mahāśano mahā-pāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam

13 страница

Translation

O Kṛṣṇa! Until people become your devotees, their material attachments and desires remain thieves, their homes remain prisons, and their affectionate feelings for their family members remain foot-shackles.

 

Ādayaḥ means anger and other emotions. The anger of the devotee however becomes part of bhakti. By scolding the fools the devotees lead them to deliverance. O Kṛṣṇa, directly the supreme Lord!

 

If their properties are for themselves, how is their attachment for enjoying matter, their welcoming guests and showing affection to each other viewed? It is not seen as belonging to you (na te). Or O Kṛṣṇa who gives complete bliss! To that extent they offer respects to you (nate).

 

Attachment becomes a thief, which by its nature steals the gems of discrimation, determination and other good qualities. Adayaḥ indicates that on attaining this, one develops anger etc. The house and conduct of a householder cause suffering, by restriction, like a prison. Mutual affection (mohaḥ) causes lack of independence, like shackles on the feet.

 

The meaning is this. Devotees nourish their bhakti by attachment to things that they offer to the Lord. They spread bhakti by anger at persons engaged in not serving the Lord. As householders, they show compassion for all beings by serving the devotees. But this will not happen until they become devotees (yāvat na te janaḥ).

 

“If they serve me constantly, though I cannot reward them the highest goal, is it wrong?” O Kṛṣṇa, attractor of all hearts! As long as they do not become people of Vraja (janaḥ), dedicated to your service (na te janaḥ), dancing and singing with attachment (rāgādayaḥ) they will be like thieves, causing disturbance. The house will cause grief like a prison. (False) affection for devotees (mohaḥ) will be chains on the feet, causing lack of independence.

 

Or attraction for Vaikuṇṭha (rāgādayaḥ), the dwellings there, and affection for Lakṣmī will be causes of disturbance and restriction. It is all done by you. If all people worship you what is the harm?

 

Or in this condition, attachment to their bodies or animals is a thief, the house is a prision, affection for friends is shackles as long as they do not become people of Vraja serving you with dedication.

 

Text 37

prapañcaṁ niṣprapañco ’pi viḍambayasi bhū-tale

prapanna-janatānanda- sandohaṁ prathituṁ prabho

Translation

My dear master! Although you have nothing to do with material existence, you come to this earth and imitate material life just to expand the varieties of ecstatic enjoyment for your surrendered devotees.

 

Though you are beyond the material world, you imitate the world — by being a son etc. Why? You do this in order to give bliss to your devotees by hearing about your pastimes related to Vraja. Or do you really perform pastimes as a son with the devotees? You who cause others to exit the material world (nisprapañcaḥ) become fixed (vilambayasi) in spreading bliss by pastimes with the peopяe of Vraja (praptanna-janatā).

 

Text 38

jānanta eva jānantu kiṁ bahūktyā na me prabho

manaso vapuṣo vāco vaibhavaṁ tava go-caraḥ

Translation

Let the people who think they know, think in that way! What more can be said, O Lord! Your powers are not accessible by my mind, eye or words.

 

Starting in SB 10.14.3, Brahmā has explained that jñana is insignificant and bhakti is great. He now summarizes this. Let those who think they know (janataḥ) the glory of your bhakti (vaibhavam) think they are very learned. Practicing jñāna, let them perfect it. This is said with irony. What more can be said about the insignificance of jñāna and the greatness of bhakti?

 

O lord with various unlimited powers (prabho)! Your greatness cannot approached by writing ability with the body, by descriptions using words or by thinking with the mind since your greatness is continuous and inconceivable. All else is approachable.

 

Or first Brahmā described the body of the Lord by praises. Then he raised various doubts.

 

Now he summarizes with conviction by a description of the greatness of bhakti. O Lord who reveals excellently great beauty (prabho)! The greatness of your body is beyond my understanding.

 

Or the greatness of your mind, words and body are beyond my understanding. Like you, your mind is deeper than a million oceans. Your single body is like the unlimitedly deep Vedas, being limited and unlimited simultaneously. I cannot understand the meaning of your words, measured and abundant, uttered to your friends.

 

Or summarizing the greatness of Vraja by praising the Lord in front of him, he mocks the fools who think they know. O lord of Gokula (prabho)! The glory of the people of Vraja is beyond my and even your body, mind and words. Those who think they know are fools, worthy of mockery.

 

Text 39

anujānīhi māṁ Kṛṣṇa sarvaṁ tvaṁ vetsi sarva-dṛk

tvam eva jagatāṁ nātho jagad etat tavārpitam

Translation

O Kṛṣṇa, endowed with attractive qualities! I now humbly request permission to leave. Actually, you are the knower and seer of all things. You are the Lord of all the universes. You have offered this universe to me for creating.

 

With the disappearance of all pride because of special mercy of the Lord arising from his prayer, being most humble, Brahma request to leave for his abode with knowledge of the Lord.

 

O Lord revealing unlimited quliteis as Bhagavān! You alone know your greatness, described in what I said because you are omniscient (sarva-dṛk). Or being omniscient, do you not know everything. Since you unlimited, I cannot praise you. Thus I will now depart. In order to perfect bhakti, by giving up my pride, I offer everything to you — this universe.

 

Or “O Brahmā! You asked for a birth just now in this place. Why are you going elsewhere?” I cannot stay here in this devatā body with four heads. You are eager to enjoy with your devotees, under the control of their prema. O Kṛṣna, dear to the people of Vraja! You know that I cannot stay here. But I offer everything to you in order to achieve my request.

 

You are the master of the universe. Though I desire to offer, I cannot do so. I offer to you what you have offered to me.

 

Or “O Brahmā! You are lord of the universe because you create it. Why do you show such humility?” No, you are the lord of the universe, and I am only your servant. “It is seen that this world composed of your offsprince is ruled by you.” You offered me the universe. I am not the lord. It is only ruled by me by your offering it generously to me.

 

Text 40

śrī-kṛṣṇa vṛṣṇi-kula-puṣkara-joṣa-dāyin

kṣmā-nirjara-dvija-paśūdadhi-vṛddhi-kārin

uddharma-śārvara-hara kṣiti-rākṣasa-dhrug

ā-kalpam ārkam arhan bhagavan namas te

Translation

O Kṛṣṇa! O sun nourishing the families of Nanda and Vasudeva into blossom! O nourishing moon for the cows, brāhmaṇas, devatās and earth. O dispellerof the dense darkness of irreligion! O destroyer of the demons who have appeared on this earth! O Svayam Bhagavān! I offer respects to you along with your ornaments and even to the flower of the arka tree, which is generally not respectable.

 

O Kṛṣṇa endowed with various splendors in all matters (śrī-kṛṣṇa)! Endowed with śrī, he attracts everyone’s hearts. He is excellent in all ways completely. This is clarified with the other terms addressing Kṛṣṇa. The reasons for all this is that he is bhagavān, who displays all powers.

 

Or Brahmā praises in the form of saṅkīrana of the Lord’s names, after having developed the highest bhakti, summarizing in one verse the purpose of all the avatāras, and offers respect at the Lord’s lotus feet. By his appearance the Lord destroyed the grief of Vasudeva and the Yadus and gave them bliss, like the lotus giving up being closed in darkness and blossoming with the rising of the sun. This was described previously. Sa bibhrat pauruṣaṁ dhāma: He manifested the effulgence of the Lord and became as bright as the sun. (SB 10.2.17) diṣṭyā hare syā bhavataḥ pado bhuvaḥ: the heavy burden of the demons upon this earth which arises from your feet is immediately removed by your appearance (10.2.38)

 

He caused increase in the earth, devatās, and the ocean of cows in Vraja. By destroying adharama and increasing dharma he eradicated suffering and produced bliss. Even though by increase in the earth automatically there is increase in the brāhmaṇas and cows on the earth, they are individually listed to show the special increase when Kṛṣṇa appears. Or it can indicate the increase among the sages of Maharloka and the people of Gokula within Goloka. Or this refers particularly to the increase in Vraja, since his appearance made the earth, waterfalls, bṛahmanas, birds, cows and buffalos prosper to the highest degree. At the end Brahmā describes the goal, spreading prema-bhakti.

 

The Lord takes away the darkness of processes contrary to bhakti (uddharma-śārvara-hara).

 

O destroyer of demons on the earth! These are of two types: persons with deep demonic nature opposing bhakti which is the life all people, who wander about in the darkness of the material world; and the enemies of the Vṛṣṇis like Kaṁṣa. The Lord counteracts some by punishing their pride and others by killing them. This is for their benefit. O most merciful Lord (bhagavān)! You encourage the devotees with bhakti. You can do this and no one else can (arhan). Or O lord who can do anything!

 

For my lifespan (ākalpam) I offer respects to you. Or I offer respects to you and all your decorations like guñja necklaces, earrings, peacock feather and rice in your left hand. I offer respects even to the arka flower, which is not respectable. I offer respects to you, Kṛṣṇa, endowed with all powers, the son of Nanda, full of the highest bliss.

 

Because of the mercy of people who received the mercy of Caitanya, I have explained according to my inclination the prayers of Brahmā for their bliss.

 

Text 41

śrī-śuka uvāca

ity abhiṣṭūya bhūmānaṁ triḥ parikramya pādayoḥ

natvābhīṣṭaṁ jagad-dhātā sva-dhāma pratyapadyata

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Having thus offered his prayers to the unlimited Lord, Brahmā circumambulated him three times and then bowed down at his lotus feet. The appointed creator of the universe then returned to his own residence according to Kṛṣṇa’s desire.

 

He praised in many ways the Lord who cannot be encompassed (bhūmānam). Or he praised with devotion the Lord who pervades everywhere. Circumambulating Kṛṣṇa three times, he departed for his abode, his house on Brahmaloka, which he desired. First he decided in his mind that he would stay somewhere invisibly, giving up his position as Brahmā out of greed for living in Vraja or out of shame. So he stood there. Receiving at that time the mercy of the Lord he went to his dear home because he was the maintainer of the universe. If he gave up his post, the creation of the universe could not take place properly. Thus the Lord sent him home.

 

Text 42

tato ’nujñāpya bhagavān sva-bhuvaṁ prāg avasthitān

vatsān pulinam āninye yathā-pūrva-sakhaṁ svakam

Translation

After granting his son Brahmā permission to leave, the Lord took the previous calves and brought them to the riverbank, where he had been taking his meal and where previous cowherd boyfriends remained just as before.

 

Brahmā did not leave only by his will. Kṛṣṇa gave permission to Brahmā, forgiven for his offenses. After that (tataḥ) Kṛsṇa brought the original calves to the bank where the boys had been eating (svakam) or where the calves had been. The calves had been in the forest or on the river bank at another place. Brahmā brought the calves and boys back, or the the Lord brought them back. It is clear that the boys remained in illusion at that place for one year for it is said that Kṛṣṇa brought only the calves back. He had previously gone to get the calves to pacify the anxious boys. It does not say that they came from somewhere and again sat there. With the disappearance of māyā they were sitting on the bank for eating their meal.

 

But this was not visible. Why could other cowherds not see them there? Did they not suffer from cold wind during that time? Was it because of powerful illusion? Though the Lord saw this condition of the boys why was he indifferent? Did Brahmā take the boys to Brahmaloka to a place that the Lord could not see and keep them there, bewildered by illusion? That is not proper.

 

It was said in SB 10.13.41 that they were on the bed of māyā. By the mercy of the Lord they did not suffer. Wherever they were taken, they were not invisable to the Lord, who is condensed knowledge. When Kṛṣṇa previously did not see them and began searching for them, that was a show of extreme affection or in order to fool Brahmā. That was previously stated. Thus the boys were situated at that place.

 

Śrīdhara Svāmī says, “How could they remain sitting there for such a long time? Did they forget about eating and drinking?” The boys were situated as previously. The boys, the calves, the bank, the food and the seats were there as previously. But after one year, they would have grown in form. By the power of the Lord the boys’ behavior and appearance over the year manifested to the mothers and others by himself (as the boys). Otherwise there would be some difference between the boys of the previous year and now.

 

Text 43

ekasminn api yāte ’bde prāṇeśaṁ cāntarātmanaḥ

kṛṣṇa-māyāhatā rājan kṣaṇārdhaṁ menire ’rbhakāḥ

Translation

O King! Although the boys had passed an entire year apart from the Lord of their very lives, they had been covered by Kṛṣṇa’s illusory potency and thus considered that year to be merely half a moment.

 

The boys’ ignorance of time was caused by māyā. They passed a year in the absence of the Lord of their (ātmanaḥ) lives. Or they were bewildered by Kṛṣṇa’s own (ātmaṇaḥ) māyā. Though it was Brahmā’s māyā, it was permitted by Kṛṣṇa and carried out by Brahmā. Balarāma thought, “It can only be the māyā of my brother and nothing else that has fooled me.” (SB 10.13.37) Thus everything was adjusted. That was previously discussed.

 

They were covered by Kṛṣṇa’s māyā. He was the lord of their lives because he was Kṛṣṇa, the the young child of Nanda and they were the boys of Vraja (ārbakāḥ). Śukadeva calls out to Parīkṣit in amazement.

 

Text 44

kiṁ kiṁ na vismarantīha māyā-mohita-cetasaḥ

yan-mohitaṁ jagat sarvam abhīkṣṇaṁ vismṛtātmakam

Translation

What is not forgotten by those whose minds are bewildered by the Lord’s illusory potency? By that power of māyā, this entire universe remains in perpetual bewilderment, and in this atmosphere of forgetfulness, no one can understand his own identity.

 

In this world the ātmā or the lord who spreads everywhere is forgotten. All, even Indra, are bewildered because there is constant (abhikṣṇam) forgetfulness of what was remembered or recalled. This is the power of māyā.

 

Text 45

ūcuś ca suhṛdaḥ kṛṣṇaṁ sv-āgataṁ te ’ti-raṁhasā

naiko ’py abhoji kavala ehītaḥ sādhu bhujyatām

Translation

The cowherd boyfriends said to Kṛṣṇa: you have returned so quickly! We have not eaten even one morsel in your absence. Please come here and take your meal to full satisfaction.

Commentary

You have come nicely (svāgatam), bringing all the calves. Though a year had passed, they remained with the food in their hands by the power of Kṛṣṇa’s icchā-śakti. Or, you have not eaten a particle of food. You are holding the same food in your hand as before. Enter here (itaḥ) among us. Looking for the calves and bringing them together, or giving up anxiety which arose from that venture, eat heartily (sādhu).

 

Text 46

tato hasan hṛṣīkeśo ’bhyavahṛtya sahārbhakaiḥ

darśayaṁś carmājagaraṁ nyavartata vanād vrajam

Translation

Then Kṛṣṇa, smiling, finished his lunch in the company of his friends. Showing them the skin of Aghāsura, he returned from the forest to Vraja.

 

Kṛṣṇa smiled because the boys, who had been bewildered, became joyful on hearing his words, which did not make mention of anything to cause them suffering. He dined with the boys. Without them he did not eat for all that time. How would Yaśodā tolerate this?

 

Kṛṣṇa was the power behind all the senses (hṛṣikeṣaḥ). They became satisfied because of his skill at imitating eating. Another famous example is Lakṣmaṇa with Rāma.[11]

 

Or though he was not inclined to eat, he did so to satisfy the boys. He ate with great satisfaction while accepting things with different tastes and aromas, by instigating his own sense of taste etc. Then he returned to Vraja. Another version has nivavarta with the same meaning. He showed the boys the skin of Aghāsura. This created memory so they could tell the killing of Agha in Vraja. The skin remained covered by māyā all this time by the Lord.

 

Text 47

barha-prasūna-vana-dhātu-vicitritāṅgaḥ

proddāma-veṇu-dala-śṛṅga-ravotsavāḍhyaḥ

vatsān gṛṇann anuga-gīta-pavitra-kīrtir

gopī-dṛg-utsava-dṛśiḥ praviveśa goṣṭham

Translation

His body was decorated with peacock feathers and flowers and painted with forest minerals, and his flute, horn and instruments made from leaves loudly and festively resounded. His cowherd boyfriends purified the whole world by sweetly chanting his glories. Thus Kṛṣṇa entered the cow pasture of his father, Nanda Mahārāja, and seeing him produced a great festival for the eyes of all the cowherd women.

Commentary

He entered Vraja giving joy to the eyes of the women of Vraja because of being dressed in forest attire and being intensely joyous from associating with the boys and calves. The minerals of the forest included gaurika. The forest is mentioned to distinguish the decorations from gold and other ornaments obtained in their houses. His limbs were decorated colorfully with peacock feathers, flowers and minerals by his friends. He loudly sounded the flute and horn with joy, or he engaged in dancing, playing and singing festively as well as playing the flute and horn. The boys loudly glorified him with joy, as if singing, because of their attractive voices. This purified the whole world. Or they glorified him by talking about killing Agha, by which the world was purified. The gopīs were Yaśodā and all the women of Vraja. Seeing him now was more joyful than previously because of Kṛṣṇa’s joy. He was more joyful because the real boys were superior to the expanded forms that he had created.

 

Text 48

adyānena mahā-vyālo yaśodā-nanda-sūnunā

hato ’vitā vayaṁ cāsmād iti bālā vraje jaguḥ

Translation

As the cowherd boys reached the village of Vraja, they sang, “Today Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda and Yaśodā, saved us by killing a great serpent!”

 

The snake was killed by Yaśodā’s son who is bliss itself (Yaśodā-nanda-sūnunā). She attained satisfaction by his action.

 

Text 49

śrī-rājovāca

brahman parodbhave kṛṣṇe iyān premā kathaṁ bhavet

yo ’bhūta-pūrvas tokeṣu svodbhaveṣv api kathyatām

Translation

King Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, how could the cowherd women have developed for Kṛṣṇa, someone else’s son, such unprecedented pure love — love they never felt even for their own children? Please explain this.

 

O direct form of the Vedas (brāhmaṇa)! You know everything. The women thought of Kṛṣṇa as the son of Yaśodā, not as the Lord. They should not develop more affection for him than for their own children. An object shows itself by its nature. What is the reasoning for this attraction? They developed more love than previously even (api) for their own sons. Sometimes ca is seen with the same meaning. Please explain this. The question is how did this happen rather than was it suitable. There are many cases of giving up one’s children.

 

Or seeing many sages undergoing austerities but with attachment to their children, rather than for the Lord, Parikṣit addresses Śukadeva while laughing at them.

 

Text 50

śrī-śuka uvāca

sarveṣām api bhūtānāṁ nṛpa svātmaiva vallabhaḥ

itare ’patya-vittādyās tad-vallabhatayaiva hi

Translation

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, for every created being the dearest thing is certainly his own self. The dearness of everything else — children, wealth and so on — is due only to the dearness of the self.

 

Kṛṣṇa as Paramātmā gives affection to all beings. He is dearer to everyone than their own ātmā. What to speak of being dearer than one’s relatives and objects which give pleasure. To say that, first the dearness of one’s own ātmā is established. All other dear objects are based upon this. This is explained in five verses.

 

Because jñāna has not developed, one has affection for one’s own ātmā because of seeing difference from the ātmā of others. One directly experiences spontaneously the dearness of one’s own ātmā. It is dearer than children, wife and house (apatya-vittādyaḥ). The body is not mentioned because previously the body was mentioned as the most dear by conceiving of it as the self. Or body is also included in ādyāḥ. One directly sees is dearness by the way one especially cares for one’s own body. O king! For a king like you, protecting the citizens is dear. This is because of the dearness of one’s ātmā, since it is the essence of all other ātmās. Hi indicates this is proved by experience.

 

Text 51

tad rājendra yathā snehaḥ sva-svakātmani dehinām

na tathā mamatālambi- putra-vitta-gṛhādiṣu

Translation

For this reason, O best of kings, the embodied soul is self-centered: he is more attached to his own body and self than to his so-called possessions like children, wealth and home.

 

One has affection for one’s own ātmā in the body (sva-svaka ātmani). Śrīdhara Svāmī explains this in terms of ahaṅkāra because of the identification with the body. However it is not proper to say that ātmani means “for the body”since thinking that one is the body is explained in the next verse. For those who understand that they are ātmā, not the body (dehinān) there is affection for the ātmā. The affection for objects of possession like children is less than the affection for the self with the identity of “I.” O great king! One does not have as much affection for the kingdom as for the self. You know that.

 

Text 52

dehātma-vādināṁ puṁsām api rājanya-sattama

yathā dehaḥ priyatamas tathā na hy anu ye ca tam

Translation

Even for persons who think the body is the self, O best of kings, those things whose importance lies only in their relationship to the body are never as dear as the body itself.

Commentary

Dehātma-vādinām refers to those people who are extremely undiscriminating, thinking the body to be the self. Even they, however, take the self as most dear. By identifying the self with the body, the body becomes dearest. Hi means “certainly.” Ca means “but.” O best of kings! Those kings who think the body is the self are not good. Those who understand the ātmā are good. Those who understand the Lord are better. Those who have affection for Kṛṣṇa alone are the best. Thus you are the best king (rājanya-sattama).

 

Text 53

deho ’pi mamatā-bhāk cet tarhy asau nātma-vat priyaḥ

yaj jīryaty api dehe ’smin jīvitāśā balīyasī

Translation

If a person comes to the stage of considering the body “mine” instead of “me,” he will certainly not consider the body as dear as his own self. After all, even as the body is growing old and useless, one’s desire to continue living remains strong.

Commentary

The position of the undiscriminating person who thinks the body as his is described. This is explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī. The word api indicates that though he gets old, and is even about to die, or is dependent on sons, still the desire to live is strong. Or api can simply act to join the ideas. In his second explanation the person with no discrimination desires to live even after aging. This is a criticism. Therefore the wise person sees the body as the possession of the self, and not as dear. The body does not last long. It dies. Therefore one should not hope for it to continue living.

 

There is another meaning. The body which was considered to be the soul in the previous verse is not dear like the soul. Since one becomes afflicted by disease, the desire to live in the body becomes weaker (abalīyasī). By discrimination a person understands that the body is not the self and thus it is no longer dear.

 

Text 54

tasmāt priyatamaḥ svātmā sarveṣām api dehinām

tad-artham eva sakalaṁ jagad etac carācaram

Translation

Therefore it is his own self that is most dear to every embodied living being, and it is simply for the satisfaction of this self that the whole material creation of moving and nonmoving entities exists.