṇa-viṣaya. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.29) Kṛṣṇa

says, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu: "I envy no one, nor am I partial
to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto
Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to
him."
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is equal to everyone. In

that sense, He has no enemies and no friends. Everyone is
enjoying the fruitive reactions of his own work, and the Lord,
within everyone's heart, is observing and giving everyone the
desired result. However, just as the devotees are always
anxious to see the Supreme Lord satisfied in every way,
similarly the Supreme Lord is very anxious to present Himself
before His devotees. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8):
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge
"To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well

as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself
millennium after millennium."
Thus Kṛṣṇa's appearance is for the deliverance and satisfaction
of His devotees. Actually He does not advent Himself simply to
kill the demons, for that can be done by His agents. Lord
Viṣṇu's appearance at the sacrificial arena of Mahārāja Nābhi
was just to please the King and his assistants. Otherwise there
was no reason for His being present there.
athāyam eva varo hy arhattama yarhi barhiṣi rājarṣer

varadarṣabho bhavān nija-puruṣekṣaṇa-viṣaya āsīt.
“In any case, ask for a benediction!” Most worshipable Lord!

You have become the object of vision for your devotees when
you appeared in the sacrifice performed by the King. That itself
is the greatest benediction.
TEXT - SB 5.3.11
asaṅga-niśita-jñānānala-vidhūtāśeṣa-malānāṁ bhavat-
svabhāvānām ātmārāmāṇāṁ munīnām anavarata-pariguṇita-
guṇa-gaṇa parama-maṅgalāyana-guṇa-gaṇa-kathano 'si.
SYNONYMS
asaṅga—by detachment; niśita—strengthened; jñāna—of

knowledge; anala—by the fire; vidhūta—removed; aśeṣa—
unlimited; malānām—whose dirty things; bhavat-svabhāvānām
—who have attained Your qualities; ātma-ārāmāṇām—who are
self-satisfied; munīnām—of great sages; anavarata—
incessantly; pariguṇita—recounted; guṇa-gaṇa—O Lord,
whose spiritual qualities; parama-maṅgala—supreme bliss;
āyana—produces; guṇa-gaṇa-kathanaḥ—He, the chanting of
whose attributes; asi—You are.
TRANSLATION
Dear Lord, all the great sages who are thoughtful and
saintly persons incessantly recount Your spiritual qualities.
These sages have already burned up all the unlimited dirty
things and, by the fire of knowledge, strengthened their
detachment from the material world. Thus they have
attained Your qualities and are self-satisfied. Yet even for
those who feel spiritual bliss in chanting Your attributes,
Your personal presence is very rare.
PURPORT
The priests in Mahārāja Nābhi's sacrificial arena appreciated

the personal presence of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, and they
considered themselves very much obliged. The Lord's
appearance is rare even for great saintly persons who have
become completely detached from this material world and
whose hearts are clean due to constantly chanting the glories of
the Lord. Such people are satisfied by chanting the
transcendental qualities of the Lord. The Lord's personal
presence is not actually required. The priests are pointing out
that the Lord's personal presence is very rare even for such
elevated sages but that He was so kind to them that now He
was personally present. Therefore the priests were very much
obliged.
Foolish persons think that they should pray for things other
than seeing you, though seeing you is very rare. But the wise do
not think like this. Though you do not show yourself, you are
the subject of talks concerning your qualities which bring about
the highest auspiciousness for the sages who have burned up
unlimited contamination of material desires by the fire of
knowledge sharpened by detachment, who completely enjoy
(ārāmānām) you with moods such as dāsya directed towards
you. O Lord whose qualities are recited repeatedly by the
sages!
TEXT - SB 5.3.12
atha kathañcit skhalana-kṣut-patana-jṛmbhaṇa-

duravasthānādiṣu vivaśānāṁ naḥ smaraṇāya jvara-maraṇa-
daśāyām api sakala-kaśmala-nirasanāni tava guṇa-kṛta-
nāmadheyāni vacana-gocarāṇi bhavantu.
SYNONYMS
atha—still; kathañcit—somehow or other; skhalana—

stumbling; kṣut—hunger; patana—falling down; jṛmbhaṇa—
yawning; duravasthāna—because of being placed in an
undesirable position; ādiṣu—and so on; vivaśānām—unable;
naḥ—of ourselves; smaraṇāya—to remember; jvara-maraṇa-
daśāyām—in the case of having a high fever at the time of
death; api—also; sakala—all; kaśmala—sins; nirasanāni—
which can dispel; tava—Your; guṇa—attributes; kṛta—
activities; nāmadheyāni—names; vacana-gocarāṇi—possible
to be uttered; bhavantu—let them become.
TRANSLATION
Dear Lord, we may not be able to remember Your name,
form and qualities due to stumbling, hunger, falling down,
yawning or being in a miserable diseased condition at the
time of death when there is a high fever. We therefore pray
unto You, O Lord, for You are very affectionate to Your
devotees. Please help us remember You and utter Your holy
names, attributes and activities, which can dispel all the
reactions of our sinful lives.
PURPORT
The real success in life is ante nārāyaṇa-smṛti—remembering

the holy name, attributes, activities and form of the Lord at the
time of death. Although we may be engaged in the Lord's
devotional service in the temple, material conditions are so
tough and inevitable that we may forget the Lord at the time of
death due to a diseased condition or mental derangement.
Therefore we should pray to the Lord to be able to remember
His lotus feet without fail at the time of death, when we are in
such a precarious condition. In this regard, one may also see
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.2.9-10 and 14-15).

atha kathañcit skhalana-kṣut-patana-jṛmbhaṇa-
duravasthānādiṣu vivaśānāṁ naḥ smaraṇāya jvara-maraṇa-
daśāyām api sakala-kaśmala-nirasanāni tava guṇa-kṛta-
nāmadheyāni vacana-gocarāṇi bhavantu.
Even if we have unsteady, dull minds, let us think of you. So

that persons like us who cannot remember you may remember
you, may your names be available to us.
TEXT - SB 5.3.13
kiñcāyaṁ rājarṣir apatya-kāmaḥ prajāṁ bhavādṛśīm āśāsāna

īśvaram āśiṣāṁ svargāpavargayor api bhavantam upadhāvati
prajāyām artha-pratyayo dhanadam ivādhanaḥ phalīkaraṇam.
SYNONYMS
kiñca—moreover; ayam—this; rāja-ṛṣiḥ—pious King (Nābhi);

apatya-kāmaḥ—desiring offspring; prajām—a son;
bhavādṛśīm—exactly like You; āśāsānaḥ—hoping for; īśvaram
—the supreme controller; āśiṣām—of benedictions; svarga-
apavargayoḥ—of the heavenly planets and liberation; api—
although; bhavantam—You; upadhāvati—worships; prajāyām
—children; artha-pratyayaḥ—regarding as the ultimate goal of
life; dhana-dam—unto a person who can give immense wealth
as charity; iva—like; adhanaḥ—a poor man; phalīkaraṇam—a
little husk.
TRANSLATION
Dear Lord, here is the great King Nābhi, whose ultimate
goal in life is to have a son like You. Your Lordship, his
position is like that of a person approaching a very rich
man and begging for a little grain. Mahārāja Nābhi is so
desirous of having a son that he is worshiping You for a
son, although You can offer him any exalted position,
including elevation to the heavenly planets or liberation
back to Godhead.
PURPORT
The priests were a little ashamed that King Nābhi was

performing a great sacrifice just to ask the Lord's benediction
for a son. The Lord could offer him promotion to the heavenly
planets or the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has
taught us how to approach the Supreme Lord and ask Him for
the ultimate benediction. He said: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na
sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye [Cc. Antya 20.29,
Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. He did not want to ask the Supreme Lord for
anything material. Material opulence means riches, a nice
family, a good wife and many followers, but an intelligent
devotee doesn't ask the Supreme Lord for anything material.
His only prayer is: mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād
bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. He wants to be engaged perpetually in
the loving service of the Lord. He does not want promotion to
the heavenly planets or mukti, liberation from material
bondage. If this were the case, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would
not have said, mama janmani janmani. It doesn't matter to a
devotee whether or not he takes birth life after life, as long as
he remains a devotee. Actually eternal liberty means returning
home, back to Godhead. A devotee is never concerned about
anything material. Although Nābhi Mahārāja wanted a son like
Viṣṇu, wanting a son like God is also a form of sense
gratification. A pure devotee wants only to engage in the Lord's
loving service.
kiñcāyaṁ rājarṣir apatya-kāmaḥ prajāṁ bhavādṛśīm āśāsāna

īśvaram āśiṣāṁ svargāpavargayor api bhavantam upadhāvati
prajāyām artha-pratyayo dhanadam ivādhanaḥ phalīkaraṇam.
However (kiñca), though it is improper to ask, we ask you

because it is necessary. This saintly king, the sponsor of the
sacrifice, desires a son. Though he can get a son by
worshipping devatās, he worships only you. “But I will also
give him Svarga or liberation.” Fearing the Lord would say
this, they say “Though you are the lord of Svarga and
liberation, fulfiller of all desires, he is fixed on begetting a son,
not on liberation. That is his foolishness. Just as a man desiring
some husk pursues a wealthy man, desiring a son he worships
you. See his stubbornness.”
TEXT - SB 5.3.14
ko vā iha te 'parājito 'parājitayā māyayānavasita-

padavyānāvṛta-matir viṣaya-viṣa-rayānāvṛta-prakṛtir anupāsita-
mahac-caraṇaḥ.
SYNONYMS
kaḥ vā—who is that person; iha—within this material world; te
—of Your Lordship; aparājitaḥ—not conquered; aparājitayā
—by the unconquerable; māyayā—illusory energy; anavasita-
padavya—whose path cannot be ascertained; anāvṛta-matiḥ—
whose intelligence is not bewildered; viṣaya-viṣa—of material
enjoyment, which is like poison; raya—by the course; anāvṛta
—not covered; prakṛtiḥ—whose nature; anupāsita—without
worshiping; mahat-caraṇaḥ—the lotus feet of great devotees.
TRANSLATION
Dear Lord, unless one worships the lotus feet of great
devotees, one will be conquered by the illusory energy, and
his intelligence will be bewildered. Indeed, who has not
been carried away by the waves of material enjoyment,
which are like poison? Your illusory energy is
unconquerable. No one can see the path of this material
energy or tell how it is working.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Nābhi was inclined to performing great sacrifices for

begetting a son. The son might be as good as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, but such a material desire—be it great
or insignificant—is brought about by the influence of māyā. A
devotee does not at all desire anything for sense gratification.
Devotion is therefore explained as devoid of material desires
(anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya). Everyone is subjected to the influence of
māyā and entangled in all kinds of material desire, and
Mahārāja Nābhi was no exception. Freedom from māyā's
influence is possible when one engages in the service of the
great devotees (mahac-caraṇa-sevā). Without worshiping the
lotus feet of a great devotee, one cannot be freed from māyā's
influence. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says,
chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: "Who has been
freed from māyā's clutches without serving the lotus feet of a
Vaiṣṇava?" Māyā is aparājita, and her influence is also
aparājita. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14):
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā
"This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of

material nature, is difficult to overcome."
Only a devotee can surpass māyā's great influence. It was no

fault on Mahārāja Nābhi's part that he wanted a son. He wanted
a son like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the best
of all sons. By the association of the Lord's devotee, one no
longer desires material opulence. This is confirmed in
Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.54):
"sādhu-saṅga", "sādhu-saṅga" sarva-śāstre kaya

lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya
and [Cc. Madhya 22.51]:
mahat-kṛpā vinā kona karme 'bhakti' naya

kṛṣṇa-bhakti dūre rahu, saṁsāra nahe kṣaya
If one is serious about escaping māyā's influence and returning

home, back to Godhead, one must associate with a sādhu
(devotee). That is the verdict of all scriptures. By the slight
association of a devotee, one can be freed from the clutches of
māyā. Without the mercy of the pure devotee, one cannot get
freedom by any means. Certainly a pure devotee's association is
necessary in order to obtain the loving service of the Lord. One
cannot be freed from māyā's clutches without sādhu-saṅga [Cc.
Madhya 22.83], the benediction of a great devotee. In Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (7.5.32) Prahlāda Mahārāja says:
naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad arthaḥ
mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ
niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat
One cannot become the Lord's pure devotee without taking the
dust of a great devotee on his head (pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam). A
pure devotee is niṣkiñcana; he has no material desire to enjoy
the material world. One has to take shelter of such a pure
devotee in order to attain his qualities. The pure devotee is
always free from the clutches of māyā and her influence.
But this is not his fault. Whose intelligence is not covered by

your māyā of you who have defeated māyā (aparājitaḥ) whose
ways are not discernable, and which is unconquerable? No one
is free from māyā. He who worships the feet of great devotees
is free from māyā, and this King has not had this opportunity.
TEXT - SB 5.3.15
yad u ha vāva tava punar adabhra-kartar iha samāhūtas

tatrārtha-dhiyāṁ mandānāṁ nas tad yad deva-helanaṁ deva-
devārhasi sāmyena sarvān prativoḍhum aviduṣām.
SYNONYMS
yat—because; u ha vāva—indeed; tava—Your; punaḥ—again;

adabhra-kartaḥ—O Lord, who performs many activities; iha—
here, in this arena of sacrifice; samāhūtaḥ—invited; tatra—
therefore; artha-dhiyām—who aspire to fulfill material desires;
mandānām—not very intelligent; naḥ—of us; tat—that; yat—
which; deva-helanam—disrespect of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; deva-deva—Lord of lords; arhasi—please;
sāmyena—because of Your equipoised position; sarvān—
everything; prativoḍhum—tolerate; aviduṣām—of us, who are
all ignorant.
TRANSLATION
O Lord, You perform many wonderful activities. Our only
aim was to acquire a son by performing this great sacrifice;
therefore our intelligence is not very sharp. We are not
experienced in ascertaining life's goal. By inviting You to
this negligible sacrifice for some material motive, we have
certainly committed a great offense at Your lotus feet.
Therefore, O Lord of lords, please excuse our offense
because of Your causeless mercy and equal mind.
PURPORT
The priests were certainly unhappy to have called the Supreme

Lord from Vaikuṇṭha for such an insignificant reason. A pure
devotee never wants to see the Lord unnecessarily. The Lord is
engaged in various activities, and the pure devotee does not
want to see Him whimsically, for his own sense gratification.
The pure devotee simply depends on the Lord's mercy, and
when the Lord is pleased, he can see Him face to face. The
Lord is unseen even by demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord
Śiva. By calling on the Supreme Lord, the priests of Nābhi
Mahārāja proved themselves unintelligent; nonetheless, the
Lord came out of His causeless mercy. All of them therefore
wanted to be excused by the Lord.
Worship of the Supreme Lord for material gain is not approved

by authorities. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.16):
catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ

janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha
"O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men
render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer
of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for
knowledge of the Absolute."
Initiation into bhakti begins when one is in a distressed

condition or in want of money, or when one is inquisitive to
understand the Absolute Truth. Nonetheless, people who
approach the Supreme Lord in this way are not actually
devotees. They are accepted as pious (sukṛtinaḥ) due to their
inquiring about the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Not knowing the various activities and engagements
of the Lord, such people unnecessarily disturb the Lord for
material gain. However, the Lord is so kind that even though
disturbed, He fulfills the desires of such beggars. The pure
devotee is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya; he has no motive behind his
worship. He is not conducted by the influence of māyā in the
form of karma or jñāna. The pure devotee is always prepared to
execute the order of the Lord without personal consideration.
The ṛtvijaḥ, the priests at the sacrifice, knew very well the
distinction between karma and bhakti, and because they
considered themselves under the influence of karma, fruitive
activity, they begged the Lord's pardon. They knew that the
Lord had been invited to come for some paltry reason.
yad u ha vāva tava punar adabhra-kartar iha samāhūtas

tatrārtha-dhiyāṁ mandānāṁ nas tad yad deva-helanaṁ deva-
devārhasi sāmyena sarvān prativoḍhum aviduṣām.
Asking pardon for their offense of asking for a material

benediction, they conclude their praise of the Lord. O
performer of many activities! This means “Though you rarely
show yourself to Brahmā, you have shown yourself to us, who
are full of desires.” You should tolerate the offense of us priests
who have called you here because of our foolishness and
material desires, because, O Lord of lords, you are equal to all
(sāmyena).
TEXT - SB 5.3.16
ī[qXauk- ovac
wiTa iNaGadeNaai>aíUYaMaaNaae
>aGavaNaiNaiMazzR>aae vzRDarai>avaidTaai>aviNdTa‚
cr<a" SadYaiMadMaah )) 16 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
iti nigadenābhiṣṭūyamāno bhagavān animiṣarṣabho varṣa-

dharābhivāditābhivandita-caraṇaḥ sadayam idam āha.
SYNONYMS

nigadena—by prayers in prose; abhiṣṭūyamānaḥ—being
worshiped; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
animiṣa-ṛṣabhaḥ—the chief of all the demigods; varṣa-dhara
—by King Nābhi, the Emperor of Bhārata-varṣa; abhivādita—
worshiped; abhivandita—were bowed down to; caraṇaḥ—
whose feet; sadayam—kindly; idam—this; āha—said.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The priests, who were even
worshiped by King Nābhi, the Emperor of Bhārata-varṣa,
offered prayers in prose [generally they were in poetry] and
bowed down at the Lord's lotus feet. The Lord of lords, the
ruler of the demigods, was very pleased with them, and He
began to speak as follows.
śrī-śuka uvāca
iti nigadenābhiṣṭūyamāno bhagavān animiṣarṣabho varṣa-

dharābhivāditābhivandita-caraṇaḥ sadayam idam āha.
The Lord, thus praised by prose, addressed by King Nābhi

(varṣa-dhara), whose feet were worshipped by him, then spoke.
TEXT - SB 5.3.17
ī[q>aGavaNauvac
Ahae bTaahMazYaae
>aviḤrivTaQaGaqi>aRvRrMaSaul/>aMai>aYaaicTaae
YadMauZYaaTMaJaae
MaYaa SadXaae >aUYaaidiTa MaMaahMaevai>aæPa" kE-
vLYaadQaaiPa b]øvadae Na Maza
>aivTauMahRiTa MaMaEv ih Mau%& Yad( iŪJadevku-l/Ma(
)) 17 ))
aho batāham ṛṣayo bhavadbhir avitatha-gīrbhir varam

asulabham abhiyācito yad amuṣyātmajo mayā sadṛśo bhūyād iti
mamāham evābhirūpaḥ kaivalyād athāpi brahma-vādo na mṛṣā
bhavitum arhati mamaiva hi mukhaṁ yad dvija-deva-kulam.
SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead

said; aho—alas; bata—certainly I am pleased; aham—I;
ṛṣayaḥ—O great sages; bhavadbhiḥ—by you; avitatha-gīrbhiḥ
—whose words are all true; varam—for a benediction;
asulabham—very difficult to achieve; abhiyācitaḥ—have been
requested; yat—that; amuṣya—of King Nābhi; ātma-jaḥ—a
son; mayā sadṛśaḥ—like Me; bhūyāt—there may be; iti—thus;
mama—My; aham—I; eva—only; abhirūpaḥ—equal;
kaivalyāt—because of being without a second; athāpi—
nevertheless; brahma-vādaḥ—the words spoken by exalted
brāhmaṇas; na—not; mṛṣā—false; bhavitum—to become;
arhati—ought; mama—My; eva—certainly; hi—because;
mukham—mouth; yat—that; dvija-deva-kulam—the class of
pure brāhmaṇas.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead replied: O great
sages, I am certainly very pleased with your prayers. You
are all truthful. You have prayed for the benediction of a
son like Me for King Nābhi, but this is very difficult to
obtain. Since I am the Supreme Person without a second
and since no one is equal to Me, another personality like Me
is not possible to find. In any case, because you are all
qualified brāhmaṇas, your vibrations should not prove
untrue. I consider the brāhmaṇas who are well qualified
with brahminical qualities to be as good as My own mouth.
PURPORT
The word avitatha-gīrbhiḥ means "they whose spoken

vibrations cannot be nullified." The brāhmaṇas (dvija, the
twice-born), are given a chance by the śāstric regulations to
become almost as powerful as the Supreme Lord. Whatever a
brāhmaṇa speaks cannot be nullified or changed in any
circumstance. According to the Vedic injunctions, a brāhmaṇa
is the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore
in all rituals a brāhmaṇa is offered food (brāhmaṇa-bhojana)
because when a brāhmaṇa eats, it is considered that the
Supreme Lord Himself eats. Similarly, whatever a brāhmaṇa
speaks cannot be changed. It must act. The learned sages who
were priests at Mahārāja Nābhi's sacrifice were not only
brāhmaṇas but were so qualified that they were like devas,
demigods, or God Himself. If this were not the case, how could
they invite Lord Viṣṇu to come to the sacrificial arena? God is
one, and God does not belong to this or that religion. In Kali-
yuga, different religious sects consider their God to be different
from the God of others, but that is not possible. God is one, and
He is appreciated according to different angles of vision. In this
verse the word kaivalyāt means that God has no competitor.
There is only one God. In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.8) it is
said, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "No one is found
to be equal to Him or greater than Him." That is the definition
of God.

Avitatha-gīrbhiḥ means “by words which cannot be untrue.”

Abhirūpaḥ means similar. I alone am similar to myself since I
am the Lord and no one else is (kaivalyāt). This group of
brāhmaṇas, who are like devatās among the brāhmaṇas, is my
mouth.
TEXT - SB 5.3.18
tata āgnīdhrīye 'ṁśa-kalayāvatariṣyāmy ātma-tulyam

anupalabhamānaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—therefore; āgnīdhrīye—in the wife of Nābhi, the son of

Āgnīdhra; aṁśa-kalayā—by an expansion of My personal
form; avatariṣyāmi—I shall advent Myself; ātma-tulyam—My
equal; anupalabhamānaḥ—not finding.
TRANSLATION
Since I cannot find anyone equal to Me, I shall personally
expand Myself into a plenary portion and thus advent
Myself in the womb of Merudevī, the wife of Mahārāja
Nābhi, the son of Āgnīdhra.
PURPORT
This is an example of the omnipotence of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead. Although He is one without a second,
He expands Himself by svāṁśa, His personal expansion, and
sometimes by vibhinnāṁśa, or His separated expansion. Lord
Viṣṇu herein agrees to send His personal expansion as the son
of Merudevī, the wife of Mahārāja Nābhi, who is the son of
Āgnīdhra. The ṛtvijaḥ, the priests, knew that God is one, yet
they prayed for the Supreme Lord to become the son of
Mahārāja Nābhi to let the world know that the Absolute Truth,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is one without a second.
When He incarnates, He expands Himself in different
potencies.
Āgnīdhrīye means “in the son of Āgnīḍhra (Nābhi).”
TEXT - SB 5.3.19
śrī-śuka uvāca
iti niśāmayantyā merudevyāḥ patim abhidhāyāntardadhe

bhagavān.
SYNONYMS

niśāmayantyāḥ—who was listening; merudevyāḥ—in the
presence of Merudevī; patim—unto her husband; abhidhāya—
having spoken; antardadhe—disappeared; bhagavān—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After saying this, the Lord
disappeared. The wife of King Nābhi, Queen Merudevī, was
sitting by the side of her husband, and consequently she
could hear everything the Supreme Lord had spoken.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic injunctions, one should perform

sacrifices in the company of one's own wife. Sapatnīko
dharmam ācaret: religious rituals should be performed with
one's wife; therefore Mahārāja Nābhi conducted his great
sacrifice with his wife by his side.
TEXT - SB 5.3.20
barhiṣi tasminn eva viṣṇudatta bhagavān paramarṣibhiḥ

prasādito nābheḥ priya-cikīrṣayā tad-avarodhāyane
merudevyāṁ dharmān darśayitu-kāmo vāta-raśanānāṁ
śramaṇānām ṛṣīṇām ūrdhva-manthināṁ śuklayā tanuvāvatatāra.
SYNONYMS
barhiṣi—in the arena of sacrifice; tasmin—that; eva—in this

way; viṣṇu-datta—O Mahārāja Parīkṣit; bhagavān—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; parama-ṛṣibhiḥ—by the
great ṛṣis; prasāditaḥ—being pleased; nābheḥ priya-cikīrṣayā
—to please King Nābhi; tat-avarodhāyane—in his wife;
merudevyām—Merudevī; dharmān—the principles of religion;
darśayitu-kāmaḥ—desiring to exhibit how to perform; vāta-
raśanānām—of the sannyāsīs (who have almost no cloth);
śramaṇānām—of the vānaprasthas; ṛṣīṇām—of the great
sages; ūrdhva-manthinām—of the brahmacārīs; śuklayā
tanuvā—in His original spiritual form, which is above the
modes of material nature; avatatāra—appeared as an
incarnation.
TRANSLATION
O Viṣṇudatta, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead was pleased by the great sages at that sacrifice.
Consequently the Lord decided to personally exhibit the
method of executing religious principles [as observed by
brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs, vānaprasthas and gṛhasthas
engaged in rituals] and also satisfy Mahārāja Nābhi's
desire. Consequently He appeared as the son of Merudevī in
His original spiritual form, which is above the modes of
material nature.
PURPORT
When the Supreme Lord appears or descends as an incarnation

within this material world, He does not accept a body made of
the three modes of material nature (sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and
tamo-guṇa). Māyāvādī philosophers say that the impersonal
God appears in this material world by accepting a body in the
sattva-guṇa. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī states that the word
śukla means "consisting of śuddha-sattva." Lord Viṣṇu
descends in His śuddha-sattva form. Śuddha-sattva refers to the
sattva-guṇa which is never contaminated. In this material
world, even the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) is
contaminated by tinges of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. When
sattva-guṇa is never contaminated by rajo-guṇa and tamo-
guṇa, it is called śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-
śabditam (SB 4.3.23). That is the platform of vasudeva,
whereby the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, can
be experienced. In Bhagavad-gītā (4.7) Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself says:
yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious

practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of
irreligion—at that time I descend Myself."
Unlike ordinary living entities, the Supreme Lord is not forced

by the modes of material nature to appear. He appears dharmān
darśayitu-kāma—to show how to execute the functions of a
human being. The word dharma is meant for human beings and
is never used in connection with beings inferior to human
beings, such as animals. Unfortunately, without being guided
by the Supreme Lord, human beings sometimes manufacture a
process of dharma by concoction. Actually dharma cannot be
made by man. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. (SB
6.3.19) Dharma is given by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, just as the law is given by the state government.
Man-made dharma has no meaning. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam refers
to man-made dharma as kaitava-dharma, cheating religion.
The Supreme Lord sends an avatāra (incarnation) to teach
human society the proper way to execute religious principles.
Such religious principles are bhakti-mārga. As the Supreme
Lord Himself says in Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān
parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. The son of
Mahārāja Nābhi, Ṛṣabhadeva, appeared on this earth to preach
the principles of religion. That will be explained in the Fifth
Chapter of this Fifth Canto.
barhiṣi tasminn eva viṣṇudatta bhagavān paramarṣibhiḥ

prasādito nābheḥ priya-cikīrṣayā tad-avarodhāyane
merudevyāṁ dharmān darśayitu-kāmo vāta-raśanānāṁ
śramaṇānām ṛṣīṇām ūrdhva-manthināṁ śuklayā tanuvāvatatāra.
O Parīkṣit (viṣṇudatta)! The Lord appeared in Merudevī, who

remained in the inner chambers (tat-avarodhāyane). He desired
to show the principles of the naked mendicants. “But children
and fools are also naked.” To qualify that, he says that they are
performers of austerities. “But atheists also perform
austerities.” To qualify this further he says that they are sages,
acting with knowledge according to scripture, who do not fall
from celibacy. The Lord would appear with a body made of
śuddha-sattva (śuklayā).
Thus ends the commentary on the Third Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Third
Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Ṛṣabhadeva's
Appearance in the Womb of Merudevī, the wife of King
Nābhi."
4. The Characteristics of Ṛṣabhadeva, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11-12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19
Chapter Summary
In this chapter, Ṛṣabhadeva, the son of Mahārāja Nābhi, begot

a hundred sons, and during the reign of those sons the world
was very happy in all respects. When Ṛṣabhadeva appeared as
the son of Mahārāja Nābhi, He was appreciated by the people
as the most exalted and beautiful personality of that age. His
poise, influence, strength, enthusiasm, bodily luster and other
transcendental qualities were beyond compare. The word
ṛṣabha refers to the best, or the supreme. Due to the
superexcellent attributes of the son of Mahārāja Nābhi, the
King named his son Ṛṣabha, or "the best." His influence was
incomparable. Although there was a scarcity of rain,
Ṛṣabhadeva did not care for Indra, the King of heaven, who is
in charge of supplying rain. Through His own potency,
Ṛṣabhadeva sumptuously covered Ajanābha with ample rain.
Upon receiving Ṛṣabhadeva, who is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, as his son, King Nābhi began to raise Him very
carefully. After that, he entrusted the ruling power to Him and,
retiring from family life, lived at Badarikāśrama completely
engaged in the worship of Vāsudeva, the Supreme Lord. To
follow social customs, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva for a while became a
student in the gurukula, and after returning, He followed the
orders of His guru and accepted a wife named Jayantī, who had
been given to Him by the King of heaven, Indra. He begot a
hundred sons in the womb of Jayantī. Of these hundred sons,
the eldest was known as Bharata. Since the reign of Mahārāja
Bharata, this planet has been called Bhārata-varṣa.
Ṛṣabhadeva's other sons were headed by Kuśāvarta, Ilāvarta,
Brahmāvarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indraspṛk, Vidarbha
and Kīkaṭa. There were also other sons named Kavi, Havi,
Antarikṣa, Prabuddha, Pippalāyana, Avirhotra, Drumila,
Camasa and Karabhājana. Instead of ruling the kingdom, these
nine became mendicant preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
following the religious precepts of the Bhāgavatam. Their
characteristics and activities are described in the Eleventh
Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam during the talks between
Vasudeva and Nārada at Kurukṣetra. To teach the general
populace, King Ṛṣabhadeva performed many sacrifices and
taught His sons how to rule the citizens.
TEXT - SB 5.4.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
AQa h TaMauTPatYaEvai>aVYaJYaMaaNa>aGavś+a<a&
SaaMYaaePaXaMavEraGYaEṅYaRMaha‚
iv>aUiTai>arNauidNaMaeDa MaaNaaNau>aav& Pa[k-TaYa"
Pa[Jaa b]aø<aa devTaaêaviNaTal/‚
SaMavNaaYaaiTaTara& JaGaDau" )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
atha ha tam utpattyaivābhivyajyamāna-bhagaval-lakṣaṇaṁ

sāmyopaśama-vairāgyaiśvarya-mahā-vibhūtibhir anudinam
edhamānānubhāvaṁ prakṛtayaḥ prajā brāhmaṇā devatāś
cāvani-tala-samavanāyātitarāṁ jagṛdhuḥ.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; atha ha—thus

(after the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared); tam—
Him; utpattyā—from the beginning of His appearance; eva—
even; abhivyajyamāna—distinctly manifested; bhagavat-
lakṣaṇam—possessing the symptoms of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; sāmya—equal to everyone; upaśama
—completely peaceful, in control of the senses and mind;
vairāgya—renunciation; aiśvarya—opulences; mahā-
vibhūtibhiḥ—with great attributes; anudinam—day after day;
edhamāna—increasing; anubhāvam—His power; prakṛtayaḥ—
the ministers; prajāḥ—the citizens; brāhmaṇāḥ—the learned
scholars in full knowledge of Brahman; devatāḥ—the
demigods; ca—and; avani-tala—the surface of the globe;
samavanāya—to rule; atitarām—greatly; jagṛdhuḥ—desired.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: As soon as the Lord was born
as the son of Mahārāja Nābhi, He manifested symptoms of
the Supreme Lord, such as marks on the bottoms of His feet
[the flag, thunderbolt, etc.]. This son was equal to everyone
and very peaceful. He could control His senses and His
mind, and, possessing all opulence, He did not hanker for
material enjoyment. Endowed with all these attributes, the
son of Mahārāja Nābhi became more powerful day after
day. Due to this, the citizens, learned brāhmaṇas, demigods
and ministers wanted Ṛṣabhadeva to be appointed ruler of
the earth.
PURPORT
In these days of cheap incarnations, it is very interesting to note

the bodily symptoms found in an incarnation. From the very
beginning of His birth, it was observed that Ṛṣabhadeva's feet
were marked with the transcendental signs (a flag, thunderbolt,
lotus flower, etc.). In addition to this, as the Lord began to
grow, He became very prominent. He was equal to everyone.
He did not favor one person and neglect another. An
incarnation of God must have the six opulences—wealth.
strength, knowledge, beauty, fame and renunciation. It is said
that although Ṛṣabhadeva was endowed with all opulences, He
was not at all attached to material enjoyment. He was self-
controlled and therefore liked by everyone. Due to His
superexcellent qualities, everyone wanted Him to rule the earth.
An incarnation of God has to be accepted by experienced
people and by the symptoms described in the śāstras. An
incarnation is not accepted simply by the adulation of foolish
people.
The Fourth Chapter describes how Ṛṣabhadeva produced a

hundred sons headed by Bharata and satisfied all the desires of
the citizens. Jagṛdhuḥ means “they desired.”
TEXT - SB 5.4.2
tasya ha vā itthaṁ varṣmaṇā varīyasā bṛhac-chlokena caujasā

balena śriyā yaśasā vīrya-śauryābhyāṁ ca pitā ṛṣabha itīdaṁ
nāma cakāra.
SYNONYMS
tasya—of Him; ha vā—certainly; ittham—thus; varṣmaṇā—by

the bodily features; varīyasā—most exalted; bṛhat-ślokena—
decorated with all the high qualities described by poets; ca—
also; ojasā—by prowess; balena—by strength; śriyā—by
beauty; yaśasā—by fame; vīrya-śauryābhyām—by influence
and heroism; ca—and; pitā—the father (Mahārāja Nābhi);
ṛṣabhaḥ—the best; iti—thus; idam—this; nāma—name; cakāra
—gave.
TRANSLATION
When the son of Mahārāja Nābhi became visible, He
evinced all good qualities described by the great poets—
namely, a well-built body with all the symptoms of the
Godhead, prowess, strength, beauty, name, fame, influence
and enthusiasm. When the father, Mahārāja Nābhi, saw all
these qualities, he thought his son to be the best of human
beings or the supreme being. Therefore he gave Him the
name Ṛṣabha.
PURPORT
To accept someone as God or an incarnation of God, one must
observe the symptoms of God in his body. All the symptoms
were found in the body of Mahārāja Nābhi's extraordinarily
powerful son. His body was well structured, and He displayed
all the transcendental qualities. He showed great influence, and
He could control His mind and senses. Consequently He was
named Ṛṣabha, which indicates that He was the supreme living
being.
The word varṣmaṇā (body) is modified by varīyaṣa and bṛhad-

ślokena. Vīrya means influence and śaurya means fortitude.
TEXT - SB 5.4.3
yasya hīndraḥ spardhamāno bhagavān varṣe na vavarṣa tad

avadhārya bhagavān ṛṣabhadevo yogeśvaraḥ prahasyātma-
yogamāyayā sva-varṣam ajanābhaṁ nāmābhyavarṣat.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom; hi—indeed; indraḥ—King Indra of heaven;

spardhamānaḥ—being envious; bhagavān—very opulent;
varṣe—on Bhārata-varṣa; na vavarṣa—did not pour water; tat
—that; avadhārya—knowing; bhagavān—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabhadevaḥ—Ṛṣabhadeva; yoga-
īśvaraḥ—the master of all mystic power; prahasya—smiling;
ātma-yoga-māyayā—by His own spiritual potency; sva-varṣam
—on His place; ajanābham—Ajanābha; nāma—named;
abhyavarṣat—He poured water.
TRANSLATION
Indra, the King of heaven, who is very materially opulent,
became envious of King Ṛṣabhadeva. Consequently he
stopped pouring water on the planet known as Bhārata-
varṣa. At that time the Supreme Lord, Ṛṣabhadeva, the
master of all mystic power, understood King Indra's
purpose and smiled a little. Then, by His own prowess,
through yogamāyā [His internal potency], He profusely
poured water upon His own place, which was known as
Ajanābha.
PURPORT
We find the word bhagavān used twice in this verse. Both King
Indra and Ṛṣabhadeva, the incarnation of the Supreme Lord,
are described as bhagavān. Sometimes Nārada and Lord
Brahmā are also addressed as bhagavān. The word bhagavān
means that one is a very opulent and powerful person like Lord
Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Nārada or Indra. They are all addressed as
bhagavān due to their extraordinary opulence. King
Ṛṣabhadeva is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, and
therefore He was the original Bhagavān. Consequently He is
described herein as yogeśvara, which indicates that He has the
most powerful spiritual potency. He is not dependent on King
Indra for water. He can supply water Himself, and He did so in
this case. In Bhagavad-gītā, it is stated: yajñād bhavati
parjanyaḥ [Bg. 3.14]. Due to the performance of yajña, clouds
of water are manifest in the sky. Clouds and rainfall are under
the management of Indra, the heavenly King, but when Indra is
neglectful, the Supreme Lord Himself, who is also known as
yajña or yajña-pati, takes the task upon Himself. Consequently
there was sufficient rainfall in the place named Ajanābha.
When yajña-pati wants to, He can do anything without the help
of any subordinate. Therefore the Supreme Lord is known as
almighty. In the present age of Kali there will eventually be a
great scarcity of water (anāvṛṣṭi), for the general populace, due
to ignorance and the scarcity of yajñic ingredients, will neglect
to perform yajñas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam therefore advises:
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ. After all,
yajña is meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In this age of Kali. there is great scarcity and ignorance;
nonetheless, everyone can perform saṅkīrtana-yajña. Every
family in every society can conduct saṅkīrtana-yajña at least
every evening. In this way there will be no disturbance or
scarcity of rain. It is essential for the people in this age to
perform the saṅkīrtana-yajña in order to be materially happy
and to advance spiritually.
The country was called Ajanābha after Ṛṣabhadeva (aja) and

his father King Nābhi. Though grammatically is should be
called Ājanābha, by poetic license it was called Ajanābha.
TEXT - SB 5.4.4
nābhis tu yathābhilaṣitaṁ suprajastvam avarudhyāti-pramoda-

bhara-vihvalo gadgadākṣarayā girā svairaṁ gṛhīta-naraloka-
sadharmaṁ bhagavantaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ māyā-vilasita-matir
vatsa tāteti sānurāgam upalālayan parāṁ nirvṛtim upagataḥ.
SYNONYMS
nābhiḥ—King Nābhi; tu—certainly; yathā-abhilaṣitam—

according to his desire; su-prajastvam—the most beautiful son;
avarudhya—getting; ati-pramoda—of great jubilation; bhara
—by an excess; vihvalaḥ—being overwhelmed; gadgada-
akṣarayā—faltering in ecstasy; girā—with a voice; svairam—
by His independent will; gṛhīta—accepted; nara-loka-
sadharmam—acting as if a human being; bhagavantam—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; purāṇa-puruṣam—the oldest
among living beings; māyā—by yogamāyā; vilasita—
bewildered; matiḥ—his mentality; vatsa—my dear son; tāta—
my darling; iti—thus; sa-anurāgam—with great affection;
upalālayan—raising; parām—transcendental; nirvṛtim—bliss;
upagataḥ—achieved.
TRANSLATION
Due to getting a perfect son according to his desire, King
Nābhi was always overwhelmed with transcendental bliss
and was very affectionate to his son. It was with ecstasy and
a faltering voice that he addressed Him, "My dear son, my
darling." This mentality was brought about by yogamāyā,
whereby he accepted the Supreme Lord, the supreme
father, as his own son. Out of His supreme good will, the
Lord became his son and dealt with everyone as if He were
an ordinary human being. Thus King Nābhi began to raise
his transcendental son with great affection, and he was
overwhelmed with transcendental bliss, joy and devotion.
PURPORT
The word māyā is used in the sense of illusion. Considering the

Supreme Personality of Godhead to be his own son, Mahārāja
Nābhi was certainly in illusion, but this was transcendental
illusion. This illusion is required; otherwise how can one accept
the supreme father as his own son? The Supreme Lord appears
as the son of one of His devotees, just as Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared
as the son of Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja. These devotees
could never think of their son as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, for such appreciation would hamper their relationship
of paternal love.
Avaruddhya means attaining. He thought of the Lord as his son

(māyā-vilasita-matiḥ). Māyā can mean illusion or intelligence
according to Amara-koṣa-trikāṇḍa-śeṣah.
TEXT - SB 5.4.5
viditānurāgam āpaura-prakṛti jana-pado rājā nābhir ātmajaṁ

samaya-setu-rakṣāyām abhiṣicya brāhmaṇeṣūpanidhāya saha
merudevyā viśālāyāṁ prasanna-nipuṇena tapasā samādhi-
yogena nara-nārāyaṇākhyaṁ bhagavantaṁ vāsudevam
upāsīnaḥ kālena tan-mahimānam avāpa.
SYNONYMS
vidita—known very well; anurāgam—popularity; āpaura-

prakṛti—among all the citizens and government officers; jana-
padaḥ—desiring to serve the people in general; rājā—the
King; nābhiḥ—Nābhi; ātmajam—his son; samaya-setu-
rakṣāyām—to protect the people strictly according to the Vedic
principles of religious life; abhiṣicya—enthroning; brāhmaṇeṣu
—to the learned brāhmaṇas; upanidhāya—entrusting; saha—
with; merudevyā—his wife. Merudevī; viśālāyām—in
Badarikāśrama; prasanna-nipuṇena—performed with great
satisfaction and expertise; tapasā—by austerities and penances;
samādhi-yogena—by full samādhi; nara-nārāyaṇa-ākhyam—
named Nara-Nārāyaṇa; bhagavantam—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; vāsudevam—Kṛṣṇa; upāsīnaḥ—
worshiping; kālena—in due course of time; tat-mahimānam—
His glorious abode, the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭha; avāpa—
achieved.
TRANSLATION
King Nābhi understood that his son, Ṛṣabhadeva, was very
popular among the citizens and among government officers
and ministers. Understanding the popularity of his son,
Mahārāja Nābhi enthroned Him as the emperor of the
world to give protection to the general populace in terms of
the Vedic religious system. To do this, he entrusted Him
into the hands of learned brāhmaṇas, who would guide Him
in administrating the government. Then Mahārāja Nābhi
and his wife, Merudevī, went to Badarikāśrama in the
Himalaya Mountains, where the King engaged Himself very
expertly in austerities and penances with great jubilation.
In full samādhi he worshiped the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, who is Kṛṣṇa in His plenary
expansion. By doing so, in course of time Mahārāja Nābhi
was elevated to the spiritual world known as Vaikuṇṭha.
PURPORT
When Mahārāja Nābhi saw that his son Ṛṣabhadeva was

popular with the general populace and the governmental
servants, he chose to install Him on the imperial throne. In
addition, he wanted to entrust his son into the hands of the
learned brāhmaṇas. This means that a monarch was supposed
to govern strictly according to Vedic principles under the
guidance of learned brāhmaṇas, who could advise Him
according to the standard Vedic scriptures like Manu-smṛti and
similar śāstras. It is the duty of the king to rule the citizens
according to Vedic principles. According to Vedic principles,
society is divided into four categories—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya,
vaiśya and śūdra. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-
vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. After dividing society in this way, it is
the king's duty to see that everyone executes Vedic principles
according to his caste. A brāhmaṇa must perform the duty of a
brāhmaṇa without cheating the public. It is not that one attains
the name of a brāhmaṇa without the qualifications. It is the
king's duty to see that everyone engages in his occupational
duty according to Vedic principles. In addition, retirement at
the end of life is compulsory. Mahārāja Nābhi, although still a
king. retired from family life and went with his wife to a place
called Badarikāśrama in the Himalayas, where the Deity Nara-
Nārāyaṇa is worshiped. The words prasanna-nipuṇena tapasā
indicate that the King accepted all kinds of austerity very
expertly and jubilantly. He did not at all mind leaving his
comfortable life at home, although he was the emperor. Despite
undergoing severe austerities and penances, he felt very pleased
at Badarikāśrama, and he did everything there expertly. In this
way, being fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness (samādhi-
yoga). always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, Mahārāja Nābhi
attained success at the end of his life and was promoted to the
spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka.
This is the way of Vedic life. One must stop the process of
repeated birth and death and return home, back to Godhead.
The words tan-mahimānam avāpa are significant in this regard.
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī says that mahimā means liberation in this
life. We should act in such a way in this life that after giving up
this body, we will become liberated from the bondage of
repeated birth and death. This is called jīvan-mukti. Śrīla
Vīrarāghava Ācārya states that in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad
there are eight symptoms of a jīvan-mukta, a person who is
already liberated even when living in this body. The first
symptom of one so liberated is that he is freed from all sinful
activity (apahata-pāpa). As long as one is under the clutches of
māyā in the material energy, one has to engage in sinful
activity. Bhagavad-gītā describes such people as duṣkṛtinaḥ,
which indicates that they are always engaged in sinful activity.
One who is liberated in this life does not commit any sinful
activities. Sinful activity involves illicit sex, meat-eating,
intoxication and gambling. Another symptom of a liberated
person is vijara, which indicates that he is not subjected to the
miseries of old age. Another symptom is vimṛtyu. A liberated
person prepares himself in such a way that he does not take on
any more material bodies, which are destined to die. In other
words. he does not fall down again to repeat birth and death.
Another symptom is viśoka, which indicates that he is callous
to material distress and happiness. Another is vijighatsa, which
indicates that he no longer desires material enjoyment. Another
symptom is apipātā, which means that he has no desire other
than to engage in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, his dearmost
pursuable Lord. A further symptom is satya-kāma, which
indicates that all his desires are directed to the Supreme Truth,
Kṛṣṇa. He does not want anything else. He is satya-saṅkalpa.
Whatever he desires is fulfilled by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. First of
all, he does not desire anything for his material benefit, and
secondly if he desires anything at all, he simply desires to serve
the Supreme Lord. That desire is fulfilled by the Lord's grace.
That is called satya-saṅkalpa. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī
points out that the word mahimā means returning to the
spiritual world, back home, back to Vaikuṇṭha. Śrī Śukadeva
says that the word mahimā means that the devotee attains the
qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called
sadharma, or "the same quality." Just as Kṛṣṇa is never born
and never dies, His devotees who return to Godhead never die
and never take birth within the material world.
Āpaura-prakṛti-janapadaḥ means “Nābhi who took everyone

from the population up to the ministers into consideration for
enthroning his son.” He enthroned his son for whom the people
had great affection in order to protect the laws of good conduct
(samaya-setu). Nābhi worshipped the Lord in Badarikāśrama
(viśālāyām) with austerities capable of bringing results for the
happiness of all beings (prasanna-nipunena). He attained
Vaikuṇṭha, the glory of the Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.4.6
yasya ha pāṇḍaveya ślokāv udāharanti—
ko nu tat karma rājarṣer
nābher anv ācaret pumān
apatyatām agād yasya
hariḥ śuddhena karmaṇā
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom; ha—indeed; pāṇḍaveya—O Mahārāja

Parīkṣit; ślokau—two verses; udāharanti—recite; kaḥ—who;
nu—then; tat—that; karma—work; rāja-ṛṣeḥ—of the pious
King; nābheḥ—Nābhi; anu—following; ācaret—could
execute; pumān—a man; apatyatām—sonhood; agāt—
accepted; yasya—whose; hariḥ—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; śuddhena—pure, executed in devotional service;
karmaṇā—by activities.
TRANSLATION
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, to glorify Mahārāja Nābhi, the old
sages composed two verses. One of them is this: "Who can
attain the perfection of Mahārāja Nābhi? Who can attain
his activities? Because of his devotional service, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead agreed to become his
son."
PURPORT
The words śuddhena karmaṇā are significant in this verse. If

work is not carried out in devotional service, it is contaminated
by the modes of material nature. That is explained in
Bhagavad-gītā: yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-
bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9]). Activities performed only for the
satisfaction of the Supreme Lord are pure and are not
contaminated by the modes of material nature. All other
activities are contaminated by the modes of ignorance and
passion, as well as goodness. All material activities meant for
satisfying the senses are contaminated, and Mahārāja Nābhi did
not perform anything contaminated. He simply executed his
transcendental activities even when performing yajña.
Consequently he obtained the Supreme Lord as his son.
Śuddhena karmaṇā means “by pure bhakti.”
TEXT - SB 5.4.7
brahmaṇyo 'nyaḥ kuto nābher
viprā maṅgala-pūjitāḥ
yasya barhiṣi yajñeśaṁ
darśayām āsur ojasā
SYNONYMS
brahmaṇyaḥ—a devotee of the brāhmaṇas; anyaḥ—any. other;

kutaḥ—where is; nābheḥ—besides Mahārāja Nābhi; viprāḥ—
the brāhmaṇas; maṅgala-pūjitāḥ—well worshiped and
satisfied; yasya—of whom; barhiṣi—in the sacrificial arena;
yajña-īśam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the enjoyer
of all sacrificial ceremonies; darśayām āsuḥ—showed; ojasā—
by their brahminical prowess.
TRANSLATION
[The second prayer is this.] "Who is a better worshiper of
brāhmaṇas than Mahārāja Nābhi? Because he worshiped
the qualified brāhmaṇas to their full satisfaction, the
brāhmaṇas, by their brahminical prowess, showed
Mahārāja Nābhi the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Nārāyaṇa, in person."
PURPORT
The brāhmaṇas engaged as priests in the sacrificial ceremony

were not ordinary brāhmaṇas. They were so powerful that they
could bring forth the Supreme Personality of Godhead by their
prayers. Thus Mahārāja Nābhi was able to see the Lord face to
face. Unless one is a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot call forth the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord does not accept an
invitation unless one is a Vaiṣṇava. Therefore it is said in
Padma Purāṇa:
ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād
vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ
"A scholarly brāhmaṇa expert in all subjects of Vedic

knowledge is unfit to become a spiritual master without being a
Vaiṣṇava, but a person born in a family of a lower caste can
become a spiritual master if he is a Vaiṣṇava." These
brāhmaṇas were certainly very expert in chanting the Vedic
mantras. They were competent in the performance of the Vedic
rituals, and over and above this they were Vaiṣṇavas. Therefore
by their spiritual powers they could call on the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and enable their disciple, Mahārāja
Nābhi, to see the Lord face to face. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī
Ṭhākura comments that the word ojasā means "by dint of
devotional service."
The brāhmaṇas were pleased by his donations and other acts so

that auspiciousness was created. Or they were worshipped by
auspiciousness, since the King was a devotee. By the power of
bhakti, they revealed the Lord to him.
TEXT - SB 5.4.8
atha ha bhagavān ṛṣabhadevaḥ sva-varṣaṁ karma-kṣetram

anumanyamānaḥ pradarśita-gurukula-vāso labdha-varair
gurubhir anujñāto gṛhamedhināṁ dharmān anuśikṣamāṇo
jayantyām indra-dattāyām ubhaya-lakṣaṇaṁ karma
samāmnāyāmnātam abhiyuñjann ātmajānām ātma-samānānāṁ
śataṁ janayām āsa.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereupon (after the departure of his father); ha—indeed;

bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabha-
devaḥ—Ṛṣabhadeva; sva—His own; varṣam—kingdom;
karma-kṣetram—the field of activities; anumanyamānaḥ—
accepting as; pradarśita—shown as an example; guru-kula-
vāsaḥ—lived at the gurukula; labdha—having achieved;
varaiḥ—gifts; gurubhiḥ—by the spiritual masters; anujñātaḥ—
being ordered; gṛha-medhinām—of the householders; dharmān
—duties; anuśikṣamāṇaḥ—teaching by example; jayantyām—
in His wife, Jayantī; indra-dattāyām—offered by Lord Indra;
ubhaya-lakṣaṇam—of both types; karma—activities;
samāmnāyāmnātam—mentioned in the scriptures; abhiyuñjan
—performing; ātmajānām—sons; ātma-samānānām—exactly
like Himself; śatam—one hundred; janayām āsa—begot.
TRANSLATION
After Nābhi Mahārāja departed for Badarikāśrama, the
Supreme Lord, Ṛṣabhadeva, understood that His kingdom
was His field of activities. He therefore showed Himself as
an example and taught the duties of a householder by first
accepting brahmacarya under the direction of spiritual
masters. He also went to live at the spiritual masters' place,
gurukula. After His education was finished, He gave gifts
(guru-dakṣiṇā) to His spiritual masters and then accepted
the life of a householder. He took a wife named Jayantī and
begot one hundred sons who were as powerful and qualified
as He Himself. His wife Jayantī had been offered to Him by
Indra, the King of heaven. Ṛṣabhadeva and Jayantī
performed householder life in an exemplary way, carrying
out ritualistic activities ordained by the śruti and smṛti
śāstra.
PURPORT
Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

Ṛṣabhadeva had nothing to do with material affairs. As stated
in Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca
duṣkṛtām: [Bg. 4.8] the purpose of an incarnation is to liberate
His devotees and to stop the demoniac activities of
nondevotees. These are the two functions of the Supreme Lord
when He incarnates. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that in
order to preach, one must live a practical life and show people
how to do things. Āpani ācari' bhakti śikhāimu sabāre. One
cannot teach others unless he behaves the same way himself.
Ṛṣabhadeva was an ideal king, and He took His education in
the gurukula, although He was already educated because the
Supreme Lord is omniscient. Although Ṛṣabhadeva had
nothing to learn from gurukula, He went there just to teach the
people in general how to take an education from the right
source, from Vedic teachers. He then entered householder life
and lived according to the principles of Vedic knowledge—
śruti and smṛti. In his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.101) Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī, quoting the Skanda Purāṇa, states:
śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpātāyaiva kalpate
[Brs. 1.2.101]
Human society must follow the instructions received from śruti

and smṛti, Vedic literature. Practically applied in life this is
worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to
the pāñcarātrika-vidhi. Every human being must advance his
spiritual life and at the end return home, back to Godhead.
Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva strictly followed all these principles. He
remained an ideal gṛhastha and taught His sons how to become
perfect in spiritual life. These are some examples of how He
ruled the earth and completed His mission as an incarnation.
Anumanyamānaḥ means knowing. He showed others that they

should accept gurukula life. He taught dharma after taking
permission from teachers who received gifts. Performing
karmas of the śruti and smṛti (ubhaya-lakṣaṇam), he practiced
as instructed by the brāhmaṇas (samyagāmnāya āmnatām).
Medinī nays āmnāya means scripture and teaching.
TEXT - SB 5.4.9
yeṣāṁ khalu mahā-yogī bharato jyeṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭha-guṇa āsīd

yenedaṁ varṣaṁ bhāratam iti vyapadiśanti.
SYNONYMS
yeṣām—of whom; khalu—indeed; mahā-yogī—a very highly

exalted devotee of the Lord; bharataḥ—Bharata; jyeṣṭhaḥ—the
eldest; śreṣṭha-guṇaḥ—qualified with the best attributes; āsīt—
was; yena—by whom; idam—this; varṣam—planet; bhāratam
—Bhārata; iti—thus; vyapadiśanti—people call.
TRANSLATION
Of Ṛṣabhadeva's one hundred sons, the eldest, named
Bharata, was a great, exalted devotee qualified with the best
attributes. In his honor, this planet has become known as
Bhārata-varṣa.
PURPORT
This planet known as Bhārata-varṣa is also called puṇya-bhūmi,

the pious land. At the present moment Bhārata-bhūmi, or
Bhārata-varṣa, is a small piece of land extending from the
Himalaya Mountains to Cape Comorin. Sometimes this
peninsula is called puṇya-bhūmi. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has
given special importance to the people of this land.
bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
"One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of
India (Bhārata-varṣa) should make his life successful and work
for the benefit of all other people." (Cc. Ādi 9.41) The
inhabitants of this piece of land are very fortunate. They can
purify their existence by accepting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement and go outside Bhārata-bhūmi (India) and preach
this cult to benefit the whole world.
TEXT - SB 5.4.10
tam anu kuśāvarta ilāvarto brahmāvarto malayaḥ ketur

bhadrasena indraspṛg vidarbhaḥ kīkaṭa iti nava navati
pradhānāḥ.
SYNONYMS
tam—him; anu—following; kuśāvarta—Kuśāvarta; ilāvartaḥ

—Ilāvarta; brahmāvartaḥ—Brahmāvarta; malayaḥ—Malaya;
ketuḥ—Ketu; bhadra-senaḥ—Bhadrasena; indra-spṛk—
Indraspṛk; vidarbhaḥ—Vidarbha; kīkaṭaḥ—Kīkaṭa; iti—thus;
nava—nine; navati—ninety; pradhānāḥ—older than.
TRANSLATION
Following Bharata, there were ninety-nine other sons.
Among these were nine elderly sons, named Kuśāvarta,
Ilāvarta, Brahmāvarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena,
Indraspṛk, Vidarbha and Kīkaṭa.
Younger than Bharata (tam anu), were nine sons older than the
others (pradhānāḥ). Using the masculine instead of the neuter in
the word pradhānāḥ is poetic license.
TEXT - SB 5.4.11-12
kavir havir antarikṣaḥ
prabuddhaḥ pippalāyanaḥ
āvirhotro 'tha drumilaś
camasaḥ karabhājanaḥupaśamāyanam upariṣṭād

varṇayiṣyāmaḥ.
SYNONYMS
kaviḥ—Kavi; haviḥ—Havi; antarikṣaḥ—Antarikṣa;

prabuddhaḥ—Prabuddha; pippalāyanaḥ—Pippalāyana;
āvirhotraḥ—Avirhotra; atha—also; drumilaḥ—Drumila;
camasaḥ—Camasa; karabhājanaḥ—Karabhājana; iti—thus;
bhāgavata-dharma-darśanāḥ—authorized preachers of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; nava—nine; mahā-bhāgavatāḥ—highly
advanced devotees; teṣām—of them; sucaritam—good
characteristics; bhagavat-mahimā-upabṛṁhitam—accompanied
by the glories of the Supreme Lord; vasudeva-nārada-
saṁvādam—within the conversation between Vasudeva and
Nārada; upaśamāyanam—which gives full satisfaction to the
mind; upariṣṭāt—hereafter (in the Eleventh Canto);
varṇayiṣyāmaḥ—I shall vividly explain.
TRANSLATION
In addition to these sons were Kavi, Havi, Antarikṣa,
Prabuddha, Pippalāyana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and
Karabhājana. These were all very exalted, advanced
devotees and authorized preachers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
These devotees were glorified due to their strong devotion
to Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore they were very exalted. To satisfy the mind
perfectly, I [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] shall hereafter describe the
characteristics of these nine devotees when I discuss the
conversation between Nārada and Vasudeva.
Upariṣṭāt means later, in the Eleventh Canto.
TEXT - SB 5.4.13
yavīyāṁsa ekāśītir jāyanteyāḥ pitur ādeśakarā mahā-śālīnā

mahā-śrotriyā yajña-śīlāḥ karma-viśuddhā brāhmaṇā babhūvuḥ.
SYNONYMS
yavīyāṁsaḥ—younger; ekāśītiḥ—numbering eighty-one;
jāyanteyāḥ—the sons of Jayantī, the wife of Ṛṣabhadeva; pituḥ
—of their father; ādeśakarāḥ—following the order; mahā-
śālīnāḥ—well behaved. well cultured; mahā-śrotriyāḥ—
extremely learned in Vedic knowledge; yajña-śīlāḥ—expert in
performing ritualistic ceremonies; karma-viśuddhāḥ—very
pure in their activities; brāhmaṇāḥ—qualified brāhmaṇas;
babhūvuḥ—became.
TRANSLATION
In addition to these nineteen sons mentioned above, there
were eighty-one younger ones, all born of Ṛṣabhadeva and
Jayantī. According to the order of their father, they became
well cultured, well behaved, very pure in their activities and
expert in Vedic knowledge and the performance of Vedic
rituals. Thus they all became perfectly qualified
brāhmaṇas.
PURPORT
From this verse we have good information of how the castes

are qualified according to quality and work. Ṛṣabhadeva, a
king, was certainly a kṣatriya. He had a hundred sons, and out
of these, ten were engaged as kṣatriyas and ruled the planet.
Nine sons became good preachers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(mahā-bhāgavatas), and this indicates that they were above the
position of brāhmaṇas. The other eighty-one sons became
highly qualified brāhmaṇas. These are some practical examples
of how one can become fit for a certain type of activity by
qualification, not by birth. All the sons of Mahārāja
Ṛṣabhadeva were kṣatriyas by birth, but by quality some of
them became kṣatriyas, and some became brāhmaṇas. Nine
became preachers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (bhāgavata-dharma-
darśanāḥ), which means that they were above the categories of
kṣatriya and brāhmaṇa.
Mahāśālināḥ means very humble or well-behaved.
TEXT - SB 5.4.14
bhagavān ṛṣabha-saṁjña ātma-tantraḥ svayaṁ nitya-

nivṛttānartha-paramparaḥ kevalānandānubhava īśvara eva
viparītavat karmāṇy ārabhamāṇaḥ kālenānugataṁ dharmam
ācaraṇenopaśikṣayann atad-vidāṁ sama upaśānto maitraḥ
kāruṇiko dharmārtha-yaśaḥ-prajānandāmṛtāvarodhena gṛheṣu
lokaṁ niyamayat.
SYNONYMS
bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabha—

Ṛṣabha; saṁjñaḥ—named; ātma-tantraḥ—fully independent;
svayam—personally; nitya—eternally; nivṛtta—free from;
anartha—of things not wanted (birth, old age, disease and
death); paramparaḥ—the continual succession, one after
another; kevala—only; ānanda-anubhavaḥ—full of
transcendental bliss; īśvaraḥ—the Supreme Lord, the
controller; eva—indeed; viparīta-vat—just like the opposite;
karmāṇi—material activities; ārabhamāṇaḥ—performing;
kālena—in course of time; anugatam—neglected; dharmam—
the varṇāśrama-dharma; ācaraṇena—by executing;
upaśikṣayan—teaching; a-tat-vidām—persons who are in
ignorance; samaḥ—equipoised; upaśāntaḥ—undisturbed by the
material senses; maitraḥ—very friendly to everyone; kāruṇikaḥ
—very merciful to all; dharma—religious principles; artha—
economic development; yaśaḥ—reputation; prajā—sons and
daughters; ānanda—material pleasure; amṛta—eternal life;
avarodhena—for achieving; gṛheṣu—in household life; lokam
—the people in general; niyamayat—He regulated.
TRANSLATION
Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva was fully independent because
His form was spiritual, eternal and full of transcendental
bliss. He eternally had nothing to do with the four
principles of material misery [birth, death, old age and
disease]. Nor was He materially attached. He was always
equipoised, and He saw everyone on the same level. He was
unhappy to see others unhappy, and He was the well-wisher
of all living entities. Although He was a perfect personality,
the Supreme Lord and controller of all, He nonetheless
acted as if He were an ordinary conditioned soul. Therefore
He strictly followed the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma
and acted accordingly. In due course of time, the principles
of varṇāśrama-dharma had become neglected; therefore
through His personal characteristics and behavior, He
taught the ignorant public how to perform duties within the
varṇāśrama-dharma. In this way He regulated the general
populace in householder life, enabling them to develop
religion and economic well-being and to attain reputations,
sons and daughters, material pleasure and finally eternal
life. By His instructions, He showed how people could
remain householders and at the same time become perfect
by following the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma.
PURPORT
The varṇāśrama-dharma is meant for imperfect, conditioned

souls. It trains them to become spiritually advanced in order to
return home, back to Godhead. A civilization that does not
know the highest aim of life is no better than an animal society.
As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi
viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. A human society is meant for elevation to
spiritual knowledge so that all of the people can be freed from
the clutches of birth, death, old age and disease. The
varṇāśrama-dharma enables human society to become
perfectly fit for getting out of the clutches of māyā, and by
following the regulative principles of varṇāśrama-dharma, one
can become successful. In this regard, see Bhagavad-gītā
(3.21-24).
Viparītvat means like the jīva, who is not independent. The

accusative case should be substituted for the genitive case. By
attainment of dharma etc. he regulated the people. Another
version has nyaramayat (made blissful).
TEXT - SB 5.4.15
yad yac chīrṣaṇyācaritaṁ tat tad anuvartate lokaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yat yat—whatever; śīrṣaṇya—by the leading personalities;

ācaritam—performed; tat tat—that; anuvartate—follow; lokaḥ
—the people in general.
TRANSLATION
Whatever action is performed by a great man, common
men follow.
PURPORT
A similar verse is also found in Bhagavad-gītā (3.21). It is

essential for human society to have a section of men perfectly
trained as qualified brāhmaṇas according to the instructions of
Vedic knowledge. Those below the brahminical qualification—
administrators, merchants and workers—should take
instructions from those ideal people who are considered to be
intellectuals. In this way, everyone can be elevated to the
highest transcendental position and be freed from material
attachment. The material world is described by Lord Kṛṣṇa
Himself as duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15], a temporary
place of misery. No one can stay here, even if he makes a
compromise with misery. One has to give up this body and
accept another, which may not even be a human body. As soon
as one gets a material body, he becomes deha-bhṛt, or dehī. In
other words, he is subjected to all the material conditions. The
leaders of society must be so ideal that by following them one
can be relieved from the clutches of material existence.
Śīrṣaṇyaḥ means the best.
TEXT - SB 5.4.16
yadyapi sva-viditaṁ sakala-dharmaṁ brāhmaṁ guhyaṁ

brāhmaṇair darśita-mārgeṇa sāmādibhir upāyair janatām
anuśaśāsa.
SYNONYMS
yadyapi—although; sva-viditam—known by Him; sakala-

dharmam—which includes all different types of occupational
duties; brāhmam—Vedic instruction; guhyam—very
confidential; brāhmaṇaiḥ—by the brāhmaṇas; darśita-
mārgeṇa—by the path showed; sāma-ādibhiḥ—sāma, dama,
titikṣā (controlling the mind. controlling the senses, practicing
tolerance) and so on; upāyaiḥ—by the means; janatām—the
people in general; anuśaśāsa—he ruled over.
TRANSLATION
Although Lord Ṛṣabhadeva knew everything about
confidential Vedic knowledge, which includes information
about all types of occupational duties, He still maintained
Himself as a kṣatriya and followed the instructions of the
brāhmaṇas as they related to mind control, sense control,
tolerance and so forth. Thus He ruled the people according
to the system of varṇāśrama-dharma, which enjoins that
the brāhmaṇas instruct the kṣatriyas and the kṣatriyas
administer to the state through the vaiśyas and śūdras.
PURPORT
Although Ṛṣabhadeva knew all the Vedic instructions perfectly

well, He nonetheless followed the instructions of the
brāhmaṇas in order to perfectly maintain the social order. The
brāhmaṇas would give advice according to the śāstras, and all
the other castes would follow. The word brahma means
"perfect knowledge of all activities," and this knowledge is
very confidentially described in the Vedic literatures. Men
trained perfectly as brāhmaṇas should know all Vedic
literature, and the benefit derived from this literature should be
distributed to the general populace. The general populace
should follow the perfect brāhmaṇa. In this way, one can learn
how to control the mind and senses and thus gradually advance
to spiritual perfection.
Though he knew the secret explained in the Vedas which

included all, he taught the path shown by the brāhmaṇas.
TEXT - SB 5.4.17
dravya-deśa-kāla-vayaḥ-śraddhartvig-vividhoddeśopacitaiḥ
sarvair api kratubhir yathopadeśaṁ śata-kṛtva iyāja.
SYNONYMS
dravya—the ingredients for performing yajña; deśa—the

particular place, a holy place or a temple; kāla—the suitable
time, such as springtime; vayaḥ—the age, especially youth;
śraddhā—faith in goodness, not in passion and ignorance; ṛtvik
—the priests; vividha-uddeśa—worshiping different demigods
for different purposes; upacitaiḥ—enriched by; sarvaiḥ—all
kinds of; api—certainly; kratubhiḥ—by sacrificial ceremonies;
yathā-upadeśam—according to the instruction; śata-kṛtvaḥ—
one hundred times; iyāja—He worshiped.
TRANSLATION
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva performed all kinds of sacrifices one
hundred times according to the instructions of the Vedic
literatures. Thus He satisfied Lord Viṣṇu in every respect.
All the rituals were enriched by first-class ingredients. They
were executed in holy places according to the proper time
by priests who were all young and faithful. In this way Lord
Viṣṇu was worshiped, and the prasāda was offered to all the
demigods. Thus the functions and festivals were all
successful.
PURPORT
It is said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB

7.6.1). A ritual should be performed by young men, even boys,
at a tender age in order for the ritual to be performed
successfully. From childhood, people should be trained in
Vedic culture, especially in devotional service. In this way, one
can perfect one's life. A Vaiṣṇava does not disrespect the
demigods, but on the other hand he is not so foolish that he
accepts each and every demigod as the Supreme Lord. The
Supreme Lord is master of all demigods; therefore the
demigods are His servants. The Vaiṣṇava accepts them as
servants of the Supreme Lord, and he worships them directly.
In the Brahma-saṁhitā, the important demigods—Lord Śiva,
Lord Brahmā and even the incarnations and expansions of Lord
Kṛṣṇa like Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and all the
other viṣṇu-tattvas, as well as the śakti-tattvas like Durgādevī
—are all worshiped by the process of worshiping Govinda with
the words govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi . A
Vaiṣṇava worships the demigods in relation to Govinda, not
independently. Vaiṣṇavas are not so foolish that they consider
the demigods independent of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Ekale
īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: [Cc. Ādi 5.142] the supreme
master is Kṛṣṇa, and all others are His servants.
He worshipped by sacrifices filled with (upacita) abundant

ingredients etc. Age refers to youth because it is said yuvaiva
dharmam anvicchet: one should execute dharma during one’s
youth. He worshipped with various devatās as the object.
TEXT - SB 5.4.18
bhagavatarṣabheṇa parirakṣyamāṇa etasmin varṣe na kaścana

puruṣo vāñchaty avidyamānam ivātmano 'nyasmāt kathañcana
kimapi karhicid avekṣate bhartary anusavanaṁ vijṛmbhita-
snehātiśayam antareṇa.
SYNONYMS
bhagavatā—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabheṇa

—King Ṛṣabha; parirakṣyamāṇe—being protected; etasmin—
on this; varṣe—planet; na—not; kaścana—anyone; puruṣaḥ—
even a common man; vāñchati—desires; avidyamānam—not
existing in reality; iva—as if; ātmanaḥ—for himself; anyasmāt
—from anyone else; kathañcana—by any means; kimapi—
anything; karhicit—at any time; avekṣate—does care to see;
bhartari—toward the master; anusavanam—always; vijṛmbhita
—expanding; sneha-atiśayam—very great affection; antareṇa
—within one's self.
TRANSLATION
No one likes to possess anything that is like a will-o'-the-
wisp or a flower in the sky, for everyone knows very well
that such things do not exist. When Lord Ṛṣabhadeva ruled
this planet of Bhāratavarṣa, even common men did not
want to ask for anything, at any time or by any means. No
one ever asks for a will-o'-the-wisp. In other words,
everyone was completely satisfied, and therefore there was
no chance of anyone's asking for anything. The people were
absorbed in great affection for the King. Since this affection
was always expanding, they were not inclined to ask for
anything.
PURPORT
In Bengal the word ghoḍā-ḍimba is used, which means "the egg

of a horse." Since a horse never lays an egg, the word ghoḍā-
ḍimba actually has no meaning. In Sanskrit there is a word kha-
puṣpa, which means "the flower in the sky." No flower grows
in the sky; therefore no one is interested in asking for kha-
puṣpa or ghoḍā-ḍimba. During the reign of Mahārāja
Ṛṣabhadeva, people were so well equipped that they did not
want to ask for anything. They were immensely supplied with
all necessities for life due to King Ṛṣabhadeva's good
government. Consequently everyone felt full satisfaction and
did not want anything. This is the perfection of government. If
the citizens are unhappy due to bad government, the heads of
government are condemned. During these democratic days,
monarchy is disliked by the people, but here is an example of
how an emperor of the whole world kept all the citizens fully
satisfied by supplying the necessities of life and following the
Vedic principles. Thus everyone was happy during the reign of
Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
While the planet was protected by Ṛṣabhadeva, no one had any

desire for anything non-existent (avidyamānam) like a flower in
the sky of himself, by taking from others. Everyone had only
great affection with their total selves (antarena) for
Ṛṣabhadeva. According to Amara-koṣa the word antara means
opportunity, space, period, cloth, disappearance, difference, in
reference to, an opening, one’s own, except, outside, occasion,
within and the inner soul.
TEXT - SB 5.4.19
sa kadācid aṭamāno bhagavān ṛṣabho brahmāvarta-gato

brahmarṣi-pravara-sabhāyāṁ prajānāṁ niśāmayantīnām
ātmajān avahitātmanaḥ praśraya-praṇaya-bhara-suyantritān apy
upaśikṣayann iti hovāca.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—He; kadācit—once; aṭamānaḥ—while on tour; bhagavān

—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabhaḥ—Lord
Ṛṣabha; brahmāvarta-gataḥ—when He reached the place
known as Brahmāvarta (identified by some as Burma and by
others as a place near Kanpura, Uttar Pradesh); brahma-ṛṣi-
pravara-sabhāyām—in a meeting of first-class brāhmaṇas;
prajānām—while the citizens; niśāmayantīnām—were hearing;
ātmajān—His sons; avahita-ātmanaḥ—attentive; praśraya—of
good behavior; praṇaya—of devotion; bhara—by an
abundance; su-yantritān—well controlled; api—although;
upaśikṣayan—teaching; iti—thus; ha—certainly; uvāca—said.
TRANSLATION
Once while touring the world, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the
Supreme Lord, reached a place known as Brahmāvarta.
There was a great conference of learned brāhmaṇas at that
place, and all the King's sons attentively heard the
instructions of the brāhmaṇas there. At that assembly,
within the hearing of the citizens, Ṛṣabhadeva instructed
His sons, although they were already very well behaved,
devoted and qualified. He instructed them so that in the
future they could rule the world very perfectly. Thus he
spoke as follows.
PURPORT
The instructions of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons are very

valuable if one wants to live peacefully within this world,
which is full of miseries. In the next chapter, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva
gives His sons these valuable instructions.
Thus ends the commentary on the Fourth Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Fourth

Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The
Characteristics of Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead."
5. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's Teachings to His
Sons
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10-13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
18, 19, 20, 21-22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34,
35
Chapter Summary
In this chapter there is a description of bhāgavata-dharma,

religious principles in devotional service that transcend
religious principles for liberation and the mitigation of material
misery. It is stated in this chapter that a human being should not
work hard like dogs and hogs for sense gratification. The
human life is especially meant for the revival of our
relationship with the Supreme Lord, and to this end all kinds of
austerities and penances should be accepted. By austere
activities, one's heart can be cleansed of material
contamination, and as a result one can be situated on the
spiritual platform. To attain this perfection, one has to take
shelter of a devotee and serve him. Then the door of liberation
will be open. Those who are materially attached to women and
sense gratification gradually become entangled in material
consciousness and suffer the miseries of birth, old age, disease
and death. Those who are engaged in the general welfare of all
and who are not attached to children and family are called
mahātmās. Those who are engaged in sense gratification. who
act piously or impiously, cannot understand the purpose of the
soul. Therefore they should approach a highly elevated devotee
and accept him as a spiritual master. By his association, one
will be able to understand the purpose of life. Under the
instructions of such a spiritual master, one can attain devotional
service to the Lord, detachment from material things, and
tolerance of material misery and distress. One can then see all
living entities equally, and one becomes very eager to know
about transcendental subject matters. Endeavoring persistently
for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, one becomes detached from wife,
children and home. He is not interested in wasting time. In this
way one becomes self-realized. A person advanced in spiritual
knowledge does not engage anyone in material activity. And
one who cannot deliver another person by instructing him in
devotional service should not become a spiritual master, father,
mother, demigod or husband. Instructing His one hundred sons,
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva advised them to accept their eldest brother,
Bharata, as their guide and lord, and thereby serve him. Of all
living entities, the brāhmaṇas are the best, and above the
brāhmaṇas the Vaiṣṇavas are situated in an even better
position. Serving a Vaiṣṇava means serving the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Thus Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the
characteristics of Bharata Mahārāja and the sacrificial
performance executed by Lord Ṛṣabhadeva for the instruction
of the general populace.
TEXT - SB 5.5.1
ṛṣabha uvāca
nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke

kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam
SYNONYMS
ṛṣabhaḥ uvāca—Lord Ṛṣabhadeva said; na—not; ayam—this;

dehaḥ—body; deha-bhājām—of all living entities who have
accepted material bodies; nṛ-loke—in this world; kaṣṭān—
troublesome; kāmān—sense gratification; arhate—deserves;
viṭ-bhujām—of stool-eaters; ye—which; tapaḥ—austerities and
penances; divyam—divine; putrakāḥ—My dear sons; yena—by
which; sattvam—the heart; śuddhyet—becomes purified;
yasmāt—from which; brahma-saukhyam—spiritual happiness;
tu—certainly; anantam—unending.
TRANSLATION
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the
living entities who have accepted material bodies in this
world, one who has been awarded this human form should
not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification,
which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One
should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine
position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart
is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains
eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material
happiness and which continues forever.
PURPORT
In this verse Lord Ṛṣabhadeva tells His sons about the

importance of human life. The word deha-bhāk refers to
anyone who accepts a material body, but the living entity who
is awarded the human form must act differently from animals.
Animals like dogs and hogs enjoy sense gratification by eating
stool. After undergoing severe hardships all day, human beings
are trying to enjoy themselves at night by eating, drinking,
having sex and sleeping. At the same time, they have to
properly defend themselves. However, this is not human
civilization. Human life means voluntarily practicing suffering
for the advancement of spiritual life. There is, of course,
suffering in the lives of animals and plants, which are suffering
due to their past misdeeds. However, human beings should
voluntarily accept suffering in the form of austerities and
penances in order to attain the divine life. After attaining the
divine life, one can enjoy happiness eternally. After all, every
living entity is trying to enjoy happiness, but as long as one is
encaged in the material body, he has to suffer different kinds of
misery. A higher sense is present in the human form. We
should act according to superior advice in order to attain eternal
happiness and go back to Godhead.
It is significant in this verse that the government and the natural

guardian, the father, should educate subordinates and raise
them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
every living being suffers in this cycle of birth and death
perpetually. To relieve them from this bondage and enable
them to become blissful and happy, bhakti-yoga should be
taught. A foolish civilization neglects to teach people how to
rise to the platform of bhakti-yoga. Without Kṛṣṇa
consciousness a person is no better than a hog or dog. The
instructions of Ṛṣabhadeva are very essential at the present
moment. People are being educated and trained to work very
hard for sense gratification, and there is no sublime aim in life.
A man travels to earn his livelihood, leaving home early in the
morning, catching a local train and being packed in a
compartment. He has to stand for an hour or two in order to
reach his place of business. Then again he takes a bus to get to
the office. At the office he works hard from nine to five; then
he takes two or three hours to return home. After eating, he has
sex and goes to sleep. For all this hardship, his only happiness
is a little sex. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham
[SB 7.9.45]. Ṛṣabhadeva clearly states that human life is not
meant for this kind of existence, which is enjoyed even by dogs
and hogs. Indeed, dogs and hogs do not have to work so hard
for sex. A human being should try to live in a different way and
should not try to imitate dogs and hogs. The alternative is
mentioned. Human life is meant for tapasya, austerity and
penance. By tapasya, one can get out of the material clutches.
When one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional
service, his happiness is guaranteed eternally. By taking to
bhakti-yoga, devotional service, one's existence is purified. The
living entity is seeking happiness life after life, but he can make
a solution to all his problems simply by practicing bhakti-yoga.
Then he immediately becomes eligible to return home, back to
Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9):
janma karma ca me divyam

evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so 'rjuna
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance

and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth
again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O
Arjuna."
In the Fifth Chapter, after giving instructions on bhakti to the

Lord to his sons and citizens, Ṛṣabhadeva makes Bharata the
king. He goes to the forest and shows the conduct of a dumb
man.
It was mentioned in the previous chapter that Ṛṣabhadeva gave

instructions. In order to establish bhakti-yoga, he first says that
material enjoyment should not be practiced as the goal in life
for a person with a human body. One should not have desires
which give trouble, such as seeing or touching a woman. Why?
These desires are available in the pig body. By enjoying
material objects, the human body becomes equal to that of the
pig. One should strive in the human body for what is not
available in the pig body. Austerity is the distinguishing
characteristic of the human. However, the trees also perform
austerity--not eating, and tolerating the rain and sun. Therefore
such things are excluded by saying that this austerity is related
to the Lord. It is spiritual (divyam) austerity. O sons (putrakāḥ)!
The suffix ka indicates compassion for them. By this austerity
the antaḥkaraṇa (sattvam) becomes purified.
TEXT - SB 5.5.2
mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes
tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam
mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā
vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye
SYNONYMS
mahat-sevām—service to the spiritually advanced persons

called mahātmās; dvāram—the way; āhuḥ—they say; vimukteḥ
—of liberation; tamaḥ-dvāram—the way to the dungeon of a
dark, hellish condition of life; yoṣitām—of women; saṅgi—of
associates; saṅgam—association; mahāntaḥ—highly advanced
in spiritual understanding; te—they; sama-cittāḥ—persons who
see everyone in a spiritual identity; praśāntāḥ—very peaceful,
situated in Brahman or Bhagavān; vimanyavaḥ—without anger
(one must distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to persons who are
hostile without becoming angry at them); suhṛdaḥ—well-
wishers of everyone; sādhavaḥ—qualified devotees, without
abominable behavior; ye—they who.
TRANSLATION
One can attain the path of liberation from material
bondage only by rendering service to highly advanced
spiritual personalities. These personalities are
impersonalists and devotees. Whether one wants to merge
into the Lord's existence or wants to associate with the
Personality of Godhead, one should render service to the
mahātmās. For those who are not interested in such
activities, who associate with people fond of women and sex,
the path to hell is wide open. The mahātmās are equipoised.
They do not see any difference between one living entity
and another. They are very peaceful and are fully engaged
in devotional service. They are devoid of anger, and they
work for the benefit of everyone. They do not behave in any
abominable way. Such people are known as mahātmās.
PURPORT
The human body is like a junction. One may either take the
path of liberation or the path leading to a hellish condition.
How one can take these paths is described herein. On the path
of liberation, one associates with mahātmās, and on the path of
bondage one associates with those attached to sense
gratification and women. There are two types of mahātmās—
the impersonalist and the devotee. Although their ultimate goal
is different, the process of emancipation is almost the same.
Both want eternal happiness. One seeks happiness in
impersonal Brahman, and the other seeks happiness in the
association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As
described in the first verse: brahma-saukhyam. Brahman means
spiritual or eternal; both the impersonalist and the devotee seek
eternal blissful life. In any case, it is advised that one become
perfect. In the words of Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.87):
asat-saṅga-tyāga,—ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra
'strī-saṅgī'—eka asādhu, 'kṛṣṇābhakta' āra
To remain unattached to the modes of material nature, one

should avoid associating with those who are asat, materialistic.
There are two kinds of materialists. One is attached to women
and sense gratification, and the other is simply a nondevotee.
On the positive side is association with mahātmās, and on the
negative side is the avoidance of nondevotees and women-
hunters.
From the human body, one can gain deliverance or fall down.
The cause for both lies in the human body. Association with the
saintly is the door to different types (vi) of liberation. It was
mentioned in the previous verse that one attains the infinite
happiness of Brahman. The Brahman has two types: impersonal
and personal. Thus the word vi indicates a variety of
liberations: merging and becoming an associate of the Lord.
Mahantaḥ also means two varieties of saints: worshippers of
the impersonal Brahman and worshippers of Bhagavān. Their
differing qualities are described in double language. Samacittāḥ
means one who sees no differences (impersonalist) and one
whose heart is sincere (the devotee). Praśāntāḥ means one who
is peaceful and the devotee whose intelligence is fixed in the
Lord. Śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddheḥ: śama means intelligence
fixed in me. (SB 11.19.36) Vimanyavaḥ, suhrḍaḥ and sādhavaḥ
have the same meaning for the impersonalist and the devotee.
Sādhavaḥ means “those who do not see fault in others.”
TEXT - SB 5.5.3
ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā
janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu
gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu
na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke
SYNONYMS
ye—those who; vā—or; mayi—unto Me; īśe—the Supreme

Personality of Godhead; kṛta-sauhṛda-arthāḥ—very eager to
develop love (in a relationship of dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya or
mādhurya); janeṣu—to people; dehambhara-vārtikeṣu—who
are interested only in maintaining the body, not in spiritual
salvation; gṛheṣu—to the home; jāyā—wife; ātma-ja—
children; rāti—wealth or friends; matsu—consisting of; na—
not; prīti-yuktāḥ—very attached; yāvat-arthāḥ—who live by
collecting only as much as required; ca—and; loke—in the
material world.
TRANSLATION
Those who are interested in reviving Kṛṣṇa consciousness
and increasing their love of Godhead do not like to do
anything that is not related to Kṛṣṇa. They are not
interested in mingling with people who are busy
maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping, mating and
defending. They are not attached to their homes, although
they may be householders. Nor are they attached to wives,
children, friends or wealth. At the same time, they are not
indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such people are
interested in collecting only enough money to keep the body
and soul together.
PURPORT
Whether he is an impersonalist or a devotee, one who is

actually interested in advancing spiritually should not mingle
with those who are simply interested in maintaining the body
by means of the so-called advancement of civilization. Those
who are interested in spiritual life should not be attached to
homely comforts in the company of wife, children, friends and
so forth. Even if one is a gṛhastha and has to earn his
livelihood, he should be satisfied by collecting only enough
money to maintain body and soul together. One should not
have more than that nor less than that. As indicated herein, a
householder should endeavor to earn money for the execution
of bhakti-yoga-śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-
sevanam/ arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-
nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]. A householder should lead such a life
that he gets full opportunity to hear and chant. He should
worship the Deity at home, observe festivals, invite friends in
and give them prasāda. A householder should earn money for
this purpose, not for sense gratification.
The extraordinary qualities of the second type of person are

described. Those devotees have as their goal (arthāḥ) prīti for
me, the Lord. They do not consider anything else as the goal of
life. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the word vā indicates that the
devotee is indifferent to everything else. They are not attached
to those who enjoy living or discussing with persons attached to
maintaining the body, with eating and drinking, who have
houses with wives, children and wealth (rāti). Why do the
devotees remain in their houses? Since they can perform bhakti
such as serving the Lord’s lotus feet, which requires wealth, by
that wealth that they possess in family life, they remain in their
houses. The word tāvat should be supplied along with yāvat.
TEXT - SB 5.5.4
nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam
asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
SYNONYMS
nūnam—indeed; pramattaḥ—mad; kurute—performs; vikarma

—sinful activities forbidden in the scriptures; yat—when;
indriya-prītaye—for sense gratification; āpṛṇoti—engages; na
—not; sādhu—befitting; manye—I think; yataḥ—by which;
ātmanaḥ—of the soul; ayam—this; asan—being temporary;
api—although; kleśa-daḥ—giving misery; āsa—became
possible; dehaḥ—the body.
TRANSLATION
When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life,
he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and
engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that
due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body
which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery.
Actually the living entity should not have taken on a
material body, but he has been awarded the material body
for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an
intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of
sense gratification by which he perpetually gets material
bodies one after another.
PURPORT
Begging, borrowing and stealing to live for sense gratification

is condemned in this verse because such consciousness leads
one to a dark, hellish condition. The four sinful activities are
illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. These are
the means by which one gets another material body that is full
of miseries. In the Vedas it is said: asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ.
The living entity is not really connected with this material
world, but due to his tendency to enjoy the material senses. he
is put into the material condition. One should perfect his life by
associating with devotees. He should not become further
implicated in the material body.
He already stated that those persons who are attached to women

fall down. He illustrates this and laments for those persons.
When a person acts for sense pleasure he engages himself in
sinful activities like enjoying others’ wives. Because of
previous sins (yataḥ), one attains the present body which gives
suffering. With this body one again performs sinful acts. I do
not consider this proper. This body does not actually belong to
the jīva (asan api ātmanaḥ). The śruti says asaṅgo hy ayam
puruṣaḥ: the jīva is not associated with the material body.
(Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.3.15)
TEXT - SB 5.5.5
parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto
yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam
yāvat kriyās tāvad idaṁ mano vai
karmātmakaṁ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ
SYNONYMS
parābhavaḥ—defeat, misery; tāvat—so long; abodha-jātaḥ—

produced from ignorance; yāvat—as long as; na—not; jijñāsate
—inquires about; ātma-tattvam—the truth of the self; yāvat—
as long as; kriyāḥ—fruitive activities; tāvat—so long; idam—
this; manaḥ—mind; vai—indeed; karma-ātmakam—absorbed
in material activities; yena—by which; śarīra-bandhaḥ—
bondage in this material body.
TRANSLATION
As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of
life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from
ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant
actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his
mind is called karmātmaka, colored with fruitive activity.
As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and
as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to
accept a material body.
PURPORT
Generally people think that one should act very piously in order
to be relieved from misery, but this is not a fact. Even though
one engages in pious activity and speculation, he is nonetheless
defeated. His only aim should be emancipation from the
clutches of māyā and all material activities. Speculative
knowledge and pious activity do not solve the problems of
material life. One should be inquisitive to understand his
spiritual position. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.37):
yathaidhāṁsi samiddho 'gnir

bhasmasāt kurute 'rjuna
jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi
bhasmasāt kurute tathā
"As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does
the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material
activities."
Unless one understands the self and its activities, one has to be
considered in material bondage. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(10.2.32) it is also said: ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas
tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. A person who doesn't
have knowledge of devotional service may think himself
liberated, but actually he is not. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ
padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: [SB
10.2.32] such people may approach the impersonal Brahman
effulgence, but they fall down again into material enjoyment
because they have no knowledge of devotional service. As long
as one is interested in karma and jñāna, he continues enduring
the miseries of material life—birth, old age, disease and death.
Karmīs certainly take on one body after another. As far as
jñānīs are concerned, unless they are promoted to the topmost
understanding, they must return to the material world. As
explained in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19): bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. The point is to know Kṛṣṇa,
Vāsudeva, as everything and surrender unto Him. Karmīs do
not know this, but a devotee who is one hundred percent
engaged in the devotional service of the Lord knows fully what
is karma and jñāna; therefore a pure devotee is no longer
interested in karma or jñāna. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-
karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. The real bhakta is
untouched by any tinge of karma and jñāna. His only purpose
in life is to serve the Lord.
“Then one should perform pious acts.” Since pious acts are also
a cause of saṁsāra, and thus cause suffering, one should engage
in jñāna which destroys sin and piety. Dependence on karma or
bondage of the jīva (parābhavaḥ) is produced from ignorance.
This remains as long as one doe not inquire about the ātmā.
Jñānāgniḥ sarvakarmāṇi bhasmasāt kurute ’rjuna: O Arjuna, the
fire of knowledge burns all karmas to ashes. (BG 4.37) As long
as knowledge does not arise, karmas are not destroyed. As long
as pious and sinful acts remain, the mind will remain absorbed
in action. Because of the mind absorbed in actions, bondage to
bodies continues.
TEXT - SB 5.5.6
evaṁ manaḥ karma-vaśaṁ prayuṅkte
avidyayātmany upadhīyamāne
prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve
na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; manaḥ—the mind; karma-vaśam—subjugated by

fruitive activities; prayuṅkte—acts; avidyayā—by ignorance;
ātmani—when the living entity; upadhīyamāne—is covered;
prītiḥ—love; na—not; yāvat—as long as; mayi—unto Me;
vāsudeve—Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa; na—not; mucyate—is delivered;
deha-yogena—from contact with the material body; tāvat—so
long.
TRANSLATION
When the living entity is covered by the mode of ignorance,
he does not understand the individual living being and the
supreme living being, and his mind is subjugated to fruitive
activity. Therefore, until one has love for Lord Vāsudeva,
who is none other than Myself, he is certainly not delivered
from having to accept a material body again and again.
PURPORT
When the mind is polluted by fruitive activity, the living entity

wants to be elevated from one material position to another.
Generally everyone is involved in working hard day and night
to improve his economic condition. Even when one
understands the Vedic rituals, he becomes interested in
promotion to heavenly planets, not knowing that one's real
interest lies in returning home, back to Godhead. By acting on
the platform of fruitive activity, one wanders throughout the
universe in different species and forms. Unless he comes in
contact with a devotee of the Lord, a guru, he does not become
attached to the service of Lord Vāsudeva. Knowledge of
Vāsudeva requires many births to understand. As confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā (7.19): vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā
sudurlabhaḥ. After struggling for existence for many births one
may take shelter at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. When
this happens. one actually becomes wise and surrenders unto
Him. That is the only way to stop the repetition of birth and
death. This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya
19.151) in the instructions given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī at Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa.
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
The living entity wanders throughout different planets in

different forms and bodies, but if by chance he comes in
contact with a bona fide spiritual master, by the grace of the
spiritual master he receives Lord Kṛṣṇa's shelter, and his
devotional life begins.
How does the mind become absorbed in action? Ancient or

recent karmas make the mind fixed in action (karma-vaśam). In
this way the mind becomes absorbed in action. One becomes
absorbed in that object upon which one depends. However the
actions of the liberated soul are excluded from this analysis.
While the jīva is engaged by ignorance, with a covering of the
subtle body, he will remain with a material body as long as
bhakti which uproots all karma does not appear.
TEXT - SB 5.5.7
yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehāṁ

svārthe pramattaḥ sahasā vipaścit
gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān
āsādya maithunyam agāram ajñaḥ
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; na—not; paśyati—sees; ayathā—unnecessary;

guṇa-īhām—endeavor to satisfy the senses; sva-arthe—in self-
interest; pramattaḥ—mad; sahasā—very soon; vipaścit—even
one advanced in knowledge; gata-smṛtiḥ—being forgetful;
vindati—gets; tatra—there; tāpān—material miseries; āsādya
—getting; maithunyam—based on sexual intercourse; agāram
—a home; ajñaḥ—being foolish.
TRANSLATION
Even though one may be very learned and wise, he is mad if
he does not understand that the endeavor for sense
gratification is a useless waste of time. Being forgetful of his
own interest, he tries to be happy in the material world,
centering his interests around his home, which is based on
sexual intercourse and which brings him all kinds of
material miseries. In this way one is no better than a foolish
animal.
PURPORT
In the lowest stage of devotional life, one is not an unalloyed

devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: [Cc.
Madhya 19.167] to be an unalloyed devotee, one must be freed
from all material desires and untouched by fruitive activity and
speculative knowledge. On the lower platform, one may
sometimes be interested in philosophical speculation with a
tinge of devotion. However, at that stage one is still interested
in sense gratification and is contaminated by the modes of
material nature. The influence of māyā is so strong that even a
person advanced in knowledge actually forgets that he is
Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant. Therefore he remains satisfied in his
householder life, which is centered around sexual intercourse.
Conceding to a life of sex, he agrees to suffer all kinds of
material miseries. Due to ignorance, one is thus bound by the
chain of material laws.
Freedom from karma takes place at the mature stage of jñāna

mixed with bhakti, not at the immature stage. When even the
wise man does not see desire for senses objects such as sound
(guṇa) as useless, he suddenly loses his memory and
experiences great pain after attaining the house meant for
sexual pleasure. Another version has yadā anupaśyati: when the
wise man sees the actions of the senses falsely, thinking the
actions to be his alone, he suddenly loses his memory of his
true self.
TEXT - SB 5.5.8
puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ

tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ
ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair
janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti
SYNONYMS
puṁsaḥ—of a male; striyāḥ—of a female; mithunī-bhāvam—

attraction for sexual life; etam—this; tayoḥ—of both of them;
mithaḥ—between one another; hṛdaya-granthim—the knot of
the hearts; āhuḥ—they call; ataḥ—thereafter; gṛha—by home;
kṣetra—field; suta—children; āpta—relatives; vittaiḥ—and by
wealth; janasya—of the living being; mohaḥ—illusion; ayam—
this; aham—I; mama—mine; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
The attraction between male and female is the basic
principle of material existence. On the basis of this
misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male
and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home,
property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one
increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of "I and
mine."
PURPORT
Sex serves as the natural attraction between man and woman,

and when they are married, their relationship becomes more
involved. Due to the entangling relationship between man and
woman, there is a sense of illusion whereby one thinks, "This
man is my husband," or "This woman is my wife." This is
called hṛdaya-granthi, "the hard knot in the heart." This knot is
very difficult to undo, even though a man and woman separate
either for the principles of varṇāśrama or simply to get a
divorce. In any case, the man always thinks of the woman, and
the woman always thinks of the man. Thus a person becomes
materially attached to family, property and children, although
all of these are temporary. The possessor unfortunately
identifies with his property and wealth. Sometimes, even after
renunciation, one becomes attached to a temple or to the few
things that constitute the property of a sannyāsī, but such
attachment is not as strong as family attachment. The
attachment to the family is the strongest illusion. In the Satya-
saṁhitā, it is stated:
brahmādyā yājñavalkādyā
mucyante strī-sahāyinaḥ
bodhyante kecanaiteṣāṁ
viśeṣam ca vido viduḥ
Sometimes it is found among exalted personalities like Lord

Brahmā that the wife and children are not a cause of bondage.
On the contrary, the wife actually helps further spiritual life and
liberation. Nonetheless, most people are bound by the knots of
the marital relationship, and consequently they forget their
relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

When one identifies the action of one’s senses with oneself, the
illusion arising from association with family members is greater
than anything else. Two knots are tied between husband and
wife. One knot is “This is my wife.” On this knot, the second
knot is tied: “This is my husband.” Though the man may desire
to give up relationships, the wife will not give him up. This is
the depth of the knot. The knot tied between father and son is
also implied. If one is not attached to a family, but identifies as
one’s possessions one’s clothing, chair or utensils, the bondage
is not so great, since there is no mutual bondage. Because of the
mutual knots in the hearts, one falls under illusion, thinking “I
am a householder. This is my house.”
TEXT - SB 5.5.9
yadā mano-hṛdaya-granthir asya
karmānubaddho dṛḍha āślatheta
tadā janaḥ samparivartate 'smād
muktaḥ paraṁ yāty atihāya hetum
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; manaḥ—the mind; hṛdaya-granthiḥ—the knot in

the heart; asya—of this person; karma-anubaddhaḥ—bound by
the results of his past deeds; dṛḍhaḥ—very strong; āślatheta—
becomes slackened; tadā—at that time; janaḥ—the conditioned
soul; samparivartate—turns away; asmāt—from this
attachment for sex life; muktaḥ—liberated; param—to the
transcendental world; yāti—goes; atihāya—giving up; hetum—
the original cause.
TRANSLATION
When the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in
material life due to the results of past action is slackened,
one turns away from his attachment to home, wife and
children. In this way, one gives up the basic principle of
illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated. Thus one goes
to the transcendental world.
PURPORT
When, by associating with sādhus and engaging in devotional

service, one is gradually freed from the material conception due
to knowledge, practice and detachment, the knot of attachment
in the heart is slackened. Thus one can get freed from
conditional life and become eligible to return home, back to
Godhead.
This verse explains when liberation takes place. When the knot
in the heart, in the mind, though bound by karmas of the jīva,
becomes loosened by practice of jñāna and vairāgya, one
becomes detached from the condition of husband and wife
(asmād). Having given up the cause (hetum), the covering of
ahaṅkāra, one becomes liberated and attains the supreme abode.
TEXT - SB 5.5.10-13
haṁse gurau mayi bhaktyānuvṛtyā
vitṛṣṇayā dvandva-titikṣayā ca
sarvatra jantor vyasanāvagatyā
jijñāsayā tapasehā-nivṛttyā
mat-karmabhir mat-kathayā ca nityaṁ
mad-deva-saṅgād guṇa-kīrtanān me
nirvaira-sāmyopaśamena putrā
jihāsayā deha-gehātma-buddheḥ
adhyātma-yogena vivikta-sevayā
prāṇendriyātmābhijayena sadhryak
sac-chraddhayā brahmacaryeṇa śaśvad
asampramādena yamena vācām
sarvatra mad-bhāva-vicakṣaṇena
jñānena vijñāna-virājitena
yogena dhṛty-udyama-sattva-yukto
liṅgaṁ vyapohet kuśalo 'ham-ākhyam
SYNONYMS
haṁse—who is a paramahaṁsa, or the most exalted. spiritually

advanced person; gurau—to the spiritual master; mayi—unto
Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktyā—by
devotional service; anuvṛtyā—by following; vitṛṣṇayā—by
detachment from sense gratification; dvandva—of the dualities
of the material world; titikṣayā—by tolerance; ca—also;
sarvatra—everywhere; jantoḥ—of the living entity; vyasana—
the miserable condition of life; avagatyā—by realizing;
jijñāsayā—by inquiring about the truth; tapasā—by practicing
austerities and penances; īhā-nivṛttyā—by giving up the
endeavor for sense enjoyment; mat-karmabhiḥ—by working
for Me; mat-kathayā—by hearing topics about Me; ca—also;
nityam—always; mat-deva-saṅgāt—by association with My
devotees; guṇa-kīrtanāt me—by chanting and glorifying My
transcendental qualities; nirvaira—being without enmity;
sāmya—seeing everyone equally by spiritual understanding;
upaśamena—by subduing anger, lamentation and so on; putrāḥ
—O sons; jihāsayā—by desiring to give up; deha—with the
body; geha—with the home; ātma-buddheḥ—identification of
the self; adhyātma-yogena—by study of the revealed
scriptures; vivikta-sevayā—by living in a solitary place; prāṇa
—the life air; indriya—the senses; ātma—the mind; abhijayena
—by controlling; sadhryak—completely; sat-śraddhayā—by
developing faith in the scriptures; brahmacaryeṇa—by
observing celibacy; śaśvat—always; asampramādena—by not
being bewildered; yamena—by restraint; vācām—of words;
sarvatra—everywhere; mat-bhāva—thinking of Me;
vicakṣaṇena—by observing; jñānena—by development of
knowledge; vijñāna—by practical application of knowledge;
virājitena—illumined; yogena—by practice of bhakti-yoga;
dhṛti—patience; udyama—enthusiasm; sattva—discretion;
yuktaḥ—endowed with; liṅgam—the cause of material
bondage; vyapohet—one can give up; kuśalaḥ—in full
auspiciousness; aham-ākhyam—false ego, false identification
with the material world.
TRANSLATION
O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated
paramahaṁsa, a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In
this way, you should place your faith and love in Me, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should detest sense
gratification and tolerate the duality of pleasure and pain,
which are like the seasonal changes of summer and winter.
Try to realize the miserable condition of living entities, who
are miserable even in the higher planetary systems.
Philosophically inquire about the truth. Then undergo all
kinds of austerities and penances for the sake of devotional
service. Give up the endeavor for sense enjoyment and
engage in the service of the Lord. Listen to discussions
about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and always
associate with devotees. Chant about and glorify the
Supreme Lord, and look upon everyone equally on the
spiritual platform. Give up enmity and subdue anger and
lamentation. Abandon identifying the self with the body
and the home, and practice reading the revealed scriptures.
Live in a secluded place and practice the process by which
you can completely control your life air, mind and senses.
Have full faith in the revealed scriptures, the Vedic
literatures, and always observe celibacy. Perform your
prescribed duties and avoid unnecessary talks. Always
thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acquire
knowledge from the right source. Thus practicing bhakti-
yoga, you will patiently and enthusiastically be elevated in
knowledge and will be able to give up the false ego.
PURPORT
In these four verses, Ṛṣabhadeva tells His sons how they can be
freed from the false identification arising from false ego and
material conditional life. One gradually becomes liberated by
practicing as mentioned above. All these prescribed methods
enable one to give up the material body (liṅgaṁ vyapohet) and
be situated in his original spiritual body. First of all one has to
accept a bona fide spiritual master. This is advocated by Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: śrī-guru-
pādāśrayaḥ. To be freed from the entanglement of the material
world, one has to approach a spiritual master. Tad-
vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. By
questioning the spiritual master and by serving him, one can
advance in spiritual life. When one engages in devotional
service, naturally the attraction for personal comfort—for
eating, sleeping and dressing—is reduced. By associating with
the devotee, a spiritual standard is maintained. The word mad-
deva-saṅgāt is very important. There are many so-called
religions devoted to the worship of various demigods, but here
good association means association with one who simply
accepts Kṛṣṇa as his worshipable Deity.
Another important item is dvandva-titikṣā. As long as one is

situated in the material world, there must be pleasure and pain
arising from the material body. As Kṛṣṇa advises in Bhagavad-
gītā, tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. One has to learn how to tolerate
the temporary pains and pleasures of this material world. One
must also be detached from his family and practice celibacy.
Sex with one's wife according to the scriptural injunctions is
also accepted as brahmacarya (celibacy), but illicit sex is
opposed to religious principles, and it hampers advancement in
spiritual consciousness. Another important word is vijñāna-
virājita. Everything should be done very scientifically and
consciously. One should be a realized soul. In this way, one can
give up the entanglement of material bondage.
As Śrī Madhvācārya points out, the sum and substance of these

four ślokas is that one should refrain from acting out of a desire
for sense gratification and should instead always engage in the
Lord's loving service. In other words, bhakti-yoga is the
acknowledged path of liberation. Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes
from the Adhyātma:
ātmano 'vihitaṁ karma

varjayitvānya-karmaṇaḥ
kāmasya ca parityāgo
nirīhety āhur uttamāḥ
One should perform activities only for the benefit of the soul;
any other activity should be given up. When a person is situated
in this way, he is said to be desireless. Actually a living entity
cannot be totally desireless, but when he desires the benefit of
the soul and nothing else, he is said to be desireless.
Spiritual knowledge is jñāna-vijñāna-samanvitam. When one is

fully equipped with jñāna and vijñāna, he is perfect. Jñāna
means that one understands the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Viṣṇu, to be the Supreme Being. Vijñāna refers to the
activities that liberate one from the ignorance of material
existence. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.9.31): jñānaṁ
parama-guhyaṁ me yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Knowledge of
the Supreme Lord is very confidential, and the supreme
knowledge by which one understands Him furthers the
liberation of all living entities. This knowledge is vijñāna. As
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9):


Arjuna."
Having said that one can destroy the subtle body by bhakti-
miśra-jñāna, now he explains that one can destroy the subtle
body by jñāna-miśra-bhakti with twenty-five parts. This is
explained in four verses. Those practicing pure bhakti destroy
the subtle body by fifteen types of action. One can destroy the
subtle body of false identity by devotion to guru, to me, who
have taken the form of a paramahaṁsa, by lack of desire
(vitṛṣṇayā), by tolerating dualities, by understanding the
suffering of living beings, by inquiring concerning the Supreme
Lord and bhakti, by austerity such as Ekādaśī and Kārtika
vratas and by restriction of eating and sleeping related to
service to Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇavas, and by being devoid of
anything except bhakti to the Lord (īhā nivṛttyā).
One should also associate with the devatās of whom I am the

master. One should have no hatred, and be equal to all, taking
others’ happiness and distress as one’s own. One should control
anger and lamentation. Nirvaira-sāmyopaśamena is a dvandva
compound in the singular. One should have a desire to give up
identity with house and body, since it is impossible to give up
the identity.
One should not give up obligatory duties (asampramādena).

One should see my existence everywhere (mad-bhāva-
vicakṣaṇena). One should have knowledge which produces
realization (vijñāna-virājitena), knowledge made more
beautiful. One should practice aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Endowed with
enthusiasm (sattva) one gives up the subtle body.
TEXT - SB 5.5.14
karmāśayaṁ hṛdaya-granthi-bandham
avidyayāsāditam apramattaḥ
anena yogena yathopadeśaṁ
samyag vyapohyoparameta yogāt
SYNONYMS
karma-āśayam—the desire for fruitive activities; hṛdaya-

granthi—the knot in the heart; bandham—bondage; avidyayā
—because of ignorance; āsāditam—brought about; apramattaḥ
—not being covered by ignorance or illusion, very careful;
anena—by this; yogena—practice of yoga; yathā-upadeśam—
as advised; samyak—completely; vyapohya—becoming free
from; uparameta—one should desist; yogāt—from the practice
of yoga, the means of liberation.
TRANSLATION
As I have advised you, My dear sons, you should act
accordingly. Be very careful. By these means you will be
freed from the ignorance of the desire for fruitive activity,
and the knot of bondage in the heart will be completely
severed. For further advancement, you should also give up
the means. That is, you should not become attached to the
process of liberation itself.
PURPORT
The process of liberation is brahma jijñāsā, the search for the
Absolute Truth. Generally brahma jijñāsā is called neti neti,
the process by which one analyzes existence to search out the
Absolute Truth. This method continues as long as one is not
situated in his spiritual life. Spiritual life is brahma-bhūta [SB
4.30.20], the self-realized state. In the words of Bhagavad-gītā
(18.54):
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the

Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments
nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every
living entity. In that state, he attains pure devotional service
unto Me."
The idea is to enter into the parā bhakti, the transcendental

devotional service of the Supreme Lord. To attain this, one
must analyze ones existence, but when one is actually engaged
in devotional service, he should not bother seeking out
knowledge. By simply engaging in devotional service
undeviatingly, one will always remain in the liberated
condition.
(Bg. 14.26)
The unflinching execution of devotional service is in itself

brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20]. Another important feature in this
connection is anena yogena yathopadeśam. The instructions
received from the spiritual master must be followed
immediately. One should not deviate from or surpass the
instructions of the spiritual master. One should not be simply
intent on consulting books but should simultaneously execute
the spiritual master's order (yathopadeśam). Mystic power
should be achieved to enable one to give up the material
conception, but when one actually engages in devotional
service, one does not need to practice the mystic yoga system.
The point is that one can give up the practice of yoga, but
devotional service cannot be given up. As stated in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (1.7.10):
ātmārāmāś ca munayo
nirgranthā apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim
ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ
Even those who are liberated (ātmārāma) must always engage

in devotional service. One may give up the practice of yoga
when one is self-realized, but at no stage can one give up
devotional service. All other activities for self-realization,
including yoga and philosophical speculation, may be given up,
but devotional service must be retained at all times.
One should then give up the practice by which one destroys the
subtle body. One should destroy the subtle body, in which the
karmas lie (karmāśayam), by yoga, according to the teachings
of guru, not going beyond that--not by one’s own learning or
by reading books alone, or by one’s own observations. Then
one should give up the method in order to destroy the subtle
body, but not the method for realizing the Lord. One should
practice bhakti in order to gain knowledge of the Lord.
brahmabhūtaṁ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati.
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu madbhaktiṁ labhate parām
bhaktyā māmabhijānāti yāvān yaścāsmi tattvataḥ
Having attained the state of Brahman, being a pure soul, he

does not lament in loss of what he had nor does he desire what
he does not have, and looks upon all beings as equal. He then
manifests prema-bhakti. Only by bhakti can a person know me
as Brahman. BG 18.54-55.
And even if one attains realization of the Lord, one does not
give up bhakti at all. This is shown by the verse ātmārāmāś ca
munayaḥ. (SB 1.7.10) Some say that one gives up all processes
except bhakti.
TEXT - SB 5.5.15
putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca nṛpo gurur vā
mal-loka-kāmo mad-anugrahārthaḥ
itthaṁ vimanyur anuśiṣyād ataj-jñān
na yojayet karmasu karma-mūḍhān
kaṁ yojayan manujo 'rthaṁ labheta
nipātayan naṣṭa-dṛśaṁ hi garte
SYNONYMS
putrān—the sons; ca—and; śiṣyān—the disciples; ca—and;

nṛpaḥ—the king; guruḥ—the spiritual master; vā—or; mat-
loka-kāmaḥ—desiring to go to My abode; mat-anugraha-
arthaḥ—thinking that to achieve My mercy is the aim of life;
ittham—in this manner; vimanyuḥ—free from anger; anuśiṣyāt
—should instruct; a-tat-jñān—bereft of spiritual knowledge; na
—not; yojayet—should engage; karmasu—in fruitive activities;
karma-mūḍhān—simply engaged in pious or impious activities;
kam—what; yojayan—engaging; manu-jaḥ—a man; artham—
benefit; labheta—can achieve; nipātayan—causing to fall;
naṣṭa-dṛśam—one who is already bereft of his transcendental
sight; hi—indeed; garte—in the hole.
TRANSLATION
If one is serious about going back home, back to Godhead,
he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. If he is
a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing
his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must
instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry, he
should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son
or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order. Ignorant
people who engage in pious and impious activities should be
engaged in devotional service by all means. They should
always avoid fruitive activity. If one puts into the bondage
of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of
transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading
a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in.
PURPORT
It is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.26):
na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed
ajñānāṁ karma-saṅginām
joṣayet sarva-karmāṇi
vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran
"Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are
attached to fruitive action. They should be encouraged not to
refrain from work, but to work in the spirit of devotion."
Having described the qualities of bhakti and impersonal

realization included in it, he here explains that the teacher of
bhakti should also achieve the goal. The teacher should not be
angry if the students are unable to learn. He should not instruct
them on performance of karmas, as in the following verse:
na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed ajñānāṁ karma-saṅginām |
joṣayet sarva-karmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran || 26||
The wise man should not disturb the intelligence of the ignorant
attached to results of work. Engaging in all work himself with
detachment, he should engage them in activity. BG 3.26
That instruction is meant for those instructing jñāna, but not

bhakti.
TEXT - SB 5.5.16
lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭir
yo 'rthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ
anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leśa-hetor
ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ
SYNONYMS
lokaḥ—people; svayam—personally; śreyasi—of the path of

auspiciousness; naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ—who have lost sight; yaḥ—who;
arthān—things meant for sense gratification; samīheta—desire;
nikāma-kāmaḥ—having too many lusty desires for sense
enjoyment; anyonya-vairaḥ—being envious of one another;
sukha-leśa-hetoḥ—simply for temporary material happiness;
ananta-duḥkham—unlimited sufferings; ca—also; na—do not;
veda—know; mūḍhaḥ—foolish.
TRANSLATION
Due to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know
anything about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in
life. He is simply bound to material enjoyment by lusty
desires, and all his plans are made for this purpose. For
temporary sense gratification, such a person creates a
society of envy, and due to this mentality, he plunges into
the ocean of suffering. Such a foolish person does not even
know about this.
PURPORT
The word naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ, meaning "one who has no eyes to see

the future," is very significant in this verse. Life goes on from
one body to another, and the activities performed in this life are
enjoyed or suffered in the next life, if not later in this life. One
who is unintelligent, who has no eyes to see the future, simply
creates enmity and fights with others for sense gratification. As
a result, one suffers in the next life, but due to being like a blind
man, he continues to act in such a way that he suffers
unlimitedly. Such a person is a mūḍha, one who simply wastes
his time and does not understand the Lord's devotional service.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.25):
nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko mām ajam avyayam
"I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them

I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yogamāyā]; and
so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and
infallible."
In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad it is also said: avidyāyām antare

vartamānāḥ svayaṁ dhīrāḥ paṇḍitaṁ manyamānāḥ. Although
ignorant, people still go to other blind men for leadership. As a
result, both are subjected to miserable conditions. The blind
lead the blind into the ditch.
Three verses expand on this point. Arthān means visible and

invisible objects of pleasure. Nikāma-kāmaḥ means “one who
has extreme lust.”
TEXT - SB 5.5.17
kas taṁ svayaṁ tad-abhijño vipaścid
avidyāyām antare vartamānam
dṛṣṭvā punas taṁ saghṛṇaḥ kubuddhiṁ

prayojayed utpathagaṁ yathāndham
SYNONYMS
kaḥ—who is that person; tam—him; svayam—personally; tat-

abhijñaḥ—knowing spiritual knowledge; vipaścit—a learned
scholar; avidyāyām antare—in ignorance; vartamānam—
existing; dṛṣṭvā—seeing; punaḥ—again; tam—him; sa-ghṛṇaḥ
—very merciful; ku-buddhim—who is addicted to the path of
saṁsāra; prayojayet—would engage; utpatha-gam—who is
proceeding on the wrong path; yathā—like; andham—a blind
man.
TRANSLATION
If someone is ignorant and addicted to the path of saṁsāra,
how can one who is actually learned, merciful and advanced
in spiritual knowledge engage him in fruitive activity and
thus further entangle him in material existence? If a blind
man is walking down the wrong path, how can a gentleman
allow him to continue on his way to danger? How can he
approve this method? No wise or kind man can allow this.
Seeing such a person’s foolishness, should one encourage him?

Not at all. Who will tell a blind man going on the wrong path to
continue on that path? No one will tell him.
TEXT - SB 5.5.18
gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt
pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt
daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān
na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum
SYNONYMS
guruḥ—a spiritual master; na—not; saḥ—he; syāt—should

become; sva-janaḥ—a relative; na—not; saḥ—such a person;
syāt—should become; pitā—a father; na—not; saḥ—he; syāt—
should become; jananī—a mother; na—not; sā—she; syāt—
should become; daivam—the worshipable deity; na—not; tat—
that; syāt—should become; na—not; patiḥ—a husband; ca—
also; saḥ—he; syāt—should become; na—not; mocayet—can
deliver; yaḥ—who; samupeta-mṛtyum—one who is on the path
of repeated birth and death.
TRANSLATION
"One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of
repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual
master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable
demigod.
PURPORT
There are many spiritual masters, but Ṛṣabhadeva advises that

one should not become a spiritual master if he is unable to save
his disciple from the path of birth and death. Unless one is a
pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot save himself from the path of
repeated birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti
mām eti so'rjuna [Bg. 4.9]. One can stop birth and death only
by returning home, back to Godhead. However, who can go
back to Godhead unless he understands the Supreme Lord in
truth? Janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ [Bg.
4.9].
We have many instances in history illustrating Ṛṣabhadeva's

instructions. Śukrācārya was rejected by Bali Mahārāja due to
his inability to save Bali Mahārāja from the path of repeated
birth and death. Śukrācārya was not a pure devotee, he was
more or less inclined to fruitive activity, and he objected when
Bali Mahārāja promised to give everything to Lord Viṣṇu.
Actually one is supposed to give everything to the Lord
because everything belongs to the Lord. Consequently, the
Supreme Lord advises in Bhagavad-gītā (9.27):
yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi

yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam
"O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you
offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may
perform, should be done as an offering unto Me." This is
bhakti. Unless one is devoted, he cannot give everything to the
Supreme Lord. Unless one can do so, he cannot become a
spiritual master, husband, father or mother. Similarly, the wives
of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifices gave up their
relatives just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is an example of a wife
rejecting a husband who cannot deliver her from the impending
dangers of birth and death. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja
rejected his father, and Bharata Mahārāja rejected his mother
(jananī na sā syāt). The word daivam indicates a demigod or
one who accepts worship from a dependent. Ordinarily, the
spiritual master, husband, father, mother or superior relative
accepts worship from an inferior relative, but here Ṛṣabhadeva
forbids this. First the father, spiritual master or husband must
be able to release the dependent from repeated birth and death.
If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of
reproachment for his unlawful activities. Everyone should be
very responsible and take charge of his dependents just as a
spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father takes
charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be
discharged honestly unless one can save the dependent from
repeated birth and death.
If one acknowledges the teacher of bhakti, this implies that

others are not to be considered teachers or friends.
Consequently they should be rejected. He who cannot free a
person who is on the path of saṁsāra (samupeta-mṛtum) by
giving teachings about bhakti is not a guru or friend. Thus Bali
should give up Śukrācārya as his guru. He does not incur sinful
reaction if he does not offer obeisance and respects. Similarly
Vibhīṣaṇa can reject his relative Rāvaṇa. Prahlāda can reject his
father Hiraṇyakaśipu. Bharata can reject his mother Kaikeyī.
Khaṭvāṅga can reject the devatā Indra. The wives of the
brāhmaṇas can reject their husbands learned in sacrifice.
Another meaning is as follows. Syāt is in the potential form. He
who cannot deliver another person should not take the position
of guru. He should not accept respect and reverence. If he does,
he incurs sin. If he cannot deliver the person, he should not
accept the person as a disciple just so that he becomes a guru.
He should not accept friendship so that he becomes a friend. He
should not produce children to become a father, or bear a child
to become a mother. One should not accept worship to become
a devatā. One should not accept a wife in marriage to become a
husband.
TEXT - SB 5.5.19
idaṁ śarīraṁ mama durvibhāvyaṁ
sattvaṁ hi me hṛdayaṁ yatra dharmaḥ
pṛṣṭhe kṛto me yad adharma ārād
ato hi mām ṛṣabhaṁ prāhur āryāḥ
SYNONYMS
idam—this; śarīram—transcendental body, sac-cid-ānanda-

vigraha; mama—My; durvibhāvyam—inconceivable; sattvam
—with no tinge of the material modes of nature; hi—indeed;
me—My; hṛdayam—heart; yatra—wherein; dharmaḥ—the real
platform of religion, bhakti-yoga; pṛṣṭhe—on the back; kṛtaḥ—
made; me—by Me; yat—because; adharmaḥ—irreligion; ārāt
—far away; ataḥ—therefore; hi—indeed; mām—Me; ṛṣabham
—the best of the living beings; prāhuḥ—call; āryāḥ—those
who are advanced in spiritual life, or the respectable superiors.
TRANSLATION
My transcendental body [sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]]
looks exactly like a human form, but it is not a material
human body. It is inconceivable. I am not forced by nature
to accept a particular type of body; I take on a body by My
own sweet will. My heart is also spiritual, and I always
think of the welfare of My devotees. Therefore within My
heart can be found the process of devotional service, which
is meant for the devotees. Far from My heart have I
abandoned irreligion [adharma] and nondevotional
activities. They do not appeal to Me. Due to all these
transcendental qualities, people generally pray to Me as
Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the best
of all living entities.
PURPORT
In this verse the words idaṁ śarīraṁ mama durvibhāvyam are

very significant. Generally we experience two energies—
material energy and spiritual energy. We have some experience
of the material energy (earth. water, air, fire, ether, mind,
intelligence and ego) because in the material world everyone's
body is composed of these elements. Within the material body
is the spirit soul, but we cannot see it with the material eyes.
When we see a body full of spiritual energy, it is very difficult
for us to understand how the spiritual energy can have a body.
It is said that Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's body is completely spiritual;
therefore for a materialistic person, it is very difficult to
understand. For a materialistic person, the completely spiritual
body is inconceivable. We have to accept the version of the
Vedas when our experimental perception cannot understand a
subject. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. The Supreme Lord has a
body with form, but that body is not composed of material
elements. It is made of spiritual bliss, eternity and living force.
By the inconceivable energy of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the Lord can appear before us in His original spiritual
body, but because we have no experience of the spiritual body,
we are sometimes bewildered and see the form of the Lord as
material. The Māyāvādī philosophers are completely unable to
conceive of a spiritual body. They say that the spirit is always
impersonal, and whenever they see something personal, they
take it for granted that it is material. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.11) it
is said:
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā

mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
"Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do

not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion
over all that be."
Unintelligent people think that the Supreme Lord accepts a
body composed of the material energy. We can easily
understand the material body, but we cannot understand the
spiritual body. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says: idaṁ śarīraṁ
mama durvibhāvyam. In the spiritual world, everyone has a
spiritual body. There is no conception of material existence
there. In the spiritual world there is only service and the
receiving of service. There is only sevya, sevā, and sevaka—the
person served, the process of service and the servant. These
three items are completely spiritual, and therefore the spiritual
world is called absolute. There is no tinge of material
contamination there. Being completely transcendental to the
material conception, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva states that His heart is
composed of dharma. Dharma is explained in Bhagavad-gītā
(18.66): sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.
In the spiritual world, every living entity is surrendered to the
Supreme Lord and is completely on the spiritual platform.
Although there are servitors, the served and service, all are
spiritual and variegated. At the present moment, due to our
material conception. everything is durvibhāvya, inconceivable.
Being the Supreme, the Lord is called Ṛṣabha, the best. In
terms of the Vedic language, nityo nityānām. We are also
spiritual. but we are subordinate. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, is
the foremost living entity. The word ṛṣabha means "the chief,"
or "the supreme," and indicates the Supreme Being, or God
Himself.
Where is the Lord to whom we should perform bhakti, and

where is the devotee whom we should serve in order to attain
bhakti? There is not even a little effort for you, since in your
house the Lord exists as I, your father, and the devotee exists as
your brother. This is expressed in two verses. My body is
difficult to understand since it is knowledge and bliss, not a
material body of a human. It is hard to understand that my body
is spiritual substance, whereas others have bodies of material
substance such as earth, which is not hard to understand. My
mind exists certainly (hi) where there is bhakti-yoga (dharma).
It is said sādhavo hrḍayaṁ mahyam: the devotees are my heart.
(SB 8.4.68) What is contrary to bhakti exists behind me, far
away. This means that my mind is not in those things. Because
of this, I am called the best of all Ṛṣabha.
TEXT - SB 5.5.20
tasmād bhavanto hṛdayena jātāḥ
sarve mahīyāṁsam amuṁ sanābham
akliṣṭa-buddhyā bharataṁ bhajadhvaṁ
śuśrūṣaṇaṁ tad bharaṇaṁ prajānām
SYNONYMS
tasmāt—therefore (because I am the Supreme); bhavantaḥ—

you; hṛdayena—from My heart; jātāḥ—born; sarve—all;
mahīyāṁsam—the best; amum—that; sa-nābham—brother;
akliṣṭa-buddhyā—with your intelligence, without material
contamination; bharatam—Bharata; bhajadhvam—just try to
serve; śuśrūṣaṇam—service; tat—that; bharaṇam prajānām—
ruling over the citizens.
TRANSLATION
My dear boys, you are all born of My heart, which is the
seat of all spiritual qualities. Therefore you should not be
like materialistic and envious men. You should accept your
eldest brother, Bharata, who is exalted in devotional
service. If you engage yourselves in Bharata's service, your
service to him will include My service, and you will rule the
citizens automatically.
PURPORT
In this verse the word hṛdaya indicates the heart, which is also
called uraḥ, the chest. The heart is situated within the chest,
and although instrumentally the son is born with the aid of the
genitals, he is actually born from within the heart. According to
the heart's situation. the semen takes the form of a body.
Therefore according to the Vedic system, when one begets a
child his heart should be purified through the ritualistic
ceremony known as garbhādhāna. Ṛṣabhadeva's heart was
always uncontaminated and spiritual. Consequently all the sons
born from the heart of Ṛṣabhadeva were spiritually inclined.
Nonetheless. Ṛṣabhadeva suggested that His eldest son was
superior, and He advised the others to serve him. All the
brothers of Bharata Mahārāja were advised by Ṛṣabhadeva to
adhere to Bharata's service. The question may be asked why
one should be attached to family members, for in the beginning
it was advised that one should not be attached to home and
family. However, it is also advised, mahīyasām pāda-rajo-
'bhiṣeka—one has to serve the mahīyān, one who is very
spiritually advanced. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ: [SB
5.5.2] by serving the mahat, the exalted devotee, one's path for
liberation is open. The family of Ṛṣabhadeva should not be
compared to an ordinary materialistic family. Bharata
Mahārāja, Ṛṣabhadeva's eldest son, was specifically very
exalted. For this reason the other sons were advised to serve
him for his pleasure. That was to be their duty.
The Supreme Lord was advising Bharata Mahārāja to be the

chief ruler of the planet. This is the real plan of the Supreme
Lord. In the Battle of Kurukṣetra, we find that Lord Kṛṣṇa
wanted Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to be the supreme emperor of this
planet. He never wanted Duryodhana to take the post. As stated
in the previous verse, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's heart is hṛdayaṁ
yatra dharmaḥ. The characteristic dharma is also explained in
Bhagavad-gītā: surrender unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. To protect dharma (paritrāṇāya sādhūnām [Bg.
4.8]), the Lord always wants the ruler of the earth to be a
devotee. Then everything goes on nicely for the benefit of
everyone. As soon as a demon rules the earth, everything
becomes chaotic. At the present moment, the world is inclined
toward the democratic process, but the people in general are all
contaminated by the modes of passion and ignorance.
Consequently they cannot select the right person to head the
government. The president is selected by the votes of ignorant
śūdras; therefore another śūdra is elected, and immediately the
entire government becomes polluted. If people strictly followed
the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, they would elect a person who
is the Lord's devotee. Then automatically there would be good
government. Ṛṣabhadeva therefore recommended Bharata
Mahārāja as the emperor of this planet. Serving a devotee
means serving the Supreme Lord, for a devotee always
represents the Lord. When a devotee is in charge, the
government is always congenial and beneficial for everyone.
You have been produced from my chest or urasā (hṛdayena)

and thus are called aurasa (sons). You should worship your
brother (sanābham) Bharata. “But you have said that one
should not have affection of wife, children and wealth in the
house. After forbidding attachment to wife, sons and brothers,
why do you now teach this?” Bharata is the best of the great
devotees. I have also said that service to the devotees is the
cause of bhakti and liberation. “How can we worship him, since
he is equal to us as a brother?” You should not have material
vision. Worship with pure intelligence. “We worship you
because you are our father an also the Supreme Lord. We serve
Nārada and other great devotees because they are the cause of
bhakti. And because we are princes, we should protect the
citizens.” By worshiping Bharata, worship of me and protection
of the citizens is accomplished. This is my desire.
TEXT - SB 5.5.21-22
bhūteṣu vīrudbhya uduttamā ye

sarīsṛpās teṣu sabodha-niṣṭhāḥ
tato manuṣyāḥ pramathās tato 'pi
gandharva-siddhā vibudhānugā ye
devāsurebhyo maghavat-pradhānā
dakṣādayo brahma-sutās tu teṣām
bhavaḥ paraḥ so 'tha viriñca-vīryaḥ
sa mat-paro 'haṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ
SYNONYMS
bhūteṣu—among things generated (with and without symptoms

of life); vīrudbhyaḥ—than the plants; uduttamāḥ—far superior;
ye—those who; sarīsṛpāḥ—moving entities like worms and
snakes; teṣu—of them; sa-bodha-niṣṭhāḥ—those who have
developed intelligence; tataḥ—than them; manuṣyāḥ—the
human beings; pramathāḥ—the ghostly spirits; tataḥ api—
better than them; gandharva—the inhabitants of
Gandharvaloka (appointed singers in the planets of the
demigods); siddhāḥ—the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, who have
all mystic powers; vibudha-anugāḥ—the Kinnaras; ye—those
who; deva—the demigods; asurebhyaḥ—than the asuras;
maghavat-pradhānāḥ—headed by Indra; dakṣa-ādayaḥ—
beginning with Dakṣa; brahma-sutāḥ—the direct sons of
Brahmā; tu—then; teṣām—of them; bhavaḥ—Lord Śiva; paraḥ
—the best; saḥ—he (Lord Śiva); atha—moreover; viriñca-
vīryaḥ—producing from Lord Brahmā; saḥ—he (Brahmā);
mat-paraḥ—My devotee; aham—I; dvija-deva-devaḥ—a
worshiper of the brāhmaṇas, or the Lord of the brāhmaṇas.
TRANSLATION
Of the two energies manifest [spirit and dull matter], beings
possessing living force [vegetables, grass, trees and plants]
are superior to dull matter [stone, earth, etc.]. Superior to
nonmoving plants and vegetables are worms and snakes,
which can move. Superior to worms and snakes are animals
that have developed intelligence. Superior to animals are
human beings, and superior to human beings are ghosts
because they have no material bodies. Superior to ghosts
are the Gandharvas, and superior to them are the Siddhas.
Superior to the Siddhas are the Kinnaras, and superior to
them are the asuras. Superior to the asuras are the
demigods, and of the demigods, Indra, the King of heaven,
is supreme. Superior to Indra are the direct sons of Lord
Brahmā, sons like King Dakṣa, and supreme among
Brahmā's sons is Lord Śiva. Since Lord Śiva is the son of
Lord Brahmā, Brahmā is considered superior, but Brahmā
is also subordinate to Me, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Because I am inclined to the brāhmaṇas, the
brāhmaṇas are best of all.
PURPORT
In this verse the brāhmaṇas are given a position superior to that

of the Supreme Lord. The idea is that the government should be
conducted under the guidance of the brāhmaṇas. Although
Ṛṣabhadeva recommended His eldest son, Bharata, as emperor
of the earth, he still had to follow the instructions of the
brāhmaṇas in order to govern the world perfectly. The Lord is
worshiped as brahmaṇya-deva. The Lord is very fond of
devotees, or brāhmaṇas. This does not refer to so-called caste
brāhmaṇas, but to qualified brāhmaṇas. A brāhmaṇa should be
qualified with the eight qualities mentioned in text 24, such as
śama, dama, satya and titikṣā. The brāhmaṇas should always
be worshiped. and under their guidance the ruler should
discharge his duty and rule the citizens. Unfortunately, in this
age of Kali, the executive is not selected by very intelligent
people, nor is he guided by qualified brāhmaṇas.
Consequently, chaos results. The mass of people should be
educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that according to the
democratic process they can select a first-class devotee like
Bharata Mahārāja to head the government. If the head of the
state is headed by qualified brāhmaṇas, everything is
completely perfect.
In this verse, the evolutionary process is indirectly mentioned.

The modern theory that life evolves from matter is to some
extent supported in this verse because it is stated, bhūteṣu
vīrudbhyaḥ. That is, the living entities evolve from vegetables,
grass, plants and trees, which are superior to dull matter. In
other words, matter also has the potency to manifest living
entities in the form of vegetables. In this sense, life comes out
of matter, but matter also comes out of life. As Kṛṣṇa says in
Bhagavad-gītā (10.8), ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ
pravartate: "I am the source of all spiritual and material
worlds. Everything emanates from Me."
There are two energies—material and spiritual—and both

originally come from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme living being.
Although it may be said that in the material world a living force
is generated from matter, it must be admitted that originally
matter is generated from the supreme living being. Nityo
nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The
conclusion is that everything, both material and spiritual, is
generated from the Supreme Being. From the evolutionary
point of view, perfection is reached when the living entity
attains the platform of a brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is a worshiper
of the Supreme Brahman, and the Supreme Brahman worships
the brāhmaṇa. In other words, the devotee is subordinate to the
Supreme Lord, and the Lord is inclined to see to the satisfaction
of His devotee. A brāhmaṇa is called dvija-deva, and the Lord
is called dvija-deva-deva. He is the Lord of brāhmaṇas.
The evolutionary process is also explained in Caitanya-

caritāmṛta (Madhya, Chapter Nineteen), wherein it is said that
there are two types of living entities—moving and nonmoving.
Among moving entities. there are birds, beasts. aquatics, human
beings and so on. Of these. the human beings are supposed to
be the best, but they are few. Of these small numbers of human
beings, there are many low-class human beings like mlecchas,
Pulindas, bauddhas and śabaras. The human being elevated
enough to accept the Vedic principles is superior. Among those
who accept the Vedic principles generally known as
varṇāśrama (presently known as the Hindu system), few
actually follow these principles. Of those who actually follow
the Vedic principles, most perform fruitive activity or pious
activity for elevation to a high position. Manuṣyāṇāṁ
sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: [Bg. 7.3] out of many
attached to fruitive activity, one may be a jñānī—that is, one
philosophically inclined and superior to the karmīs. Yatatām
api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ: [Bg. 7.3] out of
many jñānīs, one may be liberated from material bondage, and
out of many millions of liberated jñānīs, one may become a
devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
In order to teach that the brāhmaṇas should be served, he shows

that they are best among all people in four verses. Among
living entities, superior to the plants, which do not move, are
the moving beings such as snakes which crawl. Superior to
them are the animals with intelligence. Superior to them are the
followers of the devatās such as the Kinnaras. The asuras are
superior to them. The devatās are superior to the asuras. The
sandhi in devāsurebhyaḥ is poetic license. Among the devatās,
Indra is the best. Dakṣa, son of Brahmā is superior to Indra.
Śiva, the son of Brahmā, is superior to all. The masculine
instead of neuter in vīryaḥ is poetic license. Brahmā is superior
to Śiva since he produces him. Because the subject is devotion
to brāhmaṇas, Brahmā is considered superior to Śiva because of
his service to brāhmaṇas. However, Śiva is superior to Brahmā
as a Vaiṣṇava and in powers. I am superior to Brahmā (mat-
paraḥ). The best vipras among the brāhmaṇas are worshipped
by me.
TEXT - SB 5.5.23
na brāhmaṇais tulaye bhūtam anyat
paśyāmi viprāḥ kim ataḥ paraṁ tu
yasmin nṛbhiḥ prahutaṁ śraddhayāham
aśnāmi kāmaṁ na tathāgni-hotre
SYNONYMS
na—not; brāhmaṇaiḥ—with the brāhmaṇas; tulaye—I count

as equal; bhūtam—entity; anyat—other; paśyāmi—I can see;
viprāḥ—O assembled brāhmaṇas; kim—anything; ataḥ—to the
brāhmaṇas; param—superior; tu—certainly; yasmin—through
whom; nṛbhiḥ—by people; prahutam—food offered after
ritualistic ceremonies are properly performed; śraddhayā—
with faith and love; aham—I; aśnāmi—eat; kāmam—with full
satisfaction; na—not; tathā—in that way; agni-hotre—in the
fire sacrifice.
TRANSLATION
O respectful brāhmaṇas, as far as I am concerned, no one is
equal or superior to the brāhmaṇas in this world. I do not
find anyone comparable to them. When people know My
motive after performing rituals according to the Vedic
principles, they offer food to Me with faith and love
through the mouth of a brāhmaṇa. When food is thus
offered unto Me, I eat it with full satisfaction. Indeed, I
derive more pleasure from food offered in that way than
from the food offered in the sacrificial fire.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic system, after the sacrificial ceremony

the brāhmaṇas are invited to eat the remnants of the offered
food. When the brāhmaṇas eat the food, it is to be considered
directly eaten by the Supreme Lord. Thus no one can be
compared to qualified brāhmaṇas. The perfection of evolution
is to be situated on the brahminical platform. Any civilization
not based on brahminical culture or guided by brāhmaṇas is
certainly a condemned civilization. Presently human
civilization is based on sense gratification, and consequently
more and more people are becoming addicted to different types
of things. No one respects brahminical culture. Demoniac
civilization is attached to ugra-karma, horrible activities, and
big industries are created to satisfy unfathomable lusty desires.
Consequently the people are greatly harassed by governmental
taxation. The people are irreligious and do not perform the
sacrifices recommended in Bhagavad-gītā. Yajñād bhavati
parjanyaḥ: [Bg. 3.14] by the performance of sacrifice, clouds
form and rain falls. Due to sufficient rainfall, there is sufficient
production of food. Guided by the brāhmaṇas, society should
follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā. Then people will
become very happy. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni: when animals
and man are sufficiently fed with grains, they become stronger,
their hearts become tranquil and their brains peaceful. They can
then advance in spiritual life, life's ultimate destination.
I cannot compare any other living being to the brāhmaṇas. Do I

see anyone superior to the brāhmaṇas? No. The reason is given
in a verse and a half.
TEXT - SB 5.5.24
dhṛtā tanūr uśatī me purāṇī
yeneha sattvaṁ paramaṁ pavitram
śamo damaḥ satyam anugrahaś ca
tapas titikṣānubhavaś ca yatra
SYNONYMS
dhṛtā—maintained by transcendental education; tanūḥ—body;

uśatī—free from material contamination; me—My; purāṇī—
eternal; yena—by whom; iha—in this material world; sattvam
—the mode of goodness; paramam—supreme; pavitram—
purified; śamaḥ—control of the mind; damaḥ—control of the
senses; satyam—truthfulness; anugrahaḥ—mercy; ca—and;
tapaḥ—austerity; titikṣā—tolerance; anubhavaḥ—realization
of God and the living entity; ca—and; yatra—wherein.
TRANSLATION
The Vedas are My eternal transcendental sound
incarnation. Therefore the Vedas are śabda-brahma. In this
world, the brāhmaṇas thoroughly study all the Vedas, and
because they assimilate the Vedic conclusions, they are also
to be considered the Vedas personified. The brāhmaṇas are
situated in the supreme transcendental mode of nature-
sattva-guṇa. Because of this, they are fixed in mind control
[śama], sense control [dama], and truthfulness [satya]. They
describe the Vedas in their original sense, and out of mercy
[anugraha] they preach the purpose of the Vedas to all
conditioned souls. They practice penance [tapasya] and
tolerance [titikṣā], and they realize the position of the living
entity and the Supreme Lord [anubhava]. These are the
eight qualifications of the brāhmaṇas. Therefore among all
living entities, no one is superior to the brāhmaṇas.
PURPORT
This is a true description of a brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is one

who has assimilated the Vedic conclusions by practicing mind
and sense control. He speaks the true version of all the Vedas.
As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): vedaiś ca sarvair
aham eva vedyaḥ. By studying all the Vedas, one should come
to understand the transcendental position of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
One who actually assimilated the essence of the Vedas can
preach the truth. He is compassionate to conditioned souls who
are suffering the threefold miseries of this conditional world
due to their not being Kṛṣṇa conscious. A brāhmaṇa should
take pity on the people and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness in
order to elevate them. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, personally descends into this universe
from the spiritual kingdom to teach conditioned souls about the
values of spiritual life. He tries to induce them to surrender
unto Him. Similarly, the brāhmaṇas do the same thing. After
assimilating the Vedic instructions, they assist the Supreme
Lord in His endeavor to deliver conditioned souls. The
brāhmaṇas are very dear to the Supreme Lord due to their high
sattva-guṇa qualities, and they also engage in welfare activities
for all conditioned souls in the material world.
There is no one superior to the brāhmaṇa who supports my

body in the form of the Vedas in this world, and in whom the
eight qualities beginning with sattva exist.
TEXT - SB 5.5.25
matto 'py anantāt parataḥ parasmāt
svargāpavargādhipater na kiñcit
yeṣāṁ kim u syād itareṇa teṣām
akiñcanānāṁ mayi bhakti-bhājām
SYNONYMS
mattaḥ—from Me; api—even; anantāt—unlimited in strength

and opulence; parataḥ parasmāt—higher than the highest;
svarga-apavarga-adhipateḥ—able to bestow happiness
obtainable by living in the heavenly kingdom. by liberation, or
by enjoyment of material comfort and then liberation; na—not;
kiñcit—anything; yeṣām—of whom; kim—what need; u—oh;
syāt—can there be; itareṇa—with any other; teṣām—of them;
akiñcanānām—without needs or without possessions; mayi—
unto Me; bhakti-bhājām—executing devotional service.
TRANSLATION
I am fully opulent, almighty and superior to Lord Brahmā
and Indra, the King of the heavenly planets. I am also the
bestower of all happiness obtained in the heavenly kingdom
and by liberation. Nonetheless, the brāhmaṇas do not seek
material comforts from Me. They are very pure and do not
want to possess anything. They simply engage in My
devotional service. What is the need of their asking for
material benefits from anyone else?
PURPORT
The perfect brahminical qualification is stated herein:

akiñcanānāṁ mayi bhakti-bhājām. The brāhmaṇas are always
engaged in the devotional service of the Lord: consequently
they have no material wants, nor do they possess material
things. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 11.8), Caitanya
Mahāprabhu explains the position of pure Vaiṣṇavas who are
anxious to return home, back to Godhead. Niṣkiñcanasya
bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Those who actually want to
return back to Godhead are niṣkiñcana—that is, they have no
desire for material comfort. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises,
sandarśanaṁ viṣayinām atha yoṣitāṁ ca hā hanta hanta visa-
bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu: material opulence and sense
gratification through the association of women are more
dangerous than poison. Brāhmaṇas who are pure Vaiṣṇavas
always engage in the Lord's service and are devoid of any
desire for material gain. The brāhmaṇas do not worship
demigods like Lord Brahmā, Indra or Lord Śiva for any
material comfort. They do not even ask the Supreme Lord for
material profit; therefore it is concluded that the brāhmaṇas are
the supreme living entities of this world. Śrī Kapiladeva also
confirms this in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.33):
tasmān mayy arpitāśeṣa-

kriyārthātmā nirantaraḥ
mayy arpitātmanaḥ puṁso
mayi sannyasta-karmaṇaḥ
na paśyāmi paraṁ bhūtam
akartuḥ sama-darśanāt
The brāhmaṇas are always dedicated to the Lord's service with

their bodies, words and mind. There is no better person than a
brāhmaṇa who thus engages himself and dedicates himself to
the Supreme Lord.
And my devotees are the best. They are most worthy of

worship. They do not pray for necessities from me. I am
unlimited. I, the Lord, having unlimited powers and sweet
qualities, exist as their goal. What do they need from any other
person such as Brahmā? They are without any possessions,
having given to me all possessed objects and their identity.
They possess at every moment prema-bhakti, and therefore
those who desire this bhakti should worship them at all times.
Kapila explains in the Third Canto that the devotees are
superior to the brāhmaṇas.
tasmān mayy arpitāśeṣa- kriyārthātmā nirantaraḥ
mayy arpitātmanaḥ puṁso mayi sannyasta-karmaṇaḥ
na paśyāmi paraṁ bhūtam akartuḥ sama-darśanāt
Superior to the jñānī is the person who fully dedicates his

activities such hearing and chanting, his wealth, his identity, his
mind and his intelligence to me. I do not see a greater living
entity that this person who has offered himself to me, giving up
all varṇāśrama actions, who thinks that the Lord alone inspires
his bhakti, and who identifies with others’ happiness and
distress. SB 3.29.33
TEXT - SB 5.5.26
sarvāṇi mad-dhiṣṇyatayā bhavadbhiś
carāṇi bhūtāni sutā dhruvāṇi
sambhāvitavyāni pade pade vo
vivikta-dṛgbhis tad u hārhaṇaṁ me

SYNONYMS
sarvāṇi—all; mat-dhiṣṇyatayā—because of being My sitting

place; bhavadbhiḥ—by you; carāṇi—that move; bhūtāni—
living entities; sutāḥ—My dear sons; dhruvāṇi—that do not
move; sambhāvitavyāni—to be respected; pade pade—at every
moment; vaḥ—by you; vivikta-dṛgbhiḥ—possessing clear
vision and understanding (that the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in His Paramātmā feature is situated everywhere); tat
u—that indirectly; ha—certainly; arhaṇam—offering respect;
me—unto Me.
TRANSLATION
My dear sons, you should not envy any living entity—be he
moving or nonmoving. Knowing that I am situated in them,
you should offer respect to all of them at every moment. In
this way, you offer respect to Me.
PURPORT
In this verse the word vivikta-dṛgbhiḥ, meaning without envy,

is used. All living entities are the abode of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature. As
confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā: aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-
cayāntara-stham. The Lord is situated in this universe as
Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is also
situated within every atom. According to the Vedic statement:
īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. The Supreme Lord is
situated everywhere, and wherever He is situated is His temple.
We even offer respects to a temple from a distant place, and all
living entities should similarly be offered respect. This is
different from the theory of pantheism, which holds that
everything is God. Everything has a relationship with God
because God is situated everywhere. We should not make any
particular distinction between the poor and the rich like the
foolish worshipers of daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is present in
the rich as well as the poor. One should not simply think
Nārāyaṇa is situated among the poor. He is everywhere. An
advanced devotee will offer respects to everyone—even to cats
and dogs.
vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
"The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal

vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a
dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]." (Bg. 5.18) This sama-
darśinaḥ, equal vision, should not be mistaken to mean that the
individual is the same as the Supreme Lord. They are always
distinct. Every individual person is different from the Supreme
Lord. It is a mistake to equate the individual living entity with
the Supreme Lord on the plea of vivikta-dṛk, sama-dṛk. The
Lord is always in an exalted position, even though He agrees to
live everywhere. Śrīla Madhvācārya, quoting Padma Purāṇa,
states: vivikta-dṛṣṭi jīvānāṁ dhiṣṇyatayā parameśvarasya
bheda-dṛṣṭiḥ. "One who has clear vision and who is devoid of
envy can see that the Supreme Lord is separate from all living
entities, although He is situated in every living entity."
Madhvācārya further quotes from Padma Purāṇa:
upapādayet parātmānaṁ
jīvebhyo yaḥ pade pade
bhedenaiva na caitasmāt
priyo viṣṇos tu kaścana
"One who sees the living entity and the Supreme Lord as
always distinct is very dear to the Lord." Padma Purāṇa also
states, yo hareś caiva jīvānāṁ bheda-vaktā hareḥ priyaḥ: "One
who preaches that the living entities are separate from the
Supreme Lord is very dear to Lord Viṣṇu."
One should give respect to all living beings in order to destroy

faults such as disrespect and envy. Because I am situated in all
beings (mat-dhiṣṇyatayā), dear sons, you should meditate on all
moving and non-moving (dhruvāni) beings, with vision devoid
of envy and other faults (vivikta-dṛgbhiḥ). Other than this, you
should worship me. This is a separate sentence including the
word vaḥ.
TEXT - SB 5.5.27
mano-vaco-dṛk-karaṇehitasya
sākṣāt-kṛtaṁ me paribarhaṇaṁ hi
vinā pumān yena mahā-vimohāt
kṛtānta-pāśān na vimoktum īśet
SYNONYMS
manaḥ—mind; vacaḥ—words; dṛk—sight; karaṇa—of the

senses; īhitasya—of all activities (for maintenance of body,
society, friendship and so on); sākṣāt-kṛtam—directly offered;
me—of Me; paribarhaṇam—worship; hi—because; vinā—
without; pumān—any person; yena—which; mahā-vimohāt—
from the great illusion; kṛtānta-pāśāt—exactly like the
stringent rope of Yamarāja; na—not; vimoktum—to become
free; īśet—becomes able.
TRANSLATION
The true activity of the sense organs—mind, sight, words
and all the knowledge-gathering and working senses—is to
engage fully in My service. Unless his senses are thus
engaged, a living entity cannot think of getting out of the
great entanglement of material existence, which is exactly
like Yamarāja's stringent rope.
PURPORT
As stated in the Nārada-pañcarātra:
sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]
This is the conclusion of bhakti. All the time, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva

has been stressing devotional service, and now He is
concluding by saying that all the senses should be engaged in
the Lord's service. There are five senses by which we gather
knowledge and five senses with which we work. These ten
senses and the mind should be fully engaged in the Lord's
service. Without engaging them in this way, one cannot get out
of the clutches of māyā.
He concludes the subject by describing the general quality of

bhakti and saying that there cannot be liberation without bhakti.
Engaging the mind, voice, sight and other senses belonging to
the body (īhitasya) in relation to me is worship of me. Without
this, a man cannot be freed from the ropes of death, from great
illusion.
TEXT - SB 5.5.28
ī[qXauk- ovac
WvMaNauXaaSYaaTMaJaaNa( SvYaMaNauiXaíaNaiPa l/aek-
aNauXaaSaNaaQa| MahaNau>aav"
ParMaSauôḤGavaNaz>aaPadeXa
oPaXaMaXaql/aNaaMauParTak-MaR<aa&
MahaMauNaqNaa& >ai¢-ja‚
NavEraGYal/+a<a&
PaarMah&SYaDaMaRMauPaiXa+aMaa<a"
SvTaNaYaXaTaJYaeñ& ParMa>aaGavTa&
>aGavÂNaParaYa<a& >arTa& Dari<aPaal/NaaYaai>aizCYa
SvYa& >avNa WvaevRirTa‚
XarqrMaa}aPairGa]h oNMata wv GaGaNaPairDaaNa" Pa[k-
I<aRke-Xa AaTMaNYaaraeiPa‚
TaahvNaqYaae b]øavTaaRTPa[vv]aJa )) 28 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
evam anuśāsyātmajān svayam anuśiṣṭān api lokānuśāsanārthaṁ

mahānubhāvaḥ parama-suhṛd bhagavān ṛṣabhāpadeśa upaśama-
śīlānām uparata-karmaṇāṁ mahā-munīnāṁ bhakti-jñāna-
vairāgya-lakṣaṇaṁ pāramahaṁsya-dharmam upaśikṣamāṇaḥ
sva-tanaya-śata-jyeṣṭhaṁ parama-bhāgavataṁ bhagavaj-jana-
parāyaṇaṁ bharataṁ dharaṇi-pālanāyābhiṣicya svayaṁ
bhavana evorvarita-śarīra-mātra-parigraha unmatta iva gagana-
paridhānaḥ prakīrṇa-keśa ātmany āropitāhavanīyo brahmāvartāt
pravavrāja.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; evam—in this

way; anuśāsya—after instructing; ātma-jān—His sons; svayam
—personally; anuśiṣṭān—highly educated in culture; api—
although; loka-anuśāsana-artham—just to instruct the people;
mahā-anubhāvaḥ—the great personality; parama-suhṛt—
everyone's sublime well-wisher; bhagavān—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabha-apadeśaḥ—who is celebrated
and known as Ṛṣabhadeva; upaśama-śīlānām—of persons who
have no desire for material enjoyment; uparata-karmaṇām—
who are no longer interested in fruitive activities; mahā-
munīnām—who are sannyāsīs; bhakti—devotional service;
jñāna—perfect knowledge; vairāgya—detachment; lakṣaṇam
—characterized by; pāramahaṁsya—of the best of human
beings; dharmam—the duties; upaśikṣamāṇaḥ—instructing;
sva-tanaya—of His sons; śata—hundred; jyeṣṭham—the eldest;
parama-bhāgavatam—a topmost devotee of the Lord;
bhagavat-jana-parāyaṇam—a follower of the devotees of the
Lord, brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas; bharatam—Bharata
Mahārāja; dharaṇi-pālanāya—with a view to ruling the world;
abhiṣicya—placing on the throne; svayam—personally;
bhavane—at home; eva—although; urvarita—remaining;
śarīra-mātra—the body only; parigrahaḥ—accepting;
unmattaḥ—a madman; iva—exactly like; gagana-paridhānaḥ
—taking the sky as His dress; prakīrṇa-keśaḥ—having
scattered hair; ātmani—in Himself; āropita—keeping;
āhavanīyaḥ—the Vedic fire; brahmāvartāt—from the place
known as Brahmāvarta; pravavrāja—began to travel all over
the world.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus the great well-wisher of
everyone, the Supreme Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, instructed His
own sons. Although they were perfectly educated and
cultured, He instructed them just to set an example of how
a father should instruct his sons before retiring from family
life. Sannyāsīs, who are no longer bound by fruitive activity
and who have taken to devotional service after all their
material desires have been vanquished, also learn by these
instructions. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His one hundred
sons, of whom the eldest, Bharata, was a very advanced
devotee and a follower of Vaiṣṇavas. In order to rule the
whole world, the Lord enthroned His eldest son on the royal
seat. Thereafter, although still at home, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva
lived like a madman, naked and with disheveled hair. Then
the Lord took the sacrificial fire within Himself, and He left
Brahmāvarta to tour the whole world.
PURPORT
Actually the instructions given to Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's sons were

not exactly meant for His sons because they were already
educated and highly advanced in knowledge. Rather, these
instructions were meant for sannyāsīs who intend to become
advanced devotees. Sannyāsīs must abide by Lord
Ṛṣabhadeva's instructions while on the path of devotional
service. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva retired from family life and lived like
a naked madman even while still with His family.
Upaśikṣamāṇaḥ means he instructed. Remaining at home

(urvarita), he accepted only bodily maintenance.
TEXT - SB 5.5.29
jaḍāndha-mūka-badhira-piśāconmādakavad-avadhūta-veṣo
'bhibhāṣyamāṇo 'pi janānāṁ gṛhīta-mauna-vratas tūṣṇīṁ
babhūva.
SYNONYMS
jaḍa—idle; andha—blind; mūka—dumb; badhira—deaf;

piśāca—ghost; unmādaka—a madman; vat—like; avadhūta-
veṣaḥ—appearing like an avadhūta (having no concern with the
material world); abhibhāṣyamāṇaḥ—being thus addressed (as
deaf, dumb and blind); api—although; janānām—by the
people; gṛhīta—took; mauna—of silence; vrataḥ—the vow;
tūṣṇīm babhūva—He remained silent.
TRANSLATION
After accepting the feature of avadhūta, a great saintly
person without material cares, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva passed
through human society like a blind, deaf and dumb man, an
idle stone, a ghost or a madman. Although people called
Him such names, He remained silent and did not speak to
anyone.
PURPORT
The word avadhūta refers to one who does not care for social
conventions, particularly the varṇāśrama-dharma. However,
such a person may be situated fully within himself and be
satisfied with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, on whom
he meditates. In other words, one who has surpassed the rules
and regulations of varṇāśrama-dharma is called avadhūta.
Such a person has already surpassed the clutches of māyā, and
he lives completely separate and independent.
TEXT - SB 5.5.30
tatra tatra pura-grāmākara-kheṭa-vāṭa-kharvaṭa-śibira-vraja-

ghoṣa-sārtha-giri-vanāśramādiṣv anupatham avanicarāpasadaiḥ
paribhūyamāno makṣikābhir iva vana-gajas tarjana-
tāḍanāvamehana-ṣṭhīvana-grāva-śakṛd-rajaḥ-prakṣepa-pūti-
vāta-duruktais tad avigaṇayann evāsat-saṁsthāna etasmin
dehopalakṣaṇe sad-apadeśa ubhayānubhava-svarūpeṇa sva-
mahimāvasthānenāsamāropitāhaṁ-mamābhimānatvād
avikhaṇḍita-manāḥ pṛthivīm eka-caraḥ paribabhrāma.
SYNONYMS
tatra tatra—here and there; pura—cities; grāma—villages;

ākara—mines; kheṭa—agricultural places; vāṭa—gardens;
kharvaṭa—villages in valleys; śibira—military encampments;
vraja—cow pens; ghoṣa—residential places of cowherd men;
sārtha—resting places for pilgrims; giri—hills; vana—forests;
āśrama—in the residential places of hermits; ādiṣu—and so on;
anupatham—as He passed through; avanicara-apasadaiḥ—by
undesirable elements, wicked persons; paribhūyamānaḥ—
being surrounded; makṣikābhiḥ—by flies; iva—like; vana-
gajaḥ—an elephant coming from the forest; tarjana—by
threats; tāḍana—beating; avamehana—passing urine on the
body; ṣṭhīvana—spitting on the body; grāva-śakṛt—stones and
stool; rajaḥ—dust; prakṣepa—throwing; pūti-vāta—passing air
over the body; duruktaiḥ—and by bad words; tat—that;
avigaṇayan—without caring about; eva—thus; asat-saṁsthāne
—habitat not fit for a gentleman; etasmin—in this; deha-
upalakṣaṇe—in the shape of the material body; sat-apadeśe—
called real; ubhaya-anubhava-svarūpeṇa—by understanding
the proper situation of the body and the soul; sva-mahima—in
His personal glory; avasthānena—by being situated;
asamāropita-aham-mama-abhimānatvāt—from not accepting
the misconception of "I and mine"; avikhaṇḍita-manāḥ—
undisturbed in mind; pṛthivīm—all over the world; eka-caraḥ
—alone; paribabhrāma—He wandered.
TRANSLATION
Ṛṣabhadeva began to tour through cities, villages, mines,
countrysides, valleys, gardens, military camps, cow pens,
the homes of cowherd men, transient hotels, hills, forests
and hermitages. Wherever He traveled, all bad elements
surrounded Him, just as flies surround the body of an
elephant coming from a forest. He was always being
threatened, beaten, urinated upon and spat upon.
Sometimes people threw stones, stool and dust at Him, and
sometimes people passed foul air before Him. Thus people
called Him many bad names and gave Him a great deal of
trouble, but He did not care about this, for He understood
that the body is simply meant for such an end. He was
situated on the spiritual platform, and, being in His
spiritual glory, He did not care for all these material insults.
In other words, He completely understood that matter and
spirit are separate, and He had no bodily conception. Thus,
without being angry at anyone, He walked through the
whole world alone.
PURPORT
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says: deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra

bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. When a person fully realizes that the
material body and world are temporary, he is not concerned
with pain and pleasures of the body. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa advises in
Bhagavad-gītā (2.14):
mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino 'nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata
"O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness

and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the
appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons.
They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one
must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed."
As far as Ṛṣabhadeva is concerned, it has already been

explained: idaṁ śarīraṁ mama durvibhāvyam. He did not at all
possess a material body; and therefore He was tolerant of all
the trouble offered to Him by the bad elements in society.
Consequently He could tolerate people's throwing stool and
dust upon Him and beating Him. His body was transcendental
and consequently did not at all suffer pain. He was always
situated in His spiritual bliss. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā
(18.61):
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna.

and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are
seated as on a machine, made of the material energy."
Since the Lord is situated in everyone's heart, He is in the heart

of hogs and dogs also. If hogs and dogs in their material bodies
live in filthy places, one should not think that the Supreme
Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature also lives in a
filthy place. Although Lord Ṛṣabhadeva was maltreated by the
bad elements of the world. He was not at all affected. Therefore
it is stated here. sva-mahima-avasthānena: "He was situated in
His own glory." He was never saddened due to being insulted
in the many ways described above.
Pura means city. Grāma means a town without a market. Ākara

is a mine. Kheta is a farm community. Kharvaṭa is a village on
a mountain slope. Vāṭa is a flower garden. Śiviram is a military
encampment. Vraja is place for cows. Ghosa is a cowherd
village. Sārtha is a gathering place of travelers. Āśrama is a
village of sages. The lowest of men scolded him to create fear
in him, beat him, urinated on him (avemehana), and spit
phlegm on him. They threw stones, stool and dust on him and
passed foul air on him. Humiliated in this way
(paribhūyamānaḥ), he tolerated it all because he did not identify
with the body which is a temporary situation (asat-saṁsthāne),
though it is called real. This is Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanation.
Jīva Gosvāmī says that this statement is made only to give
instruction to the common people.
The word etasmin should not therefore indicate his body, but
the universe, since his body is spiritual. Because the universe is
temporary it is called asat-saṁsthāne. As a unit, it is designated
as the body of the Lord (dehopalakṣaṇe). He did not identify
with that body composed of the universe. If he were to identify
with that body, which is the universe composed of those who
insulted him, he would lament, thinking, “My body composed
of the universe is contaminated by this great offense.” He did
not identify with that body, since he was situated in his own
glory, his body of knowledge and bliss, with realization of his
cit-śakti, belonging to his svarūpa and his māyā-śakti which
was not his svarūpa.
TEXT - SB 5.5.31
ati-sukumāra-kara-caraṇoraḥ-sthala-vipula-bāhv-aṁsa-gala-
vadanādy-avayava-vinyāsaḥ prakṛti-sundara-svabhāva-hāsa-
sumukho nava-nalina-dalāyamāna-śiśira-tārāruṇāyata-nayana-
ruciraḥ sadṛśa-subhaga-kapola-karṇa-kaṇṭha-nāso vigūḍha-
smita-vadana-mahotsavena pura-vanitānāṁ manasi kusuma-
śarāsanam upadadhānaḥ parāg-avalambamāna-kuṭila-jaṭila-
kapiśa-keśa-bhūri-bhāro 'vadhūta-malina-nija-śarīreṇa graha-
gṛhīta ivādṛśyata.
SYNONYMS
ati-su-kumāra—very delicate; kara—hands; caraṇa—feet;

uraḥ-sthala—chest; vipula—long; bāhu—arms; aṁsa—
shoulders; gala—neck; vadana—face; ādi—and so on;
avayava—limbs; vinyāsaḥ—properly situated; prakṛti—by
nature; sundara—lovely; sva-bhāva—natural; hāsa—with
smiling; su-mukhaḥ—His beautiful mouth; nava-nalina-
dalāyamāna—appearing like the petals of a new lotus flower;
śiśira—taking away all miseries; tāra—the irises; aruṇa—
reddish; āyata—spread wide; nayana—with eyes; ruciraḥ—
lovely; sadṛśa—such; subhaga—beauty; kapola—forehead;
karṇa—ears; kaṇṭha—neck; nāsaḥ—His nose; vigūḍha-smita
—by deep smiling; vadana—by His face; mahā-utsavena—
appearing like a festival; pura-vanitānām—of women within
household life; manasi—in the heart; kusuma-śarāsanam—
Cupid; upadadhānaḥ—awakening; parāk—all around;
avalambamāna—spread; kuṭila—curly; jaṭila—matted; kapiśa
—brown; keśa—of hair; bhūri-bhāraḥ—possessing a great
abundance; avadhūta—neglected; malina—dirty; nija-śarīreṇa
—by His body; graha-gṛhītaḥ—haunted by a ghost; iva—as if;
adṛśyata—He appeared.
TRANSLATION
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's hands, feet and chest were very long.
His shoulders, face and limbs were all very delicate and
symmetrically proportioned. His mouth was beautifully
decorated with His natural smile, and He appeared all the
more lovely with His reddish eyes spread wide like the
petals of a newly grown lotus flower covered with dew in
the early morning. The irises of His eyes were so pleasing
that they removed all the troubles of everyone who saw
Him. His forehead, ears, neck, nose and all His other
features were very beautiful. His gentle smile always made
His face beautiful, so much so that He even attracted the
hearts of married women. It was as though they had been
pierced by arrows of Cupid. About His head was an
abundance of curly, matted brown hair. His hair was
disheveled because His body was dirty and not taken care
of. He appeared as if He were haunted by a ghost.
PURPORT
Although Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's body was very much neglected,

His transcendental features were so attractive that even married
women were attracted to Him. His beauty and dirtiness
combined to make His beautiful body appear as though it were
haunted by a ghost.
Sadṛśa means extreme. He had an extremely attractive

forehead.
TEXT - SB 5.5.32
yarhi vāva sa bhagavān lokam imaṁ yogasyāddhā pratīpam

ivācakṣāṇas tat-pratikriyā-karma bībhatsitam iti vratam
ājagaram-āsthitaḥ śayāna evāśnāti pibati khādaty avamehati
hadati sma ceṣṭamāna uccarita ādigdhoddeśaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yarhi vāva—when; saḥ—He; bhagavān—the Personality of

Godhead; lokam—the people in general; imam—this; yogasya
—to the performance of yoga; addhā—directly; pratīpam—
antagonistic; iva—like; ācakṣāṇaḥ—observed; tat—of that;
pratikriyā—for counteraction; karma—activity; bībhatsitam—
abominable; iti—thus; vratam—the behavior; ājagaram—of a
python (to stay in one place); āsthitaḥ—accepting; śayānaḥ—
lying down; eva—indeed; aśnāti—eats; pibati—drinks; khādati
—chews; avamehati—passes urine; hadati—passes stool; sma
—thus; ceṣṭamānaḥ—rolling; uccarite—i n the stool and urine;
ādigdha-uddeśaḥ—His body thus smeared.
TRANSLATION
When Lord Ṛṣabhadeva saw that the general populace was
very antagonistic to His execution of mystic yoga, He
accepted the behavior of a python in order to counteract
their opposition. Thus He stayed in one place and lay down.
While lying down, He ate and drank, and He passed stool
and urine and rolled in it. Indeed, He smeared His whole
body with His own stool and urine so that opposing
elements might not come and disturb Him.
PURPORT
According to one's destiny, one enjoys allotted happiness and

distress, even though one keeps himself in one place. This is
the injunction of the śāstras. When one is spiritually situated,
he may stay in one place, and all his necessities will be
supplied by the arrangement of the supreme controller. Unless
one is a preacher, there is no need to travel all over the world.
A person can stay in one place and execute devotional service
suitably according to time and circumstance. When Ṛṣabhadeva
saw that He was simply being disturbed by traveling
throughout the world, He decided to lie down in one place like
a python. Thus He ate, drank, and He passed stool and urine
and smeared His body with them so that people would not
disturb Him.
He saw that the world was not favorable to his yoga because of
disturbances caused by hunger, thirst and people’s outrage. The
word iva (it appeared to be so) is used because nothing is
unfavorable for the advanced yogī. The vow of the python
means to stay in one place and receive one’s karmas of this life.
Since he would stay in one place, he would not become an
outrage to people since he would be known. Rolling in the
urine and stool, parts of his body became covered with it.
TEXT - SB 5.5.33
tasya ha yaḥ purīṣa-surabhi-saugandhya-vāyus taṁ deśaṁ daśa-

yojanaṁ samantāt surabhiṁ cakāra.
SYNONYMS
tasya—His; ha—indeed; yaḥ—which; purīṣa—of the stool;
surabhi—by the aroma; saugandhya—possessing a good
fragrance; vāyuḥ—the air; tam—that; deśam—country; daśa—
up to ten; yojanam—yojanas (one yojana equals eight miles);
samantāt—all around; surabhim—aromatic; cakāra—made.
TRANSLATION
Because Lord Ṛṣabhadeva remained in that condition, the
public did not disturb Him, but no bad aroma emanated
from His stool and urine. Quite the contrary, His stool and
urine were so aromatic that they filled eighty miles of the
countryside with a pleasant fragrance.
PURPORT
From this we can certainly assume that Lord Ṛṣabhadeva was

transcendentally blissful. His stool and urine were so
completely different from material stool and urine that they
were aromatic. Even in the material world, cow dung is
accepted as purified and antiseptic. A person can keep stacks of
cow dung in one place, and it will not create a bad odor to
disturb anyone. We can take it for granted that in the spiritual
world, stool and urine are also pleasantly scented. Indeed, the
entire atmosphere became very pleasant due to Lord
Ṛṣabhadeva's stool and urine.
One may think that this condition is disgusting for a spiritual

body. This verse explains. The air became fragrant with the
smell of his stool.
TEXT - SB 5.5.34
evaṁ go-mṛga-kāka-caryayā vrajaṁs tiṣṭhann āsīnaḥ śayānaḥ

kāka-mṛga-go-caritaḥ pibati khādaty avamehati sma.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; go—of cows; mṛga—deer; kāka—crows; caryayā

—by the activities; vrajan—moving; tiṣṭhan—standing; āsīnaḥ
—sitting; śayānaḥ—lying down; kāka-mṛga-go-caritaḥ—
behaving exactly like the crows, deer and cows; pibati—drinks;
khādati—eats; avamehati—passes urine; sma—He did so.
TRANSLATION
In this way Lord Ṛṣabhadeva followed the behavior of
cows, deer and crows. Sometimes He moved or walked, and
sometimes He sat down in one place. Sometimes He lay
down, behaving exactly like cows, deer and crows. In that
way, He ate, drank, passed stool and urine and cheated the
people in this way.
PURPORT
Being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva

possessed a transcendental, spiritual body. Since the general
public could not appreciate His behavior and mystic yoga
practice, they began to disturb Him. To cheat them, He behaved
like crows, cows and deer.
He displayed this nature for the people who were equivalent to

crows and other animals (kāka-mṛga-go-caritaḥ).
TEXT - SB 5.5.35
iti nānā-yoga-caryācaraṇo bhagavān kaivalya-patir ṛṣabho

'virata-parama-mahānandānubhava ātmani sarveṣāṁ bhūtānām
ātma-bhūte bhagavati vāsudeva ātmano 'vyavadhānānanta-
rodara-bhāvena siddha-samastārtha-paripūrṇo yogaiśvaryāṇi
vaihāyasa-mano-javāntardhāna-parakāya-praveśa-dūra-
grahaṇādīni yadṛcchayopagatāni nāñjasā nṛpa
hṛdayenābhyanandat.
SYNONYMS
iti—thus; nānā—various; yoga—of mystic yoga; caryā—

performances; ācaraṇaḥ—practicing; bhagavān—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; kaivalya-patiḥ—the master of
kaivalya, oneness, or the giver of sāyujya-mukti; ṛṣabhaḥ—
Lord Ṛṣabha; avirata—incessantly; parama—supreme; mahā
—great; ānanda-anubhavaḥ—feeling transcendental bliss;
ātmani—in the Supreme Soul; sarveṣām—of all; bhūtānām—
living entities; ātma-bhūte—situated in the heart; bhagavati—
unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudeve—Kṛṣṇa,
the son of Vasudeva; ātmanaḥ—of Himself; avyavadhāna—by
the nondifference of constitution; ananta—unlimited; rodara—
like crying, laughing and shivering; bhāvena—by the
symptoms of love; siddha—completely perfect; samasta—all;
artha—with desirable opulences; paripūrṇaḥ—full; yoga-
aiśvaryāṇi—the mystic powers; vaihāyasa—flying in the sky;
manaḥ-java—traveling at the speed of mind; antardhāna—the
ability to disappear; parakāya-praveśa—the ability to enter
another's body; dūra-grahaṇa—the ability to perceive things
far, far away; ādīni—and others; yadṛcchayā—without
difficulty, automatically; upagatāni—achieved; na—not;
añjasā—directly; nṛpa—O King Parīkṣit; hṛdayena—within
the heart; abhyanandat—accepted.
TRANSLATION
O King Parīkṣit, just to show all the yogīs the mystic
process, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the partial expansion of Lord
Kṛṣṇa, performed wonderful activities. Actually He was the
master of liberation and was fully absorbed in
transcendental bliss, which increased a thousandfold. Lord
Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, is the original
source of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva. There is no difference in Their
constitution, and consequently Lord Ṛṣabhadeva awakened
the loving symptoms of crying, laughing and shivering. He
was always absorbed in transcendental love. Due to this, all
mystic powers automatically approached Him, such as the
ability to travel in outer space at the speed of mind, to
appear and disappear, to enter the bodies of others, and to
see things far, far away. Although He could do all this, He
did not exercise these powers.
PURPORT
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 19.149) it is said:
kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta'

bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī—sakali 'aśānta'
The word śānta means completely peaceful. Unless all one's

desires are fulfilled, one cannot be peaceful. Everyone is trying
to fulfill his aspirations and desires, be they material or
spiritual. Those in the material world are aśānta (without
peace) because they have so many desires to fulfill. The pure
devotee, however, is without desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya: a
pure devotee is completely free from all kinds of material
desire. Karmīs, on the other hand, are simply full of desires
because they try to enjoy sense gratification. They are not
peaceful in this life, nor the next, during the past, present or
future. Similarly, jñānīs are always aspiring after liberation and
trying to become one with the Supreme. Yogīs are aspiring after
many siddhis (powers)—aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, etc. However,
a devotee is not at all interested in these things because he is
fully dependent on the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is yogeśvara, the
possessor of all mystic powers (siddhis), and He is ātmārāma,
fully self-satisfied. The yoga-siddhis are described in this verse.
One can fly in outer space without the aid of a machine, and he
can travel at the speed of mind. This means that as soon as a
yogī desires to go somewhere within this universe or even
beyond this universe, he can do so immediately. One cannot
estimate the speed of mind, for within a second the mind can go
many millions of miles. Sometimes yogīs enter into the bodies
of other people and act as they desire when their bodies are not
working properly. When the body becomes old, a perfect yogī
can find a young, able body. Giving up his old body, the yogī
can enter into the young body and act as he pleases. Being a
plenary expansion of Lord Vāsudeva, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva
possessed all these mystic yoga powers, but He was satisfied
with His devotional love of Kṛṣṇa, which was evinced by the
ecstatic symptoms, such as crying, laughing and shivering.
Kaivalya-patiḥ means that he gave merging in Brahman to

others out of his mercy. One should consider that these
pastimes are a meditation for teaching yogīs. They are not to be
imitated. Though Ṛṣabha was the Supreme Lord, he developed
prema for Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, since Vāsudeva is
the most worthy of worship among all the avatāras. Bhīṣma has
said:
asyānubhāvaṁ bhagavān veda guhyatamaṁ śivaḥ |
devarṣir nāradaḥ sākṣād bhagavān kapilo nṛpa ||
O King! Lord Śiva, Nārada, sage of the heavens, and Lord

Kapila, who is directly the Lord, know the most secret
anubhāvas of Kṛṣṇa, though not his intentions. SB 1.9.19
The concept of many Supreme Lords is rejected and thus the

word ātmani (self) is used in reference to Vāsudeva. Rodara
means “giving tears.” He was filled with prema which
produced unlimited tears, complete with all results, directly
manifested in himself (ātmanaḥ avyavadhāna), directed to
Vāsudeva (ātmani), who is non-different from himself, being
his amśī. Vaihāyasaḥ means “having the ability to fly in the
sky.” Manojava means “moving his body as fast as the mind.”
Dūragrahaṇa means “seeing things far away.”
Thus ends the commentary on the Fifth Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Fifth

Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam entitled "Lord
Ṛṣabhadeva's Teachings to His Sons."
6. The Activities of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19
Chapter Summary
This chapter tells how Lord Ṛṣabhadeva left His body. He was
not attached to His body even when it was being burned up in a
forest fire. When the seed of fruitive activity is burned by the
fire of knowledge, the spiritual properties and mystic powers
are automatically manifest, yet bhakti-yoga is not affected by
these mystic powers. An ordinary yogī is captivated by mystic
powers and his progress checked; therefore a perfect yogī does
not welcome them. Because the mind is restless and
undependable, it must remain always under control. Even the
mind of the advanced yogī Saubhari created such a disturbance
that he lost his yogic mystic powers. Due to a restless mind,
even a very advanced yogī can fall down. The mind is so
restless that it induces even a perfect yogī to be controlled by
the senses. Therefore Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, for the instruction of
all yogīs, showed the process of quitting the body. While
traveling in South India, through the provinces of Karṇāṭa,
Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva arrived in the
neighborhood of Kuṭakācala. Suddenly there was a forest fire
that burned the forest and Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's body to ashes.
The pastimes of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva as a liberated soul were
known by the King of Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka. This King's
name was Arhat. He later became captivated by the illusory
energy, and in this condition he set forth the basic principles of
Jainism. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva set forth the principles of religion
that can free one from material bondage, and He put an end to
all kinds of atheistic activities. On this earth, the place known
as Bhārata-varṣa was a very pious land because the Supreme
Lord appeared there when He wanted to incarnate.
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva neglected all the mystic powers for which the
so-called yogīs hanker. Because of the beauty of devotional
service, devotees are not at all interested in so-called mystic
power. The master of all yogic power, Lord Kṛṣṇa, can exhibit
all powers on behalf of His devotee. Devotional service is more
valuable than yogic mystic powers. Devotees who are
sometimes misled aspire for liberation and mystic powers. The
Supreme Lord gives these devotees whatever they desire, but
they cannot attain the most important function of devotional
service. Devotional service to the Lord is guaranteed for those
who do not desire liberation and mystic power.
TEXT - SB 5.6.1
raJaaevac
Na NaUNa& >aGav AaTMaaraMaa<aa&
YaaeGaSaMaqirTajaNaav>aiJaRTak-MaRbqJaaNaaMaE‚
ṅYaaRi<a PauNa" (c)e-XadaiNa >aivTauMahRiNTa
YadC^YaaePaGaTaaiNa )) 1 ))
rājovāca
na nūnaṁ bhagava ātmārāmāṇāṁ yoga-samīrita-

jñānāvabharjita-karma-bījānām aiśvaryāṇi punaḥ kleśadāni
bhavitum arhanti yadṛc-chayopagatāni.
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca—King Parīkṣit inquired; na—not; nūnam—indeed;

bhagavaḥ—O most powerful Śukadeva Gosvāmī;
ātmārāmāṇām—of pure devotees simply engaged in devotional
service; yoga-samīrita—achieved by practice of yoga; jñāna—
by knowledge; avabharjita—burned; karma-bījānām—of those
whose seeds of fruitive activities; aiśvaryāṇi—the mystic
powers; punaḥ—again; kleśadāni—sources of distress;
bhavitum—to become; arhanti—are able; yadṛcchayā—
automatically; upagatāni—achieved.
TRANSLATION
King Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear Lord, for
those who are completely pure in heart, knowledge is
attained by the practice of bhakti-yoga, and attachment for
fruitive activity is completely burned to ashes. For such
people, the powers of mystic yoga automatically arise. They
do not cause distress. Why, then, did Ṛṣabhadeva neglect
them?
PURPORT
A pure devotee is constantly engaged in the service of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever is necessary for the
discharge of devotional service is automatically attained,
though it may appear to be the result of mystic yoga power.
Sometimes a yogī displays a little yogic power by
manufacturing gold. A little quantity of gold captivates foolish
people, and thus the yogī gets many followers, who are willing
to accept such a tiny person as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Such a yogī may also advertise himself as Bhagavān.
However, a devotee does not have to exhibit such magical
wonders. Without practicing the mystic yogic process, he
achieves even greater opulence all over the world. Under the
circumstances, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva refused to manifest mystic
yogic perfections, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked why He did not
accept them, since, for a devotee, they are not at all disturbing.
A devotee is never distressed or satisfied by material opulence.
His concern is how to please the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. If, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, a devotee
achieves extraordinary opulence, he utilizes the opportunity for
the Lord's service. He is not disturbed by the opulence.
The Sixth Chapter discusses the low position of the mind, the
disappearance of Ṛṣabhadeva and the rise of heterodoxy in
imitation of his activities. Hearing that Ṛṣabhadeva did not
welcome mystic powers, Parīkṣit asks a question. O great soul
(bhagavaḥ)! For the ātmārāmas who have burned up the seeds
of karma by knowledge arising from best yoga, the powers
should not be harmful, since enjoyment which arises suddenly
is not harmful.
TEXT - SB 5.6.2
‰izṛvac
SaTYaMau¢&- ik-iNTvh va Wke- Na MaNaSaae_Ṭa
ivī[M>aMaNavSQaaNaSYa
Xa#=ik-raTa wv Sa(r)C^NTae )) 2 ))
ṛṣir uvāca
satyam uktaṁ kintv iha vā eke na manaso 'ddhā viśrambham

anavasthānasya śaṭha-kirāta iva saṅgacchante.
SYNONYMS
ṛṣiḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; satyam—the correct

thing; uktam—have said; kintu—but; iha—in this material
world; vā—either; eke—some; na—not; manasaḥ—of the
mind; addhā—directly; viśrambham—faithful; anavasthānasya
—being unsteady; śaṭha—very cunning; kirātaḥ—a hunter; iva
—like; saṅgacchante—become.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied: My dear King, you have
spoken correctly. However, after capturing animals, a
cunning hunter does not put faith in them, for they might
run away. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual
life do not put faith in the mind. Indeed, they always remain
vigilant and watch the mind's action.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (18.5) Lord Kṛṣṇa says:
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat
yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva
pāvanāni manīṣiṇām
"Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up

but should be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance
purify even the great souls."
Even one who has renounced the world and has taken sannyāsa
should not renounce chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
Renunciation does not mean that one has to renounce
saṅkīrtana-yajña. Similarly, one should not renounce charity or
tapasya. The yoga system for control of the mind and senses
must be strictly followed. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva showed how severe
types of tapasya could be performed, and He set an example for
all others.
You have spoken correctly. The mystic powers should not give
problems. However, intelligent persons (eke) never put faith in
the mind. Why? The mind at every moment takes on a new
condition. Becoming pure, the mind immediately becomes
impure. The degraded (kirāta), cunning person, after showing
friendship, kills the trusting person after robbing him. After
showing its purity, with power not to be influenced by lust and
anger, one day the mind makes the sādhaka who has become
lax in effort to fall down by a sudden appearance of lust or
anger. Though the low-born person constantly studies t dharma
and shows good character, and is trusted even in the treasury,
he sometimes commits theft since his nature is difficult to give
up. Similarly, though one trusts the mind which has been
purified by sense control and mind control and has become
fixed in hearing and meditation, the uncontrolled mind
becomes absorbed in sinful object when given the opportunity,
and takes away discriminating knowledge.
TEXT - SB 5.6.3
tathā coktam—
na kuryāt karhicit sakhyaṁ
manasi hy anavasthite
yad-viśrambhāc cirāc cīrṇaṁ
caskanda tapa aiśvaram
SYNONYMS
tathā—so; ca—and; uktam—it is said; na—never; kuryāt—

should do; karhicit—at any time or with anyone; sakhyam—
friendship; manasi—in the mind; hi—certainly; anavasthite—
which is very restless; yat—in which; viśrambhāt—from
placing too much faith; cirāt—for a long time; cīrṇam—
practiced; caskanda—became disturbed; tapaḥ—the austerity;
aiśvaram—of great personalities like Lord Śiva and the great
sage Saubhari.
TRANSLATION
All the learned scholars have given their opinion. The mind
is by nature very restless, and one should not make friends
with it. If we place full confidence in the mind, it may cheat
us at any moment. Even Lord Śiva became agitated upon
seeing the Mohinī form of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Saubhari Muni
also fell down from the mature stage of yogic perfection.
PURPORT
The first business of one trying to advance in spiritual life is to

control the mind and senses. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-
gītā (15.7):
mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati
Although the living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme
Lord and are therefore in a transcendental position, they are
still suffering in this material world and struggling for existence
due to the mind and the senses. To get out of this false struggle
for existence and become happy in the material world, one has
to control the mind and senses and be detached from material
conditions. One should never neglect austerities and penances;
one should always perform them. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva personally
showed us how to do this. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(9.19.17) it is specifically stated:
mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā

nāviviktāsano bhavet
balavān indriya-grāmo
vidvāṁsam api karṣati
A gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsī and brahmacārī should be

very careful when associating with women. One is forbidden to
sit down in a solitary place even with one's mother, sister or
daughter. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement it has been
very difficult to disassociate ourselves from women in our
society, especially in Western countries. We are therefore
sometimes criticized, but nonetheless we are trying to give
everyone a chance to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and
thus advance spiritually. If we stick to the principle of chanting
the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, then, by the grace
of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura, we may be saved from the
allurement of women. However, if we are not very strict in
chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, we may at any time fall
victim to women.
Because of faith in the mind, one’s austerity practiced over a

long time (cirāt cīrṇam) flows away (caskanda). Aiśvaram
means related to Śiva, whose austerity was destroyed by seeing
the form of Mohinī. Or, it can refer to those who were expert in
sense control such as Saubhari.
TEXT - SB 5.6.4
nityaṁ dadāti kāmasya
cchidraṁ tam anu ye 'rayaḥ
yoginaḥ kṛta-maitrasya
patyur jāyeva puṁścalī
SYNONYMS
nityam—always; dadāti—gives; kāmasya—of lust; chidram—

facility; tam—that (lust); anu—following; ye—those; arayaḥ—
enemies; yoginaḥ—of the yogīs or persons trying to advance in
spiritual life; kṛta-maitrasya—having put faith in the mind;
patyuḥ—of the husband; jāyā iva—like the wife; puṁścalī—
who is unchaste or easily carried away by other men.
TRANSLATION
An unchaste woman is very easily carried away by
paramours, and it sometimes happens that her husband is
violently killed by her paramours. If the yogī gives his mind
a chance and does not restrain it, his mind will give facility
to enemies like lust, anger and greed, and they will
doubtlessly kill the yogī.
PURPORT
In this verse the word puṁścalī refers to a woman who is easily
carried away by men. Such a woman is never to be trusted.
Unfortunately, in the present age, women are never controlled.
According to the directions of the śāstras, women are never to
be given freedom. When a child, a woman must be strictly
controlled by her father. When she is young, she must be
strictly controlled by her husband, and when she is old, she
must be controlled by her elderly sons. If she is given
independence and allowed to mingle unrestrictedly with men,
she will be spoiled. A spoiled woman, being manipulated by
paramours, might even kill her husband. This example is given
here because a yogī desiring to get free from material
conditions must always keep his mind under control. Śrīla
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say that in the
morning our first business should be to beat the mind with
shoes a hundred times. and, before going to bed, to beat the
mind a hundred times with a broomstick. In this way one's
mind can be kept under control. An uncontrolled mind and an
unchaste wife are the same. An unchaste wife can kill her
husband at any time, and an uncontrolled mind, followed by
lust, anger, greed, madness, envy and illusion, can certainly kill
the yogī. When the yogī is controlled by the mind, he falls
down into the material condition. One should be very careful of
the mind, just as a husband should be careful of an unchaste
wife.
The cause is explained. The mind of the trusting yogī gives an

opportunity to lust and its followers, anger and greed, which are
enemies. Just as the prostitute, trusted by her husband, gives
opportunity to her lover, and has her husband killed, the mind
makes the yogī fall from his position by lust and other desires.
TEXT - SB 5.6.5
kāmo manyur mado lobhaḥ
śoka-moha-bhayādayaḥ
karma-bandhaś ca yan-mūlaḥ
svīkuryāt ko nu tad budhaḥ
SYNONYMS
kāmaḥ—lust; manyuḥ—anger; madaḥ—pride; lobhaḥ—greed;

śoka—lamentation; moha—illusion; bhaya—fear; ādayaḥ—all
these together; karma-bandhaḥ—bondage to fruitive activities;
ca—and; yat-mūlaḥ—the origin of which; svīkuryāt—would
accept; kaḥ—who; nu—indeed; tat—that mind; budhaḥ—if
one is learned.
TRANSLATION
The mind is the root cause of lust, anger, pride, greed,
lamentation, illusion and fear. Combined, these constitute
bondage to fruitive activity. What learned man would put
faith in the mind?
PURPORT
The mind is the original cause of material bondage. It is
followed by many enemies, such as anger, pride, greed,
lamentation, illusion and fear. The best way to control the mind
is to engage it always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness (sa vai manaḥ
kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]). Since the followers of the
mind bring about material bondage, we should be very careful
not to trust the mind.
This verse describes the enemies mentioned in the last verse.

Who would trust the mind, the root of lust etc.?
TEXT - SB 5.6.6
athaivam akhila-loka-pāla-lalāmo 'pi vilakṣaṇair jaḍavad

avadhūta-veṣa-bhāṣā-caritair avilakṣita-bhagavat-prabhāvo
yogināṁ sāmparāya-vidhim anuśikṣayan sva-kalevaraṁ jihāsur
ātmany ātmānam asaṁvyavahitam anarthāntara-
bhāvenānvīkṣamāṇa uparatānuvṛttir upararāma.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; evam—in this way; akhila-loka-pāla-lalāmaḥ

—the head of all kings and monarchs of the universe; api—
although; vilakṣaṇaiḥ—various; jaḍa-vat—as if stupid;
avadhūta-veṣa-bhāṣā-caritaiḥ—by the dress, language and
characteristics of an avadhūta; avilakṣita-bhagavat-prabhāvaḥ
—hiding the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
(keeping Himself like an ordinary human being); yoginām—of
the yogīs; sāmparāya-vidhim—the method of giving up this
material body; anuśikṣayan—teaching; sva-kalevaram—His
own personal body, which is not at all material; jihāsuḥ—
desiring to give up like an ordinary human being; ātmani—unto
Vāsudeva, the original person; ātmānam—Himself, Lord
Ṛṣabhadeva, being an āveśa-avatāra of Lord Viṣṇu;
asaṁvyavahitam—without intervention by the illusory energy;
anartha-antara-bhāvena—Himself in the status of Viṣṇu;
anvīkṣamāṇaḥ—always seeing; uparata-anuvṛttiḥ—who was
acting as if giving up His material body; upararāma—ceased
His pastimes as the King of this planet.
TRANSLATION
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva was the head of all kings and emperors
within this universe, but assuming the dress and language
of an avadhūta, He acted as if dull and materially bound.
Consequently no one could observe His divine opulence. He
adopted this behavior just to teach yogīs how to give up the
body. Nonetheless, He maintained His original position as a
plenary expansion of Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Remaining
always in that state, He gave up His pastimes as Lord
Ṛṣabhadeva within the material world. If, following in the
footsteps of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, one can give up his subtle
body, there is no chance that one will accept a material
body again.
PURPORT
As Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9):


Arjuna."
This is possible simply by keeping oneself an eternal servant of

the Supreme Lord. One must understand his constitutional
position and the constitutional position of the Supreme Lord as
well. Both have the same spiritual identity. Maintaining oneself
as a servant of the Supreme Lord, one should avoid rebirth in
this material world. If one keeps himself spiritually fit and
thinks of himself as an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, he
will be successful at the time he has to give up the material
body.
Having finished the incidental topic of why Ṛṣabhadeva did not

welcome mystic powers, now Śukadeva returns to the main
topic. He taught how to give up the body by imitating giving up
the body. Because his body is spiritual, he always saw himself
as non-different from (anarthāntara-bhāvena) Paramātmā
(ātmani), without the obstacle of a material body. Imitating the
conduct of an avadhūta (uparatānuvrttiḥ), he gave up his
pastimes as an avatāra (upararāma). “Desiring to give up his
body” means that he desired to give up the manifestation of his
body in this world. This meaning will be evident in the next
verse.
TEXT - SB 5.6.7
tasya ha vā evaṁ mukta-liṅgasya bhagavata ṛṣabhasya

yogamāyā-vāsanayā deha imāṁ jagatīm abhimānābhāsena
saṅkramamāṇaḥ koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakān dakṣiṇa-karṇāṭakān
deśān yadṛcchayopagataḥ kuṭakācalopavana āsya kṛtāśma-
kavala unmāda iva mukta-mūrdhajo 'saṁvīta eva vicacāra.
SYNONYMS
tasya—of Him (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); ha vā—as it were; evam—

thus; mukta-liṅgasya—who had no identification with the gross
and subtle body; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; ṛṣabhasya—of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; yoga-māyā-
vāsanayā—by the accomplishment of yogamāyā for the
purpose of the Lord's pastimes; dehaḥ—body; imām—this;
jagatīm—earth; abhimāna-ābhāsena—with the apparent
conception of having a body of material elements;
saṅkramamāṇaḥ—traveling; koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakān—Koṅka,
Veṅka and Kuṭaka; dakṣiṇa—in South India; karṇāṭakān—in
the province of Karṇāṭa; deśān—all the countries; yadṛcchayā
—of His own accord; upagataḥ—reached; kuṭakācala-upavane
—a forest near Kuṭakācala; āsya—within the mouth; kṛta-
aśma-kavalaḥ—having put a mouthful of stone; unmādaḥ iva
—just like a madman; mukta-mūrdhajaḥ—having scattered
hair; asaṁvītaḥ—naked; eva—just; vicacāra—traveled.
TRANSLATION
Actually Lord Ṛṣabhadeva had no material body, but due
to yogamāyā, He considered His body material, and
therefore, because He played like an ordinary human being,
He gave up the mentality of identifying with it. Following
this principle, He began to wander all over the world. While
traveling, He came to the province of Karṇāṭa in South
India and passed through Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka. He
had no plan to travel this way, but He arrived near
Kuṭakācala and entered a forest there. He placed stones
within His mouth and began to wander through the forest,
naked and with His hair disheveled like a madman.
This verse describes how he gave up his body. Though he was

the Lord, he gave up the characteristics of the Lord (mukta-
liṅgasya), or he had the characteristics of a liberated soul. Just
as the yogīs move their body by the influence of previous
impressions after they are liberated, like a finished pot still
moving on the potter’s wheel, Ṛṣabhadeva, making an
appearance of identifying with a body, continue to exist by the
impressions which are a reflection of avidyā (abhimānābhāsaḥ),
like the jīvanmuktas. However, Ṛṣabhadeva was actually
different. He existed by the influence of yoga-māyā, by the
impressions of his desire to perform pastimes like an avadhūta.
Just as a small child puts anything that he receives in his
mouth, Ṛṣabhadeva had a stone in his mouth. He was naked
(asamvītaḥ).
TEXT - SB 5.6.8
atha samīra-vega-vidhūta-veṇu-vikarṣaṇa-jātogra-dāvānalas tad

vanam ālelihānaḥ saha tena dadāha.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; samīra-vega—by the force of the wind;

vidhūta—tossed about; veṇu—of bamboos; vikarṣaṇa—by the
rubbing; jāta—produced; ugra—fierce; dāva-analaḥ—a forest
fire; tat—that; vanam—forest near Kuṭakācala; ālelihānaḥ—
devouring all around; saha—with; tena—that body; dadāha—
burned to ashes.
TRANSLATION
While He was wandering about, a wild forest fire began.
This fire was caused by the friction of bamboos, which were
being blown by the wind. In that fire, the entire forest near
Kuṭakācala and the body of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva were burnt
to ashes.
PURPORT
Such a forest fire can burn the external bodies of animals, but
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva was not burned, although He apparently
seemed so. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva is the Supersoul of all living
entities within the forest, and His soul is never burned by fire.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, adāhyo 'yam—the soul is never
burned by fire. Due to Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's presence, all the
animals in the forest were also liberated from material
encagement.
It has mentioned that he disappeared. How did this happen?

This verse describes the event. The fire burned up the forest
along with Ṛṣabhadeva. The fire burned up the gross bodies of
trees and animals in that forest. Ṛṣabhadeva burned up their
subtle bodies. Thus by his mercy, all the animals and plants
attained liberation.
TEXT - SB 5.6.9
yasya kilānucaritam upākarṇya koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakānāṁ

rājārhan-nāmopaśikṣya kalāv adharma utkṛṣyamāṇe
bhavitavyena vimohitaḥ sva-dharma-patham akuto-bhayam
apahāya kupatha-pākhaṇḍam asamañjasaṁ nija-manīṣayā
mandaḥ sampravartayiṣyate.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); kila anucaritam—

pastimes as a paramahaṁsa, above all regulative varṇāśrama
principles; upākarṇya—hearing; koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakānām—of
Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka; rājā—the King; arhat-nāma—
whose name was Arhat (now known as the Jain); upaśikṣya—
imitating the activities of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva in His
paramahaṁsa feature; kalau—in this age of Kali; adharme
utkṛṣyamāṇe—because of increasing irreligious life;
bhavitavyena—by that which was about to happen; vimohitaḥ
—bewildered; sva-dharma-patham—the path of religion;
akutaḥ-bhayam—which is free from all kinds of fearful danger;
apahāya—giving up (such practices as cleanliness,
truthfulness, control of the senses and mind, simplicity, the
principles of religion, and practical application of knowledge);
ku-patha-pākhaṇḍam—the wrong path of atheism;
asamañjasam—improper or against the Vedic literature; nija-
manīṣayā—by his own fertile brain; mandaḥ—most foolish;
sampravartayiṣyate—will introduce.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued speaking to Mahārāja
Parīkṣit: My dear King, the King of Koṅka, Veṅka and
Kuṭaka whose name was Arhat, heard of the activities of
Ṛṣabhadeva and, imitating Ṛṣabhadeva's principles,
introduced a new system of religion. Taking advantage of
Kali-yuga, the age of sinful activity, King Arhat, being
bewildered, gave up the Vedic principles, which are free
from risk, and concocted a new system of religion opposed
to the Vedas. That was the beginning of the Jain dharma.
Many other so-called religions followed this atheistic
system.
PURPORT
When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, a person

named Pauṇḍraka imitated the four-handed Nārāyaṇa and
declared himself the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He
desired to compete with Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, during the time of
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the King of Koṅka and Veṅka acted like a
paramahaṁsa and imitated Lord Ṛṣabhadeva. He introduced a
system of religion and took advantage of the fallen condition of
the people in this age of Kali. It is said in Vedic literatures that
people in this age will be more inclined to accept anyone as the
Supreme Lord and accept any religious system opposed to
Vedic principles. The people in this age are described as
mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. Generally they have no spiritual
culture, and therefore they are very fallen. Due to this, they will
accept any religious system. Due to their misfortune. they
forget the Vedic principles. Following non-Vedic principles in
this age, they think themselves the Supreme Lord and thus
spread the cult of atheism all over the world.
The jīvas of Kali-yuga, looking in the external world, will get

benefit by hearing and chanting the pastimes of Ṛṣabhadeva,
but not by imitating his behavior. Because the jīvas in Kali-
yuga are incapable of looking inward, they become fallen by
becoming fixed in Ṛṣabhadeva’s external conduct alone. The
person called Arhat will be born in the future. Hearing of
Ṛṣabhadeva through local scriptures, he thought he would also
become similar by imitating Ṛṣabhadeva’s activities. He
learned about his activities in detail (upaśīkṣya). When
adharma would increase in Kali-yuga because of what would
inevitably happen as a result of bad karma (bhāvitavyena),
Arhat became bewildered.
TEXT - SB 5.6.10
yena ha vāva kalau manujāpasadā deva-māyā-mohitāḥ sva-

vidhi-niyoga-śauca-cāritra-vihīnā deva-helanāny apavratāni
nija-nijecchayā gṛhṇānā asnānānācamanāśauca-
keśolluñcanādīni kalinādharma-bahulenopahata-dhiyo brahma-
brāhmaṇa-yajña-puruṣa-loka-vidūṣakāḥ prāyeṇa bhaviṣyanti.
SYNONYMS
yena—by which pseudo religious system; ha vāva—certainly;

kalau—in this age of Kali; manuja-apasadāḥ—the most
condemned men; deva-māyā-mohitāḥ—bewildered by the
external energy, or illusory energy, of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; sva-vidhi-niyoga-śauca-cāritra-vihīnāḥ—without
character, cleanliness, and the rules and regulations given
according to one's own duty in life; deva-helanāni—negligent
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; apavratāni—impious
vows; nija-nija-icchayā—by their own desires; gṛhṇānāḥ—
accepting; asnāna-anācamana-aśauca-keśa-ulluñcana-ādīni—
concocted religious principles such as no bathing, no washing
of the mouth, being unclean and plucking out the hair; kalinā—
by the age of Kali; adharma-bahulena—with an abundance of
irreligion; upahata-dhiyaḥ—whose pure consciousness is
destroyed; brahma-brāhmaṇa-yajña-puruṣa-loka-vidūṣakāḥ—
blasphemous toward the Vedas, the strict brāhmaṇas, ritualistic
ceremonies such as sacrifice, and toward the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and the devotees; prāyeṇa—almost
entirely; bhaviṣyanti—will become.
TRANSLATION
People who are lowest among men and bewildered by the
illusory energy of the Supreme Lord will give up the
original varṇāśrama-dharma and its rules and regulations.
They will abandon bathing three times daily and
worshiping the Lord. Abandoning cleanliness and
neglecting the Supreme Lord, they will accept nonsensical
principles. Not regularly bathing or washing their mouths
regularly, they will always remain unclean, and they will
pluck out their hair. Following a concocted religion, they
will flourish. During this age of Kali, people are more
inclined to irreligious systems. Consequently these people
will naturally deride Vedic authority, the followers of Vedic
authority, the brāhmaṇas, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and the devotees.
PURPORT
Presently the hippies in the Western countries fit this

description. They are irresponsible and unregulated. They do
not bathe, and they deride standard Vedic knowledge. They
concoct new life-styles and religions. There are many hippie
groups at the present moment, but they all originated from King
Arhat, who imitated the activities of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, who
was situated on the paramahaṁsa stage. King Arhat did not
care for the fact that although Lord Ṛṣabhadeva acted like a
madman, His stool and urine were nonetheless aromatic, so
much so that they nicely scented the countryside for miles
around. The followers of King Arhat went under the name
Jains, and they were later followed by many others, particularly
by the hippies, who are more or less offshoots of Māyāvāda
philosophy because they think themselves the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Such people do not respect the real
followers of Vedic principles, the ideal brāhmaṇas. Nor do
they have respect for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
Supreme Brahman. Due to the influence of this age of Kali,
they are apt to concoct false religious systems.
Making up their own rules, they will be devoid of rules of

cleanliness and proper conduct.
TEXT - SB 5.6.11
te ca hy arvāktanayā nija-loka-yātrayāndha-paramparayāśvastās
tamasy andhe svayam eva prapatiṣyanti.
SYNONYMS
te—those people not following the Vedic principles; ca—and;

hi—certainly; arvāktanayā—deviating from the eternal
principles of Vedic religion; nija-loka-yātrayā—by a practice
arrived at by their own mental concoction; andha-paramparayā
—by a disciplic succession of blind. ignorant people; āśvastāḥ
—being encouraged; tamasi—into the darkness of ignorance;
andhe—blindness; svayam eva—themselves; prapatiṣyanti—
will fall down.
TRANSLATION
Low-class people, due to their gross ignorance, introduce a
system of religion that deviates from the Vedic principles.
Following their own mental concoctions, they automatically
fall down into the darkest regions of existence.
PURPORT
In this connection, one may see Bhagavad-gītā, Chapter

Sixteen. where there is a description of the downfall of the
asuras (16.16 and 16.23).
TEXT - SB 5.6.12
ayam avatāro rajasopapluta-kaivalyopaśikṣaṇārthaḥ.
SYNONYMS
ayam avatāraḥ—this incarnation (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); rajasā—

by the mode of passion; upapluta—overwhelmed; kaivalya-
upaśikṣaṇa-arthaḥ—to teach people the path of liberation.
TRANSLATION
In this age of Kali, people are overwhelmed by the modes of
passion and ignorance. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva incarnated
Himself to deliver them from the clutches of māyā.
PURPORT
The symptoms of Kali-yuga are predicted in the Twelfth Canto,
Third Chapter, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-
dhāraṇam. It is predicted how fallen souls will behave. They
will keep their hair long and consider themselves very
beautiful, or they will pluck out their hair as the Jains do. They
will keep themselves unclean and will not wash their mouths.
Jains refer to Lord Ṛṣabhadeva as their original preceptor. If
such people are serious followers of Ṛṣabhadeva, they must
also take His instructions. In the Fifth Chapter of this canto,
Ṛṣabhadeva gave His one hundred sons instructions whereby
they could become free from the clutches of māyā. If one
actually follows Ṛṣabhadeva, he will certainly be delivered
from the clutches of māyā and return home, back to Godhead.
If one strictly follows the instructions of Ṛṣabhadeva given in
the Fifth Chapter, he will certainly be liberated. Lord
Ṛṣabhadeva incarnated specifically to deliver these fallen souls.
When Ṛṣabhadeva appeared, the jñānīs of that time were

supposed to follow his example. He came to teach jñāna-yoga
which had been lost due to the influence of time
(rajosopapluta). Or he came to teach the path of liberation to
those overcome by rajoguṇa. People of Satya, Treta and
Dvāparā yugas could follow his teachings, but the people of
Kali-yuga should only hear about him.
TEXT - SB 5.6.13
tasyānuguṇān ślokān gāyanti—

aho bhuvaḥ sapta-samudravatyā
dvīpeṣu varṣeṣv adhipuṇyam etat
gāyanti yatratya-janā murāreḥ
karmāṇi bhadrāṇy avatāravanti
SYNONYMS
tasya—of Him (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); anuguṇān—conforming to

the instructions for liberation; ślokān—verses; gāyanti—chant;
aho—oh; bhuvaḥ—of this earthly planet; sapta-samudra-
vatyāḥ—possessing seven seas; dvīpeṣu—among the islands;
varṣeṣu—among the lands; adhipuṇyam—more pious than any
other island; etat—this (Bhārata-varṣa); gāyanti—sing about;
yatratya-janāḥ—the people of this tract of land; murāreḥ—of
Murāri, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; karmāṇi—the
activities; bhadrāṇi—all-auspicious; avatāravanti—in many
incarnations such as Lord Ṛṣabhadeva.
TRANSLATION
Learned scholars chant about the transcendental qualities
of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva in this way: "Oh, this earthly planet
contains seven seas and many islands and lands, of which
Bhārata-varṣa is considered the most pious. People of
Bhārata-varṣa are accustomed to glorifying the activities of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnations as
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva and others. All these activities are very
auspicious for the welfare of humanity.
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]
As stated in this verse, Bhārata-varṣa is a most pious land. The

followers of Vedic literature understand the Supreme
Personality of Godhead in His different incarnations, and they
are privileged to glorify the Lord by following the directions of
Vedic literature. After realizing the glories of human life. such
people should take up the mission to spread the importance of
human life throughout the whole world. This is the mission of
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The word adhipuṇyam indicates that
there are certainly many other pious men throughout the world,
but the people of Bhārata-varṣa are even more pious. Therefore
they are fit to spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness throughout the
world for the benefit of all human society. Śrīla Madhvācārya
also recognizes the land of Bhārata-varṣa: viśeṣād bhārate
puṇyam. Throughout the world, there is no question of
bhagavad-bhakti or devotional service, but the people of
Bhārata-varṣa can easily understand the devotional service of
the Lord. Thus every inhabitant of Bhārata-varṣa can perfect his
life by discharging bhagavad-bhakti and then preaching this
cult throughout the world for the benefit of everyone.

Among the countries Bhārata-varṣa is the most pious
(adhipuṇyam) because the inhabitants sing about the activities
of the Lord’s incarnations.
TEXT - SB 5.6.14
aho nu vaṁśo yaśasāvadātaḥ
praiyavrato yatra pumān purāṇaḥ
kṛtāvatāraḥ puruṣaḥ sa ādyaś
cacāra dharmaṁ yad akarma-hetum
SYNONYMS
aho—oh; nu—indeed; vaṁśaḥ—the dynasty; yaśasā—with

widespread fame; avadātaḥ—fully pure; praiyavrataḥ—related
to King Priyavrata; yatra—wherein; pumān—the Supreme
Person; purāṇaḥ—the original; kṛta-avatāraḥ—descended as
an incarnation; puruṣaḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
saḥ—He; ādyaḥ—the original person; cacāra—executed;
dharmam—religious principles; yat—from which; akarma-
hetum—the cause of the end of fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
"Oh, what shall I say of the dynasty of Priyavrata, which is
pure and very much celebrated. In that dynasty, the
Supreme Person, the original Personality of Godhead,
descended as an incarnation and executed religious
principles that could free one from the results of fruitive
activity.
PURPORT
There are many dynasties in human society wherein the

Supreme Lord descends as an incarnation. Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared
in the Yadu dynasty, and Lord Rāmacandra appeared in the
Ikṣvāku, or Raghu, dynasty. Similarly, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva
appeared in the dynasty of King Priyavrata. All these dynasties
are very famous, and of them the dynasty of Priyavrata is most
famous.
Among the dynasties, Priyavrata’s dynasty is fortunate.
TEXT - SB 5.6.15
ko nv asya kāṣṭhām aparo 'nugacchen
mano-rathenāpy abhavasya yogī
yo yoga-māyāḥ spṛhayaty udastā
hy asattayā yena kṛta-prayatnāḥ
SYNONYMS
kaḥ—who; nu—indeed; asya—of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; kāṣṭhām

—the example; aparaḥ—else; anugacchet—can follow;
manaḥ-rathena—by the mind; api—even; abhavasya—of the
unborn; yogī—the mystic; yaḥ—who; yoga-māyāḥ—the mystic
perfections of yoga; spṛhayati—desires; udastāḥ—rejected by
Ṛṣabhadeva; hi—certainly; asattayā—by the quality of being
insubstantial; yena—by whom, Ṛṣabhadeva; kṛta-prayatnāḥ—
although eager to serve.
TRANSLATION
"Who is that mystic yogī who can follow the examples of
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva even with his mind? Lord Ṛṣabhadeva
rejected all kinds of yogic perfection, which other yogīs
hanker to attain. Who is that yogī who can compare to Lord
Ṛṣabhadeva?"
PURPORT
Generally yogīs desire the yogic perfections of aṇimā, laghimā,

mahimā, prākāmya, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva and kāmāvasāyitā.
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, however, never aspired for all these material
things. Such siddhis (perfections) are presented by the illusory
energy of the Lord. The real purpose of the yoga system is to
achieve the favor and shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, but this purpose is covered by the
illusory energy of yogamāyā. So-called yogīs are therefore
allured by the superficial material perfections of aṇimā,
laghimā, prāpti and so forth. Consequently ordinary yogīs
cannot compare to Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.
Among the yogīs, Ṛṣabhadeva is most auspicious. Which other

yogī can follow the direction of Ṛṣabhadeva in his mind, much
less by action? Ṛṣabhadeva was without birth. The yogī desires
siddhis which were rejected as inauspicious by Ṛṣabhadeva, but
the yogī makes endeavors to attain those siddhis. Or the yogī
desires siddhis which were rejected by Ṛṣabhadeva but the
siddhis made efforts to be accepted by him.
TEXT - SB 5.6.16
iti ha sma sakala-veda-loka-deva-brāhmaṇa-gavāṁ parama-

guror bhagavata ṛṣabhākhyasya viśuddhācaritam īritaṁ
puṁsāṁ samasta-duścaritābhiharaṇaṁ parama-mahā-
maṅgalāyanam idam anuśraddhayopacitayānuśṛṇoty āśrāvayati
vāvahito bhagavati tasmin vāsudeva ekāntato bhaktir anayor
api samanuvartate.
SYNONYMS
iti—thus; ha sma—indeed; sakala—all; veda—of knowledge;

loka—of people in general; deva—of the demigods; brāhmaṇa
—of the brāhmaṇas; gavām—of the cows; parama—the
supreme; guroḥ—master; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabha-ākhyasya—whose name was
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; viśuddha—pure; ācaritam—activities;
īritam—now explained; puṁsām—of every living entity;
samasta—all; duścarita—sinful activities; abhiharaṇam—
destroying; parama—foremost; mahā—great; maṅgala—of
auspiciousness; ayanam—the shelter; idam—this;
anuśraddhayā—with faith; upacitayā—increasing; anuśṛṇoti—
hears from the authority; āśrāvayati—speaks to others; vā—or;
avahitaḥ—being attentive; bhagavati—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; tasmin—unto Him; vāsudeve—to Lord
Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa; eka-antataḥ—unflinching; bhaktiḥ—
devotion; anayoḥ—of both groups, the listeners and the
speakers; api—certainly; samanuvartate—factually begins.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Lord Ṛṣabhadeva is the
master of all Vedic knowledge, human beings, demigods,
cows and brāhmaṇas. I have already explained His pure,
transcendental activities, which will vanquish the sinful
activities of all living entities. This narration of Lord
Ṛṣabhadeva's pastimes is the reservoir of all auspicious
things. Whoever attentively hears or speaks of them,
following in the footsteps of the ācāryas, will certainly
attain unalloyed devotional service at the lotus feet of Lord
Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
The teachings of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva are for the people of all

yugas-Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and especially
Kali-yuga. These instructions are so powerful that even in this
age of Kali, one can attain perfection simply by explaining the
instructions, following in the footsteps of the ācāryas or
listening to the instructions with great attention. If one does so,
one can attain the platform of pure devotional service to Lord
Vāsudeva. The pastimes of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and His devotees are recorded in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
so that those who recite these pastimes and listen to them will
become purified. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18]. As a
matter of principle, devotees should read, speak and hear
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam persistently, twenty-four hours daily if
possible. That is the recommendation of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. One
should either chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra or read
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and thereby try to understand the
characteristics and instructions of the Supreme Lord, who
appeared as Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, Lord Kapila and Lord Kṛṣṇa. In
this way one can become fully aware of the transcendental
nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā, one who knows the transcendental nature of the
Lord's birth and activities attains liberation from material
bondage and returns to Godhead.
The people of Kali-yuga derive greater benefit by hearing and

chanting the pastimes of Ṛṣabhadeva, whereas the yogīs of
other yugas derive benefit from practicing his system of yoga.
The pure activities of Ṛṣabhadeva who acted for everyone’s
benefit (paramaguroḥ) have been described. His teachings have
also been described in verses such as SB 5.5.1. Āśrāvayati
means to chant. Both the hearer and chanter (anayoḥ), and as
well the person who remembers and the person who enjoys the
topics (indicated by the word ca) develop bhakti.
TEXT - SB 5.6.17
yasyām eva kavaya ātmānam avirataṁ vividha-vṛjina-saṁsāra-

paritāpopatapyamānam anusavanaṁ snāpayantas tayaiva
parayā nirvṛtyā hy apavargam ātyantikaṁ parama-puruṣārtham
api svayam āsāditaṁ no evādriyante bhagavadīyatvenaiva
parisamāpta-sarvārthāḥ.
SYNONYMS
yasyām eva—in which (Kṛṣṇa consciousness or the nectar of

devotional service); kavayaḥ—the advancement of learned
scholars or philosophers in spiritual life; ātmānam—the self;
aviratam—constantly; vividha—various; vṛjina—full of sins;
saṁsāra—in material existence; paritāpa—from miserable
conditions; upatapyamānam—suffering; anusavanam—
without stopping; snāpayantaḥ—bathing; tayā—by that; eva—
certainly; parayā—great; nirvṛtyā—with happiness; hi—
certainly; apavargam—liberation; ātyantikam—uninterrupted;
parama-puruṣa-artham—the best of all human achievements;
api—although; svayam—itself; āsāditam—obtained; no—not;
eva—certainly; ādriyante—endeavor to achieve;
bhagavadīyatvena eva—because of a relationship with the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; parisamāpta-sarva-arthāḥ—
those who have ended all kinds of material desires.
TRANSLATION
Devotees always bathe themselves in devotional service in
order to be relieved from the various tribulations of
material existence. By doing this, the devotees enjoy
supreme bliss, and liberation personified comes to serve
them. Nonetheless, they do not accept that service, even if it
is offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
For the devotees, liberation [mukti] is very unimportant
because, having attained the Lord's transcendental loving
service, they have attained everything desirable and have
transcended all material desires.
PURPORT
Devotional service unto the Lord is the highest attainment for

anyone desiring liberation from the tribulations of material
existence. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (6.22), yaṁ labdhvā
cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ: "Gaining this, one
thinks there is no greater gain." When one attains the service of
the Lord, which is non-different from the Lord, one does not
desire anything material. Mukti means relief from material
existence. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says: muktiḥ mukulitāñjaliḥ
sevate 'smān. For a devotee, mukti is not a very great
achievement. Mukti means being situated in one's constitutional
position. The constitutional position of every living being is
that of the Lord's servant; therefore when a living entity is
engaged in the Lord's loving service, he has already attained
mukti. Consequently a devotee does not aspire for mukti, even
if it is offered by the Supreme Lord Himself.
Bhakti is the highest goal for the living being. In bhakti

(yasyām), a lake of nectar, the learned bathe themselves. They
do not aspire for liberation which comes on its own, though not
requested, and though offered by the Lord. They have no
interest in liberation because everything is already attained by
being the servant of the Lord, not by becoming the Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.6.18
rājan patir gurur alaṁ bhavatāṁ yadūnāṁ
daivaṁ priyaḥ kula-patiḥ kva ca kiṅkaro vaḥ
astv evam aṅga bhagavān bhajatāṁ mukundo
muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam
SYNONYMS
rājan—O my dear King; patiḥ—maintainer; guruḥ—spiritual

master; alam—certainly; bhavatām—of you; yadūnām—the
Yadu dynasty; daivam—the worshipable Deity; priyaḥ—very
dear friend; kula-patiḥ—the master of the dynasty; kva ca—
sometimes even; kiṅkaraḥ—servant; vaḥ—of you (the
Pāṇḍavas); astu—to be sure; evam—thus; aṅga—O King;
bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhajatām—
of those devotees engaged in service; mukundaḥ—the Lord, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; muktim—liberation; dadāti
—delivers; karhicit—at any time; sma—indeed; na—not;
bhakti-yogam—loving devotional service.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the Supreme
Person, Mukunda, is actually the maintainer of all the
members of the Pāṇḍava and Yadu dynasties. He is your
spiritual master, worshipable Deity, friend, and the director
of your activities. To say nothing of this, He sometimes
serves your family as a messenger or servant. This means
He worked just as ordinary servants do. Those engaged in
getting the Lord's favor attain liberation from the Lord
very easily, but He does not very easily give the opportunity
to render direct service unto Him.
PURPORT
While instructing Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Śukadeva Gosvāmī

thought it wise to encourage the King because the King might
be thinking of the glorious position of various royal dynasties.
Especially glorious is the dynasty of Priyavrata, in which the
Supreme Lord Ṛṣabhadeva incarnated. Similarly, the family of
Uttānapāda Mahārāja, the father of Mahārāja Dhruva, is also
glorious due to King Pṛthu's taking birth in it. The dynasty of
Mahārāja Raghu is glorified because Lord Rāmacandra
appeared in that family. As far as the Yadu and Kuru dynasties
are concerned, they existed simultaneously, but of the two, the
Yadu dynasty was more glorious due to the appearance of Lord
Kṛṣṇa. Mahārāja Parīkṣit might have been thinking that the
Kuru dynasty was not as fortunate as the others because the
Supreme Lord did not appear in that family, neither as Kṛṣṇa,
Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva or Mahārāja Pṛthu.
Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja was encouraged by Śukadeva
Gosvāmī in this particular verse.
The Kuru dynasty may be considered more glorious due to the

presence of devotees like the five Pāṇḍavas, who rendered
unalloyed devotional service. Although Lord Kṛṣṇa did not
appear in the Kuru dynasty. He was so obligated to the
Pāṇḍavas' devotional service that He acted as a maintainer of
the family and spiritual master of the Pāṇḍavas. Although He
took birth in the Yadu dynasty, Lord Kṛṣṇa was more
affectionate to the Pāṇḍavas. By His actions, Lord Kṛṣṇa
proved that He was more inclined to the Kuru dynasty than the
Yadu dynasty. Indeed, Lord Kṛṣṇa, indebted to the Pāṇḍavas'
devotional service, sometimes acted as their messenger, and He
guided them through many dangerous situations. Therefore
Mahārāja Parīkṣit should not have been saddened because Lord
Kṛṣṇa did not appear in his family. The Supreme Personality of
Godhead is always inclined toward His pure devotees, and by
His action it is clear that liberation is not very important for the
devotees. Lord Kṛṣṇa easily gives one liberation, but He does
not so easily give one the facility to become a devotee. Muktiṁ
dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam. Directly or indirectly, it
is proved that bhakti-yoga is the basis for the supreme
relationship with the Supreme Lord. It is far superior to
liberation. For a pure devotee of the Lord, mukti is
automatically attained.
The dynasty of Priyavrata in which the Lord as Ṛṣabha

appeared is most auspicious. Uttānapāda’s dynasty is
auspicious because the Lord as Pṛthu appeared in it. The
dynasty of Raghu is auspicious because the Lord as Rāma
appeared in it. Among the contemporary Yadu and Puru
dynasties, the Yadu Dynasty is auspicious because Kṛṣṇa
appeared in it. But our dynasty of Puru is unfortunate, because
the Lord did not appear in it. In this way Parīkṣit lamented
internally. Understanding his mind because he was omniscient,
Śukadeva then gave him bliss by showing the superiority of
bhakti over liberation. O King! Kṛṣṇa is the protector of the
Pāṇdavas (bhavatām) and Yadus. He is your instructor and
object of worship (daivam). He has shown affection and is the
leader of the clan---though Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Yadu
dynasty, he acted equally toward the Yadus and you, the
Pāṇḍavas. But sometimes he acted as your messenger or
servant. He did not do this for the Yadus. He did more for you
than for the Yadus because his greater love for you. That he
gave the highest prema to you, who do not worship him, is the
highest position. He does not even give bhāva-bhakti (bhakti-
yogam) to those who worship him. He gives the inferior
liberation but never (karhicit) bhakti. But he does not give
liberation to those practicing pure bhakti, who do not desire
liberation. To those persons he gives bhakti.
TEXT - SB 5.6.19
nityānubhūta-nija-lābha-nivṛtta-tṛṣṇaḥ
śreyasy atad-racanayā cira-supta-buddheḥ

lokasya yaḥ karuṇayābhayam ātma-lokam
ākhyān namo bhagavate ṛṣabhāya tasmai
SYNONYMS
nitya-anubhūta—due to being always conscious of His real

identity; nija-lābha-nivṛtta-tṛṣṇaḥ—who was complete in
Himself and had no other desire to fulfill; śreyasi—in life's
genuine welfare; a-tat-racanayā—by expanding activities in
the material field, mistaking the body for the self; cira—for a
long time; supta—sleeping; buddheḥ—whose intelligence;
lokasya—of men; yaḥ—who (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); karuṇayā—
by His causeless mercy; abhayam—fearlessness; ātma-lokam
—the real identity of the self; ākhyāt—instructed; namaḥ—
respectful obeisances; bhagavate—unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabhāya—unto Lord Ṛṣabhadeva;
tasmai—unto Him.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva,
was fully aware of His true identity; therefore He was self-
sufficient, and He did not desire external gratification.
There was no need for Him to aspire for success, since He
was complete in Himself. Those who unnecessarily engage
in bodily conceptions and create an atmosphere of
materialism are always ignorant of their real self-interest.
Out of His causeless mercy, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva taught the
self's real identity and the goal of life. We therefore offer
our respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who appeared as
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva.
PURPORT
This is the summary of this chapter, in which the activities of

Lord Ṛṣabhadeva are described. Being the Supreme Personality
of Godhead Himself, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva is complete in Himself.
We living entities, as parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord,
should follow the instructions of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva and become
self-sufficient. We should not create unnecessary demands due
to the bodily conception. When one is self-realized, he is
sufficiently satisfied due to being situated in his original
spiritual position. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (18.54):
Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati. This is the
goal of all living entities. Even though one may be situated
within this material world, he can become fully satisfied and
devoid of hankering and lamentation simply by following the
instructions of the Lord as set forth in Bhagavad-gītā or
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Satisfaction through self-realization is
called svarūpānanda. The conditioned soul, eternally sleeping
in darkness, does not understand his self-interest. He simply
tries to become happy by making material adjustments, but this
is impossible. It is therefore said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, na te
viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: [SB 7.5.31] due to gross
ignorance, the conditioned soul does not know that his real self-
interest is to take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. To try
to become happy by adjusting the material atmosphere is a
useless endeavor. Indeed, it is impossible. By His personal
behavior and instructions, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva enlightened the
conditioned soul and showed him how to become self-sufficient
in his spiritual identity.
Concluding the story, Śukadeva offers respects. Devoid of

material thirst because of realizing constantly the bliss of his
svarūpa, Ṛṣabhadeva instructed through bhakti-yoga the
attainment of Vaikuṇṭha (ātma-lokam) which removes all fears
of people whose intelligence was long unaware of the highest
goal because of involvement in activities for the body (atat-
racanayā), because of his compassion. I offer respects to him.
Thus ends the commentary on the Sixth Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Sixth

Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Activities of
Lord Ṛṣabhadeva."
7. The Activities of King Bharata
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Chapter Summary
In this chapter, the activities of King Bharata Mahārāja, the

emperor of the whole world, are described. Bharata Mahārāja
performed various ritualistic ceremonies (Vedic yajñas) and
satisfied the Supreme Lord by his different modes of worship.
In due course of time, he left home and resided in Hardwar and
passed his days in devotional activities. Being ordered by his
father, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, Bharata Mahārāja married Pañcajanī,
the daughter of Viśvarūpa. After this, he ruled the whole world
peacefully. Formerly this planet was known as Ajanābha, and
after the reign of Bharata Mahārāja it became known as
Bhārata-varṣa. Bharata Mahārāja begot five sons in the womb
of Pañcajanī, and he named the sons Sumati, Rāṣṭrabhṛta,
Sudarśana, Āvaraṇa and Dhūmraketu. Bharata Mahārāja was
very rigid in executing religious principles and following in the
footsteps of his father. He therefore ruled the citizens very
successfully. Because he performed various yajñas to satisfy
the Supreme Lord, he was personally very satisfied. Being of
undisturbed mind, he increased his devotional activities unto
Lord Vāsudeva. Bharata Mahārāja was competent in
understanding the principles of saintly persons like Nārada, and
he followed in the footsteps of the sages. He also kept Lord
Vāsudeva constantly within his heart. After finishing his kingly
duties, he divided his kingdom among his five sons. He then
left home and went to the place of Pulaha known as
Pulahāśrama. There he ate forest vegetables and fruits, and
worshiped Lord Vāsudeva with everything available. Thus he
increased his devotion toward Vāsudeva, and he automatically
began to realize further his transcendental, blissful life. Due to
his highly advanced spiritual position, there were sometimes
visible in his body the aṣṭa-sāttvika transformations, such as
ecstatic crying and bodily trembling, which are symptoms of
love of Godhead. It is understood that Mahārāja Bharata
worshiped the Supreme Lord with the mantras mentioned in
the Ṛg Veda, generally known as Gāyatrī mantra, which aim at
the Supreme Nārāyaṇa situated within the sun.
TEXT - SB 5.7.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
>arTaSTau Maha>aaGavTaae Yada
>aGavTaaviNaTal/PairPaal/NaaYa SaiĀiNTaTaSTa‚
dNauXaaSaNaPar" PaĀJaNaq& ivṅæPaduihTarMauPaYaeMae
)) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
bharatas tu mahā-bhāgavato yadā bhagavatāvani-tala-

paripālanāya sañcintitas tad-anuśāsana-paraḥ pañcajanīṁ
viśvarūpa-duhitaram upayeme.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; bharataḥ—
Mahārāja Bharata; tu—but; mahā-bhāgavataḥ—a mahā-
bhāgavata, most exalted devotee of the Lord; yadā—when;
bhagavatā—by the order of his father, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva;
avani-tala—the surface of the globe; paripālanāya—for ruling
over; sañcintitaḥ—made up his mind; tat-anuśāsana-paraḥ—
engaged in governing the globe; pañcajanīm—Pañcajanī;
viśvarūpa-duhitaram—the daughter of Viśvarūpa; upayeme—
married.
TRANSLATION
Parīkṣit:My dear King, Bharata Mahārāja was a topmost
devotee. Following the orders of his father, who had already
decided to install him on the throne, he began to rule the
earth accordingly. When Bharata Mahārāja ruled the
entire globe, he followed the orders of his father and
married Pañcajanī, the daughter of Viśvarūpa.
The Seventh Chapter describes how Bharata, with strong

determination, worshipped the Lord with performance of
sacrifices while at home, and with flowers while in the forest.
Ṛṣabhadeva was the Lord and Bharata was a great devotee of
the Lord. That is indicated by the word tu (but).
TEXT - SB 5.7.2
tasyām u ha vā ātmajān kārtsnyenānurūpān ātmanaḥ pañca
janayām āsa bhūtādir iva bhūta-sūkṣmāṇi sumatiṁ rāṣṭrabhṛtaṁ
sudarśanam āvaraṇaṁ dhūmraketum iti.
SYNONYMS
tasyām—in her womb; u ha vā—indeed; ātma-jān—sons;

kārtsnyena—entirely; anurūpān—exactly like; ātmanaḥ—
himself; pañca—five; janayām āsa—begot; bhūta-ādiḥ iva—
like the false ego; bhūta-sūkṣmāṇi—the five subtle objects of
sense perception; su-matim—Sumatim; rāṣṭra-bhṛtam—
Rāṣṭrabhṛta; su-darśanam—Sudarśana; āvaraṇam—Āvaraṇa;
dhūmra-ketum—Dhūmraketu; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Just as the false ego creates the subtle sense objects,
Mahārāja Bharata created five sons in the womb of
Pañcajanī, his wife. These sons were named Sumati,
Rāṣṭrabhṛta, Sudarśana, Āvaraṇa and Dhūmraketu.
Bhūtādiḥ means ahaṅkāra.
TEXT - SB 5.7.3
ajanābhaṁ nāmaitad varṣaṁ bhāratam iti yata ārabhya

vyapadiśanti.
SYNONYMS
ajanābham—Ajanābha; nāma—by the name; etat—this;

varṣam—island; bhāratam—Bhārata; iti—thus; yataḥ—from
whom; ārabhya—beginning; vyapadiśanti—they celebrate.
TRANSLATION
Formerly this planet was known as Ajanābha-varṣa, but
since Mahārāja Bharata's reign, it has become known as
Bhārata-varṣa.
PURPORT
This planet was formerly known as Ajanābha because of the

reign of King Nābhi. After Bharata Mahārāja ruled the planet, it
became celebrated as Bhārata-varṣa.
Because its ruler was the son of Nābhi (Ṛṣabha) the planet was
known as Ajanābha. Since it is used in a name it does not
become Ājanābha (the country belonging to Ṛṣabha and
Nābhi). The land became known as Bhārata because Bharata
ruled it.
TEXT - SB 5.7.4
sa bahuvin mahī-patiḥ pitṛ-pitāmahavad uru-vatsalatayā sve sve

karmaṇi vartamānāḥ prajāḥ sva-dharmam anuvartamānaḥ
paryapālayat.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that King (Mahārāja Bharata); bahu-vit—being very

advanced in knowledge; mahī-patiḥ—the ruler of the earth; pitṛ
—father; pitāmaha—grandfather; vat—exactly like; uru-
vatsalatayā—with the quality of being very affectionate to the
citizens; sve sve—in their own respective; karmaṇi—duties;
vartamānāḥ—remaining; prajāḥ—the citizens; sva-dharmam
anuvartamānaḥ—being perfectly situated in his own
occupational duty; paryapālayat—ruled.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Bharata was a very learned and experienced king
on this earth. He perfectly ruled the citizens, being himself
engaged in his own respective duties. Mahārāja Bharata
was as affectionate to the citizens as his father and
grandfather had been. Keeping them engaged in their
occupational duties, he ruled the earth.
PURPORT
It is most important that the chief executive rule the citizens by

keeping them fully engaged in their respective occupational
duties. Some of the citizens were brāhmaṇas, some were
kṣatriyas, and some were vaiśyas and śūdras. It is the duty of
the government to see that the citizens act according to these
material divisions for their spiritual advancement. No one
should remain unemployed or unoccupied in any way. One
must work as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra on the
material path. and on the spiritual path, everyone should act as
a brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsī. Although
formerly the government was a monarchy, all the kings were
very affectionate toward the citizens, and they strictly kept
them engaged in their respective duties. Therefore society was
very smoothly conducted.
TEXT - SB 5.7.5
īje ca bhagavantaṁ yajña-kratu-rūpaṁ kratubhir uccāvacaiḥ

śraddhayāhṛtāgnihotra-darśa-pūrṇamāsa-cāturmāsya-paśu-
somānāṁ prakṛti-vikṛtibhir anusavanaṁ cāturhotra-vidhinā.
SYNONYMS
īje—worshiped; ca—also; bhagavantam—the Supreme

Personality of Godhead; yajña-kratu-rūpam—having the form
of sacrifices without animals and sacrifices with animals;
kratubhiḥ—by such sacrifices; uccāvacaiḥ—very great and
very small; śraddhayā—with faith; āhṛta—being performed;
agni-hotra—of the agnihotra-yajña; darśa—of the darśa-
yajña; pūrṇamāsa—of the pūrṇamāsa-yajña; cāturmāsya—of
the cāturmāsya-yajña; paśu-somānām—of the yajña with
animals and the yajña with soma-rasa; prakṛti—by full
performances; vikṛtibhiḥ—and by partial performances;
anusavanam—almost always; cātuḥ-hotra-vidhinā—by the
regulative principles of sacrifice directed by four kinds of
priests.
TRANSLATION
With great faith King Bharata performed various kinds of
sacrifice. He performed the sacrifices known as agni-hotra,
darśa, pūrṇamāsa, cāturmāsya, paśu-yajña [wherein a
horse is sacrificed] and soma-yajña [wherein a kind of
beverage is offered]. Sometimes these sacrifices were
performed completely and sometimes partially. In any case,
in all the sacrifices the regulations of cāturhotra were
strictly followed. In this way Bharata Mahārāja worshiped
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Animals like hogs and cows were offered in sacrifice to test the
proper execution of the sacrifice. Otherwise, there was no
purpose in killing the animal. Actually the animal was offered
in the sacrificial fire to get a rejuvenated life. Generally an old
animal was sacrificed in the fire. and it would come out again
in a youthful body. Some of the rituals however, did not require
animal sacrifice. In the present age, animal sacrifices are
forbidden. As stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ
sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam
devareṇa sutotpattiṁ
kalau pañca vivarjayet
"In this age of Kali, five acts are forbidden: the offering of a
horse in sacrifice, the offering of a cow in sacrifice, the
acceptance of the order of sannyāsa, the offering of oblations
of flesh to the forefathers, and a man's begetting children in his
brother's wife." (Cc. Ādi 17.164) Such sacrifices are impossible
in this age due to the scarcity of expert brāhmaṇas or ṛtvijaḥ
who are able to take the responsibility. In the absence of these,
the saṅkīrtana-yajña is recommended. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-
prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). After all,
sacrifices are executed to please the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Yajñārtha-karma: such activities should be carried
out for the Supreme Lord's pleasure. In this age of Kali, the
Supreme Lord in His incarnation of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
should be worshiped with His associates by performance of
saṅkīrtana-yajña, the congregational chanting of the Hare
Kṛṣṇa mantra. This process is accepted by intelligent men.
Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ. The word
sumedhasaḥ refers to intelligent men who possess very good
brain substance.
He worshipped the Lord who is the form of sacrifice without

and with animal offerings through large and small animal
sacrifices. These were accepted by the performers of karma as
their own (śraddhayā āhṛta). He performed these with all
elements (prakṛti) and with fewer elements (vikṛtibhiḥ). By
these two types he performed sacrifice.
TEXT - SB 5.7.6
sampracaratsu nānā-yāgeṣu viracitāṅga-kriyeṣv apūrvaṁ yat tat

kriyā-phalaṁ dharmākhyaṁ pare brahmaṇi yajña-puruṣe sarva-
devatā-liṅgānāṁ mantrāṇām artha-niyāma-katayā sākṣāt-kartari
para-devatāyāṁ bhagavati vāsudeva eva bhāvayamāna ātma-
naipuṇya-mṛdita-kaṣāyo haviḥṣv adhvaryubhir gṛhyamāṇeṣu sa
yajamāno yajña-bhājo devāṁs tān puruṣāvayaveṣv
abhyadhyāyat.
SYNONYMS
sampracaratsu—when beginning to perform; nānā-yāgeṣu—

various kinds of sacrifice; viracita-aṅga-kriyeṣu—in which the
supplementary rites were performed; apūrvam—remote; yat—
whatever; tat—that; kriyā-phalam—the result of such sacrifice;
dharma-ākhyam—by the name of religion; pare—unto the
transcendence; brahmaṇi—the Supreme Lord; yajña-puruṣe—
the enjoyer of all sacrifices; sarva-devatā-liṅgānām—which
manifest all the demigods; mantrāṇām—of the Vedic hymns;
artha-niyāma-katayā—due to being the controller of the
objects; sākṣāt-kartari—directly the performer; para-
devatāyām—the origin of all demigods; bhagavati—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudeve—unto Kṛṣṇa; eva
—certainly; bhāvayamānaḥ—always thinking; ātma-naipuṇya-
mṛdita-kaṣāyaḥ—freed from all lust and anger by his expertise
in such thinking; haviḥṣu—the ingredients to be offered in the
sacrifice; adhvaryubhiḥ—when the priests expert in the
sacrifices mentioned in the Atharva Veda; gṛhyamāṇeṣu—
taking; saḥ—Mahārāja Bharata; yajamānaḥ—the sacrificer;
yajña-bhājaḥ—the recipients of the results of sacrifice; devān
—all the demigods; tān—them; puruṣa-avayaveṣu—as
different parts and limbs of the body of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Govinda; abhyadhyāyat—he thought.
TRANSLATION
After performing the preliminaries of various sacrifices,
Mahārāja Bharata offered the results in the name of
religion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva.
In other words, he performed all the yajñas for the
satisfaction of Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Mahārāja Bharata
thought that since the demigods were different parts of
Vāsudeva's body, He controls those who are explained in
the Vedic mantras. By thinking in this way, Mahārāja
Bharata was freed from all material contamination, such as
attachment, lust and greed. When the priests were about to
offer the sacrificial ingredients into the fire, Mahārāja
Bharata expertly understood how the offering made to
different demigods was simply an offering to the different
limbs of the Lord. For instance, Indra is the arm of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Sūrya [the sun] is
His eye. Thus Mahārāja Bharata considered that the
oblations offered to different demigods were actually
offered unto the different limbs of Lord Vāsudeva.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says that as long as one

does not develop the pure devotional service of śravaṇaṁ
kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23], hearing and chanting, one must carry out
his prescribed duties. Since Bharata Mahārāja was a great
devotee, one may ask why he performed so many sacrifices that
are actually meant for karmīs. The fact is that he was simply
following the orders of Vāsudeva. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-
gītā, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja:
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me."
(Bg. 18.66) Whatever we do, we should constantly remember
Vāsudeva. People are generally addicted to offering obeisances
to various demigods, but Bharata Mahārāja simply wanted to
please Lord Vāsudeva. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā: bhoktāraṁ
yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (Bg. 5.29). A yajña
may be carried out to satisfy a particular demigod, but when the
yajña is offered to the yajña-puruṣa, Nārāyaṇa, the demigods
are satisfied. The purpose of performing different yajñas is to
satisfy the Supreme Lord. One may perform them in the name
of different demigods or directly. If we directly offer oblations
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods are
automatically satisfied. If we water the root of a tree, the
branches, twigs, fruits and flowers are automatically satisfied.
When one offers sacrifices to different demigods, one should
remember that the demigods are simply parts of the body of the
Supreme. If we worship the hand of a person, we intend to
satisfy the person himself. If we massage a person's legs, we do
not really serve the legs but the person who possesses the legs.
All the demigods are different parts of the Lord, and if we offer
service to them, we actually serve the Lord Himself. Demigod
worship is mentioned in Brahma-saṁhitā, but actually the
ślokas advocate worship of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Govinda. For instance, worship of the goddess Durgā
is mentioned this way in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.44):
sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā
chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā
icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā
Following the orders of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the goddess Durgā creates,

maintains and annihilates. Śrī Kṛṣṇa also confirms this
statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate
sa-carācaram: "This material nature is working under My
direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and
unmoving beings." (Bg. 9.10)
We should worship the demigods in that spirit. Because the

goddess Durgā satisfies Kṛṣṇa, we should therefore offer
respects to goddess Durgā. Because Lord Śiva is nothing but
Kṛṣṇa's functional body, we should therefore offer respects to
Lord Śiva. Similarly, we should offer respects to Brahmā, Agni
and Sūrya. There are many offerings to different demigods, and
one should always remember that these offerings are usually
meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bharata
Mahārāja did not aspire to receive some benediction from
demigods. His aim was to please the Supreme Lord. In the
Mahābhārata, among the thousand names of Viṣṇu, it is said
yajña-bhug yajña-kṛd yajñaḥ. The enjoyer of yajña, the
performer of yajña and yajña itself are the Supreme Lord. The
Supreme Lord is the performer of everything, but out of
ignorance the living entity thinks that he is the actor. As long as
we think we are the actors, we bring about karma-bandha
(bondage to activity). If we act for yajña, for Kṛṣṇa. there is no
karma-bandha. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-
bandhanaḥ: [Bg. 3.9]) "Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has
to be performed. otherwise work binds one to this material
world." (Bg. 3.9)
Following the instructions of Bharata Mahārāja, we should act

not for our personal satisfaction but for the satisfaction of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gītā (17.28) it
is also stated:
aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ

tapas taptaṁ kṛtaṁ ca yat
asad ity ucyate pārtha
na ca tat pretya no iha
Sacrifices, austerities and charities performed without faith in

the Supreme Personality of Godhead are nonpermanent.
Regardless of whatever rituals are performed, they are called
asat, nonpermanent. They are therefore useless both in this life
and the next.
Kings like Mahārāja Ambarīṣa and many other rājarṣis who

were pure devotees of the Lord simply passed their time in the
service of the Supreme Lord. When a pure devotee executes
some service through the agency of another person, he should
not be criticized, for his activities are meant for the satisfaction
of the Supreme Lord. A devotee may have a priest perform
some karma-kāṇḍa, and the priest may not be a pure Vaiṣṇava,
but because the devotee wants to please the Supreme Lord, he
should not be criticized. The word apūrva is very significant.
The resultant actions of karma are called apūrva. When we act
piously or impiously, immediate results do not ensue. We
therefore wait for the results, which are called apūrva. The
results are manifest in the future. Even the smārtas accept this
apūrva. Pure devotees simply act for the pleasure of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore the results of their
activities are spiritual, or permanent. They are not like those of
the karmīs, which are nonpermanent. This is confirmed in
gata-saṅgasya muktasya
jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ
yajñāyācarataḥ karma
samagraṁ pravilīyate
"The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material

nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge
merges entirely into transcendence."
A devotee is always free from material contamination. He is

fully situated in knowledge, and therefore his sacrifices are
intended for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
The Lord has said:
tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā
mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate

One should continue to perform the Vedic ritualistic activities
until one actually becomes detached from material sense
gratification and develops faith for hearing and chanting about
me. SB 11.20.9
How is it that Bharata, a person qualified for pure devotion,

with deep faith in topics of the Lord and without material
desire, performed karma-yoga and enjoyed its results? This
verse explains this.
When he performed various sacrifices in which all the elements

were executed, there was an astonishing result called dharma.
He thought of these results as an offering to the supreme
Brahman, Vāsudeva, his deity. He thought, “I do not have any
desire for the results of this sacrifice. It is for the pleasure of
Vāsudeva. It is offered to Vāsudeva. It is not mine. ” The
Mīmāṁsakas believe, however, that the results are for the
performer if the desires for results of the performer are
prominent or for the devatās where the actions were directed
predominately to the devatās. Since Bharata was without
material desires, the results should go to the devatās. Why then
did Bharata think of offering the results only to Vāsudeva,
when there are many devatās like Candra and Sūrya? He
thought of Vāsudeva, the enjoyer of results of the sacrifice
(yajña-puruṣe), as the controller of all devatās who are the
goals of the mantras which reveal the devatās (sarva-devatā-
liṅgānāṁ).
“Bharata may not be the enjoyer, but he cannot avoid being the
performer of the sacrifice.” No, Vāsudeva is also the performer
since he is the independent doer, inspiring all others to action as
the antaryāmī of all beings. The sponsor of the sacrifice, who is
not independent, is not the performer. If we do not accept this
principle, the priest would be called the performer, since he
directly performs the sacrifice. This is understood from the
Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma-stotra. yajñabhug yajña-kṛd yajña: Viṣṇu
is the enjoyer of sacrifice, the performer of sacrifice and
sacrifice itself. Though the Lord is independent, the jīva thinks
that he is the performer out of ignorance and becomes bound
up. By his skilful thinking (ātma-naipuṇya) Bhārata destroyed
the contamination of impressions arising from action (mṛdita-
kaṣāyaḥ). It should be understood that though the devotee who
is free of identity as the doer and has renounced all results of
actions performs action through his representative such as the
adhvaryu priest, he is not the doer since he does not have faith
in those actions.
aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛtaṁ ca yat
asad ity ucyate pārtha na ca tat pretya no iha ||
O son of Pṛthā, whatever is offered in the fire, whatever is

given in charity, whatever is undertaken as austerity, but which
is done without faith, is called asat since it bears no result now
or in the next life. BG 17.28
It is said that devotees such as Ambarīṣa, absorbed in

performing pure bhakti all day long, conducted sacrifices
handed down by tradition from father and grandfather, through
representatives. It is seen at the present time as well that
householder devotees well established in the western states,
perform the karmas such as marriage or receiving the sacred
thread through a representative, since they fear contamination
with local customs, and with the total lack of varṇa and
dharma.
The results do not accrue to the impure person in the verse tāvat
karāṇi kurvīta, because the ātmanepada form of the verb is an
order. Thus the śuddha-sattva devotee certainly has no fault in
doing actions through a representative. In the definition of pure
bhakti (anyābhlāśitā-śunyam) indicating that bhakti should be
devoid of karma and jñāna, it is stated jñāna-karmādy-
ānavṛtam. Some people explain that this means that bhakti
remains pure, even though one engages in karma by employing
an agent to perform sacrifice, because bhakti is not covered by
karma if one remains constantly engaged in hearing and other
acts of bhakti.
“We cannot attribute fault of doing karmas to Bharata if he acts

thus. But how can one say that his bhakti is pure if there is
worship of many devatās in the sacrifices?” Bharata, the
sponsor of the sacrifices, mediated on the devatās, the receivers
of the offerings, as the limbs of the Lord. When the priest said
“indraya svāhā” he thought, “This is worship of the arm of my
Lord.” When the priest said “sūryāya svāha” he though “This is
worship of the eye my Lord.” Worshipping each devatā
independently would destroy the ananya or exclusive aspect of
bhakti, but worshipping them as limbs of the Lord does not
destroy it.
TEXT - SB 5.7.7
evaṁ karma-viśuddhyā viśuddha-sattvasyāntar-hṛdayākāśa-

śarīre brahmaṇi bhagavati vāsudeve mahā-puruṣa-
rūpopalakṣaṇe śrīvatsa-kaustubha-vana-mālāri-dara-gadādibhir
upalakṣite nija-puruṣa-hṛl-likhitenātmani puruṣa-rūpeṇa
virocamāna uccaistarāṁ bhaktir anudinam edhamāna-
rayājāyata.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; karma-viśuddhyā—by offering everything for the

service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not desiring
any results of his pious activities; viśuddha-sattvasya—of
Bharata Mahārāja, whose existence was completely purified;
antaḥ-hṛdaya-ākāśa-śarīre—the Supersoul within the heart, as
meditated on by yogīs; brahmaṇi—into impersonal Brahman,
which is worshiped by impersonalist jñānīs; bhagavati—unto
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudeve—the son of
Vasudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa; mahā-puruṣa—of the Supreme Person;
rūpa—of the form; upalakṣaṇe—having the symptoms;
śrīvatsa—the mark on the chest of the Lord; kaustubha—the
Kaustubha gem used by the Lord; vana-mālā—flower garland;
ari-dara—by the disc and conchshell; gadā-ādibhiḥ—by the
club and other symbols; upalakṣite—being recognized; nija-
puruṣa-hṛt-likhitena—which is situated in the heart of His own
devotee like an engraved picture; ātmani—in his own mind;
puruṣa-rūpeṇa—by His personal form; virocamāne—shining;
uccaistarām—on a very high level; bhaktiḥ—devotional
service; anudinam—day after day; edhamāna—increasing;
rayā—possessing force; ajāyata—appeared.
TRANSLATION
In this way, being purified by ritualistic sacrifices, the heart
of Mahārāja Bharata was completely uncontaminated. His
devotional service unto Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa, increased
day after day. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, is the
original Personality of Godhead manifest as the Supersoul
[Paramātmā] as well as the impersonal Brahman. Yogīs
meditate upon the localized Paramātmā situated in the
heart, jñānīs worship the impersonal Brahman as the
Supreme Absolute Truth, and devotees worship Vāsudeva,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose transcendental
body is described in the śāstras. His body is decorated with
the Śrīvatsa, the Kaustubha jewel and a flower garland,
and His hands hold a conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower.
Devotees like Nārada always think of Him within their
hearts.
PURPORT
Lord Vāsudeva, or Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, is the

Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is manifest within the
hearts of yogīs in His Paramātmā feature, and He is worshiped
as impersonal Brahman by jñānīs. The Paramātmā feature is
described in the śāstras as having four hands, holding disc,
conchshell, lotus flower and club. As confirmed in the Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (2.2.8):
kecit sva-dehāntar-hṛdayāvakāśe
prādeśa-mātraṁ puruṣaṁ vasantam
catur-bhujaṁ kañja-rathāṅga-śaṅkha-
gadā-dharaṁ dhāraṇayā smaranti
Paramātmā is situated in the hearts of all living beings. He has

four hands, which hold four symbolic weapons. All devotees
who think of the Paramātmā within the heart worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead as the temple Deity. They
also understand the impersonal features of the Lord and His
bodily rays, the Brahman effulgence.
This action particularly purifies the heart of the performer of

karmas. Ṛṣabhadeva instructed his other sons to worship
Bharata (SB 5.5.20). However, since he already had a pure
heart, it is redundant to say that he became purified by these
acts. Having a pure heart, he performed acts which were pure.
Or by this method he purified all actions. The natural bhakti of
Bharata, who was śuddha-sattva, increased in strength daily on
a higher level, like the Gaṅgā which moves with force,
purifying the world. He had bhakti for Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, who is
worshipped as Paramātmā, Brahman, and Bhagavān. He is
situated in the space of the heart as Paramātmā, the object of
meditation of the yogīs. The Paramātmā with a form is
described:
kecit sva-dehāntar-hṛdayāvakāśe
prādeśa-mātraṁ puruṣaṁ vasantam |
catur-bhujaṁ kañja-rathāṅga-śaṅkha-
gadā-dharaṁ dhāraṇayā smaranti ||
Some yogīs meditate upon the Paramātmā measuring one

pradeśa, who is residing in the heart within the body, and who
holds the lotus, wheel, conch and club in his four hands. SB
2.2.8
Brahman is worshipped by the jñānīs, and Bhagavān is

worshipped by the devotees. Though the form of Kṛṣṇa is
Bhagavān, the form of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha is described here
since it is famous in the scriptures. This form shines in the heart
marked permanently with that human form, as if it were a
painting, in devotees like Nārada.
TEXT - SB 5.7.8
evaṁ varṣāyuta-sahasra-paryantāvasita-karma-nirvāṇāvasaro
'dhibhujyamānaṁ sva-tanayebhyo rikthaṁ pitṛ-paitāmahaṁ
yathā-dāyaṁ vibhajya svayaṁ sakala-sampan-niketāt sva-
niketāt pulahāśramaṁ pravavrāja.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus being always engaged; varṣa-ayuta-sahasra—one

thousand times ten thousand years; paryanta—until then;
avasita-karma-nirvāṇa-avasaraḥ—Mahārāja Bharata who
ascertained the moment of the end of his royal opulence;
adhibhujyamānam—being enjoyed in this way for that
duration; sva-tanayebhyaḥ—unto his own sons; riktham—the
wealth; pitṛ-paitāmaham—which he received from his father
and forefathers; yathā-dāyam—according to the dāya-bhāk
laws of Manu; vibhajya—dividing; svayam—personally;
sakala-sampat—of all kinds of opulence; niketāt—the abode;
sva-niketāt—from his paternal home; pulaha-āśramam
pravavrāja—he went to the āśrama of Pulaha in Hardwar
(where the śālagrāma-śilās are obtainable).
TRANSLATION
Destiny fixed the time for Mahārāja Bharata's enjoyment of
material opulence at one thousand times ten thousand
years. When that period was finished, he retired from
family life and divided the wealth he had received from his
forefathers among his sons. He left his paternal home, the
reservoir of all opulence, and started for Pulahāśrama,
which is situated in Hardwar. The śālagrāma-śilās are
obtainable there.
PURPORT
According to the law of dāya-bhāk, when one inherits an estate,

he must hand it over to the next generation. Bharata Mahārāja
did this properly. First he enjoyed his paternal property for one
thousand times ten thousand years. At the time of his
retirement, he divided this property among his sons and left for
Pulaha-āśrama.
Not being able to ascertain whether his karmas of this life had
finished or not, after ruling 100,000,000 years, Bharata divided
his kingdom and left. Bharata was conscious of his karmas only
out of humility, since he actually did not have any karmas. His
enjoyment of the kingdom was only a result of his being a
devotee. Being detached he suddenly left the kingdom.
Riktham means wealth.
TEXT - SB 5.7.9
yatra ha vāva bhagavān harir adyāpi tatratyānāṁ nija-janānāṁ

vātsalyena sannidhāpyata icchā-rūpeṇa.
SYNONYMS
yatra—where; ha vāva—certainly; bhagavān—the Supreme

Personality of Godhead; hariḥ—the Lord; adya-api—even
today; tatratyānām-residing in that place; nija-janānām—for
His own devotees; vātsalyena—by His transcendental
affection; sannidhāpyate—becomes visible; icchā-rūpeṇa—
according to the desire of the devotee.
TRANSLATION
At Pulaha-āśrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Hari, out of His transcendental affection for His devotee,
becomes visible to His devotee, satisfying His devotee's
desires.
PURPORT
The Lord always exists in different transcendental forms. As

stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.39):
rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu
kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo
The Lord is situated as Himself, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, and He is accompanied by His
expansions like Lord Rāma, Baladeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Nārāyaṇa,
Mahā-Viṣṇu and so forth. The devotees worship all these forms
according to their liking, and the Lord, out of His affection,
presents Himself as arcā-vigraha. He sometimes presents
Himself personally before the devotee out of reciprocation or
affection. A devotee is always fully surrendered to the loving
service of the Lord, and the Lord is visible to the devotee
according to the devotee's desires. He may be present in the
form of Lord Rāma, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva and so on.
Such is the exchange of love between the Lord and His
devotees.
Because of his affection the Lord is present there in the form

desired by his devotees, residing there in forms like Kṛṣṇa or
Rāma.
TEXT - SB 5.7.10
yatrāśrama-padāny ubhayato nābhibhir dṛṣac-cakraiś cakra-nadī

nāma sarit-pravarā sarvataḥ pavitrī-karoti.
SYNONYMS
yatra—where; āśrama-padāni—all hermitages; ubhayataḥ—

both on top and below; nābhibhiḥ—like the symbolic mark of a
navel; dṛṣat—visible; cakraiḥ—with the circles; cakra-nadī—
the Cakra-nadī River (generally known as the Gaṇḍakī); nāma
—of the name; sarit-pravarā—the most important river of all;
sarvataḥ—everywhere; pavitrī-karoti—sanctifies.
TRANSLATION
In Pulaha-āśrama is the Gaṇḍakī River, which is the best of
all rivers. The śālagrāma-śilā, the marble pebbles, purify all
those places. On each and every marble pebble, up and
down, circles like navels are visible.
PURPORT
Śālagrāma-śilā refers to pebbles that appear like stones with

circle; marked up and down. These are available in the river
known as Gaṇḍakī-nadī. Wherever the waters of this river flow,
the place becomes immediately sanctified.

The Gaṇḍakī (cakranadī) purifies the hermitages by the cakras
on the śilas with holes on the upper and lower surface.
TEXT - SB 5.7.11
tasmin vāva kila sa ekalaḥ pulahāśramopavane vividha-

kusuma-kisalaya-tulasikāmbubhiḥ kanda-mūla-phalopahāraiś
ca samīhamāno bhagavata ārādhanaṁ vivikta uparata-
viṣayābhilāṣa upabhṛtopaśamaḥ parāṁ nirvṛtim avāpa.
SYNONYMS
tasmin—in that āśrama; vāva kila—indeed; saḥ—Bharata

Mahārāja; ekalaḥ—alone, only; pulaha-āśrama-upavane—in
the gardens situated i n Pulaha-āśrama; vividha-kusuma-
kisalaya-tulasikā-ambubhiḥ—with varieties of flowers, twigs
and tulasī leaves, as well as with water; kanda-mūla-phala-
upahāraiḥ—by offerings of roots, bulbs and fruits; ca—and;
samīhamānaḥ—performing; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; ārādhanam—worshiping; viviktaḥ—
purified; uparata—being freed from; viṣaya-abhilāṣaḥ—desire
for material sense enjoyment; upabhṛta—increased; upaśamaḥ
—tranquillity; parām—transcendental; nirvṛtim—satisfaction;
avāpa—he obtained.
TRANSLATION
In the gardens of Pulaha-āśrama, Mahārāja Bharata lived
alone and collected a variety of flowers, twigs and tulasī
leaves. He also collected the water of the Gaṇḍakī River, as
well as various roots, fruits and bulbs. With these he offered
food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva,
and, worshiping Him, he remained satisfied. In this way his
heart was completely uncontaminated, and he did not have
the least desire for material enjoyment. All material desires
vanished. In this steady position, he felt full satisfaction and
was situated in devotional service.
PURPORT
Everyone is searching after peace of mind. This is obtainable

only when one is completely freed from the desire for material
sense gratification and is engaged in the devotional service of
the Lord. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā: patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ
toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Worship of the
Lord is not at all expensive. One can offer the Lord a leaf, a
flower, a little fruit and some water. The Supreme Lord accepts
these offerings when they are offered with love and devotion.
In this way, one can become freed from material desires. As
long as one maintains material desires, he cannot be happy. As
soon as one engages in the devotional service of the Lord, his
mind is purified of all material desires. Then one becomes fully
satisfied.
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
vāsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
"The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by

which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the
transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be
unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy
the self. By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of
Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless
knowledge and detachment from the world." (SB 1.2.6-7)
These are the instructions given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the

supreme Vedic literature. One may not be able to go to Pulaha-
āśrama, but wherever one is one can happily render devotional
service to the Lord by adopting the processes mentioned above.
Upabhṛtopaśamaḥ means “he had increasing peace.”
TEXT - SB 5.7.12
tayettham avirata-puruṣa-paricaryayā bhagavati

pravardhamānā-nurāga-bhara-druta-hṛdaya-śaithilyaḥ praharṣa-
vegenātmany udbhidyamāna-roma-pulaka-kulaka autkaṇṭhya-
pravṛtta-praṇaya-bāṣpa-niruddhāvaloka-nayana evaṁ nija-
ramaṇāruṇa-caraṇāravindānudhyāna-paricita-bhakti-yogena
paripluta-paramāhlāda-gambhīra-hṛdaya-hradāvagāḍha-
dhiṣaṇas tām api kriyamāṇāṁ bhagavat-saparyāṁ na sasmāra.
SYNONYMS
tayā—by that; ittham—in this manner; avirata—constant;

puruṣa—of the Supreme Lord; paricaryayā—by service;
bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
pravardhamāna—constantly increasing; anurāga—of
attachment; bhara—by the load; druta—melted; hṛdaya—
heart; śaithilyaḥ—laxity; praharṣa-vegena—by the force of
transcendental ecstasy; ātmani—in his body; udbhidyamāna-
roma-pulaka-kulakaḥ—standing of the hair on end; autkaṇṭhya
—because of intense longing; pravṛtta—produced; praṇaya-
bāṣpa-niruddha-avaloka-nayanaḥ—awakening of tears of love
in the eyes, obstructing the vision; evam—thus; nija-ramaṇa-
aruṇa-caraṇa-aravinda—on the Lord's reddish lotus feet;
anudhyāna—by meditating; paricita—i n creased; bhakti-
yogena—by dint of devotional service; paripluta—spreading
everywhere; parama—highest; āhlāda—of spiritual bliss;
gambhīra—very deep; hṛdaya-hrada—in the heart, which is
compared to a lake; avagāḍha—immersed; dhiṣaṇaḥ—whose
intelligence; tām—that; api—although; kriyamāṇām—
executing; bhagavat—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
saparyām—the worship; na—not; sasmāra—remembered.
TRANSLATION
That most exalted devotee, Mahārāja Bharata, in this way
engaged constantly in the devotional service of the Lord.
Naturally his love for Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, increased more and
more and melted his heart. Consequently he gradually lost
all attachment for regulative duties. The hairs of his body
stood on end, and all the ecstatic bodily symptoms were
manifest. Tears flowed from his eyes, so much so that he
could not see anything. Thus he constantly meditated on the
reddish lotus feet of the Lord. At that time, his heart, which
was like a lake, was filled with the water of ecstatic love.
When his mind was immersed in that lake, he even forgot
the regulative service to the Lord.
PURPORT
When one is actually advanced in ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa, eight

transcendental, blissful symptoms are manifest in the body.
Those are the symptoms of perfection arising from loving
service to the Supreme Personality, of Godhead. Since
Mahārāja Bharata was constantly, engaged in devotional
service, all the symptoms of ecstatic love were manifest in his
body.
He had no enthusiasm to perform daily duties because his heart

was melted with affection for the Lord. The hairs on his body
(ātmani) stood on end. His intelligence was submerged in the
lake in his heart which was deep with the nectar of great joy
spread everywhere (paripluta).
TEXT - SB 5.7.13
itthaṁ dhṛta-bhagavad-vrata aiṇeyājina-

vāsasānusavanābhiṣekārdra-kapiśa-kuṭila-jaṭā-kalāpena ca
virocamānaḥ sūryarcā bhagavantaṁ hiraṇmayaṁ puruṣam
ujjihāne sūrya-maṇḍale 'bhyupatiṣṭhann etad u hovāca.
SYNONYMS
ittham—in this way; dhṛta-bhagavat-vrataḥ—having accepted

the vow to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aiṇeya-
ajina-vāsasa—with a dress of a deerskin; anusavana—three
times in a day; abhiṣeka—by a bath; ardra—wet; kapiśa—
tawny; kuṭila-jaṭā—of curling and matted hair; kalāpena—by
masses; ca—and; virocamānaḥ—being very beautifully
decorated; sūryarcā—by the Vedic hymns worshiping the
expansion of Nārāyaṇa within the sun; bhagavantam—unto the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; hiraṇmayam—the Lord,
whose bodily hue is just like gold; puruṣam—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; ujjihāne—when rising; sūrya-maṇḍale
—the sun globe; abhyupatiṣṭhan—worshiping; etat—this; u ha
—certainly; uvāca—he recited.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Bharata appeared very beautiful. He had a
wealth of curly hair on his head, which was wet from
bathing three times daily. He dressed in a deerskin. He
worshiped Lord Nārāyaṇa, whose body was composed of
golden effulgence and who resided within the sun.
Mahārāja Bharata worshiped Lord Nārāyaṇa by chanting
the hymns given in the Ṛg Veda, and he recited the
following verse as the sun rose.
PURPORT
The predominating Deity within the sun is Hiraṇmaya. Lord

Nārāyaṇa. He is worshiped by the Gāyatrī mantra: oṁ bhūr
bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi. He
is also worshiped by other hymns mentioned in the Ṛg Veda,
for instance: dhyeyaḥ sadā savitṛ-maṇḍala-madhya-vartī.
Within the sun, Lord Nārāyaṇa is situated, and He has a golden
hue.
Thinking that his ecstatic symptoms were an obstacle, and that

his intelligence should not be covered by the ecstasy, he began
to worship the Lord using a mantra revealed by his intelligence.
He worshipped using a mantra which revealed the Lord situated
in the sun (suryarcā). Ujhāne means rising. Another version has
ujjahāse (desiring that the sun rise).
TEXT - SB 5.7.14
paro-rajaḥ savitur jāta-vedo
devasya bhargo manasedaṁ jajāna
suretasādaḥ punar āviśya caṣṭe
haṁsaṁ gṛdhrāṇaṁ nṛṣad-riṅgirām imaḥ
SYNONYMS
paraḥ-rajaḥ—beyond the mode of passion (situated in the pure
mode of goodness); savituḥ—of the one who illuminates the
whole universe; jāta-vedaḥ—from which all the devotee's
desires are fulfilled; devasya—of the Lord; bhargaḥ—the self-
effulgence; manasā—simply by contemplating; idam—this
universe; jajāna—created; su-retasā—by spiritual potency;
adaḥ—this created world; punaḥ—again; āviśya—entering;
caṣṭe—sees or maintains; haṁsam—the living entity;
gṛdhrāṇam—desiring for material enjoyment; nṛṣat—to the
intelligence; riṅgirām—to one who gives motion; imaḥ—let
me offer my obeisances.
TRANSLATION
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in pure
goodness. He illuminates the entire universe and bestows all
benedictions upon His devotees. The Lord has created this
universe from His own spiritual potency. According to His
desire, the Lord entered this universe as the Supersoul, and
by virtue of His different potencies, He is maintaining all
living entities desiring material enjoyment. Let me offer my
respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who is the giver of
intelligence."
PURPORT
The predominating Deity of the sun is another expansion of

Nārāyaṇa, who is illuminating the entire universe. The Lord
enters the hearts of all living entities as the Supersoul, and He
gives them intelligence and fulfills their material desires. This
is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi
sanniviṣṭaḥ. "I am sitting in everyone's heart." (Bg. 15.15)
As the Supersoul, the Lord enters the hearts of all living

entities. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.35), aṇḍāntara-stha-
paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham: "He enters the universe and the
atom as well." In the Ṛg Veda, the predominating Deity of the
sun is worshiped by, this mantra: dhyeyaḥ sadā savitṛ-
maṇḍala-madhya-varti nārāyaṇaḥ sarasijāsana-sanniviṣṭaḥ.
Nārāyaṇa sits on His lotus flower within the sun. By reciting
this mantra, every living entity should take shelter of Nārāyaṇa
just as the sun rises. According to modern scientists, the
material world rests on the sun's effulgence. Due to the
sunshine, all planets are rotating and vegetables are growing.
We also have information that the moonshine helps vegetables
and herbs grow. Actually Nārāyaṇa within the sun is
maintaining the entire universe; therefore Nārāyaṇa should be
worshiped by the Gāyatrī mantra or the Ṛg mantra.
I surrender (imaḥ) to the effulgence (bhargaḥ) of the Lord

situated in the sun (savituḥ devasya). This refers to Nārāyaṇa
indicated in dheyayaḥ saḍa savitṛ-maṇḍala-madhya-vartī
nārāyaṇaḥ sarasijāsana-sanniviṣṭaḥ. That Lord is beyond prakṛti
(paraḥ-rajaḥ) or is śuddha-sattva. He fulfills the desires of the
devotees (jāta-vedaḥ). That effulgent Lord has created this
universe by his will (manasā). Entering the world (adaḥ) by the
power of his cit-śakti (svaretasā) as the antaryāmī, he sees the
jīva like me desiring happens from material objects. This means
he maintains the jīva out of mercy. How? He maintains the jīva
by inspiring the jīva’s intelligence. Nṛṣat means the intelligence
—what remains in men as a covering. The Lord gives
movement (riṅgirām) to the intelligence of man. May my
intelligence concentrating on the Lord not be covered by
anything!
Thus ends the commentary on the Seventh Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto,

Seventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The
activities of King Bharata."
8. A Description of the Character of
Bharata Mahārāja
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Chapter Summary
Although Bharata Mahārāja was very elevated, he fell down

due to his attachment to a young deer. One day after Bharata
Mahārāja had taken his bath as usual in the River Gaṇḍakī and
was chanting his mantra, he saw a pregnant deer come to the
river to drink water. Suddenly there could be heard the
thundering roar of a lion, and the deer was so frightened that it
immediately gave birth to its calf. It then crossed the river, but
died immediately thereafter. Mahārāja Bharata took
compassion upon the motherless calf, rescued it from the water,
took it to his āśrama and cared for it affectionately. He
gradually became attached to this young deer and always
thought of it affectionately. As it grew up, it became Mahārāja
Bharata's constant companion, and he always took care of it.
Gradually he became so absorbed in thinking of this deer that
his mind became agitated. As he became more attached to the
deer, his devotional service slackened. Although he was able to
give up his opulent kingdom, he became attached to the deer.
Thus he fell down from his mystic yoga practice. Once when
the deer was absent, Mahārāja Bharata was so disturbed that he
began to search for it. While searching and lamenting the deer's
absence, Mahārāja Bharata fell down and died. Because his
mind was fully absorbed thinking of the deer, he naturally took
his next birth from the womb of a deer. However, because he
was considerably advanced spiritually, he did not forget his
past activities, even though he was in the body of a deer. He
could understand how he had fallen down from his exalted
position, and remembering this, he left his mother deer and
again went to Pulaha-āśrama. He finally ended his fruitive
activities in the form of a deer, and when he died he was
released from the deer's body.
TEXT - SB 5.8.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
Wk-da Tau MahaNaÛa& k-Taai>azek-NaEYaiMak-avXYak-
ae b]øa+arMai>aGa<aaNaae
MauhUTaR}aYaMaudk-aNTa oPaivveXa )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
ekadā tu mahā-nadyāṁ kṛtābhiṣeka-naiyamikāvaśyako

brahmākṣaram abhigṛṇāno muhūrta-trayam udakānta
upaviveśa.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; ekadā—once

upon a time; tu—but; mahā-nadyām—in the great river known
as Gaṇḍakī; kṛta-abhiṣeka-naiyamika-avaśyakaḥ—having
taken a bath after finishing the daily external duties such as
passing stool and urine and brushing the teeth; brahma-
akṣaram—the praṇava-mantra (oṁ); abhigṛṇānaḥ—chanting;
muhūrta-trayam—for three minutes; udaka-ante—on the bank
of the river; upaviveśa—he sat down.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, one day,
after finishing his morning duties—evacuating, urinating
and bathing—Mahārāja Bharata sat down on the bank of
the River Gaṇḍakī for a few minutes and began chanting
his mantra, beginning with oṁkāra.
The Eighth Chapter describes how Bharata raised a fawn, and

meditating on it, attained the body of a deer in his next life.
Kṛṣṇa, an ocean of cleverness, protected this deer who was
previously Bharata to show that compassion, if it is an obstacle
to bhakti, must be given up. The Lord shows his affection for
his devotee by protecting Bharata in the form of a deer, so that
he would fall in the ocean of remorse in order to drown in the
ocean of prema.
He had performed his daily rites, necessities like passing urine

and bathing. Abhiseka is placed first in the dvandva compound
because of having less syllables and being similar to words like
aja in usage. Brahmāksaram means the syllables of a Kṛṣṇa
mantra. Abhigṛṇāhaṇ means uttering.
TEXT - SB 5.8.2
tatra tadā rājan hariṇī pipāsayā jalāśayābhyāśam
ekaivopajagāma.
SYNONYMS
tatra—on the bank of the river; tadā—at the time; rājan—O

King; hariṇī—a doe; pipāsayā—because of thirst; jalāśaya-
abhyāśam—near the river; eka—one; eva—certainly;
upajagāma—arrived.
TRANSLATION
O King, while Bharata Mahārāja was sitting on the bank of
that river, a doe, being very thirsty, came there to drink.
TEXT - SB 5.8.3
tayā pepīyamāna udake tāvad evāvidūreṇa nadato mṛga-pater

unnādo loka-bhayaṅkara udapatat.
SYNONYMS
tayā—by the doe; pepīyamāne—being drunk with great

satisfaction; udake—the water; tāvat eva—exactly at that time;
avidūreṇa—very near; nadataḥ—roaring; mṛga-pateḥ—of one
lion; unnādaḥ—the tumultuous sound; loka-bhayam-kara—
very fearful to all living entities; udapatat—arose.
TRANSLATION
While the doe was drinking with great satisfaction, a lion,
which was very close, roared very loudly. This was frightful
to every living entity, and it was heard by the doe.
Pepīyamāne means”drinking with great attachment.”

Mṛgapateḥ is a lion.
TEXT - SB 5.8.4
tam upaśrutya sā mṛga-vadhūḥ prakṛti-viklavā cakita-nirīkṣaṇā

sutarām api hari-bhayābhiniveśa-vyagra-hṛdayā pāriplava-dṛṣṭir
agata-tṛṣā bhayāt sahasaivoccakrāma.
SYNONYMS
tam upaśrutya—hearing that tumultuous sound; sā—that;

mṛga-vadhūḥ—wife of a deer; prakṛti-viklavā—by nature
always afraid of being killed by others; cakita-nirīkṣaṇā—
having wandering eyes; sutarām api—almost immediately;
hari—of the lion; bhaya—of fear; abhiniveśa—by the
entrance; vyagra-hṛdayā—whose mind was agitated;
pāriplava-dṛṣṭiḥ—whose eyes were moving to and fro; agata-
tṛṣā—without fully satisfying the thirst; bhayāt—out of fear;
sahasā—suddenly; eva—certainly; uccakrāma—crossed the
river.
TRANSLATION
By nature the doe was always afraid of being killed by
others, and it was always looking about suspiciously. When
it heard the lion's tumultuous roar, it became very agitated.
Looking here and there with disturbed eyes, the doe,
although it had not fully satisfied itself by drinking water,
suddenly leaped across the river.
Sahasā means at the same time as the roar. Bhayāt means in

terror. She jumped over the river.
TEXT - SB 5.8.5
tasyā utpatantyā antarvatnyā uru-bhayāvagalito yoni-nirgato

garbhaḥ srotasi nipapāta.
SYNONYMS
tasyāḥ—of it; utpatantyāḥ—forcefully jumping up;

antarvatnyāḥ—having a full womb; uru-bhaya—due to great
fear; avagalitaḥ—having slipped out; yoni-nirgataḥ—coming
out of the womb; garbhaḥ—the offspring; srotasi—in the
flowing water; nipapāta—fell down.
TRANSLATION
The doe was pregnant, and when it jumped out of fear, the
baby deer fell from its womb into the flowing waters of the
river.
PURPORT
There is every chance of a woman's having a miscarriage if she

experiences some ecstatic emotion or is frightened. Pregnant
women should therefore be spared all these external influences.
Antarvatnyāḥ means pregnant.
TEXT - SB 5.8.6
tat-prasavotsarpaṇa-bhaya-khedāturā sva-gaṇena viyujyamānā

kasyāñcid daryāṁ kṛṣṇa-sārasatī nipapātātha ca mamāra.
SYNONYMS
tat-prasava—from untimely discharge of that (baby deer);

utsarpaṇa—from jumping across the river; bhaya—and from
fear; kheda—by exhaustion; āturā—afflicted; sva-gaṇena—
from the flock of deer; viyujyamānā—being separated;
kasyāñcit—in some; daryām—cave of a mountain; kṛṣṇa-
sārasatī—the black doe; nipapāta—fell down; atha—
therefore; ca—and; mamāra—died.
TRANSLATION
Being separated from its flock and distressed by its
miscarriage, the black doe, having crossed the river, was
very much distressed. Indeed, it fell down in a cave and
died immediately.
Utprasava[297] means giving birth from a high place—an

abortion.
TEXT - SB 5.8.7
taṁ tv eṇa-kuṇakaṁ kṛpaṇaṁ srotasānūhyamānam

abhivīkṣyāpaviddhaṁ bandhur ivānukampayā rājarṣir bharata
ādāya mṛta-mātaram ity āśrama-padam anayat.
SYNONYMS
tam—that; tu—but; eṇa-kuṇakam—the deer calf; kṛpaṇam—

helpless; srotasā—by the waves; anūhyamānam—floating;
abhivīkṣya—seeing; apaviddham—removed from its own kind;
bandhuḥ iva—just like a friend; anukampayā—with
compassion; rāja-ṛṣiḥ bharataḥ—the great, saintly King
Bharata; ādāya—taking; mṛta-mātaram—who lost its mother;
iti—thus thinking; āśrama-padam—to the āśrama; anayat—
brought.
TRANSLATION
The great King Bharata, while sitting on the bank of the
river, saw the small deer, bereft of its mother, floating down
the river. Seeing this, he felt great compassion. Like a
sincere friend, he lifted the infant deer from the waves, and,
knowing it to be motherless, brought it to his āśrama.
PURPORT
The laws of nature work in subtle ways unknown to us.

Mahārāja Bharata was a great king very advanced in devotional
service. He had almost reached the point of loving service to
the Supreme Lord, but even from that platform he could fall
down onto the material platform. In Bhagavad-gītā we are
therefore warned:
yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete

puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha
sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ
so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate
"O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed
by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly
eligible for liberation." (Bg. 2.15)
Spiritual salvation and liberation from material bondage must

be worked out with great caution, otherwise a little discrepancy
will cause one to fall down again into material existence. By
studying the activities of Mahārāja Bharata, we can learn the art
of becoming completely freed from all material attachment. As
it will be revealed in later verses, Bharata Mahārāja had to
accept the body of a deer due to being overly compassionate for
this infant deer. We should be compassionate by raising one
from the material platform to the spiritual platform; otherwise
at any moment our spiritual advancement may be spoiled, and
we may fall down onto the material platform. Mahārāja
Bharata's compassion for the deer was the beginning of his
falldown into the material world.
The deer was a baby, separated from its kind. Because it was
small, helpless and separated from its kind, he felt compassion.
TEXT - SB 5.8.8
tasya ha vā eṇa-kuṇaka uccair etasmin kṛta-nijābhimānasyāhar-

ahas tat-poṣaṇa-pālana-lālana-prīṇanānudhyānenātma-niyamāḥ
saha-yamāḥ puruṣa-paricaryādaya ekaikaśaḥ katipayenāhar-
gaṇena viyujyamānāḥ kila sarva evodavasan.
SYNONYMS
tasya—of that King; ha vā—indeed; eṇa-kuṇake—in the deer

calf; uccaiḥ—greatly; etasmin—in this; kṛta-nija-abhimānasya
—who accepted the calf as his own son; ahaḥ-ahaḥ—every
day; tat-poṣaṇa—maintaining that calf; pālana—protecting
from dangers; lālana—raising it or showing love to it by
kissing and so on; prīṇana—petting it in love; anudhyānena—
by such attachment; ātma-niyamāḥ—his personal activities for
taking care of his body; saha-yamāḥ—with his spiritual duties,
such as nonviolence, tolerance and simplicity; puruṣa-
paricaryā-ādayaḥ—worshiping the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and performing other duties; eka-ekaśaḥ—every day;
katipayena—with only a few; ahaḥ-gaṇena—days of time;
viyujyamānāḥ—being given up; kila—indeed; sarve—all; eva
—certainly; udavasan—became destroyed.
TRANSLATION
Gradually Mahārāja Bharata became very affectionate
toward the deer. He began to raise it and maintain it by
giving it grass. He was always careful to protect it from the
attacks of tigers and other animals. When it itched, he
petted it, and in this way he always tried to keep it in a
comfortable condition. He sometimes kissed it out of love.
Being attached to raising the deer, Mahārāja Bharata
forgot the rules and regulations for the advancement of
spiritual life, and he gradually forgot to worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. After a few days, he
forgot everything about his spiritual advancement.
PURPORT
From this we can understand how we have to be very cautious

in executing our spiritual duties by observing the rules and
regulations and regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-
mantra. If we neglect doing this, we will eventually fall down.
We must rise early in the morning, bathe, attend maṅgala-ārati,
worship the Deities, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, study the
Vedic literatures and follow all the rules prescribed by the
ācāryas and the spiritual master. If we deviate from this
process, we may fall down, even though we may be very highly
advanced. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.5):
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat
yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva
pāvanāni manīṣiṇām
"Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up

but should be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance
purify even the great soul." Even if one is in the renounced
order, he should never give up the regulative principles. He
should worship the Deity and give his time and life to the
service of Kṛṣṇa. He should also continue following the rules
and regulations of austerity and penance. These things cannot
be given up. One should not think oneself very advanced
simply because one has accepted the sannyāsa order. The
activities of Bharata Mahārāja should be carefully studied for
one's spiritual advancement.
He fed the deer grass, protected it from wild animals, gave

affection by petting it, and fondled it with kisses. By these he
became attached to it. Udavasan means destroyed.
TEXT - SB 5.8.9
aho batāyaṁ hariṇa-kuṇakaḥ kṛpaṇa īśvara-ratha-caraṇa-

paribhramaṇa-rayeṇa sva-gaṇa-suhṛd-bandhubhyaḥ parivarjitaḥ
śaraṇaṁ ca mopasādito mām eva mātā-pitarau bhrātṛ-jñātīn
yauthikāṁś caivopeyāya nānyaṁ kañcana veda mayy ati-
visrabdhaś cāta eva mayā mat-parāyaṇasya poṣaṇa-pālana-
prīṇana-lālanam anasūyunānuṣṭheyaṁ śaraṇyopekṣā-doṣa-
viduṣā.
SYNONYMS
aho bata—alas; ayam—this; hariṇa-kuṇakaḥ—the deer calf;

kṛpaṇaḥ—helpless; īśvara-ratha-caraṇa-paribhramaṇa-rayeṇa
—by the force of the rotation of the time agent of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, which is compared to the wheel of His
chariot; sva-gaṇa—own kinsmen; suhṛt—and friends;
bandhubhyaḥ—relatives; parivarjitaḥ—deprived of; śaraṇam
—as shelter; ca—and; mā—me; upasāditaḥ—having obtained;
mām—me; eva—alone; mātā-pitarau—father and mother;
bhrātṛ-jñātīn—brothers and kinsmen; yauthikān—belonging to
the herd; ca—also; eva—certainly; upeyāya—having gotten; na
—not; anyam—anyone else; kañcana—some person; veda—it
knows; mayi—in me; ati—very great; visrabdhaḥ—having
faith; ca—and; ataḥ eva—therefore; mayā—by me; mat-
parāyaṇasya—of one who is so dependent upon me; poṣaṇa-
pālana-prīṇana-lālanam—raising, maintaining, petting and
protecting; anasūyunā—who am without any grudge;
anuṣṭheyam—to be executed; śaraṇya—the one who has taken
shelter; upekṣā—of neglecting; doṣa-viduṣā—who knows the
fault.
TRANSLATION
The great King Mahārāja Bharata began to think: Alas,
this helpless young deer, by the force of time, an agent of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has now lost its
relatives and friends and has taken shelter of me. It does
not know anyone but me, as I have become its father,
mother, brother and relatives. This deer is thinking in this
way, and it has full faith in me. It does not know anyone but
me; therefore I should not be envious and think that for the
deer my own welfare will be destroyed. I should certainly
raise, protect, gratify and fondle it. When it has taken
shelter with me, how can I neglect it? Even though the deer
is disturbing my spiritual life, I realize that a helpless
person who has taken shelter cannot be neglected. That
would be a great fault.
PURPORT
When a person is advanced in spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa

consciousness, he naturally becomes very sympathetic toward
all living entities suffering in the material world. Naturally such
an advanced person thinks of the suffering of the people in
general. However, if one does not know of the material
sufferings of fallen souls and becomes sympathetic because of
bodily comforts, as in the case of Bharata Mahārāja, such
sympathy or compassion is the cause of one's downfall. If one
is actually sympathetic to fallen, suffering humanity, he should
try to elevate people from material consciousness to spiritual
consciousness. As far as the deer was concerned, Bharata
Mahārāja became very sympathetic, but he forgot that it was
impossible for him to elevate a deer to spiritual consciousness,
because, after all, a deer is but an animal. It was very dangerous
for Bharata Mahārāja to sacrifice all his regulative principles
simply to take care of an animal. The principles enunciated in
Bhagavad-gītā should be followed. Yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete
puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha [Bg. 2.15]. As far as the material body
is concerned, we cannot do anything for anyone. However, by
the grace of Kṛṣṇa, we may raise a person to spiritual
consciousness if we ourselves follow the rules and regulations.
If we give up our own spiritual activities and simply become
concerned with the bodily comforts of others, we will fall into a
dangerous position.
From this verse till verse 11, his attachment is shown. The deer
has been separated from its kind by the force of the rotation the
Lord’s wheel of time. Mā means me. Being without envy, I see
no fault in giving up my own interest for that of the deer,
whereas neglecting one who has come for shelter is a great
fault.
TEXT - SB 5.8.10
nūnaṁ hy āryāḥ sādhava upaśama-śīlāḥ kṛpaṇa-suhṛda evaṁ-

vidhārthe svārthān api gurutarān upekṣante.
SYNONYMS
nūnam—indeed; hi—certainly; āryāḥ—those who are

advanced in civilization; sādhavaḥ—saintly persons; upaśama-
śīlāḥ—even though completely in the renounced order of life;
kṛpaṇa-suhṛdaḥ—the friends of the helpless; evaṁ-vidha-arthe
—to execute such principles; sva-arthān api—even their own
personal interests; guru-tarān—very important; upekṣante—
neglect.
TRANSLATION
Even though one is in the renounced order, one who is
advanced certainly feels compassion for suffering living
entities. One should certainly neglect his own personal
interests, although they may be very important, to protect
one who has surrendered.
PURPORT
Māyā is very strong. In the name of philanthropy, altruism and

communism, people are feeling compassion for suffering
humanity throughout the world. Philanthropists and altruists do
not realize that it is impossible to improve people's material
conditions. Material conditions are already established by the
superior administration according to one's karma. They cannot
be changed. The only benefit we can render to suffering beings
is to try to raise them to spiritual consciousness. Material
comforts cannot be increased or decreased. It is therefore said
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.18), tal labhyate duḥkhavad
anyataḥ sukham: "As far as material happiness is concerned,
that comes without effort, just as tribulations come without
effort." Material happiness and pain can be attained without
endeavor. One should not bother for material activities. If one
is at all sympathetic or able to do good to others, he should
endeavor to raise people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way
everyone advances spiritually by the grace of the Lord. For our
instruction, Bharata Mahārāja acted in such a way. We should
be very careful not to be misled by so-called welfare activities
conducted in bodily terms. One should not give up his interest
in attaining the favor of Lord Viṣṇu at any cost. Generally
people do not know this, or they forget it. Consequently they
sacrifice their original interest, the attainment of Viṣṇu's favor,
and engage in philanthropic activities for bodily comfort.
This is actually for my own good.
TEXT - SB 5.8.11
iti kṛtānuṣaṅga āsana-śayanāṭana-snānāśanādiṣu saha mṛga-

jahunā snehānubaddha-hṛdaya āsīt.
SYNONYMS
iti—thus; kṛta-anuṣaṅgaḥ—having developed attachment;

āsana—sitting; śayana—lying down; aṭana—walking; snāna
—bathing; āśana-ādiṣu—while eating and so on; saha mṛga-
jahunā—with the deer calf; sneha-anubaddha—captivated by
affection; hṛdayaḥ—his heart; āsīt—became.
TRANSLATION
Due to attachment for the deer, Mahārāja Bharata lay
down with it, walked about with it, bathed with it and even
ate with it. Thus his heart became bound to the deer in
affection.
Anusaṅgaḥ means attachment. Mṛga-jahunā means “with the

young deer.”
TEXT - SB 5.8.12
kuśa-kusuma-samit-palāśa-phala-mūlodakāny āhariṣyamāṇo
vṛkasālā-vṛkādibhyo bhayam āśaṁsamāno yadā saha hariṇa-
kuṇakena vanaṁ samāviśati.
SYNONYMS
kuśa—a kind of grass required for ritualistic ceremonies;

kusuma—flowers; samit—firewood; palāśa—leaves; phala-
mūla—fruits and roots; udakāni—and water; āhariṣyamāṇaḥ—
desiring to collect; vṛkasālā-vṛka—from wolves and dogs;
ādibhyaḥ—and other animals, such as tigers; bhayam—fear;
āśaṁsamānaḥ—doubting; yadā—when; saha—with; hariṇa-
kuṇakena—the deer calf; vanam—the forest; samāviśati—
enters.
TRANSLATION
When Mahārāja Bharata wanted to enter the forest to
collect kuśa grass, flowers, wood, leaves, fruits, roots and
water, he would fear that dogs, jackals, tigers and other
ferocious animals might kill the deer. He would therefore
always take the deer with him when entering the forest.
PURPORT
How Mahārāja Bharata increased his affection for the deer is

described herein. Even such an exalted personality as Bharata
Mahārāja, who had attained loving affection for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, fell down from his position due to his
affection for some animal. Consequently, as will be seen, he
had to accept the body of a deer in his next life. Since this was
the case with Bharata Mahārāja, what can we say of those who
are not advanced in spiritual life but who become attached to
cats and dogs? Due to their affection for their cats and dogs,
they have to take the same bodily forms in the next life unless
they clearly increase their affection and love for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Unless we increase our faith in the
Supreme Lord, we shall be attracted to many other things. That
is the cause of our material bondage.
This verse describes his affection. Śālāvṛka means a jackal. He

feared the monkeys, jackals and dogs.
TEXT - SB 5.8.13
pathiṣu ca mugdha-bhāvena tatra tatra viṣakta-mati-praṇaya-

bhara-hṛdayaḥ kārpaṇyāt skandhenodvahati evam utsaṅga urasi
cādhāyopalālayan mudaṁ paramām avāpa.
SYNONYMS
pathiṣu—on the forest paths; ca—also; mugdha-bhāvena—by

the childish behavior of the deer; tatra tatra—here and there;
viṣakta-mati—whose mind was too much attracted; praṇaya—
with love; bhara—loaded; hṛdayaḥ—whose heart; kārpaṇyāt—
because of affection and love; skandhena—by the shoulder;
udvahati—carries; evam—in this way; utsaṅge—sometimes on
the lap; urasi—on the chest while sleeping; ca—also; ādhāya
—keeping; upalālayan—fondling; mudam—pleasure;
paramām—very great; avāpa—he felt.
TRANSLATION
When entering the forest, the animal would appear very
attractive to Mahārāja Bharata due to its childish behavior.
Mahārāja Bharata would even take the deer on his
shoulders and carry it due to affection. His heart was so
filled with great love for the deer that he would sometimes
keep it on his lap or, when sleeping, on his chest. In this way
he felt great pleasure in fondling the animal.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Bharata left his home, wife, children, kingdom and

everything else to advance his spiritual life in the forest, but
again he fell victim to material affection due to his attachment
to an insignificant pet deer. What, then, was the use of his
renouncing his family? One who is serious in advancing his
spiritual life should be very cautious not to become attached to
anything but Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes, in order to preach, we have to
accept many material activities, but we should remember that
everything is for Kṛṣṇa. If we remember this, there is no chance
of our being victimized by material activities.
He would walk on the muddy earth, where there was grass for
the deer. He was unaware that the he may sink in the mud
(mugdha-bhāvena). He was attached (viṣakta).
TEXT - SB 5.8.14
kriyāyāṁ nirvartyamānāyām antarāle 'py utthāyotthāya

yadainam abhicakṣīta tarhi vāva sa varṣa-patiḥ prakṛti-sthena
manasā tasmā āśiṣa āśāste svasti stād vatsa te sarvata iti.
SYNONYMS
kriyāyām—the activities of worshiping the Lord or performing

ritualistic ceremonies; nirvartyamānāyām—even without
finishing; antarāle—at intervals in the middle; api—although;
utthāya utthāya—repeatedly getting up; yadā—when; enam—
the deer calf; abhicakṣīta—would see; tarhi vāva—at that time;
saḥ—he; varṣa-patiḥ—Mahārāja Bharata; prakṛti-sthena—
happy; manasā—within his mind; tasmai—unto it; āśiṣaḥ
āśāste—bestows benedictions; svasti—all auspiciousness; stāt
—let there be; vatsa—O my dear calf; te—unto you; sarvataḥ
—in all respects; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
When Mahārāja Bharata was actually worshiping the Lord
or was engaged in some ritualistic ceremony, although his
activities were unfinished, he would still, at intervals, get up
and see where the deer was. In this way he would look for
it, and when he could see that the deer was comfortably
situated, his mind and heart would be very satisfied, and he
would bestow his blessings upon the deer, saying, "My dear
calf, may you be happy in all respects."
PURPORT
Because his attraction for the deer was so intense, Bharata

Mahārāja could not concentrate upon worshiping the Lord or
performing his ritualistic ceremonies. Even though he was
engaged in worshiping the Deity, his mind was restless due to
his inordinate affection. While trying to meditate, he would
simply think of the deer, wondering where it had gone. In other
words, if one's mind is distracted from worship, a mere show of
worship will not be of any benefit. The fact that Bharata
Mahārāja had to get up at intervals to look for the deer was
simply a sign that he had fallen down from the spiritual
platform.
While performing worship of the Lord he would think, “I do

not know where the deer has gone.” He would rise and look.
Prakṛti-sthena means “recovering himself, gaining bliss on
seeing the deer.”
TEXT - SB 5.8.15
anyadā bhṛśam udvigna-manā naṣṭa-draviṇa iva kṛpaṇaḥ

sakaruṇam ati-tarṣeṇa hariṇa-kuṇaka-viraha-vihvala-hṛdaya-
santāpas tam evānuśocan kila kaśmalaṁ mahad abhirambhita
iti hovāca.
SYNONYMS
anyadā—sometimes (not seeing the calf); bhṛśam—very much;

udvigna-manāḥ—his mind full of anxiety; naṣṭa-draviṇaḥ—
who has lost his riches; iva—like; kṛpaṇaḥ—a miserly man; sa-
karuṇam—piteously; ati-tarṣeṇa—with great anxiety; hariṇa-
kuṇaka—from the calf of the deer; viraha—by separation;
vihvala—agitated; hṛdaya—in mind or heart; santāpaḥ—
whose affliction; tam—that calf; eva—only; anuśocan—
continuously thinking of; kila—certainly; kaśmalam—illusion;
mahat—very great; abhirambhitaḥ—obtained; iti—thus; ha—
certainly; uvāca—said.
TRANSLATION
If Bharata Mahārāja sometimes could not see the deer, his
mind would be very agitated. He would become like a
miser, who, having obtained some riches, had lost them and
had then become very unhappy. When the deer was gone,
he would be filled with anxiety and would lament due to
separation. Thus he would become illusioned and speak as
follows.
PURPORT
If a poor man loses some money or gold, he at once becomes

very agitated. Similarly, the mind of Mahārāja Bharata would
become agitated when he did not see the deer. This is an
example of how our attachment can be transferred. If our
attachment is transferred to the Lord's service, we progress.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī prayed to the Lord that he would be as
naturally attracted to the Lord's service as young men and
young women are naturally attracted to each other. Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu exhibited such attachment to the Lord when He
jumped into the ocean or cried at night in separation. However,
if our attachment is diverted to material things instead of to the
Lord, we will fall down from the spiritual platform.
Sometimes, not seeing the deer, he would become bewildered

out of longing to see it.
TEXT - SB 5.8.16
api bata sa vai kṛpaṇa eṇa-bālako mṛta-hariṇī-suto 'ho

mamānāryasya śaṭha-kirāta-mater akṛta-sukṛtasya kṛta-
visrambha ātma-pratyayena tad avigaṇayan sujana
ivāgamiṣyati.
SYNONYMS
api—indeed; bata—alas; saḥ—that calf; vai—certainly;
kṛpaṇaḥ—aggrieved; eṇa-bālakaḥ—the deer child; mṛta-
hariṇī-sutaḥ—the calf of the dead doe; aho—oh; mama—of
me; anāryasya—the most ill-behaved; śaṭha—of a cheater;
kirāta—or of an uncivilized aborigine; mateḥ—whose mind is
that; akṛta-sukṛtasya—who has no pious activities; kṛta-
visrambhaḥ—putting all faith; ātma-pratyayena—by assuming
me to be like himself; tat avigaṇayan—without thinking of all
these things; su-janaḥ iva—like a perfect gentle person;
agamiṣyati—will he again return.
TRANSLATION
Bharata Mahārāja would think: Alas, the deer is now
helpless. I am now very unfortunate, and my mind is like a
cunning hunter, for it is always filled with cheating
propensities and cruelty. The deer has put its faith in me,
just as a good man who has a natural interest in good
behavior forgets the misbehavior of a cunning friend and
puts his faith in him. Although I have proved faithless, will
this deer return and place its faith in me?
PURPORT
Bharata Mahārāja was very noble and exalted, and therefore

when the deer was absent from him he thought himself
unworthy to give it protection. Due to his attachment for the
animal, he thought that the animal was as noble and exalted as
he himself was. According to the logic of ātmavan manyate
jagat, everyone thinks of others according to his own position.
Therefore Mahārāja Bharata felt that the deer had left him due
to his negligence and that due to the animal's noble heart, it
would again return.
Api indicates possibility. Bata indicates compassion. Aho

indicates surprise due to lamentation. I have the cruel mind of a
cheater or low class persons. I am heartless, being inattentive to
feeding and protecting the young deer (anaryasya). What is the
cause? I have not done pious acts. I am without good fortune.
Will the deer return, not considering the offenses I have
committed out of cruelty? What is the cause of his offense? The
deer considered that I was pure like it was, according to the rule
“One thinks the world like oneself.” It had faith in me, who
cannot be trusted.
TEXT - SB 5.8.17
api kṣemeṇāsminn āśramopavane śaṣpāṇi carantaṁ deva-

guptaṁ drak-ṣyāmi.
SYNONYMS
api—it may be; kṣemeṇa—with fearlessness because of the

absence of tigers and other animals; asmin—in this; āśrama-
upavane—garden of the hermitage; śaṣpāṇi carantam—
walking and eating the soft grasses; deva-guptam—being
protected by the demigods; drakṣyāmi—shall I see.
TRANSLATION
Alas, is it possible that I shall again see this animal
protected by the Lord and fearless of tigers and other
animals? Shall I again see him wandering in the garden
eating soft grass?
PURPORT
Mahārāja Bharata thought that the animal was disappointed in

his protection and had left him for the protection of a demigod.
Regardless, he ardently desired to see the animal again within
his āśrama eating the soft grass and not fearing tigers and other
animals. Mahārāja Bharata could think only of the deer and
how the animal could be protected from all kinds of
inauspicious things. From the materialistic point of view such
kind thoughts may be very laudable, but from the spiritual point
of view the King was actually falling from his exalted spiritual
position and unnecessarily becoming attached to an animal.
Thus degrading himself, he would have to accept an animal
body.
Maybe the deer has been protected by my merciful Lord (deva-

guptam).
TEXT - SB 5.8.18
api ca na vṛkaḥ sālā-vṛko 'nyatamo vā naika-cara eka-caro vā

bhak-ṣayati.
SYNONYMS
api ca—or; na—not; vṛkaḥ—a wolf; sālā-vṛkaḥ—a dog;

anyatamaḥ—any one of many; vā—or; na-eka-caraḥ—the
hogs that flock together; eka-caraḥ—the tiger that wanders
alone; vā—or; bhakṣayati—is eating (the poor creature).
TRANSLATION
I do not know, but the deer might have been eaten by a wolf
or a dog or by the boars that flock together or the tiger who
travels alone.
PURPORT
Tigers never wander in the forest in flocks. Each tiger wanders

alone, but forest boars keep together. Similarly, hogs, wolves
and dogs also do the same. Thus Mahārāja Bharata thought that
the deer had been killed by some of the many ferocious animals
within the forest.
Those traveling in groups are wild boars. Those traveling alone

are tigers and others. Will they not eat him?
TEXT - SB 5.8.19
nimlocati ha bhagavān sakala-jagat-kṣemodayas trayy-
ātmādyāpi mama na mṛga-vadhū-nyāsa āgacchati.
SYNONYMS
nimlocati—sets; ha—alas; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, represented as the sun; sakala-jagat—of all the
universe; kṣema-udayaḥ—who increases the auspiciousness;
trayī-ātmā—who consists of the three Vedas; adya api—until
now; mama—my; na—not; mṛga-vadhū-nyāsaḥ—this baby
deer entrusted to me by its mother; āgacchati—has come back.
TRANSLATION
Alas, when the sun rises, all auspicious things begin.
Unfortunately, they have not begun for me. The sun-god is
the Vedas personified, but I am bereft of all Vedic
principles. That sun-god is now setting, yet the poor animal
who trusted in me since its mother died has not returned.
PURPORT
In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52), the sun is described as the eye

of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ

rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ
yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro
As the sun arises, one should chant the Vedic mantra beginning
with the Gāyatrī. The sun is the symbolic representation of the
eyes of the Supreme Lord. Mahārāja Bharata lamented that
although the sun was going to set, due to the poor animal's
absence, he could not find anything auspicious. Bharata
Mahārāja considered himself most unfortunate, for due to the
animal's absence, there was nothing auspicious for him in the
presence of the sun.
The sun now sets. By rising it gives benefit to the whole world.
But to me alone there is no benefit, since I am unfortunate. The
sun is the form of the Vedas and reveals the Vedas. I alone
opposed to its dharma of mercy. The deer has been entrusted to
me by its mother.
TEXT - SB 5.8.20
api svid akṛta-sukṛtam āgatya māṁ sukhayiṣyati hariṇa-rāja-

kumāro vividha-rucira-darśanīya-nija-mṛga-dāraka-vinodair
asantoṣaṁ svānām apanudan.
SYNONYMS
api svit—whether it will; akṛta-sukṛtam—who has never

executed any pious activities; āgatya—coming back; mām—to
me; sukhayiṣyati—give pleasure; hariṇa-rāja-kumāraḥ—the
deer, who was just like a prince because of my taking care of it
exactly like a son; vividha—various; rucira—very pleasing;
darśanīya—to be seen; nija—own; mṛga-dāraka—befitting the
calf of the deer; vinodaiḥ—by pleasing activities; asantoṣam—
the unhappiness; svānām—of his own kind; apanudan—
driving away.
TRANSLATION
That deer is exactly like a prince. When will it return?
When will it again display its personal activities, which are
so pleasing? When will it again pacify a wounded heart like
mine? I certainly must have no pious assets, otherwise the
deer would have returned by now.
PURPORT
Out of strong affection, the King accepted the small deer as if it

were a prince. This is called moha. Due to his anxiety over the
deer's absence, the King addressed the animal as though it were
his son. Out of affection, anyone can be addressed as anything.
Out of affection he glorifies the deer while lamenting.
TEXT - SB 5.8.21
kṣvelikāyāṁ māṁ mṛṣā-samādhināmīlita-dṛśaṁ prema-

saṁrambheṇa cakita-cakita āgatya pṛṣad-aparuṣa-viṣāṇāgreṇa
luṭhati.
SYNONYMS
kṣvelikāyām—while playing; mām—unto me; mṛṣā—feigning;

samādhinā—by a meditational trance; āmīlita-dṛśam—with
closed eyes; prema-saṁrambheṇa—because of anger due to
love; cakita-cakitaḥ—with fear; āgatya—coming; pṛṣat—like
drops of water; aparuṣa—very soft; viṣāṇa—of the horns;
agreṇa—by the point; luṭhati—touches my body.
TRANSLATION
Alas, the small deer, while playing with me and seeing me
feigning meditation with closed eyes, would
circumambulate me due to anger arising from love, and it
would fearfully touch me with the points of its soft horns,
which felt like drops of water.
PURPORT
Now King Bharata considers his meditation false. While

engaged in meditation, he was actually thinking of his deer, and
he would feel great pleasure when the animal pricked him with
the points of its horns. Feigning meditation, the King would
actually think of the animal, and this was but a sign of his
downfall.
Kṣvelikāyām means “while playing.” He will approach me with

my eyes closed in false samādhi. “O fool! Though I nourish
you, I will not give up my daily duties of remembering and
chanting. I am giving you up. Go wherever you want!”
Pretending to be angry I would then fake samādhi, out of desire
to see what the deer would do. Out of anger in love, the deer
would butt me with the tips of his tender horns which felt like
drops of water (pṛṣat).
TEXT - SB 5.8.22
āsādita-haviṣi barhiṣi dūṣite mayopālabdho bhīta-bhītaḥ sapady

uparata-rāsa ṛṣi-kumāravad avahita-karaṇa-kalāpa āste.
SYNONYMS
āsādita—placed; haviṣi—all the ingredients to be offered in the

sacrifice; barhiṣi—on the kuśa grass; dūṣite—when polluted;
mayā upālabdhaḥ—being scolded by me; bhīta-bhītaḥ—in
great fear; sapadi—immediately; uparata-rāsaḥ—stopped its
playing; ṛṣi-kumāravat—exactly like the son or disciple of a
saintly person; avahita—completely restrained; karaṇa-
kalāpaḥ—all the senses; āste—sits.
TRANSLATION
When I placed all the sacrificial ingredients on the kuśa
grass, the deer, when playing, would touch the grass with its
teeth and thus pollute it. When I chastised the deer by
pushing it away, it would immediately become fearful and
sit down motionless, exactly like the son of a saintly person.
Thus it would stop its play.
PURPORT
Bharata Mahārāja was constantly thinking of the activities of

the deer, forgetting that such meditation and diversion of
attention was killing his progress in spiritual achievement.
The deer would contaminate the ingredients places on the kuśa

grass by touching them with his teeth. Another version has
dūṣitvā: having contaminated the kuśa. I would scold the deer.
“Ah! What have you done?” It would give up its play and
remain with motionless senses.
TEXT - SB 5.8.23
kiṁ vā are ācaritaṁ tapas tapasvinyānayā yad iyam avaniḥ

savinaya-kṛṣṇa-sāra-tanaya-tanutara-subhaga-śivatamākhara-
khura-pada-paṅktibhir draviṇa-vidhurāturasya kṛpaṇasya mama
draviṇa-padavīṁ sūcayanty ātmānaṁ ca sarvataḥ kṛta-
kautukaṁ dvijānāṁ svargāpavarga-kāmānāṁ deva-yajanaṁ
karoti.
SYNONYMS
kim vā—what; are—oh; ācaritam—practiced; tapaḥ—penance;

tapasvinyā—by the most fortunate; anayā—this planet earth;
yat—since; iyam—this; avaniḥ—earth; sa-vinaya—very mild
and well-behaved; kṛṣṇa-sāra-tanaya—of the calf of the black
deer; tanutara—small; subhaga—beautiful; śiva-tama—most
auspicious; akhara—soft; khura—of the hooves; pada-
paṅktibhiḥ—by the series of the marks; draviṇa-vidhura-
āturasya—who is very aggrieved because of loss of wealth;
kṛpaṇasya—a most unhappy creature; mama—for me; draviṇa-
padavīm—the way to achieve that wealth; sūcayanti—
indicating; ātmānam—her own personal body; ca—and;
sarvataḥ—on all sides; kṛta-kautukam—ornamented; dvijānām
—of the brāhmaṇas; svarga-apavarga-kāmānām—who are
desirous of achieving heavenly planets or liberation; deva-
yajanam—a place of sacrifice to the demigods; karoti—it
makes.
TRANSLATION
After speaking like a madman in this way, Mahārāja
Bharata got up and went outside. Seeing the footprints of
the deer on the ground, he praised the footprints out of
love, saying: O unfortunate Bharata, your austerities and
penances are very insignificant compared to the penance
and austerity undergone by this earth planet. Due to the
earth's severe penances, the footprints of this deer, which
are small, beautiful, most auspicious and soft, are imprinted
on the surface of this fortunate planet. This series of
footprints show a person like me, who am bereaved due to
loss of the deer, how the animal has passed through the
forest and how I can regain my lost wealth. By these
footprints, this land has become a proper place for
brāhmaṇas who desire heavenly planets or liberation to
execute sacrifices to the demigods.
PURPORT
It is said that when a person becomes overly involved in loving

affairs, he forgets himself as well as others, and he forgets how
to act and how to speak. It is said that once when a man's son
was blind since birth, the father, out of staunch affection for the
child, named him Padmalocana, or "lotus-eyed." This is the
situation arising from blind love. Bharata Mahārāja gradually
fell into this condition due to his material love for the deer. It is
said in the smṛti-śāstra:
yasmin deśe mṛgaḥ kṛṣṇas

tasmin dharmānn ivodhata
"That tract of land wherein the footprints of a black deer can be

seen is to be understood as a suitable place to execute religious
rituals."
Talking in this way, he would then rise up and go outside.

Seeing the earth marked with its footprints, he then criticizes
himself while glorifying the deer out of love. O Bharata is
unfortunate! He is a useless performer of penance. What
penance the earth has done that you have not done! Or, O
people of the fourteen worlds! Say among you, who has done
penance like the earth. You have not done as the earth has
done. By describing the deer, he indicates the pleasure he
derived from it. The foot prints show the way to wealth. O
miserable Bharata! Why do you weep? You will obtain your
treasure of life, the small deer, which has entered the forest by
following the trail of its foot prints. In this way the earth is
merciful to me and is pacifying me. By spreading out these foot
prints as its ornaments, the earth has made itself playfully into a
place of sacrifice. Smṛti says yasmin deśe mṛgaḥ kṛṣṇas tasmin
dharmān nibodhata: Know that there is dharma, a place of
sacrifice, where the black deer resides.
TEXT - SB 5.8.24
api svid asau bhagavān uḍu-patir enaṁ mṛga-pati-bhayān mṛta-

mātaraṁ mṛga-bālakaṁ svāśrama-paribhraṣṭam anukampayā
kṛpaṇa-jana-vatsalaḥ paripāti.
SYNONYMS
api svit—can it be; asau—that; bhagavān—most powerful;

uḍu-patiḥ—the moon; enam—this; mṛga-pati-bhayāt—because
of fear of the lion; mṛta-mātaram—who lost its mother; mṛga-
bālakam—the son of a deer; sva-āśrama-paribhraṣṭam—who
strayed from its āśrama; anukampayā—out of compassion;
kṛpaṇa-jana-vatsalaḥ—(the moon) who is very kind to the
unhappy men; paripāti—now is protecting it.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Bharata continued to speak like a madman.
Seeing above his head the dark marks on the rising moon,
which resembled a deer, he said: Can it be that the moon,
who is so kind to an unhappy man, might also be kind upon
my deer, knowing that it has strayed from home and has
become motherless? This moon has given the deer shelter
near itself just to protect it from the fearful attacks of a
lion.
Looking in the sky, and seeing the moon, he thinks that he sees
his small deer on the moon. The deer has left my hermitage
since I, a most sinful person, have been inattentive. O moon!
You are the Lord (bhagavān). Otherwise, who could you have
the fortune to have the mark of the deer on your surface?
TEXT - SB 5.8.25
kiṁ vātmaja-viśleṣa-jvara-dava-dahana-śikhābhir
upatapyamāna-hṛdaya-sthala-nalinīkaṁ mām upasṛta-mṛgī-
tanayaṁ śiśira-śāntānurāga-guṇita-nija-vadana-salilāmṛtamaya-
gabhastibhiḥ svadhayatīti ca.
SYNONYMS
kim vā—or it may be; ātma-ja—from the son; viśleṣa—because

of separation; jvara—the heat; dava-dahana—of the forest fire;
śikhābhiḥ—by the flames; upatapyamāna—being burned;
hṛdaya—the heart; sthala-nalinīkam—compared to a red lotus
flower; mām—unto me; upasṛta-mṛgī-tanayam—to whom the
son of the deer was so submissive; śiśira-śānta—which is so
peaceful and cool; anurāga—out of love; guṇita—flowing;
nija-vadana-salila—the water from its mouth; amṛta-maya—as
good as nectar; gabhastibhiḥ—by the rays of the moon;
svadhayati—is giving me pleasure; iti—thus; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
After perceiving the moonshine, Mahārāja Bharata
continued speaking like a crazy person. He said: The deer's
son was so submissive and dear to me that due to its
separation I am feeling separation from my own son. Due to
the burning fever of this separation, I am suffering as if
inflamed by a forest fire. My heart, which is like the lily of
the land, is now burning. Seeing me so distressed, the moon
is certainly splashing its shining nectar upon me—just as a
friend throws water on another friend who has a high fever.
In this way, the moon is bringing me happiness.
PURPORT
According to Āyur-vedic treatment, it is said that if one has a

high fever, someone should splash him with water after
gargling this water. In this way the fever subsides. Although
Bharata Mahārāja was very aggrieved due to the separation of
his so-called son, the deer, he thought that the moon was
splashing gargled water on him from its mouth and that this
water would subdue his high fever, which was raging due to
separation from the deer.
Noticing that the rays of the moon are burning him, he

expresses his desire. “In separation from my son the cool rays
of the moon have become hot. Ah! When will the time come
when the young deer will come back to me? The moon will
then cool me down.” Will the moon turn me, who pursues the
deer, into nectar (sudhayati)?[298] Will it turn me into nectar
by inundating my limbs burning in separation from the deer
with its nectar, by its rays made of nectar flowing as water
constantly from its mouth, cool and peaceful, intensified by
attraction for me? The verb sudhāyati is formed by taking
sudhāvat (like nectar) and dropping the suffix vat according to
the rule vinmator luk (Pāṇini 5.3.65) Just as persons skilful in
mantras cool fever by applying water from their mouths, the
moon should apply water from its mouth on me. Another
version has upasṛta-mṛgī-tanayaḥ. The meaning would then be
“When will the deer pacify me out of affection by the touch of
his mouth on my limbs?”
TEXT - SB 5.8.26
evam aghaṭamāna-manorathākula-hṛdayo mṛga-dārakābhāsena

svārabdha-karmaṇā yogārambhaṇato vibhraṁśitaḥ sa yoga-
tāpaso bhagavad-ārādhana-lakṣaṇāc ca katham itarathā jāty-
antara eṇa-kuṇaka āsaṅgaḥ sākṣān niḥśreyasa-pratipakṣatayā
prāk-parityakta-dustyaja-hṛdayābhijātasya tasyaivam antarāya-
vihata-yogārambhaṇasya rājarṣer bharatasya tāvan mṛgārbhaka-
poṣaṇa-pālana-prīṇana-lālanānuṣaṅgeṇāvigaṇayata ātmānam
ahir ivākhu-bilaṁ duratikramaḥ kālaḥ karāla-rabhasa āpadyata.
SYNONYMS
evam—in that way; aghaṭamāna—impossible to be achieved;
manaḥ-ratha—by desires, which are like mental chariots; ākula
—aggrieved; hṛdayaḥ—whose heart; mṛga-dāraka-ābhāsena—
resembling the son of a deer; sva-ārabdha-karmaṇā—by the
bad results of his unseen fruitive actions; yoga-ārambhaṇataḥ
—from the activities of yoga performances; vibhraṁśitaḥ—
fallen down; saḥ—he (Mahārāja Bharata); yoga-tāpasaḥ—
executing the activities of mystic yoga and austerities;
bhagavat-ārādhana-lakṣaṇāt—from the activities of devotional
service rendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ca—
and; katham—how; itarathā—else; jāti-antare—belonging to a
different species of life; eṇa-kuṇake—to the body of a deer
calf; āsaṅgaḥ—so much affectionate attachment; sākṣāt—
directly; niḥśreyasa—to achieve the ultimate goal of life;
pratipakṣatayā—with the quality of being an obstacle; prāk—
who previously; parityakta—given up; dustyaja—although
very difficult to give up; hṛdaya-abhijātasya—his sons, born of
his own heart; tasya—of him; evam—thus; antarāya—by that
obstacle; vihata—obstructed; yoga-ārambhaṇasya—whose
path of executing the mystic yoga practices; rāja-ṛṣeḥ—of the
great saintly King; bharatasya—of Mahārāja Bharata; tāvat—
in that way; mṛga-arbhaka—the son of a deer; poṣaṇa—i n
maintaining; pālana—in protecting; prīṇana—in making
happy; lālana—in fondling; anuṣaṅgeṇa—by constant
absorption; avigaṇayataḥ—neglecting; ātmānam—his own
soul; ahiḥ iva—like a serpent; ākhu-bilam—the hole of a
mouse; duratikramaḥ—unsurpassable; kālaḥ—ultimate death;
karāla—terrible; rabhasaḥ—having speed; āpadyata—arrived.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, in this way
Bharata Mahārāja was overwhelmed by an uncontrollable
desire which was manifest in the form of the deer. Due to
the fruitive results of his past deeds, he fell down from
mystic yoga, austerity and worship of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. If it were not due to his past
fruitive activity, how could he have been attracted to the
deer after giving up the association of his own son and
family, considering them stumbling blocks on the path of
spiritual life? How could he show such uncontrollable
affection for a deer? This was definitely due to his past
karma. The King was so engrossed in petting and
maintaining the deer that he fell down from his spiritual
activities. In due course of time, insurmountable death,
which is compared to a venomous snake that enters the hole
created by a mouse, situated itself before him.
PURPORT
As will be seen in later verses, Bharata Mahārāja, at the time of

death, would be forced to accept the body of a deer due to his
attraction for the deer. In this regard, a question may be raised.
How can a devotee be affected by his past misconduct and
vicious activities? In Brahma-saṁhitā (5.54) it is said, karmāṇi
nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām: "For those engaged in
devotional service, bhakti-bhajana, the results of past deeds are
indemnified." According to this, Bharata Mahārāja could not be
punished for his past misdeeds. The conclusion must be that
Mahārāja Bharata purposefully became over-addicted to the
deer and neglected his spiritual advancement. To immediately
rectify his mistake, for a short time he was awarded the body of
a deer. This was just to increase his desire for mature
devotional service. Although Bharata Mahārāja was awarded
the body of an animal, he did not forget what had previously
happened due to his purposeful mistake. He was very anxious
to get out of his deer body, and this indicates that his affection
for devotional service was intensified, so much so that he was
quickly to attain perfection in a brāhmaṇa body in the next life.
It is with this conviction that we declare in our Back to
Godhead magazine that devotees like the gosvāmīs living in
Vṛndāvana who purposely commit some sinful activity are born
in the bodies of dogs, monkeys and tortoises in that holy land.
Thus they take on these lower life forms for a short while, and
after they give up those animal bodies, they are again promoted
to the spiritual world. Such punishment is only for a short
period, and it is not due to past karma. It may appear to be due
to past karma, but it is offered to rectify the devotee and bring
him to pure devotional service.
He fell from his position in yoga and worship of the Lord by

the influence of karmas of this life which manifested a small
deer to him. Prārabdha-karma is of two types: auspicious and
inauspicious. The first type occurs by the will of the Lord to
increase longing for devotion to the Lord, like sharp ointment
applied to the eyes. This is accepted favorably by the devotee.
Being similar to prārabdha-karma it is accepted as such. That
which creates more intense bhakti in the future takes place in
those who already possess rati or bhāva. The second type
consists of results of actions of previous lifetimes which
manifest later as absorption in material life. In the verse the
first type is indicated by the word su in svarabhda-karmanā. He
fell from his austerity of rejecting material enjoyment which
was produced by bhakti-yoga (yoga-tapasaḥ). The word ca
means “even.” Even though bhakti does not have great
obstacles, he fell from worship of the Lord by the will of the
Lord. How else could he fall (itarathā), except by prārabdha-
karma arranged by the will of the Lord? He had already given
up his sons (hṛdaya-abhijātasya). Or he fell by the semblance of
karma in the form of the deer. Though the jīvanmuktas do not
have any false identity, they have a semblance of false identity.
Similarly those who have developed rati do not have
prārabdha-karma, but have semblance of prārabdha-karma. Or
he fell down because of the inferior (ābhāsena) fawn, through
auspicious prārabdha-karma. Under the influence of his good
prārabdha-karma, Bharata took care of the deer. Otherwise if
there had been no good karma, he would not have a desire to
care for the deer. Bharata’s fall however was arranged by the
Lord for the purpose of increasing his longing for bhakti after
taking birth as a deer and a brāhmaṇa. The Lord has said:
nāhaṁ tu sakhyo bhajato 'pi jantūn
bhajāmy amīṣām anuvṛtti-vṛttaye
yathādhano labdha-dhane vinaṣṭe
tac-cintayānyan nibhṛto na veda

But the reason I do not immediately reciprocate the affection of
living beings even when they worship Me, O gopīs, is that I
want to intensify their loving devotion. They then become like
a poor man who has gained some wealth and then lost it, and
who thus becomes so anxious about it that he can think of
nothing else. SB 10.32.20
He did not think of himself. Death (kālaḥ) arrived, like a snake

approaching a mouse hole.
TEXT - SB 5.8.27
tadānīm api pārśva-vartinam ātmajam ivānuśocantam

abhivīkṣamāṇo mṛga evābhiniveśita-manā visṛjya lokam imaṁ
saha mṛgeṇa kalevaraṁ mṛtam anu na mṛta-janmānusmṛtir
itaravan mṛga-śarīram avāpa.
SYNONYMS
tadānīm—at that time; api—indeed; pārśva-vartinam—by the

side of his deathbed; ātma-jam—his own son; iva—like;
anuśocantam—lamenting; abhivīkṣamāṇaḥ—seeing; mṛge—in
the deer; eva—certainly; abhiniveśita-manāḥ—his mind was
absorbed; visṛjya—giving up; lokam—world; imam—this; saha
—with; mṛgeṇa—the deer; kalevaram—his body; mṛtam—
died; anu—thereafter; na—not; mṛta—destroyed; janma-
anusmṛtiḥ—remembrance of the incident before his death;
itara-vat—like others; mṛga-śarīram—the body of a deer;
avāpa—got.
TRANSLATION
At the time of death, the King saw that the deer was sitting
by his side, exactly like his own son, and was lamenting his
death. Actually the mind of the King was absorbed in the
body of the deer, and consequently—like those bereft of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness—he left the world, the deer, and his
material body and acquired the body of a deer. However,
there was one advantage. Although he lost his human body
and received the body of a deer, he did not forget the
incidents of his past life.
PURPORT
There was a difference between Bharata Mahārāja's acquiring a

deer body and others' acquiring different bodies according to
their mental condition at the time of death. After death, others
forget everything that has happened in their past lives, but
Bharata Mahārāja did not forget. According to Bhagavad-gītā:
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ

tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his

body, that state he will attain without fail." (Bg. 8.6)
After quitting his body, a person gets another body according to

his mental condition at the time of death. At death, a person
always think; of that subject matter in which he has been
engrossed during his life. According to this law, because
Bharata Mahārāja was always thinking of the deer and
forgetting his worship of the Supreme Lord, he acquired the
body of a deer. However, due to his having been elevated to the
topmost platform of devotional service, he did not forget the
incidents of his past life. This special benediction saved him
from further deterioration. Due to his past activities in
devotional service, he became determined to finish his
devotional service even in the body of a deer. It is therefore
said in this verse, mṛtam, although he had died, anu,
afterwards, na mṛta janmānusmṛtir itaravat, he did not forget
the incidents of his past life as others forget them. As stated in
Brahma-saṁhitā: karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām
(Bs. 5.54). It is proved herein that due to the grace of the
Supreme Lord, a devotee is never vanquished. Due to his
willful neglect of devotional service, a devotee may be
punished for a short time, but he again revives his devotional
service and returns home. back to Godhead.
He saw the deer by his side lamenting like his own son. Giving
up his body (lokam) in the presence of the deer, he attained the
body of a deer, like a person afflicted by karma (itaravat). After
his body died, his memory of his previous life was not
destroyed. However Bharata was above karma. It has already
been explained that he had no prārabdha-karma (it was a
semblance of karma only).
TEXT - SB 5.8.28
tatrāpi ha vā ātmano mṛgatva-kāraṇaṁ bhagavad-ārādhana-
samīhānubhāvenānusmṛtya bhṛśam anutapyamāna āha.
SYNONYMS
tatra api—in that birth; ha vā—indeed; ātmanaḥ—of himself;

mṛgatva-kāraṇam—the cause of accepting the body of a deer;
bhagavat-ārādhana-samīhā—of past activities in devotional
service; anubhāvena—by consequence; anusmṛtya—
remembering; bhṛśam—always; anutapya-mānaḥ—repenting;
āha—said.
TRANSLATION
Although in the body of a deer, Bharata Mahārāja, due to
his rigid devotional service in his past life, could understand
the cause of his birth in that body. Considering his past and
present life, he constantly repented his activities, speaking
in the following way.
PURPORT
This is a special concession for a devotee. Even if he attains a

body that is nonhuman, by the grace of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead he advances further in devotional
service, whether by remembering his past life or by natural
causes. It is not easy for a common man to remember the
activities of his past life, but Bharata Mahārāja could remember
his past activities due to his great sacrifices and engagement in
devotional service.
TEXT - SB 5.8.29
aho kaṣṭaṁ bhraṣṭo 'ham ātmavatām anupathād yad-vimukta-

samasta-saṅgasya vivikta-puṇyāraṇya-śaraṇasyātmavata ātmani
sarveṣām ātmanāṁ bhagavati vāsudeve tad-anuśravaṇa-
manana-saṅkīrtanārādhanānusmaraṇābhiyogenāśūnya-sakala-
yāmena kālena samāveśitaṁ samāhitaṁ kārtsnyena manas tat
tu punar mamābudhasyārān mṛga-sutam anu parisusrāva.
SYNONYMS
aho kaṣṭam—alas, what a miserable condition of life; bhraṣṭaḥ

—fallen; aham—I (am); ātma-vatām—of great devotees who
have achieved perfection; anupathāt—from the way of life; yat
—from which; vimukta-samasta-saṅgasya—although having
given up the association of my real sons and home; vivikta—
solitary; puṇya-araṇya—of a sacred forest; śaraṇasya—who
had taken shelter; ātma-vataḥ—of one who had become
perfectly situated on the transcendental platform; ātmani—in
the Supersoul; sarveṣām—of all; ātmanām—living entities;
bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
vāsudeve—Lord Vāsudeva; tat—of Him; anuśravaṇa—
constantly hearing; manana—thinking; saṅkīrtana—chanting;
ārādhana—worshiping; anusmaraṇa—constantly
remembering; abhiyogena—by absorption in; aśūnya—filled;
sakala-yāmena—in which all the hours; kālena—by time;
samāveśitam—fully established; samāhitam—fixed;
kārtsnyena—totally; manaḥ—the mind in such a situation; tat
—that mind; tu—but; punaḥ—again; mama—of me;
abudhasya—a great fool; ārāt—from a great distance; mṛga-
sutam—the son of a deer; anu—being affected by; parisusrāva
—fell down.
TRANSLATION
In the body of a deer, Bharata Mahārāja began to lament:
What misfortune! I have fallen from the path of the self-
realized. I gave up my real sons, wife and home to advance
in spiritual life, and I took shelter in a solitary holy place in
the forest. I became self-controlled and self-realized, and I
engaged constantly in devotional service, hearing, thinking,
chanting, worshiping and remembering the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. I was successful in my
attempt, so much so that my mind was always absorbed in
devotional service. However, due to my personal
foolishness, my mind again became attached—this time to a
deer. Now I have obtained the body of a deer and have
fallen far from my devotional practices.
PURPORT
Due to his stringent execution of devotional service, Mahārāja

Bharata could remember the activities of his past life and how
he was raised to the spiritual platform. Due to his foolishness,
he became attached to an insignificant deer and thus fell down
and had to accept the body of a deer. This is significant for
every devotee. If we misuse our position and think that we are
fully engaged in devotional service and can do whatever we
like, we have to suffer like Bharata Mahārāja and be
condemned to accept the type of body that impairs our
devotional service. Only the human form is able to execute
devotional service, but if we voluntarily give this up for sense
gratification, we certainly have to be punished. This
punishment is not exactly like that endured by an ordinary
materialistic person. By the grace of the Supreme Lord, a
devotee is punished in such a way that his eagerness to attain
the lotus feet of Lord Vāsudeva is increased. By his intense
desire, he returns home in the next lifetime. Devotional service
is very completely described here: tad-anuśravaṇa-manana-
saṅkīrtanārādhanānusmaranābhiyogena. The constant hearing
and chanting of the glories of the Lord is recommended in
Bhagavad-gītā: satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-
vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness should be very careful that not a single moment
is wasted and that not a single moment is spent without
chanting and remembering the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and His activities. By His own actions and by the
actions of His devotees, Kṛṣṇa teaches us how to become
cautious in devotional service. Through the medium of Bharata
Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa teaches us that we must be careful in the
discharge of devotional service. If we want to keep our minds
completely fixed without deviation, we must engage them in
devotional service full time. As far as the members of the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness are concerned,
they have sacrificed everything to push on this Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement. Yet they must take a lesson from the
life of Bharata Mahārāja to be very cautious and to see that not
a single moment is wasted in frivolous talk, sleep or voracious
eating. Eating is not prohibited, but if we eat voraciously we
shall certainly sleep more than required. Sense gratification
ensues, and we may be degraded to a lower life form. In that
way our spiritual progress may be checked at least for the time
being. The best course is to take the advice of Śrīla Rūpa
Gosvāmī: avyartha-kālatvam [Cc. Madhya 23.18-19]. We
should see that every moment of our lives is utilized for the
rendering of devotional service and nothing else. This is the
secure position for one wanting to return home, back to
Godhead.
Ātmavataḥ means wise. I was absorbed in Paramātmā (ātmani),

the soul of all jīvas (ātmānām). My mind was fixed
(samāhitam) in taking the processes of bhakti such as
remembrance, but fell down (susrāva).
TEXT - SB 5.8.30
ity evaṁ nigūḍha-nirvedo visṛjya mṛgīṁ mātaraṁ punar

bhagavat-kṣetram upaśama-śīla-muni-gaṇa-dayitaṁ
śālagrāmaṁ pulastya-pulahāśramaṁ kālañjarāt pratyājagāma.
SYNONYMS
iti—thus; evam—in this way; nigūḍha—hidden; nirvedaḥ—

completely unattached to material activities; visṛjya—giving
up; mṛgīm—the deer; mātaram—its mother; punaḥ—again;
bhagavat-kṣetram—the place where the Supreme Lord is
worshiped; upaśama-śīla—completely detached from all
material attachments; muni-gaṇa-dayitam—which is dear to the
great saintly residents; śālagrāmam—the village known as
Śālagrāma; pulastya-pulaha-āśramam—to the āśrama
conducted by such great sages as Pulastya and Pulaha;
kālañjarāt—from the Kālañjara Mountain, where he had taken
his birth in the womb of a deer; pratyājagāma—he came back.
TRANSLATION
Although Bharata Mahārāja received the body of a deer, by
constant repentance he became completely detached from
all material things. He did not disclose these things to
anyone, but he left his mother deer in a place known as
Kālañjara Mountain, where he was born. He again went to
the forest of Śālagrāma and to the āśrama of Pulastya and
Pulaha.
PURPORT
It is significant that Mahārāja Bharata, by the grace of

Vāsudeva, remembered his past life. He did not waste a
moment; he returned to Pulaha-āśrama to the village known as
Śālagrāma. Association is very meaningful; therefore ISKCON
tries to perfect one who enters the society. The members of this
society should always remember that the society is not like a
free hotel. All the members should be very careful to execute
their spiritual duties so that whoever comes will automatically
become a devotee and will be able to return back to Godhead in
this very life. Although Bharata Mahārāja acquired the body of
a deer, he again left his hearth and home, in this case the
Mountain Kālañjara. No one should be captivated by his
birthplace and family; one should take shelter of the association
of devotees and cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Kālañjarāt means “from his birth place on the mountain called

Kālañjara.” Śālagrāma is the name of the place to which he
returned.
TEXT - SB 5.8.31
tasminn api kālaṁ pratīkṣamāṇaḥ saṅgāc ca bhṛśam udvigna

ātma-sahacaraḥ śuṣka-parṇa-tṛṇa-vīrudhā vartamāno mṛgatva-
nimittāvasānam eva gaṇayan mṛga-śarīraṁ tīrthodaka-klinnam
ut-sasarja.
SYNONYMS
tasmin api—in that āśrama (Pulaha-āśrama); kālam—the end

of the duration of life in the deer body; pratīkṣamāṇaḥ—always
waiting for; saṅgāt—from association; ca—and; bhṛśam—
constantly; udvignaḥ—full of anxiety; ātma-sahacaraḥ—
having the Supersoul as the only constant companion (no one
should think of being alone); śuṣka-parṇa-tṛṇa-vīrudhā—by
eating only the dry leaves and herbs; vartamānaḥ—existing;
mṛgatva-nimitta—of the cause of a deer's body; avasānam—
the end; eva—only; gaṇayan—considering; mṛga-śarīram—
the body of a deer; tīrtha-udaka-klinnam—bathing in the water
of that holy place; utsasarja—gave up.
TRANSLATION
Remaining in that āśrama, the great King Bharata
Mahārāja was now very careful not to fall victim to bad
association. Without disclosing his past to anyone, he
remained in that āśrama and ate dry leaves only. He was
not exactly alone, for he had the association of the
Supersoul. In this way he waited for death in the body of a
deer. Bathing in that holy place, he finally gave up that
body.
PURPORT
Holy places like Vṛndāvana, Hardwar, Prayāga and Jagannātha

Purī are especially meant for the execution of devotional
service. Vṛndāvana specifically is the most exalted and
preferred holy place for Vaiṣṇava devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who
are aspiring to return back to Godhead, the Vaikuṇṭha planets.
There are many devotees in Vṛndāvana who regularly bathe in
the Yamunā, and this cleanses all the contamination of the
material world. By constantly chanting and hearing the holy
names and pastimes of the Supreme Lord, one certainly
becomes purified and becomes a fit candidate for liberation.
However, if one purposefully falls victim to sense gratification,
he has to be punished, at least for one lifetime, like Bharata
Mahārāja.
Thus ends the commentary on the Eighth Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Eighth

Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "A Description of
the Character of Bharata Mahārāja."
9. The Supreme Character of Jaḍa
Bharata
verses: Summary, 1-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Chapter Summary
In this chapter Bharata Mahārāja's attainment of the body of a

brāhmaṇa is described. In this body he remained like one dull,
deaf and dumb, so much so that when he was brought before
the goddess Kālī to be killed as a sacrifice, he never protested
but remained silent. After having given up the body of a deer,
he took birth in the womb of the youngest wife of a brāhmaṇa.
In this life he could also remember the activities of his past life,
and in order to avoid the influence of society, he remained like
a deaf and dumb person. He was very careful not to fall down
again. He did not mix with anyone who was not a devotee. This
process should be adopted by every devotee. As advised by Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu: asat-saṅga-tyāga-ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra
[Cc. Madhya 22.87]. One should strictly avoid the company of
nondevotees, even though they may be family members. When
Bharata Mahārāja was in the body of a brāhmaṇa, the people in
the neighborhood thought of him as a crazy, dull fellow, but
within he was always chanting and remembering Vāsudeva, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although his father wanted
to give him an education and purify him as a brāhmaṇa by
offering him the sacred thread, he remained in such a way that
his father and mother could understand that he was crazy and
not interested in the reformatory method. Nonetheless, he
remained fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, even without undergoing such
official ceremonies. Due to his silence, some people who were
no better than animals began to tease him in many ways, but he
tolerated this. After the death of his father and mother, his
stepmother and stepbrothers began to treat him very poorly.
They would give him the most condemned food, but still he did
not mind; he remained completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. He was ordered by his stepbrothers and mother
to guard a paddy field one night, and at that time the leader of a
dacoit party took him away and tried to kill him by offering
him as a sacrifice before Bhadra Kālī. When the dacoits
brought Bharata Mahārāja before the goddess Kālī and raised a
chopper to kill him, the goddess Kālī became immediately
alarmed due to the mistreatment of a devotee. She came out of
the deity and, taking the chopper in her own hands, killed all
the dacoits there. Thus a pure devotee of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead can remain silent despite the
mistreatment of nondevotees. Rogues and dacoits who
misbehave toward a devotee are punished at last by the
arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT - SB 5.9.1-2
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śrī-śuka uvāca
atha kasyacid dvija-varasyāṅgiraḥ-pravarasya śama-dama-

tapaḥ-svādhyāyādhyayana-tyāga-santoṣa-titikṣā-praśraya-
vidyānasūyātma-jñānānanda-yuktasyātma-sadṛśa-śruta-śīlācāra-
rūpaudārya-guṇā nava sodaryā aṅgajā babhūvur mithunaṁ ca
yavīyasyāṁ bhāryāyām yas tu tatra pumāṁs taṁ parama-
bhāgavataṁ rājarṣi-pravaraṁ bharatam utsṛṣṭa-mṛga-śarīraṁ
carama-śarīreṇa vipratvaṁ gatam āhuḥ.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak; atha

—thereafter; kasyacit—of some; dvija-varasya—brāhmaṇa;
aṅgiraḥ-pravarasya—who came in the dynasty of the great
saint Aṅgirā; śama—control of the mind; dama—control of the
senses; tapaḥ—practice of austerities and penances; svādhyāya
—recitation of the Vedic literatures; adhyayana—studying;
tyāga—renunciation; santoṣa—satisfaction; titikṣā—tolerance;
praśraya—very gentle; vidyā—knowledge; anasūya—without
envy; ātma-jñāna-ānanda—satisfied in self-realization;
yuktasya—who was qualified with; ātma-sadṛśa—and exactly
like himself; śruta—in education; śīla—in character; ācāra—in
behavior; rūpa—in beauty; audārya—in magnanimity; guṇāḥ
—possessing all these qualities; nava sa-udaryāḥ—nine
brothers born of the same womb; aṅga-jāḥ—sons; babhūvuḥ—
were born; mithunam—a twin brother and sister; ca—and;
yavīyasyām—in the youngest; bhāryāyām—wife; yaḥ—who; tu
—but; tatra—there; pumān—the male child; tam—him;
parama-bhāgavatam—the most exalted devotee; rāja-ṛṣi—of
saintly kings; pravaram—most honored; bharatam—Bharata
Mahārāja; utsṛṣṭa—having given up; mṛga-śarīram—the body
of a deer; carama-śarīreṇa—with the last body; vipratvam—
being a brāhmaṇa; gatam—obtained; āhuḥ—they said.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after
giving up the body of a deer, Bharata Mahārāja took birth
in a very pure brāhmaṇa family. There was a brāhmaṇa
who belonged to the dynasty of Aṅgirā. He was fully
qualified with brahminical qualifications. He could control
his mind and senses, and he had studied the Vedic
literatures and other subsidiary literatures. He was expert
in giving charity, and he was always satisfied, tolerant, very
gentle, learned and nonenvious. He was self-realized and
engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. He remained
always in a trance. He had nine equally qualified sons by his
first wife, and by his second wife he begot twins—a brother
and a sister, of which the male child was said to be the
topmost devotee and foremost of saintly kings—Bharata
Mahārāja. This, then, is the story of the birth he took after
giving up the body of a deer.
PURPORT
Bharata Mahārāja was a great devotee, but he did not attain
success in one life. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that a devotee
who does not fulfill his devotional duties in one life is given the
chance to be born in a fully qualified brāhmaṇa family or a rich
kṣatriya or vaiśya family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (Bg. 6.41).
Bharata Mahārāja was the firstborn son of Mahārāja Ṛṣabha in
a rich kṣatriya family, but due to his willful negligence of his
spiritual duties and his excessive attachment to an insignificant
deer, he was obliged to take birth as the son of a deer.
However, due to his strong position as a devotee, he was gifted
with the remembrance of his past life. Being repentant, he
remained in a solitary forest and always thought of Kṛṣṇa. Then
he was given the chance to take birth in a very good brāhmaṇa
family.
In the Ninth Chapter, Bharata is born in a brāhmaṇa family,

acts like a dull person, does not desire to take instructions on
gāyatrī, acts as a scarecrow and gets offered to Kālī.
TEXT - SB 5.9.3
tatrāpi svajana-saṅgāc ca bhṛśam udvijamāno bhagavataḥ

karma-bandha-vidhvaṁsana-śravaṇa-smaraṇa-guṇa-vivaraṇa-
caraṇāravinda-yugalaṁ manasā vidadhad ātmanaḥ pratighātam
āśaṅkamāno bhagavad-anugraheṇānusmṛta-sva-pūrva-
janmāvalir ātmānam unmatta-jaḍāndha-badhira-svarūpeṇa
darśayām āsa lokasya.
SYNONYMS
tatra api—in that brāhmaṇa birth also; sva-jana-saṅgāt—from

association with relatives and friends; ca—and; bhṛśam—
greatly; udvijamānaḥ—being always afraid that he would fall
down again; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; karma-bandha—the bondage of the reactions of
fruitive activities; vidhvaṁsana—which vanquishes; śravaṇa—
hearing; smaraṇa—remembering; guṇa-vivaraṇa—hearing
descriptions of the qualities of the Lord; caraṇa-aravinda—
lotus feet; yugalam—the two; manasā—with the mind;
vidadhat—always thinking of; ātmanaḥ—of his soul;
pratighātam—obstruction on the path of devotional service;
āśaṅkamānaḥ—always fearing; bhagavat-anugraheṇa—by the
special mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
anusmṛta—remembered; sva-pūrva—his own previous; janma-
āvaliḥ—string of births; ātmānam—himself; unmatta—mad;
jaḍa—dull; andha—blind; badhira—and deaf; svarūpeṇa—
with these features; darśayām āsa—he exhibited; lokasya—to
people in general.
TRANSLATION
Due to his being especially gifted with the Lord's mercy,
Bharata Mahārāja could remember the incidents of his past
life. Although he received the body of a brāhmaṇa, he was
still very much afraid of his relatives and friends who were
not devotees. He was always very cautious of such
association because he feared that he would again fall down.
Consequently he manifested himself before the public eye as
a madman—dull, blind and deaf—so that others would not
try to talk to him. In this way he saved himself from bad
association. Within he was always thinking of the lotus feet
of the Lord and chanting the Lord's glories, which save one
from the bondage of fruitive action. In this way he saved
himself from the onslaught of nondevotee associates.
PURPORT
Every living entity is bound by different activities due to

association with the modes of nature. As stated in Bhagavad-
gītā, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu: "This
is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he
meets with good and evil among various species." (Bg. 13.22)
We get different types of bodies among 8,400,000 species

according to our karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa: [SB 3.31.1]
we work under the influence of material nature contaminated
by the three modes, and thus we get a certain type of body
according to superior order. This is called karma-bandha. To
get out of this karma-bandha, one must engage himself in
devotional service. Then one will not be affected by the modes
of material nature.
14.26) To remain immune from the material qualities, one must
engage himself in devotional service—śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ
viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. That is the perfection of life. When
Mahārāja Bharata took birth as a brāhmaṇa, he was not very
interested in the duties of a brāhmaṇa, but within he remained a
pure Vaiṣṇava, always thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord. As
advised in Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-
yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is the only process by
which one can be saved from the danger of repeated birth and
death.
He especially (vi) held (dadhat) the lotus feet of the Lord

whose remembrance and hearing destroy the bondage of karma.
He showed the people (lokasya) that he was a madman.
TEXT - SB 5.9.4
tasyāpi ha vā ātmajasya vipraḥ putra-snehānubaddha-manā

āsamāvartanāt saṁskārān yathopadeśaṁ vidadhāna upanītasya
ca punaḥ śaucācamanādīn karma-niyamān anabhipretān api
samaśikṣayad anuśiṣṭena hi bhāvyaṁ pituḥ putreṇeti.
SYNONYMS
tasya—of him; api ha vā—certainly; ātma-jasya—of his son;

vipraḥ—the brāhmaṇa father of Jaḍa Bharata (mad, crazy
Bharata); putra-sneha-anubaddha-manāḥ—who was obliged
by affection for his son; ā-sama-āvartanāt—until the end of the
brahmacarya-āśrama; saṁskārān—the purificatory processes;
yathā-upadeśam—as prescribed in the śāstras; vidadhānaḥ—
performing; upanītasya—of one who has a sacred thread; ca—
also; punaḥ—again; śauca-ācamana-ādīn—practice of
cleanliness, washing of the mouth, legs and hands, etc.; karma-
niyamān—the regulative principles of fruitive activities;
anabhipretān api—although not wanted by Jaḍa Bharata;
samaśikṣayat—taught; anuśiṣṭena—taught to follow the
regulative principles; hi—indeed; bhāvyam—should be; pituḥ
—from the father; putreṇa—the son; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa father's mind was always filled with
affection for his son, Jaḍa Bharata [Bharata Mahārāja].
Therefore he was always attached to Jaḍa Bharata. Because
Jaḍa Bharata was unfit to enter the gṛhastha-āśrama, he
simply executed the purificatory process up to the end of
the brahmacarya-āśrama. Although Jaḍa Bharata was
unwilling to accept his father's instructions, the brāhmaṇa
nonetheless instructed him in how to keep clean and how to
wash, thinking that the son should be taught by the father.
PURPORT
Jaḍa Bharata was Bharata Mahārāja in the body of a brāhmaṇa,

and he outwardly conducted himself as if he were dull, deaf,
dumb and blind. Actually he was quite alert within. He knew
perfectly well of the results of fruitive activity and the results of
devotional service. In the body of a brāhmaṇa, Mahārāja
Bharata was completely absorbed in devotional service within;
therefore it was not at all necessary for him to execute the
regulative principles of fruitive activity. As confirmed in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir
hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). One has to satisfy Hari, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. That is the perfection of the regulative
principles of fruitive activity. Besides that, it is stated in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
"Duties [dharma] executed by men, regardless of occupation,

are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction
for the message of the Supreme Lord." (SB 1.2.8) These
karma-kāṇḍa activities are required as long as one has not
developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is developed in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, there is no need to execute the prior regulative
principles of karma-kāṇḍa. Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī said, "O
regulative principles of karma-kāṇḍa, please excuse me. I
cannot follow all these regulative principles, for I am fully
engaged in devotional service." He expressed the desire to sit
somewhere beneath a tree and continue chanting the Hare
Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Consequently he did not execute all the
regulative principles. Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in
a Mohammedan family. From the very beginning of his life he
was never trained in the karma-kāṇḍa system, but because he
was always chanting the holy name of the Lord, Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu accepted him as nāmācārya, the authority in
chanting the holy name. As Jaḍa Bharata, Bharata Mahārāja
was always engaged in devotional service within his mind.
Since he had executed the regulative principles continuously
for three lives, he was not interested in continuing to execute
them, although his brāhmaṇa father wanted him to do so.
The son was not willing to perform these actions because he

thought himself unqualified, since he was constantly realizing
the form of the Lord. The son, learning from the father (pituḥ),
should perform these acts.
TEXT - SB 5.9.5
sa cāpi tad u ha pitṛ-sannidhāv evāsadhrīcīnam iva sma karoti

chandāṁsy adhyāpayiṣyan saha vyāhṛtibhiḥ sapraṇava-śiras
tripadīṁ sāvitrīṁ graiṣma-vāsantikān māsān adhīyānam apy
asamaveta-rūpaṁ grāhayām āsa.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (Jaḍa Bharata); ca—also; api—indeed; tat u ha—that

which was instructed by his father; pitṛ-sannidhau—in the
presence of his father; eva—even; asadhrīcīnam iva—not
correct, as if he could not understand anything; sma karoti—
used to perform; chandāṁsi adhyāpayiṣyan—desiring to teach
him Vedic mantras during the months beginning with Śrāvaṇa
or during the period of Cāturmāsya; saha—along with;
vyāhṛtibhiḥ—the utterance of the names of the heavenly planets
(bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ); sa-praṇava-śiraḥ—headed by oṁkāra;
tri-padīm—three-footed; sāvitrīm—the Gāyatrī mantra;
graiṣma-vāsantikān—for four months, beginning with Caitra,
on the fifteenth of May; māsān—the months; adhīyānam api—
although fully studying; asamaveta-rūpam—in an incomplete
form; grāhayām āsa—he made him learn.
TRANSLATION
Jaḍa Bharata behaved before his father like a fool, despite
his father's adequately instructing him in Vedic knowledge.
He behaved in that way so that his father would know that
he was unfit for instruction and would abandon the attempt
to instruct him further. He would behave in a completely
opposite way. Although instructed to wash his hands after
evacuating, he would wash them before. Nonetheless, his
father wanted to give him Vedic instructions during the
spring and summer. He tried to teach him the Gāyatrī
mantra along with oṁkāra and vyāhṛti, but after four
months, his father still was not successful in instructing
him.
Bharata, in order to make his father give up his enthusiasm for

teaching him, performed all the actions in opposite order. He
would perform ācamana and cleaning with earth before passing
urine and stool rather than after. However this was actually
correct for Bharata (iva). The father thought, “I will teach him
the Vedas starting in Śravana month, after preparation. Now I
will teach him the gāyatrī.” For four months starting with
Caitra he taught him the three lines of the gāyātrī, but Bharata
could not remember it completely. He taught him in an
incomplete manner.
TEXT - SB 5.9.6
evaṁ sva-tanuja ātmany anurāgāveśita-cittaḥ śaucādhyayana-

vrata-niyama-gurv-anala-śuśrūṣaṇādy-aupakurvāṇaka-karmāṇy
anabhiyuktāny api samanuśiṣṭena bhāvyam ity asad-āgrahaḥ
putram anuśāsya svayaṁ tāvad anadhigata-manorathaḥ
kālenāpramattena svayaṁ gṛha eva pramatta upasaṁhṛtaḥ.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; sva—own; tanu-je—in his son, Jaḍa Bharata;

ātmani—whom he considered to be himself; anurāga-āveśita-
cittaḥ—the brāhmaṇa who was absorbed in love for his son;
śauca—cleanliness; adhyayana—study of Vedic literature;
vrata—accepting all the vows; niyama—regulative principles;
guru—of the spiritual master; anala—of the fire; śuśrūṣaṇa-ādi
—the service, etc.; aupakurvāṇaka—of the brahmacarya-
āśrama; karmāṇi—all the activities; anabhiyuktāni api—
although not liked by his son; samanuśiṣṭena—fully instructed;
bhāvyam—should be; iti—thus; asat-āgrahaḥ—having
unsuitable obstinacy; putram—his son; anuśāsya—instructing;
svayam—himself; tāvat—in that way; anadhigata-manorathaḥ
—not having fulfilled his desires; kālena—by the influence of
time; apramattena—which is not forgetful; svayam—he
himself; gṛhe—to his home; eva—certainly; pramattaḥ—being
madly attached; upasaṁhṛtaḥ—died.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa father of Jaḍa Bharata considered his son
his heart and soul, and therefore he was very much
attached to him. He thought it wise to educate his son
properly, and being absorbed in this unsuccessful endeavor,
he tried to teach his son the rules and regulations of
brahmacarya—including the execution of the Vedic vows,
cleanliness, study of the Vedas, the regulative methods,
service to the spiritual master and the method of offering a
fire sacrifice. He tried his best to teach his son in this way,
but all his endeavors failed. In his heart he hoped that his
son would be a learned scholar, but all his attempts were
unsuccessful. Like everyone, this brāhmaṇa was attached to
his home, and he had forgotten that someday he would die.
Death, however, was not forgetful. At the proper time,
death appeared and took him away.
PURPORT
Those too attached to family life, who forget that death comes
in the future to take them away, become attached and unable to
finish their duty as human beings. The duty of human life is to
solve all the problems of life, but instead people remain
attached to family affairs and duties. Although they forget
death, death will not forget them. Suddenly they will be kicked
off the platform of a peaceful family life. One may forget that
he has to die, but death never forgets. Death comes always at
the right time. The brāhmaṇa father of Jaḍa Bharata wanted to
teach his son the process of brahmacarya, but he was
unsuccessful due to his son's unwillingness to undergo the
process of Vedic advancement. Jaḍa Bharata was simply
concerned with returning home, back to Godhead, by executing
devotional service through śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB
7.5.23]. He did not care for the Vedic instructions of his father.
When one is fully interested in the service of the Lord, he does
not need to follow all the regulative principles enunciated in the
Vedas. Of course, for an ordinary man, the Vedic principles are
imperative. No one can avoid them. But when one has attained
the perfection of devotional service, it is not very important to
follow the Vedic principles. Lord Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to
ascend to the platform of nistraiguṇya, the transcendental
position above the Vedic principles.
traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā
nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-kṣema ātmavān
"The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of
material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be
transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and
from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the
Self." (Bg. 2.45)
The father had more attachment for his son than for his own
life. He instructed his son who did not respect these things. The
cause for his enthusiasm to teach him was explained
previously. That is again stated: the son should be taught by the
father. Upasaṁhṛtaḥ means he died.
TEXT - SB 5.9.7
atha yavīyasī dvija-satī sva-garbha-jātaṁ mithunaṁ sapatnyā

upanyasya svayam anusaṁsthayā patilokam agāt.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; yavīyasī—the youngest; dvija-satī—wife of

the brāhmaṇa; sva-garbha-jātam—born of her womb;
mithunam—the twins; sapatnyai—unto the co-wife; upanyasya
—entrusting; svayam—personally; anusaṁsthayā—by
following her husband; pati-lokam—the planet named Patiloka;
agāt—went to.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, the brāhmaṇa's younger wife, after entrusting
her twin children—the boy and girl—to the elder wife,
departed for Patiloka, voluntarily dying with her husband.

Another version has sapatnyām. Anusaṁsthayā (with a locative
meaning) means “following him to death.”
TEXT - SB 5.9.8
pitary uparate bhrātara enam atat-prabhāva-vidas trayyāṁ

vidyāyām eva paryavasita-matayo na para-vidyāyāṁ jaḍa-matir
iti bhrātur anuśāsana-nirbandhān nyavṛtsanta.
SYNONYMS
pitari uparate—after the death of the father; bhrātaraḥ—the

stepbrothers; enam—unto this Bharata (Jaḍa Bharata); a-tat-
prabhāva-vidaḥ—without understanding his exalted position;
trayyām—of the three Vedas; vidyāyām—in the matter of
material ritualistic knowledge; eva—indeed; paryavasita—
settled; matayaḥ—whose minds; na—not; para-vidyāyām—in
the transcendental knowledge of spiritual life (devotional
service); jaḍa-matiḥ—most dull intelligence; iti—thus; bhrātuḥ
—their brother (Jaḍa Bharata); anuśāsana-nirbandhāt—from
the endeavor to teach; nyavṛtsanta—stopped.
TRANSLATION
After the father died, the nine stepbrothers of Jaḍa
Bharata, who considered Jaḍa Bharata dull and brainless,
abandoned the father's attempt to give Jaḍa Bharata a
complete education. The stepbrothers of Jaḍa Bharata were
learned in the three Vedas—the Ṛg Veda, Sāma Veda and
Yajur Veda—which very much encourage fruitive activity.
The nine brothers were not at all spiritually enlightened in
devotional service to the Lord. Consequently they could not
understand the highly exalted position of Jaḍa Bharata.
When the father who desired to teach him died, they desired to
stop teaching him. Or nyavṛtsanta can be an aorist form: they
gave up trying to teach him. They were not as determined to
teach him as their father was. He was free of bodily
identification of the dualities of happiness and distressed
caused by respect or disrespect.
TEXT - SB 5.9.9-10
sa ca prākṛtair dvipada-paśubhir unmatta-jaḍa-badhira-mūkety

abhibhāṣyamāṇo yadā tad-anurūpāṇi prabhāṣate karmāṇi ca
kāryamāṇaḥ parecchayā karoti viṣṭito vetanato vā yācñayā
yadṛcchayā vopasāditam alpaṁ bahu mṛṣṭaṁ kadannaṁ
vābhyavaharati paraṁ nendriya-prīti-nimittam. nitya-nivṛtta-
nimitta-sva-siddha-viśuddhānubhavānanda-svātma-
lābhādhigamaḥ sukha-duḥkhayor dvandva-nimittayor
asambhāvita-dehābhimānaḥ. śītoṣṇa-vāta-varṣeṣu vṛṣa
ivānāvṛtāṅgaḥ pīnaḥ saṁhananāṅgaḥ sthaṇḍila-
saṁveśanānunmardanāmajjana-rajasā mahāmaṇir
ivānabhivyakta-brahma-varcasaḥ kupaṭāvṛta-kaṭir upavītenoru-
maṣiṇā dvijātir iti brahma-bandhur iti saṁjñayātaj-
jñajanāvamato vicacāra.
SYNONYMS
saḥ ca—he also; prākṛtaiḥ—by common persons who have no
access to spiritual knowledge; dvi-pada-paśubhiḥ—who are
nothing but animals with two legs; unmatta—mad; jaḍa—dull;
badhira—deaf; mūka—dumb; iti—thus; abhibhāṣyamāṇaḥ—
being addressed; yadā—when; tat-anurūpāṇi—words suitable
to reply to theirs; prabhāṣate—he used to speak; karmāṇi—
activities; ca—also; kāryamāṇaḥ—being caused to execute;
para-icchayā—by the order of others; karoti—he used to act;
viṣṭitaḥ—by force; vetanataḥ—or by some wages; vā—either;
yācñayā—by begging; yadṛcchayā—by its own accord; vā—
or; upasāditam—gotten; alpam—a very small quantity; bahu—
a large quantity; mṛṣṭam—very palatable; kat-annam—stale,
tasteless foods; vā—or; abhyavaharati—he used to eat; param
—only; na—not; indriya-prīti-nimittam—for the satisfaction of
the senses; nitya—eternally; nivṛtta—stopped; nimitta—
fruitive activity; sva-siddha—by self-accomplished; viśuddha
—transcendental; anubhava-ānanda—blissful perception; sva-
ātma-lābha-adhigamaḥ—who has achieved knowledge of the
self; sukha-duḥkhayoḥ—in happiness and distress; dvandva-
nimittayoḥ—in the causes of duality; asambhāvita-deha-
abhimānaḥ—not identified with the body; śīta—in the winter;
uṣṇa—in the summer; vāta—in the wind; varṣeṣu—in the
rainfall; vṛṣaḥ—a bull; iva—like; anāvṛta-aṅgaḥ—uncovered
body; pīnaḥ—very strong; saṁhanana-aṅgaḥ—whose limbs
were firm; sthaṇḍila-saṁveśana—from lying down on the
ground; anunmardana—without any massage; amajjana—
without bathing; rajasā—by dirt; mahā-maṇiḥ—highly
valuable gem; iva—like; anabhivyakta—unmanifested;
brahma-varcasaḥ—spiritual splendor; ku-paṭa-āvṛta—covered
by a dirty cloth; kaṭiḥ—whose loins; upavītena—with a sacred
thread; uru-maṣiṇā—which was highly blackish due to dirt;
dvi-jātiḥ—born in a brāhmaṇa family; iti—thus (saying out of
contempt); brahma-bandhuḥ—a friend of a brāhmaṇa; iti—
thus; saṁjñayā—by such names; a-tat-jña-jana—by persons
not knowing his real position; avamataḥ—being disrespected;
vicacāra—he wandered.
TRANSLATION
Degraded men are actually no better than animals. The
only difference is that animals have four legs and such men
have only two. These two-legged, animalistic men used to
call Jaḍa Bharata mad, dull, deaf and dumb. They
mistreated him, and Jaḍa Bharata behaved for them like a
madman who was deaf, blind or dull. He did not protest or
try to convince them that he was not so. If others wanted
him to do something, he acted according to their desires.
Whatever food he could acquire by begging or by wages,
and whatever came of its own accord—be it a small
quantity, palatable, stale or tasteless—he would accept and
eat. He never ate anything for sense gratification because he
was already liberated from the bodily conception, which
induces one to accept palatable or unpalatable food. He was
full in the transcendental consciousness of devotional
service, and therefore he was unaffected by the dualities
arising from the bodily conception. Actually his body was as
strong as a bull's, and his limbs were very muscular. He
didn't care for winter or summer, wind or rain, and he
never covered his body at any time. He lay on the ground,
and never smeared oil on his body or took a bath. Because
his body was dirty, his spiritual effulgence and knowledge
were covered, just as the splendor of a valuable gem is
covered by dirt. He only wore a dirty loincloth and his
sacred thread, which was blackish. Understanding that he
was born in a brāhmaṇa family, people would call him a
brahma-bandhu and other names. Being thus insulted and
neglected by materialistic people, he wandered here and
there.
PURPORT
Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung: deha-smṛti nāhi yāra,

saṁsāra-bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. One who has no desire to
maintain the body or who is not anxious to keep the body in
order and who is satisfied in any condition must be either mad
or liberated. Actually Bharata Mahārāja in his birth as Jaḍa
Bharata was completely liberated from material dualities. He
was a paramahaṁsa and therefore did not care for bodily
comfort.
He was sometimes engaged by force, without wages (viṣṭitaḥ).

He was at all times not under the influence of karmas, which
had been destroyed in his previous birth. He had gained
realization of Kṛṣṇa (svātma), with natural, pure, visible bliss.
He was free of identifying his body with happiness and distress
caused by dualities of respect or disrespect. Because of this he
did not eat for the pleasure of his senses. His limbs were
uncovered, and very strong. He slept on the earth. He did not
rub oil on his body, or take bath. Thus his effulgence arising
from his realization was covered by dust. His sacred thread was
soiled (urumasinā).
TEXT - SB 5.9.11
yadā tu parata āhāraṁ karma-vetanata īhamānaḥ sva-bhrātṛbhir

api kedāra-karmaṇi nirūpitas tad api karoti kintu na samaṁ
viṣamaṁ nyūnam adhikam iti veda kaṇa-piṇyāka-phalī-karaṇa-
kulmāṣa-sthālīpurīṣādīny apy amṛtavad abhyavaharati.
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; tu—but; parataḥ—from others; āhāram—food;

karma-vetanataḥ—in exchange for wages from working;
īhamānaḥ—looking for; sva-bhrātṛbhiḥ api—even by his own
stepbrothers; kedāra-karmaṇi—in working in the field and
adjusting the agricultural work; nirūpitaḥ—engaged; tat api—
at that time also; karoti—he used to do; kintu—but; na—not;
samam—level; viṣamam—uneven; nyūnam—deficient;
adhikam—more raised; iti—thus; veda—he knew; kaṇa—
broken rice; piṇyāka—oil cakes; phalī-karaṇa—the chaff of
rice; kulmāṣa—worm-eaten grains; sthālī-purīṣa-ādīni—
burned rice stuck to the pot and so on; api—even; amṛta-vat—
like nectar; abhyavaharati—used to eat.
TRANSLATION
Jaḍa Bharata used to work only for food. His stepbrothers
took advantage of this and engaged him in agricultural field
work in exchange for some food, but actually he did not
know how to work very well in the field. He did not know
where to spread dirt or where to make the ground level or
uneven. His brothers used to give him broken rice, oil
cakes, the chaff of rice, worm-eaten grains and burned
grains that had stuck to the pot, but he gladly accepted all
this as if it were nectar. He did not hold any grudges and
ate all this very gladly.
PURPORT
The platform of paramahaṁsa is described in Bhagavad-gītā

(2.15): sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate.
When one is callous to all duality, the happiness and distress of
this material world, one is fit for amṛtatva, eternal life. Bharata
Mahārāja was determined to finish his business in this material
world, and he did not at all care for the world of duality. He
was complete in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and was oblivious to
good and evil, happiness and distress. As stated in Caitanya-
caritāmṛta (Cc. Antya 4.176):
'dvaite' bhadrābhadra-jñāna, saba-'manodharma'

'ei bhāla, ei manda',—saba 'bhrama'
"In the material world, conceptions of good and bad are all
mental speculations. Therefore, saying, 'This is good and this is
bad,' is all a mistake." One has to understand that in the
material world of duality, to think that this is good or that this is
bad is simply a mental concoction. However, one should not
imitate this consciousness; one should actually be situated on
the spiritual platform of neutrality.
When he wanted food from wages, then his brothers engaged

him. They thought, “If we engage others all day in work and
give only food, we can engage him in the same way without
getting a bad name.” They engaged him in wallowing in the
mud. He did not understand that by scattering the dirt, the field
would become level, and that by digging it up, the field would
become uneven. Piṇyāka is the remainder after a machine takes
oil from the sesame seed. Phalī-karaṇa is chaff. Kulmāṣa is
bean eaten by worms. Sthālīpūrīṣa is the burnt remnants on the
pots. This type of food was given by his brothers.
TEXT - SB 5.9.12
atha kadācit kaścid vṛṣala-patir bhadra-kālyai puruṣa-paśum

ālabhatāpatya-kāmaḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; kadācit—at some time; kaścit—some; vṛṣala-

patiḥ—the leader of śūdras engaged in plundering the property
of others; bhadra-kālyai—unto the goddess known as Bhadra
Kālī; puruṣa-paśum—an animal in the shape of a man;
ālabhata—started to sacrifice; apatya-kāmaḥ—desiring a son.
TRANSLATION
At this time, being desirous of obtaining a son, a leader of
dacoits who came from a śūdra family wanted to worship
the goddess Bhadra Kālī by offering her in sacrifice a dull
man, who is considered no better than an animal.
PURPORT
Low-class men such as śūdras worship demigods like goddess

Kālī, or Bhadra Kālī, for the fulfillment of material desires. To
this end, they sometimes kill a human being before the deity.
They generally choose a person who is not very intelligent—in
other words, an animal in the shape of a man.
Vṛṣala-patiḥ means a leader of śūdras or thieves. Alābata means

that he began to sacrifice.
TEXT - SB 5.9.13
tasya ha daiva-muktasya paśoḥ padavīṁ tad-anucarāḥ

paridhāvanto niśi niśītha-samaye tamasāvṛtāyām anadhigata-
paśava ākasmikena vidhinā kedārān vīrāsanena mṛga-
varāhādibhyaḥ saṁrakṣamāṇam aṅgiraḥ-pravara-sutam
apaśyan.
SYNONYMS
tasya—of the leader of the dacoits; ha—certainly; daiva-

muktasya—by chance having escaped; paśoḥ—of the human
animal; padavīm—the path; tat-anucarāḥ—his followers or
assistants; paridhāvantaḥ—searching here and there to find;
niśi—at night; niśītha-samaye—at midnight; tamasā āvṛtāyām
—being covered by darkness; anadhigata-paśavaḥ—not
catching the man-animal; ākasmikena vidhinā—by the
unexpected law of providence; kedārān—the fields; vīra-
āsanena—by a seat on a raised place; mṛga-varāha-ādibhyaḥ
—from the deer, wild pigs and so on; saṁrakṣamāṇam—
protecting; aṅgiraḥ-pravara-sutam—the son of the brāhmaṇa
descending from the Āṅgirā family; apaśyan—they found.
TRANSLATION
The leader of the dacoits captured a man-animal for
sacrifice, but he escaped, and the leader ordered his
followers to find him. They ran in different directions but
could not find him. Wandering here and there in the middle
of the night, covered by dense darkness, they came to a
paddy field where they saw the exalted son of the Āṅgirā
family [Jaḍa Bharata], who was sitting in an elevated place
guarding the field against the attacks of deer and wild pigs.
The sacrificial human had by chance escaped. Bharata was

seated on a platform in the field (vīrāsanena).
TEXT - SB 5.9.14
atha ta enam anavadya-lakṣaṇam avamṛśya bhartṛ-karma-

niṣpattiṁ manyamānā baddhvā raśanayā caṇḍikā-gṛham
upaninyur mudā vikasita-vadanāḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; te—they (the servants of the leader of the

dacoits); enam—this (Jaḍa Bharata); anavadya-lakṣaṇam—as
bearing the characteristics of a dull animal because of a fat
body like a bull's and because of being deaf and dumb;
avamṛśya—recognizing; bhartṛ-karma-niṣpattim—the
accomplishment of their master's work; manyamānāḥ—
understanding; baddhvā—binding tightly; raśanayā—with
ropes; caṇḍikā-gṛham—to the temple of goddess Kālī;
upaninyuḥ—brought; mudā—with great happiness; vikasita-
vadanāḥ—with bright faces.
TRANSLATION
The followers and servants of the dacoit chief considered
Jaḍa Bharata to possess qualities quite suitable for a man-
animal, and they decided that he was a perfect choice for
sacrifice. Their faces bright with happiness, they bound him
with ropes and brought him to the temple of the goddess
Kālī.
PURPORT
In some parts of India, animalistic men are still sacrificed

before the goddess Kālī. However, such a sacrifice is only
performed by śūdras and dacoits. Their business is to plunder
the wealthy, and to become successful they offer an animalistic
man before the goddess Kālī. It should be noted that they never
sacrifice an intelligent man before the goddess. In the body of a
brāhmaṇa, Bharata Mahārāja appeared deaf and dumb, yet he
was the most intelligent man in the world. Nonetheless, being
completely surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, he remained in that condition and did not protest
being brought before the deity for slaughter. As we have
learned from the previous verses, he was very strong and could
have very easily avoided being bound with ropes, but he did not
do anything. He simply depended on the Supreme Personality
of Godhead for his protection. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
describes surrender unto the Supreme Lord in this way:
mārabi rākhabi—yo icchā tohārā

nitya-dāsa-prati tuyā adhikārā
"My Lord, I am now surrendered unto You. I am Your eternal

servant, and if You like You can kill me, or, if You like, You
can protect me. In any case, I am fully surrendered unto You."
TEXT - SB 5.9.15
atha paṇayas taṁ sva-vidhinābhiṣicyāhatena vāsasācchādya

bhūṣaṇālepa-srak-tilakādibhir upaskṛtaṁ bhuktavantaṁ dhūpa-
dīpa-mālya-lāja-kisalayāṅkura-phalopahāropetayā vaiśasa-
saṁsthayā mahatā gīta-stuti-mṛdaṅga-paṇava-ghoṣeṇa ca
puruṣa-paśuṁ bhadra-kālyāḥ purata upaveśayām āsuḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; paṇayaḥ—all the followers of the dacoit; tam
—him (Jaḍa Bharata); sva-vidhinā—according to their own
ritualistic principles; abhiṣicya—bathing; ahatena—with new;
vāsasā—garments; ācchādya—covering; bhūṣaṇa—ornaments;
ālepa—smearing the body with sandalwood pulp; srak—a
flower garland; tilaka-ādibhiḥ—with markings on the body and
so on; upaskṛtam—completely decorated; bhuktavantam—
having eaten; dhūpa—with incense; dīpa—lamps; mālya—
garlands; lāja—parched grain; kisalaya-aṅkura—twigs and
sprouts; phala—fruits; upahāra—other paraphernalia; upetayā
—fully equipped; vaiśasa-saṁsthayā—with complete
arrangements for sacrifice; mahatā—great; gīta-stuti—of songs
and prayers; mṛdaṅga—of the drums; paṇava—of the bugles;
ghoṣeṇa—by vibration; ca—also; puruṣa-paśum—the man-
animal; bhadra-kālyāḥ—of the goddess Kālī; purataḥ—just in
front; upaveśayām āsuḥ—made him sit down.
TRANSLATION
After this, all the thieves, according to their imaginative
ritual for killing animalistic men, bathed Jaḍa Bharata,
dressed him in new clothes, decorated him with ornaments
befitting an animal, smeared his body with scented oils and
decorated him with tilaka, sandalwood pulp and garlands.
They fed him sumptuously and then brought him before the
goddess Kālī, offering her incense, lamps, garlands,
parched grain, newly grown twigs, sprouts, fruits and
flowers. In this way they worshiped the deity before killing
the man-animal, and they vibrated songs and prayers and
played drums and bugles. Jaḍa Bharata was then made to
sit down before the deity.
PURPORT
In this verse the word sva-vidhinā (according to their own

ritualistic principles) is very significant. According to the Vedic
śāstras, everything must be done according to regulative
principles, but here it is stated that the thieves and rogues
devised their own process for killing an animalistic man. The
tamasic śāstras give instructions for the sacrifice of an animal
like a goat or buffalo before the goddess Kālī, but there is no
mention of killing a man, however dull he may be. This process
was manufactured by the dacoits themselves; therefore the
word sva-vidhinā is used. Even at this time there are many
sacrifices being conducted without reference to the Vedic
scriptures. For instance, in Calcutta recently a slaughterhouse
was being advertised as a temple of the goddess Kālī. Meat-
eaters foolishly purchase meat from such shops, thinking it
different from ordinary meat and taking it to be the prasāda of
goddess Kālī. The sacrifice of a goat or a similar animal before
the goddess Kālī is mentioned in śāstras just to keep people
from eating slaughterhouse meat and becoming responsible for
the killing of animals. The conditioned soul has a natural
tendency toward sex and meat-eating; consequently the śāstras
grant them some concessions. Actually the śāstras aim at
putting an end to these abominable activities, but they impart
some regulative principles so that gradually meat-eaters and sex
hunters will be rectified.

Paṇayaḥ means the priests of the thieves. Āhatena vāsasā
means with new cloth. Vaiśasa-saṁsthayā means “with
arrangements for slaughter.”
TEXT - SB 5.9.16
atha vṛṣala-rāja-paṇiḥ puruṣa-paśor asṛg-āsavena devīṁ bhadra-

kālīṁ yakṣyamāṇas tad-abhimantritam asim ati-karāla-niśitam
upādade.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; vṛṣala-rāja-paṇiḥ—the so-called priest of the

leader of the dacoits (one of the thieves); puruṣa-paśoḥ—of the
animalistic man for being sacrificed (Bharata Mahārāja); asṛk-
āsavena—with the liquor of blood; devīm—to the deity;
bhadra-kālīm—the goddess Kālī; yakṣyamāṇaḥ—desiring to
offer; tat-abhimantritam—consecrated by the mantra of Bhadra
Kālī; asim—the sword; ati-karāla—very fearful; niśitam—
finely sharpened; upādade—he took up.
TRANSLATION
At this time, one of the thieves, acting as the chief priest,
was ready to offer the blood of Jaḍa Bharata, whom they
imagined to be an animal-man, to the goddess Kālī to drink
as a liquor. He therefore took up a very fearsome sword,
which was very sharp and, consecrating it by the mantra of
Bhadra Kālī, raised it to kill Jaḍa Bharata.
Vṛṣala-rāja-paṇiḥ means the chief priest.
TEXT - SB 5.9.17
iti teṣāṁ vṛṣalānāṁ rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtīnāṁ dhana-mada-raja-

utsikta-manasāṁ bhagavat-kalā-vīra-kulaṁ kadarthī-
kṛtyotpathena svairaṁ viharatāṁ hiṁsā-vihārāṇāṁ karmāti-
dāruṇaṁ yad brahma-bhūtasya sākṣād brahmarṣi-sutasya
nirvairasya sarva-bhūta-suhṛdaḥ sūnāyām apy ananumatam
ālambhanaṁ tad upalabhya brahma-tejasāti-durviṣaheṇa
dandahyamānena vapuṣā sahasoccacāṭa saiva devī bhadra-kālī.
SYNONYMS
iti—thus; teṣām—of them; vṛṣalānām—the śūdras, by whom

all religious principles are destroyed; rajaḥ—in passion; tamaḥ
—in ignorance; prakṛtīnām—having natures; dhana-mada—in
the form of infatuation by material wealth; rajaḥ—by passion;
utsikta—puffed up; manasām—whose minds; bhagavat-kalā—
an expansion of the plenary expansion of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; vīra-kulam—the group of elevated
personalities (the brāhmaṇas); kat-arthī-kṛtya—disrespecting;
utpathena—by a wrong path; svairam—independently;
viharatām—who are proceeding; hiṁsā-vihārāṇām—whose
business is to commit violence against others; karma—the
activity; ati-dāruṇam—very fearful; yat—that which; brahma-
bhūtasya—of a self-realized person born in a brāhmaṇa family;
sākṣāt—directly; brahma-ṛṣi-sutasya—of the son born of a
brāhmaṇa exalted in spiritual consciousness; nirvairasya—who
had no enemies; sarva-bhūta-suhṛdaḥ—a well-wisher to all
others; sūnāyām—at the last moment; api—even though;
ananumatam—not being sanctioned by law; ālambhanam—
against the desire of the Lord; tat—that; upalabhya—
perceiving; brahma-tejasā—with the effulgence of spiritual
bliss; ati-durviṣaheṇa—being too bright and unbearable;
dandahyamānena—burning; vapuṣā—with a physical body;
sahasā—suddenly; uccacāṭa—fractured (the deity); sā—she;
eva—indeed; devī—the goddess; bhadra-kālī—Bhadra Kālī.
TRANSLATION
All the rogues and thieves who had made arrangements for
the worship of goddess Kālī were low minded and bound to
the modes of passion and ignorance. They were
overpowered by the desire to become very rich; therefore
they had the audacity to disobey the injunctions of the
Vedas, so much so that they were prepared to kill Jaḍa
Bharata, a self-realized soul born in a brāhmaṇa family.
Due to their envy, these dacoits brought him before the
goddess Kālī for sacrifice. Such people are always addicted
to envious activities, and therefore they dared to try to kill
Jaḍa Bharata. Jaḍa Bharata was the best friend of all living
entities. He was no one's enemy, and he was always
absorbed in meditation on the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He was born of a good brāhmaṇa father, and
killing him was forbidden, even though he might have been
an enemy or aggressive person. In any case, there was no
reason to kill Jaḍa Bharata, and the goddess Kālī could not
bear this. She could immediately understand that these
sinful dacoits were about to kill a great devotee of the Lord.
Suddenly the deity's body burst asunder, and the goddess
Kālī personally emerged from it in a body burning with an
intense and intolerable effulgence.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic injunctions, only an aggressor can be

killed. If a person comes with an intent to kill, one can
immediately take action and kill in self-defense. It is also stated
that one can be killed if he comes to set fire to the home or to
pollute or kidnap one's wife. Lord Rāmacandra killed the entire
family of Rāvaṇa because Rāvaṇa kidnapped His wife,
Sītādevī. However, killing is not sanctioned in the śāstras for
other purposes. The killing of animals in sacrifice to the
demigods, who are expansions of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, is sanctioned for those who eat meat. This is a kind
of restriction for meat-eating. In other words, the slaughter of
animals is also restricted by certain rules and regulations in the
Vedas. Considering these points, there was no reason to kill
Jaḍa Bharata, who was born in a respectable, highly exalted
brāhmaṇa family. He was a God-realized soul and a well-
wisher to all living entities. The Vedas did not at all sanction
the killing of Jaḍa Bharata by rogues and thieves. Consequently
the goddess Bhadra Kālī emerged from the deity to give
protection to the Lord's devotee. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī
Ṭhākura explains that due to the Brahman effulgence of such a
devotee as Jaḍa Bharata, the deity was fractured. Only thieves
and rogues in the modes of passion and ignorance and
maddened by material opulence offer a man in sacrifice before
the goddess Kālī. This is not sanctioned by the Vedic
instructions. Presently there are many hundreds and thousands
of slaughterhouses throughout the world that are maintained by
a puffed-up population mad for material opulence. Such
activities are never supported by the Bhāgavata school.
Vīra-kulam means a group of devotees acting as an army.

Kadarthī-kṛtya means making unhappy. Understanding the
actions being undertaken, Kālī broke the form and emerged. Or
the deity Kālī broke by the effulgence of Bharata. The word eva
indicates that Bharata was not cut by the sword. Violence is
permitted to protect oneself during times of danger (sūnāyām).
However, killing Bharata was not permitted.
TEXT - SB 5.9.18
bhṛśam amarṣa-roṣāveśa-rabhasa-vilasita-bhru-kuṭi-viṭapa-
kuṭila-daṁṣṭrāruṇekṣaṇāṭopāti-bhayānaka-vadanā hantu-
kāmevedaṁ mahāṭṭa-hāsam ati-saṁrambheṇa vimuñcantī tata
utpatya pāpīyasāṁ duṣṭānāṁ tenaivāsinā vivṛkṇa-śīrṣṇāṁ galāt
sravantam asṛg-āsavam atyuṣṇaṁ saha gaṇena nipīyāti-pāna-
mada-vihvaloccaistarāṁ sva-pārṣadaiḥ saha jagau nanarta ca
vijahāra ca śiraḥ-kanduka-līlayā.
SYNONYMS
bhṛśam—very highly; amarṣa—in intolerance of the offenses;

roṣa—in anger; āveśa—of her absorption; rabhasa-vilasita—
expanded by the force; bhru-kuṭi—of her eyebrows; viṭapa—
the branches; kuṭila—curved; daṁṣṭra—teeth; aruṇa-īkṣaṇa—
of reddish eyes; āṭopa—by the agitation; ati—very much;
bhayānaka—fearful; vadanā—having a face; hantu-kāmā—
desirous to destroy; iva—as if; idam—this universe; mahā-aṭṭa-
hāsam—a greatly fearful laugh; ati—great; saṁrambheṇa—
because of anger; vimuñcantī—releasing; tataḥ—from that
altar; utpatya—coming forth; pāpīyasām—of all the sinful;
duṣṭānām—great offenders; tena eva asinā—by that same
chopper; vivṛkṇa—separated; śīrṣṇām—whose heads; galāt—
from the neck; sravantam—oozing out; asṛk-āsavam—the
blood, compared to an intoxicating beverage; ati-uṣṇam—very
hot; saha—with; gaṇena—her associates; nipīya—drinking;
ati-pāna—from drinking so much; mada—by intoxication;
vihvalā—overwhelmed; uccaiḥ-tarām—very loudly; sva-
pārṣadaiḥ—her own associates; saha—with; jagau—sang;
nanarta—danced; ca—also; vijahāra—played; ca—also;
śiraḥ-kanduka—using the heads as balls; līlayā—by sports.
TRANSLATION
Intolerant of the offenses committed, the infuriated goddess
Kālī flashed her eyes and displayed her fierce, curved teeth.
Her reddish eyes glowed, and she displayed her fearsome
features. She assumed a frightening body, as if she were
prepared to destroy the entire creation. Leaping violently
from the altar, she immediately decapitated all the rogues
and thieves with the very sword with which they had
intended to kill Jaḍa Bharata. She then began to drink the
hot blood that flowed from the necks of the beheaded
rogues and thieves, as if this blood were liquor. Indeed, she
drank this intoxicant with her associates, who were witches
and female demons. Becoming intoxicated with this blood,
they all began to sing very loudly and dance as though
prepared to annihilate the entire universe. At the same
time, they began to play with the heads of the rogues and
thieves, tossing them about as if they were balls.
PURPORT
It is evident from this verse that the devotees of goddess Kālī

are not at all favored by her. It is goddess Kālī's work to kill
and punish the demons. Goddess Kālī (Durgā) engages in
decapitating many demons, dacoits and other unwanted
elements in society. Neglecting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, foolish
people try to satisfy the goddess by offering her many
abominable things, but ultimately when there is a little
discrepancy in this worship, the goddess punishes the
worshiper by taking his life. Demoniac people worship goddess
Kālī to obtain some material benefit, but they are not excused
of the sins performed in the name of worship. To sacrifice a
man or animal before the deity is specifically forbidden.
She became angry, unable to tolerate the offense to Bharata

(amarsa). She had a face fearful with the energy of her red eyes,
crooked teeth, the branches of her frowning eyebrows which
expanded by the force of her absorption in anger and
intolerance at the offense to Bharata. Hantu-kāmevedaṁ means
she desired to destroy the universe (idam) because of the
offense to Bharata, one entity residing in that universe.
TEXT - SB 5.9.19
evam eva khalu mahad-abhicārāti-kramaḥ kārtsnyenātmane

phalati.
SYNONYMS
evam eva—in this way; khalu—indeed; mahat—to great

personalities; abhicāra—in the form of envy; ati-kramaḥ—the
limit of offense; kārtsnyena—always; ātmane—unto oneself;
phalati—gives the result.
TRANSLATION
When an envious person commits an offense before a great
personality, he is always punished in the way mentioned
above.
TEXT - SB 5.9.20
na vā etad viṣṇudatta mahad-adbhutaṁ yad asambhramaḥ sva-

śiraś-chedana āpatite 'pi vimukta-dehādy-ātma-bhāva-sudṛḍha-
hṛdaya-granthīnāṁ sarva-sattva-suhṛd-ātmanāṁ nirvairāṇāṁ
sākṣād bhagavatānimiṣāri-varāyudhenāpramattena tais tair
bhāvaiḥ parirakṣyamāṇānāṁ tat-pāda-mūlam akutaścid-bhayam
upasṛtānāṁ bhāgavata-paramahaṁsānām.
SYNONYMS
na—not; vā—or; etat—this; viṣṇu-datta—O Mahārāja Parīkṣit,

who was protected by Lord Viṣṇu; mahat—a great; adbhutam
—wonder; yat—which; asambhramaḥ—lack of perplexity;
sva-śiraḥ-chedane—when the chopping off of the head; āpatite
—was about to happen; api—even though; vimukta—
completely liberated from; deha-ādi-ātma-bhāva—the false
bodily concept of life; su-dṛḍha—very strong and tight;
hṛdaya-granthīnām—of those whose knots within the heart;
sarva-sattva-suhṛt-ātmanām—of persons who in their hearts
always wish well to all living entities; nirvairāṇām—who do
not find anyone as their enemy; sākṣāt—directly; bhagavatā—
by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; animiṣa—invincible
time; ari-vara—and the best of weapons, the Sudarśana cakra;
āyudhena—by Him who possesses the weapons; apramattena
—not agitated at any time; taiḥ taiḥ—by those respective;
bhāvaiḥ—moods of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
parirakṣyamāṇānām—of persons who are protected; tat-pāda-
mūlam—at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; akutaścit—from nowhere; bhayam—fear;
upasṛtānām—of those who have taken complete shelter;
bhāgavata—of devotees of the Lord; parama-haṁsānām—of
the most liberated persons.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī then said to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: O
Viṣṇudatta, those who already know that the soul is
separate from the body, who are liberated from the
invincible knot in the heart, who are always engaged in
welfare activities for all living entities and who never
contemplate harming anyone are always protected by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who carries His disc [the
Sudarśana cakra] and acts as supreme time to kill the
demons and protect His devotees. The devotees always take
shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord. Therefore at all times,
even if threatened by decapitation, they remain unagitated.
For them, this is not at all wonderful.
PURPORT
These are some of the great qualities of a pure devotee of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead. First, a devotee is firmly
convinced of his spiritual identity. He never identifies with the
body; he is firmly convinced that the spirit soul is different
from the body. Consequently he fears nothing. Even though his
life may be threatened, he is not at all afraid. He does not even
treat an enemy like an enemy. Such are the qualifications of
devotees. Devotees are always fully dependent on the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and the Lord is always eager to give
them all protection in all circumstances.
“Is it not impossible that Bharata would not be disturbed by his

death, and not show anger to his killers?” O Parīkṣit (visṇu-
datta)! It is not surprising that there is no disturbance when
one’s head is about to be cut off, for persons who are free of the
tight knot in the heart composed of identity with the body, who
are friends with all beings (sattva), even their killer, and who
are protected by the attentive (apramattena) Lord holding in his
hand the attentive (animiṣa) cakra, with his various moods of
affection for his devotees, protecting the righteous and
punishing the sinful (taiḥ taih bhāvaiḥ).
Thus ends the commentary on the Ninth Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Ninth

Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Supreme
Character of Jaḍa Bharata."
10. The Discussion Between Jaḍa Bharata
and Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Chapter Summary
In this chapter Bharata Mahārāja, now Jaḍa Bharata, was

successfully accepted by King Rahūgaṇa, ruler of the states
known as Sindhu and Sauvīra. The King forced Jaḍa Bharata to
carry his palanquin and chastised him because he did not carry
it properly. A carrier of King Rahūgaṇa's palanquin was
needed, and to fulfill this need the chief carriers found Jaḍa
Bharata as the most likely person to do the work. He was
therefore forced to carry the palanquin. Jaḍa Bharata, however,
did not protest this proud order, but humbly accepted the job
and carried the palanquin. While carrying it, however, he was
very careful to see that he did not step on an ant, and whenever
he saw one, he would stop until the ant had passed. Because of
this, he could not keep pace with the other carriers. The King
within the palanquin became very disturbed and chastised Jaḍa
Bharata with filthy language, but Jaḍa Bharata, being
completely freed from the bodily conception, did not protest; he
proceeded carrying the palanquin. When he continued as
before, the King threatened him with punishment, and being
threatened by the King, Jaḍa Bharata began to talk. He
protested against the filthy language used by the King when the
King chastised him, and the King, hearing the instructions of
Jaḍa Bharata, was awakened to his real knowledge. When he
came to his consciousness, he understood that he had offended
a great, learned and saintly person. At that time he very humbly
and respectfully prayed to Jaḍa Bharata. He now wanted to
understand the deep meaning of the philosophical words used
by Jaḍa Bharata, and with great sincerity, he begged his pardon.
He admitted that if one offends the lotus feet of a pure devotee,
he is certainly punished by the trident of Lord Śiva.
TEXT - SB 5.10.1
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AQa iSaNDauSaaEvqrPaTae rhUGa<aSYa v]JaTa
w+auMaTYaaSTa$e= TaTku-l/PaiTaNaa
iXaibk-avahPauṛzaNvez<aSaMaYae dEveNaaePaSaaidTa" Sa
iŪJavr oPal/BDa Wz
Paqva Yauva Sa&hNaNaa(r)ae Gaae%rvd(Daur&
vae!uMal/iMaiTa PaUvRiviíGahqTaE" Sah
GahqTa" Pa[Sa>aMaTadhR ovah iXaibk-a& Sa
MahaNau>aav" )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
atha sindhu-sauvīra-pate rahūgaṇasya vrajata ikṣumatyās taṭe

tat-kula-patinā śibikā-vāha-puruṣānveṣaṇa-samaye
daivenopasāditaḥ sa dvija-vara upalabdha eṣa pīvā yuvā
saṁhananāṅgo go-kharavad dhuraṁ voḍhum alam iti pūrva-
viṣṭi-gṛhītaiḥ saha gṛhītaḥ prasabham atad-arha uvāha śibikāṁ
sa mahānubhāvaḥ.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak; atha

—thus; sindhu-sauvīra-pateḥ—of the ruler of the states known
as Sindhu and Sauvīra; rahū-gaṇasya—the King known as
Rahūgaṇa; vrajataḥ—while going (to the āśrama of Kapila);
ikṣu-matyāḥ taṭe—on the bank of the river known as Ikṣumatī;
tat-kula-patinā—by the leader of the palanquin carriers; śibikā-
vāha—to become a carrier of the palanquin; puruṣa-anveṣaṇa-
samaye—at the time of searching for a man; daivena—by
chance; upasāditaḥ—led near; saḥ—that; dvija-varaḥ—Jaḍa
Bharata, the son of a brāhmaṇa; upalabdhaḥ—obtained; eṣaḥ
—this man; pīvā—very strong and stout; yuvā—young;
saṁhanana-aṅgaḥ—having very firm limbs; go-khara-vat—
like a cow or an ass; dhuram—a load; voḍhum—to carry; alam
—able; iti—thus thinking; pūrva-viṣṭi-gṛhītaiḥ—others who
were formerly forced to do the task; saha—with; gṛhītaḥ—
being taken; prasabham—by force; a-tat-arhaḥ—although not
fit for carrying the palanquin; uvāha—carried; śibikām—the
palanquin; saḥ—he; mahā-anubhāvaḥ—a great soul.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after this,
King Rahūgaṇa, ruler of the states known as Sindhu and
Sauvīra, was going to Kapilāśrama. When the King's chief
palanquin carriers reached the banks of the River
Ikṣumatī, they needed another carrier. Therefore they
began searching for someone, and by chance they came
upon Jaḍa Bharata. They considered the fact that Jaḍa
Bharata was very young and strong and had firm limbs.
Like cows and asses, he was quite fit to carry loads.
Thinking in this way, although the great soul Jaḍa Bharata
was unfit for such work, they nonetheless unhesitatingly
forced him to carry the palanquin.
The Tenth Chapter describes how King Rahūgana,

understanding that the foul words he used to describe the
carrier of the palanquin were not suitable for a great sage, got
down from the palanquin and praised Bharata.
Bharata gave mercy to his brothers and neighbors who

maintained him with rice and oil cakes, even though they were
materialists filled with rajo-guṇa, by letting them see his form
for a considerable period of time. He also gave mercy to the
leader of the thieves, even though he was in deep tamo-guna,
attached to sinful activities, and had beaten Bharata, because he
arranged for thief’s liberation in the next life because he saw
himself and Kālī directly. And he gave mercy to King
Rahūgana who was in sattva-guṇa, being a jñānī, even though
the King made him carry the palanquin through a manifestation
of rajo-guṇa suitable to the position of a king. Because the King
did not show rajas or tamas, and shows sattva, Bharata revealed
bhakti and jñāna to the King. He did not reveal this to his
brothers or the thieves. The story begins in order to reveal this.
It should be explained that though, as paramahaṁsa, one should
see everything equally, mercy manifests from one’s being a
great devotee. Some say the story is told to explain how, by the
mercy of the Lord, Bharata’s own bhakti, jñāna and vairāgya
were multiplied a hundred times.
Rahūgana was King the states of Sindhu and Sauvīra. The

leader of the carriers (tat-kula-patinā) was searching for another
carrier. Bharata had well-nourished limbs and was strong.
Thinking that he was capable (alam,) he forcibly engaged him.
TEXT - SB 5.10.2
yadā hi dvija-varasyeṣu-mātrāvalokānugater na samāhitā

puruṣa-gatis tadā viṣama-gatāṁ sva-śibikāṁ rahūgaṇa
upadhārya puruṣān adhivahata āha he voḍhāraḥ sādhv
atikramata kim iti viṣamam uhyate yānam iti.
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; hi—certainly; dvija-varasya—of Jaḍa Bharata;

iṣu-mātra—the measurement of an arrow (three feet) ahead;
avaloka-anugateḥ—from moving only after glancing; na
samāhitā—not united; puruṣa-gatiḥ—the movement of the
carriers; tadā—at that time; viṣama-gatām—becoming uneven;
sva-śibikām—his own palanquin; rahūgaṇaḥ—King Rahūgaṇa;
upadhārya—understanding; puruṣān—unto the men;
adhivahataḥ—who were carrying the palanquin; āha—said; he
—oh; voḍhāraḥ—carriers of the palanquin; sādhu atikramata
—please walk evenly so that there will not be bouncing; kim iti
—for what reason; viṣamam—uneven; uhyate—is being
carried; yānam—the palanquin; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
The palanquin, however, was very erratically carried by
Jaḍa Bharata due to his sense of nonviolence. As he stepped
forward, he checked before him every three feet to see
whether he was about to step on ants. Consequently he
could not keep pace with the other carriers. Due to this, the
palanquin was shaking, and King Rahūgaṇa immediately
asked the carriers, "Why are you carrying this palanquin
unevenly? Better carry it properly."
PURPORT
Although Jaḍa Bharata was forced to carry the palanquin, he

did not give up his sympathetic feelings toward the poor ants
passing on the road. A devotee of the Lord does not forget his
devotional service and other favorable activities, even when he
is in a most distressful condition. Jaḍa Bharata was a qualified
brāhmaṇa, highly elevated in spiritual knowledge, yet he was
forced to carry the palanquin. He did not mind this, but while
walking on the road, he could not forget his duty to avoid
killing even an ant. A Vaiṣṇava is never envious or
unnecessarily violent. There were many ants on the path, but
Jaḍa Bharata took care by looking ahead three feet. When the
ants were no longer in his way, he would place his foot on the
ground. A Vaiṣṇava is always very kind at heart to all living
entities. In His sāṅkhya-yoga, Lord Kapiladeva explains:
suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām [SB 3.25.21]. Living entities assume
different bodily forms. Those who are not Vaiṣṇavas consider
only human society worthy of their sympathy, but Kṛṣṇa claims
to be the supreme father of all life forms. Consequently the
Vaiṣṇava takes care not to annihilate untimely or unnecessarily
any life form. All living entities have to fulfill a certain
duration for being encaged in a particular type of material
body. They have to finish the duration allotted a particular body
before being promoted or evolved to another body. Killing an
animal or any other living being simply places an impediment
in the way of his completing his term of imprisonment in a
certain body. One should therefore not kill bodies for one's
sense gratification, for this will implicate one in sinful activity.
Bharata moved only after glancing three feet ahead to avoid

violence to ants. The movement of the men was not
synchronized.
TEXT - SB 5.10.3
atha ta īśvara-vacaḥ sopālambham upākarṇyopāya-turīyāc

chaṅkita-manasas taṁ vijñāpayāṁ babhūvuḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha—thus; te—they (the carriers of the palanquin); īśvara-

vacaḥ—the words of the master, King Rahūgaṇa; sa-
upālambham—with reproach; upākarṇya—hearing; upāya—
the means; turīyāt—from the fourth one; śaṅkita-manasaḥ—
whose minds were afraid; tam—him (the King); vijñāpayām
babhūvuḥ—informed.
TRANSLATION
When the palanquin carriers heard the threatening words
of Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa, they became very afraid of his
punishment and began to speak to him as follows.
PURPORT
According to political science, a king sometimes tries to pacify

his subordinates, sometimes chastises them, sometimes derides
them and sometimes rewards them. In this way the king rules
his subordinates. The bearers of the palanquin could understand
that the King was angry and that he would chastise them.
The carriers heard abusive (sopālambham) words of the King

(īśvara). The fourth method among sāma, dāna, bheda and
daṇḍa is punishment.
TEXT - SB 5.10.4
na vayaṁ nara-deva pramattā bhavan-niyamānupathāḥ sādhv

eva vahāmaḥ. ayam adhunaiva niyukto 'pi na drutaṁ vrajati
nānena saha voḍhum u ha vayaṁ pārayāma iti.
SYNONYMS
na—not; vayam—we; nara-deva—O lord among human

beings (the king is supposed to be the representative of deva,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead); pramattāḥ—neglectful
in our duties; bhavat-niyama-anupathāḥ—who are always
obedient to your order; sādhu—properly; eva—certainly;
vahāmaḥ—we are carrying; ayam—this man; adhunā—just
recently; eva—indeed; niyuktaḥ—being engaged to work with
us; api—although; na—not; drutam—very quickly; vrajati—
works; na—not; anena—him; saha—with; voḍhum—to carry;
u ha—oh; vayam—we; pārayāmaḥ—are able; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
O lord, please note that we are not at all negligent in
discharging our duties. We have been faithfully carrying
this palanquin according to your desire, but this man who
has been recently engaged to work with us cannot walk very
swiftly. Therefore we are not able to carry the palanquin
with him.
PURPORT
The other palanquin carriers were śūdras, whereas Jaḍa Bharata

was not only a high-caste brāhmaṇa but also a great devotee.
Śūdras do not sympathize with other living beings, but a
Vaiṣṇava cannot act like a śūdra. Whenever a śūdra and a
brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava are combined, there will certainly be
imbalance in the execution of duties. The śūdras were walking
with the palanquin without at all caring for the ants on the
ground, but Jaḍa Bharata could not act like a śūdra, and
therefore difficulty arose.
We are not inattentive, but follow your orders.
TEXT - SB 5.10.5
sāṁsargiko doṣa eva nūnam ekasyāpi sarveṣāṁ sāṁsargikāṇāṁ

bhavitum arhatīti niścitya niśamya kṛpaṇa-vaco rājā rahūgaṇa
upāsita-vṛddho 'pi nisargeṇa balāt kṛta īṣad-utthita-manyur
avispaṣṭa-brahma-tejasaṁ jāta-vedasam iva rajasāvṛta-matir
āha.
SYNONYMS
sāṁsargikaḥ—resulting from intimate association; doṣaḥ—a

fault; eva—indeed; nūnam—certainly; ekasya—of one; api—
although; sarveṣām—of all other; sāṁsargikāṇām—persons
associated with him; bhavitum—to become; arhati—is able; iti
—thus; niścitya—ascertaining; niśamya—by hearing; kṛpaṇa-
vacaḥ—the words of the poor servants, who were very afraid of
being punished; rājā—the King; rahūgaṇaḥ—Rahūgaṇa;
upāsita-vṛddhaḥ—having served and heard from many elderly
sages; api—in spite of; nisargeṇa—by his personal nature,
which was that of a kṣatriya; balāt—by force; kṛtaḥ—done;
īṣat—slightly; utthita—awakened; manyuḥ—whose anger;
avispaṣṭa—not being distinctly visible; brahma-tejasam—his
(Jaḍa Bharata's) spiritual effulgence; jāta-vedasam—a fire
covered by ashes in Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; iva—like;
rajasā āvṛta—covered by the mode of passion; matiḥ—whose
mind; āha—said.
TRANSLATION
King Rahūgaṇa could understand the speeches given by the
carriers, who were afraid of being punished. He could also
understand that simply due to the fault of one person, the
palanquin was not being carried properly. Knowing this
perfectly well and hearing their appeal, he became a little
angry, although he was very advanced in political science
and was very experienced. His anger arose due to his
inborn nature as a king. Actually King Rahūgaṇa's mind
was covered by the mode of passion, and he therefore spoke
as follows to Jaḍa Bharata, whose Brahman effulgence was
not clearly visible, being covered like a fire covered by
ashes.
PURPORT
The distinction between rajo-guṇa and sattva-guṇa is explained

in this verse. Although the King was very upright and advanced
in political science and governmental management, he was
nonetheless in the mode of passion, and therefore, due to a
slight agitation, he became angry. Jaḍa Bharata, despite all
kinds of injustice endured because of his deaf and dumb
display, remained silent by the strength of his spiritual
advancement. Nonetheless his brahma-tejaḥ, his Brahman
effulgence, was indistinctly visible in his person.
Hearing the words of his servants and understanding that the

fault of one person will lead to a fault in all persons in a group,
became a little angry because of his nature, and fell under its
control, even though he had received knowledge from sages.
His mind covered by passion, he spoke to Bharata, whose
spiritual power was covered, like a fire covered by ashes (jāta-
vedasām).
TEXT - SB 5.10.6
aho kaṣṭaṁ bhrātar vyaktam uru-pariśrānto dīrgham adhvānam

eka eva ūhivān suciraṁ nāti-pīvā na saṁhananāṅgo jarasā
copadruto bhavān sakhe no evāpara ete saṅghaṭṭina iti bahu-
vipralabdho 'py avidyayā racita-dravya-guṇa-karmāśaya-sva-
carama-kalevare 'vastuni saṁsthāna-viśeṣe 'haṁ mamety
anadhyāropita-mithyā-pratyayo brahma-bhūtas tūṣṇīṁ śibikāṁ
pūrvavad uvāha.
SYNONYMS
aho—alas; kaṣṭam—how troublesome it is; bhrātaḥ—my dear

brother; vyaktam—clearly; uru—very much; pariśrāntaḥ—
fatigued; dīrgham—a long; adhvānam—path; ekaḥ—alone; eva
—certainly; ūhivān—you have carried; su-ciram—for a long
time; na—not; ati-pīvā—very strong and stout; na—nor;
saṁhanana-aṅgaḥ—having a firm, tolerant body; jarasā—by
old age; ca—also; upadrutaḥ—disturbed; bhavān—yourself;
sakhe—my friend; no eva—not certainly; apare—the other; ete
—all these; saṅghaṭṭinaḥ—co-workers; iti—thus; bahu—very
much; vipralabdhaḥ—sarcastically criticized; api—although;
avidyayā—by nescience; racita—manufactured; dravya-guṇa-
karma-āśaya—in a combination of material elements, material
qualities, and the results of past activities and desires; sva-
carama-kalevare—in the body, which is moved by the subtle
elements (mind, intelligence and ego); avastuni—in such
physical things; saṁsthāna-viśeṣe—having a particular
disposition; aham mama—I and mine; iti—in this way;
anadhyāropita—not interposed; mithyā—false; pratyayaḥ—
belief; brahma-bhūtaḥ—who was self-realized, standing on the
Brahman platform; tūṣṇīm—being silent; śibikām—the
palanquin; pūrva-vat—as before; uvāha—carried.
TRANSLATION
King Rahūgaṇa told Jaḍa Bharata: How troublesome this
is, my dear brother. You certainly appear very fatigued
because you have carried this palanquin alone without
assistance for a long time and for a long distance. Besides
that, due to your old age you have become greatly troubled.
My dear friend, I see that you are not very firm, nor very
strong and stout. Aren't your fellow carriers cooperating
with you?
In this way the King criticized Jaḍa Bharata with sarcastic
words, yet despite being criticized in this way, Jaḍa Bharata
had no bodily conception of the situation. He knew that he
was not the body, for he had attained his spiritual identity.
He was neither fat, lean nor thin, nor had he anything to do
with a lump of matter, a combination of the five gross and
three subtle elements. He had nothing to do with the
material body and its two hands and legs. In other words,
he had completely realized his spiritual identity [ahaṁ
brahmāsmi]. He was therefore unaffected by this sarcastic
criticism from the King. Without saying anything, he
continued carrying the palanquin as before.
PURPORT
Jaḍa Bharata was completely liberated. He did not even care

when the dacoits attempted to kill his body; he knew that he
certainly was not the body. Even if the body were killed, he
would not have cared, for he was thoroughly convinced of the
proposition found in Bhagavad-gītā (2.20): na hanyate
hanyamāne śarīre. He knew that he could not be killed even if
his body were killed. Although he did not protest, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead in His agent could not tolerate the
injustice of the dacoits; therefore he was saved by the mercy of
Kṛṣṇa, and the dacoits were killed. In this case, while carrying
the palanquin, he also knew that he was not the body. This
body was very strong and stout, in sound condition and quite
competent to carry the palanquin. Due to his being freed from
the bodily conception, the sarcastic words of the King did not at
all affect him. The body is created according to one's karma,
and material nature supplies the ingredients for the
development of a certain type of body. The soul the body
covers is different from the bodily construction; therefore
anything favorable or mischievous done to the body does not
affect the spirit soul. The Vedic injunction is asaṅgo hy ayaṁ
puruṣaḥ: the spirit soul is always unaffected by material
arrangements.

The King addressed him as brother with sarcasm. Saṅghaṭtinaḥ
means associates. By taking the opposite meaning of the words,
the King criticized Bharata. You are not tired, because you
have just started carrying the palanquin. You are well-
nourished with strong limbs, and you are young. Are you
showing deceit to me, the King, by saying “I cannot carry the
palanquin in a regular way with these other carriers” even
though they are moving in unison? Though he was abused, he
remained silent and continued to carry the palanquin. The
reason is given. He was not covered with a false conception of I
and mind in his final body made of the five gross elements, the
senses, pious and sinful results, and the antaḥkaraṇa, which was
insubstantial since he had no relationship with it, though it was
real. He had attained brahma-bhūtaḥ.
Actually Bharata, like Śukadeva, had a spiritual body which

was not destructible. It was eternal. Because of the arousal of
prema at this time, he actually did not have possessiveness for
anything except the Lord. However, because of not attaining
direct service to the Lord in that body at that moment, he
manifested humility produced from increased longing, and
therefore did not want to offer his sense of “I” to the Lord.
Because of this, Bharata made a show of having a material
body, even though he was full of knowledge. Therefore
Śukadeva also describes him as if he had a material body, if
one takes the superficial meaning of the words. The last phrase
appears to mean “
in his final body made of the gross elements, senses, karma,

and antaḥkaraṇa, produced by māyā—a body which was
insubstantial, though having a particular appearance.”
However, it should be explained that his real opinion is that
Bharata had a spiritual body. Thus the phrase avidyayāracita-
dravya-guuṇa-karmāśaya-sva-carama-kalevare actually means
“in his eternal body that remained after all previous bodies had
been destroyed, which was not made of (avidyā aracita)
material elements, senses, karma and antaḥkaraṇa.” Or
svacarame can mean be su acarame kalevare, an exalted body.
Instead of avastuni, the word can be vastuni, with no sandhi.
Then it means the body was absolute, since it was devoid of
prārabdha-karma. That body possessed Vaikuṇṭha-loka
(saṁsthāna-viśeṣe). He simply acted like a material person out
of humility arising from prema. He had no sense of
identification with me and mine.
TEXT - SB 5.10.7
atha punaḥ sva-śibikāyāṁ viṣama-gatāyāṁ prakupita uvāca

rahūgaṇaḥ kim idam are tvaṁ jīvan-mṛto māṁ kadarthī-kṛtya
bhartṛ-śāsanam aticarasi pramattasya ca te karomi cikitsāṁ
daṇḍa-pāṇir iva janatāyā yathā prakṛtiṁ svāṁ bhajiṣyasa iti.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; punaḥ—again; sva-śibikāyām—in his own

palanquin; viṣama-gatāyām—being unevenly carried because
of Jaḍa Bharata's not walking properly; prakupitaḥ—becoming
very angry; uvāca—said; rahūgaṇaḥ—King Rahūgaṇa; kim
idam—what is this nonsense; are—O fool; tvam—you; jīvat—
living; mṛtaḥ—dead; mām—me; kat-arthī-kṛtya—neglecting;
bhartṛ-śāsanam—chastisement by the master; aticarasi—you
are overstepping; pramattasya—who are almost crazy; ca—
also; te—your; karomi—I shall do; cikitsām—proper treatment;
daṇḍa-pāṇiḥ iva—like Yamarāja; janatāyāḥ—of the people in
general; yathā—so that; prakṛtim—natural position; svām—
your own; bhajiṣyase—you will take to; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, when the King saw that his palanquin was still
being shaken by the carriers, he became very angry and
said: You rascal, what are you doing? Are you dead despite
the life within your body? Do you not know that I am your
master? You are disregarding me and are not carrying out
my order. For this disobedience I shall now punish you just
as Yamarāja, the superintendent of death, punishes sinful
people. I shall give you proper treatment so that you will
come to your senses and do the correct thing.
TEXT - SB 5.10.8
evaṁ bahv abaddham api bhāṣamāṇaṁ nara-devābhimānaṁ

rajasā tamasānuviddhena madena tiraskṛtāśeṣa-bhagavat-priya-
niketaṁ paṇḍita-māninaṁ sa bhagavān brāhmaṇo brahma-
bhūta-sarva-bhūta-suhṛd-ātmā yogeśvara-caryāyāṁ nāti-
vyutpanna-matiṁ smayamāna iva vigata-smaya idam āha.
SYNONYMS
evam—in this way; bahu—much; abaddham—nonsensical; api

—although; bhāṣamāṇam—talking; nara-deva-abhimānam—
King Rahūgaṇa, who thought himself the ruler; rajasā—by the
material mode of passion; tamasā—as well as by the mode of
ignorance; anuviddhena—being increased; madena—by
madness; tiraskṛta—who rebuked; aśeṣa—innumerable;
bhagavat-priya-niketam—devotees of the Lord; paṇḍita-
māninam—considering himself a very learned scholar; saḥ—
that; bhagavān—spiritually most powerful (Jaḍa Bharata);
brāhmaṇaḥ—a fully qualified brāhmaṇa; brahma-bhūta—fully
self-realized; sarva-bhūta-suhṛt-ātmā—who was thus the friend
of all living entities; yoga-īśvara—of the most advanced mystic
yogīs; caryāyām—in the behavior; na ati-vyutpanna-matim—
unto King Rahūgaṇa, who was not actually experienced;
smayamānaḥ—slightly smiling; iva—like; vigata-smayaḥ—
who was relieved from all material pride; idam—this; āha—
spoke.
TRANSLATION
Thinking himself a king, King Rahūgaṇa was in the bodily
conception and was influenced by material nature's modes
of passion and ignorance. Due to madness, he chastised
Jaḍa Bharata with uncalled-for and contradictory words.
Jaḍa Bharata was a topmost devotee and the dear abode of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although considering
himself very learned, the King did not know about the
position of an advanced devotee situated in devotional
service, nor did he know his characteristics. Jaḍa Bharata
was the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
he always carried the form of the Lord within his heart. He
was the dear friend of all living beings, and he did not
entertain any bodily conception. He therefore smiled and
spoke the following words.
PURPORT
The distinction between a person in the bodily conception and a

person beyond the bodily conception is presented in this verse.
In the bodily conception, King Rahūgaṇa considered himself a
king and chastised Jaḍa Bharata in so many unwanted ways.
Being self-realized, Jaḍa Bharata, who was fully situated on the
transcendental platform, did not at all become angry; instead,
he smiled and began to deliver his teachings to King Rahūgaṇa.
A highly advanced Vaiṣṇava devotee is a friend to all living
entities, and consequently he is a friend to his enemies also. In
fact, he does not consider anyone to be his enemy. Suhṛdaḥ
sarva-dehinām [SB 3.25.21]. Sometimes a Vaiṣṇava becomes
superficially angry at a nondevotee, but this is good for the
nondevotee. We have several examples of this in Vedic
literature. Once Nārada became angry with the two sons of
Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, and he chastised them by
turning them into trees. The result was that later they were
liberated by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The devotee is situated on the
absolute platform, and when he is angry or pleased, there is no
difference, for in either case he bestows his benediction.
Abaddham means incoherent. Anuviddhena means “mixed

with.” The King had criticized the perfect (aśesa) devotee
(bhagavat-priya-niketam). Bharata was the very form of being
the friend of all beings. This means that he was merciful even
to those who offended him. The King thought that he was
learned. He had a little knowledge, but thought he knew
everything. The King did not know much about the conduct of
great yogīs, such as acting dull. Bharata smiled, thinking “The
King thinks he is a jñānī, but he speaks like a fool.” Iva
indicates that the smile did not manifest externally. Bharata was
without pride in being a jñānī.
TEXT - SB 5.10.9
brāhmaṇa uvāca
tvayoditaṁ vyaktam avipralabdhaṁ
bhartuḥ sa me syād yadi vīra bhāraḥ
gantur yadi syād adhigamyam adhvā
pīveti rāśau na vidāṁ pravādaḥ
SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca—the learned brāhmaṇa (Jaḍa Bharata)

spoke; tvayā—by you; uditam—explained; vyaktam—very
clearly; avipralabdham—without contradictions; bhartuḥ—of
the bearer, the body; saḥ—that; me—mine; syāt—it would
have been; yadi—if; vīra—O great hero (Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa);
bhāraḥ—a load; gantuḥ—of the mover, also the body; yadi—
if; syāt—it had been; adhigamyam—the object to be obtained;
adhvā—the path; pīvā—very stout and strong; iti—thus; rāśau
—in the body; na—not; vidām—of the self-realized persons;
pravādaḥ—subject matter for discussion.
TRANSLATION
The great brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata said: My dear King and
hero, whatever you have spoken sarcastically is certainly
true. Actually these are not simply words of chastisement,
for the body is the carrier. The load carried by the body
does not belong to me, for I am the spirit soul. There is no
contradiction in your statements because I am different
from the body. I am not the carrier of the palanquin; the
body is the carrier. Certainly, as you have hinted, I have not
labored carrying the palanquin, for I am detached from the
body. You have said that I am not stout and strong, and
these words are befitting a person who does not know the
distinction between the body and the soul. The body may be
fat or thin, but no learned man would say such things of the
spirit soul. As far as the spirit soul is concerned, I am
neither fat nor skinny; therefore you are correct when you
say that I am not very stout. Also, if the object of this
journey and the path leading there were mine, there would
be many troubles for me, but because they relate not to me
but to my body, there is no trouble at all.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that one who is advanced in

spiritual knowledge is not disturbed by the pains and pleasures
of the material body. The material body is completely separate
from the spirit soul, and the pains and pleasures of the body are
superfluous. The practice of austerity and penance is meant for
understanding the distinction between the body and the soul
and how the soul can be unaffected by the pleasures and pains
of the body. Jaḍa Bharata was actually situated on the platform
of self-realization. He was completely aloof from the bodily
conception; therefore he immediately took this position and
convinced the King that whatever contradictory things the King
had said about his body did not actually apply to him as a spirit
soul.
I will show mercy to this person who thinks he has knowledge

by defeating him with knowledge. This is expressed by
contrary statements. You have said that I am not tired and have
not come a long way. That is not incorrect. It is not sarcasm. If
the burden of the palanquin carrier (bhartuḥ) belonged to me,
then it would be sarcasm. Since I am different from my body, I
am not the carrier. If the destination of the traveler or the path
of the traveler belonged to me, then it would be sarcasm.
Calling me well-nourished belongs to the body (raśau) of the
living entities. It is not the talk of persons in knowledge. It is
true that I am well-nourished, but for me as a conscious soul, it
is slander.
TEXT - SB 5.10.10
sthaulyaṁ kārśyaṁ vyādhaya ādhayaś ca
kṣut tṛḍ bhayaṁ kalir icchā jarā ca
nidrā ratir manyur ahaṁ madaḥ śuco
dehena jātasya hi me na santi
SYNONYMS
sthaulyam—being very stout and strong; kārśyam—being

skinny and weak; vyādhayaḥ—the pains of the body, such as
disease; ādhayaḥ—the pains of the mind; ca—and; kṣut tṛṭ
bhayam—hunger, thirst and fear; kaliḥ—quarrels between two
persons; icchā—desires; jarā—old age; ca—and; nidrā—sleep;
ratiḥ—attachment for sense gratification; manyuḥ—anger;
aham—false identification (in the bodily concept of life);
madaḥ—illusion; śucaḥ—lamentation; dehena—with this
body; jātasya—of one who has taken birth; hi—certainly; me—
of me; na—not; santi—exist.
TRANSLATION
Fatness, thinness, bodily and mental distress, thirst, hunger,
fear, disagreement, desires for material happiness, old age,
sleep, attachment for material possessions, anger,
lamentation, illusion and identification of the body with the
self are all transformations of the material covering of the
spirit soul. A person absorbed in the material bodily
conception is affected by these things, but I am free from all
bodily conceptions. Consequently I am neither fat nor
skinny nor anything else you have mentioned.
PURPORT
Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung: deha-smṛti nāhi yāra,

saṁsāra-bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. One who is spiritually
advanced has no connection with the body or with the bodily
actions and reactions. When one comes to understand that he is
not the body and therefore is neither fat nor skinny, one attains
the topmost form of spiritual realization. When one is not
spiritually realized, the bodily conception entangles one in the
material world. At the present moment all human society is
laboring under the bodily conception; therefore in the śāstras
people in this age are referred to as dvipada-paśu, two-legged
animals. No one can be happy in a civilization conducted by
such animals. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to
raise fallen human society to the status of spiritual
understanding. It is not possible for everyone to become
immediately self-realized like Jaḍa Bharata. However, as stated
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.18): naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. By spreading the Bhāgavata
principles, we can raise human society to the platform of
perfection. When one is not affected by the bodily conceptions,
one can advance to the Lord's devotional service.
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttamaśloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
[SB 1.2.18]
The more we advance our freedom from the bodily conception,
the more we are fixed in devotional service, and the more we
are happy and peaceful. In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya says
that those who are too materially affected continue the bodily
conception. Such persons are concerned with different bodily
symptoms, whereas one freed from bodily conceptions lives
without the body even in the material condition.
Not only am I a well-nourished, but no bodily quality belongs

to me. One who is born with a body, the jīva who identifies
with a body, certainly has all these qualities. I do not, since I do
not identify with the body.
TEXT - SB 5.10.11
jīvan-mṛtatvaṁ niyamena rājan
ādyantavad yad vikṛtasya dṛṣṭam
sva-svāmya-bhāvo dhruva īḍya yatra
tarhy ucyate 'sau vidhikṛtya-yogaḥ
SYNONYMS
jīvat-mṛtatvam—the quality of being dead while living;

niyamena—by the laws of nature; rājan—O King; ādi-anta-vat
—everything material has a beginning and an end; yat—
because; vikṛtasya—of things that are transformed, such as the
body; dṛṣṭam—is seen; sva-svāmya-bhāvaḥ—the condition of
servanthood and mastership; dhruvaḥ—unchangeable; īḍya—O
you who are worshiped; yatra—wherein; tarhi—then; ucyate—
it is said; asau—that; vidhi-kṛtya-yogaḥ—fitness of order and
duty.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, you have unnecessarily accused me of being
dead though alive. In this regard, I can only say that this is
the case everywhere because everything material has its
beginning and end. As far as your thinking that you are the
king and master and are thus trying to order me, this is also
incorrect because these positions are temporary. Today you
are a king and I am your servant, but tomorrow the
position may be changed, and you may be my servant and I
your master. These are temporary circumstances created
by providence.
PURPORT
The bodily conception is the basic principle of suffering in

material existence. In Kali-yuga especially, people are so
uneducated that they cannot even understand that the body is
changing at every moment and that the ultimate change is
called death. In this life one may be a king, and in the next life
one may be a dog, according to karma. The spirit soul is in a
deep slumber caused by the force of material nature. He is put
in one type of condition and again changed into another type.
Without self-realization and knowledge, conditional life
continues, and one falsely claims himself a king, a servant, a
cat or a dog. These are simply different transformations brought
about by the supreme arrangement. One should not be misled
by such temporary bodily conceptions. Actually no one is
master within the material world, for everyone is under the
control of material nature, which is under the control of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the ultimate master. As
explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba
bhṛtya: [Cc. Ādi 5.142] the only master is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone
else is His servant. Forgetfulness of our relationship with the
Supreme Lord brings about our suffering in the material world.
You have said that I am living but dead. If you are defining me
in terms of bodily identity, then living but being dead do not
belong to me only. Everything seen is a transformation, since
transformation takes place at every moment, with a beginning
and end. You said that I am disobeying the order of the master.
The states of servant (sva) and master (svāmya) exist. When
these are fixed, then one can say “This person is fit to carry the
palanquin.” Ucyate can mean “it is said” or “It is suitable.” If
you give up the kingdom and I obtain the kingdom, then I make
you carry the palanquin and say “What is this?”
TEXT - SB 5.10.12
viśeṣa-buddher vivaraṁ manāk ca

paśyāma yan na vyavahārato 'nyat
ka īśvaras tatra kim īśitavyaṁ
tathāpi rājan karavāma kiṁ te
SYNONYMS
viśeṣa-buddheḥ—of the conception of the distinction between

master and servant; vivaram—the scope; manāk—a little; ca—
also; paśyāmaḥ—I see; yat—which; na—not; vyavahārataḥ—
than the temporary usage or convention; anyat—other; kaḥ—
who; īśvaraḥ—the master; tatra—in this; kim—who; īśitavyam
—is to be controlled; tathāpi—nevertheless; rājan—O King (if
you still think that you are master and I am servant); karavāma
—I may do; kim—what; te—for you.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, if you still think that you are the King and
that I am your servant, you should order me, and I should
follow your order. I can then say that this differentiation is
temporary, and it expands only from usage or convention. I
do not see any other cause. In that case, who is the master,
and who is the servant? Everyone is being forced by the
laws of material nature; therefore no one is master, and no
one is servant. Nonetheless, if you think that you are the
master and that I am the servant, I shall accept this. Please
order me. What can I do for you?
PURPORT
It is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ahaṁ mameti: [SB 5.5.8] One

thinks, "I am this body, and in this bodily relationship he is my
master, he is my servant, she is my wife, and he is my son." All
these conceptions are temporary due to the inevitable change of
body and the arrangement of material nature. We are gathered
together like straws floating in the waves of an ocean, straws
that are inevitably separated by the laws of the waves. In this
material world, everyone is floating on the waves of the ocean
of nescience. As described by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura:
(miche) māyāra vaśe, yāccha bhese',

khāccha hābuḍubu, bhāi
(jīva) kṛṣṇa-dāsa, ei viśvāsa,
karle ta' āra duḥkha nāi
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states that all men and women are
floating like straws on the waves of material nature. If they
come to the understanding that they are the eternal servants of
Kṛṣṇa, they will put an end to this floating condition. As stated
in Bhagavad-gītā (3.37): kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-
samudbhavaḥ. Due to the mode of passion, we desire many
things, and according to our desire or anxiety and according to
the order of the Supreme Lord, material nature gives us a
certain type of body. For some time we play as master or
servant, as actors play on the stage under someone else's
direction. While we are in the human form, we should put an
end to this nonsensical stage performance. We should come to
our original constitutional position, known as Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. At the present moment, the real master is
material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā
(Bg. 7.14). Under the spell of material nature, we are becoming
servants and masters, but if we agree to be controlled by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and His eternal servants, this
temporary condition ceases to exist.
TEXT - SB 5.10.13
unmatta-matta-jaḍavat sva-saṁsthāṁ
gatasya me vīra cikitsitena
arthaḥ kiyān bhavatā śikṣitena
stabdha-pramattasya ca piṣṭapeṣaḥ
SYNONYMS
unmatta—madness; matta—a drunkard; jaḍa-vat—like a

dunce; sva-saṁsthām—situation in my original constitutional
position; gatasya—of one who has obtained; me—of me; vīra
—O King; cikitsitena—by your chastisement; arthaḥ—the
meaning or purpose; kiyān—what; bhavatā—by you; śikṣitena
—by being instructed; stabdha—dull; pramattasya—of a crazy
man; ca—also; piṣṭa-peṣaḥ—like grinding flour.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, you have said, "You rascal, you dull, crazy
fellow! I am going to chastise you, and then you will come to
your senses." In this regard, let me say that although I live
like a dull, deaf and dumb man, I am actually a self-realized
person. What will you gain by punishing me? If your
calculation is true and I am a madman, then your
punishment will be like beating a dead horse. There will be
no effect. When a madman is punished, he is not cured of
his madness.
PURPORT
Everyone in this material world is working like a madman

under certain impressions falsely acquired in the material
condition. For example, a thief who knows that stealing is not
good and who knows that it is followed with punishment by a
king or by God, who has seen that thieves are arrested and
punished by the police, nonetheless steals again and again. He
is obsessed with the idea that by stealing he will be happy. This
is a sign of madness. Despite repeated punishment, the thief
cannot give up his stealing habit; therefore the punishment is
useless.
You have said you will punish me for being inattentive. What
do you hope to accomplish by verbally or physically punishing
a person who is situated in Brahman (sva-saṁsthām), though he
may appear to be mad, for liberated persons do not accept
either what is useful or not useful? If I am not liberated but mad
and dull (stabdha), by your punishment (śikṣitena) you are
grinding what is already ground. Just as by pounding powder
you do not recreate a solid object, but finer powder, by
punishing the mad person one does not pacify madness, but one
makes him more insane.
TEXT - SB 5.10.14
ī[qXauk- ovac
WTaavdNauvadPair>aazYaa Pa[TYaudqYaR MauiNavr
oPaXaMaXaql oParTaaNaa‚
TMYaiNaiMata oPa>aaeGaeNa k-MaaRrBDa&
VYaPaNaYaNa( raJaYaaNaMaiPa TaQaaevah )) 14 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
etāvad anuvāda-paribhāṣayā pratyudīrya muni-vara upaśama-

śīla uparatānātmya-nimitta upabhogena karmārabdhaṁ
vyapanayan rāja-yānam api tathovāha.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak;

etāvat—so much; anuvāda-paribhāṣayā—by explanatory
repetition of words spoken previously by the King; pratyudīrya
—giving replies one after another; muni-varaḥ—great sage
Jaḍa Bharata; upaśama-śīlaḥ—who was calm and peaceful in
character; uparata—ceased; anātmya—things not related to the
soul; nimittaḥ—whose cause (ignorance) for identification with
things not related to the soul; upabhogena—by accepting the
consequences of his karma; karma-ārabdham—the resultant
action now attained; vyapanayan—finishing; rāja-yānam—the
palanquin of the King; api—again; tathā—as before; uvāha—
continued to carry.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when King
Rahūgaṇa chastised the exalted devotee Jaḍa Bharata with
harsh words, that peaceful, saintly person tolerated it all
and replied properly. Nescience is due to the bodily
conception, and Jaḍa Bharata was not affected by this false
conception. Out of his natural humility, he never considered
himself a great devotee, and he agreed to suffer the results
of his past karma. Like an ordinary man, he thought that
by carrying the palanquin, he was destroying the reactions
of his past misdeeds. Thinking in this way, he began to
carry the palanquin as before.
PURPORT
An exalted devotee of the Lord never thinks that he is a

paramahaṁsa or a liberated person. He always remains a
humble servant of the Lord. In all reverse conditions, he agrees
to suffer the results of his past life. He never accuses the Lord
of putting him into a distressed condition. These are the signs
of an exalted devotee. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣyamāṇaḥ.
When suffering reversed conditions, the devotee always
considers that the reverse conditions are the Lord's concessions.
He is never angry with his master; he is always satisfied with
the position his master offers. In any case, he continues
performing his duty in devotional service. Such a person is
guaranteed promotion back home, back to Godhead. As stated
tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo

bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk
"My dear Lord, one who constantly waits for Your causeless
mercy to be bestowed upon him and who goes on suffering the
reactions of his past misdeeds, offering You respectful
obeisances from the core of his heart, is surely eligible for
liberation, for it has become his rightful claim."
Bharata answered the King by explanations with repetition of

the King’s statements. Bharata had destroyed the cause of
identification with the body (anātmya), ignorance. “If Bharata
had no material identification, why did he appear to be unable
to tolerate the King’s words and thus answer him?” In order to
destroy the King’s prārabdha-karma recognized by enjoyment
of royal wealth and power, in the guise of repeating the King’s
statements, by following the process of bhakti taught by
Bharata by his mercy, the King could destroy his karmas. Or,
another meaning is “He thought he was destroying his own
karmas by this experience, carrying the palanquin
(upabhogena), since he did not consider himself a devotee, due
to humility produced by prema.”
TEXT - SB 5.10.15
sa cāpi pāṇḍaveya sindhu-sauvīra-patis tattva-jijñāsāyāṁ

samyak-śraddhayādhikṛtādhikāras tad dhṛdaya-granthi-
mocanaṁ dvija-vaca āśrutya bahu-yoga-grantha-sammataṁ
tvarayāvaruhya śirasā pāda-mūlam upasṛtaḥ kṣamāpayan
vigata-nṛpa-deva-smaya uvāca.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa); ca—also; api—indeed;

pāṇḍaveya—O best of the Pāṇḍu dynasty (Mahārāja Parīkṣit);
sindhu-sauvīra-patiḥ—the King of the states known as Sindhu
and Sauvīra; tattva-jijñāsāyām—in the matter of inquiring
about the Absolute Truth; samyak-śraddhayā—by faith
consisting of complete control of the senses and the mind;
adhikṛta-adhikāraḥ—who attained the proper qualification; tat
—that; hṛdaya-granthi—the knot of false conceptions within
the heart; mocanam—which eradicates; dvija-vacaḥ—the
words of the brāhmaṇa (Jaḍa Bharata); āśrutya—hearing;
bahu-yoga-grantha-sammatam—approved by all yogic
processes and their scriptures; tvarayā—very hastily; avaruhya
—getting down (from the palanquin); śirasā—by his head;
pāda-mūlam—at the lotus feet; upasṛtaḥ—falling down flat to
offer obeisances; kṣamāpayan—obtaining pardon for his
offense; vigata-nṛpa-deva-smayaḥ—giving up the false pride of
being the King and therefore being worshipable; uvāca—said.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O best of the Pāṇḍu dynasty
[Mahārāja Parīkṣit], the King of the Sindhu and Sauvīra
states [Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa] had great faith in discussions
of the Absolute Truth. Being thus qualified, he heard from
Jaḍa Bharata that philosophical presentation which is
approved by all scriptures on the mystic yoga process and
which slackens the knot in the heart. His material
conception of himself as a king was thus destroyed. He
immediately descended from his palanquin and fell flat on
the ground with his head at the lotus feet of Jaḍa Bharata in
such a way that he might be excused for his insulting words
against the great brāhmaṇa. He then prayed as follows.
PURPORT
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa
"This supreme science was thus received through the chain of

disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that
way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and
therefore the science as it is appears to be lost."
Through the disciplic succession the royal order was on the

same platform as great saintly persons (rāja-ṛṣis). Formerly
they could understand the philosophy of life and knew how to
train the citizens to come to the same standard. In other words,
they knew how to deliver the citizens from the entanglement of
birth and death. When Mahārāja Daśaratha ruled Ayodhyā, the
great sage Viśvāmitra once came to him to take away Lord
Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa to the forest to kill a demon. When
the saintly person Viśvāmitra came to the court of Mahārāja
Daśaratha, the King, in order to receive the saintly person,
asked him, aihiṣṭaṁ yat tat punar janma jayāya. He asked the
sage whether everything was going on well in his endeavor to
conquer the repetition of birth and death. The whole process of
Vedic civilization is based on this point. We must know how to
conquer the repetition of birth and death. Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa
also knew the purpose of life; therefore when Jaḍa Bharata put
the philosophy of life before him, he immediately appreciated
it. This is the foundation of Vedic society. Learned scholars,
brāhmaṇas, saintly persons and sages who were fully aware of
the Vedic purpose advised the royal order how to benefit the
general masses, and by their cooperation, the general masses
were benefited. Therefore everything was successful. Mahārāja
Rahūgaṇa attained this perfection of understanding the value of
human life; therefore he regretted his insulting words to Jaḍa
Bharata, and he immediately descended from his palanquin and
fell down at the lotus feet of Jaḍa Bharata in order to be
excused and to hear from him further about the values of life
known as brahma jijñāsā (inquiry into the Absolute Truth). At
the present moment, high government officials are ignorant of
the values of life, and when saintly persons endeavor to
broadcast the Vedic knowledge, the so-called executives do not
offer their respectful obeisances but try to obstruct the spiritual
propaganda. Thus one can say that the former kingly
government was like heaven and that the present government is
like hell.
Adhikṛtādhikāraḥ means “he had attained qualification.”
TEXT - SB 5.10.16
kas tvaṁ nigūḍhaś carasi dvijānāṁ
bibharṣi sūtraṁ katamo 'vadhūtaḥ
kasyāsi kutratya ihāpi kasmāt
kṣemāya naś ced asi nota śuklaḥ
SYNONYMS
kaḥ tvam—who are you; nigūḍhaḥ—very much covered; carasi

—you move within this world; dvijānām—among the
brāhmaṇas or saintly persons; bibharṣi—you also wear; sūtram
—the sacred thread belonging to the first-class brāhmaṇas;
katamaḥ—which; avadhūtaḥ—highly elevated person; kasya
asi—whose are you (whose disciple or son are you); kutratyaḥ
—from where; iha api—here in this place; kasmāt—for what
purpose; kṣemāya—for the benefit; naḥ—of us; cet—if; asi—
you are; na uta—or not; śuklaḥ—the personality of the pure
mode of goodness (Kapiladeva).
TRANSLATION
King Rahūgaṇa said: O brāhmaṇa, you appear to be
moving in this world very much covered and unknown to
others. Who are you? Are you a learned brāhmaṇa and
saintly person? I see that you are wearing a sacred thread.
Are you one of those exalted, liberated saints such as
Dattātreya and other highly advanced, learned scholars?
May I ask whose disciple you are? Where do you live? Why
have you come to this place? Is your mission in coming here
to do good for us? Please let me know who you are.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was very anxious to receive further

enlightenment in Vedic knowledge because he could
understand that Jaḍa Bharata belonged to a brāhmaṇa family
either by disciplic succession or by birth in a brāhmaṇa
dynasty. As stated in the Vedas: tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum
evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Rahūgaṇa was accepting Jaḍa
Bharata as a guru, but a guru must prove his position not only
by wearing a sacred thread but by advancing knowledge in
spiritual life. It is also significant that Rahūgaṇa asked Jaḍa
Bharata which family he belonged to. There are two types of
families—one according to dynasty and the other according to
disciplic succession. In either way, one can be enlightened. The
word śuklaḥ refers to a person in the mode of goodness. If one
wants to receive spiritual knowledge, he must approach a bona
fide brāhmaṇa-guru, either in the disciplic succession or in a
family of learned brāhmaṇas.
Who are you among the brāhmaṇas, since you wear the thread?
Are you Dattātreya, the avadhūta? Whose son are you? Which
state were you born in (kutratyaḥ)? If you have come to benefit
us, are you not Nārāyaṇa? Or are you not Kapila (śukla)?
TEXT - SB 5.10.17
nāhaṁ viśaṅke sura-rāja-vajrān
na tryakṣa-śūlān na yamasya daṇḍāt
nāgny-arka-somānila-vittapāstrāc
chaṅke bhṛśaṁ brahma-kulāvamānāt
SYNONYMS
na—not; aham—I; viśaṅke—am afraid; sura-rāja-vajrāt—

from the thunderbolt of the King of heaven, Indra; na—nor;
tryakṣa-śūlāt—from the piercing trident of Lord Śiva; na—nor;
yamasya—of the superintendent of death, Yamarāja; daṇḍāt—
from the punishment; na—nor; agni—of fire; arka—of the
scorching heat of the sun; soma—of the moon; anila—of the
wind; vitta-pa—of the owner of riches, Kuvera, the treasurer of
the heavenly planets; astrāt—from the weapons; śaṅke—I am
afraid; bhṛśam—very much; brahma-kula—the group of the
brāhmaṇas; avamānāt—from offending.
TRANSLATION
My dear sir, I am not at all afraid of the thunderbolt of
King Indra, nor am I afraid of the serpentine, piercing
trident of Lord Śiva. I do not care about the punishment of
Yamarāja, the superintendent of death, nor am I afraid of
fire, scorching sun, moon, wind, nor the weapons of
Kuvera. Yet I am afraid of offending a brāhmaṇa. I am
very much afraid of this.
PURPORT
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was instructing Rūpa Gosvāmī

at the Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa in Prayāga, He pointed out very
clearly the seriousness of offending a Vaiṣṇava. He compared
the vaiṣṇava-aparādha to hātī mātā, a mad elephant. When a
mad elephant enters a garden, it spoils all the fruits and flowers.
Similarly, if one offends a Vaiṣṇava, he spoils all his spiritual
assets. Offending a brāhmaṇa is very dangerous, and this was
known to Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa. He therefore frankly admitted
his fault. There are many dangerous things—thunderbolts, fire,
Yamarāja's punishment, the punishment of Lord Śiva's trident,
and so forth—but none is considered as serious as offending a
brāhmaṇa like Jaḍa Bharata. Therefore Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa
immediately descended from his palanquin and fell flat before
the lotus feet of the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata just to be excused.
“Sitting on your palanquin, what is the use reflecting in this

way?” If they try to kill me in battle with their weapons, I am
not afraid, since I have my natural courage. Rather I experience
joy in such competition. Or, having offended them, I do not
fear them when they attack me in anger with their weapons.
TEXT - SB 5.10.18
tad brūhy asaṅgo jaḍavan nigūḍha-
vijñāna-vīryo vicarasy apāraḥ
vacāṁsi yoga-grathitāni sādho
na naḥ kṣamante manasāpi bhettum
SYNONYMS
tat—therefore; brūhi—please speak; asaṅgaḥ—who have no

association with the material world; jaḍa-vat—appearing like a
deaf and dumb man; nigūḍha—completely hidden; vijñāna-
vīryaḥ—who have full knowledge of the spiritual science and
are thus very powerful; vicarasi—you are moving; apāraḥ—
who possess unlimited spiritual glories; vacāṁsi—the words
uttered by you; yoga-grathitāni—bearing the complete
meaning of mystic yoga; sādho—O great, saintly person; na—
not; naḥ—of us; kṣamante—are able; manasā api—even by the
mind; bhettum—to understand by analytical study.
TRANSLATION
My dear sir, it appears that the influence of your great
spiritual knowledge is hidden. Factually you are bereft of
all material association and fully absorbed in the thought of
the Supreme. Consequently you are unlimitedly advanced
in spiritual knowledge. Please tell me why you are
wandering around like a dullard. O great, saintly person,
you have spoken words approved by the yogic process, but
it is not possible for us to understand what you have said.
Therefore kindly explain it.
PURPORT
Saintly people like Jaḍa Bharata do not speak ordinary words.

Whatever they say is approved by great yogīs and those
advanced in spiritual life. That is the difference between
ordinary people and saintly people. The listener must also be
advanced to understand the words of such exalted, spiritually
advanced people as Jaḍa Bharata. Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to
Arjuna, not to others. Lord Kṛṣṇa especially selected Arjuna for
instruction in spiritual knowledge because Arjuna happened to
be a great devotee and confidential friend. Similarly, great
personalities also speak to the advanced, not to śūdras, vaiśyas,
women or unintelligent men. Sometimes it is very risky to give
great philosophical instructions to ordinary people, but Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for the benefit of the fallen souls of
Kali-yuga, has given us a very nice instrument, the chanting of
the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The general mass of people, although
śūdras and less, can be purified by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa
mantra. Then they can understand the exalted philosophical
statements of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Our
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has therefore adopted the
chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra for the general
masses. When people gradually become purified, they are
instructed in the lessons of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam. Materialistic people like strī, śūdra and dvija-
bandhu cannot understand words of spiritual advancement, yet
one can take to the shelter of a Vaiṣṇava, for he knows the art
of enlightening even śūdras in the highly elevated subject
matter spoken in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Therefore please speak, and say who you are. “I am your

palanquin bearer.” Enough with trying to fool me! I know that
you are a great yogī, because your words about yoga cannot be
understood by my mind. Or, words concerning the yoga
process, the teachings of the great yogīs, have not been able cut
my doubts, since I am very tough, though I desired to
understand those words with my attentive mind, without
argument. But my doubts have been cut by your answers today.
TEXT - SB 5.10.19
ahaṁ ca yogeśvaram ātma-tattva-
vidāṁ munīnāṁ paramaṁ guruṁ vai
praṣṭuṁ pravṛttaḥ kim ihāraṇaṁ tat
sākṣād dhariṁ jñāna-kalāvatīrṇam

SYNONYMS
aham—I; ca—and; yoga-īśvaram—the master of all mystic

power; ātma-tattva-vidām—of the learned scholars who are
aware of the spiritual science; munīnām—of such saintly
persons; paramam—the best; gurum—the preceptor; vai—
indeed; praṣṭum—to inquire; pravṛttaḥ—engaged; kim—what;
iha—in this world; araṇam—the most secure shelter; tat—that
which; sākṣāt harim—directly the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; jñāna-kalā-avatīrṇam—who has descended as the
incarnation of complete knowledge in His plenary portion
known as Kapiladeva.
TRANSLATION
I consider your good self the most exalted master of mystic
power. You know the spiritual science perfectly well. You
are the most exalted of all learned sages, and you have
descended for the benefit of all human society. You have
come to give spiritual knowledge, and you are a direct
representative of Kapiladeva, the incarnation of God and
the plenary portion of knowledge. I am therefore asking
you, O spiritual master, what is the most secure shelter in
this world?
PURPORT
As Kṛṣṇa confirms in Bhagavad-gītā:

"Of all yogīs, he who abides in Me with great faith, worshiping

Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united
with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." (Bg. 6.47)
Jaḍa Bharata was a perfect yogī. He was formerly the emperor

Bharata Mahārāja, and he was now the most exalted personality
among learned sages and the master of all mystic powers.
Although Jaḍa Bharata was an ordinary living entity, he had
inherited all the knowledge given by the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Kapiladeva. He could therefore be taken directly
as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed by Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his stanzas to the spiritual
master: sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. An exalted
personality like Jaḍa Bharata is as good as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead because he fully represents the
Lord by giving knowledge to others. Jaḍa Bharata is herein
accepted as the direct representative of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead because he was imparting
knowledge on behalf of the Supreme Lord. Therefore
Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa concluded that it was appropriate to
ask him about ātma-tattva, the spiritual science. Tad-
vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This Vedic
injunction is also confirmed herein. If anyone is at all interested
in knowing the spiritual science (brahma jijñāsā), he must
approach a guru like Jaḍa Bharata.
The chief among the great yogīs will be able to cut my doubts.
That is indicated in this verse. Sakṣat hari means Kapiladeva
who appeared for giving knowledge as a portion of the Lord’s
jñāna.
TEXT - SB 5.10.20
sa vai bhavāl̐ loka-nirīkṣaṇārtham
avyakta-liṅgo vicaraty api svit
yogeśvarāṇāṁ gatim andha-buddhiḥ
kathaṁ vicakṣīta gṛhānubandhaḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that Supreme Personality of Godhead or His incarnation

Kapiladeva; vai—indeed; bhavān—your good self; loka-
nirīkṣaṇa-artham—just to study the characteristics of the
people of this world; avyakta-liṅgaḥ—without manifesting
your real identity; vicarati—are traveling in this world; api svit
—whether; yoga-īśvarāṇām—of all the advanced yogīs; gatim
—the characteristics or actual behavior; andha-buddhiḥ—who
are illusioned and have become blind to spiritual knowledge;
katham—how; vicakṣīta—may know; gṛha-anubandhaḥ—I
who am bound by attachment to family life, or worldly life.
TRANSLATION
Is it not a fact that your good self is the direct
representative of Kapiladeva, the incarnation of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead? To examine people and
see who is actually a human being and who is not, you have
presented yourself to be a deaf and dumb person. Are you
not moving this way upon the surface of the world? I am
very attached to family life and worldly activities, and I am
blind to spiritual knowledge. Nonetheless, I am now present
before you and am seeking enlightenment from you. How
can I advance in spiritual life?
PURPORT
Although Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was playing the part of a king,

he had been informed by Jaḍa Bharata that be was not a king
nor was Jaḍa Bharata deaf and dumb. Such designations were
simply coverings of the spirit soul. Everyone must come to this
knowledge. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (2.13): dehino
'smin yathā dehe. Everyone is encased within the body. Since
the body is never identical with the soul, the bodily activities
are simply illusory. In the association of such a sādhu as Jaḍa
Bharata, Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa came to the awareness that his
activities as a royal authority were simply illusory phenomena.
He therefore agreed to receive knowledge from Jaḍa Bharata,
and that was the beginning of his perfection. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ
sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. A person like Mahārāja
Rahūgaṇa, who was very inquisitive to know the value of life
and the spiritual science, must approach a personality like Jaḍa
Bharata. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
(SB 11.3.21). One must approach a guru like Jaḍa Bharata, a
representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to
inquire about the goal of human life.
Are you (kim svit) Kapiladeva? The person with blind

intelligence refers to himself, the king.
TEXT - SB 5.10.21
dṛṣṭaḥ śramaḥ karmata ātmano vai
bhartur gantur bhavataś cānumanye
yathāsatodānayanādy-abhāvāt
samūla iṣṭo vyavahāra-mārgaḥ
SYNONYMS
dṛṣṭaḥ—it is experienced by everyone; śramaḥ—fatigue;

karmataḥ—from acting in some way; ātmanaḥ—of the soul;
vai—indeed; bhartuḥ—of one who is carrying the palanquin;
gantuḥ—of one who is moving; bhavataḥ—of yourself; ca—
and; anumanye—I guess like that; yathā—as much as; asatā—
with something that is not an actual fact; uda—of water;
ānayana-ādi—of the bringing and other such tasks; abhāvāt—
from the absence; sa-mūlaḥ—based on evidence; iṣṭaḥ—
respected; vyavahāra-mārgaḥ—phenomenon.
TRANSLATION
You have said, "I am not fatigued from labor." Although
the soul is different from the body, there is fatigue because
of bodily labor, and it appears to be the fatigue of the soul.
When you are carrying the palanquin, there is certainly
labor for the soul. This is my conjecture. You have also said
that the external behavior exhibited between the master
and the servant is not factual, but although in the
phenomenal world it is not factual, the products of the
phenomenal world can actually affect things. That is visible
and experienced. As such, even though material activities
are impermanent, they cannot be said to be untrue.
PURPORT
This is a discussion on impersonal Māyāvāda philosophy and

the practical philosophy of Vaiṣṇavas. The Māyāvāda
philosophy explains this phenomenal world to be false, but
Vaiṣṇava philosophers do not agree. They know that the
phenomenal world is a temporary manifestation, but it is not
false. A dream that we see at night is certainly false, but a
horrible dream certainly affects the person seeing it. The soul's
fatigue is not factual, but as long as one is immersed in the
illusory bodily conception, one is affected by such false
dreams. When dreaming, it is not possible to avoid the actual
facts, and the conditioned soul is forced to suffer due to his
dream. A waterpot is made of earth and is temporary. Actually
there is no waterpot; there is simply earth. However, as long as
the waterpot can contain water, we can use it in that way. It
cannot be said to be absolutely false.
The King thought, “I will begin questioning Kapiladeva.

Having met him on the road, I will first reject his answers, and
in that way discover all that I asked about him.” First Bharata
said he was not tired. The King inferred as follows. You
become tired by carrying a load since you are the doer. The
doer becomes tired, just as I become tired when I fight. One
cannot say “That this is how people speak in the world, but
spiritual people do not talk in this manner” since one cannot
uproot practical existence. If one says “Bring water by means
of the pot” one cannot bring water using a non-existent pot.
Material existence is approved (iṣṭaḥ) as real (sa-mūlaḥ). Thus
by inference, the material world is real, because of real objects
and real doers. What is not real does not have objects and
doers. If the world is unreal, there is no pot and no one to carry
the water.
TEXT - SB 5.10.22
sthāly-agni-tāpāt payaso 'bhitāpas
tat-tāpatas taṇḍula-garbha-randhiḥ
dehendriyāsvāśaya-sannikarṣāt
tat-saṁsṛtiḥ puruṣasyānurodhāt
SYNONYMS
sthāli—on the cooking pot; agni-tāpāt—because of the heat of

fire; payasaḥ—the milk put into the pot; abhitāpaḥ—becomes
hot; tat-tāpataḥ—because of the milk's becoming hot; taṇḍula-
garbha-randhiḥ—the center of the rice within the milk
becomes cooked; deha-indriya-asvāśaya—the bodily senses;
sannikarṣāt—from having connections with; tat-saṁsṛtiḥ—the
experience of fatigue and other miseries; puruṣasya—of the
soul; anurodhāt—from compliance due to being grossly
attached to the body, senses and mind.
TRANSLATION
King Rahūgaṇa continued: My dear sir, you have said that
designations like bodily fatness and thinness are not
characteristics of the soul. That is incorrect because
designations like pain and pleasure are certainly felt by the
soul. You may put a pot of milk and rice within fire, and the
milk and rice are automatically heated one after the other.
Similarly, due to bodily pains and pleasures, the senses,
mind and soul are affected. The soul cannot be completely
detached from this conditioning.
PURPORT
This argument put forward by Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa is correct

from the practical point of view, but it arises from an
attachment to the bodily conception. It can be said that a person
sitting in his car is certainly different from his car, but if there
is damage to the car, the owner of the car, being overly attached
to the car, feels pain. Actually, the damage done to the car has
nothing to do with the car's proprietor, but because the
proprietor has identified himself with the interest of the car, he
feels pleasure and pain connected with it. This conditional state
can be avoided if attachment is withdrawn from the car. Then
the proprietor would not feel pleasure or pain if the car is
damaged or whatever. Similarly, the soul has nothing to do
with the body and the senses, but due to ignorance, he identifies
himself with the body, and he feels pleasure and pain due to
bodily pleasure and pain.
An example is given to illustrate that the ātmā becomes tired

because of fatigue of the body and senses from carrying a load.
Because of the heat of fire on a pot, the milk within it becomes
hot. Because of the heat of the milk the outer portion of the rice
becomes hot. Then the inside of the rice grains becomes
cooked. Similarly, because of relationship with the body,
senses, life airs and mind, saṁsāra of the ātmā occurs. Asu
means life air and āśaya means the mind. This takes place from
successive effects on the coverings of the ātmā (anurodhāt). For
instance, because of the sun’s heat, the body becomes hot. The
senses then become hot. Then the life airs and the mind become
hot. Then the ātmā becomes hot.
TEXT - SB 5.10.23
śāstābhigoptā nṛpatiḥ prajānāṁ
yaḥ kiṅkaro vai na pinaṣṭi piṣṭam
sva-dharmam ārādhanam acyutasya
yad īhamāno vijahāty aghaugham
SYNONYMS
śāstā—the governor; abhigoptā—a well-wisher of the citizens

as a father is the well-wisher of his children; nṛ-patiḥ—the
king; prajānām—of the citizens; yaḥ—one who; kiṅkaraḥ—
order carrier; vai—indeed; na—not; pinaṣṭi piṣṭam—grinds
what is already ground; sva-dharmam—one's own occupational
duty; ārādhanam—worshiping; acyutasya—of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; yat—which; īhamānaḥ—performing;
vijahāti—they are released from; agha-ogham—all kinds of
sinful activity and faulty action.
TRANSLATION
My dear sir, you have said that the relationship between the
king and the subject or between the master and the servant
are not eternal, but although such relationships are
temporary, when a person takes the position of a king, his
duty is to rule the citizens and punish those who are
disobedient to the laws. By punishing them, he teaches the
citizens to obey the laws of the state. Again, you have said
that punishing a person who is deaf and dumb is like
chewing the chewed or grinding the pulp; that is to say,
there is no benefit in it. However, if one is engaged in his
own occupational duty as ordered by the Supreme Lord, his
sinful activities are certainly diminished. Therefore if one is
engaged in his occupational duty by force, he benefits
because he can vanquish all his sinful activities in that way.
PURPORT
This argument offered by Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa is certainly very

effective. In his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.4), Śrīla Rūpa
Gosvāmī says, tasmāt kenāpy upāyena manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet:
[SB 7.1.32] somehow or other, one should engage in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. Actually every living being is an eternal servant
of Kṛṣṇa, but due to forgetfulness, a living entity engages
himself as an eternal servant of māyā. As long as one is
engaged in māyā's service, he cannot be happy. Our Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement aims at engaging people in Lord
Kṛṣṇa's service. That will help them become freed from all
material contamination and sinful activity. This is confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā (4.10): vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ. By becoming
detached from material activities, we will be freed from fear
and anger. By austerity, one becomes purified and eligible to
return home, back to Godhead. The duty of the king is to rule
his citizens in such a way that they can become Kṛṣṇa
conscious. This would be very beneficial for everyone.
Unfortunately the king or president engages people in sense
gratification instead of the Lord's service, and such activities
are certainly not beneficial for anyone. King Rahūgaṇa tried to
engage Jaḍa Bharata in carrying the palanquin, which is a form
of sense gratification for the King. However, if one is engaged
as a palanquin carrier in the Lord's service, that is certainly
beneficial. In this godless civilization, if a president engages
people somehow or other in devotional service or the
awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he renders the very best
service to the citizens.
You have said “If the states of servant and master were
permanent…” Even if these conditions are impermanent, when
a person is the king, he is the punisher and protector of the
citizens. You have said “giving punishment to a dull person has
no effect, like grinding already ground flour.” But a servant of
the Lord like me does not act uselessly since, even if a person’s
dullness does not go away by punishment, by fulfilling the
order of the Lord, one becomes successful. The king, in
following his prescribed dharma, by punishing the citizens,
which is worship of the Lord, destroys all his sins.
TEXT - SB 5.10.24
tan me bhavān nara-devābhimāna-
madena tucchīkṛta-sattamasya
kṛṣīṣṭa maitrī-dṛśam ārta-bandho
yathā tare sad-avadhyānam aṁhaḥ
SYNONYMS
tat—therefore; me—unto me; bhavān—your good self; nara-
deva-abhimāna-madena—by madness due to having the body
of a king and thus being proud of it; tucchīkṛta—who has
insulted; sat-tamasya—you who are the best among human
beings; kṛṣīṣṭa—kindly show; maitrī-dṛśam—your causeless
mercy upon me like a friend; ārta-bandho—O friend of all
distressed persons; yathā—so; tare—I can get relief from; sat-
avadhyānam—neglecting a great personality like you; aṁhaḥ
—the sin.
TRANSLATION
Whatever you have spoken appears to me to be
contradictory. O best friend of the distressed, I have
committed a great offense by insulting you. I was puffed up
with false prestige due to possessing the body of a king. For
this I have certainly become an offender. Therefore I pray
that you kindly glance at me with your causeless mercy. If
you do so, I can be relieved from sinful activities brought
about by insulting you.
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that by offending a

Vaiṣṇava, one finishes all his spiritual activities. Offending a
Vaiṣṇava is considered the mad elephant offense. A mad
elephant can destroy an entire garden which has been
developed with great labor. One may attain the topmost
platform of devotional service, but somehow or other if he
offends a Vaiṣṇava, the whole structure collapses.
Unconsciously, King Rahūgaṇa offended Jaḍa Bharata, but due
to his good sense, he asked to be excused. This is the process
by which one can be relieved from a vaiṣṇava-aparādha. Kṛṣṇa
is always very simple and by nature merciful. When one
commits an offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava, one must
immediately apologize to such a personality so that his spiritual
advancement may not be hampered.
Since your statements appear to me to contrary, glance upon

me with affection. I have been intoxicated with false identity as
a king, thinking myself learned, and being falsely proud.
Because of this I have offended the greatest devotee. I thought,
“What do these people know?” Because of this I will fall to
hell. Thinking in this way, show an affection glance to me, by
which I will be able to cross the sin of insulting the devotees.
TEXT - SB 5.10.25
na vikriyā viśva-suhṛt-sakhasya
sāmyena vītābhimates tavāpi
mahad-vimānāt sva-kṛtād dhi mādṛṅ
naṅkṣyaty adūrād api śūlapāṇiḥ
SYNONYMS
na—not; vikriyā—material transformation; viśva-suhṛt—of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is a friend to everyone;
sakhasya—of you, the friend; sāmyena—because of your
mental equilibrium; vīta-abhimateḥ—who has completely
forsaken the bodily concept of life; tava—your; api—indeed;
mahat-vimānāt—of insulting a great devotee; sva-kṛtāt—from
my own activity; hi—certainly; mādṛk—a person like me;
naṅkṣyati—will be destroyed; adūrāt—very soon; api—
certainly; śūla-pāṇiḥ—even though as powerful as Lord Śiva
(Śūlapāṇi).
TRANSLATION
O my dear lord, you are the friend of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is the friend of all living
entities. You are therefore equal to everyone, and you are
free from the bodily conception. Although I have committed
an offense by insulting you, I know that there is no loss or
gain for you due to my insult. You are fixed in your
determination, but I have committed an offense. Because of
this, even though I may be as strong as Lord Śiva, I shall be
vanquished without delay due to my offense at the lotus feet
of a Vaiṣṇava.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was very intelligent and conscious of the

inauspicious effects arising from insulting a Vaiṣṇava. He was
therefore very anxious to be excused by Jaḍa Bharata.
Following in the footsteps of Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa, everyone
should be very cautious not to commit an offense at the lotus
feet of a Vaiṣṇava. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura in the
Caitanya-bhāgavata (Madhya 13) says:
śūlapāṇi-sama yadi bhakta-nindā kare

bhāgavata pramāṇa—tathāpi śīghra mare
hena vaiṣṇavere ninde sarvajña ha-i

se janera adhaḥ-pāta sarva-śāstre ka-i
"Even if one is as strong as Lord Śiva, who carries a trident in

his hand, one will nonetheless fall down from his spiritual
position if he tries to insult a Vaiṣṇava. That is the verdict of all
Vedic scriptures." He also says this in Caitanya-bhāgavata
(Madhya 22):
vaiṣṇavera nindā karibeka yāra gaṇa

tāra rakṣā sāmarthya nāhika kona jana
śūlapāṇi-sama yadi vaiṣṇavere ninde

tathāpiha nāśa yāya—kahe śāstra-vṛnde
ihā nā māniyā ye sujana nindā kare

janme janme se pāpiṣṭha daiva-doṣe mare
"One who blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava cannot be protected by

anyone. Even if a person is as strong as Lord Śiva, if he
blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava, he is sure to be destroyed. This is the
verdict of all śāstras. If one does not care for the verdict of the
śāstras and dares blaspheme a Vaiṣṇava, he suffers life after
life because of this."
“But I do not suffer becomes of your offense. What is the

question of counteracting it?” Even though you are not
disturbed (tavāpi na vikriyā), persons like me get destroyed.
Even persons like Śiva are affected.
nāścaryam etad yad asatsu sarvadā
mahad-vinindā kuṇapātma-vādiṣu
serṣyaṁ mahāpūruṣa-pāda-pāṁsubhir
nirasta-tejaḥsu tad eva śobhanam
It is not surprising that the materialists, claiming that the gross

body is the soul, constantly criticize the devotees with envy and
become deprived of their powers by the dust from the feet of
the great devotees. That glory of that criticism is the result it
gives. SB 4.4.13
Thus ends the commentary on the Tenth Chapter of the Fifth

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Tenth

Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled, "The Discussion
Between Jaḍa Bharata and Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa."
11. Jaḍa Bharata Instructs King
Rahūgaṇa
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-14, 15,
16, 17
Chapter Summary
In this chapter the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata instructs Mahārāja

Rahūgaṇa in detail. He tells the King: "You are not very
experienced, yet you pose yourself as a learned person because
you are very proud of your knowledge. Actually a person who
is on the transcendental platform does not care for social
behavior that sacrifices spiritual advancement. Social behavior
comes within the jurisdiction of karma-kāṇḍa, material benefit.
No one can spiritually advance by such activities. The
conditioned soul is always overpowered by the modes of
material nature, and consequently he is simply concerned with
material benefits and auspicious and inauspicious material
things. In other words, the mind, which is the leader of the
senses, is absorbed in material activities life after life. Thus he
continuously gets different types of bodies and suffers
miserable material conditions. On the basis of mental
concoction, social behavior has been formulated. If one's mind
is absorbed in these activities, he certainly remains conditioned
within the material world. According to different opinions,
there are eleven or twelve mental activities, which can be
transformed into hundreds and thousands. A person who is not
Kṛṣṇa conscious is subjected to all these mental concoctions
and is thus governed by the material energy. The living entity
who is free from mental concoctions attains the platform of
pure spirit soul, devoid of material contamination. There are
two types of living entities-jīvātmā and Paramātmā, the
individual soul and the Supreme Soul. That Supreme Soul in
His ultimate realization is Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. He enters
into everyone's heart and controls the living entity in his
different activities. He is therefore the supreme shelter of all
living entities. One can understand the Supreme Soul and one's
position in relationship with Him when one is completely freed
from the unwanted association of ordinary men. In this way one
can become fit to cross the ocean of nescience. The cause of
conditional Life is attachment to the external energy. One has
to conquer these mental concoctions: unless one does so, he
will never be freed from material anxieties. Although mental
concoctions have no value, their influence is still very
formidable. No one should neglect to control the mind. If one
does, the mind becomes so powerful that one immediately
forgets his real position. Forgetting that he is an eternal servant
of Kṛṣṇa and that service to Kṛṣṇa is his only business, one is
doomed by material nature to serve the objects of the senses.
One should kill mental concoctions by the sword of service to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotee (guru-
kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151])"
TEXT - SB 5.11.1
brāhmaṇa uvāca
akovidaḥ kovida-vāda-vādān
vadasy atho nāti-vidāṁ variṣṭhaḥ
na sūrayo hi vyavahāram enaṁ
tattvāvamarśena sahāmananti
SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca—the brāhmaṇa said; akovidaḥ—without

having experience; kovida-vāda-vādān—words used by
experienced persons; vadasi—you are speaking; atho—
therefore; na—not; ati-vidām—of those who are very
experienced; variṣṭhaḥ—the most important; na—not; sūrayaḥ
—such intelligent persons; hi—indeed; vyavahāram—mundane
and social behavior; enam—this; tattva—of the truth;
avamarśena—fine judgment by intelligence; saha—with;
āmananti—discuss.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata said: My dear King, although
you are not at all experienced, you are trying to speak like a
very experienced man. Consequently you cannot be
considered an experienced person. An experienced person
does not speak the way you are speaking about the
relationship between a master and a servant or about
material pains and pleasures. These are simply external
activities. Any advanced, experienced man, considering the
Absolute Truth, does not talk in this way.
PURPORT
Kṛṣṇa similarly chastised Arjuna. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: "While speaking learned words,
you are lamenting for what is not worthy of grief." (Bg. 2.11)
Similarly, among people in general, 99.9 percent try to talk like
experienced advisers, but they are actually devoid of spiritual
knowledge and are therefore like inexperienced children
speaking nonsensically. Consequently their words cannot be
given any importance. One has to learn from Kṛṣṇa or His
devotee. If one speaks on the basis of this experience-that is, on
the basis of spiritual knowledge—one's words are valuable. At
the present moment, the entire world is full of foolish people.
Bhagavad-gītā describes these people as mūḍhas. They are
trying to rule human society, but because they are devoid of
spiritual knowledge, the entire world is in a chaotic condition.
To be released from these miserable conditions, one has to
become Kṛṣṇa conscious and take lessons from an exalted
personality like Jaḍa Bharata, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Kapiladeva. That
is the only way to solve the problems of material life.
The Eleventh Chapter describes that the mind is the cause of

saṁsāra, that it has many transformations, and that, by
engaging it in bhakti, one can attain liberation.
You are not learned, but you speak words of objection like
those of the wise. Therefore you are not the best among the
very wise, since the wise do not speak of the material world
and its objects with deliberation on truth, calling the objects
substantial, while giving examples, since both have faults. You
have given the example of the fire applied to the pot, which
heats the milk, which cooks the rice. In this example there is
connection of material pot with material fire. However, there is
no contact of the material senses with the liberated ātmā, a
spiritual particle. Thus fatigue of the body does not mean
fatigue of the ātmā. Because the conditioned jīva is covered by
the material body, the conditioned jīva experiences fatigue
because of the fatigued body which is material. Your inference
fails because you cannot say that you, the conditioned jīva, are
the same as me, the liberated jīva.
TEXT - SB 5.11.2
tathaiva rājann uru-gārhamedha-
vitāna-vidyoru-vijṛmbhiteṣu
na veda-vādeṣu hi tattva-vādaḥ
prāyeṇa śuddho nu cakāsti sādhuḥ
SYNONYMS
tathā—therefore; eva—indeed; rājan—O King; uru-gārha-

medha—rituals related to material household life; vitāna-vidyā
—in knowledge that expands; uru—very greatly; vijṛmbhiteṣu
—among those interested; na—not; veda-vādeṣu—who speak
the version of the Vedas; hi—indeed; tattva-vādaḥ—the
spiritual science; prāyeṇa—almost always; śuddhaḥ—free
from all contaminated activities; nu—indeed; cakāsti—appear;
sādhuḥ—a person who is advanced in devotional service.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, talks of the relationship between the master
and the servant, the king and the subject and so forth are
simply talks about material activities. People interested in
material activities, which are expounded in the Vedas, are
intent on performing material sacrifices and placing faith in
their material activities. For such people, spiritual
advancement is definitely not manifest.
PURPORT
In this verse, two words are significant—veda-vāda and tattva-

vāda. According to Bhagavad-gītā, those who are simply
attached to the Vedas and who do not understand the purpose of
the Vedas or the Vedānta-sūtra are called veda-vāda-ratāḥ.
yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ

pravadanty avipaścitaḥ
veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha
nānyad astīti vādinaḥ
kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā
janma-karma-phala-pradām
kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ
bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati
"Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the
flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive
activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth,
power and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and
opulent life, they say there is nothing more than this." (Bg.
2.42-43)
The veda-vāda followers of the Vedas are generally inclined to

karma-kāṇḍa, the performance of sacrifice according to the
Vedic injunctions. They are thereby promoted to higher
planetary systems. They generally practice the Cāturmāsya
system. Akṣayyaṁ ha vai cāturmāsya-yājinaḥ sukṛtaṁ bhavati:
one who performs the cāturmāsya-yajña becomes pious. By
becoming pious, one may be promoted to the higher planetary
systems (ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ [Bg. 14.18]). Some
of the followers of the Vedas are attached to karma-kāṇḍa, the
fruitive activities of the Vedas, in order to be promoted to a
higher standard of life. Others argue that this is not the purpose
of the Vedas. Tad yathaiveha karma jitaḥ lokaḥ kṣīyate evam
evam utra puṇya jitaḥ lokaḥ kṣīyate. In this world someone
may become very highly elevated by taking birth in an
aristocratic family, by being well educated, beautiful or very
rich. These are the gifts for pious activities enacted in the past
life. However, these will be finished when the stock of pious
activity is finished. If we become attached to pious activities,
we may get these various worldly facilities in the next life and
may take birth in the heavenly planets. But all this will
eventually be finished. Kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (Bg.
9.21): when the stock of pious activity is finished, one again
has to come to this martya-loka. According to the Vedic
injunctions, the performance of pious activity is not really the
objective of the Vedas. The objective of the Vedas is explained
in Bhagavad-gītā. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ:[Bg.
15.15] the objective of the Vedas is to understand Kṛṣṇa, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who are veda-vādīs
are not actually advanced in knowledge, and those who are
followers of jñāna-kāṇḍa (Brahman understanding) are also not
perfect. However, when one comes to the platform of upāsanā
and accepts the worship of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, he becomes perfect (ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor
ārādhanaṁ param ). In the Vedas the worship of different
demigods and the performance of sacrifice are certainly,
mentioned, but such worship is inferior because the worshipers
do not know that the ultimate goal is Viṣṇu (na te viduḥ
svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]). When one comes to the
platform of viṣṇor ārādhanam, or bhakti-yoga, one has attained
the perfection of life. Otherwise, as indicated in Bhagavad-gītā,
one is not a tattva-vādī but a veda-vādī, a blind follower of the
Vedic injunctions. A veda-vādī cannot be purified from
material contamination unless he becomes a tattva-vādī, that is,
one who knows tattva, the Absolute Truth. Tattva is also
experienced in three features-brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān
iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Even after coming to the platform of
understanding tattva, one must worship Bhagavān, Viṣṇu and
His expansions, or one is not yet perfect. Bahūnāṁ janmanām
ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: [Bg. 7.19] after many births,
one who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa. The
conclusion is that unintelligent men with a poor fund of
knowledge cannot understand Bhagavān, Brahman or
Paramātmā, but after studying the Vedas and attaining the
understanding of the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, one is supposed to be on the platform of perfect
knowledge.
“But the Mīmāṁsakas do not consider anything except

attainment of Svarga as the goal of life. Thus what is the use of
discussing the truth?” That is true. Talking about the highest
truth is not for the ignorant who are unqualified. That is
explained in this verse. Just as spiritual discussion does not
arise in daily mundane activities which give visible results, so
spiritual discussion certainly (nu) does not arise in Vedic
statements manifesting prominently as a proliferation of
sacrifices related to household life, with unseen results known
as karma. Why? Spiritual discussions are pure, without
violence (śuddhaḥ) and without passion (sādhuḥ). They are
different from discussions of Svarga. Spiritual discussions do
not generally (prāyeṇa) arise in these statements. However by
performing those activities of the Vedas without desire for
results and offering them to the Lord and by knowledge and
detachment, one can reach the spiritual platform.
TEXT - SB 5.11.3
na tasya tattva-grahaṇāya sākṣād
varīyasīr api vācaḥ samāsan
svapne niruktyā gṛhamedhi-saukhyaṁ

na yasya heyānumitaṁ svayaṁ syāt
SYNONYMS
na—not; tasya—of him (a student studying the Vedas); tattva-

grahaṇāya—for accepting the real purpose of Vedic
knowledge; sākṣāt—directly; varīyasīḥ—very exalted; api—
although; vācaḥ—words of the Vedas; samāsan—sufficiently
became; svapne—in a dream; niruktyā—by example; gṛha-
medhi-saukhyam—happiness within this material world; na—
not; yasya—of him who; heya-anumitam—concluded to be
inferior; svayam—automatically; syāt—become.
TRANSLATION
A dream becomes automatically known to a person as false
and immaterial, and similarly one eventually realizes that
material happiness in this life or the next, on this planet or
a higher planet, is insignificant. When one realizes this, the
Vedas, although an excellent source, are insufficient to
bring about direct knowledge of the truth.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (2.45), Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to become

transcendental to the material activities impelled by the three
material modes of nature (traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo
bhavārjuna). The purpose of Vedic study is to transcend the
activities of the three modes of material nature. Of course in the
material world the mode of goodness is accepted as the best,
and one can be promoted to the higher planetary systems by
being on the sattva-guṇa platform. However, that is not
perfection. One must come to the conclusion that even the
sattva-guṇa platform is also not good. One may dream that he
has become a king with a good family, wife and children, but
immediately at the end of that dream he comes to the
conclusion that it is false. Similarly, all kinds of material
happiness are undesirable for a person who wants spiritual
salvation. If a person does not come to the conclusion that he
has nothing to do with any kind of material happiness, he
cannot come to the platform of understanding the Absolute
Truth, or tattva jñāna. Karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs are after some
material elevation. The karmīs work hard day and night for
some bodily comfort, and the jñānīs simply speculate about
how to get out of the entanglement of karma and merge into the
Brahman effulgence. The yogīs are very much addicted to the
acquisition of material perfection and magical powers. All of
them are trying to be materially perfect, but a devotee very
easily comes to the platform of nirguṇa in devotional service,
and consequently for the devotee the results of karma, jñāna
and yoga become very insignificant. Therefore only the
devotee is on the platform of tattva jñāna, not the others. Of
course the jñānī's position is better than that of the karmī but
that position is also insufficient. The jñānī must actually
become liberated, and after liberation he may be situated in
devotional service (mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]).
“But is it not impudent to say that you have a method of giving

the karmīs the truth, but then saying that you will not teach
them?” The words of the Vedānta are not at all suitable
(samāsan) for all men, though those words are best for directly
understanding the highest truth. As in a dream which is
momentary and false, these same men do not, on their own,
infer the inferiority of the happiness of household life. The
happiness of the karmīs is temporary, meager, and related to
material objects. Thus the ātmā does not have a relationship
with this material happiness. This happiness is false for the
ātmā, like horns on a rabbit. The happiness of the jñānī
however is eternal, not temporary, since it is related to
Brahman. There is great difference between the two. This is the
usage of giving out the highest truth.
TEXT - SB 5.11.4
yāvan mano rajasā pūruṣasya
sattvena vā tamasā vānuruddham
cetobhir ākūtibhir ātanoti
niraṅkuśaṁ kuśalaṁ cetaraṁ vā
SYNONYMS
yāvat—as long as; manaḥ—the mind; rajasā—by the mode of

passion; pūruṣasya—of the living entity; sattvena—by the
mode of goodness; vā—or; tamasā—by the mode of darkness;
vā—or; anuruddham—controlled; cetobhiḥ—by the
knowledge-acquiring senses; ākūtibhiḥ—by the senses of
action; ātanoti—expands; niraṅkuśam—independent like an
elephant not controlled by a trident; kuśalam—auspiciousness;
ca—also; itaram—other than auspiciousness, sinful activities;
vā—or.
TRANSLATION
As long as the mind of the living entity is contaminated by
the three modes of material nature (goodness, passion and
ignorance), his mind is exactly like an independent,
uncontrolled elephant. It simply expands its jurisdiction of
pious and impious activities by using the senses. The result
is that the living entity remains in the material world to
enjoy and suffer pleasures and pains due to material
activity.
PURPORT
In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that material pious and

impious activities are both opposed to the principle of
devotional service. Devotional service means mukti, freedom
from material entanglement, but pious and impious activities
result in entanglement within this material world. If the mind is
captivated by the pious and impious activities mentioned in the
Vedas, one remains eternally in darkness; one cannot attain the
absolute platform. To change the consciousness from ignorance
to passion or from passion to goodness does not really solve the
problem. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26), sa guṇān
samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. One must come to the
transcendental platform; otherwise life's mission is never
fulfilled.
“Why is it that generally, even though enlightened by the

devotees, all men engage in material happiness?” As long as
mind is bound by rajas, sattva or tamas, the mind like an
uncontrolled mad elephant, engages a saintly person in dharma
(kuśalam) or adharma (itaram), by the knowledge senses
(cetobhiḥ) and the actions senses (ākūtibhiḥ). By force, the
mind with its guṇas, destroying discrimination, engages in
pious or sinful actions. What fault is there in the human being
for this?
TEXT - SB 5.11.5
sa vāsanātmā viṣayoparakto
guṇa-pravāho vikṛtaḥ ṣoḍaśātmā
bibhrat pṛthaṅ-nāmabhi rūpa-bhedam
antar-bahiṣṭvaṁ ca purais tanoti
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that; vāsanā—endowed with many desires; ātmā—the

mind; viṣaya-uparaktaḥ—attached to material happiness, sense
gratification; guṇa-pravāhaḥ—driven by the force of either
sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa or tamo-guṇa; vikṛtaḥ—transformed by
lust and so on; ṣoḍaśa-ātmā—the chief of the sixteen material
elements (the five gross elements, the ten senses and the mind);
bibhrat—wandering; pṛthak-nāmabhiḥ—with separate names;
rūpa-bhedam—assuming different forms; antaḥ-bahiṣṭvam—
the quality of being first-class or last-class; ca—and; puraiḥ—
with different bodily forms; tanoti—manifests.
TRANSLATION
Because the mind is absorbed in desires for pious and
impious activities, it is naturally subjected to the
transformations of lust and anger. In this way, it becomes
attracted to material sense enjoyment. In other words, the
mind is conducted by the modes of goodness, passion and
ignorance. There are eleven senses and five material
elements, and out of these sixteen items, the mind is the
chief. Therefore the mind brings about birth in different
types of bodies among demigods, human beings, animals
and birds. When the mind is situated in a higher or lower
position, it accepts a higher or lower material body.
PURPORT
Transmigration among the 8,400,000 species is due to the

mind's being polluted by certain material qualities. Due to the
mind, the soul is subjected to pious and impious activities. The
continuation of material existence is like the waves of material
nature. In this regard. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, māyāra
vaśe, yāccha bhese', khāccha hābuḍubu, bhāi: "My dear
brother, the spirit soul is completely under the control of māyā,
and you are being carried away by its waves." This is also
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā:
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
"The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three

modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of activities,
which are in actuality carried out by nature." (Bg. 3.27)
Material existence means being fully controlled by material

nature. The mind is the center for accepting the dictations of
material nature. In this way the living entity is carried away in
different types of bodies continuously, millennium after
millennium.
kṛṣṇa bhuli' sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha

ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 20.117)
Due to the living entity's forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, one is bound

by the laws of material nature.
The mind (ātmā) endowed with impressions of piety and sin,

contaminated with sense objects, agitated by the guṇas,
transformed by the lust and other emotions, the chief element
among the sixteen, accepting different forms such as devatā,
animal or human, higher or lower, through bodies (puraiḥ),
manifests itself with various names. The sandhi should be
nāmabhī rupa-bhedam. The short form nāmabhi is poetic
license.
TEXT - SB 5.11.6
duḥkhaṁ sukhaṁ vyatiriktaṁ ca tīvraṁ
kālopapannaṁ phalam āvyanakti
āliṅgya māyā-racitāntarātmā
sva-dehinaṁ saṁsṛti-cakra-kūṭaḥ
SYNONYMS
duḥkham—unhappiness due to impious activities; sukham—

happiness due to pious activities; vyatiriktam—illusion; ca—
also; tīvram—very severe; kāla-upapannam—obtained in the
course of time; phalam—the resultant action; āvyanakti—
creates; āliṅgya—embracing; māyā-racita—created by material
nature; antaḥ-ātmā—the mind; sva-dehinam—the living being
himself; saṁsṛti—of the actions and reactions of material
existence; cakra-kūṭaḥ—which deceives the living entity into
the wheel.
TRANSLATION
The materialistic mind covering the living entity's soul
carries it to different species of life. This is called continued
material existence. Due to the mind, the living entity suffers
or enjoys material distress and happiness. Being thus
illusioned, the mind further creates pious and impious
activities and their karma, and thus the soul becomes
conditioned.
PURPORT
Mental activities under the influence of material nature cause

happiness and distress within the material world. Being covered
by illusion, the living entity eternally continues conditioned life
under different designations. Such living entities are known as
nitya-baddha, eternally' conditioned. On the whole, the mind is
the cause of conditioned life; therefore the entire yogic process
is meant to control the mind and the senses. If the mind is
controlled, the senses are automatically controlled, and
therefore the soul is saved from the reactions of pious and
impious activity. If the mind is engaged at the lotus feet of Lord
Kṛṣṇa (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ[SB 9.4.18]), the
senses are automatically engaged in the Lord's service. When
the mind and senses are engaged in devotional service, the
living entity naturally becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. As soon as
one always thinks of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes a perfect yogī, as
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-
gatenāntarātmanā [Bg. 6.47]). This antarātmā, the mind, is
conditioned by material nature. As stated here, māyā-
racitāntarātmā sva-dehinaṁ saṁsṛti-cakra-kūṭaḥ: the mind,
being most powerful, covers the living entity and puts him in
the waves of material existence.
The mind creates suitable results. The mind creates distress,

happiness, illusion, which are unavoidable (tīvram). How can
something material create anything? Embracing the jīva (sva-
dehinam), which is the cause, the mind (antarātmā), a covering
on the jīva, creates. The mind causes deception in the wheel of
rebirth (saṁsṛti-cakra-kūṭaḥ). Similarly grāma-kūṭaka means
the village cheater.
TEXT - SB 5.11.7
tāvān ayaṁ vyavahāraḥ sadāviḥ
kṣetrajña-sākṣyo bhavati sthūla-sūkṣmaḥ
tasmān mano liṅgam ado vadanti
guṇāguṇatvasya parāvarasya
SYNONYMS
tāvān—until that time; ayam—this; vyavahāraḥ—the artificial

designations (being fat or skinny, or belonging to the demigods
or human beings); sadā—always; āviḥ—manifesting; kṣetra-
jña—of the Living entity; sākṣyaḥ—testimony; bhavati—is;
sthūla-sūkṣmaḥ—fat and skinny; tasmāt—therefore; manaḥ—
the mind; liṅgam—the cause; adaḥ—this; vadanti—they say;
guṇa-aguṇatvasya—of being absorbed in material qualities or
devoid of material qualities; para-avarasya—and of lower and
higher conditions of life.
TRANSLATION
The mind makes the living entity within this material world
wander through different species of life, and thus the living
entity experiences mundane affairs in different forms as a
human being, demigod, fat person, skinny person and so
forth. Learned scholars say that bodily appearance,
bondage and liberation are caused by the mind.
PURPORT
Just as the mind is the cause of bondage, it can also be the

cause of liberation. The mind is described here as para-avara,
para means transcendental, and avara means material. When
the mind is engaged in the Lord's service (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-
padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]), it is called para, transcendental.
When the mind is engaged in material sense gratification, it is
called avara, or material. At the present moment, in our
conditioned state, our mind is fully absorbed in material sense
gratification, but it can be purified and brought to its original
Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the process of devotional service. We
have often given the example of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. Sa vai
manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-
guṇānuvarṇane. The mind must be controlled in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. The tongue can be utilized to spread the
message of Kṛṣṇa and glorify the Lord or take prasāda, the
remnants of food offered to Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau:
[Brs. 1.2.234] when one utilizes the tongue in the service of the
Lord, the other senses can become purified. As stated in the
Nārada-pañcarātra, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena
nirmalam: [Cc. Madhya 19.170] when the mind and senses are
purified, one's total existence is purified, and one's designations
are also purified. One no longer considers himself a human
being, a demigod, cat, dog, Hindu, Muslim and so forth. When
the senses and mind are purified and one is fully engaged in
Kṛṣṇa's service, one can be liberated and return home, back to
Godhead.
Saṁsāra caused by the mind is called the practical material

world. In this way the material world makes its appearance
(āviḥ), always seen by the knower of the field, in waking and
dreaming states (sthūla-sūkṣmaḥ). The happiness of the self,
which is called truth, is caused by the mind. Therefore that
mind alone is the cause (liṅgam) of saṁsāra (guṇa) and
liberation (aguṇatvasya), which are low (avarasya) and high
(para) conditions for the jīva. The order of the two words para
and avara should be reversed to correspond to guṇa and
aguṇatvasya.
TEXT - SB 5.11.8
guṇānuraktaṁ vyasanāya jantoḥ
kṣemāya nairguṇyam atho manaḥ syāt

yathā pradīpo ghṛta-vartim aśnan
śikhāḥ sadhūmā bhajati hy anyadā svam
padaṁ tathā guṇa-karmānubaddhaṁ
vṛttīr manaḥ śrayate 'nyatra tattvam
SYNONYMS
guṇa-anuraktam—being attached to the material modes of

nature; vyasanāya—for the conditioning in material existence;
jantoḥ—of the living entity; kṣemāya—for the ultimate
welfare; nairguṇyam—being unaffected by the material modes
of nature; atho—thus; manaḥ—the mind; syāt—becomes;
yathā—as much as; pradīpaḥ—a lamp; ghṛta-vartim—a wick
within clarified butter; aśnan—burning; śikhāḥ—the flame;
sadhūmāḥ—with smoke; bhajati—enjoys; hi—certainly;
anyadā—otherwise; svam—its own original; padam—position;
tathā—so; guṇa-karma-anubaddham—bound by the modes of
nature and the reactions of material activities; vṛttīḥ—various
engagements; manaḥ—the mind; śrayate—takes shelter of;
anyatra—otherwise; tattvam—its original condition.
TRANSLATION
When the living entity's mind becomes absorbed in the
sense gratification of the material world, it brings about his
conditioned life and suffering within the material situation.
However, when the mind becomes unattached to material
enjoyment, it becomes the cause of liberation. When the
flame in a lamp burns the wick improperly, the lamp is
blackened, but when the lamp is filled with ghee and is
burning properly, there is bright illumination. Similarly,
when the mind is absorbed in material sense gratification, it
causes suffering, and when detached from material sense
gratification, it brings about the original brightness of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
PURPORT
It is therefore concluded that the mind is the cause of material

existence and liberation also. Everyone is suffering in this
material world because of the mind; it is therefore proper to
train the mind or to cleanse the mind from material attachment
and engage it fully in the Lord's service. This is called spiritual
engagement. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā:
14.26)
We should engage the mind fully in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities.

Then it will be the cause of our liberation, for our returning
home, back to Godhead. However, if we keep the mind
engaged in material activities for sense gratification, it will
cause continuous bondage and will make us remain in this
material world in different bodies, suffering the consequences
of our different actions.
How can the one mind be the cause of differing conditions--

bondage and liberation? Nairguṇyam means nirguṇam. A lamp
with a burned up ghee wick, burns with a smoky flame, and at
another time, gets extinguished and merges with the elements
(svapadam). Or a lamp with a burned up ghee wick burns with
a smoky flame but when fed on golden ghee, it burns without
smoke in its brilliant form (svapadam). Similarly the mind,
bound by the guṇas, takes shelter of many functions (vṛrtīḥ),
but at another time, obtains a taste of the Lord’s sweetness
(tattvam).
TEXT - SB 5.11.9
ekādaśāsan manaso hi vṛttaya
ākūtayaḥ pañca dhiyo 'bhimānaḥ
mātrāṇi karmāṇi puraṁ ca tāsāṁ
vadanti haikādaśa vīra bhūmīḥ
SYNONYMS
ekādaśa—eleven; āsan—there are; manasaḥ—of the mind; hi
—certainly; vṛttayaḥ—activities; ākūtayaḥ—senses of action;
pañca—five; dhiyaḥ—senses for gathering knowledge;
abhimānaḥ—the false ego; mātrāṇi—different sense objects;
karmāṇi—different material activities; puram ca—and the
body, society, nation, family or place of nativity; tāsām—of
those functions; vadanti—they say; ha—oh; ekādaśa—eleven;
vīra—O hero; bhūmīḥ—fields of activity.
TRANSLATION
There are five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring
senses. There is also the false ego. In this way, there are
eleven items for the mind's functions. O hero, the objects of
the senses [such as sound and touch], the organic activities
[such as evacuation] and the different types of bodies,
society, friendship and personality are considered by
learned scholars the fields of activity for the functions of the
mind.
PURPORT
The mind is the controller of the five knowledge-acquiring

senses and the five working senses. Each sense has its
particular field of activity. In all cases, the mind is the
controller or owner. By the false ego one thinks oneself the
body and thinks in terms of "my body, my house, my family,
my society, my nation" and so on. These false identifications
are due to the expansions of the false ego. Thus one thinks that
he is this or that. Thus the living entity becomes entangled in
material existence.
This verse shows the conditions or vṛttis of the mind. There are
eleven vṛttis: five actions senses (ākūtayaḥ), five knowledge
senses (dhiyaḥ) and ahaṅkāra (abhimānaḥ). For these eleven
there are eleven objects, of hero of knowledge (vīra)! The tan-
mātras are the sense objects of the five knowledge senses.
Actions such as elimination are the sense objects of the five
action senses. The body (puram), house etc. are the objects of
the ahaṅkāra.
TEXT - SB 5.11.10
gandhākṛti-sparśa-rasa-śravāṁsi
visarga-raty-arty-abhijalpa-śilpāḥ
ekādaśaṁ svīkaraṇaṁ mameti
śayyām ahaṁ dvādaśam eka āhuḥ
SYNONYMS
gandha—smell; ākṛti—form; sparśa—touch; rasa—taste;

śravāṁsi—and sound; visarga—evacuating; rati—sexual
intercourse; arti—movement; abhijalpa—speaking; śilpāḥ—
grasping or releasing; ekādaśam—eleventh; svīkaraṇam—
accepting as; mama—mine; iti—thus; śayyām—this body;
aham—I; dvādaśam—twelfth; eke—some; āhuḥ—have said.
TRANSLATION
Sound, touch, form, taste and smell are the objects of the
five knowledge-acquiring senses. Speech, touch, movement,
evacuation and sexual intercourse are the objects of the
working senses. Besides this, there is another conception by
which one thinks, "This is my body, this is my society, this
is my family, this is my nation," and so forth. This eleventh
function, that of the mind, is called the false ego. According
to some philosophers, this is the twelfth function, and its
field of activity is the body.
PURPORT
There are different objects for the eleven items. Through the
nose we can smell, by the eyes we can see, by the ears we can
hear, and in this way we gather knowledge. Similarly, there are
the karmendriyas, the working senses—the hands, legs,
genitals, rectum, mouth and so forth. When the false ego
expands, it makes one think. "This is my body, family, society,
country," etc.
This verse describes the objects. First the five tan-mātras

starting with fragrance are described in relation to the
knowledge senses starting with the nose. Ākṛṭi means form.
The actions starting with evacuation are the objects of the five
action senses. This makes ten. Arti means going. The eleventh
item is the body, what is accepted (svikaraṇam). Because of
ahaṅkāra’s twofold nature of mine and I, some ācāryas (eke)
say that the eleventh object is possessiveness of things like a
house. The twelfth object is the identification with the body
(śayyām) for the ahaṅkāra.
TEXT - SB 5.11.11
dravya-svabhāvāśaya-karma-kālair
ekādaśāmī manaso vikārāḥ
sahasraśaḥ śataśaḥ koṭiśaś ca
kṣetrajñato na mitho na svataḥ syuḥ
SYNONYMS
dravya—by physical objects; sva-bhāva—by nature as the

cause of development; āśaya—by culture; karma—by
predestined resultant actions; kālaiḥ—by time; ekādaśa—
eleven; amī—all these; manasaḥ—of the mind; vikārāḥ—
transformations; sahasraśaḥ—in thousands; śataśaḥ—in
hundreds; koṭiśaḥ ca—and in millions; kṣetra-jñataḥ—from the
original Supreme Personality of Godhead; na—not; mithaḥ—
one another; na—nor; svataḥ—from themselves; syuḥ—are.
TRANSLATION
The physical elements, nature, the original cause, culture,
destiny and the time element are all material causes.
Agitated by these material causes, the eleven functions
transform into hundreds of functions and then into
thousands and then into millions. But all these
transformations do not take place automatically by mutual
combination. Rather, they are under the direction of the
PURPORT
One should not think that all the interactions of the physical
elements, gross and subtle, that cause the transformation of
mind and consciousness are working independently. They are
under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In
Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), Kṛṣṇa says that the Lord is situated in
everyone's heart (sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir
jñānam apohanaṁ ca). As mentioned herein, Supersoul
(kṣetrajña) is directing everything. The living entity is also
kṣetrajña, but the supreme kṣetrajña is the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. He is the witness and order giver. Under His
direction, everything takes place. The different inclinations of
the living entity are created by his own nature or his
expectations, and he is trained by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead through the agency of material nature. The body,
nature and the physical elements are under the direction of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. They do not function
automatically. Nature is neither independent nor automatic. As
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is behind nature.
mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
"This material nature is working under My direction, O son of

Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By
its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and
again." (Bg. 9.10)
There are unlimited varieties of these functions of the mind by

subdivision. The transformations of the functions first become
hundreds and then thousands, hundreds of thousands and
millions by divisions of the material objects. Because of the
infinite number of material objects such as sandalwood, musk,
kuṁkuma, gold, silver and coral etc., because of the infinite
number of natures--one person may enjoy a certain fragrance
etc., because of the good or bad nature of the antaḥkaraṇa,
because of control by karma and the control by time in the form
of age—baby, youth etc.--there are unlimited varieties of a
single function such as fragrance. Not by themselves and not by
their combination, but because the Paramātmā has unlimited
power, these functions become unlimited in number.
TEXT - SB 5.11.12
kṣetrajña etā manaso vibhūtīr

jīvasya māyā-racitasya nityāḥ
āvirhitāḥ kvāpi tirohitāś ca
śuddho vicaṣṭe hy aviśuddha-kartuḥ
SYNONYMS
kṣetra-jñaḥ—the individual soul; etāḥ—all these; manasaḥ—of

the mind; vibhūtīḥ—different activities; jīvasya—of the living
entity; māyā-racitasya—created by the external, material
energy; nityāḥ—from time immemorial; āvirhitāḥ—sometimes
manifested; kvāpi—somewhere; tirohitāḥ ca—and not
manifested; śuddhaḥ—purified; vicaṣṭe—sees this; hi—
certainly; aviśuddha—unpurified; kartuḥ—of the doer.
TRANSLATION
The individual soul bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness has many
ideas and activities created in the mind by the external
energy. They have been existing from time immemorial.
Sometimes they are manifest in the wakening state and in
the dream state, but during deep sleep [unconsciousness] or
trance, they disappear. A person who is liberated in this life
[jīvan-mukta] can see all these things vividly.
PURPORT
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (13.3), kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ

viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. There are two kinds of
kṣetrajña, or living beings. One is the individual living being,
and the other is the supreme living being. The ordinary living
being knows about his body to some extent, but the Supreme,
Paramātmā, knows the condition of all bodies. The individual
living being is localized, and the Supreme, Paramātmā, is all-
pervading. In this śloka the word kṣetrajña refers to an ordinary
living being, not the supreme living being. This ordinary living
being is of two kinds—nitya-baddha or nitya-mukta. One is
eternally conditioned and the other eternally liberated. The
eternally liberated living beings are in the Vaikuṇṭha jagat, the
spiritual world, and they never fall into the material world.
Those in the material world are conditioned souls, nitya-
baddha. The nitya-baddhas can become liberated by
controlling the mind because the cause of conditioned life is the
mind. When the mind is trained and the soul is not under the
mind's control, the soul can be liberated even in this material
world. When it is liberated, one is called jīvan-mukta. A jīvan-
mukta knows how he has become conditioned; therefore he
tries to purify himself and return home, back to Godhead. The
eternally conditioned soul is eternally conditioned because he is
controlled by the mind. The conditioned state and liberated
state are compared to the sleeping, unconscious state and the
awakened state. Those who are sleeping and unconscious are
eternally conditioned, but those who are awake understand that
they are eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore even in this material world, they
engage in Kṛṣṇa's service. As confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa
Gosvāmī: īhā yasya harer dāsye. If one takes to Kṛṣṇa's
service, he is liberated, even though he appears to be a
conditioned soul within the material world. Jīvan-muktaḥ sa
ucyate. In any condition, one is to be considered liberated if his
only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa.
The knower of the field is twofold: the Paramātmā and the jīva.
The Paramātmā was mentioned in the previous verse and will
be explained in the next verse. The jīva is of two types:
conditioned and liberated. The conditioned jīva was describes
as being embraced by the mind and thinking he is the body in
verse 6. The liberated jīva is not embraced by the mind and has
no false conception of his body. The conditioned jīva has been
understood. What is the liberated jīva? The liberated jīva,
knower of the field, knows (vicaṣṭe) the transformations of the
mind, but does not identify with them and enjoy them. It is thus
free of saṁsāra (śuddhaḥ), whereas the conditioned jīva is
bound by saṁsāra. The mind is the covering on the jīva
(jīvasya) because it is made of māyā and performs impure
actions which are against recognition of the Lord. The
transformations of the mind have been present with the jīva
without beginning (nityāḥ). Why are they not visible at all
times then? They are manifested during waking and dream
state, and invisible during deep sleep and at the time if
universal devastation.
TEXT - SB 5.11.13-14
kṣetrajña ātmā puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
sākṣāt svayaṁ jyotir ajaḥ pareśaḥ

nārāyaṇo bhagavān vāsudevaḥ
sva-māyayātmany avadhīyamānaḥ
yathānilaḥ sthāvara-jaṅgamānām
ātma-svarūpeṇa niviṣṭa īśet
evaṁ paro bhagavān vāsudevaḥ
kṣetrajña ātmedam anupraviṣṭaḥ
SYNONYMS
kṣetra-jñaḥ-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ātmā—all-

pervading, present everywhere; puruṣaḥ—the unrestricted
controller, who has unlimited power; purāṇaḥ—the original;
sākṣāt—perceivable by hearing from the authorities and by
direct perception; svayam—personal; jyotiḥ—manifesting His
bodily rays (the Brahman effulgence); ajaḥ—never born;
pareśaḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nārāyaṇaḥ—
the resting place of all living entities; bhagavān—the
Personality of Godhead with six full opulences; vāsudevaḥ—
the shelter of everything, manifested and nonmanifest; sva-
māyayā—by His own potency; ātmani—in His own self, or in
the ordinary living entities; avadhīyamānaḥ—existing as the
controller; yathā—as much as; anilaḥ—the air; sthāvara—of
nonmoving living entities; jaṅgamānām—and of the moving
living entities; ātma-svarūpeṇa—by His expansion as the
Supersoul; niviṣṭaḥ—entered; īśet—controls; evam—thus;
paraḥ—transcendental; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; vāsudevaḥ—the shelter of everything; kṣetra-jñaḥ—
known as kṣetrajña; ātmā—the vital force; idam—this material
world; anupraviṣṭaḥ—entered within.
TRANSLATION
There are two kinds of kṣetrajña—the living entity, as
explained above, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
who is explained as follows. He is the all-pervading cause of
creation. He is full in Himself and is not dependent on
others. He is perceived by hearing and direct perception.
He is self-effulgent and does not experience birth, death, old
age or disease. He is the controller of all the demigods,
beginning with Lord Brahmā. He is called Nārāyaṇa, and
He is the shelter of living entities after the annihilation of
this material world. He is full of all opulences, and He is the
resting place of everything material. He is therefore known
as Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By His
own potency, He is present within the hearts of all living
entities, just as the air or vital force is within the bodies of
all beings, moving and nonmoving. In this way He controls
the body. In His partial feature, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead enters all bodies and controls them.
PURPORT
This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15). Sarvasya cāhaṁ

hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. Every
living being is controlled by the supreme living being,
Paramātmā, who resides within everyone's heart. He is the
puruṣa, the puruṣa-avatāra, who creates this material world.
The first puruṣa-avatāra is Mahā-Viṣṇu, and that Mahā-Viṣṇu
is the plenary portion of the plenary portion of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's first expansion is
Baladeva, and His next expansions are Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa,
Aniruddha and Pradyumna. Vāsudeva is the original cause of
the brahmajyoti, and the brahmajyoti is the expansion of the
rays of the body of Vāsudeva.
yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-

koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam
tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with

great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental
form is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete
and unlimited and which displays the varieties of countless
planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions
of universes." (Bs. 5.40) The Supreme Personality of Godhead
is thus described in Bhagavad-gītā:
mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ

jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ
"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is

pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them." (Bg. 9.4)
This is the position of the plenary expansions of Kṛṣṇa as the
all-pervading Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and
Aniruddha.
The conditioned jīva absorbs himself in the conventional world

of saṁsāra. In what does the liberated jīva absorb himself? In
this verse the knower of the field refers to the Paramātmā, who
knows all bodies completely. He pervades everywhere (ātmā),
is the cause of the universe (purāṇaḥ), has the form of a human,
is self-revealing (svayaṁjyotiḥ), devoid of material birth (ajaḥ),
is the Lord of all others such as Brahmā (pareśaḥ), lies on the
Kāraṇa Ocean (nārāyaṇaḥ), is full of six powers (bhagavān) as
the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, is the son of Vasudeva, the master of
Mathurā and Dvārakā, and is the object of the mind for the
liberated jīva, since he is completely free of māyā (su
amāyayā), or he is the object of meditation for the liberated
jīva, because of his svarūpa śakti or his mercy.
The Lord is easily attained by the liberated jīva. An example is

given. Just as the air, in the form of prāṇa (ātma-svarūpena)
enters all beings and controls them (īśet), so the Lord enters this
universe (idam).
TEXT - SB 5.11.15
na yāvad etāṁ tanu-bhṛn narendra
vidhūya māyāṁ vayunodayena

vimukta-saṅgo jita-ṣaṭ-sapatno
vedātma-tattvaṁ bhramatīha tāvat
SYNONYMS
na—not; yāvat—as long as; etām—this; tanu-bhṛt—one who

has accepted a material body; narendra—O King; vidhūya
māyām—washing away the infection accumulated because of
contamination by the material world; vayunā udayena—by
awakening of transcendental knowledge due to good
association and study of the Vedic literatures; vimukta-saṅgaḥ
—free from all material association; jita-ṣaṭ-sapatnaḥ—
conquering the six enemies (the five knowledge-acquiring
senses and the mind); veda—knows; ātma-tattvam—spiritual
truth; bhramati—he wanders; iha—in this material world; tāvat
—until that time.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Rahūgaṇa, as long as the conditioned soul
accepts the material body and is not freed from the
contamination of material enjoyment, and as long as he
does not conquer his six enemies and come to the platform
of self-realization by awakening his spiritual knowledge, he
has to wander among different places and different species
of life in this material world.
PURPORT
When one's mind is absorbed in the material conception, he
thinks that he belongs to a particular nation, family, country or
creed. These are all called upādhis, designations, and one has to
become freed from them (sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc.
Madhya 19.170]). As long as one is not freed, he has to
continue conditioned life in material existence. The human
form of life is meant for cleansing away these misconceptions.
If this is not done, one has to repeat the cycle of birth and death
and thus suffer all material conditions.
It has been said that the liberated jiva free from ignorance
eternally has knowledge in the form of thinking of the Lord.
The jīvas subjected to ignorance however must perform
sādhana to become free of ignorance. As long as one does not
know the truth about ātmā, after destroying māyā, and is not
free of material association by the appearance of knowledge of
the Lord (vayunā udayena), he will wander in this world.
TEXT - SB 5.11.16
na yāvad etan mana ātma-liṅgaṁ
saṁsāra-tāpāvapanaṁ janasya
yac choka-mohāmaya-rāga-lobha-
vairānubandhaṁ mamatāṁ vidhatte

SYNONYMS
na—not; yāvat—as long as; etat—this; manaḥ—mind; ātma-

liṅgam—existing as the false designation of the soul; saṁsāra-
tāpa—of the miseries of this material world; āvapanam—the
growing ground; janasya—of the living being; yat—which;
śoka—of lamentation; moha—of illusion; āmaya—of disease;
rāga—of attachment; lobha—of greed; vaira—of enmity;
anubandham—the consequence; mamatām—the sense of
ownership; vidhatte—gives.
TRANSLATION
The soul's designation, the mind, is the cause of all
tribulations in the material world. As long as this fact is
unknown to the conditioned living entity, he has to accept
the miserable condition of the material body and wander
within this universe in different positions. Because the mind
is affected by disease, lamentation, illusion, attachment,
greed and enmity, it creates bondage and a false sense of
intimacy within this material world.
PURPORT
The mind is the cause of both material bondage and liberation.

The impure mind thinks, "I am this body." The pure mind
knows that he is not the material body; therefore the mind is
considered to be the root of all material designations. Until the
living entity is aloof from the association and contaminations of
this material world, the mind will be absorbed in such material
things as birth, death, disease, illusion, attachment, greed and
enmity. In this way the living entity is conditioned, and he
suffers material miseries.
How does one know perfectly that māyā is removed? As long

as the mind is attached to sense objects, there will be no
knowledge of ātmā or removal of ignorance. That is stated in
this verse. As long as the mind, the covering on the ātmā (ātma-
liṅgam), has possessiveness, it will not know about ātmā. (The
last phrase is understood from the previous verse.) The mind is
the field for suffering in the material world. The suffering is
described. The mind is the field from which arise lamentation,
illusion, disease, attachment and greed. The mind takes shelter
of such things. Verse 8 mentioned that the mind tastes tattva
(the Lord). The five verses starting from verse 12 have
discussed this tattva.
TEXT - SB 5.11.17
bhrātṛvyam enaṁ tad adabhra-vīryam
upekṣayādhyedhitam apramattaḥ
guror hareś caraṇopāsanāstro
jahi vyalīkaṁ svayam ātma-moṣam
SYNONYMS
bhrātṛvyam—the formidable enemy; enam—this mind; tat—
that; adabhra-vīryam—very, very powerful; upekṣayā—by
neglecting; adhyedhitam—unnecessarily increased in power;
apramattaḥ—one who is without illusion; guroḥ—of the
spiritual master; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; caraṇa—of the lotus feet; upāsanā-astraḥ—applying
the weapon of worshiping; jahi—conquer; vyalīkam—false;
svayam—personally; ātma-moṣam—which covers the
constitutional position of the living entity.
TRANSLATION
This uncontrolled mind is the greatest enemy of the living
entity. If one neglects it or gives it a chance, it will grow
more and more powerful and will become victorious.
Although it is not factual, it is very strong. It covers the
constitutional position of the soul. O King, please try to
conquer this mind by the weapon of service to the lotus feet
of the spiritual master and of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Do this with great care.
PURPORT
There is one easy weapon with which the mind can be

conquered—neglect. The mind is always telling us to do this or
that; therefore we should be very expert in disobeying the
mind's orders. Gradually the mind should be trained to obey the
orders of the soul. It is not that one should obey the orders of
the mind. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say
that to control the mind one should beat it with shoes many
times just after awakening and again before going to sleep. In
this way one can control the mind. This is the instruction of all
the śāstras. If one does not do so, one is doomed to follow the
dictations of the mind. Another bona fide process is to abide
strictly by the orders of the spiritual master and engage in the
Lord's service. Then the mind will be automatically controlled.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]
When one receives the seed of devotional service by the mercy

of the guru and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
one's real life begins. If one abides by the orders of the spiritual
master, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa he is freed from service to the
mind.
Therefore one must capture the mind. Neglecting the mind, the
enemy (literally brother’s son), one must attack it. By
neglecting it, it is defeated. One should not praise the mind by
noticing it and giving it desired enjoyment. However, the
intention is not to destroy the mind completely, since the mind
has already been described as the cause of elevation as well as
degradation in verse 7, and as taking shelter of the Lord in the
verse 8. And one should not kill one’s brother’s son
(bhrātṛvyam). How is the mind described? It increases greatly
(adhyedhitam) by taking shelter of its transformations. “But
how can I who am weak conquer the mind which is so strong?”
One should have the weapon in the form of worship of the feet
of the Lord as the nine forms of bhakti and in the form of the
mantra given by guru, or one should have the weapon of
worship of the feet of the Lord who is the guru. The mind is not
a friend (vyalīkam) because it bewilders a person by showing
its transformations and steals away the form of Paramātmā
(ātmā), the treasure of life. It is a great thief.
He who makes his mind give up sense objects by the weapon of

bhakti, and, having destroyed ignorance, applies the mind to
Kṛṣṇa is called liberated. He who nourishes ignorance filled
with impressions of desire and takes shelter of the
transformations of the mind, since he lacks bhakti, is called
conditioned.
Thus ends the commentary on the Eleventh Chapter of the Fifth


Eleventh Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Jaḍa
Bharata Instructs King Rahūgaṇa."
12. Conversation Between Mahārāja
Rahūgaṇa and Jaḍa Bharata
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16
Chapter Summary
Because Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was still doubtful about his

enlightenment, he asked the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata to repeat
his instructions and clarify ideas he could not understand. In
this chapter, Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa offers his respectful
obeisances to Jaḍa Bharata, who was concealing his real
position. The King could understand by his speech how exalted
and advanced he was in spiritual knowledge. He very much
regretted his offense against him. Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was
bitten by the serpent of ignorance, but was cured by the
nectarean words of Jaḍa Bharata. Later, because he was
doubtful about the subjects discussed, he made further
inquiries, one question after another. First he wanted to be
released from the offense he had committed at the lotus feet of
Jaḍa Bharata.
Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was somewhat unhappy at not being able

to grasp Jaḍa Bharata's instructions, which were full of
meaning that could not be understood by a materialistic person.
Therefore Jaḍa Bharata repeated his instructions more clearly.
He said that on the surface of the globe all living entities,
moving and unmoving, were but transformations of the earth in
different ways. The King was very proud of his king's body, but
that body was simply another transformation of the earth. Out
of his false prestige, the King was misbehaving toward the
palanquin carrier, as a master toward a servant, and he was
actually very unkind to other living entities. Consequently King
Rahūgaṇa was unfit to give protection to the citizens, and
because he was ignorant, he was unfit to be counted among
advanced philosophers. Everything in the material world is but
a transformation of the earth, although things have different
names according to their transformations. Actually the varieties
are one and the same, and ultimately all these varieties are
vanquished into atoms. Nothing is permanent in this material
world. The variety of things and their distinctions are simply
mental concoctions. The Absolute Truth is beyond illusion and
is manifest in three features-impersonal Brahman, localized
Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimate
realization of the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, called Vāsudeva by His devotees. Unless one is
blessed with the dust from the feet of a pure devotee on his
head, one cannot possibly become a devotee of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
Jaḍa Bharata also told about his own previous birth and
informed the King that by the grace of the Lord he still
remembered all the incidents of his past life. Due to the
activities of his past life, Jaḍa Bharata was being very cautious
and was therefore assuming the characteristics of a deaf and
dumb man to avoid mingling with the material world.
Association with the material modes of nature is very powerful.
The bad association of materialistic men can be avoided only in
the association of devotees. In the association of devotees, one
is given an opportunity to render devotional service in nine
different ways-śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-
sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-
nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]. In this way, in the association of
devotees, one can pass over material association, cross over the
ocean of nescience and return home, back to Godhead.
TEXT - SB 5.12.1
rahūgaṇa uvāca
namo namaḥ kāraṇa-vigrahāya
svarūpa-tucchīkṛta-vigrahāya
namo 'vadhūta dvija-bandhu-liṅga-
nigūḍha-nityānubhavāya tubhyam
SYNONYMS
rahūgaṇaḥ uvāca—King Rahūgaṇa said; namaḥ—my

respectful obeisances; namaḥ—obeisances; kāraṇa-vigrahāya
—to one whose body emanates from the Supreme Person, the
cause of all causes; svarūpa-tucchīkṛta-vigrahāya—who has
completely removed all the contradictions of the scriptures by
manifesting his true self; namaḥ—respectful obeisances;
avadhūta—O master of all mystic power; dvija-bandhu-liṅga—
by the characteristics of a person born in a brāhmaṇa family
but not executing the duties of a brāhmaṇa; nigūḍha—covered;
nitya-anubhavāya—to him whose eternal self-realization;
tubhyam—to you.
TRANSLATION
King Rahūgaṇa said: O most exalted personality, you are
not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By
the influence of your true self, all kinds of contradiction in
the śāstras have been removed. In the dress of a friend of a
brāhmaṇa, you are hiding your transcendental blissful
position. I offer my respectful obeisances unto you.
PURPORT
From the Brahma-saṁhitā we understand the Supreme

Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes (sarva-
kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1]). Ṛṣabhadeva was the direct
incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause
of all causes. His son, Bharata Mahārāja, who was now acting
as the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata, had received his body from the
cause of all causes. Therefore he is addressed as kāraṇa-
vigrahāya.
The Twelfth Chapter explains that though the universe is false,

Kṛṣṇa’s six qualities, his abode and bhakti are true. Kāraṇa
means the Lord. This indicates that Bharata has an eternal form
for protecting the world. His form, by its experience of bliss,
makes insignificant the arguments of the writers of scriptures.
O avadhūta!
TEXT - SB 5.12.2
jvarāmayārtasya yathāgadaṁ sat
nidāgha-dagdhasya yathā himāmbhaḥ
kudeha-mānāhi-vidaṣṭa-dṛṣṭeḥ
brahman vacas te 'mṛtam auṣadhaṁ me
SYNONYMS
jvara—of a fever; āmaya—by the disease; ārtasya—of a

distressed person; yathā—just as; agadam—the medicine; sat
—right; nidāgha-dagdhasya—of one scorched by the heat of
the sun; yathā—just as; hima-ambhaḥ—very cold water; ku-
deha—in this body made of matter and full of dirty things such
as stool and urine; māna—of pride; ahi—by the serpent;
vidaṣṭa—bitten; dṛṣṭeḥ—of one whose vision; brahman—O
best of the brāhmaṇas; vacaḥ—words; te—your; amṛtam—
nectar; auṣadham—medicine; me—for me.
TRANSLATION
O best of the brāhmaṇas, my body is filled with dirty
things, and my vision has been bitten by the serpent of
pride. Due to my material conceptions, I am diseased. Your
nectarean instructions are the proper medicine for one
suffering from such a fever, and they are cooling waters for
one scorched by the heat.
PURPORT
The conditioned soul has a body full of dirty things—bones,

blood, urine, stool and so forth. Nonetheless, the most
intelligent men in this material world think they are these
combinations of blood, bone, urine and stool. If this is so, why
can't other intelligent men be made with these ingredients,
which are so readily available? The entire world is going on
under the bodily conception and creating a hellish condition
unfit for any gentleman's living. The instructions given to King
Rahūgaṇa by Jaḍa Bharata are very valuable. They are like the
medicine that can save one from a snakebite. The Vedic
instructions are like nectar and cool water for one suffering
from scorching heat.
My vision has been bitten seriously by the snake of false

identity with the despicable body. O brāhmaṇa! Your words are
medicine (agadam). An example is given. On the grounds that
this example is not always true (medicine does not always cure)
another example is given. If the example of medicine is
unsatisfactory, then the words of Bharata are compared to
nectar.
TEXT - SB 5.12.3
tasmād bhavantaṁ mama saṁśayārthaṁ
prakṣyāmi paścād adhunā subodham
adhyātma-yoga-grathitaṁ tavoktam
ākhyāhi kautūhala-cetaso me
SYNONYMS
tasmāt—therefore; bhavantam—to you; mama—of me;

saṁśaya-artham—the subject matter that is not clear to me;
prakṣyāmi—I shall submit; paścāt—afterwards; adhunā—now;
su-bodham—so that it can be clearly understood; adhyātma-
yoga—of mystic instruction for self-realization; grathitam—as
composed; tava—your; uktam—speech; ākhyāhi—please
explain again; kautūhala-cetasaḥ—whose mind is very
inquisitive to understand the mystery of such statements; me—
to me.
TRANSLATION
Whatever doubts I have about a particular subject matter I
shall ask you about later. For the time being, these
mysterious yoga instructions you have given me for self-
realization appear very difficult to understand. Please
repeat them in a simple way so that I can understand them.
My mind is very inquisitive, and I want to understand this
clearly.
PURPORT
The Vedic literature instructs: tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. An intelligent man must
be very inquisitive to know the transcendental science deeply.
Therefore one must approach a guru, a spiritual master.
Although Jaḍa Bharata explained everything to Mahārāja
Rahūgaṇa, it appears that his intelligence was not perfect
enough to understand clearly. He therefore requested a further
explanation. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.34): tad viddhi
praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. The student must approach a
spiritual master and surrender unto him fully (praṇipātena). He
must also question him in order to understand his instructions
(paripraśnena). One should not only surrender to the spiritual
master but also render loving service unto him (sevayā) so that
the spiritual master will be pleased with the student and explain
the transcendental subject matter more clearly. A challenging
spirit before the spiritual master should be avoided if one is at
all interested in learning the Vedic instructions in depth.
I will later tell you the topics of doubt. Now explain your
words, difficult to understand, about adhyātma-yoga, so that it
is easy to understand. I am inquisitive.
TEXT - SB 5.12.4
yad āha yogeśvara dṛśyamānaṁ

kriyā-phalaṁ sad-vyavahāra-mūlam
na hy añjasā tattva-vimarśanāya
bhavān amuṣmin bhramate mano me
SYNONYMS
yat—that which; āha—have said; yoga-īśvara—O master of

mystic power; dṛśyamānam—being clearly seen; kriyā-phalam
—the results of moving the body here and there, such as feeling
fatigue; sat—existing; vyavahāra-mūlam—whose basis is
etiquette alone; na—not; hi—certainly; añjasā—on the whole,
or in fact; tattva-vimarśanāya—for understanding the truth by
consultation; bhavān—your good self; amuṣmin—in that
explanation; bhramate—is bewildered; manaḥ—mind; me—
my.
TRANSLATION
O master of yogic power, you said that fatigue resulting
from moving the body here and there is appreciated by
direct perception, but actually there is no fatigue. It simply
exists as a matter of formality. By such inquiries and
answers, no one can come to the conclusion of the Absolute
Truth. Because of your presentation of this statement, my
mind is a little disturbed.
PURPORT
Formal inquiries and answers about the bodily conception do
not constitute knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Knowledge of
the Absolute Truth is quite different from the formal
understanding of bodily pains and pleasures. In Bhagavad-gītā
Lord Kṛṣṇa informs Arjuna that the pains and pleasures
experienced in relation to the body are temporary; they come
and go. One should not be disturbed by them but should
tolerate them and continue with spiritual realization [Bg. 2.14].
O master of yoga! I said that one becomes tired from work.

You replied that though there appears to be actions like
carrying the load and results like becoming tired, this is only a
conventional appearance and one cannot discern the
conventional world as the truth simply by such examples. Since
your words are bewildering, my mind has become bewildered,
by not clearly understanding your intentions.
TEXT - SB 5.12.5-6
brāhmaṇa uvāca
ayaṁ jano nāma calan pṛthivyāṁ
yaḥ pārthivaḥ pārthiva kasya hetoḥ
tasyāpi cāṅghryor adhi gulpha-jaṅghā-
jānūru-madhyora-śirodharāṁsāḥ
aṁse 'dhi dārvī śibikā ca yasyāṁ
sauvīra-rājety apadeśa āste
yasmin bhavān rūḍha-nijābhimāno
rājāsmi sindhuṣv iti durmadāndhaḥ
SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca—the brāhmaṇa said; ayam—this; janaḥ—

person; nāma—celebrated as such; calan—moving; pṛthivyām
—on the earth; yaḥ—who; pārthivaḥ—a transformation of the
earth; pārthiva—O King, who possesses a similar earthly body;
kasya—for what; hetoḥ—reason; tasya api—of him also; ca—
and; aṅghryoḥ—feet; adhi—above; gulpha—ankles; jaṅghā—
calves; jānu—knees; uru—thighs; madhyora—waist; śiraḥ-
dhara—neck; aṁsāḥ—shoulders; aṁse—shoulder; adhi—
upon; dārvī—made of wood; śibikā—palanquin; ca—and;
yasyām—on which; sauvīra-rājā—the King of Sauvīra; iti—
thus; apadeśaḥ—known as; āste—there is; yasmin—in which;
bhavān—Your Lordship; rūḍha—imposed upon; nija-
abhimānaḥ—having a conception of false prestige; rājā asmi—
I am the King; sindhuṣu—in the state of Sindhu; iti—thus;
durmada-andhaḥ—captivated by false prestige.
TRANSLATION
The self-realized brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata said:Among the
various material combinations and permutations, there are
various forms and earthly transformations. For some
reason, these move on the surface of the earth and are
called palanquin carriers. Those material transformations
which do not move are gross material objects like stones. In
any case, the material body is made of earth and stone in
the form of feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, torso, throat
and head. Upon the shoulders is the wooden palanquin, and
within the palanquin is the so-called King of Sauvīra. The
body of the King is simply another transformation of earth,
but within that body Your Lordship is situated and falsely
thinking that you are the King of the state of Sauvīra.
PURPORT
After analyzing the material bodies of the palanquin carrier and

the palanquin passenger, Jaḍa Bharata concludes that the real
living force is the living entity. The living entity is the offshoot
or offspring of Lord Viṣṇu; therefore within this material
world, among moving and nonmoving things, the real principle
is Lord Viṣṇu. Due to His presence, everything is working, and
there are actions and reactions. One who understands Lord
Viṣṇu as the original cause of everything is to be understood to
be perfectly situated in knowledge. Although he was falsely
proud of being a king, King Rahūgaṇa was not really situated in
knowledge. Therefore he was rebuking the palanquin carriers,
including the self-realized brāhmaṇa, Jaḍa Bharata. This is the
first accusation Jaḍa Bharata made against the King, who was
daring to talk to a learned brāhmaṇa from the flimsy ground of
ignorance, identifying everything with matter. King Rahūgaṇa
argued that the living entity is within the body and that when
the body is fatigued the living entity within must therefore be
suffering. It is clearly explained in the following verses that the
living entity does not suffer due to the body's fatigue. Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī gives an example of a child heavily
decorated with ornaments; although the child's body is very
delicate, he does not feel fatigue, nor do the parents think that
his ornaments should be taken away. The living entity has
nothing to do with bodily pains and pleasures. These are simply
mental concoctions. An intelligent man will find the original
cause of everything. Material combinations and permutations
may be a matter of fact in worldly dealings, but actually the
living force, the soul, has nothing to do with them. Those who
are materially upset take care of the body and manufacture
daridra-nārāyaṇa (poor Nārāyaṇa). However, it is not a fact
that the soul or Supersoul becomes poor simply because the
body is poor. These are the statements of ignorant people. The
soul and Supersoul are always apart from bodily pleasure and
pain.
Not having understood the answer given to defeat the King’s

statement, the King again asks. Now Bharata addresses the
King disrespectfully. O King (pārthiva—earth)! Your
conventional existence is insubstantial. Using another
technique, Bharata now answers. This person, the carrier of the
palanquin, is a transformation of earth. He is moving for some
reason. It he does not move, he is an inanimate object like a
stone. This is the difference. His feet, a transformation of earth,
are situated on earth. Above his feet are his ankles, calves,
knees, thighs, waist, chest, neck and shoulders (aṁśāḥ). Ura
instead of uras is poetic license. Above the shoulders is the
palanquin, a transformation of wood. In the palanquin, a
transformation of earth, there is a person with the name “King
of Sauvīra.” You think you are the King, but this is not actual.
From all the elements starting with earth and ending with the
palanquin, to which of these does the fatigue from carrying it
belong? “I can see that the earth and the palanquin are not tired.
Therefore the feet etc. must be tired.” But without the
palanquin we do not see fatigue in the limbs which do the
carrying. “Fatigue arises for the possessor of limbs from
carrying the palanquin.” But we cannot distinguish fatigue of
the possessor of limbs who is different from the limbs.
“Whether a possessor of limbs exists or not, one experiences
the suffering of fatigue in being the carrier.” This is not the
final conclusion, because one does not experience fatigue on
carrying the ornaments of a young girl or on carrying one’s
young son. Thus happiness and distress are experienced only by
one’s particular identity. And you, blind with false identity,
thinking “I am a king” actually see nothing. This is your
happiness. Those who have no false identity do not have this
happiness and distress.
TEXT - SB 5.12.7
śocyān imāṁs tvam adhikaṣṭa-dīnān
viṣṭyā nigṛhṇan niranugraho 'si
janasya goptāsmi vikatthamāno

na śobhase vṛddha-sabhāsu dhṛṣṭaḥ
SYNONYMS
śocyān—lamentable; imān—all these; tvam—you; adhi-kaṣṭa-

dīnān—poor persons suffering more pains because of their
poverty-stricken position; viṣṭyā—by force; nigṛhṇan—seizing;
niranugrahaḥ asi—you have no mercy in your heart; janasya
—of the people in general; goptā asmi—I am the protector
(king); vikatthamānaḥ—bragging; na śobhase—you do not
look very good; vṛddha-sabhāsu—in the society of learned
persons; dhṛṣṭaḥ—simply impudent.
TRANSLATION
It is a fact, however, that these innocent people carrying
your palanquin without payment are certainly suffering
due to this injustice. Their condition is very lamentable
because you have forcibly engaged them in carrying your
palanquin. This proves that you are cruel and unkind, yet
due to false prestige you were thinking that you were
protecting the citizens. This is ludicrous. You were such a
fool that you could not have been adored as a great man in
an assembly of persons advanced in knowledge.
PURPORT
King Rahūgaṇa was proud of being king, and he felt he had the
right to control the citizens as he liked, but actually he was
engaging men in carrying his palanquin without payment, and
therefore he was causing them trouble without reason.
Nonetheless, the King was thinking that he was the protector of
the citizens. Actually the king should be the representative of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For this reason he is
called nara-devatā, the Lord among human beings. However,
when a king thinks that because he is the head of the state, he
can utilize the citizens for his sense gratification, he is in error.
Such an attitude is not appreciated by learned scholars.
According to the Vedic principles, the king should be advised
by learned sages, brāhmaṇas and scholars, who advise him
according to the injunctions given in the dharma-śāstra. The
duty of the king is to follow these instructions. Learned circles
do not appreciate the king's utilizing public endeavor for his
own benefit. His duty is to give protection to the citizens
instead. The king should not become such a rogue that he
exploits the citizens for his own benefit.
It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that in Kali-yuga the heads

of government will be plunderers and thieves. These thieves
and plunderers take the money and property of the public by
force or connivance. Therefore it is said in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam, rājanyair nirghṛṇair dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. As Kali-
yuga advances, we can see that these characteristics are already
visible. We can certainly imagine how deteriorated human
civilization will be by the end of Kali-yuga. Indeed, there will
no longer be a sane man capable of understanding God and our
relationship with Him. In other words, human beings will be
just like animals. At that time, in order to reform human
society, Lord Kṛṣṇa will come in the form of the Kalki avatāra.
His business will be to kill all the atheists because ultimately
the real protector is Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa.
The Lord incarnates and sets things in order when things are
mismanaged by so-called kings and heads of government. As
Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir
bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. Of course this takes many years, but
the principle is there. When the king or governmental head
does not follow the proper principles, nature deals out the
punishments in the forms of war, famine and so forth.
Therefore if the governmental head is not aware of life's goal,
he should not take charge of ruling the people. Actually the
supreme proprietor of everything is Lord Viṣṇu. He is the
maintainer of everyone. The king, the father, and the guardian
are simply representatives of Lord Viṣṇu, empowered by Him
to look after the management and maintain things. It is
therefore the duty of the head of the state to maintain the
general populace in such a way that people will ultimately
know the goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB
7.5.31]. Unfortunately the foolish governmental head and the
general populace do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to
understand and approach Lord Viṣṇu. Without this knowledge,
everyone is in ignorance, and all society is crowded with
cheaters and cheated.
The King has said (SB 5.10.23) that ruling of the citizens was
dharma, even without knowledge. Ruling over the citizens by
engaging them forcibly, without mercy, is not dharma but
adharma. You proudly (dhṛṣṭaḥ) think “I am the servant of
Acyuta. I am an inquirer about the highest truth.”
TEXT - SB 5.12.8
yadā kṣitāv eva carācarasya
vidāma niṣṭhāṁ prabhavaṁ ca nityam
tan nāmato 'nyad vyavahāra-mūlaṁ
nirūpyatāṁ sat-kriyayānumeyam
SYNONYMS
yadā—therefore; kṣitau—in the earth; eva—certainly; cara-

acarasya—of different bodies, some moving and some not
moving; vidāma—we know; niṣṭhām—annihilation;
prabhavam—appearance; ca—and; nityam—regularly by the
principles of nature; tat—that; nāmataḥ—than simply by name;
anyat—other; vyavahāra-mūlam—cause of material activities;
nirūpyatām—let it be ascertained; sat-kriyayā—by actual
employment; anumeyam—to be inferred.
TRANSLATION
All of us on the surface of the globe are living entities in
different forms. Some of us are moving and some not
moving. All of us come into existence, remain for some time
and are annihilated when the body is again mingled with
the earth. We are all simply different transformations of the
earth. Different bodies and capacities are simply
transformations of the earth that exist in name only, for
everything grows out of the earth and when everything is
annihilated it again mingles with the earth. In other words,
we are but dust, and we shall but be dust. Everyone can
consider this point.
PURPORT
In the Brahma-sūtra it is said: tad-ananyatvam

ārabhambhaṇa-śabdādibhyaḥ (2.1.14). This cosmic
manifestation is a mixture of matter and spirit, but the cause is
the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.20) it is said: idaṁ hi
viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ. The entire cosmic manifestation is
but a transformation of the energy of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, but because of illusion, no one can appreciate that
God is nondifferent from the material world. Actually He is not
different, but this material world is simply a transformation of
His different energies; parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc.
Madhya 13.65, purport]. There are also other versions of this in
the Vedas: sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Matter and spirit are all
nondifferent from the Supreme Brahman, Bhagavān. Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa confirms this statement in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.4): me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. The material energy is Kṛṣṇa's energy,
but it is separated from Him. The spiritual energy is also His
energy, but it is not separated from Him. When the material
energy is engaged in the service of the Supreme Spirit, so-
called material energy is also transformed into spiritual energy,
just as an iron rod becomes fire when placed in contact with
fire. When we can understand by an analytical study that the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes, our
knowledge is perfect. Simply understanding the
transformations of different energies is partial knowledge. We
must come to the ultimate cause. Na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi
viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. The knowledge of those who are not
interested in knowing the original cause of all emanations is
never perfect knowledge. There is nothing in the phenomenal
world that is not produced by the supreme energy of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Aromas from the earth are
different scents manufactured and used for different purposes,
but the original cause is the earth, nothing else. A waterpot
made of earth can be used to carry water for some time, but
ultimately the pot is nothing but earth. Therefore there is no
difference between the pot and its original ingredient, earth. It
is simply a different transformation of the energy. Originally
the cause or primary ingredient is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and the varieties are only by-products. In the
Chāndogya Upaniṣad it is stated: yathā saumy ekena mṛt-
piṇḍena sarvaṁ mṛnmayaṁ vijñātaṁ syād vācārambhaṇaṁ
vikāro nāmadheyaṁ mṛttikety eva satyam. If one studies the
earth, he naturally understands the by-products of the earth.
The Vedas therefore enjoin, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ
vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3): if one simply
understands the original cause, Kṛṣṇa, the cause of all causes,
then naturally everything else is understood, although it may be
presented in different varieties. By understanding the original
cause of different varieties, one can understand everything. If
we understand Kṛṣṇa, the original cause of everything, we do
not need to separately study the subsidiary varieties. Therefore
from the very beginning it is said: satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi [SB
1.1.1]. One has to concentrate one's understanding on the
Supreme Truth, Kṛṣṇa or Vāsudeva. The word Vāsudeva
indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause
of all causes. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv
avasthitaḥ [Bg. 9.4]. This is a summary of phenomenal and
noumenal philosophy. The phenomenal world depends on the
noumenal existence; similarly, everything exists by virtue of
the potency of the Supreme Lord, although due to our
ignorance the Supreme Lord is not perceived in everything.
“Your statement that the practical, conventional world is

insubstantial is not true since one see that even the liberated
souls without false identity experience happiness and distress
from prārabdha-karma, and since you cannot deny that you
experience fatigue from carrying the load.” True, there remains
a trace of happiness and distress for the liberated souls like me
by destruction of the causes of illusion. When a person
awakens, though conscious that his dream of a snake is unreal,
for a short time he still shakes in fear, though it is insignificant.
However, one who has not awoken sees the dream snake as
real. This is like your experience of conventional reality. By
logic I will now show the illusory nature of the conventional
world. That is explained in this verse.
We know that the living beings arise from earth and disappear
(niṣṭhām) into the earth. Therefore, the cause of the
conventional world, inferred from actions (such as carrying
water), should be discerned as transformations of the earth
only, being differences in name only. You can understand this
if your sense of logic is functioning. The śruti says
vācārambhaṇaṁ vikāro nāmadheyaṁ mṛttikety eva satyam: the
transformations of earth are simply words or names; earth alone
is true. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14)
TEXT - SB 5.12.9
evaṁ niruktaṁ kṣiti-śabda-vṛttam
asan nidhānāt paramāṇavo ye
avidyayā manasā kalpitās te
yeṣāṁ samūhena kṛto viśeṣaḥ
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; niruktam—falsely described; kṣiti-śabda—of the

word "earth"; vṛttam—the existence; asat—not real; nidhānāt
—from the dissolution; parama-aṇavaḥ—atomic particles; ye
—all of which; avidyayā—because of less intelligence; manasā
—in the mind; kalpitāḥ—imagined; te—they; yeṣām—of
which; samūhena—by the aggregate; kṛtaḥ—made; viśeṣaḥ—
the particulars.
TRANSLATION
One may say that varieties arise from the planet earth itself.
However, although the universe may temporarily appear to
be the truth, it ultimately has no real existence. The earth
was originally created by a combination of atomic particles,
but these particles are impermanent. Actually the atom is
not the cause of the universe, although some philosophers
think so. It is not a fact that the varieties found in this
material world simply result from atomic juxtaposition or
combination.
PURPORT
Those who follow the atomic theory think that the protons and
electrons of atoms combine in such a way as to bring all
material existence into being. However, the scientists fail to
discover the cause of atomic existence itself. Under these
circumstances, we cannot accept that the atom is the cause of
the universe. Such theories are advanced by unintelligent
people. According to real intelligence, the real cause of the
cosmic manifestation is the Supreme Lord. Janmādy asya
yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] He is the original cause of all creation. As
stated in Bhagavad-gītā (10.8): ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Kṛṣṇa is the original cause. Sarva-
kāraṇa-kāraṇam: [Bs. 5.1] He is the cause of all causes. Kṛṣṇa
is the cause of atoms, the material energy.
bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
(Bg. 7.4)
The ultimate cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and

only those in ignorance try to find out other causes by posing
different theories.
“Earth at least is real.” The word “earth” exists as a name only.

Why? Because it is caused by atomic particles (asat), which are
the cause of earth. Earth cannot exist except for these particles.
“Then particles are real.” These particles have been imagined
by the mind out of ignorance by philosophers, in order to
explain the effects in the world we perceive. Therefore particles
are also unreal. The reason for this conception is described. A
particular object such as earth is made out of the totality of
particles. One should accept the total only rather than the parts.
TEXT - SB 5.12.10
evaṁ kṛśaṁ sthūlam aṇur bṛhad yad
asac ca saj jīvam ajīvam anyat
dravya-svabhāvāśaya-kāla-karma-
nāmnājayāvehi kṛtaṁ dvitīyam
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; kṛśam—skinny or short; sthūlam—fat; aṇuḥ—

tiny; bṛhat—big; yat—which; asat—impermanent; ca—and;
sat—existing; jīvam—the living entities; ajīvam—inanimate,
lifeless matter; anyat—other causes; dravya—phenomena; sva-
bhāva—nature; āśaya—disposition; kāla—time; karma—
activities; nāmnā—only by such names; ajayā—by material
nature; avehi—you should understand; kṛtam—done; dvitīyam
—duality.
TRANSLATION
Since this universe has no real ultimate existence, the things
within it—shortness, differences, grossness, skinniness,
smallness, bigness, result, cause, living symptoms, and
materials—are all imagined. They are all pots made of the
same substance, earth, but they are named differently. The
differences are characterized by the substance, nature,
predisposition, time and activity. You should know that all
these are simply mechanical manifestations created by
material nature.
PURPORT
The temporary manifestations and varieties within this material

world are simply creations of material nature under various
circumstances: prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇa-ni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi
sarvaśaḥ. The actions and reactions carried out by the material
nature are sometimes accepted as our scientific inventions;
therefore we want to take credit for them and defy the existence
of God. This is described in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27), ahaṅkāra-
vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate: due to being covered by the
illusory external energy, the living entity tries to take credit for
the differentiated creations within the material world. Actually
all these are being created automatically by the material force
set in motion by the energy of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Therefore the ultimate cause is the Supreme Person.
As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā:
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
[Bs. 5.1]
He is the cause of all causes, the ultimate cause. In this regard

Śrīla Madhvācārya says: evaṁ sarvaṁ tathā prakṛtvayai
kalpitaṁ viṣṇor anyat. evaṁ prakṛtyādhāraḥ svayam
ananyādhāro viṣṇur eva ataḥ sarva-śabdāś ca tasminn eva.
Actually the original cause is Lord Viṣṇu, but out of ignorance
people think that matter is the cause of everything.
rājā goptāśrayo bhūmiḥ

śaraṇaṁ ceti laukikaḥ
vyavahāro na tat satyaṁ
tayor brahmāśrayo vibhuḥ
Things are contemplated on the ephemeral or external platform,

but actually this is not the truth. The actual protector and shelter
of everyone is Brahman, the Supreme, not the king.
goptrī ca tasya prakṛtis

tasyā viṣṇuḥ svayaṁ prabhuḥ
tava goptrī tu pṛthivī
na tvaṁ goptā kṣiteḥ smṛtaḥ
ataḥ sarvāśrayaiś caiva

goptā ca harir īśvaraḥ
sarva-śabdābhidheyaś ca
śabda-vṛtter hi kāraṇam
sarvāntaraḥ sarva-bahir
eka eva janārdanaḥ
The actual protectress is the material nature, but Viṣṇu is her

Lord. He is the Lord of everything. Lord Janārdana is the
director both externally and internally. He is the cause of the
function of words and what is expressed in all sound.
śirasodhāratā yadvad
grīvāyās tadvad eva tu
āśrayatvaṁ ca goptṛtvam
anyeṣām upacārataḥ
Lord Viṣṇu is the resting place of the entire creation: brahmaṇo

hi pratiṣṭhāham (Bg. 14.27). On Brahman, everything is
resting. All the universes are resting on the brahmajyoti, and all
the planets are resting on the universal atmosphere. In each and
every planet there are oceans, hills, states and kingdoms, and
each planet is giving shelter to so many living entities. They are
all standing on the earth of feet and legs, torso and shoulders,
but actually everything is resting ultimately on the potencies of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore He is known
ultimately as sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], the cause of all
causes.
One should know that everything is made of māyā (ajayā),

characterized by substance, nature, mind, time, or karma, or
distinct qualities like fine and very fine (aṇūh,) big and very big
(bṛhat), cause (asat) and effect (sat), objects with consciousness
(jīvam) and objects without consciousness (ajīvam).
TEXT - SB 5.12.11
jñānaṁ viśuddhaṁ paramārtham ekam
anantaraṁ tv abahir brahma satyam
pratyak praśāntaṁ bhagavac-chabda-saṁjñaṁ
yad vāsudevaṁ kavayo vadanti
SYNONYMS
jñānam—the supreme knowledge; viśuddham—without

contamination; parama-artham—giving the ultimate goal of
life; ekam—unified; anantaram—without interior, unbroken; tu
—also; abahiḥ—without exterior; brahma—the Supreme;
satyam—Absolute Truth; pratyak—inner; praśāntam—the
calm and peaceful Supreme Lord, worshiped by the yogīs;
bhagavat-śabda-saṁjñam—known in the higher sense as
Bhagavān, or full of all opulences; yat—that; vāsudevam—
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva; kavayaḥ—the learned
scholars; vadanti—say.
TRANSLATION
What, then, is the ultimate truth? The answer is that
nondual knowledge is the ultimate truth. It is devoid of the
contamination of material qualities. It gives us liberation. It
is the one without a second, all-pervading and beyond
imagination. The first realization of that knowledge is
Brahman. Then Paramātmā, the Supersoul, is realized by
the yogīs who try to see Him without grievance. This is the
second stage of realization. Finally, full realization of the
same supreme knowledge is realized in the Supreme
Person. All learned scholars describe the Supreme Person
as Vāsudeva, the cause of Brahman, Paramātmā and
others.
PURPORT
In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said: yad advaitaṁ

brahmopaniṣadi tad apy asya tanu-bhā. The impersonal
Brahman effulgence of the Absolute Truth consists of the
bodily rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ya
ātmāntaryāmī puruṣa iti so 'syāṁśa-vibhavaḥ. What is known
as ātmā and antaryāmī, the Supersoul, is but an expansion of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sad-aiśvaryaiḥ pūrṇo ya
iha bhagavān sa svayam ayam [Cc. Ādi 1.3]. What is described
as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, complete with all six
opulences, is Vāsudeva, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is
nondifferent from Him. Great learned scholars and
philosophers accept this after many, many births. Vāsudevaḥ
sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (Bg. 7.19). The wise man
can understand that ultimately Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the cause of
Brahman, and Paramātmā, the Supersoul. Thus Vāsudeva is
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], the cause of all causes. This is
confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The real tattva, Absolute
Truth, is Bhagavān, but due to incomplete realization of the
Absolute Truth, people sometimes describe the same Viṣṇu as
impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā.
vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
brahmeti paramātmeti
bhagavān iti śabdyate
(SB 1.2.11)
From the very beginning, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, satyaṁ

paraṁ dhīmahi: [SB 1.1.1] we meditate on the supreme truth.
The supreme truth is explained here as jñānaṁ viśuddhaṁ
satyam. The Absolute Truth is devoid of material
contamination and is transcendental to the material qualities. It
gives all spiritual success and liberation from this material
world. That Supreme Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva.
There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's inner self and outward
body. Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa, the complete whole. There is no
distinction between His body and soul as there is between ours.
Sometimes so-called scholars, not knowing the constitutional
position of Kṛṣṇa, mislead people by saying that the Kṛṣṇa
within is different from the Kṛṣṇa without. When Kṛṣṇa says,
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg.
18.65], so-called scholars advise the reader that it is not the
person Kṛṣṇa to whom we must surrender but the Kṛṣṇa within.
So-called scholars, Māyāvādīs, cannot understand Kṛṣṇa with
their poor fund of knowledge. One should therefore approach
an authorized person to understand Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master
has actually seen Kṛṣṇa; therefore he can explain Him properly.
tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(Bg. 4.34)
Without approaching an authorized person, one cannot

understand Kṛṣṇa.
“Then what is truth?” The previously mentioned truth, tattva, is

said to be that which is known by the authority of the
scriptures. This has been mentioned in the First Canto as
tattvaṁ vadanti tattattvavidastattvaṁ yajjñānadvayam.
Knowledge is truth which is beyond the guṇas (viśuddham). It
is supreme, from which arises liberation. It is without a second
(ekam). It is devoid in internal (anantaram) and external
(abahiḥ). That means it pervades everywhere. This knowledge
is also Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahman means
the impersonal aspect worshiped by the jñānīs. It is called
Paramātmā (pratyak praśāntam), worshipped by the yogīs.
Praśāntam means that in which the jīva is extinguished.
Bhagavān is the aspect worshipped by the devotees. They say
that these three forms are included in Vāsudeva, the son of
Vasudeva, who is the most complete form. He is called pūrṇaṁ
brahma sanātanam (SB 10.24.32), as kṛṣṇāya paramātmane (SB
10.6.36) and as tatas tu bhagavān kṛṣṇa. (SB 10.8.27) In the
Gīta he calls himself the basis of brahman: brahmaṇo hi
pratiṣṭhāham (BG14.27) He also describes himself as
Paramātmā: viṣṭabhyāhamidaṁ kṛtsnamekāṁśena sthito jagad
(BG 10.42) He also says vāsudevo bhagavatām: among the
forms of Bhagavān, I am Vāsudeva. (SB 11.26.29)
The word bhaga in bhagavān means aiśvarya or lordship. This

also implies “those who are controlled by the Lord.” Since the
jīvas in māyā are in illusion, as previously described, “those
controlled by the Lord” means the devotees in the Lord’s
abode. They are eternal. The devotees and the abode of the
Lord are both eternal truth. Like the Lord, they are proved by
the statements of scripture. This is explained in the First Canto
and elsewhere. Śraddhā mat sevāyān tu nirguṇā: faith in my
devotional service is purely transcendental. (SB 11.25.27) Man-
niketaṁ tu nirguṇam: residence in a place where I reside is
transcendental. (SB 11.25.25) Anything related to bhakti is said
to be eternal truth as well.
The intention of this section is as follows. O King! You have

spoken of the material world made of māyā, proven by the
senses, which has transformations which are eternal, sometimes
visible and invisible. You must accept the temporary nature of
these material things since they are limited by time and place,
according to your own opinion. But since spiritual objects are
not limited by time and place, being completely different, they
are not part of the material, conventional world. You repeatedly
talk of the conventional world. Other philosophers say this
conventional world is false. This view has also been stated.
However, even these persons do not object to the conclusion of
the scriptures, stated in the present verse.
“It has been said that bhakti means engaging the senses and
body for Kṛṣṇa. The Lord has said that bhakti is beyond the
guṇas: lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya
nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam (SB 3.29.12) This can be true in

parināma-vāda, where the effects are stated to be real. I can
understand very well that the material body and senses become
spiritual by the contact with bhakti, which is like a touchstone.
In vivarta-vada however the effects are said to be unreal.
Therefore the body and senses are unreal. Bhakti therefore has
not foundation. How can it said to be beyond the guṇas? When
the guru at the time of teaching says “I will now teach about
nirguṇa bhakti” the person taught is non-existent. How can the
guru teach? It is like sowing seeds in the sky. How can Kṛṣṇa
bhakti exist? Moreover how can prema arise through practice?
Moreover how can the Lord be controlled by prema?”
For the Lord with inconceivable powers, nothing is impossible.

The Lord himself has said:
eṣā buddhimatāṁ buddhir manīṣā ca manīṣiṇām
yat satyam anṛteneha martyenāpnoti māmṛtam
This process is the supreme intelligence of the intelligent and

the cleverness of the most clever, for by following it one can in
this very life make use of the temporary and unreal to achieve
me, the eternal reality. SB 11.29.22
The meaning is this. This is intelligence because (yat) by the

mortal body which is false, one attains the supreme truth
(ṛtam), me. Or one attains me (mā) the form of the highest bliss
(amṛtam). Anṛtena martyena can also refer to anything subject
to destruction—the body, senses, prāṇa, leaves, flowers,
incense, fragrance, lamps, food, umbrella, and cāmara. That
one achieves me by these items is intelligence among those
with intelligence. This is the conclusion amongst the most
elevated wise men. The method of obtaining bhakti is explained
by the Lord:
martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me
tadāmṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno mayātma-bhūyāya ca kalpate vai
A person who gives up all karmas and offers himself entirely to

guru, whom I desire to make special, achieves freedom from
death and, more important, is qualified to be an associate of
mine in prema. SB 11.29.34
When a mortal being gives up all karmas, completely gives up

the desire for varṇāśrama-dharma, and gives “I and mine”
(niveditātmā) to me, in the form of the guru, when he decides
with determination “I offer whatever I have in this life and the
next to the feet of the Lord,” then I desire to make that person
special (vicikītṣitaḥ), though he arises from false conception. I
will make him devoid of the guṇas. nirguṇo mad-apāśrayaḥ: he
who surrenders to me is beyond the guṇas. (SB 11.25.26) Not
being affected by māyā, he is not temporary but eternal. Since
he is not affected by ignorance, he is not false, but based on his
svarūpa. Because he is the effect of me, he is beyond the guṇas.
The verse does not say “I make him special” but “I desire to
make him special” using the desiderative affix. This means that
I begin to make him nirguṇa (rather than suddenly taking him
beyond the guṇas). Gradually by practicing bhakti, and
ascending through the stages of niṣṭhā, ruci and āsakti, he
comes to rati, and then becomes completely nirguṇa. Then, at
that time, he will not interact with false objects at all.
Previously he interacted with the material world as much as
necessary.
The meaning is this. By the Lord’s inconceivable energy, at the

time of giving instructions on bhakti, body, senses and mind
which are beyond the guṇas are created by me, though
invisibly, in order to show the greatness of bhakti. The material
body, senses and mind are destroyed invisibly.
naivaṁ-vidhaḥ puruṣa-kāra urukramasya
puṁsāṁ tad-aṅghri-rajasā jita-ṣaḍ-guṇānām
citraṁ vidūra-vigataḥ sakṛd ādadīta
yan-nāmadheyam adhunā sa jahāti bandham
Such power is not surprising from persons who have conquered

the six senses by the dust from the lotus feet of the Lord, since
even an outcaste becomes immediately free of bondage of
karma by chanting the Lord’s name once. SB 5.1.35
The meaning is this. It is not surprising for such persons to

create the world with seven oceans as Priyavrata did. Even the
outcaste (vidūra-vigataḥ) who chants the name of the Lord once
immediately (adhunā) gives up his body. Though his body is
still visible, he gives up the body related to prārabdha-karma,
though this is not seen.
Then, the devotee attains amṛtatvam, absence of the symptoms

of death and is qualified for his position (ātma-bhāvāya). This
means that he remains to serve me wherever I am. (This is still
explaining SB11.29.34.)
All the false, material objects which exist in this world lose
their material qualities by association with bhakti. The Lord
makes those objects the highest truth, favorable to the desires
of his devotee. What is impossible for the inconceivable power
of the Lord? The statements “Service to me is beyond the
guṇas” and “My abode is beyond the guṇas” are true.
Śaṅkārācarya has accepted the following from Mahābhārata,
Udyama-parvā:
acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁstarkeṇa yojayet
prakṛtibhyaḥ paraṁ yattu tadacintasya lakṣaṇam
Inconceivable states are not subject to material argumentation.

The quality in inconceivability is that it is beyond the material
realm.
By the word bhāvāḥ (states) in the plural, one should not think
that the state of oneness has been discarded, since all these
states are one in the Lord. Thus everything is clear.
TEXT - SB 5.12.12
rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam
SYNONYMS
rahūgaṇa—O King Rahūgaṇa; etat—this knowledge; tapasā—

by severe austerities and penances; na yāti—does not become
revealed; na—not; ca—also; ijyayā—by a great arrangement
for worshiping the Deity; nirvapaṇāt—or from finishing all
material duties and accepting sannyāsa; gṛhāt—from ideal
householder life; vā—or; na—nor; chandasā—by observing
celibacy or studying Vedic literature; na eva—nor; jala-agni-
sūryaiḥ—by severe austerities such as keeping oneself in water,
in a burning fire or in the scorching sun; vinā—without; mahat
—of the great devotees; pāda-rajaḥ—the dust of the lotus feet;
abhiṣekam—smearing all over the body.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Rahūgaṇa, unless one has the opportunity to
smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of great
devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One
cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by observing
celibacy [brahmacarya], strictly following the rules and
regulations of householder life, leaving home as a
vānaprastha, accepting sannyāsa, or undergoing severe
penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water
or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching
heat of the sun. There are many other processes to
understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth is
only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great
devotee.
PURPORT
Actual knowledge of transcendental bliss can be bestowed upon

anyone by a pure devotee. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham
ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. One cannot attain the perfection of
spiritual life simply by following the directions of the Vedas.
One has to approach a pure devotee: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. By the grace
of such a devotee, one can understand the Absolute Truth,
Kṛṣṇa, and one's relationship with Him. A materialistic person
sometimes thinks that simply by executing pious activities and
remaining at home one can understand the Absolute Truth. That
is denied in this verse. Nor can one understand the Absolute
Truth simply by observing the rules and regulations of
brahmacarya (celibacy). One only has to serve the pure
devotee. That will help one understand the Absolute Truth
without fail.
One cannot attain the Lord without bhakti attained by mercy of

the devotees. This is explained in two verses. O King
Rahūgana! The three types of realization just mentioned cannot
be attained by tapas or other methods. Tapas means
concentration of the mind. Ijyā means Vedic activities such as
sacrifices. Nirvanpat means “giving food in charity.” Gṛhāt
means “establishing shelters for helping others.” Chhandasā
means “by study of the Vedas.” Jalāgni-sūryaiḥ means “by
performing austerities involving water, fire and the sun.”
TEXT - SB 5.12.13
yatrottamaśloka-guṇānuvādaḥ
prastūyate grāmya-kathā-vighātaḥ
niṣevyamāṇo 'nudinaṁ mumukṣor
matiṁ satīṁ yacchati vāsudeve
SYNONYMS
yatra—in which place (in the presence of exalted devotees);

uttama-śloka-guṇa-anuvādaḥ—discussion of the pastimes and
glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prastūyate—is
presented; grāmya-kathā-vighātaḥ—due to which there is no
chance of talking of worldly matters; niṣevyamāṇaḥ—being
heard very seriously; anudinam—day after day; mumukṣoḥ—of
persons who are very serious about getting out of material
entanglement; matim—meditation; satīm—pure and simple;
yacchati—is turned; vāsudeve—unto the lotus feet of Lord
Vāsudeva.
TRANSLATION
Who are the pure devotees mentioned here? In an assembly
of pure devotees, there is no question of discussing material
subjects like politics and sociology. In an assembly of pure
devotees, there is discussion only of the qualities, forms and
pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is
praised and worshiped with full attention. In the association
of pure devotees, by constantly hearing such topics
respectfully, even a person who wants to merge into the
existence of the Absolute Truth abandons this idea and
gradually becomes attached to the service of Vāsudeva.
PURPORT
The symptoms of pure devotees are described in this verse. The

pure devotee is never interested in material topics. Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu has strictly prohibited His devotees to talk about
worldly matters. Grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe: [Cc. Antya 6.236]
one should not indulge in talking unnecessarily about news of
the material world. One should not waste time in this way. This
is a very important feature in the life of a devotee. A devotee
has no other ambition than to serve Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement
was started to engage people twenty-four hours daily in the
service of the Lord and in His glorification. The students in this
institution engage in the cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
from five in the morning to ten at night. They actually have no
opportunity to waste their time unnecessarily by discussing
politics, sociology and current events. These will go their own
way. A devotee is concerned only with serving Kṛṣṇa positively
and seriously.
The devotees of Kṛṣṇa are described. Where one bathes in the

dust of their feet, or where there are great devotees (yatra), the
qualities of the Lord such as his affectionate nature are
repeatedly glorified. Even those desiring liberation listen.
These talks produce pure thoughts of Vāsudeva, the son of
Vasudeva, without the desire for liberation.
TEXT - SB 5.12.14
ahaṁ purā bharato nāma rājā
vimukta-dṛṣṭa-śruta-saṅga-bandhaḥ
ārādhanaṁ bhagavata īhamāno
mṛgo 'bhavaṁ mṛga-saṅgād dhatārthaḥ

SYNONYMS
aham—I; purā—formerly (in my previous birth); bharataḥ

nāma rājā—a King named Mahārāja Bharata; vimukta—
liberated from; dṛṣṭa-śruta—by experiencing personally
through direct association, or by getting knowledge from the
Vedas; saṅga-bandhaḥ—bondage by association; ārādhanam
—the worship; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Vāsudeva; īhamānaḥ—always performing; mṛgaḥ
abhavam—I became a deer; mṛga-saṅgāt—because of my
intimate association with a deer; hata-arthaḥ—having
neglected the regulative principles in the discharge of
devotional service.
TRANSLATION
In a previous birth I was known as Mahārāja Bharata. I
attained perfection by becoming completely detached from
material activities through direct experience, and through
indirect experience I received understanding from the
Vedas. I was fully engaged in the service of the Lord, but
due to my misfortune, I became very affectionate to a small
deer, so much so that I neglected my spiritual duties. Due to
my deep affection for the deer, in my next life I had to
accept the body of a deer.
PURPORT
The incident herein described is very significant. In a previous

verse it is stated, vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam: one cannot
attain perfection without smearing the dust from the lotus feet
of an exalted devotee on his head. If one always follows the
orders of the spiritual master, there is no question of falling
down. As soon as a foolish disciple tries to overtake his
spiritual master and becomes ambitious to occupy his post, he
immediately falls down. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi . If the spiritual master is
considered an ordinary man, the disciple surely loses his chance
to advance further. Despite a very rigid life in devotional
service, Bharata Mahārāja did not consult a spiritual master
when he became overly attached to a deer. Consequently he
became strongly attached to the deer, and, forgetting his
spiritual routine, he fell down.
“Who are you, so merciful to give teachings on knowledge to a

great offender like me?” This verse answers. I was freed from
the bondage of attachment to dealings of this world seen and
heard. By misfortune, I became inattentive.
TEXT - SB 5.12.15
sā māṁ smṛtir mṛga-dehe 'pi vīra
kṛṣṇārcana-prabhavā no jahāti
atho ahaṁ jana-saṅgād asaṅgo
viśaṅkamāno 'vivṛtaś carāmi

SYNONYMS
sā—that; mām—me; smṛtiḥ—remembrance of the activities of

my previous life; mṛga-dehe—in the body of a deer; api—
although; vīra—O great hero; kṛṣṇa-arcana-prabhavā—which
appeared because of the influence of sincere service to Kṛṣṇa;
no jahāti—did not leave; atho—therefore; aham—I; jana-
saṅgāt—from the association of ordinary men; asaṅgaḥ—
completely detached; viśaṅkamānaḥ—being afraid; avivṛtaḥ—
unobserved by others; carāmi—I go here and there.
TRANSLATION
My dear heroic King, due to my past sincere service to the
Lord, I could remember everything of my past life even
while in the body of a deer. Because I am aware of the
falldown in my past life, I always keep myself separate from
the association of ordinary men. Being afraid of their bad,
materialistic association, I wander alone unnoticed by
others.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā it is said: svalpam apy asya dharmasya (Bg.

2.40). It is certainly a great fall to go from human life to animal
life, but in the case of Bharata Mahārāja or any devotee,
devotional service to the Lord never goes in vain. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā (8.6): yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty
ante kalevaram. At the time of death, by nature's law the mind
is absorbed in a certain type of thinking. This may lead one to
animal life, yet for a devotee there is no loss. Even though
Bharata Mahārāja received the body of a deer, he didn't forget
his position. Consequently, in the body of a deer he was very
careful to remember the cause of his downfall. As a result, he
was given a chance to be born in a family of very pure
brāhmaṇas. Thus his service to the Lord never went in vain.
His worship of Kṛṣṇa, though failing in the last life, saves him.
Fearing material association, I wander about unknown
(avivṛtaḥ)
TEXT - SB 5.12.16
tasmān naro 'saṅga-susaṅga-jāta-
jñānāsinehaiva vivṛkṇa-mohaḥ
hariṁ tad-īhā-kathana-śrutābhyāṁ
labdha-smṛtir yāty atipāram adhvanaḥ
SYNONYMS
tasmāt—for this reason; naraḥ—every person; asaṅga—by

detachment from the association of worldly people; su-saṅga—
by the association of devotees; jāta—produced; jñāna-asinā—
by the sword of knowledge; iha—in this material world; eva—
even; vivṛkṇa-mohaḥ—whose illusion is completely cut to
pieces; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tad-īhā—
of His activities; kathana-śrutābhyām—by the two processes of
hearing and chanting; labdha-smṛtiḥ—the lost consciousness is
regained; yāti—achieves; atipāram—the ultimate end;
adhvanaḥ—of the path back home, back to Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Simply by associating with exalted devotees, anyone can
attain perfection of knowledge and with the sword of
knowledge can cut to pieces the illusory associations within
this material world. Through the association of devotees,
one can engage in the service of the Lord by hearing and
chanting [śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam]. Thus one can revive his
dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness and, sticking to the
cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, return home, back to
Godhead, even in this life.
PURPORT
To become liberated from material bondage, one must give up

the association of worldly people and accept the association of
devotees, positive and negative processes are mentioned in this
regard. Through the association of devotees, one develops
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is dormant within. This Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is giving this chance to everyone. We
are giving shelter to everyone who is serious about progressing
in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We arrange for their lodging and board
so that they can peacefully cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness and
return home, back to Godhead, even in this life.
Asaṅga means detachment from material things. Susaṅga

means attachment to devotees. By these two, one gains
knowledge, which is a sword. With the sword a person cuts
illusion in the form of an elephant and attains the Lord, at the
end (atipāram) of saṁsāra (adhvanaḥ).
Thus ends the commentary on the Twelfth Chapter of the Fifth


Twelfth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled, "The
Conversation Between Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa and Jaḍa Bharata."
13. Further Talks Between King
Rahūgaṇa and Jaḍa Bharata
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Chapter Summary
The brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata became very kind to King

Rahūgaṇa, and to disassociate him from the material world, he
spoke figuratively of the forest of the material world. He
explained that this material world is like a great forest in which
one becomes entangled due to association with material life. In
this forest there are plunderers (the six senses) as well as
carnivorous animals like jackals, wolves and lions (wife,
children and other relatives) who are always anxious to suck
the blood from the head of the family. The forest plunderers
and the carnivorous blood-sucking animals combine to exploit
the energy of a man within this material world. In this forest
there is also a black hole, covered by grass, into which one may
fall. Coming into the forest and being captivated by so many
material attractions, one identifies himself with this material
world, society, friendship, love and family. Having lost the path
and not knowing where to go, being harassed by animals and
birds, one is also victimized by many desires. Thus one works
very hard within the forest and wanders here and there. He
becomes captivated by temporary happiness and becomes
aggrieved by so-called distress. Actually one simply suffers in
the forest from so-called happiness and distress. Sometimes he
is attacked by a snake (deep sleep), and due to the snakebite he
loses consciousness and becomes puzzled and bewildered about
discharging his duties. Sometimes he is attracted by women
other than his wife, and thus be thinks he enjoys extramarital
love with another woman. He is attacked by various diseases,
by lamentation and by summer and winter. Thus one within the
forest of the material world suffers the pains of material
existence. Expecting to become happy, the living entity
changes his position from one place to another, but actually a
materialistic person within the material world is never happy.
Being constantly engaged in materialistic activities, he is
always disturbed. He forgets that one day he has to die.
Although he suffers severely, being illusioned by the material
energy, he still hankers after material happiness. In this way he
completely forgets his relationship with the Supreme
By hearing this from Jaḍa Bharata, Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa revived

his Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thus benefited from Jaḍa Bharata's
association. He could understand that his illusion was over, and
he begged pardon from Jaḍa Bharata for his misbehavior. All
this was told to Mahārāja Parīkṣit by Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
TEXT - SB 5.13.1
brāhmaṇa uvāca
duratyaye 'dhvany ajayā niveśito
rajas-tamaḥ-sattva-vibhakta-karmadṛk
sa eṣa sārtho 'rtha-paraḥ paribhraman
bhavāṭavīṁ yāti na śarma vindati
SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca—the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata continued to

speak; duratyaye—which is very difficult to traverse; adhvani
—on the path of fruitive activities (performing actions in this
life, creating a body in the next life by those actions, and in this
way continuously accepting birth and death); ajayā—by māyā,
the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
niveśitaḥ—caused to enter; rajaḥ-tamaḥ-sattva-vibhakta-
karma-dṛk—a conditioned soul who sees only immediately
beneficial fruitive activities and their results, which are divided
into three groups by the modes of goodness, passion and
ignorance; saḥ—he; eṣaḥ—this; sa-arthaḥ—the living entity
falsely seeking sense gratification; artha-paraḥ—intent upon
gaining wealth; paribhraman—wandering all over; bhava-
aṭavīm—the forest known as bhava, which means the repetition
of birth and death; yāti—enters; na—not; śarma—happiness;
vindati—obtains.
TRANSLATION
Jaḍa Bharata, who had fully realized Brahman, continued:
My dear King Rahūgaṇa, the living entity wanders on the
path of the material world, which is very difficult for him to
traverse, and he accepts repeated birth and death. Being
captivated by the material world under the influence of the
three modes of material nature (sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and
tamo-guṇa), the living entity can see only the three fruits of
activities under the spell of material nature. These fruits are
auspicious, inauspicious and mixed. He thus becomes
attached to religion, economic development, sense
gratification and the monistic theory of liberation (merging
with the Supreme). He works very hard day and night
exactly like a merchant who enters a forest to acquire some
articles to sell later for profit. However, he cannot really
achieve happiness within this material world.
PURPORT
One can very easily understand how difficult and

insurmountable the path of sense gratification is. Not knowing
what the path of sense gratification is, one becomes implicated
in the repetition of birth and accepts different types of bodies
again and again. Thus one suffers in material existence. In this
life one may think that he is very happy being an American,
Indian, Englishman or German, but in the next life one has to
accept another body among 8,400,000 species. The next body
has to be immediately accepted according to karma. One will
be forced to accept a certain type of body, and protesting will
not help. That is the stringent law of nature. Due to the living
entity's ignorance of his eternal blissful life, he becomes
attracted to material activities under the spell of māyā. In this
world, he can never experience happiness, yet he works very
hard to do so. This is called māyā.

In the Thirteenth Chapter, by describing the forest of the
material world, Bharata puts the King on the horse of
detachment so that the King will cross over it. The last verse of
the previous chapter mentioned crossing over material life.
What is that path and what is the traveler on the path? This
chapter answers.
He sees the activities divided into tamas, rajas and sattva as

obligatory because of ignorance (ajayā) on the difficult to cross
path of pravṛtti-marga (adhvani). Sārthaḥ is well known as a
wealthy merchant. Medinī says sārtho vaṇika-samūhe syāt:
sārtha means a gathering of merchants. All the jīvas in the
world are like merchants, interested in material acquisition
(artha-paraḥ). The explanation of all these terms will be given
in the next chapter. However to make understanding easier,
some explanation is given here.
TEXT - SB 5.13.2
yasyām ime ṣaṇ nara-deva dasyavaḥ
sārthaṁ vilumpanti kunāyakaṁ balāt
gomāyavo yatra haranti sārthikaṁ
pramattam āviśya yathoraṇaṁ vṛkāḥ
SYNONYMS
yasyām—in which (in the forest of material existence); ime—

these; ṣaṭ—six; nara-deva—O King; dasyavaḥ—the
plunderers; sa-artham—the conditioned souls, who are
interested in false ideas; vilumpanti—plunder, regularly taking
away all the possessions; ku-nāyakam—who are always
misguided by so-called gurus, or spiritual masters; balāt—by
force; gomāyavaḥ—exactly like foxes; yatra—in which forest;
haranti—they take away; sa-arthikam—the conditioned soul
who is seeking material profits to maintain the body and soul;
pramattam—who is a crazy man not knowing his self-interest;
āviśya—entering the heart; yathā—just as; uraṇam—nicely
protected lambs; vṛkāḥ—the tigers.
TRANSLATION
O King Rahūgaṇa, in this forest of material existence there
are six very powerful plunderers. When the conditioned
soul enters the forest to acquire some material gain, the six
plunderers misguide him. Thus the conditioned merchant
does not know how to spend his money, and it is taken away
by these plunderers. Like tigers, jackals and other ferocious
animals in a forest that are ready to take away a lamb from
the custody of its protector, the wife and children enter the
heart of the merchant and plunder him in so many ways.
PURPORT
In the forest there are many plunderers, dacoits, jackals and

tigers. The jackals are compared to one's wife and children. In
the dead of night, jackals cry very loudly, and similarly one's
wife and children in this material world also cry like jackals.
The children say, "Father, this is wanted; give me this. I am
your dear son." Or the wife says, "I am your dear wife. Please
give me this. This is now needed." In this way one is plundered
by the thieves in the forest. Not knowing the aim of human life,
one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Viṣṇu (na
te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]). Everyone works
very hard to earn money, but no one knows that his real self-
interest is in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Instead of spending money for advancing the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement, one spends his hard-earned money
on clubs, brothels, liquor, slaughterhouses and so forth. Due to
sinful activities, one becomes implicated in the process of
transmigration and thus has to accept one body after another.
Being thus absorbed in a distressed condition, one never attains
happiness.
The plunderers are the senses. They plunder wealth from the
jīva whose intelligence is like a bad chariot driver (ku-
nāyakam), though the wealth is actually meant for serving the
Lord, but is used for his enjoyment. Wife and sons who are like
jackals plunder the merchant who is inattentive to spiritual
goals (pramattam) and possesses a treasure of food and
clothing. Āviśya means “they enter his heart which is like a
house.” Uraṇam means sheep.
TEXT - SB 5.13.3
prabhūta-vīrut-tṛṇa-gulma-gahvare
kaṭhora-daṁśair maśakair upadrutaḥ
kvacit tu gandharva-puraṁ prapaśyati
kvacit kvacic cāśu-rayolmuka-graham
SYNONYMS
prabhūta—a very large number; vīrut—of creepers; tṛṇa—of

varieties of grass; gulma—of thickets; gahvare—in bowers;
kaṭhora—cruel; daṁśaiḥ—by bites; maśakaiḥ—by
mosquitoes; upadrutaḥ—disturbed; kvacit—sometimes; tu—
but; gandharva-puram—a false palace created by the
Gandharvas; prapaśyati—be sees; kvacit—and sometimes;
kvacit—sometimes; ca—and; āśu-raya—very quickly; ulmuka
—like a meteor; graham—a fiend.
TRANSLATION
In this forest there are dense bowers composed of thickets
of bushes, grass and creepers. In these bowers the
conditioned soul is always disturbed by cruelly biting
mosquitoes [envious people]. Sometimes he sees an
imaginary palace in the forest, and sometimes he is
bewildered by seeing a fleeting fiend or ghost, which
appears like a meteor in the sky.
PURPORT
The material household is actually a hole of fruitive activity. To

earn a livelihood one engages in different industries and trades,
and sometimes one performs great sacrifices to go to higher
planetary systems. Apart from this, at least everyone is engaged
in earning a livelihood in some profession or occupation. In
these dealings, one has to meet many undesirable people, and
their behavior is compared to the biting of mosquitoes. This
creates very undesirable conditions. Even in the midst of these
disturbances, one imagines that he is going to construct a grand
house and live there permanently, although he knows that he
cannot. Gold is compared to a quickly fleeting fiend, which
appears like a meteor in the sky. It displays itself for a moment
and is then gone. Generally karmīs are attracted to gold or
money, but these are compared herein to ghosts and witches.
In his house, like a bower, abundant in material actions like

dense shrubs, he is disturbed by evil men who are like
mosquitoes. The body and house are temporary like the city in
the sky. He sees the city in the sky as if were real and
permanent (prapaśyati). Sometimes he sees piśācas who take
the form of firebrands and move quickly in the sky. This refers
to seeing gold which he regards as valuable.
TEXT - SB 5.13.4
nivāsa-toya-draviṇātma-buddhis
tatas tato dhāvati bho aṭavyām

kvacic ca vātyotthita-pāṁsu-dhūmrā
diśo na jānāti rajas-valākṣaḥ
SYNONYMS
nivāsa—residential place; toya—water; draviṇa—wealth;

ātma-buddhiḥ—who considers these material things the ātma,
or self; tataḥ tataḥ—here and there; dhāvati—he runs; bhoḥ—
O King; aṭavyām—on that forest path of material existence;
kvacit ca—and sometimes; vātyā—by the whirlwind; utthita—
raised; pāṁsu—by dust; dhūmrāḥ—appear smoke-colored;
diśaḥ—the directions; na—not; jānāti—knows; rajaḥ-vala-
akṣaḥ—whose eyes are covered by the dust of the wind or who
is captivated by his wife during her menstrual period.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, the merchant on the forest path of the
material world, his intelligence victimized by home, wealth,
relatives and so forth, runs from one place to another in
search of success. Sometimes his eyes are covered by the
dust of a whirlwind—that is to say, in his lust he is
captivated by the beauty of his wife, especially during her
menstrual period. Thus his eyes are blinded, and he cannot
see where to go or what he is doing.
PURPORT
It is said that household attraction resides in the wife because

sex is the center of household life: yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-
sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. A materialistic person, making
his wife the center of attraction, works very hard day and night.
His only enjoyment in material life is sexual intercourse.
Therefore karmīs are attracted to women as friends or wives.
Indeed, they cannot work without sex. Under the circumstances
the wife is compared to a whirlwind, especially during her
menstrual period. Those who strictly follow the rules and
regulations of householder life engage in sex only once a
month, at the end of the menstrual period. As one looks
forward to this opportunity, his eyes are overwhelmed by the
beauty of his wife. Thus it is said that the whirlwind covers the
eyes with dust. Such a lusty person does not know that all his
material activities are being observed by different demigods,
especially the sun-god, and are being recorded for the karma of
one's next body. Astrological calculations are called jyoti-
śāstra. Because the jyoti, or effulgence, in the material world
comes from the different stars and planets, the science is called
jyoti-śāstra, the science of the luminaries. By the calculations
of jyoti, our future is indicated. In other words, all the
luminaries—the stars, sun and moon—witness the activities of
the conditioned soul. Thus he is awarded a particular type of
body. A lusty, person whose eyes are covered by the dust of the
whirlwind or material existence does not at all consider that his
activities are being observed by different stars and planets and
are being recorded. Not knowing this, the conditioned soul
commits all kinds of sinful activities for the satisfaction of his
lusty desires.

Thinking that house and wealth are his, he runs here and there
(tataḥ tataḥ). He becomes covered by the impulses of lust
because of a woman. This is comparable to being covered by
dirt raised by a whirlwind. His eyes blinded by lust, he does not
know that the devatās of the directions are witness to his
actions.
TEXT - SB 5.13.5
adṛśya-jhillī-svana-karṇa-śūla
ulūka-vāgbhir vyathitāntarātmā
apuṇya-vṛkṣān śrayate kṣudhārdito
marīci-toyāny abhidhāvati kvacit
SYNONYMS
adṛśya—invisible; jhillī—of crickets or a kind of bee; svana—

by the sounds; karṇa-śūla—whose ears are disturbed; ulūka—
of the owls; vāgbhiḥ—by sound vibrations; vyathita—very
disturbed; antaḥ-ātmā—whose mind and heart; apuṇya-vṛkṣān
—impious trees that have no fruits or flowers; śrayate—he
takes shelter of; kṣudha—from hunger; arditaḥ—suffering;
marīci-toyāni—the waters of a mirage in the desert;
abhidhāvati—he runs after; kvacit—sometimes.
TRANSLATION
Wandering in the forest of the material world, the
conditioned soul sometimes hears an invisible cricket
making harsh sounds, and his ears become very much
aggrieved. Sometimes his heart is pained by the sounds of
owls, which are just like the harsh words of his enemies.
Sometimes he takes shelter of a tree that has no fruits or
flowers. He approaches such a tree due to his strong
appetite, and thus he suffers. He would like to acquire
water, but he is simply illusioned by a mirage, and he runs
after it.
PURPORT
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that the Bhāgavata philosophy

is meant for people who are completely free from envy
(paramo nirmatsarāṇām [SB 1.1.2]). The material world is full
of envious people. Even within one's inner circle there is much
backbiting, and this is compared to the sound vibration of a
cricket in the forest. One cannot see the cricket, but one hears
its sounds and thus becomes aggrieved. When one takes to
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one always hears unpalatable words from
relatives. This is the nature of the world; one cannot avoid
mental distress due to the backbiting of envious people. Being
very much aggrieved, sometimes one goes to a sinful person for
help, but he has no means to help because he has no
intelligence. Thus the living entity is disappointed. This is like
running after a mirage in the desert in an effort to find water.
Such activities do not produce any tangible results. Due to
being directed by the illusory energy, a conditioned soul suffers
in so many ways.
His ears are pierced by the sharp language of detested speakers

he does not see. This is like the sound of crickets. His mind is
afflicted by words of detested speakers he can see, who are like
owls. He goes to sinful people, who are like impious trees, to
beg. Even the shade or shelter of such persons is a cause of sin.
Sometimes he begs from uncharitable persons who give
nothing. They are like mirages of water.
TEXT - SB 5.13.6
kvacid vitoyāḥ sarito 'bhiyāti
parasparaṁ cālaṣate nirandhaḥ
āsādya dāvaṁ kvacid agni-tapto
nirvidyate kva ca yakṣair hṛtāsuḥ
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; vitoyāḥ—without depth to the water;

saritaḥ—rivers; abhiyāti—he goes to bathe or jumps into;
parasparam—one another; ca—and; ālaṣate—desires;
nirandhaḥ—being with no stock of food; āsādya—
experiencing; dāvam—a forest fire in family life; kvacit—
sometimes; agni-taptaḥ—burned by fire; nirvidyate—is
despondent; kva—somewhere; ca—and; yakṣaiḥ—by kings
resembling rogues and thieves; hṛta—taken away; asuḥ—
wealth. which is as dear as one's life.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul jumps into a shallow river,
or being short of food grains, he goes to beg food from
people who are not at all charitable. Sometimes he suffers
from the burning heat of household life, which is like a
forest fire, and sometimes he becomes sad to have his
wealth, which is as dear as life, plundered by kings in the
name of heavy income taxes.
PURPORT
When one is hot due to the scorching sun, one sometimes

jumps into a river to gain relief. However, if the river is almost
dried up and the water is too shallow, one may break his bones
by jumping in. The conditioned soul is always experiencing
miserable conditions. Sometimes his efforts to get help from
friends are exactly like jumping into a dry river. By such
actions, he does not derive any benefit. He only breaks his
bones. Sometimes, suffering from a shortage of food, one may
go to a person who is neither able to give charity nor willing to
do so. Sometimes one is stationed in household life, which is
compared to a forest fire (saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka ).
When a man is heavily taxed by the government, he becomes
very sad. Heavy taxation obliges one to hide his income, but
despite this endeavor the government agents are often so
vigilant and strong that they take all the money anyway, and the
conditioned soul becomes very aggrieved.
Thus people are trying to become happy within the material
world, but this is like trying to be happy in a forest fire. No one
need go to a forest to set it ablaze: fire takes place
automatically. Similarly, no one wants to be unhappy in family
life or worldly life, but by the laws of nature unhappiness and
distress are forced upon everyone. To become dependent on
another's maintenance is very degrading; therefore, according
to the Vedic system, everyone should live independently. Only
the śūdras are unable to live independently. They are obliged to
serve someone for maintenance. It is said in the śāstras: kalau
śūdra-sambhavāḥ. In this age of Kali, everyone is dependent on
another's mercy for the maintenance of the body; therefore
everyone is classified as a śūdra. In the Twelfth Canto of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that in Kali-yuga the government
will levy taxes without reciprocally benefiting the citizens.
Anāvṛṣṭyā vinaṅkṣyanti durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ [SB 12.2.9]. In
this age there will also be a shortage of rain; therefore a scarcity
of food will arise, and the citizens will be very much harassed
by government taxation. In this way the citizens will abandon
their attempts to lead a peaceful life and will leave their homes
and hearths and go to the forest in sheer disappointment.
He becomes immediately unhappy by breaking his limbs when

he jumps into a waterless river, but gets no water. This means
he goes to atheists who give misery in this and the next world.
Instead of nirandhaḥ sometimes nirannaḥ is found. It has the
same meaning—without food. Without food, he desires
(ālaṣate) it from others. He comes to a house which gives
suffering like a forest fire. He becomes despondent, burned by
the fire of lamentation. He whose wealth, dear like life, has
been stolen by kings who are like Yakṣas and Rākṣasas,
becomes despondent thinking, “How unfortunate I am without
wealth!”
TEXT - SB 5.13.7
śūrair hṛta-svaḥ kva ca nirviṇṇa-cetāḥ
śocan vimuhyann upayāti kaśmalam
kvacic ca gandharva-puraṁ praviṣṭaḥ
pramodate nirvṛtavan muhūrtam
SYNONYMS
śūraiḥ—by very powerful enemies; hṛta-svaḥ—all of whose

possessions have been stolen; kva ca—sometimes; nirviṇṇa-
cetāḥ—very morose and aggrieved at heart; śocan—deeply
lamenting; vimuhyan—becoming bewildered; upayāti—
achieves; kaśmalam—unconsciousness; kvacit—sometimes; ca
—also; gandharva-puram—an imaginary city in the forest;
praviṣṭaḥ—having entered; pramodate—he enjoys; nirvṛta-vat
—exactly like a person who has achieved success; muhūrtam—
for a moment only.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, being defeated or plundered by a superior,
powerful agent, a living entity loses all his possessions. He
then becomes very morose, and lamenting their loss, he
sometimes becomes unconscious. Sometimes he imagines a
great palatial city in which he desires to live happily with
his family members and riches. He thinks himself fully
satisfied if this is possible, but such so-called happiness
continues only for a moment.
PURPORT
The word gandharva-puram is very significant in this verse.

Sometimes in the forest a very big castle appears, and this is
called a castle in the air. Actually this castle does not exist
anywhere but in one's imagination. This is called gandharva-
pura. In the material forest, the conditioned soul sometimes
contemplates great castles and skyscrapers, and he wastes his
energy for such things, hoping to live in them very peacefully
with his family forever. However, the laws of nature do not
allow this. When he enters such castles, he temporarily thinks
that he is very happy, even though his happiness is
impermanent. His happiness may last for a few years, but
because the owner of the castle has to leave the castle at the
time of death, everything is eventually lost. This is the way of
worldly transactions. Such happiness is described by Vidyāpati
as the happiness one derives upon seeing a drop of water in the
desert. The desert is heated by scorching sunshine, and if we
want to reduce the desert temperature, we need huge amounts
of water—millions and millions of gallons. What effect will
one drop have? Water certainly has value, but one drop of
water cannot reduce the heat of the desert. In this material
world everyone is ambitious, but the heat is very scorching.
What will an imaginary castle in the air do to help? Śrīla
Vidyāpati has therefore sung: tāṭala saikate, vāri-bindu-sama,
suta-mita-ramaṇi-samāje. The happiness of family life, friends
and society is compared to a drop of water in the scorching
desert. The entire material world is busy trying to attain
happiness because happiness is the prerogative of the living
being. Unfortunately, due to falling in contact with the material
world, the living entity simply struggles for existence. Even if
one becomes happy for a while, a very powerful enemy may
plunder everything. There are many instances in which big
businessmen suddenly become paupers in the street. Yet the
nature of material existence is such that foolish people are
attracted to these transactions and they forget the real business
of self-realization.
Having his desires fulfilled in terms of sons, wife, wealth and

power, is like entering an imaginary Gandharva city.
TEXT - SB 5.13.8
calan kvacit kaṇṭaka-śarkarāṅghrir
nagārurukṣur vimanā ivāste
pade pade 'bhyantara-vahninārditaḥ
kauṭumbikaḥ krudhyati vai janāya

SYNONYMS
calan—wandering; kvacit—sometimes; kaṇṭaka-śarkara—

pierced by thorns and small stones; aṅghriḥ—whose feet; naga
—the hills; ārurukṣuḥ—one desiring to climb; vimanāḥ—
disappointed; iva—like; āste—becomes; pade pade—step by
step; abhyantara—within the abdomen; vahninā—by the
strong fire of appetite; arditaḥ—being fatigued and aggrieved;
kauṭumbikaḥ—a person living with his family members;
krudhyati—becomes angry; vai—certainly; janāya—at the
family members.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the merchant in the forest wants to climb the
hills and mountains, but due to insufficient footwear, his
feet are pricked by small stone fragments and by thorns on
the mountain. Being pricked by them, he becomes very
aggrieved. Sometimes a person who is very attached to his
family becomes overwhelmed with hunger, and due to his
miserable condition he becomes furious with his family
members.
PURPORT
The ambitious conditioned soul wants to be very happy in this

material world with his family, but he is compared to a traveler
in the forest who desires to climb a hill full of thorns and small
stones. As stated in the previous verse, the happiness derived
from society, friendship and love is like a drop of water in the
scorching heat of the desert. One may want to become very
great and powerful in society, but this is like attempting to
climb a hill full of thorns. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
compares one's family to high mountains. Becoming happy in
their association is like a hungry man's endeavoring to climb a
mountain full of thorns. Almost 99.9 percent of the population
is unhappy in family life, despite all the attempts being made to
satisfy the family members. In the Western countries, due to the
dissatisfaction of the family members, there is actually no
family life. There are many cases of divorce, and out of
dissatisfaction, the children leave the protection of their
parents. Especially in this age of Kali, family life is being
reduced. Everyone is becoming self-centered because that is the
law of nature. Even if one has sufficient money to maintain a
family, the situation is such that no one is happy in family life.
Consequently according to the varṇāśrama institution, one has
to retire from family life in middle age: pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ
vrajet. One should voluntarily retire from family life at the age
of fifty and go to Vṛndāvana or a forest. This is recommended
by Śrīla Prahlāda Mahārāja (SB 7.5.5):
tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ

sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt
hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ
vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta
There is no benefit in transferring from one forest to another.

One must go to the Vṛndāvana forest and take shelter of
Govinda. That will make one happy. The International Society
for Krishna Consciousness is therefore constructing a Kṛṣṇa-
Balarāma temple to invite its members as well as outsiders to
come and live peacefully in a spiritual atmosphere. That will
help one become elevated to the transcendental world and
return home, back to Godhead. Another sentence in this verse is
very significant: kauṭumbikaḥ krudhyati vai janāya. When
one's mind is disturbed in so many ways, he satisfies himself by
becoming angry with his poor wife and children. The wife and
children are naturally dependent on the father, but the father,
being unable to maintain the family properly, becomes
mentally distressed and therefore chastises the family members
unnecessarily. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.2.9):
ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā yāsyanti giri-kānanam. Being disgusted
with family life, one separates from the family by divorce or
some other means. If one has to separate, why not separate
willingly? Systematic separation is better than forced
separation. Forced separation cannot make anyone happy, but
by mutual consent or by the Vedic arrangement one must
separate from his family affairs at a certain age and fully
depend on Kṛṣṇa. This makes one's life successful.
“Desiring to climb a high mountain” means “desiring fame by

marrying his daughters and sons.” Desiring to do this, he
becomes depressed, thinking, “How can I accomplish this?”
His feet become cut by thorns because he has no shoes. This
indicates that he becomes defeated by obstacles because he has
no assistance. The fire within is the fire of digestion.
TEXT - SB 5.13.9
kvacin nigīrṇo 'jagarāhinā jano
nāvaiti kiñcid vipine 'paviddhaḥ
daṣṭaḥ sma śete kva ca danda-śūkair
andho 'ndha-kūpe patitas tamisre
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; nigīrṇaḥ—being swallowed; ajagara-

ahinā—by the great snake known as the python; janaḥ—the
conditioned soul; na—not; avaiti—understands; kiñcit—
anything; vipine—in the forest; apaviddhaḥ—pierced by
arrows of suffering; daṣṭaḥ—being bitten; sma—indeed; śete—
lies down; kva ca—sometimes; danda-śūkaiḥ—by other kinds
of snakes; andhaḥ—blind; andha-kūpe—in a blind well;
patitaḥ—fallen; tamisre—in a hellish condition of life.
TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul in the material forest is sometimes
swallowed by a python or crushed. At such a time he is left
lying in the forest like a dead person, devoid of
consciousness and knowledge. Sometimes other poisonous
snakes bite him. Being blind to his consciousness, he falls
down into a dark well of hellish life with no hope of being
rescued.
PURPORT
When one becomes unconscious due to being bitten by a snake,
one cannot understand what is taking place outside the body.
This unconscious condition is the condition of deep sleep.
Similarly, the conditioned soul is actually sleeping on the lap of
the illusory energy. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kota nidrā
yāo māyā-piśācīra kole: "O living entity, how long will you
sleep in this condition on the lap of the illusory energy?"
People do not understand that they are actually sleeping in this
material world, being devoid of knowledge of spiritual life.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says:
enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāra lāgi'

hari-nāma-mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi'
"I have brought medicine to awaken every living being from

perpetual sleep. Please receive the holy name of the Lord, the
Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and awaken." The Kaṭha Upaniṣad
(1.3.14) also says, uttiṣṭha jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata: "O
living entity, you are sleeping in this material world. Please get
up and take advantage of your human form of life." The
sleeping condition means loss of all knowledge. In Bhagavad-
gītā (2.69) it is also said, yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ
jāgarti saṁyamī: "What is night for all beings is the time of
awakening for the self-controlled." Even in the higher planets,
everyone is under the spell of the illusory energy. No one is
really interested in the real values of life. The sleeping
condition, called kāla-sarpa (the time factor), keeps the
conditioned soul in a state of ignorance, and therefore pure
consciousness is lost. In the forest there are many blind wells,
and if one falls down in one there is no chance of being
rescued. In a state of sleep, one remains perpetually bitten by
some animals, especially snakes.
“Swallowed by a python” means he goes to sleep. Not woken

up by friends (apaviddhaḥ) he is afflicted by evil persons like
snakes. Blind, without discrimination, he falls into illusion, like
a blind well, covered by darkness—filled by misery.
TEXT - SB 5.13.10
karhi sma cit kṣudra-rasān vicinvaṁs
tan-makṣikābhir vyathito vimānaḥ
tatrāti-kṛcchrāt pratilabdhamāno
balād vilumpanty atha taṁ tato 'nye
SYNONYMS
karhi sma cit—sometimes; kṣudra—very insignificant; rasān—

sexual enjoyment; vicinvan—searching for; tat—of those
women; makṣikābhiḥ—by honeybees, or the husbands or
family members; vyathitaḥ—very much aggrieved; vimānaḥ—
insulted; tatra—in that; ati—very much; kṛcchrāt—with
difficulty because of spending money; pratilabdhamānaḥ—
obtaining sexual enjoyment; balāt—by force; vilumpanti—
kidnapped; atha—thereafter; tam—the object of sense
enjoyment (the woman); tataḥ—from him; anye—another
debauchee.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, in order to have a little insignificant sex
enjoyment, one searches after debauched women. In this
attempt, one is insulted and chastised by the women's
kinsmen. This is like going to take honey from a beehive
and being attacked by the bees. Sometimes, after spending
lots of money, one may acquire another woman for some
extra sense enjoyment. Unfortunately, the object of sense
enjoyment, the woman, is taken away or kidnapped by
another debauchee.
PURPORT
In a great forest, honeycombs are very important. People often

go there to collect honey from the combs, and sometimes the
bees attack and punish them. In human society, those who are
not Kṛṣṇa conscious remain in the forest of material life simply
for the honey of sex life. Such debauchees are not at all
satisfied with one wife. They want many women. Day after
day, with great difficulty, they try to secure such women, and
sometimes, while trying to taste this kind of honey, one is
attacked by a woman's kinsmen and chastised very heavily. By
bribing others, one may secure another woman for enjoyment,
yet another debauchee may kidnap her or offer her something
better. This woman hunting is going on in the forest of the
material world, sometimes legally, and sometimes illegally.
Consequently in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement the
devotees are forbidden to have illicit sex. Thus they avoid so
many difficulties. One should remain satisfied with one
woman, being duly married. One can satisfy one's lusty desires
with his wife without creating disturbances in society and being
punished for doing so.
The insignificant honey is another person’s wife. He suffers,

disgraced by the husband and brothers, like bees biting. If by
great effort, by spending a lot of money he obtains the woman,
and enjoys her, someone else steals her. Then again he spends
money to get a woman, and someone steals her.
TEXT - SB 5.13.11
kvacic ca śītātapa-vāta-varṣa-
pratikriyāṁ kartum anīśa āste
kvacin mitho vipaṇan yac ca kiñcid
vidveṣam ṛcchaty uta vitta-śāṭhyāt
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; ca—also; śīta-ātapa-vāta-varṣa—of

freezing cold, scorching heat, strong wind and excessive
rainfall; pratikriyām—counteraction; kartum—to do; anīśaḥ—
being unable; āste—remains in misery; kvacit—sometimes;
mithaḥ—one another; vipaṇan—selling; yat ca—whatever;
kiñcit—a little bit; vidveṣam—mutual enmity; ṛcchati—obtain;
uta—it is so said; vitta-śāṭhyāt—because of cheating one
another merely for money.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the living entity is busy counteracting the
natural disturbances of freezing cold, scorching heat, strong
wind, excessive rainfall and so forth. When he is unable to
do so, he becomes very unhappy. Sometimes he is cheated in
business transactions one after another. In this way, by
cheating, living entities create enmity among themselves.
PURPORT
This is an example of the struggle for existence, the attempt to

counteract the onslaught of material nature. This creates enmity
in society, and consequently society is filled with envious
people. One person is envious of another, and this is the way of
the material world. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement aims at
creating an atmosphere of non-envy. Of course it is not possible
for everyone to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, but the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement can create an exemplary society
wherein there is no envy.
While buying and selling, because of cheating for money, he

develops enemies.
TEXT - SB 5.13.12
kvacit kvacit kṣīṇa-dhanas tu tasmin
śayyāsana-sthāna-vihāra-hīnaḥ
yācan parād apratilabdha-kāmaḥ
pārakya-dṛṣṭir labhate 'vamānam
SYNONYMS
kvacit kvacit—sometimes; kṣīṇa-dhanaḥ—becoming bereft of

all riches; tu—but; tasmin—in that forest; śayyā—of bedding
for lying down; āsana—of a sitting place; sthāna—of a
residential house; vihāra—of enjoyment with a family; hīnaḥ—
being bereft; yācan—begging; parāt—from others (friends and
relatives); apratilabdha-kāmaḥ—not getting his desires
fulfilled; pārakya-dṛṣṭiḥ—becomes greedy for the wealth of
others; labhate—he obtains; avamānam—dishonor.
TRANSLATION
On the forest path of material existence, sometimes a
person is without wealth and due to this does not have a
proper home, bed or sitting place, nor proper family
enjoyment. He therefore goes to beg money from others,
but when his desires are not fulfilled by begging, he wants
to borrow or steal the property of others. Thus he is
insulted in society.
PURPORT
The principles of beg, borrow or steal are very appropriate in

this material world. When one is in want, he begs, borrows or
steals. If begging is unsuccessful, he borrows. If he cannot pay,
he steals, and when he is caught, he is insulted. This is the law
of material existence. No one can live here very honestly;
therefore by trickery, cheating, begging, borrowing or stealing,
one tries to satisfy his senses. Thus no one in this material
world is living peacefully.
Because he does not get enough from begging from others, he

desires (dṛṣṭiḥ) others’ wealth and is consequently disrespected.
TEXT - SB 5.13.13
anyonya-vitta-vyatiṣaṅga-vṛddha-
vairānubandho vivahan mithaś ca
adhvany amuṣminn uru-kṛcchra-vitta-
bādhopasargair viharan vipannaḥ
SYNONYMS
anyonya—with one another; vitta-vyatiṣaṅga—by monetary
transactions; vṛddha—increased; vaira-anubandhaḥ—one is
encumbered by enmity; vivahan—sometimes marrying; mithaḥ
—one another; ca—and; adhvani—on the path of material
existence; amuṣmin—that; uru-kṛcchra—by great difficulties;
vitta-bādha—by scarcity of money; upasargaiḥ—by diseases;
viharan—wandering; vipannaḥ—one becomes fully
embarrassed.
TRANSLATION
Due to monetary transactions, relationships become very
strained and end in enmity. Sometimes the husband and
wife walk on the path of material progress, and to maintain
their relationship they work very hard. Sometimes due to
scarcity of money or due to diseased conditions, they are
embarrassed and almost die.
PURPORT
In this material world, there are many transactions between

peoples and societies as well as between nations, but gradually
these end in enmity between the two parties. Similarly, in the
marriage relationship, monetary transactions are sometimes
overpowered by the dangerous conditions of material life. One
then becomes diseased or monetarily embarrassed. In the
modern age most countries have developed economically, but
due to business exchanges, relationships seem to be strained.
Finally wars are declared between nations, and as a result of
these upheavals there is destruction all over the world, and
people suffer heavily.
He gains increased enmity with others by transactions for

wealth in which each party desires to gain. But still he marries
amongst such persons. Wandering on the path of material
existence, he almost dies because of great suffering, loss of
money, and sickness.
TEXT - SB 5.13.14
tāṁs tān vipannān sa hi tatra tatra
vihāya jātaṁ parigṛhya sārthaḥ
āvartate 'dyāpi na kaścid atra
vīrādhvanaḥ pāram upaiti yogam
SYNONYMS
tān tān—all of them; vipannān—embarrassed in various ways;

saḥ—the living being; hi—certainly; tatra tatra—here and
there; vihāya—giving up; jātam—those who are newly born;
parigṛhya—taking; sa-arthaḥ—the living being searching for
his own interest; āvartate—wanders in this forest; adya api—
even until now; na—not; kaścit—any of them; atra—here in
this forest; vīra—O hero; adhvanaḥ—of the path of material
life; pāram—the ultimate end; upaiti—gets; yogam—the
process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, on the forest path of material life, first a
person is bereft of his father and mother, and after their
death he becomes attached to his newly born children. In
this way he wanders on the path of material progress and is
eventually embarrassed. Nonetheless, no one knows how to
get out of this, even up to the moment of death.
PURPORT
In this material world, family life is an institution of sex. Yan

maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukham (SB 7.9.45). Through sex, the
father and mother beget children, and the children get married
and go down the same path of sexual life. After the death of the
father and mother, the children get married and beget their own
children. Thus generation after generation these things go on in
the same way without anyone's attaining liberation from the
embarrassment of material life. No one accepts the spiritual
processes of knowledge and renunciation, which end in bhakti-
yoga. Actually human life is meant for jñāna and vairāgya,
knowledge and renunciation. Through these one can attain the
platform of devotional service. Unfortunately people in this age
avoid the association of liberated people (sādhu-saṅga [Cc.
Madhya 22.83]) and continue in their stereotyped way of
family life. Thus they are embarrassed by the exchange of
money and sex.
Giving up the dead (vipannān), he accepts those who are born.

He wanders about, but until today does not go towards the
Lord. No one among the merchants attains the method of
crossing the forest-- bhakti or jñāna.
TEXT - SB 5.13.15
manasvino nirjita-dig-gajendrā
mameti sarve bhuvi baddha-vairāḥ
mṛdhe śayīran na tu tad vrajanti
yan nyasta-daṇḍo gata-vairo 'bhiyāti
SYNONYMS
manasvinaḥ—very great heroes (mental speculators); nirjita-

dik-gajendrāḥ—who have conquered many other heroes as
powerful as elephants; mama—my (my land, my country, my
family, my community, my religion); iti—thus; sarve—all
(great political, social and religious leaders); bhuvi—in this
world; baddha-vairāḥ—who have created enmity among
themselves; mṛdhe—in battle; śayīran—fall dead on the
ground; na—not; tu—but; tat—the abode of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; vrajanti—approach; yat—which;
nyasta-daṇḍaḥ—a sannyāsī; gata-vairaḥ—who has no enmity
throughout the whole world; abhiyāti—attains that perfection.
TRANSLATION
There were and are many political and social heroes who
have conquered enemies of equal power, yet due to their
ignorance in believing that the land is theirs, they fight one
another and lay down their lives in battle. They are not able
to take up the spiritual path accepted by those in the
renounced order. Although they are big heroes and political
leaders, they cannot take to the path of spiritual realization.
PURPORT
Big political leaders might be able to conquer equally powerful

political enemies, but unfortunately they cannot subdue their
strong senses, the enemies that always accompany them. Not
being able to conquer these nearby enemies, they simply try to
conquer other enemies, and ultimately they die in the struggle
for existence. They do not take to the path of spiritual
realization or become sannyāsīs. Sometimes these big leaders
take up the guise of a sannyāsī and call themselves mahātmās,
but their only business is conquering their political enemies.
Because they spoil their lives with the illusion of "this is my
land and my family," they cannot progress spiritually and attain
liberation from the clutches of māyā.
Great warriors conquer even the elephants of the directions

situated far away, but they cannot conquer the eleven senses,
which are close enemies. This is their courage, but it is not
spiritual. Thinking in terms of “mine,” they all die on the
battlefield. Spiritual courage is then described. Real courage is
having no enmity and giving up all material attachments.
TEXT - SB 5.13.16
prasajjati kvāpi latā-bhujāśrayas
tad-āśrayāvyakta-pada-dvija-spṛhaḥ
kvacit kadācid dhari-cakratas trasan
sakhyaṁ vidhatte baka-kaṅka-gṛdhraiḥ
SYNONYMS
prasajjati—becomes more and more attached; kvāpi—

sometimes; latā-bhuja-āśrayaḥ—who takes shelter of the soft
arms of his beautiful wife which are like creepers; tat-āśraya—
who are sheltered by such creepers; avyakta-pada—who sing
unclear songs; dvija-spṛhaḥ—desiring to hear birds; kvacit—
sometimes; kadācit—somewhere; hari-cakrataḥ trasan—being
afraid of the roaring sound of a lion; sakhyam—friendship;
vidhatte—makes; baka-kaṅka-gṛdhraiḥ—with cranes, herons
and vultures.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the living entity in the forest of material
existence takes shelter of creepers and desires to hear the
chirping of the birds in those creepers. Being afraid of
roaring lions in the forest, he makes friends with cranes,
herons and vultures.
PURPORT
In the forest of the material world there are many animals and
birds, trees and creepers. Sometimes the living entity wants to
take shelter of the creepers; in other words, he wants to be
happy by being embraced by the creeperlike arms of his wife.
Within the creepers there are many chirping birds; this
indicates that he wants to satisfy himself by hearing the sweet
voice of his wife. In old age, however, he sometimes becomes
afraid of imminent death, which is compared to a roaring lion.
To save himself from the lion's attack, he takes shelter of some
bogus svāmīs, yogīs, incarnations, pretenders and cheaters.
Being misled by the illusory energy in this way, he spoils his
life. It is said, hariṁ vinā mṛtiṁ na taranti: no one can be saved
from the imminent danger of death without taking shelter of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word hari indicates the
lion as well as the Supreme Lord. To be saved from the hands
of Hari, the lion of death, one must take shelter of the supreme
Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. People with a poor
fund of knowledge take shelter of nondevotee cheaters and
pretenders in order to be saved from the clutches of death. In
the forest of the material world, the living entity first of all
wants to be very happy by taking shelter of the creeperlike
arms of his wife and hearing her sweet voice. Later, he
sometimes takes shelter of so-called gurus and sādhus who are
like crane, herons and vultures. Thus he is cheated both ways
by not taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.
Again the forest of material life is described. He takes shelter of

the happiness of touch of the arms of women, like creepers. He
desires to hear the birds which cannot be heard because they
are sleeping in the creepers. This refers to the inaudible words
of the woman while embracing the man. Dvija also refers to the
children born from the man and woman. He desires to see and
touch them.
Pretenders say “How will you become free of material life?”

Hearing these words by chance, he becomes afraid of the wheel
of time, which is like a group of lions. To alleviate his fear he
eagerly accepts the words of the cheaters. “Easily you can cross
the ocean of suffering.” He makes friends with the cheaters
who are like cranes. They are cheaters, unintelligent, and cruel.
TEXT - SB 5.13.17
tair vañcito haṁsa-kulaṁ samāviśann
arocayan śīlam upaiti vānarān
taj-jāti-rāsena sunirvṛtendriyaḥ
parasparodvīkṣaṇa-vismṛtāvadhiḥ
SYNONYMS
taiḥ—by them (the cheaters and pretenders, the so-called yogīs,

svāmīs, incarnations and gurus); vañcitaḥ—being cheated;
haṁsa-kulam—the association of great paramahaṁsas, or
devotees; samāviśan—contacting; arocayan—not being
satisfied with; śīlam—their behavior; upaiti—approaches;
vānarān—the monkeys, which are all debauchees with no good
character; tat-jāti-rāsena—by sense gratification in the
association of such debauchees; sunirvṛta-indriyaḥ—being
very satisfied with getting the opportunity of sense
gratification; paraspara—of one another; udvīkṣaṇa—by
seeing the faces; vismṛta—who has forgotten; avadhiḥ—the
end of life.
TRANSLATION
Being cheated by them, the living entity in the forest of the
material world tries to give up the association of these so-
called yogīs, svāmīs and incarnations and come to the
association of real devotees, but due to misfortune he
cannot follow the instructions of the spiritual master or
advanced devotees; therefore he gives up their company
and again returns to the association of monkeys who are
simply interested in sense gratification and women. He
derives satisfaction by associating with sense gratifiers and
enjoying sex and intoxication. In this way he spoils his life
simply by indulging in sex and intoxication. Looking into
the faces of other sense gratifiers, he becomes forgetful and
thus approaches death.
PURPORT
Sometimes a foolish person becomes disgusted with bad
association and comes to the association of devotees and
brāhmaṇas and takes initiation from a spiritual master. As
advised by the spiritual master, he tries to follow the regulative
principles, but due to misfortune he cannot follow the
instructions of the spiritual master. He therefore gives up the
company of devotees and goes to associate with simian people
who are simply interested in sex and intoxication. Those who
are so-called spiritualists are compared to monkeys. Outwardly,
monkeys sometimes resemble sādhus because they live naked
in the forest and pick fruits, but their only desire is to keep
many female monkeys and enjoy sex life. Sometimes so-called
spiritualists seeking a spiritual life come to associate with
Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees, but they cannot execute the
regulative principles or follow the path of spiritual life.
Consequently they leave the association of devotees and go to
associate with sense gratifiers, who are compared to monkeys.
Again they revive their sex and intoxication, and looking at one
another's faces, they are thus satisfied. In this way they pass
their lives up to the point of death.
Understanding that they give no results, he goes to a group of

brāhmaṇas, but is not satisfied with their rules for atonement
and taking the sacred thread again. Not satisfied, he goes to
some pretenders, almost śūdras, with fallen conduct. Satisfied
with unrestricted association with women, eating and drinking,
by looking at their faces he forgets that death is approaching.
TEXT - SB 5.13.18
drumeṣu raṁsyan suta-dāra-vatsalo
vyavāya-dīno vivaśaḥ sva-bandhane
kvacit pramādād giri-kandare patan
vallīṁ gṛhītvā gaja-bhīta āsthitaḥ
SYNONYMS
drumeṣu—in the trees (or in houses standing like trees in which

monkeys jump from one branch to another); raṁsyan—
enjoying; suta-dāra-vatsalaḥ—being attached to the children
and wife; vyavāya-dīnaḥ—who is poor-hearted because of
acting on the platform of sex desire; vivaśaḥ—unable to give
up; sva-bandhane—in bondage to the reactions of one's own
activities; kvacit—sometimes; pramādāt—from fear of
imminent death; giri-kandare—in a cave in a mountain; patan
—falling down; vallīm—the branches of a creeper; gṛhītvā—
capturing; gaja-bhītaḥ—being afraid of the elephant of death;
āsthitaḥ—remains in that position.
TRANSLATION
When the living entity becomes exactly like a monkey
jumping from one branch to another, he remains in the tree
of household life without any profit but sex. Thus he is
kicked by his wife just like the he-ass. Unable to gain
release, he remains helplessly in that position. Sometimes he
falls victim to an incurable disease, which is like falling into
a mountain cave. He becomes afraid of death, which is like
the elephant in the back of that cave, and he remains
stranded, grasping at the twigs and branches of a creeper.
PURPORT
The precarious condition of a householder's life is described

herein. A householder's life is full of misery, and the only
attraction is sex with the wife who kicks him during sexual
intercourse, just as the she-ass does her mate. Due to
continuous sex life, he falls victim to many incurable diseases.
At that time, being afraid of death, which is like an elephant, he
remains hanging from the twigs and branches of the tree, just
like a monkey.
He enjoys in the houses, places of pleasure. Desiring sex life,

he is kicked by the woman. He is bound up helplessly (sva-
bandhane) in that forest, and cannot escape. Another version
has caran vane (wandering in the forest). Becoming terribly
sick, like falling into a mountain cave, he fears death, compared
to an elephant. He remains alive by the support of his karmas,
like a vine holding him up.
TEXT - SB 5.13.19
ataḥ kathañcit sa vimukta āpadaḥ

punaś ca sārthaṁ praviśaty arindama
adhvany amuṣminn ajayā niveśito
bhramañ jano 'dyāpi na veda kaścana
SYNONYMS
ataḥ—from this; kathañcit—somehow; saḥ—he; vimuktaḥ—

liberated; āpadaḥ—from the danger; punaḥ ca—again; sa-
artham—taking interest in that life; praviśati—begins; arim-
dama—O King, killer of the enemies; adhvani—on the path of
enjoyment; amuṣmin—that; ajayā—by the influence of the
illusory energy; niveśitaḥ—being absorbed; bhraman—
traveling; janaḥ—the conditioned soul; adya api—even up to
death; na veda—does not understand; kaścana—anything.
TRANSLATION
O killer of enemies, Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa, if the conditioned
soul somehow or other gets out of his dangerous position, he
again returns to his home to enjoy sex life, for that is the
way of attachment. Thus, under the spell of the Lord's
material energy, he continues to loiter in the forest of
material existence. He does not discover his real interest
even at the point of death.
PURPORT
This is the way of material life. When one is captured by sexual

attraction, he becomes implicated in so many ways and cannot
understand the real aim of life. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(7.5.31) says, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: generally
people do not understand the ultimate goal of life. As stated in
the Vedas, oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti
sūrayaḥ: those who are spiritually advanced simply look to the
lotus feet of Viṣṇu. The conditioned soul, however, not being
interested in reviving his relationship with Viṣṇu, becomes
captivated by material activities and remains in everlasting
bondage, being misled by so-called leaders.
Again he enjoys pravṛtti-marga. He does not know the Supreme

Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.13.20
rahūgaṇa tvam api hy adhvano 'sya
sannyasta-daṇḍaḥ kṛta-bhūta-maitraḥ
asaj-jitātmā hari-sevayā śitaṁ
jñānāsim ādāya tarāti-pāram
SYNONYMS
rahūgaṇa—O King Rahūgaṇa; tvam—you; api—also; hi—

certainly; adhvanaḥ—of the path of material existence; asya—
this; sannyasta-daṇḍaḥ—having given up the king's rod for
punishing criminals; kṛta-bhūta-maitraḥ—having become
friendly to everyone; asat-jita-ātmā—whose mind is not
attracted to the material pleasure of life; hari-sevayā—by the
means of loving service to the Supreme Lord; śitam—
sharpened; jñāna-asim—the sword of knowledge; ādāya—
taking i n hand; tara—cross over; ati-pāram—to the ultimate
end of spiritual existence.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Rahūgaṇa, you are also a victim of the
external energy, being situated on the path of attraction to
material pleasure. So that you may become an equal friend
to all living entities, I now advise you to give up your kingly
position and the rod by which you punish criminals. Give
up attraction to the sense objects and take up the sword of
knowledge sharpened by devotional service. Then you will
be able to cut the hard knot of illusory energy and cross to
the other side of the ocean of nescience.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa compares the material world to a

tree of illusion from which one must cut oneself free:
na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate

nānto na cādir na ca sampratiṣṭhā
aśvattham enaṁ suvirūḍha-mūlam
asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā
tataḥ padaṁ tat parimārgitavyaṁ
yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ
tam eva cādyaṁ puruṣaṁ prapadye
yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī
"The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world.

No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where
its foundation is. But with determination, one must cut down
this tree with the weapon of detachment. So doing, one must
seek that place from which, having once gone, one never
returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of
Godhead from whom everything has begun and in whom
everything is abiding since time immemorial." (Bg. 15.3-4)
Tvam api is connected with the verb niveśitaḥ in the previous

sentence. Cross over this material ocean.
TEXT - SB 5.13.21
rājovāca
aho nṛ-janmākhila-janma-śobhanaṁ
kiṁ janmabhis tv aparair apy amuṣmin
na yad dhṛṣīkeśa-yaśaḥ-kṛtātmanāṁ
mahātmanāṁ vaḥ pracuraḥ samāgamaḥ

SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca—King Rahūgaṇa said; aho—alas; nṛ-janma—you

who have taken birth as a human being; akhila-janma-
śobhanam—the best of all species of life; kim—what need;
janmabhiḥ—with births in a higher species like the demigods
in the heavenly planets; tu—but; aparaiḥ—not superior; api—
indeed; amuṣmin—in the next birth; na—not; yat—which;
hṛṣīkeśa-yaśaḥ—by the glories of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of all senses; kṛta-ātmanām—of
those whose hearts are purified; mahā-ātmanām—who are
actually great souls; vaḥ—of us; pracuraḥ—abundant;
samāgamaḥ—the association.
TRANSLATION
King Rahūgaṇa said: This birth as a human being is the
best of all. Even birth among the demigods in the heavenly
planets is not as glorious as birth as a human being on this
earth. What is the use of the exalted position of a demigod?
In the heavenly planets, due to profuse material comforts,
there is no possibility of associating with devotees.
PURPORT
Human birth is a great opportunity for self-realization. One

may take birth in a high planetary system among the demigods,
but due to the profusion of material comforts, one cannot gain
release from material bondage. Even on this earth those who
are very opulent do not generally care to take to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. An intelligent person actually interested in
getting freed from the material clutches must associate with
pure devotees. By such association, one can gradually become
detached from the material attraction of money and women.
Money and women are the basic principles of material
attachment. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advised those
who are actually serious about returning back to Godhead to
give up money and women in order to be fit to enter the
kingdom of God. Money and women can be fully utilized in the
service of the Lord, and one who can utilize them in this way
can become freed from material bondage. Satāṁ prasaṅgān
mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB
3.25.25). Only in the association of devotees can one relish the
glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just
through a little association with a pure devotee, one can
become successful in his journey back to Godhead.
How have I suddenly become so fortunate? With astonishment

he wonders. Among all births, human life is splendid in this
astonishing world. There is nothing better in next life in Svarga.
What is the use of those births as devatās in which there is no
association with great devotees, whose souls, efforts,
intelligence, mind and bodies are made only of glorification of
the Lord who engages their senses?
TEXT - SB 5.13.22
na hy adbhutaṁ tvac-caraṇābja-reṇubhir
hatāṁhaso bhaktir adhokṣaje 'malā
mauhūrtikād yasya samāgamāc ca me
dustarka-mūlo 'pahato 'vivekaḥ
SYNONYMS
na—not; hi—certainly; adbhutam—wonderful; tvat-caraṇa-

abja-reṇubhiḥ—by the dust of your lotus feet; hata-aṁhasaḥ—
who am completely freed from the reactions of sinful life;
bhaktiḥ—love and devotion; adhokṣaje—unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the capture of
experimental knowledge; amalā—completely freed from all
material contamination; mauhūrtikāt—momentary; yasya—of
whom; samāgamāt—by the visit and association; ca—also; me
—my; dustarka—of false arguments; mūlaḥ—the root;
apahataḥ—completely vanquished; avivekaḥ—not
discriminating.
TRANSLATION
It is not at all wonderful that simply by being covered by
the dust of your lotus feet, one immediately attains the
platform of pure devotional service to Adhokṣaja, which is
not available even to great demigods like Brahmā. By
associating with you just for a moment, I am now freed
from all argument, false prestige and lack of discrimination,
which are the roots of entanglement in the material world.
Now I am free from all these problems.
PURPORT
Association with pure devotees certainly frees one from the

material clutches. This is certainly true of King Rahūgaṇa's
association with Jaḍa Bharata. King Rahūgaṇa was
immediately freed from the misgivings of material association.
The arguments offered by pure devotees to their disciples are so
convincing that even a dull-headed disciple is immediately
enlightened with spiritual knowledge.
“You mentioned intimate association. Does that mean that a

little association is useless?” No, I spoke like that out of great
enthusiasm. Just by obtaining the dust from your lotus feet I
have attained pure bhakti, which is rare even for Brahmā or
Indra. But this is not astonishing. What is astonishing is that if
just by a moment’s association my mind, corrupted by a little
knowledge and filled with bad logic, becomes favorable to
bhakti, how can one describe the greatness of prolonged
association with devotees? My statement shows my
enthusiasm.
TEXT - SB 5.13.23
namo mahadbhyo 'stu namaḥ śiśubhyo
namo yuvabhyo nama āvaṭubhyaḥ
ye brāhmaṇā gām avadhūta-liṅgāś

caranti tebhyaḥ śivam astu rājñām
SYNONYMS
namaḥ—all obeisances; mahadbhyaḥ—unto the great

personalities; astu—let there be; namaḥ—my obeisances;
śiśubhyaḥ—unto those great personalities who appear as boys;
namaḥ—respectful obeisances; yuvabhyaḥ—unto those who
appear as young men; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; ā-
vaṭubhyaḥ—unto those who appear as children; ye—all those
who; brāhmaṇāḥ—self-realized in transcendental knowledge;
gām—the earth; avadhūta-liṅgāḥ—who remain hidden under
different bodily guises; caranti—they traverse; tebhyaḥ—from
them; śivam astu—let there be all good fortune; rājñām—unto
the royal dynasties or kings (who are always very puffed up).
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the great
personalities, whether they walk on the earth's surface as
children, young boys, avadhūtas or great brāhmaṇas. Even
if they are hidden under different guises, I offer my respects
to all of them. By their mercy, may there be good fortune in
the royal dynasties that are always offending them.
PURPORT
King Rahūgaṇa was very repentant because he had forced Jaḍa

Bharata to carry his palanquin. He therefore began offering
prayers to all kinds of brāhmaṇas and self-realized persons,
even though they might be playing like children or hiding in
some guises. The four Kumāras walked everywhere in the guise
of five-year-old boys, and similarly there are many brāhmaṇas,
knowers of Brahman, who traverse the globe either as young
men, children or avadhūtas. Being puffed up due to their
position, the royal dynasties generally offend these great
personalities. Therefore King Rahūgaṇa began to offer his
respectful obeisances unto them so that the offensive royal
dynasties might not glide down into a hellish condition. If one
offends a great personality, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead does not excuse one, although the great personalities
themselves might not take offense. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was
offended by Durvāsā, who even approached Lord Viṣṇu for
pardon. Lord Viṣṇu would not grant him pardon; therefore he
had to fall down at the lotus feet of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, even
though Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a kṣatriya-gṛhastha. One
should be very careful not to offend the lotus feet of Vaiṣṇavas
and brāhmaṇas.
“If you, carrying the palanquin, had not enlightened me, what
destination would such an offender attain?” In fear, the King
offers respects. I offer respects even unto the small brāhmaṇa
boys. Since such children are inclined to play, their greatness is
not evident. However, to even such persons he offers respects.
By requesting good fortune for kings, he indicates that possibly
other kings have offended the devotees.
TEXT - SB 5.13.24
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śrī-śuka uvāca
ity evam uttarā-mātaḥ sa vai brahmarṣi-sutaḥ sindhu-pataya

ātma-satattvaṁ vigaṇayataḥ parānubhāvaḥ parama-
kāruṇikatayopadiśya rahūgaṇena sakaruṇam abhivandita-caraṇa
āpūrṇārṇava iva nibhṛta-karaṇormy-āśayo dharaṇim imāṁ
vicacāra.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti evam—in this

way; uttarā-mātaḥ—O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, son of mother Uttarā;
saḥ—that brāhmaṇa; vai—indeed; brahma-ṛṣi-sutaḥ—Jaḍa
Bharata, the son of a highly educated brāhmaṇa; sindhu-pataye
—unto the king of the province of Sindhu; ātma-sa-tattvam—
the actual constitutional position of the soul; vigaṇayataḥ—
although insulting Jaḍa Bharata; para-anubhāvaḥ—who was
very exalted in spiritual realization; parama-kāruṇikatayā—by
his quality of being very kind to the fallen souls; upadiśya—
instructing; rahūgaṇena—by King Rahūgaṇa; sa-karuṇam—
piteously; abhivandita-caraṇaḥ—whose lotus feet were
worshiped; āpūrṇa-arṇavaḥ iva—like the full ocean; nibhṛta—
completely silenced; karaṇa—of the senses; ūrmi—the waves;
āśayaḥ—possessing a heart in which; dharaṇim—the earth;
imām—this; vicacāra—continued to roam.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, O son of
mother Uttarā, there were some waves of dissatisfaction in
the mind of Jaḍa Bharata due to his being insulted by King
Rahūgaṇa, who made him carry his palanquin, but Jaḍa
Bharata neglected this, and his heart again became calm
and quiet like an ocean. Although King Rahūgaṇa had
insulted him, he was a great paramahaṁsa. Being a
Vaiṣṇava, he was naturally very kindhearted, and he
therefore told the King about the constitutional position of
the soul. He then forgot the insult because King Rahūgaṇa
pitifully begged pardon at his lotus feet. After this, he began
to wander all over the earth, just as before.
PURPORT
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.21), Kapiladeva describes the

symptoms of great personalities: titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ
sarva-dehinām. A saintly devotee is certainly very tolerant. He
is the friend of all living entities, and he does not create
enemies within the world. A pure devotee has all the qualities
of a sādhu. Jaḍa Bharata is an example of this. Due to the
material body, his senses were certainly agitated when he was
insulted by King Rahūgaṇa, but later, due to the King's humble
submission, Jaḍa Bharata excused him. It is the duty of
everyone desiring to return to Godhead to become submissive
like King Rahūgaṇa and beg pardon of Vaiṣṇavas one may
have offended. Vaiṣṇavas are generally very kindhearted;
therefore if one immediately submits himself at the lotus feet of
a Vaiṣṇava, one is immediately cleared of offensive reactions.
If one does not do so, the reactions will remain, and the results
will not be very palatable.
Oh! King Rahūgana was so fortunate! Though he offended

Bharata by making him carry the palanquin, he was showered
in the nectar of mercy and became successful. I am most
unfortunate. Not being forgiven for the offense of placing a
dead snake on the neck of a brāhmaṇa, I have been burned by
the poison of his curse. What dark hell will I attain? Śukadeva
pacifies the lamenting Parīkṣit. O Parīkṣit whose mother was
Uttarā! The Lord entered into your mother’s womb personally
and protected you. He showed his form to you. The Lord,
sending sages like Nārada and myself to protect you from the
brāhmaṇa’s curse, has brought us to you and has nullified the
curse by sprinkling you with unprecedented mercy of the sages
and making you drink the nectar of Bhāgavatam through me.
This shows that your have greater fortune than King Rahūgana,
than Bharata, than myself, and than the great sages. Therefore,
why do you lament? Though he was scolded, Bharata had the
highest realization. He taught about spirit to the King of
Sindhu. Sakaruṇam means “with tears.” His heart had waves of
the senses which were calmed.
TEXT - SB 5.13.25
sauvīra-patir api sujana-samavagata-paramātma-satattva

ātmany avidyādhyāropitāṁ ca dehātma-matiṁ visasarja; evaṁ
hi nṛpa bhagavad-āśritāśritānubhāvaḥ.
SYNONYMS
sauvīra-patiḥ—the King of the state of Sauvīra; api—certainly;

su-jana—from an elevated person; samavagata—having
completely understood; paramātma-sa-tattvaḥ—the truth of the
constitutional position of the spirit soul and the Supersoul;
ātmani—in himself; avidyā—by nescience; adhyāropitām—
erroneously attributed; ca—and; deha—in the body; ātma-
matim—the concept of the self; visasarja—completely gave
up; evam—thus; hi—certainly; nṛpa—O King; bhagavat-
āśrita-āśrita-anubhāvaḥ—the consequence of taking shelter of
a devotee who has similarly taken shelter of a spiritual master
in the paramparā system (one is sure to get out of the great
nescience of the bodily concept of life).
TRANSLATION
After receiving lessons from the great devotee Jaḍa
Bharata, King Rahūgaṇa of the state of Sauvīra became
completely aware of the constitutional position of the soul.
He thus gave up the bodily conception completely. My dear
King, whoever takes shelter of the servant of the servant of
the Lord is certainly glorified because he can without
difficulty give up the bodily conception [Cc. Madhya 13.80].
PURPORT
As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.54):
"sādhu-saṅga", "sādhu-saṅga"—sarva-śāstre kaya

It is a fact that if one takes shelter of a pure devotee, one attains

all perfection, even if the association is a short one. A sādhu is
a pure devotee of the Lord. It has been our practical experience
that the first instruction of our spiritual master infused us with
Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that now we are at least on the path of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness and can understand the philosophy. As a
result, there are many devotees engaged in this Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement. The whole world is revolving under
the bodily conception; therefore there must be devotees all over
the world to deliver people from the false bodily conception
and fully engage them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Sujana refers to Bharata. Ātmani means “in oneself.” He gave

up the conception that the body is the self, which is assumed by
beginningless ignorance in the self. King Rahūgana took shelter
(āśritaḥ) of the devotee Bharata who took shelter of the Lord
(bhagavad-āśrita).
TEXT - SB 5.13.26
raJaaevac
Yaae h va wh bhuivda Maha>aaGavTa TvYaai>aihTa"
Parae+ae<a vcSaa
Jaqvl/aek->avaḶa Sa ḥaYaRMaNaqzYaa k-iLPaTaivzYaae
NaaṚSaaVYauTPaṁl/aek-SaMa‚
iDaGaMa" ) AQa TadevETaÕurvGaMa& SaMaveTaaNauk-
LPaeNa iNaidRXYaTaaiMaiTa )) 26 ))
rājovāca
yo ha vā iha bahu-vidā mahā-bhāgavata tvayābhihitaḥ

parokṣeṇa vacasā jīva-loka-bhavādhvā sa hy ārya-manīṣayā
kalpita-viṣayo nāñjasāvyutpanna-loka-samadhigamaḥ; atha tad
evaitad duravagamaṁ samavetānukalpena nirdiśyatām iti.
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca—King Parīkṣit said; yaḥ—which; ha—certainly; vā

—or; iha—in this narration; bahu-vidā—who are aware of
many incidents of transcendental knowledge; mahā-bhāgavata
—O great devotee sage; tvayā—by you; abhihitaḥ—described;
parokṣeṇa—figuratively; vacasā—by words; jīva-loka-bhava-
adhvā—the path of material existence of the conditioned soul;
saḥ—that; hi—indeed; ārya-manīṣayā—by the intelligence of
advanced devotees; kalpita-viṣayaḥ—the subject matter is
imagined; na—not; añjasā—directly; avyutpanna-loka—of
persons who are not very experienced or intelligent;
samadhigamaḥ—the complete understanding; atha—therefore;
tat eva—because of that; etat—this matter; duravagamam—
which is difficult to understand; samaveta-anukalpena—by
substituting the direct meaning of such incidents; nirdiśyatām
—let it be described; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
King Parīkṣit then told Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear lord,
O great devotee sage, you are omniscient. You have very
nicely described the position of the conditioned soul, who is
compared to a merchant in the forest. From these
instructions intelligent men can understand that the senses
of a person in the bodily conception are like rogues and
thieves in that forest, and one's wife and children are like
jackals and other ferocious animals. However, it is not very
easy for the unintelligent to understand the purport of this
story because it is difficult to extricate the exact meaning
from the allegory. I therefore request Your Holiness to give
the direct meaning.
PURPORT
There are many stories and incidents in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

that are described figuratively. Such allegorical descriptions
may not be understood by unintelligent men; therefore it is the
duty of the student to approach a bona fide spiritual master for
the direct explanation.
The subject in which the six plunderers are the senses and the
jackals are the children was produced by the greatest
intelligence. It is hard to understand because examples are not
given. Suitable examples (anukalpena) should be given.
Thus ends the commentary on the Thirteenth Chapter of the

Fifth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees,
in accordance with the previous ācāryas.

Thirteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled,
"Further Talks Between King Rahūgaṇa and Jaḍa Bharata."
14. The Material World as the Great
Forest of Enjoyment
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46
Chapter Summary
The direct meaning of the forest of material existence is given

in this chapter. Merchants sometimes enter the forest to collect
many rare things and sell them at a good profit in the city, but
the forest path is always bedecked with dangers. When the pure
soul wants to give up the Lord's service to enjoy the material
world, Kṛṣṇa certainly gives him a chance to enter the material
world. As stated in the Prema-vivarta: kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā
bhoga vāñchā kare. This is the reason the pure spirit soul falls
down to the material world. Due to his activities under the
influence of the three modes of material nature, the living entity
takes different positions in different species. Sometimes he is a
demigod in the heavenly planets and sometimes a most
insignificant creature in the lower planetary systems. In this
regard, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, nānā yoni sadā
phire: the living entity passes through various species.
Kardarya bhakṣaṇa kare: he is obliged to eat and enjoy
abominable things. Tāra janma adhaḥ-pāte yāya: in this way
his whole life is spoiled. Without the protection of an all-
merciful Vaiṣṇava. the conditioned soul cannot get out of the
clutches of māyā. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (manaḥ
ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]), the living
entity begins material life with his mind and the five
knowledge-acquiring senses, and with these he struggles for
existence within the material world. These senses are compared
to rogues and thieves within the forest. They take away a man's
knowledge and place him in a network of nescience. Thus the
senses are like rogues and thieves that plunder his spiritual
knowledge. Over and above this, there are family members,
wife and children. who are exactly like ferocious animals in the
forest. The business of such ferocious animals is to eat a man's
flesh. The living entity allows himself to be attacked by jackals
and foxes (wife and children), and thus his real spiritual life is
finished. In the forest of material life, everyone is envious like
mosquitoes, and rats and mice are always creating disturbances.
Everyone in this material world is placed in many awkward
positions and surrounded by envious people and disturbing
animals. The result is that the living entity in the material world
is always plundered and bitten by many living entities.
Nonetheless, despite these disturbances, he does not want to
give up his family life, and he continues his fruitive activities in
an attempt to become happy in the future. He thus becomes
more and more entangled in the results of karma, and thus he is
forced to act impiously. His witnesses are the sun during the
day and the moon during the night. The demigods also witness,
but the conditioned soul thinks that his attempts at sense
gratification are not being witnessed by anyone. Sometimes,
when he is detected, he temporarily renounces everything, but
due to his great attachment for the body, his renunciation is
given up before he can attain perfection.
In this material world there are many envious people. There is
the tax-exacting government, which is compared to an owl, and
there are invisible crickets that create unbearable sounds. The
conditioned soul is certainly greatly harassed by the agents of
material nature, but his intelligence is lost due to undesirable
association. In an attempt to gain relief from the disturbances of
material existence, he falls victim to so-called yogīs, sādhus
and incarnations who can display some magic but who do not
understand devotional service. Sometimes the conditioned soul
is bereft of all money, and consequently he becomes unkind to
his family members. In this material world there is not a pinch
of actual happiness, for which the conditioned soul is longing
life after life. The government officials are like carnivorous
Rākṣasas who exact heavy taxes for the maintenance of the
government. The hard-working conditioned soul is very
saddened due to these heavy taxes.
The path of fruitive activities leads to difficult mountains, and

sometimes the conditioned soul wants to cross these mountains,
but he is never successful, and consequently he becomes more
and more aggrieved and disappointed. Becoming materially and
financially embarrassed, the conditioned soul unnecessarily
chastises his family. In the material condition there are four
principal needs, out of which sleep is compared to a python.
When asleep, the conditioned soul completely forgets his real
existence, and in sleep he does not feel the tribulations of
material life. Sometimes, being in need of money, the
conditioned soul steals and cheats, although he may apparently
be associated with devotees for spiritual advancement. His only
business is getting out of the clutches of māyā, but due to
improper guidance he becomes more and more entangled in
material dealings. This material world is simply an
embarrassment and is composed of tribulations presented as
happiness, distress, attachment, enmity and envy. On the whole
it is simply full of tribulation and misery. When a person loses
his intelligence due to attachment to wife and sex, his entire
consciousness becomes polluted. He thus only thinks of the
association of women. The time factor, which is like a serpent,
takes away everyone's life, including that of Lord Brahmā and
the insignificant ant. Sometimes the conditioned soul tries to
save himself from inexorable time and thus takes shelter of
some bogus savior. Unfortunately, the bogus savior cannot
even save himself. How, then, can he protect others? The bogus
saviors do not care for bona fide knowledge received from
qualified brāhmaṇas and Vedic sources. Their only business is
indulging in sex and recommending sexual freedom even for
widows. Thus they are like monkeys in the forest. Śrīla
Śukadeva Gosvāmī thus explains the material forest and its
difficult path to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
TEXT - SB 5.14.1
Sa haevac
Ya Wz dehaTMaMaaiNaNaa& SatvaidGau<aivXaezivk-
iLPaTaku-Xal/aku-Xal/SaMa‚
vhariviNaiMaRTaivivDadehavil/i>ar(
ivYaaeGaSa&YaaeGaaÛNaaidSa&SaaraNau>avSYa Ūar‚
>aUTaeNazi@iNd]YavGaeR<a
TaiSMaNduGaaRḶvdSauGaMae_ḶNYaaPaiTaTa wRṅrSYa
>aGavTaae
ivZ<aaevRXaviTaRNYaa MaaYaYaa Jaqvl/aek-ae_Ya&
YaQaa vi<aKSaaQaaeR_QaRPar"
SvdehiNaZPaaidTak-MaaRNau>av"
XMaXaaNavdiXavTaMaaYaa& Sa&Saara$=VYaa& GaTaae
NaaÛaiPa
ivf-l/bhuPa[iTaYaaeGaehSTataaPaaePaXaMaNaq&
hirGauṛcr<aarivNdMaDauk-raNauPadvqMav‚
ṛNDae )) 1 ))
sa hovāca
sa eṣa dehātma-mānināṁ sattvādi-guṇa-viśeṣa-vikalpita-

kuśalāku-śala-samavahāra-vinirmita-vividha-dehāvalibhir
viyoga-saṁyogādy-anādi-saṁsārānubhavasya dvāra-bhūtena
ṣaḍ-indriya-vargeṇa tasmin durgādhvavad asugame 'dhvany
āpatita īśvarasya bhagavato viṣṇor vaśa-vartinyā māyayā jīva-
loko 'yaṁ yathā vaṇik-sārtho 'rtha-paraḥ sva-deha-niṣpādita-
karmānubhavaḥ śmaśānavad aśivatamāyāṁ saṁsārāṭavyāṁ
gato nādyāpi viphala-bahu-pratiyogehas tat-tāpopaśamanīṁ
hari-guru-caraṇāravinda-madhukarānupadavīm avarundhe.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—the self-realized devotee (Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī); ha—

indeed; uvāca—spoke; saḥ—he (the conditioned soul); eṣaḥ—
this one; deha-ātma-māninām—of those who foolishly take the
body to be the self; sattva-ādi—of sattva, rajaḥ and tamaḥ;
guṇa—by the modes; viśeṣa—particular; vikalpita—falsely
constituted; kuśala—sometimes by favorable actions; akuśala
—sometimes by very unfavorable actions; samavahāra—by a
mixture of both; vinirmita—obtained; vividha—various types;
deha-āvalibhiḥ—by the series of bodies; viyoga-saṁyoga-ādi
—symptomized by giving up one type of body (viyoga) and
accepting another (saṁyoga); anādi-saṁsāra-anubhavasya—of
the perception of the beginningless process of transmigration;
dvāra-bhūtena—existing as the doorways; ṣaṭ-indriya-vargeṇa
—by these six senses (the mind and five knowledge-acquiring
senses, namely the eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin); tasmin—
on that; durga-adhva-vat—like a path that is very difficult to
traverse; asugame—being difficult to pass through; adhvani—
on a path in the forest; āpatitaḥ—happened; īśvarasya—of the
controller; bhagavataḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu; vaśa-vartinyā—acting under the
control; māyayā—by the material energy; jīva-lokaḥ—the
conditioned living entity; ayam—this; yathā—exactly like;
vaṇik—a merchant; sa-arthaḥ—having an object; artha-paraḥ
—who is very attached to money; sva-deha-niṣpādita—
performed by his own body; karma—the fruits of activities;
anubhavaḥ—who experiences; śmaśāna-vat aśivatamāyām—
like an inauspicious cemetery or place of burial; saṁsāra-
aṭavyām—in the forest of material life; gataḥ—having entered;
na—not; adya api—until now; viphala—unsuccessful; bahu-
pratiyoga—full of great difficulties and varieties of miserable
conditions; īhaḥ—whose activities here in this material world;
tat-tāpa-upaśa-manīm—which pacifies the miseries of the
forest of material life; hari-guru-caraṇa-aravinda—to the lotus
feet of the Lord and His devotee; madhukara-anupadavīm—the
road followed in pursuance of devotees who are attached like
bumblebees; avarundhe—gain.
TRANSLATION
When King Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī about the
direct meaning of the material forest, Śukadeva Gosvāmī
replied as follows:My dear King, a man belonging to the
mercantile community [vaṇik] is always interested in
earning money. Sometimes he enters the forest to acquire
some cheap commodities like wood and earth and sell them
in the city at good prices. Similarly, the conditioned soul,
being greedy, enters this material world for some material
profit. Gradually he enters the deepest part of the forest,
not really knowing how to get out. Having entered the
material world, the pure soul becomes conditioned by the
material atmosphere, which is created by the external
energy under the control of Lord Viṣṇu. Thus the living
entity comes under the control of the external energy, daivī
māyā. Living independently and bewildered in the forest, he
does not attain the association of devotees who are always
engaged in the service of the Lord. Once in the bodily
conception, he gets different types of bodies one after the
other under the influence of material energy and impelled
by the modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa
and tamo-guṇa]. In this way the conditioned soul goes
sometimes to the heavenly planets, sometimes to the earthly
planets and sometimes to the lower planets and lower
species. Thus he suffers continuously due to different types
of bodies. These sufferings and pains are sometimes mixed.
Sometimes they are very severe, and sometimes they are
not. These bodily conditions are acquired due to the
conditioned soul's mental speculation. He uses his mind and
five senses to acquire knowledge, and these bring about the
different bodies and different conditions. Using the senses
under the control of the external energy, māyā, the living
entity suffers the miserable conditions of material existence.
He is actually searching for relief, but he is generally
baffled, although sometimes he is relieved after great
difficulty. Struggling for existence in this way, he cannot get
the shelter of pure devotees, who are like bumblebees
engaged in loving service at the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu.
PURPORT
The most important information in this verse is hari-guru-

caraṇa-aravinda-madhukara-anupadavīm. In this material
world the conditioned souls are baffled by their activities, and
sometimes they are relieved after great difficulty. On the whole
the conditioned soul is never happy. He simply struggles for
existence. Actually his only business is to accept the spiritual
master, the guru, and through him he must accept the lotus feet
or the Lord. This is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya
19.151]. people struggling for existence in the forests or cities
of the material world are not actually enjoying life. They are
simply suffering different pains and pleasures, generally pains
that are always inauspicious. They try to gain release from
these pains, but they cannot due to ignorance. For them it is
stated in the Vedas: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
[MU 1.2.12]. When the living entity is lost in the forest of the
material world, in the struggle for existence, his first business is
to find a bona fide guru who is always engaged at the lotus feet
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. After all, if he
is at all eager to be relieved of the struggle for existence, he
must find a bona fide guru and take instructions at his lotus
feet. In this way he can get out of the struggle.
Since the material world is compared herein to a forest, it may

be argued that in Kali-yuga modern civilization is mainly
situated in the cities. A great city, however, is like a great
forest. Actually city life is more dangerous than life in the
forest. If one enters an unknown city without friend or shelter,
living in that city is more difficult than living in a forest. There
are many big cities all over the surface of the globe, and
wherever one looks he sees the struggle for existence going on
twenty-four hours a day, people rush about in cars going
seventy and eighty miles an hour, constantly coming and going,
and this sets the scene of the great struggle for existence. One
has to rise early in the morning and travel in that car at
breakneck speed. There is always the danger of an accident,
and one has to take great care. In his automobile, the living
entity is full of anxieties, and his struggle is not at all
auspicious. Apart from human beings, other species like cats
and dogs are also struggling very hard day and night for
existence. Thus the struggle for existence continues, and the
conditioned soul changes from one position to another. For a
while, he is a child, but he has to become a boy. From a boy, he
has to change into a youth, and from youth to manhood and old
age. Finally, when the body is no longer workable, he has to
accept a new body in a different species. Giving up the body is
called death, and accepting another body is called birth. The
human form is an opportunity to take shelter of the bona fide
spiritual master and, through him, the Supreme Lord. This
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has been started to give an
opportunity to all the members of human society, who are
misled by foolish leaders. No one can get out of this struggle
for existence, which is full of miseries, without accepting a
pure devotee of the Lord. The material attempt changes from
one position to another, and no one actually gains relief from
the struggle for existence. The only resort is the lotus feet of a
bona fide spiritual master, and, through him, the lotus feet of
the Lord.
In the Fourteenth Chapter the characters of the story like the

plunderers and the jackals are explained to be the six senses
and one’s family members. The jīva going into the forest of
saṁsāra, even today has not attained the devotees, who, like
bees, are attracted to the worship of the lotus feet of guru, a
form of the Lord. This means that without taking shelter of the
feet of śrī-guru, one wanders around in saṁsāra, having walked
along the difficult road, with many obstructions, experiencing
saṁsāra with beginningless happiness and distress arising from
accepting and rejecting a series of various bodies, produced by
performing auspicious or inauspicious acts which are divided
according to the three guṇas. “Since saṁsāra of the jīva is made
by māyā, the jīva should surrender to Māyā-devī. Being pleased
with him, she will free him from bondage. Why should one
surrender to guru?” But māyā is controlled by the Lord. She
cannot independently award liberation. It is said in the Gītā:
daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā
māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṁ taranti te
My māyā made of the guṇas, fit for jīva’s pleasure, is hard to

surpass, but those who surrender to me alone can cross over
māyā. BG 7.14
The use of the word eva indicates that the Lord alone can
deliver the jīva, not the combination of the Lord and māyā.
Performing many activities which are fruitless and with many
obstacles, the jīva does not attain the devotees.
TEXT - SB 5.14.2
yasyām u ha vā ete ṣaḍ-indriya-nāmānaḥ karmaṇā dasyava eva

te; tad yathā puruṣasya dhanaṁ yat kiñcid dharmaupayikaṁ
bahu-kṛcchrādhigataṁ sākṣāt parama-puruṣārādhana-lakṣaṇo
yo 'sau dharmas taṁ tu sāmparāya udāharanti; tad-dharmyaṁ
dhanaṁ darśana-sparśana-śravaṇāsvādanāvaghrāṇa-saṅkalpa-
vyavasāya-gṛha-grāmyopabhogena kunāthasyājitātmano yathā
sārthasya vilum-panti.
SYNONYMS
yasyām—in which; u ha—certainly; vā—or; ete—all these; ṣaṭ-

indriya-nāmānaḥ—who are named the six senses (the mind and
the five knowledge-acquiring senses); karmaṇā—by their
activity; dasyavaḥ—the plunderers; eva—certainly; te—they;
tat—that; yathā—as; puruṣasya—of a person; dhanam—the
wealth; yat—whatever; kiñcit—something; dharma-aupayikam
—which is a means to religious principles; bahu-kṛcchra-
adhigatam—earned after much hard labor; sākṣāt—directly;
parama-puruṣa-ārādhana-lakṣaṇaḥ—whose symptoms are
worship of the Supreme Lord by performance of sacrifices and
so on; yaḥ—which; asau—that; dharmaḥ—religious principles;
tam—that; tu—but; sāmparāye—for the benefit of the living
entity after death; udāharanti—the wise declare; tat-dharmyam
—religious (relating to the prosecution of the varṇāśrama-
dharma); dhanam—wealth; darśana—by seeing; sparśana—
by touching; śravaṇa—by hearing; āsvādana—by tasting;
avaghrāṇa—by smelling; saṅkalpa—by determination;
vyavasāya—by a conclusion; gṛha—in the material home;
grāmya-upabhogena—by material sense gratification;
kunāthasya—of the misguided conditioned soul; ajita-ātmanaḥ
—who has not controlled himself; yathā—just as; sārthasya—
of the living entity interested in sense gratification; vilumpanti
—they plunder.
TRANSLATION
In the forest of material existence, the uncontrolled senses
are like plunderers. The conditioned soul may earn some
money for the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but
unfortunately the uncontrolled senses plunder his money
through sense gratification. The senses are plunderers
because they make one spend his money unnecessarily for
seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing, desiring and
willing. In this way the conditioned soul is obliged to gratify
his senses, and thus all his money is spent. This money is
actually acquired for the execution of religious principles,
but it is taken away by the plundering senses.
PURPORT
pūrva jamnārjitā vidyā pūrva janmārjitaṁ dhanaṁ agre

dhāvati dhāvati. By following the principles of the
varṇāśrama-dharma, one attains a better position in the
material world. One may be rich, learned, beautiful or
highborn. One who has all these assets should know that they
are all meant for the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Unfortunately, when a person is misguided he misuses his high
position for sense gratification. Therefore the uncontrolled
senses are considered plunderers. The good position one attains
by executing religious principles is wasted as the plundering
senses take it away. By executing religious principles under the
laws of varṇaśrama-dharma, one is placed in a comfortable
position. One may very easily use his assets for the further
advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should understand
that the wealth and opportunity one gets in the material world
should not be squandered in sense gratification. They are meant
for the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is therefore teaching people to control
the mind and five knowledge-acquiring senses by a definite
process. One should practice a little austerity and not spend
money on anything other than the regulative life of devotional
service. The senses demand that one see beautiful things;
therefore money should be spent for decorating the Deity in the
temple. Similarly, the tongue has to taste good food, which
should be bought and offered to the Deity. The nose can be
utilized in smelling the flowers offered to the Deity, and the
hearing can be utilized by listening to the vibration of the Hare
Kṛṣṇa mantra. In this way the senses can be regulated and
utilized to advance Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus a good position
might not be spoiled by material sense gratification in the form
of illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. One
spoils an opulent position in the material world by driving cars,
spending time in nightclubs or tasting abominable food in
restaurants. In these ways, the plundering senses take away all
the assets that the conditioned soul has acquired with great
difficulty.
This verse explains SB 5.13.2. The six plunderers are the six
senses. Just as thieves plunder a man’s wealth meant for
dharma, attained with great difficulty, the six senses steal the
wealth of a man with uncontrolled senses by actions of seeing
and touching. The wealth is meant for service to the Lord (tad-
dharmyam) and for the next world (sāmparāye). Saṅkalpa is the
function of the mind. Vyavasāya or ascertainment is the
function of the intelligence. The senses plunder the wealth of
the person with uncontrolled senses and with a bad intelligence
(kunāthasya), just like thieves plunder a person.
TEXT - SB 5.14.3
atha ca yatra kauṭumbikā dārāpatyādayo nāmnā karmaṇā vṛka-

sṛgālā evānicchato 'pi kadaryasya kuṭumbina uraṇakavat
saṁrakṣyamāṇaṁ miṣato 'pi haranti.
SYNONYMS
atha—in this way; ca—also; yatra—in which; kauṭumbikāḥ—

the family members; dāra-apatya-ādayaḥ—beginning with the
wife and children; nāmnā—by name only; karmaṇā—by their
behavior; vṛka-sṛgālāḥ—tigers and jackals; eva—certainly;
anicchataḥ—of one who does not desire to spend his wealth;
api—certainly; kadaryasya—being too miserly; kuṭumbinaḥ—
who is surrounded by family members; uraṇaka-vat—like a
lamb; saṁrakṣyamāṇam—although protected; miṣataḥ—of one
who is observing; api—even; haranti—they forcibly take
away.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, family members in this material world go
under the names of wife and children, but actually they
behave like tigers and jackals. A herdsman tries to protect
his sheep to the best of his ability, but the tigers and foxes
take them away by force. Similarly, although a miserly man
wants to guard his money very carefully, his family
members take away all his assets forcibly, even though he is
very vigilant.
PURPORT
One Hindi poet has sung: din kā dakinī rāt kā bāghinī pālak
pālak rahu cuse. During the daytime, the wife is compared to a
witch, and at night she is compared to a tigress. Her only
business is sucking the blood of her husband both day and
night. During the day there are household expenditures, and the
money earned by the husband at the cost of his blood is taken
away. At night, due to sex pleasure, the husband discharges
blood in the form of semen. In this way he is bled by his wife
both day and night, yet he is so crazy that he very carefully
maintains her. Similarly, the children are also like tigers,
jackals and foxes. As tigers, jackals and foxes take away lambs
despite the herdsman's vigilant protection, children take away
the father's money, although the father supervises the money
himself. Thus family members may be called wives and
children, but actually they are plunderers.
This verse explains the meaning of the jackals. The family

members steal the wealth protected by the man, with the logic
“You should protect us by supplying food and clothing.” The
object of the verb is svarthikam, referring to his collection of
food, ghee and sugar, mentioned in SB 5.13.2. Of the two, the
plunderers in the form of the senses are more difficult to
control than the jackals of family members.
TEXT - SB 5.14.4
yathā hy anuvatsaraṁ kṛṣyamāṇam apy adagdha-bījaṁ kṣetraṁ

punar evāvapana-kāle gulma-tṛṇa-vīrudbhir gahvaram iva
bhavaty evam eva gṛhāśramaḥ karma-kṣetraṁ yasmin na hi
karmāṇy utsīdanti yad ayaṁ kāma-karaṇḍa eṣa āvasathaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yathā—just as; hi—certainly; anuvatsaram—every year;
kṛṣyamāṇam—being plowed; api—although; adagdha-bījam—
in which the seeds are not burned; kṣetram—the field; punaḥ—
again; eva—certainly; āvapana-kāle—at the times for sowing
the seeds; gulma—by bushes; tṛṇa—by grasses; vīrudbhiḥ—by
the creepers; gahvaram iva—like a bower; bhavati—becomes;
evam—thus; eva—certainly; gṛha-āśramaḥ—family life;
karma-kṣetram—the field of activities; yasmin—in which; na
—not; hi—certainly; karmāṇi utsīdanti—fruitive activities
disappear; yat—therefore; ayam—this; kāma-karaṇḍaḥ—the
storehouse of fruitive desire; eṣaḥ—this; āvasathaḥ—abode.
TRANSLATION
Every year the plowman plows over his grain field,
completely uprooting all weeds. Nonetheless, the seeds lie
there and, not being completely burned, again come up with
the plants sown in the field. Even after being plowed under,
the weeds come up densely. Similarly, the gṛhastha-āśrama
[family life] is a field of fruitive activity. Unless the desire to
enjoy family life is completely burned out, it grows up again
and again. Even though camphor may be removed from a
pot, the pot nonetheless retains the aroma of camphor. As
long as the seeds of desire are not destroyed, fruitive
activities are not destroyed.
PURPORT
Unless one's desires are completely transferred to the service of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the desire for family life
continues, even after one has taken sannyāsa. Sometimes in our
society, ISKCON, a person out of sentiment may take
sannyāsa, but because his desires are not burned completely, he
again takes to family life, even at the risk of losing his prestige
and disgracing his good name. These strong desires can be
burned out completely when one fully engages in the service of
the Lord in devotional service.
This verse describes the dense thicket of creepers, grass and

bushes. Action does not disappear since the household is a
storehouse of desires. Just as a pot in which the hing has
disappeared still has the smell of hing, activities are not
dissipated since impressions remain.
TEXT - SB 5.14.5
tatra gato daṁśa-maśaka-samāpasadair manujaiḥ śalabha-

śakunta-taskara-mūṣakādibhir uparudhyamāna-bahiḥ-prāṇaḥ
kvacit parivartamāno 'sminn adhvany avidyā-kāma-karmabhir
uparakta-manasānupapannārthaṁ nara-lokaṁ gandharva-
nagaram upapannam iti mithyā-dṛṣṭir anupaśyati.
SYNONYMS
tatra—to that household life; gataḥ—gone; daṁśa—gadflies;

maśaka—mosquitoes; sama—equal to; apasadaiḥ—who are
low-class; manu-jaiḥ—by men; śalabha—locusts; śakunta—a
large bird of prey; taskara—thieves; mūṣaka-ādibhiḥ—by rats
and so on; uparudhyamāna—being disturbed; bahiḥ-prāṇaḥ—
the external life air in the form of wealth and so on; kvacit—
sometimes; parivartamānaḥ—wandering; asmin—in this;
adhvani—path of material existence; avidyā-kāma—by
ignorance and lust; karmabhiḥ—and by fruitive activities;
uparakta-manasā—due to the mind's being influenced;
anupapanna-artham—in which the desired results are never
obtained; nara-lokam—this material world; gandharva-
nagaram—a will-o'-the-wisp city; upapannam—existing; iti—
taking it as; mithyā-dṛṣṭiḥ—he whose vision is mistaken;
anupaśyati—observes.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul in household life, being
attached to material wealth and possessions, is disturbed by
gadflies and mosquitoes, and sometimes locusts, birds of
prey and rats give him trouble. Nonetheless, he still
wanders down the path of material existence. Due to
ignorance he becomes lusty and engages in fruitive activity.
Because his mind is absorbed in these activities, he sees the
material world as permanent, although it is temporary like
a phantasmagoria, a house in the sky.
PURPORT
The following song is sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura:
ahaṅkāre matta hañā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā,

asatyere satya kari māni
Due to forgetting the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda and being
puffed up by material possessions, wealth and opulence, one
thinks the false, temporary material world to be an actual fact.
This is the material disease. The living entity is eternal and
blissful, but despite miserable material conditions, he thinks the
material world to be real and factual due to his ignorance.
This verse explains the harsh biting of mosquitoes. (SB 5.13.3)

The jīva who takes wealth as his life (bahiḥ-prāṇaḥ) is afflicted
by low class men, who are like biting mosquitoes. The city of
Gandharvas is explained. Sometimes, while deliberating
(parivartamānaḥ), with illusory vision he sees a Gandharva city,
which refers to his wealth desired by worship, such as
becoming a king (nara-lokam), which he has not attained. This
arises because of his mind is tainted by actions, lust and
ignorance. Seeing the Gandharva city means seeing something
other than what actually exists.
TEXT - SB 5.14.6
tatra ca kvacid ātapodaka-nibhān viṣayān upadhāvati pāna-

bhojana-vyavāyādi-vyasana-lolupaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tatra—there (in this phantom place); ca—also; kvacit—

sometimes; ātapa-udaka-nibhān—like the water in a mirage in
the desert; viṣayān—the objects of sense enjoyment;
upadhāvati—runs after; pāna—to drinking; bhojana—to
eating; vyavāya—to sex life; ādi—and so on; vyasana—with
addiction; lolupaḥ—a debauchee.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes in this house in the sky [gandharva-pura] the
conditioned soul drinks, eats and has sex. Being overly
attached, he chases after the objects of the senses just as a
deer chases a mirage in the desert.
PURPORT
There are two worlds—the spiritual and the material. The

material world is false like a mirage in the desert. In the desert,
animals think they see water, but actually there is none.
Similarly, those who are animalistic try to find peace within the
desert of material life. It is repeatedly said in different śāstras
that there is no pleasure in this material world. Furthermore,
even if we agree to live without pleasure, we are not allowed to
do so. In Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that the material
world is not only full of miseries (duḥkhālayam) but also
temporary (aśāśvatam) [Bg. 8.15]. Even if we want to live here
amid miseries, material nature will not allow us to do so. It will
oblige us to change bodies and enter another atmosphere full of
miserable conditions.
He chases after objects which are like mirages.

TEXT - SB 5.14.7
kvacic cāśeṣa-doṣa-niṣadanaṁ purīṣa-viśeṣaṁ tad-varṇa-guṇa-

nirmita-matiḥ suvarṇam upāditsaty agni-kāma-kātara ivolmuka-
piśācam.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; ca—also; aśeṣa—unlimited; doṣa—of

faults; niṣadanam—the source of; purīṣa—of stool; viśeṣam—a
particular type; tat-varṇa-guṇa—whose color is the same as
that of the mode of passion (reddish); nirmita-matiḥ—whose
mind is absorbed in that; suvarṇam—gold; upāditsati—
desiring to get; agni-kāma—by the desire for fire; kātaraḥ—
who is troubled; iva—like; ulmuka-piśācam—a phosphorescent
light known as a will-o'-the-wisp, which is sometimes mistaken
for a ghost.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the living entity is interested in the yellow stool
known as gold and runs after it. That gold is the source of
material opulence and envy, and it can enable one to afford
illicit sex, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication. Those
whose minds are overcome by the mode of passion are
attracted by the color of gold, just as a man suffering from
cold in the forest runs after a phosphorescent light in a
marshy land, considering it to be fire.
PURPORT
Parīkṣit Mahārāja told Kali-yuga to leave his kingdom
immediately and reside in four places: brothels, liquor shops,
slaughterhouses and gambling casinos. However, Kali-yuga
requested him to give him only one place where these four
places are included, and Parīkṣit Mahārāja gave him the place
where gold is stored. Gold encompasses the four principles of
sin, and therefore, according to spiritual life, gold should be
avoided as far as possible. If there is gold, there is certainly
illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Because
people in the Western world have a great deal of gold, they are
victims of these four sins. The color of gold is very glittering,
and a materialistic person becomes very much attracted by its
yellow color. However, this gold is actually a type of stool. A
person with a bad liver generally passes yellow stool. The color
of this stool attracts a materialistic person, just as the will-o'-
the-wisp attracts one who needs heat.
This verse explains the firebrand mentioned in SB 5.13.3. The

jīva’s mind is absorbed in the stool of Agni, gold, which is
reddish, the color of rajoguṇa. He desires to take other’s
possessions, represented by gold. He desires to go to hell. This
is like a person who, wandering in the forest, anxious for fire to
relieve himself of the cold, chases after the glow of a ghost,
thinking it to be fire. He does this till he dies.
TEXT - SB 5.14.8
atha kadācin nivāsa-pānīya-draviṇādy-

anekātmopajīvanābhiniveśa etasyāṁ saṁsārāṭavyām itas tataḥ
paridhāvati.
SYNONYMS
atha—in this way; kadācit—sometimes; nivāsa—residence;

pānīya—water; draviṇa—wealth; ādi—and so on; aneka—in
various items; ātma-upajīvana—which are considered
necessary to maintain body and soul together; abhiniveśaḥ—a
person fully absorbed; etasyām—in this; saṁsāra-aṭavyām—
the material world, which is like a great forest; itaḥ tataḥ—here
and there; paridhāvati—runs around.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul is absorbed in finding
residential quarters or apartments and getting a supply of
water and riches to maintain his body. Absorbed in
acquiring a variety of necessities, he forgets everything and
perpetually runs around the forest of material existence.
PURPORT
As originally mentioned, a poor man belonging to the

mercantile community goes to the forest to get some cheap
goods to bring back to the city to sell at a profit. He is so
absorbed in the thought of maintaining body and soul together
that he forgets his original relationship with Kṛṣṇa and seeks
only the bodily comforts. Thus material activities are the
conditioned soul's only engagement. Not knowing the aim of
life, the materialist perpetually wanders in material existence,
struggling to get the necessities of life. Not understanding the
aim of life, even though he acquires sufficient necessities, he
manufactures artificial necessities and thus becomes more and
more entangled. He creates a mental situation whereby he
needs greater and greater comforts. The materialist does not
know the secret of nature's ways. As confirmed in Bhagavad-
gītā (3.27):

modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of
activities which are in actuality carried out by nature." Due to
lusty desire, the living entity creates a certain mental situation
whereby he wants to enjoy this material world. He thus
becomes entangled, enters different bodies and suffers in them.
This verse describes SB 5.13.4.
TEXT - SB 5.14.9
kvacic ca vātyaupamyayā pramadayāroham āropitas tat-kāla-

rajasā rajanī-bhūta ivāsādhu-maryādo rajas-valākṣo 'pi dig-
devatā atirajas-vala-matir na vijānāti.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; ca—also; vātyā aupamyayā—compared to

a whirlwind; pramadayā—by a beautiful woman; āroham
āropitaḥ—raised onto the lap for sex enjoyment; tat-kāla-
rajasā—by the passion of lusty desires at that moment; rajanī-
bhūtaḥ—the darkness of night; iva—like; asādhu-maryādaḥ—
who is without proper respect for the higher witnesses; rajaḥ-
vala-akṣaḥ—blinded by strong lusty desires; api—certainly;
dik-devatāḥ—the demigods in charge of different directions,
like the sun and the moon; atirajaḥ-vala-matiḥ—whose mind is
overcome by lust; na vijānāti—he does not know (that
witnesses all around take note of his impudent sexual act).
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, as if blinded by the dust of a whirlwind, the
conditioned soul sees the beauty of the opposite sex, which
is called pramadā. Being thus bewildered, he is raised upon
the lap of a woman, and at that time his good senses are
overcome by the force of passion. He thus becomes almost
blind with lusty desire and disobeys the rules and
regulations governing sex life. He does not know that his
disobedience is witnessed by different demigods, and he
enjoys illicit sex in the dead of night, not seeing the future
punishment awaiting him.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (7.11) it is said: dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu

kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha. Sex is allowed only for the begetting
of children, not for enjoyment. One can indulge in sex to beget
a good child for the benefit of the family, society and world.
Otherwise, sex is against the rules and regulations of religious
life. A materialistic person does not believe that everything is
managed in nature, and he does not know that if one does
something wrong, he is witnessed by different demigods. A
person enjoys illicit sex, and due to his blind, lusty desire, he
thinks that no one can see him, but this illicit sex is thoroughly
observed by the agents of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore the person is punished in so many ways, presently in
Kali-yuga there are many pregnancies due to illicit sex, and
sometimes abortions ensue. These sinful activities are
witnessed by the agents of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and a man and woman who create such a situation
are punished in the future by the stringent laws of material
nature (daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg.
7.14]). Illicit sex is never excused, and those who indulge in it
are punished life after life. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā
(16.20):
āsurīṁ yonim āpannā

mūḍhā janmani janmani
mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya
tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim
"Attaining repeated birth among the species of demoniac life,

such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down
to the most abominable type of existence."
The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not allow anyone to
act against the stringent laws of material nature; therefore illicit
sex is punished life after life. Illicit sex creates pregnancies, and
these unwanted pregnancies lead to abortion. Those involved
become implicated in these sins, so much so that they are
punished in the same way the next life. Thus in the next life
they also enter the womb of a mother and are killed in the same
way. All these things can be avoided by remaining on the
transcendental platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way
one does not commit sinful activity. Illicit sex is the most
prominent sin due to lusty desire. When one associates with the
mode of passion, he is implicated in suffering life after life.
This verse explains the whirlwind. Having a woman on his lap

is like being afflicted by a whirlwind. His vision is covered by
the impulse of passion, like being covered by dust. His
intelligence becomes blinded by lust and he does not recognize
the devatās of the directions such as the sun and fire, who
witnesses, who have become invisible (rajanī-bhūta).
TEXT - SB 5.14.10
kvacit sakṛd avagata-viṣaya-vaitathyaḥ svayaṁ

parābhidhyānena vibhraṁśita-smṛtis tayaiva marīci-toya-
prāyāṁs tān evābhidhāvati.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; sakṛt—once; avagata-viṣaya-vaitathyaḥ—
becoming conscious of the uselessness of enjoying material
sense gratification; svayam—himself; para-abhidhyānena—by
the bodily concept of the self; vibhraṁśita—destroyed; smṛtiḥ
—whose remembrance; tayā—by that; eva—certainly; marīci-
toya—water in a mirage; prāyān—similar to; tān—those sense
objects; eva—certainly; abhidhāvati—runs after.
TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul sometimes personally appreciates the
futility of sense enjoyment in the material world, and he
sometimes considers material enjoyment to be full of
miseries. However, due to his strong bodily conception, his
memory is destroyed, and again and again he runs after
material enjoyment, just as an animal runs after a mirage
in the desert.
PURPORT
The main disease in material life is the bodily conception.

Being baffled again and again in material activity, the
conditioned soul temporarily thinks of the futility of material
enjoyment, but he again tries the same thing. By the association
of devotees, a person may become convinced of the material
futility, but he cannot give up his engagement, although he is
very eager to return home, back to Godhead. Under these
circumstances, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
situated in everyone's heart, compassionately takes away all the
material possessions of such a devotee. As stated in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (10.88.8): yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-
dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. Lord Kṛṣṇa says that He takes everything away
from the devotee whom He especially favors when that devotee
is overly attached to material possessions. When everything is
taken away, the devotee feels helpless and frustrated in society,
friendship and love. He feels that his family does not care for
him any longer, and he therefore completely surrenders unto
the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. This is a special favor
granted by the Lord to a devotee who cannot fully surrender to
the Lord due to a strong bodily conception. As explained in
Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.39): āmi-vijña, ei mūrkhe
'viṣaya' kene diba. The Lord understands the devotee who
hesitates to engage in the Lord's service, not knowing whether
he should again try to revive his material life. After repeated
attempts and failures, he fully surrenders to the lotus feet of the
Lord. The Lord then gives him directions, and, attaining
happiness, he forgets all material engagement.
Sometimes the events are described in order, and sometimes

not in sequence. Sometimes there is repetition. But one should
not ignore the explanation. It is not possible to make all the
roads in the forest straight. Therefore giving up one’s own
sense of pride, things should be explained as they are in the
text. This verse explains the pursuit of a mirage of water. (SB
5.13.5) One time, the person realizes the futility of sense
enjoyment (avagata-viṣaya-vaithathyaḥ) but he repeatedly
(prāyan) runs after these objects like a mirage of water, because
his memory is destroyed by absorption in the body
(parābhidhyānena).
TEXT - SB 5.14.11
kvacid ulūka-jhillī-svanavad ati-paruṣa-rabhasāṭopaṁ

pratyakṣaṁ parokṣaṁ vā ripu-rāja-kula-nirbhartsitenāti-
vyathita-karṇa-mūla-hṛdayaḥ.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; ulūka—of the owl; jhillī—and the cricket;

svana-vat—exactly like intolerable sounds; ati-paruṣa—
extremely piercing; rabhasa—by perseverance; āṭopam—
agitation; pratyakṣam—directly; parokṣam—indirectly; vā—
or; ripu—of enemies; rāja-kula—and of government officers;
nirbhartsitena—by chastisement; ati-vyathita—very aggrieved;
karṇa-mūla-hṛdayaḥ—whose ear and heart.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul is very aggrieved by the
chastisement of his enemies and government servants, who
use harsh words against him directly or indirectly. At that
time his heart and ears become very saddened. Such
chastisement may be compared to the sounds of owls and
crickets.
PURPORT
There are different types of enemies within this material world.

The government chastises one due to not paying income taxes.
Such criticism, direct or indirect, saddens one, and sometimes
the conditioned soul tries to counteract that chastisement.
Unfortunately, he cannot do anything.
This verse explains the sound of crickets. (SB 5.13.5) He

becomes pained by the scolding of government officials having
pride arising from harsh enthusiasm.
TEXT - SB 5.14.12
sa yadā dugdha-pūrva-sukṛtas tadā kāraskara-kākatuṇḍādy-

apuṇya-druma-latā-viṣoda-pānavad ubhayārtha-śūnya-draviṇān
jīvan-mṛtān svayaṁ jīvan-mriyamāṇa upadhāvati.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that conditioned soul; yadā—when; dugdha—exhausted;

pūrva—previous; sukṛtaḥ—pious activities; tadā—at that time;
kāraskara-kākatuṇḍa-ādi—named kāraskara, kākatuṇḍa, etc.;
apuṇya-druma-latā—impious trees and creepers; viṣa-uda-
pāna-vat—like wells with poisonous water; ubhaya-artha-
śūnya—which cannot give happiness either in this life or in the
next; draviṇān—those who possess wealth; jīvat-mṛtān—who
are dead, although apparently alive; svayam—he himself; jīvat
—living; mriyamāṇaḥ—being dead; upadhāvati—approaches
for material acquisition.
TRANSLATION
Due to his pious activities in previous lives, the conditioned
soul attains material facilities in this life, but when they are
finished, he takes shelter of wealth and riches, which cannot
help him in this life or the next. Because of this, he
approaches the living dead who possess these things. Such
people are compared to impure trees, creepers and
poisonous wells.
PURPORT
The wealth and riches acquired through previous pious

activities should not be misused for sense gratification.
Enjoying them for sense gratification is like enjoying the fruits
of a poisonous tree. Such activities will not help the
conditioned soul in any way, neither in this life nor the next.
However, if one engages his possessions in the service of the
Lord under the guidance of a proper spiritual master. he will
attain happiness both in this life and the next. Unless he does
so, he eats a forbidden apple and thereby loses his paradise.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa therefore advises that one's possessions should
be given unto Him.

perform, should be done as an offering unto Me." (Bg. 9.27)
Material wealth and opulence attained through previous pious
activities can be fully utilized for one's benefit in this life and
the next if one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. One should not try to
possess more than he needs for the bare necessities. If one gets
more than is needed, the surplus should be fully engaged in the
Lord's service. That will make the conditioned soul, the world
and Kṛṣṇa happy, and this is the aim of life.
This verse explains the impious trees mentioned in SB 5.13.5.

The jīva has used up all his pious results by enjoyment.
Kāraskara is a poisonous herb. Wealthy men, without goals in
this life or the next, are like such trees and similar creepers, or
poisonous wells.
TEXT - SB 5.14.13
ekadāsat-prasaṅgān nikṛta-matir vyudaka-srotaḥ-skhalanavad

ubhayato 'pi duḥkhadaṁ pākhaṇḍam abhiyāti.
SYNONYMS
ekadā—sometimes; asat-prasaṅgāt—by association of

nondevotees who are against the Vedic principles and who
manufacture different paths of religion; nikṛta-matiḥ—whose
intelligence has been brought to the abominable status of
defying the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
vyudaka-srotaḥ—into rivers without sufficient water; skhalana-
vat—like jumping; ubhayataḥ—from both sides; api—
although; duḥkha-dam—giving distress; pākhaṇḍam—the
atheistic path; abhiyāti—he approaches.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, to mitigate distresses in this forest of the
material world, the conditioned soul receives cheap
blessings from atheists. He then loses all intelligence in their
association. This is exactly like jumping in a shallow river.
As a result one simply breaks his head. He is not able to
mitigate his sufferings from the heat, and in both ways he
suffers. The misguided conditioned soul also approaches so-
called sādhus and svāmīs who preach against the principles
of the Vedas. He does not receive benefit from them, either
in the present or in the future.
PURPORT
Cheaters are always there to manufacture their own way of

spiritual realization. To get some material benefit, the
conditioned soul approaches these pseudo sannyāsīs and yogīs
for cheap blessings, but he does not receive any benefit from
them, either spiritual or material. In this age there are many
cheaters who show some jugglery and magic. They even create
gold to amaze their followers, and their followers accept them
as God. This type of cheating is very prominent in Kali-yuga.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura describes the real guru in this
way.
saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
One should approach a guru who can extinguish the blazing

fire of this material world, the struggle for existence, people
want to be cheated, and therefore they go to yogīs and svāmīs
who play tricks, but tricks do not mitigate the miseries of
material life. If being able to manufacture gold is a criterion for
becoming God, then why not accept Kṛṣṇa, the proprietor of the
entire universe, wherein there are countless tons of gold? As
mentioned before, the color of gold is compared to the will-o'-
the-wisp or yellow stool; therefore one should not be allured by
gold-manufacturing gurus but should sincerely approach a
devotee like Jaḍa Bharata. Jaḍa Bharata instructed Rahūgaṇa
Mahārāja so well that the King was relieved from the bodily
conception. One cannot become happy by accepting a false
guru. A guru should be accepted as advised in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (11.3.21). Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ
śreya uttamam: One should approach a bona fide guru to
inquire about the highest benefit of life. Such a guru is
described as follows: śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Such a guru
does not manufacture gold or juggle words. He is well versed in
the conclusions of Vedic knowledge (vedaiś ca sarvair aham
eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]). He is freed from all material
contamination and is fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. If one is
able to obtain the dust of the lotus feet of such a guru, his life
becomes successful. Otherwise he is baffled both in this life
and in the next.
After his intelligence cheated by association with materialists,

he falls into dry river beds and breaks his head. Later he comes
to his senses. The material imposters give suffering in this life
and the next.
TEXT - SB 5.14.14
yadā tu para-bādhayāndha ātmane nopanamati tadā hi pitṛ-

putra-barhiṣmataḥ pitṛ-putrān vā sa khalu bhakṣayati.
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; tu—but (because of misfortune); para-bādhayā

—in spite of exploiting all others; andhaḥ—blind; ātmane—for
himself; na upanamati—does not fall into one's share; tadā—at
that time; hi—certainly; pitṛ-putra—of the father or sons;
barhiṣmataḥ—as insignificant as a piece of grass; pitṛ-putrān
—father or sons; vā—or; saḥ—he (the conditioned soul); khalu
—indeed; bhakṣayati—gives trouble to.
TRANSLATION
In this material world, when the conditioned soul cannot
arrange for his own maintenance, despite exploiting others,
he tries to exploit his own father or son, taking away that
relative's possessions, although they may be very
insignificant. If he cannot acquire things from his father,
son or other relatives, he is prepared to give them all kinds
of trouble.
PURPORT
Once we actually saw a distressed man steal ornaments from

his daughter just to maintain himself. As the English proverb
goes, necessity knows no law. When a conditioned soul needs
something, he forgets his relationship with his relatives and
exploits his own father or son. We also receive information
from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that in this age of Kali the time is
quickly approaching when a relative will kill another relative
for a small farthing. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, people will
deteriorate further and further into a hellish condition wherein
they will perform abominable acts.
This verse explains begging food from others. (SB 5.13.6)

When he does not have food by a livelihood that gives pain to
others, he gives trouble to his father or son which are
insignificant like kuśa grass, by bringing troops from the king’s
gate to harass them.
TEXT - SB 5.14.15
kvacid āsādya gṛhaṁ dāvavat priyārtha-vidhuram

asukhodarkaṁ śokāgninā dahyamāno bhṛśaṁ nirvedam
upagacchati.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; āsādya—experiencing; gṛham—the home
life; dāva-vat—exactly like a blazing fire in the forest; priya-
artha-vidhuram—without any beneficial object; asukha-
udarkam—resulting only in more and more unhappiness; śoka-
agninā—by the fire of lamentation; dahyamānaḥ—being
burned; bhṛśam—very great; nirvedam—disappointment;
upagacchati—he obtains.
TRANSLATION
In this world, family life is exactly like a blazing fire in the
forest. There is not the least happiness, and gradually one
becomes more and more implicated in unhappiness. In
household life, there is nothing favorable for perpetual
happiness. Being implicated in home life, the conditioned
soul is burned by the fire of lamentation. Sometimes he
condemns himself as being very unfortunate, and
sometimes he claims that he suffers because he performed
no pious activities in his previous life.
PURPORT
In the Gurv-aṣṭaka, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has

sung:
saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
A life in this material world is exactly like a blazing forest fire.

No one goes to set fire to the forest, yet the fire takes place.
Similarly, everyone wants to be happy in the material world,
but the miserable conditions of material life simply increase.
Sometimes a person caught in the blazing fire of material
existence condemns himself, but due to his bodily conception
he cannot get out of the entanglement, and thus he suffers more
and more.
This verse explains the forest fire. (SB 5.13.6)
TEXT - SB 5.14.16
kvacit kāla-viṣa-mita-rāja-kula-rakṣasāpahṛta-priyatama-
dhanāsuḥ pramṛtaka iva vigata-jīva-lakṣaṇa āste.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; kāla-viṣa-mita—made crooked by time;

rāja-kula—the government men; rakṣasā—by those who are
like carnivorous human beings; apahṛta—being plundered;
priya-tama—most dear; dhana—in the form of wealth; asuḥ—
whose life air; pramṛtakaḥ—dead; iva—like; vigata-jīva-
lakṣaṇaḥ—bereft of all signs of life; āste—he remains.
TRANSLATION
Government men are always like carnivorous demons
called Rākṣasas [man-eaters]. Sometimes these government
men turn against the conditioned soul and take away all his
accumulated wealth. Being bereft of his life's reserved
wealth, the conditioned soul loses all enthusiasm. Indeed, it
is as though he loses his life.
PURPORT
The word rāja-kula-rakṣasā is very significant. Śrīmad-

Bhāgavatam was compiled about five thousand years ago, yet
government men are referred to as Rākṣasas, or carnivorous
demons. If government men are opposed to a person, that
person will be bereft of all his riches, which he has
accumulated with great care over a long period of time.
Actually no one wants to pay income taxes—even government
men themselves try to avoid these taxes—but at unfavorable
times income taxes are exacted forcibly, and the taxpayers
become very morose.
This verse explains how the Yakṣas take his wealth (SB 5.136).
He loses all signs of life such as joy. Or he faints from
lamentation.
TEXT - SB 5.14.17
kadācin manorathopagata-pitṛ-pitāmahādy asat sad iti svapna-

nirvṛti-lakṣaṇam anubhavati.
SYNONYMS
kadācit—sometimes; manoratha-upagata—obtained by mental
concoction; pitṛ—the father; pitā-maha-ādi—or grandfather
and others; asat—although long dead (and although no one
knows that the soul has gone); sat—again the father or
grandfather has come; iti—thus thinking; svapna-nirvṛti-
lakṣaṇam—the kind of happiness found in dreams; anubhavati
—the conditioned soul feels.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul imagines that his father or
grandfather has again come in the form of his son or
grandson. In this way he feels the happiness one sometimes
feels in a dream, and the conditioned soul sometimes takes
pleasure in such mental concoctions.
PURPORT
Due to ignorance of the real existence of the Lord, the

conditioned soul imagines many things. Influenced by fruitive
activity, he comes together with his relatives, fathers, sons and
grandfathers, exactly as straws gather together in a moving
stream. In a moment the straws are thrown everywhere, and
they lose contact. In conditional life, the living entity is
temporarily with many other conditioned souls. They gather
together as family members, and the material affection is so
strong that even after a father or grandfather passes away, one
takes pleasure in thinking that they return to the family in
different forms. Sometimes this may happen, but in any case
the conditioned soul likes to take pleasure in such concocted
thoughts.
This verse explains how the jīva enjoys on entering the

Gandharva city (SB 5.13.7). Out of strong desire, thinking that
his dead father has returned from the other world he
experiences the happiness of a dream.
TEXT - SB 5.14.18
kvacid gṛhāśrama-karma-codanāti-bhara-girim ārurukṣamāṇo

loka-vyasana-karṣita-manāḥ kaṇṭaka-śarkarā-kṣetraṁ praviśann
iva sīdati.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; gṛha-āśrama—in householder life; karma-

codana—of the rules of fruitive activity; ati-bhara-girim—the
big hill; ārurukṣamāṇaḥ—desiring to ascend; loka—material;
vyasana—to pursuits; karṣita-manāḥ—whose mind is attracted;
kaṇṭaka-śarkarā-kṣetram—a field covered with thorns and
sharp pebbles; praviśan—entering; iva—like; sīdati—he
laments.
TRANSLATION
In household life one is ordered to execute many yajñas and
fruitive activities, especially the vivāha-yajña [the marriage
ceremony for sons and daughters] and the sacred thread
ceremony. These are all the duties of a gṛhastha, and they
are very extensive and troublesome to execute. They are
compared to a big hill over which one must cross when one
is attached to material activities. A person desiring to cross
over these ritualistic ceremonies certainly feels pains like
the piercing of thorns and pebbles endured by one
attempting to climb a hill. Thus the conditioned soul suffers
unlimitedly.
PURPORT
There are many social functions for keeping a prestigious

position in society. In different countries and societies there are
various festivals and rituals. In India, the father is supposed to
get his children married. When he does so, his responsibility to
the family is complete. Arranging marriages is very difficult,
especially in these days. At the present moment no one can
perform the proper ritual of sacrifice, nor can anyone afford to
pay for the marriage ceremony of sons and daughters.
Therefore householders are very much distressed when they are
confronted by these social duties. It is as though they were
pierced by thorns and hurt by pebbles. Material attachment is
so strong that despite the suffering, one cannot give it up.
Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore recommends (SB 7.5.5):
hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ

vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta
The so-called comfortable family position is compared to a

dark well in a field. If one falls in a dark well covered by grass,
his life is lost, despite his cry for rescue. Highly advanced
spiritualists therefore recommend that one should not enter the
gṛhastha-āśrama. It is better to prepare oneself in the
brahmacarya-āśrama for austerities and remain a pure
brahmacārī throughout one's life so that one will not feel the
piercing thorns of material life in the gṛhastha-āśrama. In the
gṛhastha-āśrama one has to accept invitations from friends and
relatives and perform ritualistic ceremonies. By so doing, one
becomes captivated by such things, although he may not have
sufficient resources to continue them. To maintain the gṛhastha
life-style, one has to work very hard to acquire money. Thus
one is implicated in material life, and he suffers the thorn
pricks.
This verse explains climbing a mountain in SB 5.13.8.

Sometimes he becomes overburdened with the weight of
performing karmas such as weddings or horse sacrifice, which
are like wanting to climb to the top of a mountain. His mind is
attracted to the attachment his neighbor has for huge sacrifices.
“They are performing these big sacrifices. Why can’t I do this
as well?” Thus his mind becomes agitated.
TEXT - SB 5.14.19
kvacic ca duḥsahena kāyābhyantara-vahninā gṛhīta-sāraḥ sva-

kuṭumbāya krudhyati.
SYNONYMS
kvacit ca—and sometimes; duḥsahena—unbearable; kāya-
abhyantara-vahninā—because of the fire of hunger and thirst
within the body; gṛhīta-sāraḥ—whose patience is exhausted;
sva-kuṭumbāya—unto his own family members; krudhyati—he
becomes angry.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, due to bodily hunger and thirst, the conditioned
soul becomes so disturbed that he loses his patience and
becomes angry with his own beloved sons, daughters and
wife. Thus, being unkind to them, he suffers all the more.
PURPORT
Śrīla Vidyāpati Ṭhākura has sung:
tātala saikate, vāri-bindu-sama,

suta-mita-ramaṇī-samāje
The happiness of family life is compared to a drop of water in

the desert. No one can be happy in family life. According to the
Vedic civilization, one cannot give up the responsibilities of
family life, but today everyone is giving up family life by
divorce. This is due to the miserable condition experienced in
the family. Sometimes, due to misery, one becomes very
hardened toward his affectionate sons, daughters and wife. This
is but part of the blazing fire of the forest of material life.

This explains how the man becomes pained by the fire of
digestion in SB 5.13.8. Gṛhīta-sāraḥ means losing fortitude.
TEXT - SB 5.14.20
sa eva punar nidrājagara-gṛhīto 'ndhe tamasi magnaḥ

śūnyāraṇya iva śete nānyat-kiñcana veda śava ivāpaviddhaḥ.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that conditioned soul; eva—certainly; punaḥ—again;

nidrā-ajagara—by the python of deep sleep; gṛhītaḥ—being
devoured; andhe—in deep darkness; tamasi—in ignorance;
magnaḥ—being absorbed; śūnya-araṇye—in the isolated
forest; iva—like; śete—he lies down; na—not; anyat—else;
kiñcana—anything; veda—knows; śavaḥ—a dead body; iva—
like; apaviddhaḥ—thrown away.
TRANSLATION
Parīkṣit:My dear King, sleep is exactly like a python. Those
who wander in the forest of material life are always
devoured by the python of sleep. Being bitten by this
python, they always remain in the darkness of ignorance.
They are like dead bodies thrown in a distant forest. Thus
the conditioned souls cannot understand what is going on in
life.
PURPORT
Material life means being fully absorbed in eating, sleeping,
mating and defending. Out of these, sleep is taken very
seriously. While asleep, one completely forgets the object of
life and what to do. For spiritual realization, one should try to
avoid sleep as much as possible. The Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana
practically did not sleep at all. Of course, they slept some, for
the body requires sleep, but they slept only about two hours,
and sometimes not even that. They always engaged in spiritual
cultivation. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau . Following in the
footsteps of the Gosvāmīs, we should try to reduce sleeping,
eating, mating and defending.
This verse explains being swallowed by a python in SB 5.13.9.

.Apaviddha means “given up by his friends.”
TEXT - SB 5.14.21
kadācid bhagna-māna-daṁṣṭro durjana-danda-śūkair alabdha-

nidrā-kṣaṇo vyathita-hṛdayenānukṣīyamāṇa-vijñāno 'ndha-kūpe
'ndhavat patati.
SYNONYMS
kadācit—sometimes; bhagna-māna-daṁṣṭraḥ—whose teeth of

pride are broken; durjana-danda-śūkaiḥ—by the envious
activities of evil men, who are compared to a kind of serpent;
alabdha-nidrā-kṣaṇaḥ—who does not get an opportunity to
sleep; vyathita-hṛdayena—by a disturbed mind; anukṣīyamāṇa
—gradually being decreased; vijñānaḥ—whose real
consciousness; andha-kūpe—in a blind well; andha-vat—like
illusion; patati—he falls down.
TRANSLATION
In the forest of the material world, the conditioned soul is
sometimes bitten by envious enemies, which are compared
to serpents and other creatures. Through the tricks of the
enemy, the conditioned soul falls from his prestigious
position. Being anxious, he cannot even sleep properly. He
thus becomes more and more unhappy, and he gradually
loses his intelligence and consciousness. In that state he
becomes almost perpetually like a blind man who has fallen
into a dark well of ignorance.
This verse explains the blind man falling in the well in SB

5.13.9.
TEXT - SB 5.14.22
karhi sma cit kāma-madhu-lavān vicinvan yadā para-dāra-para-

drav-yāṇy avarundhāno rājñā svāmibhir vā nihataḥ pataty apāre
niraye.
SYNONYMS
karhi sma cit—sometimes; kāma-madhu-lavān—little drops of

honeylike sense gratification; vicinvan—searching after; yadā
—when; para-dāra—another's wife, or a woman other than his
own wife; para-dravyāṇi—another's money and possessions;
avarundhānaḥ—taking as his own property; rājñā—by the
government; svāmibhiḥ vā -or by the husband or relatives of the
woman; nihataḥ—severely beaten; patati—he falls down;
apāre—into unlimitedly; niraye—hellish conditions of life (the
government's prison for criminal activities like rape,
kidnapping or theft of others' property).
TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul is sometimes attracted to the little
happiness derived from sense gratification. Thus he has
illicit sex or steals another's property. At such a time he
may be arrested by the government or chastised by the
woman's husband or protector. Thus simply for a little
material satisfaction, he falls into a hellish condition and is
put into jail for rape, kidnapping, theft and so forth.
PURPORT
Material life is such that due to indulgence in illicit sex,

gambling, intoxication and meat-eating, the conditioned soul is
always in a dangerous condition. Meat-eating and intoxication
excite the senses more and more, and the conditioned soul falls
victim to women. In order to keep women, money is required,
and to acquire money, one begs, borrows or steals. Indeed, he
commits abominable acts that cause him to suffer both in this
life and in the next. Consequently illicit sex must be stopped by
those who are spiritually inclined or who are on the path of
spiritual realization. Many devotees fall down due to illicit sex.
They may steal money and even fall down from the highly
honored renounced order. Then for a livelihood they accept
menial services and become beggars. It is therefore said in the
śāstras, yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham: [SB
7.9.45] materialism is based on sex, whether licit or illicit. Sex
is full of dangers even for those who are addicted to household
life. Whether one has a license for sex or not, there is great
trouble. Bahu-duḥkha-bhāk: after one indulges in sex, many
volumes of miseries ensue. One suffers more and more in
material life. A miserly person cannot properly utilize the
wealth he has, and similarly a materialistic person misuses the
human form. Instead of using it for spiritual emancipation, he
uses the body for sense gratification. Therefore he is called a
miser.
This verse explains searching for honey in SB 5.13.10.
TEXT - SB 5.14.23
atha ca tasmād ubhayathāpi hi karmāsminn ātmanaḥ

saṁsārāvapanam udāharanti.
SYNONYMS
atha—now; ca—and; tasmāt—because of this; ubhayathā api

—both in this life and in the next; hi—undoubtedly; karma—
fruitive activities; asmin—on this path of sense enjoyment;
ātmanaḥ—of the living entity; saṁsāra—of material life;
āvapanam—the cultivation ground or source; udāharanti—the
authorities of the Vedas say.
TRANSLATION
Learned scholars and transcendentalists therefore condemn
the materialistic path of fruitive activity because it is the
original source and breeding ground of material miseries,
both in this life and in the next.
PURPORT
Not knowing the value of life, karmīs create situations whereby

they suffer in this life and the next. Unfortunately, karmīs are
very attached to material sense gratification, and they cannot
appreciate the miserable condition of material life, neither in
this life nor in the next. Therefore the Vedas enjoin that one
should awaken to spiritual consciousness and utilize all his
activities to attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The Lord Himself says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.27):

perform, should be done as an offering unto Me."
The results of all one's activities should be utilized not for sense
gratification but for the mission of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The Supreme Lord gives all information in
Bhagavad-gītā about the aim of life, and at the end of
Bhagavad-gītā He demands surrender unto Him. people do not
generally like this demand, but one who cultivates spiritual
knowledge for many births eventually surrenders unto the lotus
feet of the Lord (bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ
prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]).
Because of what has been said, they describe the world as

karma of sinful and pious types in this world (asmin).
TEXT - SB 5.14.24
muktas tato yadi bandhād devadatta upācchinatti tasmād api

viṣṇumitra ity anavasthitiḥ.
SYNONYMS
muktaḥ—liberated; tataḥ—from that; yadi—if; bandhāt—from

the government imprisonment or being beaten by the protector
of the woman; deva-dattaḥ—person named Devadatta;
upācchinatti—takes the money from him; tasmāt—from the
person named Devadatta; api—again; viṣṇu-mitraḥ—a person
named Viṣṇumitra; iti—thus; anavasthitiḥ—the riches do not
stay in one place but pass from one hand to another.
TRANSLATION
Stealing or cheating another person out of his money, the
conditioned soul somehow or other keeps it in his possession
and escapes punishment. Then another man, named
Devadatta, cheats him and takes the money away.
Similarly, another man, named Viṣṇumitra, steals the
money from Devadatta and takes it away. In any case, the
money does not stay in one place. It passes from one hand
to another. Ultimately no one can enjoy the money, and it
remains the property of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
PURPORT
Riches come from Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, and the

goddess of fortune is the property of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The goddess of fortune cannot stay
anywhere but by the side of Nārāyaṇa; therefore another of her
names is Cañcalā, restless. She cannot be peaceful unless she is
in the company of her husband, Nārāyaṇa. For example,
Lakṣmī was carried away by the materialistic Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa
kidnapped Sītā, the goddess of fortune belonging to Lord
Rāma. As a result, Rāvaṇa's entire family, opulence and
kingdom were smashed, and Sītā, the goddess of fortune, was
recovered from his clutches and reunited with Lord Rāma. Thus
all property, riches and wealth belong to Kṛṣṇa. As stated in
bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the true beneficiary of

all sacrifices and austerities, and He is the supreme proprietor
of all the planetary systems."
Foolish materialistic people collect money and steal from other

thieves, but they cannot keep it. In any case, it must be spent.
One person cheats another, and another person cheats someone
else; therefore the best way to possess Lakṣmī is to keep her by
the side of Nārāyaṇa. This is the point of the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement. We worship Lakṣmī (Rādhārāṇī)
along with Nārāyaṇa (Kṛṣṇa). We collect money from various
sources, but that money does not belong to anyone but Rādhā
and Kṛṣṇa (Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa). If money is utilized in the
service of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, the devotee automatically lives in
an opulent way. However, if one wants to enjoy Lakṣmī the
way Rāvaṇa did, he will be vanquished by the laws of nature,
and whatever few possessions he has will be taken away.
Finally death will take everything away, and death is the
representative of Kṛṣṇa.
This verse explains having one’s enjoyment stolen by another

person n SB 5.13. If he escaping the beating by the husband, at
the expense of bribes, he will enjoy the women. Then another
person called Devadatta appears and enjoys. Then another
person appears and enjoys. No one gets to enjoy to his
satisfaction.
TEXT - SB 5.14.25
kvacic ca śīta-vātādy-anekādhidaivika-bhautikātmīyānāṁ
daśānāṁ pratinivāraṇe 'kalpo duranta-cintayā viṣaṇṇa āste.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; ca—also; śīta-vāta-ādi—such as cold and

strong wind; aneka—various; adhidaivika—created by the
demigods; bhautika—adhibhautika, created by other living
beings; ātmīyānām—adhyātmika, created by the body and
mind; daśānām—of conditions of misery; pratinivāraṇe—in
the counteracting; akalpaḥ—unable; duranta—very severe;
cintayā—by anxieties; viṣaṇṇaḥ—morose; āste—he remains.
TRANSLATION
Being unable to protect himself from the threefold miseries
of material existence, the conditioned soul becomes very
morose and lives a life of lamentation. These threefold
miseries are miseries suffered by mental calamity at the
hands of the demigods [such as freezing wind and scorching
heat], miseries offered by other living entities, and miseries
arising from the mind and body themselves.
PURPORT
The so-called happy materialistic person is constantly having to

endure the threefold miseries of life, called adhidaivika,
adhyātmika and adhibhautika. Actually no one can counteract
these threefold miseries. All three may assail one at one time,
or one misery may be absent and the other present. Thus the
living entity is full of anxiety, fearing misery from one side or
the other. The conditioned soul must be disturbed by at least
one of these three miseries. There is no escape.
This verse explains SB 5.13.11. Daśānām means the conditions

of suffering.
TEXT - SB 5.14.26
kvacin mitho vyavaharan yat kiñcid dhanam anyebhyo vā

kākiṇikā-mātram apy apaharan yat kiñcid vā vidveṣam eti vitta-
śāṭhyāt.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; mithaḥ—with one another; vyavaharan—

trading; yat kiñcit—whatever little bit; dhanam—money;
anyebhyaḥ—from others; vā—or; kākiṇikā-mātram—a very
small amount (twenty cowries); api—certainly; apaharan—
taking away by cheating; yat kiñcit—whatever small amount;
vā—or; vidveṣam eti—creates enmity; vitta-śāṭhyāt—because
of cheating.
TRANSLATION
As far as transactions with money are concerned, if one
person cheats another by a farthing or less, they become
enemies.
PURPORT
This is called saṁsāra-dāvānala . Even in ordinary transactions

between two people, there is invariably cheating because the
conditioned soul is defective in four ways—he is illusioned, he
commits mistakes, his knowledge is imperfect, and he has a
propensity to cheat. Unless one is liberated from material
conditioning, these four defects must be there. Consequently
every man has a cheating propensity, which is employed in
business or money transactions. Although two friends may be
living peacefully together, due to their propensity to cheat they
become enemies when there is a transaction between them. A
philosopher accuses an economist of being a cheater, and an
economist may accuse a philosopher of being a cheater when
he comes in contact with money. In any case, this is the
condition of material life. One may profess a high philosophy,
but when one is in need of money, he becomes a cheater. In this
material world, so-called scientists, philosophers and
economists are nothing but cheaters in one way or another. The
scientists are cheaters because they present so many bogus
things in the name of science. They propose going to the moon,
but actually they end up cheating the entire public of large
sums of money for their experiments. They cannot do anything
useful. Unless one can find a person transcendental to the four
basic defects, one should not accept advice and become a
victim of the material condition. The best process is to take the
advice and instructions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide
representative. In this way one can be happy in this life and the
next.
This verse explains the mutual transactions mentioned in SB

5.13.11. Whatever small mount one transacts during business
or by taking even twenty cowries from others creates enmity.
TEXT - SB 5.14.27
adhvany amuṣminn ima upasargās tathā sukha-duḥkha-rāga-

dveṣa-bhayābhimāna-pramādonmāda-śoka-moha-lobha-
mātsaryerṣyāva-māna-kṣut-pipāsādhi-vyādhi-janma-jarā-
maraṇādayaḥ.
SYNONYMS
adhvani—on the path of material life; amuṣmin—on that; ime

—all these; upasargāḥ—eternal difficulties; tathā—so much
also; sukha—so-called happiness; duḥkha—unhappiness; rāga
—attachment; dveṣa—hate; bhaya—fear; abhimāna—false
prestige; pramāda—illusion; unmāda—madness; śoka—
lamentation; moha—bewilderment; lobha—greed; mātsarya—
envy; īrṣya—enmity; avamāna—insult; kṣut—hunger; pipāsā
—thirst; ādhi—tribulations; vyādhi—disease; janma—birth;
jarā—old age; maraṇa—death; ādayaḥ—and so on.
TRANSLATION
In this materialistic life, there are many difficulties, as I
have just mentioned, and all of these are insurmountable.
In addition, there are difficulties arising from so-called
happiness, distress, attachment, hate, fear, false prestige,
illusion, madness, lamentation, bewilderment, greed, envy,
enmity, insult, hunger, thirst, tribulation, disease, birth, old
age and death. All these combine together to give the
materialistic conditioned soul nothing but misery.
PURPORT
The conditioned soul has to accept all these conditions simply

to enjoy sense gratification in this world. Although people
declare themselves great scientists, economists, philosophers,
politicians and sociologists. they are actually nothing but
rascals. Therefore they have been described as mūḍhas and
narādhamas in Bhagavad-gītā (7.15):
na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
"Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among

mankind. whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who
partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto
Me."
Due to their foolishness, all these materialists are described in

Bhagavad-gītā as narādhamas. They have attained the human
form in order to get released from material bondage, but instead
of doing so, they become further embarrassed amid the
miserable material conditions. Therefore they are narādhamas,
the lowest of men. One may ask whether scientists,
philosophers, economists and mathematicians are also
narādhamas, the lowest of men, and the Supreme Personality
of Godhead replies that they are because they have no actual
knowledge. They are simply proud of their false prestige and
position. Actually they do not know how to get relief from the
material condition and renovate their spiritual life of
transcendental bliss and knowledge. Consequently they waste
time and energy in the search for so-called happiness. These are
the qualifications of the demons. In Bhagavad-gītā it says that
when one has all these demonic qualities, he becomes a mūḍha
[Bg. 9.11]. Due to this, he envies the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; therefore birth after birth he is born into a demonic
family, and he transmigrates from one demonic body to
another. Thus he forgets his relationship with Kṛṣṇa and
remains a narādhama in an abominable condition life after life.
This verse explains the words “Wandering on the path, he

almost dies because of the great difficulties, loss of wealth and
sickness he encounters” mentioned in SB 5.13.13.
TEXT - SB 5.14.28
kvāpi deva-māyayā striyā bhuja-latopagūḍhaḥ praskanna-

viveka-vijñāno yad-vihāra-gṛhārambhākula-hṛdayas tad-
āśrayāvasakta-suta-duhitṛ-kalatra-bhāṣitāvaloka-viceṣṭitāpahṛta-
hṛdaya ātmānam ajitātmāpāre 'ndhe tamasi prahiṇoti.
SYNONYMS
kvāpi—somewhere; deva-māyayā—by the influence of the

illusory energy; striyā—in the form of one's girl friend or wife;
bhuja-latā—by beautiful arms, which are compared to tender
creepers in the forest; upagūḍhaḥ—being deeply embraced;
praskanna—lost; viveka—all intelligence; vijñānaḥ—scientific
knowledge; yat-vihāra—for the enjoyment of the wife; gṛha-
ārambha—to find a house or apartment; ākula-hṛdayaḥ—
whose heart becomes engrossed; tat—of that house; āśraya-
avasakta—who are under the shelter; suta—of sons; duhitṛ—of
daughters; kalatra—of the wife; bhāṣita-avaloka—by the
conversations and by their beautiful glances; viceṣṭita—by
activities; apahṛta-hṛdayaḥ—whose consciousness is taken
away; ātmānam—himself; ajita—uncontrolled; ātmā—whose
self; apāre—in unlimited; andhe—blind darkness; tamasi—in
hellish life; prahiṇoti—he hurls.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul is attracted by illusion
personified (his wife or girl friend) and becomes eager to be
embraced by a woman. Thus he loses his intelligence as well
as knowledge of life's goal. At that time, no longer
attempting spiritual cultivation, he becomes overly attached
to his wife or girl friend and tries to provide her with a
suitable apartment. Again, he becomes very busy under the
shelter of that home and is captivated by the talks, glances
and activities of his wife and children. In this way he loses
his Kṛṣṇa consciousness and throws himself in the dense
darkness of material existence.
PURPORT
When the conditioned soul is embraced by his beloved wife, he

forgets everything about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The more he
becomes attached to his wife, the more he becomes implicated
in family life. One Bengali poet, Bankim Chandra, says that to
the eyes of the lover the beloved is always very beautiful, even
though ugly. This attraction is called deva-māyā. The attraction
between man and woman is the cause of bondage for both.
Actually both belong to the parā prakṛti, the superior energy of
the Lord, but both are actually prakṛti (female). However,
because both want to enjoy one another, they are sometimes
described as puruṣa (male). Actually neither is puruṣa, but both
can be superficially described as puruṣa. As soon as man and
woman are united, they become attached to home, hearth, land,
friendship and money. In this way they are both entrapped in
material existence. The word bhuja-latā-upagūḍha, meaning
"being embraced by beautiful arms which are compared to
creepers," describes the way the conditioned soul is bound
within this material world. The products of sex life—sons and
daughters—certainly follow. This is the way of material
existence.

This verse explains taking shelter of the creepers, mentioned in
SB 5.13.16. Taking shelter of the creepers means he is
embraced by a woman who is none other than the Lord’s māyā.
In this state he loses discrimination and knowledge. His mind
becomes absorbed in building a house for enjoyment with his
wife (yat). His heart is stolen away by the words, actions and
glances of, daughters, sons and the son’s wife under the wife’s
shelter.
TEXT - SB 5.14.29
kadācid īśvarasya bhagavato viṣṇoś cakrāt paramāṇv-ādi-dvi-

parārdhāpavarga-kālopalakṣaṇāt parivartitena vayasā raṁhasā
harata ābrahma-tṛṇa-stambādīnāṁ bhūtānām animiṣato
miṣatāṁ vitrasta-hṛdayas tam eveśvaraṁ kāla-cakra-
nijāyudhaṁ sākṣād bhagavantaṁ yajña-puruṣam anādṛtya
pākhaṇḍa-devatāḥ kaṅka-gṛdhra-baka-vaṭa-prāyā ārya-samaya-
parihṛtāḥ sāṅketyenābhidhatte.
SYNONYMS
kadācit—sometimes; īśvarasya—of the Supreme Lord;

bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; viṣṇoḥ
—of Lord Viṣṇu; cakrāt—from the disc; paramāṇu-ādi—
beginning from the time of minute atoms; dvi-parārdha—the
duration of the life of Brahmā; apavarga—ending; kāla—of
time; upalakṣaṇāt—having the symptoms; parivartitena—
revolving; vayasā—by the chronological order of ages;
raṁhasā—swiftly; harataḥ—taking away; ā-brahma—
beginning from Lord Brahmā; tṛṇa-stamba-ādīnām—down to
the small clumps of grass; bhūtānām—of all living entities;
animiṣataḥ—without blinking the eyes (without fail); miṣatām
—before the eyes of the living entities (without their being able
to stop it); vitrasta-hṛdayaḥ—being afraid in the heart; tam—
Him; eva—certainly; īśvaram—the Supreme Lord; kāla-cakra-
nija-āyudham—whose personal weapon is the disc of time;
sākṣāt—directly; bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; yajña-puruṣam—who accepts all kinds of sacrificial
ceremonies; anādṛtya—without caring for; pākhaṇḍa-devatāḥ
—concocted incarnations of God (man-made gods or
demigods); kaṅka—buzzards; gṛdhra—vultures; baka—
herons; vaṭa-prāyāḥ—like crows; ārya-samaya-parihṛtāḥ—
who are rejected by authorized Vedic scriptures accepted by the
Āryans; sāṅketyena—by concoction or with no basis of
authority indicated by scripture; abhidhatte—he accepts as
worshipable.
TRANSLATION
The personal weapon used by Lord Kṛṣṇa, the disc, is called
hari-cakra, the disc of Hari. This cakra is the wheel of time.
It expands from the beginning of the atoms up to the time of
Brahmā's death, and it controls all activities. It is always
revolving and spending the lives of the living entities, from
Lord Brahmā down to an insignificant blade of grass. Thus
one changes from infancy, to childhood, to youth and
maturity, and thus one approaches the end of life. It is
impossible to check this wheel of time. This wheel is very
exacting because it is the personal weapon of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Sometimes the conditioned soul,
fearing the approach of death, wants to worship someone
who can save him from imminent danger. Yet he does not
care for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose
weapon is the indefatigable time factor. The conditioned
soul instead takes shelter of a man-made god described in
unauthorized scriptures. Such gods are like buzzards,
vultures, herons and crows. Vedic scriptures do not refer to
them. Imminent death is like the attack of a lion, and
neither vultures, buzzards, crows nor herons can save one
from such an attack. One who takes shelter of unauthorized
man-made gods cannot be saved from the clutches of death.
PURPORT
It is stated: hariṁ vinā mṛtiṁ na taranti. No one can save

himself from the cruel hands of death without being favored by
Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gītā it
is stated, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: [Bg.
7.14] whoever fully surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa can be saved from
the cruel hands of material nature. The conditioned soul,
however, sometimes wants to take shelter of a demigod, man-
made god, pseudo incarnation or bogus svāmī or yogī. All these
cheaters claim to follow religious principles, and all this has
become very popular in this age of Kali. There are many
pāṣaṇḍīs who, without referring to the śāstras, pose themselves
as incarnations, and foolish people follow them. Kṛṣṇa, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, has left behind Him Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Not referring to these
authorized scriptures, rascals take shelter of man-made
scriptures and try to compete with Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the
greatest difficulty one encounters when trying to promote
spiritual consciousness in human society. The Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is trying its best to bring people back
to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in its pure form, but the pāṣaṇḍīs and
atheists, who are cheaters, are so numerous that sometimes we
become perplexed and wonder how to push this movement
forward. In any case, we cannot accept the unauthorized ways
of so-called incarnations, gods, cheaters and bluffers, who are
described here as crows, vultures, buzzards and herons.
This verse explains the sentence “Being afraid of group of lions

in the forest, he makes friends with cranes, herons and
vultures” in verse SB 5.13.16. In fear of the cakra, he accepts
the imposters as worshipable along with their imaginary
scriptures (sāṅketyena). The cakra is characterized prominently
(upa) by time from the smallest fraction of time (paramāṇu) to
the life span of Brahmā. Another version has dvi-
parārdhāpavargāt kālopalakṣaṇāt. The cakra is the very form of
time. It quickly destroys the living beings from Brahmā to grass
by its turning, with the passing of age from youth to old age
(vayasā). They do not notice this. The genitive used for the
accusative case (bhūtānām). Or the word “life” can be supplied:
the cakra destroys the life of the livings beings. The cakra is
vigilant (animiṣataḥ). Arya-samaya-parihṛtāḥ means they are
devoid of proper behavior.
TEXT - SB 5.14.30
yadā pākhaṇḍibhir ātma-vañcitais tair uru vañcito brahma-
kulaṁ samāvasaṁs teṣāṁ śīlam upanayanādi-śrauta-smārta-
karmānuṣṭhā-nena bhagavato yajña-puruṣasyārādhanam eva tad
arocayan śūdra-kulaṁ bhajate nigamācāre 'śuddhito yasya
mithunī-bhāvaḥ kuṭumba-bharaṇaṁ yathā vānara-jāteḥ.
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; pākhaṇḍibhiḥ—by pāṣaṇḍīs (godless atheists);

ātma-vañcitaiḥ—who themselves are cheated; taiḥ—by them;
uru—more and more; vañcitaḥ—being cheated; brahma-kulam
—the bona fide brāhmaṇas strictly following the Vedic culture;
samāvasan—settling among them to advance spiritually; teṣām
—of them (the brāhmaṇas who strictly follow Vedic
principles); śīlam—the good character; upanayana-ādi—
beginning with offering the sacred thread or training the
conditioned soul to qualify as a bona fide brāhmaṇa; śrauta—
according to the Vedic principles; smārta—according to the
authorized scriptures derived from the Vedas; karma-
anuṣṭhānena—the performance of activities; bhagavataḥ—of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yajña-puruṣasya—who is
worshiped by Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; ārādhanam—the
process of worshiping Him; eva—certainly; tat arocayan—not
finding pleasure in it due to its being difficult for unscrupulous
persons to perform; śūdra-kulam—the society of śūdras;
bhajate—he turns to; nigama-ācāre—in behaving according to
Vedic principles; aśuddhitaḥ—not purified; yasya—of whom;
mithunī-bhāvaḥ—sex enjoyment or the materialistic way of
life; kuṭumba-bharaṇam—the maintenance of the family; yathā
—as it is; vānara-jāteḥ—of the society of monkeys, or the
descendants of the monkey.
TRANSLATION
The pseudo svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations who do not
believe in the Supreme Personality of Godhead are known
as pāṣaṇḍīs. They themselves are fallen and cheated
because they do not know the real path of spiritual
advancement, and whoever goes to them is certainly
cheated in his turn. When one is thus cheated, he sometimes
takes shelter of the real followers of Vedic principles
[brāhmaṇas or those in Kṛṣṇa consciousness], who teach
everyone how to worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead according to the Vedic rituals. However, being
unable to stick to these principles, these rascals again fall
down and take shelter among śūdras who are very expert in
making arrangements for sex indulgence. Sex is very
prominent among animals like monkeys, and such people
who are enlivened by sex may be called descendants of
monkeys.
PURPORT
By fulfilling the process of evolution from the aquatics to the

animal platform, a living entity eventually reaches the human
form. The three modes of material nature are always working in
the evolutionary process. Those who come to the human form
through the quality of sattva-guṇa were cows in their last
animal incarnation. Those who come to the human form
through the quality of rajo-guṇa were lions in their last animal
incarnation. And those who come to the human form through
the quality of tamo-guṇa were monkeys in their last animal
incarnation. In this age, those who come through the monkey
species are considered by modern anthropologists like Darwin
to be descendants of monkeys. We receive information herein
that those who are simply interested in sex are actually no
better than monkeys. Monkeys are very expert in sexual
enjoyment, and sometimes sex glands are taken from monkeys
and placed in the human body so that a human being can enjoy
sex in old age. In this way modern civilization has advanced.
Many monkeys in India were caught and sent to Europe so that
their sex glands could serve as replacements for those of old
people. Those who actually descend from the monkeys are
interested in expanding their aristocratic families through sex.
In the Vedas there are also certain ceremonies especially meant
for sexual improvement and promotion to higher planetary
systems, where the demigods are enjoying sex. The demigods
are also very much inclined toward sex because that is the basic
principle of material enjoyment.
First of all, the conditioned soul is cheated by so-called svāmīs,

yogīs and incarnations when he approaches them to be relieved
of material miseries. When the conditioned soul is not satisfied
with them, he comes to devotees and pure brāhmaṇas who try
to elevate him for final liberation from material bondage.
However, the unscrupulous conditioned soul cannot rigidly
follow the principles prohibiting illicit sex. intoxication,
gambling and meat-eating. Thus he falls down and takes shelter
of people who are like monkeys. In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement these monkey disciples, being unable to follow the
strict regulative principles, sometimes fall down and try to form
societies based on sex. This is proof that such people are
descendants of monkeys, as confirmed by Darwin. In this verse
it is therefore clearly stated: yathā vānara jāteḥ.
This verse explained the phrase “cheated by the cranes, he

contacts a group of swans” in SB 5.13.17. The imposters cheat
themselves since they accept a path of their own imagination.
One who follows them is cheated more. On some pretext of
offense, they kick him out of their group after taking all his
money. Nigama-ācāre aśuddhitaḥ means “performing what are
listed as impure actions in the scriptures.” Mithunī-bhāvaḥ
means marriage by paying a price for a widow or rejected wife
of another.
TEXT - SB 5.14.31
tatrāpi niravarodhaḥ svaireṇa viharann ati-kṛpaṇa-buddhir

anyonya-mukha-nirīkṣaṇādinā grāmya-karmaṇaiva vismṛta-
kālāvadhiḥ.
SYNONYMS
tatra api—in that condition (in the society of human beings

descended from monkeys); niravarodhaḥ—without hesitation;
svaireṇa—independently, without reference to the goal of life;
viharan—enjoying like monkeys; ati-kṛpaṇa-buddhiḥ—whose
intelligence is dull because he does not properly utilize his
assets; anyonya—of one another; mukha-nirīkṣaṇa-ādinā—by
seeing the faces (when a man sees the beautiful face of a
woman and the woman sees the strong build of the man's body,
they always desire one another); grāmya-karmaṇā—by
material activities for sense gratification; eva—only; vismṛta—
forgotten; kāla-avadhiḥ—the limited span of life (after which
one's evolution may be degrading or elevating).
TRANSLATION
In this way the descendants of the monkeys intermingle
with each other, and they are generally known as śūdras.
Without hesitating, they live and move freely, not knowing
the goal of life. They are captivated simply by seeing the
faces of one another, which remind them of sense
gratification. They are always engaged in material
activities, known as grāmya-karma, and they work hard for
material benefit. Thus they forget completely that one day
their small life spans will be finished and they will be
degraded in the evolutionary cycle.
PURPORT
Materialistic people are sometimes called śūdras, or

descendants of monkeys, due to their monkeylike intelligence.
They do not care to know how the evolutionary process is
taking place, nor are they eager to know what will happen after
they finish their small human life span. This is the attitude of
śūdras. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, this Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement, is trying to elevate śūdras to the
brāhmaṇa platform so that they will know the real goal of life.
Unfortunately, being overly attached to sense gratification,
materialists are not serious in helping this movement. Instead,
some of them try to suppress it. Thus it is the business of
monkeys to disturb the activities of the brāhmaṇas. The
descendants of monkeys completely forget that they have to
die, and they are very proud of scientific knowledge and the
progress of material civilization. The word grāmya-karmaṇā
indicates activities meant only for the improvement of bodily
comforts, presently all human society is engaged in improving
economic conditions and bodily comforts, people are not
interested in knowing what is going to happen after death, nor
do they believe in the transmigration of the soul. When one
scientifically studies the evolutionary theory, one can
understand that human life is a junction where one may take the
path of promotion or degradation. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā
(9.25):
yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām
"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the
demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth
among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the
ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me."
In this life we have to prepare ourselves for promotion to the

next life. Those who are in the mode of rajo-guṇa are generally
interested in being promoted to the heavenly planets. Some,
unknowingly, are degraded to lower animal forms. Those in the
mode of goodness can engage in devotional service, and after
that they can return home, back to Godhead (yānti mad-yājino
'pi mām). That is the real purpose of human life. This Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is trying to bring intelligent human
beings to the platform of devotional service. Instead of wasting
time trying to attain a better position in material life, one should
simply endeavor to return home, back to Godhead. Then all
problems will be solved. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(1.2.17):
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti su-hṛt-satām
"Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā

[Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the
truthful devotee, cleanses the desire for material enjoyment
from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which
are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted."
One simply has to follow the regulative principles, act like a

brāhmaṇa, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and read Bhagavad-
gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way one purifies himself
of the baser material modes (tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa) and,
becoming freed from the greed of these modes, can attain
complete peace of mind. In this way one can understand the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and one's relationship with
Him and thus be promoted to the highest perfection (siddhiṁ
paramāṁ gatāḥ).
This verse explains the sentence “His senses joyful because of

the pleasure arising from them, gazing at their faces, he forgets
about death.” Niravarodhaḥ means not restricted by the rules of
dharma. Forgetting the time of death, he enjoys.
TEXT - SB 5.14.32
kvacid drumavad aihikārtheṣu gṛheṣu raṁsyan yathā vānaraḥ

suta-dāra-vatsalo vyavāya-kṣaṇaḥ.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; druma-vat—like trees (as monkeys jump

from one tree to another, the conditioned soul transmigrates
from one body to another); aihika-artheṣu—simply to bring
about better worldly comforts; gṛheṣu—in houses (or bodies);
raṁsyan—delighting (in one body after another, either in
animal life, human life or demigod life); yathā—exactly as;
vānaraḥ—the monkey; suta-dāra-vatsalaḥ—very affectionate
to the children and wife; vyavāya-kṣaṇaḥ—whose leisure time
is spent in sex pleasure.
TRANSLATION
Just as a monkey jumps from one tree to another, the
conditioned soul jumps from one body to another. As the
monkey is ultimately captured by the hunter and is unable
to get out of captivity, the conditioned soul, being
captivated by momentary sex pleasure, becomes attached to
different types of bodies and is encaged in family life.
Family life affords the conditioned soul a festival of
momentary sex pleasure, and thus he is completely unable
to get out of the material clutches.
PURPORT
As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.9.29): viṣayaḥ khalu

sarvataḥ syāt. Bodily necessities-eating, sleeping, mating and
defending-are all very easily available in any form of life. It is
stated here that the vānara (monkey) is very much attracted to
sex. Each monkey keeps at least two dozen wives, and he
jumps from one tree to another to capture the female monkeys.
Thus he immediately engages in sexual intercourse. In this way
the monkey's business is to jump from one tree to another and
enjoy sex with his wives. The conditioned soul is doing the
same thing, transmigrating from one body to another and
engaging in sex. He thus completely forgets how to become
free from the clutches of material encagement. Sometimes the
monkey is captured by a hunter, who sells its body to doctors
so that its glands can be removed for the benefit of another
monkey. All this is going on in the name of economic
development and improved sex life.

This verse explains “enjoying in the trees” in SB 5.13.18.
Raṁsyan means enjoying. Vyavāya-kṣaṇaḥ means a festival of
enjoyment with women.
TEXT - SB 5.14.33
evam adhvany avarundhāno mṛtyu-gaja-bhayāt tamasi giri-

kandara-prāye.
SYNONYMS
evam—in this way; adhvani—on the path of sense gratification;

avarundhānaḥ—being confined, he forgets the real purpose of
life; mṛtyu-gaja-bhayāt—out of fear of the elephant of death;
tamasi—in the darkness; giri-kandara-prāye—similar to the
dark caves in the mountains.
TRANSLATION
In this material world, when the conditioned soul forgets his
relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
does not care for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he simply engages in
different types of mischievous and sinful activities. He is
then subjected to the threefold miseries, and, out of fear of
the elephant of death, he falls into the darkness found in a
mountain cave.
PURPORT
Everyone is afraid of death, and however strong a materialistic

person may be, when there is disease and old age one must
certainly accept death's notice. The conditioned soul becomes
very morose to receive notice of death. His fear is compared to
the fear experienced upon entering a dark mountain cave, and
death is compared to a great elephant.
With verse explains the phrase “out of inattention, he falls from

a mountain cliff’’ mentioned in SB 5.13.18. Out of fear of
death, in ignorance, he is confined (avarundhānaḥ) to
performing sinful acts to prevent serious illness. In this way he
is absorbed in himself.
TEXT - SB 5.14.34
kvacic chīta-vātādy-aneka-daivika-bhautikātmīyānāṁ
duḥkhānāṁ pratinivāraṇe 'kalpo duranta-viṣaya-viṣaṇṇa āste.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; śīta-vāta-ādi—such as extreme cold or

wind; aneka—many; daivika—offered by the demigods or
powers beyond our control; bhautika—offered by other living
entities; ātmīyānām—offered by the conditioned material body
and mind; duḥkhānām—the many miseries; pratinivāraṇe—in
counteracting; akalpaḥ—being unable; duranta—
insurmountable; viṣaya—from connection with sense
gratification; viṣaṇṇaḥ—morose; āste—he remains.
TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul suffers many miserable bodily
conditions, such as being affected by severe cold and strong
winds. He also suffers due to the activities of other living
beings and due to natural disturbances. When he is unable
to counteract them and has to remain in a miserable
condition, he naturally becomes very morose because he
wants to enjoy material facilities.
This verse explains the phrase “sometimes he is unable to

counteract the cold, heat, wind and rain” mentioned in SB
5.13.11.
TEXT - SB 5.14.35
kvacin mitho vyavaharan yat kiñcid dhanam upayāti vitta-

śāṭhyena.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes or somewhere; mithaḥ vyavaharan—

transacting with each other; yat—whatever; kiñcit—little bit;
dhanam—material benefit or wealth; upayāti—he obtains;
vitta-śāṭhyena—by means of cheating someone of his wealth.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes conditioned souls exchange money, but in due
course of time, enmity arises because of cheating. Although
there may be a tiny profit, the conditioned souls cease to be
friends and become enemies.
PURPORT
As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.8):
puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ

tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ
The monkeylike conditioned soul first becomes attached to sex,

and when intercourse actually takes place he becomes more
attached. He then requires some material comforts—apartment,
house, food, friends, wealth and so on. In order to acquire these
things he has to cheat others, and this creates enmity even
among the most intimate friends. Sometimes this enmity is
created between the conditioned soul and the father or spiritual
master. Unless one is firmly fixed in the regulative principles,
one may perform mischievous acts, even if one is a member of
the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We therefore advise our
disciples to strictly follow the regulative principles; otherwise
the most important movement for the upliftment of humanity
will be hampered due to dissension among its members. Those
who are serious about pushing forward this Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement should remember this and strictly
follow the regulative principles so that their minds will not be
disturbed.
This verse explains SB 5.13.11.
TEXT - SB 5.14.36
kvacit kṣīṇa-dhanaḥ śayyāsanāśanādy-upabhoga-vihīno yāvad

apratilabdha-manorathopagatādāne 'vasita-matis tatas tato
'vamānādīni janād abhilabhate.
SYNONYMS
kvacit—sometimes; kṣīṇa-dhanaḥ—not having sufficient

money; śayyā-āsana-aśana-ādi—accommodations for sleeping,
sitting or eating; upabhoga—of material enjoyment; vihīnaḥ—
being bereft; yāvat—as long as; apratilabdha—not achieved;
manoratha—by his desire; upagata—obtained; ādāne—in
seizing by unfair means; avasita-matiḥ—whose mind is
determined; tataḥ—because of that; tataḥ—from that;
avamāna-ādīni—insults and punishment; janāt—from the
people in general; abhilabhate—he gets.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, having no money, the conditioned soul does not
get sufficient accommodations. Sometimes he doesn't even
have a place to sit, nor does he have the other necessities. In
other words, he falls into scarcity, and at that time, when he
is unable to secure the necessities by fair means, he decides
to seize the property of others unfairly. When he cannot get
the things he wants, he simply receives insults from others
and thus becomes very morose.
PURPORT
It is said that necessity knows no law. When the conditioned

soul needs money to acquire life's bare necessities, he adopts
any means. He begs, borrows or steals. Instead of receiving
these things, he is insulted and chastised. Unless one is very
well organized, one cannot accumulate riches by unfair means.
Even if one acquires riches by unfair means, he cannot avoid
punishment and insult from the government or the general
populace. There are many instances of important people's
embezzling money, getting caught and being put in prison. One
may be able to avoid the punishment of prison, but one cannot
avoid the punishment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
who works through the agency of material nature. This is
described in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14): daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā. Nature is very cruel. She does not
excuse anyone. When people do not care for nature, they
commit all kinds of sinful activities, and consequently they
have to suffer.
This verse explains “devoid of wealth, without bed, chair,

house, and amusement, he sometimes begs from others”
mentioned in SB 5.13.12. Manorathopagatādāne means “he is
determined to take the wealth that he desires.”
TEXT - SB 5.14.37
evaṁ vitta-vyatiṣaṅga-vivṛddha-vairānubandho 'pi pūrva-

vāsanayā mitha udvahaty athāpavahati.
SYNONYMS
evam—in this way; vitta-vyatiṣaṅga—because of monetary

transactions; vivṛddha—increased; vaira-anubandhaḥ—having
relationships of enmity; api—although; pūrva-vāsanayā—by
the fructifying results of previous impious activities; mithaḥ—
with each other; udvahati—become united by means of the
marriage of sons and daughters; atha—thereafter; apavahati—
they give up the marriage or get a divorce.
TRANSLATION
Although people may be enemies, in order to fulfill their
desires again and again, they sometimes get married.
Unfortunately, these marriages do not last very long, and
the people involved are separated again by divorce or other
means.
PURPORT
As stated previously, every conditioned soul has the propensity

to cheat, even in marriage. Everywhere in this material world,
one conditioned soul is envious of another. For the time being,
people may remain friends, but eventually they become
enemies again and fight over money. Sometimes they marry
and then separate by divorce or other means. On the whole,
unity is never permanent. Due to the cheating propensity, both
parties always remain envious. Even in Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
separation and enmity take place due to the prominence of
material propensities.
This explains the sentence “Living with increased enmity

because of business transactions for wealth, he marries” in SB
5.13.13. Apavahati means again he gives up that marriage.
TEXT - SB 5.14.38
etasmin saṁsārādhvani nānā-kleśopasarga-bādhita āpanna-

vipanno yatra yas tam u ha vāvetaras tatra visṛjya jātaṁ jātam
upādāya śocan muhyan bibhyad-vivadan krandan saṁhṛṣyan
gāyan nahyamānaḥ sādhu-varjito naivāvartate 'dyāpi yata
ārabdha eṣa nara-loka-sārtho yam adhvanaḥ pāram upadiśanti.
SYNONYMS
etasmin—on this; saṁsāra—of miserable conditions; adhvani

—path; nānā—various; kleśa—by miseries; upasarga—by the
troubles of material existence; bādhitaḥ—disturbed; āpanna—
sometimes having gained; vipannaḥ—sometimes having lost;
yatra—in which; yaḥ—who; tam—him; u ha vāva—or; itaraḥ
—someone else; tatra—thereupon; visṛjya—giving up; jātam
jātam—newly born; upādāya—accepting; śocan—lamenting;
muhyan—being illusioned; bibhyat—fearing; vivadan—
sometimes exclaiming loudly; krandan—sometimes crying;
saṁhṛṣyan—sometimes being pleased; gāyan—singing;
nahyamānaḥ—being bound; sādhu-varjitaḥ—being away from
saintly persons; na—not; eva—certainly; āvartate—achieves;
adya api—even until now; yataḥ—from whom; ārabdhaḥ—
commenced; eṣaḥ—this; nara-loka—of the material world; sa-
arthaḥ—the self-interested living entities; yam—whom (the
Supreme Personality of Godhead); adhvanaḥ—of the path of
material existence; pāram—the other end; upadiśanti—saintly
persons indicate.
TRANSLATION
The path of this material world is full of material miseries,
and various troubles disturb the conditioned souls.
Sometimes he loses, and sometimes he gains. In either case,
the path is full of danger. Sometimes the conditioned soul is
separated from his father by death or other circumstances.
Leaving him aside he gradually becomes attached to others,
such as his children. In this way, the conditioned soul is
sometimes illusioned and afraid. Sometimes he cries loudly
out of fear. Sometimes he is happy maintaining his family,
and sometimes he is overjoyed and sings melodiously. In
this way he becomes entangled and forgets his separation
from the Supreme Personality of Godhead since time
immemorial. Thus he traverses the dangerous path of
material existence, and on this path he is not at all happy.
Those who are self-realized simply take shelter of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to get out of this
dangerous material existence. Without accepting the
devotional path, one cannot get out of the clutches of
material existence. The conclusion is that no one can be
happy in material life. One must take to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
PURPORT
By thoroughly analyzing the materialistic way of life, any sane

man can understand that there is not the least happiness in this
world. However, due to continuing on the path of danger from
time immemorial and not associating with saintly persons, the
conditioned soul, under illusion, wants to enjoy this material
world. Material energy sometimes gives him a chance at so-
called happiness, but the conditioned soul is perpetually being
punished by material nature. It is therefore said: daṇḍya-jane
rājā yena nadīte cubāya (Cc. Madhya 20.118). Materialistic
life means continuous unhappiness, but sometimes we accept
happiness as it appears between the gaps. Sometimes a
condemned person is submerged in water and hauled out.
Actually all of this is meant for punishment, but he feels a little
comfort when he is taken out of the water. This is the situation
with the conditioned soul. All the śāstras therefore advise that
one associate with devotees and saintly people.
'sādhu-saṅga', 'sādhu-saṅga'—sarva-śāstre kaya

(Cc. Madhya 22.54)
Even by a little association with devotees, the conditioned soul

can get out of this miserable material condition. This Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is therefore trying to give everyone a
chance to associate with saintly people. Therefore all the
members of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society must themselves
be perfect sādhus in order to give a chance to fallen
conditioned souls. This is the best humanitarian work.
This verse explains the sentence “Absorbed in the path by

ignorance, a person wanders about and does not understand
anything” in SB 5.13.19. Āpanna-vipannaḥ means “receiving
disaster and dying.” Only in the association of devotees can one
cross over the difficulties. The wise point out that the Supreme
Lord (tam) from whom material existence has arisen is the way
to cross over material existence. (pāram). Association with
devotees is the cause.
TEXT - SB 5.14.39
yad idaṁ yogānuśāsanaṁ na vā etad avarundhate yan nyasta-

daṇḍā munaya upaśama-śīlā uparatātmānaḥ samavagacchanti.
SYNONYMS
yat—which; idam—this ultimate abode of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead; yoga-anuśāsanam—only to be
achieved by practicing devotional service; na—not; vā—either;
etat—this path of liberation; avarundhate—obtain; yat—
therefore; nyasta-daṇḍāḥ—persons who have given up envying
others; munayaḥ—saintly persons; upaśama-śīlāḥ—who are
now situated in a most peaceful existence; uparata-ātmānaḥ—
who have control over the mind and senses; samavagacchanti
—very easily obtain.
TRANSLATION
Saintly persons, who are friends to all living entities, have a
peaceful consciousness. They have controlled their senses
and minds, and they easily attain the path of liberation, the
path back to Godhead. Being unfortunate and attached to
the miserable material conditions, a materialistic person
cannot associate with them.
PURPORT
The great saint Jaḍa Bharata described both the miserable

condition and the means to get out. The only way out of it is
association with devotees, and this association is very easy.
Although unfortunate people also get this opportunity, due to
their great misfortune they cannot take shelter of pure devotees,
and consequently they continuously suffer. Nonetheless, this
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement insists that everyone take to
this path by adopting the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-
mantra. The preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness go from door to
door to inform people how they can be relieved from the
miserable conditions of material life. As stated by Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja: [Cc.
Madhya 19.151] by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and guru, one can get
the seed of devotional service. If one is a little intelligent he can
cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be freed from the miserable
conditions of material life.
The cause of not returning to the material world is described.

Samavagacchanti means “they attain.”
TEXT - SB 5.14.40
yad api dig-ibha-jayino yajvino ye vai rājarṣayaḥ kiṁ tu paraṁ

mṛdhe śayīrann asyām eva mameyam iti kṛta-
vairānubandhāyāṁ visṛjya svayam upasaṁhṛtāḥ.
SYNONYMS
yat api—although; dik-ibha-jayinaḥ—who are victorious in all

directions; yajvinaḥ—expert in performing great sacrifices; ye
—all of whom; vai—indeed; rāja-ṛṣayaḥ—very great saintly
kings; kim tu—but; param—only this earth; mṛdhe—in battle;
śayīran—lying down; asyām—on this (earth); eva—indeed;
mama—mine; iyam—this; iti—considering in that way; kṛta—
on which is created; vaira-anu-bandhāyām—a relationship of
enmity with others; visṛjya—giving up; svayam—his own life;
upasaṁhṛtāḥ—being killed.
TRANSLATION
There were many great saintly kings who were very expert
in performing sacrificial rituals and very competent in
conquering other kingdoms, yet despite their power they
could not attain the loving service of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. This is because those great kings
could not even conquer the false consciousness of "I am this
body, and this is my property." Thus they simply created
enmity with rival kings, fought with them and died without
having discharged life's real mission.
PURPORT
The real mission of life for the conditioned soul is to reestablish

the forgotten relationship with the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and engage in devotional service so that he may
revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness after giving up the body. One
doesn't have to give up his occupation as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya,
vaiśya, śūdra or whatever. In any position, while discharging
his prescribed duty, one can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness
simply by associating with devotees who are representatives of
Kṛṣṇa and who can teach this science. Regretfully, the big
politicians and leaders in the material world simply create
enmity and are not interested in spiritual advancement. Material
advancement may be very pleasing to an ordinary man, but
ultimately he is defeated because he identifies himself with the
material body and considers everything related to it to be his
property. This is ignorance. Actually nothing belongs to him,
not even the body. By one's karma, one gets a particular body,
and if he does not utilize his body to please the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, all his activities are frustrated. The real
purpose of life is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.13):
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
It really doesn't matter what activity a man engages in. If he can

simply satisfy the Supreme Lord, his life is successful.
This verse explains “Warriors, who have conquered even the

elephants of the directions, thinking in terms of “mine,”
surrounded by enemies, all fall dead on the battlefield”
mentioned in SB 5.13.15. Even though they conquer all
directions, they lie on the earth, which created enmity by
thinking “it is mine.” And giving up that earth, they die.
TEXT - SB 5.14.41
karma-vallīm avalambya tata āpadaḥ kathañcin narakād

vimuktaḥ punar apy evaṁ saṁsārādhvani vartamāno nara-loka-
sārtham upayāti evam upari gato 'pi.
SYNONYMS
karma-vallīm—the creeper of fruitive activities; avalambya—

taking shelter of; tataḥ—from that; āpadaḥ—dangerous or
miserable condition; kathañcit—somehow or other; narakāt—
from the hellish condition of life; vimuktaḥ—being freed;
punaḥ api—again; evam—in this way; saṁsāra-adhvani—on
the path of material existence; vartamānaḥ—existing; nara-
loka-sa-artham—the field of self-interested material activities;
upayāti—he enters; evam—thus; upari—above (in the higher
planetary systems); gataḥ api—although promoted.
TRANSLATION
When the conditioned soul accepts the shelter of the creeper
of fruitive activity, he may be elevated by his pious activities
to higher planetary systems and thus gain liberation from
hellish conditions, but unfortunately he cannot remain
there. After reaping the results of his pious activities, he has
to return to the lower planetary systems. In this way he
perpetually goes up and comes down.
PURPORT
In this regard Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]
Even if one wanders for many millions of years, from the time
of creation until the time of annihilation, one cannot get free
from the path of material existence unless one receives shelter
at the lotus feet of a pure devotee. As a monkey takes shelter of
the branch of a banyan tree and thinks he is enjoying, the
conditioned soul, not knowing the real interest of his life, takes
shelter of the path of karma-kāṇḍa, fruitive activities.
Sometimes he is elevated to the heavenly planets by such
activities, and sometimes he again descends to earth. This is
described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as brahmāṇḍa
bhramite. However, if by Kṛṣṇa's grace one is fortunate enough
to come under the shelter of the guru, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa he
receives lessons on how to execute devotional service to the
Supreme Lord. In this way he receives a clue of how to get out
of his continuous struggle up and down within the material
world. Therefore the Vedic injunction is that one should
approach a spiritual master. The Vedas declare: tad-
vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Similarly
in Bhagavad-gītā (4.34) the Supreme Personality of Godhead
advises:
tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master.

Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him.
The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because
he has seen the truth." Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21) gives
similar advice:
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
"Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness

must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of
him by initiation. The qualification of his spiritual master is
that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by
deliberation and be able to convince others of these
conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of
the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material
considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual
masters." Similarly, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, a great Vaiṣṇava,
also advises, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: "By the
mercy of the spiritual master one receives the mercy of Kṛṣṇa."
This is the same advice given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
(guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya
19.151]). This is essential. One must come to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, and therefore one must take shelter of a pure
devotee. Thus one can become free from the clutches of matter.
This verse explains “Holding onto a creeper, afraid of an

elephant, he remains dangling there” mentioned in SB 5.13.18-
19. Even though one may attain Svarga, one still treads the path
of saṁsāra.
TEXT - SB 5.14.42
tasyedam upagāyanti—
ārṣabhasyeha rājarṣer
manasāpi mahātmanaḥ
nānuvartmārhati nṛpo
makṣikeva garutmataḥ
SYNONYMS
tasya—of Jaḍa Bharata; idam—this glorification; upagāyanti—

they sing; ārṣabhasya—of the son of Ṛṣabhadeva; iha—here;
rāja-ṛṣeḥ—of the great saintly King; manasā api—even by the
mind; mahā-ātmanaḥ—of the great personality Jaḍa Bharata;
na—not; anuvartma arhati—able to follow the path; nṛpaḥ—
any king; makṣikā—a fly; iva—like; garutmataḥ—of Garuḍa,
the carrier of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Having summarized the teachings of Jaḍa Bharata,
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King Parīkṣit, the path
indicated by Jaḍa Bharata is like the path followed by
Garuḍa, the carrier of the Lord, and ordinary kings are
just like flies. Flies cannot follow the path of Garuḍa, and to
date none of the great kings and victorious leaders could
follow this path of devotional service, not even mentally.
PURPORT
As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.3):
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
"Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for

perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly
one knows Me in truth." The path of devotional service is very
difficult, even for great kings who have conquered many
enemies. Although these kings were victorious on the
battlefield, they could not conquer the bodily conception. There
are many big leaders, yogīs, svāmīs and so-called incarnations
who are very much addicted to mental speculation and who
advertise themselves as perfect personalities, but they are not
ultimately successful. The path of devotional service is
undoubtedly very difficult to follow, but it becomes very easy
if the candidate actually wants to follow the path of the
mahājana. In this age there is the path of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, who appeared to deliver all fallen souls. This path
is so simple and easy that everyone can take to it by chanting
the holy name of the Lord.
harer nāma harer nāma

harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
[Cc. Ādi 17.21]
We are very satisfied that this path is being opened by this

Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because so many European and
American boys and girls are taking this philosophy seriously
and gradually attaining perfection.
The story of Bharata is concluded with glorification by ancient

sages. The wise sing of Bharata’s activities (idam). One cannot
imitate the path of the son of Ṛṣabha, the saint among kings,
since one is unqualified. One cannot even desire in the mind,
what to speak of performing the actions.
TEXT - SB 5.14.43
yo dustyajān dāra-sutān
suhṛd rājyaṁ hṛdi-spṛśaḥ
jahau yuvaiva malavad
uttamaśloka-lālasaḥ
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—the same Jaḍa Bharata who was formerly Mahārāja

Bharata, the son of Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva; dustyajān—very
difficult to give up; dāra-sutān—the wife and children or the
most opulent family life; suhṛt—friends and well-wishers;
rājyam—a kingdom that extended all over the world; hṛdi-
spṛśaḥ—that which is situated within the core of one's heart;
jahau—he gave up; yuvā eva—even as a young man; mala-vat
—like stool; uttama-śloka-lālasaḥ—who was so fond of
serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as
Uttamaśloka.
TRANSLATION
While in the prime of life, the great Mahārāja Bharata gave
up everything because he was fond of serving the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Uttamaśloka. He gave up his
beautiful wife, nice children, great friends and an enormous
empire. Although these things were very difficult to give up,
Mahārāja Bharata was so exalted that he gave them up just
as one gives up stool after evacuating. Such was the
greatness of His Majesty.
PURPORT
The name of God is Kṛṣṇa, because He is so attractive that the

pure devotee can give up everything within this material world
on His behalf. Mahārāja Bharata was an ideal king, instructor
and emperor of the world. He possessed all the opulences of the
material world, but Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that He attracted
Mahārāja Bharata from all his material possessions. Yet
somehow or other, the King became affectionate to a little deer
and, falling from his position, had to accept the body of a deer
in his next life. Due to Kṛṣṇa's great mercy upon him, he could
not forget his position, and he could understand how he had
fallen. Therefore in the next life, as Jaḍa Bharata, Mahārāja
Bharata was careful not to spoil his energy, and therefore he
presented himself as a deaf and dumb person. In this way he
could concentrate on his devotional service. We have to learn
from the great King Bharata how to become cautious in
cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A little inattention will retard
our devotional service for the time being. Yet any service
rendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never lost:
svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt (Bg.
2.40). A little devotional service rendered sincerely is a
permanent asset. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17):
tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer

bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
Somehow or other, if one is attracted to Kṛṣṇa, whatever he

does in devotional service is a permanent asset. Even if one
falls down due to immaturity or bad association, his devotional
assets are never lost. There are many examples of this—
Ajāmila, Mahārāja Bharata, and many others. This Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is giving everyone a chance to engage
in devotional service for at least some time. A little service will
give one an impetus to advance and thus make one's life
successful.
In this verse the Lord is described as Uttamaśloka. Uttama

means "the best," and śloka means "reputation." Lord Kṛṣṇa is
full in six opulences, one of which is reputation. Aiśvaryasya
samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47).
Kṛṣṇa's reputation is still expanding. We are spreading the
glories of Kṛṣṇa by pushing forward this Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement. Kṛṣṇa's reputation, five thousand years after the
Battle of Kurukṣetra, is still expanding throughout the world.
Every important individual within this world must have heard
of Kṛṣṇa, especially at the present moment, due to the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement. Even people who do not like us and
want to suppress the movement are also somehow or other
chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They say, "The Hare Kṛṣṇa people should
be chastised." Such foolish people do not realize the true value
of this movement, but the mere fact that they want to criticize it
gives them a chance to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and this is its success.
This verse describes Bharata’s experience of prema. The word

yaḥ because it is connected with the phrase uttamaśloka-
lālasaḥ, has no corresponding saḥ. It is like the sentence
mīlitaṁ yad abhirāmatādhika: what is implied gives additional
beauty. The wife and sons were difficult to give up because
they were attractive to the heart. Suhṛd-rājyaṁ is a dvandva
compound taken as one item. He gave up his wife and sons
while young, whereas Priyavrata gave up his kingdom when he
was old. He gave up everything as if it were stool. Giving up
stool gives bliss, and not giving it up gives pain. Remembering
it makes one spit in disgust. This shows his distinctive
character. The reason was that he longed for the Lord who had
the highest fame in terms of form, qualities, pastimes,
sweetness and powers. He longed to see the Lord. Persons who
show detachment by all their senses but are not absorbed in the
Lord do not reject wife and sons like stool. This shows
Bharata’s topmost status as a devotee.
TEXT - SB 5.14.44
yo dustyajān kṣiti-suta-svajanārtha-dārān
prārthyāṁ śriyaṁ sura-varaiḥ sadayāvalokām
naicchan nṛpas tad-ucitaṁ mahatāṁ madhudviṭ-
sevānurakta-manasām abhavo 'pi phalguḥ
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—who; dustyajān—very difficult to give up; kṣiti—the

earth; suta—children; sva-jana-artha-dārān—relatives, riches
and a beautiful wife; prārthyām—desirable; śriyam—the
goddess of fortune; sura-varaiḥ—by the best of the demigods;
sa-daya-avalokām—whose merciful glance; na—not; aicchat
—desired; nṛpaḥ—the King; tat-ucitam—this is quite befitting
him; mahatām—of great personalities (mahātmās); madhu-dviṭ
—of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who killed the demon Madhu; sevā-anurakta
—attracted by the loving service; manasām—of those whose
minds; abhavaḥ api—even the position of liberation; phalguḥ
—insignificant.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the activities
of Bharata Mahārāja are wonderful. He gave up everything
difficult for others to give up. He gave up his kingdom, his
wife and his family. His opulence was so great that even the
demigods envied it, yet he gave it up. It was quite befitting a
great personality like him to be a great devotee. He could
renounce everything because he was so attracted to the
beauty, opulence, reputation, knowledge, strength and
renunciation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that one can give up all
desirable things for His sake. Indeed, even liberation is
considered insignificant for those whose minds are
attracted to the loving service of the Lord.
PURPORT
This verse confirms Kṛṣṇa's all-attractiveness. Mahārāja

Bharata was so attracted to Kṛṣṇa that he gave up all his
material possessions. Generally materialistic people are
attracted by such possessions.
(SB 5.5.8)
"One becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children,

relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions
and thinks in terms of 'I and mine.' " The attraction for material
things is certainly due to illusion. There is no value in attraction
to material things, for the conditioned soul is diverted by them.
One's life is successful if he is absorbed in the attraction of
Kṛṣṇa's strength, beauty and pastimes as described in the Tenth
Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Māyāvādīs are attracted to
merging into the existence of the Lord, but Kṛṣṇa is more
attractive than the desire to merge. The word abhavaḥ means
"not to take birth again in this material world." A devotee
doesn't care whether he is going to be reborn or not. He is
simply satisfied with the Lord's service in any condition. That
is real mukti.
īhā yasya harer dāsye

karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
"One who acts to serve Kṛṣṇa with his body, mind, intelligence
and words is a liberated person, even within this material
world." (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.187) A person who
always desires to serve Kṛṣṇa is interested in ways to convince
people that there is a Supreme Personality of Godhead and that
the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. That is his
ambition. It doesn't matter whether he is in heaven or in hell.
This is called uttamaśloka-lālasa.
In joy the same meaning is repeated to make it clear. He did not

desire wealth. This makes his followers glance at wealth while
thinking “Bharata should have such mercy on her.” (sa-daya-
avalokām) This is the meaning given by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Or it
can refer to wealth, which, looking at Bharata with pity, says
“Bharata should not accept pains of the body arising from his
detachment. He should remain in this house pampered by me.”
Abhavaḥ even liberation was insignificant. That also is given
up.
TEXT - SB 5.14.45
yajñāya dharma-pataye vidhi-naipuṇāya
yogāya sāṅkhya-śirase prakṛtīśvarāya
nārāyaṇāya haraye nama ity udāraṁ
hāsyan mṛgatvam api yaḥ samudājahāra
SYNONYMS
yajñāya—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who

enjoys the results of all great sacrifices; dharma-pataye—unto
the master or propounder of religious principles; vidhi-
naipuṇāya—who gives the devotee the intelligence to follow
the regulative principles expertly; yogāya—the personification
of mystic yoga; sāṅkhya-śirase—who taught the Sāṅkhya
philosophy or who actually gives knowledge of Sāṅkhya to the
people of the world; prakṛti-īśvarāya—the supreme controller
of this cosmic manifestation; nārāyaṇāya—the resting place of
the innumerable living entities (nara means the living entities,
and ayana means the shelter); haraye—unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, known as Hari; namaḥ—respectful
obeisances; iti—thus; udāram—very loudly; hāsyan—smiling;
mṛgatvam api—although in the body of a deer; yaḥ—who;
samudājahāra—chanted.
TRANSLATION
Even though in the body of a deer, Mahārāja Bharata did
not forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore
when he was giving up the body of a deer, he loudly uttered
the following prayer: "The Supreme Personality of
Godhead is sacrifice personified. He gives the results of
ritualistic activity. He is the protector of religious systems,
the personification of mystic yoga, the source of all
knowledge, the controller of the entire creation, and the
Supersoul in every living entity. He is beautiful and
attractive. I am quitting this body offering obeisances unto
Him and hoping that I may perpetually engage in His
transcendental loving service." Uttering this, Mahārāja
Bharata left his body.
PURPORT
The entire Vedas are meant for the understanding of karma,

jñāna and yoga—fruitive activity, speculative knowledge and
mystic yoga. Whatever way of spiritual realization we accept,
the ultimate goal is Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The living entities are eternally connected with Him
via devotional service. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ante
nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ: [SB 2.1.6] the perfection of life is to
remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of death. Although Bharata
Mahārāja had to accept the body of a deer, he could remember
Nārāyaṇa at the time of death. Consequently he took birth as a
perfect devotee in a brāhmaṇa family. This confirms the
statement of Bhagavad-gītā (6.41), śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate: "One who falls from the path of self-
realization takes birth in a family of brāhmaṇas or wealthy
aristocrats." Although Mahārāja Bharata appeared in the royal
family, he became neglectful and took birth as a deer. Because
he was very cautious within his deer body, he took birth in a
brāhmaṇa family as Jaḍa Bharata. During this lifetime, he
remained perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious and preached the gospel of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly, beginning with his instructions to
Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa. In this regard, the word yogāya is very
significant. The purpose of aṣṭāṅga-yoga, as stated by
Madhvācārya, is to link or connect with the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The goal is not to display some
material perfections.
In three lines, successively karma, jñāna and bhakti are

glorified for having greater and greater excellence. I offer
respects to the Lord who is expert in the rules for sacrifice
(vidhi-naipuṇāya). While desiring to give up (hāsyan) his deer
body, not at the time of death, he chanted, since the Lord would
make him take birth again to perfect his bhakti.
TEXT - SB 5.14.46
ya idaṁ bhāgavata-sabhājitāvadāta-guṇa-karmaṇo rājarṣer

bharatasyānucaritaṁ svasty-ayanam āyuṣyaṁ dhanyaṁ
yaśasyaṁ svargyāpavargyaṁ vānuśṛṇoty ākhyāsyaty
abhinandati ca sarvā evāśiṣa ātmana āśāste na kāñcana parata
iti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; idam—this; bhāgavata—by exalted

devotees; sabhājita—greatly worshiped; avadāta—pure; guṇa
—whose qualities; karmaṇaḥ—and activities; rāja-ṛṣeḥ—of
the great saintly King; bharatasya—of Bharata Mahārāja;
anucaritam—the narration; svasti-ayanam—the abode of
auspiciousness; āyuṣyam—which increases one's duration of
life; dhanyam—increases one's fortune; yaśasyam—bestows
reputation; svargya—gives promotion to the higher planetary
systems (the goal of the karmīs); apavargyam—gives liberation
from this material world and enables one to merge into the
Supreme (the goal of the jñānīs); vā—or; anuśṛṇoti—always
hears, following the path of devotional service; ākhyāsyati—
describes for the benefit of others; abhinandati—glorifies the
characteristics of devotees and the Supreme Lord; ca—and;
sarvāḥ—all; eva—certainly; āśiṣaḥ—blessings; ātmanaḥ—for
himself; āśāste—he achieves; na—not; kāñcana—anything;
parataḥ—from anyone else; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Devotees interested in hearing and chanting [śravaṇaṁ
kīrtanam] regularly discuss the pure characteristics of
Bharata Mahārāja and praise his activities. If one
submissively hears and chants about the all-auspicious
Mahārāja Bharata, one's life span and material opulences
certainly increase. One can become very famous and easily
attain promotion to the heavenly planets, or attain
liberation by merging into the existence of the Lord.
Whatever one desires can be attained simply by hearing,
chanting and glorifying the activities of Mahārāja Bharata.
In this way, one can fulfill all his material and spiritual
desires. One does not have to ask anyone else for these
things, for simply by studying the life of Mahārāja Bharata,
one can attain all desirable things.
PURPORT
The forest of material existence is summarized in this

Fourteenth Chapter. The word bhavāṭavī refers to the path of
material existence. The merchant is the living entity who comes
to the forest of material existence to try to make money for
sense gratification. The six plunderers are the senses—eyes,
ears, nose, tongue, touch and mind. The bad leader is diverted
intelligence. Intelligence is meant for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but
due to material existence we divert all our intelligence to
achieve material facilities. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, but due to our perverted
mind and senses, we plunder the property of the Lord and
engage in satisfying our senses. The jackals and tigers in the
forest are our family members, and the herbs and creepers are
our material desires. The mountain cave is our happy home,
and the mosquitoes and serpents are our enemies. The rats,
beasts and vultures are different types of thieves who take away
our possessions, and the gandharva-pura is the phantasmagoria
of the body and home. The will-o'-the-wisp is our attraction for
gold and its color, and material residence and wealth are the
ingredients for our material enjoyment. The whirlwind is our
attraction for our wife, and the dust storm is our blinding
passion experienced during sex. The demigods control the
different directions, and the cricket is the harsh words spoken
by our enemy during our absence. The owl is the person who
directly insults us, and the impious trees are impious men. The
waterless river represents atheists who give us trouble in this
world and the next. The meat-eating demons are the
government officials, and the pricking thorns are the
impediments of material life. The little taste experienced in sex
is our desire to enjoy another's wife, and the flies are the
guardians of women, like the husband, father-in-law, mother-
in-law and so forth. The creeper itself is women in general. The
lion is the wheel of time, and the herons, crows and vultures are
so-called demigods, pseudo svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations. All
of these are too insignificant to give one relief. The swans are
the perfect brāhmaṇas, and the monkeys are the extravagant
śūdras engaged in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The
trees of the monkeys are our households, and the elephant is
ultimate death. Thus all the constituents of material existence
are described in this chapter.
Bharata’s pure (avadāta) qualities and actions are worshipped

in the Bhāgavatam or by the devotees. Easily, spontaneously
(ātmanaḥ), all things desired are attained.
Thus ends the commentary on the Fourteenth Chapter of the


Fourteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The
Material World as the Great Forest of Enjoyment."
15. The Glories of the Descendants of King
Priyavrata
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14-15,
16
Chapter Summary
In this chapter the descendants of Bharata Mahārāja and many

other kings are described. The son of Mahārāja Bharata was
named Sumati. He followed the path of liberation given by
Ṛṣabhadeva. Some people mistakenly thought Sumati to be the
direct incarnation of Lord Buddha. The son of Sumati was
Devatājit, and his son was Devadyumna. Devadyumna's son
was Parameṣṭhī, and his son was Pratīha. Pratīha was a very
great devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, and he had three sons, named
Pratihartā, Prastotā and Udgātā. Pratihartā had two sons, Aja
and Bhūmā. The son of Bhūmā was Udgītha, and the son of
Udgītha was Prastāva. The son of Prastāva was Vibhu, and the
son of Vibhu was Pṛthuṣeṇa, whose son was Nakta. The wife of
Nakta, Druti, gave birth to Gaya, who was a very famous and
saintly king. Actually King Gaya was a partial incarnation of
Lord Viṣṇu, and because of his great devotion to Lord Viṣṇu he
received the title Mahāpuruṣa. King Gaya had sons named
Citraratha, Sumati and Avarodhana. The son of Citraratha was
the emperor Samrāṭ, and his son was Marīci, whose son was
Bindu. Bindu's son was Madhu, and Madhu's son was
Vīravrata. Vīravrata's two sons were Manthu and Pramanthu,
and the son of Manthu was Bhauvana. The son of Bhauvana
was Tvaṣṭā, and the son of Tvaṣṭā was Viraja, who glorified the
whole dynasty. Viraja had one hundred sons and one daughter.
Of these, the son named Śatajit became very famous.
TEXT - SB 5.15.1
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vav ke-icTPaa%i<@Na
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śrī-śuka uvāca
bharatasyātmajaḥ sumatir nāmābhihito yam u ha vāva kecit

pākhaṇḍina ṛṣabha-padavīm anuvartamānaṁ cānāryā aveda-
samāmnātāṁ devatāṁ sva-manīṣayā pāpīyasyā kalau
kalpayiṣyanti.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak;

bharatasya—of Bharata Mahārāja; ātma-jaḥ—the son; sumatiḥ
nāma-abhihitaḥ—named Sumati; yam—unto whom; u ha vāva
—indeed; kecit—some; pākhaṇḍinaḥ—atheists, men without
Vedic knowledge; ṛṣabha-padavīm—the path of King
Ṛṣabhadeva; anuvartamānam—following; ca—and; anāryāḥ—
not belonging to the Āryans who strictly follow the Vedic
principles; aveda-samāmnātām—not enumerated in the Vedas;
devatām—to be Lord Buddha or a similar Buddhist deity; sva-
manīṣayā—by their own mental speculation; pāpīyasyā—most
sinful; kalau—in this age of Kali; kalpayiṣyanti—will imagine.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: The son of Mahārāja
Bharata known as Sumati followed the path of Ṛṣabhadeva,
but some unscrupulous people imagined him to be Lord
Buddha himself. These people, who were actually atheistic
and of bad character, took up the Vedic principles in an
imaginary, infamous way to support their activities. Thus
these sinful people accepted Sumati as Lord Buddhadeva
and propagated the theory that everyone should follow the
principles of Sumati. In this way they were carried away by
mental concoction.
PURPORT
Those who are Āryans strictly follow the Vedic principles, but
in this age of Kali a community has sprung up known as the
ārya-samāja, which is ignorant of the import of the Vedas in
the paramparā system. Their leaders decry all bona fide
ācāryas, and they pose themselves as the real followers of the
Vedic principles. These ācāryas who do not follow the Vedic
principles are presently known as the ārya-samājas, or the
Jains. Not only do they not follow the Vedic principles, but
they have no relationship with Lord Buddha. Imitating the
behavior of Sumati, they claim to be the descendants of
Ṛṣabhadeva. Those who are Vaiṣṇavas carefully avoid their
company because they are ignorant of the path of the Vedas. In
Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva
vedyaḥ: "The real purpose of the Vedas is to understand Me."
This is the injunction of all Vedic literatures. One who does not
know the greatness of Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot be accepted as an
Āryan. Lord Buddha, an incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa, adopted a
particular means to propagate the philosophy of bhāgavata-
dharma. He preached almost exclusively among atheists.
Atheists do not want any God, and Lord Buddha therefore said
that there is no God, but he adopted the means to instruct his
followers for their benefit. Therefore he preached in a
duplicitous way, saying that there is no God. Nonetheless, he
himself was an incarnation of God.
In the Fifteenth Chapter, the glories of King Gaya and of the

last king of Priyavrata’s line, Viraja, are described.
TEXT - SB 5.15.2
tasmād vṛddhasenāyāṁ devatājin-nāma putro 'bhavat.
SYNONYMS
tasmāt—from Sumati; vṛddha-senāyām—in the womb of his

wife, named Vṛddhasenā; devatājit-nāma—named Devatājit;
putraḥ—a son; abhavat—was born.
TRANSLATION
From Sumati, a son named Devatājit was born by the
womb of his wife named Vṛddhasenā.
TEXT - SB 5.15.3
athāsuryāṁ tat-tanayo devadyumnas tato dhenumatyāṁ sutaḥ

parameṣṭhī tasya suvarcalāyāṁ pratīha upajātaḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; āsuryām—in the womb of his wife, named

Āsurī; tat-tanayaḥ—one son of Devatājit; deva-dyumnaḥ—
named Devadyumna; tataḥ—from Devadyumna; dhenu-
matyām—in the womb of Dhenumatī, the wife of
Devadyumna; sutaḥ—one son; parameṣṭhī—named
Parameṣṭhī; tasya—of Parameṣṭhī; suvarcalāyām—in the
womb of his wife, named Suvarcalā; pratīhaḥ—the son named
Pratīha; upajātaḥ—appeared.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, in the womb of Āsurī, the wife of Devatājit, a
son named Devadyumna was begotten. Devadyumna begot
in the womb of his wife, Dhenumatī, a son named
Parameṣṭhī. Parameṣṭhī begot a son named Pratīha in the
womb of his wife, Suvarcalā.
TEXT - SB 5.15.4
ya ātma-vidyām ākhyāya svayaṁ saṁśuddho mahā-puruṣam
anusasmāra.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—who (King Pratīha); ātma-vidyām ākhyāya—after

instructing many people about self-realization; svayam—
personally; saṁśuddhaḥ—being very advanced and purified in
self-realization; mahā-puruṣam—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Viṣṇu; anusasmāra—perfectly understood and
always remembered.
TRANSLATION
King Pratīha personally propagated the principles of self-
realization. In this way, not only was he purified, but he
became a great devotee of the Supreme Person, Lord Viṣṇu,
and directly realized Him.
PURPORT
The word anusasmāra is very significant. God consciousness is

not imaginary or concocted. The devotee who is pure and
advanced realizes God as He is, Mahārāja Pratīha did so, and
due to his direct realization of Lord Viṣṇu, he propagated self-
realization and became a preacher. A real preacher cannot be
bogus; he must first of all realize Lord Viṣṇu as He is. As
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.34), upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ: "one who has seen the truth can
impart knowledge." The word tattva-darśī refers to one who
has perfectly realized the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Such a person can become a guru and propound Vaiṣṇava
philosophy all over the world. The paragon of bona fide
preachers and guru is King Pratīha.
Anusasmāra means he realized or attained the Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.15.5
pratīhāt suvarcalāyāṁ pratihartrādayas traya āsann ijyā-kovidāḥ

sūnavaḥ pratihartuḥ stutyām aja-bhūmānāv ajaniṣātām.
SYNONYMS
pratīhāt—from King Pratīha; suvarcalāyām—in the womb of

his wife, named Suvarcalā; pratihartṛ-ādayaḥ trayaḥ—the
three sons Pratihartā, Prastotā and Udgātā; āsan—came into
being; ijyā-kovidāḥ—who were all very expert in the ritualistic
ceremonies of the Vedas; sūnavaḥ—sons; pratihartuḥ—from
Pratihartā; stutyām—in the womb of Stutī, his wife; aja-
bhūmānau—the two sons Aja and Bhūmā; ajaniṣātām—were
brought into existence.
TRANSLATION
In the womb of his wife Suvarcalā, Pratīha begot three sons,
named Pratihartā, Prastotā and Udgātā. These three sons
were very expert in performing Vedic rituals. Pratihartā
begot two sons, named Aja and Bhūmā, in the womb of his
wife, named Stutī.
The three sons Pratihartā, Prastotā and Udgātā were expert in

sacrifices.
TEXT - SB 5.15.6
bhūmna ṛṣikulyāyām udgīthas tataḥ prastāvo devakulyāyāṁ

prastāvān niyutsāyāṁ hṛdayaja āsīd vibhur vibho ratyāṁ ca
pṛthuṣeṇas tasmān nakta ākūtyāṁ jajñe naktād druti-putro gayo
rājarṣi-pravara udāra-śravā ajāyata sākṣād bhagavato viṣṇor
jagad-rirakṣiṣayā gṛhīta-sattvasya kalātmavattvādi-lakṣaṇena
mahā-puruṣatāṁ prāptaḥ.
SYNONYMS
bhūmnaḥ—from King Bhūmā; ṛṣi-kulyāyām—in the womb of

his wife, named Ṛṣikulyā; udgīthaḥ—the son named Udgītha;
tataḥ—again from King Udgītha; prastāvaḥ—the son named
Prastāva; deva-kulyāyām—his wife, named Devakulyā;
prastāvāt—from King Prastāva; niyutsāyām—in his wife,
named Niyutsā; hṛdaya-jaḥ—the son; āsīt—was begotten;
vibhuḥ—named Vibhu; vibhoḥ—from King Vibhu; ratyām—in
his wife, named Ratī; ca—also; pṛthu-ṣeṇaḥ—named
Pṛthuṣeṇa; tasmāt—from him (King Pṛthuṣeṇa); naktaḥ—a son
named Nakta; ākūtyām—in his wife, named Ākūti; jajñe—was
begotten; naktāt—from King Nakta; druti-putraḥ—a son in the
womb of Druti; gayaḥ—named King Gaya; rāja-ṛṣi-pravaraḥ
—most exalted among the saintly royal order; udāra-śravāḥ—
famous as a very pious king; ajāyata—was born; sākṣāt
bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly;
viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu; jagat-rirak-ṣiṣayā—for the purpose of
giving protection to the whole world; gṛhīta—who is
conceived; sattvasya—in the śuddha-sattva qualities; kalā-
ātma-vattva-ādi—of being a direct incarnation of the Lord;
lakṣaṇena—by symptoms; mahā-puruṣatām—the chief quality
of being the leader of the human society (exactly like the chief
leader of all living beings, Lord Viṣṇu); prāptaḥ—achieved.
TRANSLATION
In the womb of his wife, Ṛṣikulyā, King Bhūmā begot a son
named Udgītha. From Udgītha's wife, Devakulyā, a son
named Prastāva was born, and Prastāva begot a son named
Vibhu through his wife, Niyutsā. In the womb of his wife,
Ratī, Vibhu begot a son named Pṛthuṣeṇa. Pṛthuṣeṇa begot
a son named Nakta in the womb of his wife, named Ākūti.
Nakta's wife was Druti, and from her womb the great King
Gaya was born. Gaya was very famous and pious; he was
the best of saintly kings. Lord Viṣṇu and His expansions,
who are meant to protect the universe, are always situated
in the transcendental mode of goodness, known as
viśuddha-sattva. Being the direct expansion of Lord Viṣṇu,
King Gaya was also situated in the viśuddha-sattva.
Because of this, Mahārāja Gaya was fully equipped with
transcendental knowledge. Therefore he was called
Mahāpuruṣa.
PURPORT
From this verse it appears that the incarnations of God are

various. Some are part and parcel of the direct expansions, and
some are direct expansions of Lord Viṣṇu. A direct incarnation
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called aṁśa or
svāṁśa, whereas an incarnation from aṁśa is called kalā.
Among the kalās there are the vibhinnāṁśa-jīvas, or living
entities. These are counted among the jīva-tattvas. Those who
come directly from Lord Viṣṇu are called viṣṇu-tattva and are
sometimes designated as Mahāpuruṣa. Another name for Kṛṣṇa
is Mahāpuruṣa, and a devotee is sometimes called mahā-
pauruṣika.
Hṛdaya-jaḥ means a son. Kalā here means a portion of a

portion.
TEXT - SB 5.15.7
sa vai sva-dharmeṇa prajā-pālana-poṣaṇa-

prīṇanopalālanānuśāsana-lakṣaṇenejyādinā ca bhagavati mahā-
puruṣe parāvare brahmaṇi sarvātmanārpita-paramārtha-
lakṣaṇena brahmavic-caraṇānusevayāpādita-bhagavad-bhakti-
yogena cābhīkṣṇaśaḥ paribhāvitāti-śuddha-matir uparatānātmya
ātmani svayam upalabhyamāna-brahmātmānubhavo 'pi
nirabhimāna evāvanim ajūgupat.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that King Gaya; vai—indeed; sva-dharmeṇa—by his own
duty; prajā-pālana—of protecting the subjects; poṣaṇa—of
maintaining them; prīṇana—of making them happy in all
respects; upalālana—of treating them as sons; anuśāsana—of
sometimes chastising them for their mistakes; lakṣaṇena—by
the symptoms of a king; ijyā-ādinā—by performing the
ritualistic ceremonies as recommended in the Vedas; ca—also;
bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu;
mahā-puruṣe—the chief of all living entities; para-avare—the
source of all living entities, from the highest, Lord Brahmā, to
the lowest, like the insignificant ants; brahmaṇi—unto
Parabrahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva;
sarva-ātmanā—in all respects; arpita—of being surrendered;
parama-artha-lakṣaṇena—with spiritual symptoms; brahma-
vit—of self-realized, saintly devotees; caraṇa-anusevayā—by
the service of the lotus feet; āpādita—achieved; bhagavat-
bhakti-yogena—by the practice of devotional service to the
Lord; ca—also; abhīkṣṇaśaḥ—continuously; paribhāvita—
saturated; ati-śuddha-matiḥ—whose completely pure
consciousness (full realization that the body and mind are
separate from the soul); uparata-anātmye—wherein
identification with material things was stopped; ātmani—in his
own self; svayam—personally; upalabhyamāna—being
realized; brahma-ātma-anubhavaḥ—perception of his own
position as the Supreme Spirit; api—although; nirabhimānaḥ—
without false prestige; eva—in this way; avanim—the whole
world; ajūgupat—ruled strictly according to the Vedic
principles.
TRANSLATION
King Gaya gave full protection and security to the citizens
so that their personal property would not be disturbed by
undesirable elements. He also saw that there was sufficient
food to feed all the citizens. [This is called poṣaṇa.] He
would sometimes distribute gifts to the citizens to satisfy
them. [This is called prīṇana.] He would sometimes call
meetings and satisfy the citizens with sweet words. [This is
called upalālana.] He would also give them good
instructions on how to become first-class citizens. [This is
called anuśāsana.] Such were the characteristics of King
Gaya's royal order. Besides all this, King Gaya was a
householder who strictly observed the rules and regulations
of household life. He performed sacrifices and was an
unalloyed pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He was called Mahāpuruṣa because as a king he
gave the citizens all facilities, and as a householder he
executed all his duties so that at the end he became a strict
devotee of the Supreme Lord. As a devotee, he was always
ready to give respect to other devotees and to engage in the
devotional service of the Lord. This is the bhakti-yoga
process. Due to all these transcendental activities, King
Gaya was always free from the bodily conception. He was
full in Brahman realization, and consequently he was
always jubilant. He did not experience material
lamentation. Although he was perfect in all respects, he was
not proud, nor was he anxious to rule the kingdom.
PURPORT
As Lord Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā, when He descends on

earth, He has two types of business—to give protection to the
faithful and annihilate the demons (paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]). Since the king is the
representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is
sometimes called nara-deva, that is, the Lord as a human being.
According to the Vedic injunctions, he is worshiped as God on
the material platform. As a representative of the Supreme Lord,
the king had the duty to protect the citizens in a perfect way so
that they would not be anxious for food and protection and so
that they would be jubilant. The king would supply everything
for their benefit, and because of this he would levy taxes. If the
king or government otherwise levies taxes on the citizens, he
becomes responsible for the sinful activities of the citizens. In
Kali-yuga, monarchy is abolished because the kings themselves
are subjected to the influence of Kali-yuga. It is understood
from the Rāmāyaṇa that when Bibhīṣaṇa became friends with
Lord Rāmacandra, he promised that if by chance or will he
broke the laws of friendship with Lord Rāmacandra, he would
become a brāhmaṇa or a king in Kali-yuga. In this age, as
Bibhīṣaṇa indicated, both brāhmaṇas and kings are in a
wretched condition. Actually there are no kings or brāhmaṇas
in this age, and due to their absence the whole world is in a
chaotic condition and is always in distress. Compared to
present standards, Mahārāja Gaya was a true representative of
Lord Viṣṇu; therefore he was known as Mahāpuruṣa.
He protected the citizens by crushing the enemy. He nourished

them by giving them jobs. By offering dharma to the Lord it
becomes spiritual. His pure mind was completely endowed
with bhāva. Uparatānātmya means “devoid of thinking oneself
the body.”
TEXT - SB 5.15.8
tasyemāṁ gāthāṁ pāṇḍaveya purāvida upagāyanti.
SYNONYMS
tasya—of King Gaya; imām—these; gāthām—poetic verses of

glorification; pāṇḍaveya—O Mahārāja Parīkṣit; purā-vidaḥ—
those learned in the historical events of the purāṇas;
upagāyanti—sing.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Parīkṣit, those who are learned scholars in
the histories of the Purāṇas eulogize and glorify King Gaya
with the following verses.
PURPORT
The historical references to exalted kings serve as a good

example for present rulers. Those who are ruling the world at
the present moment should take lessons from King Gaya, King
Yudhiṣṭhira and King Pṛthu and rule the citizens so that they
will be happy, presently the governments are levying taxes
without improving the citizens in any cultural, religious, social
or political way. According to the Vedas, this is not
recommended.
TEXT - SB 5.15.9
gayaṁ nṛpaḥ kaḥ pratiyāti karmabhir
yajvābhimānī bahuvid dharma-goptā
samāgata-śrīḥ sadasas-patiḥ satāṁ
sat-sevako 'nyo bhagavat-kalām ṛte
SYNONYMS
gayam—King Gaya; nṛpaḥ—king; kaḥ—who; pratiyāti—is a

match for; karmabhiḥ—by his execution of ritualistic
ceremonies; yajvā—who performed all sacrifices; abhimānī—
so widely respected all over the world; bahu-vit—fully aware
of the conclusion of Vedic literature; dharma-goptā—protector
of the occupational duties of everyone; samāgata-śrīḥ—
possessing all kinds of opulence; sadasaḥ-patiḥ satām—the
dean of the assembly of great persons; sat-sevakaḥ—servant of
the devotees; anyaḥ—anyone else; bhagavat-kalām—the
plenary incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ṛte
—besides.
TRANSLATION
The great King Gaya used to perform all kinds of Vedic
rituals. He was highly intelligent and expert in studying all
the Vedic literatures. He maintained the religious principles
and possessed all kinds of opulence. He was a leader among
gentlemen and a servant of the devotees. He was a totally
qualified plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Therefore who could equal him in the
performance of gigantic ritualistic ceremonies?
Pratiyāti means imitate. Abhimānī means respected in all ways.

He was leader of the assembly of devotees. What other person,
other than a portion of the Lord, could imitate Gaya.
TEXT - SB 5.15.10
yam abhyaṣiñcan parayā mudā satīḥ
satyāśiṣo dakṣa-kanyāḥ saridbhiḥ
yasya prajānāṁ duduhe dharāśiṣo
nirāśiṣo guṇa-vatsa-snutodhāḥ
SYNONYMS
yam—whom; abhyaṣiñcan—bathed; parayā—with great; mudā

—satisfaction; satīḥ—all chaste and devoted to their husbands;
satya—true; āśiṣaḥ—whose blessings; dakṣa-kanyāḥ—the
daughters of King Dakṣa; saridbhiḥ—with sanctified water;
yasya—whose; prajānām—of the citizens; duduhe—fulfilled;
dharā—the planet earth; āśiṣaḥ—of all desires; nirāśiṣaḥ—
although personally having no desire; guṇa-vatsa-snuta-udhāḥ
—earth becoming like a cow whose udders flowed upon seeing
Gaya's qualities in ruling over the citizens.
TRANSLATION
All the chaste and honest daughters of Mahārāja Dakṣa,
such as Śraddhā, Maitrī and Dayā, whose blessings were
always effective, bathed Mahārāja Gaya with sanctified
water. Indeed, they were very satisfied with Mahārāja
Gaya. The planet earth personified came as a cow, and, as
though she saw her calf, she delivered milk profusely when
she saw all the good qualities of Mahārāja Gaya. In other
words, Mahārāja Gaya was able to derive all benefits from
the earth and thus satisfy the desires of his citizens.
However, he personally had no desire.
PURPORT
The earth over which Mahārāja Gaya ruled is compared to a

cow. The good qualities whereby he maintained and ruled the
citizens are compared to the calf. A cow delivers milk in the
presence of her calf; similarly the cow, or earth, fulfilled the
desires of Mahārāja Gaya, who was able to utilize all the
resources of the earth to benefit his citizens. This was possible
because he was bathed in sanctified water by the honest
daughters of Dakṣa. Unless a king or ruler is blessed by
authorities, he cannot rule the citizens very satisfactorily.
Through the good qualities of the ruler, the citizens become
very happy and well qualified.
Satīḥ stands for satyaḥ. The daughters of Dakṣa were Śraddhā,

Maitrī etc. their blessings came true. This means that Śraddhā
gave faith, and Maitrī gave friendship. The earth gave all
desirables to the citizens of Gaya who had no desires.
TEXT - SB 5.15.11
chandāṁsy akāmasya ca yasya kāmān
dudūhur ājahrur atho baliṁ nṛpāḥ
pratyañcitā yudhi dharmeṇa viprā
yadāśiṣāṁ ṣaṣṭham aṁśaṁ paretya
SYNONYMS
chandāṁsi—all the different parts of the Vedas; akāmasya—of

one who has no desire for personal sense gratification; ca—
also; yasya—whose; kāmān—all desirables; dudūhuḥ—
yielded; ājahruḥ—offered; atho—thus; balim—presentation;
nṛpāḥ—all the kings; pratyañcitāḥ—being satisfied by his
fighting in opposition; yudhi—in the war; dharmeṇa—by
religious principles; viprāḥ—all the brāhmaṇas; yadā—when;
āśiṣām—of blessings; ṣaṣṭham aṁśam—one sixth; paretya—in
the next life.
TRANSLATION
Although King Gaya had no personal desire for sense
gratification, all his desires were fulfilled by virtue of his
performance of Vedic rituals. All the kings with whom
Mahārāja Gaya had to fight were forced to fight on
religious principles. They were very satisfied with his
fighting, and they would present all kinds of gifts to him.
Similarly, all the brāhmaṇas in his kingdom were very
satisfied with King Gaya's munificent charities.
Consequently the brāhmaṇas contributed a sixth of their
pious activities for King Gaya's benefit in the next life.
PURPORT
As a kṣatriya or emperor, Mahārāja Gaya sometimes had to

fight with subordinate kings to maintain his government, but
the subordinate kings were not dissatisfied with him because
they knew that he fought for religious principles. Consequently
they accepted their subordination and offered all kinds of gifts
to him. Similarly, the brāhmaṇas who performed Vedic rituals
were so satisfied with the King that they very readily agreed to
part with a sixth of their pious activities for his benefit in the
next life. Thus the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas were all satisfied
with Mahārāja Gaya because of his proper administration. In
other words, Mahārāja Gaya satisfied the kṣatriya kings by his
fighting and satisfied the brāhmaṇas by his charities. The
vaiśyas were also encouraged by kind words and affectionate
dealings, and due to Mahārāja Gaya's constant sacrifices, the
śūdras were satisfied by sumptuous food and charity. In this
way Mahārāja Gaya kept all the citizens very satisfied. When
brāhmaṇas and saintly persons are honored, they part with their
pious activities, giving them to those who honor them and
render them service. Therefore, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā
(4.34), tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā: one
should try to approach a spiritual master submissively and
render service unto him.
The kings, worshipped (pratyañcitāḥ) by his arrows during

battle, offered tribute. The brāhmaṇas, worshipped by charity
(dharmena), offered a sixth of the results of their pious acts as
blessings for the next world. Smṛti says puṇyaṁ ṣaḍbhāgam
ādatte nyāyena paripālayan: the king who rules with justice
receives a sixth of the citizens’ pious acts. (Yājñavalkya Smṛti
1.335)
TEXT - SB 5.15.12
yasyādhvare bhagavān adhvarātmā
maghoni mādyaty uru-soma-pīthe
śraddhā-viśuddhācala-bhakti-yoga-
samarpitejyā-phalam ājahāra
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom (King Gaya); adhvare—in his different

sacrifices; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
adhvara-ātmā—the supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices, the
yajña-puruṣa; maghoni—when King Indra; mādyati—
intoxicated; uru—greatly; soma-pīthe—drinking the intoxicant
called soma; śraddhā—by devotion; viśuddha—purified; acala
—and steady; bhakti-yoga—by devotional service; samarpita
—offered; ijyā—of worshiping; phalam—the result; ājahāra—
accepted personally.
TRANSLATION
In Mahārāja Gaya's sacrifices, there was a great supply of
the intoxicant known as soma. King Indra used to come and
become intoxicated by drinking large quantities of soma-
rasa. Also, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Viṣṇu [the yajña-puruṣa] also came and personally
accepted all the sacrifices offered unto Him with pure and
firm devotion in the sacrificial arena.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Gaya was so perfect that he satisfied all the

demigods, who were headed by the heavenly King Indra. Lord
Viṣṇu Himself also personally came to the sacrificial arena to
accept the offerings. Although Mahārāja Gaya did not want
them, he received all the blessings of the demigods and the
Supreme Lord Himself.
When Indra became drunk with soma in the sacrifice the Lord
accepted the offerings. The Lord accepted those offerings as
worship directly.
TEXT - SB 5.15.13
yat-prīṇanād barhiṣi deva-tiryaṅ-
manuṣya-vīrut-tṛṇam āviriñcāt
prīyeta sadyaḥ sa ha viśva-jīvaḥ
prītaḥ svayaṁ prītim agād gayasya
SYNONYMS
yat-prīṇanāt—because of pleasing the Supreme Personality of

Godhead; barhiṣi—in the sacrificial arena; deva-tiryak—the
demigods and lower animals; manuṣya—human society; vīrut
—the plants and trees; tṛṇam—the grass; ā-viriñcāt—beginning
from Lord Brahmā; prīyeta—becomes satisfied; sadyaḥ—
immediately; saḥ—that Supreme Personality of Godhead; ha—
indeed; viśva-jīvaḥ—maintains the living entities all over the
universe; prītaḥ—although naturally satisfied; svayam—
personally; prītim—satisfaction; agāt—he obtained; gayasya—
of Mahārāja Gaya.
TRANSLATION
When the Supreme Lord is pleased by a person's actions,
automatically all the demigods, human beings, animals,
birds, bees, creepers, trees, grass and all other living
entities, beginning with Lord Brahmā, are pleased. The
Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul of
everyone, and He is by nature fully pleased. Nonetheless, He
came to the arena of Mahārāja Gaya and said, "I am fully
pleased."
PURPORT
It is explicitly stated herein that simply by satisfying the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, one satisfies the demigods
and all other living entities without differentiation. If one pours
water on the root of a tree, all the branches, twigs, flowers and
leaves are nourished. Although the Supreme Lord is self-
satisfied, He was so pleased with the behavior of Mahārāja
Gaya that He personally came to the sacrificial arena and said,
"I am fully satisfied." Who can compare to Mahārāja Gaya?
The Lord, by pleasing whom all beings are pleased, who is the
very form of satisfaction, showed his satisfaction “I am
satisfied” at the sacrifice along with all beings of the universe.
TEXT - SB 5.15.14-15
gayād gayantyāṁ citrarathaḥ sugatir avarodhana iti trayaḥ putrā

babhūvuś citrarathād ūrṇāyāṁ samrāḍ ajaniṣṭa; tata utkalāyāṁ
marīcir marīcer bindumatyāṁ bindum ānudapadyata tasmāt
saraghāyāṁ madhur nāmābhavan madhoḥ sumanasi vīravratas
tato bhojāyāṁ manthu-pramanthū jajñāte manthoḥ satyāyāṁ
bhauvanas tato dūṣaṇāyāṁ tvaṣṭājaniṣṭa tvaṣṭur virocanāyāṁ
virajo virajasya śatajit-pravaraṁ putra-śataṁ kanyā ca
viṣūcyāṁ kila jātam.
SYNONYMS
gayāt—from Mahārāja Gaya; gayantyām—in his wife, named

Gayantī; citra-rathaḥ—named Citraratha; sugatiḥ—named
Sugati; avarodhanaḥ—named Avarodhana; iti—thus; trayaḥ—
three; putrāḥ—sons; babhūvuḥ—were born; citrarathāt—from
Citraratha; ūrṇāyām—in the womb of Ūrṇā; samrāṭ—named
Samrāṭ; ajaniṣṭa—was born; tataḥ—from him; utkalāyām—in
his wife named Utkalā; marīciḥ—named Marīci; marīceḥ—
from Marīci; bindu-matyām—in the womb of his wife
Bindumatī; bindum—a son named Bindu; ānudapadyata—was
born; tasmāt—from him; saraghāyām—in the womb of his
wife Saraghā; madhuḥ—Madhu; nāma—named; abhavat—was
born; madhoḥ—from Madhu; sumanasi—in the womb of his
wife, Sumanā; vīra-vrataḥ—a son named Vīravrata; tataḥ—
from Vīravrata; bhojāyām—in the womb of his wife Bhojā;
manthu-pramanthū—two sons named Manthu and Pramanthu;
jajñāte—were born; manthoḥ—from Manthu; satyāyām—in
his wife, Satyā; bhauvanaḥ—a son named Bhauvana; tataḥ—
from him; dūṣaṇāyām—in the womb of his wife Dūṣaṇā; tvaṣṭā
—one son named Tvaṣṭā; ajaniṣṭa—was born; tvaṣṭuḥ—from
Tvaṣṭā; virocanāyām—in his wife named Virocanā; virajaḥ—a
son named Viraja; virajasya—of King Viraja; śatajit-pravaram
—headed by Śatajit; putra-śatam—one hundred sons; kanyā—
a daughter; ca—also; viṣūcyām—in his wife Viṣūcī; kila—
indeed; jātam—took birth.
TRANSLATION
In the womb of Gayantī, Mahārāja Gaya begot three sons,
named Citraratha, Sugati and Avarodhana. In the womb of
his wife Ūrṇā, Citraratha begot a son named Samrāṭ. The
wife of Samrāṭ was Utkalā, and in her womb Samrāṭ begot
a son named Marīci. In the womb of his wife Bindumatī,
Marīci begot a son named Bindu. In the womb of his wife
Saraghā, Bindu begot a son named Madhu. In the womb of
his wife named Sumanā, Madhu begot a son named
Vīravrata. In the womb of his wife Bhojā, Vīravrata begot
two sons named Manthu and Pramanthu. In the womb of
his wife Satyā, Manthu begot a son named Bhauvana, and
in the womb of his wife Dūṣaṇā, Bhauvana begot a son
named Tvaṣṭā. In the womb of his wife Virocanā, Tvaṣṭā
begot a son named Viraja. The wife of Viraja was Viṣūcī,
and in her womb Viraja begot one hundred sons and one
daughter. Of all these sons, the son named Śatajit was
predominant.
TEXT - SB 5.15.16
tatrāyaṁ ślokaḥ—
praiyavrataṁ vaṁśam imaṁ
virajaś caramodbhavaḥ
akarod aty-alaṁ kīrtyā
viṣṇuḥ sura-gaṇaṁ yathā

SYNONYMS
tatra—in that connection; ayam ślokaḥ—there is this famous

verse; praiyavratam—coming from King Priyavrata; vaṁśam
—the dynasty; imam—this; virajaḥ—King Viraja; carama-
udbhavaḥ—the source of one hundred sons (headed by Śatajit);
akarot—decorated; ati-alam—very greatly; kīrtyā—by his
reputation; viṣṇuḥ—Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; sura-gaṇam—the demigods; yathā—just as.
TRANSLATION
There is a famous verse about King Viraja. "Because of his
high qualities and wide fame, King Viraja became the jewel
of the dynasty of King Priyavrata, just as Lord Viṣṇu, by
His transcendental potency, decorates and blesses the
demigods."
PURPORT
Within a garden, a flowering tree attains a good reputation

because of its fragrant flowers. Similarly, if there is a famous
man in a family, he is compared to a fragrant flower in a forest.
Because of him, an entire family can become famous in history.
Because Lord Kṛṣṇa took birth in the Yadu dynasty, the Yadu
dynasty and the Yādavas have remained famous for all time.
Because of King Viraja's appearance, the family of Mahārāja
Priyavrata has remained famous for all time.

Thus ends the commentary on the Fifteenth Chapter of the Fifth

Fifteenth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "The Glories of
the Descendants of King Priyavrata."
16. A Description of Jambūdvīpa
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20-21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
Chapter Summary
While describing the character of Mahārāja Priyavrata and his

descendants, Śukadeva Gosvāmī also described Meru Mountain
and the planetary system known as Bhū-maṇḍala. Bhū-maṇḍala
is like a lotus flower, and its seven islands are compared to the
whorl of the lotus. The place known as Jambūdvīpa is in the
middle of that whorl. In Jambūdvīpa there is a mountain known
as Sumeru, which is made of solid gold. The height of this
mountain is 84,000 yojanas, of which 16,000 yojanas are
below the earth. Its width is estimated to be 32,000 yojanas at
its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its foot. (One yojana equals
approximately eight miles.) This king of mountains, Sumeru, is
the support of the planet earth.
On the southern side of the land known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa are the

mountains known as Himavān, Hemakūṭa and Niṣadha, and on
the northern side are the mountains Nīla, Śveta and Śṛṅga.
Similarly, on the eastern and western side there are Mālyavān
and Gandhamādana, two large mountains. Surrounding Sumeru
Mountain are four mountains known as Mandara,
Merumandara, Supārśva and Kumuda, each 10,000 yojanas
long and 10,000 yojanas high. On these four mountains there
are trees a banyan tree. There are also lakes full of milk, honey,
sugarcane juice and pure water. These lakes can fulfill all
desires. There are also gardens named Nandana, Citraratha,
Vaibhrājaka and Sarvatobhadra. On the side of Supārśva
Mountain is a kadamba tree with streams of honey flowing
from its hollows, and on Kumuda Mountain there is a banyan
tree named Śatavalśa, from whose roots flow rivers containing
milk, yogurt and many other desirable things. Surrounding
Sumeru Mountain like filaments of the whorl of a lotus are
twenty mountain ranges such as Kuraṅga, Kurara, Kusumbha,
Vaikaṅka and Trikūṭa. To the east of Sumeru are the mountains
Jaṭhara and Devakūṭa, to the west are Pavana and Pāriyātra, to
the south are Kailāsa and Karavīra, and to the north are
Triśṛṅga and Makara. These eight mountains are about 18,000
yojanas long, 2,000 yojanas wide and 2,000 yojanas high. On
the summit of Mount Sumeru is Brahmapurī, the residence of
Lord Brahmā. Each of its four sides is 10,000 yojanas long.
Surrounding Brahmapurī are the cities of King Indra and seven
other demigods. These cities are one fourth the size of
Brahmapurī.
TEXT - SB 5.16.1
raJaaevac
o¢-STvYaa >aUMa<@l/aYaaMaivXaezae
YaavdaidTYaSTaPaiTa Ya}a caSaaE JYaaeiTaza&
Ga<aEêNd]Maa va Sah dXYaTae )) 1 ))
rājovāca
uktas tvayā bhū-maṇḍalāyāma-viśeṣo yāvad ādityas tapati yatra

cāsau jyotiṣāṁ gaṇaiś candramā vā saha dṛśyate.
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca—Mahārāja Parīkṣit said; uktaḥ—already been said;

tvayā—by you; bhū-maṇḍala—of the planetary system known
as Bhū-maṇḍala; āyāma-viśeṣaḥ—the specific length of the
radius; yāvat—as far as; ādityaḥ—the sun; tapati—heats; yatra
—wherever; ca—also; asau—that; jyotiṣām—of the
luminaries; gaṇaiḥ—with hordes; candramā—the moon; vā—
either; saha—with; dṛśyate—is seen.
TRANSLATION
King Parīkṣit said to Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O brāhmaṇa, you
have already informed me that the radius of Bhū-maṇḍala
extends as far as the sun spreads its light and heat and as
far as the moon and all the stars can be seen.
PURPORT
In this verse it is stated that the planetary system known as

Bhū-maṇḍala extends to the limits of the sunshine. According
to modern science, the sunshine reaches earth from a distance
of 93,000,000 miles. If we calculate according to this modern
information, 93,000,000 miles can be considered the radius of
Bhū-maṇḍala. In the Gāyatrī mantra, we chant oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ
svaḥ. The word bhūr refers to Bhū-maṇḍala. Tat savitur
vareṇyam: the sunshine spreads throughout Bhū-maṇḍala.
Therefore the sun is worshipable. The stars, which are known
as nakṣatra, are not different suns, as modern astronomers
suppose. From Bhagavad-gītā (10.21) we understand that the
stars are similar to the moon (nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī). Like the
moon, the stars reflect the sunshine. Apart from our modern
distinguished estimations of where the planetary systems are
located, we can understand that the sky and its various planets
were studied long, long before Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was
compiled. Śukadeva Gosvāmī explained the location of the
planets, and this indicates that the information was known long,
long before Śukadeva Gosvāmī related it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
The location of the various planetary systems was not unknown
to the sages who flourished in the Vedic age.
The Sixteenth Chapter describes the dimensions of Jambūdvīpa

and Sumeru, which is the middle of the continents and
mountains. Parīkṣit inquires about the dimensions of the islands
and oceans which he heard about in the story of Priyavrata,
after that topic was completed in SB 5.1.30. The breadth of
Bhū-maṇḍala extends as far as the sun shines and within it the
moon and other luminaries are seen.
TEXT - SB 5.16.2
tatrāpi priyavrata-ratha-caraṇa-parikhātaiḥ saptabhiḥ sapta

sindhava upakḷptā yata etasyāḥ sapta-dvīpa-viśeṣa-vikalpas
tvayā bhagavan khalu sūcita etad evākhilam ahaṁ mānato
lakṣaṇataś ca sarvaṁ vi-jijñāsāmi.
SYNONYMS
tatra api—in that Bhū-maṇḍala; priyavrata-ratha-caraṇa-

parikhātaiḥ—by the ditches made by the wheels of the chariot
used by Priyavrata Mahārāja while circumambulating Sumeru
behind the sun; saptabhiḥ—by the seven; sapta—seven;
sindhavaḥ—oceans; upakḷptāḥ—created; yataḥ—because of
which; etasyāḥ—of this Bhū-maṇḍala; sapta-dvīpa—of the
seven islands; viśeṣa-vikalpaḥ—the mode of the construction;
tvayā—by you; bhagavan—O great saint; khalu—indeed;
sūcitaḥ—described; etat—this; eva—certainly; akhilam—
whole subject; aham—I; mānataḥ—from the point of view of
measurement; lakṣaṇataḥ—and from symptoms; ca—also;
sarvam—everything; vijijñāsāmi—wish to know.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, the rolling wheels of Mahārāja Priyavrata's
chariot created seven ditches, in which the seven oceans
came into existence. Because of these seven oceans, Bhū-
maṇḍala is divided into seven islands. You have given a
very general description of their measurement, names and
characteristics. Now I wish to know of them in detail.
Kindly fulfill my desire.
Seven seas were created, from which (yataḥ) seven island, each
of distinctive construction (viśeṣa-vikalpaḥ) belonging to the
earth (etasyāḥ) were formed. I desire to know all about the
oceans and islands (etat).
TEXT - SB 5.16.3
bhagavato guṇamaye sthūla-rūpa āveśitaṁ mano hy aguṇe 'pi

sūkṣmatama ātma-jyotiṣi pare brahmaṇi bhagavati
vāsudevākhye kṣamam āveśituṁ tad u haitad guro 'rhasy
anuvarṇayitum iti.
SYNONYMS
bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guṇa-

maye—into the external features, consisting of the three modes
of material nature; sthūla-rūpe—the gross form; āveśitam—
entered; manaḥ—the mind; hi—indeed; aguṇe—
transcendental; api—although; sūkṣmatame—in His smaller
form as Paramātmā within the heart; ātma-jyotiṣi—who is full
of Brahman effulgence; pare—the supreme; brahmaṇi—
spiritual entity; bhagavati—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; vāsudeva-ākhye—known as Bhagavān Vāsudeva;
kṣamam—suitable; āveśitum—to absorb; tat—that; u ha—
indeed; etat—this; guro—O my dear spiritual master; arhasi
anuvarṇayitum—please describe factually; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
When the mind is fixed upon the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in His external feature made of the material
modes of nature—the gross universal form—it is brought to
the platform of pure goodness. In that transcendental
position, one can understand the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Vāsudeva, who in His subtler form is self-
effulgent and beyond the modes of nature. O my lord,
please describe vividly how that form, which covers the
entire universe, is perceived.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Parīkṣit had already been advised by his spiritual

master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, to think of the universal form of
the Lord, and therefore, following the advice of his spiritual
master, he continuously thought of that form. The universal
form is certainly material, but because everything is an
expansion of the energy of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, ultimately nothing is material. Therefore Parīkṣit
Mahārāja's mind was saturated with spiritual consciousness.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated:
prāpañcikatayā buddhyā
hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ
mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo
vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate
Everything, even that which is material, is connected with the

Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore everything should
be engaged in the service of the Lord. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta
Sarasvatī Ṭhākura translates this verse as follows:
hari-sevāya yāhā haya anukūla

viṣaya baliyā tāhāra tyāge haya bhula
"One should not give up anything connected with the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, thinking it material or enjoyable for
the material senses." Even the senses, when purified, are
spiritual. When Mahārāja Parīkṣit was thinking of the universal
form of the Lord, his mind was certainly situated on the
transcendental platform. Therefore although he might not have
had any reason to be concerned with detailed information of the
universe, he was thinking of it in relationship with the Supreme
Lord, and therefore such geographical knowledge was not
material but transcendental. Elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(1.5.20) Nārada Muni has said, idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān
ivetaraḥ: the entire universe is also the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, although it appears different from Him. Therefore
although Parīkṣit Mahārāja had no need for geographical
knowledge of this universe, that knowledge was also spiritual
and transcendental because he was thinking of the entire
universe as an expansion of the energy of the Lord.
In our preaching work also, we deal with so much property and

money and so many books bought and sold, but because these
dealings all pertain to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they
should never be considered material. That one is absorbed in
thoughts of such management does not mean that he is outside
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one rigidly observes the regulative
principle of chanting sixteen rounds of the mahā-mantra every
day, his dealings with the material world for the sake of
spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are not different
from the spiritual cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

This verse states the result of such inquiry. The word mayā (by
me) is not used. (Parīkṣit does not say “By fixing my mind on
the Lord’s gross form...”) This indicates that Parīkṣit asks the
question, not for himself, but at the request of bhakti-miśra-
yogīs present at the gathering who desired to concentrate their
minds. I however drink with my ears the honey of topics of the
Lord flowing from your lotus mouth. That is my way of
attaining the Lord. The phrase bhagavato guṇamaye sthūla-rūpe
indicates that the gross form of the universe made of guṇas
belongs to the Lord (using possessive case bhagavataḥ). It is
thus different from the Lord. The words in the phrase aguṇe 'pi
sūkṣmatama ātma-jyotiṣi pare brahmaṇi bhagavati are all in the
same case, indicating their equivalence. (Bhagavān is Brahman,
the light of the soul, the finest, beyond the guṇas.) This
indicates that the Lord is beyond the guṇas. O guru! This
indicates that because you are the guru of all the sages you
should explain this.
TEXT - SB 5.16.4
‰izṛvac
Na vE MaharaJa >aGavTaae MaaYaaGau<aiv>aUTae" k-aña&
MaNaSaa vcSaa vaiDa‚
GaNTauMal&/ ivbuDaaYauzaiPa
PauṛzSTaSMaaTPa[aDaaNYaeNaEv >aUGaael/k-ivXaez&
NaaMaæPa
MaaNal/+a<aTaae VYaa:YaaSYaaMa" )) 4 ))
ṛṣir uvāca
na vai mahārāja bhagavato māyā-guṇa-vibhūteḥ kāṣṭhāṁ
manasā vacasā vādhigantum alaṁ vibudhāyuṣāpi puruṣas
tasmāt prādhān-yenaiva bhū-golaka-viśeṣaṁ nāma-rūpa-māna-
lakṣaṇato vyākhyāsyāmaḥ.
SYNONYMS
ṛṣiḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak; na—

not; vai—indeed; mahā-rāja—O great King; bhagavataḥ—of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; māyā-guṇa-vibhūteḥ—of
the transformation of the qualities of the material energy;
kāṣṭhām—the end; manasā—by the mind; vacasā—by words;
vā—either; adhigantum—to understand fully; alam—capable;
vibudha-āyuṣā—with a duration of life like that of Brahmā; api
—even; puruṣaḥ—a person; tasmāt—therefore; prādhānyena
—by a general description of the chief places; eva—certainly;
bhū-golaka-viśeṣam—the particular description of Bhūloka;
nāma-rūpa—names and forms; māna—measurements;
lakṣaṇataḥ—according to symptoms; vyākhyāsyāmaḥ—I shall
try to explain.
TRANSLATION
The great ṛṣi Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, there
is no limit to the expansion of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead's material energy. This material world is a
transformation of the material qualities [sattva-guṇa, rajo-
guṇa and tamo-guṇa], yet no one could possibly explain it
perfectly, even in a lifetime as long as that of Brahmā No
one in the material world is perfect, and an imperfect
person could not describe this material universe accurately,
even after continued speculation. O King, I shall
nevertheless try to explain to you the principal regions, such
as Bhū-goloka [Bhūloka], with their names, forms,
measurements and various symptoms.
PURPORT
The material world is only one fourth of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead's creation, but it is unlimited and
impossible for anyone to know or describe, even with the
qualification of a life as long as that of Brahmā, who lives for
millions and millions of years. Modern scientists and
astronomers try to explain the cosmic situation and the vastness
of space, and some of them believe that all the glittering stars
are different suns. From Bhagavad-gītā, however, we
understand that all these stars (nakṣatras) are like the moon, in
that they reflect the sunshine [Bg. 15.12]. They are not
independent luminaries. Bhūloka is explained to be that portion
of outer space through which the heat and light of the sun
extend. Therefore it is natural to conclude that this universe
extends in space as far as we can see and encompasses the
glittering stars. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī admitted that to give
full details of this expansive material universe would be
impossible, but nevertheless he wanted to give the King as
much knowledge as he had received through the paramparā
system. We should conclude that if one cannot comprehend the
material expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
one certainly cannot estimate the expansiveness of the spiritual
world. The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33) confirms this:
advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
The limits of the expansions of Govinda, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, cannot be estimated by anyone, even a
person as perfect as Brahmā, not to speak of tiny scientists
whose senses and instruments are all imperfect and who cannot
give us information of even this one universe. We should
therefore be satisfied with the information obtainable from
Vedic sources as spoken by authorities like Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Kāṣṭam means end. Rūpam means shape or appearance.

Lakṣaṇam means marking.
TEXT - SB 5.16.5
yo vāyaṁ dvīpaḥ kuvalaya-kamala-kośābhyantara-kośo niyuta-

yojana-viśālaḥ samavartulo yathā puṣkara-patram.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—which; vā—either; ayam—this; dvīpaḥ—island; kuvalaya

—the Bhūloka; kamala-kośa—of the whorl of a lotus flower;
abhyantara—inner; kośaḥ—whorl; niyuta-yojana-viśālaḥ—one
million yojanas (eight million miles) wide; samavartulaḥ—
equally round, or having a length and breadth of the same
measurement; yathā—like; puṣkara-patram—a lotus leaf.
TRANSLATION
The planetary system known as Bhū-maṇḍala resembles a
lotus flower, and its seven islands resemble the whorl of
that flower. The length and breadth of the island known as
Jambūdvīpa, which is situated in the middle of the whorl,
are one million yojanas [eight million miles]. Jambūdvīpa is
round like the leaf of a lotus flower.
the central portion (kośa) within the seven islands situated as

circular coverings (kośa) in the lotus of Bhū-maṇḍala
(kuvalaya)-- which is for certain (vai) this visible Jambūdvīpa--
is 100,000 yojanas (niyuta) wide.
TEXT - SB 5.16.6
yasmin nava varṣāṇi nava-yojana-sahasrāyāmāny aṣṭabhir

maryādā-giribhiḥ suvibhaktāni bhavanti.
SYNONYMS
yasmin—in that Jambūdvīpa; nava—nine; varṣāṇi—divisions

of land; nava-yojana-sahasra—72,000 miles in length;
āyāmāni—measuring; aṣṭabhiḥ—by eight; maryādā—
indicating the boundaries; giribhiḥ—by mountains;
suvibhaktāni—nicely divided from one another; bhavanti—are.
TRANSLATION
In Jambūdvīpa there are nine divisions of land, each with a
length of 9,000 yojanas [72,000 miles]. There are eight
mountains that mark the boundaries of these divisions and
separate them nicely.
PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives the following

quotation from the Vāyu Purāṇa, wherein the locations of the
various mountains, beginning with the Himalayas, are
described.
dhanurvat saṁsthite jñeye dve varṣe dakṣiṇottare; dīrghāṇi tatra

catvāri caturasram ilāvṛtam iti dakṣiṇottare bhāratottara-kuru-
varṣe catvāri kiṁpuruṣa-harivarṣa-ramyaka-hiraṇmayāni
varṣāṇi nīla-niṣadhayos tiraścinībhūya samudra-praviṣṭayoḥ
saṁlagnatvam aṅgīkṛtya bhadrāśva-ketumālayor api dhanur-
ākṛtitvam; atas tayor dairghyata eva madhye saṅkucitatvena
nava-sahasrāyāmatvam; ilāvṛtasya tu meroḥ sakāśāt catur-dikṣu
nava-sahasrāyama-tvaṁ saṁbhavet vastutas tv ilāvṛta-
bhadrāśva-ketumālānāṁ catus-triṁśat-sahasrāyāmatvaṁ
jñeyam.
Āyāmaṇ here means the length. The mountain ranges include

the Himālayas. The form is described in the Vāyu Purāṇa:
dhanurvat saṁsthite jñeye dve varṣe dakṣiṇottare

dīrghāṇi tatra catvāri caturasram ilāvṛtam
Two varṣas on the north and south are bow-shaped. Four other
varṣas are long and Ilāvṛta is square.
The varṣa in the south is Bhārata and that in the north is

Uttarakuru. The four long varṣas are Kuṁpuruṣa, Harivarṣa,
Ramyaka and Hiranmayāni. Bhadrāśva and Ketumāla are also
shaped like bows, bordered by Nīla and Niṣadha mountain
ranges running horizontally and entering the sea. Their width is
nine thousand yojanas except for Ketumāla and Bhadraśva in
the middle. Ilāvṛta is nine thousand yojanas in all four
directions from Meru (which has a 16,000 yojana base). Ilāvrta,
Bhadrāśva and Ketumālā are thus 34,000 yojanas in width
(16,000 + 9000, + 9000).
TEXT - SB 5.16.7
eṣāṁ madhye ilāvṛtaṁ nāmābhyantara-varṣaṁ yasya nābhyām

avasthitaḥ sarvataḥ sauvarṇaḥ kula-giri-rājo merur dvīpāyāma-
samunnāhaḥ karṇikā-bhūtaḥ kuvalaya-kamalasya mūrdhani
dvā-triṁśat sahasra-yojana-vitato mūle ṣoḍaśa-sahasraṁ tāvat
āntar-bhūmyāṁ praviṣṭaḥ.
SYNONYMS
eṣām—all these divisions of Jambūdvīpa; madhye—among;

ilāvṛtam nāma—named Ilāvṛta-varṣa; abhyantara-varṣam—the
inner division; yasya—of which; nābhyām—in the navel;
avasthitaḥ—situated; sarvataḥ—entirely; sauvarṇaḥ—made of
gold; kula-giri-rājaḥ—the most famous among famous
mountains; meruḥ—Mount Meru; dvīpa-āyāma-samunnāhaḥ—
whose height is the same measurement as the width of
Jambūdvīpa; karṇikā-bhūtaḥ—existing as the pericarp;
kuvalaya—of this planetary system; kamalasya—like a lotus
flower; mūrdhani—on the top; dvā-triṁśat—thirty-two;
sahasra—thousand; yojana—yojanas (eight miles each; vitataḥ
—expanded; mūle—at the base; ṣoḍaśa-sahasram—sixteen
thousand yojanas; tāvat—so much; āntaḥ-bhūmyām—within
the earth; praviṣṭaḥ—entered.
TRANSLATION
Amidst these divisions, or varṣas, is the varṣa named
Ilāvṛta, which is situated in the middle of the whorl of the
lotus. Within Ilāvṛta-varṣa is Sumeru Mountain, which is
made of gold. Sumeru Mountain is like the pericarp of the
lotuslike Bhū-maṇḍala planetary system. The mountain's
height is the same as the width of Jambūdvīpa—or, in other
words, 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles]. Of that, 16,000
yojanas [128,000 miles] are within the earth, and therefore
the mountain's height above the earth is 84,000 yojanas
[672,000 miles]. The mountain's width is 32,000 yojanas
[256,000 miles] at its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its base.
Nābhyām means inside. The island is 100,000 yojanas long.

That is the height of the mountain. At the base it spreads out for
16,000 yojanas. Since it extends 16,000 yojanas within the
earth, 84,000 yojanas of Meru are visible above the ground.
TEXT - SB 5.16.8
uttarottareṇelāvṛtaṁ nīlaḥ śvetaḥ śṛṅgavān iti trayo ramyaka-

hiraṇmaya-kurūṇāṁ varṣāṇāṁ maryādā-girayaḥ prāg-āyatā
ubhayataḥ kṣārodāvadhayo dvi-sahasra-pṛthava ekaikaśaḥ
pūrvasmāt pūrvasmād uttara uttaro daśāṁśādhikāṁśena
dairghya eva hrasanti.
SYNONYMS
uttara-uttareṇa ilāvṛtam—further and further north of Ilāvṛta-

varṣa; nīlaḥ—Nīla; śvetaḥ—Śveta; śṛṅgavān—Śṛṅgavān; iti—
thus; trayaḥ—three mountains; ramyaka—Ramyaka;
hiraṇmaya—Hiraṇmaya; kurūṇām—of the Kuru division;
varṣāṇām—of the varṣas; maryādā-girayaḥ—the mountains
marking the borders; prāk-āyatāḥ—extended on the eastern
side; ubhayataḥ—to the east and the west; kṣāroda—the ocean
of salt water; avadhayaḥ—extending to; dvi-sahasra-pṛthavaḥ
—which are two thousand yojanas wide; eka-ekaśaḥ—one
after another; pūrvasmāt—than the former; pūrvasmāt—than
the former; uttaraḥ—further north; uttaraḥ—further north;
daśa-aṁśa-adhika-aṁśena—by one tenth of the former;
dairghyaḥ—in length; eva—indeed; hrasanti—become shorter.
TRANSLATION
Just north of Ilāvṛta-varṣa—and going further northward,
one after another—are three mountains named Nīla, Śveta
and Śṛṅgavān. These mark the borders of the three varṣas
named Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya and Kuru and separate them
from one another. The width of these mountains is 2,000
yojanas [16,000 miles]. Lengthwise, they extend east and
west to the beaches of the ocean of salt water. Going from
south to north, the length of each mountain is one tenth that
of the previous mountain, but the height of them all is the
same.
PURPORT
In this regard, Madhvācārya quotes the following verses from

the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:
yathā bhāgavate tūktaṁ

bhauvanaṁ kośa-lakṣaṇam
tasyāvirodhato yojyam
anya-granthāntare sthitam
maṇḍode puraṇaṁ caiva

vyatyāsaṁ kṣīra-sāgare
rāhu-soma-ravīṇāṁ ca
maṇḍalād dvi-guṇoktitām
vinaiva sarvam unneyaṁ
yojanābhedato 'tra tu
It appears from these verses that aside from the sun and moon,
there is an invisible planet called Rāhu. The movements of
Rāhu cause both solar and lunar eclipses. We suggest that the
modern expeditions attempting to reach the moon are
mistakenly going to Rāhu.
North of Ilāvrṭa are the mountain ranges starting with Nīla. The
mountains extend on the east and west (ubhayataḥ) to the salt
ocean. The mountains after Nīla become shorter than 100,000
yojanas by a little over 10% each.
TEXT - SB 5.16.9
evaṁ dakṣiṇenelāvṛtaṁ niṣadho hemakūṭo himālaya iti prāg-

āyatā yathā nīlādayo 'yuta-yojanotsedhā hari-varṣa-kimpuruṣa-
bhāratānāṁ yathā-saṅkhyam.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; dakṣiṇena—by degrees to the southern side;

ilāvṛtam—of Ilāvṛta-varṣa; niṣadhaḥ hema-kūṭaḥ himālayaḥ—
three mountains named Niṣadha, Hemakūṭa and Himālaya; iti
—thus; prāk-āyatāḥ—extended to the east; yathā—just as;
nīla-ādayaḥ—the mountains headed by Nīla; ayuta-yojana-
utsedhāḥ—ten thousand yojanas high; hari-varṣa—the division
named Hari-varṣa; kimpuruṣa—the division named Kimpuruṣa;
bhāratānām—the division named Bhārata-varṣa; yathā-
saṅkhyam—according to number.
TRANSLATION
Similarly, south of Ilāvṛta-varṣa and extending from east to
west are three great mountains named (from north to
south) Niṣadha, Hemakūṭa and Himālaya. Each of them is
10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] high. They mark the
boundaries of the three varṣas named Hari-varṣa,
Kimpuruṣa-varṣa and Bhārata-varṣa [India].
They are 10,000 yojanas in height. Nīla and the other

mountains to the north of Ilāvṛta are the same height. The width
of these mountains is the same as Nīla. They mark the
boundaries respectively of the varṣas.
TEXT - SB 5.16.10
tathaivelāvṛtam apareṇa pūrveṇa ca mālyavad-gandhamādanāv

ānīla-niṣadhāyatau dvi-sahasraṁ paprathatuḥ ketumāla-
bhadrāśvayoḥ sīmānaṁ vidadhāte.
SYNONYMS
tathā eva—exactly like that; ilāvṛtam apareṇa—on the western

side of Ilāvṛta-varṣa; pūrveṇa ca—and on the eastern side;
mālyavad-gandha-mādanau—the demarcation mountains of
Mālyavān on the west and Gandhamādana on the east; ā-nīla-
niṣadha-āyatau—on the northern side up to the mountain
known as Nīla and on the southern side up to the mountain
known as Niṣadha; dvi-sahasram—two thousand yojanas;
paprathatuḥ—they extend; ketumāla-bhadrāśvayoḥ—of the
two varṣas named Ketumāla and Bhadrāśva; sīmānam—the
border; vidadhāte—establish.
TRANSLATION
In the same way, west and east of Ilāvṛta-varṣa are two
great mountains named Mālyavān and Gandhamādana
respectively. These two mountains, which are 2,000 yojanas
[16,000 miles] high, extend as far as Nīla Mountain in the
north and Niṣadha in the south. They indicate the borders
of Ilāvṛta-varṣa and also the varṣas known as Ketumāla
and Bhadrāśva.
PURPORT
There are so many mountains, even on this planet earth. We do

not think that the measurements of all of them have actually
been calculated. While passing over the mountainous region
from Mexico to Caracas, we actually saw so many mountains
that we doubt whether their height, length and breadth have
been properly measured. Therefore, as indicated in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, we should not try to
comprehend the greater mountainous areas of the universe
merely by our calculations. Śukadeva Gosvāmī has already
stated that such calculations would be very difficult even if one
had a duration of life like that of Brahmā. We should simply be
satisfied with the statements of authorities like Śukadeva
Gosvāmī and appreciate how the entire cosmic manifestation
has been made possible by the external energy of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The measurements given herein, such
as 10,000 yojanas or 100,000 yojanas, should be considered
correct because they have been given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Our experimental knowledge can neither verify nor disprove
the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We should simply hear
these statements from the authorities. If we can appreciate the
extensive energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that
will benefit us.
In the west (apareṇa) and east directions extend in length to

Nīla in the north and Niṣadha in the south. They are 34,000
yojanas in length. In a line from south to north, Bharata,
Kiṁpuruṣa and Harivarṣa are 27,000 yojanas in total (9000
each in width). The mountains Himālaya, Hemakūṭa and
Niṣadhā, each 2000 yojanas, make 6000 yojanas in total.
Sumeru and Ilāvṛta are 34,000 yojanas wide. Ramyaka,
Hiraṇmaya and Kuru are 27,000 yojanas in total. Nīla, Śveta
and Śṛṅgavān are at total of 6000 yojanas. The total comes to
100,000 yojanas. Measuring from east to west, Bhadrāśva is
31,000 yojanas, Sumeru and Ilāvṛta are 34,000 yojanas and
Ketumāla is 31,000 yojanas. The Gandhamādana and Mālyavān
mountains are 4000 yojanas each. The total across is also
100,000 yojanas.
TEXT - SB 5.16.11
mandaro merumandaraḥ supārśvaḥ kumuda ity ayuta-yojana-

vistāronnāhā meroś catur-diśam avaṣṭambha-giraya upakḷptāḥ.
SYNONYMS
mandaraḥ—the mountain named Mandara; meru-mandaraḥ—
the mountain named Merumandara; supārśvaḥ—the mountain
named Supārśva; kumudaḥ—the mountain named Kumuda; iti
—thus; ayuta-yojana-vistāra-unnāhāḥ—which measure ten
thousand yojanas high and wide; meroḥ—of Sumeru; catuḥ-
diśam—the four sides; avaṣṭambha-girayaḥ—mountains that
are like the belts of Sumeru; upakḷptāḥ—situated.
TRANSLATION
On the four sides of the great mountain known as Sumeru
are four mountains-Mandara, Merumandara, Supārśva
and Kumuda—which are like its belts. The length and
height of these mountains are calculated to be 10,000
yojanas [80,000 miles].
The length (vistāra) and height of the supporting mountains is

10,000 yojanas. Since they act as the support of Meru in the
center, the mountains on the east and west side of Meru run
south and north in length, and the mountains on the north and
south run east and west. If each mountain was 10,000 yojanas
wide, Ilāvṛta would disappear (since it is only 9000 yojanas on
either side of Meru.) This would contradict the descriptions in
SB 5.16.16 stating that juice cascades from the Mandara
Mountain in waterfalls and becomes a river called Aruṇodā,
which flows pleasantly through the eastern side of Ilāvṛta.
Vistāra here means length. They spread out in the four
directions (catur-diśam).
TEXT - SB 5.16.12
caturṣv eteṣu cūta-jambū-kadamba-nyagrodhāś catvāraḥ

pādapa-pravarāḥ parvata-ketava ivādhi-sahasra-yojanonnāhās
tāvad viṭapa-vitatayaḥ śata-yojana-pariṇāhāḥ.
SYNONYMS
caturṣu—on the four; eteṣu—on these mountains, beginning

with Mandara; cūta-jambū-kadamba—of trees such as the
mango, rose apple and kadamba; nyagrodhāḥ—and the banyan
tree; catvāraḥ—four kinds; pādapa-pravarāḥ—the best of
trees; parvata-ketavaḥ—the flagstaffs on the mountains; iva—
like; adhi—over; sahasra-yojana-unnāhāḥ—one thousand
yojanas high; tāvat—so much also; viṭapa-vitatayaḥ—the
length of the branches; śata-yojana—one hundred yojanas;
pariṇāhāḥ—wide.
TRANSLATION
Standing like flagstaffs on the summits of these four
mountains are a mango tree, a rose apple tree, a kadamba
tree and a banyan tree. Those trees are calculated to have a
width of 100 yojanas [800 miles] and a height of 1,100
yojanas [8,800 miles]. Their branches also spread to a
radius of 1,100 yojanas.
Their height is over a thousand, meaning 1100 yojanas and

their branches spread out that length. The width is 100 yojanas.
TEXT - SB 5.16.13-14
hradāś catvāraḥ payo-madhv-ikṣurasa-mṛṣṭa-jalā yad-

upasparśina upadeva-gaṇā yogaiśvaryāṇi svābhāvikāni
bharatarṣabha dhārayanti; devodyānāni ca bhavanti catvāri
nandanaṁ caitrarathaṁ vaibhrājakaṁ sarvatobhadram iti.
SYNONYMS
hradāḥ—lakes; catvāraḥ—four; payaḥ—milk; madhu—honey;

ikṣu-rasa—sugarcane juice; mṛṣṭa-jalāḥ—filled with pure
water; yat—of which; upasparśinaḥ—those who use the
liquids; upadeva-gaṇāḥ—the demigods; yoga-aiśvaryāṇi—all
the perfections of mystic yoga; svābhāvikāni—without being
tried for; bharata-ṛṣabha—O best of the Bharata dynasty;
dhārayanti—possess; deva-udyānāni—celestial gardens; ca—
also; bhavanti—there are; catvāri—four; nandanam—of the
Nandana garden; caitra-ratham—Caitraratha garden;
vaibhrājakam—Vaibhrājaka garden; sarvataḥ-bhadram—
Sarvatobhadra garden; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, best of the Bharata dynasty, between
these four mountains are four huge lakes. The water of the
first tastes just like milk; the water of the second, like
honey; and that of the third, like sugarcane juice. The
fourth lake is filled with pure water. The celestial beings
such as the Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Gandharvas, who are
also known as demigods, enjoy the facilities of those four
lakes. Consequently they have the natural perfections of
mystic yoga, such as the power to become smaller than the
smallest or greater than the greatest. There are also four
celestial gardens named Nandana, Caitraratha,
Vaibhrājaka and Sarvatobhadra.
TEXT - SB 5.16.15
yeṣv amara-parivṛḍhāḥ saha sura-lalanā-lalāma-yūtha-pataya

upadeva-gaṇair upagīyamāna-mahimānaḥ kila viharanti.
SYNONYMS
yeṣu—in which; amara-parivṛḍhāḥ—the best of the demigods;

saha—with; sura-lalanā—of the wives of all the demigods and
semidemigods; lalāma—of those women who are like
ornaments; yūtha-patayaḥ—the husbands; upadeva-gaṇaiḥ—
by the semi-demigods (the Gandharvas); upagīyamāna—being
chanted; mahimānaḥ—whose glories; kila—indeed; viharanti
—they enjoy sports.
TRANSLATION
The best of the demigods, along with their wives, who are
like ornaments of heavenly beauty, meet together and enjoy
within those gardens, while their glories are sung by lesser
demigods known as Gandharvas.
Parivṛddhāḥ means the best. Lalāma means ornament.
TEXT - SB 5.16.16
mandarotsaṅga ekādaśa-śata-yojanottuṅga-devacūta-śiraso giri-

śikhara-sthūlāni phalāny amṛta-kalpāni patanti.
SYNONYMS
mandara-utsaṅge—on the lower slopes of Mandara Mountain;

ekādaśa-śata-yojana-uttuṅga—1,100 yojanas high; devacūta-
śirasaḥ—from the top of a mango tree named Devacūta; giri-
śikhara-sthūlāni—which are as fat as mountain peaks; phalāni
—fruit; amṛta-kalpāni—as sweet as nectar; patanti—fall down.
TRANSLATION
On the lower slopes of Mandara Mountain is a mango tree
named Devacūta. It is 1,100 yojanas high. Mangoes as big
as mountain peaks and as sweet as nectar fall from the top
of this tree for the enjoyment of the denizens of heaven.
PURPORT
In the Vāyu Purāṇa there is also a reference to this tree by great

learned sages:
aratnīnāṁ śatāny aṣṭāv

eka-ṣaṣṭy-adhikāni ca
phala-pramāṇam ākhyātam
ṛṣibhis tattva-darśibhiḥ
The size of the fruit is mentioned in the Vāyu Purāṇa:
aratnīnāṁ śatāny aṣṭāv eka-ṣaṣṭy-adhikāni ca
phala-pramāṇam ākhyātam ṛṣibhis tattva-darśibhir
The sages, seers of truth, say that the dimension of the fruit is
861 aratnis (861 x 1.5 ft).
TEXT - SB 5.16.17
teṣāṁ viśīryamāṇānām ati-madhura-surabhi-sugandhi-

bahulāruṇa-rasodenāruṇodā nāma nadī mandara-giri-śikharān
nipatantī pūr-veṇelāvṛtam upaplāvayati.
SYNONYMS
teṣām—of all the mangoes; viśīryamāṇānām—being broken

because of falling from the top; ati-madhura—very sweet;
surabhi—fragrant; sugandhi—scented with other aromas;
bahula—large quantities; aruṇa-rasa-udena—by reddish juice;
aruṇodā—Aruṇodā; nāma—named; nadī—the river; mandara-
giri-śikharāt—from the top of Mandara Mountain; nipatantī—
falling down; pūrveṇa—on the eastern side; ilāvṛtam—through
Ilāvṛta-varṣa; upaplāvayati—flows.
TRANSLATION
When all those solid fruits fall from such a height, they
break, and the sweet, fragrant juice within them flows out
and becomes increasingly more fragrant as it mixes with
other scents. That juice cascades from the mountain in
waterfalls and becomes a river called Aruṇodā, which flows
pleasantly through the eastern side of Ilāvṛta.
The mangoes have their natural scent, mixed with other

fragrances (sugandhi) as well.
TEXT - SB 5.16.18
yad-upajoṣaṇād bhavānyā anucarīṇāṁ puṇya-jana-vadhūnām

avayava-sparśa-sugandha-vāto daśa-yojanaṁ samantād
anuvāsayati.
SYNONYMS
yat—of which; upajoṣaṇāt—because of using the fragrant

water; bhavānyāḥ—of Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva;
anucarīṇām—of attendant maidservants; puṇya-jana-
vadhūnām—who are wives of the most pious Yakṣas; avayava
—of the bodily limbs; sparśa—from contact; sugandha-vātaḥ
—the wind, which becomes fragrant; daśa-yojanam—up to ten
yojanas (about eighty miles); samantāt—all around;
anuvāsayati—makes fragrant.
TRANSLATION
The pious wives of the Yakṣas act as personal maidservants
to assist Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva. Because they drink
the water of the River Aruṇodā, their bodies become
fragrant, and as the air carries away that fragrance, it
perfumes the entire atmosphere for eighty miles around.
TEXT - SB 5.16.19
evaṁ jambū-phalānām atyucca-nipāta-viśīrṇānām anasthi-

prāyāṇām ibha-kāya-nibhānāṁ rasena jambū nāma nadī meru-
mandara-śikharād ayuta-yojanād avani-tale nipatantī
dakṣiṇenātmānaṁ yāvad ilāvṛtam upasyandayati.
SYNONYMS
evam—similarly; jambū-phalānām—of the fruits called jambū

(the rose apple); ati-ucca-nipāta—because of falling from a
great height; viśīrṇānām—which are broken to pieces; anasthi-
prāyāṇām—having very small seeds; ibha-kāya-nibhānām—
and which are as large as the bodies of elephants; rasena—by
the juice; jambū nāma nadī—a river named Jambū-nadī; meru-
mandara-śikharāt—from the top of Merumandara Mountain;
ayuta-yojanāt—ten thousand yojanas high; avani-tale—on the
ground; nipatantī—falling; dakṣiṇena—on the southern side;
ātmānam—itself; yāvat—the whole; ilāvṛtam—Ilāvṛta-varṣa;
upasyandayati—flows through.
TRANSLATION
Similarly, the fruits of the jambū tree, which are full of
pulp and have very small seeds, fall from a great height and
break to pieces. Those fruits are the size of elephants, and
the juice gliding from them becomes a river named Jambū-
nadī. This river falls a distance of 10,000 yojanas, from the
summit of Merumandara to the southern side of Ilāvṛta,
and floods the entire land of Ilāvṛta with juice.
PURPORT
We can only imagine how much juice there might be in a fruit

that is the size of an elephant but has a very tiny seed. Naturally
the juice from the broken jambū fruits forms waterfalls and
floods the entire land of Ilāvṛta. That juice produces an
immense quantity of gold, as will be explained in the next
verses.
Anasthi-prāyāṇām means “having very small seeds.” Dakṣṇena

means “in the southern direction.” The river flows, increasing
its length to the size of Ilāvṛta (yāvat ilāvrṭam). That means it
flows for nine thousand yojanas.
TEXT - SB 5.16.20-21
tāvad ubhayor api rodhasor yā mṛttikā tad-rasenānuvidhyamānā

vāyv-arka-saṁyoga-vipākena sadāmara-lokābharaṇaṁ jāmbū-
nadaṁ nāma suvarṇaṁ bhavati; yad u ha vāva vibudhādayaḥ
saha yuvatibhir mukuṭa-kaṭaka-kaṭi-sūtrādy-ābharaṇa-rūpeṇa
khalu dhārayanti.
SYNONYMS
tāvat—entirely; ubhayoḥ api—of both; rodhasoḥ—of the

banks; yā—which; mṛttikā—the mud; tat-rasena—with the
juice of the jambū fruits that flows in the river; anuvidhyamānā
—being saturated; vāyu-arka-saṁyoga-vipākena—because of a
chemical reaction with the air and sunshine; sadā—always;
amara-loka-ābharaṇam—which is used for the ornaments of
the demigods, the denizens of the heavenly planets; jāmbū-
nadam nāma—named Jāmbū-nada; suvarṇam—gold; bhavati
—becomes; yat—which; u ha vāva—indeed; vibudha-ādayaḥ
—the great demigods; saha—with; yuvatibhiḥ—their
everlastingly youthful wives; mukuṭa—crowns; kaṭaka—
bangles; kaṭi-sūtra—belts; ādi—and so on; ābharaṇa—of all
kinds of ornaments; rūpeṇa—in the form; khalu—indeed;
dhārayanti—they possess.
TRANSLATION
The mud on both banks of the River Jambū-nadī, being
moistened by the flowing juice and then dried by the air
and the sunshine, produces huge quantities of gold called
Jāmbū-nada. The denizens of heaven use this gold for
various kinds of ornaments. Therefore all the inhabitants of
the heavenly planets and their youthful wives are fully
decorated with golden helmets, bangles and belts, and thus
they enjoy life.
PURPORT
By the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

the rivers on some planets produce gold on their banks. The
poor inhabitants of this earth, because of their incomplete
knowledge, are captivated by a so-called bhagavān who can
produce a small quantity of gold. However, it is understood that
in a higher planetary system in this material world, the mud on
the banks of the Jambū-nadī mixes with jambū juice, reacts
with the sunshine in the air, and automatically produces huge
quantities of gold. Thus the men and women are decorated
there by various golden ornaments, and they look very nice.
Unfortunately, on earth there is such a scarcity of gold that the
governments of the world try to keep it in reserve and issue
paper currency. Because that currency is not backed up by gold,
the paper they distribute as money is worthless, but
nevertheless the people on earth are very proud of material
advancement. In modern times, girls and ladies have ornaments
made of plastic instead of gold, and plastic utensils are used
instead of golden ones, yet people are very proud of their
material wealth. Therefore the people of this age are described
as mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB
1.1.10). In other words, they are extremely bad and slow to
understand the opulence of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. They have been described as sumanda-matayaḥ
because their conceptions are so crippled that they accept a
bluffer who produces a little gold to be God. Because they have
no gold in their possession, they are actually poverty-stricken,
and therefore they are considered unfortunate.
Sometimes these unfortunate people want to be promoted to the
heavenly planets to achieve fortunate positions, as described in
this verse, but pure devotees of the Lord are not at all interested
in such opulence. Indeed, devotees sometimes compare the
color of gold to that of bright golden stool. Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu has instructed devotees not to be allured by golden
ornaments and beautifully decorated women. Na dhanaṁ na
janaṁ na sundarīm: [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4] a devotee
should not be allured by gold. beautiful women or the prestige
of having many followers. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, therefore,
confidentially prayed, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād
bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: "My Lord, please bless Me with Your
devotional service. I do not want anything else." A devotee
may pray to be delivered from this material world. That is his
only aspiration.

patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
The humble devotee simply prays to the Lord, "Kindly pick me

up from the material world, which is full of varieties of material
opulence, and keep me under the shelter of Your lotus feet."
Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays:
hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta,

karuṇā karaha ei-bāra
narottama-dāsa kaya, nā ṭheliha rāṅgā-pāya,
tomā vine ke āche āmāra
"O my Lord, O son of Nanda Mahārāja, now You are standing

before me with Your consort, the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu,
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Kindly accept me as the dust of Your lotus
feet. please do not kick me away, for I have no other shelter."
Similarly, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī indicates that the position

of the demigods, who are decorated with golden helmets and
other ornaments, is no better than a phantasmagoria (tri-daśa-
pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate). A devotee is never allured by such
opulences. He simply aspires to become the dust of the lotus
feet of the Lord.
The mud of the entire (tāvat) banks (rodhasoḥ), mixed with the
juice of the jāmbu fruits, become gold called jāmbū-nada.
TEXT - SB 5.16.22
yas tu mahā-kadambaḥ supārśva-nirūḍho yās tasya koṭarebhyo

viniḥsṛtāḥ pañcāyāma-pariṇāhāḥ pañca madhu-dhārāḥ
supārśva-śikharāt patantyo 'pareṇātmānam ilāvṛtam
anumodayanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—which; tu—but; mahā-kadambaḥ—the tree named

Mahākadamba; supārśva-nirūḍhaḥ—which stands on the side
of the mountain known as Supārśva; yāḥ—which; tasya—of
that; koṭarebhyaḥ—from the hollows; viniḥsṛtāḥ—flowing;
pañca—five; āyāma—vyāma, a unit of measurement of about
eight feet; pariṇāhāḥ—whose measurement; pañca—five;
madhu-dhārāḥ—flows of honey; supārśva-śikharāt—from the
top of Supārśva Mountain; patantyaḥ—flowing down; apareṇa
—on the western side of Sumeru Mountain; ātmānam—the
whole of; ilāvṛtam—Ilāvṛta-varṣa; anumodayanti—make
fragrant.
TRANSLATION
On the side of Supārśva Mountain stands a big tree called
Mahākadamba, which is very celebrated. From the hollows
of this tree flow five rivers of honey, each about five vyāmas
wide. This flowing honey falls incessantly from the top of
Supārśva Mountain and flows all around Ilāvṛta-varṣa,
beginning from the western side. Thus the whole land is
saturated with the pleasing fragrance.
PURPORT
The distance between one hand and another when one spreads
both his arms is called a vyāma. This comes to about eight feet.
Thus each of the rivers was about forty feet wide, making a
total of about two hundred feet.
TEXT - SB 5.16.23
yā hy upayuñjānānāṁ mukha-nirvāsito vāyuḥ samantāc chata-
yojanam anuvāsayati.
SYNONYMS
yāḥ—which (those flows of honey); hi—indeed;

upayuñjānānām—of those who drink; mukha-nirvāsitaḥ vāyuḥ
—the air emanating from the mouths; samantāt—all around;
śata-yojanam—up to one hundred yojanas (eight hundred
miles); anuvāsayati—makes sweetly flavored.
TRANSLATION
The air carrying the scent from the mouths of those who
drink that honey perfumes the land for a hundred yojanas
around.
TEXT - SB 5.16.24
evaṁ kumuda-nirūḍho yaḥ śatavalśo nāma vaṭas tasya

skandhebhyo nīcīnāḥ payo-dadhi-madhu-ghṛta-guḍānnādy-
ambara-śayyāsanābharaṇādayaḥ sarva eva kāma-dughā nadāḥ
kumudāgrāt patantas tam uttareṇelāvṛtam upayojayanti.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; kumuda-nirūḍhaḥ—having grown on Kumuda

Mountain; yaḥ—that; śata-valśaḥ nāma—the tree named
Śatavalśa (because of having hundreds of trunks); vaṭaḥ—a
banyan tree; tasya—of it; skandhebhyaḥ—from the thick
branches; nīcīnāḥ—flowing down; payaḥ—milk; dadhi—
yogurt; madhu—honey; ghṛta—clarified butter; guḍa—
molasses; anna—food grains; ādi—and so on; ambara—
clothing; śayyā—bedding; āsana—sitting places; ābharaṇa-
ādayaḥ—carrying ornaments and so on; sarve—everything;
eva—certainly; kāma-dughāḥ—fulfilling all desires; nadāḥ—
big rivers; kumuda-agrāt—from the top of Kumuda Mountain;
patantaḥ—flowing; tam—to that; uttareṇa—on the northern
side; ilāvṛtam—the land known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa; upayojayanti
—give happiness.
TRANSLATION
Similarly, on Kumuda Mountain there is a great banyan
tree, which is called Śatavalśa because it has a hundred
main branches. From those branches come many roots,
from which many rivers are flowing. These rivers flow
down from the top of the mountain to the northern side of
Ilāvṛta-varṣa for the benefit of those who live there.
Because of these flowing rivers, all the people have ample
supplies of milk, yogurt, honey, clarified butter [ghee],
molasses, food grains, clothes, bedding, sitting places and
ornaments. All the objects they desire are sufficiently
supplied for their prosperity, and therefore they are very
happy.
PURPORT
The prosperity of humanity does not depend on a demoniac

civilization that has no culture and no knowledge but has only
gigantic skyscrapers and huge automobiles always rushing
down the highways. The products of nature are sufficient.
When there is a profuse supply of milk, yogurt, honey, food
grains, ghee, molasses, dhotis, saris, bedding, sitting places and
ornaments, the residents are actually opulent. When a profuse
supply of water from the river inundates the land, all these
things can be produced, and there will not be scarcity. This all
depends, however, on the performance of sacrifice as described
in the Vedic literature.
annād bhavanti bhūtāni

parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced

from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña
[sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties." These are
the prescriptions given in Bhagavad-gītā (3.14). If people
follow these principles in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, human
society will be prosperous, and they will be happy both in this
life and in the next.
Śatavalṣaḥ means seven branches. Nīcīnāḥ means downward.
TEXT - SB 5.16.25
yān upajuṣāṇānāṁ na kadācid api prajānāṁ valī-palita-klama-

sveda-daurgandhya-jarāmaya-mṛtyu-śītoṣṇa-
vaivarṇyopasargādayas tāpa-viśeṣā bhavanti yāvaj jīvaṁ
sukhaṁ niratiśayam eva.
SYNONYMS
yān—which (all the products produced because of the flowing

rivers mentioned above); upajuṣāṇānām—of persons who are
fully utilizing; na—not; kadācit—at any time; api—certainly;
prajānām—of the citizens; valī—wrinkles; palita—grey hair;
klama—fatigue; sveda—perspiration; daurgandhya—bad odors
because of unclean perspiration; jarā—old age; āmaya—
disease; mṛtyu—untimely death; śīta—severe cold; uṣṇa—
scorching heat; vaivarṇya—fading of the luster of the body;
upasarga—troubles; ādayaḥ—and so on; tāpa—of sufferings;
viśeṣāḥ—varieties; bhavanti—are; yāvat—as long as; jīvam—
life; sukham—happiness; niratiśayam—unlimited; eva—only.
TRANSLATION
The residents of the material world who enjoy the products
of these flowing rivers have no wrinkles on their bodies and
no grey hair. They never feel fatigue, and perspiration does
not give their bodies a bad odor. They are not afflicted by
old age, disease or untimely death, they do not suffer from
chilly cold or scorching heat, nor do their bodies lose their
luster. They all live very happily, without anxieties, until
death.
PURPORT
This verse hints at the perfection of human society even within
this material world. The miserable conditions of this material
world can be corrected by a sufficient supply of milk, yogurt,
honey, ghee, molasses, food grains, ornaments, bedding, sitting
places and so on. This is human civilization. Ample food grains
can be produced through agricultural enterprises, and profuse
supplies of milk, yogurt and ghee can be arranged through cow
protection. Abundant honey can be obtained if the forests are
protected. Unfortunately, in modern civilization, men are busy
killing the cows that are the source of yogurt, milk and ghee,
they are cutting down all the trees that supply honey, and they
are opening factories to manufacture nuts, bolts, automobiles
and wine instead of engaging in agriculture. How can the
people be happy? They must suffer from all the misery of
materialism. Their bodies become wrinkled and gradually
deteriorate until they become almost like dwarves, and a bad
odor emanates from their bodies because of unclean
perspiration resulting from eating all kinds of nasty things. This
is not human civilization. If people actually want happiness in
this life and want to prepare for the best in the next life, they
must adopt a Vedic civilization. In a Vedic civilization, there is
a full supply of all the necessities mentioned above.
TEXT - SB 5.16.26
kuraṅga-kurara-kusumbha-vaikaṅka-trikūṭa-śiśira-pataṅga-
rucaka-niṣadha-śinīvāsa-kapila-śaṅkha-vaidūrya-jārudhi-
haṁsa-ṛṣabha-nāga-kālañjara-nāradādayo viṁśati-girayo meroḥ
karṇikāyā iva kesara-bhūtā mūla-deśe parita upakḷptāḥ.
SYNONYMS
kuraṅga—Kuraṅga; kurara—Kurara; kusumbha-vaikaṅka-

trikūṭa-śiśira-pataṅga-rucaka-niṣadha-śinīvāsa-kapila-śaṅkha-
vaidūrya-jārudhi-haṁsa-ṛṣabha-nāga-kālañjara-nārada—the
names of mountains; ādayaḥ—and so on; viṁśati-girayaḥ—
twenty mountains; meroḥ—of Sumeru Mountain; karṇikāyāḥ—
of the whorl of the lotus; iva—like; kesara-bhūtāḥ—as
filaments; mūla-deśe—at the base; paritaḥ—all around;
upakḷptāḥ—arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
There are other mountains beautifully arranged around the
foot of Mount Meru like the filaments around the whorl of
a lotus flower. Their names are Kuraṅga, Kurara,
Kusumbha, Vaikaṅka, Trikūṭa, Śiśira, Pataṅga, Rucaka,
Niṣadha, Sinīvāsa, Kapila, Śaṅkha, Vaidūrya, Jārudhi,
Haṁsa, Ṛṣabha, Nāga, Kālañjara and Nārada.
TEXT - SB 5.16.27
jaṭhara-devakūṭau meruṁ pūrveṇāṣṭādaśa-yojana-sahasram

udagāyatau dvi-sahasraṁ pṛthu-tuṅgau bhavataḥ; evam apareṇa
pavana-pāriyātrau dakṣiṇena kailāsa-karavīrau prāg-āyatāv
evam uttaratas triśṛṅga-makarāv aṣṭabhir etaiḥ parisṛto 'gnir iva
paritaś cakāsti kāñcana-giriḥ.
SYNONYMS
jaṭhara-devakūṭau—two mountains named Jaṭhara and
Devakūṭa; merum—Sumeru Mountain; pūrveṇa—on the
eastern side; aṣṭādaśa-yojana-sahasram—eighteen thousand
yojanas; udagāyatau—stretching from north to south; dvi-
sahasram—two thousand yojanas; pṛthu-tuṅgau—in width and
height; bhavataḥ—there are; evam—similarly; apareṇa—on
the western side; pavana-pāriyātrau—two mountains named
Pavana and Pāriyātra; dakṣiṇena—on the southern side;
kailāsa-karavīrau—two mountains named Kailāsa and
Karavīra; prāk-āyatau—expanding east and west; evam—
similarly; uttarataḥ—on the northern side; triśṛṅga-makarau—
two mountains named Triśṛṅga and Makara; aṣṭabhiḥ etaiḥ—
by these eight mountains; parisṛtaḥ—surrounded; agniḥ iva—
like fire; paritaḥ—all over; cakāsti—brilliantly shines;
kāñcana-giriḥ—the golden mountain named Sumeru, or Meru.
TRANSLATION
On the eastern side of Sumeru Mountain are two mountains
named Jaṭhara and Devakūṭa, which extend to the north
and south for 18,000 yojanas [144,000 miles]. Similarly, on
the western side of Sumeru are two mountains named
Pavana and Pāriyātra, which also extend north and south
for the same distance. On the southern side of Sumeru are
two mountains named Kailāsa and Karavīra, which extend
east and west for 18,000 yojanas, and on the northern side
of Sumeru, extending for the same distance east and west,
are two mountains named Triśṛṅga and Makara. The width
and height of all these mountains is 2,000 yojanas [16,000
miles]. Sumeru, a mountain of solid gold shining as
brilliantly as fire, is surrounded by these eight mountains.
TEXT - SB 5.16.28
meror mūrdhani bhagavata ātma-yoner madhyata upakḷptāṁ

purīm ayuta-yojana-sāhasrīṁ sama-caturasrāṁ śātakaumbhīṁ
vadanti.
SYNONYMS
meroḥ—of Sumeru Mountain; mūrdhani—on the head;

bhagavataḥ—of the most powerful being; ātma-yoneḥ—of
Lord Brahmā; madhyataḥ—in the middle; upakḷptām—
situated; purīm—the great township; ayuta-yojana—ten
thousand yojanas; sāhasrīm—one thousand; sama-caturasrām
—of the same length on all sides; śāta-kaumbhīm—made
entirely of gold; vadanti—the great learned sages say.
TRANSLATION
In the middle of the summit of Meru is the township of
Lord Brahmā. Each of its four sides is calculated to extend
for ten million yojanas [eighty million miles]. It is made
entirely of gold, and therefore learned scholars and sages
call it Śātakaumbhī.
TEXT - SB 5.16.29
tām anuparito loka-pālānām aṣṭānāṁ yathā-diśaṁ yathā-rūpaṁ

turīya-mānena puro 'ṣṭāv upakḷptāḥ.
SYNONYMS
tām—that great township named Brahmapurī; anuparitaḥ—

surrounding; loka-pālānām—of the governors of the planets;
aṣṭānām—eight; yathā-diśam—according to the directions;
yathā-rūpam—in exact conformity with the township of
Brahmapurī; turīya-mānena—by measurement only one fourth;
puraḥ—townships; aṣṭau—eight; upakḷptāḥ—situated.
TRANSLATION
Surrounding Brahmapurī in all directions are the
residences of the eight principal governors of the planetary
systems, beginning with King Indra. These abodes are
similar to Brahmapurī but are one fourth the size.
PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura confirms that the

townships of Lord Brahmā and the eight subordinate governors
of the planetary systems, beginning with Indra, are mentioned
in other Purāṇas.
merau nava-pūrāṇi syur

manovaty amarāvatī
tejovatī saṁyamanī
tathā kṛṣṇāṅganā parā
śraddhāvatī gandhavatī
tathā cānyā mahodayā
yaśovatī ca brahmendra
bahyādīnāṁ yathā-kramam
Brahmā's township is known as Manovatī, and those of his

assistants such as Indra and Agni are known as Amarāvatī,
Tejovatī, Saṁyamanī, Kṛṣṇāṅganā, Śraddhāvatī, Gandhavatī,
Mahodayā and Yaśovatī. Brahmapurī is situated in the middle,
and the other eight purīs surround it in all directions.
These cities are in the directions starting from the east, each
with their particular deities such as Indra and their
corresponding colors. Their size is 2.5 million yojanas. Their
names are understood from other Purāṇas:
merau nava-purāṇi syur manovaty amarāvatī
tejovatī saṁyamanī tathā kṛṣṇāṅganā parā
śraddhāvatī gandhavatī tathā cānyā mahodayā
yaśovatī ca brahmendra vahnyādīnāṁ yathā kramam
On Meru there are nine cities name Manovatī, Amarāvatī,

Tejovatī, Saṁyamanī, Kṛṣṇāṅganā, Śraddhāvatī, Gandhavatī,
Mahodayā, Yaśovatī, belonging to Brahmā, Indra, Agni and
others.[302]
Thus ends the commentary on the Sixteenth Chapter of the


Sixteenth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled, "A
Description of Jambūdvīpa."
17. The Descent of the River Ganges
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22-23, 24
Chapter Summary
The Seventeenth Chapter describes the origin of the Ganges

River and how it flows in and around Ilāvṛta-varṣa. There is
also a description of the prayers Lord Śiva offers to Lord
Saṅkarṣaṇa, part of the quadruple expansions of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Lord Viṣṇu once approached Bali
Mahārāja while the King was performing a sacrifice. The Lord
appeared before him as Trivikrama, or Vāmana, and begged
alms from the King in the form of three steps of land. With two
steps, Lord Vāmana covered all three planetary systems and
pierced the covering of the universe with the toes of His left
foot. A few drops of water from the Causal Ocean leaked
through this hole and fell on the head of Lord Śiva, where they
remained for one thousand millenniums. These drops of water
are the sacred Ganges River. It first flows onto the heavenly
planets, which are located on the soles of Lord Viṣṇu's feet.
The Ganges River is known by many names, such as the
Bhāgīrathī and the Jāhnavī. It purifies Dhruvaloka and the
planets of the seven sages because both Dhruva and the sages
have no other desire than to serve the Lord's lotus feet.
The Ganges River, emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord,
inundates the heavenly planets, especially the moon, and then
flows through Brahmapurī atop Mount Meru. Here the river
divides into four branches (known as Sītā, Alakanandā, Cakṣu
and Bhadrā), which then flow down to the ocean of salt water.
The branch known as Sītā flows through Śekhara-parvata and
Gandhamādana-parvata and then flows down to Bhadrāśva-
varṣa, where it mixes with the ocean of salt water in the West.
The Cakṣu branch flows through Mālyavān-giri and, after
reaching Ketumāla-varṣa, mixes with the ocean of salt water in
the West. The branch known as Bhadrā flows onto Mount
Meru, Mount Kumuda, and the Nīla, Śveta and Śṛṅgavān
mountains before it reaches Kuru-deśa, where it flows into the
ocean of salt water in the north. The Alakanandā branch flows
through Brahmālaya, crosses over many mountains, including
Hemakūṭa and Himakūṭa, and then reaches Bhārata-varṣa,
where it flows into the southern side of the ocean of salt water.
Many other rivers and their branches flow through the nine
varṣas.
The tract of land known as Bhārata-varṣa is the field of

activities, and the other eight varṣas are for persons who are
meant to enjoy heavenly comfort. In each of these eight
beautiful provinces, the celestial denizens enjoy various
standards of material comfort and pleasure. A different
incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead distributes
His mercy in each of the nine varṣas of Jambūdvīpa.
In the Ilāvṛta-varṣa, Lord Śiva is the only male. There he lives

with his wife, Bhavānī, who is attended by many maidservants.
If any other male enters that province, Bhavānī curses him to
become a woman. Lord Śiva worships Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa by
offering various prayers, one of which is as follows: "My dear
Lord, please liberate all Your devotees from material life and
bind all the nondevotees to the material world. Without Your
mercy, no one can be released from the bondage of material
existence."
TEXT - SB 5.17.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
Ta}a >aGavTa" Saa+aaÛjil/(r)SYa ivZ<aaeivR§-MaTaae
vaMaPaadax(GauñNa%iNa‚
i>aRṁaeḶaR<@k-$=ahivvre<aaNTa"Pa[ivía Yaa baḥJal/Daara
TaṀr<aPaªJaavNaeJa‚
Naaṛ<aik-ṚLk-
aePariṚTaai%l/JaGadgaMal/aPahaePaSPaXaRNaaMal/a
Saa+aaḤGavTPadqTYa
NauPal/i+aTavcae_i>aDaqYaMaaNaaiTaMahTaa k-ale/Na
YauGaSahóaePal/+a<aeNa idvae
MaUDaRNYavTaTaar YataiŪZ<auPadMaahu" )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
tatra bhagavataḥ sākṣād yajña-liṅgasya viṣṇor vikramato vāma-

pādāṅguṣṭha-nakha-nirbhinnordhvāṇḍa-kaṭāha-vivareṇāntaḥ-
praviṣṭā yā bāhya-jala-dhārā tac-caraṇa-paṅkajāvanejanāruṇa-
kiñjalkoparañjitākhila-jagad-agha-malāpahopasparśanāmalā
sākṣād bhagavat-padīty anupalakṣita-vaco 'bhidhīyamānāti-
mahatā kālena yuga-sahasropalakṣaṇena divo mūrdhany
avatatāra yat tad viṣṇu-padam āhuḥ.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; tatra—at that

time; bhagavataḥ—of the incarnation of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; sākṣāt—directly; yajña-liṅgasya—the
enjoyer of the results of all sacrifices; viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu;
vikramataḥ—while taking His second step; vāma-pāda—of His
left leg; aṅguṣṭha—of the big toe; nakha—by the nail;
nirbhinna—pierced; ūrdhva—upper; aṇḍa-kaṭāha—the
covering of the universe (consisting of seven layers-earth,
water, fire, etc.); vivareṇa—through the bole; antaḥ-praviṣṭā—
having entered the universe; yā—which; bāhya-jala-dhārā—
the flow of water from the Causal Ocean outside the universe;
tat—of Him; caraṇa-paṅkaja—of the lotus feet; avanejana—
by the washing; aruṇa-kiñjalka—by reddish powder;
uparañjitā—being colored; akhila-jagat—of the whole world;
agha-mala—the sinful activities; apahā—destroys;
upasparśana—the touching of which; amalā—completely
pure; sākṣāt—directly; bhagavat-padī—emanating from the
lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; iti—thus;
anupalakṣita—described; vacaḥ—by the name; abhidhīyamānā
—being called; ati-mahatā kālena—after a long time; yuga-
sahasra-upalakṣaṇena—consisting of one thousand
millenniums; divaḥ—of the sky; mūrdhani—on the head
(Dhruvaloka); avatatāra—descended; yat—which; tat—that;
viṣṇu-padam—the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu; āhuḥ—they call.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, Lord Viṣṇu, the
enjoyer of all sacrifices, appeared as Vāmanadeva in the
sacrificial arena of Bali Mahārāja. Then He extended His
left foot to the end of the universe and pierced a hole in its
covering with the nail of His big toe. Through the hole, the
pure water of the Causal Ocean entered this universe as the
Ganges River. Having washed the lotus feet of the Lord,
which are covered with reddish powder, the water of the
Ganges acquired a very beautiful pink color. Every living
being can immediately purify his mind of material
contamination by touching the transcendental water of the
Ganges, yet its waters remain ever pure. Because the
Ganges directly touches the lotus feet of the Lord before
descending within this universe, she is known as Viṣṇupadī.
Later she received other names like Jāhnavī and
Bhāgīrathī. After one thousand millenniums, the water of
the Ganges descended on Dhruvaloka, the topmost planet in
this universe. Therefore all learned sages and scholars
proclaim Dhruvaloka to be Viṣṇupada ["situated on Lord
Viṣṇu's lotus feet"].
PURPORT
In this verse, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the glories of the

Ganges River. The water of the Ganges is called patita-pāvanī,
the deliverer of all sinful living beings. It is a proven fact that a
person who regularly bathes in the Ganges is purified both
externally and internally. Externally his body becomes immune
to all kinds of disease, and internally he gradually develops a
devotional attitude toward the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Throughout India, many thousands of people live on
the banks of the Ganges, and by regularly bathing in her waters,
they are undoubtedly being purified both spiritually and
materially. Many sages, including Śaṅkarācārya, have
composed prayers in praise of the Ganges, and the land of India
itself has become glorious because such rivers as the Ganges,
Yamunā, Godāvarī, Kāverī, Kṛṣṇā and Narmadā flow there.
Anyone living on the land adjacent to these rivers is naturally
advanced in spiritual consciousness. Śrīla Madhvācārya says:
vārāhe vāma-pādaṁ tu
tad-anyeṣu tu dakṣiṇam
pādaṁ kalpeṣu bhagavān
ujjahāra trivikramaḥ
Standing on His right foot and extending His left to the edge of
the universe, Lord Vāmana became known as Trivikrama, the
incarnation who performed three heroic deeds.
The Seventeenth Chapter describes the descent of Gaṅgā to

earth, the happiness of Bhauma-svarga and the service of
Saṅkarṣaṇa and Rudra. After describing the splendor of the
mountains surrounding Sumeru like filaments, Śuka now
describes the very long stream of the Gaṅgā, the crest jewel of
all splendors, by relating how Gaṅgā made her appearance. At
the time of Vāmana avatāra (tatra), by stepping over the earth
with his right foot (vikramataḥ) and from throwing his left foot
in the air, he cause all places up to the top of the universe to
tremble, up to the layer of prakṛti (where the guṇas are
pacified), as related by Brahmā: trisāmyasadanād
urukampayānam. (SB 2.7.4) Thus the spiritual steam of water
of the Kāraṇa Ocean, outside of the eight layers of the universe,
descended to Dhruva-loka (divaḥ mūrdhani). The water was
colored red from the kuṁkuma and the red color of the Lord’s
feet, arising from the water used to wash the Lord’s feet. The
touch of this water destroys the contamination of sin, but the
water remains free of contamination (amalā). It was called by
the name Bhagavatpadī, because at that time it was not known
by other names (vaco anupalakṣaṇam) such as Bhāgīrathī or
Jāhnavī. It then fell on Dhruva-loka which (yat) became known
as Viṣṇu-pada
TEXT - SB 5.17.2
yatra ha vāva vīra-vrata auttānapādiḥ parama-bhāgavato 'smat-

kula-devatā-caraṇāravindodakam iti yām anusavanam
utkṛṣyamāṇa-bhagavad-bhakti-yogena dṛḍhaṁ klidyamānāntar-
hṛdaya autkaṇṭhya-vivaśāmīlita-locana-yugala-kuḍmala-
vigalitāmala-bāṣpa-kalayābhivyajyamāna-roma-pulaka-kulako
'dhunāpi paramādareṇa śirasā bibharti.
SYNONYMS
yatra ha vāva—in Dhruvaloka; vīra-vrataḥ—firmly

determined; auttānapādiḥ—the famous son of Mahārāja
Uttānapāda; parama-bhāgavataḥ—the most exalted devotee;
asmat—our; kula-devatā—of the family Deity; caraṇa-
aravinda—of the lotus feet; udakam—in the water; iti—thus;
yām—which; anusavanam—constantly; utkṛṣyamāṇa—being
increased; bhagavat-bhakti-yogena—by devotional service
unto the Lord; dṛḍham—greatly; klidyamāna-antaḥ-hṛdayaḥ—
being softened within the core of his heart; autkaṇṭhya—by
great anxiety; vivaśa—spontaneously; amīlita—slightly open;
locana—of eyes; yugala—pair; kuḍmala—from the flowerlike;
vigalita—emanating; amala—uncontaminated; bāṣpa-kalayā—
with tears; abhivyajyamāna—being manifested; roma-pulaka-
kulakaḥ—whose symptoms of ecstasy on the body; adhunā api
—even now; parama-ādareṇa—with great reverence; śirasā—
by the head; bibharti—he bears.
TRANSLATION
Dhruva Mahārāja, the famous son of Mahārāja
Uttānapāda, is known as the most exalted devotee of the
Supreme Lord because of his firm determination in
executing devotional service. Knowing that the sacred
Ganges water washes the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu, Dhruva
Mahārāja, situated on his own planet, to this very day
accepts that water on his head with great devotion. Because
he constantly thinks of Kṛṣṇa very devoutly within the core
of his heart, he is overcome with ecstatic anxiety. Tears flow
from his half-open eyes, and eruptions appear on his entire
body.
PURPORT
When a person is firmly fixed in devotional service to the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is described as vīra-vrata,
fully determined. Such a devotee increases his ecstasy in
devotional service more and more. Thus as soon as he
remembers Lord Viṣṇu, his eyes fill with tears. This is a
symptom of a mahā-bhāgavata. Dhruva Mahārāja maintained
himself in that devotional ecstasy, and Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu also gave us a practical example of transcendental
ecstasy when He lived at Jagannātha Purī. His pastimes there
are fully narrated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
On Dhruva-loka (yatra) Dhruva, with determined vow, his heart

softened by bhakti-yoga becoming better at every moment,
whose hairs stand on end while pure tears flow uncontrollably
from his closed lotus eyes out of great longing, takes the water
on his head.
TEXT - SB 5.17.3
tataḥ sapta ṛṣayas tat prabhāvābhijñā yāṁ nanu tapasa ātyantikī

siddhir etāvatī bhagavati sarvātmani vāsudeve 'nuparata-bhakti-
yoga-lābhenaivopekṣitānyārthātma-gatayo muktim ivāgatāṁ
mumukṣava iva sabahu-mānam adyāpi jaṭā-jūṭair udvahanti.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter; sapta ṛṣayaḥ—the seven great sages

(beginning with Marīci); tat prabhāva-abhijñāḥ—who knew
very well the influence of the Ganges River; yām—this Ganges
water; nanu—indeed; tapasaḥ—of our austerities; ātyantikī—
the ultimate; siddhiḥ—perfection; etāvatī—this much;
bhagavati—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarva-ātmani
—in the all-pervading; vāsudeve—Kṛṣṇa; anuparata—
continuous; bhakti-yoga—of the mystic process of devotional
service; lābhena—simply by achieving this platform; eva—
certainly; upekṣita—neglected; anya—other; artha-ātma-
gatayaḥ—all other means of perfection (namely religion,
economic development, sense gratification and liberation);
muktim—liberation from material bondage; iva—like; āgatām
—obtained; mumukṣavaḥ—persons desiring liberation; iva—
like; sa-bahu-mānam—with great honor; adya api—even now;
jaṭā-jūṭaiḥ—with matted locks of hair; udvahanti—they carry.
TRANSLATION
The seven great sages [Marīci, Vasiṣṭha, Atri and so on]
reside on planets beneath Dhruvaloka. Well aware of the
influence of the water of the Ganges, to this day they keep
Ganges water on the tufts of hair on their heads. They have
concluded that this is the ultimate wealth, the perfection of
all austerities, and the best means of prosecuting
transcendental life. Having obtained uninterrupted
devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
they neglect all other beneficial processes like religion,
economic development, sense gratification and even
merging into the Supreme. Just as jñānīs think that
merging into the existence of the Lord is the highest truth,
these seven exalted personalities accept devotional service
as the perfection of life.
PURPORT
Transcendentalists are divided into two primary groups: the
nirviśeṣa-vādīs, or impersonalists, and the bhaktas, or devotees.
The impersonalists do not accept spiritual varieties of life. They
want to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord in His
Brahman feature (the brahmajyoti). The devotees, however,
desire to take part in the transcendental activities of the
Supreme Lord. In the upper planetary system, the topmost
planet is Dhruvaloka, and beneath Dhruvaloka are the seven
planets occupied by the great sages, beginning with Marīci,
Vasiṣṭha and Atri. All these sages regard devotional service as
the highest perfection of life. Therefore they all carry the holy
water of the Ganges on their heads. This verse proves that for
one who has achieved the platform of pure devotional service,
nothing else is important, even so-called liberation (kaivalya).
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī states that only by achieving pure
devotional service of the Lord can one give up all other
engagements as insignificant. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī
confirms his statement as follows:
kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate

durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate
viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate
yat kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumaḥ
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has perfectly enunciated and

broadcast the process of bhakti-yoga. Consequently, for one
who has taken shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, the highest perfection of the Māyāvādīs, kaivalya,
or becoming one with the Supreme, is considered hellish, to say
nothing of the karmīs' aspiration to be promoted to the
heavenly planets. Devotees consider such goals to be worthless
phantasmagoria. There are also yogīs, who try to control their
senses, but they can never succeed without coming to the stage
of devotional service. The senses are compared to poisonous
snakes, but the senses of a bhakta engaged in the service of the
Lord are like snakes with their poisonous fangs removed. The
yogī tries to suppress his senses, but even great mystics like
Viśvāmitra fail in the attempt. Viśvāmitra was conquered by his
senses when he was captivated by Menakā during his
meditation. She later gave birth to Śakuntalā. The wisest
persons in the world, therefore, are the bhakti-yogīs, as Lord
Kṛṣṇa confirms in Bhagavad-gītā (6.47):

"Of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith,

worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most
intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all."
They think, “There is no greater perfection than this (etāvatī).”

By having attained bhakti-yoga, they reject ātma-jñāna and
other goals of human endeavor. This is Śrīdhara Svāmī’s
explanation of upekṣitānyārthātma-gatayaḥ.
TEXT - SB 5.17.4
tato 'neka-sahasra-koṭi-vimānānīka-saṅkula-deva-yānenāvatar-
antīndu maṇḍalam āvārya brahma-sadane nipatati.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—after purifying the seven planets of the seven great

sages; aneka—many; sahasra—thousands; koṭi—of millions;
vimāna-anīka—with contingents of airplanes; saṅkula—
congested; deva-yānena—by the spaceways of the demigods;
avatarantī—descending; indu-maṇḍalam—the moon planet;
āvārya—inundated; brahma-sadane—to the abode of Lord
Brahmā atop Sumeru-parvata; nipatati—falls down.
TRANSLATION
After purifying the seven planets near Dhruvaloka [the
polestar], the Ganges water is carried through the
spaceways of the demigods in billions of celestial airplanes.
Then it inundates the moon [Candraloka] and finally
reaches Lord Brahmā's abode atop Mount Meru.
PURPORT
We should always remember that the Ganges River comes from

the Causal Ocean, beyond the covering of the universe. After
the water of the Causal Ocean leaks through the hole created by
Lord Vāmanadeva, it flows down to Dhruvaloka (the polestar)
and then to the seven planets beneath Dhruvaloka. Then it is
carried to the moon by innumerable celestial airplanes, and then
it falls to the top of Mount Meru, which is known as Sumeru-
parvata. In this way, the water of the Ganges finally reaches the
lower planets and the peaks of the Himalayas, and from there it
flows through Hardwar and throughout the plains of India,
purifying the entire land. How the Ganges water reaches the
various planets from the top of the universe is explained herein.
Celestial airplanes carry the water from the planets of the sages
to other planets. So-called advanced scientists of the modern
age are trying to go to the higher planets, but at the same time
they are experiencing a power shortage on earth. If they were
actually capable scientists, they could personally go by airplane
to other planets, but this they are unable to do. Having now
given up their moon excursions, they are attempting to go to
other planets, but without success.
Deva-yānena means the path in the sky. Below the seven sages,
the places are filled with those who perform karma-yoga. Thus
tataḥ indicates “below, lower down” and saṅkula (crowd)
indicates the many karma-yogīs. Flooding the moon planet, the
Gaṅgā descends to the abode of Brahmā situated on the top of
Meru.
TEXT - SB 5.17.5
tatra caturdhā bhidyamānā caturbhir nāmabhiś catur-diśam

abhispandantī nada-nadī-patim evābhiniviśati sītālakanandā
cakṣur bhadreti.
SYNONYMS
tatra—there (on top of Mount Meru); caturdhā—into four

branches; bhidyamānā—being divided; caturbhiḥ—with four;
nāmabhiḥ—names; catuḥ-diśam—the four directions (east,
west, north and south); abhispandantī—profusely flowing;
nada-nadī-patim—the reservoir of all great rivers (the ocean);
eva—certainly; abhiniviśati—enters; sītā-alakanandā—Sītā
and Alakanandā; cakṣuḥ—Cakṣu; bhadrā—Bhadrā; iti—
known by these names.
TRANSLATION
On top of Mount Meru, the Ganges divides into four
branches, each of which gushes in a different direction
[east, west, north and south]. These branches, known by the
names Sītā, Alakanandā, Cakṣu and Bhadrā, flow down to
the ocean.
TEXT - SB 5.17.6
sītā tu brahma-sadanāt kesarācalādi-giri-śikharebhyo 'dho 'dhaḥ

prasravantī gandhamādana-mūrdhasu patitvāntareṇa bhadrāśva-
varṣaṁ prācyāṁ diśi kṣāra-samudram abhipraviśati.
SYNONYMS
sītā—the branch known as Sītā; tu—certainly; brahma-sadanāt

—from Brahmapurī; kesarācala-ādi—of Kesarācala and of
other great mountains; giri—hills; śikharebhyaḥ—from the
tops; adhaḥ adhaḥ—downward; prasravantī—flowing;
gandhamādana—of Gandhamādana Mountain; mūrdhasu—on
the top; patitvā—falling down; antareṇa—within; bhadrāśva-
varṣam—the province known as Bhadrāśva; prācyām—in the
western; diśi—direction; kṣāra-samudram—the ocean of salt
water; abhipraviśati—enters.
TRANSLATION
The branch of the Ganges known as the Sītā flows through
Brahmapurī atop Mount Meru, and from there it runs
down to the nearby peaks of the Kesarācala Mountains,
which stand almost as high as Mount Meru itself. These
mountains are like a bunch of filaments around Mount
Meru. From the Kesarācala Mountains, the Ganges falls to
the peak of Gandhamādana Mountain and then flows into
the land of Bhadrāśva-varṣa. Finally it reaches the ocean of
salt water in the west.
Because the mountains similar to filaments are the same height

as Meru, the water first (after leaving Meru) falls on the main
peaks of this range. Then from those mountains, Sītā flows
down, skipping over Ilāvṛta, and falls in Bhadrāśva.
TEXT - SB 5.17.7
evaṁ mālyavac-chikharān niṣpatantī tato 'nuparata-vegā

ketumālam abhi cakṣuḥ pratīcyāṁ diśi sarit-patiṁ praviśati.
SYNONYMS
evam—in this way; mālyavat-śikharāt—from the top of

Mālyavān Mountain; niṣpatantī—falling down; tataḥ—
thereafter; anuparata-vegā—whose force is uninterrupted;
ketumālam abhi—into the land known as Ketumāla-varṣa;
cakṣuḥ—the branch known as Cakṣu; pratīcyām—in the West;
diśi—direction; sarit-patim—the ocean; praviśati—enters into.
TRANSLATION
The branch of the Ganges known as Cakṣu falls onto the
summit of Mālyavān Mountain and from there cascades
onto the land of Ketumāla-varṣa. The Ganges flows
incessantly through Ketumāla-varṣa and in this way also
reaches the ocean of salt water in the West.
In this description it should be understood that the water first

falls on the Kesarācala peaks and then onto Mālyavān.
TEXT - SB 5.17.8
bhadrā cottarato meru-śiraso nipatitā giri-śikharād giri-

śikharam atihāya śṛṅgavataḥ śṛṅgād avasyandamānā uttarāṁs tu
kurūn abhita udīcyāṁ diśi jaladhim abhipraviśati.
SYNONYMS
bhadrā—the branch known as Bhadrā; ca—also; uttarataḥ—to
the northern side; meru-śirasaḥ—from the top of Mount Meru;
nipatitā—having fallen; giri-śikharāt—from the peak of
Kumuda Mountain; giri-śikharam—to the peak of Nīla
Mountain; atihāya—passing over as if not touching;
śṛṅgavataḥ—of the mountain known as Śṛṅgavān; śṛṅgāt—
from the peak; avasyandamānā—flowing; uttarān—the
northern; tu—but; kurūn—the land known as Kuru; abhitaḥ—
on all sides; udīcyām—in the northern; diśi—direction;
jaladhim—the ocean of salt water; abhipraviśati—enters into.
TRANSLATION
The branch of the Ganges known as Bhadrā flows from the
northern side of Mount Meru. Its waters fall onto the peaks
of Kumuda Mountain, Mount Nīla, Śveta Mountain and
Śṛṅgavān Mountain in succession. Then it runs down into
the province of Kuru and, after crossing through that land,
flows into the saltwater ocean in the north.
From Meru, Bhadrā flows to the Keśarācala range and then to

Nīla, then to Śveta and then to Śṛṅgavān. From Śṛṅgavān it
flows down to Kuru. It skips over Ilāvṛta and the other two
varṣas, Ramyaka and Hiraṇmaya.
TEXT - SB 5.17.9
tathaivālakanandā dakṣiṇena brahma-sadanād bahūni giri-

kūṭāny atikramya hemakūṭād dhaimakūṭāny ati-rabhasatara-
raṁhasā luṭhayantī bhāratam abhivarṣaṁ dakṣiṇasyāṁ diśi
jaladhim abhipraviśati yasyāṁ snānārthaṁ cāgacchataḥ puṁsaḥ
pade pade 'śvamedha-rājasūyādīnāṁ phalaṁ na durlabham iti.
SYNONYMS
tathā eva—similarly; alakanandā—the branch known as

Alakanandā; dakṣiṇena—by the southern side; brahma-sadanāt
—from the city known as Brahmapurī; bahūni—many; giri-
kūṭāni—the tops of mountains; atikramya—crossing over;
hemakūṭāt—from Hemakūṭa Mountain; haimakūṭāni—and
Himakūṭa; ati-rabhasatara—more fiercely; raṁhasā—with
great force; luṭhayantī—plundering; bhāratam abhivarṣam—on
all sides of Bhārata-varṣa; dakṣiṇasyām—in the southern; diśi
—direction; jaladhim—the ocean of salt water; abhipraviśati—
enters into; yasyām—in which; snāna-artham—for bathing; ca
—and; āgacchataḥ—of one who is coming; puṁsaḥ—a person;
pade pade—at every step; aśvamedha-rājasūya-ādīnām—of
great sacrifices like the Aśvamedha yajña and Rājasūya yajña;
phalam—the result; na—not; durlabham—very difficult to
obtain; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Similarly, the branch of the Ganges known as Alakanandā
flows from the southern side of Brahmapurī [Brahma-
sadana]. Passing over the tops of mountains in various
lands, it falls down with fierce force upon the peaks of the
mountains Hemakūṭa and Himakūṭa. After inundating the
tops of those mountains, the Ganges falls down onto the
tract of land known as Bhārata-varṣa, which she also
inundates. Then the Ganges flows into the ocean of salt
water in the south. Persons who come to bathe in this river
are fortunate. It is not very difficult for them to achieve
with every step the results of performing great sacrifices
like the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha yajñas.
PURPORT
The place where the Ganges flows into the salt water of the Bay
of Bengal is still known as Gaṅgā-sāgara, or the meeting place
of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. On Makara-saṅkrānti, in
the month of January-February, thousands of people still go
there to bathe, hoping to be liberated. That they can actually be
liberated in this way is confirmed herein. For those who bathe
in the Ganges at any time, the results of great sacrifices like the
Aśvamedha and Rājasūya yajñas are not at all difficult to
achieve. Most people in India are still inclined to bathe in the
Ganges, and there are many places where they can do so. At
Prayāga (Allahabad), many thousands of people gather during
the month of January to bathe in the confluence of the Ganges
and Yamunā. Afterward, many of them go to the confluence of
the Bay of Bengal and the Ganges to take bath there. Thus it is
a special facility for all the people of India that they can bathe
in the water of the Ganges at so many places of pilgrimage.
Skipping over the three varṣas, the Alakanandā falls from peak
to peak. This sentence should be understood. Bhāratam abhi
varṣam should mean falling in Bhārata-varṣa. The four rivers,
skipping over many varṣas, flow down from the mountain
range bordering the varṣa nearest the ocean onto the earth, and
then with bowed head (so to speak), enter the ocean, their
husband, giving up pride.
TEXT - SB 5.17.10
anye ca nadā nadyaś ca varṣe varṣe santi bahuśo merv-ādi-giri-

duhitaraḥ śataśaḥ.
SYNONYMS
anye—many others; ca—also; nadāḥ—rivers; nadyaḥ—small

rivers; ca—and; varṣe varṣe—in each tract of land; santi—are;
bahuśaḥ—of many varieties; meru-ādi-giri-duhitaraḥ—
daughters of the mountains beginning with Meru; śataśaḥ—in
the hundreds.
TRANSLATION
Many other rivers, both big and small, flow from the top of
Mount Meru. These rivers are like daughters of the
mountain, and they flow to the various tracts of land in
hundreds of branches.
TEXT - SB 5.17.11
tatrāpi bhāratam eva varṣaṁ karma-kṣetram anyāny aṣṭa

varṣāṇi svargiṇāṁ puṇya-śeṣopabhoga-sthānāni bhaumāni
svarga-padāni vyapadiśanti.
SYNONYMS
tatra api—out of all of them; bhāratam—known as Bhārata-

varṣa; eva—certainly; varṣam—the tract of land; karma-
kṣetram—the field of activities; anyāni—the others; aṣṭa
varṣāṇi—eight tracts of land; svargiṇām—of the living entities
elevated to the heavenly planets by extraordinary pious
activities; puṇya—of the results of pious activities; śeṣa—of
the remainder; upabhoga-sthānāni—the places for material
enjoyment; bhaumāni svarga-padāni—as the heavenly places
on earth; vyapadiśanti—they designate.
TRANSLATION
Among the nine varṣas, the tract of land known as Bhārata-
varṣa is understood to be the field of fruitive activities.
Learned scholars and saintly persons declare the other
eight varṣas to be meant for very highly elevated pious
persons. After returning from the heavenly planets, they
enjoy the remaining results of their pious activities in these
eight earthly varṣas.
PURPORT
The heavenly places of enjoyment are divided into three

groups: the celestial heavenly planets, the heavenly places on
earth, and the bila heavenly places, which are found in the
lower regions. Among these three classes of heavenly places
(bhauma-svarga-pada-ni), the heavenly places on earth are the
eight varṣas other than Bhārata-varṣa. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.21)
Kṛṣṇa says, kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti: when the
persons living in the heavenly planets exhaust the results of
their pious activities, they return to this earth. In this way, they
are elevated to the heavenly planets, and then they again fall to
the earthly planets. This process is known as brahmāṇḍa
bhramaṇa, wandering up and down throughout the universes.
Those who are intelligent—in other words, those who have not
lost their intelligence—do not involve themselves in this
process of wandering up and down. They take to the devotional
service of the Lord so that they can ultimately penetrate the
covering of this universe and enter the spiritual kingdom. Then
they are situated on one of the planets known as Vaikuṇṭhaloka
or, still higher. Kṛṣṇaloka (Goloka Vṛndāvana). A devotee is
never caught in the process of being promoted to the heavenly
planets and again coming down. Therefore Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu says:
ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]
Among all the living entities wandering throughout the

universe, one who is most fortunate comes in contact with a
representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus
gets the opportunity to execute devotional service. Those who
are sincerely seeking the favor of Kṛṣṇa come in contact with a
guru, a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādīs
indulging in mental speculation and the karmīs desiring the
results of their actions cannot become gurus. A guru must be a
direct representative of Kṛṣṇa who distributes the instructions
of Kṛṣṇa without any change. Thus only the most fortunate
persons come in contact with the guru. As confirmed in the
Vedic literatures, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet:
[MU 1.2.12] one has to search out a guru to understand the
affairs of the spiritual world. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also
confirms this point. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya
uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] one who is very interested in
understanding the activities in the spiritual world must search
out a guru—a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. From all
angles of vision, therefore, the word guru is especially meant
for the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa and no one else.
Padma Purāṇa states, avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt: one who is not
a Vaiṣṇava, or who is not a representative of Kṛṣṇa, cannot be a
guru. Even the most qualified brāhmaṇa cannot become a guru
if he is not a representative of Kṛṣṇa. Brāhmaṇas are supposed
to acquire six kinds of auspicious qualifications: they become
very learned scholars (paṭhana) and very qualified teachers
(pāṭhana); they become expert in worshiping the Lord or the
demigods (yajana), and they teach others how to execute this
worship (yājana); they qualify themselves as bona fide persons
to receive alms from others (pratigraha), and they distribute the
wealth in charity (dāna). Yet even a brāhmaṇa possessing these
qualifications cannot become a guru unless he is the
representative of Kṛṣṇa (gurur na syāt). Vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco
guruḥ: but a Vaiṣṇava, a bona fide representative of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, can become a guru,
even if he is śva-paca, a member of a family of dog-eaters. Of
the three divisions of heavenly planets (svarga-loka), bhauma-
svarga is sometimes accepted as the tract of land in Bhārata-
varṣa known as Kashmir. In this region there are certainly good
facilities for material sense enjoyment, but this is not the
business of a pure transcendentalist. Rūpa Gosvāmī describes
the engagement of a pure transcendentalist as follows:
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
[Cc. Madhya 19.167]
"One should render transcendental loving service to the

Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material
profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical
speculation. That is called pure devotional service." Those who
fully engage in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa just to please Him
are not interested in the three divisions of heavenly places,
namely, divya-svarga, bhauma-svarga and bila-svarga.
There are three types of Svarga: heavenly, earthly and

subterranean. These eight varṣas are the places of earthly
heaven.
TEXT - SB 5.17.12
eṣu puruṣāṇām ayuta-puruṣāyur-varṣāṇāṁ deva-kalpānāṁ

nāgāyuta-prāṇānāṁ vajra-saṁhanana-bala-vayo-moda-
pramudita-mahā-saurata-mithuna-vyavāyāpavarga-varṣa-
dhṛtaika-garbha-kalatrāṇāṁ tatra tu tretā-yuga-samaḥ kālo
vartate.
SYNONYMS
eṣu—in these (eight) varṣas, or tracts of land; puruṣāṇām—of

all the men; ayuta—ten thousand; puruṣa—by the measure of
men; āyuḥ-varṣāṇām—of those whose years of life; deva-
kalpānām—who are like the demigods; nāga-ayuta-prāṇānām
—having the strength of ten thousand elephants; vajra-
saṁhanana—by bodies as solid as thunderbolts; bala—by
bodily strength; vayaḥ—by youth; moda—by abundant sense
enjoyment; pramudita—being excited; mahā-saurata—a great
deal of sexual; mithuna—combinations of man and woman;
vyavāya-apavarga—at the end of their period of sexual
enjoyment; varṣa—in the last year; dhṛta-eka-garbha—who
conceive one child; kalatrāṇām—of those who have wives;
tatra—there; tu—but; tretā-yuga-samaḥ—exactly like the
Tretā-yuga (when there is no tribulation); kālaḥ—time; vartate
—exists.
TRANSLATION
In these eight varṣas, or tracts of land, human beings live
ten thousand years according to earthly calculations. All the
inhabitants are almost like demigods. They have the bodily
strength of ten thousand elephants. Indeed, their bodies are
as sturdy as thunderbolts. The youthful duration of their
lives is very pleasing, and both men and women enjoy
sexual union with great pleasure for a long time. After
years of sensual pleasure—when a balance of one year of
life remains—the wife conceives a child. Thus the standard
of pleasure for the residents of these heavenly regions is
exactly like that of the human beings who lived during
Tretā-yuga.
PURPORT
There are four yugas: Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga

and Kali-yuga. During the first yuga, Satya-yuga, people were
very pious. Everyone practiced the mystic yoga system for
spiritual understanding and realization of God. Because
everyone was always absorbed in samādhi, no one was
interested in material sense enjoyment. During Tretā-yuga,
people enjoyed sense pleasure without tribulations. Material
miseries began in Dvāpara-yuga, but they were not very
stringent. Stringent material miseries really began from the
advent of Kali-yuga.
Another point in this verse is that in all eight of these heavenly

varṣas, although men and women enjoy sex pleasure, there is
no pregnancy. Pregnancy takes place only in lower-grade life.
For example, animals like dogs and hogs become pregnant
twice a year, and each time they beget at least half a dozen
offspring. Even lower species of life such as snakes give birth
to hundreds of young at one time. This verse informs us that in
grades of life higher than ours, pregnancy occurs once in a
lifetime. People still have sex life, but there is no pregnancy. In
the spiritual world, people are not very attracted to sex life, due
to their exalted devotional attitude. Practically speaking, there
is no sex life in the spiritual world, but even if sometimes it
does occur, there is no pregnancy at all. On the planet earth,
however, human beings do become pregnant, although the
tendency is to avoid having children. In this sinful age of Kali,
people have even taken to the process of killing the child in the
womb. This is the most degraded practice; it can only
perpetuate the miserable material conditions of those who
perform it.
They live for ten thousand years by human calculation. They

have wives who conceive once in the last year of their life, after
enjoyment of couples in sex excited by thunderbolt bodies
possessing strength, youth and fragrance. Because of the
amount of material enjoyment it is like Treta-yuga, since in
Satya-yuga everyone is fixed in meditation, and in Dvāpara and
Kali there is more suffering.
TEXT - SB 5.17.13
yatra ha deva-patayaḥ svaiḥ svair gaṇa-nāyakair vihita-

mahārhaṇāḥ sarvartu-kusuma-stabaka-phala-kisalaya-
śriyānamyamāna-viṭapa-latā-viṭapibhir upaśumbhamāna-rucira-
kānanāśramāyatana-varṣa-giri-droṇīṣu tathā cāmala-jalāśayeṣu
vikaca-vividha-nava-vanaruhāmoda-mudita-rāja-haṁsa-jala-
kukkuṭa-kāraṇḍava-sārasa-cakravākādibhir madhukara-
nikarākṛtibhir upakūjiteṣu jala-krīḍādibhir vicitra-vinodaiḥ
sulalita-sura-sundarīṇāṁ kāma-kalila-vilāsa-hāsa-
līlāvalokākṛṣṭa-mano-dṛṣṭayaḥ svairaṁ viharanti.
SYNONYMS
yatra ha—in those eight tracts of land; deva-patayaḥ—the

lords of the demigods, such as Lord Indra; svaiḥ svaiḥ—by
their own respective; gaṇa-nāyakaiḥ—leaders of the servants;
vihita—furnished with; mahā-arhaṇāḥ—valuable gifts, such as
sandalwood pulp and garlands; sarva-ṛtu—in all seasons;
kusuma-stabaka—of bunches of flowers; phala—of fruits;
kisalaya-śriyā—by the opulences of shoots; ānamyamāna—
being bent down; viṭapa—whose branches; latā—and creepers;
viṭapibhiḥ—by many trees; upaśumbhamāna—being fully
decorated; rucira—beautiful; kānana—gardens; āśrama-
āyatana—and many hermitages; varṣa-giri-droṇīṣu—the
valleys between the mountains designating the borders of the
tracts of land; tathā—as well as; ca—also; amala-jala-āśayeṣu
—in lakes with clear water; vikaca—just fructified; vividha—
varieties; nava-vanaruha-āmoda—by the fragrance of lotus
flowers; mudita—enthused; rāja-haṁsa—great swans; jala-
kukkuṭa—water fowl; kāraṇḍava—aquatic birds called
kāraṇḍavas; sārasa—cranes; cakravāka-ādibhiḥ—by birds
known as cakravākas and so on; madhukara-nikara-ākṛtibhiḥ
—by the bumblebees; upakūjiteṣu—which were made to
resound; jala-krīḍā-ādibhiḥ—such as water sports; vicitra—
various; vinodaiḥ—by pastimes; su-lalita—attractive; sura-
sundarīṇām—of the women of the demigods; kāma—from lust;
kalila—born; vilāsa—pastimes; hāsa—smiling; līlā-avaloka—
by playful glances; ākṛṣṭa-manaḥ—whose minds are attracted;
dṛṣṭayaḥ—and whose vision is attracted; svairam—very freely;
viharanti—engage in sportive enjoyment.
TRANSLATION
In each of those tracts of land, there are many gardens
filled with flowers and fruits according to the season, and
there are beautifully decorated hermitages as well. Between
the great mountains demarcating the borders of those lands
lie enormous lakes of clear water filled with newly grown
lotus flowers. Aquatic birds such as swans, ducks, water
chickens, and cranes become greatly excited by the
fragrance of lotus flowers, and the charming sound of
bumblebees fills the air. The inhabitants of those lands are
important leaders among the demigods. Always attended by
their respective servants, they enjoy life in gardens
alongside the lakes. In this pleasing situation, the wives of
the demigods smile playfully at their husbands and look
upon them with lusty desires. All the demigods and their
wives are constantly supplied with sandalwood pulp and
flower garlands by their servants. In this way, all the
residents of the eight heavenly varṣas enjoy, attracted by
the activities of the opposite sex.
PURPORT
Here is a description of the lower heavenly planets. The

inhabitants of those planets enjoy life in a pleasing atmosphere
of clear lakes filled with newly grown lotus flowers and
gardens filled with fruits, flowers, various kinds of birds and
humming bees. In that atmosphere they enjoy life with their
very beautiful wives, who are always sexually stimulated.
Nonetheless, they are all devotees of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, as will be explained in subsequent verses. The
inhabitants of this earth also desire such heavenly enjoyment,
but when they somehow or other achieve imitation pleasures
like sex and intoxication, they completely forget the service of
the Supreme Lord. In the heavenly planets, however, although
the residents enjoy superior sense gratification, they never
forget their positions as eternal servants of the Supreme Being.
There the heads of the devatās play freely. The valleys between
the mountains have hermitages and pleasant gardens splendid
(upaśumbhamāna) with trees and creepers whose branches are
bent down (ānamyamāna) by the abundance (śriyā) of fruits
and flowers of all seasons. The water resounds with groups of
various species (ākṛtibhiḥ) of bees, swans and various other
birds. Plural is used for the dvandva compound by the rule
adhikaraṇe tāvat tve (Pāṇini 2.4.15). Avoiding the genitive
cases is poetic license.
TEXT - SB 5.17.14
navasv api varṣeṣu bhagavān nārāyaṇo mahā-puruṣaḥ

puruṣāṇāṁ tad-anugrahāyātma-tattva-vyūhenātmanādyāpi
sannidhīyate.
SYNONYMS
navasu—in the nine; api—certainly; varṣeṣu—tracts of land
known as varṣas; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; nārāyaṇaḥ—Lord Viṣṇu; mahā-puruṣaḥ—the
Supreme Person; puruṣāṇām—unto His various devotees; tat-
anugrahāya—to show His mercy; ātma-tattva-vyūhena—by
expansions of Himself in the quadruple forms Vāsudeva,
Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha; ātmanā—personally;
adya api—until now; sannidhīyate—is near the devotees for
accepting their services.
TRANSLATION
To show mercy to His devotees in each of these nine tracts
of land, the Supreme Personality of Godhead known as
Nārāyaṇa expands Himself in His quadruple principles of
Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. In this
way He remains near His devotees to accept their service.
PURPORT
In this connection, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura informs us

that the demigods worship the Supreme Lord in His various
Deity forms (arcā-vigraha) because except in the spiritual
world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be directly
worshiped in person. In the material world, the Lord is always
worshiped as the arcā-vigraha, or Deity in the temple. There is
no difference between the arcā-vigraha and the original person,
and therefore those who are engaged in worshiping the Deity in
the temple in full opulence, even on this planet, should be
understood to be directly in touch with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead without a doubt. As enjoined in the śāstras, arcye
viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ: "No one should treat the
Deity in the temple as stone or metal, nor should one think that
the spiritual master is an ordinary human being." One should
strictly follow this śāstric injunction and worship the Deity, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, without offenses. The
spiritual master is the direct representative of the Lord, and no
one should consider him an ordinary human being. By avoiding
offenses against the Deity and the spiritual master, one can
advance in spiritual life, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In this regard, the following quotation appears in the Laghu-

bhāgavatāmṛta:
pādme tu parama-vyomnaḥ
pūrvādye dik-catuṣṭaye
vāsudevādayo vyūhaś
catvāraḥ kathitāḥ kramāt
tathā pāda-vibhūtau ca
nivasanti kramādi me
jalāvṛti-stha-vaikuṇṭha-
sthita vedavatī-pure
satyordhve vaiṣṇave loke

nityākhye dvārakā-pure
śuddhodād uttare śveta-
dvīpe cairāvatī-pure
kṣīrāmbudhi-sthitānte
kroḍa-paryaṅka-dhāmani
sātvatīye kvacit tantre
nava vyūhāḥ prakīrtitāḥ
catvāro vāsudevādyā
nārāyaṇa-nṛsiṁhakau
hayagrīvo mahā-kroḍo
brahmā ceti navoditāḥ
tatra brahmā tu vijñeyaḥ
pūrvokta-vidhayā hariḥ
"In the Padma Purāṇa it is said that in the spiritual world the
Lord personally expands in all directions and is worshiped as
Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. The same
God is represented by the Deity in this material world, which is
only one quarter of His creation. Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa,
Pradyumna and Aniruddha are also present in the four
directions of this material world. There is a Vaikuṇṭhaloka
covered with water in this material world, and on that planet is
a place called Vedavatī, where Vāsudeva is located. Another
planet known as Viṣṇuloka is situated above Satyaloka, and
there Saṅkarṣaṇa is present. Similarly, in Dvārakā-purī,
Pradyumna is the predominator. On the island known as
Śvetadvīpa, there is an ocean of milk, and in the midst of that
ocean is a place called Airāvatī-pura, where Aniruddha lies on
Ananta. In some of the sātvata-tantras, there is a description of
the nine varṣas and the predominating Deity worshiped in each:
(1) Vāsudeva, (2) Saṅkarṣaṇa, (3) Pradyumna, (4) Aniruddha,
(5) Nārāyaṇa, (6) Nṛsiṁha, (7) Hayagrīva, (8) Mahāvarāha, and
(9) Brahmā. "The Lord Brahmā mentioned in this connection is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When there is no fit
human being to empower as Lord Brahmā, the Lord Himself
takes the position of Lord Brahmā. Tatra brahmā tu vijñeyaḥ
pūrvokta-vidhayā hariḥ. That Brahmā mentioned here is Hari
Himself.
To show his mercy means to continue showing his mercy. For

that purpose he remains present in his various forms (ātma-
tattva-vyūhena). It should be understood that these presiding
deities of the various varṣas are deity forms of the Lord. This is
described in Prāhlada’s prayer in SB 5.18.8.
TEXT - SB 5.17.15
ilāvṛte tu bhagavān bhava eka eva pumān na hy anyas tatrāparo

nirviśati bhavānyāḥ śāpa-nimitta-jño yat-pravekṣyataḥ strī-
bhāvas tat paścād vakṣyāmi.
SYNONYMS
ilāvṛte—in the tract of land known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa; tu—but;

bhagavān—the most powerful; bhavaḥ—Lord Śiva; eka—
only; eva—certainly; pumān—male person; na—not; hi—
certainly; anyaḥ—any other; tatra—there; aparaḥ—besides;
nirviśati—enters; bhavānyāḥ śāpa-nimitta-jñaḥ—who knows
the cause of the curse by Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva; yat-
pravekṣyataḥ—of one who forcibly enters that tract of land;
strī-bhāvaḥ—transformation into a female; tat—that; paścāt—
later; vakṣyāmi—I shall explain.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: In the tract of land known as
Ilāvṛta-varṣa, the only male person is Lord Śiva, the most
powerful demigod. Goddess Durgā, the wife of Lord Śiva,
does not like any man to enter that land. If any foolish man
dares to do so, she immediately turns him into a woman. I
shall explain this later [in the Ninth Canto of Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam].
The curse of Durgā is explained in the Ninth Canto.
TEXT - SB 5.17.16
bhavānī-nāthaiḥ strī-gaṇārbuda-sahasrair avarudhyamāno

bhagavataś catur-mūrter mahā-puruṣasya turīyāṁ tāmasīṁ
mūrtiṁ prakṛtim ātmanaḥ saṅkarṣaṇa-saṁjñām ātma-samādhi-
rūpeṇa sannidhāpyaitad abhigṛṇan bhava upadhāvati.
SYNONYMS
bhavānī-nāthaiḥ—by the company of Bhavānī; strī-gaṇa—of

females; arbuda-sahasraiḥ—by ten billion; avarudhyamānaḥ
—always being served; bhagavataḥ catuḥ-mūrteḥ—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is expanded in four;
mahā-puruṣasya—of the Supreme Person; turīyām—the fourth
expansion; tāmasīm—related to the mode of ignorance; mūrtim
—the form; prakṛtim—as the source; ātmanaḥ—of himself
(Lord Śiva); saṅkarṣaṇa-saṁjñām—known as Saṅkarṣaṇa;
ātma-samādhi-rūpeṇa—by meditating upon Him in trance;
sannidhāpya—bringing Him near; etat—this; abhigṛṇan—
clearly chanting; bhavaḥ—Lord Śiva; upadhāvati—worships.
TRANSLATION
In Ilāvṛta-varṣa, Lord Śiva is always encircled by ten billion
maidservants of goddess Durgā, who minister to him. The
quadruple expansion of the Supreme Lord is composed of
Vāsudeva, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Saṅkarṣaṇa.
Saṅkarṣaṇa, the fourth expansion, is certainly
transcendental, but because his activities of destruction in
the material world are in the mode of ignorance, He is
known as tāmasī, the Lord's form in the mode of ignorance.
Lord Śiva knows that Saṅkarṣaṇa is the original cause of
his own existence, and thus he always meditates upon Him
in trance by chanting the following mantra.
PURPORT
Sometimes we see a picture of Lord Śiva engaged in

meditation. This verse explains that Lord Śiva is always
meditating upon Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa in trance. Lord Śiva is in
charge of the destruction of the material world. Lord Brahmā
creates the material world, Lord Viṣṇu maintains it, and Lord
Śiva destroys it. Because destruction is in the mode of
ignorance, Lord Śiva and his worshipable Deity, Saṅkarṣaṇa,
are technically called tāmasī. Lord Śiva is the incarnation of
tamo-guṇa. Since both Lord Śiva and Saṅkarṣaṇa are always
enlightened and situated in the transcendental position, they
have nothing to do with the modes of material nature—
goodness, passion and ignorance—but because their activities
involve them with the mode of ignorance, they are sometimes
called tāmasī.
Surround by the servants of Durgā, served by them, he

worships the form of ignorance. This is the form in charge of
destruction. This form is actually beyond the three guṇas, being
purely spiritual. This will be confirmed later in this chapter
with na yasya māyā and tribhir vihīnām. (SB 5.17.19-21)
Ātmanaḥ prakṛtim means the cause of himself, since
Saṅkarṣaṇa is the aṁśī and Śiva is aṁśa. Ātma-samādhi-rūpeṇa
means by a form of meditation on the self.
TEXT - SB 5.17.17
ī[q>aGavaNauvac
p NaMaae >aGavTae MahaPauṛzaYa
SavRGau<aSa&:YaaNaaYaaNaNTaaYaaVYa¢-aYa NaMa
wiTa )) 17 ))
oṁ namo bhagavate mahā-puruṣāya sarva-guṇa-

saṅkhyānāyānantāyāvyaktāya nama iti.
SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca—the most powerful Lord Śiva says; om

namo bhagavate—O Supreme Personality of Godhead, I offer
my respectful obeisances unto You; mahā-puruṣāya—who are
the Supreme person; sarva-guṇa-saṅkhyānāya—the reservoir
of all transcendental qualities; anantāya—the unlimited;
avyaktāya—not manifested within the material world; namaḥ—
my respectful obeisances; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
The most powerful Lord Śiva says: O Supreme Personality
of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You in
Your expansion as Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa. You are the reservoir
of all transcendental qualities. Although You are unlimited,
You remain unmanifest to the nondevotees.
I offer respect to the revelation (saṅkhyānāya) of all qualities.

Avyaktāya means “to the unfathomable.”
TEXT - SB 5.17.18
bhaje bhajanyāraṇa-pāda-paṅkajaṁ
bhagasya kṛtsnasya paraṁ parāyaṇam
bhakteṣv alaṁ bhāvita-bhūta-bhāvanaṁ

bhavāpahaṁ tvā bhava-bhāvam īśvaram
SYNONYMS
bhaje—I worship; bhajanya—O worshipable Lord; araṇa-

pāda-paṅkajam—whose lotus feet protect His devotees from
all fearful situations; bhagasya—of opulences; kṛtsnasya—of
all different varieties (wealth, fame, strength, knowledge,
beauty and renunciation); param—the best; parāyaṇam—the
ultimate shelter; bhakteṣu—to the devotees; alam—beyond
value; bhāvita-bhūta-bhāvanam—who manifests His different
forms for the satisfaction of His devotees; bhava-apaham—
who stops the devotees' repetition of birth and death; tvā—unto
You; bhava-bhāvam—who is the origin of the material
creation; īśvaram—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, You are the only worshipable person, for You
are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of
all opulences. Your secure lotus feet are the only source of
protection for all Your devotees, whom You satisfy by
manifesting Yourself in various forms. O my Lord, You
deliver Your devotees from the clutches of material
existence. Nondevotees, however, remain entangled in
material existence by Your will. Kindly accept me as Your
eternal servant.

Bhaje bhaje ni ā araṇa-pada-paṅkajam means I worship
wholeheartedly he who has lotus feet. Out of joy he repeats the
verb. Bhagasya means “possessing the six qualities.” Bhakteṣv
alam means “who remains like an ornament for the devotees.”
Bhāvita-bhūta-bhāvanam means “he upon whom Brahmā
meditates” or “he by whom Brahmā is created.” I worship you
(tvā), who have prema for me, Śiva (bhava-bhāvam).
TEXT - SB 5.17.19
na yasya māyā-guṇa-citta-vṛttibhir
nirīkṣato hy aṇv api dṛṣṭir ajyate
īśe yathā no 'jita-manyu-raṁhasāṁ
kas taṁ na manyeta jigīṣur ātmanaḥ
SYNONYMS
na—never; yasya—whose; māyā—of the illusory energy; guṇa

—in the qualities; citta—of the heart; vṛttibhiḥ—by the
activities (thinking. feeling and willing); nirīkṣataḥ—of Him
who is glancing; hi—certainly; aṇu—slightly; api—even;
dṛṣṭiḥ—vision; ajyate—is affected; īśe—for the purpose of
regulating; yathā—as; naḥ—of us; ajita—who have not
conquered; manyu—of anger; raṁhasām—the force; kaḥ—
who; tam—unto Him (the Supreme Lord); na—not; manyeta—
would worship; jigīṣuḥ—aspiring to conquer; ātmanaḥ—the
senses.
TRANSLATION
We cannot control the force of our anger. Therefore when
we look at material things, we cannot avoid feeling
attraction or repulsion for them. But the Supreme Lord is
never affected in this way. Although He glances over the
material world for the purpose of creating, maintaining and
destroying it, He is not affected, even to the slightest degree.
Therefore, one who desires to conquer the force of the
senses must take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Then
he will be victorious.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always equipped with

inconceivable potencies. Although creation takes place by His
glancing over the material energy, He is not affected by the
modes of material nature. Because of His eternally
transcendental position, when the Supreme Personality of
Godhead appears in this material world, the modes of material
nature cannot affect Him. Therefore the Supreme Lord is called
Transcendence, and anyone who wants to be secure from the
influence of the modes of material nature must take shelter of
Him.
This verse describes the Lord’s inconceivable power. Though

the Lord glances for controlling (īśe), his glance is not affected
by the actions of the guṇas, by the forms and qualities of māyā,
by the actions of the senses and by the sense objects. Īśe comes
from the verb īṭ, meaning to control. As an abstract noun it
takes the form īś. An opposite example is given. We are
affected the impulse of uncontrolled anger. Our glance is
affected. You are not like that. Who, desiring to control the
senses, would not worship the Lord?
TEXT - SB 5.17.20
asad-dṛśo yaḥ pratibhāti māyayā
kṣībeva madhv-āsava-tāmra-locanaḥ
na nāga-vadhvo 'rhaṇa īśire hriyā
yat-pādayoḥ sparśana-dharṣitendriyāḥ
SYNONYMS
asat-dṛśaḥ—for a person with polluted vision; yaḥ—who;

pratibhāti—appears; māyayā—the influence of māyā; kṣībaḥ—
one who is inebriated or angry; iva—like; madhu—by honey;
āsava—and liquor; tāmra-locanaḥ—having eyes reddish like
copper; na—not; nāga-vadhvaḥ—the wives of the serpent
demon; arhaṇe—in worshiping; īśire—were unable to proceed;
hriyā—because of bashfulness; yat-pādayoḥ—of whose lotus
feet; sparśana—by the touching; dharṣita—agitated; indriyāḥ
—whose senses.
TRANSLATION
For persons with impure vision, the Supreme Lord's eyes
appear like those of someone who indiscriminately drinks
intoxicating beverages. Thus bewildered, such unintelligent
persons become angry at the Supreme Lord, and due to
their angry mood the Lord Himself appears angry and very
fearful. However, this is an illusion. When the wives of the
serpent demon were agitated by the touch of the Lord's
lotus feet, due to shyness they could proceed no further in
their worship of Him. Yet the Lord remained unagitated by
their touch, for He is equipoised in all circumstances.
Therefore who will not worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead ?
PURPORT
Anyone who remains unagitated, even in the presence of cause

for agitation, is called dhīra, or equipoised. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, being always in a transcendental
position, is never agitated by anything. Therefore someone who
wants to become dhīra must take shelter of the lotus feet of the
Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā (2.13) Kṛṣṇa says, dhīras tatra na
muhyati: a person who is equipoised in all circumstances is
never bewildered. Prahlāda Mahārāja is a perfect example of a
dhīra. When the fierce form of Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared in order
to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu, Prahlāda was unagitated. He remained
calm and quiet, whereas others, including even Lord Brahmā,
were frightened by the features of the Lord.

Will not the vision of an intoxicated person be affected? The
Lord appears like an intoxicated person to the foolish (asad-
dṛśaḥ). Such a drunk with red eyes loses his discrimination by
drinking liquor. But you are not actually like that. You maintain
your discrimination and are eternally full of bliss. The wives of
Kāliya who were bewildered by the Lord’s beauty are
described. They could not worship his feet (arhaṇe). Agitated
by the touch of the Lord’s feet, they became shy. Since he is
omniscient he knows about our agitated hearts. Thus they
thought, “How can we serve him?”
TEXT - SB 5.17.21
yam āhur asya sthiti-janma-saṁyamaṁ
tribhir vihīnaṁ yam anantam ṝṣayaḥ
na veda siddhārtham iva kvacit sthitaṁ
bhū-maṇḍalaṁ mūrdha-sahasra-dhāmasu
SYNONYMS
yam—whom; āhuḥ—they said; asya—of the material world;

sthiti—the maintenance; janma—creation; saṁyamam—
annihilation; tribhiḥ—these three; vihīnam—without; yam—
which; anantam—unlimited; ṝṣayaḥ—all the great sages; na—
not; veda—feels; siddha-artham—a mustard seed; iva—like;
kvacit—where; sthitam—situated; bhū-maṇḍalam—the
universe; mūrdha-sahasra-dhāmasu—on the hundreds and
thousands of hoods of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
Lord Śiva continued: All the great sages accept the Lord as
the source of creation, maintenance and destruction,
although He actually has nothing to do with these activities.
Therefore the Lord is called unlimited. Although the Lord
in His incarnation as Śeṣa holds all the universes on His
hoods, each universe feels no heavier than a mustard seed
to Him. Therefore, what person desiring perfection will not
worship the Lord?
PURPORT
The incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead known

as Śeṣa or Ananta has unlimited strength, fame, wealth,
knowledge, beauty and renunciation. As described in this verse,
Ananta's strength is so great that the innumerable universes rest
on His hoods. He has the bodily features of a snake with
thousands of hoods, and since His strength is unlimited, all the
universes resting on His hoods feel no heavier than mustard
seeds. We can just imagine how insignificant a mustard seed is
on the hood of a serpent. In this connection, the reader is
referred to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, Chapter Five,
verses 117-125. There it is stated that Lord Viṣṇu's incarnation
as the serpentine Ananta Śeṣa Nāga supports all the universes
on His hoods. By our calculation, a universe may be very, very
heavy, but because the Lord is ananta (unlimited), He feels the
weight to be no heavier than a mustard seed.
This verse describes the Lord as the cause of the universe. He is

the cause of maintenance, creation and destruction and is
devoid of the three guṇas. He is called unlimited because of his
knowledge of the tattvas. He (subject yaḥ should be supplied)
does not know the universe is situated on his hoods. Ṛ means
the mother of the devatās. Ṝṣayaḥ thus means “the sages and
the mothers of the devatās.” He does not know the universe
which is situated somewhere on one of his hoods. Because he is
situated below bhū-manḍala measuring 493,400,000 yojanas,
his hoods are not wide enough to hold it. However persons
situated there can see that by his inconceivable energy, his
hoods become unlimited in dimension, and thus Bhū-maṇḍala
appears like a mustard seed. That is actual, not an illusion. This
is an example of his astonishing unlimited nature just
mentioned.
TEXT - SB 5.17.22-23
yasyādya āsīd guṇa-vigraho mahān
vijñāna-dhiṣṇyo bhagavān ajaḥ kila
yat-sambhavo 'haṁ tri-vṛtā sva-tejasā
vaikārikaṁ tāmasam aindriyaṁ sṛje
ete vayaṁ yasya vaśe mahātmanaḥ

sthitāḥ śakuntā iva sūtra-yantritāḥ
mahān ahaṁ vaikṛta-tāmasendriyāḥ
sṛjāma sarve yad-anugrahād idam
SYNONYMS
yasya—from whom; ādyaḥ—the beginning; āsīt—there was;

guṇa-vigrahaḥ—the incarnation of the material qualities;
mahān—the total material energy; vijñāna—of full knowledge;
dhiṣṇyaḥ—the reservoir; bhagavān—the most powerful; ajaḥ
—Lord Brahmā; kila—certainly; yat—from whom; sambhavaḥ
—born; aham—I; tri-vṛtā—having three varieties according to
the three modes of nature; sva-tejasā—by my material strength;
vaikārikam—all the demigods; tāmasam—material elements;
aindriyam—the senses; sṛje—I create; ete—all of these; vayam
—we; yasya—of whom; vaśe—under the control; mahā-
ātmanaḥ—great personalities; sthitāḥ—situated; śakuntāḥ—
vultures; iva—like; sūtra-yantritāḥ—bound by rope; mahān—
the mahat-tattva; aham—I; vaikṛta—the demigods; tāmasa—
the five material elements; indriyāḥ—senses; sṛjāmaḥ—we
create; sarve—all of us; yat—of whom; anugrahāt—by the
mercy; idam—this material world.
TRANSLATION
From that Supreme Personality of Godhead appears Lord
Brahmā, whose body is made from the total material
energy, the reservoir of intelligence predominated by the
passionate mode of material nature. From Lord Brahmā, I
myself am born as a representation of false ego known as
Rudra. By my own power I create all the other demigods,
the five elements and the senses. Therefore, I worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than any
of us and under whose control are situated all the demigods,
material elements and senses, and even Lord Brahmā and I
myself, like birds bound by a rope. Only by the Lord's
grace can we create, maintain and annihilate the material
world. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the
Supreme Being.
PURPORT
A summary of creation is given in this verse. From Saṅkarṣaṇa,

Mahā-Viṣṇu expands, and from Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī
Viṣṇu expands. Lord Brahmā, who was born of
Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, fathers Lord Śiva, from whom all the
other demigods gradually evolve. Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and
Lord Viṣṇu are incarnations of the different material qualities.
Lord Viṣṇu is actually above all material qualities, but He
accepts control of sattva-guṇa (the mode of goodness) to
maintain the universe. Lord Brahmā is born from the mahat-
tattva. Brahmā creates the entire universe, Lord Viṣṇu
maintains it, and Lord Śiva annihilates it. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead controls all the most important
demigods—especially Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva—exactly as
the owner of a bird controls it by binding it with a rope.
Sometimes vultures are controlled in this way.
These verses explain how the Lord is the cause of the universe
by explaining the appearance of the different elements. First,
there is the form māyā, (guṇa-vigrahaḥ), called mahat-tattva. It
should be understood from this that Saṅkarṣaṇa is beyond the
guṇas. The shelter of sattva (vijñāna-dhiṣṇyaḥ) is Brahmā.
From Brahmā I arise. I am the personification of ahaṅkāra,
another form of Rudra. By his śakti and by the three guṇas, I
create the devatās (vaikārikam), the elements (tāmasam) and
the senses. The next verse describes the Lord’s control of
everything. Sūtra-yantrtāḥ means bound by a rope. Śakuntāḥ
means birds. They are dependent on their master. Who are we?
We are part of the devatās mentioned as vaikārikam.
TEXT - SB 5.17.24
yan-nirmitāṁ karhy api karma-parvaṇīṁ
māyāṁ jano 'yaṁ guṇa-sarga-mohitaḥ
na veda nistāraṇa-yogam añjasā
tasmai namas te vilayodayātmane
SYNONYMS
yat—by whom; nirmitām—created; karhi api—at any time;

karma-parvaṇīm—which ties the knots of fruitive activity;
māyām—the illusory energy; janaḥ—a person; ayam—this;
guṇa-sarga-mohitaḥ—bewildered by the three modes of
material nature; na—not; veda—knows; nistāraṇa-yogam—the
process of getting out of material entanglement; añjasā—soon;
tasmai—unto Him (the Supreme); namaḥ—respectful
obeisances; te—unto You; vilaya-udaya-ātmane—in whom
everything is annihilated and from whom everything is again
manifested.
TRANSLATION
The illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
binds all of us conditioned souls to this material world.
Therefore, without being favored by Him, persons like us
cannot understand how to get out of that illusory energy.
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who is
the cause of creation and annihilation.
PURPORT
Kṛṣṇa clearly states in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14):
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
"This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of

material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have
surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it." All
conditioned souls working within the illusory energy of the
Lord consider the body to be the self, and thus they
continuously wander throughout the universe, taking birth in
different species of life and creating more and more problems.
Sometimes they become disgusted with the problems and seek
out a process by which they can get out of this entanglement.
Unfortunately, such so-called research workers are unaware of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His illusory energy,
and thus all of them work only in darkness, never finding a way
out. So-called scientists and advanced research scholars are
ludicrously trying to find the cause of life. They take no notice
of the fact that life is already being produced. What will be
their credit if they find out the chemical composition of life?
All their chemicals are nothing but different transformations of
the five elements—earth, water, fire, air and ether. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā (2.20), the living entity is never created (na
jāyate mriyate vā kadācin). There are five gross material
elements and three minor material elements (mind, intelligence
and ego), and there are eternal living entities. The living entity
desires a certain type of body, and by the order of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, that body is created from material
nature, which is nothing but a kind of machine handled by the
Supreme Lord. The Lord gives the living entity a particular
type of mechanical body, and the living entity must work with
it according to the law of fruitive activities. Fruitive activities
are described in this verse: karma-pamanīṁ māyām. The living
entity is seated on a machine (the body), and according to the
order of the Supreme Lord, he operates the machine. This is the
secret of transmigration of the soul from one body to another.
The living entity thus becomes entangled in fruitive activities in
this material world. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.7),
manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati: the living entity
is struggling very hard against the six senses, which include the
mind.
In all the activities of creation and annihilation, the living entity

is entangled in fruitive activities, which are executed by the
illusory energy, māyā. He is exactly like a computer handled by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The so-called scientists
say that nature acts independently, but they cannot explain what
nature is. Nature is nothing but a machine operated by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one understands the
operator, his problems of life are solved. As Kṛṣṇa says in
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge

surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes
and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." A sane man,
therefore, surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
and thus gets out of the clutches of the illusory energy, māyā.
The Lord is difficult to know. This is expressed by kaimutya

(how much more). Man does not know māyā created by the
Lord. How then can he know you, or bhakti-yoga, the method
of quickly becoming free from māyā who ties the knot of
karma? I offer respects to Paramātmā (ātmane) who destroys
māyā for the devotees and creates māyā for the non-devotees.
Thus ends the commentary on the Seventeenth Chapter of the


Seventeenth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The
Descent of the River Ganges."
18. The Prayers Offered to the Lord by
the Residents of Jambūdvīpa
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39
Chapter Summary
In this chapter Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the different

varṣas of Jambūdvīpa and the incarnation of the Supreme Lord
worshiped in each. The predominating ruler of Bhadrāśva-varṣa
is Bhadraśravā. He and his many servants always worship the
incarnation known as Lord Hayagrīva. At the end of each
kalpa, when the demon Ajñāna steals the Vedic knowledge,
Lord Hayagrīva appears and preserves it. Then He delivers it to
Lord Brahmā. In the land known as Hari-varṣa, the exalted
devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja worships Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. (The
appearance of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is described in the Seventh
Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.) Following in the footsteps of
Prahlāda Mahārāja, the inhabitants of Hari-varṣa always
worship Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to receive from Him the
benediction of being engaged in His loving service. In the tract
of land known as Ketumāla-varṣa, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead (Lord Hṛṣīkeśa) appears in the form of Cupid. The
goddess of fortune and the demigods living there engage in His
service day and night. Manifesting Himself in sixteen parts,
Lord Hṛṣīkeśa is the source of all encouragement, strength and
influence. The conditioned living entity has the defect of being
always fearful, but simply by the mercy of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, he can rid himself of this defect of
material life. Therefore the Lord alone can be addressed as
master. In the tract of land known as Ramyaka-varṣa, Manu and
all the inhabitants worship Matsyadeva to this very day.
Matsyadeva, whose form is pure goodness, is the ruler and
maintainer of the whole universe, and as such He is the director
of all the demigods, headed by King Indra. In Hiraṇmaya-varṣa
Lord Viṣṇu has assumed the form of a tortoise (Kūrma mūrti)
and is worshiped there by Aryamā, along with all the other
residents. Similarly, in the tract of land known as Uttarakuru-
varṣa, Lord Śrī Hari has assumed the form of a boar, and in that
form He accepts service from all the inhabitants living there.
All the information in this chapter can be fully realized by one

who associates with devotees of the Lord. Therefore in the
śāstras it is recommended that one associate with devotees.
This is better than residing on the banks of the Ganges. In the
hearts of pure devotees reside all good sentiments as well as all
the superior qualities of the demigods. In the hearts of
nondevotees, however, there cannot be any good qualities, for
such people are simply enchanted by the external, illusory
energy of the Lord. Following in the footsteps of devotees, one
should know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
only worshipable Deity. Everyone should accept this proposal
and worship the Lord. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15),
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: the purpose of studying all
Vedic literature is to worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. If after studying all the Vedic literature, one
does not awaken his dormant love for the Supreme Lord, it is to
be understood that he has labored for nothing. He has simply
wasted his time. Lacking attachment for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, he remains attached to family life in
this material world. Thus the lesson of this chapter is that one
should get out of family life and completely take shelter of the
lotus feet of the Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.18.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
TaQaa c >ad]ī[va NaaMa DaMaRSauTaSTaTku-l/PaTaYa"
Pauṛza >ad]aṅvzeR Saa+aaḤ‚
GavTaae vaSaudevSYa iPa[Yaa&TaNau& DaMaRMaYaq&
hYaXaqzaRi>aDaaNaa& ParMae<a SaMaaiDaNaa
SaiṁDaaPYaedMai>aGa<aNTa oPaDaaviNTa )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
tathā ca bhadraśravā nāma dharma-sutas tat-kula-patayaḥ

puruṣā bhadrāśva-varṣe sākṣād bhagavato vāsudevasya priyāṁ
tanuṁ dharmamayīṁ hayaśīrṣābhidhānāṁ parameṇa samādhinā
sannidhāpyedam abhigṛṇanta upadhāvanti.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; tathā ca—similarly

(just as Lord Śiva worships Saṅkarṣaṇa in Ilāvṛta-varṣa);
bhadra-śravā—Bhadraśravā; nāma—known as; dharma-sutaḥ
—the son of Dharmarāja; tat—of him; kula-patayaḥ—the
chiefs of the dynasty; puruṣāḥ—all the residents; bhadrāśva-
varṣe—in the land known as Bhadrāśva-varṣa; sākṣāt—
directly; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
vāsudevasya—of Lord Vāsudeva; priyām tanum—very dear
form; dharma-mayīm—the director of all religious principles;
hayaśīrṣa-abhidhānām—the Lord's incarnation named
Hayaśīrṣa (also called Hayagrīva); parameṇa samādhinā—with
the highest form of trance; sannidhāpya—coming near; idam—
this; abhigṛṇantaḥ—chanting; upadhāvanti—they worship.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Bhadraśravā, the son of
Dharmarāja, rules the tract of land known as Bhadrāśva-
varṣa. Just as Lord Śiva worships Saṅkarṣaṇa in Ilāvṛta-
varṣa, Bhadraśravā, accompanied by his intimate servants
and all the residents of the land, worships the plenary
expansion of Vāsudeva known as Hayaśīrṣa. Lord
Hayaśīrṣa is very dear to the devotees, and He is the
director of all religious principles. Fixed in the topmost
trance, Bhadraśravā and his associates offer their respectful
obeisances to the Lord and chant the following prayers with
careful pronunciation.
The worship of Hayagrīva and other deities in six varṣas

starting with Bhadrāśva are described in the Eighteenth
Chapter. Bhadraśravā is the name of the leader of this varṣa.
Kula-patayaḥ means the chief descendents.
TEXT - SB 5.18.2
bhadraśravasa ūcuḥ
oṁ namo bhagavate dharmāyātma-viśodhanāya nama iti.
SYNONYMS
bhadraśravasaḥ ūcuḥ—the ruler Bhadraśravā and his intimate

associates said; om—O Lord; namaḥ—respectful obeisances;
bhagavate—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
dharmāya—the source of all religious principles; ātma-
viśodhanāya—who purifies us of material contamination;
namaḥ—our obeisances; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
The ruler Bhadraśravā and his intimate associates utter the
following prayer: We offer our respectful obeisances unto
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of all
religious principles, who cleanses the heart of the
conditioned soul in this material world. Again and again we
offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.
PURPORT
Foolish materialistic persons do not know how they are being

controlled and punished at every step by the laws of nature.
They think they are very happy in the conditioned state of
material life, not knowing the purpose of repeated birth, death,
old age and disease. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā (7.15) Lord
Kṛṣṇa describes such materialistic persons as mūḍhas (rascals):
na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. These
mūḍhas do not know that if they want to purify themselves,
they must worship Lord Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) by performing
penances and austerities. This purification is the aim of human
life. This life is not meant for blind indulgence in sense
gratification. In the human form, the living being must engage
himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to purify his existence: tapo
divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet [SB 5.5.1]. This is the
instruction of King Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons. In the human form
of life, one must undergo all kinds of austerities to purify his
existence. Yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam. We are all
seeking happiness, but because of our ignorance and
foolishness, we cannot know what unobstructed happiness
really is. Unobstructed happiness is called brahma-saukhya,
spiritual happiness. Although we may get some so-called
happiness in this material world, that happiness is temporary.
The foolish materialists cannot understand this. Therefore
Prahlāda Mahārāja points out, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato
vimūḍhān: [SB 7.9.43] merely for temporary materialistic
happiness, these rascals are making huge arrangements, and
thus they are baffled life after life.
Bhadraśravasa means Bhadraśravā’s followers. The Lord is

called a purifier because he removes the contamination of
ignorance from the jīvas.
TEXT - SB 5.18.3
aho vicitraṁ bhagavad-viceṣṭitaṁ
ghnantaṁ jano 'yaṁ hi miṣan na paśyati
dhyāyann asad yarhi vikarma sevituṁ
nirhṛtya putraṁ pitaraṁ jijīviṣati
SYNONYMS
aho—alas; vicitram—wonderful; bhagavat-viceṣṭitam—the

pastimes of the Lord; ghnantam—death; janaḥ—a person;
ayam—this; hi—certainly; miṣan—although seeing; na paśyati
—does not see; dhyāyan—thinking about; asat—material
happiness; yarhi—because; vikarma—forbidden activities;
sevitum—to enjoy; nirhṛtya—burning; putram—sons; pitaram
—the father; jijīviṣati—desires a long life.
TRANSLATION
Alas! How wonderful it is that the foolish materialist does
not heed the great danger of impending death! He knows
that death will surely come, yet he is nevertheless callous
and neglectful. If his father dies, he wants to enjoy his
father's property, and if his son dies, he wants to enjoy his
son's possessions as well. In either case, he heedlessly tries
to enjoy material happiness with the acquired money.
PURPORT
Material happiness means to have good facilities for eating,
sleeping, sexual intercourse and defense. Within this world, the
materialistic person lives only for these four principles of sense
gratification, not caring for the impending danger of death.
After his father's death, a son tries to inherit his money and use
it for sense gratification. Similarly, one whose son dies tries to
enjoy the possessions of his son. Sometimes the father of a
dead son even enjoys his son's widow. Materialistic persons
behave in this way. Thus Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "How
wonderful are these pastimes of material happiness transacted
by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead!" In other
words, materialistic persons want to commit all kinds of sinful
activities, but without the sanction of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, no one can do anything. Why does the Supreme
Personality of Godhead permit sinful activities? The Supreme
Lord does not want any living being to act sinfully, and He
begs him through his good conscience to refrain from sin. But
when someone insists upon acting sinfully, the Supreme Lord
gives him the sanction to act at his own risk (mattaḥ smṛtir
jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]). No one can do anything
without the sanction of the Lord, but He is so kind that when
the conditioned soul persists in doing something, the Lord
permits the individual soul to act at his own risk.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, sons always

outlive their fathers in other planetary systems and other lands
in this universe, especially on Svargaloka. However, on this
planet earth a son often dies before his father, and the
materialistic father is pleased to enjoy the possessions of his
son. Neither the father nor the son can see the reality—that both
of them are awaiting death. When death comes, however, all
their plans for material enjoyment are finished.
Though he sees death, he does not see it. Burning his dead
father who produced him and son whom he produced, who
have died, he, positioned between them, even though produced
by one and producing the other, desires to live off of their
wealth. He does not bother to ask, “Can death take me away?”
Someone may say, “But to live fifty years for the service of the
Lord is not to be criticized.” But this person meditates on how
to get himself married, to get some material happiness (vikarma
sevitum). Not only is he not aware of death, but he enjoys after
burning his son. This is most astonishing. Another version has
jijīviṣan. Since that version keeps the meter, it is acceptable.
“In Bhadrāśva and other heavenly planets on earth, a person
would not see the death of his father and son at the same time.”
That is true. In their descriptions, they are speaking of the
inhabitants of Bhārata. “We are unfortunate. We are enjoying
the results of our good karmas. In Bhadrāśva we live like
animals. Those who are most fortunate have taken birth in
Bhārata for attaining practices to get out of this world. There,
even the low-born easily attain Vaikuṇṭha. How can they
become bewildered?” This is how they thinking.
TEXT - SB 5.18.4
vadanti viśvaṁ kavayaḥ sma naśvaraṁ

paśyanti cādhyātmavido vipaścitaḥ
tathāpi muhyanti tavāja māyayā
suvismitaṁ kṛtyam ajaṁ nato 'smi tam
SYNONYMS
vadanti—they say authoritatively; viśvam—the entire material

creation; kavayaḥ—great learned sages; sma—certainly;
naśvaram—perishable; paśyanti—they see in trance; ca—also;
adhyātma-vidaḥ—who have realized spiritual knowledge;
vipaścitaḥ—very learned scholars; tathā api—still; muhyanti—
become illusioned; tava—your; aja—O unborn one; māyayā—
by the illusory energy; su-vismitam—most wonderful; kṛtyam
—activity; ajam—unto the supreme unborn one; nataḥ asmi—I
offer my obeisances; tam—unto Him.
TRANSLATION
O unborn one, learned Vedic scholars who are advanced in
spiritual knowledge certainly know that this material world
is perishable, as do other logicians and philosophers. In
trance they realize the factual position of this world, and
they preach the truth as well. Yet even they are sometimes
bewildered by Your illusory energy. This is Your own
wonderful pastime. Therefore, I can understand that Your
illusory energy is very wonderful, and I offer my respectful
obeisances unto You.
PURPORT
Not only does the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead act on the conditioned soul within this material world,
but sometimes it also acts on the most advanced learned
scholars, who factually know the constitutional position of this
material world through realization. As soon as someone thinks,
"I am this material body (ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]) and
everything in relationship with this material body is mine," he
is in illusion (moha). This illusion caused by the material
energy acts especially on the conditioned souls, but it
sometimes also acts on liberated souls as well. A liberated soul
is a person who has sufficient knowledge of this material world
and is therefore unattached to the bodily conception of life. But
because of association with the modes of material nature for a
very long time, even liberated souls sometimes become
captivated by the illusory energy due to inattentiveness in the
transcendental position. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says in
Bhagavad-gītā (7.14), mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ
taranti te: "Only those who surrender unto Me can overcome
the influence of the material energy." Therefore no one should
think of himself as a liberated person immune to the influence
of māyā. Everyone should very cautiously execute devotional
service by rigidly following regulative principles. Thus he will
remain fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord. Otherwise, a little
inattention will create havoc. We have already seen an example
of this in the case of Mahārāja Bharata. Mahārāja Bharata was
undoubtedly a great devotee, but because he turned his
attention slightly toward a small deer, he had to suffer two
more births, one as a deer and another as the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa
Bharata. Afterward he was liberated and went back home, back
to Godhead.
The Lord is always prepared to excuse His devotee, but if a

devotee takes advantage of the Lord's leniency and
purposefully commits mistakes again and again, the Lord will
certainly punish him by letting him fall down into the clutches
of the illusory energy. In other words, theoretical knowledge
acquired by studying the Vedas is insufficient to protect one
from the clutches of māyā. One must strongly adhere to the
lotus feet of the Lord in devotional service. Then one's position
is secure.
What is surprising about an ignorant person not seeing death?

Even the wise are bewildered. This is your astonishing action.
Giving up study of scripture, I offer respects to you. Those who
are really in knowledge worship you.
TEXT - SB 5.18.5
viśvodbhava-sthāna-nirodha-karma te
hy akartur aṅgīkṛtam apy apāvṛtaḥ
yuktaṁ na citraṁ tvayi kārya-kāraṇe
sarvātmani vyatirikte ca vastutaḥ

SYNONYMS
viśva—of the whole universe; udbhava—of the creation;

sthāna—of the maintenance; nirodha—of the annihilation;
karma—these activities; te—of You (O dear Lord); hi—indeed;
akartuḥ—aloof; aṅgīkṛtam—still accepted by the Vedic
literature; api—although; apāvṛtaḥ—untouched by all these
activities; yuktam—befitting; na—not; citram—wonderful;
tvayi—in You; kārya-kāraṇe—the original cause of all effects;
sarva-ātmani—in all respects; vyatirikte—set apart; ca—also;
vastutaḥ—the original substance.
TRANSLATION
O Lord, although You are completely detached from the
creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material
world and are not directly affected by these activities, they
are all attributed to You. We do not wonder at this, for
Your inconceivable energies perfectly qualify You to be the
cause of all causes. You are the active principle in
everything, although You are separate from everything.
Thus we can realize that everything is happening because of
Your inconceivable energy.
“You say that even the learned men are bewildered by my

māyā. This implies a fault in me (by my close association with
māyā).” Though māyā belongs to you, you are separate from
her. The Lord is actually called the non-doer of creation
because he only activates the guṇas. Accepting the action of
creation is only metaphorical. You do not have a sense of being
a doer like the jīva. You are not covered by the guṇas. This is
reasonable for you, and not astonishing. Because you are the
possessor of māyā, you are the cause of all its effects. You are
the form of everything (sarvātmani). Because māyā is not part
of your svarūpa-śakti, you are said to be separate.
TEXT - SB 5.18.6
vedān yugānte tamasā tiraskṛtān
rasātalād yo nṛ-turaṅga-vigrahaḥ
pratyādade vai kavaye 'bhiyācate
tasmai namas te 'vitathehitāya iti
SYNONYMS
vedān—the four Vedas; yuga-ante—at the end of the

millennium; tamasā—by the demon of ignorance personified;
tiraskṛtān—stolen away; rasātalāt—from the lowest planetary
system (Rasātala); yaḥ—who (the Supreme Personality of
Godhead); nṛ-turaṅga-vigrahaḥ—assuming the form of half-
horse, half-man; pratyādade—returned; vai—indeed; kavaye—
to the supreme poet (Lord Brahmā); abhiyā-cate—when he
asked for them; tasmai—unto Him (the form of Hayagrīva);
namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; te—to You; avitatha-
īhitāya—whose resolution never fails; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
At the end of the millennium, ignorance personified
assumed the form of a demon, stole all the Vedas and took
them down to the planet of Rasātala. The Supreme Lord,
however, in His form of Hayagrīva retrieved the Vedas and
returned them to Lord Brahmā when he begged for them. I
offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord,
whose determination never fails.
PURPORT
Although Vedic knowledge is imperishable, within this

material world it is sometimes manifest and sometimes not.
When the people of this material world become too absorbed in
ignorance, the Vedic knowledge disappears. Lord Hayagrīva or
Lord Matsya, however, always protects the Vedic knowledge,
and in due course of time it is again distributed through the
medium of Lord Brahmā. Brahmā is the trustworthy
representative of the Supreme Lord. Therefore when he again
asked for the treasure of Vedic knowledge, the Lord fulfilled
his desire.
This verse describes a pastime of the avatāra related to the

topic. Hayagrīva returned to Brahmā (kavaye) the Vedas which
were take away by a demon (tamasā). He has the form of a man
and horse. I offer respect to he whose desires comes true
(avitatha-īhitāya).
TEXT - SB 5.18.7
hari-varṣe cāpi bhagavān nara-hari-rūpeṇāste; tad-rūpa-

grahaṇa-nimittam uttaratrābhidhāsye; tad dayitaṁ rūpaṁ mahā-
puruṣa-guṇa-bhājano mahā-bhāgavato daitya-dānava-kula-
tīrthīkaraṇa-śīlā-caritaḥ prahlādo 'vyavadhānānanya-bhakti-
yogena saha tad-varṣa-puruṣair upāste idaṁ codāharati.
SYNONYMS
hari-varṣe—in the tract of land known as Harivarṣa; ca—also;

api—indeed; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
nara-hari-rūpeṇa—His form of Nṛsiṁhadeva; āste—is
situated; tat-rūpa-grahaṇa-nimittam—the reason why Lord
Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) assumed the form of Nṛsiṁha; uttaratra—in
later chapters; abhidhāsye—I shall describe; tat—that; dayitam
—most pleasing; rūpam—form of the Lord; mahā-puruṣa-
guṇa-bhājanaḥ—Prahlāda Mahārāja, who is the abode of all
the good qualities of great personalities; mahā-bhāgavataḥ—
the topmost devotee; daitya-dānava-kula-tīrthī-karaṇa-śīlā-
caritaḥ—whose activities and character were so exalted that he
delivered all the daityas (demons) born in his family;
prahlādaḥ—Mahārāja Prahlāda; avyavadhāna-ananya-bhakti-
yogena—by uninterrupted and unflinching devotional service;
saha—with; tat-varṣa-puruṣaiḥ—the inhabitants of Hari-varṣa;
upāste—offers obeisances to and worships; idam—this; ca—
and; udāharati—chants.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, Lord
Nṛsiṁhadeva resides in the tract of land known as Hari-
varṣa. In the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, I shall
describe to you how Prahlāda Mahārāja caused the Lord to
assume the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva. Prahlāda Mahārāja, the
topmost devotee of the Lord, is a reservoir of all the good
qualities of great personalities. His character and activities
have delivered all the fallen members of his demoniac
family. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is very dear to this exalted
personality. Thus Prahlāda Mahārāja, along with his
servants and all the denizens of Hari-varṣa, worships Lord
Nṛsiṁhadeva by chanting the following mantra.
PURPORT
Jayadeva Gosvāmī's ten prayers worshiping the incarnations of

Lord Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) contain His name in every stanza. For
example, keśava dhṛta-nara-hari-rūpa jaya jagad-īśa hare,
keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagad-īśa hare, and keśava
dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa jaya jagad-īśa hare. The word jagad-īśa
refers to the proprietor of all the universes. His original form is
the two-handed form of Lord Kṛṣṇa, standing with a flute in
His hands and engaged in tending the cows. As stated in
Brahma-saṁhitā:
cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-
lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ
[Bs. 5.29]
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor,
who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built
with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose
trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by
hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune." From this
verse we learn that Govinda, or Kṛṣṇa, is the ādi-puruṣa (the
original person). The Lord has innumerable incarnations,
exactly like the innumerable waves of a flowing river, but the
original form is Kṛṣṇa, or Keśava.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī refers to Nṛsiṁhadeva because of Prahlāda

Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into great distress by his
powerful father, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu. Apparently helpless
before him, Prahlāda Mahārāja called on the Lord, who
immediately assumed the gigantic form of Nṛsiṁhadeva, half-
lion and half-man, to kill the gigantic demon. Although Kṛṣṇa
is the original person, one without a second, He assumes
different forms just to satisfy His devotees or to execute a
specific purpose. Therefore Jayadeva Gosvāmī always repeats
the name of Keśava, the original Personality of Godhead, in his
prayers describing the Lord's different incarnations for different
purposes.
In the Seventh Canto Narasiṁha will be described. Prahlāda’s

character purified the demon family. His bhakti is called
uninterrupted because it was unmixed with karma or jñāna. It is
called pure because he did not worship any devatās.
TEXT - SB 5.18.8
oṁ namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya namas tejas-tejase āvir-

āvirbhava vajra-nakha vajra-daṁṣṭra karmāśayān randhaya
randhaya tamo grasa grasa oṁ svāhā; abhayam abhayam
ātmani bhūyiṣṭhā oṁ kṣraum.
SYNONYMS
om—O Lord; namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; bhagavate—

unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nara-siṁhāya—
known as Lord Nṛsiṁha; namaḥ—obeisances; tejaḥ-tejase—
the power of all power; āviḥ-āvirbhava—please be fully
manifest; vajra-nakha—O You who possess nails like
thunderbolts; vajra-daṁṣṭra—O You who possess teeth like
thunderbolts; karma-āśayān—demoniac desires to be happy by
material activities; randhaya randhaya—kindly vanquish;
tamaḥ—ignorance in the material world; grasa—kindly drive
away; grasa—kindly drive away; om—O my Lord; svāhā—
respectful oblations; abhayam—fearlessness; abhayam—
fearlessness; ātmani—in my mind; bhūyiṣṭhāḥ—may You
appear; om—O Lord; kṣraum—the bīja, or seed, of mantras
offering prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁha.
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva,
the source of all power. O my Lord who possesses nails and
teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demonlike
desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please
appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that
by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for
existence in this material world.
PURPORT
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.22.39) Sanat-kumāra speaks the

following words to Mahārāja Pṛthu:
yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā
karmāśayaṁ grathitam udgrathayanti santaḥ
tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-
srotogaṇās tam araṇaṁ bhaja vāsudevam
"Devotees always engaged in the service of the toes of the

Lord's lotus feet can very easily become free from hard-knotted
desires for fruitive activities. Because this is very difficult, the
nondevotees—the jñānīs and yogīs—cannot stop the waves of
sense gratification, although they try to do so. Therefore you
are advised to engage in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, the
son of Vasudeva."
Every living being within this material world has a strong

desire to enjoy matter to his fullest satisfaction. For this
purpose, the conditioned soul must accept one body after
another, and thus his strongly fixed fruitive desires continue.
One cannot stop the repetition of birth and death without being
completely desireless. Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes
pure bhakti (devotional service) as follows:
[Cc. Madhya 19.167]

speculation. That is called pure devotional service." Unless one
is completely freed of all material desires, which are caused by
the dense darkness of ignorance, one cannot fully engage in the
devotional service of the Lord. Therefore we should always
offer our prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, who killed
Hiraṇyakaśipu, the personification of material desire. Hiraṇya
means "gold," and kaśipu means "a soft cushion or bed."
Materialistic persons always desire to make the body
comfortable, and for this they require huge amounts of gold.
Thus Hiraṇyakaśipu was the perfect representative of
materialistic life. He was therefore the cause of great
disturbance to the topmost devotee, Prahlāda Mahārāja, until
Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva killed him. Any devotee aspiring to be free
of material desires should offer his respectful prayers to
Nṛsiṁhadeva as Prahlāda Mahārāja did in this verse.
You are the power of power itself. Burn up the impressions

(aśayān) of karma. Appear in my mind so there is fearlessness.
TEXT - SB 5.18.9
svasty astu viśvasya khalaḥ prasīdatāṁ
dhyāyantu bhūtāni śivaṁ mitho dhiyā
manaś ca bhadraṁ bhajatād adhokṣaje
āveśyatāṁ no matir apy ahaitukī
SYNONYMS
svasti—auspiciousness; astu—let there be; viśvasya—of the

entire universe; khalaḥ—the envious (almost everyone);
prasīdatām—let them be pacified; dhyāyantu—let them
consider; bhūtāni—all the living entities; śivam—
auspiciousness; mithaḥ—mutual; dhiyā—by their intelligence;
manaḥ—the mind; ca—and; bhadram—calmness; bhajatāt—
let it experience; adhokṣaje—in the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who is beyond the perception of mind. intelligence
and senses; āveśyatām—let it be absorbed; naḥ—our; matiḥ—
intelligence; api—indeed; ahaitukī—without any motive.
TRANSLATION
May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and
may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities
become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting
devotional service they will think of each other's welfare.
Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme
transcendence, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and always remain
absorbed in thought of Him.
PURPORT
The following verse describes a Vaiṣṇava:
vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca
kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo
vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
Just like a desire tree, a Vaiṣṇava can fulfill all the desires of
anyone who takes shelter of his lotus feet. Prahlāda Mahārāja is
a typical Vaiṣṇava. He prays not for himself, but for all living
entities—the gentle, the envious and the mischievous. He
always thought of the welfare of mischievous persons like his
father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda Mahārāja did not ask for
anything for himself; rather, he prayed for the Lord to excuse
his demoniac father. This is the attitude of a Vaiṣṇava, who
always thinks of the welfare of the entire universe.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and bhāgavata-dharma are meant for

persons who are completely free of envy (parama-
nirmatsarāṇām). Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays in this
verse, khalaḥ prasīdatām: "May all the envious persons be
pacified." The material world is full of envious persons, but if
one frees himself of envy, he becomes liberal in his social
dealings and can think of others' welfare. Anyone who takes up
Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engages himself completely in the
service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy (manaś ca
bhadraṁ bhajatād adhokṣaje). Therefore we should pray to
Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to sit in our hearts. We should pray, bahir
nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁhaḥ: "Let Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva sit in the
core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind
become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and
bring peace to the entire world."
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given us a very fine

purport in this regard. Whenever one offers a prayer to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, one always requests some
benediction from Him. Even pure (niṣkāma) devotees pray for
some benediction, as instructed by Lord Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:

"O son of Mahārāja Nanda [Kṛṣṇa], I am Your eternal servitor,

yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and
death. Please pick Me up from the ocean of death and place Me
as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet." In another prayer Lord
Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir
ahaitukī tvayi: [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4] "Life after life,
kindly let Me have unalloyed love and devotion at Your
Lordship's lotus feet." When Prahlāda Mahārāja chants oṁ
namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya, he prays for a benediction from
the Lord, but because he is also an exalted Vaiṣṇava, he wants
nothing for his personal sense gratification. The first desire
expressed in his prayer is svasty astu viśvasya: "Let there be
good fortune throughout the entire universe." Prahlāda
Mahārāja thus requested the Lord to be merciful to everyone,
including his father, a most envious person. According to
Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, there are two kinds of envious living entities:
one is a snake, and the other is the man like Hiraṇyakaśipu,
who is by nature envious of everyone, even of his father or son.
Hiraṇyakaśipu was envious of his little son Prahlāda, but
Prahlāda Mahārāja asked a benediction for the benefit of his
father. Hiraṇyakaśipu was very envious of devotees, but
Prahlāda wished that his father and other demons like him
would give up their envious nature by the grace of the Lord and
stop harassing the devotees (khalaḥ prasīdatām). The difficulty
is that the khala (envious living entity) is rarely pacified. One
kind of khala, the snake, can be pacified simply by mantras or
by the action of a particular herb (mantrauṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ
khalakena nivāryate). An envious person, however, cannot be
pacified by any means. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that
all envious persons may undergo a change of heart and think of
the welfare of others.
If the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement spreads all over the

world, and if by the grace of Kṛṣṇa everyone accepts it, the
thinking of envious people will change. Everyone will think of
the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays,
śivaṁ mitho dhiyā. In material activities, everyone is envious of
others, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no one is envious of anyone
else; everyone thinks of the welfare of others. Therefore
Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that everyone's mind may become
gentle by being fixed at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa (bhajatād
adhokṣaje). As indicated elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (sa
vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]) and as advised
by Lord Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (18.65), man-manā bhava
mad-bhaktaḥ, one should constantly think of the lotus feet of
Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then one's mind will certainly be cleansed (ceto-
darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]). Materialists always
think of sense gratification, but Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that
the Lord's mercy will change their minds and they will stop
thinking of sense gratification. If they think of Kṛṣṇa always,
everything will be all right. Some people argue that if everyone
thought of Kṛṣṇa in that way, the whole universe would be
vacated because everyone would go back home, back to
Godhead. However, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says
that this is impossible because the living entities are
innumerable. If one set of living entities is actually delivered by
the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, another set will fill the
entire universe.
Chanting the mantra, he prays with this verse. In praying for

auspiciousness of the universe, there should be auspiciousness
even for the sinful. Then affliction of devotees should be
absent. Thus he prays that the demon because devoid of anger
(prasīdatām). Even if the devotees are not afflicted, there can
still be mutual animosity between other beings. With that, there
can be no auspiciousness. Therefore he says “May all beings
meditate on auspiciousness!” Auspiciousness cannot exist with
attachment to material enjoyment. Therefore he prays that the
mind partake of auspiciousness. Bhadram here means “without
attachment.” Without bhakti, auspiciousness is inauspicious.
May our niṣkāma (ahaitukī) minds be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. Since
no words like “today” or “right now” are mentioned in his
prayer, the Lord will fulfill his desires over a period of time.
One should not say however that all the jīvas will be liberated
eventually, and then the universes will all be empty, since the
jīva-śakti and māyā-śakti are eternal. The jīva-śakti will
manifest countless other jīvas for the material world.
TEXT - SB 5.18.10
māgāra-dārātmaja-vitta-bandhuṣu
saṅgo yadi syād bhagavat-priyeṣu naḥ
yaḥ prāṇa-vṛttyā parituṣṭa ātmavān
siddhyaty adūrān na tathendriya-priyaḥ
SYNONYMS
mā—not; agāra—house; dāra—wife; ātma-ja—children; vitta

—bank balance; bandhuṣu—among friends and relatives;
saṅgaḥ—association or attachment; yadi—if; syāt—there must
be; bhagavat-priyeṣu—among persons to whom the Supreme
Personality of Godhead is very dear; naḥ—of us; yaḥ—anyone
who; prāṇa-vṛttyā—by the bare necessities of life; parituṣṭaḥ—
satisfied; ātma-vān—who has controlled his mind and realized
his self; siddhyati—becomes successful; adūrāt—very soon; na
—not; tathā—so much; indriya-priyaḥ—a person attached to
sense gratification.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, we pray that we may never feel attraction
for the prison of family life, consisting of home, wife,
children, friends, bank balance, relatives and so on. If we do
have some attachment, let it be for devotees, whose only
dear friend is Kṛṣṇa. A person who is actually self-realized
and who has controlled his mind is perfectly satisfied with
the bare necessities of life. He does not try to gratify his
senses. Such a person quickly advances in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, whereas others, who are too attached to
material things, find advancement very difficult.
PURPORT
When Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested to

explain the duty of a Vaiṣṇava, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, He
immediately said, asat-saṅga-tyāga-ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra [Cc.
Madhya 22.87]. The first business of a Vaiṣṇava is to give up
the association of persons who are not devotees of Kṛṣṇa and
who are too attached to material things—wife, children, bank
balance and so on. Prahlāda Mahārāja also prays to the
Personality of Godhead that he may avoid the association of
nondevotees attached to the materialistic way of life. If he must
be attached to someone, he prays to be attached only to a
devotee.
A devotee is not interested in unnecessarily increasing the
demands of the senses for gratification. Of course, as long as
one is in this material world, one must have a material body,
and it must be maintained for executing devotional service. The
body can be maintained very easily by eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda.
As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.26):
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ

yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit
or water, I will accept it." Why should the menu be
unnecessarily increased for the satisfaction of the tongue?
Devotees should eat as simply as possible. Otherwise,
attachment for material things will gradually increase, and the
senses, being very strong, will soon require more and more
material enjoyment. Then the real business of life—to advance
in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—will stop.
For a person attached to the Lord, association with devotees is

favorable and bad association is an obstacle. However, by the
strength of good association, bad association will on its own
disappear. If we have association of devotees, attachment to
house, wife, children and wealth should not arise. This means
that gradually attachment to these things will be destroyed.
“Without house and wealth, without enjoyment, the body will
suffer. How can one survive?” One is satisfied with filling the
stomach by some begged food (prāṇa-vṛttyā), because he is
fully determined (ātmavān). One who satisfies his senses
reaches perfection slowly. Or, if one has association with
devotees, one should not have attachment to house and wife,
because if both types of association coexist, one cannot attain
the Lord quickly. One who is controlled, satisfied with begged
food, reaches perfection. Or, let us not have attachment to
house and wife! If there is association with devotees, even
when association is absent, by perfection of bhakti, knowledge
produced by bad association becomes powerless. “Then let us
give up bad association. Let us pray only for good association.”
True, association with devotees devoid of bad association
quickly brings results. One who is satisfied with begged food
and who has attained association with devotees reaches
perfection.
One should not explain the verse to mean “If there is

association, let it not be bad association, but association with
devotees.” This suggests that no association is preferable to
good association. Thus the philosophy of bhakti becomes
nullified. This will be contrary to the meaning of the next verse.
It will also be contrary to verses like the following:
tulayāma lavenāpi na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam |
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ ||
Let us not compare even a particle of association with devotees

to Svarga or liberation, what to speak of any blessings in this
world. (SB 1.18.13)
TEXT - SB 5.18.11
yat-saṅga-labdhaṁ nija-vīrya-vaibhavaṁ
tīrthaṁ muhuḥ saṁspṛśatāṁ hi mānasam
haraty ajo 'ntaḥ śrutibhir gato 'ṅgajaṁ
ko vai na seveta mukunda-vikramam
SYNONYMS
yat—of whom (the devotees); saṅga-labdham—achieved by

the association; nija-vīrya-vaibhavam—whose influence is
uncommon; tīrtham—holy places like the Ganges; muhuḥ—
repeatedly; saṁspṛśatām—of those touching; hi—certainly;
mānasam—the dirty things in the mind; harati—vanquishes;
ajaḥ—the supreme unborn one; antaḥ—in the core of the heart;
śrutibhiḥ—by the ears; gataḥ—entered; aṅga-jam—dirty
things or infections of the body; kaḥ—who; vai—indeed; na—
not; seveta—would serve; mukunda-vikramam—the glorious
activities of Mukunda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
By associating with persons for whom the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, is the all in all, one can
hear of His powerful activities and soon come to understand
them. The activities of Mukunda are so potent that simply
by hearing of them one immediately associates with the
Lord. For a person who constantly and very eagerly hears
narrations of the Lord's powerful activities, the Absolute
Truth, the Personality of Godhead in the form of sound
vibrations, enters within his heart and cleanses it of all
contamination. On the other hand, although bathing in the
Ganges diminishes bodily contaminations and infections,
this process and the process of visiting holy places can
cleanse the heart only after a long time. Therefore who is
the sane man who will not associate with devotees to quickly
perfect his life?
PURPORT
Bathing in the Ganges can certainly cure one of many

infectious diseases, but it cannot cleanse one's materially
attached mind, which creates all kinds of contaminations in
material existence. However, one who directly associates with
the Supreme Lord by hearing of His activities cleanses the dirt
from his mind and very soon comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Sūta Gosvāmī confirms this in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17):
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt-satām
The Supreme Lord within everyone's heart becomes very

pleased when a person hears narrations of His activities, and He
personally cleanses the dirt from the mind of the listener. Hṛdy
antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti: He washes off all dirt from
the mind. Material existence is caused by dirty things within
the mind. If one can cleanse his mind, he immediately comes to
his original position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and thus his life
becomes successful. Therefore all the great saints in the
devotional line very strongly recommend the process of
hearing. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the
congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to give
everyone a chance to hear Kṛṣṇa's holy name, for simply by
hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, one becomes
purified (ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]).
Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is chiefly
engaged in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra all over the world.
After one's mind becomes cleansed by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa,

one gradually comes to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
and then reads books like Bhagavad-gītā,Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
Caitanya-caritāmṛta and The Nectar of Devotion. In this way,
one becomes more and more purified of material
contamination. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.18):
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
"By regularly hearing the Bhāgavatam and rendering service

unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is
practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious
Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established
as an irrevocable fact." In this way, simply by hearing of the
powerful activities of the Lord, the devotee's heart becomes
almost completely cleansed of material contamination, and thus
his original position as an eternal servant who is part and parcel
of the Lord becomes manifest. While the devotee engages in
devotional service, the passionate and ignorant modes of
material nature are gradually vanquished, and then he acts only
in the mode of goodness. At that time he becomes happy and
gradually advances in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
All the great ācāryas strongly recommend that people be given

a chance to hear about the Supreme Lord. Then success is
assured. The more we cleanse the dirt of material attachment
from our hearts, the more we will be attracted by Kṛṣṇa's name,
form, qualities, paraphernalia and activities. This is the sum and
substance of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
This is a glorification of devotee association. The power of the

Lord’s pastimes like lifting Govardhana attained by association
with devotees is a holy place which purifies even sattva. Kṛṣṇa
(ajaḥ) removes the impressions of desire (aṅgajam) related to
the mind (mānasam) of men sipping (saṁspṛśatām) through the
ear the holy waters of the Lord’s pastimes heard from the
devotees. A second meaning is “Kṛṣṇa attracts the mind.”
How? He enters through the ears. Who would not hear the
pastimes of Mukunda, such as lifting Govardhana? His
pastimes are outstanding because without devotee association
they are rarely understood.
TEXT - SB 5.18.12
yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom; asti—there is; bhaktiḥ—devotional service;

bhagavati—to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; akiñcanā
—without any motive; sarvaiḥ—with all; guṇaiḥ—good
qualities; tatra—there (in that person); samāsate—reside;
surāḥ—all the demigods; harau—unto the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; abhaktasya—of a person who is not devoted;
kutaḥ—where; mahat-guṇāḥ—good qualities; manorathena—
by mental speculation; asati—in the temporary material world;
dhāvataḥ—who is running; bahiḥ—outside.
TRANSLATION
All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as
religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in
the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the
other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and
engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if
he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest
endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must
be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage
in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there
be any good qualities in such a man?
PURPORT
As explained in the next verse, Kṛṣṇa is the original source of

all living entities. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.7),
wherein Kṛṣṇa says:
mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati
"The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal,

fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling
very hard with the six senses, which include the mind." All
living entities are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore when
they revive their original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they possess all
the good qualities of Kṛṣṇa in a small quantity. When one
engages himself in the nine processes of devotional service
(śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam/
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [SB
7.5.23]), one's heart becomes purified, and he immediately
understands his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. He then revives his
original quality of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In the Ādi-līlā of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Chapter Eight, there is a
description of some of the qualities of devotees. For example,
Śrī Paṇḍita Haridāsa is described as being very well-behaved,
tolerant, peaceful, magnanimous and grave. In addition, he
spoke very sweetly, his endeavors were very pleasing, he was
always patient, he respected everyone, he always worked for
everyone's benefit, his mind was free of duplicity, and he was
completely devoid of all malicious activities. These are all
originally qualities of Kṛṣṇa, and when one becomes a devotee
they automatically become manifest. Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja,
the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, says that all good qualities
become manifest in the body of a Vaiṣṇava and that only by the
presence of these good qualities can one distinguish a Vaiṣṇava
from a non-Vaiṣṇava. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja lists the following
twenty-six good qualities of a Vaiṣṇava: (1) He is very kind to
everyone. (2) He does not make anyone his enemy. (3) He is
truthful. (4) He is equal to everyone. (5) No one can find any
fault in him. (6) He is magnanimous. (7) He is mild. (8) He is
always clean. (9) He is without possessions. (10) He works for
everyone's benefit. (11) He is very peaceful. (12) He is always
surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. (13) He has no material desires. (14) He
is very meek. (15) He is steady. (16) He controls his senses.
(17) He does not eat more than required. (18) He is not
influenced by the Lord's illusory energy. (19) He offers respect
to everyone. (20) He does not desire any respect for himself.
(21) He is very grave. (22) He is merciful. (23) He is friendly.
(24) He is poetic. (25) He is expert. (26) He is silent.

This verse praises the devotee, who attains his position by
bhakti attained through association, mentioned in the previous
verse with “who would not hear the pastimes of Mukunda?”
Where there is niṣkāma (akiñcanā) bhakti to the Lord, the
devatās live in that place completely with all qualities like
dharma, jñāna and vairāgya. He becomes filled with all the
devatās. This means that by service to the Lord all the devatās
are served. Or, the presiding deities of the senses such as Rudra
(ego) reside there with all good qualities, and no bad qualities.
Thus the bad qualities of pride arising from ahaṅkāra do not
arise. How can the qualities without fault, the great qualities
arising from bhakti (mahad-guṇāḥ,) reside with the non-
devotee? If good qualities such as knowledge of scripture are
present in a non-devotee, they coexist with bad qualities like
envy and hatred. Such a person chases material pleasure or
what is non-existent (asati) with the desire for happiness gained
through position etc. (bahiḥ).
Or, the presiding deities of the senses in the material world live
with bad qualities in material people, since the devatās must
deal with saṁsāra. But they do not dwell constantly with the
jñānīs absorbed in contemplating oneness of the ātmā. They
tremble in fear, thinking “We will die today or tomorrow in the
company of these ungrateful people who want to destroy us
after getting knowledge from us.” They dwell constantly in the
devotees who distribute spiritual knowledge, relishing the
sweetness of the Lord, with all good qualities. We are like
crude iron, being material, but becoming spiritual. By contact
with Kṛṣṇa, we become followers of Kṛṣṇa. Having attained
knowledge of the Lord’s form and qualities, they continually
relish the sweetness of the Lord. “With that devotee’s
association we can cross over death at least.” This is what they
conclude with bliss and astonishment. The rest of the verse
would be explained as before.
TEXT - SB 5.18.13
harir hi sākṣād bhagavān śarīriṇām
ātmā jhaṣāṇām iva toyam īpsitam
hitvā mahāṁs taṁ yadi sajjate gṛhe
tadā mahattvaṁ vayasā dampatīnām
SYNONYMS
hariḥ—the Lord; hi—certainly; sākṣāt—directly; bhagavān—

the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śarīriṇām—of all living
entities who have accepted material bodies; ātmā—the life and
soul; jhaṣāṇām—of the aquatics; iva—like; toyam—the vast
water; īpsitam—is desired; hitvā—giving up; mahān—a great
personality; tam—Him; yadi—if; sajjate—becomes attached;
gṛhe—to household life; tadā—at that time; mahattvam—
greatness; vayasā—by age; dam-patīnām—of the husband and
wife.
TRANSLATION
Just as aquatics always desire to remain in the vast mass of
water, all conditioned living entities naturally desire to
remain in the vast existence of the Supreme Lord.
Therefore if someone very great by material calculations
fails to take shelter of the Supreme Soul but instead
becomes attached to material household life, his greatness is
like that of a young, low-class couple. One who is too
attached to material life loses all good spiritual qualities.
PURPORT
Although crocodiles are very fierce animals, they are powerless

when they venture out of the water onto land. When they are
out of the water, they cannot exhibit their original power.
Similarly, the all-pervading Supersoul, Paramātmā, is the
source of all living entities, and all living entities are part and
parcel of Him. When the living entity remains in contact with
the all-pervading Vāsudeva, the Personality of Godhead, he
manifests his spiritual power, exactly as the crocodile exhibits
its strength in the water. In other words, the greatness of the
living entity can be perceived when he is in the spiritual world,
engaged in spiritual activities. Many householders, although
well-educated in the knowledge of the Vedas, become attached
to family life. They are compared herein to crocodiles out of
water, for they are devoid of all spiritual strength. Their
greatness is like that of a young husband and wife who, though
uneducated, praise one another and become attracted to their
own temporary beauty. This kind of greatness is appreciated
only by low-class men with no qualifications.
Everyone should therefore seek the shelter of the Supreme

Soul, the source of all living entities. No one should waste his
time in the so-called happiness of materialistic household life.
In the Vedic civilization, this type of crippled life is allowed
only until one's fiftieth year, when one must give up family life
and enter either the order of vānaprastha (independent retired
life for cultivation of spiritual knowledge) or sannyāsa (the
renounced order, in which one completely takes shelter of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead).
“Does one see any greatness in persons in household life who

have scriptural knowledge, good family, but devoid of bhakti?”
Yes, but they are the object of laughter. The reason is given.
Some type of fish gives up the water and wanders on the bank
looking for pleasure. He ends up half-dead. Similarly, the
person who rejects the Lord wanders around in this world and
is half-dead. He is not great. If he is known as great in this
world, it is the greatness of youth seen in a young couple. The
attraction between the youthful couple is not there in a elderly
couple or in two babies. Because of youth, they two persons
worship each other with cloth and ornaments. This is not so for
old people.
TEXT - SB 5.18.14
tasmād rajo-rāga-viṣāda-manyu-
māna-spṛhā-bhayadainyādhimūlam
hitvā gṛhaṁ saṁsṛti-cakravālaṁ

nṛsiṁha-pādaṁ bhajatākutobhayam iti
SYNONYMS
tasmāt—therefore; rajaḥ—of passion or material desires; rāga

—attachment for material things; viṣāda—then disappointment;
manyu—anger; māna-spṛhā—the desire to be respectable in
society; bhaya—fear; dainya—of poverty; adhimūlam—the
root cause; hitvā—giving up; gṛham—household life; saṁsṛti-
cakravālam—the cycle of repeated birth and death; nṛsiṁha-
pādam—the lotus feet of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva; bhajata—
worship; akutaḥ-bhayam—the shelter of fearlessness; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, O demons, give up the so-called happiness of
family life and simply take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord
Nṛsiṁhadeva, which are the actual shelter of fearlessness.
Entanglement in family life is the root cause of material
attachment, indefatigable desires, moroseness, anger,
despair, fear and the desire for false prestige, all of which
result in the repetition of birth and death.
Rajas means thirst. Rāga means absorption. Saṁsāra is a circle

and resides in the house. This is an instruction to the demons.
TEXT - SB 5.18.15
ketumāle 'pi bhagavān kāmadeva-svarūpeṇa lakṣmyāḥ priya-
cikīrṣayā prajāpater duhitṝṇāṁ putrāṇāṁ tad-varṣa-patīnāṁ
puruṣāyuṣāho-rātra-parisaṅkhyānānāṁ yāsāṁ garbhā mahā-
puruṣa-mahāstra-tejasodvejita-manasāṁ vidhvastā vyasavaḥ
saṁvatsarānte vinipatanti.
SYNONYMS
ketumāle—in the tract of land known as Ketumāla-varṣa; api—

also; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Viṣṇu; kāmadeva-svarūpeṇa—in the form of Kāmadeva (Cupid
or Pradyumna); lakṣmyāḥ—of the goddess of fortune; priya-
cikīrṣayā—with a desire to bring about the satisfaction;
prajāpateḥ—of Prajāpati; duhitṝṇām—of the daughters;
putrāṇām—of the sons; tat-varṣa-patīnām—the ruler of that
land; puruṣa-āyuṣā—in a human lifetime (about one hundred
years); ahaḥ-rātra—the days and nights; parisaṅkhyānānām—
which equal in number; yāsām—of whom (the daughters);
garbhāḥ—fetuses; mahā-puruṣa—of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; mahā-astra—of the great weapon (the disc);
tejasā—by the effulgence; udvejita-manasām—whose minds
are agitated; vidhvastāḥ—ruined; vyasavaḥ—dead;
saṁvatsara-ante—at the end of the year; vinipatanti—fall
down.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: In the tract of land called
Ketumāla-varṣa, Lord Viṣṇu lives in the form of
Kāmadeva, only for the satisfaction of His devotees. These
include Lakṣmījī [the goddess of fortune], the Prajāpati
Saṁvatsara and all of Saṁvatsara's sons and daughters.
The daughters of Prajāpati are considered the controlling
deities of the nights, and his sons are considered the
controllers of the days. The Prajāpati's offspring number
36,000, one for each day and each night in the lifetime of a
human being. At the end of each year, the Prajāpati's
daughters become very agitated upon seeing the extremely
effulgent disc of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
thus they all suffer miscarriages.
PURPORT
This Kāmadeva, who appears as Kṛṣṇa's son named

Pradyumna, is viṣṇu-tattva. How this is so is explained by
Madhvācārya, who quotes from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:
kāmadeva-sthitaṁ viṣṇum upāste. Although this Kāmadeva is
viṣṇu-tattva, His body is not spiritual but material. Lord Viṣṇu
as Pradyumna or Kāmadeva accepts a material body, but He
still acts spiritually. It does not make any difference whether
He accepts a spiritual or a material body; He can act spiritually
in any condition of existence. Māyāvādī philosophers regard
even Lord Kṛṣṇa's body as material, but their opinions cannot
impede the spiritual activity of the Lord.
Kāmadeva means “one who plays (dīvyati for deva), using the
pastimes of Cupid.” The Lord resides (verb should be added to
the sanskṛt sentence) in Ketumāla with this form to please
Prajāpati’s sons and daughters, the devatās presiding over the
day and night. The śruti says samvatsaro vai prajāpatiḥ:
Prajāpati is the year. Prajāpati is made of the year, or is the
devatā presiding over the year. In mentioning the lifespan of
man as a hundred years, the speaker of that time is speaking in
anticipation of the lifespan of humans in Kali-yuga. By
calculating a hundred years of days and nights, one attains a
total of 360,000 days and nights. The fetuses of these 360,000
married daughters (which means nights along with the days of
human life) are destroyed by the power of the kāla-cakra (mahā
astra) of the Lord. The fetuses refer to the time with its minutes
and seconds, or to the prārabdha-karma results of the
inhabitants enjoying in that land. Because the nights act as the
cause of enjoyment of karmas, they are called the fetuses of the
daughters. At the end of gross time in the form of a year, with
the end of enjoyment, they are aborted. These presiding deities
of days and nights, the ordinary inhabitants of Ketumāla, by
worshipping the Lord, will attain forms of the Lord’s devotees
for serving the Lord in prema in Vaikuṇṭha. That should be
understood to be the result of their worship.
TEXT - SB 5.18.16
atīva sulalita-gati-vilāsa-vilasita-rucira-hāsa-leśāvaloka-līlayā
kiñcid-uttambhita-sundara-bhrū-maṇḍala-subhaga-
vadanāravinda-śriyā ramāṁ ramayann indriyāṇi ramayate.
SYNONYMS
atīva—very much; su-lalita—beautiful; gati—with

movements; vilāsa—by pastimes; vilasita—manifested; rucira
—pleasing; hāsa-leśa—mild smiling; avaloka-līlayā—by
playful glancing; kiñcit-uttambhita—slightly raised; sundara—
beautiful; bhrū-maṇḍala—by the eyebrows; subhaga—
auspicious; vadana-aravinda-śriyā—with His beautiful
lotuslike face; ramām—the goddess of fortune; ramayan—
pleasing; indriyāṇi—all the senses; ramayate—He pleases.
TRANSLATION
In Ketumāla-varṣa, Lord Kāmadeva [Pradyumna] moves
very graciously. His mild smile is very beautiful, and when
He increases the beauty of His face by slightly raising His
eyebrows and glancing playfully, He pleases the goddess of
fortune. Thus He enjoys His transcendental senses.
He pleases Lakṣmī with the beauty of his auspicious with its

beautiful brows slightly raised by the play of his glances
endowed with a slight attractive smile, pleasing with its
graceful movements. He enjoys his senses by these actions
related to Lakṣmī.
TEXT - SB 5.18.17
tad bhagavato māyāmayaṁ rūpaṁ parama-samādhi-yogena

ramā devī saṁvatsarasya rātriṣu prajāpater duhitṛbhir
upetāhaḥsu ca tad-bhartṛbhir upāste idaṁ codāharati.
SYNONYMS
tat—that; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead; māyā-mayam—full of affection for the devotees;
rūpam—form; parama—highest; samādhi-yogena—by
absorption of the mind in the service of the Lord; ramā—the
goddess of fortune; devī—divine woman; saṁvatsarasya—
known as Saṁvatsara; rātriṣu—during the nights; prajāpateḥ
—of Prajāpati; duhitṛbhiḥ—with the daughters; upeta—
combined; ahaḥsu—during the days; ca—also; tat-bhartṛbhiḥ
—with the husbands; upāste—worships; idam—this; ca—also;
udāharati—chants.
TRANSLATION
Accompanied during the daytime by the sons of the
Prajāpati [the predominating deities of the days] and
accompanied at night by his daughters [the deities of the
nights], Lakṣmīdevī worships the Lord during the period
known as the Saṁvatsara in His most merciful form as
Kāmadeva. Fully absorbed in devotional service, she chants
the following mantras.
PURPORT
The word māyāmayam used in this verse should not be

understood according to the interpretations of the Māyāvādīs.
Māyā means affection as well as illusion. When a mother deals
with her child affectionately, she is called māyāmaya. In
whatever form the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu appears, He is always
affectionate toward His devotees. Thus the word māyāmayam
is used here to mean "very affectionate toward the devotees."
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī writes in this regard that māyāmayam can
also mean kṛpā-pracuram, deeply merciful. Similarly, Śrīla
Vīrarāghava says, māyā-pracuranātmīya-saṅkalpena
parigṛhītam ity arthaḥ jñāna-paryāyo'tra māyā-śabdaḥ: when
one is very affectionate due to an intimate relationship, one is
described as māyāmaya. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
explains māyāmayam by dividing it into the words māyā and
āmayam. He explains these words to indicate that because the
living entity is covered by the disease of illusion, the Lord is
always eager to deliver His devotee from the clutches of māyā
and cure him of the disease caused by the illusory energy.
Māyāmayam means merciful. Or it can mean the Lord who

produces disease (āmaya) through ignorance (māyā) of the jīva.
She worships with the daughters of Prajāpati, presiding deities
of the night during the night, and with their husbands, the sons
of Prajāpati, the presiding deities of the day during the day.
TEXT - SB 5.18.18
oṁ hrāṁ hrīṁ hrūṁ oṁ namo bhagavate hṛṣīkeśāya sarva-

guṇa-viśeṣair vilakṣitātmane ākūtīnāṁ cittīnāṁ cetasāṁ
viśeṣāṇāṁ cādhipataye ṣoḍaśa-kalāya cchando-mayāyānna-
mayāyāmṛta-mayāya sarva-mayāya sahase ojase balāya kāntāya
kāmāya namas te ubhayatra bhūyāt.
SYNONYMS
om—O Lord; hrām hrīm hrūm—the seeds of the mantra,

chanted for a successful result; om—O Lord; namaḥ—
respectful obeisances; bhagavate—unto the lotus feet of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; hṛṣīkeśāya—unto Hṛṣīkeśa,
the Lord of the senses; sarva-guṇa—with all transcendental
qualities; viśeṣaiḥ—with all varieties; vilakṣita—particularly
observed; ātmane—unto the soul of all living entities; ākūtīnām
—of all kinds of activity; cittīnām—of all kinds of knowledge;
cetasām—of the functions of the mind, such as determination
and mental effort; viśeṣāṇām—of their respective objects; ca—
and; adhipataye—unto the master; ṣoḍaśa-kalāya—whose
parts are the sixteen original ingredients of creation (namely the
five objects of the senses and the eleven senses, including the
mind); chandaḥ-mayāya—unto the enjoyer of all ritualistic
ceremonies; anna-mayāya—who maintains all living entities by
supplying the necessities of life; amṛta-mayāya—who awards
eternal life; sarva-mayāya—who is all-pervading; sahase—the
powerful; ojase—who supplies strength to the senses; balāya—
who supplies strength to the body; kāntāya—the supreme
husband or master of all living entities; kāmāya—who supplies
all necessities for the devotees; namaḥ—respectful obeisances;
te—unto You; ubhayatra—always (during both day and night,
or both in this life and the next); bhūyāt—may there be all good
fortune.
TRANSLATION
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord Hṛṣīkeśa, the controller of all
my senses and the origin of everything. As the supreme
master of all bodily, mental and intellectual activities, He is
the only enjoyer of their results. The five sense objects and
eleven senses, including the mind, are His partial
manifestations. He supplies all the necessities of life, which
are His energy and thus nondifferent from Him, and He is
the cause of everyone's bodily and mental prowess, which is
also nondifferent from Him. Indeed, He is the husband and
provider of necessities for all living entities. The purpose of
all the Vedas is to worship Him. Therefore let us all offer
Him our respectful obeisances. May He always be favorable
toward us in this life and the next.
PURPORT
In this verse the word māyāmaya is further explained in regard

to how the Lord expands His mercy in different ways. parāsya
śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport] the
energies of the Supreme Lord are understood in different ways.
In this verse He is described as the original source of
everything, even our body, senses, mind, activities, prowess,
bodily strength, mental strength and determination for securing
the necessities of life. Indeed, the Lord's energies can be
perceived in everything. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.8), raso
'ham apsu kaunteya: the taste of water is also Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is
the active principle of everything we need for our maintenance.
This verse offering respectful obeisances unto the Lord was

composed by Ramā, the goddess of fortune, and is full of
spiritual power. Under the guidance of a spiritual master,
everyone should chant this mantra and thus become a complete
and perfect devotee of the Lord. One may chant this mantra for
complete liberation from material bondage, and after liberation
one may continue to chant it while worshiping the Supreme
Lord in Vaikuṇṭhaloka. All mantras, of course, are meant for
this life and the next life, as Kṛṣṇa Himself confirms in
satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate
"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great

determination, bowing down before Me, the great souls
perpetually worship Me with devotion." A devotee who both in
this life and the next chants the mahā-mantra, or any mantra, is
called nitya-yuktopāsaka.
She chants this mantra to show the merciful nature of

Kāmadeva. She offers respects, indicating that another
worshipper should meditate on the meaning of the mantra
according to his own relationship with the Lord. I offer my
respects to my husband (kāntāya), Kāmadeva. She does not use
the word deva with Kāma since it would be improper to
mention the full name of her husband. Another person should
meditate on herself as the maidservant of Lakṣmī and chant this
mantra. That is the tradition. O Hṛṣīkeśa, attract my senses with
your beauty. Or you are the enjoyer of the sweetness of my
senses. This indicates her qualification for the Lord. Your body,
mind and intelligence (ātmane) are made special by all spiritual
qualities. This is an elaboration of the word hṛṣīkeśa. You are
the master of the functions (viśeṣāṇam) of the action senses
(ākūṭīnām), knowledge senses (cittīṇām) and citta, ahaṅkāra,
buddhi and manas (cetasām). This means that you are the taster
of the sweetness manifested in these items. Even for the
worshipper other than Lakṣmī, the ordinary senses devatās are
not indicated for their senses. The Lord himself is the deity for
their senses, since they refer to spiritual senses. “Sixteen parts”
indicates the Lord is complete, like the full moon with sixteen
phases. The Lord is form of the Vedas (chandomayāya),
instructing about bhakti to the Lord. He is the form of food, by
which he maintains the sādhaka devotee. He is the form of
nectar, whose form, qualities and pastimes are tasty like nectar.
Amṛtamayāya also means that he is the form of liberation. He is
all forms (sarvamayāya). You enable my citta (sahase), senses
(ojase) and body (balāya) to operate.
TEXT - SB 5.18.19
striyo vratais tvā hṛṣīkeśvaraṁ svato
hy ārādhya loke patim āśāsate 'nyam
tāsāṁ na te vai paripānty apatyaṁ
priyaṁ dhanāyūṁṣi yato 'sva-tantrāḥ

SYNONYMS
striyaḥ—all women; vrataiḥ—by observing fasting and other

vows; tvā—you; hṛṣīkeśvaram—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, master of the senses; svataḥ—of your own accord; hi
—certainly; ārādhya—worshiping; loke—in the world; patim
—a husband; āśāsate—ask for; anyam—another; tāsām—of all
those women; na—not; te—the husbands; vai—indeed;
paripānti—able to protect; apatyam—the children; priyam—
very dear; dhana—the wealth; āyūṁṣi—or the duration of life;
yataḥ—because; asva-tantrāḥ—dependent.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, You are certainly the fully independent
master of all the senses. Therefore all women who worship
You by strictly observing vows because they wish to acquire
a husband to satisfy their senses are surely under illusion.
They do not know that such a husband cannot actually give
protection to them or their children. Nor can he protect
their wealth or duration of life, for he himself is dependent
on time, fruitive results and the modes of nature, which are
all subordinate to You.
PURPORT
In this verse, Lakṣmīdevī (Ramā) shows compassion toward

women who worship the Lord for the benediction of possessing
a good husband. Although such women desire to be happy with
children, wealth, a long duration of life and everything dear to
them, they cannot possibly do so. In the material world, a so-
called husband is dependent on the control of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. There are many examples of a woman
whose husband, being dependent on the result of his own
fruitive actions, cannot maintain his wife, her children, her
wealth or her duration of life. Therefore, factually the only real
husband of all women is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme husband. Because
the gopīs were liberated souls, they understood this fact.
Therefore they rejected their material husbands and accepted
Kṛṣṇa as their real husband. Kṛṣṇa is the real husband not only
of the gopīs, but of every living entity. Everyone should
perfectly understand that Kṛṣṇa is the real husband of all living
entities, who are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti
(female), not puruṣa (male). In Bhagavad-gītā (10.12), only
Kṛṣṇa is addressed as puruṣa:
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
"You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme

abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine
person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original,
and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty."
Kṛṣṇa is the original puruṣa, and the living entities are prakṛti.
Thus Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, and all living entities are meant to be
enjoyed by Him. Therefore any woman who seeks a material
husband for her protection, or any man who desires to become
the husband of a woman, is under illusion. To become a
husband means to maintain a wife and children nicely by
supplying wealth and security. However, a material husband
cannot possibly do this, for he is dependent on his karma.
Karmaṇā-daiva-netreṇa: [SB 3.31.1] his circumstances are
determined by his past fruitive activities. Therefore if one
proudly thinks he can protect his wife, he is under illusion.
Kṛṣṇa is the only husband, and therefore the relationship
between a husband and wife in this material world cannot be
absolute. Because we have the desire to marry, Kṛṣṇa
mercifully allows the so-called husband to possess a wife, and
the wife to possess a so-called husband, for mutual satisfaction.
In the Īśopaniṣad it is said, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā:[Īśo mantra
1] the Lord provides everyone with his quota. Actually,
however, every living entity is prakṛti, or female, and Kṛṣṇa is
the only husband.
ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya

yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya
[Cc. Ādi 5.142]
Kṛṣṇa is the original master or husband of everyone, and all

other living entities, having taken the form of so-called
husbands, or wives, are dancing according to His desire. A so-
called husband may unite with his wife for sense gratification,
but his senses are conducted by Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the
senses, who is therefore the actual husband.

Lakṣmī has pure bhakti. Other women, with mixed bhakti,
lament. They worship you, the Lord, who is also their husband,
but ask for a different husband.
TEXT - SB 5.18.20
sa vai patiḥ syād akutobhayaḥ svayaṁ
samantataḥ pāti bhayāturaṁ janam
sa eka evetarathā mitho bhayaṁ
naivātmalābhād adhi manyate param
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he; vai—indeed; patiḥ—a husband; syāt—would be;

akutaḥ-bhayaḥ—who is not fearful of anyone; svayam—self-
sufficient; samantataḥ—entirely; pāti—maintains; bhaya-
āturam—who is very afraid; janam—a person; saḥ—therefore
he; ekaḥ—one; eva—only; itarathā—otherwise; mithaḥ—from
one another; bhayam—fear; na—not; eva—indeed; ātma-
lābhāt—than the attainment of You; adhi—greater; manyate—
is accepted; param—other thing.
TRANSLATION
He alone who is never afraid but who, on the contrary,
gives complete shelter to all fearful persons can actually
become a husband and protector. Therefore, my Lord, you
are the only husband, and no one else can claim this
position. If you were not the only husband, You would be
afraid of others. Therefore persons learned in all Vedic
literature accept only Your Lordship as everyone's master,
and they think no one else a better husband and protector
than You.
PURPORT
Here the meaning of husband or guardian is clearly explained,

people want to become a husband, a guardian, a governor or a
political leader without knowing the actual meaning of such a
superior position. There are many people all over the world—
indeed, throughout the universe—who claim for some time that
they are husbands, political leaders or guardians, but in due
course of time the Supreme Lord desires their removal from
their posts, and their careers are immediately finished.
Therefore those who are actually learned and advanced in
spiritual life do not accept any leader, husband or maintainer
other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lord Kṛṣṇa personally states in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66), ahaṁ

tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall deliver you from
all sinful reactions." Kṛṣṇa is not afraid of anyone. On the
contrary, everyone is afraid of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He can
actually give protection to a subordinate living entity. Since so-
called leaders or dictators are completely under the control of
material nature, they can never give complete protection to
others, although they claim this ability due to false prestige. Na
te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: [SB 7.5.31] people do not
know that real advancement in life consists of accepting the
Supreme Personality of Godhead as one's master. Instead of
deceiving themselves and others by pretending to be all-
powerful, all political leaders, husbands and guardians should
spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement so that everyone can
learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the supreme husband.
These women do not know the meaning of the word husband

(pati). How can a person who cannot protect himself protect
(pāti) another person (wife)? First of all, he should have no fear
of anything. You alone are that person. They take another
meaning of husband (itarathā). Or itarathā can have a locative
sense, meaning “in another case.” In another case, all the
leaders, protectors of citizens have fear of each other. Thus the
citizens have fear. That actually is not protection. Those
learned in scriptures consider that there is no greater object that
attaining Paramātmā, you (ātma-lābhāt). All other attainments
are not as great as attaining you. You actually are worthy of the
word husband or protector.
TEXT - SB 5.18.21
yā tasya te pāda-saroruhārhaṇaṁ
nikāmayet sākhila-kāma-lampaṭā
tad eva rāsīpsitam īpsito 'rcito
yad-bhagna-yācñā bhagavan pratapyate

SYNONYMS
yā—a woman who; tasya—of Him; te—of You; pāda-

saroruha—of the lotus feet; arhaṇam—the worship; nikāmayet
—fully desires; sā—such a woman; akhila-kāma-lampaṭā—
although maintaining all kinds of material desire; tat—that; eva
—only; rāsi—You award; īpsitam—some other desired
benediction; īpsitaḥ—being looked to for; arcitaḥ—worshiped;
yat—from which; bhagna-yācñā—one who desires objects
other than Your lotus feet and who thus becomes broken;
bhagavan—O my Lord; pratapyate—is pained.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, You automatically fulfill all the desires of a
woman who worships Your lotus feet in pure love.
However, if a woman worships Your lotus feet for a
particular purpose, You also quickly fulfill her desires, but
in the end she becomes broken-hearted and laments.
Therefore one need not worship Your lotus feet for some
material benefit.
PURPORT
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes pure devotional service as

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya
19.167]. One should not worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead to fulfill some material desire for success in fruitive
activities or mental speculation. To serve the lotus feet of the
Lord means to serve Him exactly as He desires. The neophyte
devotee is therefore ordered to worship the Lord strictly
according to the regulative principles given by the spiritual
master and the śāstras. By executing devotional service in that
way, he gradually becomes attached to Kṛṣṇa, and when his
original dormant love for the Lord becomes manifest, he
spontaneously serves the Lord without any motive. This
condition is the perfect stage of one's relationship with the
Lord. The Lord then looks after the comfort and security of His
devotee without being asked. Kṛṣṇa promises in Bhagavad-gītā
(9.22):
ananyāś cintayanto māṁ

ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ
yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham
The Supreme Lord personally takes care of anyone who is

completely engaged in His devotional service. Whatever he
has, the Lord protects, and whatever he needs, the Lord
supplies. Therefore why should one bother the Lord for
something material? Such prayers are unnecessary.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that even if a

devotee wishes the Lord to fulfill a particular desire, the
devotee should not be considered a sakāma-bhakta (a devotee
with some motive). In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.16) Kṛṣṇa says:
catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ

janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha
"O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men
render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer
of wealth, the inquisitive and he who is searching for
knowledge of the Absolute." The ārta and the arthārthī, who
approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead for relief from
misery or for some money, are not sakāma-bhaktas, although
they appear to be. Being neophyte devotees, they are simply
ignorant. Later in Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, udārāḥ sarva
evaite: [Bg. 7.18] they are all magnanimous (udārāḥ).
Although in the beginning a devotee may harbor some desire,
in due course of time it will vanish. Therefore the Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam enjoins:
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param
"A person who has broader intelligence, whether he is full of

all material desire, is free from material desire, or has a desire
for liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole,
the Personality of Godhead." (SB 2.3.10)
Even if one wants something material, he should pray to no one

but the Lord to fulfill his desire. If one approaches a demigod
for the fulfillment of his desires, he is to be considered naṣṭa-
buddhi, bereft of all good sense. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā
(7.20):
kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ
prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ
taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya
prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā
"Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender

unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations
of worship according to their own natures."
Lakṣmīdevī advises all devotees who approach the Lord with

material desires that according to her practical experience, the
Lord is Kāmadeva, and thus there is no need to ask Him for
anything material. She says that everyone should simply serve
the Lord without any motive. Since the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is sitting in everyone's heart, He knows everyone's
thoughts, and in due course of time He will fulfill all desires.
Therefore let us completely depend on the service of the Lord
without bothering Him with our material requests.
However, if one worships without material desires, all those

desires are all fulfilled. If one worships with desire, one attains
only that one result, which is temporary. The woman who
especially (ni) desires worship of you, with the qualities just
described (tasya), without other desires, receives all desirable
objects. She becomes niṣkāma. The woman who worships you
to attain other results is given only one result, because after
enjoying the result, when the result is finished, she will
experience suffering. Though she later becomes niṣkāma, she is
called sakāma. Thus the devotees who desire the Lord are not
called sakāma. This is the conclusion. Those who desire other
things suffer. It is said that Lakṣmī, seeing something
unfavorable to that person’s nature, scolds such a person.
However, it will be explained later that even the person who
performs sakāma-bhakti should be considered successful.
TEXT - SB 5.18.22
mat-prāptaye 'jeśa-surāsurādayas
tapyanta ugraṁ tapa aindriye dhiyaḥ
ṛte bhavat-pāda-parāyaṇān na māṁ
vindanty ahaṁ tvad-dhṛdayā yato 'jita
SYNONYMS
mat-prāptaye—to obtain my mercy; aja—Lord Brahmā; īśa—

Lord Śiva; sura—the other demigods, headed by King Indra,
Candra and Varuṇa; asura-ādayaḥ—as well as the demons;
tapyante—undergo; ugram—severe; tapaḥ—austerity; aindriye
dhiyaḥ—whose minds are absorbed in thoughts of superior
sense gratification; ṛte—unless; bhavat-pāda-parāyaṇāt—one
who is wholly and solely engaged in the service of the Supreme
Lord's lotus feet; na—not; mām—me; vindanti—obtain; aham
—I; tvat—in You; hṛdayāḥ—whose hearts; yataḥ—therefore;
ajita—O unconquerable one.
TRANSLATION
O supreme unconquerable Lord, when they become
absorbed in thoughts of material enjoyment, Lord Brahmā
and Lord Śiva, as well as other demigods and demons,
undergo severe penances and austerities to receive my
benedictions. But I do not favor anyone, however great he
may be; unless he is always engaged in the service of Your
lotus feet. Because I always keep You within my heart, I
cannot favor anyone but a devotee.
PURPORT
In this verse the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmīdevī, clearly states

that she does not bestow her favor on any materialistic person.
Although sometimes a materialist becomes very opulent in the
eyes of another materialist, such opulence is bestowed upon
him by the goddess Durgādevī, a material expansion of the
goddess of fortune, not by Lakṣmīdevī herself. Those who
desire material wealth worship Durgādevī with the following
mantra: dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi rupavati bharyam dehi. "O
worshipable mother Durgādevī, please give me wealth,
strength, fame, a good wife and so on." By pleasing goddess
Durgā one can obtain such benefits, but since they are
temporary, they result only in māyā-sukha (illusory happiness).
As stated by Prahlāda Mahārāja, māyā-sukhāya bharam
udvahato vimūḍhān: [SB7.9.43] those who work very hard for
material benefits are vimūḍhas, foolish rascals, because such
happiness will not endure. On the other hand, devotees like
Prahlāda and Dhruva Mahārāja achieved extraordinary material
opulences, but such opulences were not māyā-sukha. When a
devotee acquires unparalleled opulences, they are the direct
gifts of the goddess of fortune, who resides in the heart of
Nārāyaṇa.
The material opulences a person obtains by offering prayers to

the goddess Durgā are temporary. As described in Bhagavad-
gītā (7.23), antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-
medhasām: men of meager intelligence desire temporary
happiness. We have actually seen that one of the disciples of
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura wanted to enjoy the
property of his spiritual master, and the spiritual master, being
merciful toward him, gave him the temporary property, but not
the power to preach the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu all over
the world. That special mercy of the power to preach is given to
a devotee who does not want anything material from his
spiritual master but wants only to serve him. The story of the
demon Rāvaṇa illustrates this point. Although Rāvaṇa tried to
abduct the goddess of fortune Sītādevī from the custody of
Lord Rāmacandra, he could not possibly do so. The Sītādevī he
forcibly took with him was not the original Sītādevī, but an
expansion of māyā, or Durgādevī. As a result, instead of
winning the favor of the real goddess of fortune, Rāvaṇa and
his whole family were vanquished by the power of Durgādevī
(sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā [Bs. 5.44]).
Some persons desiring material benefit give up you and

worship me, Lakṣmī. They however obtain only dust. She
criticizes them. To attain me, Brahmā and others, with
intelligence focused on senses objects, perform severe
austerities. Aindriye dhiyaḥ is an unresolved compound.
Without surrendering to you, they do not attain wealth,
manifested by my glance. But Prahlāda, Dhruva and others who
surrendered to the Lord attain all wealth. The wealth seen with
persons who are not devotees is the result of their karma, or is
given by the mercy of Durgā, māyā-śakti. Such bestowal is
occasional, arising from the waves of lust. It is not given by
me, born of the Lord’s svarūpa-śakti. Wealth arising from my
mercy is not given if the person does not worship you. The
reason is given. I meditate on you. I will glance upon those who
fix their minds on you.
TEXT - SB 5.18.23
sa tvaṁ mamāpy acyuta śīrṣṇi vanditaṁ
karāmbujaṁ yat tvad-adhāyi sātvatām
bibharṣi māṁ lakṣma vareṇya māyayā
ka īśvarasyehitam ūhituṁ vibhur iti
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that; tvam—You; mama—of me; api—also; acyuta—O

infallible one; śīrṣṇi—on the head; vanditam—worshiped;
kara-ambujam—Your lotus hand; yat—which; tvat—by You;
adhāyi—placed; sātvatām—on the head of the devotees;
bibharṣi—You maintain; mām—me; lakṣma—as an insignia on
Your chest; vareṇya—O worshipable one; māyayā—with
deceit; kaḥ—who; īśvarasya—of the supremely powerful
controller; īhitam—the desires; ūhitum—to understand by
reason and argument; vibhuḥ—is able; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
O infallible one, Your lotus palm is the source of all
benediction. Therefore Your pure devotees worship it, and
You very mercifully place Your hand on their heads. I wish
that You may also place Your hand on My head, for
although You already bear my insignia of golden streaks on
Your chest, I regard this honor as merely a kind of false
prestige for me. You show Your real mercy to Your
devotees, not to me. Of course, You are the supreme
absolute controller, and no one can understand Your
motives.
PURPORT
In many places, the śāstras describe the Supreme Personality of

Godhead as being more inclined toward His devotees than
toward His wife, who always remains on His chest. In Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (11.14.15) it is stated:
na tathā me priyatama
ātma-yonir na śaṅkaraḥ
na ca saṅkarṣaṇo na śrīr
naivātmā ca yathā bhavān
Here Kṛṣṇa plainly says that His devotees are more dear to Him
than Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa (the original
cause of creation), the goddess of fortune or even His own Self.
Elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.20) Śukadeva
Gosvāmī says,
nemam viriñco na bhavo

na śrīr apy aṅga saṁśrayā
prasādaṁ lebhire gopī
yat tat prāpa vimuktidāt
The Supreme Lord, who can award liberation to anyone,

showed more mercy toward the gopīs than to Lord Brahmā,
Lord Śiva or even the goddess of fortune, who is His own wife
and is associated with His body. Similarly, Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (10.47.60) also states:
nāyaṁ śriyo 'ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ

svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto 'nyāḥ
rāsotsave 'sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha-
labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-sundarīṇām
"The gopīs received benedictions from the Lord that neither

Lakṣmīdevī nor the most beautiful dancers in the heavenly
planets could attain. In the rāsa dance, the Lord showed His
favor to the most fortunate gopīs by placing His arms on their
shoulders and dancing with each of them individually. No one
can compare with the gopīs, who received the causeless mercy
of the Lord."
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that no one can receive the
real favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without
following in the footsteps of the gopīs. Even the goddess of
fortune could not receive the same favor as the gopīs, although
she underwent severe austerities and penances for many years.
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu discusses this point with
Vyeṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 9.111-131):
"The Lord inquired from Vyeṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, 'Your worshipable
goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, always remains on the chest of
Nārāyaṇa, and she is certainly the most chaste woman in the
creation. However, My Lord is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, a cowherd boy
engaged in tending cows. Why is it that Lakṣmī, being such a
chaste wife, wants to associate with My Lord? Just to associate
with Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī abandoned all transcendental happiness in
Vaikuṇṭha and for a long time accepted vows and regulative
principles and performed unlimited austerities.'
"Vyeṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa replied, 'Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Nārāyaṇa are

one and the same, but the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are more relishable
due to their sportive nature. They are very pleasing for Kṛṣṇa's
śaktis. Since Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa are both the same
personality, Lakṣmī's association with Kṛṣṇa did not break her
vow of chastity. Rather, it was in great fun that the goddess of
fortune wanted to associate with Lord Kṛṣṇa. The goddess of
fortune considered that her vow of chastity would not be
damaged by her relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Rather, by associating
with Kṛṣṇa she could enjoy the benefit of the rāsa dance. If she
wanted to enjoy herself with Kṛṣṇa what fault is there? Why are
you joking so about this?'
"Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, 'I know that there is no
fault in the goddess of fortune, but still she could not enter into
the rāsa dance. We hear this from revealed scriptures. The
authorities of Vedic knowledge met Lord Rāmacandra in
Daṇḍakāraṇya, and by their penances and austerities, they were
allowed to enter into the rāsa dance. But can you tell me why
the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, could not get that opportunity?
'
"To this Vyeṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa replied, 'I cannot enter into the
mystery of this incident. I am an ordinary living being. My
intelligence is limited, and I am always disturbed. How can I
understand the pastimes of the Supreme Lord? They are deeper
than millions of oceans.'
"Lord Caitanya replied, 'Lord Kṛṣṇa has a specific

characteristic. He attracts everyone's heart by the mellow of His
personal conjugal love. By following in the footsteps of the
inhabitants of the planet known as Vrajaloka or Goloka
Vṛndāvana, one can attain the shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī
Kṛṣṇa. However, the inhabitants of that planet do not know that
Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unaware
that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, the residents of Vṛndāvana like
Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodādevī and the gopīs treat Kṛṣṇa as their
beloved son or lover. Mother Yaśodā accepts Him as her son
and sometimes binds Him to a grinding mortar. Kṛṣṇa's
cowherd boy friends think He is an ordinary boy and get up on
His shoulders. In Goloka Vṛndāvana no one has any desire
other than to love Kṛṣṇa.' "
The conclusion is that one cannot associate with Kṛṣṇa unless
he has fully received the favor of the inhabitants of
Vrajabhūmi. Therefore if one wants to be delivered by Kṛṣṇa
directly, he must take to the service of the residents of
Vṛndāvana, who are unalloyed devotees of the Lord.
Though worshiped by Brahmā and others, I am your wife. I do

not attain the good fortune that the devotee without no material
desires attains from you. I am unfortunate! Though you reside
in my heart eternally, please put your lotus hand on my head,
which you place on the heads of your devotees. This hand is
praised by the sages as the bestower of fortunate mercy. “But
you have good fortune which is greater than that of all others,
because I hold you eternally on my heart as a mark.” Ashamed,
putting her cloth over her face, she says defiantly in a low
voice, “You hold me on your chest as a golden line. But that is
by deception. You do this only because you think ‘Seeing the
good fortune of my devotees, may unintelligent Lakṣmī not
show hatred to me.’ Therefore you allowed me on your chest.”
This was done without sincerity. “But no one says this.” But
who can speculate about your desires?
na tathā me priyatama ātma-yonir na śaṅkaraḥ
na ca saṅkarṣaṇo na śrīr naivātmā ca yathā bhavān
My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord

Saṅkarṣaṇa, the goddess of fortune, nor indeed my own self, is
as dear to me as you are. SB 11.14.15
I have heard this secret utterance to your devotee.
TEXT - SB 5.18.24
ramyake ca bhagavataḥ priyatamaṁ mātsyam avatāra-rūpaṁ

tad-varṣa-puruṣasya manoḥ prāk-pradarśitaṁ sa idānīm api
mahatā bhakti-yogenārādhayatīdaṁ codāharati.
SYNONYMS
ramyake ca—also in Ramyaka-varṣa; bhagavataḥ—of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead; priya-tamam—the foremost;
mātsyam—fish; avatāra-rūpam—the form of the incarnation;
tat-varṣa-puruṣasya—of the ruler of that land; manoḥ—Manu;
prāk—previously (at the end of the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara);
pradarśitam—exhibited; saḥ—that Manu; idānīm api—even
until now; mahatā bhakti-yogena—by dint of advanced
devotional service; ārādhayati—worships the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; idam—this; ca—and; udāharati—
chants.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: In Ramyaka-varṣa, where
Vaivasvata Manu rules, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead appeared as Lord Matsya at the end of the last
era [the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara]. Vaivasvata Manu now
worships Lord Matsya in pure devotional service and
chants the following mantra.
He revealed himself at the end of the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara

when there was a flood. Saḥ refers to Vaivasvata Manu.
TEXT - SB 5.18.25
oṁ namo bhagavate mukhyatamāya namaḥ sattvāya

prāṇāyaujase sahase balāya mahā-matsyāya nama iti.
SYNONYMS
om—O my Lord; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; bhagavate—

unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mukhya-tamāya—
the first incarnation to appear; namaḥ—my respectful
obeisances; sattvāya—unto the pure transcendence; prāṇāya—
the origin of life; ojase—the source of the potency of the
senses; sahase—the origin of all mental power; balāya—the
origin of bodily strength; mahā-matsyāya—unto the gigantic
fish incarnation; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is pure transcendence. He is
the origin of all life, bodily strength, mental power and
sensory ability. Known as Matsyāvatāra, the gigantic fish
incarnation, He appears first among all the incarnations.
Again I offer my obeisances unto Him.
PURPORT
Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī sings:
pralayo payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedaṁ

vihita-vahitra-caritram akhedam
keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagad-īśa hare
Soon after the cosmic creation, the entire universe was

inundated with water. At that time Lord Kṛṣṇa (Keśava)
incarnated as a gigantic fish to protect the Vedas. Therefore
Manu addresses Lord Matsya as mukhyatama, the first
incarnation to appear. Fish are generally considered a mixture
of the modes of ignorance and passion, but we must understand
that every incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
is completely transcendental. There is never any deterioration
of the Supreme Lord's original transcendental quality.
Therefore the word sattvāya is used here, meaning pure
goodness on the transcendental platform. There are many
incarnations of the Supreme Lord: Varāha mūrti (the boar
form), Kūrma mūrti (the tortoise form), Hayagrīva mūrti (the
form of a horse) and so on. Yet we should never think any of
Them material. They are always situated on the platform of
śuddha-sattva, pure transcendence.
Muykhyatamāya sattvāya means śuddha-sattva. Because he is

the controller of prāṇa, ojas, sahas and bala he is called by these
names.
TEXT - SB 5.18.26
antar bahiś cākhila-loka-pālakair
adṛṣṭa-rūpo vicarasy uru-svanaḥ
sa īśvaras tvaṁ ya idaṁ vaśe 'nayan
nāmnā yathā dārumayīṁ naraḥ striyam
SYNONYMS
antaḥ—within; bahiḥ—without; ca—also; akhila-loka-

pālakaiḥ—by the leaders of the different planets, societies,
kingdoms and so on; adṛṣṭa-rūpaḥ—not seen; vicarasi—You
wander; uru—very great; svanaḥ—whose sounds (Vedic
mantras); saḥ—He; īśvaraḥ—the supreme controller; tvam—
You; yaḥ—who; idam—this; vaśe—under control; anayat—
has brought; nāmnā—by different names like brāhmaṇa,
kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra; yathā—exactly like; dārumayīm—
made of wood; naraḥ—a man; striyam—a doll.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, just as a puppeteer controls his dancing
dolls and a husband controls his wife, Your Lordship
controls all the living entities in the universe, such as the
brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. Although You
are in everyone's heart as the supreme witness and
commander and are outside everyone as well, the so-called
leaders of societies, communities and countries cannot
realize You. Only those who hear the vibration of the Vedic
mantras can appreciate You.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is antarbahiḥ, present

within and without everything. One must overcome the
delusion caused by the Lord's external energy and realize His
presence both externally and internally. In Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (1.8.19) Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī has explained that
Kṛṣṇa appears in this world naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā, "exactly
like an actor dressed as a player." In Bhagavad-gītā (18.61)
Kṛṣṇa says, īśvaraḥ sama-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati:
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna."
The Lord is situated within everyone's heart, and outside as
well. Within the heart He is the Supersoul, the incarnation who
acts as the adviser and witness. Yet although God is residing
within their hearts, foolish people say, "I cannot see God.
Please show Him to me."
Everyone is under the control of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, exactly like dancing dolls controlled by a puppeteer
or a woman controlled by her husband. A woman is compared
to a doll (dārumayī) because she has no independence. She
should always be controlled by a man. Still, due to false
prestige, a class of women wants to remain independent. What
to speak of women, all living entities are prakṛti (female) and
therefore dependent on the Supreme Lord, as Kṛṣṇa Himself
explains in Bhagavad-gītā (apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ
viddhi me parām [Bg. 7.5]). The living entity is never
independent. Under all circumstances, he is dependent on the
mercy of the Lord. The Lord creates the social divisions of
human society—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras—
and ordains that they follow rules and regulations suited to their
particular position. In this way, all members of society remain
always under the Supreme Lord's control. Still, some people
foolishly deny the existence of God.
Self-realization means to understand one's subordinate position

in relation to the Lord. When one is thus enlightened, he
surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is
liberated from the clutches of the material energy. In other
words, unless one surrenders to the lotus feet of the Lord, the
material energy in its many varieties will continue to control
him. No one in the material world can deny that he is under
control. The Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa, who is beyond this
material existence, controls everyone. The following Vedic
mantra confirms this point: eko ha vai nārāyaṇa āsīt. Foolish
persons think Nārāyaṇa to be on the platform of ordinary
material existence. Because they do not realize the natural
constitutional position of the living entity, they concoct names
like daridra-nārāyaṇa, svāmi-nārāyaṇa or mithyā-nārāyaṇa.
However, Nārāyaṇa is actually the supreme controller of
everyone. This understanding is self-realization.

You move everywhere inside and outside. You are unseen by
the protectors of the directions (devatās), what to speak of
others. “Does that mean I do not exist?” You are the sound
composed of the Vedas (uru). The Vedas proclaim your
existence in every word. You are the Lord who controls the
universe (idam) by being the shelter of rules and forbiddances
with the name of the brāhmaṇas and others. Śruti says tasya vāk
tantrir nāmāni dāmāni: the Vedas, like a rope, bind the universe
with names such as brāhmaṇa. One can infer that you are
independent because of the dependence of the universe on you,
just like a man controlling a female puppet made of wood.
TEXT - SB 5.18.27
yaṁ loka-pālāḥ kila matsara-jvarā
hitvā yatanto 'pi pṛthak sametya ca
pātuṁ na śekur dvi-padaś catuṣ-padaḥ
sarīsṛpaṁ sthāṇu yad atra dṛśyate
SYNONYMS
yam—whom (You); loka-pālāḥ—the great leaders of the

universe, beginning with Lord Brahmā; kila—what to speak of
others; matsara-jvarāḥ—who are suffering from the fever of
envy; hitvā—leaving aside; yatantaḥ—endeavoring; api—
although; pṛthak—separately; sametya—combined; ca—also;
pātum—to protect; na—not; śekuḥ—able; dvi-padaḥ—two-
legged; catuḥ-padaḥ—four-legged; sarīsṛpam—reptiles;
sthāṇu—not moving; yat—whatever; atra—within this
material world; dṛśyate—is visible.
TRANSLATION
My Lord, from the great leaders of the universe, such as
Lord Brahmā and other demigods, down to the political
leaders of this world, all are envious of Your authority.
Without Your help, however, they could neither separately
nor concertedly maintain the innumerable living entities
within the universe. You are actually the only maintainer of
all human beings, of animals like cows and asses, and of
plants, reptiles, birds, mountains and whatever else is
visible within this material world.
PURPORT
It is fashionable for materialistic persons to compete with the

power of God. When so-called scientists try to manufacture
living entities in their laboratories, their only purpose is to defy
the talent and ability of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
This is called illusion. It exists even in the higher planetary
systems, where great demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva
and others reside. In this world everyone is puffed up with false
prestige despite the failure of all his endeavors. When so-called
philanthropists, who supposedly want to help the poor, are
approached by members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement,
they say, "You are simply wasting your time, while I am
feeding vast masses of starving people." Unfortunately, their
meager efforts, either singly or together, do not solve anyone's
problems.
Sometimes so-called svāmīs are very eager to feed poor people,

thinking them to be daridra-nārāyaṇa, the Lord's incarnations
as beggars. They prefer to serve the manufactured daridra-
nārāyaṇa than the original, supreme Nārāyaṇa. They say,
"Don't encourage service to Lord Nārāyaṇa. It is better to serve
the starving people of the world." Unfortunately such
materialists, either singly or combined in the form of the United
Nations, cannot fulfill their plans. The truth is that the many
millions of human beings, animals, birds and trees—indeed, all
living entities—are maintained solely by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān:
one person, the Supreme Lord, is supplying the necessities of
life for all other living entities. To challenge the authority of
Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the business
of asuras (demons). Yet sometimes suras, or devotees, are also
bewildered by the illusory energy and falsely claim to be the
maintainer of the entire universe. Such incidents are described
in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where Śukadeva
Gosvāmī tells how Lord Brahmā and King Indra became puffed
up and were eventually chastised by Kṛṣṇa.
“But Indra and others also control since they are protectors of
the universe. They are also independent controllers. What is my
significance?” Their control over planets is honorific only.
Giving you up, either singly or together, they cannot protect the
two legged or four legged creatures, the snakes, or the non-
moving beings which are seen here, because they are sick with
envy. Śruti says tā ahiṁ santāham u kam asmy aham u kam
asmi: the devatās are full of envy; I give shelter to all, and give
shelter to no one. You, as life itself, are the protector and Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.18.28
bhavān yugāntārṇava ūrmi-mālini
kṣoṇīm imām oṣadhi-vīrudhāṁ nidhim
mayā sahoru kramate 'ja ojasā
tasmai jagat-prāṇa-gaṇātmane nama iti
SYNONYMS
bhavān—Your Lordship; yuga-anta-arṇave—in the water of

devastation at the end of the millennium; ūrmi-mālini—
possessing rows of big waves; kṣoṇīm—the planet earth; imām
—this; oṣadhi-vīrudhām—of all kinds of herbs and drugs;
nidhim—the storehouse; mayā—me; saha—with; uru—great;
kramate—You roamed; aja—O unborn one; ojasā—with
speed; tasmai—unto Him; jagat—of the entire universe; prāṇa-
gaṇa-ātmane—the ultimate source of life; namaḥ—my
respectful obeisances; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
O almighty Lord, at the end of the millennium this planet
earth, which is the source of all kinds of herbs, drugs and
trees, was inundated by water and drowned beneath the
devastating waves. At that time, You protected me along
with the earth and roamed the sea with great speed. O
unborn one, You are the actual maintainer of the entire
universal creation, and therefore You are the cause of all
living entities. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
PURPORT
Envious persons cannot appreciate how wonderfully the Lord

creates, maintains and annihilates the universe, but devotees of
the Lord can understand this perfectly well. Devotees can see
how the Lord is acting behind the wonderful workings of the
material nature. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.10) the Lord says:
jagad viparivartate

again." All the wonderful transformations of nature are
happening under the superintendence of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Envious persons cannot see this, but a
devotee, even though very humble and even if uneducated,
knows that behind all the activities of nature is the supreme
hand of the Supreme Being.
Your visible form manifests by bhakti. I, a dim likeness of a

devotee, am the witness to this. Holding (this verb should be
supplied) the earth along with me, you move about. O unborn
Lord (aja)! At the end of the Manvantara you roam about. I
offer respects to you who control the living beings of the
universe.
TEXT - SB 5.18.29
hiraṇmaye 'pi bhagavān nivasati kūrma-tanuṁ bibhrāṇas tasya

tat priyatamāṁ tanum aryamā saha varṣa-puruṣaiḥ pitṛ-
gaṇādhipatir upadhāvati mantram imaṁ cānujapati.
SYNONYMS
hiraṇmaye—in Hiraṇmaya-varṣa; api—indeed; bhagavān—the

Supreme Personality of Godhead; nivasati—resides; kūrma-
tanum—the body of a tortoise; bibhrāṇaḥ—manifesting; tasya
—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat—that; priya-
tamām—dearmost; tanum—body; aryamā—Aryamā, the chief
resident of Hiraṇmaya-varṣa; saha—with; varṣa-puruṣaiḥ—the
people of that tract of land; pitṛ-gaṇa-adhipatiḥ—who is the
chief of the pitās; upadhāvati—worships in devotional service;
mantram—hymn; imam—this; ca—also; anujapati—chants.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: In Hiraṇmaya-varṣa, the
Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, lives in the form of a tortoise
[kūrma-śarīra]. This most dear and beautiful form is
always worshiped there in devotional service by Aryamā,
the chief resident of Hiraṇmaya-varṣa, along with the other
inhabitants of that land. They chant the following hymns.
PURPORT
The word priyatama (dearmost) is very significant in this verse.

Each devotee regards a particular form of the Lord as most
dear. Because of an atheistic mentality, some people think that
the tortoise, boar and fish incarnations of the Lord are not very
beautiful. They do not know that any form of the Lord is
always the fully opulent Personality of Godhead. Since one of
His opulences is infinite beauty, all the Lord's incarnations are
very beautiful and are appreciated as such by devotees.
Nondevotees, however, think that Lord Kṛṣṇa's incarnations are
ordinary material creatures, and therefore they distinguish
between the beautiful and the not beautiful. A certain form of
the Lord is worshiped by a particular devotee because he loves
to see that form of the Lord. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā
(5.33): advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ
purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca. The very beautiful form
of the Lord is always youthful. Sincere servants of a particular
form of the Lord always see that form as very beautiful, and
thus they engage in constant devotional service to Him.
He worships that form, which is most beloved (tat-

priyatamām).
TEXT - SB 5.18.30
oṁ namo bhagavate akūpārāya sarva-sattva-guṇa-

viśeṣaṇāyānu-palakṣita-sthānāya namo varṣmaṇe namo bhūmne
namo namo 'vasthānāya namas te.
SYNONYMS
om—O my Lord; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; bhagavate—

unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; akūpārāya—in
the form of a tortoise; sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāya—whose
form consists of śuddha-sattva, transcendental goodness;
anupalakṣita-sthānāya—unto You, whose position is not
discernible; namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; varṣmaṇe—
unto You who, although the oldest, are unaffected by time;
namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; bhūmne—to the great one
who can go everywhere; namaḥ namaḥ—repeated obeisances;
avasthānāya—the shelter of everything; namaḥ—respectful
obeisances; te—unto You.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who
have assumed the form of a tortoise. You are the reservoir
of all transcendental qualities, and being entirely untinged
by matter, You are perfectly situated in pure goodness. You
move here and there in the water, but no one can discern
Your position. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances
unto You. Because of Your transcendental position, You are
not limited by past, present and future. You are present
everywhere as the shelter of all things, and therefore I offer
my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.
PURPORT
In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, goloka eva nivasaty

akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: [Bs. 5.37] the Lord always remains in
Goloka, the topmost planet in the spiritual world. At the same
time, He is all-pervading. This paradox is only possible for the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full of all opulences.
The Lord's all-pervasiveness is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā
(18.61) where Kṛṣṇa states, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe
'rjuna tiṣṭhati: "The Supreme Lord is seated in everyone's
heart, O Arjuna." Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) the Lord
says, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam
apohanaṁ ca: "I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me
come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." Therefore,
although the Lord is present everywhere, He cannot be seen
with ordinary eyes. As Aryamā says, the Lord is anupalakṣita-
sthāna: no one can locate Him. This is the greatness of the
I offer respects to the turtle (akūpārāya), who has a form

(viśeṣanāya) of perfect (sarva) sattva, a form of śuddha-sattva,
who has a Vaikuṇṭha abode invisible to all, who has a huge
body (varṣmaṇe), who is all-pervading (bhūmne), who is the
support (avasthānāya).
TEXT - SB 5.18.31
yad-rūpam etan nija-māyayārpitam
artha-svarūpaṁ bahu-rūpa-rūpitam
saṅkhyā na yasyāsty ayathopalambhanāt
tasmai namas te 'vyapadeśa-rūpiṇe
SYNONYMS
yat—of whom; rūpam—the form; etat—this; nija-māyayā

arpitam—manifested by Your personal potency; artha-
svarūpam—this entire visible cosmic manifestation; bahu-
rūpa-rūpitam—manifested in various forms; saṅkhyā—the
measurement; na—not; yasya—of which; asti—there is; ayathā
—falsely; upalambhanāt—from perceiving; tasmai—unto Him
(the Supreme Lord); namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; te—
unto You; avyapadeśa—cannot be ascertained by mental
speculation; rūpiṇe—whose real form.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, this visible cosmic manifestation is a
demonstration of Your own creative energy. Since the
countless varieties of forms within this cosmic manifestation
are simply a display of Your external energy, this virāṭ-
rūpa [universal body] is not Your real form. Except for a
devotee in transcendental consciousness, no one can
perceive Your actual form. Therefore I offer my respectful
PURPORT
Māyāvādī philosophers think the universal form of the Lord to

be real and His personal form illusory. We can understand their
mistake by a simple example. A fire consists of three elements:
heat and light, which are the energy of the fire, and the fire
itself. Anyone can understand that the original fire is the reality
and that the heat and light are simply the fire's energy. Heat and
light are the formless energies of fire, and in that sense they are
unreal. Only the fire has form, and therefore it is the real form
of the heat and light. As Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā (9.4),
mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: "By Me, in
My unmanifested form. this entire universe is pervaded." Thus
the impersonal conception of the Lord is like the expansion of
heat and light from a fire. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord also says,
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ: the entire
material creation is resting on Kṛṣṇa's energy, either material,
spiritual or marginal, but because His form is absent from the
expansion of His energy, He is not personally present. This
inconceivable expansion of the Supreme Lord's energy is called
acintya-śakti. Therefore no one can understand the real form of
the Lord without becoming His devotee.
This universe (etat) is your form alone, but arises by māyā-

śakti, not by your svarūpa-śakti. It is a real form (artha-
svarūpam), not something unreal. Your form is displayed in
many forms—humans, cows, animals, birds and fish. But they
cannot be counted, because it is impossible to realize the full
extent of these forms, whose varieties give rise to this universe.
It is impossible to know unlimited numbers of types within one
type of gross human because of differences in caste, nature,
pitch of voice and other qualities. What to speak then of smaller
beings, born of perspiration or seeds. You are unlimited but
there are unlimited varieties within the effects of your śakti.
What then to speak of your spiritual form which is unknown to
all. I offer respects to the form impossible to describe
(avyapadeśa-rūpine).
TEXT - SB 5.18.32
jarāyujaṁ svedajam aṇḍajodbhidaṁ
carācaraṁ devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtam aindriyam
dyauḥ khaṁ kṣitiḥ śaila-sarit-samudra-
dvīpa-graharkṣety abhidheya ekaḥ
SYNONYMS
jarāyu-jam—one born from a womb; sveda-jam—one born

from perspiration; aṇḍa-ja—one born from an egg; udbhidam
—one born of the earth; cara-acaram—the moving and the
stationary; deva—the demigods; ṛṣi—the great sages; pitṛ—the
inhabitants of Pitṛloka; bhūtam—the material elements air, fire,
water and earth; aindriyam—all the senses; dyauḥ—the higher
planetary systems; kham—the sky; kṣitiḥ—the earthly planets;
śaila—the hills and mountains; sarit—the rivers; samudra—the
oceans; dvīpa—the islands; graha-ṛkṣa—the stars and planets;
iti—thus; abhidheyaḥ—to be variously named; ekaḥ—one.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, You manifest Your different energies in
countless forms: as living entities born from wombs, from
eggs and from perspiration; as plants and trees that grow
out of the earth; as all living entities, both moving and
standing, including the demigods, the learned sages and the
pitās; as outer space, as the higher planetary system
containing the heavenly planets, and as the planet earth
with its hills, rivers, seas, oceans and islands. Indeed, all the
stars and planets are simply manifestations of Your
different energies, but originally You are one without a
second. Therefore there is nothing beyond You. This entire
cosmic manifestation is therefore not false but is simply a
temporary manifestation of Your inconceivable energy.
PURPORT
This verse completely rejects the theory of brahma satyaṁ

jagan mithyā, which states that spirit, or Brahman, is real,
whereas the manifested material world, with its great variety of
things, is false. Nothing is false. One thing may be permanent
and another temporary, but both the permanent and the
temporary are facts. For example, if someone becomes angry
for a certain period, no one can say that his anger is false. It is
simply temporary. Everything we experience in our daily lives
is of this same character; it is temporary but real.
The different kinds of living entities coming from various

sources are very clearly described in this verse. Some are born
from a womb and some (like certain insects) from human
perspiration. Others hatch from eggs, and still others sprout
from the earth. A living entity takes birth under different
circumstances according to his past activities (karma).
Although the body of the living entity is material, it is never
false. No one will accept the argument that since a person's
material body is false, murder has no repercussions. Our
temporary bodies are given to us according to our karma, and
we must remain in our given bodies to enjoy the pains and
pleasures of life. Our bodies cannot be called false; they are
only temporary. In other words, the energy of the Supreme
Lord is as permanent as the Lord Himself, although His energy
is sometimes manifest and sometimes not. As summarized in
the Vedas, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is
Brahman."
Because you are the one cause of the universe with many forms
in it, everything is one. The form graharkṣa is poetic license.
All these should be called you alone. The śruti says sarvaṁ
khalv idaṁ brahma: everything is Brahman. (Chāndogya
Upaniṣad 3.14.1)
TEXT - SB 5.18.33
yasminn asaṅkhyeya-viśeṣa-nāma-
rūpākṛtau kavibhiḥ kalpiteyam
saṅkhyā yayā tattva-dṛśāpanīyate
tasmai namaḥ sāṅkhya-nidarśanāya te iti
SYNONYMS
yasmin—in You (the Supreme Personality of Godhead);

asaṅkhyeya—innumerable; viśeṣa—particular; nāma—names;
rūpa—forms; ākṛtau—possessing bodily features; kavibhiḥ—
by great learned persons; kalpitā—imagined; iyam—this;
saṅkhyā—number; yayā—by whom; tattva—of the truth; dṛśā
—by knowledge; apanīyate—is extracted; tasmai—unto Him;
namaḥ—respectful obeisances; sāṅkhya-nidarśanāya—who is
the revealer of this numerical knowledge; te—unto You; iti—
thus.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, Your name, form and bodily features are
expanded in countless forms. No one can determine exactly
how many forms exist, yet You Yourself, in Your
incarnation as the learned scholar Kapiladeva, have
analyzed the cosmic manifestation as containing twenty-
four elements. Therefore if one is interested in Sāṅkhya
philosophy, by which one can enumerate the different
truths, he must hear it from You. Unfortunately,
nondevotees simply count the different elements and
remain ignorant of Your actual form. I offer my respectful
PURPORT
Philosophers and scientists have been trying to study the entire

cosmic situation and have been theorizing and calculating in
different ways for millions and millions of years. However, the
speculative research work of a so-called scientist or philosopher
is always interrupted when he dies, and the laws of nature go
on without regard for his work.
For billions of years changes take place in the material creation,

until at last the whole universe is dissolved and remains in an
unmanifested state. Constant change and destruction (bhūtvā
bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]) is perpetually going on in nature,
yet the material scientists want to study natural laws without
knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the
background of nature. As Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā (9.10):
jagad viparivartate

again."
Now the material creation is manifest, eventually it will be

annihilated and remain for many millions of years in a dormant
state, and finally it will again be created. This is the law of
nature.
Since this universe is temporary, it is not considered valuable

by the jñānīs. The sages have counted many forms in you,
having unlimited types of names, forms and kinds. I offer
respects of the form of knowledge (saṅkhya-nidarśanāya), by
which knowledge of tattva, the numerous manufactured forms
are removed.
TEXT - SB 5.18.34
uttareṣu ca kuruṣu bhagavān yajña-puruṣaḥ kṛta-varāha-rūpa

āste taṁ tu devī haiṣā bhūḥ saha kurubhir askhalita-bhakti-
yogenopadhāvati imāṁ ca paramām upaniṣadam āvartayati.
SYNONYMS
uttareṣu—on the northern side; ca—also; kuruṣu—in the tract

of land known as Kuru; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; yajña-puruṣaḥ—who accepts all results of sacrifices;
kṛta-varāha-rūpaḥ—having accepted the form of a boar; āste—
exists eternally; tam—Him; tu—certainly; devī—the goddess;
ha—certainly; eṣā—this; bhūḥ—planet earth; saha—along
with; kurubhiḥ—the inhabitants of the land known as Kuru;
askhalita—unfailing; bhakti-yogena—by devotional service;
upadhāvati—worship; imām—this; ca—also; paramām
upaniṣadam—the supreme Upaniṣad (the process by which one
can approach the Lord); āvartayati—chants again and again for
the purpose of practice.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Dear King, the Supreme Lord in
His boar incarnation, who accepts all sacrificial offerings,
lives in the northern part of Jambūdvīpa. There, in the
tract of land known as Uttarakuru-varṣa, mother earth and
all the other inhabitants worship Him with unfailing
devotional service by repeatedly chanting the following
Upaniṣad mantra.
TEXT - SB 5.18.35
oṁ namo bhagavate mantra-tattva-liṅgāya yajña-kratave mahā-

dhvarāvayavāya mahā-puruṣāya namaḥ karma-śuklāya tri-
yugāya namas te.
SYNONYMS
om—O Lord; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; bhagavate—unto

the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mantra-tattva-liṅgāya—
who is understood in truth by different mantras; yajña—in the
form of animal sacrifices; kratave—and animal sacrifice;
mahā-dhvara—great sacrifices; avayavāya—whose limbs and
bodily parts; mahā-puruṣāya—unto the Supreme Person;
namaḥ—respectful obeisances; karma-śuklāya—who purifies
the fruitive activities of the living entities; tri-yugāya—unto the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full with six
opulences and who appears in three yugas (remaining
concealed in the fourth yuga); namaḥ—my respectful
obeisances; te—unto You.
TRANSLATION
O Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You as the
gigantic person. Simply by chanting mantras, we shall be
able to understand You fully. You are yajña [sacrifice], and
You are the kratu [ritual]. Therefore all the ritualistic
ceremonies of sacrifice are part of Your transcendental
body, and You are the only enjoyer of all sacrifices. Your
form is composed of transcendental goodness. You are
known as tri-yuga because in Kali-yuga You appeared as a
concealed incarnation and because You always fully possess
the three pairs of opulences.
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the incarnation for this age of Kali,

as confirmed in many places throughout the purāṇas, the
Mahābhārata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Upaniṣads. The
summary of His appearance is given in Caitanya-caritāmṛta
(Madhya 6.99) as follows:
kali-yuge līlāvatāra nā kare bhagavān

ataeva 'tri-yuga' kari' kahi tāra nāma
In this age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

(Bhagavān) does not appear as a līlāvatāra, an incarnation to
display pastimes. Therefore He is known as tri-yuga. Unlike
other incarnations, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appears in
this age of Kali as a devotee of the Lord. Therefore He is called
a concealed incarnation (channāvatāra).
I offer respects to the Lord who is known (liṅgāya) in truth by

mantras. Yajña refers to sacrifices without animal killing.
Kratave refers to sacrifices with animal killing. I offer respects
to the Lord who is the form of these two sacrifices (yajña-
kratave), who is the limbs of great sacrifices (mahā adhvara
avayavāya). I offer respects to the form who is śuddha-sattva
(śuklāya) in his behavior (karma), and to the form who appears
in the first three yugas visibly (triyugāya), and in Kali-yuga in a
covered form. Or tri-yugāya can mean “to the form which has
three pairs of qualities, or six opulences.
TEXT - SB 5.18.36
yasya svarūpaṁ kavayo vipaścito
guṇeṣu dāruṣv iva jāta-vedasam
mathnanti mathnā manasā didṛkṣavo

gūḍhaṁ kriyārthair nama īritātmane
SYNONYMS
yasya—whose; sva-rūpam—form; kavayaḥ—the greatly

learned sages; vipaścitaḥ—expert in ascertaining the Absolute
Truth; guṇeṣu—in the material manifestation, consisting of the
three modes of nature; dāruṣu—in wood; iva—like; jāta—
manifested; vedasam—fire; mathnanti—stir; mathnā—with a
piece of wood used for producing fire; manasā—by the mind;
didṛkṣavaḥ—who are inquisitive; gūḍham—hidden; kriyā-
arthaiḥ—by fruitive activities and their results; namaḥ—
respectful obeisances; īrita-ātmane—unto the Lord, who is
manifested.
TRANSLATION
By manipulating a fire-generating stick, great saints and
sages can bring forth the fire lying dormant within wood. In
the same way, O Lord, those expert in understanding the
Absolute Truth try to see You in everything—even in their
own bodies. Yet you remain concealed. You are not to be
understood by indirect processes involving mental or
physical activities. Because You are self-manifested, only
when You see that a person is wholeheartedly engaged in
searching for You do You reveal Yourself. Therefore I offer
my respectful obeisances unto You.
PURPORT
The word kriyārthaiḥ means "by performing ritualistic
ceremonies to satisfy the demigods." The word vipaścitaḥ is
explained in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad as follows: satyaṁ jñānam
anantaṁ brahma. yo veda nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ parame vyoman.
so 'śnute sarvān kāmān saha brahmaṇā vipaściteti. As Kṛṣṇa
states in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19), bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: "After many births and deaths, he
who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me." When one
understands that the Lord is situated in everyone's heart and
actually sees the Lord present everywhere, he has perfect
knowledge. The word jāta-vedaḥ means "fire which is
produced by rubbing wood." In Vedic times, learned sages
could bring forth fire from wood. Jāta-vedaḥ also indicates the
fire in the stomach, which digests everything we eat and which
produces an appetite. The word gūḍha is explained in the
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad. Eko devaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu gūḍhaḥ: The
Supreme Personality of Godhead is understood by chanting the
Vedic mantras. Sarva-vyāpī sarva-bhūtāntar-ātmā: He is all-
pervading, and He is within the heart of living entities.
Karmādhyakṣaḥ sarva-bhūtādhivāsaḥ: He witnesses all
activities of the living entity. Sākṣī cetā kevalo nirguṇaś ca:
The Supreme Lord is the witness as well as the living force, yet
He is transcendental to all material qualities.
Learned people (kavayaḥ) and devotees (vipaścitaḥ), by the

mind which is like a churning rod, desiring to see your form in
your names such as Kṛṣṇa and Rāma and your blackish or
green manifestations, make you appear. Just as fire (jāta-
vedasam) appears by repeated friction, they make you appear
by repeatedly fixing your name and form in their minds. This
form remains hidden by performing karma and enjoying its
results (kriyārthaiḥ), but can be seen by bhakti, if it is not
mixed with karma. I offer respects to the Lord whose nature
(ātmane) has been described (īrita), or to the Lord in whom
there is effort (ātmane) for his form to manifest.
Or, they churn your form in their senses (guṇeṣu) such as ear
and voice using the mind which hears and chants about the
Lord’s name, qualities and pastimes. They make the Lord
appear by determined practice of hearing and chanting using
the mind. The rest of the verse would be interpreted as above.
TEXT - SB 5.18.37
dravya-kriyā-hetv-ayaneśa-kartṛbhir
māyā-guṇair vastu-nirīkṣitātmane
anvīkṣayāṅgātiśayātma-buddhibhir
nirasta-māyākṛtaye namo namaḥ
SYNONYMS
dravya—by the objects of sense enjoyment; kriyā—the

activities of the senses; hetu—the predominating deities of
sensory activities; ayana—the body; īśa—the predominating
time; kartṛbhiḥ—by false egotism; māyā-guṇaiḥ—by the
modes of material nature; vastu—as a fact; nirīkṣita—being
observed; ātmane—unto the Supreme Soul; anvīkṣayā—by
careful consideration; aṅga—by the limbs of yogic practice;
atiśaya-ātma-buddhibhiḥ—by those whose intelligence has
become fixed; nirasta—completely freed from; māyā—the
illusory energy; ākṛtaye—whose form; namaḥ—all respectful
obeisances; namaḥ—respectful obeisances.
TRANSLATION
The objects of material enjoyment [sound, form, taste,
touch and smell], the activities of the senses, the controllers
of sensory activities [the demigods], the body, eternal time
and egotism are all creations of Your material energy.
Those whose intelligence has become fixed by perfect
execution of mystic yoga can see that all these elements
result from the actions of Your external energy. They can
also see Your transcendental form as Supersoul in the
background of everything. Therefore I repeatedly offer my
respectful obeisances unto You.
PURPORT
The objects of material enjoyment, the sensory activities,

attachment to sensual pleasure, the body, false egotism and so
on are produced by the Lord's external energy, māyā. The
background of all these activities is the living being, and the
director of the living beings is the Supersoul. The living being
is not the all in all. He is directed by the Supersoul. In
Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) Kṛṣṇa confirms this:

remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." The living entity
depends on the Supersoul for directions. A person advanced in
spiritual knowledge, or a person expert in the practice of mystic
yoga (yama, niyama, āsana and so on) can understand
transcendence either as Paramātmā or as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord is the original
cause of all natural events. Therefore He is described as sarva-
kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], the cause of all causes. Behind
everything visible to our material eyes is some cause, and one
who can see the original cause of all causes, Lord Kṛṣṇa, can
actually see. Kṛṣṇa, the sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha[Bs. 5.1], is the
background of everything, as He Himself confirms in
jagad viparivartate

again."

It is possible to make you appear even though a person has the
gross and subtle material bodies. If one churns (practices) one
can see the Lord’s form. I offer respects to you whose form is
seen in truth (vastu) by intelligence and great effort (ātma) in
the aṅgas of bhakti such as hearing and chanting, and by
repeated contemplation (anvīkṣaya) of the mind on practices of
hearing, chanting, and serving, along with the effects of māyā
—the sense objects (dravya), the senses (kriya), the sense
devatās (hetu), the body (ayana), time (īśa) and ahaṅkāra
(kartṛbhiḥ). Your form is spiritual. I offer respects to you whose
form is devoid of māyā. Or I offer respects to you who make
the devotee’s form free of māyā.
TEXT - SB 5.18.38
karoti viśva-sthiti-saṁyamodayaṁ
yasyepsitaṁ nepsitam īkṣitur guṇaiḥ
māyā yathāyo bhramate tad-āśrayaṁ
grāvṇo namas te guṇa-karma-sākṣiṇe
SYNONYMS
karoti—performing; viśva—of the universe; sthiti—the

maintenance; saṁyama—winding up; udayam—creation; yasya
—of whom; īpsitam—desired; na—not; īpsitam—desired;
īkṣituḥ—of the one glancing over; guṇaiḥ—with the modes of
material nature; māyā—the material energy; yathā—as much
as; ayaḥ—iron; bhramate—moves; tat-āśrayam—placed near
that; grāvṇaḥ—a magnetic stone; namaḥ—my respectful
obeisances; te—unto You; guṇa-karma-sākṣiṇe—the witness of
the actions and reactions of material nature.
TRANSLATION
O Lord, You do not desire the creation, maintenance or
annihilation of this material world, but You perform these
activities for the conditioned souls by Your creative energy.
Exactly as a piece of iron moves under the influence of a
lodestone, inert matter moves when You glance over the
total material energy.
PURPORT
Sometimes the question arises why the Supreme Lord has

created this material world, which is so full of suffering for the
living entities entrapped in it. The answer given herein is that
the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not wish to create
this material world just to inflict suffering on the living entities.
The Supreme Lord creates this world only because the
conditioned souls want to enjoy it.
The workings of nature are not going on automatically. It is

only because the Lord glances over the material energy that it
acts in wonderful ways, just as a lodestone causes a piece of
iron to move here and there. Because materialistic scientists
and so-called Sāṅkhya philosophers do not believe in God, they
think that material nature is working without supervision. But
that is not the fact. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 6.18-19) the
creation of the material world is explained as follows:
yadyapi sāṅkhya māne 'pradhāna'—kāraṇa

jaḍa ha-ite kabhu nahe jagat-sṛjana
nija-sṛṣṭi-śakti prabhu sañcāre pradhāne

īśvarera śaktye tabe haye ta' nirmāṇe
"Atheistic Sāṅkhya philosophers think that the total material

energy causes the cosmic manifestation, but they are wrong.
Dead matter has no moving power, and therefore it cannot act
independently. The Lord infuses the material ingredients with
His own creative potency. Then, by the power of the Lord,
matter moves and interacts." Sea waves are moved by the air,
the air is created from ether, the ether is produced by the
agitation of the three modes of material nature, and the three
modes of material nature interact due to the Supreme Lord's
glance over the total material energy. Therefore the background
of all natural occurrences is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (mayādhyakṣeṇa
prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]). This is also further
explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 5.59-61):
jagat-kāraṇa nahe prakṛti jaḍa-rūpā

śakti sañcāriyā tāre kṛṣṇa kare kṛpā
kṛṣṇa-śaktye prakṛti haya gauṇa kāraṇa

agni-śaktye lauha yaiche karaye jāraṇa
ataeva kṛṣṇa mūla-jagat-kāraṇa
prakṛti—kāraṇa yaiche ajā-gala-stana
"Because prakṛti [material nature] is dull and inert, it cannot

actually be the cause of the material world. Lord Kṛṣṇa shows
His mercy by infusing His energy into the dull, inert material
nature. Thus prakṛti, by the energy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, becomes the
secondary cause, just as iron becomes red-hot by the energy of
fire. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of the cosmic
manifestation. prakṛti is like the nipples on the neck of a goat,
for they cannot give any milk." Thus it is a great mistake on the
part of the material scientists and philosophers to think that
matter moves independently.
“Since it is my effect, the universe, though material, is my form

also.” This universe is actually not your effect, but the effect of
māya, just as a pot is made of clay. By māyā (guṇaiḥ) the Lord
carries out the creation, maintenance and destruction of the
universe, though not desired for himself, just by applying his
glance (īkṣituḥ), but desired by the jīvas. Though māyā is inert,
by association with the Lord it operates. An example is given.
Iron moves because of a magnet (grāvnaḥ) and comes near the
magnet. I offer respects to you, the witness of the gunās and the
karmas of the jīvas.
TEXT - SB 5.18.39
pramathya daityaṁ prativāraṇaṁ mṛdhe

yo māṁ rasāyā jagad-ādi-sūkaraḥ
kṛtvāgra-daṁṣṭre niragād udanvataḥ
krīḍann ivebhaḥ praṇatāsmi taṁ vibhum iti
SYNONYMS
pramathya—after killing; daityam—the demon; prativāraṇam

—most formidable opponent; mṛdhe—in the fight; yaḥ—He
who; mām—me (the earth); rasāyāḥ—fallen to the bottom of
the universe; jagat—in this material world; ādi-sūkaraḥ—the
original form of a boar; kṛtvā—keeping it; agra-daṁṣṭre—on
the end of the tusk; niragāt—came out of the water; udanvataḥ
—from the Garbhodaka Ocean; krīḍan—playing; iva—like;
ibhaḥ—elephant; praṇatā asmi—I bow down; tam—to Him;
vibhum—the Supreme Lord; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
My Lord, as the original boar within this universe, You
fought and killed the great demon Hiraṇyakṣa. Then You
lifted me [the earth] from the Garbhodaka Ocean on the
end of Your tusk, exactly as a sporting elephant plucks a
lotus flower from the water. I bow down before You.
Narrating the pastime of the boar, the earth shows the Lord’s
great mercy to her. Prativāraṇam means a worthy opponent,
like an elephant. The Lord was also like an elephant (ibhaḥ)
playing. Rasāyāḥ here does not mean Rasātala but the
Garbhodaka Ocean. Jagad-ādi-śukaraḥ means the boar who is
the cause of the universe. Udanvati means in the ocean of
pralaya.
Thus ends the commentary on the Eighteenth Chapter of the


Eighteenth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled, "The
prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambūdvīpa."
19. A Description of the Island of
Jambūdvīpa
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17-18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29-30, 31
Chapter Summary
This chapter describes the glories of Bhārata-varṣa, and it also

describes how Lord Rāmacandra is being worshiped in the tract
of land known as Kimpuruṣa-varṣa. The inhabitants of
Kimpuruṣa-varṣa are fortunate because they worship Lord
Rāmacandra with His faithful servant Hanumān. Lord
Rāmacandra exemplifies an incarnation of Godhead who
descends for the mission of paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca
duṣkṛtām[Bg. 4.8]—protecting the devotees and destroying the
miscreants. Lord Rāmacandra exhibits the actual purpose of an
incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the
devotees take the opportunity to offer loving transcendental
service to Him. One should surrender fully to the Lord,
forgetting one's so-called material happiness, opulence and
education, which are not at all useful for pleasing the Lord. The
Lord is pleased only by the process of surrender unto Him.
When Devarṣi Nārada descended to instruct Sārvaṇi Manu, he

described the opulence of Bhārata-varṣa, India. Sārvaṇi Manu
and the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa engage in devotional
service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the
origin of creation, maintenance and annihilation and who is
always worshiped by self-realized souls. In the planet known as
Bhārata-varṣa there are many rivers and mountains, as there are
in other tracts of land, yet Bhārata-varṣa has special
significance because in this tract of land there exists the Vedic
principle of varṇāśrama-dharma, which divides society into
four varṇas and four āśramas. Furthermore, Nārada Muni's
opinion is that even if there is some temporary disturbance in
the execution of the varṇāśrama-dharma principles, they can
be revived at any moment. The effect of adhering to the
institution of varṇāśrama is gradual elevation to the spiritual
platform and liberation from material bondage. By following
the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma, one gets the opportunity
to associate with devotees. Such association gradually awakens
one's dormant propensity to serve the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and frees one from all the basic principles of sinful
life. One then gets the opportunity to offer unalloyed devotional
service to the Supreme Lord, Vāsudeva. Because of this
opportunity, the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa are praised even
in the heavenly planets. Even in the topmost planet of this
universe, Brahmaloka, the position of Bhārata-varṣa is
discussed with great relish.
All the conditioned living entities are evolving within the

universe in different planets and different species of life. Thus
one may be elevated to Brahmaloka, but then one must again
descend to earth, as confirmed in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā
(ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]). If
those who live in Bhārata-varṣa rigidly follow the principles of
varṇāśrama-dharma and develop their dormant Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, they need not return to this material world after
death. Any place where one cannot hear about the Supreme
Personality of Godhead from realized souls, even if it be
Brahmaloka, is not very congenial to the living entity. If one
who has taken birth in the land of Bhārata-varṣa as a human
being does not take advantage of the opportunity for spiritual
elevation, his position is certainly the most miserable. In the
land known as Bhāratavarṣa, even if one is a sarva-kāma-
bhakta, a devotee seeking the fulfillment of some material
desire, he is freed from all material desires by his association
with devotees, and ultimately he becomes a pure devotee and
returns home, back to Godhead, without difficulty.
At the end of this chapter, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes to

Mahārāja Parīkṣit the eight sub-islands within the island of
Jambūdvīpa.
TEXT - SB 5.19.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
ik-MPauṛze vzeR >aGavNTaMaaidPauṛz& l/+Ma<aaGa]Ja&
SaqTaai>araMa& raMa& TaṀr<aSa‚
iṁk-zaRi>arTa" ParMa>aaGavTaae hNauMaaNa( Sah ik-
MPauṛzErivrTa>ai¢-ṛPaaSTae )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
kimpuruṣe varṣe bhagavantam ādi-puruṣaṁ lakṣmaṇāgrajaṁ

sītābhirāmaṁ rāmaṁ tac-caraṇa-sannikarṣābhirataḥ parama-
bhāgavato hanumān saha kimpuruṣair avirata-bhaktir upāste.
SYNONYMS

kimpuruṣe varṣe—the tract of land known as Kimpuruṣa;
bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ādi-
puruṣam—the original cause of all causes; lakṣmaṇa-agra-jam
—the elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa; sītā-abhirāmam—who is
very pleasing to mother Sītā, or who is the husband of Sītādevī;
rāmam—Lord Rāmacandra; tat-caraṇa-sannikarṣa-abhirataḥ
—one always engaged in service at the lotus feet of Lord
Rāmacandra; parama-bhāgavataḥ—the great devotee
celebrated throughout the universe; hanumān—His Grace
Hanumānjī; saha—with; kimpuruṣaiḥ—the inhabitants of the
tract of land known as Kimpuruṣa; avirata—continuous;
bhaktiḥ—who possesses devotional service; upāste—worships.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, in
Kimpuruṣa-varṣa the great devotee Hanumān is always
engaged with the inhabitants of that land in devotional
service to Lord Rāmacandra, the elder brother of
Lakṣmaṇa and dear husband of Sītādevī.
The Nineteenth Chapter describes the form of Rāma in

Kimpuruṣa-varṣa and Nārāyaṇa in Bhārata-varṣa, and the
excellence of Bhārata-varṣa.
TEXT - SB 5.19.2
ārṣṭiṣeṇena saha gandharvair anugīyamānāṁ parama-kalyāṇīṁ

bhartṛ-bhagavat-kathāṁ samupaśṛṇoti svayaṁ cedaṁ gāyati.
SYNONYMS
ārṣṭi-ṣeṇena—Ārṣṭiṣeṇa, the chief personality of Kimpuruṣa-

varṣa; saha—with; gandharvaiḥ—by a company of
Gandharvas; anugīyamānām—being chanted; parama-
kalyāṇīm—most auspicious; bhartṛ-bhagavat-kathām—the
glories of his master, who is also the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; samupaśṛṇoti—he hears with great attention; svayam
ca—and personally; idam—this; gāyati—chants.
TRANSLATION
A host of Gandharvas is always engaged in chanting the
glories of Lord Rāmacandra. That chanting is always
extremely auspicious. Hanumānjī and Arṣṭiṣeṇa, the chief
person in Kimpuruṣa-varṣa, constantly hear those glories
with complete attention. Hanumān chants the following
mantras.
PURPORT
In the Purāṇas there are two different opinions concerning

Lord Rāmacandra. In the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (5.34-36) this
is confirmed in the description of the incarnation of Manu.
vāsudevādi-rūpāṇām
avatārāḥ prakīrtitāḥ
viṣṇu-dharmottare rāma-
lakṣmaṇādyāḥ kramādamī
pādme tu rāmo bhagavān

nārāyaṇa itīritaḥ
śeṣaś cakraṁ ca śaṅkhaś ca
kramāt syur lakṣmaṇādayaḥ
madhya-deśa-sthitāyodhyā-
pure 'sya vasatiḥ smṛtā
mahā-vaikuṇṭhaloke ca
rāghavedrasya kīrtitā
The Viṣṇu-dharmottara describes that Lord Rāmacandra and

His brothers—Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna—are
incarnations of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and
Aniruddha respectively. The Padma Purāṇa, however, says
that Lord Rāmacandra is an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa and that
the other three brothers are incarnations of Śeṣa, Cakra and
Śaṅkha. Therefore Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has
concluded, tad idaṁ kalpa-bhedenaiva sambhāvyam. In other
words, these opinions are not contradictory. In some
millenniums Lord Rāmacandra and His brothers appear as
incarnations of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and
Aniruddha, and in other millenniums They appear as
incarnations of Nārāyaṇa, Śeṣa, Cakra and Śaṅkha. The
residence of Lord Rāmacandra on this planet is Ayodhyā.
Ayodhyā City is still existing in the district of Faizabad, which
is situated on the northern side of Uttar Pradesh.
Hanumān hears the glories of the Lord, his master. This

indicates that he does not even hear the glories of other forms
of the Lord, unlike Nārada and others.
TEXT - SB 5.19.3
oṁ namo bhagavate uttamaślokāya nama ārya-lakṣaṇa-śīla-

vratāya nama upaśikṣitātmana upāsita-lokāya namaḥ sādhu-
vāda-nikaṣaṇāya namo brahmaṇya-devāya mahā-puruṣāya
mahā-rājāya nama iti.
SYNONYMS
om—O my Lord; namaḥ—my respectful obeisances;

bhagavate—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; uttama-
ślokāya—who is always worshiped with selected verses;
namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; ārya-lakṣaṇa-śīla-vratāya
—who possesses all the good qualities of advanced
personalities; namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; upaśikṣita-
ātmane—unto You whose senses are under control; upāsita-
lokāya—who is always remembered and worshiped by all the
different classes of living entities; namaḥ—my respectful
obeisances; sādhu-vāda-nikaṣaṇāya—to the Lord, who is like a
stone for examining all the good qualities of a sādhu; namaḥ—
my respectful obeisances; brahmaṇya-devāya—who is
worshiped by the most qualified brāhmaṇas; mahā-puruṣāya—
unto the Supreme Lord, who is worshiped by the puruṣa-sūkta
because of being the cause of this material creation; mahā-
rājāya—unto the supreme king, or the king of all kings; namaḥ
—my respectful obeisances; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Let me please Your Lordship by chanting the bīja-mantra
oṁkāra. I wish to offer my respectful obeisances unto the
Personality of Godhead, who is the best among the most
highly elevated personalities. Your Lordship is the reservoir
of all the good qualities of Āryans, people who are
advanced. Your character and behavior are always
consistent, and You always control Your senses and mind.
Acting just like an ordinary human being, You exhibit
exemplary character to teach others how to behave. There
is a touchstone that can be used to examine the quality of
gold, but You are like a touchstone that can verify all good
qualities. You are worshiped by brāhmaṇas who are the
foremost of all devotees. You, the Supreme Person, are the
King of kings, and therefore I offer my respectful
I offer respects the Lord who has marks worthy of worship,

such as flag and thunderbolt on his feet, qualities like wisdom
and vratas like being fixed in dharma (arya-lakṣaṇa-śīla-
vratāya), to the Lord who took teachings from guru and
brāhmaṇas. Because you thought, “All people down to the
washer man should be satisfied with my conduct” you are
respected by all people, not just Brahmā. Therefore I offer
respects to you, worshipped by all (upasita-lokāya). You
establish the highest excellence (nikaṣaṇāya) of reputation as
being kind to brāhmaṇas, true to your promise and being
merciful. People are attracted by those qualities. On attaining
Rāma all good qualities reach their perfection. Just as the best
gold is proved to be excellent by the testing stone, so all good
qualities are proved to excellent when placed in Rāma.
TEXT - SB 5.19.4
yat tad viśuddhānubhava-mātram ekaṁ
sva-tejasā dhvasta-guṇa-vyavastham
pratyak praśāntaṁ sudhiyopalambhanaṁ
hy anāma-rūpaṁ nirahaṁ prapadye
SYNONYMS
yat—which; tat—to that supreme truth; viśuddha—

transcendentally pure, without contamination by material
nature; anubhava—experience; mātram—that sac-cid-ānanda
transcendental body; ekam—the one; sva-tejasā—by His own
spiritual potency; dhvasta—vanquished; guṇa-vyavastham—
the influence of the modes of material nature; pratyak—
transcendental, not to be seen with material eyes; praśāntam—
undisturbed by material agitation; sudhiyā—by Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, or purified consciousness, uncontaminated by
material desires, fruitive activities and speculative philosophy;
upalambhanam—who can be achieved; hi—indeed; anāma-
rūpam—without a material name and form; niraham—without
a material ego; prapadye—let me offer my respectful
obeisances.
TRANSLATION
The Lord, whose pure form [sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs.
5.1]] is uncontaminated by the modes of material nature,
can be perceived by pure consciousness. In the Vedānta He
is described as being one without a second. Because of His
spiritual potency, He is untouched by the contamination of
material nature, and because He is not subjected to
material vision, He is known as transcendental. He has no
material activities, nor has He a material form or name.
Only in pure consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, can one
perceive the transcendental form of the Lord. Let us be
firmly fixed at the lotus feet of Lord Rāmacandra, and let
us offer our respectful obeisances unto those transcendental
lotus feet.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, appears in

various expansions, as stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.39):
rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu
kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo
"I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who

is always situated in various incarnations such as Rāma,
Nṛsiṁha and many subincarnations as well, but who is the
original Personality of Godhead known as Kṛṣṇa and who
incarnates personally also." Kṛṣṇa, who is viṣṇu-tattva, has
expanded Himself in many Viṣṇu forms, of which Lord
Rāmacandra is one. We know that the viṣṇu-tattva is carried by
the transcendental bird Garuḍa and is equipped with different
types of weapons in four hands. Therefore we may doubt
whether Lord Rāmacandra could be in the same category, since
He was carried by Hanumān, not by Garuḍa, and had neither
four hands nor the śaṅkha, cakra, gadā and padma.
Consequently this verse clarifies that Rāmacandra is as good as
Kṛṣṇa (rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā). Although Kṛṣṇa is the original
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Rāmacandra is not different
from Him. Rāmacandra is unaffected by the modes of material
nature, and therefore He is praśānta, never disturbed by those
modes.
Unless one is saturated with love for the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, one cannot appreciate the transcendental value of
Lord Rāmacandra; one cannot see Him with material eyes.
Because demons like Rāvaṇa have no spiritual vision, they
consider Lord Rāmacandra an ordinary kṣatriya king. Rāvaṇa
therefore attempted to kidnap Lord Rāmacandra's eternal
consort, Sītādevī. Actually, however, Rāvaṇa could not carry
off Sītādevī in her original form. As soon as she was touched
by Rāvaṇa's hands, she gave him a material form, but she
maintained her original form beyond his vision. Therefore in
this verse the words pratyak praśāntam indicate that Lord
Rāmacandra and His potency, the goddess Sītā, keep
themselves aloof from the influence of the material energy.
In the Upaniṣads it is said: yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyaḥ-

labhyaḥ Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23. The Supreme Lord,
Paramātmā, the Personality of Godhead, can be seen or
perceived only by persons who are saturated with devotional
service. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38):
premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by

the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He
is seen in His eternal form of Śyāmasundara, situated within the
heart of the devotee." Similarly, in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad it
is stated, etās tisro devatā anena jīvena. In this verse of the
Chāndogya Upaniṣad the word anena is used to distinguish the
ātmā and Paramātmā as two separate identities. The words tisro
devatā indicate that the body of the living entity is made of
three material elements—fire, earth and water. Although the
Paramātmā enters the heart of the jīvātmā, who is influenced
and designated by a material body, the Paramātmā has nothing
to do with the jīvātmā's body. Because the Paramātmā has no
material connections, He is described here as anāma-rūpaṁ
niraham. The Paramātmā has no material identity, whereas the
jīvātmā does. The jīvātmā may introduce himself as an Indian,
American, German and so on, but the Paramātmā has no such
material designations, and therefore He has no material name.
The jīvātmā is different from his name, but the Paramātmā is
not; His name and He Himself are one and the same. This is the
meaning of niraham, which means "without material
designations." This word cannot possibly be twisted to mean
that the Paramātmā has no ahaṅkāra, no "I-ness" or identity.
He has His transcendental identity as the Supreme. This is the
explanation given by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. According to another
interpretation, given by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura,
niraham means nirniścayena aham. Niraham does not mean
that the Supreme Lord has no identity. Rather, the stress given
by the word aham proves strongly that He does have His
personal identity because nir not only means "negative" but
also means "strong ascertainment."
“Will not some people doubt that Rāma is God since he does
not hold the conch and cakra and does not ride Garuḍa or
display extraordinary powers?” Let those who doubt continue
to doubt! But I realize personally Rāma as the supreme
Brahman. I surrender to Rāma who is a state devoid of māyā.
“But even a purified jīva is devoid of māyā.” His form is
devoid of māyā by the power of his form (sva-tejasā). He is
thus invisible (pratyak). Na cakṣuṣā paśyati rūpam asya: one
cannot see his form by the eye. (Katha Upaniṣad 6.8) Yam
evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām:
he reveals his form to that person whom he chooses. (Muṇḍaka
Upaniṣad 3.2.3) He is thus devoid of all disturbances
(praṣāntam). “Does that mean that Rāma cannot be seen?” He
can be realized by a person having fine intelligence, because he
is without material name and form. Etās tisro devatā anena
jīvenātmanānupraviśya nāmarūpe vyākaravāṇi: entering the
three devatās as jīva, I will reveal name and form. (Chāndogya
Upaniṣad 6.3.2) The three devatās means fire, water and earth. I
surrender to the Lord with certainty (niḥ). Or I surrender
without ahaṇkāra (niraham). The devotee thinks, “Surrender is
accomplished by the Lord by his mercy, not by me, who have
false identity as the doer.”
TEXT - SB 5.19.5
martyāvatāras tv iha martya-śikṣaṇaṁ
rakṣo-vadhāyaiva na kevalaṁ vibhoḥ
kuto 'nyathā syād ramataḥ sva ātmanaḥ
sītā-kṛtāni vyasanānīśvarasya
SYNONYMS
martya—as a human being; avatāraḥ—whose incarnation; tu—

however; iha—in the material world; martya-śikṣaṇam—for
teaching all the living entities, especially human beings;
rakṣaḥ-vadhāya—to kill the demon Rāvaṇa; eva—certainly; na
—not; kevalam—only; vibhoḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; kutaḥ—from where; anyathā—otherwise; syāt—
there would be; ramataḥ—of one enjoying; sve—in Himself;
ātmanaḥ—the spiritual identity of the universe; sītā—of the
wife of Lord Rāmacandra; kṛtāni—appearing due to the
separation; vyasanāni—all the miseries; īśvarasya—of the
TRANSLATION
It was ordained that Rāvaṇa, chief of the Rākṣasas, could
not be killed by anyone but a man, and for this reason Lord
Rāmacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
appeared in the form of a human being. Lord
Rāmacandra's mission, however, was not only to kill
Rāvaṇa but also to teach mortal beings that material
happiness centered around sex life or centered around one's
wife is the cause of many miseries. He is the self-sufficient
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and nothing is
lamentable for Him. Therefore why else could He be
subjected to tribulations by the kidnapping of mother Sītā?
PURPORT
When the Lord appears in this universe in the form of a human

being, He has two purposes, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā [Bg.
4.8]—paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: to destroy
the demons and protect the devotees. To protect the devotees,
the Lord not only satisfies them by His personal presence but
also teaches them so that they will not fall down from
devotional service. By His personal example, Lord Rāmacandra
taught the devotees that it is better not to enter married life,
which is certainly followed by many tribulations. As confirmed
yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ

kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham
tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ
kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta-dhīraḥ
Kṛpaṇas,those who are not advanced in spiritual knowledge

and who are therefore just the opposite of brāhmaṇas, generally
take to family life, which is a concession for sex. Thus they
enjoy sex again and again, although that sex is followed by
many tribulations. This is a warning to devotees. To teach this
lesson to devotees and to human society in general, Lord Śrī
Rāmacandra, although the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Himself, underwent a series of tribulations because He
accepted a wife, mother Sītā. Lord Rāmacandra underwent
these austerities, of course, only to instruct us; actually He
never has any reason to lament for anything.
Another aspect of the Lord's instructions is that one who

accepts a wife must be a faithful husband and give her full
protection. Human society is divided into two classes of men—
those who strictly follow the religious principles and those who
are devotees. By His personal example, Lord Rāmacandra
wanted to instruct both of them how to fully adopt the
discipline of the religious system and how to be a beloved and
dutiful husband. Otherwise He had no reason to undergo
apparent tribulations. One who strictly follows religious
principles must not neglect to provide all facilities for the
complete protection of his wife. There may be some suffering
because of this, but one must nevertheless endure it. That is the
duty of a faithful husband. By His personal example, Lord
Rāmacandra demonstrated this duty. Lord Rāmacandra could
have produced hundreds and thousands of Sītās from His
pleasure energy, but just to show the duty of a faithful husband,
He not only rescued Sītā from the hands of Rāvaṇa but also
killed Rāvaṇa and all the members of his family.
Another aspect of the teachings of Lord Rāmacandra is that

although Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
His devotees may apparently suffer from material tribulations,
they have nothing to do with such tribulations. They are mukta-
puruṣas, liberated persons, under all circumstances. It is
therefore said in the Caitanya-bhāgavata:
yata dekha vaiṣṇavera vyavahāra duḥkha

niścaya jāniha tāhā paramānanda-sukha
A Vaiṣṇava is always firmly situated in transcendental bliss

because of engagement in devotional service. Although he may
appear to suffer material pains, his position is called
transcendental bliss in separation (viraha). The emotions a
lover and beloved feel when separated from one another are
actually very blissful, although apparently painful. Therefore
the separation of Lord Rāmacandra from Sītādevī, as well as
the consequent tribulation they suffered, is but another display
of transcendental bliss. That is the opinion of Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura.
“How does Rāma appear in the material world?” He appeared

in the world with a human form (martyāvatāraḥ), not only for
killing Rāvaṇa (rakṣas) but to teach human beings. These
humans were of two types: those who followed dharma and the
devotees. Rāma appeared in order to teach dharma by showing
his nature of following dharma and to teach prema by showing
how he was controlled by prema. Otherwise why would the
Lord, the enjoyer, the Paramātmā (ātmanaḥ), in his svarūpa
(sve), experience suffering caused by separation from Sītā? A
follower of dharma would never ignore his chaste wife and
would tolerate suffering because of her. To teach this, he
showed suffering in himself. That is the first point (teaching
dharma).
How could he lament in separation from Sītā? These symptoms

which only have the appearance of suffering arise from the
taste of vipralambha-rasa (love in separation), in the
sthāyībhāva of prema. This rasa is actually the highest bliss. It
would be a contradiction if suffering were present in someone
who is ātmārāma, self-satisfied. One should not say “If Rāma is
self-satisfied how can he enjoy Sītā?” Sītā is part of himself
since she arises as his svarūpa-śakti. “If Sītā is part of his
svarūpa, then why should he experience separation?” By a
particular function of the cit-śakti, by the great power known as
prema, the one supreme tattva remains divided in two parts
without beginning in time: one part is bliss with six powers and
the other part is pure bliss. The first part is called the Supreme
Lord and the second is called the devotee. Then again, by, by
four functions of his prema, the second tattva divides into four:
servants, friends, elders and lovers. The first tattva, the Lord, is
established in terms manifestation of these different types of
bhāvas of the devotees.
When jīvas of the material world by good fortune begin

practicing this type of bhakti and their bhakti becomes mature,
prema appears on its own. Placing the jīvas into those moods as
servant, friend, parent or lover, prema then brings them to the
eternal world at the appropriate time with these bhāvas such as
dāsya and pervades them with these four types of love. By
prema, they attain a sthāyibhāva, and by vibhāvas, anubhāvas
and sañcāri-bhāvas, which arise by the power of prema alone,
prema becomes rasa. Then prema makes the two tattvas
experience their natures as viśaya and āśraya, and by meeting
and separation occurring by the will of prema, a person
experiences happiness and sorrow. The devotees experience the
most astonishing bliss by tasting the unparalleled, most
extraordinary sweetness of prema. Those who are not devotees
however will say that Rāma and Kṛṣṇa experienced great
suffering. Others will say that Rāma imitated suffering for
teaching the jīvas. In this way they are bewildered.
TEXT - SB 5.19.6
na vai sa ātmātmavatāṁ suhṛttamaḥ
saktas tri-lokyāṁ bhagavān vāsudevaḥ
na strī-kṛtaṁ kaśmalam aśnuvīta

na lakṣmaṇaṁ cāpi vihātum arhati
SYNONYMS
na—not; vai—indeed; saḥ—He; ātmā—the Supreme Soul;

ātmavatām—of the self-realized souls; suhṛt-tamaḥ—the best
friend; saktaḥ—attached; tri-lokyām—to anything within the
three worlds; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
vāsudevaḥ—the all-pervading Lord; na—not; strī-kṛtam—
obtained because of His wife; kaśmalam—sufferings of
separation; aśnuvīta—would obtain; na—not; lakṣmaṇam—His
younger brother Lakṣmaṇa; ca—also; api—certainly; vihātum
—to give up; arhati—be able.
TRANSLATION
Since Lord Śrī Rāmacandra is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Vāsudeva, He is not attached to anything in this
material world. He is the most beloved Supersoul of all self-
realized souls, and He is their very intimate friend. He is
full of all opulences. Therefore He could not possibly have
suffered because of separation from His wife, nor could He
have given up His wife and Lakṣmaṇa, His younger
brother. To give up either would have been absolutely
impossible.
PURPORT
In defining the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we say that

He is full in all six opulences—wealth, fame, strength,
influence, beauty and renunciation. He is called renounced
because He is not attached to anything in this material world;
He is specifically attached to the spiritual world and the living
entities there. The affairs of the material world take place under
the superintendence of Durgādevī (sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-
sādhana-śaktir ekā/ chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā
[Bs. 5.44]). Everything is going on under the strict rules and
regulations of the material energy, represented by Durgā.
Therefore the Lord is completely detached and need not give
attention to the material world. Sītādevī belongs to the spiritual
world. Similarly, Lord Lakṣmaṇa, Rāmacandra's younger
brother, is a manifestation of Saṅkarṣaṇa, and Lord
Rāmacandra Himself is Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
Since the Lord is always spiritually qualified, He is attached to

servants who always render transcendental loving service unto
Him. He is attached to the truth in life, not to brahminical
qualities. Indeed, He is never attached to any material qualities.
Although He is the Supersoul of all living entities, He is
specifically manifest to those who are self-realized, and He is
especially dear to the hearts of His transcendental devotees.
Because Lord Rāmacandra descended to teach human society
how dutiful a king should be, He apparently gave up the
company of mother Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa. Factually, however, He
could not have given them up. One should therefore learn about
the activities of Lord Rāmacandra from a self-realized soul.
Then one can understand the transcendental activities of the
Lord.
All this was accomplished by the Lord’s spiritual qualities such

as being controlled by prema, being true to his word, and being
generous to brāhmaṇas and nothing else. He is never attached
to the three worlds because he is Paramātmā (ātmā). He is the
best friend of those for whom the Lord is the object of service
(ātmavatām), because he is full of the six qualities (bhagavān).
If one does not accept that the Lord is controlled by prema,
then he should not have fallen under illusion created by a
woman, like an ordinary person. If one does not accept his
spiritual qualities, he should not have given up Lakṣmaṇa. The
advisor Devadūta informed Rama that Rāma should kill anyone
who came in the room at that time (since they were having a
private talk.) Lakṣmaṇa, situated at the door as the guard, then
came to inform Rāma that Durvāsa had come. Rāma (in anger)
was ready to kill him. Vasiṣṭha said, “Give him up.” (And
Rāma did so.) Therefore, by this pastime Rāma taught prema
and dharma. The previous verse correctly said that Rāma
appeared in this world to teach human beings.
TEXT - SB 5.19.7
na janma nūnaṁ mahato na saubhagaṁ
na vāṅ na buddhir nākṛtis toṣa-hetuḥ
tair yad visṛṣṭān api no vanaukasaś
cakāra sakhye bata lakṣmaṇāgrajaḥ

SYNONYMS
na—not; janma—birth in a very polished, aristocratic family;

nūnam—indeed; mahataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; na—nor; saubhagam—great fortune; na—nor; vāk—
an elegant manner of speaking; na—nor; buddhiḥ—sharpness
of intelligence; na—not; ākṛtiḥ—features of the body; toṣa-
hetuḥ—the cause of pleasure to the Lord; taiḥ—by all those
above-mentioned qualities; yat—because; visṛṣṭān—rejected;
api—although; naḥ—us; vana-okasaḥ—the inhabitants of the
forest; cakāra—accepted; sakhye—in friendship; bata—alas;
lakṣmaṇa-agra-jaḥ—Lord Śrī Rāmacandra, the elder brother of
Lakṣmaṇa.
TRANSLATION
One cannot establish a friendship with the Supreme Lord
Rāmacandra on the basis of material qualities such as one's
birth in an aristocratic family, one's personal beauty, one's
eloquence, one's sharp intelligence or one's superior race or
nation. None of these qualifications is actually a
prerequisite for friendship with Lord Śrī Rāmacandra.
Otherwise how is it possible that although we uncivilized
inhabitants of the forest have not taken noble births,
although we have no physical beauty and although we
cannot speak like gentlemen, Lord Rāmacandra has
nevertheless accepted us as friends?
PURPORT
In a prayer to Kṛṣṇa expressing her feelings, Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī
called Him akiñcana-gocara. The prefix a means "not," and
kiñcana "something of this material world." One may be very
proud of his prestigious position, material wealth, beauty,
education and so on, but although these are certainly good
qualifications in material dealings, they are not necessary for
achieving friendship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
One who possesses all these material qualities is expected to
become a devotee, and when he actually does, the qualities are
properly utilized. Those who are puffed up by a high birth,
wealth, education and personal beauty (janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī
[SB 1.8.26]) unfortunately do not care for developing Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, nor does the Supreme Personality of Godhead
care about all these material qualifications. The Supreme Lord
is achieved by devotion (bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]).
One's devotion and sincere desire to serve the Supreme
Personality of Godhead are the only qualifications. Rūpa
Gosvāmī has also said that the price for achieving God's favor
is simply one's sincere eagerness to have it (laulyam ekaṁ
mūlyam). In the Caitanya-bhāgavata it is said:
kholāvecā sevakera dekha bhāgya-sīmā

brahmā śiva kāṅde yāra dekhiyā mahimā
dhane jane pāṇḍitye kṛṣere nāhi pāi

kevala bhaktira vaśa caitanya-gosāñi
"Behold the great fortune of the devotee Kholāvecā. Lord

Brahmā and Śiva shed tears upon seeing his greatness. One
cannot attain Lord Kṛṣṇa by any amount of wealth, followers,
or learning. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is controlled only by
pure devotion. "Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had a very
sincere devotee whose name was Kholāvecā Śrīdhara and
whose only business was to sell pots made of the skin of
banana trees. Whatever income he had, he used fifty percent for
the worship of mother Ganges, and with the other fifty percent
he provided for his necessities. On the whole, he was so very
poor that he lived in a cottage that had a broken roof with many
holes in it. He could not afford brass utensils, and therefore he
drank water from an iron pot. Nevertheless, he was a great
devotee of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a typical
example of how a poor man with no material possessions can
become a most exalted devotee of the Lord. The conclusion is
that one cannot attain shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa or
Śrī Caitanya Gosāñi through material opulence; that shelter is
attainable only by pure devotional service.
[Cc. Madhya 19.167]

speculation. That is called pure devotional service."

This verse explains the causeless mercy of Rāma, full of all
good qualities. Janma mahataḥ means birth in a great family.
Or mahataḥ can be related to tośa-hetuḥ: a cause of satisfaction
of Rāma. Rāma, the older brother of Lakṣmaṇa, who has all
good qualities in full, accepted Lakṣmaṇa as a servant. But
Rāma has accepted us as friends, though we have no good
qualities, and are devoid of good birth (taiḥ visṛṣṭān). The
speaker is Sugrīva.
TEXT - SB 5.19.8
suro 'suro vāpy atha vānaro naraḥ
sarvātmanā yaḥ sukṛtajñam uttamam
bhajeta rāmaṁ manujākṛtiṁ hariṁ
ya uttarān anayat kosalān divam iti
SYNONYMS
suraḥ—demigod; asuraḥ—demon; vā api—or; atha—

therefore; vā—or; anaraḥ—other than a human being (bird,
beast, animal and so on); naraḥ—a human being; sarva-ātmanā
—wholeheartedly; yaḥ—who; su-kṛtajñam—easily made
grateful; uttamam—most highly elevated; bhajeta—should
worship; rāmam—Lord Rāmacandra; manuja-ākṛtim—
appearing as a human being; harim—the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; yaḥ—who; uttarān—of northern India; anayat—
brought back; kosalān—the inhabitants of Kosala-deśa,
Ayodhyā; divam—to the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭha; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, whether one is a demigod or a demon, a man or
a creature other than man, such as a beast or bird,
everyone should worship Lord Rāmacandra, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who appears on this earth just like
a human being. There is no need of great austerities or
penances to worship the Lord, for Me accepts even a small
service offered by His devotee. Thus He is satisfied, and as
soon as He is satisfied, the devotee is successful. Indeed,
Lord Śrī Rāmacandra brought all the devotees of Ayodhyā
back home, back to Godhead [Vaikuṇṭha].
PURPORT
Lord Śrī Rāmacandra is so kind and merciful to His devotees

that He is very easily satisfied by a little service rendered by
anyone, human or not. This is the special advantage of
worshiping Lord Rāmacandra, and there is the same advantage
in worshiping Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Kṛṣṇa and
Lord Rāmacandra, in the manner of kṣatriyas, sometimes
showed Their mercy by killing asuras, but Lord Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu awarded love of God without difficulty even to
the asuras. All the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead—but especially Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa and,
later, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—delivered many of the
living entities present before Them, indeed almost all of them.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore represented in the six-
armed form of ṣaḍ-bhūja-mūrti, which is a combination of Lord
Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The best purpose of human life can be fulfilled by worshiping
the ṣaḍ-bhūja-mūrti, the form of the Lord with six arms-two
arms of Rāmacandra, two arms of Kṛṣṇa and two arms of Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Among all the avatāras worthy of worship, Rāma is the ocean

of mercy, the most worthy of worship. In worshipping him, all
persons are qualified without distinction. Everyone should
worship Rāma by all methods (sarvātmanā). Rāma took all the
inhabitants of Ayodhyā (uttarān kośalān) in those very bodies
to Vaikuṇṭha (divam).
TEXT - SB 5.19.9
bhārate 'pi varṣe bhagavān nara-nārāyaṇākhya ākalpāntam

upacita-dharma-jñāna-
vairāgyaiśvaryopaśamoparamātmopalambhanam
anugrahāyātmavatām anukampayā tapo 'vyakta-gatiś carati.
SYNONYMS
bhārate—in Bhārata; api—also; varṣe—the tract of land;

bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nara-
nārāyaṇa-ākhyaḥ—known as Nara-Nārāyaṇa; ā-kalpa-antam
—up to the end of the millennium; upacita—increasing;
dharma—religion; jñāna—knowledge; vairāgya—renunciation
or nonattachment; aiśvarya—mystic opulences; upaśama—
control of the senses; uparama—freedom from false ego; ātma-
upalambhanam—self-realization; anugrahāya—to show favor;
ātma-vatām—unto persons interested in self-realization;
anukampayā—by causeless mercy; tapaḥ—austerities;
avyakta-gatiḥ—whose glories are inconceivable; carati—
executes.
TRANSLATION
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] The glories of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead are inconceivable. He has appeared
in the form of Nara-Nārāyaṇa in the land of Bhārata-varṣa,
at the place known as Badarikāśrama, to favor His devotees
by teaching them religion, knowledge, renunciation,
spiritual power, sense control and freedom from false ego.
He is advanced in the opulence of spiritual assets, and He
engages in executing austerity until the end of this
millennium. This is the process of self-realization.
PURPORT
People in India may visit the temple of Nara-Nārāyaṇa at

Badarikāśrama just to learn how the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in His incarnation as Nara-Nārāyaṇa engages in
austerities to teach the people of the world how to achieve self-
realization. It is impossible to realize oneself simply by
absorbing oneself in speculation and material activities. One
must be very serious about self-realization and the practice of
austerity. Unfortunately, the people of this age of Kali do not
even know the meaning of austerity. Under these
circumstances, the Lord has appeared as Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu to bestow upon the fallen souls the easiest method
of self-realization, technically called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12], cleansing of the dirt from the core of one's
heart. This method is extremely simple. Anyone can chant the
glorious kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare
Hare. In this age there are different forms of so-called advanced
scientific knowledge, such as anthropology, Marxism,
Freudianism, nationalism and industrialism, but if we work
very hard under their guidance instead of adopting the process
practiced by Nara-Nārāyaṇa, we shall waste our valuable
human form of life. Thus we shall certainly be cheated and
misled.
Nara-nārāyaṇa perform penance by which one realizes one’s

ātmā, and in which there is control of the senses (upaśama) and
absence of ahaṅkāra (uparama). He showed mercy
(anugrahāya) to the jñānīs. He showed mercy by giving
teachings about austerity. Therefore performing austerities was
necessary. Performing austerities was his mercy also
(anukampayā). The two words for mercy are therefore not
repetitive.
TEXT - SB 5.19.10
taṁ bhagavān nārado varṇāśramavatībhir bhāratībhiḥ prajābhir

bhagavat-proktābhyāṁ sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ bhagavad-
anubhāvopavarṇanaṁ sāvarṇer upadekṣyamāṇaḥ parama-
bhakti-bhāvenopasarati idaṁ cābhigṛṇāti.
SYNONYMS
tam—Him (Nara-Nārāyaṇa); bhagavān—the most powerful

saintly person; nāradaḥ—the great sage Nārada; varṇa-
āśrama-vatībhiḥ—by followers of the institution of the four
varṇas and four āśramas; bhāratībhiḥ—of the land known as
Bhārata-varṣa (India); prajābhiḥ—who are the inhabitants;
bhagavat-proktābhyām—which was stated by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; sāṅkhya—by the sāṅkhya-yoga system
(the analytical study of material conditions); yogābhyām—by
practice of the yoga system; bhagavat-anubhāva-upavarṇanam
—which describes the process of God realization; sāvarṇeḥ—
unto Sāvarṇi Manu; upadekṣyamāṇaḥ—instructing; parama-
bhakti-bhāvena—in greatly ecstatic loving service to the Lord;
upasarati—serves the Lord; idam—this; ca—and; abhigṛṇāti
—chants.
TRANSLATION
In his own book, known as Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhagavān
Nārada has very vividly described how to work to achieve
the ultimate goal of life—devotion—through knowledge and
through execution of the mystic yoga system. He has also
described the glories of the Lord, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. The great sage Nārada instructed the tenets of
this transcendental literature to Sāvarṇi Manu in order to
teach those inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa who strictly follow
the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma how to achieve the
devotional service of the Lord. Thus Nārada Muni, along
with the other inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa, always engages
in the service of Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and he chants as follows.
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has clearly declared:

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]
The real success or fulfillment of the mission of human life can

be achieved in India, Bhārata-varṣa, because in Bhārata-varṣa
the purpose of life and the method for achieving success are
evident. People should take advantage of the opportunity
afforded by Bhārata-varṣa, and this is especially so for those
who are following the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma. If we
do not take to the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma by
accepting the four social orders (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya
and śūdra) and the four orders of spiritual life (brahmacārī,
gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa), there can be no question
of success in life. Unfortunately, because of the influence of
Kali-yuga, everything is now being lost. The inhabitants of
Bhārata-varṣa are gradually becoming degraded mlecchas and
yavanas. How then will they teach others? Therefore, this
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has been started not only for
the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa but for all the people of the
world, as announced by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There is still
time, and if the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa take this
movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, the entire world
will be saved from gliding down to a hellish condition. The
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement follows the process of
pañcarātrika-vidhi and that of bhāgavata-vidhi simultaneously,
so that people can take advantage of the movement and make
their lives successful.
The description of realization of the Lord is found in Pañcarātra

scriptures. He taught Pañcarātra along with Sāṅkhya and yoga.
Sāvarṇeḥ means sāvarṇim.
TEXT - SB 5.19.11
oṁ namo bhagavate upaśama-śīlāyoparatānātmyāya namo

'kiñcana-vittāya ṛṣi-ṛṣabhāya nara-nārāyaṇāya paramahaṁsa-
parama-gurave ātmārāmādhipataye namo nama iti.
SYNONYMS
om—O Supreme Lord; namaḥ—my respectful obeisances;

bhagavate—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
upaśama-śīlāya—who has mastered the senses; uparata-
anātmyāya—having no attachment for this material world;
namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; akiñcana-vittāya—unto the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the only asset of
persons who have no material possessions; ṛṣi-ṛṣabhāya—the
most exalted of saintly persons; nara-nārāyaṇāya—Nara-
Nārāyaṇa; paramahaṁsa-parama-gurave—the most exalted
spiritual master of all paramahaṁsas, liberated persons;
ātmārāma-adhipataye—the best of self-realized persons;
namaḥ namaḥ—my respectful obeisances again and again; iti
—thus.
TRANSLATION
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Nara-Nārāyaṇa,
the best of all saintly persons, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He is the most self-controlled and self-realized,
He is free from false prestige, and He is the asset of persons
who have no material possessions. He is the spiritual master
of all paramahaṁsas, who are the most exalted human
beings, and He is the master of the self-realized. Let me
offer my repeated obeisances at His lotus feet.
The person who thinks that knowing about ātmā is not

necessary is called anātmā. Anātmya is the condition of being
like that. The Lord is indifferent to the anātymya.
TEXT - SB 5.19.12
gāyati cedam—
kartāsya sargādiṣu yo na badhyate

na hanyate deha-gato 'pi daihikaiḥ
draṣṭur na dṛg yasya guṇair vidūṣyate
tasmai namo 'sakta-vivikta-sākṣiṇe
SYNONYMS
gāyati—he sings; ca—and; idam—this; kartā—the executor;

asya—of this cosmic manifestation; sarga-ādiṣu—of the
creation, maintenance and destruction; yaḥ—one who; na
badhyate—is not attached as the creator, master or proprietor;
na—not; hanyate—is victimized; deha-gataḥ api—although
appearing as a human being; daihikaiḥ—by bodily tribulations
such as hunger, thirst and fatigue; draṣṭuḥ—of Him who is the
seer of everything; na—not; dṛk—the power of vision; yasya—
of whom; guṇaiḥ—by the material qualities; vidūṣyate—is
polluted; tasmai—unto Him; namaḥ—my respectful
obeisances; asakta—unto the Supreme person, who is
unattached; vivikta—without affection; sākṣiṇe—the witness of
everything.
TRANSLATION
Nārada, the most powerful saintly sage, also worships Nara-
Nārāyaṇa by chanting the following mantra: The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is the master of the creation,
maintenance and annihilation of this visible cosmic
manifestation, yet He is completely free from false prestige.
Although to the foolish He appears to have accepted a
material body like us, He is unaffected by bodily
tribulations like hunger, thirst and fatigue. Although He is
the witness who sees everything, His senses are unpolluted
by the objects He sees. Let me offer my respectful
obeisances unto that unattached, pure witness of the world,
the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is described as

sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha[Bs. 5.1], the body of eternity,
transcendental bliss and full knowledge. Now in this verse He
is more fully described. Kṛṣṇa is the creator of the entire
cosmic manifestation, yet He is unattached to it. If we were to
construct a very tall skyscraper, we would be very attached to
it, but Kṛṣṇa is so renounced that although He has created
everything, He is not attached to anything (na badhyate).
Furthermore, although Kṛṣṇa has His transcendental form, sac-
cid-ānanda-vigraha[Bs. 5.1], He is not disturbed by the bodily
necessities of life, which are called daihika; for example, He is
never hungry, thirsty or fatigued (na hanyate deha-gato 'pi
daihikaiḥ). Then again, since everything is Kṛṣṇa's property, He
sees everything and is present everywhere, but because His
body is transcendental, He is above vision, the objects of vision
and the process of vision. When we see someone beautiful, we
are attracted. The sight of a beautiful woman immediately
attracts a man, and the sight of a man naturally attracts a
woman. Kṛṣṇa, however, is transcendental to all these faults.
Although He is the seer of everything, He is not afflicted with
faulty vision (na dṛg yasya guṇair vidūṣyate). Therefore,
although He is the witness and seer, He is aloof from all
affection for the activities He sees. He is always unattached and
separate; He is only a witness.
This verse explains that the Lord is the crest jewel of

ātmārāmas. Since he is not attached to the creation he is called
asakta. Since he is not overcome by hunger and thirst
(daihikaiḥ) he is called vivkta, separate from the body. Though
he is the witness, his sight is not contaminated by seeing māyā.
Thus he is an unattached (asakta) witness and a pure (vivikta)
witness, an uncontaminated witness.
TEXT - SB 5.19.13
idaṁ hi yogeśvara yoga-naipuṇaṁ
hiraṇyagarbho bhagavāñ jagāda yat
yad anta-kāle tvayi nirguṇe mano
bhaktyā dadhītojjhita-duṣkalevaraḥ
SYNONYMS
idam—this; hi—certainly; yoga-īśvara—O my Lord, master of

all mystic power; yoga-naipuṇam—the expert process of
executing yogic principles; hiraṇya-garbhaḥ—Lord Brahmā;
bhagavān—the most powerful; jagāda—spoke; yat—which;
yat—which; anta-kāle—at the time of death; tvayi—in You;
nirguṇe—the transcendence; manaḥ—the mind; bhaktyā—with
a devotional attitude; dadhīta—one should place; ujjhita-
duṣkalevaraḥ—having given up his identification with the
material body.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, master of all mystic yoga, this is the
explanation of the yogic process spoken of by Lord Brahmā
[Hiraṇyagarbha], who is self-realized. At the time of death,
all yogīs give up the material body with full detachment
simply by placing their minds at Your lotus feet. That is the
perfection of yoga.
PURPORT
Śrīla Madhvācārya says:
yasya samyag bhagavati

jñānaṁ bhaktis tathaiva ca
niścintas tasya mokṣaḥ syāt
sarva-pāpa-kṛto 'pi tu
"For one who very seriously practices devotional service during

his lifetime in order to understand the constitutional position of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, liberation from this
material world is guaranteed, even if he has previously been
addicted to sinful habits." This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-
gītā:
api cet su-durācāro
bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
"Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is

engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly
because he is properly situated." (Bg. 9.30) The only purpose of
life is to be fully absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and His form,
pastimes, activities and qualities. If one is able to think of
Kṛṣṇa in this way, twenty-four hours a day, he is already
liberated (svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]). Whereas
materialists are absorbed in material thoughts and activities,
devotees, on the contrary, are always absorbed in thoughts of
Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's activities. Therefore they are already on the
platform of liberation. One has to think of Kṛṣṇa with full
absorption at the time of death. Then he will certainly return
home, back to Godhead, without a doubt.
This verse explains the secret of yoga practitioners. The fickle

(yat –present particle of yā, to go) mind should be fixed on you.
Ujjhita, a past participle has a present meaning.
TEXT - SB 5.19.14
yathaihikāmuṣmika-kāma-lampaṭaḥ
suteṣu dāreṣu dhaneṣu cintayan

śaṅketa vidvān kukalevarātyayād
yas tasya yatnaḥ śrama eva kevalam
SYNONYMS
yathā—as; aihika—in the present life; amuṣmika—in the

expected future life; kāma-lampaṭaḥ—a person who is very
attached to lusty desires for bodily enjoyment; suteṣu—
children; dāreṣu—wife; dhaneṣu—wealth; cintayan—thinking
about; śaṅketa—is afraid; vidvān—a person advanced in
spiritual knowledge; ku-kalevara—of this body, which is full of
stool and urine; atyayāt—because of loss; yaḥ—anyone; tasya
—his; yatnaḥ—endeavors; śramaḥ—a waste of time and
energy; eva—certainly; kevalam—only.
TRANSLATION
Materialists are generally very attached to their present
bodily comforts and to the bodily comforts they expect in
the future. Therefore they are always absorbed in thoughts
of their wives, children and wealth and are afraid of giving
up their bodies, which are full of stool and urine. If a person
engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, is also afraid of
giving up his body, what is the use of his having labored to
study the śāstras? It was simply a waste of time.
PURPORT
At the time of death a materialist thinks of his wife and

children. He is absorbed in thinking of how they will live and
who will take care of them after he leaves. Consequently he is
never prepared to give up his body; rather, he wants to continue
to live in his body to serve his society, family, friends and so
on. Therefore by practicing the mystic yoga system one must
become detached from bodily relationships. If despite
practicing bhakti-yoga and studying all the Vedic literature, one
is afraid of giving up his bad body, which is the cause of all his
suffering, what is the use of his attempts to advance in spiritual
life? The secret of success in practicing yoga is to become free
from bodily attachments. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,
deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra-bandhana kāhāṅ tāra: one
whose practice has freed him from the anxieties of bodily needs
is no longer in conditional life. Such a person is freed from
conditional bondage. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must
fully discharge his devotional duties without material
attachment. Then his liberation is guaranteed.
Otherwise, yoga practice is useless. Worried about his wealth,

wife and children, a person becomes afraid of the loss of the
material body. He thinks, “When I die, how will my sons
survive?” Even if one is learned, if he worries like this, he has
wasted his endeavors in life.
TEXT - SB 5.19.15
tan naḥ prabho tvaṁ kukalevarārpitāṁ

tvan-māyayāhaṁ-mamatām adhokṣaja
bhindyāma yenāśu vayaṁ sudurbhidāṁ
vidhehi yogaṁ tvayi naḥ svabhāvam iti
SYNONYMS
tat—therefore; naḥ—our; prabho—O my Lord; tvam—You;

ku-kalevara-arpitām—invested in this bad body full of stool
and urine; tvat-māyayā—by Your illusory energy; aham-
mamatām—the conception of "I and my"; adhokṣaja—O
Transcendence; bhindyāma—may give up; yena—by which;
āśu—very soon; vayam—we; sudurbhidām—which is very
difficult to give up; vidhehi—please give; yogam—the mystic
process; tvayi—unto You; naḥ—our; svabhāvam—which is
symptomized by a steady mind; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, O Lord, O Transcendence, kindly help us by
giving us the power to execute bhakti-yoga so that we can
control our restless minds and fix them upon You. We are
all infected by Your illusory energy; therefore we are very
attached to the body, which is full of stool and urine, and to
anything related with the body. Except for devotional
service, there is no way to give up this attachment.
Therefore kindly bestow upon us this benediction.
PURPORT
The Lord advises in Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā bhava mad-
bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. The perfect yoga
system consists of always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always engaging
in devotional service, always worshiping Kṛṣṇa and always
offering obeisances unto Him. Unless we practice this yoga
system, our illusory attachment for this bad body, which is full
of stool and urine, is impossible to give up. The perfection of
yoga consists of giving up attachment for this body and bodily
relationships and transferring that attachment to Kṛṣṇa. We are
very attached to material enjoyment, but when we transfer that
same attachment to Kṛṣṇa, we traverse the path of liberation.
One has to practice this yoga system and none other.
You should make our minds give up other things and make our
minds absorbed in you. What is yoga? It is our individual (sva)
rati or bhāva for you. Or, it should be natural, just as attraction
for material objects is natural for others.
TEXT - SB 5.19.16
bhārate 'py asmin varṣe saric-chailāḥ santi bahavo malayo

maṅgala-prastho mainākas trikūṭa ṛṣabhaḥ kūṭakaḥ kollakaḥ
sahyo devagirir ṛṣyamūkaḥ śrī-śailo veṅkaṭo mahendro
vāridhāro vindhyaḥ śuktimān ṛkṣagiriḥ pāriyātro droṇaś
citrakūṭo govardhano raivatakaḥ kakubho nīlo gokāmukha
indrakīlaḥ kāmagirir iti cānye ca śata-sahasraśaḥ śailās teṣāṁ
nitamba-prabhavā nadā nadyaś ca santy asaṅkhyātāḥ.
SYNONYMS
bhārate—in the land of Bhārata-varṣa; api—also; asmin—in

this; varṣe—tract of land; sarit—rivers; śailāḥ—mountains;
santi—there are; bahavaḥ—many; malayaḥ—Malaya;
maṅgala-prasthaḥ—Maṅgala-prastha; mainākaḥ—Maināka;
tri-kūṭaḥ—Trikūṭa; ṛṣabhaḥ—Ṛṣabha; kūṭakaḥ—Kūṭaka;
kollakaḥ—Kollaka; sahyaḥ—Sahya; devagiriḥ—Devagiri;
ṛṣya-mūkaḥ—Ṛṣyamūka; śrī-śailaḥ—Śrī-śaila; veṅkaṭaḥ—
Veṅkaṭa; mahendraḥ—Mahendra; vāri-dhāraḥ—Vāridhāra;
vindhyaḥ—Vindhya; śuktimān—Śuktimān; ṛkṣa-giriḥ—
Ṛkṣagiri; pāriyātraḥ—Pāriyātra; droṇaḥ—Droṇa; citra-kūṭaḥ
—Citrakūṭa; govardhanaḥ—Govardhana; raivatakaḥ—
Raivataka; kakubhaḥ—Kakubha; nīlaḥ—Nīla; gokāmukhaḥ—
Gokāmukha; indrakīlaḥ—Indrakīla; kāma-giriḥ—Kāmagiri; iti
—thus; ca—and; anye—others; ca—also; śata-sahasraśaḥ—
many hundreds and thousands; śailāḥ—mountains; teṣām—of
them; nitamba-prabhavāḥ—born of the slopes; nadāḥ—big
rivers; nadyaḥ—small rivers; ca—and; santi—there are;
asaṅkhyātāḥ—innumerable.
TRANSLATION
In the tract of land known as Bhārata-varṣa, as in Ilāvṛta-
varṣa, there are many mountains and rivers. Some of the
mountains are known as Malaya, Maṅgala-prastha,
Maināka, Trikūṭa, Ṛṣabha, Kūṭaka, Kollaka, Sahya,
Devagiri, Ṛṣyamūka, Śrī-śaila, Veṅkaṭa, Mahendra,
Vāridhāra, Vindhya, Śuktimān, Ṛkṣagiri, Pāriyātra, Droṇa,
Citrakūṭa, Govardhana, Raivataka, Kakubha, Nīla,
Gokāmukha, Indrakīla and Kāmagiri. Besides these, there
are many other hills, with many large and small rivers
flowing from their slopes.
As in Ilāvṛta so also in Bhārata (api) there are many mountains

and rivers.
TEXT - SB 5.19.17-18
etāsām apo bhāratyaḥ prajā nāmabhir eva punantīnām ātmanā

copaspṛśanti; candravasā tāmraparṇī avaṭodā kṛtamālā
vaihāyasī kāverī veṇī payasvinī śarkarāvartā tuṅgabhadrā
kṛṣṇāveṇyā bhīmarathī godāvarī nirvindhyā payoṣṇī tāpī revā
surasā narmadā carmaṇvatī sindhur andhaḥ śoṇaś ca nadau
mahānadī vedasmṛtir ṛṣikulyā trisāmā kauśikī mandākinī
yamunā sarasvatī dṛṣadvatī gomatī sarayū rodhasvatī saptavatī
suṣomā śatadrūś candrabhāgā marudvṛdhā vitastā asiknī viśveti
mahā-nadyaḥ.
SYNONYMS
etāsām—of all these; apaḥ—water; bhāratyaḥ—of Bhārata-

varṣa (India); prajāḥ—the residents; nāmabhiḥ—by the names;
eva—only; punantīnām—are purifying; ātmanā—by the mind;
ca—also; upaspṛśanti—touch; candra-vasā—Candravasā;
tāmra-parṇī—Tāmraparṇī; avaṭodā—Avaṭodā; kṛta-mālā—
Kṛtamālā; vaihāyasī—Vaihāyasī; kāverī—Kāverī; veṇī—Veṇī;
payasvinī—Payasvinī; śarkarāvartā—Śarkarāvartā; tuṅga-
bhadrā—Tuṅgabhadrā; kṛṣṇā-veṇyā—Kṛṣṇāveṇyā; bhīma-
rathī—Bhīmarathī; godāvarī—Godāvarī; nirvindhyā—
Nirvindhyā; payoṣṇī—Payoṣṇī; tāpī—Tāpī; revā—Revā;
surasā—Surasā; narmadā—Narmadā; carmaṇvatī—
Carmaṇvatī; sindhuḥ—Sindhu; andhaḥ—Andha; śoṇaḥ—Śoṇa;
ca—and; nadau—two rivers; mahā-nadī—Mahānadī; veda-
smṛtiḥ—Vedasmṛti; ṛṣi-kulyā—Ṛṣikulyā; tri-sāmā—Trisāmā;
kauśikī—Kauśikī; mandākinī—Mandākinī; yamunā—Yamunā;
sarasvatī—Sarasvatī; dṛṣadvatī—Dṛṣadvatī; gomatī—Gomatī;
sarayū—Sarayū; rodhasvatī—Rodhasvatī; saptavatī—
Saptavatī; suṣomā—Suṣomā; śata-drūḥ—Śatadrū;
candrabhāgā—Candrabhāgā; marudvṛdhā—Marudvṛdhā;
vitastā—Vitastā; asiknī—Asiknī; viśvā—Viśvā; iti—thus;
mahā-nadyaḥ—big rivers.
TRANSLATION
Two of the rivers—the Brahmaputra and the Śoṇa—are
called nadas, or main rivers. These are other great rivers
that are very prominent: Candravasā, Tāmraparṇī,
Avaṭodā, Kṛtamālā, Vaihāyasī, Kāverī, Veṇī, Payasvinī,
Śarkarāvartā, Tuṅgabhadrā, Kṛṣṇāveṇyā, Bhīmarathī,
Godāvarī, Nirvindhyā, Payoṣṇī, Tāpī, Revā, Surasā,
Narmadā, Carmaṇvatī, Mahānadī, Vedasmṛti, Ṛṣikulyā,
Trisāmā, Kauśikī, Mandākinī, Yamunā, Sarasvatī,
Dṛṣadvatī, Gomatī, Sarayū, Rodhasvatī, Saptavatī, Suṣomā,
Śatadrū, Candrabhāgā, Marudvṛdhā, Vitastā, Asiknī and
Viśvā. The inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa are purified
because they always remember these rivers. Sometimes they
chant the names of these rivers as mantras, and sometimes
they go directly to the rivers to touch them and bathe in
them. Thus the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa become
purified.
PURPORT
All these rivers are transcendental. Therefore one can be

purified by remembering them, touching them or bathing in
them. This practice is still going on.
They touch by mind and body (ca). Andhaḥ means

Brahmaputra River.
TEXT - SB 5.19.19
asminn eva varṣe puruṣair labdha-janmabhiḥ śukla-lohita-

kṛṣṇa-varṇena svārabdhena karmaṇā divya-mānuṣa-nāraka-
gatayo bahvya ātmana ānupūrvyeṇa sarvā hy eva sarveṣāṁ
vidhīyante yathā-varṇa-vidhānam apavargaś cāpi bhavati.
SYNONYMS
asmin eva varṣe—in this tract of land (Bhārata-varṣa); puruṣaiḥ

—by the people; labdha-janmabhiḥ—who have taken birth;
śukla—of the mode of goodness; lohita—of the mode of
passion; kṛṣṇa—of the mode of ignorance; varṇena—according
to the division; sva—by himself; ārabdhena—begun; karmaṇā
—by activities; divya—divine; mānuṣa—human; nāraka—
hellish; gatayaḥ—goals; bahvyaḥ—many; ātmanaḥ—of his
own; ānupūrvyeṇa—according to acts performed previously;
sarvāḥ—all; hi—certainly; eva—indeed; sarveṣām—of all of
them; vidhīyante—are allotted; yathā-varṇa-vidhānam—in
terms of different castes; apavargaḥ—the path of liberation; ca
—and; api—also; bhavati—is possible.
TRANSLATION
The people who take birth in this tract of land are divided
according to the qualities of material nature—the modes of
goodness [sattva-guṇa], passion [rajo-guṇa], and ignorance
[tamo-guṇa]. Some of them are born as exalted
personalities, some are ordinary human beings, and some
are extremely abominable, for in Bhārata—varṣa one takes
birth exactly according to one's past karma. If one's
position is ascertained by a bona fide spiritual master and
one is properly trained to engage in the service of Lord
Viṣṇu according to the four social divisions [brāhmaṇa,
kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra] and the four spiritual divisions
[brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa], one's
life becomes perfect.
PURPORT
For further information, one should refer to Bhagavad-gītā

(14.18 and 18.42-45). Śrīla Rāmānujācārya writes in his book
Vedānta-saṅgraha:
evaṁ-vidha-parābhakti-svarūpa-jñāna-viśeṣasyotpādakaḥ
pūrvoktāharahar upacīyamāna-jñāna-pūrvaka-karmānugṛhīta-
bhakti-yoga eva; yathoktaṁ bhagavatā parāśareṇa—
varṇāśrameti. nikhila-jagad-uddhāraṇāyāvanitale 'vatīrṇaṁ
para-brahma-bhūtaḥ puruṣottamaḥ svayam etad uktavān
—"svakarma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tac chṛṇu" "yataḥ
pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam / svakarmaṇā tam
abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ"
Quoting from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (389), the great sage Parāśara
Muni has recommended:
varṇāśramācāravatā
puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā
nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
[Cc. Madhya 8.58]
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is

worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the
system of varṇa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy
the Lord." In the land of Bhārata-varṣa, the institution of
varṇāśrama-dharma may be easily adopted. At the present
moment, certain demoniac sections of the population of
Bhāratavarṣa are disregarding the system of varṇāśrama-
dharma. Because there is no institution to teach people how to
become brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras or
brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas, vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs, these
demons want a classless society. This is resulting in chaotic
conditions. In the name of secular government, unqualified
people are taking the supreme governmental posts. No one is
being trained to act according to the principles of varṇāśrama-
dharma, and thus people are becoming increasingly degraded
and are heading in the direction of animal life. The real aim of
life is liberation, but unfortunately the opportunity for
liberation is being denied to people in general, and therefore
their human lives are being spoiled. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement, however, is being propagated all over the world to
reestablish the varṇāśrama-dharma system and thus save
human society from gliding down to hellish life.
This takes place only in Bhārata-varṣa, and only in an area

whose dimension is a thousand yojanas. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says:
bhāratasyāsya varṣasya nava-bhedān niśāmaya
indra-dvīpaḥ kaśeruś ca tāmra-varṇo gabhastimān
nāga-dvīpas tathā saumyo gāndharvas tv atha vāruṇaḥ
ayaṁ tu navamas teṣāṁ dvīpaḥ sāgara-saṁbhṛtaḥ
yojanānāṁ sahasrantu dvīpo ’yaṁ dakṣiṇottarāt
Hear about the nine division of Bhārata: Indradvpia, Kaśeru,

Tāmravarṇa, Babhasimān, Nagadvpiā, Saumya Gandarva,
Vāruṇa, and the ninth, bordering the ocean, which is a thousand
yojanas from north to south.[306]
Sāgara-saṁbhṛtaḥ means situated at the edge of the ocean,
according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. Though the ninth division is not
mentioned by name it is understood to be called Navadvīpa.
This place is further described in the same work:
pūrve kirātā yasyānte paścime yavanāḥ smṛtāḥ
pūrva-deśādikāś caiva kāma-rūpa nivāsinaḥ
oṭrāḥ kaliṅgā magadhā dākṣiṇātyāśca kṛtsnaśaḥ
mārukā mālavāśca
In the east are the Kirātas, in the west are the Yavanas. The
inhabitants in the east are the residents of Kāmarūpa, Orissa,
Kaliṅga, Magadha. The inhabitants in the south are Marukas
and Mālavas.
catvāri bhārate varṣe yugānyatra mahāmune
kṛtaṁ tretādvāparañca kaliścānyatra na kvacit
O great sage! In Bhārata-varṣa there are Satya, Treta, Dvāpara

and Kali yugas, which do not exist elsewhere.
Vāyu Purāṇa says:
bhāratasyāsya varṣasya nava bhedān nibodhata
sāgarāntaritā jñeyās te tv agamyāḥ parasparam

Hear about the nine divisions of Bhārata. They border the
ocean and one cannot go from one to the other.
Many goals are undertaken by the individual according to

prescribed actions in sattva, rajas and tamas (śukla-lohita-
kṛṣṇa-varṇena), because (hi) all these goals will manifest for all
people according to the qualities of action (yathā varṇa-
vidhānam) -- caused by dharma and adharma. This takes place
unavoidably, as prescribed in the Vedas (ānupūrveyṇa). And if
one cannot accomplish liberation, liberation (bhakti) appears on
its own. The word ca indicates that merging in Brahman is also
achieved.
TEXT - SB 5.19.20
yo 'sau bhagavati sarva-bhūtātmany anātmye 'nirukte 'nilayane

paramātmani vāsudeve 'nanya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakṣaṇo
nānā-gati-nimittāvidyā-granthi-randhana-dvāreṇa yadā hi
mahā-puruṣa-puruṣa-prasaṅgaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; asau—that; bhagavati—unto the Supreme

Personality of Godhead; sarva-bhūta-ātmani—the Supersoul of
all living entities; anātmye—having no attachment; anirukte—
who is beyond the mind and speech; anilayane—not dependent
on anything else; parama-ātmani—unto the Supreme Soul;
vāsudeve—Lord Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva; ananya—
without any other; nimitta—cause; bhakti-yoga-lakṣaṇaḥ—
having symptoms of pure devotional service; nānā-gati—of
varied destinations; nimitta—the cause; avidyā-granthi—the
bondage of ignorance; randhana—of cutting; dvāreṇa—by
means; yadā—when; hi—indeed; mahā-puruṣa—of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; puruṣa—with the devotee;
prasaṅgaḥ—an intimate relationship.
TRANSLATION
After many, many births, when the results of one's pious
activities mature, one gets an opportunity to associate with
pure devotees. Then one is able to cut the knot of bondage
to ignorance, which bound him because of varied fruitive
activities. As a result of associating with devotees, one
gradually renders service to Lord Vāsudeva, who is
transcendental, free from attachment to the material world,
beyond the mind and words, and independent of everything
else. That bhakti-yoga, devotional service to Lord
Vāsudeva, is the real path of liberation.
PURPORT
Brahman realization is the beginning of liberation, and

Paramātmā realization is still further advancement toward the
realm of liberation, but one achieves real liberation when he
understands his position as an eternal servant of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead (muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa
vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]). In the material world, in the bodily
concept of life, everyone is working in the wrong direction.
When one becomes brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20], spiritually
realized, one understands that he is not the body and that
working in the bodily concept of life is useless and misdirected.
Then his devotional service begins. As Kṛṣṇa says in
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
"One who is thus transcendentally situated realizes the

Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments
or desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every
living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service
unto Me." Devotional service is actual liberation. When one is
attracted by the beauty of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
and his mind is always engaged at the Lord's lotus feet, he is no
longer interested in subjects that do not help him in self-
realization. In other words, he loses all attraction for material
activities. In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.7) it is said: eṣa hy
evānandayati. yadā hy evaiṣa etasmin na dṛśye 'nātmye
anirukte 'nilayane 'bhayaṁ pratiṣṭhāṁ vindate 'tha so 'bhayaṁ
gato bhavati. A living entity becomes established in spiritual,
blissful life when he fully understands that his happiness
depends on spiritual self-realization, which is the basic
principle of ānanda (bliss), and when he is eternally situated in
the service of the Lord, who has no other lord above Him.

What is the nature of this liberation and when does it occur?
This verse answers. The Lord is full of all wonderful qualities
such as auspiciousness and beauty (bhagavān). He thus attracts
the mind of all beings (sarva-bhūta-ātmani). Therefore in the
Lord there is no oneness with the jīva, only oneness by service
(anātmye). His glories cannot be described by material words
like “attraction” (anirukte). Even at the destruction of the
universe, his form and qualities remain (anilayane). He has no
destruction like the elements of matter. Since he is the abode of
prema he is the soul of all beings, but he is also the supreme
soul (paramātmā). Because of his special qualities he is the
most worthy of worship. He is Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva.
Bhakti-yoga, without material cause (ananya-nimitta) is the
svarūpa of apavarga. Apavarga by conventional usage means
liberation. That is true. But liberation, destruction of ignorance,
is included in bhakti. Therefore bhakti can also be called
liberation. This liberation is achieved by destruction of the knot
of ignorance, which causes many goals. When does this take
place? It takes place when there is association with the devotees
of the Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.19.21
etad eva hi devā gāyanti—
aho amīṣāṁ kim akāri śobhanaṁ
prasanna eṣāṁ svid uta svayaṁ hariḥ
yair janma labdhaṁ nṛṣu bhāratājire

mukunda-sevaupayikaṁ spṛhā hi naḥ
SYNONYMS
etat—this; eva—indeed; hi—certainly; devāḥ—all the

demigods; gāyanti—chant; aho—oh; amīṣām—of these
inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa; kim—what; akāri—was done;
śobhanam—pious, beautiful activities; prasannaḥ—pleased;
eṣām—upon them; svit—or; uta—it is said; svayam—
personally; hariḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yaiḥ
—by whom; janma—birth; labdham—obtained; nṛṣu—in
human society; bhārata-ajire—in the courtyard of Bhārata-
varṣa; mukunda—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who
can offer liberation; sevā-aupayikam—which is the means of
serving; spṛhā—desire; hi—indeed; naḥ—our.
TRANSLATION
Since the human form of life is the sublime position for
spiritual realization, all the demigods in heaven speak in
this way: How wonderful it is for these human beings to
have been born in the land of Bhārata-varṣa. They must
have executed pious acts of austerity in the past, or the
Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself must have been
pleased with them. Otherwise, how could they engage in
devotional service in so many ways? We demigods can only
aspire to achieve human births in Bhārata-varṣa to execute
devotional service, but these human beings are already
engaged there.
PURPORT
These facts are further explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi

9.41):

"One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of
India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work
for the benefit of all other people."
There are many facilities in India, Bhārata-varṣa, for executing

devotional service. In Bhārata-varṣa, all the ācāryas
contributed their experience, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
personally appeared to teach the people of Bhārata-varṣa how
to progress in spiritual life and be fixed in devotional service to
the Lord. From all points of view, Bhārata-varṣa is the special
land where one can very easily understand the process of
devotional service and adopt it to make his life successful. If
one makes his life successful in devotional service and then
preaches devotional service in other parts of the world, people
throughout the world will actually benefit.
What pious acts did these residents perform? Or spontaneously,

without their doing anything, the Lord was pleased with them,
by which they get birth in the area (ajire) of Bhārata? It is not
possible that they get such fortune just by pious acts. “But we
see sinful people taking birth there also.” That birth is suitable
for service to Mukunda. It is good fortune because (hi) we
desire it and cannot attain that birth.
TEXT - SB 5.19.22
kiṁ duṣkarair naḥ kratubhis tapo-vratair
dānādibhir vā dyujayena phalgunā
na yatra nārāyaṇa-pāda-paṅkaja-
smṛtiḥ pramuṣṭātiśayendriyotsavāt
SYNONYMS
kim—what is the value; duṣkaraiḥ—very difficult to perform;

naḥ—our; kratubhiḥ—with performances of sacrifice; tapaḥ—
with austerities; vrataiḥ—vows; dāna-ādibhiḥ—with executing
charitable activities and so on; vā—or; dyujayena—with
achieving the heavenly kingdom; phalgunā—which is
insignificant; na—no; yatra—where; nārāyaṇa-pāda-paṅkaja
—of the lotus feet of Lord Nārāyaṇa; smṛtiḥ—the
remembrance; pramuṣṭa—lost; atiśaya—excessive; indriya-
utsavāt—due to material sense gratification.
TRANSLATION
The demigods continue: After performing the very difficult
tasks of executing Vedic ritualistic sacrifices, undergoing
austerities, observing vows and giving charity, we have
achieved this position as inhabitants of the heavenly
planets. But what is the value of this achievement? Here we
are certainly very engaged in material sense gratification,
and therefore we can hardly remember the lotus feet of
Lord Nārāyaṇa. Indeed, because of our excessive sense
gratification, we have almost forgotten His lotus feet.
PURPORT
The land of Bhārata-varṣa is so exalted that by taking birth

there one can not only attain the heavenly planets but also go
directly back home, back to Godhead. As Kṛṣṇa says in

"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the
demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth
among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the
ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me."
People in the land of Bhārata-varṣa generally follow the Vedic
principles and consequently perform great sacrifices by which
they can be elevated to the heavenly planets. However, what is
the use of such great attainments? As stated in Bhagavad-gītā
(9.21), kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti: after the results of
one's sacrifices, charity and other pious activities expire, one
must return to the lower planetary systems and again feel the
pangs of birth and death. However, one who becomes Kṛṣṇa
conscious can go back to Kṛṣṇa (yānti-mad-yājino 'pi mām [Bg.
9.25]). Therefore the demigods even regret having been
elevated to the higher planetary systems. The denizens of the
heavenly planets regret that they could not take full advantage
of being born in the land of Bhārata-varṣa. Instead, they
became captivated by a higher standard of sense gratification,
and therefore they forgot the lotus feet of Lord Nārāyaṇa at the
time of death. The conclusion is that one who has taken birth in
the land of Bhārata-varṣa must follow the instructions given
personally by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yad gatvā
na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. One
should try to return home, back to Godhead, to the Vaikuṇṭha
planets—or to the topmost Vaikuṇṭha planet, Goloka
Vṛndāvana—to live eternally in full, blissful knowledge in the
company of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
“But if you attain birth in Bhārata, by performing your rituals

you will again enjoy the happiness of heaven.” No, such a birth
is useless. Those activities are useless. Attainment of heaven is
useless. That happiness is useless. That is expressed in this
verse. What is the use of attaining Svarga (dyujayena)? There is
no good result there. Why? In Svarga there is remembrance of
the lotus feet of Nārāyaṇa, but remembrance is carried away by
excessive enjoyment of the senses.
TEXT - SB 5.19.23
kalpāyuṣāṁ sthānajayāt punar-bhavāt
kṣaṇāyuṣāṁ bhārata-bhūjayo varam
kṣaṇena martyena kṛtaṁ manasvinaḥ
sannyasya saṁyānty abhayaṁ padaṁ hareḥ
SYNONYMS
kalpa-āyuṣām—of those who have a life duration of many

millions of years, like Lord Brahmā; sthāna-jayāt—than
achievement of the place or planetary systems; punaḥ-bhavāt—
which is liable to birth, death and old age; kṣaṇa-āyuṣām—of
persons who have only one hundred years of life; bhārata-bhū-
jayaḥ—a birth in the land of Bhārata-varṣa; varam—more
valuable; kṣaṇena—for such a short life; martyena—by the
body; kṛtam—the work executed; manasvinaḥ—those actually
understanding the value of life; sannyasya—surrendering unto
the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa; saṁyānti—they achieve; abhayam—
where there is no anxiety; padam—the abode; hareḥ—of the
TRANSLATION
A short life in the land of Bharata-varṣa is preferable to a
life achieved in Brahmaloka for millions and billions of
years because even if one is elevated to Brahmaloka, he
must return to repeated birth and death. Although life in
Bhārata-varṣa, in a lower planetary system, is very short,
one who lives there can elevate himself to full Kṛṣṇa
consciousness and achieve the highest perfection, even in
this short life, by fully surrendering unto the lotus feet of
the Lord. Thus one attains Vaikuṇṭhaloka, where there is
neither anxiety nor repeated birth in a material body.
PURPORT
This is further confirmation of the statement given by Lord

Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]
One who has taken birth in the land of Bhārata-varṣa has a full
opportunity to study the direct instructions given by Kṛṣṇa in
Bhagavad-gītā and thus finally decide what to do in his human
form of life. One should certainly give up all other propositions
and surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will then immediately take
charge and relieve one of the results of past sinful life (ahaṁ
tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66]).
Therefore one should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as Kṛṣṇa
Himself recommends. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī
māṁ namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] "Always think of Me, become
My devotee, worship Me and offer Me obeisances." This is
very easy, even for a child. Why not take this path? One should
try to follow the instructions of Kṛṣṇa exactly and thus become
fully eligible to be promoted to the kingdom of God (tyaktvā
dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so'rjuna [Bg. 4.9]). One
should go directly to Kṛṣṇa and engage in His service. This is
the best opportunity offered to the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa.
One who is fit to return home, back to Godhead, is no longer
liable to the results of karma, good or bad.
Bhārata is more attractive than even Brahmaloka. A moment’s

residence in Bhārata is better than a life time of two parārdhas
on Brahmaloka, because on Brahmaloka one is again reborn.
Living so long in that place makes one take birth again. Those
who have fixed their minds on the lotus feet of the Lord
(manasvinaḥ) for a moment in a body subject to death
(martyena) in Bhārata, placing their feet on the top of
Brahmaloka, attain Vaikuṇṭha (abhayam padam), giving up all
pious and sinful acts (kṛtam).
TEXT - SB 5.19.24
na yatra vaikuṇṭha-kathā-sudhāpagā
na sādhavo bhāgavatās tadāśrayāḥ
na yatra yajñeśa-makhā mahotsavāḥ
sureśa-loko 'pi na vai sa sevyatām
SYNONYMS
na—not; yatra—where; vaikuṇṭha-kathā-sudhā-āpagāḥ—the

nectarean rivers of discussions about the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, who is called Vaikuṇṭha, or one who drives away
all anxiety; na—nor; sādhavaḥ—devotees; bhāgavatāḥ—
always engaged in the service of the Lord; tat-āśrayāḥ—who
are sheltered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; na—nor;
yatra—where; yajña-īśa-makhāḥ—the performance of
devotional service to the Lord of sacrifices; mahā-utsavāḥ—
which are actual festivals; sureśa-lokaḥ—a place inhabited by
the denizens of heaven; api—although; na—not; vai—
certainly; saḥ—that; sevyatām—be frequented.
TRANSLATION
An intelligent person does not take interest in a place, even
in the topmost planetary system, if the pure Ganges of
topics concerning the Supreme Lord's activities does not
flow there, if there are not devotees engaged in service on
the banks of such a river of piety, or if there are no festivals
of saṅkīrtana-yajña to satisfy the Lord [especially since
saṅkīrtana-yajña is recommended in this age].
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in the land of Bhārata-

varṣa, specifically in Bengal, in the district of Nadia, where
Navadvīpa is situated. It is therefore to be concluded, as stated
by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, that within this universe, this
earth is the best planet, and on this planet the land of Bhārata-
varṣa is the best; in the land of Bhāratavarṣa, Bengal is still
better, in Bengal the district of Nadia is still better, and in
Nadia the best place is Navadvīpa because Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu appeared there to inaugurate the performance of
the sacrifice of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. The
śāstras recommend:
kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ
[SB 11.5.32]
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is always accompanied by His

very confidential associates such as Śrī Nityānanda, Śrī
Gadādhara and Śrī Advaita and by many devotees like Śrīvāsa.
They are always engaged in chanting the name of the Lord and
are always describing Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore this is the best
among all the places in the universe. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement has established its center in Māyāpur, the birthsite of
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to give men the great
opportunity to go there and perform a constant festival of
saṅkīrtana-yajña, as recommended herein (yajñeśa-makhā
mahotsavāḥ) and to distribute prasāda to millions of hungry
people hankering for spiritual emancipation. This is the mission
of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Caitanya-bhāgavata
confirms this as follows: "One should not desire to be elevated
even to a place in the heavenly planetary systems if it has no
propaganda to expand the glories of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, no trace of Vaiṣṇavas, pure devotees of the Lord, and
no festivals for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It would be
better to live perpetually cramped within the airtight bag of a
mother's womb, where one can at least remember the lotus feet
of the Lord, than to live in a place where there is no opportunity
to remember His lotus feet. I pray not to be allowed to take
birth in such a condemned place." Similarly, in Caitanya-
caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī says that since Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the inaugurator of the saṅkīrtana
movement, anyone who performs saṅkīrtana to please the Lord
is very, very glorious. Such a person has perfect intelligence,
whereas others are in the ignorance of material existence. Of all
the sacrifices mentioned in the Vedic literatures, the
performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña is the best. Even the
performance of one hundred aśvamedha sacrifices cannot
compare to the sacrifice of saṅkīrtana. According to the author
of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, if one compares saṅkīrtana-yajña
to other yajñas, he is a pāṣaṇḍī, an infidel, and is liable to be
punished by Yamarāja. There are many Māyāvādīs who think
that the performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña is a pious activity
similar to the performance of the aśvamedha-yajña and other
such pious functions, but this is a nāma-aparādha. Chanting of
the holy name of Nārāyaṇa and chanting of other names are
never equal, despite what Māyāvādīs think.
The intelligent person concludes as follows. There should be

rivers (āpagāḥ) of nectar of the Lord’s topics. The topics should
be plentiful and tasty like rivers, not flowing meagerly like
topics of the jñānīs and yogīs. There should be persons who
depend on the Lord (bhāgavatāḥ), who take shelter of those
rivers of topics (tad-āśrayāḥ) and not persons who depend on
Paramātmā, who depend very little on those topics to gain their
jñāna and siddhis. There should sacrifices dedicated to the Lord
of sacrifices. Among all the different types of sacrifices
belonging to sages like Āṅgirasa and Brhaspatisava, there are
the sacrifices belonging to the Lord (īśa-makhāḥ). These are
saṅkīrtaṇa sacrifices. The proof is yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaprāyair
yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ: in Kali-yuga the intelligent people
worship the Lord by chanting. (SB 11.5.32) There should be
great festivals with abundant chanting, singing, dancing,
instrumental music, and worship of devotees. If these items are
not present, even the planet of Brahmā should not be accepted
as a shelter.
TEXT - SB 5.19.25
prāptā nṛ-jātiṁ tv iha ye ca jantavo
jñāna-kriyā-dravya-kalāpa-sambhṛtām
na vai yaterann apunar-bhavāya te
bhūyo vanaukā iva yānti bandhanam
SYNONYMS
prāptāḥ—who have obtained; nṛ-jātim—a birth in human

society; tu—certainly; iha—in this land of Bhārata-varṣa; ye—
those who; ca—also; jantavaḥ—the living beings; jñāna—with
knowledge; kriyā—with activities; dravya—of ingredients;
kalāpa—with a collection; sambhṛtām—full; na—not; vai—
certainly; yateran—endeavor; apunaḥ-bhavāya—for the
position of immortality; te—such persons; bhūyaḥ—again;
vanaukāḥ—birds; iva—like; yānti—go; bandhanam—to
bondage.
TRANSLATION
Bhārata-varṣa offers the proper land and circumstances in
which to execute devotional service, which can free one
from the results of jñāna and karma. If one obtains a
human body in the land of Bhārata-varṣa, with clear
sensory organs with which to execute the saṅkīrtana-yajña,
but in spite of this opportunity he does not take to
devotional service, he is certainly like liberated forest
animals and birds that are careless and are therefore again
bound by a hunter.
PURPORT
In the land of Bhārata-varṣa one can very easily perform the

saṅkīrtana-yajña, which consists of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
[SB 7.5.23], or one can perform other methods of devotional
service, such as smaraṇaṁ vandanaṁ arcanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam and ātma-nivedanam. In Bhārata-varṣa one has the
opportunity to visit many holy places, especially Lord
Caitanya's birthsite and Lord Kṛṣṇa's birthsite-Navadvīpa and
Vṛndāvana—where there are many pure devotees who have no
desire other than to execute devotional service (anyābhilāṣitā-
śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]), and
one may thus become free from the bondage of material
conditions. Other paths, such as the path of jñāna and the path
of karma, are not very profitable. Pious activities can elevate
one to the higher planetary systems, and by speculative
knowledge one can merge into the Brahman existence, but that
is not real profit, for one has to come down again even from the
liberated condition of being merged in Brahman, and certainly
one must come down from the heavenly kingdom. One should
endeavor to go back home, back to Godhead (yānti mad-yājino
'pi mām [Bg. 9.25]). Otherwise there is no difference between
human life and the lives of jungle animals and birds. Animals
and birds also have freedom, but because of their lower birth,
they cannot use it. Taking advantage of all the facilities offered
him, a human being who has taken birth in the land of Bhārata-
varṣa should become a fully enlightened devotee and go back
home, back to Godhead. This is the subject matter of the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement. The inhabitants of places other than
Bhārata-varṣa have facilities for material enjoyment, but they
do not have the same facility to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised that one who
has taken birth as a human being in Bhārata-varṣa must first
realize himself as a part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and after taking to
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he must distribute this knowledge all over
the world.
Those who attain this Bhārata, and do not utilize it properly, are
most lamentable, like a farmer, who, on attaining a cintāmaṇi
stone, continues to farm. Human life in Bhārata is fully
endowed with (sambhṛtām) adhidaiva (jñāna), adhyātma (kriyā)
and adhibhūta (dravya).[307] This means the human is
endowed with all the senses, so that it is possible to hear and
chant the holy name. Apunar-bhāvaya means bhakti-yogāya.
Those who do not strive for bhakti-yoga are like birds. Though
the birds are freed by the hunter, if they are again inattentive in
the tree and play about, they get caught again.
TEXT - SB 5.19.26
yaiḥ śraddhayā barhiṣi bhāgaśo havir
niruptam iṣṭaṁ vidhi-mantra-vastutaḥ
ekaḥ pṛthaṅ-nāmabhir āhuto mudā
gṛhṇāti pūrṇaḥ svayam āśiṣāṁ prabhuḥ
SYNONYMS
yaiḥ—by whom (the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa); śraddhayā

—faith and confidence; barhiṣi—in the performance of Vedic
ritualistic sacrifices; bhāgaśaḥ—by division; haviḥ—oblations;
niruptam—offered; iṣṭam—to the desired deity; vidhi—by the
proper method; mantra—by reciting mantras; vastutaḥ—with
the proper ingredients; ekaḥ—that one Supreme Personality of
Godhead; pṛthak—separate; nāmabhiḥ—by names; āhutaḥ—
called; mudā—with great happiness; gṛhṇāti—He accepts;
pūrṇaḥ—the Supreme Lord. who is full in Himself; svayam—
personally; āśiṣām—of all benedictions; prabhuḥ—the
bestower.
TRANSLATION
In India [Bhārata-varṣa], there are many worshipers of the
demigods, the various officials appointed by the Supreme
Lord, such as Indra, Candra and Sūrya, all of whom are
worshiped differently. The worshipers offer the demigods
their oblations, considering the demigods part and parcel of
the whole, the Supreme Lord. Therefore the Supreme
Personality of Godhead accepts these offerings and
gradually raises the worshipers to the real standard of
devotional service by fulfilling their desires and aspirations.
Because the Lord is complete, He offers the worshipers the
benedictions they desire even if they worship only part of
His transcendental body.
PURPORT
mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
"O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are
under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully
engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible."
Mahātmā, advanced devotees, worship only the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Others, however, who are also
sometimes called mahātmās, worship the Lord as ekatvena
pṛthaktvena [Bg. 9.15]. In other words, they accept the
demigods as different parts of Kṛṣṇa and worship them for
various benedictions. Although the devotees of the demigods
thus achieve the desired results offered by Kṛṣṇa, they have
been described in Bhagavad-gītā as hṛta-jñānah [Bg. 7.20], not
very intelligent. Kṛṣṇa does not desire to be worshiped
indirectly through the different parts of His body; Kṛṣṇa wants
direct devotional worship. Therefore a devotee who directly
worships Lord Kṛṣṇa through staunch devotional service, as
recommended in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, (tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param [SB 2.3.10]), is very quickly elevated to
the transcendental position. Nevertheless, devotees who
worship the demigods, the different parts of the Lord, receive
the benedictions they desire because the Lord is the original
master of all benedictions. If anyone wants a particular
benediction, for the Lord to award it is not at all difficult.
Gītā says ekatvena pṛthaktvena bahudhā viśvato mukham: they

worship me in many different forms, and worship me as the
universe in many ways. (BG 9.15) Those who worship the
universal form thinking of that form as a power of the Lord are
also fortunate. That is explained in this verse. In sacrifice, the
Lord, though complete in himself, accepts the pure (iṣṭam)
sacrificial materials (haviḥ) with methods, mantras and
materials, offered (niruptam) with allotted portions while
saying “Indrāya svāhā, agnaye svāhā” since he is the master of
blessings. He accepts because of bhakti. Though one, he is
called by separate names such as Indra.
TEXT - SB 5.19.27
satyaṁ diśaty arthitam arthito nṛṇāṁ
naivārthado yat punar arthitā yataḥ
svayaṁ vidhatte bhajatām anicchatām
icchāpidhānaṁ nija-pāda-pallavam
SYNONYMS
satyam—certainly; diśati—He offers; arthitam—the object

prayed for; arthitaḥ—being prayed to; nṛṇām—by the human
beings; na—not; eva—indeed; artha-daḥ—the bestower of
benedictions; yat—which; punaḥ—again; arthitā—a demand
for a benediction; yataḥ—from which; svayam—personally;
vidhatte—He gives; bhajatām—unto those engaged in His
service; anicchatām—although not desiring it; icchā-pidhānam
—which covers all desirable things; nija-pāda-pallavam—His
own lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead fulfills the material
desires of a devotee who approaches Him with such
motives, but He does not bestow benedictions upon the
devotee that will cause him to demand more benedictions
again. However, the Lord willingly gives the devotee shelter
at His own lotus feet, even though such a person does not
aspire for it, and that shelter satisfies all his desires. That is
the Supreme Personality's special mercy.
PURPORT
The devotees mentioned in the previous verse approach the

Supreme Personality of Godhead with material motives, but
this verse explains how such devotees are saved from those
desires. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.3.10) advises:
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param
"Whether one is freed from all material desires, is full of

material desires, or desires to become one with the Supreme, he
should engage in devotional service." In this way, not only will
the devotee's desires be fulfilled, but the day will come when
he will have no other desire than to serve the lotus feet of the
Lord. One who engages in the service of the Lord with some
motive is called a sakāma-bhakta, and one who serves the Lord
without any motives is called an akāma-bhakta. Kṛṣṇa is so
merciful that He turns a sakāma-bhakta into an akāma-bhakta.
A pure devotee, an akāma-bhakta, who has no material
motives, is satisfied simply to serve the lotus feet of the Lord.
This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (6.22). Yaṁ labdhvā
cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ: if one engages in
the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, he does not want
anything more. This is the highest stage of devotional service.
The Lord is so kind even to a sakāma-bhakta, a motivated
devotee, that He satisfies his desires in such a way that one day
he becomes an akāma-bhakta. Dhruva Mahārāja, for example,
became a bhakta with the motive of getting a better kingdom
than that of his father, but finally he became an akāma-bhakta
and said to the Lord, svāmin kṛtārtho'smi varaṁ na yāce: [Cc.
Madhya 22.42] "My dear Lord, I am very satisfied simply to
serve Your lotus feet. I do not want any material benefits."
Sometimes it is found that a small child eats dirty things, but
his parents take away the dirty things and offer him a sandeśa
or some other sweetmeat. Devotees who aspire for material
benedictions are compared to such children. The Lord is so
kind that He takes away their material desires and gives them
the highest benediction. Therefore, even for material motives,
one should not worship anyone other than the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; one must fully engage himself in the
devotional service of the Lord so that all his desires will be
fulfilled and at the end he can go back home, back to Godhead.
This is explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.37-39,
41) as follows.
Anyakāmī—a devotee may desire something other than service

to the lotus feet of the Lord; yadi kare kṛṣṇera bhajana—but if
he engages in Lord Kṛṣṇa's service; nā māgiteha kṛṣṇa tāre
dena sva-caraṇa—Kṛṣṇa gives him shelter at His lotus feet,
even though he does not aspire for it. Kṛṣṇa kahe—the Lord
says; āmā bhaje—"He is engaged in My service"; māge viṣaya-
sukha—"but he wants the benefits of material sense
gratification." Amṛta chāḍi' viṣa māge:—"such a devotee is like
a person who asks for poison instead of nectar." Ei baḍa
mūrkha: "That is his foolishness." Ami-vijña: "But I am
experienced." Ei mūrkhe 'viṣaya' kene diba: "Why should I
give such a foolish person the dirty things of material
enjoyment?" Sva-caraṇa-mṛta: "It would be better for Me to
give him shelter at My lotus feet." 'Viṣaya' bhulāiba: "I shall
cause him to forget all material desires." Kāma lāgi' kṛṣṇa
bhaje—if one engages in the service of the Lord for sense
gratification; paya kṛṣṇa-rase—the result is that he ultimately
gets a taste for serving the lotus feet of the Lord. Kāma chāḍi'
'da' haite haya abhilāṣe: He then gives up all material desires
and wants to become an eternal servant of the Lord.
The practitioner of pure bhakti, even if he has desires, becomes

successful. He becomes equal to the niṣkāma-bhakta. Being
requested by worshippers (nṛṇām) for desired objects
(arthitam), the Lord gives those objects. He does not give the
object (na arthadaḥ) in such a way that object is again
requested, after enjoyment. What does this mean? He gives
himself to those who do not desire his lotus feet, such as
Dhruva. By mercy he gives his lotus feet, which include all
desires (icchāpidhānam). Or another meaning is “He forcibly
(svayam) gives his feet, which destroy all other desires.” Just as
a father gives the child sugar candy though the child does not
want it, and that way makes the child give up eating dirt, so the
Lord gives the devotee his lotus feet, and that way the devotee
gives up material endeavors. Therefore one should worship the
Lord without a mixture of jñāna or karma. Tivreṇa bhakti-
yogena yajeta puruṣām param. (SB 2.3.10) However, the
attainment of the lotus feet of the Lord by niṣkāma or sakāma
bhaktas should not be considered the same in all ways. That
which is pure by nature and that which is purified by force do
not have the same value. Thus the excellence of Hanumān is
greater than that of Dhruva.
TEXT - SB 5.19.28
yady atra naḥ svarga-sukhāvaśeṣitaṁ
sviṣṭasya sūktasya kṛtasya śobhanam
tenājanābhe smṛtimaj janma naḥ syād
varṣe harir yad-bhajatāṁ śaṁ tanoti
SYNONYMS
yadi—if; atra—in this heavenly planet; naḥ—of us; svarga-

sukha-avaśeṣitam—whatever remains after the enjoyment of
heavenly happiness; su-iṣṭasya—of a perfect sacrifice; su-
uktasya—of diligently studying the Vedic literature; kṛtasya—
of having performed a kind act; śobhanam—the resultant
actions; tena—by such a resultant action; ajanābhe—in the
land of Bhārata-varṣa; smṛti-mat janma—a birth enabling one
to remember the lotus feet of the Lord; naḥ—of us; syāt—let
there be; varṣe—in the land; hariḥ—the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; yat—wherein; bhajatām—of the devotees; śam
tanoti—expands the auspiciousness.
TRANSLATION
We are now living in the heavenly planets, undoubtedly as a
result of our having performed ritualistic ceremonies, pious
activities and yajñas and having studied the Vedas.
However, our lives here will one day be finished. We pray
that at that time, if any merit remains from our pious
activities, we may again take birth in Bhārata-varṣa as
human beings able to remember the lotus feet of the Lord.
The Lord is so kind that He personally comes to the land of
Bhārata-varṣa and expands the good fortune of its people.
PURPORT
It is certainly as a result of pious activities that one takes birth

in the heavenly planets, but from those planets one must
nevertheless come down again to earth, as stated in Bhagavad-
gītā (kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti[Bg. 9.21]). Even the
demigods must return to earth to work like ordinary men when
the results of their pious activities expire. Nevertheless, the
demigods desire to come to the land of Bhārata-varṣa if even a
small portion of the merits of their pious activities remains. In
other words, to take birth in Bhārata-varṣa, one must perform
more pious activities than the demigods. In Bhārata-varṣa one
is naturally Kṛṣṇa conscious, and if one further cultivates his
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa he certainly
expands his good fortune by becoming perfect in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness and very easily going back home, back to
Godhead. In many other places in the Vedic literature it is
found that even the demigods want to come to this land of
Bhārata-varṣa. A foolish person may desire to be promoted to
the heavenly planets as a result of his pious activities, but even
the demigods from the heavenly planets want to come to
Bhārata-varṣa and achieve bodies that may be very easily used
to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu repeatedly says:

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]
A human being born in the land of Bhārata-varṣa has the

special prerogative to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore
those already born in Bhārata-varṣa should take lessons from
the śāstras and guru and should fully take advantage of the
mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in order to be fully
equipped with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By taking full advantage
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one goes back home, back to Godhead
(yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām [Bg. 9.25]). The Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is therefore spreading this facility to
human society by opening many, many centers all over the
world so that people may associate with the pure devotees of
the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, understand the science of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness and ultimately go back home, back to
Godhead.
Therefore the devatās pray. If there exists any remaining good

results after enjoying the happiness of Svarga arising from
properly performed sacrifices, by that pious result let us have
birth with eager remembrance of the Lord in Bhārata
(ajanābhe), where, having attained association of the devotees,
we will worship the Lord, since the Lord gives happiness to the
devotees.
TEXT - SB 5.19.29-30
ī[qXauk- ovac
JaMbUŪqPaSYa c raJaṁuPaŪqPaaNaíaE hEk- oPaidXaiNTa
SaGaraTMaJaErṅaNvez<a
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TaÛQaa Sv<aRPa[SQaêNd]‚
Xau(c)- AavTaRNaae rMa<ak-ae MaNdrhir<a" PaaĀJaNYa"
iSa&hl/ae l/ªeiTa )) 30 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
jambūdvīpasya ca rājann upadvīpān aṣṭau haika upadiśanti

sagarātmajair aśvānveṣaṇa imāṁ mahīṁ parito nikhanadbhir
upakalpitān; tad yathā svarṇaprasthaś candraśukla āvartano
ramaṇako mandarahariṇaḥ pāñcajanyaḥ siṁhalo laṅketi.
SYNONYMS

jambūdvīpasya—of the island known as Jambūdvīpa; ca—also;
rājan—O King; upadvīpān aṣṭau—eight subordinate islands;
ha—certainly; eke—some; upadiśanti—learned scholars
describe; sagara-ātma-jaiḥ—by the sons of Mahārāja Sagara;
aśva-anveṣaṇe—while trying to find their lost horse; imām—
this; mahīm—tract of land; paritaḥ—all around; nikhanadbhiḥ
—digging; upakalpitān—created; tat—that; yathā—as follows;
svarṇa-prasthaḥ—Svarṇaprastha; candra-śuklaḥ—
Candraśukla; āvartanaḥ—Āvartana; ramaṇakaḥ—Ramaṇaka;
mandara-hariṇaḥ—Mandara-hariṇa; pāñcajanyaḥ—
Pāñcajanya; siṁhalaḥ—Siṁhala; laṅkā—Laṅkā; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, in the opinion
of some learned scholars, eight smaller islands surround
Jambūdvīpa. When the sons of Mahārāja Sagara were
searching all over the world for their lost horse, they dug up
the earth, and in this way eight adjoining islands came into
existence. The names of these islands are Svarṇaprastha,
Candraśukla, Āvartana, Ramaṇaka, Mandara-hariṇa,
Pāñcajanya, Siṁhala and Laṅkā.
PURPORT
In the Kūrma Purāṇa there is this statement about the desires of

the demigods:
anadhikāriṇo devāḥ
svarga-sthā bhāratodbhavam
vāñchanty ātma-vimokṣārtha-
mudrekārthe 'dhikāriṇaḥ
Although the demigods are situated in exalted positions in the

heavenly planets, they nevertheless desire to descend to the
land of Bhārata-varṣa on the planet earth. This indicates that
even the demigods are unfit to reside in Bhārata-varṣa.
Therefore if persons already born in Bhāratavarṣa live like cats
and dogs, not taking full advantage of their birth in this land,
they are certainly unfortunate.
TEXT - SB 5.19.31
evaṁ tava bhāratottama jambūdvīpa-varṣa-vibhāgo

yathopadeśam upavarṇita iti.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; tava—unto you; bhārata-uttama—O best of the

descendents of Bharata; jambūdvīpa-varṣa-vibhāgaḥ—the
divisions of the island of Jambūdvīpa; yathā-upadeśam—as
much as I am instructed by the authorities; upavarṇitaḥ—
explained; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Parīkṣit, O best of the descendants of
Bharata Mahārāja, I have thus described to you, as I myself
have been instructed, the island of Bhārata-varṣa and its
adjoining islands. These are the islands that constitute
Jambūdvīpa.

Thus ends the commentary on the Nineteenth Chapter of the

Nineteenth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "A
Description of the Island of Jambūdvīpa."
20. Studying the Structure of the Universe
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3-4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46
Chapter Summary
In this chapter there is a description of various islands,

beginning with Plakṣadvīpa, and the oceans that surround them.
There is also a description of the location and dimensions of the
mountain known as Lokāloka. The island of Plakṣadvīpa,
which is twice as broad as Jambūdvīpa, is surrounded by an
ocean of salt water. The master of this island is Idhmajihva, one
of the sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata. The island is divided into
seven regions, each with a mountain and a large river.
The second island is called Sālmalīdvīpa. It is surrounded by an

ocean of liquor and is 3,200,000 miles wide, twice as wide as
Plakṣadvīpa. The master of this island is Yajñabāhu, one of the
sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata. Like Plakṣadvīpa, this island is
also divided into seven regions, each with a mountain and a
very large river. The inhabitants of this island worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of Candrātmā.
The third island, which is surrounded by an ocean of clarified

butter and is also divided into seven regions, is called
Kuśadvīpa. Its master is Hiraṇyaretā, another son of Mahārāja
Priyavrata, and its inhabitants worship the Supreme Personality
of Godhead in the form of Agni, the fire-god. The width of this
island is 6,400,000 miles, or, in other words, twice the width of
Sālmalīdvīpa.
The fourth island, Krauñcadvīpa, which is surrounded by an

ocean of milk, is 12,800,000 miles wide and is also divided,
like the others, into seven regions, each with a large mountain
and a large river. The master of this island is Ghṛtapṛṣṭha,
another son of Mahārāja Priyavrata. The inhabitants of this
island worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form
of water.
The fifth island, Śākadvīpa, which is 25,600,000 miles wide, is

surrounded by an ocean of yogurt. Its master is Medhātithi,
another son of Mahārāja Priyavrata. It is also divided into seven
regions, each with a large mountain and a large river. Its
inhabitants worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the
form of Vāyu, air.
The sixth island, Puṣkaradvīpa, which is twice as wide as the

previous island, is surrounded by an ocean of clear water. Its
master is Vītihotra, another son of Mahārāja Priyavrata. The
island is divided in two by a large mountain named
Mānasottara. The inhabitants of this island worship
Svayambhū, another feature of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Beyond Puṣkaradvīpa there are two islands, one
always lit by the sunshine and the other always dark. Between
them is a mountain called Lokāloka, which is situated one
billion miles from the edge of the universe. Lord Nārāyaṇa,
expanding His opulence, resides upon this mountain. The area
beyond Lokāloka Mountain is called Aloka-varṣa, and beyond
Aloka-varṣa is the pure destination of persons who desire
liberation.
Vertically, the sun-globe is situated just in the middle of the

universe, in Antarikṣa, the space between Bhūrloka and
Bhuvarloka. The distance between the sun and the
circumference of Aṇḍa-golaka, the globe of the universe, is
estimated to be twenty-five koṭi yojanas (two billion miles).
Because the sun enters the universe and divides the sky, it is
known as Mārtaṇḍa, and because it is produced from
Hiraṇyagarbha, the body of the mahat-tattva, it is also called
Hiraṇyagarbha.
TEXT - SB 5.20.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
ATa" Par& â+aadqNaa& Pa[Maa<al/+a<aSa&SQaaNaTaae
vzRiv>aaGa oPav<YaRTae )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
ataḥ paraṁ plakṣādīnāṁ pramāṇa-lakṣaṇa-saṁsthānato varṣa-

vibhāga upavarṇyate.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; ataḥ param—after

this; plakṣa-ādīnām—of the island named Plakṣa and others;
pramāṇa-lakṣaṇa-saṁsthānataḥ—from the angle of
dimensions, particular characteristics and form; varṣa-vibhāgaḥ
—the division of the island; upavarṇyate—is described.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Hereafter I shall
describe the dimensions, characteristics and forms of the six
islands beginning with the island of Plakṣa.
The Twentieth Chapter describes Plakṣadvīpa and other islands,

their varṣas, rivers, mountains and devatās as well as the
Lokāloka Mountain.
TEXT - SB 5.20.2
jambūdvīpo 'yaṁ yāvat-pramāṇa-vistāras tāvatā kṣārodadhinā

pariveṣṭito yathā merur jambv-ākhyena lavaṇodadhir api tato
dvi-guṇa-viśālena plakṣākhyena parikṣipto yathā parikhā
bāhyopavanena; plakṣo jambū-pramāṇo dvīpākhyākaro
hiraṇmaya utthito yatrāgnir upāste sapta-jihvas tasyādhipatiḥ
priyavratātmaja idhmajihvaḥ svaṁ dvīpaṁ sapta-varṣāṇi
vibhajya sapta-varṣa-nāmabhya ātmajebhya ākalayya svayam
ātma-yogenopararāma.
SYNONYMS
jambū-dvīpaḥ—Jambūdvīpa, the island named Jambū; ayam—

this; yāvat-pramāṇa-vistāraḥ—as much as the measure of its
width, namely 100,000 yojanas (one yojana equals eight
miles); tāvatā—so much; kṣāra-udadhinā—by the ocean of salt
water; pariveṣṭitaḥ—surrounded; yathā—just as; meruḥ—
Sumeru Mountain; jambū-ākhyena—by the island named
Jambū; lavaṇa-udadhiḥ—the ocean of salt water; api—
certainly; tataḥ—thereafter; dvi-guṇa-viśālena—which is twice
as wide; plakṣa-ākhyena—by the island named Plakṣa;
parikṣiptaḥ—surrounded; yathā—like; parikhā—a moat; bāhya
—external; upavanena—by a gardenlike forest; plakṣaḥ—a
plakṣa tree; jambū-pramāṇaḥ—having the height of the jambū
tree; dvīpa-ākhyā-karaḥ—causing the name of the island;
hiraṇmayaḥ—magnificently splendorous; utthitaḥ—rising;
yatra—where; agniḥ—a fire; upāste—is situated; sapta-jihvaḥ
—having seven flames; tasya—of that island; adhipatiḥ—the
king or master; priyavrata-ātmajaḥ—the son of King
Priyavrata; idhma-jihvaḥ—named Idhmajihva; svam—own;
dvīpam—island; sapta—seven; varṣāṇi—tracts of land;
vibhajya—dividing into; sapta-varṣa-nāmabhyaḥ—for whom
the seven tracts of land were named; ātmajebhyaḥ—to his own
sons; ākalayya—offering; svayam—personally; ātma-yogena—
by the devotional service of the Lord; upararāma—he retired
from all material activities.
TRANSLATION
As Sumeru Mountain is surrounded by Jambūdvīpa,
Jambūdvīpa is also surrounded by an ocean of salt water.
The breadth of Jambūdvīpa is 100,000 yojanas [800,000
miles], and the breadth of the saltwater ocean is the same.
As a moat around a fort is sometimes surrounded by
gardenlike forest, the saltwater ocean surrounding
Jambūdvīpa is itself surrounded by Plakṣadvīpa. The
breadth of Plakṣadvīpa is twice that of the saltwater ocean
—in other words 200,000 yojanas [1,600,000 miles]. On
Plakṣadvīpa there is a tree shining like gold and as tall as
the jambū tree on Jambūdvīpa. At its root is a fire with
seven flames. It is because this tree is a plakṣa tree that the
island is called Plakṣadvīpa. Plakṣadvīpa was governed by
Idhmajihva, one of the sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata. He
endowed the seven islands with the names of his seven sons,
divided the islands among the sons, and then retired from
active life to engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
Parikṣitaḥ means surrounded. The fire remains predominant

(upāste). Ākalaya means gave.
TEXT - SB 5.20.3-4
śivaṁ yavasaṁ subhadraṁ śāntaṁ kṣemam amṛtam abhayam

iti varṣāṇi teṣu girayo nadyaś ca saptaivābhijñātāḥ; maṇikūṭo
vajrakūṭa indraseno jyotiṣmān suparṇo hiraṇyaṣṭhīvo
meghamāla iti setu-śailāḥ aruṇā nṛmṇāṅgirasī sāvitrī suptabhātā
ṛtambharā satyambharā iti mahā-nadyaḥ; yāsāṁ
jalopasparśana-vidhūta-rajas-tamaso haṁsa-pataṅgordhvāyana-
satyāṅga-saṁjñāś catvāro varṇāḥ sahasrāyuṣo vibudhopama-
sandarśana-prajananāḥ svarga-dvāraṁ trayyā vidyayā
bhagavantaṁ trayīmayaṁ sūryam ātmānaṁ yajante.
SYNONYMS
śivam—Śiva; yavasam—Yavasa; subhadram—Subhadra;

śāntam—Śānta; kṣemam—Kṣema; amṛtam—Amṛta; abhayam
—Abhaya; iti—thus; varṣāṇi—the tracts of land according to
the names of the seven sons; teṣu—in them; girayaḥ—
mountains; nadyaḥ ca—and rivers; sapta—seven; eva—
indeed; abhijñātāḥ—are known; maṇi-kūṭaḥ—Maṇikūṭa; vajra-
kūṭaḥ—Vajrakūṭa; indra-senaḥ—Indrasena; jyotiṣmān—
Jyotiṣmān; suparṇaḥ—Suparṇa; hiraṇya-ṣṭhīvaḥ—
Hiraṇyaṣṭhīva; megha-mālaḥ—Meghamāla; iti—thus; setu-
śailāḥ—the ranges of mountains marking the borders of the
varṣas; aruṇā—Aruṇā; nṛmṇā—Nṛmṇā; āṅgirasī—Āṅgirasī;
sāvitrī—Sāvitrī; supta-bhātā—Suptabhātā; ṛtambharā—
Ṛtambharā; satyambharā—Satyambharā; iti—thus; mahā-
nadyaḥ—very large rivers; yāsām—of which; jala-
upasparśana—simply by touching the water; vidhūta—washed
off; rajaḥ-tamasaḥ—whose modes of passion and ignorance;
haṁsa—Haṁsa; pataṅga—Pataṅga; ūrdhvāyana—
Ūrdhvāyana; satyāṅga—Satyāṅga; saṁjñāḥ—named; catvāraḥ
—four; varṇāḥ—castes or divisions of men; sahasra-āyuṣaḥ—
living for one thousand years; vibudha-upama—similar to the
demigods; sandarśana—in having very beautiful forms;
prajananāḥ—and in producing children; svarga-dvāram—the
gateway to the heavenly planets; trayyā vidyayā—by
performing ritualistic ceremonies according to Vedic
principles; bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; trayī-mayam—established in the Vedas; sūryam
ātmānam—the Supersoul, represented by the sun-god; yajante
—they worship.
TRANSLATION
The seven islands [varṣas] are named according to the
names of those seven sons—Śiva, Yavasa, Subhadra, Śānta,
Kṣema, Amṛta and Abhaya. In those seven tracts of land,
there are seven mountains and seven rivers. The mountains
are named Maṇikūṭa, Vajrakūṭa, Indrasena, Jyotiṣmān,
Suparṇa, Hiraṇyaṣṭhīva and Meghamāla, and the rivers are
named Aruṇā, Nṛmṇā, Āṅgirasī, Sāvitrī, Suptabhātā,
Ṛtambharā and Satyambharā. One can immediately be free
from material contamination by touching or bathing in
those rivers, and the four castes of people who live in
Plakṣadvīpa—the Haṁsas, Pataṅgas, Ūrdhvāyanas and
Satyāṅgas—purify themselves in that way. The inhabitants
of Plakṣadvīpa live for one thousand years. They are
beautiful like the demigods, and they also beget children
like the demigods. By completely performing the ritualistic
ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas and by worshiping the
Supreme Personality of Godhead as represented by the sun-
god, they attain the sun, which is a heavenly planet.
PURPORT
According to general understanding, there are originally three

deities—Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva—and people
with a poor fund of knowledge consider Lord Viṣṇu no better
than Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva. This conclusion, however, is
invalid. As stated in the Vedas, iṣṭāpūrtaṁ bahudhā
jāyamānaṁ viśvaṁ bibharti bhuvanasya nābhiḥ tad evāgnis tad
vāyus tat sūryas tad u candramāḥ agniḥ sarvadaivataḥ. This
means that the Supreme Lord, who accepts and enjoys the
results of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies (technically called
iṣṭāpūrta), who maintains the entire creation, who supplies the
necessities of all living entities (eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti
kāmān) and who is the central point of all creation, is Lord
Viṣṇu. Lord Viṣṇu expands as the demigods known as Agni,
Vāyu, Sūrya and Candra, who are simply parts and parcels of
His body. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā (9.23):
ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
te 'pi mām eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam
"Devotees who worship the demigods with firm faith worship

Me also, but not according to regulative principles." In other
words, if one worships the demigods but does not understand
the relationship between the demigods and the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, his worship is irregular. Kṛṣṇa also
says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.24), ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā
ca prabhur eva ca: "I am the only enjoyer of ritualistic
ceremonies."
It may be argued that the demigods are as important as Lord

Viṣṇu because the names of the demigods are different names
of Viṣṇu. This, however, is not a sound conclusion, for it is
contradicted in the Vedic literatures. The Vedas declare:
candramā manaso jātaś cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata; śrotrādayaś ca

prāṇaś ca mukhād agnir ajāyata; nārāyaṇād brahmā, nārāyaṇād
rudro jāyate, nārāyaṇāt prajāpatiḥ jāyate, nārāyaṇād indro
jāyate, nārāyaṇād aṣṭau vasavo jāyante, nārāyaṇād ekādaśa
rudrā jāyante.
"The demigod of the moon, Candra, came from the mind of

Nārāyaṇa, and the sun-god came from His eyes. The
controlling deities of hearing and the life air came from
Nārāyaṇa, and the controlling deity of fire was generated from
His mouth. Prajāpati, Lord Brahmā, came from Nārāyaṇa, Indra
came from Nārāyaṇa, and the eight Vasus, the eleven
expansions of Lord Śiva and the twelve Ādityas also came from
Nārāyaṇa." In the smṛti Vedic literature it is also said:
brahmā śambhus tathaivārkaś

candramāś ca śatakratuḥ
evam ādyās tathaivānye
yuktā vaiṣṇava-tejasā
jagat-kāryāvasāne tu
viyujyante ca tejasā
vitejaś ca te sarve
pañcatvam upayānti te
"Brahmā, Śambhu, Sūrya and Indra are all merely products of

the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also
true of the many other demigods whose names are not
mentioned here. When the cosmic manifestation is annihilated,
these different expansions of Nārāyaṇa's potencies will merge
into Nārāyaṇa. In other words, all these demigods will die.
Their living force will be withdrawn, and they will merge into
Nārāyaṇa."
Therefore it should be concluded that Lord Viṣṇu, not Lord

Brahmā or Lord Śiva, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As a government officer is sometimes accepted as the entire
government although he is actually but a departmental
manager, so the demigods, having achieved power of attorney
from Viṣṇu, act on His behalf, although they are not as
powerful as He. All the demigods must work under the orders
of Viṣṇu. Therefore it is said, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba
bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. The only master is Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Lord
Viṣṇu, and all others are His obedient servants, who act exactly
according to His orders. The distinction between Lord Viṣṇu
and the demigods is also expressed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.25).

those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the

demigods, whereas the worshipers of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord
Viṣṇu go to the planets in Vaikuṇṭha. These are the statements
of the smṛti. Therefore the idea that Lord Viṣṇu is on the same
level as the demigods is in contradiction to the śāstras. The
demigods are not supreme. The supremacy of the demigods is
dependent on the mercy of Lord Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa).

The mountain ranges divide the varṣas and touch the ocean on
both ends, running at right angles to the oceans. The Haṁsas,
Pataṅgas, Urdhvāyanas and Satyāṅas represent the brāhmaṇas,
kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. Their forms and method of
producing offspring are like that of devatās.
TEXT - SB 5.20.5
pratnasya viṣṇo rūpaṁ yat
satyasyartasya brahmaṇaḥ
amṛtasya ca mṛtyoś ca
sūryam ātmānam īmahīti
SYNONYMS
pratnasya—of the oldest person; viṣṇoḥ—Lord Viṣṇu; rūpam

—the form; yat—which; satyasya—of the Absolute Truth;
ṛtasya—of dharma; brahmaṇaḥ—of the Supreme Brahman;
amṛtasya—of the auspicious result; ca—and; mṛtyoḥ—of death
(the inauspicious result); ca—and; sūryam—the demigod
Sūrya; ātmānam—the Supersoul or origin of all souls; īmahi—
we approach for shelter; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
[This is the mantra by which the inhabitants of Plakṣadvīpa
worship the Supreme Lord.] Let us take shelter of the sun-
god, who is a reflection of Lord Viṣṇu, the all-expanding
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the oldest of all persons.
Viṣṇu is the only worshipable Lord. He is the Vedas, He is
religion, and He is the origin of all auspicious and
inauspicious results.
PURPORT
Lord Viṣṇu is even the Supreme Lord of death, as confirmed in

Bhagavad-gītā (mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg. 10.34]). There
are two kinds of activity—auspicious and inauspicious—and
both are controlled by Lord Viṣṇu. Inauspicious activities are
said to be behind Lord Viṣṇu, whereas auspicious activities
stand before Him. The auspicious and the inauspicious exist
throughout the entire world, and Lord Viṣṇu is the controller of
them both.
In regard to this verse, Śrīla Madhvācārya says:
sūrya-somāgni-vārīśa-
vidhātṛṣu yathā-kramam
plakṣādi-dvīpa-saṁsthāsu
sthitaṁ harim upāsate
There are many lands, fields, mountains and oceans throughout

the creation, and everywhere the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is worshiped by His different names.
Śrīla Vīrarāghava Ācārya explains this verse of Śrīmad-

Bhāgavatam as follows. The original cause of the cosmic
manifestation must be the oldest person and must therefore be
beyond material transformations. He is the enjoyer of all
auspicious activities and is the cause of conditional life and also
liberation. The demigod Sūrya, who is categorized as a very
powerful jīva, or living entity, is a representation of one of the
parts of His body. We are naturally subordinate to powerful
living entities, and therefore we can worship the various
demigods as living beings who are powerful representatives of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although the worship of
the sun-god is recommended in this mantra, He is worshiped
not as the Supreme Personality of Godhead but as His powerful
representative.
In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.3.1) it is said:
ṛtaṁ pibantau sukṛtasya loke

guhāṁ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe
chāyātapau brahmavido vadanti
pañcāgnayo ye ca tri-ṇāciketāḥ
"O Nāciketā, the expansions of Lord Viṣṇu as the tiny living

entity and the Supersoul are both situated within the cave of the
heart of this body. Having entered that cavity, the living entity,
resting on the chief of the life airs, enjoys the results of
activities, and the Supersoul, acting as witness enables him to
enjoy them. Those who are well-versed in knowledge of
Brahman and those householders who carefully follow the
Vedic regulations say that the difference between the two is
like the difference between a shadow and the sun."
In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.16) it is said:

sa viśvakṛd viśvavidātmayoniḥ
jñaḥ kālākāro guṇī sarvavid yaḥ
pradhāna-kṣetrajña-patir guṇeśaḥ
saṁsāra-mokṣa-sthiti-bandha-hetuḥ
"The Supreme Lord, the creator of this cosmic manifestation,

knows every nook and corner of His creation. Although He is
the cause of creation, there is no cause for His appearance. He
is fully aware of everything. He is the Supersoul, the master of
all transcendental qualities, and He is the master of this cosmic
manifestation in regard to bondage to the conditional state of
material existence and liberation from that bondage."
Similarly, in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.8) it is said:
bhīṣāsmād vātaḥ pavate

bhīṣodeti sūryaḥ
bhīṣāsmād agniś candraś ca
mṛtyur dhāvati pañcamaḥ
"It is out of fear of the Supreme Brahman that the wind is

blowing, out of fear of Him that the sun regularly rises and sets,
and out of fear of Him that fire acts. It is only due to fear of
Him that death and Indra, the King of heaven, perform their
respective duties."
As described in this chapter, the inhabitants of the five islands

beginning with Plakṣadvīpa worship the sun-god, the moon-
god, the fire-god, the air-god and Lord Brahmā respectively.
Although they engage in the worship of these five demigods,
however, they actually worship Lord Viṣṇu, the Supersoul of
all living entities, as indicated in this verse by the words
pratnasya viṣṇo rūpam. Viṣṇu is brahma, amṛta, mṛtyu—the
Supreme Brahman and the origin of everything, auspicious and
inauspicious. He is situated in the heart of everyone, including
all the demigods. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.20), kāmais
tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya devatāḥ: those whose
minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto the
demigods. People who are almost blind because of lusty desires
are recommended to worship the demigods to have their
material desires fulfilled, but actually those desires are not
fulfilled by the material demigods. Whatever the demigods do
is done with the sanction of Lord Viṣṇu. People who are too
lusty worship various demigods instead of worshiping Lord
Viṣṇu, the Supersoul of all living entities, but ultimately it is
Lord Viṣṇu they worship because He is the Supersoul of all
demigods.
We surrender to the sun whose has the form of the oldest

person (pratnasya). He is the presiding deity (ātmanam) of
dharma when performed (satyasya), of dharma as it is known
(ṛtasya), of the Vedas which give knowledge of Brahman, of
good results (amṛtasya) and inauspicious results (mṛtyoḥ).
TEXT - SB 5.20.6
plakṣādiṣu pañcasu puruṣāṇām āyur indriyam ojaḥ saho balaṁ

buddhir vikrama iti ca sarveṣām autpattikī siddhir aviśeṣeṇa
vartate.
SYNONYMS
plakṣa-ādiṣu—in the islands headed by Plakṣa; pañcasu—five;

puruṣāṇām—of the inhabitants; āyuḥ—long duration of life;
indriyam—soundness of the senses; ojaḥ—bodily strength;
sahaḥ—mental strength; balam—physical strength; buddhiḥ—
intelligence; vikramaḥ—bravery; iti—thus; ca—also; sarveṣām
—of all of them; autpattikī—inborn; siddhiḥ—perfection;
aviśeṣeṇa—without distinction; vartate—exists.
TRANSLATION
O King, longevity, sensory prowess, physical and mental
strength, intelligence and bravery are naturally and equally
manifested in all the inhabitants of the five islands headed
by Plakṣadvīpa.
TEXT - SB 5.20.7
plakṣaḥ sva-samānenekṣu-rasodenāvṛto yathā tathā dvīpo 'pi

śālmalo dvi-guṇa-viśālaḥ samānena surodenāvṛtaḥ parivṛṅkte.
SYNONYMS
plakṣaḥ—the land known as Plakṣadvīpa; sva-samānena—

equal in width; ikṣu-rasa—of sugarcane juice; udena—by an
ocean; āvṛtaḥ—surrounded; yathā—just as; tathā—similarly;
dvīpaḥ—another island; api—also; śālmalaḥ—known as
Śālmala; dvi-guṇa-viśālaḥ—twice as big; samānena—equal in
width; surā-udena—by an ocean of liquor; āvṛtaḥ—
surrounded; parivṛṅkte—exists.
TRANSLATION
Plakṣadvīpa is surrounded by an ocean of sugarcane juice,
equal in breadth to the island itself. Similarly, there is then
another island—Sālmalīdvīpa—twice as broad as
Plakṣadvīpa [400,000 yojanas, or 3,200,000 miles] and
surrounded by an equally broad body of water called
Surāsāgara, the ocean that tastes like liquor.
TEXT - SB 5.20.8
yatra ha vai śālmalī plakṣāyāmā yasyāṁ vāva kila nilayam āhur

bhagavataś chandaḥ-stutaḥ patattri-rājasya sā dvīpa-hūtaye
upalakṣyate.
SYNONYMS
yatra—where; ha vai—certainly; śālmalī—a śālmalī tree;

plakṣa-āyāmā—as big as the plakṣa tree (one hundred yojanas
broad and eleven hundred yojanas high); yasyām—in which;
vāva kila—indeed; nilayam—rest or living place; āhuḥ—they
say; bhagavataḥ—of the most powerful; chandaḥ-stutaḥ—who
worships the Lord by Vedic prayers; patattri-rājasya—of
Garuḍa, the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu; sā—that tree; dvīpa-hūtaye
—for the name of the island; upalakṣyate—is distinguished.
TRANSLATION
On Sālmalīdvīpa there is a śālmalī tree, from which the
island takes its name. That tree is as broad and tall as the
plakṣa tree—in other words 100 yojanas [800 miles] broad
and 1,100 yojanas [8,800 miles] tall. Learned scholars say
that this gigantic tree is the residence of Garuḍa, the king of
all birds and carrier of Lord Viṣṇu. In that tree, Garuḍa
offers Lord Viṣṇu his Vedic prayers.
Chandaḥ-stutaḥ refers to Garuḍa, who praises Viṣṇu by the

hymns arising from his limbs. Śruti says suparṇa ‘si garutmān
trivṛtte śiraḥ: you are Garuḍa, your head is the trivṛt-stoma of
the Vedas. (Garuḍa Upaniṣad) The śalmalī tree gives the island
its name (hūtaye).
TEXT - SB 5.20.9
tad-dvīpādhipatiḥ priyavratātmajo yajñabāhuḥ sva-sutebhyaḥ

saptabhyas tan-nāmāni sapta-varṣāṇi vyabhajat surocanaṁ
saumanasyaṁ ramaṇakaṁ deva-varṣaṁ pāribhadram
āpyāyanam avijñātam iti.
SYNONYMS
tat-dvīpa-adhipatiḥ—the master of that island; priyavrata-

ātmajaḥ—the son of Mahārāja Priyavrata; yajña-bāhuḥ—
named Yajñabāhu; sva-sutebhyaḥ—unto his sons; saptabhyaḥ
—seven in number; tat-nāmāni—having names according to
their names; sapta-varṣāṇi—seven tracts of land; vyabhajat—
divided; surocanam—Surocana; saumanasyam—Saumanasya;
ramaṇakam—Ramaṇaka; deva-varṣam—Deva-varṣa;
pāribhadram—Pāribhadra; āpyāyanam—Āpyāyana; avijñātam
—Avijñāta; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
The son of Mahārāja Priyavrata named Yajñabāhu, the
master of Sālmalīdvīpa, divided the island into seven tracts
of land, which he gave to his seven sons. The names of those
divisions, which correspond to the names of the sons, are
Surocana, Saumanasya, Ramaṇaka, Deva-varṣa,
Pāribhadra, Āpyāyana and Avijñāta.
TEXT - SB 5.20.10
teṣu varṣādrayo nadyaś ca saptaivābhijñātāḥ svarasaḥ śataśṛṅgo

vāmadevaḥ kundo mukundaḥ puṣpa-varṣaḥ sahasra-śrutir iti;
anumatiḥ sinīvālī sarasvatī kuhū rajanī nandā rāketi.
SYNONYMS
teṣu—in those tracts of land; varṣa-adrayaḥ—mountains;

nadyaḥ ca—as well as rivers; sapta eva—seven in number;
abhijñātāḥ—understood; svarasaḥ—Svarasa; śata-śṛṅgaḥ—
Śataśṛṅga; vāma-devaḥ—Vāmadeva; kundaḥ—Kunda;
mukundaḥ—Mukunda; puṣpa-varṣaḥ—Puṣpa-varṣa; sahasra-
śrutiḥ—Sahasra-śruti; iti—thus; anumatiḥ—Anumati; sinīvālī
—Sinīvālī; sarasvatī—Sarasvatī; kuhū—Kuhū; rajanī—Rajanī;
nandā—Nandā; rākā—Rākā; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
In those tracts of land there are seven mountains—Svarasa,
Śataśṛṅga, Vāmadeva, Kunda, Mukunda, Puṣpa-varṣa and
Sahasra-śruti. There are also seven rivers—Anumati,
Sinīvālī, Sarasvatī, Kuhū, Rajanī, Nandā and Rākā. They
are still existing.
TEXT - SB 5.20.11
tad-varṣa-puruṣāḥ śrutadhara-vīryadhara-vasundhareṣandhara-
saṁjñā bhagavantaṁ vedamayaṁ somam ātmānaṁ vedena
yajante.
SYNONYMS
tat-varṣa-puruṣāḥ—the residents of those tracts of land;

śrutadhara—Śrutadhara; vīryadhara—Vīryadhara; vasundhara
—Vasundhara; iṣandhara—Iṣandhara; saṁjñāḥ—known as;
bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; veda-
mayam—fully conversant with the Vedic knowledge; somam
ātmānam—represented by the living entity known as Soma;
vedena—by following the Vedic rules and regulations; yajante
—they worship.
TRANSLATION
Strictly following the cult of varṇāśrama-dharma, the
inhabitants of those islands, who are known as Śrutidharas,
Vīryadharas, Vasundharas and Iṣandharas, all worship the
expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead named
Soma, the moon-god.
TEXT - SB 5.20.12
sva-gobhiḥ pitṛ-devebhyo
vibhajan kṛṣṇa-śuklayoḥ
prajānāṁ sarvāsāṁ rājā-
ndhaḥ somo na āstv iti
SYNONYMS
sva-gobhiḥ—by expansion of his own illuminating rays; pitṛ-

devebhyaḥ—unto the pitās and the demigods; vibhajan—
dividing; kṛṣṇa-śuklayoḥ—into the two fortnights, dark and
light; prajānām—of the citizens; sarvāsām—of all; rājā—the
king; andhaḥ—food grains; somaḥ—the moon-god; naḥ—
toward us; āstu—let him remain favorable; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
[The inhabitants of Śālmalīdvīpa worship the demigod of
the moon in the following words.] By his own rays, the
moon-god has divided the month into two fortnights, known
as śukla and kṛṣṇa, for the distribution of food grains to the
pitās and the demigods. The demigod of the moon is he who
divides time, and he is the king of all the residents of the
universe. We therefore pray that he may remain our king
and guide, and we offer him our respectful obeisances.
Svagobhiḥ means “by his rays.” Andaḥ is food. May Soma, our
king, be in our presence (ā astu)!
TEXT - SB 5.20.13
evaṁ surodād bahis tad-dvi-guṇaḥ samānenāvṛto ghṛtodena

yathā-pūrvaḥ kuśa-dvīpo yasmin kuśa-stambo deva-kṛtas tad-
dvīpākhyākaro jvalana ivāparaḥ sva-śaṣpa-rociṣā diśo
virājayati.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; surodāt—from the ocean of liquor; bahiḥ—

outside; tat-dvi-guṇaḥ—twice that; samānena—equal in width;
āvṛtaḥ—surrounded; ghṛta-udena—an ocean of clarified
butter; yathā-pūrvaḥ—as previously with Sālmalīdvīpa; kuśa-
dvīpa—the island called Kuśadvīpa; yasmin—in which; kuśa-
stambaḥ—kuśa grass; deva-kṛtaḥ—created by the supreme will
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat-dvīpa-ākhyā-karaḥ
—giving the island its name; jvalanaḥ—fire; iva—like; aparaḥ
—another; sva-śaṣpa-rociṣā—by the effulgence of the young
sprouting grass; diśaḥ—all directions; virājayati—illuminates.
TRANSLATION
Outside the ocean of liquor is another island, known as
Kuśadvīpa, which is 800,000 yojanas [6,400,000 miles] wide,
twice as wide as the ocean of liquor. As Śālmalīdvīpa is
surrounded by a liquor ocean, Kuśadvīpa is surrounded by
an ocean of liquid ghee as broad as the island itself. On
Kuśadvīpa there are clumps of kuśa grass, from which the
island takes its name. This kuśa grass, which was created
by the demigods by the will of the Supreme Lord, appears
like a second form of fire, but with very mild and pleasing
flames. Its young shoots illuminate all directions.
PURPORT
From the descriptions in this verse, we can make an educated

guess about the nature of the flames on the moon. Like the sun,
the moon must also be full of flames because without flames
there cannot be illumination. The flames on the moon,
however, unlike those on the sun, must be mild and pleasing.
This is our conviction. The modern theory that the moon is full
of dust is not accepted in the verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In
regard to this verse, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says,
suśaṣpāṇi sukomala-śikhās teṣāṁ rociṣā: the kuśa grass
illuminates all directions, but its flames are very mild and
pleasing. This gives some idea of the flames existing on the
moon.
The effulgence of the tender shoots (suśaṣpa) illuminates the

directions.
TEXT - SB 5.20.14
tad-dvīpa-patiḥ praiyavrato rājan hiraṇyaretā nāma svaṁ

dvīpaṁ saptabhyaḥ sva-putrebhyo yathā-bhāgaṁ vibhajya
svayaṁ tapa ātiṣṭhata vasu-vasudāna-dṛḍharuci-nābhigupta-
stutyavrata-vivikta-vāmadeva-nāmabhyaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tat-dvīpa-patiḥ—the master of that island; praiyavrataḥ—the

son of Mahārāja Priyavrata; rājan—O King; hiraṇyaretā—
Hiraṇyaretā; nāma—named; svam—his own; dvīpam—island;
saptabhyaḥ—unto seven; sva-putrebhyaḥ—his own sons;
yathā-bhāgam—according to division; vibhajya—dividing;
svayam—himself; tapaḥ ātiṣṭhata—engaged in austerities; vasu
—unto Vasu; vasudāna—Vasudāna; dṛḍharuci—Dṛḍharuci;
nābhi-gupta—Nābhigupta; stutya-vrata—Stutyavrata; vivikta
—Vivikta; vāma-deva—Vāmadeva; nāmabhyaḥ—named.
TRANSLATION
O King, another son of Mahārāja Priyavrata, Hiraṇyaretā,
was the king of this island. He divided it into seven parts,
which he delivered to his seven sons according to the rights
of inheritance. The King then retired from family life to
engage in austerities. The names of those sons are Vasu,
Vasudāna, Dṛḍharuci, Stutyavrata, Nābhigupta, Vivikta
and Vāmadeva.
TEXT - SB 5.20.15
teṣāṁ varṣeṣu sīmā-girayo nadyaś cābhijñātāḥ sapta saptaiva
cakraś catuḥśṛṅgaḥ kapilaś citrakūṭo devānīka ūrdhvaromā
draviṇa iti rasakulyā madhukulyā mitravindā śrutavindā
devagarbhā ghṛtacyutā mantramāleti.
SYNONYMS
teṣām—all those sons; varṣeṣu—in the tracts of land; sīmā-

girayaḥ—border mountains; nadyaḥ ca—as well as rivers;
abhijñātāḥ—known; sapta—seven; sapta—seven; eva—
certainly; cakraḥ—Cakra; catuḥ-śṛṅgaḥ—Catuḥ-śṛṅga; kapilaḥ
—Kapila; citra-kūṭaḥ—Citrakūṭa; devānīkaḥ—Devānīka;
ūrdhva-romā—Ūrdhvaromā; draviṇaḥ—Draviṇa; iti—thus;
rasa-kulyā—Ramakulyā; madhu-kulyā—Madhukulyā; mitra-
vindā—Mitravindā; śruta-vindā—Śrutavindā; deva-garbhā—
Devagarbhā; ghṛta-cyutā—Ghṛtacyutā; mantra-mālā—
Mantramālā; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
In those seven islands there are seven boundary mountains,
known as Cakra, Catuḥśṛṅga, Kapila, Citrakūṭa, Devānīka,
Ūrdhvaromā and Draviṇa. There are also seven rivers,
known as Ramakulyā, Madhukulyā, Mitravindā,
Śrutavindā, Devagarbhā, Ghṛtacyutā and Mantramālā.
TEXT - SB 5.20.16
yāsāṁ payobhiḥ kuśadvīpaukasaḥ kuśala-kovidābhiyukta-

kulaka-saṁjñā bhagavantaṁ jātaveda-sarūpiṇaṁ karma-
kauśalena yajante.
SYNONYMS
yāsām—of which; payobhiḥ—by the water; kuśa-dvīpa-okasaḥ

—the inhabitants of the island known as Kuśadvīpa; kuśala—
Kuśala; kovida—Kovida; abhiyukta—Abhiyukta; kulaka—
Kulaka; saṁjñāḥ—named; bhagavantam—unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; jātaveda—the demigod of fire; sa-
rūpiṇam—manifesting the form; karma-kauśalena—by
expertise in ritualistic ceremonies; yajante—they worship.
TRANSLATION
The inhabitants of the island of Kuśadvīpa are celebrated
as the Kuśalas, Kovidas, Abhiyuktas and Kulakas. They are
like the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras
respectively. By bathing in the waters of those rivers, they
all become purified. They are expert in performing
ritualistic ceremonies according to the orders of the Vedic
scriptures. Thus they worship the Lord in His aspect as the
demigod of fire.
TEXT - SB 5.20.17
parasya brahmaṇaḥ sākṣāj
jāta-vedo 'si havyavāṭ
devānāṁ puruṣāṅgānāṁ
yajñena puruṣaṁ yajeti
SYNONYMS
parasya—of the Supreme; brahmaṇaḥ—Brahman; sākṣāt—

directly; jāta-vedaḥ—O fire-god; asi—you are; havyavāṭ—the
carrier of Vedic offerings of grains and ghee; devānām—of all
the demigods; puruṣa-aṅgānām—who are limbs of the
Supreme Person; yajñena—by performing the ritualistic
sacrifices; puruṣam—to the Supreme person; yaja—please
carry oblations; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
[This is the mantra by which the inhabitants of Kuśadvīpa
worship the fire-god.] O fire-god, you are a part of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, and you carry to
Him all the offerings of sacrifices. Therefore we request you
to offer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead the yajñic
ingredients we are offering the demigods, for the Lord is
the real enjoyer.
PURPORT
The demigods are servants who assist the Supreme Personality

of Godhead. If one worships the demigods, the demigods, as
servants of the Supreme, carry the sacrificial offerings to the
Lord, like tax collectors collecting revenue from the citizens
and bringing it to the government's treasury. The demigods
cannot accept the sacrificial offerings; they simply carry the
offerings to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated by
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, yasya prasādād
bhagavat-prasādaḥ: since the guru is a representative of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, he carries to the Lord
whatever is offered to him. Similarly, all the demigods, as
faithful servants of the Supreme Lord, hand over to the
Supreme Lord whatever is offered to them in sacrificial
performances. There is no fault in worshiping the demigods
with this understanding, but to think that the demigods are
independent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and equal
to Him is called hṛta-jñāna, a loss of intelligence (kāmais tais
tair hṛta jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.20]). One who thinks that the demigods
themselves are the actual benefactors is mistaken.
O fire! You are directly the carrier of offerings for the supreme
lord. Worship the Lord by sacrifice to the devatās. This means
“Offer what is given in the name of the devatās, who are limbs,
to the Lord, who is the source of the limbs.”
TEXT - SB 5.20.18
tathā ghṛtodād bahiḥ krauñcadvīpo dvi-guṇaḥ sva-mānena

kṣīrodena parita upakḷpto vṛto yathā kuśadvīpo ghṛtodena
yasmin krauñco nāma parvata-rājo dvīpa-nāma-nirvartaka āste.
SYNONYMS
tathā—so also; ghṛta-udāt—from the ocean of clarified butter;

bahiḥ—outside; krauñca-dvīpaḥ—another island, known as
Krauñcadvīpa; dvi-guṇaḥ—twice as big; sva-mānena—as the
same measurement; kṣīra-udena—by an ocean of milk; paritaḥ
—all around; upakḷptaḥ—surrounded; vṛtaḥ—surrounded;
yathā—like; kuśa-dvīpaḥ—the island known as Kuśadvīpa;
ghṛta-udena—by an ocean of clarified butter; yasmin—in
which; krauñcaḥ nāma—named Krauñca; parvata-rājaḥ—a
king of mountains; dvīpa-nāma—the name of the island;
nirvartakaḥ—bringing about; āste—exists.
TRANSLATION
Outside the ocean of clarified butter is another island,
known as Krauñcadvīpa, which has a width of 1,600,000
yojanas [12,800,000 miles], twice the width of the ocean of
clarified butter. As Kuśadvīpa is surrounded by an ocean of
clarified butter, Krauñcadvīpa is surrounded by an ocean
of milk as broad as the island itself. On Krauñcadvīpa there
is a great mountain known as Krauñca, from which the
island takes its name.
Upaklptaḥ means “surrounded” and vṛtaḥ, also meaning

“surrounded” is connected with the next sentence.
TEXT - SB 5.20.19
yo 'sau guha-praharaṇonmathita-nitamba-kuñjo 'pi kṣīrodenā-

sicyamāno bhagavatā varuṇenābhigupto vibhayo babhūva.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—which; asau—that (mountain); guha-praharaṇa—by the

weapons of Kārttikeya, the son of Lord Śiva; unmathita—
shaken; nitamba-kuñjaḥ—whose trees and vegetables along the
slopes; api—although; kṣīra-udena—by the ocean of milk;
āsicyamānaḥ—being always bathed; bhagavatā—by the
greatly powerful; varuṇena—the demigod known as Varuṇa;
abhiguptaḥ—protected; vibhayaḥ babhūva—has become
fearless.
TRANSLATION
Although the vegetables living on the slopes of Mount
Krauñca were attacked and devastated by the weapons of
Kārttikeya, the mountain has become fearless because it is
always bathed on all sides by the ocean of milk and
protected by Varuṇadeva.
Guha refers to Kārtikeya. Vibhayaḥ means “without fear.”
TEXT - SB 5.20.20
tasminn api praiyavrato ghṛtapṛṣṭho nāmādhipatiḥ sve dvīpe

varṣāṇi sapta vibhajya teṣu putra-nāmasu sapta rikthādān
varṣapān niveśya svayaṁ bhagavān bhagavataḥ parama-
kalyāṇa-yaśasa ātma-bhūtasya hareś caraṇāravindam
upajagāma.
SYNONYMS
tasmin—in that island; api—also; praiyavrataḥ—the son of

Mahārāja Priyavrata; ghṛta-pṛṣṭhaḥ—Ghṛtapṛṣṭha; nāma—
named; adhipatiḥ—the king of that island; sve—his own; dvīpe
—in the island; varṣāṇi—tracts of land; sapta—seven; vibhajya
—dividing; teṣu—in each of them; putra-nāmasu—possessing
the names of his sons; sapta—seven; rikthā-dān—sons; varṣa-
pān—the masters of the varṣas; niveśya—appointing; svayam
—himself; bhagavān—very powerful; bhagavataḥ—of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; parama-kalyāṇa-yaśasaḥ—
whose glories are so auspicious; ātma-bhūtasya—the soul of all
souls; hareḥ caraṇa-aravindam—the lotus feet of the Lord;
upajagāma—took shelter at.
TRANSLATION
The ruler of this island was another son of Mahārāja
Priyavrata. His name was Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, and he was a very
learned scholar. He also divided his own island among his
seven sons. After dividing the island into seven parts,
named according to the names of his sons, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha
Mahārāja completely retired from family life and took
shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, the soul of all souls, who
has all auspicious qualities. Thus he attained perfection.
Ghṛtapṛṣṭha is addressed as bhagavān because he has

knowledge of creation, maintance and destruction.
TEXT - SB 5.20.21
āmo madhuruho meghapṛṣṭhaḥ sudhāmā bhrājiṣṭho lohitārṇo

vanaspatir iti ghṛtapṛṣṭha-sutās teṣāṁ varṣa-girayaḥ sapta
saptaiva nadyaś cābhikhyātāḥ śuklo vardhamāno bhojana
upabarhiṇo nando nandanaḥ sarvatobhadra iti abhayā
amṛtaughā āryakā tīrthavatī rūpavatī pavitravatī śukleti.
SYNONYMS
āmaḥ—Āma; madhu-ruhaḥ—Madhuruha; megha-pṛṣṭhaḥ—

Meghapṛṣṭha; sudhāmā—Sudhāmā; bhrājiṣṭhaḥ—Bhrājiṣṭha;
lohitārṇaḥ—Lohitārṇa; vanaspatiḥ—Vanaspati; iti—thus;
ghṛtapṛṣṭha-sutāḥ—the sons of Ghṛtapṛṣṭha; teṣām—of those
sons; varṣa-girayaḥ—boundary hills of the tracts of land; sapta
—seven; sapta—seven; eva—also; nadyaḥ—rivers; ca—and;
abhikhyātāḥ—celebrated; śuklaḥ vardhamānaḥ—Śukla and
Vardhamāna; bhojanaḥ—Bhojana; upabarhiṇaḥ—Upabarhiṇa;
nandaḥ—Nanda; nandanaḥ—Nandana; sarvataḥ-bhadraḥ—
Sarvatobhadra; iti—thus; abhayā—Abhayā; amṛtaughā—
Amṛtaughā; āryakā—Āryakā; tīrthavatī—Tīrthavatī; rūpavatī
—Rūpavatī; pavitravatī—Pavitravatī; śuklā—Śuklā; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
The sons of Mahārāja Ghṛtapṛṣṭha were named Āma,
Madhuruha, Meghapṛṣṭha, Sudhāmā, Bhrājiṣṭha,
Lohitārṇa and Vanaspati. In their island there are seven
mountains, which indicate the boundaries of the seven
tracts of land, and there are also seven rivers. The
mountains are named Śukla, Vardhamāna, Bhojana,
Upabarhiṇa, Nanda, Nandana and Sarvatobhadra. The
rivers are named Abhayā, Amṛtaughā, Āryakā, Tīrthavatī,
Rūpavatī, Pavitravatī and Śuklā.
TEXT - SB 5.20.22
yāsām ambhaḥ pavitram amalam upayuñjānāḥ puruṣa-ṛṣabha-

draviṇa-devaka-saṁjñā varṣa-puruṣā āpomayaṁ devam apāṁ
pūrṇenāñjalinā yajante.
SYNONYMS
yāsām—of all the rivers; ambhaḥ—the water; pavitram—very

sanctified; amalam—very clean; upayuñjānāḥ—using; puruṣa
—Puruṣa; ṛṣabha—Ṛṣabha; draviṇa—Draviṇa; devaka—
Devaka; saṁjñāḥ—endowed with the names; varṣa-puruṣāḥ—
the inhabitants of those varṣas; āpaḥ-mayam—Varuṇa, the lord
of water; devam—as the worshipable deity; apām—of water;
pūrṇena—with full; añjalinā—folded palms; yajante—do
worship.
TRANSLATION
The inhabitants of Krauñcadvīpa are divided into four
castes, called the Puruṣas, Ṛṣabhas, Draviṇas and Devakas.
Using the waters of those sanctified rivers, they worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead by offering a palmful of
water at the lotus feet of Varuṇa, the demigod who has a
form of water.
PURPORT
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, āpomayaḥ asmayam: with

joined palms the inhabitants of the various sections of
Krauñcadvīpa offer the sanctified waters of the rivers to a deity
made of stone or iron.
Apomayam means “formed from water.”
TEXT - SB 5.20.23
āpaḥ puruṣa-vīryāḥ stha
punantīr bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvaḥ
tā naḥ punītāmīva-ghnīḥ
spṛśatām ātmanā bhuva iti
SYNONYMS
āpaḥ—O water; puruṣa-vīryāḥ—endowed with the energy of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead; stha—you are; punantīḥ
—sanctifying; bhūḥ—of the planetary system known as Bhūḥ;
bhuvaḥ—of the Bhuvaḥ planetary system; suvaḥ—of the Svaḥ
planetary system; tāḥ—that water; naḥ—of us; punīta—purify;
amīva-ghnīḥ—who destroys sin; spṛśatām—of those touching;
ātmanā—by your constitutional position; bhuvaḥ—the bodies;
iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
[The inhabitants of Krauñcadvīpa worship with this
mantra.] O water of the rivers, you have obtained energy
from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you
purify the three planetary systems, known as Bhūloka,
Bhuvarloka and Svarloka. By your constitutional nature,
you take away sins, and that is why we are touching you.
Kindly continue to purify us.
PURPORT
Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.4):
bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—
all together these eight comprise My separated material
energies."
The energy of the Lord acts throughout the creation, just as heat
and light, the energies of the sun, act within the universe and
make everything work. The specific rivers mentioned in the
śāstras are also energies of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and people who regularly bathe in them are purified.
It can actually be seen that many people are cured of diseases
simply by bathing in the Ganges. Similarly, the inhabitants of
Krauñcadvīpa purify themselves by bathing in the rivers there.
O water! Your abilities have been given by the Lord (puruṣa-

vīryāḥ). You purify the three worlds (bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvaḥ.
Purify -bodies (bhuvaḥ) of us, who are touching you, since you
destroy sin by your svarūpa (ātmanā).
TEXT - SB 5.20.24
evaṁ purastāt kṣīrodāt parita upaveśitaḥ śākadvīpo dvātriṁśal-

lakṣa-yojanāyāmaḥ samānena ca dadhi-maṇḍodena parīto
yasmin śāko nāma mahīruhaḥ sva-kṣetra-vyapadeśako yasya ha
mahā-surabhi-gandhas taṁ dvīpam anuvāsayati.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; purastāt—beyond; kṣīra-udāt—from the ocean of

milk; paritaḥ—all around; upaveśitaḥ—situated; śāka-dvīpaḥ
—another island, known as Śākadvīpa; dvā-triṁśat—thirty-
two; lakṣa—100,000; yojana—yojanas; āyāmaḥ—whose
measure; samānena—of equal length; ca—and; dadhi-maṇḍa-
udena—by an ocean containing water resembling churned
yogurt; parītaḥ—surrounded; yasmin—in which land; śākaḥ—
śāka; nāma—named; mahīruhaḥ—a fig tree; sva-kṣetra-
vyapadeśakaḥ—giving the island its name; yasya—of which;
ha—indeed; mahā-surabhi—a greatly fragrant; gandhaḥ—
aroma; tam dvīpam—that island; anuvāsayati—makes fragrant.
TRANSLATION
Outside the ocean of milk is another island, Śākadvīpa,
which has a width of 3,200,000 yojanas [25,600,000 miles].
As Krauñcadvīpa is surrounded by its own ocean of milk,
Śākadvīpa is surrounded by an ocean of churned yogurt as
broad as the island itself. In Śākadvīpa there is a big śāka
tree, from which the island takes its name. This tree is very
fragrant. Indeed, it lends its scent to the entire island.
It has an ocean of liquid yogurt (dadhi-maṇḍa).
TEXT - SB 5.20.25
tasyāpi praiyavrata evādhipatir nāmnā medhātithiḥ so 'pi

vibhajya sapta varṣāṇi putra-nāmāni teṣu svātmajān purojava-
manojava-pavamāna-dhūmrānīka-citrarepha-bahurūpa-
viśvadhāra-saṁjñān nidhāpyādhipatīn svayaṁ bhagavaty
ananta ā-veśita-matis tapovanaṁ praviveśa.
SYNONYMS
tasya api—of that island also; praiyavrataḥ—a son of

Mahārāja Priyavrata; eva—certainly; adhipatiḥ—the ruler;
nāmnā—by the name; medhā-tithiḥ—Medhātithi; saḥ api—he
also; vibhajya—dividing; sapta varṣāṇi—seven divisions of the
island; putra-nāmāni—possessing the names of his sons; teṣu
—in them; sva-ātmajān—his own sons; purojava—Purojava;
manojava—Manojava; pavamāna—Pavamāna; dhūmrānīka—
Dhūmrānīka; citra-repha—Citrarepha; bahu-rūpa—Bahurūpa;
viśvadhāra—Viśvadhāra; saṁjñān—having as names;
nidhāpya—establishing as; adhipatīn—the rulers; svayam—
himself; bhagavati—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
anante—in the unlimited; āveśita-matiḥ—whose mind was
fully absorbed; tapaḥ-vanam—in the forest where meditation is
performed; praviveśa—he entered.
TRANSLATION
The master of this island, also one of the sons of Priyavrata,
was known as Medhātithi. He also divided his island into
seven sections, named according to the names of his own
sons, whom he made the kings of that island. The names of
those sons are Purojava, Manojava, Pavamāna,
Dhūmrānīka, Citrarepha, Bahurūpa and Viśvadhāra. After
dividing the island and situating his sons as its rulers,
Medhātithi personally retired, and to fix his mind
completely upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, he entered a forest suitable for meditation.
TEXT - SB 5.20.26
eteṣāṁ varṣa-maryādā-girayo nadyaś ca sapta saptaiva īśāna

uruśṛṅgo balabhadraḥ śatakesaraḥ sahasrasroto devapālo
mahānasa iti anaghāyurdā ubhayaspṛṣṭir aparājitā pañcapadī
sahasrasrutir nijadhṛtir iti.
SYNONYMS
eteṣām—of all these divisions; varṣa-maryādā—acting as the
boundary limits; girayaḥ—the big hills; nadyaḥ ca—and the
rivers also; sapta—seven; sapta—seven; eva—indeed; īśānaḥ
—Īśāna; uruśṛṅgaḥ—Uruśṛṅga; bala-bhadraḥ—Balabhadra;
śata-kesaraḥ—Śatakesara; sahasra-srotaḥ—Sahasrasrota;
deva-pālaḥ—Devapāla; mahānasaḥ—Mahānasa; iti—thus;
anaghā—Anaghā; āyurdā—Āyurdā; ubhayaspṛṣṭiḥ—
Ubhayaspṛṣṭi; aparājitā—Aparājitā; pañcapadī—Pañcapadī;
sahasra-srutiḥ—Sahasra-śruti; nija-dhṛtiḥ—Nijadhṛti; iti—
thus.
TRANSLATION
For these lands also, there are seven boundary mountains
and seven rivers. The mountains are Īśāna, Uruśṛṅga,
Balabhadra, Śatakesara, Sahasrasrota, Devapāla and
Mahānasa. The rivers are Anaghā, Āyurdā, Ubhayaspṛṣṭi,
Aparājitā, Pañcapadī, Sahasra-śruti and Nijadhṛti.
TEXT - SB 5.20.27
tad-varṣa-puruṣā ṛtavrata-satyavrata-dānavratānuvrata-nāmāno
bhagavantaṁ vāyv-ātmakaṁ prāṇāyāma-vidhūta-rajas-tamasaḥ
parama-samādhinā yajante.
SYNONYMS
tat-varṣa-puruṣāḥ—the inhabitants of those tracts of land; ṛta-

vrata—Ṛtavrata; satya-vrata—Satyavrata; dāna-vrata—
Dānavrata; anuvrata—Anuvrata; nāmānaḥ—having the four
names; bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
vāyu-ātmakam—represented by the demigod Vāyu; prāṇāyāma
—by the practice of regulating the airs within the body; vidhūta
—cleansed away; rajaḥ-tamasaḥ—whose passion and
ignorance; parama—sublime; samādhinā—by trance; yajante
—they worship.
TRANSLATION
The inhabitants of those islands are also divided into four
castes—Ṛtavrata, Satyavrata, Dānavrata and Anuvrata—
which exactly resemble brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and
śūdra. They practice prāṇāyāma and mystic yoga, and in
trance they worship the Supreme Lord in the form of Vāyu.
TEXT - SB 5.20.28
antaḥ-praviśya bhūtāni
yo bibharty ātma-ketubhiḥ
antaryāmīśvaraḥ sākṣāt
pātu no yad-vaśe sphuṭam
SYNONYMS
antaḥ-praviśya—entering within; bhūtāni—all living entities;

yaḥ—who; bibharti—maintains; ātma-ketubhiḥ—by the
functions of the inner airs (prāṇa, apāna, etc.); antaryāmī—the
Supersoul within; īśvaraḥ—the Supreme person; sākṣāt—
directly; pātu—please maintain; naḥ—us; yat-vaśe—under
whose control; sphuṭam—the cosmic manifestation.
TRANSLATION
[The inhabitants of Śākadvīpa worship the Supreme
Personality of Godhead in the form of Vāyu in the following
words.] O Supreme Person, situated as the Supersoul within
the body, You direct the various actions of the different
airs, such as prāṇa, and thus You maintain all living
entities. O Lord, O Supersoul of everyone, O controller of
the cosmic manifestation under whom everything exists,
may You protect us from all dangers.
PURPORT
Through the mystic yoga practice called prāṇāyāma, the yogī

controls the airs within the body to maintain the body in a
healthy condition. In this way, the yogī comes to the point of
trance and tries to see the Supersoul within the core of his
heart. Prāṇāyāma is the means to attain samādhi, trance, in
order to fully absorb oneself in seeing the Supreme Lord as
antaryāmī, the Supersoul within the core of the heart.
Ātmaketubiḥ means “by the functions of the prāṇas.”
TEXT - SB 5.20.29
evam eva dadhi-maṇḍodāt parataḥ puṣkaradvīpas tato dvi-
guṇāyāmaḥ samantata upakalpitaḥ samānena svādūdakena
samudreṇa bahir āvṛto yasmin bṛhat-puṣkaraṁ jvalana-
śikhāmala-kanaka-patrāyutāyutaṁ bhagavataḥ
kamalāsanasyādhyāsanaṁ parikalpitam.
SYNONYMS
evam eva—thus; dadhi-maṇḍa-udāt—the ocean of yogurt;

parataḥ—beyond; puṣkara-dvīpaḥ—another island, named
Puṣkaradvīpa; tataḥ—than that (Śākadvīpa); dvi-guṇa-āyāmaḥ
—whose measurement is twice as great; samantataḥ—on all
sides; upakalpitaḥ—surrounded; samānena—equal in width;
svādu-udakena—possessing sweet water; samudreṇa—by an
ocean; bahiḥ—outside; āvṛtaḥ—surrounded; yasmin—in
which; bṛhat—very big; puṣkaram—lotus flower; jvalana-
śikhā—like the flames of a blazing fire; amala—pure; kanaka
—gold; patra—leaves; ayuta-ayutam—possessing
100,000,000; bhagavataḥ—greatly powerful; kamala āsanasya
—of Lord Brahmā, whose sitting place is on the lotus flower;
adhyāsanam—sitting place; parikalpitam—considered.
TRANSLATION
Outside the ocean of yogurt is another island, known as
Puṣkaradvīpa, which is 6,400,000 yojanas [51,200,000 miles]
wide, twice as wide as the ocean of yogurt. It is surrounded
by an ocean of very tasteful water as broad as the island
itself. On Puṣkaradvīpa there is a great lotus flower with
100,000,000 pure golden petals, as effulgent as the flames of
fire. That lotus flower is considered the sitting place of Lord
Brahmā, who is the most powerful living being and who is
therefore sometimes called bhagavān.
The lotus has 100,000,000 of gold shining with blazing flames.
TEXT - SB 5.20.30
tad-dvīpa-madhye mānasottara-nāmaika evārvācīna-parācīna-

varṣayor maryādācalo 'yuta-yojanocchrāyāyāmo yatra tu
catasṛṣu dikṣu catvāri purāṇi loka-pālānām indrādīnāṁ yad-
upariṣṭāt sūrya-rathasya meruṁ paribhramataḥ
saṁvatsarātmakaṁ cakraṁ devānām aho-rātrābhyāṁ
paribhramati.
SYNONYMS
tat-dvīpa-madhye—within that island; mānasottara—

Mānasottara; nāma—named; ekaḥ—one; eva—indeed;
arvācīna—on this side; parācīna—and beyond, or outside;
varṣayoḥ—of tracts of land; maryādā—indicating the
boundary; acalaḥ—a great mountain; ayuta—ten thousand;
yojana—eight miles; ucchrāya-āyāmaḥ—whose height and
width; yatra—where; tu—but; catasṛṣu—in the four; dikṣu—
directions; catvāri—four; purāṇi—cities; loka-pālānām—of
the directors of planetary systems; indra-ādīnām—headed by
Indra; yat—of which; upariṣṭāt—on the top; sūrya-rathasya—
of the chariot of the sun-god; merum—Meru Mountain;
paribhramataḥ—while circumambulating; saṁvatsara-
ātmakam—consisting of one saṁvatsara; cakram—wheel or
orbit; devānām—of the demigods; ahaḥ-rātrābhyām—by the
day and night; paribhramati—moves around.
TRANSLATION
In the middle of that island is a great mountain named
Mānasottara, which forms the boundary between the inner
side and the outer side of the island. Its breadth and height
are 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles]. On that mountain, in the
four directions, are the residential quarters of demigods
such as Indra. In the chariot of the sun-god, the sun travels
on the top of the mountain in an orbit called the
Saṁvatsara, encircling Mount Meru. The sun's path on the
northern side is called Uttarāyaṇa, and its path on the
southern side is called Dakṣiṇāyana. One side represents a
day for the demigods, and the other represents their night.
PURPORT
The movement of the sun is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā

(5.52): yasyājñāya bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. The sun
orbits around Mount Sumeru, for six months on the northern
side and for six months on the southern. This adds up to the
duration of a day and night of the demigods in the upper
planetary systems.

Because Mānasottra Mountain is circular, there are two varṣas,
one either side of it, also of circular shape. “By days and nights
of the devatās” means with northern (from winter to summer
equinox) and southern courses (from summer to winter
equinox) of the sun.
TEXT - SB 5.20.31
tad-dvīpasyāpy adhipatiḥ praiyavrato vītihotro

nāmaitasyātmajau ramaṇaka-dhātaki-nāmānau varṣa-patī
niyujya sa svayaṁ pūrvajavad-bhagavat-karma-śīla evāste.
SYNONYMS
tat-dvīpasya—of that island; api—also; adhipatiḥ—the ruler;

praiyavrataḥ—a son of Mahārāja Priyavrata; vītihotraḥ nāma
—named Vītihotra; etasya—of him; ātma-jau—unto the two
sons; ramaṇaka—Ramaṇaka; dhātaki—and Dhātaki; nāmānau
—having the names; varṣa-patī—the rulers of the two tracts of
land; niyujya—appointing; saḥ svayam—himself; pūrvaja-vat
—like his other brothers; bhagavat-karma-śīlaḥ—being
absorbed in activities to satisfy the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; eva—indeed; āste—remains.
TRANSLATION
The ruler of this island, the son of Mahārāja Priyavrata
named Vītihotra, had two sons named Ramaṇaka and
Dhātaki. He granted the two sides of the island to these two
sons and then personally engaged himself in activities for
the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead like his
elder brother Medhātithi.
TEXT - SB 5.20.32
tad-varṣa-puruṣā bhagavantaṁ brahma-rūpiṇaṁ sakarmakeṇa

karmaṇārādhayantīdaṁ codāharanti.
SYNONYMS
tat-varṣa-puruṣāḥ—the inhabitants of that island; bhagavantam

—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; brahma-rūpiṇam—
exhibited as Lord Brahmā being seated on the lotus; sa-
karmakeṇa—for fulfillment of material desires; karmaṇā—by
performing ritualistic activities according to the Vedas;
ārādhayanti—worship; idam—this; ca—and; udāharanti—
they chant.
TRANSLATION
For the fulfillment of material desires, the inhabitants of
this tract of land worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead as represented by Lord Brahmā. They offer
prayers to the Lord as follows.
Sa-karmakeṇa means “by actions which create further actions.”
TEXT - SB 5.20.33
yat tat karmamayaṁ liṅgaṁ
brahma-liṅgaṁ jano 'rcayet
ekāntam advayaṁ śāntaṁ
tasmai bhagavate nama iti
SYNONYMS
yat—which; tat—that; karma-mayam—obtainable by the Vedic

ritualistic system; liṅgam—the form; brahma-liṅgam—which
makes known the Supreme Brahman; janaḥ—a person; arcayet
—must worship; ekāntam—who has full faith in the one
Supreme; advayam—nondifferent; śāntam—peaceful; tasmai
—unto him; bhagavate—the most powerful; namaḥ—our
respects; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā is known as karma-maya, the form of
ritualistic ceremonies, because by performing ritualistic
ceremonies one may attain his position and because the
Vedic ritualistic hymns become manifest from him. He is
devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead without
deviation, and therefore in one sense he is not different
from the Lord. Nevertheless, he should be worshiped not as
the monists worship him, but in duality. One should always
remain a servitor of the Supreme Lord, the supreme
worshipable Deity. We therefore offer our respectful
obeisances unto Lord Brahmā, the form of manifest Vedic
knowledge.
PURPORT
In this verse, the word karma-mayam ("obtainable by the Vedic

ritualistic system") is significant. The Vedas say, svadharma-
niṣṭhaḥ śata janmabhiḥ pumān viriñcatām eti: "One who
strictly follows the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma for at
least one hundred births will be rewarded with the post of Lord
Brahmā." It is also significant that although Lord Brahmā is
extremely powerful, he never thinks himself one with the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; he always knows that he is
an eternal servitor of the Lord. Because the Lord and the
servant are identical on the spiritual platform, Brahmā is herein
addressed as bhagavān. Bhagavān is the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, but if a devotee serves Him with full faith,
the meaning of the Vedic literature is revealed to him.
Therefore Brahmā is called brahma-liṅga, which indicates that
his entire form consists of Vedic knowledge.
It is said sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ śata-janmabhiḥ pumān viriñcatām

eti tataḥ paraṁ hi mām: A person fixed in dharma attains the
post of Brahmā after a hundred births, and by more pious acts a
person attains me (Śiva). (SB 4.24.29) For this reason Brahmā
is called karma-mayam: he is attained by performing karmas.
People worship Brahmā who is attained by karma (karma-
mayam liṅgam), by whom the Vedas are known (brahma-
liṅgam), by differentiating the object of service and the servant
(bhedena).[309] Brahmā is fixed in devotion (antam) to the one
Lord (eka). He is non-different from the Lord according to the
reasoning yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ: one becomes similar to
whatever form he worships with faith. (BG 17.3)
TEXT - SB 5.20.34
tataḥ parastāl lokāloka-nāmācalo lokālokayor antarāle parita

upakṣiptaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—from that ocean of sweet drinking water; parastāt—

beyond; lokāloka-nāma—named Lokāloka; acalaḥ—a
mountain; loka-alokayoḥ antarāle—between the countries full
of sunlight and those without sunlight; paritaḥ—all around;
upakṣiptaḥ—exists.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, beyond the ocean of sweet water and fully
surrounding it, is a mountain named Lokāloka, which
divides the countries that are full of sunlight from those not
lit by the sun.
Beyond the fresh water ocean (tataḥ) is the Lokāloka Mountain,

circular in shape (paritaḥ), is between (antarale) the places with
light from the sun and other luminaries, and the places without
light. It separates the two areas.
TEXT - SB 5.20.35
yāvan mānasottara-mervor antaraṁ tāvatī bhūmiḥ kāñcany

anyādarśa-talopamā yasyāṁ prahitaḥ padārtho na kathañcit
punaḥ pratyupalabhyate tasmāt sarva-sattva-parihṛtāsīt.
SYNONYMS
yāvat—as much as; mānasottara-mervoḥ antaram—the land

between Mānasottara and Meru (beginning from the middle of
Mount Sumeru); tāvatī—that much; bhūmiḥ—land; kāñcanī—
made of gold; anyā—another; ādarśa-tala-upamā—whose
surface is just like the surface of a mirror; yasyām—on which;
prahitaḥ—dropped; padārthaḥ—a thing; na—not; kathañcit—
in any way; punaḥ—again; pratyupalabhyate—is found;
tasmāt—therefore; sarva-sattva—by all living entities; parihṛtā
—abandoned; āsīt—was.
TRANSLATION
Beyond the ocean of sweet water is a tract of land as broad
as the area between the middle of Mount Sumeru and the
boundary of Mānasottara Mountain. In that tract of land
there are many living beings. Beyond it, extending to
Lokāloka Mountain, is another land, which is made of gold.
Because of its golden surface, it reflects light like the
surface of a mirror, and any physical article that falls on
that land can never be perceived again. All living entities,
therefore, have abandoned that golden land.
Beyond the fresh water ocean was Lokāloka Mountain. What

comes before the mountain and after the ocean? From the
middle of Meru to the middle of Mānasottra the distance is
15,750,000 yojanas. This is the width of this land, the golden
land, extending from the fresh water ocean to Lokāloka
Mountain. It is abandoned by all living entities.
TEXT - SB 5.20.36
lokāloka iti samākhyā yad anenācalena lokālokasyāntarvar-

tināvasthāpyate.
SYNONYMS
loka—with light (or with inhabitants); alokaḥ—without light

(or without inhabitants); iti—in this way; samākhyā—
designation; yat—which; anena—by this; acalena—mountain;
loka—of the land inhabited by living entities; alokasya—and of
the land not inhabited by living entities; antarvartinā—which is
in the middle; avasthāpyate—is established.
TRANSLATION
Between the lands inhabited by living entities and those that
are uninhabited stands the great mountain which separates
the two and which is therefore celebrated as Lokāloka.
Samākhyā means derivation of the word Lokāloka. It is so

called because it is situated between the places with living
beings (loka) and without living beings (aloka). The two areas
are equal in dimension.
TEXT - SB 5.20.37
sa loka-trayānte parita īśvareṇa vihito yasmāt sūryādīnāṁ

dhruvāpavargāṇāṁ jyotir-gaṇānāṁ gabhastayo 'rvācīnāṁs trīl̐
lokān āvitanvānā na kadācit parācīnā bhavitum utsahante tāvad
un-nahanāyāmaḥ.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that mountain; loka-traya-ante—at the end of the three

lokas (Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka); paritaḥ—all
around; īśvareṇa—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Kṛṣṇa; vihitaḥ—created; yasmāt—from which; sūrya-ādīnām
—of the sun planet; dhruva-apavargāṇām—up to Dhruvaloka
and other, inferior luminaries; jyotiḥ-gaṇānām—of all the
luminaries; gabhastayaḥ—the rays; arvācīnān—on this side;
trīn—the three; lokān—planetary systems; āvitanvānāḥ—
spreading throughout; na—not; kadācit—at any time;
parācīnāḥ—beyond the jurisdiction of that mountain; bhavitum
—to be; utsahante—are able; tāvat—that much; unnahana-
āyāmaḥ—the measure of the height of the mountain.
TRANSLATION
By the supreme will of Kṛṣṇa, the mountain known as
Lokāloka has been installed as the outer border of the three
worlds—Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka—to control
the rays of the sun throughout the universe. All the
luminaries, from the sun up to Dhruvaloka, distribute their
rays throughout the three worlds, but only within the
boundary formed by this mountain. Because it is extremely
high, extending even higher than Dhruvaloka, it blocks the
rays of the luminaries, which therefore can never extend
beyond it.
PURPORT
When we speak of loka-traya, we refer to the three primary

planetary systems—Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ—into which the
universe is divided. Surrounding these planetary systems are
the eight directions, namely east, west, north, south, northeast,
southeast, northwest and southwest. Lokāloka Mountain has
been established as the outer boundary of all the lokas to
distribute the rays of the sun and other luminaries equally
throughout the universe.
This vivid description of how the rays of the sun are distributed
throughout the different planetary systems of the universe is
very scientific. Śukadeva Gosvāmī described these universal
affairs to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as he had heard about them from
his predecessor. He explained these facts five thousand years
ago, but the knowledge existed long, long before because
Śukadeva Gosvāmī received it through disciplic succession.
Because this knowledge is accepted through the disciplic
succession, it is perfect. The history of modern scientific
knowledge, on the contrary, does not go back more than a few
hundred years. Therefore, even if modern scientists do not
accept the other factual presentations of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
how can they deny the perfect astronomical calculations that
existed long before they could imagine such things? There is so
much information to gather from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Modern
scientists, however, have no information of other planetary
systems and, indeed, are hardly conversant with the planet on
which we are now living.
The mountain extends up to the end of bhūr, bhuva and svaḥ in

eight directions. How high and wide is it? From the obstruction
it creates (yasmāt), the rays of the sun and other planets up to
Dhruvaloka spread light everywhere, but cannot go beyond the
mountain. That is its height and breadth.[310] Because it
extends as high as Dhruvaloka, it defines the limit of the three
worlds.
TEXT - SB 5.20.38
etāvāl̐ loka-vinyāso māna-lakṣaṇa-saṁsthābhir vicintitaḥ

kavibhiḥ sa tu pañcāśat-koṭi-gaṇitasya bhū-golasya turīya-
bhāgo 'yaṁ lokālokācalaḥ.
SYNONYMS
etāvān—this much; loka-vinyāsaḥ—the placing of the different

planets; māna—with measurements; lakṣaṇa—symptoms;
saṁsthābhiḥ—as well as with their different situations;
vicintitaḥ—established by scientific calculations; kavibhiḥ—by
learned scholars; saḥ—that; tu—but; pañcāśat-koṭi—
500,000,000 yojanas; gaṇitasya—which is measured at; bhū-
golasya—of the planetary system known as Bhūgolaka; turīya-
bhāgaḥ—one fourth; ayam—this; lokāloka-acalaḥ—the
mountain known as Lokāloka.
TRANSLATION
Learned scholars who are free from mistakes, illusions and
propensities to cheat have thus described the planetary
systems and their particular symptoms, measurements and
locations. With great deliberation, they have established the
truth that the distance between Sumeru and the mountain
known as Lokāloka is one fourth of the diameter of the
universe—or, in other words, 125,000,000 yojanas [1 billion
miles].
PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given accurate

astronomical information about the location of Lokāloka
Mountain, the movements of the sun globe and the distance
between the sun and the circumference of the universe.
However, the technical terms used in the astronomical
calculations given by the Jyotir Veda are difficult to translate
into English. Therefore to satisfy the reader, we may include
the exact Sanskrit statement given by Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura, which records exact calculations regarding
universal affairs.
sa tu lokālokas tu bhū-golakasya bhū-sambandhāṇḍa-

golakasyety arthaḥ; sūryasy eva bhuvo 'py aṇḍa-golakayor
madhya-vartitvāt kha-golam iva bhū-golam api pañcāśat-koṭi-
yojana-pramāṇaṁ tasya turīya-bhāgaḥ sārdha-dvādaśa-koṭi-
yojana-vistārocchrāya ity arthaḥ bhūs tu catus-triṁśal-
lakṣonapañcāśat-koṭi-pramāṇā jñeyā; yathā meru-madhyān
mānasottara-madhya-paryantaṁ sārdha-sapta-pañcāśal-
lakṣottara-koṭi-yojana-pramāṇam; mānasottara-madhyāt
svādūdaka-samudra-paryantaṁ ṣaṇ-ṇavati-lakṣa-yojana-
pramāṇaṁ tataḥ kāñcanī-bhūmiḥ sārdha-sapta-pañcāśal-
lakṣottara-koṭi-yojana-pramāṇā evam ekato meru-lokālokayor
antarālam ekādaśa-śal-lakṣādhika-catuṣ-koṭi-parimitam anyato
'pi tathatyeto lokālokāl loka-paryantaṁ sthānaṁ dvāviṁśati-
lakṣottarāṣṭa-koṭi-parimitaṁ lokālokād bahir apy ekataḥ etāvad
eva anyato 'py etāvad eva yad vakṣyate, yo 'ntar-vistāra etena
hy aloka-parimāṇaṁ ca vyākhyātaṁ yad-bahir lokālokācalād
ity ekato lokālokaḥ sārdha-dvādaśa-koṭi-yojana-parimāṇaḥ
anyato 'pi sa tathety evaṁ catus-triṁśal-lakṣonapañcāśat-koṭi-
pramāṇā bhūḥ sābdhi-dvīpa-parvatā jñeyā; ata evāṇḍa-golakāt
sarvato dikṣu sapta-daśa-lakṣa-yojanāvakāśe vartamāne sati
pṛthivyāḥ śeṣa-nāgena dhāraṇaṁ dig-gajaiś ca niścalī-karaṇaṁ
sārthakaṁ bhaved anyathā tu vyākhyāntare pañcāśat-koṭi-
pramāṇatvād aṇḍa-golaka-lagnatve tat tat sarvam akiñcit-karaṁ
syāt cākṣuṣe manvantare cākasmāt majjanaṁ śrī-varāha-
devenotthāpanaṁ ca durghaṭaṁ syād ity adikaṁ vivecanīyam.

Lokāloka’s distance from Meru is one quarter of the
measurement of universal shell (bhū-golasya). Since the earth
like sun is (approximately) situated in the center of the upper
and lower halves of the universe, like the heavens (distance
from the sun to the edge of the universe), the earth globe also is
500,000,000 yojanas in diameter to the edges of the universe.
[311] A quarter of that is 125,000,000 yojanas. That is the
extent (radius) of the raised area of Lokālokā. (The real
meaning however is different.)
However, the earth surface is 493,400,000 yojanas across

(according to the dimensions given in this chapter). From the
middle of Meru to the middle of Mānasottara is 15,750,000
yojanas. From the middle of Mānasottara to the other shore of
fresh water ocean is 9,600,000 yojanas. The golden land
measures 15,750,000 yojanas. The total measurement from the
middle of Meru to the Lokāloka Mountain is then 41,100,000
yojanas. The distance from Lokāloka to the end Lokāloka is
82,200,000 yojanas. This dimension is mentioned in verse 42
with the words yo ‘ntar-vistāraḥ and yad bahir lokālokācalāt.
(Total is 123,300,000 yojanas from Meru to end of Lokāloka.
That is the meaning of the verse.) The distance outside of
Lokāloka is the same. And the distance is the same on the other
side of Meru as well. Thus it is said that 125,000,000 yojanas
(approximately) is the measurement from Meru to the end of
Lokāloka. It is the same measurement on the other side.
Bhūloka is 493,400,000[312] yojanas with the oceans, islands

and mountains. There is thus a space of 1,700,000 yojanas from
the universal shell all around. Because of this Śeṣa holds up the
earth and the elephants of the directions steady it.[313] To
explain the dimensions in any other way would make the
descriptions mentioned here useless, since it has been
mentioned that the diameter to the shell of the universe is
500,000,000 yojanas. It would also be impossible for Vāraha to
lift up the earth (bhū-maṇḍala) which has sunk in the
Garbodhaka Ocean during Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, if bhpu-
maṇḍala was 500,000,000 yojanas in diameter.
TEXT - SB 5.20.39
tad-upariṣṭāc catasṛṣv āśāsvātma-yoninākhila-jagad-

guruṇādhiniveśitā ye dvirada-pataya ṛṣabhaḥ puṣkaracūḍo
vāmano 'parājita iti sakala-loka-sthiti-hetavaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tat-upariṣṭāt—on the top of Lokāloka Mountain; catasṛṣu

āśāsu—in the four directions; ātma-yoninā—by Lord Brahmā;
akhila-jagat-guruṇā—the spiritual master of the whole
universe; adhiniveśitāḥ—established; ye—all those; dvirada-
patayaḥ—the best of elephants; ṛṣabhaḥ—Ṛṣabha; puṣkara-
cūḍaḥ—Puṣkaracūḍa; vāmanaḥ—Vāmana; aparājitaḥ—
Aparājita; iti—thus; sakala-loka-sthiti-hetavaḥ—the causes of
the maintenance of the different planets within the universe.
TRANSLATION
On the top of Lokāloka Mountain are the four gaja-patis,
the best of elephants, which were established in the four
directions by Lord Brahmā, the supreme spiritual master of
the entire universe. The names of those elephants are
Ṛṣabha, Puṣkaracūḍa, Vāmana and Aparājita. They are
responsible for maintaining the planetary systems of the
universe.
Established by Brahmā the elephants remain there.
TEXT - SB 5.20.40
teṣāṁ sva-vibhūtīnāṁ loka-pālānāṁ ca vividha-

vīryopabṛṁhaṇāya bhagavān parama-mahā-puruṣo mahā-
vibhūti-patir antaryāmy ātmano viśuddha-sattvaṁ dharma-
jñāna-vairāgyaiśvaryādy-aṣṭa-mahā-siddhy-upalakṣaṇaṁ
viṣvaksenādibhiḥ sva-pārṣada-pravaraiḥ parivārito nija-
varāyudhopaśobhitair nija-bhuja-daṇḍaiḥ sandhārayamāṇas
tasmin giri-vare samantāt sakala-loka-svastaya āste.
SYNONYMS
teṣām—of all of them; sva-vibhūtīnām—who are his personal

expansions and assistants; loka-pālānām—who are entrusted
with looking after the universal affairs; ca—and; vividha—
varieties; vīrya-upabṛṁhaṇāya—for expanding the powers;
bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parama-
mahā-puruṣaḥ—the foremost master of all kinds of opulence,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahā-vibhūti-patiḥ—the
master of all inconceivable potencies; antaryāmī—the
Supersoul; ātmanaḥ—of Himself; viśuddha-sattvam—having
an existence without contamination by the material modes of
nature; dharma-jñāna-vairāgya—of religion, pure knowledge
and renunciation; aiśvarya-ādi—of all kinds of opulence; aṣṭa
—eight; mahā-siddhi—and of great mystic perfections;
upalakṣaṇam—having the characteristics; viṣvaksena-ādibhiḥ
—by His expansion known as Viṣvaksena and others; sva-
pārṣada-pravaraiḥ—the best of personal assistants; parivāritaḥ
—surrounded; nija—His own; vara-āyudha—by different
types of weapons; upaśobhitaiḥ—being decorated; nija—own;
bhuja-daṇḍaiḥ—with stout arms; sandhārayamāṇaḥ—
manifesting this form; tasmin—on that; giri-vare—great
mountain; samantāt—all around; sakala-loka-svastaye—for the
benefit of all the planetary systems; āste—exists.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all
transcendental opulences and the master of the spiritual
sky. He is the Supreme Person, Bhagavān, the Supersoul of
everyone. The demigods, led by Indra, the King of heaven,
are entrusted with seeing to the affairs of the material
world. To benefit all living beings in all the varied planets
and to increase the power of those elephants and of the
demigods, the Lord manifests Himself on top of that
mountain in a spiritual body, uncontaminated by the modes
of material nature. Surrounded by His personal expansions
and assistants like Viṣvaksena, He exhibits all His perfect
opulences, such as religion and knowledge, and His mystic
powers such as aṇimā, laghimā and mahimā. He is
beautifully situated, and He is decorated by the different
weapons in His four hands.
The Lord remains for increasing the various powers of the

elephants, who are expansions of himself (sva-bibhūtīnām),
supporting śuddha-sattva characterized by dharma, jñāna ,
vairāgya, aiśvarya and the eight siddhis.
TEXT - SB 5.20.41
ākalpam evaṁ veṣaṁ gata eṣa bhagavān ātma-yogamāyayā

viracita-vividha-loka-yātrā-gopīyāyety arthaḥ.
SYNONYMS
ā-kalpam—for the duration of the time of creation; evam—

thus; veṣam—appearance; gataḥ—has accepted; eṣaḥ—this;
bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ātma-yoga-
māyayā—by His own spiritual potency; viracita—perfected;
vividha-loka-yātrā—the livelihood of the various planetary
systems; gopīyāya—just to maintain; iti—thus; arthaḥ—the
purpose.
TRANSLATION
The various forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
such as Nārāyaṇa and Viṣṇu, are beautifully decorated with
different weapons. The Lord exhibits those forms to
maintain all the varied planets created by His personal
potency, yogamāyā.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (4.6) Lord Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-

māyayā: "I appear by My internal potency. "The word ātma-
māyā refers to the Lord's personal potency, yogamāyā. After
creating both the material world and spiritual world through
yogamāyā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally
maintains them by expanding Himself in different categories as
the Viṣṇu mūrtis and the demigods. He maintains the material
creation from beginning to end, and He personally maintains
the spiritual world.
“Why does the Lord remain there?” He remains for the welfare
of the people. That statement is explained in this verse. The
Lord remains thus, on Lokāloka, until the end of the kalpa.
Ākalpam gataḥ can also mean accepting this decoration or
appearance. He remains in order to protect the various affairs of
the world produced by his own (ātma) yoga-māyā. If the Lord
does not protect what he has produced from his energy, who
else can?
TEXT - SB 5.20.42
yo 'ntar-vistāra etena hy aloka-parimāṇaṁ ca vyākhyātaṁ yad

bahir lokālokācalāt; tataḥ parastād yogeśvara-gatiṁ viśuddhām
udāharanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—that which; antaḥ-vistāraḥ—the distance inside Lokāloka

Mountain; etena—by this; hi—indeed; aloka-parimāṇam—the
width of the tract of land known as Aloka-varṣa; ca—and;
vyākhyātam—described; yat—which; bahiḥ—outside;
lokāloka-acalāt—beyond Lokāloka Mountain; tataḥ—that;
parastāt—beyond; yogeśvara-gatim—the path of Yogeśvara
(Kṛṣṇa) in penetrating the coverings of the universe; viśuddhām
—without material contamination; udāharanti—they say.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, outside Lokāloka Mountain is the tract of
land known as Aloka-varṣa, which extends for the same
breadth as the area within the mountain—in other words,
125,000,000 yojanas [one billion miles]. Beyond Aloka-varṣa
is the destination of those who aspire for liberation from the
material world. It is beyond the jurisdiction of the material
modes of nature, and therefore it is completely pure. Lord
Kṛṣṇa took Arjuna through this place to bring back the
sons of the brāhmaṇa.
Aloka-parināmāṁ means 82,200,000 yojanas. (This is the total

distance within the mountain circle, or the diameter of the
circle.)[314] The yogīs pierce the shell of the universe, desiring
liberation. Yogeśvara can also refer to Nārada and others.
TEXT - SB 5.20.43
aṇḍa-madhya-gataḥ sūryo
dyāv-ābhūmyor yad antaram
sūryāṇḍa-golayor madhye
koṭyaḥ syuḥ pañca-viṁśatiḥ
SYNONYMS
aṇḍa-madhya-gataḥ—situated in the center of the universe;

sūryaḥ—the sun globe; dyāv-ābhūmyoḥ—the two planetary
systems Bhūrloka and Bhuvarloka; yat—which; antaram—in
between; sūrya—of the sun; aṇḍa-golayoḥ—and the globe of
the universe; madhye—in the middle; koṭyaḥ—groups of ten
million; syuḥ—are; pañca-viṁśatiḥ—twenty-five.
TRANSLATION
The sun is situated [vertically] in the middle of the universe,
in the area between Bhūrloka and Bhuvarloka, which is
called antarikṣa, outer space. The distance between the sun
and the circumference of the universe is twenty-five koṭi
yojanas [two billion miles].
PURPORT
The word koṭi means ten million, and a yojana is eight miles.
The diameter of the universe is fifty koṭi yojanas (four billion
miles). Therefore, since the sun is in the middle of the universe,
the distance between the sun and the edge of the universe is
calculated to be twenty-five koṭi yojanas (two billion miles).
With breadth of the universe has been mentioned. Now the

height is mentioned. The sun is in the middle of the universal
shell. What does that mean? It is between bhuvar-loka and
bhūloka. The distance between the sun and the universal shell
upwards is 250,000,000 yojanas. The distance from the sun to
the bottom of the universal shell is the same. The evidence will
be given later.
TEXT - SB 5.20.44
mṛte 'ṇḍa eṣa etasmin yad abhūt tato mārtaṇḍa iti vyapadeśaḥ;
hiraṇyagarbha iti yad dhiraṇyāṇḍa-samudbhavaḥ.
SYNONYMS
mṛte—dead; aṇḍe—in the globe; eṣaḥ—this; etasmin—in this;

yat—which; abhūt—entered personally at the time of creation;
tataḥ—from that; mārtaṇḍa—Mārtaṇḍa; iti—thus; vyapadeśaḥ
—the designation; hiraṇya-garbhaḥ—known as
Hiraṇyagarbha; iti—thus; yat—because; hiraṇya-aṇḍa-
samudbhavaḥ—his material body was created from
Hiraṇyagarbha.
TRANSLATION
The sun-god is also known as Vairāja, the total material
body for all living entities. Because he entered this dull egg
of the universe at the time of creation, he is also called
Mārtaṇḍa. He is also known as Hiraṇyagarbha because he
received his material body from Hiraṇyagarbha [Lord
Brahmā].
PURPORT
The post of Lord Brahmā is meant for very highly elevated,

spiritually advanced living beings. When such living beings are
unavailable, Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
expands Himself as Lord Brahmā. This takes place very rarely.
Consequently there are two kinds of Brahmās. Sometimes
Brahmā is an ordinary living entity, and at other times Brahmā
is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Brahmā spoken of
here is an ordinary living being. Whether Brahmā is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead or an ordinary living being,
he is known as Vairāja Brahmā and Hiraṇyagarbha Brahmā.
Therefore the sun-god is also accepted as Vairāja Brahmā.
The name of the sun is used to explain the reason for it being
situated in the middle of the universe. The sun entered into the
unconscious universe. Therefore the sun is called Mārtaṇḍa,
“he who entered the dead universe.” Who is the sun? The sun is
the totality of jīvas with subtle covering-- Hiraṇyagarbha,
because he is the very existence (sambhavaḥ) of the gross body
of the universe called the hiraṇyāṇḍa, the golden egg.
TEXT - SB 5.20.45
sūryeṇa hi vibhajyante
diśaḥ khaṁ dyaur mahī bhidā
svargāpavargau narakā
rasaukāṁsi ca sarvaśaḥ
SYNONYMS
sūryeṇa—by the sun-god within the sun planet; hi—indeed;

vibhajyante—are divided; diśaḥ—the directions; kham—the
sky; dyauḥ—the heavenly planets; mahī—the earthly planets;
bhidā—other divisions; svarga—the heavenly planets;
apavargau—and the places for liberation; narakāḥ—the hellish
planets; rasaukāṁsi—such as Atala; ca—also; sarvaśaḥ—all.
TRANSLATION
O King, the sun-god and the sun planet divide all the
directions of the universe. It is only because of the presence
of the sun that we can understand what the sky, the higher
planets, this world and the lower planets are. It is also only
because of the sun that we can understand which places are
for material enjoyment, which are for liberation, which are
hellish and subterranean.
Bhidā means “other divisions also.” Svargāpavargau means

places of enjoyment and liberation. Rasaukāṁṣi means planets
like Atala.
TEXT - SB 5.20.46
deva-tiryaṅ-manuṣyāṇāṁ
sarīsṛpa-savīrudhām
sarva-jīva-nikāyānāṁ
sūrya ātmā dṛg-īśvaraḥ
SYNONYMS
deva—of the demigods; tiryak—the lower animals;

manuṣyāṇām—and the human beings; sarīsṛpa—the insects
and the serpents; sa-vīrudhām—and the plants and trees; sarva-
jīva-nikāyānām—of all groups of living entities; sūryaḥ—the
sun-god; ātmā—the life and soul; dṛk—of the eyes; īśvaraḥ—
the Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
All living entities, including demigods, human beings,
animals, birds, insects, reptiles, creepers and trees, depend
upon the heat and light given by the sun-god from the sun
planet. Furthermore, it is because of the sun's presence that
all living entities can see, and therefore he is called dṛg-
īśvara, the Personality of Godhead presiding over sight.
PURPORT
In this regard, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, sūrya

ātmā ātmatvenopāsyaḥ. The actual life and soul of all living
entities within this universe is the sun. He is therefore upāsya,
worshipable. We worship the sun-god by chanting the Gāyatrī
mantra (oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo
devasya dhīmahi). Sūrya is the life and soul of this universe,
and there are innumerable universes for which a sun-god is the
life and soul, just as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
life and soul of the entire creation. We have information that
Vairāja, Hiraṇyagarbha, entered the great, dull, material globe
called the sun. This indicates that the theory held by so-called
scientists that no one lives there is wrong. Bhagavad-gītā also
says that Kṛṣṇa first instructed Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god
(imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]).
Therefore the sun is not vacant. It is inhabited by living entities,
and the predominating deity is Vairāja, or Vivasvān. The
difference between the sun and earth is that the sun is a fiery
planet, but everyone there has a suitable body and can live there
without difficulty.
Thus ends the commentary on the Twentieth Chapter of the

Twentieth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled,
"Studying the Structure of the Universe."
21. The Movements of the Sun
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19
Chapter Summary
This chapter informs us of the movements of the sun. The sun

is not stationary; it is also moving like the other planets. The
sun's movements determine the duration of night and day.
When the sun travels north of the equator, it moves slowly
during the day and very quickly at night, thus increasing the
duration of the daytime and decreasing the duration of night.
Similarly, when the sun travels south of the equator, the exact
opposite is true-the duration of the day decreases, and the
duration of night increases. When the sun enters Karkaṭa-rāśi
(Cancer) and then travels to Siṁha-rāśi (Leo) and so on through
Dhanuḥ-rāśi (Sagittarius), its course is called Dakṣiṇāyana, the
southern way, and when the sun enters Makara-rāśi (Capricorn)
and thereafter travels through Kumbharāśi (Aquarius) and so on
through Mithuna-rāśi (Gemini), its course is called Uttarāyaṇa,
the northern way. When the sun is in Meṣa-rāśi (Aries) and
Tulā-rāśi (Libra), the duration of day and night are equal.
On Mānasottara Mountain are the abodes of four demigods.

East of Sumeru Mountain is Devadhānī, where King Indra
lives, and south of Sumeru is Saṁyamanī, the abode of
Yamarāja, the superintendent of death. Similarly, west of
Sumeru is Nimlocanī, the abode of Varuṇa, the demigod who
controls the water, and north of Sumeru is Vibhāvarī, where the
demigod of the moon lives. Sunrise, noon, sunset and midnight
occur in all these places because of the movements of the sun.
Diametrically opposite the place where the sunrise takes places
and the sun is seen by human eyes, the sun will be setting and
passing away from human vision. Similarly, the people residing
diametrically opposite the point where it is midday will be
experiencing midnight. The sun rises and sets with all the other
planets, headed by the moon and other luminaries.
The entire kāla-cakra, or wheel of time, is established on the

wheel of the sun-god's chariot. This wheel is known as
Saṁvatsara. The seven horses pulling the chariot of the sun are
known as Gāyatrī, Bṛhatī, Uṣṇik, Jagatī, Triṣṭup, Anuṣṭup and
Paṅkti. They are harnessed by a demigod known as Aruṇadeva
to a yoke 900,000 yojanas wide. Thus the chariot carries
Ādityadeva, the sun-god. Always staying in front of the sun-
god and offering their prayers are sixty thousand sages known
as Vālikhilyas. There are fourteen Gandharvas, Apsarās and
other demigods, who are divided into seven parties and who
perform ritualistic activities every month to worship the
Supersoul through the sun-god according to different names.
Thus the sun-god travels through the universe for a distance of
95,100,000 yojanas (760,800,000 miles) at a speed of 16,004
miles at every moment.
TEXT - SB 5.21.1
śrī-śuka uvāca
etāvān eva bhū-valayasya sanniveśaḥ pramāṇa-lakṣaṇato
vyākhyātaḥ.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; etāvān—so

much; eva—certainly; bhū-valayasya sanniveśaḥ—the
arrangement of the whole universe; pramāṇa-lakṣaṇataḥ—
according to measurement (fifty crores of yojanas, or four
billion miles in width and length) and characteristics;
vyākhyātaḥ—estimated.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, I have thus far
described the diameter of the universe [fifty crores of
yojanas, or four billion miles] and its general
characteristics, according to the estimations of learned
scholars.
In the Twenty-first Chapter the sun’s movement through the

zodiac signs, its rising, setting and its speed are described.
TEXT - SB 5.21.2
etena hi divo maṇḍala-mānaṁ tad-vida upadiśanti yathā dvi-

dalayor niṣpāvādīnāṁ te antareṇāntarikṣaṁ tad-ubhaya-
sandhitam.
SYNONYMS
etena—by this estimation; hi—indeed; divaḥ—of the upper

planetary system; maṇḍala-mānam—the measurement of the
globe; tat-vidaḥ—the experts who know about it; upadiśanti—
instruct; yathā—just as; dvi-dalayoḥ—in the two halves;
niṣpāva-ādīnām—of grain such as wheat; te—of the two
divisions; antareṇa—in the intervening space; antarikṣam—the
sky or outer space; tat—by the two; ubhaya—on both sides;
sandhitam—where the two parts join.
TRANSLATION
As a grain of wheat is divided into two parts and one can
estimate the size of the upper part by knowing that of the
lower, so, expert geographers instruct, one can understand
the measurements of the upper part of the universe by
knowing those of the lower part. The sky between the
earthly sphere and heavenly sphere is called antarikṣa, or
outer space. It adjoins the top of the sphere of earth and the
bottom of that of heaven.
Niṣpāva is a type of been, ādīnām indicates less specific seeds.

Just as by seeing the dimension of one of the halves of the seed
one can understand the dimension of the other half, one should
consider the dimension of the earthly sphere[315] and the
heavenly sphere to be the same. Between them is the antarīkṣa,
measuring 200,000 yojanas. It is joined to them on both its
sides.
TEXT - SB 5.21.3
yan-madhya-gato bhagavāṁs tapatāṁ patis tapana ātapena tri-

lokīṁ pratapaty avabhāsayaty ātma-bhāsā sa eṣa udagayana-
dakṣiṇāyana-vaiṣuvata-saṁjñābhir māndya-śaighrya-
samānābhir gatibhir ārohaṇāvarohaṇa-samāna-sthāneṣu yathā-
savanam abhipadyamāno makarādiṣu rāśiṣv aho-rātrāṇi dīrgha-
hrasva-samānāni vidhatte.
SYNONYMS
yat—of which (the intermediate space); madhya-gataḥ—being

situated in the middle; bhagavān—the most powerful; tapatām
patiḥ—the master of those that heat the whole universe;
tapanaḥ—the sun; ātapena—by heat; tri-lokīm—the three
worlds; pratapati—heats; avabhāsayati—lights; ātma-bhāsā—
by its own illuminating rays; saḥ—that; eṣaḥ—the sun globe;
udagayana—of passing to the northern side of the equator;
dakṣiṇa-ayana—of passing to the southern side of the equator;
vaiṣuvata—or of passing through the equator; saṁjñābhiḥ—by
different names; māndya—characterized by slowness; śaighrya
—swiftness; samānābhiḥ—and by equality; gatibhiḥ—by
movement; ārohaṇa—of rising; avarohaṇa—of going down;
samāna—or of staying in the middle; sthāneṣu—in positions;
yathā-savanam—according to the order of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; abhipadyamānaḥ—moving; makara-
ādiṣu—headed by the sign Makara (Capricorn); rāśiṣu—in
different signs; ahaḥ-rātrāṇi—the days and nights; dīrgha—
long; hrasva—short; samānāni—equal; vidhatte—makes.
TRANSLATION
In the midst of that region of outer space [antarikṣa] is the
most opulent sun, the king of all the planets that emanate
heat, such as the moon. By the influence of its radiation, the
sun heats the universe and maintains its proper order. It
also gives light to help all living entities see. While passing
toward the north, toward the south or through the equator,
in accordance with the order of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, it is said to move slowly, swiftly or moderately.
According to its movements in rising above, going beneath
or passing through the equator—and correspondingly
coming in touch with various signs of the zodiac, headed by
Makara [Capricorn]—days and nights are short, long or
equal to one another.
PURPORT
Lord Brahmā prays in his Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52):
yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ

yasyājñayā bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakro
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead under whose control even the sun,
which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the
fixed orbit of eternal time. The sun is the king of all planetary
systems and has unlimited potency in heat and light." Although
the sun is described as bhagavān, the most powerful, and
although it is actually the most powerful planet within the
universe, it nevertheless has to carry out the order of Govinda,
Kṛṣṇa. The sun-god cannot deviate even an inch from the orbit
designated to him. Therefore in every sphere of life, the
supreme order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is
carried out. The entire material nature carries out His orders.
However, we foolishly see the activities of material nature
without understanding the supreme order and Supreme Person
behind them. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa
prakṛtiḥ: [Bg. 9.10] material nature carries out the orders of the
Lord, and thus everything is maintained in an orderly way.
The sun is situated in the middle of the antarīkṣa. During

uttarāyaṇa (udagayana), by slow speed while ascending in the
sky and passing time, the sun moves through six zodiac signs
starting from Capricorn, making the days gradually longer and
the nights shorter. During dakṣiṇāyana, moving with quick
speed and descending, the sun moves through six zodiac signs
starting from Cancer, making the days shorter and the nights
longer. By moving at medium speed during the equinox
periods, with days and nights equal, the sun moves through
Aries and Libra.
TEXT - SB 5.21.4
yadā meṣa-tulayor vartate tadāho-rātrāṇi samānāni bhavanti
yadā vṛṣabhādiṣu pañcasu ca rāśiṣu carati tadāhāny eva
vardhante hrasati ca māsi māsy ekaikā ghaṭikā rātriṣu.
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; meṣa-tulayoḥ—in Meṣa (Aries) and Tulā (Libra);

vartate—the sun exists; tadā—at that time; ahaḥ-rātrāṇi—the
days and nights; samānāni—equal in duration; bhavanti—are;
yadā—when; vṛṣabha-ādiṣu—headed by Vṛṣabha (Taurus) and
Mithuna (Gemini); pañcasu—in the five; ca—also; rāśiṣu—
signs; carati—moves; tadā—at that time; ahāni—the days; eva
—certainly; vardhante—increase; hrasati—is diminished; ca—
and; māsi māsi—in every month; eka-ekā—one; ghaṭikā—half
hour; rātriṣu—in the nights.
TRANSLATION
When the sun passes through Meṣa [Aries] and Tulā
[Libra], the durations of day and night are equal. When it
passes through the five signs headed by Vṛṣabha [Taurus],
the duration of the days increases [until Cancer], and then
it gradually decreases by half an hour each month, until
day and night again become equal [in Libra].
This verse further explains. Because there is no extreme

difference in the day and night during this time, it is called
equal. Complete equality will only take place on one day and
night of the month. When the sun is in Taurus and Gemini the
days increase in duration, and when the sun is in Cancer and
the following months, the days become shorter, whereas the
nights become longer. When the nights increase in duration, the
days become shorter. But actually, starting from Capricorn the
days become longer and starting from Cancer, the days become
shorter. This will later be clearly explained. The statement that
the days increase by ghaṭikā each month is a general statement,
since the increase and decrease is different each month.
TEXT - SB 5.21.5
yadā vṛścikādiṣu pañcasu vartate tadāho-rātrāṇi viparyayāṇi

bhavanti.
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; vṛścika-ādiṣu—headed by Vṛścika (Scorpio);

pañcasu—five; vartate—remains; tadā—at that time; ahaḥ-
rātrāṇi—the days and nights; viparyayāṇi—the opposite (the
duration of the day decreases, and that of night increases);
bhavanti—are.
TRANSLATION
When the sun passes through the five signs beginning with
Vṛścika [Scorpio], the duration of the days decreases [until
Capricorn], and then gradually it increases month after
month, until day and night become equal [in Aries].
Viparyayāni means that the days become shorter and the nights
become longer. This will be explained later also.
TEXT - SB 5.21.6
yāvad dakṣiṇāyanam ahāni vardhante yāvad udagayanaṁ

rātrayaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yāvat—until; dakṣiṇa-ayanam—the sun passes to the southern

side; ahāni—the days; vardhante—increase; yāvat—until;
udagayanam—the sun passes to the northern side; rātrayaḥ—
the nights.
TRANSLATION
Until the sun travels to the south the days grow longer, and
until it travels to the north the nights grow longer.
Yāvad dakṣiṇāyanam means from uttarāyaṇa until dakṣiṇāyana.
TEXT - SB 5.21.7
evaṁ nava koṭaya eka-pañcāśal-lakṣāṇi yojanānāṁ

mānasottara-giri-parivartanasyopadiśanti tasminn aindrīṁ
purīṁ pūrvasmān meror devadhānīṁ nāma dakṣiṇato yāmyāṁ
saṁyamanīṁ nāma paścād vāruṇīṁ nimlocanīṁ nāma uttarataḥ
saumyāṁ vibhāvarīṁ nāma tāsūdaya-madhyāhnāstamaya-
niśīthānīti bhūtānāṁ pravṛtti-nivṛtti-nimittāni samaya-viśeṣeṇa
meroś catur-diśam.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; nava—nine; koṭayaḥ—ten millions; eka-pañcāśat

—fifty-one; lakṣāṇi—hundred thousands; yojanānām—of the
yojanas; mānasottara-giri—of the mountain known as
Mānasottara; parivartanasya—of the circumambulation;
upadiśanti—they (learned scholars) teach; tasmin—on that
(Mānasottara Mountain); aindrīm—of King Indra; purīm—the
city; pūrvasmāt—on the eastern side; meroḥ—of Sumeru
Mountain; devadhānīm—Devadhānī; nāma—of the name;
dakṣiṇataḥ—on the southern side; yāmyām—of Yamarāja;
saṁyamanīm—Saṁyamanī; nāma—named; paścāt—on the
western side; vāruṇīm—of Varuṇa; nimlocanīm—Nimlocanī;
nāma—named; uttarataḥ—on the northern side; saumyām—of
the moon; vibhāvarīm—Vibhāvarī; nāma—named; tāsu—in all
of them; udaya—rising; madhyāhna—midday; astamaya—
sunset; niśīthāni—midnight; iti—thus; bhūtānām—of the living
entities; pravṛtti—of activity; nivṛtti—and cessation of activity;
nimittāni—the causes; samaya-viśeṣeṇa—by the particular
times; meroḥ—of Sumeru Mountain; catuḥ-diśam—the four
sides.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued; My dear King, as stated
before, the learned say that the sun travels over all sides of
Mānasottara Mountain in a circle whose length is
95,100,000 yojanas [760,800,000 miles]. On Mānasottara
Mountain, due east of Mount Sumeru, is a place known as
Devadhānī, possessed by King Indra. Similarly, in the south
is a place known as Saṁyamanī, possessed by Yamarāja, in
the west is a place known as Nimlocanī, possessed by
Varuṇa, and in the north is a place named Vibhāvarī,
possessed by the moon-god. Sunrise, midday, sunset and
midnight occur in all those places according to specific
times, thus engaging all living entities in their various
occupational duties and also making them cease such
duties.
The circular path is 95,100,000 yojanas The distance from

Meru to Mānasottara in both directions (diameter of
Mānasottara) 31,500,000 yojanas.[316] The path of the sun’s
chariot is 200,000 yojanas wide. Thus the total is 31,700,000
yojanas. Multiplying by three[317] one gets 95,100,000 as the
circumference. Experts teach about the city of Indra, east of
Meru, on the circumference of Mānasottara Mountain
measuring 95,100,000 yojanas in circumference. They teach
about the sunrise, noon and sunset in these cities, being in the
four directions from Meru. This means the following. Those
who reside to the south of Meru (perceive sunrise, and
consequently other directions) starting from the east (or eastern
city of Indra), those residing in the west perceive sunrise (and
the eastern direction) starting from the south, those in the north
perceive sunrise starting from the west, and those residing to
the east of Meru perceive sunrise starting from the north. It is
stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that sarveṣāṁ dvīpavarṣāṇāṁ
meruruttarataḥ sthitaḥ: all the inhabitants have Meru in the
north (relatively speaking).[318]
TEXT - SB 5.21.8-9
tatratyānāṁ divasa-madhyaṅgata eva sadādityas tapati

savyenācalaṁ dakṣiṇena karoti; yatrodeti tasya ha samāna-
sūtra-nipāte nimlocati yatra kvacana syandenābhitapati tasya
haiṣa samāna-sūtra-nipāte prasvāpayati tatra gataṁ na paśyanti
ye taṁ samanupaśyeran.
SYNONYMS
tatratyānām—for the living entities residing on Mount Meru;

divasa-madhyaṅgataḥ—being positioned as at midday; eva—
indeed; sadā—always; ādityaḥ—the sun; tapati—heats;
savyena—to the left side; acalam—Sumeru Mountain;
dakṣiṇena—to the right (being forced by wind blowing to the
right, the sun moves to the right); karoti—moves; yatra—the
point where; udeti—it rises; tasya—of that position; ha—
certainly; samāna-sūtra-nipāte—at the diametrically opposite
point; nimlocati—the sun sets; yatra—where; kvacana—
somewhere; syandena—with perspiration; abhitapati—heats
(at midday); tasya—of that; ha—certainly; eṣaḥ—this (the
sun); samāna-sūtra-nipāte—at the diametrically opposite point;
prasvāpayati—the sun causes to sleep (as at midnight); tatra—
there; gatam—gone; na paśyanti—do not see; ye—who; tam—
the sunset; samanupaśyeran—seeing.
TRANSLATION
The living entities residing on Sumeru Mountain are always
very warm, as at midday, because for them the sun is
always overhead. Although the sun moves
counterclockwise, facing the constellations, with Sumeru
Mountain on its left, it also moves clockwise and appears to
have the mountain on its right because it is influenced by
the dakṣiṇāvarta wind. People living in countries at points
diametrically opposite to where the sun is first seen rising
will see the sun setting, and if a straight line were drawn
from a point where the sun is at midday, the people in
countries at the opposite end of the line would be
experiencing midnight. Similarly, if people residing where
the sun is setting were to go to countries diametrically
opposite, they would not see the sun in the same condition.
Tatrāyānām means “those situated on Meru.” Though the sun

keeps Meru on its left (savyena) with relation to the moving
constellations,[319] being turned by the parvartaka- pravaha
wind, it keeps the sun to the right on a daily basis, under the
control of the zodiac belt. The sunrise means seeing from far
off apparently in contact with the earth, because of the sun’s
rotational movement. Seeing the sun apparently in the middle
of the sky is noon. Sunset is not seeing the sun, because it
apparently enters the earth. Midnight is the sun in a very far
position from the observer. Thus the following śruti statement
when one is standing on the ocean shore is conventional, not
actual. Adbhyā vā eṣa prātar udety apaḥ sāyaṁ praviśati: the
sun rises from the ocean in the morning, and enters it in the
evening.
The arrangements for rising, setting, midday and midnight

according to the different varṣas are next described. Viṣṇu
Purāṇa says yair yatra dṛśyate bhāsvān sa teṣām udayaḥ smṛtaḥ:
wherever the sun is seen by particular persons, they call that the
sunrise. First sight of the sun is called sunrise. Nimlocati means
“sets.” Where the sun rises, simultaneously it sets at a point
exactly opposite. When, after a period of thirty ghaṭikās[320]
after sunrise, the sun is in the middle of the sky, causing
perspiration (syandena), at the opposite point it is midnight
(prasvāpayati), after thirty ghaṭikās. Persons who see the sun
set and then rise, do not see where the sun has gone. That is the
meaning when it is said that they sleep. Amongst the four
directions around Meru, wherever the sun is seen to rise, it is
noon in the varṣa to the east, midnight to the varṣa in the west,
and sunset in the varṣa to the north. And when it is noon, it is
sunset in the eastern varṣa, sunrise in the western varṣa and
midnight in the northern varṣa. When one sees sunset, it is noon
in the western varṣa, midnight in the eastern varṣa and sunrise
in the northern varṣa. All the people situated in all the varṣas
consider themselves situated to the south of Meru and simply
see sunrise, noon and sunset in their own varṣa, and know the
events of the sun in other varṣas by the previously mentioned
conception.
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said:
śakrādīnāṁ pure tiṣṭhan spṛśaty eṣa pura-trayam
vikarṇau dvau vikarṇa-sthas trīn koṇān dve pure tathā
Situated in one city, the sun touches three other cities and two
intermediate places. Situated at an intercardinal city, the sun
touches three intercardinal cities and two cardinal cities.
Situated in any of the cardinal cities, the sun touches three

cardinal directions and two intercardinal directions. Situated in
the eastern varṣa at noon, there is sunrise in the southern varṣa,
sunset in the northern varṣa. This is the meaning of touching
three cardinal directions. And in the southeast varṣa it is the
first yāma[321] and in the northeast varṣa it is third yāma of the
day. This is the meaning of touching two intercardinal points
(dva vikarṇau). If the sun is situated in an intercardinal varṣa
then one touches three intercardinal points and two cardinal
points. If the sun is situated in the southeast varṣa at noon, it is
sunrise in the southwest varṣa, sunset in the northeast varṣa. It
is the first yāma in the southern varṣa and the third yāma in the
southern varṣa. Thus two cardinal points are touched. The same
follows for being situated at any other intercardinal or cardinal
point.
TEXT - SB 5.21.10
yadā caindryāḥ puryāḥ pracalate pañcadaśa-ghaṭikābhir

yāmyāṁ sapāda-koṭi-dvayaṁ yojanānāṁ sārdha-dvādaśa-
lakṣāṇi sādhikāni copayāti.
SYNONYMS
yadā—when; ca—and; aindryāḥ—of Indra; puryāḥ—from the

residence; pracalate—it moves; pañcadaśa—by fifteen;
ghaṭikābhiḥ—half hours (actually twenty-four minutes);
yāmyām—to the residence of Yamarāja; sapāda-koṭi-dvayam—
two and a quarter crores (22,500,000); yojanānām—of
yojanas; sārdha—and one half; dvādaśa-lakṣāṇi—twelve
hundred thousand; sādhikāni—twenty-five thousand more; ca
—and; upayāti—he passes over.
TRANSLATION
When the sun travels from Devadhānī, the residence of
Indra, to Saṁyamanī, the residence of Yamarāja, it travels
23,775,000 yojanas [190,200,000 miles] in fifteen ghaṭikās
[six hours].
PURPORT
The distance indicated by the word sādhikāni is pañca-viṁśati-

sahasrādhikāni, or 25,000 yojanas. That plus two and a half
crores and twelve and a half lakṣa of yojanas is the distance the
sun travels between each two cities. This comes to 23,775,000
yojanas, or 190,200,000 miles. The total orbit of the sun is four
times that distance, or 95,100,000 yojanas (760,800,000 miles).

Sādhikāni means 25,000 yojanas.
TEXT - SB 5.21.11
evaṁ tato vāruṇīṁ saumyām aindrīṁ ca punas tathānye ca

grahāḥ somādayo nakṣatraiḥ saha jyotiś-cakre samabhyudyanti
saha vā nimlo-canti.
SYNONYMS
evam—in this way; tataḥ—from there; vāruṇīm—to the

quarters where Varuṇa lives; saumyām—to the quarters where
the moon lives; aindrīṁ ca—and to the quarters where Indra
lives; punaḥ—again; tathā—so also; anye—the others; ca—
also; grahāḥ—planets; soma-ādayaḥ—headed by the moon;
nakṣatraiḥ—all the stars; saha—with; jyotiḥ-cakre—in the
celestial sphere; samabhyudyanti—rise; saha—along with; vā
—or; nimlocanti—set.
TRANSLATION
From the residence of Yamarāja the sun travels to
Nimlocanī, the residence of Varuṇa, from there to
Vibhāvarī, the residence of the moon-god, and from there
again to the residence of Indra. In a similar way, the moon,
along with the other stars and planets, becomes visible in
the celestial sphere and then sets and again becomes
invisible.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (10.21) Kṛṣṇa says, nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī:
"Of stars I am the moon." This indicates that the moon is
similar to the other stars. The Vedic literature informs us that
within this universe there is one sun, which is moving. The
Western theory that all the luminaries in the sky are different
suns is not confirmed in the Vedic literature. Nor can we
assume that these luminaries are the suns of other universes, for
each universe is covered by various layers of material elements,
and therefore although the universes are clustered together, we
cannot see from one universe to another. In other words,
whatever we see is within this one universe. In each universe
there is one Lord Brahmā, and there are other demigods on
other planets, but there is only one sun.
Saha vā means saha eva.
TEXT - SB 5.21.12
evaṁ muhūrtena catus-triṁśal-lakṣa-yojanāny aṣṭa-śatādhikāni

sauro rathas trayīmayo 'sau catasṛṣu parivartate purīṣu.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; muhūrtena—in a muhūrta (forty-eight minutes);

catuḥ-triṁśat—thirty-four; lakṣa—hundred thousands;
yojanāni—yojanas; aṣṭa-śatādhikāni—increased by eight
hundred; sauraḥ rathaḥ—the chariot of the sun-god; trayī-
mayaḥ—which is worshiped by the Gāyatrī mantra (oṁ bhūr
bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur, etc.); asau—that; catasṛṣu—to the
four; parivartate—he moves; purīṣu—through different
residential quarters.
TRANSLATION
Thus the chariot of the sun-god, which is trayīmaya, or
worshiped by the words oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, travels
through the four residences mentioned above at a speed of
3,400,800 yojanas [27,206,400 miles] in a muhūrta.
TEXT - SB 5.21.13
yasyaikaṁ cakraṁ dvādaśāraṁ ṣaṇ-nemi tri-ṇābhi

saṁvatsarātmakaṁ samāmananti tasyākṣo meror mūrdhani kṛto
mānasottare kṛtetara-bhāgo yatra protaṁ ravi-ratha-cakraṁ
taila-yantra-cakravad bhraman mānasottara-girau paribhramati.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of which; ekam—one; cakram—wheel; dvādaśa—

twelve; aram—spokes; ṣaṭ—six; nemi—the segments of the
rim; tri-ṇābhi—the three pieces of the hub; saṁvatsara-
ātmakam—whose nature is a saṁvatsara; samāmananti—they
fully describe; tasya—the chariot of the sun-god; akṣaḥ—the
axle; meroḥ—of Sumeru Mountain; mūrdhani—on the top;
kṛtaḥ—fixed; mānasottare—on the mountain known as
Mānasottara; kṛta—fixed; itara-bhāgaḥ—the other end; yatra
—where; protam—fixed on; ravi-ratha-cakram—the wheel of
the chariot of the sun-god; taila-yantra-cakra-vat—like the
wheel of an oil-pressing machine; bhramat—moving;
mānasottara-girau—on Mānasottara Mountain; paribhramati
—turns.
TRANSLATION
The chariot of the sun-god has only one wheel, which is
known as Saṁvatsara. The twelve months are calculated to
be its twelve spokes, the six seasons are the sections of its
rim, and the three cātur-māsya periods are its three-
sectioned hub. One side of the axle carrying the wheel rests
upon the summit of Mount Sumeru, and the other rests
upon Mānasottara Mountain. Affixed to the outer end of
the axle, the wheel continuously rotates on Mānasottara
Mountain like the wheel of an oil-pressing machine.
The spokes of the wheel of the chariot (yasya) are the twelve
months. The six rims are the six seasons. The three hubs are the
three sets of four months. It is fixed on the lower portion of
Meru. It is compared to the wheel of an oil pressing machine.
Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that it rotates on Mānasottara at a
height of 50,000 yojanas on a surface made flat by the wind.
Because Mānasottara is only 10,000 yojanas high, the total
height at which the wheel rotates is 60,000 yojanas. The
distance (from Meru) is a little less than 15,700,000 yojanas.
[324]
TEXT - SB 5.21.14
tasminn akṣe kṛtamūlo dvitīyo 'kṣas turyamānena sammitas
taila-yantrākṣavad dhruve kṛtopari-bhāgaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tasmin akṣe—in that axle; kṛta-mūlaḥ—whose base is fixed;

dvitīyaḥ—a second; akṣaḥ—axle; turyamānena—by one
fourth; sammitaḥ—measured; taila-yantra-akṣa-vat—like the
axle of an oil-pressing machine; dhruve—to Dhruvaloka; kṛta
—fixed; upari-bhāgaḥ—upper portion.
TRANSLATION
As in an oil-pressing machine, this first axle is attached to a
second axle, which is one-fourth as long [3,937,500 yojanas,
or 31,500,000 miles]. The upper end of this second axle is
attached to Dhruvaloka by a rope of wind.
There is a second axel bound to first part of the first axel

(kṛtamūlaḥ) with the wheel at its end. Its length is one quarter
of the first axel or 3,937,500 yojanas.[325] It is bound to the
first exactly opposite to the salt water ocean. Because the
second axel is shorter than the first axel, its other end is bound
to Dhruvaloka by a rope of wind.
TEXT - SB 5.21.15
ratha-nīḍas tu ṣaṭ-triṁśal-lakṣa-yojanāyatas tat-turīya-bhāga-

viśālas tāvān ravi-ratha-yugo yatra hayāś chando-nāmānaḥ
saptāruṇa-yojitā vahanti devam ādityam.
SYNONYMS
ratha-nīḍaḥ—the interior of the chariot; tu—but; ṣaṭ-triṁśat-

lakṣa-yojana-āyataḥ—3,600,000 yojanas long; tat-turīya-
bhāga—one quarter of that measure (900,000 yojanas); viśālaḥ
—having a width; tāvān—so much also; ravi-ratha-yugaḥ—the
yoke for the horses; yatra—where; hayāḥ—horses; chandaḥ-
nāmānaḥ—having the different names of Vedic meters; sapta
—seven; aruṇa-yojitāḥ—hooked up by Aruṇadeva; vahanti—
carry; devam—the demigod; ādityam—the sun-god.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, the carriage of the sun-god's chariot is
estimated to be 3,600,000 yojanas [28,800,000 miles] long
and one-fourth as wide [900,000 yojanas, or 7,200,000
miles]. The chariot's horses, which are named after Gāyatrī
and other Vedic meters, are harnessed by Aruṇadeva to a
yoke that is also 900,000 yojanas wide. This chariot
continuously carries the sun-god.
PURPORT
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is stated:
gāyatrī ca bṛhaty uṣṇig

jagatī triṣṭup eva ca
anuṣṭup paṅktir ity uktāś
chandāṁsi harayo raveḥ
The seven horses yoked to the sun-god's chariot are named

Gāyatrī, Bṛhati, Uṣṇik, Jagatī, Triṣṭup, Anuṣṭup and Paṅkti.
These names of various Vedic meters designate the seven
horses that carry the sun-god's chariot.
Niḍāḥ is the enclosure on the chariot. It is 3600,000 yojanas

high and 900,000 wide. The sun god is situated in the enclosure
at a place 40,000 yojanas above the wheel. It is yoked by Aruṇa
and pulled by horses named after the Vedic meters like Gayatrī.
TEXT - SB 5.21.16
purastāt savitur aruṇaḥ paścāc ca niyuktaḥ sautye karmaṇi

kilāste.
SYNONYMS
purastāt—in front; savituḥ—of the sun-god; aruṇaḥ—the

demigod named Aruṇa; paścāt—looking backward; ca—and;
niyuktaḥ—engaged; sautye—of a charioteer; karmaṇi—in the
work; kila—certainly; āste—remains.
TRANSLATION
Although Aruṇadeva sits in front of the sun-god and is
engaged in driving the chariot and controlling the horses,
he looks backward toward the sun-god.
PURPORT
In the Vāyu Purāṇa the position of the horses is described:
saptāśva-rūpa-cchandāṁsī
vahante vāmato ravim
cakra-pakṣa-nibaddhāni
cakre vākṣaḥ samāhitaḥ
Although Aruṇadeva is in the front seat, controlling the horses,

he looks back toward the sun-god from his left side.
Though seated in form, he faces backwards. Vāyu Purāṇa

describes the horses:
saptāśva-rūpa-cchandāṁsi vahante vāmato ravim
cakra-pakṣa-nibaddhāni cakre vākṣaḥ samāhitaḥ
The seven horses are the seven Vedic meters. They carry the
sun from the left and are bound to the side of the wheel. The
axel is connected with the wheel.
TEXT - SB 5.21.17
tathā vālikhilyā ṛṣayo 'ṅguṣṭha-parva-mātrāḥ ṣaṣṭi-sahasrāṇi
purataḥ sūryaṁ sūkta-vākāya niyuktāḥ saṁstuvanti.
SYNONYMS
tathā—there; vālikhilyāḥ—Vālikhilyas; ṛṣayaḥ—great sages;

aṅguṣṭha-parva-mātrāḥ—whose size is that of a thumb; ṣaṣṭi-
sahasrāṇi—sixty thousand; purataḥ—in front; sūryam—the
sun-god; su-ukta-vākāya—for speaking eloquently; niyuktāḥ—
engaged; saṁstuvanti—offer prayers.
TRANSLATION
There are sixty thousand saintly persons named
Vālikhilyas, each the size of a thumb, who are located in
front of the sun-god and who offer him eloquent prayers of
glorification.
Sūkta-vākāya means “with well-spoken prayers.”
TEXT - SB 5.21.18
tathānye ca ṛṣayo gandharvāpsaraso nāgā grāmaṇyo yātudhānā

devā ity ekaikaśo gaṇāḥ sapta caturdaśa māsi māsi
bhagavantaṁ sūryam ātmānaṁ nānā-nāmānaṁ pṛthaṅ-nānā-
nāmānaḥ pṛthak-karmabhir dvandvaśa upāsate.
SYNONYMS
tathā—similarly; anye—others; ca—also; ṛṣayaḥ—saintly
persons; gandharva-apsarasaḥ—Gandharvas and Apsarās;
nāgāḥ—Nāga snakes; grāmaṇyaḥ—Yakṣas; yātudhānāḥ—
Rākṣasas; devāḥ—demigods; iti—thus; eka-ekaśaḥ—one by
one; gaṇāḥ—groups; sapta—seven; caturdaśa—fourteen in
number; māsi māsi—in every month; bhagavantam—unto the
most powerful demigod; sūryam—the sun-god; ātmānam—the
life of the universe; nānā—various; nāmānam—who possesses
names; pṛthak—separate; nānā-nāmānaḥ—having various
names; pṛthak—separate; karmabhiḥ—by ritualistic
ceremonies; dvandvaśaḥ—in groups of two; upāsate—worship.
TRANSLATION
Similarly, fourteen other saints, Gandharvas, Apsarās,
Nāgas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas and demigods, who are divided
into groups of two, assume different names every month
and continuously perform different ritualistic ceremonies to
worship the Supreme Lord as the most powerful demigod
Sūryadeva, who holds many names.
PURPORT
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said:
stuvanti munayaḥ sūryaṁ

gandharvair gīyate puraḥ
nṛtyanto 'psaraso yānti
sūryasyānu niśācarāḥ
vahanti pannagā yakṣaiḥ
kriyate 'bhiṣusaṅgrahaḥ
vālikhilyās tathaivainaṁ
parivārya samāsate
so 'yaṁ sapta-gaṇaḥ sūrya-

maṇḍale muni-sattama
himoṣṇa vāri-vṛṣṭīṇāṁ
hetutve samayaṁ gataḥ
Worshiping the most powerful demigod Sūrya, the Gandharvas

sing in front of him, the Apsarās dance before the chariot, the
Niśācaras follow the chariot, the Pannagas decorate the chariot,
the Yakṣas guard the chariot, and the saints called the
Vālikhilyas surround the sun-god and offer prayers. The seven
groups of fourteen associates arrange the proper times for
regular snow, heat and rain throughout the universe.
In one month, fourteen groups form pairs to make seven

groups. In other months the groups act singly as fourteen
groups and perform worship.
TEXT - SB 5.21.19
lakṣottaraṁ sārdha-nava-koṭi-yojana-parimaṇḍalaṁ bhū-

valayasya kṣaṇena sagavyūty-uttaraṁ dvi-sahasra-yojanāni sa
bhuṅkte.
SYNONYMS
lakṣa-uttaram—increased by 100,000; sārdha—with

5,000,000; nava-koṭi-yojana—of 90,000,000 yojanas;
parimaṇḍalam—circumference; bhū-valayasya—of the earthly
sphere; kṣaṇena—in one moment; sagavyūti-uttaram—
augmented by two krośas (four miles); dvi-sahasra-yojanāni—
2,000 yojanas; saḥ—the sun-god; bhuṅkte—traverses.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, in his orbit through Bhū-maṇḍala, the sun-
god traverses a distance of 95,100,000 yojanas [760,800,000
miles] at the speed of 2,000 yojanas and two krośas [16,004
miles] in a moment.
Gavyūti is two krośas (half a yojana).
Thus ends the commentary on the Twenty-first Chapter of the


Twenty-first Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled, "The
Movements of the Sun."
22. The Orbits of the Planets
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17
Chapter Summary
In this chapter the orbits of the planets are described.

According to the movements of the moon and other planets, all
the inhabitants of the universe are prone to auspicious and
inauspicious situations. This is referred to as the influence of
the stars.
The sun-god, who controls the affairs of the entire universe,

especially in regard to heat, light, seasonal changes and so on,
is considered an expansion of Nārāyaṇa. He represents the three
Vedas-Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma-and therefore he is known as
Trayīmaya, the form of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Sometimes the sun-god
is also called Sūrya Nārāyaṇa. The sun-god has expanded
himself in twelve divisions, and thus he controls the six
seasonal changes and causes winter, summer, rain and so on.
Yogīs and karmīs following the varṇāśrama institution, who
practice haṭha or aṣṭāṅga-yoga or who perform agnihotra
sacrifices, worship Sūrya Nārāyaṇa for their own benefit. The
demigod Sūrya is always in touch with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa. Residing in outer space, which is in the
middle of the universe, between Bhūloka and Bhuvarloka, the
sun rotates through the time circle of the zodiac, represented by
twelve rāśis, or signs, and assumes different names according
to the sign he is in. For the moon, every month is divided into
two fortnights. Similarly, according to solar calculations, a
month is equal to the time the sun spends in one constellation;
two months constitute one season, and there are twelve months
in a year. The entire area of the sky is divided into two halves,
each representing an ayana, the course traversed by the sun
within a period of six months. The sun travels sometimes
slowly, sometimes swiftly and sometimes at a moderate speed.
In this way it travels within the three worlds, consisting of the
heavenly planets, the earthly planets and outer space. These
orbits are referred to by great learned scholars by the names
Saṁvatsara, Parivatsara, Iḍāvatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara.
The moon is situated 100,000 yojanas above the rays of the

sunshine. Day and night on the heavenly planets and Pitṛloka
are calculated according to its waning and waxing. Above the
moon by a distance of 200,000 yojanas are some stars, and
above these stars is Śukra-graha (Venus), whose influence is
always auspicious for the inhabitants of the entire universe.
Above Śukra-graha by 200,000 yojanas is Budha-graha
(Mercury), whose influence is sometimes auspicious and
sometimes inauspicious. Next, above Budha-graha by 200,000
yojanas, is Aṅgāraka (Mars), which almost always has an
unfavorable influence. Above Aṅgāraka by another 200,000
yojanas is the planet called Bṛhaspati-graha (Jupiter), which is
always very favorable for qualified brāhmaṇas. Above
Bṛhaspati-graha is the planet Śanaiścara (Saturn), which is very
inauspicious, and above Saturn is a group of seven stars
occupied by great saintly persons who are always thinking of
the welfare of the entire universe. These seven stars
circumambulate Dhruvaloka, which is the residence of Lord
Viṣṇu within this universe.
TEXT - SB 5.22.1
raJaaevac
YadeTaḤGavTa AaidTYaSYa Maeṛ& Da]uv& c
Pa[di+a<aeNa Pair§-aMaTaae
raXaqNaaMai>aMau%& Pa[cil/Ta& caPa[di+a<a&
>aGavTaaePavi<aRTaMaMauZYa vYa& k-QaMa‚
NauiMaMaqMahqiTa )) 1 ))
rājovāca
yad etad bhagavata ādityasya meruṁ dhruvaṁ ca pradakṣiṇena

parikrāmato rāśīnām abhimukhaṁ pracalitaṁ cāpradakṣiṇaṁ
bhagavatopavarṇitam amuṣya vayaṁ katham anumimīmahīti.
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca—the King (Mahārāja Parīkṣit) inquired; yat—

which; etat—this; bhagavataḥ—of the most powerful;
ādityasya—of the sun (Sūrya Nārāyaṇa); merum—the
mountain known as Sumeru; dhruvam ca—as well as the planet
known as Dhruvaloka; pradakṣiṇena—by placing on the right;
parikrāmataḥ—which is going around; rāśīnām—the different
signs of the zodiac; abhimukham—facing toward; pracalitam—
moving; ca—and; apradakṣiṇam—placing on the left;
bhagavatā—by Your Lordship; upavarṇitam—described;
amuṣya—of that; vayam—we (the hearer); katham—how;
anumimīmahi—can accept it by argument and inference; iti—
thus.
TRANSLATION
King Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear
lord, you have already affirmed the truth that the
supremely powerful sun-god travels around Dhruvaloka
with both Dhruvaloka and Mount Sumeru on his right. Yet
at the same time the sun-god faces the signs of the zodiac
and keeps Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on his left. How can we
reasonably accept that the sun-god proceeds with Sumeru
and Dhruvaloka on both his left and right simultaneously?
The Twenty-second Chapter describes the various speed of the

sun in the zodiac, the placement of various planets and their
auspicious and inauspicious effects.
In the previous chapter (SB 5.21.8) it was mentioned that the

Sun travels with its left side Meru facing the zodiac and also
travels with its right side to Meru. Parīkṣit asks for clarification.
Daily the sun appears to be moving in a clockwise direction.
However you have said that, facing the constellations, the sun
goes counterclockwise. How can this b e conceived, since it is
contradictory?
TEXT - SB 5.22.2
Sa haevac
YaQaa ku-l/al/c§e-<a >a]MaTaa Sah >a]MaTaa&
Tadaī[Yaa<aa& iPaPaqil/k-adqNaa&
GaiTarNYaEv
Pa[deXaaNTareZvPYauPal/>YaMaaNaTvadev&
Na+a}araiXai>aṛPal/i+aTaeNa
k-al/c§e-<a Da]uv& Maeṛ& c Pa[di+a<aeNa PairDaavTaa Sah
PairDaavMaaNaaNaa&
Tadaī[Yaa<aa& SaUYaaRdqNaa& Ga]ha<aa& GaiTarNYaEv
Na+a}aaNTare raXYaNTare
caePal/>YaMaaNaTvaTa( )) 2 ))
sa hovāca
yathā kulāla-cakreṇa bhramatā saha bhramatāṁ tad-āśrayāṇāṁ

pipīlikādīnāṁ gatir anyaiva pradeśāntareṣv apy
upalabhyamānatvād evaṁ nakṣatra-rāśibhir upalakṣitena kāla-
cakreṇa dhruvaṁ meruṁ ca pradakṣiṇena paridhāvatā saha
paridhāvamānānāṁ tad-āśrayāṇāṁ sūryādīnāṁ grahāṇāṁ gatir
anyaiva nakṣatrāntare rāśy-antare copalabhyamānatvāt.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—Śukadeva Gosvāmī; ha—very clearly; uvāca—answered;

yathā—just as; kulāla-cakreṇa—a potter's wheel; bhramatā—
turning around; saha—with; bhramatām—of those turning
around; tat-āśrayāṇām—being located on that (wheel);
pipīlika-ādīnām—of small ants; gatiḥ—the motion; anyā—
other; eva—certainly; pradeśa-antareṣu—in different
locations; api—also; upalabhyamānatvāt—due to being
experienced; evam—similarly; nakṣatra-rāśibhiḥ—by the stars
and signs; upalakṣitena—being seen; kāla-cakreṇa—with the
great wheel of time; dhruvam—the star known as Dhruvaloka;
merum—the mountain known as Sumeru; ca—and;
pradakṣiṇena—on the right; paridhāvatā—going around; saha
—with; paridhāvamānānām—of those going around; tat-
āśrayāṇām—whose shelter is that wheel of time; sūrya-ādīnām
—headed by the sun; grahāṇām—of the planets; gatiḥ—the
motion; anyā—other; eva—certainly; nakṣatra-antare—in
different stars; rāśi-antare—in different signs; ca—and;
upalabhyamānatvāt—due to being observed.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī clearly answered: When a potter's
wheel is moving and small ants located on that big wheel
are moving with it, one can see that their motion is different
from that of the wheel because they appear sometimes on
one part of the wheel and sometimes on another. Similarly,
the signs and constellations, with Sumeru and Dhruvaloka
on their right, move with the wheel of time, and the antlike
sun and other planets move with them. The sun and planets,
however, are seen in different signs and constellations at
different times. This indicates that their motion is different
from that of the zodiac and the wheel of time itself.
Śukadeva clarifies his statement. They are moving in the

opposite direction from the wheel (bhramatā saha bhramatām).
There is no contradiction since there are two separate
movements: the movement of the wheel and the individual
movement.
TEXT - SB 5.22.3
sa eṣa bhagavān ādi-puruṣa eva sākṣān nārāyaṇo lokānāṁ

svastaya ātmānaṁ trayīmayaṁ karma-viśuddhi-nimittaṁ
kavibhir api ca vedena vijijñāsyamāno dvādaśadhā vibhajya
ṣaṭsu vasantādiṣv ṛtuṣu yathopa-joṣam ṛtu-guṇān vidadhāti.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that; eṣaḥ—this; bhagavān—the supremely powerful;

ādi-puruṣaḥ—the original person; eva—certainly; sākṣāt—
directly; nārāyaṇaḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Nārāyaṇa; lokānām—of all the planets; svastaye—for the
benefit; ātmānam—Himself; trayī-mayam—consisting of the
three Vedas (Sāma, Yajur and Ṛg); karma-viśuddhi—of
purification of fruitive activities; nimittam—the cause; kavibhiḥ
—by great saintly persons; api—also; ca—and; vedena—by
Vedic knowledge; vijijñāsyamānaḥ—being inquired about;
dvādaśa-dhā—in twelve divisions; vibhajya—dividing; ṣaṭsu
—in six; vasanta-ādiṣu—headed by spring; ṛtuṣu—seasons;
yathā-upajoṣam—according to the enjoyment of their past
activities; ṛtu-guṇān—the qualities of the different seasons;
vidadhāti—he arranges.
TRANSLATION
The original cause of the cosmic manifestation is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa. When great
saintly persons, fully aware of the Vedic knowledge, offered
prayers to the Supreme Person, He descended to this
material world in the form of the sun to benefit all the
planets and purify fruitive activities. He divided Himself
into twelve parts and created seasonal forms, beginning
with spring. In this way He created the seasonal qualities,
such as heat, cold and so on.
The Lord famous as time, divided himself into twelve forms

and into six seasons for purifying the activities of the people.
This means through time he regulates their actions. He arranged
for the qualities of the seasons such as heat and cold which are
experienced according to karma (yathopajoṣam).
TEXT - SB 5.22.4
tam etam iha puruṣās trayyā vidyayā varṇāśramācārānupathā

uccāvacaiḥ karmabhir āmnātair yoga-vitānaiś ca śraddhayā
yajanto 'ñjasā śreyaḥ samadhigacchanti.
SYNONYMS
tam—Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); etam—this;

iha—in this world of mortality; puruṣāḥ—all people; trayyā—
having three divisions; vidyayā—by the Vedic knowledge;
varṇa-āśrama-ācāra—the practices of the varṇāśrama system;
anupathāḥ—following; ucca-avacaiḥ—higher or lower
according to the different positions in the varṇāśrama-dharma
(brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra); karmabhiḥ—by their
respective activities; āmnātaiḥ—handed down; yoga-vitānaiḥ
—by meditation and other yogic processes; ca—and;
śraddhayā—with great faith; yajantaḥ—worshiping; añjasā—
without difficulty; śreyaḥ—the ultimate benefit of life;
samadhigacchanti—they attain.
TRANSLATION
According to the system of four varṇas and four āśramas,
people generally worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, who is situated as the sun-god. With
great faith they worship the Supreme Personality as the
Supersoul according to ritualistic ceremonies handed down
in the three Vedas, such as agnihotra and similar higher
and lower fruitive acts, and according to the process of
mystic yoga. In this way they very easily attain the ultimate
goal of life.
People who follow (anupathāḥ) varṇāśrama and worship the

sun in the form of Indra and others by activities mentioned in
the Vedas (trayyā), and by aṣṭāṅga-yoga (yoga-vitānaiḥ), attain
the highest goal.
TEXT - SB 5.22.5
atha sa eṣa ātmā lokānāṁ dyāv-āpṛthivyor antareṇa nabho-
valayasya kālacakra-gato dvādaśa māsān bhuṅkte rāśi-saṁjñān
saṁvatsarāvayavān māsaḥ pakṣa-dvayaṁ divā naktaṁ ceti
sapādarkṣa-dvayam upadiśanti yāvatā ṣaṣṭham aṁśaṁ bhuñjīta
sa vai ṛtur ity upadiśyate saṁvatsarāvayavaḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha—therefore; saḥ—He; eṣaḥ—this; ātmā—the living force;

lokānām—of all the three worlds; dyāv-ā-pṛthivyoḥ antareṇa—
between the upper and lower portions of the universe; nabhaḥ-
valayasya—of outer space; kāla-cakra-gataḥ—positioned in
the wheel of time; dvādaśa māsān—twelve months; bhuṅkte—
passes; rāśi-saṁjñān—named after the zodiac signs;
saṁvatsara-avayavān—the parts of the whole year; māsaḥ—
one month; pakṣa-dvayam—two fortnights; divā—a day;
naktam ca—and a night; iti—thus; sapāda-ṛkṣa-dvayam—by
stellar calculations, two and a quarter constellations; upadiśanti
—they instruct; yāvatā—by as much time; ṣaṣṭham aṁśam—
one sixth of his orbit; bhuñjīta—pass; saḥ—that portion; vai—
indeed; ṛtuḥ—a season; iti—thus; upadiśyate—is instructed;
saṁvatsara-avayavaḥ—a part of a year.
TRANSLATION
The sun-god, who is Nārāyaṇa, or Viṣṇu, the soul of all the
worlds, is situated in outer space between the upper and
lower portions of the universe. Passing through twelve
months on the wheel of time, the sun comes in touch with
twelve different signs of the zodiac and assumes twelve
different names according to those signs. The aggregate of
those twelve months is called a saṁvatsara, or an entire
year. According to lunar calculations, two fortnights—one
of the waxing moon and the other of the waning—form one
month. That same period is one day and night for the planet
Pitṛloka. According to stellar calculations, a month equals
two and one quarter constellations. When the sun travels
for two months, a season passes, and therefore the seasonal
changes are considered parts of the body of the year.
This verse explains the months according to the movement of

the sun. Situated in the zodiac belt (kāla-cakra-gataḥ) between
heaven and earth in the antarikṣa (nabho-valayasya) the sun
enjoys months. What is a month? A month is two fortnights,
according to the lunar calculations, which is a day and night for
the Pitṛs.[327] It is two and a quarter constellations by
movement of the sun.[328] The sun, as time or the month,
enjoys a twelfth portion of the celestial circle which moves on
its own. This is not stated but should be understood. Two
months (ṣāstham āṁśam) is a season.
TEXT - SB 5.22.6
atha ca yāvatārdhena nabho-vīthyāṁ pracarati taṁ kālam

ayanam ācakṣate.
SYNONYMS
atha—now; ca—also; yāvatā—by as long as; ardhena—half;
nabhaḥ-vīthyām—in outer space; pracarati—the sun moves;
tam—that; kālam—time; ayanam—ayana; ācakṣate—is said.
TRANSLATION
Thus the time the sun takes to rotate through half of outer
space is called an ayana, or its period of movement [in the
north or in the south].
This is a period of six months.
TEXT - SB 5.22.7
atha ca yāvan nabho-maṇḍalaṁ saha dyāv-āpṛthivyor

maṇḍalābhyāṁ kārtsnyena sa ha bhuñjīta taṁ kālaṁ
saṁvatsaraṁ parivatsaram iḍāvatsaram anuvatsaraṁ vatsaram
iti bhānor māndya-śaighrya-sama-gatibhiḥ samāmananti.
SYNONYMS
atha—now; ca—also; yāvat—as long as; nabhaḥ-maṇḍalam—

outer space, between the upper and lower world; saha—along
with; dyau—of the upper world; āpṛthivyoḥ—of the lower
world; maṇḍalābhyām—the spheres; kārtsnyena—entirely; saḥ
—he; ha—indeed; bhuñjīta—may pass through; tam—that;
kālam—time; saṁvatsaram—Saṁvatsara; parivatsaram—
Parivatsara; iḍāvatsaram—Iḍāvatsara; anuvatsaram—
Anuvatsara; vatsaram—Vatsara; iti—thus; bhānoḥ—of the
sun; māndya—slow; śaighrya—speedy; sama—and equal;
gatibhiḥ—by the speeds; samāmananti—the experienced
scholars describe.
TRANSLATION
The sun-god has three speeds—slow, fast and moderate.
The time he takes to travel entirely around the spheres of
heaven, earth and space at these three speeds is referred to,
by learned scholars, by the five names Saṁvatsara,
Parivatsara, Iḍāvatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara.
PURPORT
According to solar astronomical calculations, each year extends

six days beyond the calendar year, and according to lunar
calculations, each year is six days shorter. Therefore, because
of the movements of the sun and moon, there is a difference of
twelve days between the solar and lunar years. As the
Saṁvatsara, Parivatsara, Iḍāvatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara
pass by, two extra months are added within each five years.
This makes a sixth saṁvatsara, but because that saṁvatsara is
extra, the solar system is calculated according to the above five
names.
It should be understood that the antariṣka is equal in size to the

earthly and heavenly planes surrounding on either side. The
different names of the year according to use based on different
calculations has been described in the Third Canto (SB
3.11.13).
TEXT - SB 5.22.8
evaṁ candramā arka-gabhastibhya upariṣṭāl lakṣa-yojanata

upalabhyamāno 'rkasya saṁvatsara-bhuktiṁ pakṣābhyāṁ
māsa-bhuktiṁ sapādarkṣābhyāṁ dinenaiva pakṣa-bhuktim
agracārī drutatara-gamano bhuṅkte.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; candramā—the moon; arka-gabhastibhyaḥ—

from the rays of the sunshine; upariṣṭāt—above; lakṣa-
yojanataḥ—by a measurement of 100,000 yojanas;
upalabhyamānaḥ—being situated; arkasya—of the sun globe;
saṁvatsara-bhuktim—the passage of one year of enjoyment;
pakṣābhyām—by two fortnights; māsa-bhuktim—the passage
of one month; sapāda-ṛkṣābhyām—by two and a quarter days;
dinena—by a day; eva—only; pakṣa-bhuktim—the passage of a
fortnight; agracārī—moving impetuously; druta-tara-gamanaḥ
—passing more speedily; bhuṅkte—passes through.
TRANSLATION
Above the rays of the sunshine by a distance of 100,000
yojanas [800,000 miles] is the moon, which travels at a
speed faster than that of the sun. In two lunar fortnights the
moon travels through the equivalent of a saṁvatsara of the
sun, in two and a quarter days it passes through a month of
the sun, and in one day it passes through a fortnight of the
sun.
PURPORT
When we take into account that the moon is 100,000 yojanas,

or 800,000 miles, above the rays of the sunshine, it is very
surprising that the modern excursions to the moon could be
possible. Since the moon is so distant, how space vehicles
could go there is a doubtful mystery. Modern scientific
calculations are subject to one change after another, and
therefore they are uncertain. We have to accept the calculations
of the Vedic literature. These Vedic calculations are steady; the
astronomical calculations made long ago and recorded in the
Vedic literature are correct even now. Whether the Vedic
calculations or modern ones are better may remain a mystery
for others, but as far as we are concerned, we accept the Vedic
calculations to be correct.
The location and effects of the moon and other planets are now
described. “The sun’s rays” refers to the sun globe. The moon
is 100,000 yojanas above the sun, or 200,000 yojanas above the
earth. In two and a half days (sapādarkṣābhyām) the moon
covers what the sun covers in a month. When the moon travels
quicker, in one day the moon covers what the sun covers in a
fortnight. At other times in a day and half plus 3 hours, it
covers the same distance.
TEXT - SB 5.22.9
atha cāpūryamāṇābhiś ca kalābhir amarāṇāṁ kṣīyamāṇābhiś ca

kalābhiḥ pitṝṇām aho-rātrāṇi pūrva-pakṣāpara-pakṣābhyāṁ
vitanvānaḥ sarva-jīva-nivaha-prāṇo jīvaś caikam ekaṁ
nakṣatraṁ triṁśatā muhūrtair bhuṅkte.
SYNONYMS
atha—thus; ca—also; āpūryamāṇābhiḥ—gradually increasing;

ca—and; kalābhiḥ—by the parts of the moon; amarāṇām—of
the demigods; kṣīyamāṇābhiḥ—by gradually decreasing; ca—
and; kalābhiḥ—by parts of the moon; pitṝṇām—of those on the
planet known as Pitṛloka; ahaḥ-rātrāṇi—the days and nights;
pūrva-pakṣa-apara-pakṣābhyām—by the period of waxing and
waning; vitanvānaḥ—distributing; sarva-jīva-nivaha—of the
total living entities; prāṇaḥ—the life; jīvaḥ—the chief living
being; ca—also; ekam ekam—one after another; nakṣatram—a
constellation of stars; triṁśatā—by thirty; muhūrtaiḥ—
muhūrtas; bhuṅkte—passes through.
TRANSLATION
When the moon is waxing, the illuminating portions of it
increase daily, thus creating day for the demigods and night
for the pitās. When the moon is waning, however, it causes
night for the demigods and day for the pitās. In this way the
moon passes through each constellation of stars in thirty
muhūrtas [an entire day]. The moon is the source of
nectarean coolness that influences the growth of food
grains, and therefore the moon-god is considered the life of
all living entities. He is consequently called Jīva, the chief
living being within the universe.
The waxing and waning phases are day and night for the
devatās, and night and day for the Pitṛs. This means the waxing
phase is suitable for worship of devatās and the waning phase is
suitable for worship of Pitṛs. The moon is the life of all beings
because it produces food in the form of plants. Śruti says
annaṁ hi prāṇināṁ prāṇāḥ: food is the life of all beings.[329]
The moon is called jīvaḥ because it is made of immortal nectar
necessary for living.
TEXT - SB 5.22.10
ya eṣa ṣoḍaśa-kalaḥ puruṣo bhagavān manomayo 'nnamayo

'mṛtamayo deva-pitṛ-manuṣya-bhūta-paśu-pakṣi-sarīsṛpa-
vīrudhāṁ prāṇāpy āyana-śīlatvāt sarvamaya iti varṇayanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—that; eṣaḥ—this; ṣoḍaśa-kalaḥ—having all sixteen parts

(the full moon); puruṣaḥ—the person; bhagavān—having great
power received from the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
manaḥ-mayaḥ—the predominating deity of the mind; anna-
mayaḥ—the source of potency for food grains; amṛta-mayaḥ—
the source of the substance of life; deva—of all the demigods;
pitṛ—of all the inhabitants of Pitṛloka; manuṣya—all human
beings; bhūta—all living entities; paśu—of the animals; pakṣi
—of the birds; sarīsṛpa—of the reptiles; vīrudhām—of all
kinds of herbs and plants; prāṇa—life air; api—certainly;
āyana-śīlatvāt—due to refreshing; sarva-mayaḥ—all-
pervading; iti—thus; varṇayanti—the learned scholars
describe.
TRANSLATION
Because the moon is full of all potentialities, it represents
the influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The
moon is the predominating deity of everyone's mind, and
therefore the moon-god is called Manomaya. He is also
called Annamaya because he gives potency to all herbs and
plants, and he is called Amṛtamaya because he is the source
of life for all living entities. The moon pleases the demigods,
pitās, human beings, animals, birds, reptiles, trees, plants
and all other living entities. Everyone is satisfied by the
presence of the moon. Therefore the moon is also called
Sarvamaya [all-pervading].
The moon is called manomayaḥ because it is the presiding deity

of the mind.
TEXT - SB 5.22.11
tata upariṣṭād dvi-lakṣa-yojanato nakṣatrāṇi meruṁ

dakṣiṇenaiva kālāyana īśvara-yojitāni sahābhijitāṣṭā-viṁśatiḥ.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—from that region of the moon; upariṣṭāt—above; dvi-

lakṣa-yojanataḥ—200,000 yojanas; nakṣatrāṇi—many stars;
merum—Sumeru Mountain; dakṣiṇena eva—to the right side;
kāla-ayane—in the wheel of time; īśvara-yojitāni—attached by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; saha—with; abhijitā—
the star known as Abhijit; aṣṭā-viṁśatiḥ—twenty-eight.
TRANSLATION
There are many stars located 200,000 yojanas [1,600,000
miles] above the moon. By the supreme will of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, they are fixed to the wheel of time,
and thus they rotate with Mount Sumeru on their right,
their motion being different from that of the sun. There are
twenty-eight important stars, headed by Abhijit.
PURPORT
The stars referred to herein are 1,600,000 miles above the sun,
and thus they are 4,000,000 miles above the earth.
The constellations will be 500,000 yojanas above the earth.

[330] They do not have a different motion, but move clockwise
also. Kālāyane means in the wheel of time. Śruti says abhijin
nāma-nakṣātram upariṣṭād āṣāḍhānām adhastāc chroṇāyāḥ:
Abhjit constellation is composed of the last part of Āṣāḍhā and
the first part of Śravaṇā constellations. The astronomical works
also confirm this: Abhijit is the last part of Āṣādḥa and the first
part of Śravaṇā, consisting of four daṇḍas.
TEXT - SB 5.22.12
tata upariṣṭād uśanā dvi-lakṣa-yojanata upalabhyate purataḥ

paścāt sahaiva vārkasya śaighrya-māndya-sāmyābhir gatibhir
arkavac carati lokānāṁ nityadānukūla eva prāyeṇa varṣayaṁś
cāreṇānumīyate sa vṛṣṭi-viṣṭambha-grahopaśamanaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—from that bunch of stars; upariṣṭāt—above; uśanā—

Venus; dvi-lakṣa-yojanataḥ—200,000 yojanas (1,600,000
miles); upalabhyate—is experienced; purataḥ—in front; paścāt
—behind; saha—along with; eva—indeed; vā—and; arkasya—
of the sun; śaighrya—speedy; māndya—slow; sāmyābhiḥ—
equal; gatibhiḥ—the movements; arkavat—exactly like the
sun; carati—rotates; lokānām—of all the planets within the
universe; nityadā—constantly; anukūlaḥ—offering favorable
conditions; eva—indeed; prāyeṇa—almost always; varṣayan—
causing rainfall; cāreṇa—by infusing the clouds; anumīyate—
is perceived; saḥ—he (Venus); vṛṣṭi-viṣṭambha—obstacles to
rainfall; graha-upaśamanaḥ—nullifying planets.
TRANSLATION
Some 1,600,000 miles above this group of stars is the planet
Venus, which moves at almost exactly the same pace as the
sun according to swift, slow and moderate movements.
Sometimes Venus moves behind the sun, sometimes in front
of the sun and sometimes along with it. Venus nullifies the
influence of planets that are obstacles to rainfall.
Consequently its presence causes rainfall, and it is therefore
considered very favorable for all living beings within this
universe. This has been accepted by learned scholars.
Venus is 700,000 yojanas above the earth. By its movement

(cāreṇa), it causes rain. It corrects the obstacles to rain caused
by other planets.
TEXT - SB 5.22.13
uśanasā budho vyākhyātas tata upariṣṭād dvi-lakṣa-yojanato

budhaḥ soma-suta upalabhyamānaḥ prāyeṇa śubha-kṛd
yadārkād vyatiricyeta tadātivātābhra-prāyānāvṛṣṭy-ādi-bhayam
āśaṁsate.
SYNONYMS
uśanasā—with Venus; budhaḥ—Mercury; vyākhyātaḥ—

explained; tataḥ—from that (Venus); upariṣṭāt—above; dvi-
lakṣa-yojanataḥ—1,600,000 miles; budhaḥ—Mercury; soma-
sutaḥ—the son of the moon; upalabhyamānaḥ—is situated;
prāyeṇa—almost always; śubha-kṛt—very auspicious to the
inhabitants of the universe; yadā—when; arkāt—from the sun;
vyatiricyeta—is separated; tadā—at that time; ativāta—of
cyclones and other bad effects; abhra—clouds; prāya—almost
always; anāvṛṣṭi-ādi—such as scarcity of rain; bhayam—
fearful conditions; āśaṁsate—expands.
TRANSLATION
Mercury is described to be similar to Venus, in that it
moves sometimes behind the sun, sometimes in front of the
sun and sometimes along with it. It is 1,600,000 miles above
Venus, or 7,200,000 miles above earth. Mercury, which is
the son of the moon, is almost always very auspicious for
the inhabitants of the universe, but when it does not move
along with the sun, it forbodes cyclones, dust, irregular
rainfall, and waterless clouds. In this way it creates fearful
conditions due to inadequate or excessive rainfall.
Mercury is 900,000 yojanas above the earth. It moves similar to

Venus. It moves sometimes in front and sometimes behind the
sun.
TEXT - SB 5.22.14
ata ūrdhvam aṅgārako 'pi yojana-lakṣa-dvitaya upalabhyamānas

tribhis tribhiḥ pakṣair ekaikaśo rāśīn dvādaśānubhuṅkte yadi na
vakreṇābhivartate prāyeṇāśubha-graho 'gha-śaṁsaḥ.
SYNONYMS
ataḥ—from this; ūrdhvam—above; aṅgārakaḥ—Mars; api—
also; yojana-lakṣa-dvitaye—at a distance of 1,600,000 miles;
upalabhyamānaḥ—is situated; tribhiḥ tribhiḥ—with each three
and three; pakṣaiḥ—fortnights; eka-ekaśaḥ—one after another;
rāśīn—the signs; dvādaśa—twelve; anubhuṅkte—passes
through; yadi—if; na—not; vakreṇa—with a curve; abhivartate
—approaches; prāyeṇa—almost always; aśubha-grahaḥ—an
unfavorable, inauspicious planet; agha-śaṁsaḥ—creating
trouble.
TRANSLATION
Situated 1,600,000 miles above Mercury, or 8,800,000 miles
above earth, is the planet Mars. If this planet does not
travel in a crooked way, it crosses through each sign of the
zodiac in three fortnights and in this way travels through all
twelve, one after another. It almost always creates
unfavorable conditions in respect to rainfall and other
influences.
Mars will be 1,100,000 yojanas above the earth. If it does not

move retrograde it traverses one zodiac sign every three
fortnights. Aghaśaṁsaḥ means “indicating distress.”
TEXT - SB 5.22.15
tata upariṣṭād dvi-lakṣa-yojanāntara-gatā bhagavān bṛhaspatir

ekaikasmin rāśau parivatsaraṁ parivatsaraṁ carati yadi na
vakraḥ syāt prāyeṇānukūlo brāhmaṇa-kulasya.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—that (Mars); upariṣṭāt—above; dvi-lakṣa-yojana-

antara-gatāḥ—situated at a distance of 1,600,000 miles;
bhagavān—the most powerful planet; bṛhaspatiḥ—Jupiter;
eka-ekasmin—in one after another; rāśau—sign; parivatsaram
parivatsaram—for the period of Parivatsara; carati—moves;
yadi—if; na—not; vakraḥ—curved; syāt—becomes; prāyeṇa—
almost always; anukūlaḥ—very favorable; brāhmaṇa-kulasya
—to the brāhmaṇas of the universe.
TRANSLATION
Situated 1,600,000 miles above Mars, or 10,400,000 miles
above earth, is the planet Jupiter, which travels through
one sign of the zodiac within the period of a Parivatsara. If
its movement is not curved, the planet Jupiter is very
favorable to the brāhmaṇas of the universe.
Jupiter is 1,300,000 above the earth. If not traveling retrograde

it moves through one zodiac sign in a prativatsara[331].
TEXT - SB 5.22.16
tata upariṣṭād yojana-lakṣa-dvayāt pratīyamānaḥ śanaiścara

ekaikasmin rāśau triṁśan māsān vilambamānaḥ sarvān
evānuparyeti tāvadbhir anuvatsaraiḥ prāyeṇa hi sarveṣām
aśāntikaraḥ.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—that (Jupiter); upariṣṭāt—above; yojana-lakṣa-dvayāt—

by a distance of 1,600,000 miles; pratīyamānaḥ—is situated;
śanaiścaraḥ—the planet Saturn; eka-ekasmin—in one after
another; rāśau—zodiac signs; triṁśat māsān—for a period of
thirty months in each; vilam-bamānaḥ—lingering; sarvān—all
twelve signs of the zodiac; eva—certainly; anuparyeti—passes
through; tāvadbhiḥ—by so many; anuvatsaraiḥ—Anuvatsaras;
prāyeṇa—almost always; hi—indeed; sarveṣām—to all the
inhabitants; aśāntikaraḥ—very troublesome.
TRANSLATION
Situated 1,600,000 miles above Jupiter, or 12,000,000 miles
above earth, is the planet Saturn, which passes through one
sign of the zodiac in thirty months and covers the entire
zodiac circle in thirty Anuvatsaras. This planet is always
very inauspicious for the universal situation.
From the earth Saturn is 1,500,000 yojanas.
TEXT - SB 5.22.17
tata uttarasmād ṛṣaya ekādaśa-lakṣa-yojanāntara upalabhyante

ya eva lokānāṁ śam anubhāvayanto bhagavato viṣṇor yat
paramaṁ padaṁ pradakṣiṇaṁ prakramanti.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—the planet Saturn; uttarasmāt—above; ṛṣayaḥ—great

saintly sages; ekādaśa-lakṣa-yojana-antare—at a distance of
1,100,000 yojanas; upalabhyante—are situated; ye—all of
them; eva—indeed; lokānām—for all the inhabitants of the
universe; śam—the good fortune; anubhāvayantaḥ—always
thinking of; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; viṣṇoḥ—Lord Viṣṇu; yat—which; paramam padam
—the supreme abode; pradakṣiṇam—placing on the right;
prakramanti—circumambulate.
TRANSLATION
Situated 8,800,000 miles above Saturn, or 20,800,000 miles
above earth, are the seven saintly sages, who are always
thinking of the well-being of the inhabitants of the universe.
They circumambulate the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu,
known as Dhruvaloka, the polestar.
PURPORT
Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes the following verse from the

Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:
jñānānandātmano viṣṇuḥ
śiśumāra-vapuṣy atha
ūrdhva-lokeṣu sa vyāpta
ādityādyās tad-āśritā
Lord Viṣṇu, who is the source of knowledge and transcendental

bliss, has assumed the form of Śiśumāra in the seventh heaven,
which is situated in the topmost level of the universe. All the
other planets, beginning with the sun, exist under the shelter of
this Śiśumāra planetary system.
The sages are 2,600,000 yojanas above the earth. They rotate
around Dhruvaloka.
Thus ends the commentary on Twenty-second Chapter of the


Twenty-second Chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The
Orbits of the Planets."
23. The Śiśumāra Planetary Systems
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Chapter Summary
This chapter describes how all the planetary systems take

shelter of the polestar, Dhruvaloka. It also describes the totality
of these planetary systems to be Śiśumāra, another expansion of
the external body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Dhruvaloka, the abode of Lord Viṣṇu within this universe, is
situated 1,300,000 yojanas from the seven stars. In the
planetary system of Dhruvaloka are the planets of the fire-god,
Indra, Prajāpati, Kaśyapa and Dharma, all of whom are very
respectful to the great devotee Dhruva, who lives on the
polestar. Like bulls yoked to a central pivot, all the planetary
systems revolve around Dhruvaloka, impelled by eternal time.
Those who worship the virāṭ-puruṣa, the universal form of the
Lord, conceive of this entire rotating system of planets as an
animal known as śiśumāra. This imaginary śiśumāra is another
form of the Lord. The head of the śiśumāra form is downward,
and its body appears like that of a coiled snake. On the end of
its tail is Dhruvaloka, on the body of the tail are Prajāpati,
Agni, Indra and Dharma, and on the root of the tail are Dhātā
and Vidhātā. On its waist are the seven great sages. The entire
body of the śiśumāra faces toward its right and appears like a
coil of stars. On the right side of this coil are the fourteen
prominent stars from Abhijit to Punarvasu, and on the left side
are the fourteen prominent stars from Puṣyā to Uttarāṣāḍhā.
The stars known as Punarvasu and Puṣyā are on the right and
left hips of the śiśumāra, and the stars known as Ārdrā and
Aśleṣā are on the right and left feet of the śiśumāra. Other stars
are also fixed on different sides of the Śiśumāra planetary
system according to the calculations of Vedic astronomers. To
concentrate their minds, yogīs worship the Śiśumāra planetary
system, which is technically known as the kuṇḍalini-cakra.
TEXT - SB 5.23.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
AQa TaSMaaTParTaṣYaaedXal/+aYaaeJaNaaNTarTaae
YataiŪZ<aae" ParMa& PadMai>avdiNTa
Ya}a h Maha>aaGavTaae Da]uv
AaEtaaNaPaaidriGanNaeNd]e<a Pa[JaaPaiTaNaa k-XYaPaeNa
DaMaeR<a c SaMak-al/YauiG>a" SabhuMaaNa& di+a<aTa"
i§-YaMaa<a wdaNaqMaiPa
k-LPaJaqivNaaMaaJaqVYa oPaaSTae TaSYaehaNau>aav
oPavi<aRTa" )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
atha tasmāt paratas trayodaśa-lakṣa-yojanāntarato yat tad

viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam abhivadanti yatra ha mahā-bhāgavato
dhruva auttānapādir agninendreṇa prajāpatinā kaśyapena
dharmeṇa ca samakāla-yugbhiḥ sabahu-mānaṁ dakṣiṇataḥ
kriyamāṇa idānīm api kalpa-jīvinām ājīvya upāste
tasyehānubhāva upavarṇitaḥ.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; atha—
thereupon; tasmāt—the sphere of the seven stars; parataḥ—
beyond that; trayodaśa-lakṣa-yojana-antarataḥ—another
1,300,000 yojanas; yat—which; tat—that; viṣṇoḥ paramam
padam—the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu, or the lotus feet of
Lord Viṣṇu; abhivadanti—the Ṛg Veda mantras praise; yatra—
on which; ha—indeed; mahā-bhāgavataḥ—the great devotee;
dhruvaḥ—Mahārāja Dhruva; auttānapādiḥ—the son of
Mahārāja Uttānapāda; agninā—by the fire-god; indreṇa—by
the heavenly King, Indra; prajāpatinā—by the Prajāpati;
kaśyapena—by Kaśyapa; dharmeṇa—by Dharmarāja; ca—
also; samakāla-yugbhiḥ—who are engaged at the time; sa-
bahu-mānam—always respectfully; dakṣiṇataḥ—on the right
side; kriyamāṇaḥ—being circumambulated; idānīm—now; api
—even; kalpa-jīvinām—of the living entities who exist at the
end of the creation; ājīvyaḥ—the source of life; upāste—
remains; tasya—his; iha—here; anubhāvaḥ—greatness in
discharging devotional service; upavarṇitaḥ—already
described (in the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam).
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, 1,300,000
yojanas [10,400,000 miles] above the planets of the seven
sages is the place that learned scholars describe as the
abode of Lord Viṣṇu. There the son of Mahārāja
Uttānapāda, the great devotee Mahārāja Dhruva, still
resides as the life source of all the living entities who live
until the end of the creation. Agni, Indra, Prajāpati,
Kaśyapa and Dharma all assemble there to offer him honor
and respectful obeisances. They circumambulate him with
their right sides toward him. I have already described the
glorious activities of Mahārāja Dhruva [in the Fourth
Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam].
In the Twenty-third chapter, Dhruvaloka and the zodiac belt in

the form of a dolphin are described. Dhruvaloka is 3,900,000
yojanas above the earth. Samakāla-yugbhiḥ means “together at
the same time in the form of the constellations.”
TEXT - SB 5.23.2
sa hi sarveṣāṁ jyotir-gaṇānāṁ graha-nakṣatrādīnām

animiṣeṇāvyakta-raṁhasā bhagavatā kālena bhrāmyamāṇānāṁ
sthāṇur ivāvaṣṭambha īśvareṇa vihitaḥ śaśvad avabhāsate.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that planet of Dhruva Mahārāja; hi—indeed; sarveṣām—

of all; jyotiḥ-gaṇānām—the luminaries; graha-nakṣatra-
ādīnām—such as the planets and stars; animiṣeṇa—who does
not rest; avyakta—inconceivable; raṁhasā—whose force;
bhagavatā—the most powerful; kālena—by the time factor;
bhrāmyamāṇānām—being caused to revolve; sthāṇuḥ iva—
like a post; avaṣṭambhaḥ—the pivot; īśvareṇa—by the will of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vihitaḥ—established;
śaśvat—constantly; avabhāsate—shines.
TRANSLATION
Established by the supreme will of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, the polestar, which is the planet of Mahārāja
Dhruva, constantly shines as the central pivot for all the
stars and planets. The unsleeping, invisible, most powerful
time factor causes these luminaries to revolve around the
polestar without cessation.
PURPORT
It is distinctly stated herein that all the luminaries, the planets

and stars, revolve by the influence of the supreme time factor.
The time factor is another feature of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Everyone is under the influence of the time factor,
but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind and loves
His devotee Mahārāja Dhruva so much that He has placed all
the luminaries under the control of Dhruva's planet and has
arranged for the time factor to work under him or with his
cooperation. Everything is actually done according to the will
and direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but to
make His devotee Dhruva the most important individual within
the universe, the Lord has placed the activities of the time
factor under his control.
Sthānuḥ means a pillar. It here indicates also “stationary” since

it remains without being moved by the wheel of time, the
rotation of the zodiac. Rather, it is the pivot for the rotating
zodiac. All others are dependent upon the rotation of the
zodiac, but Dhruvaloka controls the zodiac rotation. “How did
it get this ability?” It has been allotted this power by the Lord,
who can cause to do, not do or do differently, in order to show
the excellence of his devotee.
TEXT - SB 5.23.3
yathā meḍhīstambha ākramaṇa-paśavaḥ saṁyojitās tribhis

tribhiḥ savanair yathā-sthānaṁ maṇḍalāni caranty evaṁ
bhagaṇā grahādaya etasminn antar-bahir-yogena kāla-cakra
āyojitā dhruvam evāvalambya vāyunodīryamāṇā ākalpāntaṁ
paricaṅ kramanti nabhasi yathā meghāḥ śyenādayo vāyu-vaśāḥ
karma-sārathayaḥ parivartante evaṁ jyotirgaṇāḥ prakṛti-puruṣa-
saṁyogānugṛhītāḥ karma-nirmita-gatayo bhuvi na patanti.
SYNONYMS
yathā—exactly like; meḍhīstambhe—to the pivot post;

ākramaṇa-paśavaḥ—bulls for threshing rice; saṁyojitāḥ—
being yoked; tribhiḥ tribhiḥ—by three; savanaiḥ—movements;
yathā-sthānam—in their proper places; maṇḍalāni—orbits;
caranti—traverse; evam—in the same way; bha-gaṇāḥ—the
luminaries, like the sun, the moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars and
Jupiter; graha-ādayaḥ—the different planets; etasmin—in this;
antaḥ-bahiḥ-yogena—by connection with the inner or outer
circles; kāla-cakre—in the wheel of eternal time; āyojitāḥ—
fixed; dhruvam—Dhruvaloka; eva—certainly; avalambya—
taking support of; vāyunā—by the wind; udīryamāṇāḥ—being
propelled; ā-kalpa-antam—until the end of the creation;
paricaṅ kramanti—revolve all around; nabhasi—in the sky;
yathā—exactly like; meghāḥ—heavy clouds; śyena-ādayaḥ—
birds such as the big eagle; vāyu-vaśāḥ—controlled by the air;
karma-sārathayaḥ—whose chariot drivers are the results of
their own past activities; parivartante—move around; evam—
in this way; jyotiḥ-gaṇāḥ—the luminaries, the planets and stars
in the sky; prakṛti—of material nature; puruṣa—and of the
Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa; saṁyoga-anugṛhītāḥ—supported
by the combined efforts; karma-nirmita—caused by their own
past fruitive activities; gatayaḥ—whose movements; bhuvi—on
the ground; na—not; patanti—fall down.
TRANSLATION
When bulls are yoked together and tied to a central post to
thresh rice, they tread around that pivot without deviating
from their proper positions—one bull being closest to the
post, another in the middle, and a third on the outside.
Similarly, all the planets and all the hundreds and
thousands of stars revolve around the polestar, the planet of
Mahārāja Dhruva, in their respective orbits, some higher
and some lower. Fastened by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead to the machine of material nature according to the
results of their fruitive acts, they are driven around the
polestar by the wind and will continue to be so until the end
of creation. These planets float in the air within the vast
sky, just as clouds with hundreds of tons of water float in
the air or as the great śyena eagles, due to the results of past
activities, fly high in the sky and have no chance of falling
to the ground.
PURPORT
According to the description of this verse, the hundreds and

thousands of stars and the great planets such as the sun, the
moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are not clustered
together because of the law of gravity or any similar idea of the
modern scientists. These planets and stars are all servants of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda or Kṛṣṇa, and
according to His order they sit in their chariots and travel in
their respective orbits. The orbits in which they move are
compared to machines given by material nature to the operating
deities of the stars and planets, who carry out the orders of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead by revolving around
Dhruvaloka, which is occupied by the great devotee Mahārāja
Dhruva. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52) as
follows:
yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ

yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, under whose control even the sun,
which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the
fixed orbit of eternal time. The sun is the king of all planetary
systems and has unlimited potency in heat and light." This
verse from Brahma-saṁhitā confirms that even the largest and
most powerful planet, the sun, rotates within a fixed orbit, or
kāla-cakra, in obedience to the order of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. This has nothing to do with gravity or
any other imaginary laws created by the material scientists.
Material scientists want to avoid the ruling government of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore they imagine
different conditions under which they suppose the planets
move. The only condition, however, is the order of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the various
predominating deities of the planets are persons, and the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is also a person. The Supreme
Personality orders the subordinate persons, the demigods of
various names, to carry out His supreme will. This fact is also
confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.10), wherein Kṛṣṇa says:
jagad viparivartate

again."
The orbits of the planets resemble the bodies in which all living
entities are seated because they are both machines controlled by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As Kṛṣṇa says in
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna,

and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are
seated as on a machine, made of the material energy." The
machine given by material nature—whether the machine of the
body or the machine of the orbit, or kāla-cakra—works
according to the orders given by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead and material
nature work together to maintain this great universe, and not
only this universe but also the millions of other universes
beyond this one.
The question of how the planets and stars are floating is also
answered in this verse. It is not because of the laws of gravity.
Rather, the planets and stars are enabled to float by
manipulations of the air. It is due to such manipulations that
big, heavy clouds float and big eagles fly in the sky. Modern
airplanes like the 747 jet aircraft work in a similar way: by
controlling the air, they float high in the sky, resisting the
tendency to fall to earth. Such adjustments of the air are all
made possible by the cooperation of the principles of puruṣa
(male) and prakṛti (female). By the cooperation of material
nature, which is considered to be prakṛti, and the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is considered the puruṣa, all the
affairs of the universe are going on nicely in their proper order.
prakṛti, material nature, is also described in the Brahma-
saṁhitā (5.44) as follows:
sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā
chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā
icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā
"The external potency, māyā, who is of the nature of the

shadow of the cit [spiritual] potency, is worshiped by all people
as Durgā, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this
mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, in
accordance with whose will Durgā conducts herself." Material
nature, the external energy of the Supreme Lord, is also known
as Durgā, or the female energy that protects the great fort of
this universe. The word Durgā also means fort. This universe is
just like a great fort in which all the conditioned souls are kept,
and they cannot leave it unless they are liberated by the mercy
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord Himself
declares in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9):


Arjuna." Thus simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by the mercy of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can be liberated, or,
in other words, one can be released from the great fort of this
universe and go outside it to the spiritual world.
It is also significant that the predominating deities of even the
greatest planets have been offered their exalted posts because
of the very valuable pious activities they performed in previous
births. This is indicated herein by the words karma-nirmita-
gatayaḥ. For example, as we have previously discussed, the
moon is called jīva, which means that he is a living entity like
us, but because of his pious activities he has been appointed to
his post as the moon-god. Similarly, all the demigods are living
entities who have been appointed to their various posts as the
masters of the moon, the earth, Venus and so on because of
their great service and pious acts. Only the predominating deity
of the sun, Sūrya Nārāyaṇa, is an incarnation of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Mahārāja Dhruva, the predominating
deity of Dhruvaloka, is also a living entity. Thus there are two
kinds of entities—the supreme entity, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, and the ordinary living entity, the jīva (nityo
nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)). All the
demigods are engaged in the service of the Lord, and only by
such an arrangement are the affairs of the universe going on.
Regarding the great eagles mentioned in this verse, it is

understood that there are eagles so big that they can prey on big
elephants. They fly so high that they can travel from one planet
to another. They start flying in one planet and land in another,
and while in flight they lay eggs that hatch into other birds
while falling through the air. In Sanskrit such eagles are called
śyena. Under the present circumstances, of course, we cannot
see such huge birds, but at least we know of eagles that can
capture monkeys and then throw them down to kill and eat
them. Similarly, it is understood that there are gigantic birds
that can carry off elephants, kill them and eat them.
The two examples of the eagle and the cloud are sufficient to
prove that flying and floating can be made possible through
adjustments of the air. The planets, in a similar way, are
floating because material nature adjusts the air according to the
orders of the Supreme Lord. It could be said that these
adjustments constitute the law of gravity, but in any case, one
must accept that these laws are made by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The so-called scientists have no
control over them. The scientists can falsely, improperly
declare that there is no God, but this is not a fact.
Bulls for threshing grains, tied to a pillar fixed in the center by

a farmer, move about without leaving their assigned places, one
being far from the post, one in the middle and close to the post.
In terms of the planets tri-savanaiḥ refers to the summer
solstice, equinox and winter solstice. The planets are fixed at
lower and higher (antar-bahir-yogena) positions in the zodiac
belt. Thus Saturn and other planets are fixed by the Lord below
the seven sages, and the moon and other planets are fixed above
the sun. They are moved by the wind. “Why do they not fall
from the sky?” Just as clouds float in the sky, the planets also
float in the sky. Karma-sārathayaḥ means “assisted by karma.”
TEXT - SB 5.23.4
kecanaitaj jyotir-anīkaṁ śiśumāra-saṁsthānena bhagavato

vāsudevasya yoga-dhāraṇāyām anuvarṇayanti.
SYNONYMS
kecana—some yogīs or learned scholars of astronomy; etat—

this; jyotiḥ-anīkam—great wheel of planets and stars;
śiśumāra-saṁsthānena—imagine this wheel to be a śiśumāra
(dolphin); bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; vāsudevasya—Lord Vāsudeva (the son of
Vasudeva), Kṛṣṇa; yoga-dhāraṇāyām—in absorption in
worship; anuvarṇayanti—describe.
TRANSLATION
This great machine, consisting of the stars and planets,
resembles the form of a śiśumāra [dolphin] in the water. It
is sometimes considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa,
Vāsudeva. Great yogīs meditate upon Vāsudeva in this
form because it is actually visible.
PURPORT
Transcendentalists such as yogīs whose minds cannot

accommodate the form of the Lord prefer to visualize
something very great, such as the virāṭ-puruṣa. Therefore some
yogīs contemplate this imaginary śiśumāra to be swimming in
the sky the way a dolphin swims in water. They meditate upon
it as the virāṭ-rūpa, the gigantic form of the Supreme
Jyotir-anīkam means the zodiac belt.
TEXT - SB 5.23.5
yasya pucchāgre 'vākśirasaḥ kuṇḍalī-bhūta-dehasya dhruva

upakalpitas tasya lāṅgūle prajāpatir agnir indro dharma iti
puccha-mūle dhātā vidhātā ca kaṭyāṁ saptarṣayaḥ; tasya
dakṣiṇāvarta-kuṇḍalī-bhūta-śarīrasya yāny udagayanāni
dakṣiṇa-pārśve tu nakṣatrāṇy upakalpayanti dakṣiṇāyanāni tu
savye; yathā śiśumārasya kuṇḍalā-bhoga-sanniveśasya
pārśvayor ubhayor apy avayavāḥ samasaṅkhyā bhavanti; pṛṣṭhe
tv ajavīthī ākāśa-gaṅgā codarataḥ.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of which; puccha-agre—at the end of the tail;

avākśirasaḥ—whose head is downward; kuṇḍalī-bhūta-
dehasya—whose body, which is coiled; dhruvaḥ—Mahārāja
Dhruva on his planet, the polestar; upakalpitaḥ—is situated;
tasya—of that; lāṅgūle—on the tail; prajāpatiḥ—of the name
Prajāpati; agniḥ—Agni; indraḥ—Indra; dharmaḥ—Dharma; iti
—thus; puccha-mūle—at the base of the tail; dhātā vidhātā—
the demigods known as Dhātā and Vidhātā; ca—also; kaṭyām
—on the hip; sapta-ṛṣayaḥ—the seven saintly sages; tasya—of
that; dakṣiṇa-āvarta-kuṇḍalī-bhūta-śarīrasya—whose body is
like a coil turning toward the right side; yāni—which;
udagayanāni—marking the northern courses; dakṣiṇa-pārśve—
on the right side; tu—but; nakṣatrāṇi—constellations;
upakalpayanti—are situated; dakṣiṇa-āyanāni—the fourteen
stars, from Puṣyā to Uttarāṣāḍhā, marking the northern course;
tu—but; savye—on the left side; yathā—just like; śiśumārasya
—of the dolphin; kuṇḍalā-bhoga-sanniveśasya—whose body
appears like a coil; pārśvayoḥ—on the sides; ubhayoḥ—both;
api—certainly; avayavāḥ—the limbs; samasaṅkhyāḥ—of equal
number (fourteen); bhavanti—are; pṛṣṭhe—on the back; tu—of
course; ajavīthī—the first three stars marking the southern
route (Mūlā, Pūrvaṣāḍhā and Uttarāṣāḍhā); ākāśa-gaṅgā—the
Ganges in the sky (the Milky Way); ca—also; udarataḥ—on
the abdomen.
TRANSLATION
This form of the śiśumāra has its head downward and its
body coiled. On the end of its tail is the planet of Dhruva,
on the body of its tail are the planets of the demigods
Prajāpati, Agni, Indra and Dharma, and at the base of its
tail are the planets of the demigods Dhātā and Vidhātā.
Where the hips might be on the śiśumāra are the seven
saintly sages like Vasiṣṭha and Aṅgirā. The coiled body of
the Śiśumāra-cakra turns toward its right side, on which
the fourteen constellations from Abhijit to Punarvasu are
located. On its left side are the fourteen stars from Puṣyā to
Uttarāṣāḍhā. Thus its body is balanced because its sides are
occupied by an equal number of stars. On the back of the
śiśumāra is the group of stars known as Ajavīthī, and on its
abdomen is the Ganges that flows in the sky [the Milky
Way].
At the base of the tail (lāṅgīle) are Prajāpati, Agni, Indra and
Dharma. Udgayanāni refers to the fourteen constellations from
Abhijīt to Punarvasu. Dakṣiṇāyanāni refers to the fourteen
constellations from Puṣya to Uttarāśaḍha. Ajavīthī refes to the
first portion of the constellations on the southern path.
TEXT - SB 5.23.6
punarvasu-puṣyau dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ śroṇyor ārdrāśleṣe ca

dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ paścimayoḥ pādayor abhijid-uttarāṣāḍhe
dakṣiṇa-vāmayor nāsikayor yathā-saṅkhyaṁ śravaṇa-
pūrvāṣāḍhe dakṣiṇa-vāmayor locanayor dhaniṣṭhā mūlaṁ ca
dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ karṇayor maghādīny aṣṭa nakṣatrāṇi
dakṣiṇāyanāni vāma-pārśva-vaṅkriṣu yuñjīta tathaiva mṛga-
śīrṣādīny udagayanāni dakṣiṇa-pārśva-vaṅkriṣu prātilomyena
prayuñjīta śatabhiṣā-jyeṣṭhe skandhayor dakṣiṇa-vāmayor
nyaset.
SYNONYMS
punarvasu—the star named Punarvasu; puṣyau—and the star

named Puṣyā; dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ—on the right and left; śroṇyoḥ
—loins; ārdrā—the star named Ārdrā; aśleṣe—the star named
Aśleṣā; ca—also; dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ—at the right and left;
paścimayoḥ—behind; pādayoḥ—feet; abhijit-uttarāṣāḍhe—the
stars named Abhijit and Uttarāṣāḍhā; dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ—on the
right and left; nāsikayoḥ—nostrils; yathā-saṅkhyam—
according to numerical order; śravaṇa-pūrvāṣāḍhe—the stars
named Śravaṇā and Pūrvāṣāḍhā; dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ—at the right
and left; locanayoḥ—eyes; dhaniṣṭhā mūlam ca—and the stars
named Dhaniṣṭhā and Mūlā; dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ—at the right
and left; karṇayoḥ—ears; maghā-ādīni—the stars such as
Maghā; aṣṭa nakṣatrāṇi—eight stars; dakṣiṇa-āyanāni—which
mark the southern course; vāma-pārśva—of the left side;
vaṅkriṣu—at the ribs; yuñjīta—may place; tathā eva—
similarly; mṛga-śīrṣā-ādīni—such as Mṛgaśīrṣā; udagayanāni
—marking the northern course; dakṣiṇa-pārśva-vaṅkriṣu—on
the right side; prātilomyena—in the reverse order; prayuñjīta—
may place; śatabhiṣā—Śatabhiṣā; jyeṣṭhe—Jyeṣṭhā;
skandhayoḥ—on the two shoulders; dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ—right
and left; nyaset—should place.
TRANSLATION
On the right and left sides of where the loins might be on
the Śiśumāra-cakra are the stars named Punarvasu and
Puṣyā. Ārdrā and Aśleṣā are on its right and left feet,
Abhijit and Uttarāṣāḍhā are on its right and left nostrils,
Śravaṇā and Pūrvāṣāḍhā are at its right and left eyes, and
Dhaniṣṭhā and Mūlā are on its right and left ears. The eight
stars from Maghā to Anurādhā, which mark the southern
course, are on the ribs of the left of its body, and the eight
stars from Mṛgaśīrṣā to Pūrvabhādra, which mark the
northern course, are on the ribs on the right side. Śatabhiṣā
and Jyeṣṭhā are on the right and left shoulders.

The places of the constellations just mentioned are described in
more detail. Vaṅkriṣu means on the ribs. The constellations
Mṛgaśiras, Rohiṇī, Kṛttika, Bhāraṇī, Āśvinī, Revatī,
Uttarabhadrā and Pūrvabhadrā situated on the right side are in
reverse order.
TEXT - SB 5.23.7
uttarā-hanāv agastir adharā-hanau yamo mukheṣu cāṅgārakaḥ

śanaiścara upasthe bṛhaspatiḥ kakudi vakṣasy ādityo hṛdaye
nārāyaṇo manasi candro nābhyām uśanā stanayor aśvinau
budhaḥ prāṇāpānayo rāhur gale ketavaḥ sarvāṅgeṣu romasu
sarve tārā-gaṇāḥ.
SYNONYMS
uttarā-hanau—on the upper jaw; agastiḥ—the star named

Agasti; adharā-hanau—on the lower jaw; yamaḥ—Yamarāja;
mukheṣu—on the mouth; ca—also; aṅgārakaḥ—Mars;
śanaiścaraḥ—Saturn; upasthe—on the genitals; bṛhaspatiḥ—
Jupiter; kakudi—on the back of the neck; vakṣasi—on the
chest; ādityaḥ—the sun; hṛdaye—within the heart; nārāyaṇaḥ
—Lord Nārāyaṇa; manasi—in the mind; candraḥ—the moon;
nābhyām—on the navel; uśanā—Venus; stanayoḥ—on the two
breasts; aśvinau—the two stars named Aśvin; budhaḥ—
Mercury; prāṇāpānayoḥ—in the inner airs known as prāṇa and
apāna; rāhuḥ—the planet Rāhu; gale—on the neck; ketavaḥ—
comets; sarva-aṅgeṣu—all over the body; romasu—in the
pores of the body; sarve—all; tārā-gaṇāḥ—the numerous stars.
TRANSLATION
On the upper chin of the śiśumāra is Agasti; on its lower
chin, Yamarāja; on its mouth, Mars; on its genitals, Saturn;
on the back of its neck, Jupiter; on its chest, the sun; and
within the core of its heart, Nārāyaṇa. Within its mind is
the moon; on its navel, Venus; and on its breasts, the
Aśvinī-kumāras. Within its life air, which is known as
prāṇāpāna, is Mercury, on its neck is Rāhu, all over its
body are comets, and in its pores are the numerous stars.
TEXT - SB 5.23.8
etad u haiva bhagavato viṣṇoḥ sarva-devatāmayaṁ rūpam

aharahaḥ sandhyāyāṁ prayato vāgyato nirīkṣamāṇa upatiṣṭheta
namo jyotir-lokāya kālāyanāyānimiṣāṁ pataye mahā-
puruṣāyābhidhīmahīti.
SYNONYMS
etat—this; u ha—indeed; eva—certainly; bhagavataḥ—of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead; viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu;
sarva-devatā-mayam—consisting of all the demigods; rūpam—
form; ahaḥ-ahaḥ—always; sandhyāyām—in the morning, noon
and evening; prayataḥ—meditating upon; vāgyataḥ—
controlling the words; nirīkṣamāṇaḥ—observing; upatiṣṭheta—
one should worship; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; jyotiḥ-
lokāya—unto the resting place of all the planetary systems;
kālāyanāya—in the form of supreme time; animiṣām—of the
demigods; pataye—unto the master; mahā-puruṣāya—unto the
Supreme person; abhidhīmahi—let us meditate; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, the body of the śiśumāra, as thus described,
should be considered the external form of Lord Viṣṇu, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Morning, noon and
evening, one should silently observe the form of the Lord as
the Śiśumāra-cakra and worship Him with this mantra: "O
Lord who has assumed the form of time! O resting place of
all the planets moving in different orbits! O master of all
demigods, O Supreme Person, I offer my respectful
obeisances unto You and meditate upon You."
TEXT - SB 5.23.9
graharkṣatārāmayam ādhidaivikaṁ
pāpāpahaṁ mantra-kṛtāṁ tri-kālam
namasyataḥ smarato vā tri-kālaṁ
naśyeta tat-kālajam āśu pāpam
SYNONYMS
graha-ṛkṣa-tārā-mayam—consisting of all the planets and

stars; ādhidaivikam—the leader of all the demigods; pāpa-
apaham—the killer of sinful reactions; mantra-kṛtām—of those
who chant the mantra mentioned above; tri-kālam—three
times; namasyataḥ—offering obeisances; smarataḥ—
meditating; vā—or; tri-kālam—three times; naśyeta—destroys;
tat-kāla-jam—born at that time; āśu—very quickly; pāpam—
all sinful reactions.
TRANSLATION
The body of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, which forms the
Śiśumāra-cakra, is the resting place of all the demigods and
all the stars and planets. One who chants this mantra to
worship that Supreme Person three times a day—morning,
noon and evening—will surely be freed from all sinful
reactions. If one simply offers his obeisances to this form or
remembers this form three times a day, all his recent sinful
activities will be destroyed.
PURPORT
Summarizing the entire description of the planetary systems of

the universe, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that one
who is able to meditate upon this arrangement as the virāṭ-
rūpa, or viśva-rūpa, the external body of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and worship Him three times a day by
meditation will always be free from all sinful reactions.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura estimates that Dhruvaloka, the
polestar, is 3,800,000 yojanas above the sun. Above
Dhruvaloka by 10,000,000 yojanas is Maharloka, above
Maharloka by 20,000,000 yojanas is Janaloka, above Janaloka
by 80,000,000 yojanas is Tapoloka, and above Tapoloka by
120,000,000 yojanas is Satyaloka. Thus the distance from the
sun to Satyaloka is 233,800,000 yojanas, or 1,870,400,000
miles. The Vaikuṇṭha planets begin 26,200,000 yojanas
(209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka. Thus the Viṣṇu Purāṇa
describes that the covering of the universe is 260,000,000
yojanas (2,080,000,000 miles) away from the sun. The distance
from the sun to the earth is 100,000 yojanas, and below the
earth by 70,000 yojanas are the seven lower planetary systems
called Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala, Rasātala and
Pātāla. Below these lower planets by 30,000 yojanas, Śeṣa
Nāga is lying on the Garbhodaka Ocean. That ocean is
249,800,000 yojanas deep. Thus the total diameter of the
universe is approximately 500,000,000 yojanas, or
4,000,000,000 miles.
For persons who chant this mantra just mentioned, who offer
respects to and remember this form of the Supreme Lord
(adhidaivikam) all sins are destroyed. From the sun to
Dhruvaloka is 3,800,000 yojanas. Maharloka is 10,000,000
yojanas from Dhruvaloka. Janaloka is 20,000,000 yojanas from
Maharloka. Tapaloka is 80,000,000 yojanas from Janaloka.
Satyaloka is 120,000,000 yojanas from Tapaloka. From the sun
to Satyaloka is 233,800,000 yojanas. Vaikuṇṭha is 26,200,000
yojanas above Satyaloka. That is the covering of the universe.
This is mentioned in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Thus it is seen that
250,000,000 yojanas from the sun is the shell of the universe.
The earth is 100,000 yojanas from the sun. The seven lower
planets continue to Pātālaloka for 70,000 yojanas below the
earth. From Pātālaloka to Śeṣa on the Garbodhaka Ocean is
30,000 yojanas. The Garbodhaka Ocean is 200,000 yojanas
from the sun. The ocean is 249,800,000 yojanas deep. Thus
from top to bottom, the universe is 500,000,000 yojanas.
Thus ends the commentary on the Twenty-third Chapter of the

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Fifth Canto,

Twenty-third Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The
Śiśumāra planetary System."
24. The Subterranean Heavenly Planets
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Chapter Summary
This chapter describes the planet Rāhu, which is 10,000

yojanas (80,000 miles) below the sun, and it also describes
Atala and the other lower planetary systems. Rāhu is situated
below the sun and moon. It is between these two planets and
the earth. When Rāhu conceals the sun and moon, eclipses
occur, either total or partial, depending on whether Rāhu moves
in a straight or curving way.
Below Rāhu by another 1,000,000 yojanas are the planets of

the Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Vidyādharas, and below these are
planets such as Yakṣaloka and Rakṣaloka. Below these planets
is the earth, and 70,000 yojanas below the earth are the lower
planetary systems-Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala,
Rasātala and Pātāla. Demons and Rakṣasas live in these lower
planetary systems with their wives and children, always
engaged in sense gratification and not fearing their next births.
The sunshine does not reach these planets, but they are
illuminated by jewels fixed upon the hoods of snakes. Because
of these shining gems there is practically no darkness. Those
living in these planets do not become old or diseased, and they
are not afraid of death from any cause but the time factor, the
In the planet Atala, the yawning of a demon has produced three
kinds of women, called svairiṇī (independent), kāmiṇī (lusty)
and puṁścalī (very easily subdued by men). Below Atala is the
planet Vitala, wherein Lord Śiva and his wife Gaurī reside.
Because of their presence, a kind of gold is produced called
hāṭaka. Below Vitala is the planet Sutala, the abode of Bali
Mahārāja, the most fortunate king. Bali Mahārāja was favored
by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāmanadeva, because
of his intense devotional service. The Lord went to the
sacrificial arena of Bali Mahārāja and begged him for three
paces of land, and on this plea the Lord took from him all his
possessions. When Bali Mahārāja agreed to all this, the Lord
was very pleased, and therefore the Lord serves as his
doorkeeper. The description of Bali Mahārāja appears in the
Eighth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead offers a devotee

material happiness, this is not His real favor. The demigods,
who are very puffed up by their material opulence, pray to the
Lord only for material happiness, not knowing anything better.
Devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja, however, do not want
material happiness. Not to speak of material happiness, they do
not want even liberation from material bondage, although one
can achieve this liberation simply by chanting the holy name of
the Lord, even with improper pronunciation.
Below Sutala is the planet Talātala, the abode of the demon

Maya. This demon is always materially happy because he is
favored by Lord Śiva, but he cannot achieve spiritual happiness
at any time. Below Talātala is the planet Mahātala, where there
are many snakes with hundreds and thousands of hoods. Below
Mahātala is Rasātala, and below that is Pātāla, where the
serpent Vasukī lives with his associates.
TEXT - SB 5.24.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
ADaSTaaTSaivTauYaaeRJaNaaYauTae
Sv>aaRNauNaR+a}avṀrTaqTYaeke- Yaae_SaavMarTv&
Ga]hTv& cal/>aTa >aGavdNauk-MPaYaa
SvYaMaSauraPaSad" SaE„&ihke-Yaae ḥTadhRSTaSYa
TaaTa JaNMa k-MaaRi<a caePairíaŪ+YaaMa" )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
adhastāt savitur yojanāyute svarbhānur nakṣatravac caratīty eke

yo 'sāv amaratvaṁ grahatvaṁ cālabhata bhagavad-anukampayā
svayam asurāpasadaḥ saiṁhikeyo hy atad-arhas tasya tāta
janma karmāṇi copariṣṭād vakṣyāmaḥ.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; adhastāt—

below; savituḥ—the sun globe; yojana—a measurement equal
to eight miles; ayute—ten thousand; svarbhānuḥ—the planet
known as Rāhu; nakṣatra-vat—like one of the stars; carati—is
rotating; iti—thus; eke—some who are learned in the Purāṇas;
yaḥ—which; asau—that; amaratvam—a lifetime like those of
the demigods; grahatvam—a position as one of the chief
planets; ca—and; alabhata—obtained; bhagavat-anukampayā
—by the compassion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
svayam—personally; asura-apasadaḥ—the lowest of the
asuras; saiṁhikeyaḥ—being the son of Siṁhikā; hi—indeed; a-
tat-arhaḥ—not qualified for that position; tasya—his; tāta—O
my dear King; janma—birth; karmāṇi—activities; ca—also;
upariṣṭāt—later; vakṣyāmaḥ—I shall explain.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, some
historians, the speakers of the Purāṇas, say that 10,000
yojanas [80,000 miles] below the sun is the planet known as
Rāhu, which moves like one of the stars. The presiding deity
of that planet, who is the son of Siṁhikā, is the most
abominable of all asuras, but although he is completely
unfit to assume the position of a demigod or planetary
deity, he has achieved that position by the grace of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Later I shall speak
further about him.
In the Twenty-fourth Chapter, the places of Rāhu, the Siddhas

and others, as well as the seven lower planets starting with
Atala are described. A-tat-arhaḥ means he was not qualified to
be devatā.
TEXT - SB 5.24.2
yad adas taraṇer maṇḍalaṁ pratapatas tad vistarato

yojanāyutam ācakṣate dvādaśa-sahasraṁ somasya trayodaśa-
sahasraṁ rāhor yaḥ parvaṇi tad-vyavadhāna-kṛd
vairānubandhaḥ sūryā-candramasāv abhidhāvati.
SYNONYMS
yat—which; adaḥ—that; taraṇeḥ—of the sun; maṇḍalam—

globe; pratapataḥ—which is always distributing heat; tat—
that; vistarataḥ—in terms of width; yojana—a distance of eight
miles; ayutam—ten thousand; ācakṣate—they estimate;
dvādaśa-sahasram—20,000 yojanas (160,000 miles); somasya
—of the moon; trayodaśa—thirty; sahasram—one thousand;
rāhoḥ—of the planet Rāhu; yaḥ—which; parvaṇi—on
occasion; tat-vyavadhāna-kṛt—who created an obstruction to
the sun and moon at the time of the distribution of nectar;
vaira-anubandhaḥ—whose intentions are inimical; sūryā—the
sun; candramasau—and the moon; abhidhāvati—runs after
them on the full-moon night and the dark-moon day.
TRANSLATION
The sun globe, which is a source of heat, extends for 10,000
yojanas [80,000 miles]. The moon extends for 20,000
yojanas [160,000 miles], and Rāhu extends for 30,000
yojanas [240,000 miles]. Formerly, when nectar was being
distributed, Rāhu tried to create dissension between the sun
and moon by interposing himself between them. Rāhu is
inimical toward both the sun and the moon, and therefore
he always tries to cover the sunshine and moonshine on the
dark-moon day and full-moon night.
PURPORT
As stated herein, the sun extends for 10,000 yojanas, and the
moon extends for twice that, or 20,000 yojanas. The word
dvādaśa should be understood to mean twice as much as ten, or
twenty. In the opinion of Vijayadhvaja, the extent of Rāhu
should be twice that of the moon, or 40,000 yojanas. However
to reconcile this apparent contradiction to the text of the
Bhāgavatam, Vijayadhvaja cites the following quotation
concerning Rāhu; rāhu-soma-ravīṇāṁ tu maṇḍalā dvi-
guṇoktitām. This means that Rāhu is twice as large as the
moon, which is twice as large as the sun. This is the conclusion
of the commentator Vijayadhvaja.
Parvaṇi means the full moon and dark moon. On these days it
creates an obstacle to the full moon and dark moon for those
looking from the earth. It created an obstacle previously by
coming between the sun and moon to drink nectar. He created
enmity with them when they understood what he was doing.
TEXT - SB 5.24.3
tan niśamyobhayatrāpi bhagavatā rakṣaṇāya prayuktaṁ

sudarśanaṁ nāma bhāgavataṁ dayitam astraṁ tat tejasā
durviṣahaṁ muhuḥ parivartamānam abhyavasthito muhūrtam
udvijamānaś cakita-hṛdaya ārād eva nivartate tad uparāgam iti
vadanti lokāḥ.
SYNONYMS
tat—that situation; niśamya—hearing; ubhayatra—around both

the sun and moon; api—indeed; bhagavatā—by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; rakṣaṇāya—for their protection;
prayuktam—engaged; sudarśanam—the wheel of Kṛṣṇa; nāma
—named; bhāgavatam—the most confidential devotee;
dayitam—the most favorite; astram—weapon; tat—that; tejasā
—by its effulgence; durviṣaham—unbearable heat; muhuḥ—
repeatedly; parivartamānam—moving around the sun and
moon; abhyavasthitaḥ—situated; muhūrtam—for a muhūrta
(forty-eight minutes); udvijamānaḥ—whose mind was full of
anxieties; cakita—frightened; hṛdayaḥ—the core of whose
heart; ārāt—to a distant place; eva—certainly; nivartate—
flees; tat—that situation; uparāgam—an eclipse; iti—thus;
vadanti—they say; lokāḥ—the people.
TRANSLATION
After hearing from the sun and moon demigods about
Rāhu's attack, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu,
engages His disc, known as the Sudarśana cakra, to protect
them. The Sudarśana cakra is the Lord's most beloved
devotee and is favored by the Lord. The intense heat of its
effulgence, meant for killing non-Vaiṣṇavas, is unbearable
to Rāhu, and he therefore flees in fear of it. During the time
Rāhu disturbs the sun or moon, there occurs what people
commonly know as an eclipse.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, is always the
protector of His devotees, who are also known as demigods.
The controlling demigods are most obedient to Lord Viṣṇu,
although they also want material sense enjoyment, and that is
why they are called demigods, or almost godly. Although Rāhu
attempts to attack both the sun and the moon, they are protected
by Lord Viṣṇu. Being very afraid of Lord Viṣṇu's cakra, Rāhu
cannot stay in front of the sun or moon for more than a muhūrta
(forty-eight minutes). The phenomenon that occurs when Rāhu
blocks the light of the sun or moon is called an eclipse. The
attempt of the scientists of this earth to go to the moon is as
demoniac as Rāhu's attack. Of course. their attempts will be
failures because no one can enter the moon or sun so easily.
Like the attack of Rāhu, such attempts will certainly be failures.
Ubhayatra means “to the sun and moon.” Seeing (verb is

omitted) the cakra rotating, situated in front of it, he then fled.
They say that is situation is an eclipse. Because of either
precise or imprecise alignment, there are full and partial
eclipses. Rāhu does not actually devour the sun or moon, since
he is situated 10,000 yojanas away from the sun.
TEXT - SB 5.24.4
tato 'dhastāt siddha-cāraṇa-vidyādharāṇāṁ sadanāni tāvan

mātra eva.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—the planet Rāhu; adhastāt—below; siddha-cāraṇa—of
the planets known as Siddhaloka and Cāraṇaloka;
vidyādharāṇām—and the planets of the Vidyādharas; sadanāni
—the residential places; tāvat mātra—only that much distance
(eighty thousand miles); eva—indeed.
TRANSLATION
Below Rāhu by 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] are the
planets known as Siddhaloka, Cāraṇaloka and Vidyādhara-
loka.
PURPORT
It is said that the residents of Siddhaloka, being naturally

endowed with the powers of yogīs, can go from one planet to
another by their natural mystic powers without using airplanes
or similar machines.
Tāvam mātre means 10,000 yojanas.
TEXT - SB 5.24.5
tato 'dhastād yakṣa-rakṣaḥ-piśāca-preta-bhūta-gaṇānāṁ

vihārājiram antarikṣaṁ yāvad vāyuḥ pravāti yāvan meghā
upalabhyante.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ adhastāt—beneath the planets occupied by the Siddhas,
Cāraṇas and Vidyādharas; yakṣa-rakṣaḥ-piśāca-preta-bhūta-
gaṇānām—of Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Piśācas, ghosts and so on;
vihāra-ajiram—the place of sense gratification; antarikṣam—
in the sky or outer space; yāvat—as far as; vāyuḥ—the wind;
pravāti—blows; yāvat—as far as; meghāḥ—the clouds;
upalabhyante—are seen.
TRANSLATION
Beneath Vidyādhara-loka, Cāraṇaloka and Siddhaloka, in
the sky called antarikṣa, are the places of enjoyment for the
Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Piśācas, ghosts and so on. Antarikṣa
extends as far as the wind blows and the clouds float in the
sky. Above this there is no more air.
TEXT - SB 5.24.6
tato 'dhastāc chata-yojanāntara iyaṁ pṛthivī yāvad dhaṁsa-

bhāsa-śyena-suparṇādayaḥ patattri-pravarā utpatantīti.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ adhastāt—beneath that; śata-yojana—of one hundred

yojanas; antare—by an interval; iyam—this; pṛthivī—planet
earth; yāvat—as high as; haṁsa—swans; bhāsa—vultures;
śyena—eagles; suparṇa-ādayaḥ—and other birds; patattri-
pravarāḥ—the chief among birds; utpatanti—can fly; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Below the abodes of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas by a distance
of 100 yojanas [800 miles] is the planet earth. Its upper
limits extend as high as swans, hawks, eagles and similar
large birds can fly.
This verse describes upper limit of Bhūrloka above the earth

plane. Swans and other birds are transformations of earth.
TEXT - SB 5.24.7
upavarṇitaṁ bhūmer yathā-sanniveśāvasthānam avaner apy

adhastāt sapta bhū-vivarā ekaikaśo yojanāyutāntareṇāyāma-
vistāreṇopakḷptā atalaṁ vitalaṁ sutalaṁ talātalaṁ mahātalaṁ
rasātalaṁ pātālam iti.
SYNONYMS
upavarṇitam—stated previously; bhūmeḥ—of the planet earth;

yathā-sanniveśa-avasthānam—according to the arrangement of
the different places; avaneḥ—the earth; api—certainly;
adhastāt—beneath; sapta—seven; bhū-vivarāḥ—other planets;
eka-ekaśaḥ—in succession, up to the outer limit of the
universe; yojana-ayuta-antareṇa—with an interval of ten
thousand yojanas (eighty thousand miles); āyāma-vistāreṇa—
by width and length; upakḷptāḥ—situated; atalam—named
Atala; vitalam—Vitala; sutalam—Sutala; talātalam—Talātala;
mahātalam—Mahātala; rasātalam—Rasātala; pātālam—
Pātāla; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, beneath this earth are seven other planets,
known as Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala,
Rasātala and Pātāla. I have already explained the situation
of the planetary systems of earth. The width and length of
the seven lower planetary systems are calculated to be
exactly the same as those of earth.
Below the earth, in different parts, are the seven lower planets.
Bhū-vivaraḥ means “in hollow cavities of the earth.” It refers to
Atala and the other planets. Antaram means a space or limit
according to Amara-koṣa. Thus from the earth, to a limit of
10,000 yojanas Atala extends. From Atala, Vitala extends
another 10,000 yojanas. Their length and breath are also 10,000
yojanas. The heights of the places are as much as possible
(within 10,000 yojanas).
TEXT - SB 5.24.8
eteṣu hi bila-svargeṣu svargād apy adhika-kāma-

bhogaiśvaryānanda-bhūti-vibhūtibhiḥ susamṛddha-
bhavanodyānākrīḍa-vihāreṣu daitya-dānava-kādraveyā nitya-
pramuditānurakta-kalatrāpatya-bandhu-suhṛd-anucarā gṛha-
pataya īśvarād apy apratihata-kāmā māyā-vinodā nivasanti.
SYNONYMS
eteṣu—in these; hi—certainly; bila-svargeṣu—known as the
heavenly subterranean worlds; svargāt—than the heavenly
planets; api—even; adhika—a greater quantity; kāma-bhoga—
enjoyment of sense gratification; aiśvarya-ānanda—bliss due
to opulence; bhūti—influence; vibhūtibhiḥ—by those things
and wealth; su-samṛddha—improved; bhavana—houses;
udyāna—gardens; ākrīḍa-vihāreṣu—in places for different
types of sense gratification; daitya—the demons; dānava—
ghosts; kādraveyāḥ—snakes; nitya—who are always;
pramudita—overjoyed; anurakta—because of attachment;
kalatra—to wife; apatya—children; bandhu—family relations;
suhṛt—friends; anucarāḥ—followers; gṛha-patayaḥ—the
heads of the households; īśvarāt—than those more capable, like
the demigods; api—even; apratihata-kāmāḥ—whose
fulfillment of lusty desires is unimpeded; māyā—illusory;
vinodāḥ—who feel happiness; nivasanti—live.
TRANSLATION
In these seven planetary systems, which are also known as
the subterranean heavens [bila-svarga], there are very
beautiful houses, gardens and places of sense enjoyment,
which are even more opulent than those in the higher
planets because the demons have a very high standard of
sensual pleasure, wealth and influence. Most of the
residents of these planets, who are known as Daityas,
Dānavas and Nāgas, live as householders. Their wives,
children, friends and society are all fully engaged in
illusory, material happiness. The sense enjoyment of the
demigods is sometimes disturbed, but the residents of these
planets enjoy life without disturbances. Thus they are
understood to be very attached to illusory happiness.
PURPORT
According to the statements of Prahlāda Mahārāja, material

enjoyment is māyā-sukha, illusory enjoyment. A Vaiṣṇava is
full of anxieties for the deliverance of all living entities from
such false enjoyment. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, māyā-sukhāya
bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: [SB 7.9.43] these fools
(vimūḍhas) are engaged in material happiness, which is surely
temporary. Whether in the heavenly planets, the lower planets
or the earthly planets, people are engrossed in temporary,
material happiness, forgetting that in due course of time they
have to change their bodies according to the material laws and
suffer the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. Not
caring what will happen in the next birth, gross materialists are
simply busy enjoying during the present short span of life. A
Vaiṣṇava is always anxious to give all such bewildered
materialists the real happiness of spiritual bliss.
This verse gives a general description of those places. Bhūtiḥ

means influence. Vibhūtiḥ means wealth. They have more
pleasure than Indra (īśvarāt).
TEXT - SB 5.24.9
yeṣu mahārāja mayena māyāvinā vinirmitāḥ puro nānā-maṇi-

pravara-praveka-viracita-vicitra-bhavana-prākāra-gopura-
sabhā-caitya-catvarāyatanādibhir nāgāsura-mithuna-pārāvata-
śuka-sārikākīrṇa-kṛtrima-bhūmibhir vivareśvara-gṛhottamaiḥ
samalaṅkṛtāś cakāsati.
SYNONYMS
yeṣu—in those lower planetary systems; mahā-rāja—O my

dear King; mayena—by the demon named Maya; māyā-vinā—
possessing advanced knowledge in the construction of material
comforts; vinirmitāḥ—constructed; puraḥ—cities; nānā-maṇi-
pravara—of valuable gems; praveka—with excellent; viracita
—constructed; vicitra—wonderful; bhavana—houses; prākāra
—walls; gopura—gates; sabhā—legislative meeting rooms;
caitya—temples; catvara—schools; āyatana-ādibhiḥ—with
hotels or recreation halls and so on; nāga—of living entities
with snakelike bodies; asura—of demons, or godless persons;
mithuna—by couples; pārāvata—pigeons; śuka—parrots;
sārikā—mynas; ākīrṇa—crowded; kṛtrima—artificial;
bhūmibhiḥ—possessing areas; vivara-īśvara—of the leaders of
the planets; gṛha-uttamaiḥ—with first-class houses;
samalaṅkṛtāḥ—decorated; cakāsati—shine magnificently.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, in the imitation heavens known as bila-
svarga there is a great demon named Maya Dānava, who is
an expert artist and architect. He has constructed many
brilliantly decorated cities. There are many wonderful
houses, walls, gates, assembly houses, temples, yards and
temple compounds, as well as many hotels serving as
residential quarters for foreigners. The houses for the
leaders of these planets are constructed with the most
valuable jewels, and they are always crowded with living
entities known as Nāgas and Asuras, as well as many
pigeons, parrots and similar birds. All in all, these imitation
heavenly cities are most beautifully situated and
attractively decorated.
In these lower planets there are cities, decorated with the fine
houses of the leaders, which have houses, walls etc. made of
the best jewels, and with artificial land areas crowded with
couples of pigeons, demons and Nāgas. Instead of nāgāsura,
nānāsvah is found. Then it means “with couples of pigeons
making sounds.”
TEXT - SB 5.24.10
udyānāni cātitarāṁ mana-indriyānandibhiḥ kusuma-phala-

stabaka-subhaga-kisalayāvanata-rucira-viṭapa-viṭapināṁ
latāṅgāliṅgitānāṁ śrībhiḥ samithuna-vividha-vihaṅgama-
jalāśayānām amala-jala-pūrṇānāṁ jhaṣakulollaṅghana-
kṣubhita-nīra-nīraja-kumuda-kuva-laya-kahlāra-nīlotpala-
lohita-śatapatrādi-vaneṣu kṛta-niketanānām eka-vihārākula-
madhura-vividha-svanādibhir indriyotsavair amara-loka-śriyam
atiśayitāni.
SYNONYMS
udyānāni—the gardens and parks; ca—also; atitarām—greatly;
manaḥ—to the mind; indriya—and to the senses; ānandibhiḥ—
which cause pleasure; kusuma—by flowers; phala—of fruits;
stabaka—bunches; subhaga—very beautiful; kisalaya—new
twigs; avanata—bent low; rucira—attractive; viṭapa—
possessing branches; viṭapinām—of trees; latā-aṅga-
āliṅgitānām—which are embraced by the limbs of creepers;
śrībhiḥ—by the beauty; sa-mithuna—in pairs; vividha—
varieties; vihaṅgama—frequented by birds; jala-āśayānām—of
reservoirs of water; amala-jala-pūrṇānām—full of clear and
transparent water; jhaṣa-kula-ullaṅghana—by the jumping of
different fish; kṣubhita—agitated; nīra—in the water; nīraja—
of lotus flowers; kumuda—lilies; kuvalaya—flowers named
kuvalaya; kahlāra-kahlāra flowers; nīla-utpala—blue lotus
flowers; lohita—red; śata-patra-ādi—lotus flowers with a
hundred petals and so on; vaneṣu—in forests; kṛta-niketanānām
—of birds that have made their nests; eka-vihāra-ākula—full of
uninterrupted enjoyment; madhura—very sweet; vividha—
varieties; svana-ādibhiḥ—by vibrations; indriya-utsavaiḥ—
invoking sense enjoyment; amara-loka-śriyam—the beauty of
the residential places of the demigods; atiśayitāni—surpassing.
TRANSLATION
The parks and gardens in the artificial heavens surpass in
beauty those of the upper heavenly planets. The trees in
those gardens, embraced by creepers, bend with a heavy
burden of twigs with fruits and flowers, and therefore they
appear extraordinarily beautiful. That beauty could attract
anyone and make his mind fully blossom in the pleasure of
sense gratification. There are many lakes and reservoirs
with clear, transparent water, agitated by jumping fish and
decorated with many flowers such as lilies, kuvalayas,
kahlāras and blue and red lotuses. Pairs of cakravākas and
many other water birds nest in the lakes and always enjoy
in a happy mood, making sweet, pleasing vibrations that
are very satisfying and conducive to enjoyment of the
senses.
The gardens, surpassing the beauty of heaven, shine with the

beauty of trees having attractive branches bent down with
flowers, giving pleasure to the senses and mind, and with
pleasure for the senses causes by the sweet cries of groups of
playing birds which have made their nests in forests of lotuses
whose water is disturbed by jumping fish, and frequented by
couples of birds. Lohita (red) and śata-patra (having a hundred
petals) are two different water plants.
TEXT - SB 5.24.11
yatra ha vāva na bhayam aho-rātrādibhiḥ kāla-vibhāgair

upalakṣyate.
SYNONYMS
yatra—where; ha vāva—certainly; na—not; bhayam—

fearfulness; ahaḥ-rātra-ādibhiḥ—because of days and nights;
kāla-vibhāgaiḥ—the divisions of time; upalakṣyate—is
experienced.
TRANSLATION
Since there is no sunshine in those subterranean planets,
time is not divided into days and nights, and consequently
fear produced by time does not exist.
TEXT - SB 5.24.12
yatra hi mahāhi-pravara-śiro-maṇayaḥ sarvaṁ tamaḥ

prabādhante.
SYNONYMS
yatra—where; hi—indeed; mahā-ahi—of great serpents;

pravara—of the best; śiraḥ-maṇayaḥ—the gems on the hoods;
sarvam—all; tamaḥ—darkness; prabādhante—drive away.
TRANSLATION
Many great serpents reside there with gems on their hoods,
and the effulgence of these gems dissipates the darkness in
all directions.
TEXT - SB 5.24.13
na vā eteṣu vasatāṁ divyauṣadhi-rasa-rasāyanānna-pāna-

snānādibhir ādhayo vyādhayo valī-palita-jarādayaś ca deha-
vaivarṇya-daurgandhya-sveda-klama-glānir iti vayo 'vasthāś ca
bhavanti.
SYNONYMS
na—not; vā—either; eteṣu—in these planets; vasatām—of

those residing; divya—wonderful; auṣadhi—of herbs; rasa—
the juices; rasāyana—and elixirs; anna—by eating; pāna—
drinking; snāna-ādibhiḥ—by bathing in and so on; ādhayaḥ—
mental troubles; vyādhayaḥ—diseases; valī—wrinkles; palita
—grey hair; jarā—old age; ādayaḥ—and so on; ca—and;
deha-vaivarṇya—the fading of bodily luster; daurgandhya—
bad odor; sveda—perspiration; klama—fatigue; glāniḥ—lack
of energy; iti—thus; vayaḥ avasthāḥ—miserable conditions due
to increasing age; ca—and; bhavanti—are.
TRANSLATION
Since the residents of these planets drink and bathe in
juices and elixirs made from wonderful herbs, they are
freed from all anxieties and physical diseases. They have no
experience of grey hair, wrinkles or invalidity, their bodily
lusters do not fade, their perspiration does not cause a bad
smell, and they are not troubled by fatigue or by lack of
energy or enthusiasm due to old age.
The inhabitants do not have anxiety or sickness from food or

drink because of consuming the juice of divine herbs and
elixirs. They do not experience various effect of age. First, they
do not have wrinkles or grey hair or old age. Second, they do
not experience change of bodily complexion, bad odor, and
perspiration. Finally they do not experience fatigue (klama) or
lack of pleasure (glāniḥ).
TEXT - SB 5.24.14
na hi teṣāṁ kalyāṇānāṁ prabhavati kutaścana mṛtyur vinā

bhagavat-tejasaś cakrāpadeśāt.
SYNONYMS
na hi—not; teṣām—of them; kalyāṇānām—who are by nature

auspicious; prabhavati—able to influence; kutaścana—from
anywhere; mṛtyuḥ—death; vinā—except; bhagavat-tejasaḥ—of
the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; cakra-
apadeśāt—from that weapon named the Sudarśana cakra.
TRANSLATION
They live very auspiciously and do not fear death from
anything but death's established time, which is the
effulgence of the Sudarśana cakra of the Supreme
PURPORT
This is the defect of material existence. Everything in the

subterranean heavens is very nicely arranged. There are well
situated residential quarters, there is a pleasing atmosphere, and
there are no bodily inconveniences or mental anxieties, but
nevertheless those who live there have to take another birth
according to karma. Persons whose minds are dull cannot
understand this defect of a materialistic civilization aiming at
material comforts. One may make his living conditions very
pleasing for the senses, but despite all favorable conditions, one
must in due course of time meet death. The members of a
demoniac civilization endeavor to make their living conditions
very comfortable, but they cannot check death. The influence
of the Sudarśana cakra will not allow their so-called material
happiness to endure.
TEXT - SB 5.24.15
yasmin praviṣṭe 'sura-vadhūnāṁ prāyaḥ puṁsavanāni bhayād

eva sravanti patanti ca.
SYNONYMS
yasmin—where; praviṣṭe—when entered; asura-vadhūnām—of

the wives of those demons; prāyaḥ—almost always;
puṁsavanāni—fetuses; bhayāt—because of fear; eva—
certainly; sravanti—slip out; patanti—fall down; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
When the Sudarśana disc enters those provinces, the
pregnant wives of the demons all have miscarriages due to
fear of its effulgence.

If the child is lost up to the fourth month after pregnancy it is
called garbha-srāva and if the child is lost in the fifth or sixth
month it is called garbha-pāta.
TEXT - SB 5.24.16
athātale maya-putro 'suro balo nivasati yena ha vā iha sṛṣṭāḥ

ṣaṇ-ṇavatir māyāḥ kāścanādyāpi māyāvino dhārayanti yasya ca
jṛmbhamāṇasya mukhatas trayaḥ strī-gaṇā udapadyanta
svairiṇyaḥ kāminyaḥ puṁścalya iti yā vai bilāyanaṁ praviṣṭaṁ
puruṣaṁ rasena hāṭakākhyena sādhayitvā sva-
vilāsāvalokanānurāga-smita-saṁlāpopagūhanādibhiḥ svairaṁ
kila ramayanti yasminn upayukte puruṣa īśvaro 'haṁ siddho
'ham ity ayuta-mahā-gaja-balam ātmānam abhimanyamānaḥ
katthate madāndha iva.
SYNONYMS
atha—now; atale—on the planet named Atala; maya-putraḥ

asuraḥ—the demon son of Maya; balaḥ—Bala; nivasati—
resides; yena—by whom; ha vā—indeed; iha—in this; sṛṣṭāḥ—
propagated; ṣaṭ-ṇavatiḥ—ninety-six; māyāḥ—varieties of
illusion; kāścana—some; adya api—even today; māyā-vinaḥ—
those who know the art of magical feats (like manufacturing
gold); dhārayanti—utilize; yasya—of whom; ca—also;
jṛmbhamāṇasya—while yawning; mukhataḥ—from the mouth;
trayaḥ—three; strī-gaṇāḥ—varieties of women; udapadyanta
—were generated; svairiṇyaḥ—svairiṇī (one who only marries
in her same class); kāminyaḥ—kāmiṇī (one who, being lusty,
marries men from any group); puṁścalyaḥ—puṁścalī (one
who wants to go from one husband to another); iti—thus; yāḥ
—who; vai—certainly; bila-ayanam—the subterranean planets;
praviṣṭam—entering; puruṣam—a male; rasena—by a juice;
hāṭaka-ākhyena—made from an intoxicating herb known as
hāṭaka; sādhayitvā—making sexually fit; sva-vilāsa—for their
personal sense gratification; avalokana—by glances; anurāga
—lustful; smita—by smiling; saṁlāpa—by talking;
upagūhana-ādibhiḥ—and by embracing; svairam—according
to their own desire; kila—indeed; ramayanti—enjoy sex
pleasure; yasmin—which; upayukte—when used; puruṣaḥ—a
man; īśvaraḥ aham—I am the most powerful person; siddhaḥ
aham—I am the greatest and most elevated person; iti—thus;
ayuta—ten thousand; mahā-gaja—of big elephants; balam—
the strength; ātmānam—himself; abhimanyamānaḥ—being full
of pride; katthate—they say; mada-andhaḥ—blinded by false
prestige; iva—like.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, now I shall describe to you the lower
planetary systems, one by one, beginning from Atala. In
Atala there is a demon, the son of Maya Dānava named
Bala, who created ninety-six kinds of mystic power. Some
so-called yogīs and svāmīs take advantage of this mystic
power to cheat people even today. Simply by yawning, the
demon Bala created three kinds of women, known as
svairiṇī, kāmiṇī and puṁścalī. The svairiṇīs like to marry
men from their own group, the kāmiṇīs marry men from
any group, and the puṁścalīs change husbands one after
another. If a man enters the planet of Atala, these women
immediately capture him and induce him to drink an
intoxicating beverage made with a drug known as hāṭaka
[cannabis indica]. This intoxicant endows the man with
great sexual prowess, of which the women take advantage
for enjoyment. A woman will enchant him with attractive
glances, intimate words, smiles of love and then embraces.
In this way she induces him to enjoy sex with her to her full
satisfaction. Because of his increased sexual power, the man
thinks himself stronger than ten thousand elephants and
considers himself most perfect. Indeed, illusioned and
intoxicated by false pride, he thinks himself God, ignoring
impending death.
Those women who enjoy in their own caste are called svariṇī.
Those who enjoy outside their caste are called kāminī. Those
who are very fickle in enjoying are called puṁścalī. Bilāyanam
means their houses which are like holes. They make him fit for
sex enjoyment by the beverage. When he drinks that beverage
(yasmin upayukte), he feels as strong as ten thousand elephants.
TEXT - SB 5.24.17
tato 'dhastād vitale haro bhagavān hāṭakeśvaraḥ sva-pārṣada-

bhūta-gaṇāvṛtaḥ prajāpati-sargopabṛṁhaṇāya bhavo bhavānyā
saha mithunī-bhūta āste yataḥ pravṛttā sarit-pravarā hāṭakī
nāma bhavayor vīryeṇa yatra citrabhānur mātariśvanā
samidhyamāna ojasā pibati tan niṣṭhyūtaṁ hāṭakākhyaṁ
suvarṇaṁ bhūṣaṇenāsurendrāvarodheṣu puruṣāḥ saha
puruṣībhir dhārayanti.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—the planet Atala; adhastāt—beneath; vitale—on the

planet; haraḥ—Lord Śiva; bhagavān—the most powerful
personality; hāṭakeśvaraḥ—the master of gold; sva-pārṣada—
by his own associates; bhūta-gaṇa—who are ghostly living
beings; āvṛtaḥ—surrounded; prajāpati-sarga—of the creation
of Lord Brahmā; upabṛṁhaṇāya—to increase the population;
bhavaḥ—Lord Śiva; bhavānyā saha—with his wife, Bhavānī;
mithunī-bhūtaḥ—being united in sex; āste—remains; yataḥ—
from that planet (Vitala); pravṛttā—being emanated; sarit-
pravarā—the great river; hāṭakī—Hāṭakī; nāma—named;
bhavayoḥ vīryeṇa—due to the semina and ovum of Lord Śiva
and Bhavānī; yatra—where; citra-bhānuḥ—the fire-god;
mātariśvanā—by the wind; samidhyamānaḥ—being brightly
inflamed; ojasā—with great strength; pibati—drinks; tat—that;
niṣṭhyūtam—spit out with a hissing sound; hāṭaka-ākhyam—
named Hāṭaka; suvarṇam—gold; bhūṣaṇena—by different
types of ornaments; asura-indra—of the great asuras;
avarodheṣu—in the homes; puruṣāḥ—the males; saha—with;
puruṣībhiḥ—their wives and women; dhārayanti—wear.
TRANSLATION
The next planet below Atala is Vitala, wherein Lord Śiva,
who is known as the master of gold mines, lives with his
personal associates, the ghosts and similar living entities.
Lord Śiva, as the progenitor, engages in sex with Bhavānī,
the progenitress, to produce living entities, and from the
mixture of their vital fluid the river named Hāṭakī is
generated. When fire, being made to blaze by the wind,
drinks of this river and then sizzles and spits it out, it
produces gold called Hāṭaka. The demons who live on that
planet with their wives decorate themselves with various
ornaments made from that gold, and thus they live there
very happily.
PURPORT
It appears that when Bhava and Bhavānī, Lord Śiva and his
wife, unite sexually, the emulsification of their secretions
creates a chemical which when heated by fire can produce gold.
It is said that the alchemists of the medieval age tried to prepare
gold from base metal, and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī also states
that when bell metal is treated with mercury, it can produce
gold. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī mentions this in regard to the
initiation of low-class men to turn them into brāhmaṇas.
Sanātana Gosvāmī said:
yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti

kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena
dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām
"As one can transform kaṁsa, or bell metal, into gold by

treating it with mercury, one can also turn a lowborn man into a
brāhmaṇa by initiating him properly into Vaiṣṇava activities."
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is trying
to turn mlecchas and yavanas into real brāhmaṇas by properly
initiating them and stopping them from engaging in meat-
eating, intoxication, illicit sex and gambling. One who stops
these four principles of sinful activity and chants the Hare
Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra can certainly become a pure brāhmaṇa
through the process of bona fide initiation, as suggested by
Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī.
Apart from this, if one takes a hint from this verse and learns
how to mix mercury with bell metal by properly heating and
melting them, one can get gold very cheaply. The alchemists of
the medieval age tried to manufacture gold, but they were
unsuccessful, perhaps because they did not follow the right
instructions.
That gold is heated by Vāyu and hardened (pibati) by Agni.

This gold is spit out (niṣṭhyūtam) by Agni, taken from the fire.
Or, it has been given up by Śiva and Bhavāṇī. The men wear
that gold along with their jewel ornaments with great
admiration.
TEXT - SB 5.24.18
tato 'dhastāt sutale udāra-śravāḥ puṇya-śloko virocanātmajo

balir bhagavatā mahendrasya priyaṁ cikīrṣamāṇenāditer
labdha-kāyo bhūtvā vaṭu-vāmana-rūpeṇa parākṣipta-loka-trayo
bhagavad-anukampayaiva punaḥ praveśita indrādiṣv
avidyamānayā susamṛddhayā śriyābhijuṣṭaḥ sva-
dharmeṇārādhayaṁs tam eva bhagavantam ārādhanīyam
apagata-sādhvasa āste 'dhunāpi.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ adhastāt—beneath the planet known as Vitala; sutale—

on the planet known as Sutala; udāra-śravāḥ—very greatly
celebrated; puṇya-ślokaḥ—very pious and advanced in spiritual
consciousness; virocana-ātmajaḥ—the son of Virocana; baliḥ
—Bali Mahārāja; bhagavatā—by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; mahā-indrasya—of the King of heaven, Indra;
priyam—the welfare; cikīrṣamāṇena—desiring to perform;
āditeḥ—from Aditi; labdha-kāyaḥ—having obtained His body;
bhūtvā—appearing; vaṭu—brahmacāri; vāmana-rūpeṇa—in
the form of a dwarf; parākṣipta—wrested away; loka-trayaḥ—
the three worlds; bhagavat-anukampayā—by the causeless
mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; eva—certainly;
punaḥ—again; praveśitaḥ—caused to enter; indra-ādiṣu—even
among the demigods like the King of heaven; avidyamānayā—
not existing; susamṛddhayā—much enriched by such exalted
opulence; śriyā—by good fortune; abhijuṣṭaḥ—being blessed;
sva-dharmeṇa—by discharging devotional service; ārādhayan
—worshiping; tam—Him; eva—certainly; bhagavantam—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; ārādhanīyam—who is most
worshipable; apagata-sādhvasaḥ—without fear; āste—
remains; adhunā api—even today.
TRANSLATION
Below the planet Vitala is another planet, known as Sutala,
where the great son of Mahārāja Virocana, Bali Mahārāja,
who is celebrated as the most pious king, resides even now.
For the welfare of Indra, the King of heaven, Lord Viṣṇu
appeared in the form of a dwarf brahmacārī as the son of
Aditi and tricked Bali Mahārāja by begging for only three
paces of land but taking all the three worlds. Being very
pleased with Bali Mahārāja for giving all his possessions,
the Lord returned his kingdom and made him richer than
the opulent King Indra. Even now, Bali Mahārāja engages
in devotional service by worshiping the Supreme
Personality of Godhead in the planet of Sutala.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as

Uttamaśloka, "He who is worshiped by the best of selected
Sanskrit verses," and His devotees such as Bali Mahārāja are
also worshiped by puṇya-śloka, verses that increase one's piety.
Bali Mahārāja offered everything to the Lord—his wealth, his
kingdom and even his own body (sarvātma-nivedane baliḥ).
The Lord appeared before Bali Mahārāja as a brāhmaṇa
beggar, and Bali Mahārāja gave Him everything he had.
However, Bali Mahārāja did not become poor; by donating all
his possessions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he
became a successful devotee and got everything back again
with the blessings of the Lord. Similarly, those who give
contributions to expand the activities of the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement and to accomplish its objectives will
never be losers; they will get their wealth back with the
blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. On the other side, those who collect
contributions on behalf of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness should be very careful not to use even a farthing
of the collection for any purpose other than the transcendental
loving service of the Lord.
Bali has much fame (udāra-śravāḥ) and verses of praise (puṇya-

ślokaḥ). He was reinstated on Sutala-loka.
TEXT - SB 5.24.19
no evaitat sākṣātkāro bhūmi-dānasya yat tad bhagavaty aśeṣa-

jīva-nikāyānāṁ jīva-bhūtātma-bhūte paramātmani vāsudeve
tīrthatame pātra upapanne parayā śraddhayā paramādara-
samāhita-manasā sampratipāditasya sākṣād apavarga-dvārasya
yad bila-nilayaiśvaryam.
SYNONYMS
no—not; eva—indeed; etat—this; sākṣātkāraḥ—the direct

result; bhūmi-dānasya—of contribution of land; yat—which;
tat—that; bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; aśeṣa-jīva-nikāyānām—of unlimited numbers of
living entities; jīva-bhūta-ātma-bhūte—who is the life and the
Supersoul; parama-ātmani—the supreme regulator; vāsudeve
—Lord Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa); tīrtha-tame—who is the best of all
places of pilgrimage; pātre—the most worthy recipient;
upapanne—having approached; parayā—by the topmost;
śraddhayā—faith; parama-ādara—with great respect;
samāhita-manasā—with an attentive mind; sampratipāditasya
—which was given; sākṣāt—directly; apavarga-dvārasya—the
gate of liberation; yat—which; bila-nilaya—of bila-svarga, the
imitation heavenly planets; aiśvaryam—the opulence.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, Bali Mahārāja donated all his possessions to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāmanadeva, but one
should certainly not conclude that he achieved his great
worldly opulence in bila-svarga as a result of his charitable
disposition. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
the source of life for all living entities, lives within everyone
as the friendly Supersoul, and under His direction a living
entity enjoys or suffers in the material world. Greatly
appreciating the transcendental qualities of the Lord, Bali
Mahārāja offered everything at His lotus feet. His purpose,
however, was not to gain anything material, but to become
a pure devotee. For a pure devotee, the door of liberation is
automatically opened. One should not think that Bali
Mahārāja was given so much material opulence merely
because of his charity. When one becomes a pure devotee in
love, he may also be blessed with a good material position
by the will of the Supreme Lord. However, one should not
mistakenly think that the material opulence of a devotee is
the result of his devotional service. The real result of
devotional service is the awakening of pure love for the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, which continues under all
circumstances.
Some people will think that Bali attained his position on Sutala
as a result of giving land to Vāmana. This verse negates that
idea. The wealth in his abode in Sutala is not the real result
(sākṣātkāraḥ) of giving land to the Lord. His giving land is
famous. Bhūmi means the three worlds. It is stated in the
scriptures that just by giving a small portion of land to a
brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas one can attain the enjoyment of
Svarga. Thus it is impossible that he attained only enjoyment of
wealth on Sutala as a result of giving the three worlds to the
Supreme Lord. He should get liberation from the world. And
the incidental enjoyment on Sutala should be greater that the
enjoyment on Svarga. He gave land to Lord Vāsudeva, who
acts as the life of beings (jīva-bhūta-ātma-bhūte), antaryāmī.
But he is the supreme ātmā (paramātmane), being the aṁśī or
source of all the antaryāmīs. Viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat: by one portion of myself I am situated in
this universe. (BG 10.42) Being fit as the supreme (upapanne),
he is also the supreme pure (tiṛthatmane). If giving a leaf or
flower gives liberation, how much more will giving the three
worlds yield (apavarga-dvārasya)? Thus merely attaining Sutala
is not the result of his giving the three worlds.
TEXT - SB 5.24.20
yasya ha vāva kṣuta-patana-praskhalanādiṣu vivaśaḥ sakṛn

nāmābhigṛṇan puruṣaḥ karma-bandhanam añjasā vidhunoti
yasya haiva pratibādhanaṁ mumukṣavo 'nyathaivopalabhante.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom; ha vāva—indeed; kṣuta—when in hunger;

patana—falling down; praskhalana-ādiṣu—stumbling and so
on; vivaśaḥ—being helpless; sakṛt—once; nāma abhigṛṇan—
chanting the holy name of the Lord; puruṣaḥ—a person;
karma-bandhanam—the bondage of fruitive activity; añjasā—
completely; vidhunoti—washes away; yasya—of which; ha—
certainly; eva—in this way; pratibādhanam—the repulsion;
mumukṣavaḥ—persons desiring liberation; anyathā—
otherwise; eva—certainly; upalabhante—are trying to realize.
TRANSLATION
If one who is embarrassed by hunger or who falls down or
stumbles chants the holy name of the Lord even once,
willingly or unwillingly, he is immediately freed from the
reactions of his past deeds. Karmīs entangled in material
activities face many difficulties in the practice of mystic
yoga and other endeavors to achieve that same freedom.
PURPORT
It is not a fact that one has to offer his material possessions to

the Supreme Personality of Godhead and be liberated before he
can engage in devotional service. A devotee automatically
attains liberation without separate endeavors. Bali Mahārāja did
not get back all his material possessions merely because of his
charity to the Lord. One who becomes a devotee, free from
material desires and motives, regards all opportunities, both
material and spiritual, as benedictions from the Lord, and in
this way his service to the Lord is never hampered. Bhukti,
material enjoyment, and mukti, liberation, are only by-products
of devotional service. A devotee need not work separately to
attain mukti. Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura said, muktiḥ svayaṁ
mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate 'smān: a pure devotee of the Lord does
not have to endeavor separately for mukti, because mukti is
always ready to serve him.
In this regard, Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 3.177-188)

describes Haridāsa Ṭhākura's confirmation of the effect of
chanting the holy name of the Lord.
keha bale—'nāma haite haya pāpa-kṣaya'

keha bale—'nāma haite jīvera mokṣa haya'
Some say that by chanting the holy name of the Lord one is
freed from all the reactions of sinful life, and others say that by
chanting the holy name of the Lord one attains liberation from
material bondage.
haridāsa kahena,—"nāmera ei dui phala naya

nāmera phale kṛṣṇa-pade prema upajaya
Haridāsa Ṭhākura, however, said that the desired result of

chanting the holy name of the Lord is not that one is liberated
from material bondage or freed from the reactions of sinful life.
The actual result of chanting the holy name of the Lord is that
one awakens his dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his loving
service to the Lord.
ānuṣaṅgika phala nāmera—'mukti', 'pāpa-nāśa'
tāhāra dṛṣṭānta yaiche sūryera prakāśa
Haridāsa Ṭhākura said that liberation and freedom from the

reactions of sinful activities are only by-products of chanting
the holy name of the Lord. If one chants the holy name of the
Lord purely, he attains the platform of loving service to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this regard Haridāsa
Ṭhākura gave an example comparing the power of the holy
name to sunshine.
ei ślokera artha kara paṇḍitera gaṇa"

sabe kahe,—'tumi kaha artha-vivaraṇa'
He placed a verse before all the learned scholars present, but

the learned scholars asked him to state the purport of the verse.
haridāsa kahena,—"yaiche sūryera udaya

udaya nā haite ārambhe tamera haya kṣaya
Haridāsa Ṭhākura said that as the sun begins to rise, it

dissipates the darkness of night, even before the sunshine is
visible.
caura-preta-rākṣasādira bhaya haya nāśa

udaya haile dharma-karma-ādi parakāśa
Before the sunrise even takes place, the light of dawn destroys
the fear of the dangers of the night, such as disturbances by
thieves, ghosts and Rākṣasas, and when the sunshine actually
appears, one engages in his duties.
aiche nāmodayārambhe pāpa-ādira kṣaya
udaya kaile kṛṣṇa-pade haya premodaya
Similarly, even before one's chanting of the holy name is pure,

one is freed from all sinful reactions, and when he chants
purely he becomes a lover of Kṛṣṇa.
'mukti' tuccha-phala haya nāmābhāsa haite

ye mukti bhakta nā laya, se kṛṣṇa cāhe dite"
A devotee never accepts mukti, even if Kṛṣṇa offers it. Mukti,

freedom from all sinful reactions, is obtained even by
nāmābhāsa, or a glimpse of the light of the holy name before
its full light is perfectly visible.
The nāmābhāsa stage is between that of nāma-aparādha, or

chanting of the holy name with offenses, and pure chanting.
There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. In
the first stage, one commits ten kinds of offenses while
chanting. In the next stage, nāmābhāsa, the offenses have
almost stopped, and one is coming to the platform of pure
chanting. In the third stage, when one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa
mantra without offenses, his dormant love for Kṛṣṇa
immediately awakens. This is the perfection.
What to speaking of offering the three worlds, or even offering

a leaf or flower with devotion! Even nāmābhasa destroys the
bondage of karma, which cannot be removed by pious acts. It is
not easy to destroy the bondage of karma. Those desiring
liberation—not those who piously give land--accept many
means to destroy the bondage of karma by other means. They
accept difficulties in aṣṭāṅga-yoga and sāṅkhya to destroy
bondage.
TEXT - SB 5.24.21
tad bhaktānām ātmavatāṁ sarveṣām ātmany ātmada

ātmatayaiva.
SYNONYMS
tat—that; bhaktānām—of great devotees; ātma-vatām—of self-

realized persons like Sanaka and Sanātana; sarveṣām—of all;
ātmani—to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the
soul; ātma-de—who gives Himself without hesitation;
ātmatayā—who is the Supreme Soul, Paramātmā; eva—indeed.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in
everyone's heart as the Supersoul, sells Himself to His
devotees such as Nārada Muni. In other words, the Lord
gives pure love to such devotees and gives Himself to those
who love Him purely. Great, self-realized mystic yogīs such
as the four Kumāras also derive great transcendental bliss
from realizing the Supersoul within themselves.
PURPORT
The Lord became Bali Mahārāja's doorkeeper not because of

his giving everything to the Lord, but because of his exalted
position as a lover of the Lord.
This is not the result of giving land to the Supreme Lord, the
soul of all beings. The Lord gives himself (ātma-de), being
controlled by the devotees like Nārada. He is the form of
Paramātmā (ātmatame)[334] for the realizers of ātmā like the
Kumāras. How can the Lord who gives premānanda and
brahmānanda give material pleasure to his devotee? In
exchange for the land, the Lord gave Bali the bliss of prema,
which brings him under control, since the Lord became the
door keeper of Bali on Sutala.
TEXT - SB 5.24.22
na vai bhagavān nūnam amuṣyānujagrāha yad uta punar

ātmānusmṛti-moṣaṇaṁ māyāmaya-bhogaiśvaryam evātanuteti.
SYNONYMS
na—not; vai—indeed; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of

Godhead; nūnam—certainly; amuṣya—unto Bali Mahārāja;
anujagrāha—showed His favor; yat—because; uta—certainly;
punaḥ—again; ātma-anusmṛti—of remembrance of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; moṣaṇam—which robs one;
māyā-maya—an attribute of Māyā; bhoga-aiśvaryam—the
material opulence; eva—certainly; ātanuta—extended; iti—
thus.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead did not award His
mercy to Bali Mahārāja by giving him material happiness
and opulence, for these make one forget loving service to
the Lord. The result of material opulence is that one can no
longer absorb his mind in the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
PURPORT
There are two kinds of opulence. One, which results from one's
karma, is material, whereas the other is spiritual. A surrendered
soul who fully depends upon the Supreme Personality of
Godhead does not want material opulence for sense
gratification. Therefore when a pure devotee is seen to possess
exalted material opulence, it is not due to his karma. Rather, it
is due to his bhakti. In other words, he is in that position
because the Supreme Lord wants him to execute service to Him
very easily and opulently. The special mercy of the Lord for the
neophyte devotee is that he becomes materially poor. This is
the Lord's mercy because if a neophyte devotee becomes
materially opulent, he forgets the service of the Lord. However,
if an advanced devotee is favored by the Lord with opulence, it
is not material opulence but a spiritual opportunity. Material
opulence offered to the demigods causes forgetfulness of the
Lord, but opulence was given to Bali Mahārāja for continuing
service to the Lord, which was free from any touch of māyā.
Actually material enjoyment is an obstacle for the devotees

practicing pure bhakti, not his mercy. Because he gave material
enjoyment to Indra, it may be inferred that Indra was not
practicing pure bhakti. The Lord did not show mercy to Indra
(amuṣya).
vāsudeve mano yasya japa-homārcanādiṣu
tasyāntarāyo maitreya devendratvādikaṁ phalam
O Maitreya! Receiving results such as becoming a devatā are

an obstacle for those whose minds are absorbed in Vāsudeva
through japa, sacrifice and worship. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 2.6.43
Actually the Lord was not merciful to Indra, but was merciful
to Bali, a pure devotee.
TEXT - SB 5.24.23
yat tad bhagavatānadhigatānyopāyena yācñā-cchalenāpahṛta-

sva-śarīrāvaśeṣita-loka-trayo varuṇa-pāśaiś ca sampratimukto
giri-daryāṁ cāpaviddha iti hovāca.
SYNONYMS
yat—which; tat—that; bhagavatā—by the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; anadhigata-anya-upāyena—who is not perceived
by other means; yācñā-chalena—by a trick of begging; apahṛta
—taken away; sva-śarīra-avaśeṣita—with only his own body
remaining; loka-trayaḥ—the three worlds; varuṇa-pāśaiḥ—by
the ropes of Varuṇa; ca—and; sampratimuktaḥ—completely
bound; giri-daryām—in a cave in a mountain; ca—and;
apaviddhaḥ—being detained; iti—thus; ha—indeed; uvāca—
said.
TRANSLATION
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead could see no
other means of taking everything away from Bali
Mahārāja, He adopted the trick of begging from him and
took away all the three worlds. Thus only his body was left,
but the Lord was still not satisfied. He arrested Bali
Mahārāja, bound him with the ropes of Varuṇa and threw
him in a cave in a mountain. Nevertheless, although all his
property was taken and he was thrown into a cave, Bali
Mahārāja was such a great devotee that he spoke as follows.
The pure bhakti of Bali and receiving the Lord’s mercy are
made clear by Bali’s own statement. Because (yat) the Lord
used a trick and locked Bali in the cave, Bali spoke as follows.
Because the Lord, on the pretext of begging, since he found no
other means, stole the three worlds from him leaving him only
his body, and bound him up (sampratimuktaḥ) and threw him a
cave, he said this. Amara-koṣa says āmuktaḥ, pratimukta,
pinnadha and āpinaddha mean “bound up.”
TEXT - SB 5.24.24
nūnaṁ batāyaṁ bhagavān artheṣu na niṣṇāto yo 'sāv indro

yasya sacivo mantrāya vṛta ekāntato bṛhaspatis tam atihāya
svayam upendreṇātmānam ayācatātmanaś cāśiṣo no eva tad-
dāsyam ati-gambhīra-vayasaḥ kālasya manvantara-parivṛttaṁ
kiyal loka-trayam idam.
SYNONYMS
nūnam—certainly; bata—alas; ayam—this; bhagavān—very

learned; artheṣu—in self-interest; na—not; niṣṇātaḥ—very
experienced; yaḥ—who; asau—the King of heaven; indraḥ—
Indra; yasya—of whom; sacivaḥ—the prime minister;
mantrāya—for giving instructions; vṛtaḥ—chosen; ekāntataḥ—
alone; bṛhaspatiḥ—named Bṛhaspati; tam—him; atihāya—
ignoring; svayam—personally; upendreṇa—by means of
Upendra (Lord Vāmanadeva); ātmānam—myself; ayācata—
requested; ātmanaḥ—for himself; ca—and; āśiṣaḥ—blessings
(the three worlds); no—not; eva—certainly; tat-dāsyam—the
loving service of the Lord; ati—very; gambhīra-vayasaḥ—
having an insurmountable duration; kālasya—of time;
manvantara-parivṛttam—changed by the end of a life of a
Manu; kiyat—what is the value of; loka-trayam—three worlds;
idam—these.
TRANSLATION
Alas, how pitiable it is for Indra, the King of heaven, that
although he is very learned and powerful and although he
chose Bṛhaspati as his prime minister to instruct him, he is
completely ignorant concerning spiritual advancement.
Bṛhaspati is also unintelligent because he did not properly
instruct his disciple Indra. Lord Vāmanadeva was standing
at Indra's door, but King Indra, instead of begging Him for
an opportunity to render transcendental loving service,
engaged Him in asking me for alms to gain the three worlds
for his sense gratification. Sovereignty over the three
worlds is very insignificant because whatever material
opulence one may possess lasts only for an age of Manu,
which is but a tiny fraction of endless time.
PURPORT
Bali Mahārāja was so powerful that he fought with Indra and

took possession of the three worlds. Indra was certainly very
advanced in knowledge, but instead of asking Vāmanadeva for
engagement in His service, he used the Lord to beg for material
possessions that would lie finished at the end of one age of
Manu. An age of Manu, which is the duration of Manu's life, is
calculated to last seventy-two yugas. One yuga consists of
4,300,000 years, and therefore the duration of Manu's life is
309,600,000 years. The demigods possess their material
opulence only until the end of the life of Manu. Time is
insurmountable. The time one is allotted, even if it be millions
of years, is quickly gone. The demigods own their material
possessions only within the limits of time. Therefore Bali
Mahārāja lamented that although Indra was very learned, he did
not know how to use his intelligence properly, for instead of
asking Vāmanadeva to allow him to engage in His service,
Indra used Him to beg Bali Mahārāja for material wealth.
Although Indra was learned and his prime minister, Bṛhaspati,
was also learned, neither of them begged to be able to render
loving service to Lord Vāmanadeva. Therefore Bali Mahārāja
lamented for Indra.
Indra, whose minister is Bṛhaspati, though very learned, is not

fixed in the goal of human life, because Bṛhaspati did not teach
him properly. This is indicated by Indra asking for the three
worlds from me by sending Upendra standing at his door. He
thus gave up Upendra. Why did he not ask for Upendra? If he
did, what wouldn’t the Lord give him? Why did he not ask for
the Lord? He asked for material blessings, like a person
completely blinded by illusion. Or why did he not send
(apahāya) Bṛhaspati to ask me for the land? If Bṛhaspati had
asked, would I not have given that brāhmaṇa the three worlds?
Why did he ask the Lord to get him back his land? Material
desires are all insignificant. What is the value of the three
worlds which changes every Manvantara because of the great
speed of time?
TEXT - SB 5.24.25
yasyānudāsyam evāsmat-pitāmahaḥ kila vavre na tu sva-

pitryaṁ yad utākutobhayaṁ padaṁ dīyamānaṁ bhagavataḥ
param iti bhagavatoparate khalu sva-pitari.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead);

anudāsyam—the service; eva—certainly; asmat—our; pitā-
mahaḥ—grandfather; kila—indeed; vavre—accepted; na—not;
tu—but; sva—own; pitryam—paternal property; yat—which;
uta—certainly; akutaḥ-bhayam—fearlessness; padam—
position; dīyamānam—being offered; bhagavataḥ—than the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; param—other; iti—thus;
bhagavatā—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; uparate
—when killed; khalu—indeed; sva-pitari—his own father.
TRANSLATION
Bali Mahārāja said: My grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja is
the only person who understood his own self-interest. Upon
the death of Prahlāda's father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Lord
Nṛsiṁhadeva wanted to offer Prahlāda his father's
kingdom and even wanted to grant him liberation from
material bondage, but Prahlāda accepted neither.
Liberation and material opulence, he thought, are obstacles
to devotional service, and therefore such gifts from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead are not His actual mercy.
Consequently, instead of accepting the results of karma and
jñāna, Prahlāda Mahārāja simply begged the Lord for
engagement in the service of His servant.
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed that an unalloyed

devotee should consider himself a servant of the servant of the
servant of the Supreme Lord (gopī-bhartuḥ pāda-kamalayor
dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]). In Vaiṣṇava
philosophy, one should not even become a direct servant.
Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered all the blessings of an opulent
position in the material world and even the liberation of
merging into Brahman, but he refused all this. He simply
wanted to engage in the service of the servant of the servant of
the Lord. Therefore Bali Mahārāja said that because his
grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja had rejected the blessings of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead in terms of material opulence
and liberation from material bondage, he truly understood his
self-interest.
In this world Prahlāda alone was fixed in the supreme goal.

When his father was killed (uparate) he did not accept the
kingdom.
TEXT - SB 5.24.26
tasya mahānubhāvasyānupatham amṛjita-kaṣāyaḥ ko vāsmad-

vidhaḥ parihīṇa-bhagavad-anugraha upajigamiṣatīti.
SYNONYMS
tasya—of Prahlāda Mahārāja; mahā-anubhāvasya—who was

an exalted devotee; anupatham—the path; amṛjita-kaṣāyaḥ—a
person who is materially contaminated; kaḥ—what; vā—or;
asmat-vidhaḥ—like us; parihīṇa-bhagavat-anugrahaḥ—being
without the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
upajigamiṣati—desires to follow; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Bali Mahārāja said: Persons like us, who are still attached
to material enjoyment, who are contaminated by the modes
of material nature and who lack the mercy of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, cannot follow the supreme path of
Prahlāda Mahārāja, the exalted devotee of the Lord.
PURPORT
It is said that for spiritual realization one must follow great

personalities like Lord Brahmā, Devarṣi Nārada, Lord Śiva and
Prahlāda Mahārāja. The path of bhakti is not at all difficult if
we follow in the footsteps of previous ācāryas and authorities,
but those who are too materially contaminated by the modes of
material nature cannot follow them. Although Bali Mahārāja
was actually following the path of his grandfather, because of
his great humility he thought that he was not. It is characteristic
of advanced Vaiṣṇavas following the principles of bhakti that
they think themselves ordinary human beings. This is not an
artificial exhibition of humility; a Vaiṣṇava sincerely thinks this
way and therefore never admits his exalted position.
“But you are like Prahlāda.” With modesty and humility, he

answers.
TEXT - SB 5.24.27
tasyānucaritam upariṣṭād vistariṣyate yasya bhagavān svayam

akhila-jagad-gurur nārāyaṇo dvāri gadā-pāṇir avatiṣṭhate nija-
janānukampita-hṛdayo yenāṅguṣṭhena padā daśa-kandharo
yojanāyutāyutaṁ dig-vijaya uccāṭitaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tasya—of Bali Mahārāja; anucaritam—the narration; upariṣṭāt

—later (in the Eighth Canto); vistariṣyate—will be explained;
yasya—of whom; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; svayam—personally; akhila-jagat-guruḥ—the master
of all the three worlds; nārāyaṇaḥ—the Supreme Lord,
Nārāyaṇa Himself; dvāri—at the gate; gadā-pāṇiḥ—bearing
the club in His hand; avatiṣṭhate—stands; nija-jana-
anukampita-hṛdayaḥ—whose heart is always filled with mercy
for His devotees; yena—by whom; aṅguṣṭhena—by the big toe;
padā—of His foot; daśa-kandharaḥ—Rāvaṇa, who had ten
heads; yojana-ayuta-ayutam—a distance of eighty thousand
miles; dik-vijaye—for the purpose of gaining victory over Bali
Mahārāja; uccāṭitaḥ—driven away.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, how shall I
glorify the character of Bali Mahārāja? The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the master of the three worlds,
who is most compassionate to His own devotee, stands with
club in hand at Bali Mahārāja's door. When Rāvaṇa, the
powerful demon, came to gain victory over Bali Mahārāja,
Vāmanadeva kicked him a distance of eighty thousand
miles with His big toe. I shall explain the character and
activities of Bali Mahārāja later [in the Eighth Canto of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam].
Tasya refers to Bali.
TEXT - SB 5.24.28
tato 'dhastāt talātale mayo nāma dānavendras tri-purādhipatir

bhagavatā purāriṇā tri-lokī-śaṁ cikīrṣuṇā nirdagdha-sva-pura-
trayas tat-prasādāl labdha-pado māyāvinām ācāryo mahādevena
parirakṣito vigata-sudarśana-bhayo mahīyate.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—the planet known as Sutala; adhastāt—below; talātale

—in the planet known as Talātala; mayaḥ—Maya; nāma—
named; dānava-indraḥ—the king of the Dānava demons; tri-
pura-adhipatiḥ—the Lord of the three cities; bhagavatā—by
the most powerful; purāriṇā—Lord Śiva, who is known as
Tripurāri; tri-lokī—of the three worlds; śam—the good fortune;
cikīrṣuṇā—who was desiring; nirdagdha—burned; sva-pura-
trayaḥ—whose three cities; tat-prasādāt—by Lord Śiva's
mercy; labdha—obtained; padaḥ—a kingdom; māyā-vinām
ācāryaḥ—who is the ācārya, or master, of all the conjurers;
mahā-devena—by Lord Śiva; parirakṣitaḥ—protected; vigata-
sudarśana-bhayaḥ—who is not afraid of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and His Sudarśana cakra; mahīyate—is
worshiped.
TRANSLATION
Beneath the planet known as Sutala is another planet,
called Talātala, which is ruled by the Dānava demon named
Maya. Maya is known as the ācārya [master] of all the
māyāvīs, who can invoke the powers of sorcery. For the
benefit of the three worlds, Lord Śiva, who is known as
Tripurāri, once set fire to the three kingdoms of Maya, but
later, being pleased with him, he returned his kingdom.
Since that time, Maya Dānava has been protected by Lord
Śiva, and therefore he falsely thinks that he need not fear
the Sudarśana cakra of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
Mahīyate means “is worshipped.”
TEXT - SB 5.24.29
tato 'dhastān mahātale kādraveyāṇāṁ sarpāṇāṁ naika-śirasāṁ

krodhavaśo nāma gaṇaḥ kuhaka-takṣaka-kāliya-suṣeṇādi-
pradhānā mahā-bhogavantaḥ patattri-rājādhipateḥ puruṣa-vāhād
anavaratam udvijamānāḥ sva-kalatrāpatya-suhṛt-kuṭumba-
saṅgena kvacit pramattā viharanti.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—the planet Talātala; adhastāt—beneath; mahātale—in

the planet known as Mahātala; kādraveyāṇām—of the
descendants of Kadrū; sarpāṇām—who are big snakes; na eka-
śirasām—who have many hoods; krodha-vaśaḥ—always
subject to anger; nāma—named; gaṇaḥ—the group; kuhaka—
Kuhaka; takṣaka—Takṣaka; kāliya—Kāliya; suṣeṇa—Suṣeṇa;
ādi—and so on; pradhānāḥ—who are the prominent ones;
mahā-bhogavantaḥ—addicted to all kinds of material
enjoyment; patattri-rāja-adhipateḥ—from the king of all birds,
Garuḍa; puruṣa-vāhāt—who carries the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; anavaratam—constantly; udvijamānāḥ—afraid; sva
—of their own; kalatra-apatya—wives and children; suhṛt—
friends; kuṭumba—relatives; saṅgena—in the association;
kvacit—sometimes; pramattāḥ—infuriated; viharanti—they
sport.
TRANSLATION
The planetary system below Talātala is known as Mahātala.
It is the abode of many-hooded snakes, descendants of
Kadrū, who are always very angry. The great snakes who
are prominent are Kuhaka, Takṣaka, Kāliya and Suṣeṇa.
The snakes in Mahātala are always disturbed by fear of
Garuḍa, the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu, but although they are
full of anxiety, some of them nevertheless sport with their
wives, children, friends and relatives.
PURPORT
It is stated here that the snakes who live in the planetary system
known as Mahātala are very powerful and have many hoods.
They live with their wives and children and consider
themselves very happy, although they are always full of anxiety
because of Garuḍa, who comes there to destroy them. This is
the way of material life. Even if one lives in the most
abominable condition, he still thinks himself happy with his
wife, children, friends and relatives.
The snakes have many hoods. They are described. Puruṣa-vāhāt

means “from the carrier of the Lord.”
TEXT - SB 5.24.30
tato 'dhastād rasātale daiteyā dānavāḥ paṇayo nāma nivāta-

kavacāḥ kāleyā hiraṇya-puravāsina iti vibudha-pratyanīkā
utpattyā mahaujaso mahā-sāhasino bhagavataḥ sakala-
lokānubhāvasya harer eva tejasā pratihata-balāvalepā bileśayā
iva vasanti ye vai saramayendra-dūtyā vāgbhir mantra-
varṇābhir indrād bibhyati.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ adhastāt—below the planetary system Mahātala; rasātale

—on the planet called Rasātala; daiteyāḥ—the sons of Diti;
dānavāḥ—the sons of Danu; paṇayaḥ nāma—named Paṇis;
nivāta-kavacāḥ—Nivāta-kavacas; kāleyāḥ—Kāleyas; hiraṇya-
puravāsinaḥ—Hiraṇya-puravāsīs; iti—thus; vibudha-
pratyanīkāḥ—enemies of the demigods; utpattyāḥ—from birth;
mahā-ojasaḥ—very powerful; mahā-sāhasinaḥ—very cruel;
bhagavataḥ—of the Personality of Godhead; sakala-loka-
anubhāvasya—who is auspicious for all planetary systems;
hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; eva—
certainly; tejasā—by the Sudarśana cakra; pratihata—
defeated; bala—strength; avalepāḥ—and pride (because of
bodily strength); bila-īśayāḥ—the snakes; iva—like; vasanti—
they live; ye—who; vai—indeed; saramayā—by Saramā;
indra-dūtyā—the messenger of Indra; vāgbhiḥ—by the words;
mantra-varṇābhiḥ—in the form of a mantra; indrāt—from
King Indra; bibhyati—are afraid.
TRANSLATION
Beneath Mahātala is the planetary system known as
Rasātala, which is the abode of the demoniac sons of Diti
and Danu. They are called Paṇis, Nivāta-kavacas, Kāleyas
and Hiraṇya-puravāsīs [those living in Hiraṇya-pura]. They
are all enemies of the demigods, and they reside in holes like
snakes. From birth they are extremely powerful and cruel,
and although they are proud of their strength, they are
always defeated by the Sudarśana cakra of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who rules all the planetary
systems. When a female messenger from Indra named
Saramā chants a particular curse, the serpentine demons of
Mahātala become very afraid of Indra.
PURPORT
It is said that there was a great fight between these serpentine

demons and Indra, the King of heaven. When the defeated
demons met the female messenger Saramā, who was chanting a
mantra, they became afraid, and therefore they are living in the
planet called Rasātala.
These are all different types of demons. They are enemies

(pratyanīkāḥ) of Indra. They become frightened by the words of
a mantra recited by a messenger of Indra. There is a Vedic
story about this. The Paṇis desired compromise with the dog
send by Indra named Saramā, who was looking for a cow
hidden by those demons. They said “O Saramā what do you
want?” Not wanting peace, the dog spoke roughly to them
while praising Indra. “O Paṇis! You will be killed by Indra.
Flee!” Hearing these words, they became afraid.
TEXT - SB 5.24.31
tato 'dhastāt pātāle nāga-loka-patayo vāsuki-pramukhāḥ

śaṅkha-kulika-mahāśaṅkha-śveta-dhanañjaya-dhṛtarāṣṭra-
śaṅkhacūḍa-kambalāśvatara-devadattādayo mahā-bhogino
mahāmarṣā nivasanti yeṣām u ha vai pañca-sapta-daśa-śata-
sahasra-śīrṣāṇāṁ phaṇāsu viracitā mahā-maṇayo rociṣṇavaḥ
pātāla-vivara-timira-nikaraṁ sva-rociṣā vidhamanti.
SYNONYMS
tataḥ adhastāt—beneath that planet Rasātala; pātāle—on the
planet known as Pātāla; nāga-loka-patayaḥ—the masters of the
Nāgalokas; vāsuki—by Vāsuki; pramukhāḥ—headed; śaṅkha
—Śaṅkha; kulika—Kulika; mahā-śaṅkha—Mahāśaṅkha; śveta
—Śveta; dhanañjaya—Dhanañjaya; dhṛtarāṣṭra—Dhṛtarāṣṭra;
śaṅkha-cūḍa—Śaṅkhacūḍa; kambala—Kambala; aśvatara—
Aśvatara; deva-datta—Devadatta; ādayaḥ—and so on; mahā-
bhoginaḥ—very addicted to material happiness; mahā-amarṣāḥ
—greatly envious by nature; nivasanti—live; yeṣām—of all of
them; u ha—certainly; vai—indeed; pañca—five; sapta—
seven; daśa—ten; śata—one hundred; sahasra—one thousand;
śīrṣāṇām—of those possessing hoods; phaṇāsu—on those
hoods; viracitāḥ—fixed; mahā-maṇayaḥ—very valuable gems;
rociṣṇavaḥ—full of effulgence; pātāla-vivara—the caves of the
Pātāla planetary system; timira-nikaram—the mass of
darkness; sva-rociṣā—by the effulgence of their hoods;
vidhamanti—disperse.
TRANSLATION
Beneath Rasātala is another planetary system, known as
Pātāla or Nāgaloka, where there are many demoniac
serpents, the masters of Nāgaloka, such as Śaṅkha, Kulika,
Mahāśaṅkha, Śveta, Dhanañjaya, Dhṛtarāṣṭra,
Śaṅkhacūḍa, Kambala, Aśvatara and Devadatta. The chief
among them is Vāsuki. They are all extremely angry, and
they have many, many hoods—some snakes five hoods,
some seven, some ten, others a hundred and others a
thousand. These hoods are bedecked with valuable gems,
and the light emanating from the gems illuminates the
entire planetary system of bila-svarga.
Mahā-bhoginaḥ means “having many hoods.”
Thus ends the commentary on the Twenty-fourth Chapter of the


Twenty-fourth Chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The
Subterranean Heavenly Planets."
25. The Glories of Lord Ananta
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Chapter Summary
In this chapter, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes Ananta, the

source of Lord Śiva. Lord Ananta, whose body is completely
spiritual, resides at the root of the planet Pātāla. He always
lives in the core of Lord Śiva's heart, and He helps him destroy
the universe. Ananta instructs Lord Śiva how to destroy the
cosmos, and thus He is sometimes called tāmasī, or "one who is
in the mode of darkness." He is the original Deity of material
consciousness, and because He attracts all living entities, He is
sometimes known as Saṅkarṣaṇa. The entire material world is
situated on the hoods of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa. From His forehead
He transmits to Lord Śiva the power to destroy this material
world. Because Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is an expansion of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, many devotees offer Him
prayers, and in the planetary system of Pātāla, all the suras,
asuras, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas and learned sages offer Him
their respectful obeisances. The Lord talks with them in a sweet
voice. His bodily construction is completely spiritual and very,
very beautiful. Anyone who hears about Him from a proper
spiritual master becomes free from all material conceptions of
life. The entire material energy is working according to the
plans of Anantadeva. Therefore we should regard Him as the
root cause of the material creation. There is no end to His
strength, and no one can fully describe Him, even with
countless mouths. Therefore He is called Ananta (unlimited).
Being very merciful toward all living entities, He has exhibited
His spiritual body. Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the glories of
Anantadeva to Mahārāja Parīkṣit in this way.
TEXT - SB 5.25.1
ī[qXauk- ovac
TaSYa MaUl/deXae i}a&XaÛaeJaNaSahóaNTar AaSTae Yaa
vE k-l/a >aGavTaSTaaMaSaq
SaMaa:YaaTaaNaNTa wiTa SaaTvTaqYaa d]ídXYaYaae"
SaªzR<aMahiMaTYai>aMaaNal/+a<a&
Ya& SaªzR<aiMaTYaac+aTae )) 1 ))
śrī-śuka uvāca
tasya mūla-deśe triṁśad-yojana-sahasrāntara āste yā vai kalā

bhagavatas tāmasī samākhyātānanta iti sātvatīyā draṣṭṛ-
dṛśyayoḥ saṅkarṣaṇam aham ity abhimāna-lakṣaṇaṁ yaṁ
saṅkarṣaṇam ity ācakṣate.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; tasya—of the

planet Pātāla; mūla-deśe—in the region beneath the base;
triṁśat—thirty; yojana—eight-mile units of measurement;
sahasra-antare—at an interval of one thousand; āste—remains;
yā—which; vai—indeed; kalā—an expansion of an expansion;
bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tāmasī
—related to darkness; samākhyātā—called; anantaḥ—Ananta;
iti—thus; sātvatīyāḥ—the devotees; draṣṭṛ-dṛśyayoḥ—of
matter and spirit; saṅkarṣaṇam—the drawing together; aham—
I; iti—thus; abhimāna—by self-conception; lakṣaṇam—
symptomized; yam—whom; saṅkarṣaṇam—Saṅkarṣaṇa; iti—
thus; ācakṣate—learned scholars describe.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: My dear
King, approximately 240,000 miles beneath the planet
Pātāla lives another incarnation of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. He is the expansion of Lord Viṣṇu known as
Lord Ananta or Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa. He is always in the
transcendental position, but because He is worshiped by
Lord Śiva, the deity of tamo-guṇa or darkness, He is
sometimes called tāmasī. Lord Ananta is the predominating
Deity of the material mode of ignorance as well as the false
ego of all conditioned souls. When a conditioned living
being thinks, "I am the enjoyer, and this world is meant to
be enjoyed by me," this conception of life is dictated to him
by Saṅkarṣaṇa. Thus the mundane conditioned soul thinks
himself the Supreme Lord.
PURPORT
There is a class of men akin to Māyāvādī philosophers who

misinterpret the ahaṁ brahmāsmi and so'ham Vedic mantras to
mean, "I am the Supreme Brahman" and "I am identical with
the Lord." This kind of false conception, in which one thinks
himself the supreme enjoyer, is a kind of illusion. It is
described elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.8): janasya
moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti. As explained in the above verse,
Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is the predominating Deity of this false
conception. Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15):


remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." The Lord is
situated in everyone's heart as Saṅkarṣaṇa, and when a demon
thinks himself one with the Supreme Lord, the Lord keeps him
in that darkness. Although such a demoniac living entity is only
an insignificant part of the Supreme Lord, he forgets his true
position and thinks he is the Supreme Lord. Because this
forgetfulness is created by Saṅkarṣaṇa, He is sometimes called
tāmasī. The name tāmasī does not indicate that He has a
material body. He is always transcendental, but because He is
the Supersoul of Lord Śiva, who must perform tamasic
activities, Saṅkarṣaṇa is sometimes called tāmasī.
The Twenty-fifth Chapter describes the qualities of

Anantadeva, holder of the earth, the source of Rudra who
destroys the universe, situated below Pātālaloka.
Ananta is called tamasī because he is the supervisor of

destruction, an activity of tamas, but he is not a form composed
of tamas. This would be a contradiction to a later statement in
this chapter mūrtiṁ na purukṛpayā vabhāra sattvaṁ
saṁśuddham: out of causeless mercy toward his devotees, he
exhibits various forms, which are all transcendental. (SB
5.25.10) Sātvatīyāḥ refers to those persons who have faith in
the Sātvata-tantra. The Lord is called Saṅkarṣaṇa because he
draws the enjoyer and the object of enjoyment (draṣṭṛ-dṛśayoḥ)
completely together. This attraction is characterized by the
false identity of “I am the enjoyer and this is my object of
enjoyment.” The devotees meditate upon Saṅkarṣaṇa, as the
presiding deity of ahaṅkāra in order to become purified of the
false conception of I and mine.
TEXT - SB 5.25.2
yasyedaṁ kṣiti-maṇḍalaṁ bhagavato 'nanta-mūrteḥ sahasra-

śirasa ekasminn eva śīrṣaṇi dhriyamāṇaṁ siddhārtha iva
lakṣyate.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom; idam—this; kṣiti-maṇḍalam—universe;

bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ananta-
mūrteḥ—in the form of Anantadeva; sahasra-śirasaḥ—who
has thousands of hoods; ekasmin—on one; eva—only; śīrṣaṇi
—hood; dhriyamāṇam—is being sustained; siddhārthaḥ iva—
and like a white mustard seed; lakṣyate—is seen.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: This great universe, situated
on one of Lord Anantadeva's thousands of hoods, appears
just like a white mustard seed. It is infinitesimal compared
to the hood of Lord Ananta.
TEXT - SB 5.25.3
yasya ha vā idaṁ kālenopasañjihīrṣato 'marṣa-viracita-rucira-

bhramad-bhruvor antareṇa sāṅkarṣaṇo nāma rudra ekādaśa-
vyūhas try-akṣas tri-śikhaṁ śūlam uttambhayann udatiṣṭhat.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom; ha vā—indeed; idam—this (material world);

kālena—in due course of time; upasañjihīrṣataḥ—desiring to
destroy; amarṣa—by anger; viracita—formed; rucira—very
beautiful; bhramat—moving; bhruvoḥ—the two eyebrows;
antareṇa—from between; sāṅkarṣaṇaḥ nāma—named
Sāṅkarṣaṇa; rudraḥ—an incarnation of Lord Śiva; ekādaśa-
vyūhaḥ—who has eleven expansions; tri-akṣaḥ—three eyes;
tri-śikham—having three points; śūlam—a trident;
uttambhayan—raising; udatiṣṭhat—arose.
TRANSLATION
At the time of devastation, when Lord Anantadeva desires
to destroy the entire creation, He becomes slightly angry.
Then from between His two eyebrows appears three-eyed
Rudra, carrying a trident. This Rudra, who is known as
Sāṅkarṣaṇa, is the embodiment of the eleven Rudras, or
incarnations of Lord Śiva. He appears in order to devastate
the entire creation.
PURPORT
In each creation, the living entities are given a chance to close

their business as conditioned souls. When they misuse this
opportunity and do not go back home, back to Godhead, Lord
Saṅkarṣaṇa becomes angry. The eleven Rudras, expansions of
Lord Śiva, come out of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa's eyebrows due to His
angry mood, and all of them together devastate the entire
creation.
Because māyā is controlled by his desire, when Ananta greatly

desired to destroy this universe (idam), Rudra, made of anger,
which is an effect of tamas, belonging to māyā, made his
appearance. The phrase amarṣa-viracita (made of anger)
modified Rudra. It should actually be amarṣa-viracitaḥ. Just as
a lotus composed of rajo-guṇa appears from the navel of the
second puruṣa who desires to create, Rudra composed of tamas
appears from the brow of Ananta when Ananta desires to
destroy.
TEXT - SB 5.25.4
yasyāṅghri-kamala-yugalāruṇa-viśada-nakha-maṇi-ṣaṇḍa-
maṇḍaleṣv ahi-patayaḥ saha sātvatarṣabhair ekānta-bhakti-
yogenāvanamantaḥ sva-vadanāni parisphurat-kuṇḍala-prabhā-
maṇḍita-gaṇḍa-sthalāny ati-manoharāṇi pramudita-manasaḥ
khalu vilokayanti.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom; aṅghri-kamala—of lotus feet; yugala—of

the pair; aruṇa-viśada—brilliant pink; nakha—of the nails;
maṇi-ṣaṇḍa—like gems; maṇḍaleṣu—on the round surfaces;
ahi-patayaḥ—the leaders of the snakes; saha—with; sātvata-
ṛṣabhaiḥ—the best devotees; ekānta-bhakti-yogena—with
unalloyed devotional service; avanamantaḥ—offering
obeisances; sva-vadanāni—their own faces; parisphurat—
glittering; kuṇḍala—of the earrings; prabhā—by the
effulgence; maṇḍita—decorated; gaṇḍa-sthalāni—whose
cheeks; ati-manoharāṇi—very beautiful; pramudita-manasaḥ
—their minds refreshed; khalu—indeed; vilokayanti—they see.
TRANSLATION
The pink, transparent toenails on the Lord's lotus feet are
exactly like valuable gems polished to a mirror finish. When
the unalloyed devotees and the leaders of the snakes offer
their obeisances to Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa with great devotion,
they become very joyful upon seeing their own beautiful
faces reflected in His toenails. Their cheeks are decorated
with glittering earrings, and the beauty of their faces is
extremely pleasing to see.
This verse describes the attractiveness of Ananta’s beauty.

They use all (ṣaṇḍa) the groups of his nails as mirrors.
TEXT - SB 5.25.5
yasyaiva hi nāga-rāja-kumārya āśiṣa āśāsānāś cārv-aṅga-

valaya-vilasita-viśada-vipula-dhavala-subhaga-rucira-bhuja-
rajata-stambheṣv aguru-candana-kuṅkuma-
paṅkānulepenāvalimpamānās tad-abhimarśanonmathita-hṛdaya-
makara-dhvajāveśa-rucira-lalita-smitās tad-anurāgamada-
mudita-mada-vighūrṇitāruṇa-karuṇāvaloka-nayana-
vadanāravindaṁ savrīḍaṁ kila vilokayanti.
SYNONYMS
yasya—of whom; eva—certainly; hi—indeed; nāga-rāja-

kumāryaḥ—the unmarried princesses of the serpent kings;
āśiṣaḥ—blessings; āśāsānāḥ—hoping for; cāru—beautiful;
aṅga-valaya—on the sphere of His body; vilasita—gleaming;
viśada—spotless; vipula—long; dhavala—white; subhaga—
indicating good fortune; rucira—beautiful; bhuja—on His
arms; rajata-stambheṣu—like columns of silver; aguru—of
aloe; candana—of sandalwood; kuṅkuma—of saffron; paṅka—
from the pulp; anulepena—with an ointment; avalimpamānāḥ
—smearing; tat-abhimarśana—by contact with His limbs;
unmathita—agitated; hṛdaya—in their hearts; makara-dhvaja
—of Cupid; āveśa—due to the entrance; rucira—very
beautiful; lalita—delicate; smitāḥ—whose smiling; tat—of
Him; anurāga—of attachment; mada—by the intoxication;
mudita—delighted; mada—due to intoxication with kindness;
vighūrṇita—rolling; aruṇa—pink; karuṇa-avaloka—glancing
with kindness; nayana—eyes; vadana—and face; aravindam—
like lotus flowers; sa-vrīḍam—with bashfulness; kila—indeed;
vilokayanti—they see.
TRANSLATION
Lord Ananta's arms are attractively long, beautifully
decorated with bangles and completely spiritual. They are
white, and so they appear like silver columns. When the
beautiful princesses of the serpent kings, hoping for the
Lord's auspicious blessing, smear His arms with aguru
pulp, sandalwood pulp and kuṅkuma, the touch of His
limbs awakens lusty desires within them. Understanding
their minds, the Lord looks at the princesses with a
merciful smile, and they become bashful, realizing that He
knows their desires. Then they smile beautifully and look
upon the Lord's lotus face, which is beautified by reddish
eyes rolling slightly from intoxication and delighted by love
for His devotees.
PURPORT
When males and females touch each other's bodies, their lusty
desires naturally awaken. It appears from this verse that there
are similar sensations in spiritual bodies. Both Lord Ananta and
the women giving Him pleasure had spiritual bodies. Thus all
sensations originally exist in the spiritual body. This is
confirmed in the Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ [SB
1.1.1]. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has commented in
this connection that the word ādi means ādi-rasa, the original
lusty feeling, which is born from the Supreme. However,
spiritual lust and material lust are as completely different as
gold and iron. Only one who is very highly elevated in spiritual
realization can understand the lusty feelings exchanged
between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, or between Kṛṣṇa and the damsels
of Vraja. Therefore, unless one is very experienced and
advanced in spiritual realization, he is forbidden to discuss the
lusty feelings of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. However, if one is a
sincere and pure devotee, the material lust in his heart is
completely vanquished as he discusses the lusty feelings
between the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, and he makes quick progress in
spiritual life.
On the silver pillars of his arms, in the beautiful array of his

bodily limbs (aṅga-valaya), they smear aguru and other
ointments made into a paste. They have attractive smiles
indicating love because of the entrance of Cupid in their hearts,
disturbed by touching his body, when putting on the ointment.
His lotus face has eyes which glance merciful towards those
young women. His red eyes roll about in great joy, because of
exhilarating, natural attraction to his devotees. They are
disturbed with shyness, thinking that the Lord knows they have
disturbed hearts.
TEXT - SB 5.25.6
sa eva bhagavān ananto 'nanta-guṇārṇava ādi-deva

upasaṁhṛtāmarṣa-roṣa-vego lokānāṁ svastaya āste.
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that; eva—certainly; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality

of Godhead; anantaḥ—Anantadeva; ananta-guṇa-arṇavaḥ—
the reservoir of unlimited transcendental qualities; ādi-devaḥ—
the original Lord, or nondifferent from the original Supreme
Personality of Godhead; upasaṁhṛta—who has restrained;
amarṣa—of His intolerance; roṣa—and wrath; vegaḥ—the
force; lokānām—of all people on all planets; svastaye—for the
welfare; āste—remains.
TRANSLATION
Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is the ocean of unlimited spiritual
qualities, and thus He is known as Anantadeva. He is
nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
For the welfare of all living entities within this material
world, He resides in His abode, restraining His anger and
intolerance.
PURPORT
Anantadeva's main mission is to dissolve this material creation,

but He checks His anger and intolerance. This material world is
created to give the conditioned souls another chance to go back
home, back to Godhead, but most of them do not take
advantage of this facility. After the creation, they again
exercise their old propensity for lording it over the material
world. These activities of the conditioned souls anger
Anantadeva, and He desires to destroy the entire material
world. Yet, because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
He is kind toward us and checks His anger and intolerance.
Only at certain times does He express His anger and destroy the
material world.
He restrains his anger because at the time of maintenance, it is

not suitable to display anger. Amarṣa means intolerance. What
arises from intolerance is anger.
TEXT - SB 5.25.7
dhyāyamānaḥ surāsuroraga-siddha-gandharva-vidyādhara-
muni-gaṇair anavarata-mada-mudita-vikṛta-vihvala-locanaḥ
sulalita-mukharikāmṛtenāpyāyamānaḥ sva-pārṣada-vibudha-
yūtha-patīn aparimlāna-rāga-nava-tulasikāmoda-madhv-
āsavena mādyan madhukara-vrāta-madhura-gīta-śriyaṁ
vaijayantīṁ svāṁ vanamālāṁ nīla-vāsā eka-kuṇḍalo hala-
kakudi kṛta-subhaga-sundara-bhujo bhagavān mahendro
vāraṇendra iva kāñcanīṁ kakṣām udāra-līlo bibharti.
SYNONYMS
dhyāyamānaḥ—being meditated upon; sura—of demigods;

asura—demons; uraga—snakes; siddha—inhabitants of
Siddhaloka; gandharva—inhabitants of Gandharvaloka;
vidyādhara—Vidyādharas; muni—and of great sages; gaṇaiḥ
—by groups; anavarata—constantly; mada-mudita—delighted
by intoxication; vikṛta—moving to and fro; vihvala—rolling;
locanaḥ—whose eyes; su-lalita—excellently composed;
mukharika—of speech; amṛtena—by the nectar; āpyāyamānaḥ
—pleasing; sva-pārṣada—His own associates; vibudha-yūtha-
patīn—the heads of the different groups of demigods;
aparimlāna—never faded; rāga—whose luster; nava—ever
fresh; tulasikā—of the tulasī blossoms; āmoda—by the
fragrance; madhu-āsavena—and the honey; mādyan—being
intoxicated; madhukara-vrāta—of the bees; madhura-gīta—by
the sweet singing; śrīyam—which is made more beautiful;
vaijayantīm—the garland named vaijayantī; svām—His own;
vanamālām—garland; nīla-vāsāḥ—covered with blue
garments; eka-kuṇḍalaḥ—wearing only one earring; hala-
kakudi—on the handle of a plow; kṛta—placed; subhaga—
auspicious; sundara—beautiful; bhujaḥ—hands; bhagavān—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahā-indraḥ—the King
of heaven; vāraṇa-indraḥ—the elephant; iva—like; kāñcanīm
—golden; kakṣām—belt; udāra-līlaḥ—engaged in
transcendental pastimes; bibharti—wears.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: The demigods, the demons,
the Uragas [serpentine demigods], the Siddhas, the
Gandharvas, the Vidyādharas and many highly elevated
sages constantly offer prayers to the Lord. Because He is
intoxicated, the Lord looks bewildered, and His eyes,
appearing like flowers in full bloom, move to and fro. He
pleases His personal associates, the heads of the demigods,
by the sweet vibrations emanating from His mouth. Dressed
in bluish garments and wearing a single earring, He holds a
plow on His back with His two beautiful and well-
constructed hands. Appearing as white as the heavenly
King Indra, He wears a golden belt around His waist and a
vaijayantī garland of ever-fresh tulasī blossoms around His
neck. Bees intoxicated by the honeylike fragrance of the
tulasī flowers hum very sweetly around the garland, which
thus becomes more and more beautiful. In this way, the
Lord enjoys His very magnanimous pastimes.
He pleases the devotees with his charming (sulalita) sweet

words. Kakṣām means a strap.
TEXT - SB 5.25.8
ya eṣa evam anuśruto dhyāyamāno mumukṣūṇām anādi-kāla-

karma-vāsanā-grathitam avidyāmayaṁ hṛdaya-granthiṁ sattva-
rajas-tamomayam antar-hṛdayaṁ gata āśu nirbhinatti
tasyānubhāvān bhagavān svāyambhuvo nāradaḥ saha
tumburuṇā sabhāyāṁ brahmaṇaḥ saṁślokayām āsa.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—who; eṣaḥ—this one; evam—thus; anuśrutaḥ—being

heard from a bona fide spiritual master; dhyāyamānaḥ—being
meditated upon; mumukṣūṇām—of persons desiring liberation
from conditioned life; anādi—from immemorial; kāla—time;
karma-vāsanā—by the desire for fruitive activities; grathitam
—tied tightly; avidyā-mayam—consisting of the illusory
energy; hṛdaya-granthim—the knot within the heart; sattva-
rajaḥ-tamaḥ-mayam—made of the three modes of material
nature; antaḥ-hṛdayam—in the core of the heart; gataḥ—
situated; āśu—very soon; nirbhinatti—cuts; tasya—of
Saṅkarṣaṇa; anubhāvān—the glories; bhagavān—the greatly
powerful; svāyambhuvaḥ—the son of Lord Brahmā; nāradaḥ—
the sage Nārada; saha—along with; tumburuṇā—the stringed
instrument called a Tumburu; sabhāyām—in the assembly;
brahmaṇaḥ—of Lord Brahmā; saṁślokayām āsa—described in
verses.
TRANSLATION
If persons who are very serious about being liberated from
material life hear the glories of Anantadeva from the mouth
of a spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession, and
if they always meditate upon Saṅkarṣaṇa, the Lord enters
the cores of their hearts, vanquishes all the dirty
contamination of the material modes of nature, and cuts to
pieces the hard knot within the heart, which has been tied
tightly since time immemorial by the desire to dominate
material nature through fruitive activities. Nārada Muni,
the son of Lord Brahmā, always glorifies Anantadeva in his
father's assembly. There he sings blissful verses of his own
composition, accompanied by his stringed instrument [or a
celestial singer] known as Tumburu.
PURPORT
None of these descriptions of Lord Anantadeva are imaginary.

They are all transcendentally blissful and full of actual
knowledge. However, unless one hears them directly from a
bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession,
one cannot understand them. This knowledge is delivered to
Nārada by Lord Brahmā, and the great saint Nārada, along with
his companion, Tumburu, distributes it all over the universe.
Sometimes the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as
Uttamaśloka, one who is praised by beautiful poetry. Nārada
composes various poems to glorify Lord Ananta, and therefore
the word saṁślokayām āsa (praised by selected poetry) is used
in this verse.
The Vaiṣṇavas in the Gauḍīya-sampradāya belong to the

disciplic succession stemming from Lord Brahmā. Lord
Brahmā is the spiritual master of Nārada, Nārada is the spiritual
master of Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva wrote the Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam as a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore
all devotees in the Gauḍīya-sampradāya accept the activities of
Lord Ananta related in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as authentic,
and they are thus benefited by going back home, back to
Godhead. The contamination in the heart of a conditioned soul
is like a huge accumulation of garbage created by the three
modes of material nature, especially the modes of rajas
(passion) and tamas (ignorance). This contamination becomes
manifest in the form of lusty desires and greed for material
possessions. As confirmed herein, unless one receives
transcendental knowledge in disciplic succession, there is no
question of his becoming purified of this contamination.

Nārada recites verses praising the Lord’s appearance as the
puruṣāvatāras.
TEXT - SB 5.25.9
utpatti-sthiti-laya-hetavo 'sya kalpāḥ
sattvādyāḥ prakṛti-guṇā yad-īkṣayāsan
yad-rūpaṁ dhruvam akṛtaṁ yad ekam ātman
nānādhāt katham u ha veda tasya vartma
SYNONYMS
utpatti—of creation; sthiti—maintenance; laya—and

dissolution; hetavaḥ—the original causes; asya—of this
material world; kalpāḥ—capable of acting; sattva-ādyāḥ—
headed by the sattva-guṇa; prakṛti-guṇāḥ—the modes of
material nature; yat—of whom; īkṣayā—by the glance; āsan—
became; yat-rūpam—the form of whom; dhruvam—unlimited;
akṛtam—uncreated; yat—who; ekam—one; ātman—in
Himself; nānā—variously; adhāt—has manifested; katham—
how; u ha—certainly; veda—can understand; tasya—His;
vartma—path.
TRANSLATION
By His glance, the Supreme Personality of Godhead enables
the modes of material nature to act as the causes of
universal creation, maintenance and destruction. The
Supreme Soul is unlimited and beginningless, and although
He is one, He has manifested Himself in many forms. How
can human society understand the ways of the Supreme?
PURPORT
From Vedic literature we learn that when the Supreme Lord

glances (sa aikṣata) over the material energy, the three modes
of material nature become manifest and create material variety.
Before He glances over the material energy, there is no
possibility of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the
material world. The Lord existed before the creation, and
consequently He is eternal and unchanging. Therefore how can
any human being, however great a scientist or philosopher he
may be, understand the ways of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead?
The following quotations from Caitanya-bhāgavata (Ādi-

khaṇḍa, 1.48-52 and 1.58-69) tell of the glories of Lord
Ananta:
ki brahmā, ki śiva, ki sanakādi 'kumāra'

vyāsa, śuka, nāradādi, 'bhakta' nāma yāṅra
"Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras [Sanaka, Sanātana,

Sanandana and Sanāt-kumāra], Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī
and Nārada are all pure devotees, eternal servants of the Lord.
sabāra pūjita śrī-ananta-mahāśaya

sahasra-vadana prabhu—bhakti-rasamaya
"Lord Śrī Ananta is worshiped by all the uncontaminated
devotees mentioned above. He has thousands of hoods and is
the reservoir of all devotional service.
ādideva, mahā-yogī, 'īśvara', 'vaiṣṇava'

mahimāra anta iṅhā nā jānaye saba
"Lord Ananta is the original person and the great mystic

controller. At the same time, He is a servant of God, a
Vaiṣṇava. Since there is no end to His glories, no one can
understand Him fully.
sevana śunilā, ebe śuna ṭhākurāla

ātma-tantre yena-mate vaisena pātāla
"I have already spoken to you of His service to the Lord. Now
hear how the self-sufficient Anantadeva exists in the lower
planetary system of Pātāla.
śrī-nārada-gosāñi 'tumburu' kari' saṅge

se yaśa gāyena brahmā-sthāne śloka-vandhe
"Bearing his stringed instrument, the tumburu, on his shoulders,

the great sage Nārada Muni always glorifies Lord Ananta.
Nārada Muni has composed many transcendental verses in
praise of the Lord."
sṛṣṭi, sthiti, pralaya, sattvādi yata guṇa

yāṅra dṛṣṭi-pāte haya, yāya punaḥ punaḥ
"Simply due to the glance of Lord Ananta, the three material

modes of nature interact and produce creation, maintenance and
annihilation. These modes of nature appear again and again.
advitīya-rūpa, satya anādi mahattva

tathāpi 'ananta' haya, ke bujhe se tattva?
"The Lord is glorified as one without a second and as the

supreme truth who has no beginning. Therefore He is called
Anantadeva [unlimited]. Who can understand Him?
śuddha-sattva-mūrti prabhu dharena karuṇāya

ye-vigrahe sabāra prakāśa sulīlāya
"His form is completely spiritual, and He manifests it only by

His mercy. All the activities in this material world are
conducted only in His form.
yāṅhāra taraṅga śikhi' siṁha mahāvalī

nija-jana-mano rañje hañā kutūhalī
"He is very powerful and always prepared to please His

personal associates and devotees.
ye ananta-nāmera śravaṇa-saṅkīrtane
ye-te mate kene nāhi bole ye-te jane
aśeṣa-janmera bandha chiṇḍe sei-kṣaṇe

ataeva vaiṣṇava nā chāḍe kabhu tāne
"If we simply try to engage in the congregational chanting of

the glories of Lord Anantadeva, the dirty things in our hearts,
accumulated during many births, will immediately be washed
away. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava never loses an opportunity to
glorify Anantadeva.
'śeṣa' ba-i saṁsārera gati nāhi āra

anantera nāme sarva-jīvera uddhāra
"Lord Anantadeva is known as Śeṣa [the unlimited end]

because He ends our passage through this material world.
Simply by chanting His glories, everyone can be liberated.
ananta pṛthivī-giri samudra-sahite

ye-prabhu dharena gire pālana karite
"On His head, Anantadeva sustains the entire universe, with its
millions of planets containing enormous oceans and mountains.
sahasra phaṇāra eka-phaṇe 'bindu' yena

ananta vikrama, nā jānena, 'āche' hena
"He is so large and powerful that this universe rests on one of

His hoods just like a drop of water. He does not know where it
is.
sahasra-vadane kṛṣṇa-yaśa nirantara

gāite āchena ādi-deva mahī-dhara
"While bearing the universe on one of His hoods, Anantadeva

chants the glories of Kṛṣṇa with each of His thousands of
mouths.
gāyena ananta, śrī-yaśera nāhi anta
jaya-bhaṅga nāhi kāru, doṅhe—balavanta
"Although He has been chanting the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa

since time immemorial, He has still not come to their end.
adyāpiha 'śeṣa'-deva sahasra-śrī-mukhe

gāyena caitanya-yaśa anta nāhi dekhe
"To this very day, Lord Ananta continues to chant the glories of
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and still He finds no end to them."
As long as the Lord does not glance at prakṛti, the guṇas are not
capable of producing mahat-tattva and other elements. His form
is eternal (dhruvam) because it is spiritual, not manufactured
(akṛtam). However, though he is one, he holds and nourishes
many products of prakṛti in the hair pores of his body (ātmani).
Who knows the truth (vartma) about him or the method to
attain him?
TEXT - SB 5.25.10
mūrtiṁ naḥ puru-kṛpayā babhāra sattvaṁ
saṁśuddhaṁ sad-asad idaṁ vibhāti tatra
yal-līlāṁ mṛga-patir ādade 'navadyām
ādātuṁ svajana-manāṁsy udāra-vīryaḥ

SYNONYMS
mūrtim—different forms of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead; naḥ—unto us; puru-kṛpayā—because of great mercy;
babhāra—exhibited; sattvam—existence; saṁśuddham—
completely transcendental; sat-asat idam—this material
manifestation of cause and effect; vibhāti—shines; tatra—in
whom; yat-līlām—the pastimes of whom; mṛga-patiḥ—the
master of all living beings, who is exactly like a lion (the
master of all other animals); ādade—taught; anavadyām—
without material contamination; ādātum—to conquer; sva-
jana-manāṁsi—the minds of His devotees; udāra-vīryaḥ—
who is most liberal and powerful.
TRANSLATION
This manifestation of subtle and gross matter exists within
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of causeless
mercy toward His devotees, He exhibits various forms,
which are all transcendental. The Supreme Lord is most
liberal, and He possesses all mystic power. To conquer the
minds of His devotees and give pleasure to their hearts, He
appears in different incarnations and manifests many
pastimes.
PURPORT
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has translated this verse as follows. "The

Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes. It is
by His will that gross and subtle ingredients interact. He
appears in various incarnations just to please the hearts of His
pure devotees." For example, the Supreme Lord appeared in the
transcendental incarnation of Lord Varāha (the boar) just to
please His devotees by lifting the planet earth from the
Garbhodaka Ocean.
Nārada praises the Lord appearing in avatāra forms like Rāma

and Kṛṣṇa. Is his form material? No, it is pure sattva. In this
spiritual form resides the universe of sat and asat. This was
shown to Yaśodā. With that form, like a lion’s, he performed
impeccable (anavadyām) pastimes. Uddhava said:
kaumārīṁ darśayaṁś ceṣṭāṁ prekṣaṇīyāṁ vrajaukas
rudann iva hasan mugdha bāla-siṁhāvalokan
Showing his attractive infant pastimes to the people of Vraja,

he would pretend to weep to get what he wanted and laugh
when he got those things. When demons attacked, he appeared
like a young lion, showing his bravery in spite of his fear. SB
3.2.28
Why did he perform pastimes? He who has heroic deeds such

as lifting Govardhana, (udāra-līlāḥ) did it to capture the minds
of his devotees, which are like elephants.
TEXT - SB 5.25.11
yan-nāma śrutam anukīrtayed akasmād
ārto vā yadi patitaḥ pralambhanād vā
hanty aṁhaḥ sapadi nṛṇām aśeṣam anyaṁ
kaṁ śeṣād bhagavata āśrayen mumukṣuḥ
SYNONYMS
yat—of whom; nāma—the holy name; śrutam—heard;

anukīrtayet—may chant or repeat; akasmāt—by accident; ārtaḥ
—a distressed person; vā—or; yadi—if; patitaḥ—a fallen
person; pralambhanāt—out of joking; vā—or; hanti—destroys;
aṁhaḥ—sinful; sapadi—that instant; nṛṇām—of human
society; aśeṣam—unlimited; anyam—of other; kam—what;
śeṣāt—than Lord Śeṣa; bhagavataḥ—the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; āśrayet—should take shelter of; mumukṣuḥ—
anyone desiring liberation.
TRANSLATION
Even if he be distressed or degraded, any person who
chants the holy name of the Lord, having heard it from a
bona fide spiritual master, is immediately purified. Even if
he chants the Lord's name jokingly or by chance, he and
anyone who hears him are freed from all sins. Therefore
how can anyone seeking disentanglement from the material
clutches avoid chanting the name of Lord Śeṣa? Of whom
else should one take shelter?
Even Ananta’s name can deliver the most fallen, but even
more, that person can purify others. Nārada thus praises the
form of Śeṣa in two verses. If a fallen person, even the most
sinful, chants the name of Saṅkarṣaṇa, he becomes purified
completely. And further, he immediately destroys unlimited
sins of other men who see his form. How should one chant?
One should hear it from others, or even suddenly one can chant,
or in distress one can chant. Or even in joking one can chant his
name. Then what to speak of faithful persons who chant with
devotion?
TEXT - SB 5.25.12
mūrdhany arpitam aṇuvat sahasra-mūrdhno
bhū-golaṁ sagiri-sarit-samudra-sattvam
ānantyād animita-vikramasya bhūmnaḥ
ko vīryāṇy adhi gaṇayet sahasra-jihvaḥ
SYNONYMS
mūrdhani—on a hood or head; arpitam—fixed; aṇu-vat—just

like an atom; sahasra-mūrdhnaḥ—of Ananta, who has
thousands of hoods; bhū-golam—this universe; sa-giri-sarit-
samudra-sattvam—with many mountains, trees, oceans and
living entities; ānantyāt—due to being unlimited; animita-
vikramasya—whose power is immeasurable; bhūmnaḥ—the
Supreme Lord; kaḥ—who; vīryāṇi—potencies; adhi—indeed;
gaṇayet—can count; sahasra-jihvaḥ—although having
thousands of tongues.
TRANSLATION
Because the Lord is unlimited, no one can estimate His
power. This entire universe, filled with its many great
mountains, rivers, oceans, trees and living entities, is resting
just like an atom on one of His many thousands of hoods. Is
there anyone, even with thousands of tongues, who can
describe His glories?
On one head, the universe is situated. Sattva means living

entities. Who even with a thousand tongues can count the
Lord’s powers?
TEXT - SB 5.25.13
evam-prabhāvo bhagavān ananto
duranta-vīryoru-guṇānubhāvaḥ
mūle rasāyāḥ sthita ātma-tantro
yo līlayā kṣmāṁ sthitaye bibharti
SYNONYMS
evam-prabhāvaḥ—who is so powerful; bhagavān—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; anantaḥ—Ananta; duranta-
vīrya—insurmountable prowess; uru—great; guṇa-anubhāvaḥ
—possessing transcendental qualities and glories; mūle—at the
base; rasāyāḥ—of the lower planetary systems; sthitaḥ—
existing; ātma-tantraḥ—completely self-sufficient; yaḥ—who;
līlayā—easily; kṣmām—the universe; sthitaye—for its
maintenance; bibharti—sustains.
TRANSLATION
There is no end to the great and glorious qualities of that
powerful Lord Anantadeva. Indeed, His prowess is
unlimited. Though self-sufficient, He Himself is the support
of everything. He resides beneath the lower planetary
systems and easily sustains the entire universe.
Duranta means unlimited.
TEXT - SB 5.25.14
etā hy eveha nṛbhir upagantavyā gatayo yathā-karma-vinirmitā

yathopadeśam anuvarṇitāḥ kāmān kāmayamānaiḥ.
SYNONYMS
etāḥ—all these; hi—indeed; eva—certainly; iha—in this

universe; nṛbhiḥ—by all living entities; upagantavyāḥ—
achievable; gatayaḥ—destinations; yathā-karma—according to
one's past activities; vinirmitāḥ—created; yathā-upadeśam—as
instructed; anuvarṇitāḥ—described accordingly; kāmān—
material enjoyment; kāmayamānaiḥ—by those who are
desiring.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, as I heard of it from my spiritual master, I
have fully described to you the creation of this material
world according to the fruitive activities and desires of the
conditioned souls. Those conditioned souls, who are full of
material desires, achieve various situations in different
planetary systems, and in this way they live within this
material creation.
PURPORT
In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings,
anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale,

taribāre nā dekhi upāya
"My Lord, I do not know when I commenced my material life,

but I can certainly experience that I have fallen in the deep
ocean of nescience. Now I can also see that there is no other
way to get out of it than to take shelter of Your lotus feet."
Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offers the following
prayer:

"My dear Lord, son of Nanda Mahārāja, I am Your eternal

servant. Somehow or other, I have fallen into this ocean of
nescience. Kindly, therefore, save me from this horrible
condition of materialistic life."
Kāmān kāmayamānair nṛbhiḥ means “by men who desire

material enjoyment.”
TEXT - SB 5.25.15
etāvatīr hi rājan puṁsaḥ pravṛtti-lakṣaṇasya dharmasya vipāka-

gataya uccāvacā visadṛśā yathā-praśnaṁ vyācakhye kim anyat
kathayāma iti.
SYNONYMS
etāvatīḥ—of such a kind; hi—certainly; rājan—O King;

puṁsaḥ—of the human being; pravṛtti-lakṣaṇasya—
symptomized by inclinations; dharmasya—of the execution of
duties; vipāka-gatayaḥ—the resultant destinations; ucca-
avacāḥ—high and low; visadṛśāḥ—different; yathā-praśnam—
as you inquired; vyācakhye—I have described; kim anyat—
what else; kathayāma—shall I speak; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, I have thus described how people generally
act according to their different desires and, as a result, get
different types of bodies in higher or lower planets. You
inquired of these things from me, and I have explained to
you whatever I have heard from authorities. What shall I
speak of now?
Thus ends the commentary on the Twenty-fifth Chapter of the


Twenty-fifth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The
Glories of Lord Ananta."
26. A Description of the Hellish Planets
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40
Chapter Summary
The Twenty-sixth Chapter describes how a sinful man goes to

different hells, where he is punished in various ways by the
assistants of Yamarāja. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (3.27):

modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of
activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature." The
foolish person thinks he is independent of any law. He thinks
there is no God or regulative principle and that he can do
whatever he likes. Thus he engages in different sinful activities,
and as a result, he is put into different hellish conditions life
after life, to be punished by the laws of nature. The basic
principle of his suffering is that he foolishly thinks himself
independent, although he is strictly under the control of the
laws of material nature. These laws act due to the influence of
the three modes of nature, and therefore each human being also
works under three different types of influence. According to
how he acts, he suffers different reactions in his next life or in
this life. Religious persons act differently from atheists, and
therefore they suffer different reactions.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the following twenty-eight hells:

Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, Raurava, Mahāraurava, Kumbhīpāka.
Kālasūtra, Asi-patravana, Sūkaramukha, Andhakūpa,
Kṛmibhojana. Sandaṁśa, Taptasūrmi, Vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī,
Vaitaraṇī, Pūyoda, Prāṇarodha, Viśasana, Lālābhakṣa,
Sārameyādana, Avīci, Ayaḥpāna. Kṣārakardama, Rakṣogaṇa-
bhojana, Śūlaprota, Dandaśūka. Avaṭa-nirodhana, Paryāvartana
and Sūcīmukha.
A person who steals another's money, wife or possessions is put

into the hell known as Tāmisra. A man who tricks someone and
enjoys his wife is put into the extremely hellish condition
known as Andhatāmisra. A foolish person absorbed in the
bodily concept of life, who on the basis of this principle
maintains himself or his wife and children by committing
violence against other living entities, is put into the hell known
as Raurava. There the animals he killed take birth as creatures
called rurus and cause great suffering for him. Those who kill
different animals and birds and then cook them are put by the
agents of Yamarāja into the hell known as Kumbhīpāka, where
they are boiled in oil. A person who kills a brāhmaṇa is put
into the hell known as Kālasūtra, where the land, perfectly level
and made of copper, is as hot as an oven. The killer of a
brāhmaṇa burns in that land for many years. One who does not
follow scriptural injunctions but who does everything
whimsically or follows some rascal is put into the hell known
as Asi-patravana. A government official who poorly
administers justice, or who punishes an innocent man, is taken
by the assistants of Yamarāja to the hell known as
Sūkaramukha, where he is mercilessly beaten.
God has given advanced consciousness to the human being.

Therefore he can feel the suffering and happiness of other
living beings. The human being bereft of his conscience,
however, is prone to cause suffering for other living beings.
The assistants of Yamarāja put such a person into the hell
known as Andhakūpa, where he receives proper punishment
from his victims. Any person who does not receive or feed a
guest properly but who personally enjoys eating is put into the
hell known as Kṛmibhojana. There an unlimited number of
worms and insects continuously bite him.
A thief is put into the hell known as Sandaṁśa. A person who

has sexual relations with a woman who is not to be enjoyed is
put into the hell known as Taptasūrmi. A person who enjoys
sexual relations with animals is put into the hell known as
Vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī. A person born into an aristocratic or
highly placed family but who does not act accordingly is put
into the hellish trench of blood, pus and urine called the
Vaitaraṇī River. One who lives like an animal is put into the
hell called Pūyoda. A person who mercilessly kills animals in
the forest without sanction is put into the hell called
Prāṇarodha. A person who kills animals in the name of
religious sacrifice is put into the hell named Viśasana. A man
who forces his wife to drink his semen is put into the hell called
Lālābhakṣa. One who sets a fire or administers poison to kill
someone is put into the hell known as Sārameyādana. A man
who earns his livelihood by bearing false witness is put into the
hell known as Avīci.
A person addicted to drinking wine is put into the hell named

Ayaḥpāna. One who violates etiquette by not showing proper
respect to superiors is put into the hell known as Kṣārakardama.
A person who sacrifices human beings to Bhairava is put into
the hell called Rakṣogaṇa-bhojana. A person who kills pet
animals is put into the hell called Śūlaprota. A person who
gives trouble to others is put into the hell known as Dandaśūka.
One who imprisons a living entity within a cave is put into the
hell known as Avaṭa-nirodhana. A person who shows
unwarranted wrath toward a guest in his house is put into the
hell called Paryāvartana. A person maddened by possessing
riches and thus deeply absorbed in thinking of how to collect
money is put into the hell known as Sūcīmukha.
After describing the hellish planets, Śukadeva Gosvāmī

describes how pious persons are elevated to the highest
planetary system, where the demigods live, and how they then
come back again to this earth when the results of their pious
activities are finished. Finally he describes the universal form
of the Lord and glorifies the Lord's activities.
TEXT - SB 5.26.1
rājovāca
maharṣa etad vaicitryaṁ lokasya katham iti.
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca—the King said; maharṣe—O great saint (Śukadeva

Gosvāmī); etat—this; vaicitryam—variegatedness; lokasya—of
the living entities; katham—how; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
sir, why are the living entities put into different material
situations? Kindly explain this to me.
PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that the different

hellish planets within this universe are held slightly above the
Garbhodaka Ocean and remain situated there. This chapter
describes how all sinful persons go to these hellish planets and
how they are punished there by the assistants of Yamarāja.
Different individuals with different bodily features enjoy or
suffer various reactions according to their past deeds.
The Twenty-sixth Chapter describes the hellish planets below

the earth and just above the water, where the servants of Yama
punish the sinful.
The destinations of man, high and low, with a variety of
enjoyment have been described. Why do these places exist?
TEXT - SB 5.26.2
ṛṣir uvāca
tri-guṇatvāt kartuḥ śraddhayā karma-gatayaḥ pṛthag-vidhāḥ

sarvā eva sarvasya tāratamyena bhavanti.
SYNONYMS
ṛṣiḥ uvāca—the great saint (Śukadeva Gosvāmī) said; tri-

guṇatvāt—because of the three modes of material nature;
kartuḥ—of the worker; śraddhayā—because of the attitudes;
karma-gatayaḥ—destinations resulting from activity; pṛthak—
different; vidhāḥ—varieties; sarvāḥ—all; eva—thus; sarvasya
—of all of them; tāratamyena—in different degrees; bhavanti
—become possible.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, in
this material world there are three kinds of activities—
those in the mode of goodness, the mode of passion and the
mode of ignorance. Because all people are influenced by the
three modes of material nature, the results of their activities
are also divided into three. One who acts in the mode of
goodness is religious and happy, one who acts in passion
achieves mixed misery and happiness, and one who acts
under the influence of ignorance is always unhappy and
lives like an animal. Because of the varying degrees to
which the living entities are influenced by the different
modes of nature, their destinations are also of different
varieties.
Because of various types of faith, various results appear. By

faith in sattva-guṇa, dharma arises, and from that, happiness for
the performer. By faith influenced by rajas a mixture of dharma
and adharma arise, and by them, there arises a mixture of
happiness and distress. By faith influenced by tamas, adharma
only arises, and by that completely distress. By degrees of those
types of faith, there are degrees of happiness and distress. No
one is always situated in sattva, nor is anyone always in rajas or
tamas. Thus all variety of destinations for all types of jīvas
arise, but at different times.
TEXT - SB 5.26.3
athedānīṁ pratiṣiddha-lakṣaṇasyādharmasya tathaiva kartuḥ

śraddhāyā vaisādṛśyāt karma-phalaṁ visadṛśaṁ bhavati yā hy
anādy-avidyayā kṛta-kāmānāṁ tat-pariṇāma-lakṣaṇāḥ sṛtayaḥ
sahasraśaḥ pravṛttās tāsāṁ prācuryeṇānuvarṇayiṣyāmaḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha—thus; idānīm—now; pratiṣiddha—by what is forbidden;

lakṣaṇasya—symptomized; adharmasya—of impious
activities; tathā—so also; eva—certainly; kartuḥ—of the
performer; śraddhāyāḥ—of faith; vaisādṛśyāt—by the
difference; karma-phalam—the reaction of fruitive activities;
visadṛśam—different; bhavati—is; yā—which; hi—indeed;
anādi—from time immemorial; avidyayā—by ignorance; kṛta
—performed; kāmānām—of persons possessing many lusty
desires; tat-pariṇāma-lakṣaṇāḥ—the symptoms of the results of
such impious desires; sṛtayaḥ—hellish conditions of life;
sahasraśaḥ—by thousands upon thousands; pravṛttāḥ—
resulted; tāsām—them; prācuryeṇa—very widely;
anuvarṇayiṣyāmaḥ—I shall explain.
TRANSLATION
Just as by executing various pious activities one achieves
different positions in heavenly life, by acting impiously one
achieves different positions in hellish life. Those who are
activated by the material mode of ignorance engage in
impious activities, and according to the extent of their
ignorance, they are placed in different grades of hellish life.
If one acts in the mode of ignorance because of madness, his
resulting misery is the least severe. One who acts impiously
but knows the distinction between pious and impious
activities is placed in a hell of intermediate severity. And for
one who acts impiously and ignorantly because of atheism,
the resultant hellish life is the worst. Because of ignorance,
every living entity has been carried by various desires into
thousands of different hellish planets since time
immemorial. I shall try to describe them as far as possible.
The results of performing dharma according to scriptures have

been described already as happiness on Svarga on earth, heaven
or below the earth. The results of adharma, in the form of the
suffering in hell should also be described. Just as for the
performer of dharma (tathā), for the performer of adharma
characterized by forbidden acts, by his faith with different
degrees of tamas, results appear. By performing adharma due to
inattention, there is a small amount of tamas. By performing sin
with knowledge there is greater amount of tamas. By
performing sin with complete rejection of God there is
complete tamas. The cause of the three types of tamas is
explained. The jīva has ignorance without beginning. It is
impossible to say when or how the jīva developed a
relationship with ignorance. The results of desires arising by
the jīva’s beginningless ignorance of three types are
transformations of those desires. Among the destinations I will
describe in detail the various hells.
TEXT - SB 5.26.4
rājovāca
narakā nāma bhagavan kiṁ deśa-viśeṣā athavā bahis tri-lokyā

āhosvid antarāla iti.
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca—the King said; narakāḥ—the hellish regions; nāma

—named; bhagavan—O my Lord; kim—whether; deśa-viśeṣāḥ
—a particular country; athavā—or; bahiḥ—outside; tri-lokyāḥ
—the three worlds (the universe); āhosvit—or; antarāle—in
the intermediate spaces within the universe; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
lord, are the hellish regions outside the universe, within the
covering of the universe, or in different places on this
planet?
TEXT - SB 5.26.5
ṛṣir uvāca
antarāla eva tri-jagatyās tu diśi dakṣiṇasyām adhastād bhūmer

upariṣṭāc ca jalād yasyām agniṣvāttādayaḥ pitṛ-gaṇā diśi
svānāṁ gotrāṇāṁ parameṇa samādhinā satyā evāśiṣa āśāsānā
nivasanti.
SYNONYMS
ṛṣiḥ uvāca—the great sage replied; antarāle—in the

intermediate space; eva—certainly; tri-jagatyāḥ—of the three
worlds; tu—but; diśi—in the direction; dakṣiṇasyām—
southern; adhastāt—beneath; bhūmeḥ—on the earth; upariṣṭāt
—a little above; ca—and; jalāt—the Garbhodaka Ocean;
yasyām—in which; agniṣvāttā-ādayaḥ—headed by Agniṣvāttā;
pitṛ-gaṇāḥ—the persons known as pitās; diśi—direction;
svānām—their own; gotrāṇām—of the families; parameṇa—
with great; samādhinā—absorption in thoughts of the Lord;
satyāḥ—in truth; eva—certainly; āśiṣaḥ—blessings; āśāsānāḥ
—desiring; nivasanti—they live.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered: All the hellish
planets are situated in the intermediate space between the
three worlds and the Garbhodaka Ocean. They lie on the
southern side of the universe, beneath Bhū-maṇḍala, and
slightly above the water of the Garbhodaka Ocean. Pitṛloka
is also located in this region between the Garbhodaka
Ocean and the lower planetary systems. All the residents of
Pitṛloka, headed by Agniṣvāttā, meditate in great samādhi
on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always wish
their families well.
PURPORT
As previously explained, below our planetary system are seven

lower planetary systems, the lowest of which is called
Pātālaloka. Beneath Pātālaloka are other planets, known as
Narakaloka, or the hellish planets. At the bottom of the
universe lies the Garbhodaka Ocean. Therefore the hellish
planets lie between Pātālaloka and the Garbhodaka Ocean.
Bhūmeḥ means “below the seven lower planets.” Jalāt means

“above the Garbhodaka Ocean.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.6
yatra ha vāva bhagavān pitṛ-rājo vaivasvataḥ sva-viṣayaṁ

prāpiteṣu sva-puruṣair jantuṣu sampareteṣu yathā-karmāvadyaṁ
doṣam evānullaṅghita-bhagavac-chāsanaḥ sagaṇo damaṁ
dhārayati.
SYNONYMS
yatra—where; ha vāva—indeed; bhagavān—the most

powerful; pitṛ-rājaḥ—Yamarāja, the king of the pitās;
vaivasvataḥ—the son of the sun-god; sva-viṣayam—his own
kingdom; prāpiteṣu—when caused to reach; sva-puruṣaiḥ—by
his own messengers; jantuṣu—the human beings; sampareteṣu
—dead; yathā-karma-avadyam—according to how much they
have violated the rules and regulations of conditional life;
doṣam—the fault; eva—certainly; anullaṅghita-bhagavat-
śāsanaḥ—who never oversteps the Supreme Personality of
Godhead's order; sagaṇaḥ—along with his followers; damam
—punishment; dhārayati—executes.
TRANSLATION
The King of the pitās is Yamarāja, the very powerful son of
the sun-god. He resides in Pitṛloka with his personal
assistants and, while abiding by the rules and regulations
set down by the Supreme Lord, has his agents, the
Yamadūtas, bring all the sinful men to him immediately
upon their death. After bringing them within his
jurisdiction, he properly judges them according to their
specific sinful activities and sends them to one of the many
hellish planets for suitable punishments.
PURPORT
Yamarāja is not a fictitious or mythological character; he has

his own abode, Pitṛloka, of which he is king. Agnostics may not
believe in hell, but Śukadeva Gosvāmī affirms the existence of
the Naraka planets, which lie between the Garbhodaka Ocean
and Pātālaloka. Yamarāja is appointed by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead to see that the human beings do not
violate His rules and regulations. As confirmed in Bhagavad-
gītā (4.17):
karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ

boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ
akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaṁ
gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ
"The intricacies of action are very hard to understand.

Therefore one should know properly what action is, what
forbidden action is, and what inaction is. "One should
understand the nature of karma, vikarma and akarma, and one
must act accordingly. This is the law of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The conditioned souls, who have come
to this material world for sense gratification, are allowed to
enjoy their senses under certain regulative principles. If they
violate these regulations, they are judged and punished by
Yamarāja. He brings them to the hellish planets and properly
chastises them to bring them back to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By
the influence of māyā, however, the conditioned souls remain
infatuated with the mode of ignorance. Thus in spite of
repeated punishment by Yamarāja, they do not come to their
senses, but continue to live within the material condition,
committing sinful activities again and again.
Svaviṣayam means “his own place.” Yama awards punishment

according to the crime, which cannot be avoided, allotted
according to the faulty action. By that frightening experience he
makes the jīvas turn towards the Lord.
TEXT - SB 5.26.7
tatra haike narakān eka-viṁśatiṁ gaṇayanti atha tāṁs te rājan

nāma-rūpa-lakṣaṇato 'nukramiṣyāmas tāmisro 'ndhatāmisro
rauravo mahārauravaḥ kumbhīpākaḥ kālasūtram asipatravanaṁ
sūkaramukham andhakūpaḥ kṛmibhojanaḥ sandaṁśas
taptasūrmir vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī vaitaraṇī pūyodaḥ prāṇarodho
viśasanaṁ lālābhakṣaḥ sārameyādanam avīcir ayaḥpānam iti;
kiñca kṣārakardamo rakṣogaṇa-bhojanaḥ śūlaproto dandaśūko
'vaṭa-nirodhanaḥ paryāvartanaḥ sūcīmukham ity aṣṭā-viṁśatir
narakā vividha-yātanā-bhūmayaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tatra—there; ha—certainly; eke—some; narakān—the hellish

planets; eka-viṁśatim—twenty-one; gaṇayanti—count; atha—
therefore; tān—them; te—unto you; rājan—O King; nāma-
rūpa-lakṣaṇataḥ—according to their names, forms and
symptoms; anukramiṣyāmaḥ—we shall outline one after
another; tāmisraḥ—Tāmisra; andha-tāmisraḥ—Andhatāmisra;
rauravaḥ—Raurava; mahā-rauravaḥ—Mahāraurava; kumbhī-
pākaḥ—Kumbhīpāka; kāla-sūtram—Kālasūtra; asi-
patravanam—Asi-patravana; sūkara-mukham—Sūkaramukha;
andha-kūpaḥ—Andhakūpa; kṛmi-bhojanaḥ—Kṛmibhojana;
sandaṁśaḥ—Sandaṁśa; tapta-sūrmiḥ—Taptasūrmi; vajra-
kaṇṭaka-śālmalī—Vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī; vaitaraṇī—Vaitaraṇī;
pūyodaḥ—Pūyoda; prāṇa-rodhaḥ—Prāṇarodha; viśasanam—
Viśasana; lālā-bhakṣaḥ—Lālābhakṣa; sārameyādanam—
Sārameyādana; avīciḥ—Avīci; ayaḥ-pānam—Ayaḥpāna; iti—
thus; kiñca—some more; kṣāra-kardamaḥ—Kṣārakardama;
rakṣaḥ-gaṇa-bhojanaḥ—Rakṣogaṇa-bhojana; śūla-protaḥ—
Śūlaprota; danda-śūkaḥ—Dandaśūka; avaṭa-nirodhanaḥ—
Avaṭa-nirodhana; paryāvartanaḥ—Paryāvartana; sūcī-mukham
—Sūcīmukha; iti—in this way; aṣṭā-viṁśatiḥ—twenty-eight;
narakāḥ—hellish planets; vividha—various; yātanā-bhūmayaḥ
—lands of suffering in hellish conditions.
TRANSLATION
Some authorities say that there is a total of twenty-one
hellish planets, and some say twenty-eight. My dear King, I
shall outline all of them according to their names, forms
and symptoms. The names of the different hells are as
follows: Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, Raurava, Mahāraurava,
Kumbhīpāka, Kālasūtra, Asi-patravana, Sūkaramukha,
Andhakūpa, Kṛmibhojana, Sandaṁśa, Taptasūrmi,
Vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī, Vaitaraṇī, Pūyoda, Prāṇarodha,
Viśasana, Lālābhakṣa, Sārameyādana, Avīci, Ayaḥpāna,
Kṣārakardama, Rakṣogaṇa-bhojana, Śūlaprota,
Dandaśūka, Avaṭa-nirodhana, Paryāvartana and
Sūcīmukha. All these planets are meant for punishing the
living entities.
According to some there are twenty-one hells. Those are the

first ones on the list. According to others, in addition to the
twenty-one hells, seven more exist.
TEXT - SB 5.26.8
tatra yas tu para-vittāpatya-kalatrāṇy apaharati sa hi kāla-pāśa-

baddho yama-puruṣair ati-bhayānakais tāmisre narake balān
nipātyate anaśanānudapāna-daṇḍa-tāḍana-santarjanādibhir
yātanābhir yātyamāno jantur yatra kaśmalam āsādita ekadaiva
mūrcchām upayāti tāmisra-prāye.
SYNONYMS
tatra—in those hellish planets; yaḥ—a person who; tu—but;

para-vitta-apatya-kalatrāṇi—the money, wife and children of
another; apaharati—takes away; saḥ—that person; hi—
certainly; kāla-pāśa-baddhaḥ—being bound by the ropes of
time or Yamarāja; yama-puruṣaiḥ—by the assistants of
Yamarāja; ati-bhayānakaiḥ—who are very fearful; tāmisre
narake—into the hell known as Tāmisra; balāt—by force;
nipātyate—is thrown; anaśana—starvation; anudapāna—
without water; daṇḍa-tāḍana—beaten with rods; santarjana-
ādibhiḥ—by scolding and so on; yātanābhiḥ—by severe
punishments; yātyamānaḥ—being punished; jantuḥ—the living
entity; yatra—where; kaśmalam—misery; āsāditaḥ—obtained;
ekadā—sometimes; eva—certainly; mūrcchām—fainting;
upayāti—obtains; tāmisra-prāye—in that condition, which is
almost entirely dark.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, a person who appropriates another's
legitimate wife, children or money is arrested at the time of
death by the fierce Yamadūtas, who bind him with the rope
of time and forcibly throw him into the hellish planet
known as Tāmisra. On this very dark planet, the sinful man
is chastised by the Yamadūtas, who beat and rebuke him.
He is starved, and he is given no water to drink. Thus the
wrathful assistants of Yamarāja cause him severe suffering,
and sometimes he faints from their chastisement.
Yātyamānaḥ means suffering. Tāmisra-praye means “in a very

dark place.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.9
evam evāndhatāmisre yas tu vañcayitvā puruṣaṁ dārādīn

upayuṅkte yatra śarīrī nipātyamāno yātanā-stho vedanayā
naṣṭa-matir naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiś ca bhavati yathā vanaspatir
vṛścyamāna-mūlas tasmād andhatāmisraṁ tam upadiśanti.
SYNONYMS
evam—in this way; eva—certainly; andhatāmisre—in the

hellish planet known as Andhatāmisra; yaḥ—the person who;
tu—but; vañcayitvā—cheating; puruṣam—another person;
dāra-ādīn—the wife and children; upayuṅkte—enjoys; yatra—
where; śarīrī—the embodied person; nipātyamānaḥ—being
forcibly thrown; yātanā-sthaḥ—always situated in extremely
miserable conditions; vedanayā—by such suffering; naṣṭa—
lost; matiḥ—whose consciousness; naṣṭa—lost; dṛṣṭiḥ—whose
sight; ca—also; bhavati—becomes; yathā—as much as;
vanaspatiḥ—the trees; vṛścyamāna—being cut; mūlaḥ—whose
root; tasmāt—because of this; andhatāmisram—Andhatāmisra;
tam—that; upadiśanti—they call.
TRANSLATION
The destination of a person who slyly cheats another man
and enjoys his wife and children is the hell known as
Andhatāmisra. There his condition is exactly like that of a
tree being chopped at its roots. Even before reaching
Andhatāmisra, the sinful living being is subjected to various
extreme miseries. These afflictions are so severe that he
loses his intelligence and sight. It is for this reason that
learned sages call this hell Andhatāmisra.
Puruṣam refers to the husband.
TEXT - SB 5.26.10
yas tv iha vā etad aham iti mamedam iti bhūta-droheṇa kevalaṁ

sva-kuṭumbam evānudinaṁ prapuṣṇāti sa tad iha vihāya
svayam eva tad-aśubhena raurave nipatati.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—one who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vā—or; etat—this

body; aham—I; iti—thus; mama—mine; idam—this; iti—thus;
bhūta-droheṇa—by envy of other living entities; kevalam—
alone; sva-kuṭumbam—his family members; eva—only;
anudinam—day to day; prapuṣṇāti—supports; saḥ—such a
person; tat—that; iha—here; vihāya—giving up; svayam—
personally; eva—certainly; tat—of that; aśubhena—by the sin;
raurave—in Raurava; nipatati—he falls down.
TRANSLATION
A person who accepts his body as his self works very hard
day and night for money to maintain his own body and the
bodies of his wife and children. While working to maintain
himself and his family, he may commit violence against
other living entities. Such a person is forced to give up his
body and his family at the time of death, when he suffers
the reaction for his envy of other creatures by being thrown
into the hell called Raurava.
PURPORT
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said:
yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
"One who accepts this bodily bag of three elements [bile,

mucus and air] as his self, who has an affinity for an intimate
relationship with his wife and children, who considers his land
worshipable, who takes bath in the waters of the holy places of
pilgrimage but never takes advantage of those persons who are
in actual knowledge—he is no better than an ass or a cow." (SB
10.84.13) There are two classes of men absorbed in the material
concept of life. Out of ignorance, a man in the first class thinks
his body to be his self, and therefore he is certainly like an
animal (sa eva go-kharaḥ). The person in the second class,
however, not only thinks his material body to be his self, but
also commits all kinds of sinful activities to maintain his body.
He cheats everyone to acquire money for his family and his
self, and he becomes envious of others without reason. Such a
person is thrown into the hell known as Raurava. If one simply
considers his body to be his self, as do the animals, he is not
very sinful. However, if one needlessly commits sins to
maintain his body, he is put into the hell known as Raurava.
This is the opinion of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura.
Although animals are certainly in the bodily concept of life,
they do not commit any sins to maintain their bodies, mates or
offspring. Therefore animals do not go to hell. However, when
a human being acts enviously and cheats others to maintain his
body, he is put into a hellish condition.
He thinks “This is my body and this object is mine.” If he does

not commit violence to support his family while thinking of I
and mine, then he does not fall to Raurava.
TEXT - SB 5.26.11
ye tv iha yathaivāmunā vihiṁsitā jantavaḥ paratra yama-

yātanām upagataṁ ta eva ruravo bhūtvā tathā tam eva
vihiṁsanti tasmād rauravam ity āhū rurur iti sarpād ati-krūra-
sattvasyāpadeśaḥ.
SYNONYMS
ye—those who; tu—but; iha—in this life; yathā—as much as;

eva—certainly; amunā—by him; vihiṁsitāḥ—who were hurt;
jantavaḥ—the living entities; paratra—in the next life; yama-
yātanām upagatam—being subjected to miserable conditions
by Yamarāja; te—those living entities; eva—indeed; ruravaḥ
—rurus (a kind of envious animal); bhūtvā—becoming; tathā
—that much; tam—him; eva—certainly; vihiṁsanti—they hurt;
tasmāt—because of this; rauravam—Raurava; iti—thus; āhuḥ
—learned scholars say; ruruḥ—the animal known as ruru; iti—
thus; sarpāt—than the snake; ati-krūra—much more cruel and
envious; sattvasya—of the entity; apadeśaḥ—the name.
TRANSLATION
In this life, an envious person commits violent acts against
many living entities. Therefore after his death, when he is
taken to hell by Yamarāja, those living entities who were
hurt by him appear as animals called rurus to inflict very
severe pain upon him. Learned scholars call this hell
Raurava. Not generally seen in this world, the ruru is more
envious than a snake.
PURPORT
According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, the ruru is also known as the

bhāra-śṛṅga (ati-krūrasya bhāra-śṛṅgākhya-sattvasya
apadeśaḥ saṁjñā). Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī confirms this in his
Sandarbha: ruru-śabdasya svayaṁ muninaiva ṭīkā-vidhānāl
lokeṣv aprasiddha evāyaṁ jantu-viśeṣaḥ. Thus although rurus
are not seen in this world, their existence is confirmed in the
śāstras.
In this way their actions are reversed. According to Śrīdhara

Svāmī, the ruru is type of antelope. Jīva Gosvāmī says
according the definition given by Śukadeva, the ruru is a
particular animal not well know in this world.
TEXT - SB 5.26.12
evam eva mahārauravo yatra nipatitaṁ puruṣaṁ kravyādā nāma

ruravas taṁ kravyeṇa ghātayanti yaḥ kevalaṁ dehambharaḥ.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; eva—certainly; mahā-rauravaḥ—the hell known

as Mahāraurava; yatra—where; nipatitam—being thrown;
puruṣam—a person; kravyādāḥ nāma—named kravyāda;
ruravaḥ—the ruru animals; tam—him (the condemned person);
kravyeṇa—for eating his flesh; ghātayanti—kill; yaḥ—who;
kevalam—only; dehambharaḥ—intent upon maintaining his
own body.
TRANSLATION
Punishment in the hell called Mahāraurava is compulsory
for a person who maintains his own body by hurting others.
In this hell, ruru animals known as kravyāda torment him
and eat his flesh.
PURPORT
The animalistic person who lives simply in the bodily concept

of life is not excused. He is put into the hell known as
Mahāraurava and attacked by ruru animals known as
kravyādas.

They torment him by using his flesh as their meat. Kevalam
means “by violence to other entities.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.13
yas tv iha vā ugraḥ paśūn pakṣiṇo vā prāṇata uparandhayati tam

apakaruṇaṁ puruṣādair api vigarhitam amutra yamānucarāḥ
kumbhīpāke tapta-taile uparandhayanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—a person who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vā—or; ugraḥ—

very cruel; paśūn—animals; pakṣiṇaḥ—birds; vā—or;
prāṇataḥ—in a live condition; uparandhayati—cooks; tam—
him; apakaruṇam—very cruel-hearted; puruṣa-ādaiḥ—by
those who eat human flesh; api—even; vigarhitam—
condemned; amutra—in the next life; yama-anucarāḥ—the
servants of Yamarāja; kumbhīpāke—in the hell known as
Kumbhīpāka; tapta-taile—in boiling oil; uparandhayanti—
cook.
TRANSLATION
For the maintenance of their bodies and the satisfaction of
their tongues, cruel persons cook poor animals and birds
alive. Such persons are condemned even by man-eaters. In
their next lives they are carried by the Yamadūtas to the
hell known as Kumbhīpāka, where they are cooked in
boiling oil.
Prāṇataḥ means “while alive.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.14
yas tv iha brahma-dhruk sa kālasūtra-saṁjñake narake ayuta-

yojana-parimaṇḍale tāmramaye tapta-khale upary-adhastād
agny-arkābhyām ati-tapyamāne 'bhiniveśitaḥ kṣut-pipāsābhyāṁ
ca dahyamānāntar-bahiḥ-śarīra āste śete ceṣṭate 'vatiṣṭhati
paridhāvati ca yāvanti paśu-romāṇi tāvad varṣa-sahasrāṇi.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; tu—but; iha—in this life; brahma-dhruk—

the killer of a brāhmaṇa; saḥ—such a person; kālasūtra-
saṁjñake—named Kālasūtra; narake—in the hell; ayuta-
yojana-parimaṇḍale—having a circumference of eighty
thousand miles; tāmra-maye—made of copper; tapta—heated;
khale—in a level place; upari-adhastāt—above and beneath;
agni—by fire; arkābhyām—and by the sun; ati-tapyamāne—
which is being heated; abhiniveśitaḥ—being made to enter;
kṣut-pipāsābhyām—by hunger and thirst; ca—and; dahyamāna
—being burned; antaḥ—internally; bahiḥ—externally; śarīraḥ
—whose body; āste—remains; śete—sometimes lies; ceṣṭate—
sometimes moves his limbs; avatiṣṭhati—sometimes stands;
paridhāvati—sometimes runs here and there; ca—also; yāvanti
—as many; paśu-romāṇi—hairs on the body of an animal;
tāvat—that long; varṣa-sahasrāṇi—thousands of years.
TRANSLATION
The killer of a brāhmaṇa is put into the hell known as
Kālasūtra, which has a circumference of eighty thousand
miles and which is made entirely of copper. Heated from
below by fire and from above by the scorching sun, the
copper surface of this planet is extremely hot. Thus the
murderer of a brāhmaṇa suffers from being burned both
internally and externally. Internally he is burning with
hunger and thirst, and externally he is burning from the
scorching heat of the sun and the fire beneath the copper
surface. Therefore he sometimes lies down, sometimes sits,
sometimes stands up and sometimes runs here and there.
He must suffer in this way for as many thousands of years
as there are hairs on the body of an animal.
Khale means “on a flat surface.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.15
yas tv iha vai nija-veda-pathād anāpady apagataḥ pākhaṇḍaṁ

copagatas tam asi-patravanaṁ praveśya kaśayā praharanti tatra
hāsāv itas tato dhāvamāna ubhayato dhārais tāla-vanāsi-patraiś
chidyamāna-sarvāṅgo hā hato 'smīti paramayā vedanayā
mūrcchitaḥ pade pade nipatati sva-dharmahā pākhaṇḍānugataṁ
phalaṁ bhuṅkte.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vai—indeed; nija-
veda-pathāt—from his own path, recommended by the Vedas;
anāpadi—even without an emergency; apagataḥ—deviated;
pākhaṇḍam—a concocted, atheistic system; ca—and; upagataḥ
—gone to; tam—him; asi-patravanam—the hell known as Asi-
patravana; praveśya—making enter; kaśayā—with a whip;
praharanti—they beat; tatra—there; ha—certainly; asau—
that; itaḥ tataḥ—here and there; dhāvamānaḥ—running;
ubhayataḥ—on both sides; dhāraiḥ—by the edges; tāla-vana-
asi-patraiḥ—by the swordlike leaves of palm trees;
chidyamāna—being cut; sarva-aṅgaḥ—whose entire body; hā
—alas; hataḥ—killed; asmi—I am; iti—thus; paramayā—with
severe; vedanayā—pain; mūrcchitaḥ—fainted; pade pade—at
every step; nipatati—falls down; sva-dharma-hā—the killer of
his own principles of religion; pākhaṇḍa-anugatam phalam—
the result of accepting an atheistic path; bhuṅkte—he suffers.
TRANSLATION
If a person deviates from the path of the Vedas in the
absence of an emergency, the servants of Yamarāja put him
into the hell called Asi-patravana, where they beat him with
whips. When he runs hither and thither, fleeing from the
extreme pain, on all sides he runs into palm trees with
leaves like sharpened swords. Thus injured all over his
body and fainting at every step, he cries out, "Oh, what
shall I do now! How shall I be saved!" This is how one
suffers who deviates from the accepted religious principles.
PURPORT
There is actually only one religious principle: dharmaṁ tu
sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam[SB 6.3.19]. The only religious
principle is to follow the orders of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Unfortunately, especially in this age of Kali,
everyone is an atheist, people do not even believe in God, what
to speak of following His words. The words nija-veda-patha
can also mean "one's own set of religious principles." Formerly
there was only one veda-patha, or set of religious principles.
Now there are many. It doesn't matter which set of religious
principles one follows: the only injunction is that he must
follow them strictly. An atheist, or nāstika, is one who does not
believe in the Vedas. However, even if one takes up a different
system of religion, according to this verse he must follow the
religious principles he has accepted. Whether one is a Hindu, or
a Mohammedan or a Christian, he should follow his own
religious principles. However, if one concocts his own religious
path within his mind, or if one follows no religious principles at
all, he is punished in the hell known as Asi-patravana. In other
words, a human being must follow some religious principles. If
he does not follow any religious principles, he is no better than
an animal. As Kali-yuga advances, people are becoming
godless and taking up so-called secularism. They do not know
the punishment awaiting them in Asi-patravana, as described in
this verse.
TEXT - SB 5.26.16
yas tv iha vai rājā rāja-puruṣo vā adaṇḍye daṇḍaṁ praṇayati

brāhmaṇe vā śarīra-daṇḍaṁ sa pāpīyān narake 'mutra
sūkaramukhe nipatati tatrātibalair viniṣpiṣyamāṇāvayavo
yathaivehekṣukhaṇḍa ārta-svareṇa svanayan kvacin mūrcchitaḥ
kaśmalam upagato yathaivehā-dṛṣṭa-doṣā uparuddhāḥ.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vai—indeed; rājā

—a king; rāja-puruṣaḥ—a king's man; vā—or; adaṇḍye—unto
one not punishable; daṇḍam—punishment; praṇayati—inflicts;
brāhmaṇe—unto a brāhmaṇa; vā—or; śarīra-daṇḍam—
corporal punishment; saḥ—that person, king or government
officer; pāpīyān—the most sinful; narake—in the hell; amutra
—in the next life; sūkaramukhe—named Sūkaramukha;
nipatati—falls down; tatra—there; ati-balaiḥ—by very strong
assistants of Yamarāja; viniṣpiṣyamāṇa—being crushed;
avayavaḥ—the different parts of whose body; yathā—like; eva
—certainly; iha—here; ikṣu-khaṇḍaḥ—sugarcane; ārta-
svareṇa—with a pitiable sound; svanayan—crying; kvacit—
sometimes; mūrcchitaḥ—fainted; kaśmalam upagataḥ—
becoming illusioned; yathā—just like; eva—indeed; iha—here;
adṛṣṭa-doṣāḥ—who is not at fault; uparuddhāḥ—arrested for
punishment.
TRANSLATION
In his next life, a sinful king or governmental representative
who punishes an innocent person, or who inflicts corporal
punishment upon a brāhmaṇa, is taken by the Yamadūtas
to the hell named Sūkaramukha, where the most powerful
assistants of Yamarāja crush him exactly as one crushes
sugarcane to squeeze out the juice. The sinful living entity
cries very pitiably and faints, just like an innocent man
undergoing punishments. This is the result of punishing a
faultless person.
Svanayan means crying out. He is punished as much as the

innocent people were punished in this world.
TEXT - SB 5.26.17
yas tv iha vai bhūtānām īśvaropakalpita-vṛttīnām avivikta-para-

vyathānāṁ svayaṁ puruṣopakalpita-vṛttir vivikta-para-vyatho
vyathām ācarati sa paratrāndhakūpe tad-abhidroheṇa nipatati
tatra hāsau tair jantubhiḥ paśu-mṛga-pakṣi-sarīsṛpair maśaka-
yūkā-matkuṇa-makṣikādibhir ye ke cābhidrugdhās taiḥ sarvato
'bhidruhyamāṇas tamasi vihata-nidrā-nirvṛtir alabdhāvasthānaḥ
parikrāmati yathā kuśarīre jīvaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—any person who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vai—indeed;

bhūtānām—to some living entities; īśvara—by the supreme
controller; upakalpita—designed; vṛttīnām—whose means of
livelihood; avivikta—not understanding; para-vyathānām—the
pain of others; svayam—himself; puruṣa-upakalpita—designed
by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vṛttiḥ—whose
livelihood; vivikta—understanding; para-vyathaḥ—the painful
conditions of others; vyathām ācarati—but still causes pain;
saḥ—such a person; paratra—in his next life; andhakūpe—to
the hell named Andhakūpa; tat—to them; abhidroheṇa—by the
sin of malice; nipatati—falls down; tatra—there; ha—indeed;
asau—that person; taiḥ jantubhiḥ—by those respective living
entities; paśu—animals; mṛga—wild beasts; pakṣi—birds;
sarīsṛpaiḥ—snakes; maśaka—mosquitoes; yūkā—lice;
matkuṇa—worms; makṣika-ādibhiḥ—flies and so on; ye ke—
whoever else; ca—and; abhidrugdhāḥ—persecuted; taiḥ—by
them; sarvataḥ—everywhere; abhidruhyamāṇaḥ—being
injured; tamasi—in the darkness; vihata—disturbed; nidrā-
nirvṛtiḥ—whose resting place; alabdha—not being able to
obtain; avasthānaḥ—a resting place; parikrāmati—wanders;
yathā—just as; ku-śarīre—in a low-grade body; jīvaḥ—a living
entity.
TRANSLATION
By the arrangement of the Supreme Lord, low-grade living
beings like bugs and mosquitoes suck the blood of human
beings and other animals. Such insignificant creatures are
unaware that their bites are painful to the human being.
However, first-class human beings—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas
and vaiśyas—are developed in consciousness, and therefore
they know how painful it is to be killed. A human being
endowed with knowledge certainly commits sin if he kills or
torments insignificant creatures, who have no
discrimination. The Supreme Lord punishes such a man by
putting him into the hell known as Andhakūpa, where he is
attacked by all the birds and beasts, reptiles, mosquitoes,
lice, worms, flies, and any other creatures he tormented
during his life. They attack him from all sides, robbing him
of the pleasure of sleep. Unable to rest, he constantly
wanders about in the darkness. Thus in Andhakūpa his
suffering is just like that of a creature in the lower species.
PURPORT
From this very instructive verse we learn that lower animals,

created by the laws of nature to disturb the human being, are
not subjected to punishment. Because the human being has
developed consciousness, however, he cannot do anything
against the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma without being
condemned. Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-
varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: "According to
the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to
them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me."
Thus all men should be divided into four classes—brāhmaṇas,
kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras—and they should act according
to their ordained regulations. They cannot deviate from their
prescribed rules and regulations. One of these states that they
should never trouble any animal, even those that disturb human
beings. Although a tiger is not sinful if he attacks another
animal and eats its flesh, if a man with developed
consciousness does so, he must be punished. In other words, a
human being who does not use his developed consciousness but
instead acts like an animal surely undergoes punishment in
many different hells.
The lower animals live off the blood of humans by the

arrangement of the Lord. They are not aware of the pain they
cause others. The Lord arranges for sustenance of the human
with rules and forbiddance. Because he is human, he can
understand the pain of other beings.
TEXT - SB 5.26.18
yas tv iha vā asaṁvibhajyāśnāti yat kiñcanopanatam anirmita-

pañca-yajño vāyasa-saṁstutaḥ sa paratra kṛmibhojane
narakādhame nipatati tatra śata-sahasra-yojane kṛmi-kuṇḍe
kṛmi-bhūtaḥ svayaṁ kṛmibhir eva bhakṣyamāṇaḥ kṛmi-bhojano
yāvat tad aprattāprahūtādo 'nirveśam ātmānaṁ yātayate.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—any person who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vā—or; asaṁ-

vibhajya—without dividing; aśnāti—eats; yat kiñcana—
whatever; upanatam—obtained by Kṛṣṇa's grace; anirmita—
not performing; pañca-yajñaḥ—the five kinds of sacrifice;
vāyasa—with the crows; saṁstutaḥ—who is described as
equal; saḥ—such a person; paratra—in the next life;
kṛmibhojane—named Kṛmibhojana; naraka-adhame—into the
most abominable of all hells; nipatati—falls down; tatra—
there; śata-sahasra-yojane—measuring 100,000 yojanas
(800,000 miles); kṛmi-kuṇḍe—in a lake of worms; kṛmi-bhūtaḥ
—becoming one of the worms; svayam—he himself; kṛmibhiḥ
—by the other worms; eva—certainly; bhakṣyamāṇaḥ—being
eaten; kṛmi-bhojanaḥ—eating worms; yāvat—as long as; tat—
that lake is wide; apratta-aprahūta—unshared and unoffered
food; adaḥ—one who eats; anirveśam—who has not performed
atonement; ātmānam—to himself; yātayate—gives pain.
TRANSLATION
A person is considered no better than a crow if after
receiving some food, he does not divide it among guests, old
men and children, but simply eats it himself, or if he eats it
without performing the five kinds of sacrifice. After death
he is put into the most abominable hell, known as
Kṛmibhojana. In that hell is a lake 100,000 yojanas
[800,000 miles] wide and filled with worms. He becomes a
worm in that lake and feeds on the other worms there, who
also feed on him. Unless he atones for his actions before his
death, such a sinful man remains in the hellish lake of
Kṛmibhojana for as many years as there are yojanas in the
width of the lake.
PURPORT
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.13):
yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv agham pāpā
ya pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt
"The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins
because they eat food which is first offered for sacrifice.
Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily
eat only sin." All food is given to us by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān: the
Lord supplies everyone with the necessities of life. Therefore
we should acknowledge His mercy by performing yajña
(sacrifice). This is the duty of everyone. Indeed, the sole
purpose of life is to perform yajña. According to Kṛṣṇa (Bg.
3.9):
yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra

loko 'yam karma-bandhanaḥ
tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya
mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara
"Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed,

otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O
son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His
satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached
and free from bondage." If we do not perform yajña and
distribute prasāda to others, our lives are condemned. Only
after performing yajña and distributing the prasāda to all
dependents—children, brāhmaṇas and old men—should one
eat. However, one who cooks only for himself or his family is
condemned, along with everyone he feeds. After death he is put
into the hell known as Kṛmibhojana.
He who eats what he attains (upanatam) with out sharing it, is

described to be like a crow, or is praised by those equal to
crows. He eats worms and is eaten by them. As long as the sin
remains, the person who eats what is not shared (apratta) and
which is unoffered (aprahūta) suffers, not having undergone
atonement (anirveśam).
TEXT - SB 5.26.19
yas tv iha vai steyena balād vā hiraṇya-ratnādīni brāhmaṇasya

vāpaharaty anyasya vānāpadi puruṣas tam amutra rājan yama-
puruṣā ayasmayair agni-piṇḍaiḥ sandaṁśais tvaci niṣkuṣanti.
SYNONYMS

steyena—by thievery; balāt—by force; vā—or; hiraṇya—gold;
ratna—gems; ādīni—and so on; brāhmaṇasya—of a
brāhmaṇa; vā—or; apaharati—steals; anyasya—of others; vā
—or; anāpadi—not in a calamity; puruṣaḥ—a person; tam—
him; amutra—in the next life; rājan—O King; yama-puruṣāḥ
—the agents of Yamarāja; ayaḥ-mayaiḥ—made of iron; agni-
piṇḍaiḥ—balls heated in fire; sandaṁśaiḥ—with tongs; tvaci—
on the skin; niṣkuṣanti—tear to pieces.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, a person who in the absence of an
emergency robs a brāhmaṇa—or, indeed, anyone else—of
his gems and gold is put into a hell known as Sandaṁśa.
There his skin is torn and separated by red-hot iron balls
and tongs. In this way, his entire body is cut to pieces.

Niṣkuṣanti means “they cut.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.20
yas tv iha vā agamyāṁ striyam agamyaṁ vā puruṣaṁ yoṣid

abhigacchati tāv amutra kaśayā tāḍayantas tigmayā sūrmyā
lohamayyā puruṣam āliṅgayanti striyaṁ ca puruṣa-rūpayā
sūrmyā.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—any person who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vā—or;

agamyām—unsuitable; striyam—a woman; agamyam—
unsuitable; vā—or; puruṣam—a man; yoṣit—a woman;
abhigacchati—approaches for sexual intercourse; tau—both of
them; amutra—in the next life; kaśayā—by whips; tāḍayantaḥ
—beating; tigmayā—very hot; sūrmyā—by an image; loha-
mayyā—made of iron; puruṣam—the man; āliṅgayanti—they
embrace; striyam—the woman; ca—also; puruṣa-rūpayā—in
the form of a man; sūrmyā—by an image.
TRANSLATION
A man or woman who indulges in sexual intercourse with
an unworthy member of the opposite sex is punished after
death by the assistants of Yamarāja in the hell known as
Taptasūrmi. There such men and women are beaten with
whips. The man is forced to embrace a red-hot iron form of
a woman, and the woman is forced to embrace a similar
form of a man. Such is the punishment for illicit sex.
PURPORT
Generally a man should not have sexual relations with any

woman other than his wife. According to Vedic principles, the
wife of another man is considered one's mother, and sexual
relations are strictly forbidden with one's mother, sister and
daughter. If one indulges in illicit sexual relations with another
man's wife, that activity is considered identical with having sex
with one's mother. This act is most sinful. The same principle
holds for a woman also; if she enjoys sex with a man other than
her husband, the act is tantamount to having sexual relations
with her father or son. Illicit sex life is always forbidden, and
any man or woman who indulges in it is punished in the
manner described in this verse.
Tigmayā sūrmyā means “with a red hot statue.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.21
yas tv iha vai sarvābhigamas tam amutra niraye vartamānaṁ

vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalīm āropya niṣkarṣanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vai—indeed;

sarva-abhigamaḥ—indulges in sex life indiscriminately, with
both men and animals; tam—him; amutra—in the next life;
niraye—in the hell; vartamānam—existing; vajrakaṇṭaka-
śālmalīm—a silk-cotton tree with thorns like thunderbolts;
āropya—mounting him on; niṣkarṣanti—they pull him out.
TRANSLATION
A person who indulges in sex indiscriminately—even with
animals—is taken after death to the hell known as
Vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī. In this hell there is a silk-cotton tree
full of thorns as strong as thunderbolts. The agents of
Yamarāja hang the sinful man on that tree and pull him
down forcibly so that the thorns very severely tear his body.
PURPORT
The sexual urge is so strong that sometimes a man indulges in

sexual relations with a cow, or a woman indulges in sexual
relations with a dog. Such men and women are put into the hell
known as Vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement forbids illicit sex. From the description of these
verses, we can understand what an extremely sinful act illicit
sex is. Sometimes people disbelieve these descriptions of hell,
but whether one believes or not, everything must be carried out
by the laws of nature, which no one can avoid.
Sarvābhigamaḥ means “approaching even animals.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.22
ye tv iha vai rājanyā rāja-puruṣā vā apākhaṇḍā dharma-setūn
bhindanti te samparetya vaitaraṇyāṁ nipatanti bhinna-
maryādās tasyāṁ niraya-parikhā-bhūtāyāṁ nadyāṁ yādo-
gaṇair itas tato bhakṣyamāṇā ātmanā na viyujyamānāś cāsubhir
uhyamānāḥ svāghena karma-pākam anusmaranto viṇ-mūtra-
pūya-śoṇita-keśa-nakhāsthi-medo-māṁsa-vasā-vāhinyām
upatapyante.
SYNONYMS
ye—persons who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vai—indeed;

rājanyāḥ—members of the royal family, or kṣatriyas; rāja-
puruṣāḥ—government servants; vā—or; apākhaṇḍāḥ—
although born in responsible families; dharma-setūn—the
bounds of prescribed religious principles; bhindanti—
transgress; te—they; samparetya—after dying; vaitaraṇyām—
named Vaitaraṇī; nipatanti—fall down; bhinna-maryādāḥ—
who have broken the regulative principles; tasyām—in that;
niraya-parikhā-bhūtāyām—the moat surrounding hell; nadyām
—in the river; yādaḥ-gaṇaiḥ—by ferocious aquatic animals;
itaḥ tataḥ—here and there; bhakṣyamāṇāḥ—being eaten;
ātmanā—with the body; na—not; viyujyamānāḥ—being
separated; ca—and; asubhiḥ—the life airs; uhyamānāḥ—being
carried; sva-aghena—by his own sinful activities; karma-
pākam—the result of his impious activities; anusmarantaḥ—
remembering; viṭ—of stool; mūtra—urine; pūya—pus; śoṇita
—blood; keśa—hair; nakha—nails; asthi—bones; medaḥ—
marrow; māṁsa—flesh; vasā—fat; vāhinyām—in the river;
upatapyante—are afflicted with pain.
TRANSLATION
A person who is born into a responsible family—such as a
kṣatriya, a member of royalty or a government servant—
but who neglects to execute his prescribed duties according
to religious principles, and who thus becomes degraded,
falls down at the time of death into the river of hell known
as Vaitaraṇī. This river, which is a moat surrounding hell,
is full of ferocious aquatic animals. When a sinful man is
thrown into the River Vaitaraṇī, the aquatic animals there
immediately begin to eat him, but because of his extremely
sinful life, he does not leave his body. He constantly
remembers his sinful activities and suffers terribly in that
river, which is full of stool, urine, pus, blood, hair, nails,
bones, marrow, flesh and fat.
He is not separated from his body (ātmanā).
TEXT - SB 5.26.23
ye tv iha vai vṛṣalī-patayo naṣṭa-śaucācāra-niyamās tyakta-

lajjāḥ paśu-caryāṁ caranti te cāpi pretya pūya-viṇ-mūtra-
śleṣma-malā-pūrṇārṇave nipatanti tad evātibībhatsitam aśnanti.
SYNONYMS

vṛṣalī-patayaḥ—the husbands of the śūdras; naṣṭa—lost;
śauca-ācāra-niyamāḥ—whose cleanliness, good behavior and
regulated life; tyakta-lajjāḥ—without shame; paśu-caryām—
the behavior of animals; caranti—they execute; te—they; ca—
also; api—indeed; pretya—dying; pūya—of pus; viṭ—stool;
mūtra—urine; śleṣma—mucus; malā—saliva; pūrṇa—full;
arṇave—in an ocean; nipatanti—fall; tat—that; eva—only;
atibībhatsitam—extremely disgusting; aśnanti—they eat.
TRANSLATION
The shameless husbands of lowborn śūdra women live
exactly like animals, and therefore they have no good
behavior, cleanliness or regulated life. After death, such
persons are thrown into the hell called Pūyoda, where they
are put into an ocean filled with pus, stool, urine, mucus,
saliva and similar things. Śūdras who could not improve
themselves fall into that ocean and are forced to eat those
disgusting things.
PURPORT
Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung,
karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, kevala viṣera bāṇḍa,

amṛta baliyā yebā khāya
nānā yoni sadā phire, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare,
tāra janma adaḥ-pate yāya
He says that persons following the paths of karma-kāṇḍa and

jñāna-kāṇḍa (fruitive activities and speculative thinking) are
missing the opportunities for human birth and gliding down
into the cycle of birth and death. Thus there is always the
chance that he may be put into the Pūyoda Naraka, the hell
named Pūyoda, where one is forced to eat stool, urine, pus,
mucus, saliva and other abominable things. It is significant that
this verse is spoken especially about śūdras. If one is born a
śūdra, he must continually return to the ocean of Pūyoda to eat
horrible things. Thus even a born śūdra is expected to become a
brāhmaṇa; that is the meaning of human life. Everyone should
improve himself. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-
varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: "According to
the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to
them, four divisions of human society were created by Me."
Even if one is by qualification a śūdra, he must try to improve
his position and become a brāhmaṇa. No one should try to
check a person, no matter what his present position is, from
coming to the platform of a brāhmaṇa or a Vaiṣṇava. Actually,
one must come to the platform of a Vaiṣṇava. Then he
automatically becomes a brāhmaṇa. This can be done only if
the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spread, for we are trying
to elevate everyone to the platform of Vaiṣṇava. As Kṛṣṇa says
in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66), sarva-dharmān parityajya mām
ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Abandon all other duties and simply
surrender unto Me." One must give up the occupational duties
of a śūdra, kṣatriya or vaiśya and adopt the occupational duties
of a Vaiṣṇava, which include the activities of a brāhmaṇa.
Kṛṣṇa explains this in Bhagavad-gītā (9.32):
māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
"O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be
of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras
[workers]—can approach the supreme destination." Human life
is specifically meant for going back home, back to Godhead.
That facility should be given to everyone, whether one be a
śūdra, a vaiśya, a woman or a kṣatriya. This is the purpose of
the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. However, if one is
satisfied to remain a śūdra, he must suffer as described in this
verse: tad evātibībhatsitam aśnanti.
A description of the river Pūyoda is given.
TEXT - SB 5.26.24
ye tv iha vai śva-gardabha-patayo brāhmaṇādayo mṛgayā

vihārā atīrthe ca mṛgān nighnanti tān api samparetāl̐ lakṣya-
bhūtān yama-puruṣā iṣubhir vidhyanti.
SYNONYMS
ye—those who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vai—or; śva—of

dogs; gardabha—and asses; patayaḥ—maintainers; brāhmaṇa-
ādayaḥ—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas; mṛgayā vihārāḥ—
taking pleasure in hunting animals in the forest; atīrthe—other
than prescribed; ca—also; mṛgān—animals; nighnanti—kill;
tān—them; api—indeed; samparetān—having died; lakṣya-
bhūtān—becoming the targets; yama-puruṣāḥ—the assistants
of Yamarāja; iṣubhiḥ—by arrows; vidhyanti—pierce.
TRANSLATION
If in this life a man of the higher classes [brāhmaṇa,
kṣatriya and vaiśya] is very fond of taking his pet dogs,
mules or asses into the forest to hunt and kill animals
unnecessarily, he is placed after death into the hell known
as Prāṇarodha. There the assistants of Yamarāja make him
their targets and pierce him with arrows.
PURPORT
In the Western countries especially, aristocrats keep dogs and

horses to hunt animals in the forest. Whether in the West or the
East, aristocratic men in the Kali-yuga adopt the fashion of
going to the forest and unnecessarily killing animals. Men of
the higher classes (the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas)
should cultivate knowledge of Brahman, and they should also
give the śūdras a chance to come to that platform. If instead
they indulge in hunting, they are punished as described in this
verse. Not only are they pierced with arrows by the agents of
Yamarāja, but they are also put into the ocean of pus, urine and
stool described in the previous verse.
Atīrthe means “against the rules.”

TEXT - SB 5.26.25
ye tv iha vai dāmbhikā dambha-yajñeṣu paśūn viśasanti tān

amuṣmil̐ loke vaiśase narake patitān niraya-patayo yātayitvā
viśasanti.
SYNONYMS

dāmbhikāḥ—very proud of wealth and a prestigious position;
dambha-yajñeṣu—in a sacrifice performed to increase prestige;
paśūn—animals; viśasanti—kill; tān—them; amuṣmin loke—in
the next world; vaiśase—Vaiśasa or Viśasana; narake—into
the hell; patitān—fallen; niraya-patayaḥ—assistants of
Yamarāja; yātayitvā—causing sufficient pain; viśasanti—kill.
TRANSLATION
A person who in this life is proud of his eminent position,
and who heedlessly sacrifices animals simply for material
prestige, is put into the hell called Viśasana after death.
There the assistants of Yamarāja kill him after giving him
unlimited pain.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (6.41) Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe

yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate: "Because of his previous connection
with bhakti-yoga, a man is born into a prestigious family of
brāhmaṇas or aristocrats." Having taken such a birth, one
should utilize it to perfect bhakti-yoga. However, due to bad
association one often forgets that his prestigious position has
been given to him by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
he misuses it by performing various kinds of so-called yajñas
like kālī-pūjā or durgā-pūjā, in which poor animals are
sacrificed. How such a person is punished is described herein.
The word dambha-yajñeṣu in this verse is significant. If one
violates the Vedic instructions while performing yajña and
simply makes a show of sacrifice for the purpose of killing
animals, he is punishable after death. In Calcutta there are
many slaughterhouses where animal flesh is sold that has
supposedly been offered in sacrifice before the goddess Kālī.
The śāstras enjoin that one can sacrifice a small goat before the
goddess Kālī once a month. Nowhere is it said that one can
maintain a slaughterhouse in the name of temple worship and
daily kill animals unnecessarily. Those who do so receive the
punishments described herein.
Viśasanti means “they kill.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.26
yas tv iha vai savarṇāṁ bhāryāṁ dvijo retaḥ pāyayati kāma-

mohitas taṁ pāpa-kṛtam amutra retaḥ-kulyāyāṁ pātayitvā retaḥ
sampāyayanti.
SYNONYMS
savarṇām—of the same caste; bhāryām—his wife; dvijaḥ—a
person of a higher caste (such as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or
vaiśya); retaḥ—the semen; pāyayati—causes to drink; kāma-
mohitaḥ—being deluded by lusty desires; tam—him; pāpa-
kṛtam—performing sin; amutra—in the next life; retaḥ-
kulyāyām—in a river of semen; pātayitvā—throwing; retaḥ—
semen; sampāyayanti—force to drink.
TRANSLATION
If a foolish member of the twice-born classes [brāhmaṇa,
kṣatriya and vaiśya] forces his wife to drink his semen out
of a lusty desire to keep her under control, he is put after
death into the hell known as Lālābhakṣa. There he is
thrown into a flowing river of semen, which he is forced to
drink.
PURPORT
The practice of forcing one's wife to drink one's own semen is a

black art practiced by extremely lusty persons. Those who
practice this very abominable activity say that if a wife is
forced to drink her husband's semen, she remains very faithful
to him. Generally only low-class men engage in this black art,
but if a man born in a higher class does so, after death he is put
into the hell known as Lālābhakṣa. There he is immersed in the
river known as Śukra-nadī and forced to drink semen.

He makes his wife drink semen to get special powers of
control.
TEXT - SB 5.26.27
ye tv iha vai dasyavo 'gnidā garadā grāmān sārthān vā

vilumpanti rājāno rāja-bhaṭā vā tāṁś cāpi hi paretya yamadūtā
vajra-daṁṣṭrāḥ śvānaḥ sapta-śatāni viṁśatiś ca sarabhasaṁ
khādanti.
SYNONYMS

dasyavaḥ—thieves and plunderers; agni-dāḥ—who set fire;
garadāḥ—who administer poison; grāmān—villages; sārthān
—the mercantile class of men; vā—or; vilumpanti—plunder;
rājānaḥ—kings; rāja-bhaṭāḥ—government officials; vā—or;
tān—them; ca—also; api—indeed; hi—certainly; paretya—
having died; yamadūtāḥ—the assistants of Yamarāja; vajra-
daṁṣṭrāḥ—having mighty teeth; śvānaḥ—dogs; sapta-śatāni—
seven hundred; viṁśatiḥ—twenty; ca—and; sarabhasam—
voraciously; khādanti—devour.
TRANSLATION
In this world, some persons are professional plunderers
who set fire to others' houses or administer poison to them.
Also, members of the royalty or government officials
sometimes plunder mercantile men by forcing them to pay
income tax and by other methods. After death such demons
are put into the hell known as Sārameyādana. On that
planet there are 720 dogs with teeth as strong as
thunderbolts. Under the orders of the agents of Yamarāja,
these dogs voraciously devour such sinful people.
PURPORT
In the Twelfth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said that in

this age of Kali everyone will be extremely disturbed by three
kinds of tribulations: scarcity of rain, famine, and heavy
taxation by the government. Because human beings are
becoming more and more sinful. there will be a scarcity of rain,
and naturally no food grains will be produced. On the plea of
relieving the suffering caused by the ensuing famine, the
government will impose heavy taxes, especially on the wealthy
mercantile community. In this verse, the members of such a
government are described as dasyu, thieves. Their main activity
will be to plunder the wealth of the people. Whether a highway
robber or a government thief, such a man will be punished in
his next life by being thrown into the hell known as
Sārameyādana, where he will suffer greatly from the bites of
ferocious dogs.
TEXT - SB 5.26.28
yas tv iha vā anṛtaṁ vadati sākṣye dravya-vinimaye dāne vā

kathañcit sa vai pretya narake 'vīcimaty adhaḥ-śirā niravakāśe
yojana-śatocchrāyād giri-mūrdhnaḥ sampātyate yatra jalam iva
sthalam aśma-pṛṣṭham avabhāsate tad avīcimat tilaśo
viśīryamāṇa-śarīro na mriyamāṇaḥ punar āropito nipatati.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vā—or; anṛtam—

a lie; vadati—speaks; sākṣye—giving witness; dravya-vinimaye
—in exchange for goods; dāne—in giving charity; vā—or;
kathañcit—somehow; saḥ—that person; vai—indeed; pretya—
after dying; narake—in the hell; avīcimati—named Avīcimat
(having no water); adhaḥ-śirāḥ—with his head downward;
niravakāśe—without support; yojana-śata—of eight hundred
miles; ucchrāyāt—having a height; giri—of a mountain;
mūrdhnaḥ—from the top; sampātyate—is thrown; yatra—
where; jalam iva—like water; sthalam—land; aśma-pṛṣṭham—
having a surface of stone; avabhāsate—appears; tat—that;
avīcimat—having no water or waves; tilaśaḥ—in pieces as
small as seeds; viśīryamāṇa—being broken; śarīraḥ—the
body; na mriyamāṇaḥ—not dying; punaḥ—again; āropitaḥ—
raised to the top; nipatati—falls down.
TRANSLATION
A person who in this life bears false witness or lies while
transacting business or giving charity is severely punished
after death by the agents of Yamarāja. Such a sinful man is
taken to the top of a mountain eight hundred miles high
and thrown headfirst into the hell known as Avīcimat. This
hell has no shelter and is made of strong stone resembling
the waves of water. There is no water there, however, and
thus it is called Avīcimat [waterless]. Although the sinful
man is repeatedly thrown from the mountain and his body
broken to tiny pieces, he still does not die but continuously
suffers chastisement.
Niravakāśe means “alone.” The meaning of avīci is explained:

where there are no waves, only stones resembling waves.
TEXT - SB 5.26.29
yas tv iha vai vipro rājanyo vaiśyo vā soma-pīthas tat-kalatraṁ

vā surāṁ vrata-stho 'pi vā pibati pramādatas teṣāṁ nirayaṁ
nītānām urasi padākramyāsye vahninā dravamāṇaṁ
kārṣṇāyasaṁ niṣiñcanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—anyone who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vai—indeed;

vipraḥ—a learned brāhmaṇa; rājanyaḥ—a kṣatriya; vaiśyaḥ—
a vaiśya; vā—or; soma-pīthaḥ—drink soma-rasa; tat—his;
kalatram—wife; vā—or; surām—liquor; vrata-sthaḥ—being
situated in a vow; api—certainly; vā—or; pibati—drinks;
pramādataḥ—out of illusion; teṣām—of all of them; nirayam
—to hell; nītānām—being brought; urasi—on the chest; padā
—with the foot; ākramya—stepping; asye—in the mouth;
vahninā—by fire; dravamāṇam—melted; kārṣṇāyasam—iron;
niṣiñcanti—they pour into.
TRANSLATION
Any brāhmaṇa or brāhmaṇa's wife who drinks liquor is
taken by the agents of Yamarāja to the hell known as
Ayaḥpāna. This hell also awaits any kṣatriya, vaiśya, or
person under a vow who in illusion drinks soma-rasa. In
Ayaḥpāna the agents of Yamarāja stand on their chests and
pour hot melted iron into their mouths.
PURPORT
One should not be a brāhmaṇa in name only and engage in all

kinds of sinful activities, especially drinking liquor.
Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas must behave according to the
principles of their order. If they fall down to the level of śūdras,
who are accustomed to drink liquor. they will be punished as
described herein.
Soma-pīthaḥ means “drinking soma.” They are made to drink

iron made liquid by fire.
TEXT - SB 5.26.30
atha ca yas tv iha vā ātma-sambhāvanena svayam adhamo

janma-tapo-vidyācāra-varṇāśramavato varīyaso na bahu
manyeta sa mṛtaka eva mṛtvā kṣārakardame niraye 'vāk-śirā
nipātito durantā yātanā hy aśnute.
SYNONYMS
atha—furthermore; ca—also; yaḥ—anyone who; tu—but; iha

—in this life; vā—or; ātma-sambhāvanena—by false prestige;
svayam—himself; adhamaḥ—very degraded; janma—good
birth; tapaḥ—austerities; vidyā—knowledge; ācāra—good
behavior; varṇa-āśrama-vataḥ—in terms of strictly following
the principles of varṇāśrama; varīyasaḥ—of one who is more
honorable; na—not; bahu—much; manyeta—respects; saḥ—
he; mṛtakaḥ—a dead body; eva—only; mṛtvā—after dying;
kṣārakardame—named Kṣārakardama; niraye—in the hell;
avāk-śirā—with his head downward; nipātitaḥ—thrown;
durantāḥ yātanāḥ—severe painful conditions; hi—indeed;
aśnute—suffers.
TRANSLATION
A lowborn and abominable person who in this life becomes
falsely proud, thinking "I am great," and who thus fails to
show proper respect to one more elevated than he by birth,
austerity, education, behavior, caste or spiritual order, is
like a dead man even in this lifetime, and after death he is
thrown headfirst into the hell known as Kṣārakardama.
There he must great suffer great tribulation at the hands of
the agents of Yamarāja.
PURPORT
One should not become falsely proud. One must be respectful

toward a person more elevated than he by birth, education,
behavior, caste or spiritual order. If one does not show respect
to such highly elevated persons but indulges in false pride, he
receives punishment in Kṣārakardama.
Ātma-sambhāvanena means “by false ego.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.31
ye tv iha vai puruṣāḥ puruṣa-medhena yajante yāś ca striyo nṛ-

paśūn khādanti tāṁś ca te paśava iva nihatā yama-sadane
yātayanto rakṣo-gaṇāḥ saunikā iva svadhitināvadāyāsṛk pibanti
nṛtyanti ca gāyanti ca hṛṣyamāṇā yatheha puruṣādāḥ.
SYNONYMS

puruṣāḥ—men; puruṣa-medhena—by sacrifice of a man;
yajante—worship (the goddess Kālī or Bhadra Kālī); yāḥ—
those who; ca—and; striyaḥ—women; nṛ-paśūn—the men
used as sacrifice; khādanti—eat; tān—them; ca—and; te—
they; paśavaḥ iva—like the animals; nihatāḥ—being slain;
yama-sadane—in the abode of Yamarāja; yātayantaḥ—
punishing; rakṣaḥ-gaṇāḥ—being Rākṣasas; saunikāḥ—the
killers; iva—like; svadhitinā—by a sword; avadāya—cutting to
pieces; asṛk—the blood; pibanti—drink; nṛtyanti—dance; ca—
and; gāyanti—sing; ca—also; hṛṣyamāṇāḥ—being delighted;
yathā—just like; iha—in this world; puruṣa-adāḥ—the man-
eaters.
TRANSLATION
There are men and women in this world who sacrifice
human beings to Bhairava or Bhadra Kālī and then eat
their victims' flesh. Those who perform such sacrifices are
taken after death to the abode of Yamarāja, where their
victims, having taken the form of Rākṣasas, cut them to
pieces with sharpened swords. Just as in this world the
man-eaters drank their victims' blood, dancing and singing
in jubilation, their victims now enjoy drinking the blood of
the sacrificers and celebrating in the same way.
TEXT - SB 5.26.32
ye tv iha vā anāgaso 'raṇye grāme vā vaiśrambhakair upasṛtān

upaviśrambhayya jijīviṣūn śūla-sūtrādiṣūpaprotān
krīḍanakatayā yātayanti te 'pi ca pretya yama-yātanāsu śūlādiṣu
protātmānaḥ kṣut-tṛḍbhyāṁ cābhihatāḥ kaṅka-vaṭādibhiś cetas
tatas tigma-tuṇḍair āhanyamānā ātma-śamalaṁ smaranti.
SYNONYMS
ye—persons who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vā—or; anāgasaḥ

—who are faultless; araṇye—in the forest; grāme—in the
village; vā—or; vaiśrambhakaiḥ—by means of good faith;
upasṛtān—brought near; upaviśrambhayya—inspiring with
confidence; jijīviṣūn—who want to be protected; śūla-sūtra-
ādiṣu—on a lance, thread, and so on; upaprotān—fixed;
krīḍanakatayā—like a plaything; yātayanti—cause pain; te—
those persons; api—certainly; ca—and; pretya—after dying;
yama-yātanāsu—the persecutions of Yamarāja; śūla-ādiṣu—on
lances and so on; prota-ātmānaḥ—whose bodies are fixed;
kṣut-tṛḍbhyām—by hunger and thirst; ca—also; abhihatāḥ—
overwhelmed; kaṅka-vaṭa-ādibhiḥ—by birds such as herons
and vultures; ca—and; itaḥ tataḥ—here and there; tigma-
tuṇḍaiḥ—having pointed beaks; āhanyamānāḥ—being
tortured; ātma-śamalam—own sinful activities; smaranti—they
remember.
TRANSLATION
In this life some people give shelter to animals and birds
that come to them for protection in the village or forest, and
after making them believe that they will be protected, such
people pierce them with lances or threads and play with
them like toys, giving them great pain. After death such
people are brought by the assistants of Yamarāja to the hell
known as Śūlaprota, where their bodies are pierced with
sharp, needlelike lances. They suffer from hunger and
thirst, and sharp-beaked birds such as vultures and herons
come at them from all sides to tear at their bodies. Tortured
and suffering, they can then remember the sinful activities
they committed in the past.
Vaiśrambhakair means “by faith-inspiring methods.”
TEXT - SB 5.26.33
ye tv iha vai bhūtāny udvejayanti narā ulbaṇa-svabhāvā yathā

dandaśūkās te 'pi pretya narake dandaśūkākhye nipatanti yatra
nṛpa dandaśūkāḥ pañca-mukhāḥ sapta-mukhā upasṛtya grasanti
yathā bileśayān.
SYNONYMS

bhūtāni—to living entities; udvejayanti—cause unnecessary
pain; narāḥ—men; ulbaṇa-svabhāvāḥ—angry by nature; yathā
—just like; dandaśūkāḥ—snakes; te—they; api—also; pretya
—after dying; narake—in the hell; dandaśūka-ākhye—named
Dandaśūka; nipatanti—fall down; yatra—where; nṛpa—O
King; dandaśūkāḥ—serpents; pañca-mukhāḥ—having five
hoods; sapta-mukhāḥ—having seven hoods; upasṛtya—
reaching up; grasanti—eat; yathā—just like; bileśayān—mice.
TRANSLATION
Those who in this life are like envious serpents, always
angry and giving pain to other living entities, fall after
death into the hell known as Dandaśūka. My dear King, in
this hell there are serpents with five or seven hoods. These
serpents eat such sinful persons just as snakes eat mice.
Vileśayān means mice.
TEXT - SB 5.26.34
ye tv iha vā andhāvaṭa-kusūla-guhādiṣu bhūtāni nirundhanti

tathāmutra teṣv evopaveśya sagareṇa vahninā dhūmena
nirundhanti.
SYNONYMS
ye—persons who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vā—or; andha-

avaṭa—a blind well; kusūla—granaries; guha-ādiṣu—and in
caves; bhūtāni—the living entities; nirundhanti—confine; tathā
—similarly; amutra—in the next life; teṣu—in those same
places; eva—certainly; upaveśya—causing to enter; sagareṇa
—with poisonous fumes; vahninā—with fire; dhūmena—with
smoke; nirundhanti—confine.
TRANSLATION
Those who in this life confine other living entities in dark
wells, granaries or mountain caves are put after death into
the hell known as Avaṭa-nirodhana. There they themselves
are pushed into dark wells, where poisonous fumes and
smoke suffocate them and they suffer very severely.
TEXT - SB 5.26.35
yas tv iha vā atithīn abhyāgatān vā gṛha-patir asakṛd upagata-

manyur didhakṣur iva pāpena cakṣuṣā nirīkṣate tasya cāpi
niraye pāpa-dṛṣṭer akṣiṇī vajra-tuṇḍā gṛdhrāḥ kaṅka-kāka-
vaṭādayaḥ prasahyoru-balād utpāṭayanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—a person who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vā—or; atithīn

—guests; abhyāgatān—visitors; vā—or; gṛha-patiḥ—a
householder; asakṛt—many times; upagata—obtaining;
manyuḥ—anger; didhakṣuḥ—one desiring to burn; iva—like;
pāpena—sinful; cakṣuṣā—with eyes; nirīkṣate—looks at; tasya
—of him; ca—and; api—certainly; niraye—in hell; pāpa-
dṛṣṭeḥ—of he whose vision has become sinful; akṣiṇī—the
eyes; vajra-tuṇḍāḥ—those who have powerful beaks; gṛdhrāḥ
—vultures; kaṅka—herons; kāka—crows; vaṭa-ādayaḥ—and
other birds; prasahya—violently; uru-balāt—with great force;
utpāṭayanti—pluck out.
TRANSLATION
A householder who receives guests or visitors with cruel
glances, as if to burn them to ashes, is put into the hell
called Paryāvartana, where he is gazed at by hard-eyed
vultures, herons, crows and similar birds, which suddenly
swoop down and pluck out his eyes with great force.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic etiquette, even an enemy who comes to

a householder's home should be received in such a gentle way
that he forgets that he has come to the home of an enemy. A
guest who comes to one's home should be received very
politely. If he is unwanted, the householder should not stare at
him with blinking eyes, for one who does so will be put into the
hell known as Paryāvartana after death, and there many
ferocious birds like vultures, crows, and coknis will suddenly
come upon him and pluck out his eyes.
Atithīn mans guests who come without prior notice.

Abhyāgatān are those who have been invited.
TEXT - SB 5.26.36
yas tv iha vā āḍhyābhimatir ahaṅkṛtis tiryak-prekṣaṇaḥ sarvato

'bhiviśaṅkī artha-vyaya-nāśa-cintayā pariśuṣyamāṇa-hṛdaya-
vadano nirvṛtim anavagato graha ivārtham abhirakṣati sa cāpi
pretya tad-utpādanotkarṣaṇa-saṁrakṣaṇa-śamala-grahaḥ
sūcīmukhe narake nipatati yatra ha vitta-grahaṁ pāpa-puruṣaṁ
dharmarāja-puruṣā vāyakā iva sarvato 'ṅgeṣu sūtraiḥ
parivayanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—any person who; tu—but; iha—in this world; vā—or;

āḍhya-abhimatiḥ—proud because of wealth; ahaṅkṛtiḥ—
egotistic; tiryak-prekṣaṇaḥ—whose vision is crooked; sarvataḥ
abhiviśaṅkī—always fearful of being cheated by others, even
by superiors; artha-vyaya-nāśa-cintayā—by the thought of
expenditure and loss; pariśuṣyamāṇa—dried up; hṛdaya-
vadanaḥ—his heart and face; nirvṛtim—happiness; anavagataḥ
—not obtaining; grahaḥ—a ghost; iva—like; artham—wealth;
abhirakṣati—protects; saḥ—he; ca—also; api—indeed; pretya
—after dying; tat—of those riches; utpādana—of the earning;
utkarṣaṇa—increasing; saṁrakṣaṇa—protecting; śamala-
grahaḥ—accepting the sinful activities; sūcīmukhe—named
Sūcīmukha; narake—in the hell; nipatati—falls down; yatra—
where; ha—indeed; vitta-graham—as a money-grabbing ghost;
pāpa-puruṣam—very sinful man; dharmarāja-puruṣāḥ—the
commanding men of Yamarāja; vāyakāḥ iva—like expert
weavers; sarvataḥ—all over; aṅgeṣu—on the limbs of the
body; sūtraiḥ—by threads; parivayanti—stitch.
TRANSLATION
One who in this world or this life is very proud of his wealth
always thinks, "I am so rich. Who can equal me?" His
vision is twisted, and he is always afraid that someone will
take his wealth. Indeed, he even suspects his superiors. His
face and heart dry up at the thought of losing his wealth,
and therefore he always looks like a wretched fiend. He is
not in any way able to obtain actual happiness, and he does
not know what it is to be free from anxiety. Because of the
sinful things he does to earn money, augment his wealth
and protect it, he is put into the hell called Sūcīmukha,
where the officials of Yamarāja punish him by stitching
thread through his entire body like weavers manufacturing
cloth.
PURPORT
When one possesses more wealth than necessary, he certainly

becomes very proud. This is the situation of men in modern
civilization. According to the Vedic culture, brāhmaṇas do not
possess anything, whereas kṣatriyas possess riches, but only for
performing sacrifices and other noble activities as prescribed in
the Vedic injunctions. A vaiśya also earns money honestly
through agriculture, cow protection and some trade. If a śūdra
gets money, however, he will spend it lavishly, without
discrimination, or simply accumulate it for no purpose. Because
in this age there are no qualified brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas or
vaiśyas, almost everyone is a śūdra (kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ).
Therefore the śūdra mentality is causing great harm to modern
civilization. A śūdra does not know how to use money to
render transcendental loving service to the Lord. Money is also
called lakṣmī, and Lakṣmī is always engaged in the service of
Nārāyaṇa. Wherever there is money, it must be engaged in the
service of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Everyone should use his money to
spread the great transcendental movement of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. If one does not spend money for this purpose
but accumulates more than necessary, he will certainly become
proud of the money he illegally possesses. The money actually
belongs to Kṛṣṇa, who says in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29),
bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: "I am the
true enjoyer of sacrifices and penances, and I am the owner of
all the planets." Therefore nothing belongs to anyone but
Kṛṣṇa. One who possesses more money than he needs should
spend it for Kṛṣṇa. Unless one does so, he will become puffed
up because of his false possessions, and therefore he will be
punished in the next life, as described herein.
Āḍhyābhimatir means “proud of wealth.” Ahaṅkṛaḥ means

proud. He worries about respectable persons, thinking that they
will take his wealth. The servants of Yama sew him up with
threads.
TEXT - SB 5.26.37
evaṁ-vidhā narakā yamālaye santi śataśaḥ sahasraśas teṣu

sarveṣu ca sarva evādharma-vartino ye kecid ihoditā anuditāś
cāvani-pate paryāyeṇa viśanti tathaiva dharmānuvartina itaratra
iha tu punar-bhave ta ubhaya-śeṣābhyāṁ niviśanti.
SYNONYMS
evam-vidhāḥ—of this sort; narakāḥ—the many hells; yama-

ālaye—in the province of Yamarāja; santi—are; śataśaḥ—
hundreds; sahasraśaḥ—thousands; teṣu—in those hellish
planets; sarveṣu—all; ca—also; sarve—all; eva—indeed;
adharma-vartinaḥ—persons not following the Vedic principles
or regulative principles; ye kecit—whosoever; iha—here;
uditāḥ—mentioned; anuditāḥ—not mentioned; ca—and; avani-
pate—O King; paryāyeṇa—according to the degree of different
kinds of sinful activity; viśanti—they enter; tathā eva—
similarly; dharma-anuvartinaḥ—those who are pious and act
according to the regulative principles or Vedic injunctions;
itaratra—elsewhere; iha—on this planet; tu—but; punaḥ-
bhave—into another birth; te—all of them; ubhaya-śeṣābhyām
—by the remainder of the results of piety or vice; niviśanti—
they enter.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Parīkṣit, in the province of Yamarāja there
are hundreds and thousands of hellish planets. The impious
people I have mentioned—and also those I have not
mentioned—must all enter these various planets according
to the degree of their impiety. Those who are pious,
however, enter other planetary systems, namely the planets
of the demigods. Nevertheless, both the pious and impious
are again brought to earth after the results of their pious or
impious acts are exhausted.
PURPORT
This corresponds to the beginning of Lord Kṛṣṇa's instructions

in Bhagavad-gītā. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: [Bg. 2.13] within
this material world, one is simply meant to change from one
body to another in different planetary systems. Ūrdhvaṁ
gacchanti sattva-sthā: [Bg. 14.18] those in the mode of
goodness are elevated to the heavenly planets. Adho gacchanti
tāmasāḥ: similarly, those too engrossed in ignorance enter the
hellish planetary systems. Both of them, however, are subjected
to the repetition of birth and death. In Bhagavad-gītā it is stated
that even one who is very pious returns to earth after his
enjoyment in the higher planetary systems is over (kṣīṇe puṇye
martya-lokaṁ viśanti [Bg. 9.21]). Therefore, going from one
planet to another does not solve the problems of life. The
problems of life will only be solved when we no longer have to
accept a material body. This can be possible if one simply
becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā
(4.9):


Arjuna." This is the perfection of life and the real solution to
life's problems. We should not be eager to go to the higher,
heavenly planetary systems, nor should we act in such a way
that we have to go to the hellish planets. The complete purpose
of this material world will be fulfilled when we resume our
spiritual identities and go back home, back to Godhead. The
very simple method for doing this is prescribed by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ
śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. One should be neither pious nor
impious. One should be a devotee and surrender to the lotus
feet of Kṛṣṇa. This surrendering process is also very easy. Even
a child can perform it. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī
māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. One must always simply think of
Kṛṣṇa by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare
Hare/ Hare Rāma. Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. One
should become Kṛṣṇa's devotee. worship Him and offer
obeisances to Him. Thus one should engage all the activities of
his life in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Itaratra means Svarga. Iha means earth, Bhārata-varṣa. Again

they come to earth, since this is the place where dharma and
adharma accrue. By the remnants of dharma and adharma, they
return to earth.
TEXT - SB 5.26.38
nivṛtti-lakṣaṇa-mārga ādāv eva vyākhyātaḥ; etāvān evāṇḍa-

kośo yaś caturdaśadhā purāṇeṣu vikalpita upagīyate yat tad
bhagavato nārāyaṇasya sākṣān mahā-puruṣasya sthaviṣṭhaṁ
rūpam ātmamāyā-guṇamayam anuvarṇitam ādṛtaḥ paṭhati
śṛṇoti śrāvayati sa upageyaṁ bhagavataḥ paramātmano
'grāhyam api śraddhā-bhakti-viśuddha-buddhir veda.
SYNONYMS
nivṛtti-lakṣaṇa-mārgaḥ—the path symptomized by

renunciation, or the path of liberation; ādau—in the beginning
(the Second and Third Cantos); eva—indeed; vyākhyātaḥ—
described; etāvān—this much; eva—certainly; aṇḍa-kośaḥ—
the universe, which resembles a big egg; yaḥ—which;
caturdaśa-dhā—in fourteen parts; purāṇeṣu—in the purāṇas;
vikalpitaḥ—divided; upagīyate—is described; yat—which; tat
—that; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
nārāyaṇasya—of Lord Nārāyaṇa; sākṣāt—directly; mahā-
puruṣasya—of the Supreme Person; sthaviṣṭham—the gross;
rūpam—form; ātma-māyā—of His own energy; guṇa—of the
qualities; mayam—consisting; anuvarṇitam—described; ādṛtaḥ
—venerating; paṭhati—one reads; śṛṇoti—or hears; śrāvayati
—or explains; saḥ—that person; upageyam—song; bhagavataḥ
—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; paramātmanaḥ—of
the Supersoul; agrāhyam—difficult to understand; api—
although; śraddhā—by faith; bhakti—and devotion; viśuddha
—purified; buddhiḥ—whose intelligence; veda—understands.
TRANSLATION
In the beginning [the Second and Third Cantos of Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam] I have already described how one can
progress on the path of liberation. In the Purāṇas the vast
universal existence, which is like an egg divided into
fourteen parts, is described. This vast form is considered
the external body of the Lord, created by His energy and
qualities. It is generally called the virāṭ-rūpa. If one reads
the description of this external form of the Lord with great
faith, or if one hears about it or explains it to others to
propagate bhāgavata-dharma, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his
faith and devotion in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, will gradually increase. Although developing
this consciousness is very difficult, by this process one can
purify himself and gradually come to an awareness of the
Supreme Absolute Truth.
PURPORT
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pushing forward the

publication of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as explained especially for
the understanding of the modern civilized man, to awaken him
to his original consciousness. Without this consciousness, one
melts into complete darkness. Whether one goes to the upper
planetary systems or the hellish planetary systems, he simply
wastes his time. Therefore one should hear of the universal
position of the virāṭ form of the Lord as described in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam. That will help one save himself from material
conditional life and gradually elevate him to the path of
liberation so that he can go back home, back to Godhead.
In the Second and Third Cantos the path of renunciation was

explained in verses such as the following:
vaiśvānaraṁ yāti vihāyasā gataḥ suṣumṇayā brahma-pathena

śociṣā
vidhūta-kalko 'tha harer udastāt prayāti cakraṁ nṛpa

śaiśumāram
O King! The yogī, having gone by the path of Brahma-loka,

goes to Vaiśvānara by means of the ether, through the
luminaries of the suṣumna-nāḍī. Being free of all desires, he
then approaches the Śiśumāra constellation above, which is
related to the Lord. SB 2.2.24
Upageyam means it is similar to an Upaniṣad, difficult to

understand.
TEXT - SB 5.26.39
śrutvā sthūlaṁ tathā sūkṣmaṁ
rūpaṁ bhagavato yatiḥ
sthūle nirjitam ātmānaṁ

śanaiḥ sūkṣmaṁ dhiyā nayed iti
SYNONYMS
śrutvā—after hearing of (from the disciplic succession);

sthūlam—gross; tathā—as well as; sūkṣmam—subtle; rūpam—
form; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
yatiḥ—a sannyāsī or devotee; sthūle—the gross form; nirjitam
—conquered; ātmānam—the mind; śanaiḥ—gradually;
sūkṣmam—the subtle. spiritual form of the Lord; dhiyā—by
intelligence; nayet—one should lead it to; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
One who is interested in liberation, who accepts the path of
liberation and is not attracted to the path of conditional life,
is called yati, or a devotee. Such a person should first
control his mind by thinking of the virāṭ-rūpa, the gigantic
universal form of the Lord, and then gradually think of the
spiritual form of Kṛṣṇa [sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]]
after hearing of both forms. Thus one's mind is fixed in
samādhi. By devotional service one can then realize the
spiritual form of the Lord, which is the destination of
devotees. Thus his life becomes successful.
PURPORT
It is said, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ: [SB 5.5.2] if

one wants to progress on the path of liberation, he should
associate with mahātmās, or liberated devotees, because in such
association there is a full chance for hearing, describing and
chanting about the name, form, qualities and paraphernalia of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all of which are described
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. On the path of bondage, one eternally
undergoes the repetition of birth and death. One who desires
liberation from such bondage should join the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness and thus take advantage of
the opportunity to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from devotees and
also explain it to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In the manner that he leads the controlled mind to the gross

form, he leads it to the subtle form.
TEXT - SB 5.26.40
bhū-dvīpa-varṣa-sarid-adri-nabhaḥ-samudra-
pātāla-diṅ-naraka-bhāgaṇa-loka-saṁsthā
gītā mayā tava nṛpādbhutam īśvarasya
sthūlaṁ vapuḥ sakala-jīva-nikāya-dhāma
SYNONYMS
bhū—of this planet earth; dvīpa—and other different planetary

systems; varṣa—of tracts of land; sarit—rivers; adri—
mountains; nabhaḥ—the sky; samudra—oceans; pātāla—
lower planets; dik—directions; naraka—the hellish planets;
bhāgaṇa-loka—the luminaries and higher planets; saṁsthā—
the situation; gītā—described; mayā—by me; tava—for you;
nṛpa—O King; adbhutam—wonderful; īśvarasya—of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; sthūlam—gross; vapuḥ—
body; sakala-jīva-nikāya—of all the masses of living entities;
dhāma—which is the place of repose.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, I have now described for you this planet
earth, other planetary systems, and their lands [varṣas],
rivers and mountains. I have also described the sky, the
oceans, the lower planetary systems, the directions, the
hellish planetary systems and the stars. These constitute the
virāṭ-rūpa, the gigantic material form of the Lord, on which
all living entities repose. Thus I have explained the
wonderful expanse of the external body of the Lord.
Thus ends the commentary on the Twenty-sixth Chapter of the

I desire to live by hearing the devotees who are a tolerant

stream of divine nectar. Otherwise how can I progress, since I
have been bitten by the uncontrollable snake of pride? I have
completed the commentary on the Fifth Canto at Rādhākuṇḍa
on the sixth lunar day of the waning phase of the moon in
Phāguna month, on Tuesday.

Twenty-sixth Chapter, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "A
Description of the Hellish Planets."
There is a supplementary note written by His Divine Grace

Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda in
his Gauḍīya-bhāṣya. Its translation is as follows. Learned
scholars who have full knowledge of all the Vedic scriptures
agree that the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead are innumerable. These incarnations are classified
into two divisions, called prābhava and vaibhava. According to
the scriptures, prābhava incarnations are also classified in two
divisions—those which are called eternal and those which are
not vividly described. In this Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam, in Chapters Three through Six, there is a
description of Ṛṣabhadeva, but there is not an expanded
description of His spiritual activities. Therefore He is
considered to belong to the second group of prābhava
incarnations. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Chapter
Three, verse 13. it is said:
aṣṭame merudevyāṁ tu
nābher jāta urukramaḥ
darśayan vartma dhīrāṇāṁ
sarvāśrama-namaskṛtam
"Lord Viṣṇu appeared in the eighth incarnation as the son of

Mahārāja Nābhi [the son of Āgnīdhra] and his wife Merudevī.
He showed the path of perfection, the paramahaṁsa stage of
life, which is worshiped by all the followers of varṇāśrama-
dharma. "Ṛṣabhadeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
and His body is spiritual (sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]).
Therefore one might ask how it might be possible that he
passed stool and urine. The Gauḍīya vedānta ācārya Baladeva
Vidyābhūṣaṇa has replied to this question in his book known as
Siddhānta-ratna (First Portion, texts 65-68). Imperfect men call
attention to Ṛṣabhadeva's passing stool and urine as a subject
matter for the study of nondevotees, who do not understand the
spiritual position of a transcendental body. In this Fifth Canto
of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.6.11) the illusioned and bewildered
state of the materialists of this age is fully described. Elsewhere
in Fifth Canto (5.5.19) Ṛṣabhadeva stated, idaṁ śarīram mama
durvibhāvyam: "This body of Mine is inconceivable for
materialists." This is also confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā

mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
"Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do

not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion
over all that be." The human form of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead is extremely difficult to understand, and, in fact,
for a common man it is inconceivable. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva
has directly explained that His own body belongs to the
spiritual platform. This being so. Ṛṣabhadeva did not actually
pass stool and urine. Even though He superficially seemed to
pass stool and urine, that was also transcendental and cannot be
imitated by any common man. It is also stated in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam that the stool and urine of Ṛṣabhadeva were full of
transcendental fragrance. One may imitate Ṛṣabhadeva, but he
cannot imitate Him by passing stool that is fragrant.
The activities of Ṛṣabhadeva, therefore, do not support the

claims of a certain class of men known as arhat, who
sometimes advertise that they are followers of Ṛṣabhadeva.
How can they be followers of Ṛṣabhadeva while they act
against the Vedic principles? Śukadeva Gosvāmī has related
that after hearing about the characteristics of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva,
the King of Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka initiated a system of
religious principles known as arhat. These principles were not
in accord with Vedic principles, and therefore they are called
pāṣaṇḍa-dharma. The members of the arhat community
considered Ṛṣabhadeva's activities material. However,
Ṛṣabhadeva is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Therefore He is on the transcendental platform, and
no one can compare to Him.
Ṛṣabhadeva personally exhibited the activities of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(5.6.8), dāvānalas tad vanam ālelihānaḥ saha tena dadāha: at
the conclusion of Ṛṣabhadeva's pastimes, an entire forest and
the Lord's body were burned to ashes in a great forest fire. In
the same way, Ṛṣabhadeva burned people's ignorance to ashes.
He exhibited the characteristics of a paramahaṁsa in His
instructions to His sons. The principles of the arhat
community, however, do not correspond to the teachings of
Ṛṣabhadeva.
Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa remarks that in the Eighth Canto

of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is another description of
Ṛṣabhadeva, but that Ṛṣabhadeva is different from the one
described in this canto.
END OF THE FIFTH CANTO

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Canto

This chapter describes how King Priyavrata enjoyed royal

In response to the King's inquiries, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that

Everything is under the control of the Supreme Personality of

When Mahārāja Priyavrata, following the instruction of Lord

ātmārāmaḥ kathaṁ mune

gṛhe 'ramata yan-mūlaḥ

rājā uvāca—King Parīkṣit said; priya-vrataḥ—King

In the Fourth Canto, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī explains that

The words bhāgavata ātmārāmaḥ are very significant in this

The word parābhavaḥ in this verse is also significant. When

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - 5.1.1

Offering respects to guru and Kṛṣṇa, the ocean of mercy, I take

Three chapters tell the stories of Priyavrata, Āgnīdhra and

This First Chapter described how Priyavrata, following the

gṛheṣv abhiniveśo 'yaṁ

puṁsāṁ bhavitum arhati

na—not; nūnam—certainly; mukta-saṅgānām—who are free

In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu it is said that by executing

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - 5.1.2

mahatāṁ khalu viprarṣe

mahatām—of great devotees; khalu—certainly; vipra-ṛṣe—O

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, nitāi pada-kamala,

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - 5.1.3

saṁśayo 'yaṁ mahān brahman

saktasya yat siddhir abhūt

saṁśayaḥ—doubt; ayam—this; mahān—great; brahman—O

King Parīkṣit wondered how a person so attached to wife,

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

A gṛhavrata, one who has taken a vow to execute family

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - 5.1.4

How is it that though, because of some aparādha, he became

bāḍham uktaṁ bhagavata uttamaślokasya śrīmac-

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī accepted both of the King's propositions

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, there are

In this verse, the word śivatamām is very significant.

tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ

By the order of the Lord, a perfect devotee sometimes comes to

The fact is, however, that one becomes a devotee when he is

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

A person who is too attached to materialistic family life—

These apparent contradictions are resolved in the life of a

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - 5.1.5

Śukadeva accepts the question but refutes it. It is true that it is

tathā na te mādhava tāvakāḥ kvacid

bhraśyanti mārgāt tvayi baddha-sauhṛdāḥ

tvayābhiguptā vicaranti nirbhayā

yarhi vāva ha rājan sa rāja-putraḥ priyavrataḥ parama-

yarhi—because; vāva ha—indeed; rājan—O King; saḥ—he;

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā

When Priyavrata's father, Svāyambhuva Manu, requested him

yasya deve parā bhaktir

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - 5.1.6

Priyavrata’s status as an ātmārāma was natural. By the mercy

atha ha bhagavān ādi-deva etasya guṇa-visargasya

atha—thus; ha—indeed; bhagavān—the most powerful; ādi-

Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Self (ātmā), is the source of