O most respectful one, may a person who wants the highest benefit in life never gain kingly opulence, for it leaves him blind to the needs of his own family and friends.

TRANSLATION

An intelligent person should learn to renounce his desire for wealth by performing sacrifices and acts of charity. He should learn to renounce his desire for wife and children by experiencing family life. And he should learn to renounce his desire for promotion to a higher planet in his next life, O saintly Vasudeva, by studying the effects of time. Self-controlled sages who have thus renounced their attachment to household life go to the forest to perform austerities.

COMMENTARY

One cannot destroy karma without giving up all material desires, and freedom from material desires arises by the following process mentioned in this verse which describes how worship of Kṛṣṇa brings auspiciousness (svasty-ayanam: v.37).

 

The sages said, “One should give up the desire for wealth (vittaiṣaṇām) by charity and sacrifice which are based on the fruits of wealth. By acts of charity and sacrifice one will come to the realization, ‘What use do I have for wealth?’ One should renounce his desires to enjoy female association and begetting children by enjoying according to the rules of household life (gṛhair:gṛhocitair bhogaiḥ). By the experience itself one will lose the desire for it.”

 

“O saintly Vasudeva (deva), by perceiving the destructive influence of time, or by realizing that the demigods also die (deva-kālena) one should renounce the desire for attaining the heavenly planets.” In this connection the example of practical behavior is cited by stating that wise men renounce their attachment to household life (grāme-tyakta) and go to the forest to perform austerities.

 

|| 10.84.39 ||

ṛṇais tribhir dvijo jāto devarṣi-pitṝṇāṁ prabho

yajñādhyayana-putrais tāny anistīrya tyajan patet

TRANSLATION

Dear Prabhu, a member of the twice-born classes is born with three kinds of debts—those owed to the demigods, to the sages and to his forefathers. If he leaves his body without first liquidating these debts by performing sacrifice, studying the scriptures and begetting children, he will fall down into a hellish condition.

COMMENTARY

The śruti says: jāyamāno vai brāhmaṇas tribhir ṛṇavāñ jāyate brahmacaryeṇa ṛṣibhyo yajñena devebhyaḥ prajayā pitṛbhyaḥ, “A brāhmaṇa is born with three debts. By celibacy (brahmacarya) and studying the Vedas (ādhyayana) he pays his debt to the sages. By sacrifice and by producing children he is freed from his debts to the demigods and forefathers (pitṝṇāṁ).”

 

|| 10.84.40 ||

tvaṁ tv adya mukto dvābhyāṁ vai ṛṣi-pitror mahā-mate

yajñair devarṇam unmucya nirṛṇo ’śaraṇo bhava

TRANSLATION

But you, O magnanimous soul, are already free from two of your debts—those to the sages and the forefathers. Now absolve yourself of your debt to the demigods by executing Vedic sacrifices, and in this way free yourself completely of debt and renounce all material shelter.

COMMENTARY

The sages said, “You are freed from two debts (nirṛṇo) by studying and producing offspring. Now execute sacrifices to become free from your debts to the demigods and then renounce family life (aśaraṇo bhava:gṛhāt pravraja).”

 

|| 10.84.41 ||

vasudeva bhavān nūnaṁ bhaktyā paramayā harim

jagatām īśvaraṁ prārcaḥ sa yad vāṁ putratāṁ gataḥ

TRANSLATION

O Vasudeva, without doubt you must have previously worshiped Lord Hari, the master of all worlds. Both you and your wife must have perfectly worshiped Him with supreme devotion, since He has accepted the role of your son.

COMMENTARY

The mood of the sages in this verse is as follows: “You have asked a question posing as an ordinary person, and we have answered according to ordinary scriptural rules. Actually since you are the eternally liberated (nitya-siddha) father of the Supreme Lord neither worldly customs nor the injunctions of scripture have any authority over you. But if you think that you are only qualified for following the rules of scripture then listen to what we have said.”

 

The sages said, “O Vasudeva, you are resplendent (deva:dīvyati) with the topmost wealth (vasu:dhanaṁ śreṣṭham) of pure devotion. Previously You intensely worshiped Kṛṣṇa with the most excellent devotion. Therefore, why should you now fall to a lower standard of action? If it is not so, then our words mean nothing. The proof is that Kṛṣṇa Himself has appeared as your son. Nevertheless, if out of humility you think of yourself as a fallen soul and thus want to execute rituals, then do so just to teach the people in general, just as the Lord Himself does.”

 

|| 10.84.42 ||

śrī-śuka uvāca

iti tad-vacanaṁ śrutvā vasudevo mahā-manāḥ

tān ṛṣīn ṛtvijo vavre mūrdhnānamya prasādya ca

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After hearing these statements of the sages, generous Vasudeva bowed his head to the ground and, praising them, requested them to become his priests.

 

|| 10.84.43 ||

ta enam ṛṣayo rājan vṛtā dharmeṇa dhārmikam

tasminn ayājayan kṣetre makhair uttama-kalpakaiḥ

TRANSLATION

Thus requested by him, O King, the sages engaged the pious Vasudeva in performing fire sacrifices at that holy place of Kurukṣetra according to strict religious principles and with most excellent ritual arrangements.

 

|| 10.84.44-45 ||

tad-dīkṣāyāṁ pravṛttāyāṁ vṛṣṇayaḥ puṣkara-srajaḥ

snātāḥ su-vāsaso rājan rājānaḥ suṣṭhv-alaṅkṛtāḥ

tan-mahiṣyaś ca muditā niṣka-kaṇṭhyaḥ su-vāsasaḥ

dīkṣā-śālām upājagmur āliptā vastu-pāṇayaḥ

TRANSLATION

When Mahārāja Vasudeva was about to be initiated for the sacrifice, O King, the Vṛṣṇis came to the initiation pavilion after bathing and putting on fine clothes and garlands of lotuses. The other kings also came, elaborately ornamented, as well as all their joyful queens, who wore jeweled lockets around their necks and were also clad in fine garments. The royal wives were anointed with sandalwood paste and carried auspicious items for the worship.

COMMENTARY

Carrying various auspicious items in their hands (vastu-pāṇayaḥ), the queens (mahiṣyaḥ) entered the arena.

 

|| 10.84.46 ||

nedur mṛdaṅga-paṭaha-śaṅkha-bhery-ānakādayaḥ

nanṛtur naṭa-nartakyas tuṣṭuvuḥ sūta-māgadhāḥ

jaguḥ su-kaṇṭhyo gandharvyaḥ saṅgītaṁ saha-bhartṛkāḥ

TRANSLATION

Mṛdaṅgas, paṭahas, conchshells, bherīs, ānakas and other instruments resounded, male and female dancers danced, and sūtas and māgadhas recited glorifications. Sweet-voiced Gandharvīs sang, accompanied by their husbands.

 

|| 10.84.47 ||

tam abhyaṣiñcan vidhi-vad aktam abhyaktam ṛtvijaḥ

patnībhir aṣṭā-daśabhiḥ soma-rājam ivoḍubhiḥ

TRANSLATION

After Vasudeva’s eyes had been decorated with black cosmetic and his body smeared with fresh butter, the priests initiated him according to scriptural rules by sprinkling him and his eighteen wives with sacred water. Encircled by his wives, he resembled the regal moon encircled by stars.

COMMENTARY

With his eyes anointed with mascara and his body smeared with newly-churned butter, Vasudeva along with His eighteen wives appeared like the king of moons (soma rājam) encircled by the stars.

 

|| 10.84.48 ||

tābhir dukūla-valayair hāra-nūpura-kuṇḍalaiḥ

sv-alaṅkṛtābhir vibabhau dīkṣito ’jina-saṁvṛtaḥ

TRANSLATION

Vasudeva received initiation along with his wives, who wore silk sārīs and were adorned with bangles, necklaces, ankle bells and earrings. With his body wrapped in a deerskin, Vasudeva shone splendidly.

 

|| 10.84.49 ||

tasyartvijo mahā-rāja ratna-kauśeya-vāsasaḥ

sa-sadasyā virejus te yathā vṛtra-haṇo ’dhvare

TRANSLATION

My dear Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Vasudeva’s priests and the officiating members of the assembly, dressed in silk dhotīs and jeweled ornaments, looked so effulgent that they seemed to be standing in the sacrificial arena of Indra, the killer of Vṛtra.

 

|| 10.84.50 ||

tadā rāmaś ca kṛṣṇaś ca svaiḥ svair bandhubhir anvitau

rejatuḥ sva-sutair dārair jīveśau sva-vibhūtibhiḥ

TRANSLATION

At that time Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, the Lords of all living entities, shone forth with great majesty in the company of Their respective sons, wives and other family members, who were expansions of Their opulences.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the Lords of all living entities (jīveśau), appeared.

 

|| 10.84.51 ||

īje ’nu-yajñaṁ vidhinā agni-hotrādi-lakṣaṇaiḥ

prākṛtair vaikṛtair yajñair dravya-jñāna-kriyeśvaram

TRANSLATION

Performing various kinds of Vedic sacrifice according to the proper regulations, Vasudeva worshiped the Lord of all sacrificial paraphernalia, mantras and rituals. He executed both primary and secondary sacrifices, offering oblations to the sacred fire and carrying out other aspects of sacrificial worship.

COMMENTARY

Vasudeva worshiped Viṣṇu, the Lord of all sacrificial paraphernalia (dravya), mantras (jñāna) and rituals (kriyā) by primary sacrifices such as Jyotiṣṭoma and Darśa-pūrṇamāsa, which are prescribed in detail in revealed scriptures, and by secondary sacrifices such as the Saurya and Satra which are modified in form and rule. The word dravyam refers to the sacrificial rice cakes (puroḍāśa), which are offered when soma is not offered.

 

|| 10.84.52 ||

athartvigbhyo ’dadāt kāle yathāmnātaṁ sa dakṣiṇāḥ

sv-alaṅkṛtebhyo ’laṅkṛtya go-bhū-kanyā mahā-dhanāḥ

TRANSLATION

Then, at the appropriate time and according to scripture, Vasudeva remunerated the priests by decorating them with precious ornaments, though they were already richly adorned, and offering them valuable gifts of cows, land and marriageable girls.

COMMENTARY

Vasudeva (sa) gave donations (dakṣiṇa) in the form of gold, jewels, cows, land and virgin girls (kanyā).

 

|| 10.84.53 ||

patnī-saṁyājāvabhṛthyaiś caritvā te maharṣayaḥ

sasnū rāma-hrade viprā yajamāna-puraḥ-sarāḥ

TRANSLATION

After supervising the patnī-saṁyāja and avabhṛthya rituals, the great brāhmaṇa sages bathed in Lord Paraśurāma’s lake with the sponsor of the sacrifice, Vasudeva, who led them.

COMMENTARY

The patnī-saṁyāja is the ritual in which the sponsor of the sacrifice offers oblations together with his wife. The brāhmaṇas also supervised the final rituals known as avabhṛthya.

 

|| 10.84.54 ||

snāto ’laṅkāra-vāsāṁsi vandibhyo ’dāt tathā striyaḥ

tataḥ sv-alaṅkṛto varṇān ā-śvabhyo ’nnena pūjayat

TRANSLATION

His sacred bath complete, Vasudeva joined with his wives in giving the jewelry and clothes they had been wearing to the professional reciters. Vasudeva then put on new garments, after which he honored all classes of people by feeding everyone, even the dogs.

COMMENTARY

Having bathed, Vasudeva, along with his wives, gave cloth and orna-ments to the reciters and fed everyone down to the horses and dogs.

 

|| 10.84.55-56 ||

bandhūn sa-dārān sa-sutān pāribarheṇa bhūyasā

vidarbha-kośala-kurūn kāśi-kekaya-sṛñjayān

sadasyartvik-sura-gaṇān nṛ-bhūta-pitṛ-cāraṇān

śrī-niketam anujñāpya śaṁsantaḥ prayayuḥ kratum

TRANSLATION

With opulent gifts he honored his relatives, including all their wives and children; the royalty of the Vidarbha, Kosala, Kuru, Kāśī, Kekaya and Sṛñjaya kingdoms; the officiating members of the assembly; and also the priests, witnessing demigods, humans, spirits, forefathers and Cāraṇas. Then, taking permission from Lord Kṛṣṇa, the shelter of the goddess of fortune, the various guests departed as they all chanted the glories of Vasudeva’s sacrifice.

 

commentary

Vasudeva worshiped everyone from his relatives to the Cāraṇas, a class of minor demigods, with gifts (pāribarheṇa.prīti-dānena) as tokens of his affection, and then they all departed (prayayuḥ).

 

|| 10.84.57-58 ||

dhṛtarāṣṭro ’nujaḥ pārthā bhīṣmo droṇaḥ pṛthā yamau

nārado bhagavān vyāsaḥ suhṛt-sambandhi-bāndhavāḥ

bandhūn pariṣvajya yadūn sauhṛdāklinna-cetasaḥ

yayur viraha-kṛcchreṇa sva-deśāṁś cāpare janāḥ

TRANSLATION

The Yadus were all embraced by their friends, close family members and other relatives, including Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his younger brother, Vidura; Pṛthā and her sons; Bhīṣma; Droṇa; the twins Nakula and Sahadeva; Nārada; and Vedavyāsa, the Personality of Godhead. Their hearts melting with affection, these and the other guests left for their kingdoms, their progress slowed by the pain of separation.

COMMENTARY

Anuja refers to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s younger brother Vidura.

 

|| 10.84.59 ||

nandas tu saha gopālair bṛhatyā pūjayārcitaḥ

kṛṣṇa-rāmograsenādyair nyavātsīd bandhu-vatsalaḥ

TRANSLATION

Nanda Mahārāja showed his affection for his relatives, the Yadus, by remaining with them a little longer, together with his cowherds. During his stay, Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Ugrasena and the others honored him with especially opulent worship.

COMMENTARY

The word tu (and) indicates that Nanda was worshiped much more elaborately even than the sons of Pāṇḍu by Vasudeva, because even when everyone else went away, Nanda Mahārāja did not leave for a long time.

 

|| 10.84.60 ||

vasudevo ’ñjasottīrya manoratha-mahārṇavam

suhṛd-vṛtaḥ prīta-manā  nandam āha kare spṛśan

TRANSLATION

Having so easily crossed over the vast ocean of his ambition, Vasudeva felt fully satisfied. In the company of his many well-wishers, he took Nanda by the hand and addressed him as follows.

COMMENTARY

Crossing the great ocean of his desires to perform Vedic sacrifices, Vasudeva felt satisfied and spoke to Nanda.

 

|| 10.84.61 ||

śrī-vasudeva uvāca

bhrātar īśa-kṛtaḥ pāśo nṛnāṁ yaḥ sneha-saṁjñitaḥ

taṁ dustyajam ahaṁ manye śūrāṇām api yoginām

TRANSLATION

Śrī Vasudeva said: My dear brother, God Himself has tied the knot called affection, which tightly binds human beings together. It seems to me that even great heroes and mystics find it very difficult to free themselves from it.

COMMENTARY

Vasudeva said, “I think these bonds of affection are hard to cut (durbhidam) for warriors by their strength and for yogīs by their knowledge.” The extra verb (durbhidam) should be added. The meaning is “Throughout the day and night the two of you are tightly bound by the rope of affection for my sons.”

 

|| 10.84.62 ||

asmāsv apratikalpeyaṁ yat kṛtājñeṣu sattamaiḥ

maitry arpitāphalā cāpi na nivarteta karhicit

TRANSLATION

Indeed, the Supreme Lord must have created the bonds of affection, for such exalted saints as you have never stopped showing matchless friendship toward us ingrates, although it has never been properly reciprocated.

COMMENTARY

Vasudeva said, “This friendship which has been offered by such exalted saints as you, by bestowing the great treasure of firm affection for Rāma and Kṛṣṇa is incomparable and will certainly never cease. Who are we? We are ungrateful (kṛta-ajñeṣu), not acknowledging the help you rendered to us. Hence, how can we, who are so wicked, be so shameless to even speak this to you, who are the most saintly?”

 

|| 10.84.63 ||

prāg akalpāc ca kuśalaṁ bhrātar vo nācarāma hi

adhunā śrī-madāndhākṣā na paśyāmaḥ puraḥ sataḥ

TRANSLATION

Previously, dear brother, we did nothing to benefit you because we were unable to, yet even now that you are present before us, our eyes are so blinded by the intoxication of material good fortune that we continue to ignore you.

COMMENTARY

In this verse Vasudeva explains his failure to show gratitude. Vasudeva said, “Previously, because of being imprisoned by Kaṁsa I did nothing to help you. Now even though Kaṁsa has been killed and I am free, still due to the intoxication of wealth I continue to ignore you.”

 

|| 10.84.64 ||

mā rājya-śrīr abhūt puṁsaḥ śreyas-kāmasya māna-da

sva-janān uta bandhūn vā na paśyati yayāndha-dṛk

TRANSLATION